The Dead Lands - Benjamin Percy

I missed reading Benjamin Percy's last novel, Red Novel. The positive reviews I read had me eager to read his latest release, The Dead Lands.

Percy had me at 'post-apocalyptic'. I love books that explore what the world might be like when what we know ends.

Between a super flu and nuclear fallout, most of mankind and society has been wiped out. But there are pockets of humanity left. One such group has barricaded themselves in what is left of St. Louis and dubbed it The Sanctuary. It's a militant society, but at least the inhabitants are alive behind its walls. (It somewhat reminded me of Woodbury from The Walking Dead) And until the day a young woman on a horse rides through the gates they are satisfied with being alive. But not everyone is. A young pair -Lewis Meriwether and Mina Clark decide to go outside the walls. The young woman says there is much more out there - water, crops and a better society.

Lewis and Clark (Aha - just like the explorers!) strike out. But the journey there is arduous, filled with danger from within the group, from The Sanctuary and the land they are traversing. And the girl may have lied....

I loved the idea, I liked the characters - actually my favourite character was Ella - a supporting player from The Sanctuary. I did find the mayor of The Sanctuary and his henchman Sheriff a bit cliched. Percy has done a good job with world building. The journey to the unknown will have you rooting for our explorers. But. Yes, there's a but. No doubt, Percy is a talented wordsmith. But sometimes too many words is just, well too much. I wanted more action, not more descriptions. I started getting bogged down in the details - and I found myself skimming.

Creatures such as albino giant bats seemed more fantastical than apocalyptic. Maybe that's just me - and what I was hoping to find. A good read, but not great for this reader. Here's an excerpt of The Dead Lands.

Giveaway - The Windup Girl - Paolo Bacigalupi

Night Shade Books have just released a new expanded edition The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi - and I have a copy to giveaway!

From the publisher:

"Winner of the Hugo and Nebula awards for best novel, a new edition of the breakout science fiction debut featuring additional stories and an exclusive Q and A with the author.

Anderson Lake is AgriGen’s Calorie Man, sent to work undercover as a factory manager in Thailand while combing Bangkok’s street markets in search of foodstuffs thought to be extinct, hoping to reap the bounty of history’s lost calories.

Emiko is the Windup Girl, a strange and beautiful creature. Emiko is not human; she is an engineered being, grown and programmed to satisfy the decadent whims of a Kyoto businessman, but now abandoned to the streets of Bangkok. Regarded as soulless beings by some, devils by others, New People are slaves, soldiers, and toys of the rich in this chilling near future in which calorie companies rule the world, the oil age has passed, and the side effects of bioengineered plagues run rampant across the globe.

What happens when calories become currency? What happens when bioterrorism becomes a tool for corporate profits and forces mankind to the cusp of post-human evolution? Bacigalupi delivers one of the most highly acclaimed science fiction novels of the twenty-first century.

In this brand-new edition celebrating the book’s reception into the canon of modern science fiction, accompanying the text are two novelettes exploring the dystopian world of The Windup Girl, the Theodore Sturgeon Award–winning “The Calorie Man” and “Yellow Card Man,” and an exclusive Q&A with the author describing his writing process, the political climate into which his debut novel was published, and the future of science fiction." Read an excerpt of The Windup Girl.

Bacigalupi's new book The Water Knife releases May 26/15. Paolo's book tour starts Tuesday as well - full schedule below. You can also keep up with Paolo on Facebook and on Twitter.

