45.13: Sandman Slim, by Richard Kadrey (2009 paperback)

While looking through the new arrivals in the hardcover fiction section at Northtown Books, I was drawn by a book that was more square than usual. While it's not enough to make me buy a book, books with unusual dimensions, formats, titles, etc. do catch my eye on the shelf. Sometimes (read House of Leaves by Danielewski or most anything by Eggers) such oddities can show a creative thinker--or at least one able to convince the publisher to spring the extra $$ for off-standard volumes. Looking further, I was enticed by the cover blurb of praise by Cory Doctrow, and on the back cover, I encountered further laudations from Kim Harrison, Charlaine Harris, Charles de Lint, and William Gibson--all authors I know and love, in ascending order. Come to find out, as the subtitle of that book in my hands indicated, that it is the fourth in the Sandman Slim supernatural fiction series. So, I wandered down to the paperbook fiction and quickly selected the first in the series, appropriately named Sandman Slim.

Not quite as quickly--but fast nonetheless--I galloped through this action-packed, violent, and funny novel depicting your average guy who has just been spewed out of hell after 11 years of living there (he never did die, you see, but was sent there by a pack of evil magicians). One minute he's in the underworld, and the next James Stark (aka Sandman Slim) is in an L.A. cemetery, getting acclimated to daylight and plotting to kill the band of magicians who sent him Downtown--and killed his girlfriend. It's not a simple task, and one that includes encounters with angels, Hellions, magicians, fallen angels, jades (vampires), and the Kissi (a type of forgotten celestial splinter off of god's original creation, set on wreaking havoc on earth. The first book was creative, had some interesting good vs. evil themes, and makes me look forward to heading back to Northtown and picking up the rest of the series soon.

29:13: The Enchantress (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, Book 6), by Michael Scott (2012 hardcover)

This is (I'm pretty sure) the sixth book in this teen series, and it continues to interest me. I'm not usually a fan of fantasy involving magic and sorcery, but the historical thread here--featuring immortal humans like Gilgamesh, Joan of Arc, Machiavelli, Shakespeare, Virginia Dare, and Billy the Kid; and Elder gods like Quetzocoatl, Prometheus, and Bastet--make this a fascinating read. Scott is apparently an Irish "authority" on mythology and folklore, and he weaves stories told across centuries and geography together adeptly. I highly recommend the series, which begins with The Alchemyst for those interested in getting started.

28:13: The Rise of Nine (LOrien Legacies, Book 3), by Pittacus Lore (2012 hardcover)

This is a relatively good continuation of a teen series involving humanoid aliens on earth who must save the earth--and ultimately return to their own planet--by destroying other aliens intent on destroying them and the earth. Check out my earlier Lore entries for further details about the beginning of the series.

23.13: Beyond the Deepwoods (The Edge Chronicles 1), by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddel (1998 hardcover, on loan from Hank Wicklund)

Over the winter break, I set out to catch up on the comic series I neglected in the second half of last year. I've accomplished that task, and, while I have a few new series to take a look at in the coming weeks, I decided it's time to ease back into some (mostly) non-illustrated stories. Lest the shock be too abrupt, I've identified the perfect transition: a TweenLit book I borrowed from a colleague's eight-year-old son in September; it has chapters and lots of words, but it still sports a number of good illustrations. And, I figure that if a cool kid like Hank likes it, there's a good chance I will as well.

And like it, I did. The book is action-packed to say the least, with each chapter including an entire adventure, unusual characters, exciting chases, and new environments. The protagonist driving all this action if Twig, a boy who has always been an outsider among his (?) woodtroll people and is sent into the Deepwoods upon reaching adulthood. His mom thinks it will be the best thing for him to go live with his uncle in another woodtroll village, but Twig does the unthinkable: he steps off the path. And into a world of adventure.

The book is filled with a series of animals and beasts of all sorts: Hover Worms, Slaughterers, Skullpelts, carnivorous Bloodoak trees,  Gyle Goblins, Banderbears, Termagent Trogs, and--the creatures all the preceding are terrified of-- Gloamglozers. With each chapter, Twig encounters a new species--some friend, some foe, but all unexpected. Finally, though, toward the end of the book, the fabled Sky Pirates appear, and Twig's life is changed forever. Or so, I'm assuming readers will learn in book two of The Edge Chronicles.

