He who cannot lie does not know what the truth is

Company of Liars
Karen Maitland

It's 1348. Plague is tearing across Europe and has reached Britain's ports, slowly worming its way inward. Added to the mix is a bout of ye olde climate change, resulting in dead crops and starving people. Is anywhere safe in these pestilence-ridden times?

Nine travelers, each with a secret, has ignored a predilection for isolation in an attempt to survive in the company of others. This group -- including a relic seller, a story-teller, an expecting couple, and a pale, ghostly child who reads the runes -- attempt to flee the pestilence by reaching the north. As you might expect, it will be easier said than done.

As the title suggests, these individuals are not the most honest of souls. As their journey progresses, the truth slowly unravels. To be fair, quite a few secrets can be seen from miles away, but Maitland reserves a few, truly surprising aces up her sleeve for the very end. And the final page? Ohh shit!

I can't say anymore without ruining the fun, but I will say that Company of Liars features the best of historical fiction: Maitland has clearly done her research, but she doesn't allow the story to be bogged down by heavy-handed swaths of information. Company of Liars is seamless, flowing, and utterly un-put-down-able.

Has anyone read any of Maitland's previous novels? I'd love to know what you thought. Company of Liars was so good that I want to read more of her.

In a nutshell: I also want some runes. Like, for real.

Bibliolatry Scale: 5 out of 6 stars

Fruit baskets and bum days

A Winter Haunting
Dan Simmons

Fruit baskets! I knew it couldn't last.

In the past two years or so, I've read and adored two recent novels written by Dan Simmons. Because I enjoyed his most recent works so much, I've vowed to read more of his earlier work. Hence, A Winter Haunting.

The premise sounds promising: Dale Stewart -- middle-aged, divorced, and depressed (not to mention heavily medicated) -- makes the trek back to his hometown in an effort to isolate himself. Such isolation is necessary to write his novel; of course, it's also necessary for him to face his own personal demons.

You see, years ago, Dale's best friend died under suspicious circumstances, which is partly why Dale returns to the now-empty house of his dead friend. Yes, that's right: he chooses to pass the winter in his dead friend's house, and, what's more, he even chooses to pass each night in his friend's very bed. Allllrighty then.

sounds like a perfectly sane plan!

The reader, of course, can see where this is headed long before dumb Dale does. Dale's personal demons return to haunt him -- both literally and figuratively. While several scenes were surprising, some were simply too...shall I say incredible? to elicit any actual apprehension in the reader.

I also had an issue with the narrative voice, which was a bit awkward for me, even if the premise was an intriguing one. (If you don't mind a minor spoiler -- and one resolved in the first chapter, at that -- you can highlight the following: The narrator is Dale's dead friend. Yes, you read that correctly. And while such a narrator sounds interesting, the execution was somewhat lacking.)

Still, I'm not done with Simmons, not by a long shot. I consider A Winter Haunting merely a pothole on an otherwise perfect highway. Right? RIGHT?

In a nutshell: I knew such high expectations were impossible to maintain. Sigh. I'm not giving up on him, though: we all have our bum days.

Bibliolatry Scale: 2.5 out of 6 stars

Warning: Ignoring this book will have sinister consequences

The Hunger Games
Suzanne Collins

So, for months upon months, all I've been hearing is people rave about The Hunger Games. I, being the snooty bitch I am, ignored such praise, since I, of course, do not read YA fiction. Sneered I, I'm sure it's good...to TEENAGERS! And lo, Bibliolatrist ignored the words of the great prophets, and her heart was hardened.

Fortunately, I couldn't ignore it any longer. This book was everywhere I turned. I would hear sinister laughter echoing behind me at odd times, only I'd turn around to find nothing there. I knew it was The Hunger Games. I'd often feel someone following me, but the culprit would vanish before I could catch it. I knew The Hunger Games was following me.

Every dark corner echoed with sinister steps;
this omnipresent novel will never give up!

So even though most (if not all) of you reading this have already devoured The Hunger Games, I'll nevertheless recap the plot for the 0.0001% of you who haven't yet enjoyed this most awesome of novels:

It's the future. The US no longer exists as we know it. Now, 12 districts surround the Capitol, which exacts a terrible price for the districts' submission. Each year, two tributes from each district -- one boy and one girl -- must fight to the death in a televised event known as the Hunger Games. The winner -- there can be only one! -- earns both fame and wealth, and the winning district receives food and other luxuries for the entire year.

