Cafe Chaos - Books

SIS Barb says:

A couple of months ago I picked up a book from the .25 table at my local RWA chapter meeting. Members bring books they have read and others can buy them for .25 and those proceeds go towards future meetings. Anyway, I had never heard of this author but the cover intrigued me. To date, it is on my top five list and probably the best quarter I have ever spent!

My Pick of the Week: The Reincarnationist

From the authors website: “THE REINCARNATIONIST is equal parts modern-day thriller, historical fiction and love story. With one foot in present-day Rome and New York and another in Rome some 1,600 years ago, my story is about two worlds consumed by the fires of intrigue and passion.”

This book had me intrigued from the get go. I couldn’t put it down and while it didn’t end as I had imagined—causing me to have an emotional tirade—I realized that it did what it was supposed to do. It made me emotional. It made me feel.

I recently heard that this author is a marketing phenom. Who knows, maybe I can learn something from her. This would be a good thing.

I am currently reading the follow up the The Reincarnationist called The Memorist and hope it is just as fascinating.

Author: M.J. Rose

SIS Bren says:

I was trying to think of a book off the top of my head to recommend since I'm not able to see my collection of books at the moment and then I remembered a conversation I had with my nephew earlier this week. I asked him why he never commented on our blog and he replied that if I were to mention a certain book, he would be more than happy to comment. So here you go Michael...

My Pick of the Week: the Harry Potter series

Someone suggested the first Harry Potter installment when my son was about 7. He didn't seem to have the discipline for a book that size yet, so I decided to read it to him. Before I knew it, he was hooked and so was I. I have read every Harry Potter and have enjoyed getting to know the characters as they grew and matured. I'm sure that most people know what these books are about but just in case...

From Barnes & Noble: Orphaned as a baby, Harry Potter has spent 11 awful years living with his mean aunt, uncle, and cousin Dudley. But everything changes for Harry when an owl delivers a mysterious letter inviting him to attend a school for wizards. At this special school, Harry finds friends, aerial sports, and magic in everything from classes to meals, as well as a great destiny that's been waiting for him...if Harry can survive the encounter. From an author who has been compared to C. S. Lewis and Roald Dahl, this enchanting, funny debut novel won England's National Book Award and the prestigious Smarties Prize.

Author: JK Rowling

SIS Beth says:

As most of you know, when I’m reading for pleasure, my genre of choice is romantic fiction. That said, sometimes I branch out, but even then it’s still mostly contemporary genres such as mysteries and thrillers. I haven’t read many of the classics although I often enjoy when those books are made into movies. For instance I’m a sucker for any story written by Jane Austen or Charles Dickens. I love any and all film adaptations of their work. I really should go to the source sometime. Recently, I’ve been intrigued by a subgenre called Steampunk. It sounds radical but it actually goes way back. Think Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne or, more recently, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen by Alan Moore.

According to Wikipedia: Steampunk denotes works set in an era or world where steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century, and often Victorian era England—but with prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy, such as fictional technological inventions like those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne, or real technological developments like the computer occurring at an earlier date.

There are several other variations. Where movies are concerned, Will Smith’s Wild Wild West also falls into this category. At any rate, to explore this sub-genre in earnest, I decided to start with a classic.

My Pick of the Week: The Time Machine

I can’t review this book because I only started it. I will say that I am incredibly intrigued by the concept and charmed by the writing style. Written in 1895, H.G. Well’s use of the English language is fantastic. Why, oh, why don’t we talk like that anymore? So eloquent. I’ve seen film adaptations (or spin-offs) of this story and loved them, but they can’t compare to the actual book. Mostly because they don’t wholly capture his writing style. It’s not an easy read, but it a fascinating and inspiring read. I can tell you one thing… I’m broadening my vocabulary.

Author: H.G. Wells