I'm not certain that I'll be reading on in this series, but not because the first book wasn't good. It's actually excellent, but more appropriate for its intended Tween audience. As I told my sister Sarah, for an adult reader the pace and storyline are almost too exciting. Things happen with great speed and new characters pop up everywhere, and it's a bit too much for this forty-something-year-old reader to deal with. However, if you have a child or work with kids between the ages of 6-10, this series is one you should definitely pick up. It would make for a great read-aloud option, as each chapter is a nice length and tells an entire adventure--perfect for nightly or classroom reading. I think both girls and boys will enjoy it, but it definitely leans toward the male end of things (monsters and pirates, after all) if you're trying to entice boys to read.  

39.12: The Twelve (Book 2 of The Passage Trology), by Justin Cronin (2012 hardcover)

This book is the sequel to The Passage, which was published in 2010. I had originally planned to link to my entry for that book and tell you that it would fill in the early story, but as it turns out, I don't have an entry for that book. I must have started the blog after reading it--or simply forgot to write about it afterward. It happens.

So, if you want the details for the first book, you'll have to look elsewhere. Suffice it to say that I enjoyed The Passage enough that I was pretty excited to see The Twelve on the shelve of my local bookstore. It stars PostApocalyptic vampires, so what's not to like? As in most vampire books, there's a special twist here, and in this case a mutated strain of a bat virus infects the human poulation and turns them into horrific killing machines. Even better, the virus was purposely mutated by military scientists and tested on (Twelve) serial killers and likewise stellar citizens. Who could have foreseen that plan going awry? 

Based on this premise, the first book explores the world post-virus--cosisting of human enclaves huddled in highly reinforced walled cities shining bright lights out into the desolate surroundings. (Vampires hate light, if you were unaware of this fact.) A small group of people eventually leave one of these enclaves in search of the origin of the problem, and book one follows their journey. In book two, we go both back and forward in time to see more about how these situation developed, increase the cast of characters (necessary when folks keep getting killed off), and build hope that the human race will survive. The ending is appropriately ambiguous to allow for what will surely be the third novel in a trilogy. 

While the sequel wasn't quite as riveting as its predecessor, it's worth reading if you liked The Passage. And, I enjoyed it enough that I will keep my eyes peeled for volume three.  

36.12: City of Lost Souls (Mortal Instruments Book 5), by Cassandra Clare (2012 hardcover)

The latest in the series starring Shadowhunter Clary, her Shadowhunter society, nemesis (brother), and love interest (who she once thought was her brother), and her vampire (former love interest) and werewolf friends. Okay, so it sounds a bit cliche, but this is a decent teen series with just enough interesting non-romantic developments to keep me reading. Click on "Clare" in my word cloud to the right to get reviews of the Mortal Instruments books--and the prequel Infernal Devices books that start 100 years before Clary shows up.

35.12: The Kill Order, by James Dashner. (2012 hardcover)

This is a prequel to The Maze Runner series, so I'd really recommend that you start there before reading this one. I read books one and two in 2011 and book three earlier this year, and you can check out my reviews at this link and this link. Overall, this was a good addition to the series, and I look forward to what I assume will be a second prequel release--forming an eventual trilogy (pre-trilogy?) of its own--if things go according to the seemingly usual release schedule of TeenLit. 

32.12: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, by Stieg Larsson (iBook, originally published 2010)

I read and commented on the first two novels in Larsson's trilogy earlier this summer, but it took me some time to get back to my iPad and finish the third. Traveling to and from Comic Con earlier this month gave me the perfect opportunity to finish things up, and thrillers tend to be perfect airport and airplane reading--exciting enough to keep my attention but not deep enough to require real focus. All in all, I'd say that the third book follows through well and keeps the momentum started in the second book of the trilogy.

At first I was skeptical that the plot established in volume two would sustain itself for a whole third volume, but Larsson does a good job creating and revealing a complicated government conspiracy--overflowing with bad guys of all types that just can't stop doing bad stuff. It's scary and evil, but just bungled and self-serving enough to make it believable. Even more remarkably, Larsson manages to make the generally unlikeable Salander, the primary victim/protagonist of the series, a sympathetic character. I've been trying to think of a comparable literary accomplishment, but nothing comes to mind. I mean, even the people who support and defend this girl for a variety of reasons don't know how to relate to her, can't really say she is their friend, and are hard pressed to say that they really like her. Yet, somehow I actually cared about what happened to her. 

