Jim Butcher: Grave Peril

• Mass Market Paperback: 378 pages
• Publisher: Roc (September 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451458443

Harry Dresden's faced some pretty terrifying foes during his career. Giant scorpions. Oversexed vampires. Psychotic werewolves. It comes with the territory when you're the only professional wizard in the Chicago area phone book.
But in all Harry's years of supernatural sleuthing, he's never faced anything like this: The spirit world has gone postal. All over Chicago, ghosts are causing trouble - and not just of the door-slamming, boo-shouting variety. These ghosts are tormented, violent, and deadly. Someone - or something - is purposely stirring them up to wreak unearthly havoc. But why? And why do so many of the victims have ties to Harry? If Harry doesn't figure it out soon, he could wind up a ghost himself...

 In the third installment of Butcher's Dresden series, we have rather a lot of "Oh shit" moments. The start was, I think, meant to be a "bang" but it ended up being more of a "pop" unfortunately. I suffered through quite a bit of confusion in the first chapters as we were introduced to characters and circumstances that had developed in the time between the last book and this one. That's normally pretty well done, but in this case, there were just too many new things going on at once, and I was having real trouble trying to figure out if I should know these things and was forgetting, or if they were brand new. I'm going with brand new. For example - a faery godmother? Really? When did that happen? Oh, when he was a baby. Why have we not heard of this before now if she's been hounding him most of his life? (Pun intended - you'll understand later).
 So right off the bat, I was a little flabbergasted at the events. That is not to say, however, that they were not fun and immensely entertaining. The first thing we learn, in the midst of an all-out battle against what I think is one of the creepiest ghosts ever, is that someone has been messing with the ghosts of the Nevernever and all hell is about to break loose because of it - well, all the Nevernever anyway. Of course, we have to deal with that. Also, the vampires are acting up, probably because Dresden previously pissed off their head honcho in town, big time. His godmother is after him as well, making getting anything done in regards to the case extremely difficult. Lastly, there's a Nightmare thing running around that may have something to do with some dark sorcerer/demon summoner that he helped arrest (again in that interval between books - which means the reader has no idea what he's talking about). Oh yes, and there's some clairvoyant girl who somehow ties into one or all of these things. Confused yet? So am I.
 While there's a lot going on, Butcher has miraculously developed a talent for keeping all the plot points firing apace and preventing them from getting too convoluted. Thank God for that. His first book was a little iffy on that score, but he has significantly improved, and as the book moved along and there were more developments helping to tie things together, the confusion was dispersed. It was well written for the most part, although occasionally the inner (and outer) dialogue got a little cheesy. The only other thing that detracted from my enjoyment of this novel was the editor's outrageously poor editing. Please, I don't want to have to fill in the blank and guess at what you're trying to spell while I'm reading for enjoyment. Not Mr. Butcher's fault, but jeez, get some better proofreaders people.
 There wasn't a ton of character development going on as we were pretty centered on Dresden and Michael and their problems. That's okay though, not every book has to be about everybody. Murphy was strangely absent for the majority of the time, and Susan made just enough appearances to be annoying and then awesome and then sad. Annoying because she's a reporter who doesn't seem to comprehend that no, Harry cannot tell you all the things and when he's busy it's probably for a good reason so you should shut up, sit down and wait patiently. Awesome because she's pretty ballsy. And sad because...well, I'll let you get to that.
 Overall: A-
 I enjoyed the book, and I like that Butcher is taking Dresden down a darker and more emotionally fraught path. We're not just doing it for kicks now. And the writing improves with every book, even though this one got off to a rocky start.

