Book Reviews by Today, I Read…

Recent Arrivals chronicles the books that have made their way onto the Today, I Read… bookshelf. Here’s the latest arrival: The Well by A. J. Whitten

First line: Dying in the movies always looks cool.*

Initial thoughts: I heard about this upcoming title from a friend and she said it might be right up my alley. Sure enough, after reading the synopsis, she was right. Modern horror inspired by Shakespeare? Definitely up my alley.

Plus, the cover looks pretty cool.

My review is now online

Book description:

If Hamlet thought he had issues, he should have talked to Cooper Warner.

His mother’s normally sunny demeanor has turned into something—homicidal.

And what’s worse, she has help in her hunt for Cooper: A ravenous monster living at the bottom of the old well in the woods behind their house. She’s determined to deliver her 14-year-old son straight into the creature’s eager clutches. Cooper turns to his girlfriend, Megan, for help, but then, to his horror, the creature takes her prisoner.

Now, it’s up to Cooper to fend off his murderous mother, finish his Hamlet paper, and enter the putrid lair at the bottom of the well to rescue Megan. And when he confronts the creature, Cooper must make the toughest decision of his life: kill, or be killed.

This horrific tale, inspired by Hamlet, puts a modern, terrifying twist on the Shakespearean classic.

Book Details: 336 pages; Graphia; Pub. September 28, 2009

Learn more:

• Official website
• Read an excerpt
• Reviews at GoodReads

* First line taken from Chapter 1, not the prologue.

Recent Arrivals chronicles the books that have made their way onto the Today, I Read… bookshelf. Here’s the latest arrival: Wait Until Twilight by Sang Pak

First line: The sun sits flat against the blue sky like someone pressed it on there with a giant thumb.

Initial thoughts: It seems that the Waiting on Wednesday fairies paid me a visit. *sigh of relief* I finally get to read about those deformed triplets whose mother believes they were immaculately conceived. Happy days.

Book description:

What I need to do, needs to be done before it gets too dark . . .

Sixteen-year-old Samuel confronts his own inner monster when he discovers a set of deformed triplets whose mother believes they were immaculately conceived. Soon, the babies have taken hold of his waking and sleeping thoughts, and, unable to escape them, he decides to save them, but their shut-in mother and violent older brother want nothing to do with him.

Samuel must fight the trouble within him and the trouble he sees around him to determine who he will become in a year that forces him to grow from motherless boy to self-defined man. Set in a small Georgia town, this psychologically complex story of survival and self determination explores the dark, often contradictory worlds of young contemporary life, laying bare the ugly truths and secrets that haunt all of us.

Book Details: 240 pages; Harper Paperbacks; Pub. August 4, 2009

Learn more:

• Official website
• Read an excerpt

Although I’ve been diligently working away on my other reading challenges, I’ve decided to add one more to the mix. (Yes, I know I’m crazy.)

The Harry Potter reading challenge comes at the perfect time for me because I’m probably the last person on earth who hasn’t yet read the books and just started a few weeks ago. The challenge will just serve as motivation to finish.

August 1, 2009 through July 31, 2010 you are to read or listen to all seven of the magical series. That’s about one book every two months—completely doable.

If you’d like to join me and the other readers, head over to GalleySmith and sign up. There’s also a chance to win the entire HP series (one paperback and one hardcover set).

Random tangent: On a lark, I decided to draw a chibi version of Harry. When I finished, I figured why not take it a step further? So, I colored him in. When all was said and done, I figured I might as well use him for my reading challenge post.

Another random tangent: After reading the first two books in the series, I decided to re-watch the first two movies. I now understand why some people are grumbling. For the sake of building tension (and staying within the confines of time), a few alterations were made to the original storyline. Some minor, and some egregious.

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Recent Arrivals chronicles the books that have made their way onto the Today, I Read… bookshelf. Here’s the latest arrival: Dark Time by Dakota Banks

First line: It was well after dark, time to set aside the herbs Susannah Layhem was sorting at the table.

Initial thoughts: I’ve been itching to get a good adult supernatural fantasy title (that didn’t include vampires, werewolves, or witches–not that I could ever tire of them, mind you, just looking to expand the horizons) and this one sounded too delicious to pass up.

Book description:

Three hundred years ago, she sold her soul to a demon. Now she wants it back.

For centuries, the woman calling herself Maliha Crayne has lived a second life—as an assassin for the malevolent creature who owns her soul. A haunted killer with the blood of countless victims on her hands, she has finally discovered a way to nullify the demonic pact that chains her: If she saves a life for every one she has taken, she will be free.

But if she fails, her punishments will be unspeakable, unendurable…and neverending.

Book Details: 320 pages; Eos; Pub. July 28, 2009

Learn more:

• Browse inside the book
• Read an excerpt
• Official website
• Reviews:
  • Darque Reviews
  • The Book Lush (mild spoilers)

Recent Arrivals chronicles the books that have made their way onto the Today, I Read… bookshelf. Here’s the latest arrival: Undiscovered Gyrl by Allison Burnett

First line: Last April when I decided to defer college for a year my friends said I was insane, but I’m not.

Initial thoughts: I can’t say entirely why this title appealed to me as much as it did. Maybe it’s the voyeur in me wanting to break free. There’s something interesting about watching sometime’s life unfold as though you were peeping in through a window–see how other people live…even if it is a work of fiction. Plus, it ups the ante by revealing these escapades via blog entries. Also, I wanted to see how a middle-aged man would handle writing a teenage female protagonist.

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