Book Gala

I went up to Panama City this weekend; it's a far drive but the beaches there have always been worth it. White sand beaches and turquoise, crystal clear water; it was like going to the Bahamas, the water was pretty much the same color and it's cheaper! Well in case anyone is planning to visit there anytime soon, as a word of warning, the beaches are no longer as pretty as they used to be. Apparently, our brilliant public officials decided to dump Lake Okeechobee, one of the most polluted lakes in Florida, into the Gulf. This actually happened last year, but the beaches haven't recovered; I have doubts they ever will. It's pretty sad that we've polluted our oceans and lakes this much. I feel bad for the people that live in Panama City; in addition to the polluted water, they have to deal with tourists dumping trash all over the beach.    I couldn't help comparing it to St. Augustine, the beach I usually go to because it's much closer. The beaches there are ...

Sorry for the delay in writing a new post, I've been a little busy the past two months! I did, however, want to share an awesome series with you guys that I've been reading. The first book is The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski.  Originally written in Polish, the books are set in an alternate reality; the world and characters are richly drawn, and his prose is simply amazing. The story focuses on a Witcher named Geralt, who is to put it simply a monster hunter. Although that is not entirely accurate, as he follows his own code and doesn't blindly swing a sword at every monster he sees. The books have a heavy emphasis on morality and shades of grey. There is no cut and dried right and wrong, and Geralt is not perfect; he makes mistakes like the rest of humanity. There are six books in the series, with a new book, Season Of Storms, coming out next year, which is actually a prequel. As it stands now Sapkowski has stated that no new books will be written in the Witcher series. ...

   I went last year to Megacon; it was fun but I had no plans to go again.  But my sister found out Richard Dean Anderson would be there, so off we went.  We grew up watching Macgyver (we loved   Macgyver) and Stargate, so it was pretty cool to get to meet him in person.  Would I do it again?  Eh probably not, personally I think celebrities are worshipped a little too much in America. He did seem like a down to earth person though; unfortunately I couldn't say the same for most of the people waiting in line to meet him. One guy was dressed in the standard uniform from Stargate; alas he was behind me in line so I missed that interaction. Honestly I felt a little (ok a lot) odd standing in line just so I could get someone's signature. Had it been any other actor, I would've bowed out of that experience quite happily. (I can't stress enough how much we loved Macgyver.)  I did take a few photos, not as many as last year, but I thought I'd post them in...

   Angel of Death takes place in Rome and revolves around a series of crimes that have a religious connotation. It was originally written in a different language, so there are a few grammar issues, but not enough to detract from the book. The book has a strong religious background; fans of Dan Brown's books will probably enjoy this one. I'm not overly religious, so someone that is will probably get a little more out of it than I did. I still enjoyed it immensely; for some reason, the book had a strong eighties movie feel to me. Perhaps I've been watching Stranger Things too much lately. But anyways, the hypothesis that the author presents in Angel of Death is certainly an interesting one, and the author has done a ton of research to back it up. The plot is well written; it doesn't move terribly fast but it's not slow either. To me it adds to the atmosphere and authenticity of the book; most police cases are solved in weeks, not days. For an indie book, this is one o...

   I got a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair review. This is the first book the author's published, so I tried to be easy on it. I imagine it's probably scary publishing your first book. Basically, the book reads like Harry Potter fan fiction; I don't know if that was intentional but the parallels are there. The main character is an orphan? Check. Magic school for wizards? Check. Getting to said wizarding school through a magical portal at a train station? Check. Making a hated enemy on the first day of school? Check. Having a professor that loathes the protagonist for some unknown reason, at first sight? Check. Luna Lovegood clone, complete with wacky outfits? Check. Made up name for non-magical humans? Check. (They're cados in this book, not muggles). Wizarding village? Yep, it has that too.  One, two, even three similarities I could overlook, but to have these many similarities is pushing it a little.    One of the biggest problem...

   Caraval was one of the most anticipated books of 2017, I believe. I've seen it everywhere, from ads on Amazon to huge displays at the local bookstore. I couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy. Unfortunately, when I did, I devoured it much too quickly and then it was over! I wish I had pre-ordered the special edition, something I almost never do; it was that good of a book. Caraval is a show, one where the audience is a member of the cast. In order to win the prize, you must play the game...    The book centers on two sisters, Scarlett and Tella, who live on a remote island with their abusive father. Scarlett is recently engaged to a count; she thinks she can save herself and her sister through her marriage. Tella takes a somewhat dim view of this, understandably, as Scarlett has never met her intended. Fearing the count will be as bad as their father, Tella kidnaps Scarlett, with the help of an enigmatic sailor, and takes her to Caraval. The islan...

 I had planned to do something outdoorsy this weekend, but the weather here is kind of blah. I just finished Caraval; now I have to decide between Traitor to the Throne or Red Seas Under Red Skies . So what's everyone reading or doing this weekend? Feel free to share! Hopefully, you guys had better luck with your weather than I did!