Kim Harrison: Black Magic Sanction

• Mass Market Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: Harper Voyager; Reprint edition (December 28, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061138045
• 
  

Rachel Morgan has fought and hunted vampires, werewolves, banshees, demons, and other supernatural dangers as both witch and bounty hunter - and lived to tell the tale. But she's never faced off against her own kind...until now. 
Denounced and shunned for dealing with demons and black magic, her best hope is life imprisonment - her worst, a forced lobotomy and genetic slavery. Only her enemies are strong enough to help her win her freedom. But trust comes hard when it hinges on the unscrupulous tycoon Trent Kalamack, the demon Algaliarept, and a lowlife ex-boyfriend-turned-thief.

I love Kim Harrison. I always have, ever since I first read one of her books, which was actually the third in the Hollows series, which was understandably confusing. I got through it, obviously, and enjoyed it. Part of what I love about Harrison's Hollows is that the world is so amazingly fleshed out. She's got pretty much every supernatural species one can think of, working in a fully functioning Cincinnati with its own history and complex political structure. She also has fully developed characters that come and go, but that always bring something to the table. She is able to handle multiple plotlines smoothly and they make sense. Sometimes it can get hard to keep track of what has happened and what's going to  happen next, especially when sometimes there are large gaps between readings, as is the case with me. However, Harrison does a great job of reminding us what has happened to get us to the starting point of the new novel without making it sound like a painful recap.
 In this edition, we have Rachel - surprise - running for her life. She has managed to piss off everyone at least once, but she's good enough at what she does that she eventually convinces them what a bad idea it really is to mess with her. She is, unfortunately, a victim of circumstance this time. Her previous battles have forced her into a corner, and instead of understanding that most of what she does is out of necessity and not choice, her enemies chose to punish her for what others have caused. Yes, Rachel made the choice, but when your other choice is death, becoming the student of a demon isn't all that bad of an option. Anyway, the point of all that is that she is being hunted for something that is out of her control. While she may be forced to practice black magic upon occasion and consort with demons, she still holds onto her morals, sometimes to the inconvenience or detriment of herself. I like that about her - even if it makes things harder, she still will do what's right. It's suitably frustrating when she sticks her neck out for someone (several times in this particular novel) and she catches crap from the person she's saving because they can only see the method. That's a personal rant, though.
 Harrison develops Rachel even further, and she finally accepts what she is. Furthermore, her relationships with Trent and Algaliarept are developing and I'm interested to see where it's all going. Honestly, I don't hold out much hope for her and Pierce, although he's funny and useful at times. We're heading to the end as the series is to end at thirteen books and this is number eight. Rachel's going to have to get her life together in five books, and it's going to be one hell of a ride. She got one demon mark off, she's only got one left and a boatload of smut on her aura. We'll see....
 Overall: A
 There wasn't much breathing room in this novel and it largely focused on Rachel's issues, naturally. At times it got a little confusing, especially the physics of ley lines. Still brilliant obviously.

Jillian Hunter: The Wicked Duke Takes a Wife

• Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books; Original edition (October 27, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345503953
• 
  

Lord Griffin Boscastle has no intention of ending his glorious career as a rakehell now that he has inherited a dukedom. Still, there are responsibilities he must discharge before he resumes his pleasures, including finding a bride and depositing his incorrigible niece at a relative's academy outside London. It is at this so-very-proper finishing school that flame-haired instructress Harriet Gardner awakens in Griffin emotions so dangerously intoxicating that he must avoid her at all cost. Yet when Harriet finds work in the townhouse where Griffin resides, her presence tempts him at every turn.
Harriet has survived London's streets far too long to let an arrogant duke woo a bride he doesn't want when she desires him for herself, and she has seen too much of life not to recognize a man ripe for redemption. But just as Harriet finds the perfect cure for His Lordship's devilish ways, a vindictive enemy intervenes, and the duke whom Harriet has plotted to save suddenly becomes her devoted protector.