Maybe it's a Swedish thing. Until I read Lars Keplar and Hakan Nesser, as recommended by a friend and my mom, I can't be too sure.

27.12: The Wind Through the Keyhole (A Dark Tower book), by Stephen King (Published 2012, iBook edition)

If you follow this blog, you know that I'm a Stephen King fan. For more on this--and for reviews of King books I've read since January 2011--simply click on the King tag in the right-hand column of my blog and you can catch up with my King fandom. 

Now that you are caught up, I'll have to say that I may love Stephen King books, but it's his Dark Tower series that I love the most.  Interestingly, the seven novels that make up King's original Gunslinger tales are likely the least known of his books. He's much more popular for his horror novels, and, while I'm a fan of those books as well, the Dark Tower series is superior for those who like books about fantasy worlds, such as Tolkien's Lord of the Rings or Pulling's His Dark Materials series. Since the books were published between 1974 and 2004 (Yep, that's a 30-year span, but you're a lucky reader because you won't have to wait for the next book to come out as I did!), I haven't reviewed them here, so let me provide you with a summary borrowed by the Official Dark Tower website: "The Dark Tower series tells the story of Roland Deschain, Mid-World’s last gunslinger, who is traveling southeast across Mid-World’s post-apocalyptic landscape, searching for the powerful but elusive magical edifice known as The Dark Tower. Located in the fey region of End-World, amid a sea of singing red roses, the Dark Tower is the nexus point of the time-space continuum.  It is the heart of all worlds, but it is also under threat. Someone, or something, is using the evil technology of the Great Old Ones to destroy it." If that intrigues you, click this link to visit the site for more details about the books, their inspiration (Browning and Tolkien), etc.

Frankly, while this book claims to be a stand-alone volume, a supplement that would fall somewhere between volumes four and five in the series timeline, I wouldn't recommend it if you aren't familiar with the Gunslinger and his ka-tet--Eddie, Susannah, and Jake--and their billy-bumbler companion named Oy. While King goes to some pains to explain these characters (and the entire series premise) in a foreword, it seems to me that the world within the pages of this book would be much paler and shallow without the knowledge of the kingdom of Gilead and its demise that are explored in the earlier books. If you're looking for a great new world of adventure, I'd certainly start by reading the first four books in the Dark Tower series and adding this as volume 4.5. 

Now! Read them now! (Really, I highly recommend the series and am a bit jealous that you have the chance to encounter them for the first time.)

One caution: While I compared the Gunslinger books to Tolkien and Pullman--both with series read by younger audiences--King's books are for more mature readers. While they are by no means overly graphic, they do contain references to sex, drugs, and violence, and the characters swear just about as much as do a good number of humans you know. I'd say that these books are most appropriate for the teens and mature 'tweens of parents who understand that kids can read literature with adult themes and benefit accordingly.

26.12: Insurgent (Book 2 of Divergent series), by Veronica Roth (2012 hardcover)

In May of 2011, I recommended Divergent to those enjoying The Hunger Games. After reading Roth's second book in this series, Insurgent, I am not convinced that it is as good as HG, but it is still a decent TeenLit selection that will keep me looking for future releases.

To learn more about the premise of the Divergent series, check out my review of the first book. As with any series in general, but with TeenLit in particular, it's pretty important that you read these things in order. In fact, if you haven't read Divergent and plan to check it out, I'd suggest that you stop reading here so as not to encounter any spoilers.

If you're still reading, that means you've already read the first book, don't plan to read either, or simply are one of those (weird) people who reads the last page of a book first. Either way, I'm letting you know that Tris joined the Dauntless faction--something I withheld in my review of Divergent. As a member of this group, she fought a battle with Erudite, the faction that led a war on the other factions by controlling the minds of people in the remaining four groups and forcing them to engage in violence against each other. Some of the Dauntless actually joined the Erudite in this endeavor, and in the second book they are referred to as the Dauntless traitors. By the time the second book opens, there is a calm in the fighting, as Tris and other Divergent Dauntless (including the beloved Four/Tobias) were not affected by the simulation and managed to interrupt the mind-control activity.

In Insurgent, Tris and her fellow Dauntless leave their headquarters and spend time with both the Candor and Abnegation--in addition to making contact with the factionless outsiders of society. Ultimately Tris must decide whether she will remain faithful to her chosen faction or seek the truth regardless of the consequences. You may have a decent guess, but you'll have to read the book to find out whether or not you are right.