5/26/15: Denver, CO Tattered Cover, reading, Q and A, and signing
5/27/15: Boulder, CO Boulder Bookstore, reading, Q and A, and signing
5/28-29/15: New York, NY, BEA and NYC media
5/30/15: Boston, MA Brookline Booksmith, reading, Q and A, and signing 6/2/15: Chicago, IL Anderson’s Bookshop, reading, Q and A, and signing 6/3/15: Salt Lake City, UT The King’s English, reading, Q and A, and signing 6/4/15: Phoenix, AR Changing Hands Bookstore, reading, Q and A, and signing
6/6-6/7/15: San Francisco, CA, Bay Area Literary Festival
6/6-6/7/15: San Francisco, CA, Borderlands, signing
6/8/15: San Diego, CA Mysterious Galaxy, reading, Q and A, and signing 6/9/15: Los Angeles, Vroman’s, reading, Q and A, and signing
6/10/15: Portland, OR Powell’s Bookstore, reading, Q and A, and signing
6/11/15: Seattle, WA University Book Store, reading, Q and A, and signing
6/18/15: Crested Butte, CO Rumors Coffee and Tea House, reading, Q and A, and signing

If you'd like to read The Windup Girl, enter using the Rafflecopter form below.

 US only, ends June 6/15.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Kraken Project - Douglas Preston - Review AND Giveaway

Douglas Preston is one half of the successful writing duo Preston and Child. In audition to their co-written titles, each author also writes on their own!

Preston's latest release is The Kraken Project, the 4th book in his Wyman Ford series. Wyman is a former CIA agent with skills and knowledge that are called into play in unusual circumstances.

Melissa Shepherd is the AI (Artificial Intelligence) programming genius behind "Dorothy" NASA computer probe scheduled to head to one of Saturn's moons. But when a test run goes wrong in the lab, Dorothy thinks for herself - and escapes into the Internet in order to 'live'.

Her knowledge and ability to learn is reaching frightening levels - and she has no intention of 'going back in the box.'

Ford is tasked with finding Melissa, who has gone into hiding. Will the two of them find Dorothy before she wreaks havoc? But others are looking for Dorothy as well - and their motives aren't as noble.

The Kraken Project is a good summer beach read. Suspend disbelief on some of the plot points and just go with it. Preston knows how to come up with a good idea for a story and build in lots of action to keep the story moving along. Ford is a likable protagonist. We get a few glimpses into the personalities of our two lead characters, but for the most part, the book is strictly plot driven. Although, Dorothy has a personality too. I'm not sure I enjoyed Jacob, the young teenage boy added in as Dorothy's companion. I found him too whiny and his dialogue and actions seemed quite wooden and forced. (same for his father) An easy read, but not the best from Preston in my opinion.

Preston could not have predicted at the time he was writing his novel that the computer 'Eugene' would pass the Turing Test, fooling humans into thinking that it too was human. Kinda scary - fiction becoming fact!

If you think this sounds like a book you'd like to read, I have a copy to giveaway thanks to the generous folks at Forge Books. Simply leave a comment (and a contact method) to be entered. Open to US and Canada, no PO boxes please. Ends July 19/14.

The Returned - Review AND Giveaway

The Returned is Jason Mott's debut novel.

Mott came up with his original and thought-provoking premise after his mother passed away. Missing her, he dreamed of her one night. And the next day thought...what if....what if "she actually did come back, just for one night? And what if it wasn't just her? What if it happened to other people, too?"

And those are the Returned. Jacob William Hargrave died at eight years old in 1966. Almost fifty years later a Bureau Agent shows up in small town Arcadia, MO at Lucille and Harold's door with  - well - with eight year old Jacob. Lucille doesn't question the miracle, but Harold does.

As more and more Returned appear, the miracle loses its sheen. Arcadia is declared a holding area for The Returned. More and more are shipped in. The 'True Living' are feeling crowded out and wronged. Tempers flare and aggression grows. But all Lucille wants is to be a mother to her son again. And Harold, he would do anything to keep Lucille happy. Anything.

"Just because a person don't quite understand the purpose and meaning of a blessing, that doesn't make it any less of a blessing....does it?

Mott captured me. I truly had no idea where he was going to go with this story. Are The Returned a blessing or a curse? We hear some of The Returned's own stories in short insert chapters. We follow along as Lucille and Harold try to deal with the unexpected hand that has been dealt to them. And when the Bureau takes control, the struggle to follow their hearts - at heavy costs.

