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 Unit by Ninni Holmqvist

First line: It was more comfortable than I could have imagined.

Initial thoughts: I’m eager to read this book because, in a sense, it reminds me of 1984 and I loved that book. It made you stop and reevaluate the direction society is taking. My fear, however, is that this book will not live up to my expectations because many have tried to follow in the footsteps of Orwell and fallen flat. But I’m hopeful.

Book description:

One day in early spring, Dorrit Weger is checked into the Second Reserve Bank Unit for biological material. She is promised a nicely furnished apartment inside the Unit, where she will make new friends, enjoy the state of the art recreation facilities, and live the few remaining days of her life in comfort with people who are just like her. Here, women over the age of fifty and men over sixty–single, childless, and without jobs in progressive industries–are sequestered for their final few years; they are considered outsiders. In the Unit they are expected to contribute themselves for drug and psychological testing, and ultimately donate their organs, little by little, until the final donation. Despite the ruthless nature of this practice, the ethos of this near-future society and the Unit is to take care of others, and Dorrit finds herself living under very pleasant conditions: well-housed, well-fed, and well-attended. She is resigned to her fate and discovers her days there to be rather consoling and peaceful. But when she meets a man inside the Unit and falls in love, the extraordinary becomes a reality and life suddenly turns unbearable. Dorrit is faced with compliance or escape, and…well, then what?

The Unit is a gripping exploration of a society in the throes of an experiment, in which the “dispensable” ones are convinced under gentle coercion of the importance of sacrificing for the “necessary” ones. Ninni Holmqvist has created a debut novel of humor, sorrow, and rage about love, the close bonds of friendship, and about a cynical, utilitarian way of thinking disguised as care.

Get The Unit at Amazon

Recent Arrivals chronicles the books that have made their way onto the Today, I Read… bookshelf. Here’s the latest arrival: Swoon by Nina Malkin

First line: Love at first sight must be glorious.

Initial thoughts: I’m intrigued. One of the back cover blurbs mentioned that those who enjoyed Twilight are sure to enjoy this and, though I saw its faults, I did enjoy the series. Plus the story seems original. After reading the first few chapters, I’m even more curious to see how it progresses.

Book description:

Swoon, Connecticut, stands proudly on its heritage and the good behavior of its Lilly Pulitzer–clad inhabitants, so semi-psychic New York transplant Candice (Dice) sticks out like a sore thumb. On the autumnal equinox, Dice’s sweet and gentle cousin Penelope suddenly changes into a dangerous vixen, and only Dice is able to see that she has been possessed. Dice knows she must exorcise Sinclair, the ghost of a handsome young man from the colonial era, but she has fallen deeply in love with the appropriately nicknamed Sin. Finally, Dice follows Sin’s directions for an exorcism, which frees Penelope from his hold and releases Sin into his own physical form. The golem-like Sin finally reveals his goal: to exact revenge on the descendants of those who unjustly hung him for the murder of his fiancée. Since Sin awakens the quaint town’s denizens to all of their suppressed urges, this steamy and suspenseful romance with a psychic slant and time-travel twist will pull mature teens. The paranormal angle and several star-crossed love pairings will appeal to fans of the Twilight series. (via Booklist)

Get Swoon at Amazon

It’s time again for Mailbox Monday, courteously hosted by the wonderful Marcia from the Printed Page.

It’s been a little while since I last participated in MM (and truth be told, I’ve had a couple good hauls over the past few weeks), but I’m getting back on track now.

Maybe I’ll update over the course of this week on the other titles I’ve missed out on sharing, but for now, let’s stick with the current big haul. Continue reading »

Yes, it’s been a while. But I never stopped missing the blog and all of you.

I’ve met so many wonderful people in the book-blogosphere that every moment I was away from TIR, I was suffering from withdrawal symptoms.

This month has been a busy/crazy one, without going into details, but things are starting to calm down a little bit and I’ll have more time to devote to reading and writing reviews.

In the meantime, however, I’ve just discovered something I think I love: Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen. Continue reading »

I was inspired by an article I read a few days ago about getting books on the cheap and it made me start wondering where everyone gets their books.

My number one stop is usually Amazon (generally for the newer titles where I’d want a brand new copy of a book), but I realized that’s not the only place.

ARCs from publishers, authors, and even other kind book bloggers help to feed my need and at an awesome price too. (You can’t really beat free.)

Another place that many people overlook is the thrift store. I’ve happened on a number of great finds by perusing the shelves of my local secondhand shops and sometimes the price is as close to free as you can get, ranging from a quarter (yes folks, 25 cents) to a few bucks (usually for hardcover and text books). The quality may not always be the best, but there are some gems if you’re willing to do a little digging.

So now the question is out there: Where do you get your books?