 I will not lie to you, fair reader. I accidentally skipped this one. Granted, this series is not truly a series, and so skipping around is allowed. So I didn't miss anything. Moving on.
 I have become increasingly disappointed with Hunter. Her first three books in the Boscastle series were divine. They were funny, and well developed, and just great. However, it feels like after her initial success, she gave up and started churning out your average romance novels. Nothing special about them. I've been continuing to read them because I'm a dolt and I keep hoping she'll return to her former skill. I think I should probably accept that she's gone average at this point.
 This book, however, gave me a little more hope. Not necessarily that they're going to suddenly improve, but that they've maybe transformed a little. Maybe I've become complacent. In this installment, we have cousin Griffin Boscastle finding true love in the most unlikely place - a teacher at the family school for instructing young ladies. A teacher that comes from the slums, no less. Oh romance novel, you do propound the most preposterous plots. Also, I would like to state that Griffin is not really a rakehell as the description would have you believe. There are simply too many things going on in this novel for its own good - we have issues with Harriet's family, Griffin's rumored murder of his brother for the dukedom, his proposed marriage to a completely unsuitable socialite, Harriet's position in his household, the issue of Edlyn's questionable birth and further behavior...too much. The book barely has time to cover these. And there are only three sex scenes, which was perfectly fine with me. For a romance novel though, it's generally a sign of shoddy writing if you can only squeeze in one actual penetration during the entirety of the novel. That sounds incredibly vulgar, but there it is.
 I will give Hunter props for the undeniable humor of her novels. She also cleverly used Mary Shelley's Frankenstein quotes in a sort of interesting plot device. This is something she has never done before, so I was suitably impressed at her literacy. While the plot was once more cut short and stymied, it was still entertaining. I always feel like she should put more effort into character and plot development, but that's an old concern. Since I've already addressed it, I'll let be.
 I liked the characters, as they were given, although I found a disturbing lack of consistency in Primrose. She was touted as a strong woman with a wealth of willpower, but she seemed to break down into feebleness at the first opportunity. I had difficulty believing that, but other than that there was really no issue. Harriet is one of my favorite females Hunter has written, I believe. An interesting mix of proper lady and streetrat. (Did I just hear someone shout Aladdin?)
 Overall: B
 I can't in good conscience give this more, but as it's one of her better recent efforts, I'm going to recognize that.

Tamora Pierce: The Will of the Empress

• Mass Market Paperback: 560 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks; Reissue edition (October 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 054507455X
• 
  

Daja, Briar, Tris, and Sandry have grown up and grown apart since their days together at Winding Circle, and Sandry's especially disappointed with the change. When Sandry's uncle requests that her three old friends accompany her on a visit to Sandry's vast lands within the Empire of Namorn, the young mages discover that they've landed in a trap. Namorn's iron-willed Empress has plans for Sandry and her companions, and she has wily and powerful mages to help her. But so, of course, does Sandry--if only she can get them to work together . . . .


Ah, hello Emelan. It's nice to see you again. But wait - everything has mysteriously changed. Sandry, Tris, Daja, and Briar are finally reunited, but a schism has formed. As Sandry will need their help to maintain her freedom on her visit to her cousin, the Empress of Namorn, they need to repair the damage, and fast.
 My biggest, and perhaps only, problem with this book was the inexplicable damage to the relationships among the four. So they traveled, and they saw and did things that were horrible and scary. However, after all the time spent developing their bonds, one would think that they would bind closer together after experiencing horrific encounters. Instead, they all become somewhat encased in their own heads and forget that they are friends/siblings first and foremost. What? I simply found it hard to believe that these four people, who had been through hell and back together (they all helped Tris kill a pirate fleet, for God's sake), would suddenly completely forget the personalities of the others so completely. I have four best friends who have been my friends for fourteen years. We've grown up together, and if something bad could happen to a person, it's happened to one of us. We don't see each other constantly like we used to, as we've all moved in different directions and developed, but we are still each other's best friends and we never forget each other. Supposedly these four are even closer than that. So I had difficulty with the sudden veering of their relationship. I understand that it was a necessary plot device and that these are essentially young adult novels meant to teach some sort of lesson about human emotion and development. Thus, I'll excuse it, though it did seriously bother me for the first half of the book.
 Aside from that, Pierce is her usual brilliant and lovely self. I never feel like I'm reading a YA novel when I read her books (except for Melting Stones). She just has a way of making you believe her characters and love them with all their flaws. Plus, she's just got a mind like a labyrinth. I've always been impressed with her ability to create a completely encapsulated world that is fully fleshed out. And each one is a little different. I love it. SPOILER ALERT One of the coolest things she did this time around, in my opinion, was Daja's romantic development. I won't say more than that, but it was surprising as I can't think of another similar circumstance in her other books. Not off the top of my head, anyway. The Circle books are different from her others in that their generally weren't romance plot lines as the characters were too young. They're eighteen now, though, so that changes to an extent. Daja definitely got the brunt of it, and I love the way Pierce handled it.
 Plus, she delivers a marvelously satisfying conclusion. The reader feels like the struggles have been overcome, lessons have been learned, and the characters will continue to exist and develop without our eye constantly on them. To me, that is a great talent.
 Overall: A
 Pierce is brilliant, and I will pretty much always give her high marks. The reason this isn't an A+ is the aforementioned strange character development.