The Returned can be read on many levels - simply exploring the love we feel at the loss of a loved one - what would you do if you could have one more day again?  The Returned reminded me a bit of the movie District Nine - ignorant mistreatment of a race/culture/phenomenon that isn't understood or tolerated. There are some chilling chapters from the colonel in charge of the forced encampment. The 'True Living'  townsfolk have their own agenda as well. "There were just too many people in the world all of a sudden. Concessions for life had to be made." Religious questions also arise. The reason behind The Returned is never explained, rather the book deals with the aftermath and reactions to this happening.

The Bureau Agent, Martin Bellamy is just as much a lead character as Harold and Lucille. He's complex, keeping his thoughts and feelings carefully hidden behind a company demeanour, but adding a nice twist to things as the book progresses.

But what touched me the most was the relationship between Lucille and Harold. Without revealing any more of the plot, I have to admit that I found my eyes watering by the end of the book. Mott does a fantastic job bringing these characters to life - their love and their relationship was tangible, real and touching.

What if?  Definitely recommended. Read an excerpt of The Returned.

Jason Mott lives in southeastern North Carolina. He has a BFA in Fiction and an MFA in Poetry, both from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. His poetry and fiction has appeared in various journals such as Prick of the Spindle, The Thomas Wolfe Review, The Kakalak Anthology of Carolina Poets, Measure and Chautauqua. He was nominated for a 2009 Pushcart Prize award.
He is the author of two poetry collections: We Call This Thing Between Us Love and "…hide behind me…" The Returned is his first novel. You can find Jason Mott on Facebook and on Twitter. 

See what others on the TLC Book Tour thought. Full schedule can be found here. 

And thanks to the generosity of Harlequin/Mira, I have a copy to giveaway! Simply leave a comment to be entered. Open to US and Canada, no PO boxes please.  Ends Sept. 28/13, when a winner will be randomly chosen.

The Returned has hit the New York Times Bestseller List and has also been optioned by Brad Pitt's production company, Plan B. It will air on ABC this fall under the title 'Resurrection.'

The Last Policeman - Ben H. Winters

 Ben H. Winters. You might recognize this author's name - he penned the New York Times bestseller Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters. Winters' latest book The Last Policeman is just as imaginative and inventive.

I've got a fondness for post apocalyptic fiction, but Winters has penned a pre-apocalyptic novel.

The Last Policeman is set in the months before the world as we know it will end. It is inevitable - an asteroid is going to hit the earth and the impact will destroy our planet. What would you do, knowing the world was ending? Start ticking off items on your bucket list? End things on your terms? Henry Castle does none of that, instead he continues on as normal. He's a newly appointed detective on a police force that is dwindling, both in resources and manpower. When Henry is called to an apparent suicide, he can't shake the niggling feeling that this death may not be what it looks like. And in a world about to end, Henry pursues this case as a murder.

Henry was such an engaging character - earnest, forthright, honest, polite, trusting and an anomaly in these times. Even though the world will end, he chooses to stay true to himself and his beliefs until the day that happens. Winters' plot is full of twists and red herrings. I truly enjoyed Hank's dogged and determined pursuit of the truth.

"Right at this moment I have to decide, is the thing. Am I going to leave town and go north to Maine and find a house on Casco Bay and sit there and stare out the window with my sidearm and wait, or am I going to stay here and do my work and finish my case. My cases."

I've read lots of post apocalyptic fiction, but it was interesting to read Winters' view of what the world might hold before that final blow. Winters gives us lots of food for thought in people's actions and words.

There's a secondary plot involving Hank's sister, that I thought was filler until the last few chapters. It caught me off guard and piqued my interest for the next book, as The Last Policeman is the first in a trilogy. The Last Policeman was an unusual blend of sci-fi and mystery that just worked.  I'm curious to see what else will happen before the asteroid hits.....or after.

Read an excerpt of The Last Policeman. You can find Ben H. Winters on Twitter.