(PS: As with my reflection on the Delirium/Pandemonium series in my previous posting, I am also pondering what the third title in this series may be: Divergent, Insurgent, Convergent?)

25.12: Pandemonium, by Lauren Oliver (2012 hardcover)

In recent posts I've complained about the fact that the romance aspect of some of the recent teen novels I'd read had become overplayed. This is particularly true in sequels, where each book seems to get more and more focused on the characters' relationships and less on the societal constructs established in the early books. I'm a long way from being the target audience of these books, but I can't help wondering why this happens. If the teen readers liked the early books enough to continue with the series, didn't this indicate that they, too, were fond of the actual premise of the book? Why sideline the exploration of dystopic societies and ethical problem solving in favor of rated-PG kissing?

I can't really complain about the trend with this sequel, as I was forewarned by the very subject matter of the first. In fact, while getting ready to write this review, I went back and read my discussion of Delirium, the book before Pandemonium, and had to laugh at this observation: "This one leaned a bit too far toward the romance end of things for my taste; I can tolerate the romance as long as the world developed behind it is interesting and compelling.  In this book, however, the romance is center stage." Over the course of the review, though, I explored a few things I really liked about the book, and I suppose that's what I responded to when I saw it available at my local bookstore. Fortunately, in this book, Lena is on her own for the first half--which flashes back and forth between her life in the Wilds, beyond the fenced-off community of the standard society, and her reintegration into that society as a secret rebel. She may be pining for her lost love, but at least she is taking action and becoming a strong person as well. And, by the time the new boy comes into the picture, there's been time for Lena to explore the novelty of a society that allows self-expression and emotion and to see how the lack thereof is affecting the regime inside the walls.

I'm really hoping that Oliver's next book in the series (The ending of Pandemonium implies that there most certainly will be one.) continues in this direction. For now I'm trying to decide what the next book's title will be, seeing as it should really end with an -ium suffix.

23-24.12: The Final Warning and Max (Book 4 and 5 of the Maximum Ride series), by James Patterson (iBook, originally published 2008 and 2009)

I really enjoyed hearing James Patterson speak about kids and reading during a luncheon at the 2011 NCTE Convention, and I think his Read Kiddo Read website offers amazing resources for young readers and parents. These things have made me check out a couple of his book series for Tween and Teen youth, and the Maximum Ride series--about a flock of mutant bird kids who were experimented on in labs--is one of the more interesting. They have good story lines for both boys and girls, with both romance and fart jokes mixed in, as well as strong good-versus-evil plots and exposure to contemporary issues. In these two books in the series, for instance, global warming becomes the focus.

Considering the huge number of books Patterson is publishing annually, in both the adult and youth categories, he either gets no sleep or has a full cadre of ghost writers assisting him. In either case, his work is engaging if not brilliant, and these books are sure to be a hit with young readers.

21-22.12: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played With Fire (Books 1 and 2 of the Millennium Trilogy), but Stieg Larsson (iBook versions, originally published in English in 2008 and 2009)

Stieg Larsson's trilogy was all the rage several years ago--fueled by the release of movies in both Swedish and English--and somehow in all the media frenzy I became convinced that I had read them. While killing time in an airport bookstore this summer, however, I took the time to read the back cover of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and found that I hadn't, indeed, read it. I hopped on my iPad, downloaded the digital version, and soon became engrossed in the story and characters.

Prior to starting the novel, I mentioned it to my mother, a connoisseur of mystery novels, and she told me that she read Dragon Tattoo but didn't continue with the trilogy because it was too "dark." With my reading tastes, that was a bit of an endorsement. I also found that the pacing, storyline, and character development were engaging, and the cultural differences in the book made me less sure of what was going to happen next. Indeed, the relationships between characters, the description of political and social institutions, and the few bits of trivia I picked up about Larsson's Sweden were the things I most liked about the book.

In addition to exposing/discussing violence against women in an unsettling manner (the darkness my mother referred to), Larsson also does a very good job of making a societal misfit--the Girl of the titles--empathetic. The clash between the standard opinion of her and the view that a few others develop once they know her is startling, and it caused me to reflect on how this might be true in daily life. I did like the first book a bit more than the second, but that won't stop me from going on to read the third in the trilogy. 

I've heard mention of a few other Swedish authors I should check out if I liked these books, but I don't recall their names. If anyone has recommendations, please comment below.