Suzanne Collins: The Hunger Games

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Press; Reprint edition (July 3, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439023521

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games," a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed.

I should really call my miscellaneous page my Nook book page, because that's what I'm reading most of the "miscellaneous" books on. I also should tell my Hunger Games story. I am kind of notoriously resistant to fads. If something becomes huge and I have it shoved in my face a thousand times a day, or if people tell me that I've "GOT to read it/watch it/etc." - I refuse to read it until the hooplah has passed. Perfect example: Harry Potter. I was given the Harry Potter books as a package set after the third one was released, and I read them and enjoyed them. By the fifth book, however, Harry Potter was a huge deal and everybody was talking about it. My grandparents bought me Harry Potter toys. Put me off. At this point, I haven't read the seventh book.
 The Hunger Games was beginning to fall into that category, but Tumblr saved it for me by not taking it too seriously. So, having finished all of my hard copy books that I brought to Korea, I succumbed and downloaded the stupid book to my Nook. I have to say: not the worst decision I've ever made. I don't think it was worth all the hype its gotten, but it was definitely a good book. I would read it again.
 It's a young adult novel, so it's not like I was expecting a masterpiece of writing skill. I was surprised at the constant present tense form, however. It took a little getting used to, but after the first couple of chapters it was barely noticeable. Until they actually got into the arena, I was not impressed with the content of the novel. I don't think Collins appropriately conveyed the emotions a tribute would have - she was too focused on her descriptions of the clothes, the food, and the surroundings. I barely felt worried for Katniss, and that's not a great way to start a novel that's supposed to be about the gruesome murder of 23 people. The costumes she thought up were a lot of fun though, and I'm very disappointed with the filmmakers' missed opportunity to do something fabulous. The costumes in the movie were nowhere close to the description.
 Once they entered the arena, though, things began to pick up. I appreciated most of the characters' development, although I think Katniss is a moron. She misses signals from everybody around her (except apparently for the dubitable Haymitch), and Collins spends far too much time revolving simple scenarios in Katniss' head. I'm sorry, but I think if you're going to create a character who is adept at hunting and manages to outsmart many of the other tributes, she should also be able to understand basic human emotions.
 Aside from all of its problems, The Hunger Games was a fun ride, with mostly likeable characters (I liked Peeta far more than I was anticipating) and I'm a bit excited to read the next one. I won't tell you what happens at the end, but she definitely left it at a bit of a cliffhanger.
 Overall: A-

JR Ward reveals the next book in the BDB

The cover for Lover At Last, the next novel of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, has been revealed. I am personally extremely excited for this installment because I love, love, LOVE Qhuinn and Blay together, and I have been waiting for about four or five books. Plus, it's going to be a full blown novel and not a novella. I think it's great that a gay couple is getting the attention they deserve, and it's going to be one hell of a ride.

