Book Reviews by Today, I Read…

(“Grammatical errors in Twilight?” is searched for so often that I felt it deserved its own post.)

First, there are many grammatical errors in Twilight, however, in my opinion, the worst is the one that happens on page nine since it’s glaring* and should have been caught within the first or second round of edits.

“The room was familiar; it had been belonged to me since I was born.” –Twilight pg. 9 (technically 7 if we go by the start of the chapter)

Various sources tell me that this has been fixed in later reprints, so I’m hoping that means my edition is a collector’s item and one day I’ll be able to sell it on eBay for a bazillion dollars. Anyone care to make me an offer?

*Did you see what I did there? (I understand that only those who’ve read the book will probably get it.)

Happy Tuesday! It’s time again for another edition of Teaser Tuesdays…

Here are the rules:

• Grab your current read
• Let the book fall open to a random page
• Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• You also need to share the title of the book where you get your teaser from…that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given
• Please avoid spoilers

This week’s teaser:

The others followed his example, putting their packs against the bank and their legs out into the road. After a rest they had a good lunch, and then more rest. pg. 74 The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien

It’s probably not a surprise, but I love The Lord of the Rings and it’s been a very long time since I read any part of it. I’ve had this mammoth single volume edition sitting on my bookshelf for too long, so I decided to read it a chapter at a time in between my other books. So far, I’ve smiled, gasped, and laughed…and it’s reminded me why I prefer reading books before watching movies–so many little things end up changed in a movie and a book povides you with the broader picture, usually. (But to be clear, I think the movie production was awesome.)

I’ve had a special rating system to categorize books based on my personal experiences (i.e. whether I deemed it required reading, worth every penny, or whether I’d buy it used, borrow it, or wish I hadn’t wasted my time on it).

While it still applies, I want to revamp the system to reach a wider audience, basically put it in familiar terms. To that end, I’ve decided to use a Netflix/Amazon style star rating system: 5 stars (loved it/required reading); 4 stars (really liked it/worth every penny); 3 stars (liked it/buy used); 2 stars (didn’t like it/save your money); 1 star (hated it/save your time).

I’ll be updating the legend and links around the site, to include re-filing my existing reviews, so my apologies if you run into a “page not found” error here or there.

Recent Arrivals chronicles the books that have made their way onto the Today, I Read… bookshelf. Here’s the latest arrival: StarCrossed by Elizabeth C. Bunce

First (two) sentence(s): I couldn’t think. My chest hurt from running, and I wasn’t even sure I was in the right place.

Initial thoughts: The first chapter paints this book as an intriguing read, but I can tell straight away that another round of edits for minor errors was needed, but I’m hoping it won’t detract from the reading. It starts in media res with Digger, a thief, having just escaped some guards, leaving behind her boyfriend. (I assume it’s her boyfriend since they were kissing.) And there’s a mystery swirling around the letters she and her boyfriend were commissioned to steal. So far, this looks like it will be action-packed fantasy and I want to know more.

Book description:

High in the snow-covered mountains of Llyvraneth, in a castle full of the country’s elite, Celyn Contrare serves as a lady-in-waiting to shy young Merista Nemair. Her days are spent dressing in velvet and brocade, attending Lady Merista, navigating court gossip, and charming noblemen over lavish feasts.

And at night, she picks locks, steals jewels, forges documents, and collects secrets. Because Celyn isn’t really a lady-in-waiting; she’s not even really Celyn Contrare. She’s Digger, a sneak-thief on the run from the king’s Inquisition, desperate to escape its cruel instruments and hatred of magic. If she’s discovered, it will mean her certain death…

…But life as a lady-in-waiting isn’t safe either. The devious Lord Daul knows her secret, and he’d blackmailing her to serve as his personal spy in the castle. What she discovers–about Daul, about the Nemair, even about her own Lady Merista–could signal civil war in Llyvraneth. And for a thief trained never to get involved, taking sides could be the most dangerous job yet.

Book Details: 400 pages pages; Arthur A. Levine Books; Pub. October 1, 2010.

After writing an expose-esque post on Amos Lassen, a former Amazon Top 50 reviewer who habitually plagiarised his reviews, Lassen offered a response, sort of. Continue reading »