20.12: Fifty Shades of Grey (Book 1 of the Shades of Grey trilogy), by E.L James (iBook edition, Pub. 2012)

I first heard about this book--which is actually the first of a trilogy--when visiting my aunt in City Island. After looking into it and learning that more copies have been sold online than any previous book in such a short time, or something of the the like, I had to check it out and see just why it is so popular. Having done so, I've found it really boils down to one thing: discreet, readily-available porn for women.

Porn might be a bit strong. I suppose some would make an argument for the label of erotica instead, and I could go along with that, but I would have to draw the line at calling it a romance. It's all about the sex, with a bit of storyline thrown in between encounters. Frankly, seeing as it's in a digital format, it seems like it would be easy to package it with the appropriate pump-and-grind soundtrack for the full effect. You'd need a decent number of whip and chain sounds mixed in as well, though, as this isn't your run-of-the-mill sex. Forget the bodice-rippers of past days, featuring what the main male character would declaim as "vanilla" sex: the majority of the sex here is of the S & M variety, and even when it's not, we're told that it really should be, and eventually will be. Like the main character, we should feel a bit horrified and guilty about that fact, while also finding it pretty hot.

I'm not judgmental or squeamish about what folks do in their bedrooms--or their torture chambers, as the case may be--but I really disliked this book for a number of reasons. Sure, there is some sexy stuff in it, and it's set in the hip Pacific Northwest, and everyone is beautiful and/or rich. However, it really grates on me that the protagonist of the novel, Anastasia Steele, is pretty much an adult version of Bella from the Twilight series. Like Bella, Ana has a mother living far away with husband/boyfriend number something, a father nearby who is kind but clueless, and friends who are completely unaware of anything she does. She is also beautiful without knowing it, smart without seeming to do any schoolwork or reading, and clumsy as all get out. Throw in an emotionally unavailable, brooding vampire--oh, I mean boyfriend--and there you have it.

In addition to being disappointed that a sexy novel aimed at women has to have such a terrible female role model and relationship at the center, the quality of writing is pretty dreadful. Even the names--a dominant named Christian Grey and a (potential) sub named Anastasia Steele--are ridiculous. About a third of the way through the book I stopped reading and then forced myself to go back and finish. I didn't really care about the characters or what happened--and I certainly don't have any interest in what unfolds in books two and three--but I felt like I should finish the first book so I could lambast it a bit more knowledgeably. 

Don't take my word for it, though. In addition to its original digital format, the book has now gone into print. The fact that it's the first book to make that transition--the reverse of usual publishing formats--is likely the most interesting thing about it.

18-19.12: Sizzling Sixteen and Smokin' Seventeen (Stephanie Plum novels), by Janet Evanovich (iBook edition, Pub. 2010/2011)

I've written about Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books before, and that's just as good a place as any to get the scoop if you are unfamiliar with the series. Check out my post for Books 11-14 and Book 15 before continuing.

The funny thing about Evanovich's novels is that I thoroughly enjoy reading them and then promptly forget what they are about almost as soon as I set them aside. It's been a few weeks since I read Sixteen and Seventeen, so all I haveare some vague associations of Stephanie's scuzzy cousin/boss getting kidnapped, the bail bonds office being burned down, Stephanie flirting with Ranger and Morreli, and Lula and grandma Mazur making me laugh hysterically. Along the way a lot of friend chicken and donuts are consumed.

And, really, that's just about perfect for summer reading, don't you think?

11.12: A TeenLit novel that I currently can't recall

When middle age gives me a break, I'll post this entry. I'll remember--in the middle of the night, when I am doing the dishes, or another time I least expect it.

10.12: Goliath (Leviathan Book 3), by Scott Westerfeld (2011 hardcover)

This is the final book of Westerfeld's Steampunk trilogy and it doesn't disappoint. The WWII-with-a-twist setting continues to fascinate, and this volume brings in additional historical figures from the United States and Mexico in addition to new Clanker and Darwinist contraptions that are sure to please. An added bonus is that Westerfeld continues a thin vein of romance to keep the girls reading, while not letting it overwhelm the plot as so many other (primarily female) teen authors do. You can read more details about the underlying premise in my review of the second book in the series, Behemoth, but be sure to start with Leviathan in order to grasp the underlying concepts--and the kick of of WWII.

