Adult Archives - BiblioHacker

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

Posted on July 1, 2018 by Michelle Huss

(3.5 / 5)

It took me a while to get into Attachments, but in the end I was hooked! This is Chick Lit through and through, basically a rom-com with little substance or merit, but just plain feel-good fun. As I said, it takes a while to get in to. I found myself focused on Jennifer and Beth’s emails in the beginning, which are fun but a bit banal, when what I really needed to realize that this is far more Lincoln’s story then theirs.

Lincoln is the geeky guy, lacking in social skills and confidence, and as such is just kind of floating through life without a direction. Working in IT Security, he spends his nights reading flagged company emails and feeling terrible about it. That’s how he comes to know Jennifer and Beth, meeting them through the emails they write to each other. Through the roller coaster ride that is their friendship, we see them through a lot…and so does Lincoln. When he realizes he’s developing feelings for Beth, he knows he can never do anything about it because of how much he’s already violated their privacy (even if it was his job).

What I really loved about this novel was Lincoln’s personal growth. It’s about him learning confidence, independence, and self-worth. And it’s only after he starts to love and respect himself that he gets the girl. Overall a cute and fun romantic romp, plus a story of self-discovery and growth. Nothing new or unique about it, but sometimes you just want something light and easy.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Posted on March 18, 2018March 24, 2018 by Michelle Huss

(4.5 / 5)

For any child of the 80s or video game nerd, this book is pure gold! So much nostalgia and geekdom, most would have a hard time not liking Ready Player One. I think that many of us dream of the day that VR systems gain the kind of sophistication that we see in the Oasis. But as the same time that Cline shows us this amazing technology, he also paints a bleak picture of what the world could be, where the Oasis is not only a game, but an escape from the destroyed world that’s we’ve created.

While the “post-apocalyptic” nature of the world is not the main focus of the book, it paints a vivid picture of a possible future. Where the world collapses not with a bang, but with a slow downward spiral as resources dwindle and populations grow beyond the planet’s means. Wade lives in a world where he’s never known the comforts that we take for granted, like a bed to sleep in or enough food to eat. In a world like this, it’s easy to imagine escaping inside a game at every opportunity, especially one in which just about anything is possible.

But, Ready Player One isn’t really about all that (though it’s something that certainly brought an edge of realism to the book that really grabbed me). It’s more about the quest; the journey to win the ultimate prize, control over the Oasis itself. And through this, he must go up against the overbearing IOI corporation, who with its unlimited resources plans to claim the Oasis for itself as the largest capital producing machine in the world.

Overall, this is a story of friendship and perseverance that is great nostalgic fun, but also a damn good book. You can’t help but root for the little guy, while still taking notice of the harsh reality our world could become, if we don’t stand up and pay attention.

Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

Posted on February 27, 2018 by Michelle Huss

(3.5 / 5)

Mistborn #1
Mistborn is a fun fantasy heist-turned-revolution adventure. I found the concept of allomancy unique and interesting: a magic system with some very strict and specific rules. There are a lot of characters, but not so much as to be overwhelming (along the lines of an ocean’s-eleven style crew) and their individual personalities seem to compliment each other well. I will say that some of the secondary character’s weren’t well fleshed out, but I imagine they will gain more “air-time” in the novels to come. I’m really interested in seeing more from Elend; he quickly turned into one of my favorite characters. And I’m curious about Marsh, hopefully we will learn more about him in the sequels.

While part of a series, the novel stands well on its own. In fact, things are wrapped up quite nicely by the end of the book, so I’m not sure where the story goes from here. Perfect for those looking for a fantasy to get their feet wet, without diving into a long series.

My biggest problem with Mistborn would have to be the pacing. The beginning of the novel is very slow. Sanderson spends a lot of time in his introduction of Vin and the world, and it took me ages to slog through (though this is my standard complaint about most Adult Fantasy). About half-way through, the pace picks up and I started to really engage with the characters. But I think the story could have been about 2/3 of the length without losing much story.

Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe by Melissa de la Cruz

Posted on December 30, 2017 by Michelle Huss

(1 / 5)

This was quite a disappointment for me. As a huge fan of Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, the idea of a gender-swapped modern day christmas story retelling sounded right up my alley. But, unfortunately, it read like a bad hallmark christmas special! And that might be forgivable if the main character was likeable, but Darcy’s not likeable. The story basically follows a string of terrible and immature decisions made by a woman, who, given that she is a self-made millionaire and supposedly mature adult, shouldn’t be acting like a whiny teenager.

The story was quick paced, but lacked a lot of substance. The writing style was too juvenile for the audience, and the tone felt a bit disjointed from scene to scene. I almost felt like the author was trying to do too literal a retelling of pride and prejudice, throwing in contrived conflict that didn’t really make sense, instead of just keeping with the overall theme of the original.

But if you are a fan of hallmark originals, and can get past the juvenile writing and immature heroine, you will find a marginally cute “pride and prejudice”-esque romance. There were just too many issues with this book for me to really recommend it.

Romancing the Werewolf by Gail Carriger

Posted on December 23, 2017December 23, 2017 by Michelle Huss

(4 / 5)

Supernatural Society #2 (Parasolverse)
I always have a hard time reviewing Novellas. The stories always feel too short and leave me generally unsatisfied. While I wish Romancing the Werewolf were longer, it did exactly what I wanted it to do: brought us the reunion of Lyall and Biffy from the Parasol Protectorate Series, something that fans have been waiting for for a long time. If you haven’t already read the Parasol Protectorate, this story will not hold the same meaning to you as it does to the rest of us. It was great to finally see these character’s get there happy ending. It was sweet and endearing and I loved every moment of it. I just wish there could have been more!

Carriger’s trademark wit and humor abounded in Romancing the Werewolf. I particularly enjoyed getting to look at werewolf dynamics through the eyes of an Alpha, if a new and somewhat odd one. Set at christmastime, it was a great quick read for the holidays.