Katniss, the girl tribute from District 12, is our protagonist, and we follow her as she leaves her home and prepares to enter the Hunger Games. She, along with Peeta (the other tribute from her district), are sent into a vast arena full of traps -- not to mention deadly foes. OMG, WILL KATNISS SURVIVE??? (Since this is the first book in a trilogy, this isn't the most difficult question to answer.)

Still, despite not truly fearing for Katniss' safety, I couldn't put the friggin thing down. I tore through that beast in a couple hours, barely stopping to eat. (And, trust me: that's saying something.) At night, I dreamed about The Hunger Games. I lovelovelovelove this book like the enchanted tree loves Schmendrick.



In a nutshell: OMG IT IS THAT GOOD ... I just wish Katniss had a different name. And Peeta too. I mean, Peeta? Really? UGH.

Bibliolatry Scale: 5.5 out of 6 stars

No brain required

The Lost Symbol
Dan Brown

This month, I was happy to review The Lost Symbol for the wonderful Pajiba.com.

I had a lot of fun writing this review, and I think it shows. Among other things, I get to dissect Brown's "plundering prose" and paper-thin characterization. I'm not sure Brown intended to write a comedy, but The Lost Symbol had me cackling like a fiend.

Click here to read more and find out just what's so darn funny.

In a nutshell: Exactly what you'd expect, but fun enough that it doesn't really matter.

Bibliolatry Scale: 3 out of 6 stars

BBAW Meme -- with a twist

Oh, boy. I'm always a sucker for a good meme, so of course I couldn't pass this one up. And, this meme celebrates BBAW, so participating feels even more necessary.

Since we were instructed to be creative when answering the following questions, I'm going to try to answer using only those words that begin with vowels. I'm counting Mr. Y too, because I can. (And I must, or else game over.) So, without further ado, here we go:

Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack?
Yes, occasionally; I enjoy all edibles.

Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?
I only inscribe educational oeuvres.

How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears?
I use any insignificant article in identifying an area.

Fiction, Non-fiction, or both?
Any engrossing account earns attention.

Hard copy or audiobooks?
I enjoy an actual object.

Are you a person who tends to read to the end of chapters, or are you able to put a book down at any point?
I am accomplished at arresting an oeuvre at any interval.

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop to look it up right away?
Occasionally, if it appears important.

What are you currently reading?
An internationally infamous author's exciting account of an unbelievable adventure

Are you the type of person that only reads one book at a time or can you read more than one at a time?
I often ingest assorted accounts in unison.

Do you have a favorite time of day and/or place to read?
Anytime, anyplace, anywhere.

Do you prefer series books or stand alone books?
Individual oeuvres.

Is there a specific book or author that you find yourself recommending over and over?
Atwood Adams

How do you organize your books? (By genre, title, author’s last name, etc.?)
Ilk initially; after, alphabetically

* * * *

Whew! that was hard. Let's not do that again.

BBAW Interview: the Bibliophile and the Bibliolatrist

In celebration of BBAW, I have the distinct honor of interviewing a fellow bookblogger. I was teamed up with Marie of Boston Bibliophile, an excellent blog that you should be reading if you haven't been already.

Marie was kind enough to answer my questions; after you're finished reading her thoughts, be sure to head on over to Marie's site to read my answers to her questions. Happy BBAW!


1. How has reading influenced your life?

I learned to read before I started kindergarten and I can't think of how reading hasn't influenced my life. My love of reading is what makes me who I am!


2. Why did you start blogging about books? What is the most surprising thing that's happened to you as a result of your blogging?

I started blogging in August, 2007. The biggest surprise has been just all the great people I've met. I had no expectations at all when I started and just thought it would be something fun to try.


3. Are you ever at a loss as to how to review a book? What do you do when that happens?

After I finish procrastinating, I just start writing and see what comes out.


4. Have you ever read a book that you did not blog about? What kept you from doing so? (If not, could you imagine anything that would keep you from writing about a particular book?)