The Skin Map - Stephen R. Lawhead

Stephen Lawhead is an author whose name I was familiar with, but hadn't yet sampled. When I received an offer to listen to his book The Skin Map (A Bright Empires novel) it was the tag line that convinced me to say yes.

"It is the ultimate quest for the ultimate treasure. Chasing a map tattooed on human skin. Across an omniverse of intersecting realities. To unravel the future of the future."

Kit Livingstone is on his way to visit his girlfriend Wilhemina. Somewhere along the way, he takes a shortcut through an unfamiliar alley in London, England and ends up.... Well, he's not quite sure where he ends up. But the man who greets him by name says he is his great grandfather Cosimo and he's been hoping Kit would show up. Cosimo spins a fantastic tale of ley lines, time travel and alternate worlds. Kit listens, but decides to head back to his own time. He finally gets to Wilhemina's apartment. She's quite angry at Kit for turning up almost 8 hours late and doesn't believe his reason, so Kit decides to show her instead. He find the alley again and makes the leap into the other world. But....Wilhemina loses her grip on Kit and doesn't make the jump. She is lost...somewhere. Kit rejoins Cosimo and his peers. They are seeking to keep The Skin Map - a tattooed version of the ley lines and their entry points safe. Kit just wants to find Mina.

I thought this was a great premise. Although I don't read a lot of sci-fi, the concept of ley lines is indeed fact based and the cause of much speculation in history.

The reader, Simon Bubb, was fantastic. He conveyed many different characters, conjuring up separate personalities with his voice. His reading style is even and measured. Bubb is British, but I had no problem understanding his accent. A five for the reader.

Although Kit is the main character, I found myself more drawn to Mina. She lands in 17th century Prague. She seems to assimilate much easier than Kit and embraces her new life. I found myself really looking forward to 'her' chapters.Kit seems more unsure of himself and content to follow.

I found the book very slow in the beginning. While I appreciated the historic detail Lawhead has infused his story with, it dragged for me after awhile. While I didn't fast forward, I would have been flipping forward if I had a book in hand. Again, the concept is great and I was looking forward to what would be found in these alternate universes. I kept waiting for things to happen - some action. I did get my wish close to the end of the book, but it wasn't a satisfying finish for me.  I had the feeling that this first book was simply setting things up for future books in this planned five book series.

So, for me a solid listen. I'm curious as to what Lawhead has planned - the second book, The Bone House was released in September 2011, but it's not at the top of my must have list.

You can find Lawhead on Facebook

Ready Player One - Ernest Cline

Ernest Cline's debut novel Ready Player One is an unusual, unique and utterly addicting read.  Kind of like a computer game that you can't shut down until you...

It's 2045 and the Earth is in pretty bad shape. Most of the fossil fuel is gone and food and land are in short supply. To escape, most citizens check into The Oasis - a virtual world created by James Halliday. In the Oasis you can do or find anything you would ever need or want. When Halliday dies, he leaves the world with his last bequest - a baffling puzzle known as an Easter Egg is hidden somewhere in the Oasis. (Think Second Life) Solve it and you'll have all the money and power you ever dreamed of.

Young Wade Watts has spent most of his young life plugged in and joins the millions of Egg Hunters or 'gunters, as they come to be known, in the search. He spends years learning about Halliday's favourite games, televison shows and obsessions - most of them based in the 1980's.

When the first clue is found after many years, the stakes couldn't be higher for Wade and his on line friends - for Innovative Online Industries, the world's largest internet provider, want to win the prize themselves - and take over the Oasis.

Ready Player One is completely outside of my normal tastes, but I really, really enjoyed it. I was initially intrigued as it seemed to fit into my recent obsession for YA dystopian fiction. But I found myself really enjoying all the '80's references - Pac Man, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Commodore 64's, song lyrics and a whole lot more -for these are the clues used to solve the puzzle.

There's lots of adventure with epic good versus evil battles throughout. But Cline has also thrown in some thoughtful explorations of friendship, coming of age and yes, romance. Lots of fun for a variety of readers. Read an excerpt of Ready Player One or listen to an excerpt. You can find Cline on Facebook and on Twitter.

