December Reading (a little late)

The Well of Ascension (Mistborn #2) by Brandon Sanderson

I returned to Sanderson’s world after reading his first book in October. I really enjoyed the second installment – kept up the action and emotional impact very well from the first. I was so into it that I decided to download the 3rd book in the series to my kindle and then had the unpleasant realization that it’s unavailable as an e-read. Damnable.



Kleopatra by Karen Essex

A little strange. Mixes historical moments with a very modern style of writing which makes it seem a bit more like a romance novel and less the serious book I think it was meant to be. I wouldn’t tell anyone not to read it but it didn’t stay with me very long after I finished it. I did still clench my fist as I read of Pompey’s landing even though I knew what would happen. The book did help me understand the Egyptian politics behind that whole incident a bit better.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

A free book from Kindle, whohoo! Geez who knew how incredibly messed up my mind was about Frankenstein thanks to Hollywood! I now hate Frankenstein and will always have a soft spot in my heart for the creature. And where the heck is Igor? The history of this story’s creation rivals the story itself (from my goodreads review): I remember learning that Mary Shelly wrote this as part of a rainy summer spent telling ghost stories with fellow writers in Europe. This is also the same bonfire that spawned the idea of Byron's vampire, later imortalized by Polidori in The Vampyre; a Tale, the father of all modern vampire including Dracula.



The Serpents Tale (Adelia #2) by Ariana Franklin

I read the first book last year and I think it is enough commentary to say I had no memory of the details to know what was really going on in the second with character relationships. Historically accurate background (Henry II time period) with a murder mystery plot seems like a great formula for a book. This one starts it’s formula with the lead characters getting lost in a maze and I feel the story never got itself out of it. Too much going on at certain points, not enough at others. I didn’t care what happened to anyone at the end.



The Book Thief by Mark Zusak

Great book. I love female heroines and I love books. I hate reading about the holocaust but this one has enough humanity and new perspective to warrant a high recommendation. It’s also classified as a young adult novel so the details are never horrifying but that should not be mistaken for lack of emotional connection.

The Stupidest Angel […] by Christopher Moore

I’m not one for bizarre books and narratives built for a laugh (I like my books strictly serious) but this one was rather enjoyable. I’ll probably pick up “Dirty Jobs” by Moore which a few people recommended.