Sigmund Freud: The Interpretation of Dreams

• ISBN-13: 9781593082987
• Publisher: Barnes & Noble
• Publication date: 10/5/2005
• Pages: 592

Claiming he had discovered the "royal road to the unconscious," Sigmund Freud published The Interpretation of Dreams at the turn of the twentieth century, and thus laid the foundation for his innovative technique of psychoanalysis. Largely ignored at first, the book would eventually be considered Freud's most important work, one that, like Darwin's The Origin of Species, revolutionized the way human beings view themselves.
The raw material for The Interpretation of Dreams was provided by Freud himself. Spurred on by the death of his father, he began analyzing his own dreams, in the process recreating lost childhood memories and uncovering the roots of his own neuroses. He concluded that dreams were filled with latent meaning, their bizarre imagery and peculiar narratives concealing deep-seated, instinctual motives and desires. By revealing how the seemingly trivial nonsense of dreams reflects important personal issues in the dreamer's present and past life, Freud created a key that unlocked the vital secrets of the unconscious mind.
 
Everyone knows Freud whether they know they know Freud or not. The Oedipus Complex, anyone? Even though many of his theories are today disregarded by most psychologists, he still stands as one of the founders of the science. (I have a friend that would debate with me as to whether or not it's actually a science, but we'll leave that discussion for another day). A friend bought me this book for Christmas two years ago, not because either one of us has any interest in Freud or psychology, but because she knew of my quest to read all the Barnes and Noble classics. It's taken me this long to actually get around to reading it.
 This book is kind of fun and crazy. There were times that I was shocked at what he wrote, not believing publishing such explicit references to and discussions of masturbation was allowed at the time. There were times that I laughed. I have to agree with my friend as to the doubtfulness of the pseudo-science employed. Most of his interpretations of the dreams he relates seem well connected, but also completely thrown together. The things that make a dream a dream - disconnectedness, seemingly incomprehensible shifts in time and space, etc - mean that there are a wide variety of interpretations that can take place. Freud's conclusions seem wondrous once he draws them all together, and you nod your head at the possibility of it all, but then you realize that he has taken instances from days prior, from childhood, from whatever, and thrown them together in a formation that proves his own theory. It's highly amusing while at the same time it makes you shake your head. He claims that there can be wrong interpretations, but I just don't see how that's possible. He failed to convince me on that count.
 However, taking a step back from interpretation, he examines what causes the occurrences in a dream. That is the part that is interesting to me. He argues about the effect of somatic symptoms felt during sleep, the effect of the littlest events during the day versus events that occupy our minds, and various other aspects of the dream. Why do we dream of the most mundane things at times? Why do certain people show up in our dreams and no others? His theories on those points are fascinating, to be sure. He does make some assertions,  however, that are not easily proved unless he forces dream interpretations to say what he wants. He states that all dreams are wish fulfillment and that even when they don't seem like it, they actually are. Also that repression is caused by our disturbance at certain sexual impulses we felt in childhood. I don't think so. If only you could hear the sarcasm in my voice. I also don't have a weird fetish toward my father.
 The things I just mentioned have been largely disproved and so I don't feel the need to argue with the work. But those things definitely do cast a shadow over what you're reading as you can't quite take him seriously. There are times that I found my mind wondering as he repeated his statements over and over and over. The other problem I had was more with edition I had than writing: many of his quotes in German, Latin, and French were not translated. I could read the French, the German was a little harder, and the Latin incomprehensible. I would have appreciated more thorough work in that aspect.
 Overall: B-
 The low-ish grade is mostly for repetition and occasional incomprehensibility in writing and faulty conclusions. It is saved by its status as a classic, it's interesting moments, and it's contribution to psychoanalysis in its fledgling days. I wouldn't recommend it to everybody, but I think people who want to expand their minds should definitely pick it up.