I can see Ready Player One easily being made into a movie. And it's jumped on to Maclean's Canadian bestseller list at #9.

The Reapers Are The Angels - Alden Bell

Oh boy! I stayed up way too late last night - I literally could not put down The Reapers Are The Angels by Alden Bell. I have a fondness for post-apocalyptic novels and this one grabbed and wouldn't let go of me 'til the last page.

Sometime in the future, zombies have stumbled about the land for over twenty five years, eating whatever humans they can catch. Temple has been born into this world and knows no other. She remembers living with an old man and a boy who might have been her brother. Now fifteen and with heartache and tragedy her constant companions, she travels what is left of the world that was, seeking something. Her chance encounter with a man named Maury could be her salvation - although she doesn't recognize it as such. And an encounter with a man named Moses could be her downfall.

Reapers was such a great read on so many levels. The uncertainty of what Bell would come up with next in this world and what Temple would encounter had me holding my breath and frantically turning pages. Temple as a character was fascinating. Old beyond her years, born into a world with no compass, she has her own sense of morality and direction. The conversations she has with those she meets in her travels and herself are quite philosophical.

"See it's a daily chore tryin to do the right thing. Not because the right thing is hard to do - it ain't. It's just cause the right thing - well, the right thing's got a way of eluding you. You give me a compass that tells good from bad, and boy I'll be a soldier of the righteous truth. But them two things are a slippery business and tellin then apart might as well be a blind man's guess. And sometimes, you just get tired of pokin at the issue. Those are the times you just do something because you're tired of thinkin on it. And that's when the devil better get his pencil ready to tally up a score, cause the time for nuances is gone. And you think, that's it for me on this world. You think, all right then hell is my home."

The setting is mostly in the Southern states and has a distinct Southern gothic tone. In the cover blurb, author Michael Gruber compared it to Flannery OConnor's style - an apt description. Athough the book has zombies, they are more of a supporting platform than a main focus. How they came to be is never explained. Granted, there is a fair amount of violence and blood spilled, so be warned. But it is Temple and her personal journey that captivated me.

An excellent read for me - definitely 5 stars. This novel would appeal to those who enjoyed Cormac McCarthy's The Road or Richard Matheson's I Am Legend. I can see this being made into a movie as well.

Read an excerpt of The Reapers Are The Angels.

(interesting sidenote - the title seems to be taken from the Bible - Matthew, Chapter 13, verse 39 King James version)  "The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels."

Genesis - Bernard Beckett

Genesis is the eighth book from New Zealand author Bernard Beckett.

The year is 2075 and the place is The Republic. The Republic is an isolated island completely cut off from the rest of the world - if it still exists. The island survived due to the machinations of The Academy. This body controls the lives of the people of The Republic. They guard against the five great threats to order: "Impurity of Breeding, Impurity of Thought, Indulgence of the Individual, Commerce, and the Outsider."

Young Anax is taking her oral history exam in front of the Examiners from The Academy. She has prepared for many years in her topic - the life and times of Adam Forde. Forde defied the rules and rescued a girl from the sea and his defiance shaped the future of Anax's world.

This slim book takes place over the course of Anax's five hour exam. Everything she thought she knew and believed is challenged by the Examiners. She has not been given all of the history, some has been held back.

Using oral history and holograms, we follow the life of Ford. The Examiners questions Anax's interpretation of that history. The philosophical questions posed are absolutely fascinating. Beckett presents arguements that make perfect sense, but will challenge your belief system. What does it mean to be human?

I don't want to give too much away, but looking at the cover will give you an idea - a human and a robot. The ending provides a great twist, although I did see it coming.

It wasn't until I finished this small novel (185 pages) that I realized it is marketed as a young adult novel. Personally, I think it would only appeal to the older YA crowd. It is strictly dialogue and thought driven, with no action. Not my usual type of read, but I did enjoy it and found the ideas presented thought provoking. The publisher's blurb refers to it as "this generation's Brave New World."