Summer of YA: Allen Zadoff, author of Boy Nobody @allenzadoff

I may not post as much about the Summer of YA event that was held today at the Barnes & Noble in beautiful Glendale California.  Basically it was a great opportunity to spend some time talking with a bunch of YA authors and I don’t know why you didn’t attend … assuming you didn’t of course.  Some of you did attend like me, Alethea and Andrew Smith.

In preparation for today I finished Boy Nobody by Allen Zadoff.  Our protagonist is a teenage assassin who infiltrates lives and murders parents.  I remember hearing about it when it first came out and I was intrigued by the premise, so I downloaded the sample in iBooks and I was pretty hooked.
Continue reading “Summer of YA: Allen Zadoff, author of Boy Nobody @allenzadoff”

Upcoming Book Recommendation: Codename Zero by Chris Rylander @chris_rylander

I just finished a digital galley of Chris Rylander’s upcoming book, Codename Zero.  His previous books, The Fourth Stall (Parts 1, 2, and 3) have enjoyable reads and Codename Zero is as well.  It’s a spy action intrigue book set in a quiet North Dakota town.  There’s a new milk bar in town … that’s about as exciting as it seems to get.  (The town, not the book)

I’m recommending it for middle grade readers.  Boys may appreciate it more than girls but maybe use this as a metric:  Do you think fainting goats are funny?  Well then be prepared for GOATEMONIUM.

Apologies in advance:  the book comes out February 4, 2014.  So … be patient.

Book 84 in 2013: Proxy by Alexander London @ca_london

9781101625859.600x600-75 This is the post about Proxy.  Proxy is a recent release from Alexander London set in a dystopian cyberpunk future.  Great luxe living is available for a price.  For those who can’t afford it, there are plans and schemes to work off your debts.  The disparity between the bright and shiny people and the poor and downtrodden is striking and frighteningly a possible outcome of our current direction as a society…

Parts of this future world feels familiar.  From Feed, (or google) we have targeted advertising where everywhere we go you find ads that are tailored to you and your personal habits.  From the Whipping Boy, we get the naive hope that young people can be shamed into behaving by watching other people get punished for their misdeeds.  I’m sure numerous other stories have done this, but for some reason I was reminded of Logan’s Run when they *spoiler* flee the city.  I also suggested that I was reminded of Virtual Light but that’s mainly because of the glasses which act as a computer interface.  And all of the talk of blood sacrifice and forgiveness reminded me of the bible. Continue reading “Book 84 in 2013: Proxy by Alexander London @ca_london”

Quicky 3am Film Review: Now You See Me

Hey I know it’s not a new release so this review probably isn’t going to help people because if you were interested in seeing Now You See Me, you probably have already gone.  Or maybe you forgot it exists and HEY READ MY REVIEW!

Now You See Me is a fun engaging film that draws you into a world of slight of hand.  I swear I was sober and I enjoyed it. Continue reading “Quicky 3am Film Review: Now You See Me”

Some people didn’t know what they were getting into: Priscilla Queen of the Desert

Some people return from New York City and promptly attend a touring production of Priscilla:  Queen of the Desert.  People like me.

According to me, I’ve had a very mixed experience with subscribing to the Pantages this season.  There was the fantastically funny Book of Mormon, the dreadful Jekyll & Hyde, the mixed bag that is Catch Me If You Can, the uncharming Beauty & the Beast, and now we have a bunch of drag queens lip syncing to pop hits of yesteryear.

Which, short of a book of mormon shoved up a young man’s ass, is the best thing they’ve had all season. Continue reading “Some people didn’t know what they were getting into: Priscilla Queen of the Desert”

Finished Reading The Shadowhand Covenant by @BrianFarrey

And thus begins me talking about an upcoming book that you probably can’t read because it’s not out yet.