Yes, I've read several I haven't blogged about. One, called Money and the Ways of Wisdom, was a very dry and academic theological treatise I was assigned to review for a professional journal. I did the review, but it just didn't seem right for the blog -- apart from seminarians it's hard for me to imagine most people would want to read the book, or read about it for that matter!


5. What are your favorite genres to read? What makes them so enjoyable for you?

My favorite genre is literary fiction, because I love really good writing and I like a book that challenges me and keeps me thinking.


6. What are your least favorite genres to read? What do you find unappealing about them?

Probably fantasy. I just don't have any interest. I also dislike certain types of religious fiction because I don't like my reading didactic.


7. What has been your favorite book to review? Is that the same as your favorite of the reviews you've written?

Tough question! So far this year (and forgive me for being a broken record!) my favorite review to write was Abraham Verghese's Cutting for Stone, because that book was just such a wonderful surprise and figuring out how to write about it was a very satisfying challenge. I love reviewing graphic novels because I have to work a little harder to describe artwork and it's a good exercise.


8. How does blogging influence your reading life? Does blogging about books have a large impact on your life as a reader, or not so much?

Blogging about books has had a huge influence on my reading life because things get in front of me that I would never pick up, or would never have heard of. Reading blogs and getting offers from authors and publishers has exposed me to a whole new world of books. It's also helped keep me current on recent fiction; in the past, I never- and mean never unless the author was a favorite- bought or read hardcover fiction.


9. When you're not reading books (and then writing about them), how do you like to spend your free time?

I like to do crafts like quilting and wool felt embroidery, and I love to exercise and bake. I work out five times a week and sew often.


10. Finally, if you could offer one piece of advice for the future book blogger, what would it be?

I would say, figure out what your goals are- what you want to do with your blog. Do you want to review books in a specific genre, or a wide variety; do you want to do blog tours and giveaways and publicity stuff; is it important to you to get free books; do you want to be a blogging superstar or write for a niche audience; do you want to blog about things besides books. Once you have an idea of what you want to accomplish, read blogs and find some that do some of the things that you want to do and see how those bloggers go about it. Ask questions and just get out there and blog! You can always change your blog's name, its look and its focus but it's good to know what you want to do when you start so you can get on the right path.



Thanks again to Marie for taking the time to answer my questions. Of course, I can't forget to send a big THANK YOU to Amy, without whom BBAW wouldn't exist. And finally, thank to all who worked so hard on the BBAW adventure!

Reading Resolution: August Update (or, a post in which I vomit repeatedly)

I've been putting this post off for a few days now. It's not pretty.


RESOLUTION TITLES READ IN AUGUST: 0

excuse me while I puke on the floor here...




NON-RESOLUTION TITLES READ IN AUGUST: 2

Phillips, Arthur. Angelica
Waters, Sarah. The Little Stranger


TOTAL TITLES READ IN AUGUST: 2

CURRENT RESOLUTION PROGRESS: 33 / 88

TOTAL BOOKS READ IN 2009: 51



there are no words.

envy is ignorance

The Little Stranger
Sarah Waters

You know, I don't even want to do an August recap, since everyone will vomit when they see that I read two books in August. That's right, TWO.

I know, I gagged a bit as well.

Sarah Waters gave me such an auspicious start to the month, as I tore through The Little Stranger like a bat outta hell. I loved Fingersmith, and, when The Little Stranger was longlisted for the Booker Prize, I went right out to see if it lived up to the hype.

It did.

In fact, perhaps Waters is to blame for the rest of the month being so non-bookish for me -- The Little Stranger was so good, so riveting, that nothing I picked up afterward could hold my attention. That's it! Damn you, you feisty little minx.

Anyway, in The Little Stranger a powerful, supernatural force is threatening the inhabitants of Hundreds Hall, and Dr. Faraday is there to save the day. We watch events unfold with increasing intensity, as Faraday is frequently called upon to lend a helping hand. Faraday himself is a bit of an outsider and his understanding is incomplete at best. The reader plunges along with him as he comes to know the family and their mysterious home better.

The Little Stranger is equal parts ghost story, social commentary, mystery, and psychological profile. There's so much to say, but it's better not to spoil the fun.

In a nutshell: Better than Fingersmith? I think so. The Little Stranger is a moving, thrilling, ultimately heartbreaking examination of class, love, and longing.

Bibliolatry Scale: 6 out of 6