8.12: Daughter of Smoke & Bone, by Laini Taylor (2011 hardcover)

I've been seeing this book on reading lists since it came out last September, and it has (literally) looked down at me from the shelves of bookstores. In the spirit of my read-the-books-on-my-shelves-and-only-buy-new-ones-that-continue-a-series-I-started pledge, however, I resisted the desire to buy it for four months. Then I stopped by Northtown Books a couple weeks back to get a few new volumes in some series I'm reading, and I added this to the pile as well. 

I have mixed feelings about the book, and not just because it was the book that led me to break my pledge. I'm realistic enough to know that was an inevitable event, and I'm a bit surprised I went as long as I did. Baby steps, and all that.  Rather than stemming from book-buying angst, my mixed emotions come from the fact that I really wanted to like the book and only sort of liked it. It has a lot of my favorite elements: good and evil, warrior angels, a battle between supernatural beings going on right outside human sight--chimera, in this case. Alas, what it also has--in spades--is romance. 

Per usual, the romance involves a teen (apparently) girl who is on the edge of society, in this case because she is an orphaned human (apparently) raised by chimera--beings of mixed human and animal traits. Of course, there's more to this odd picture than even Karou knows, and the truth begins to unfold when she encounters Akiva, a warrior angel. That in itself isn't a bad thing, but the ensuing focus on the love between Karou and Akiva is a bit too formulaic--even for someone who generally tolerates the teen romance formula to get some good fantasy/SciFi. It's the same complaint I made in my recent discussion of Cassandra Clare's newest book, and I'm wondering if it's simply time to take a bit of a break from TeenLit for a while. There's a sequel in store, of course, and we'll see if I've recovered from romance overload before it's released.  

7.12: Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices, Book Two), but Cassandra Clare (2012 hardcover)

Cassandra Clare has a skill for creating a rich fantasy world, replete with angel protectors, vampires, werewolves, demons, warlocks, and just about any supernatural being you can imagine. It's interesting packaging for her novels, which essentially boil down to teen romances. In theory, the supernatural/combat layer may be of interest to male teens, but I suspect that her readership is predominantly teen girls--with middle aged women like myself thrown in for good measure--all the better to brood over the stunningly handsome teen boys involved. 

Clockwork Prince is the second in a prequel series published after Clare's City of Bones books (The fourth of which I reviewed in Entry 35) were under way. Set in Victorian England, Infernal Devices  series readers are introduced to the fact that the battle between good and evil has been waged for a long time (as measured in teen years, at least), and provided the opportunity to explore the mores and clothing of the Victorian era along the way. I reviewed the first in the prequel series in Entry 7, so you can check out the premise there. In this second volume, Tessa's search for who she is--and who she loves--continues. Is she a warlock or something closer to her angelic friends? Will she end up with the angry, brooding, gorgeous angel or the kind, ill, gorgeous angel? Decisions, decisions...

3.12: The Death Cure (Book 3 of the Maze Runner trilogy), by James Dashner (2011 hardcover)

I'm trying to buy fewer books this year, as I've noted in earlier postings, but after the terrible book I last read, it was easy to justify my purchase of The Death Cure when I stopped in Northtown Books after brunch on Sunday. And, I reasoned, if I already have the first two books in this trilogy, don't I have to own the final one?

As you can see, this is the beginning of a very slippery slope. And that's not even when you take into account the fact that I bought two other books--one also the continuation of a series I've started and the other by one of my favorite authors, William Gibson. My friend Diqui, the most dedicated client of the McIntyre Free Public Library, pointed out that she is happy I bought these books, seeing as she too has read the others and looks forward to borrowing them from me. So, yes, the next time you see Diqui, you can let her know that she is a book-purchasing enabler. Obviously, I love her.

Truthfully, I have no regrets about falling off the book-buying wagon. I thoroughly immersed myself in Dashner's final volume of the Maze Runner series (reviewed here in entries 60 and 61) and finished within a day--even with the first week of the semester interrupting. I filled you in on the premise of the series in the earlier entries, so I'll just say that this one does not fail to satisfy. There is plenty of action, amplified by mad scientists, the crazy near-dead masses, and political extremists. And, while I sometimes tire of those evil-scientist characters--Do we really need more anti-science models in today's political climate?--they do make for smart, despicable foes. If you haven't already read The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials, you should start there. If you have already done so, what are you waiting for? Get out and get a copy of The Death Cure. Or stop by and borrow mine and make me feel better about my vice.