The book is The Shadowhand Covenant and it is a follow up to The Vengekeep Prophecy by Brian Farrey.  Vengekeep is a middle group fantasy book about a family of thieves and a quest to save their community from a prophecy of doom.  Of course … the Grimjinx family faked the prophecy and somehow it’s coming true so it’s up to Jaxter to save his family, the town, etc.  Shadowhand is a more complex layered tale that expands on Vengekeep … Continue reading “Finished Reading The Shadowhand Covenant by @BrianFarrey”

Bookswaps are Awesome! But I went overboard.

IMG_5480A little while back my book club the ya book council held a book swap at the Glendale Public Library  Montrose Branch and I was super excited because I wanted to get rid of some titles I had accumulated over the years that I didn’t really want to hold on to.  I live amongst stacks of books… which is scary because I am consuming most of my books in electronic mediums. Continue reading “Bookswaps are Awesome! But I went overboard.”

Catch Stephen Anthony — If You Can

Last Sunday I watched Catch Me If You Can at the Pantages. I really should have posted this earlier because the run ends on the 24th.  So probably you won’t be able to catch it.  Which is a shame, because Catch Me If You Can is a fun show.

Continue reading “Catch Stephen Anthony — If You Can”

Tower? Oh.

So this is like a review I posted on Goodreads and I’m reposting here, but with spoilers.

Tower? Oh.

Once upon a time…a few years ago I came across a book called the James Deans and I read this book that was not about a boy band with a 1950s theme.  This was my first introduction to Reed Farrel Coleman and he’s on my list of “mystery genre authors I will read.”  Sadly, that’s a small list but what you can do with a finite amount of life to read with.  I think the only other authors on the list are Don Winslow and Charlie Huston.

Tower is a book that was written by Ken Bruen and Reed Farrel Coleman about Nicky and Todd, two young men from Brooklyn and their lives and stuff.  Nicky is a violent sort filled with rage.  Todd loves Nicky but isn’t in love with Nicky, it’s not that kind of a book where two boys have their hearts broken by each other.  Nah, there’s women for that. Continue reading “Tower? Oh.”

The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Special Orchestra CD

Last night I was on the elliptical machine when my iPod nano shuffled to Gerudo Valley, track 4 of The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Special Orchestra CD.  The CD was a special pack in with The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword which I regrettably didn’t play as much as I have played the soundtrack.

I don’t think of myself as a super video game nerd, and my friends who do play video games can vouch for my lack of game playing ability.  But this collection of music I think stands out as good music, exceeding what I would have expected from a video game soundtrack or a television or cinema score.  Of course there are little moments when musical cues provide a thrill associated with memories of gameplay; if at anytime in real life I were to hear the secret notification and a key falls out of the sky I think it would be the best thing ever.  (Main Theme Medley, 0:48)

 

Track Listing for The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Special Orchestra CD

  1. The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Medley
  2. Kariko Village – Twilight Princess Theme
  3. The Wind Waker Symphonic Movement
  4. Gerudo Valley
  5. Great Fairy’s Fountain Theme
  6. Twilight Princess Symphonic Movement
  7. The Legend of Zelda Main Theme Medley
  8. Ballad of the Goddess from Skyward Sword

Yesterday I found out that Viz (VizKids) published a translation of the Legend of Zelda manga series and I may have purchased all ten volumes.  I was reviewing one for Edelweiss but didn’t realize there was a whole series.  I had finished Ocarina of Time Part 1 and wanted to continue on so I checked at the bookstore I was in and on the shelf I found all ten of them sitting there, waiting for me.  I immediately looked online and read about the ten volumes — hopefully soon to be more than ten with the upcoming release(s) for Skyward Sword — and perhaps as a rash impulse buy I grabbed all of them.

As a confession, I haven’t finished most of the games.  This is one of the reasons people give me grief about video games; that and lack of skill.  However the manga are helping me fill in the plot holes.  It’s a little better than reading spoilers online…Plus, if I don’t buy books, bookstores may cease to exist as we know them. :-/

Anyhow:  positive review, both for the CD and the Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time Part 1.  One jar containing a fairy out of one jar slot.

Edit:  I forgot to mention that Koji Kondo is responsible for much of the Legend of Zelda music.