A Quick Update

Ahh, it feels so good to blog again! I've missed it terribly. It drove me crazy to leave the blog neglected for the five days Melissa and I were in New York, and I felt the need to write at least a short post. We returned home yesterday, and I'm still unpacking and otherwise trying to get myself together. We had an incredible time in NYC, and I hope to assemble a post about our trip—with pics!—soon.

I really want to focus on getting back to a somewhat regular blogging schedule again. I didn't have a chance to watch the final episode of The White Queen before I went to NY; I'm going to try to catch it this week and write the recap post. Not only do I have a ton of reading to catch up on (I am clueless as to what books have been released in, say, at least the past month), but I also have a lot of TV to watch. I'm afraid to look at the space left on my DVR because I don't think it's very much. I think my best bet is to set aside a Saturday or Sunday and do nothing but sit in front of the TV. My buddy Braine at Talk Supe says I need to check out Dracula with Jonathan Rhys Meyers; I'm working on finding it on demand, I promise!

I'd like to thank all of you who continue to read this blog. I really, really, really miss interacting with you; that's been the hardest part about having the time I used to spend reading and blogging cut so drastically. I was quite stressed out about ensuring that the trip to New York went smoothly, and now that it's over, I feel like I can get a better handle on managing my spare time. And now I'm off to try and get some reading done . . . .

Colony East Blog Tour: Review

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Scott Cramer's Colony East, organized by CBB Book Promotions! I have a review of the novel for you today, and don't forget to enter the giveaway below for your chance to win an Amazon gift card and eBooks of Colony East and the first book in the series, Night of the Purple Moon. You can follow the rest of the tour by checking out the schedule.

Colony East (The Toucan Trilogy #2)
By Scott Cramer
Publication Date: October 2013
Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo | Goodreads

* A copy was provided for review for the blog tour.

Synopsis: In a terrifying world where an epidemic has killed off most of the world's adults, fifteen-year-old Abby struggles to keep her brother and sister safe.

When a new, deadly disease spreads among the survivors, Abby must make the dangerous journey to Colony East, an enclave of hidden scientists caring for a small group of children for reasons unknown.

Abby fears that time is running short for the victims, but she's soon to learn that time is running out for everyone outside Colony East.

Review: Wow—what an impressive follow-up Scott Cramer has written to Night of the Purple Moon! Colony East handily casts aside any doubts about Second Book Syndrome, hitting all the right notes in terms of plot and character development. The best part is, the novel accomplishes both of these things without falling back on dystopian tropes, which I’ve seen happen once too often with series in the genre.

Colony East literally ventures into new territory, with parts of the story taking place a distance away from Castine Island. I thought changing up the setting was absolutely brilliant; it allowed us to see how other survivors were coping with the fallout of the comet that decimated the adult population in Night of the Purple Moon. Being a former New Yorker, I was thrilled to discover that New York City was one of the new locales, though the book’s depiction of the city is quite startling. The Navy and the CDC have teamed up to build a future for the children left behind in the comet’s wake. To this end, New York has been turned into Colony East, a highly organized operations hub that selectively chooses who is allowed within its walls. The kids are sorted into companies and put on a daily regimen, as if they were soldiers. While the living conditions in Colony East may be better than those outside of it, trusting its leaders without question poses its own kind of danger, something that Abby learns all too harshly.

Sometimes it’s easy to forget how young Abby and Jordan are, given how quickly they’ve had to basically become adults, or at least act like adults and make adult decisions. Sister and brother continue to demonstrate a remarkable amount of maturity here; even little Toucan is growing up fast. Once again, the Leigh siblings are tested by extreme circumstances, and once again, they more than meet the challenges. I really have to admire Abby’s determination to help everyone and anyone; she’s just this incredibly good young lady with a huge heart. That’s not to say that Jordan is some sort of bad guy because he definitely isn’t. I think he has a more pragmatic perspective on life whereas Abby tends to look for the positive aspects in a situation first. All personality differences between the two are forgotten, of course, during times of adversity, and at this point in the trilogy, the Leighs have become experts at getting through them.

I applaud Scott Cramer for so skillfully broadening the scope of the story that began in Night of the Purple Moon. Colony East not only expands the world, but it also turns up the intensity and action a few good notches. Considering how fantastic this sequel was, I can’t wait to see what the next book, Generation M, has in store for its readers.

All in All: I’ve been very picky about the dystopians I’ve read this year, but this one was a must-read, and I was not disappointed in the least.

About Scott Cramer

Scott Cramer has written feature articles for national magazines, covered school committee meetings for a local newspaper, published haiku and poetry, optioned a screenplay, and produced customer reference accounts for a big computer company. His pursuit of a good story has put him behind the stick of an F-18, flying a Navy Blue Angels’ fighter jet, and he has trekked through the Peruvian mountains in search of an ancient Quechua festival featuring a condor. He is the author of Night of the Purple Moon and Colony East. Scott and his wife have two daughters and reside outside Lowell, Massachusetts (birthplace of Jack Kerouac) in an empty nest/zoo/suburban farm/art studio with too many surfboards in the garage.

Find Scott Cramer:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

** Giveaway **

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Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta: A Reaction

* This post contains spoilers for Melina Marchetta's Finnikin of the Rock. *

Hosted by A Novel Idea & Bookish Whimsy

If I had to describe Melina Marchetta's Finnikin of the Rock to someone who's never read it before, I think I'd sum it up like this: Must. Read. Why? It's a beautifully crafted, superbly written fantasy that will win your heart as well as break it. It will make you shed more than a tear or two on behalf of these unforgettable characters, both when they're in pain and when they find happiness. The emotions this book conjures—I just can't even . . . .

I first read Finnikin last year, and 1) I can't believe I missed so many things the first time around, and 2) the review I wrote back then doesn't even begin to do the book a semblance of justice. In fact, I could probably never come up with a review that properly captures the gem that is this novel. I finished reading the series about two months ago, and revisiting it from the beginning gave me chills. I knew very early on the first time that I picked up Finnikin of the Rock that I held a very special book in my hands, and knowing what happens in the rest of the series has done nothing to diminish the impact of the Prologue, which includes that pivotal scene in which Finnikin, Balthazar, and Lucian pledge to protect Lumatere and seal their pact in blood. If anything, having read all three books in The Lumatere Chronicles has given me an even greater appreciation for them.

Once again, I've been blown away by the path Finnikin takes across its pages, from its bleak opening about a people who've basically lost everything and are barely clinging to their identity, to its hopeful ending. Picking a favorite moment or favorite aspect of the novel is next to impossible. I want to say, "everything!" but I'll try to narrow down my choices here. I love Evanjalin's strength and determination to lead the Lumaterans home, and how she's not at all the meek novice she appears to be at the novel's start. I love Finnikin's reunion with his father, Trevanion. I love the reunion of the King's Guard (Perri the Savage—you are awesome!). I absolutely love the story of Lady Beatriss saving a young Finnikin, Balthazar, and Isaboe from an angry bull and her priceless line to Trevanion: "Was that functional enough for you, Captain?" Now that I've mentioned them, can I just say how much I love Beatriss and Trevanion? Theirs is truly a story that cuts to the soul. The scene in which the two are at the graveside of their baby daughter who died and Beatriss's daughter, Vestie, helps Trevanion plant one of the seeds she'd been sprinkling around the grave utterly guts me. It's one of the most moving scenes I've ever read in a novel; simply thinking about it makes me misty-eyed.

A lot of us probably have a list of favorite books that we feel everyone needs to read. This one is on mine (along with its sequels, Froi of the Exiles and Quintana of Charyn). Seriously, go locate a copy of Finnikin of the Rock ASAP if you haven't read it yet. It's the type of book that you find your mind returning to time and time again because it leaves that much of an impression on you. Once you step into this world that Melina Marchetta has so ingeniously created, you'll never want to leave it.

A HUGE thanks to Paola of A Novel Idea and Charlene of Bookish Whimsy for hosting this wonderful event!

Reading and Blogging Blues

Contrary to what Melissa said in her post the other day, I wouldn't exactly label this a rant. I may end up complaining at length about my total lack of time in the past few weeks for reading/blogging, but it's more sadness than anything. While I'm extremely happy with, and grateful for, the path my life has taken recently (job = guilt-free book buying), I can't help but miss devoting so much time as I did before to books and the blog. I feel like I'm hardly around here anymore, and that just saddens me. Not visiting blogs also makes me sad; it's as though I've become a turtle and withdrawn into my shell. At the moment I feel so out of touch with what's going on around the book blogosphere, and being out of the loop is driving me a bit crazy because in general, I hate being the last person to find out about anything.

I haven't finished reading a single book yet this month; I don't remember when that last happened. It's not because I don't want to read, either. My favorite way to unwind at the end of the day is to curl up with a book in front of the TV, preferably with an unhealthy snack by my side, too. I've barely had a moment to spare for reading for almost a month now, and no reading = depressed/slightly unhinged Lee. And I've got some very, very highly anticipated books waiting for me to read them, like Sarah Rees Brennan's Untold and Karina Halle's Bold Tricks. It pains me to look at them all neglected on my shelf/Kindle.

Hmm . . . . I think I may have gotten a tad rant-y there. I do admit to being more than a little frustrated with still struggling to find a balance between work/life outside of work. This month also happens to be an incredibly busy one. Today Melissa and I are going to see Ally and their brother, Denis, perform in a competition with the rest of their high school's marching band. We've got about a two hour drive each way, and we don't expect to return until the wee hours of tomorrow morning. So what I'm trying to say is, this week's White Queen recap is going to be late, possible even pushed back to the end of the week. Yeah, I know it's the series finale tonight, but I don't quite picture myself having time to watch the episode and write about it tomorrow.

I'm also super pressed for time this weekend because in a few days, Melissa and I are headed to NY! We are both beyond excited, especially about visiting our old neighborhoods. The blog is most likely going to be extra quiet for a few days next week. I plan to write a post about our adventures, and I'm also hoping to finally get some reading done during the flights.

I'm really trying to get back on track with reading and blogging. Writing about something that's been weighing rather heavily on my mind has been quite therapeutic—now I see why Melissa enjoys ranting so much. And if you've managed to make it to the end of this post, I thank you for reading it and allowing me to vent.

Melissa's Prelude to Her Stolen Rant Feature

Disclaimer Thingy:

I love to complain! Alas, Lee has threatened me with bodily harm if I give out spoilers in my reviews. And since ranting requires something to rant about, I have not been able to fully express my book angst. At last! I have found a loophole! Mwahahaha! Do keep in mind that I am a whiny brat and I am only trying to be funny, but I will probably come off as really annoying. So, forgive me in advance.

My Rant:

It has finally happened, just as I knew it would. My hilarity and genius have become a source of envy among my co-bloggers here. Well, more like blogger boss. As you all may know, I have my own brilliant ranting feature. I find that reviews can sometimes limit what I can say about a book. Not wanting to unintentionally give out spoilers, I decided ranting would allow me to say whatever the heck I wanted without the responsibility of trying not to ruin the entire book for those who don't like spoilers. Also, I enjoy complaining.

Anyway, Lee has quite a bit of pent-up aggression. In self-preservation, I suggested she write a rant. The wrath of Lee can now be unleashed without me being the target. I consider it an all-around win. But make no mistake! I am the Supreme Ruler of Rants! Mwahahahaha!