Review of "Massively Multiplayer" by P. Aaron Potter

 This book didn't turn out like I thought it would. Ended up being much better.
Disclaimer: This book was sent to me in exchange for a review. I did not receive any sort of monetary incentive for a positive review.

Type: Science Fiction, Virtual Reality, Gaming, Hackers, Stand alone

About the book: " When Andrew Hunter logs into his favorite online game, he's escaping the pressure of school and family. In the world of Crucible, Andrew doesn't have to worry about what major to pursue, or whether he should get a summer job. All he has to do is worry about whether or not he'll get eaten. For programmer Wolfgang Wallace, though, Crucible isn't just a game, it's his job. So when a mysterious hacker begins using the game servers to transfer huge amounts of encrypted data, Wolfgang needs to act fast before the FCC the FBI, or the Better Business Bureau shut down his company for good. Unfortunately, the hacker seems to know all that, and has taken pains to lock Wolfgang out of his own system. What Wolfgang needs is a player on the inside of the game. What Andrew needs is a reason to play - or stop playing. What the hacker needs is anyone's guess, and until they figure out the rules, they're going to have to play for their lives."

I thought "Massively Multiplayer" was very reminiscent of "Neuromancer" by William Gibson. I found plenty of similarities between the stories, such as the fact that the reader is just thrown into the story, and said reader is just supposed to know certain things about the world. But I found "Massively Multiplayer" a little easier to understand, since it does explain things, eventually. This book takes place some time in the future, where people conduct every-day business in a virtual reality, through a computer set up called a Virlo. While Andrew Hunter's parents use this set up for work, Andrew uses his for his online games. For anyone that has ever played a Roleplaying game.. as much as you get into your character, it's still just a figure on a screen- but not in Andrew's world. Andrew can hook himself up to his computer, and actually become his character - Druin. We actually see most of Andrew's part of the story from Druin's perspective in the game.

I'll admit to being confused for the first almost half of the book. I wasn't sure how these two extremely different people - a young man playing a character in a game, and the programmer dealing with some strange computer issues, were related. So even though the book was good right from the beginning, my confusion kept me from being unable to put it down. But once I reached about the half-way point, I was hooked. It was literally like a switch was flipped. This book went from good-but not great, to something I couldn't put down.

Andrew/Druin set upon a strange quest in his game, a quest that has real-life consequences. All of Druin's quest-mates have something to hide, and Druin was brought in to keep the group together. All the while, Wolfgang is trying to deal with whomever is hacking into his system, and why. But in order to get the results Wolfgang needs, he has to make sure Andrew, and his character, keeps going. I don't think I could pick which character was my favorite - I loved Andrew/Druin, who was so good-hearted, and he so wanted to do good but seemed to keep falling short of his parents expectations, and then there's Wolfgang, who you just can't help but love. You even get to witness a seemingly rare moment, when Wolfgang appears in the game itself.. and I loved seeing that side of this character, even if it was just a virtual representation of himself. And Malcolm... who could forget him? A side character, Malcolm is a "noobie"... more commonly called a "llama." But one can't help but be amused by his ever formal medieval-esque speech. Forsooth.

This story is incredibly complex. The reader finally thinks every secret has been revealed, and we're getting close to the climax.. and then BAM, another element is added to the system. A lot of thought went into this book, and I was pleased with the result. Yes, the book did take it's time leading up to the story, but once you really hit that spot, you can't stop. If you enjoy science fiction/virtual reality stories, this is definitely something you'd want to pick up.

I'm going to give "Massively Multiplayer" by P. Aaron Potter a FOUR out of FIVE (4/5). I really, really enjoyed this book, but the initial confusion I felt made me knock it down a point. However, that doesn't mean it isn't one for the keeper shelf! Well.. the virtual keeper shelf, that is.. since "Massively Multiplayer" is currently only available in ebook format. Which, considering the content... it probably fitting!

Read the book? Share your thoughts in the comments! Want to check it out? Find it at Amazon.com - Only $4.79 for this rather awesome book.


Happy Reading!~!~ Morning Glow

Coming up:
"Entwined" by Elisabeth Naughton
"Lost Innocents" by Sonnet O'Dell
"How to Succeed Without Dying" by Becky A. Bartness

To read, or to sleep...

I'm sure anyone with a love of books has, at some point, had to make a decision between finishing a really good book, and getting enough sleep to be able to function the next day. And I'm sure everyone has chosen reading more than a few times. But what do you do when you don't really choose?

By that, I mean... what happens when a book starts invading your dreams, and you can't sleep? Or maybe you do sleep, but your dream is so busy, filled with new worlds and awesome adventures, that you feel like you haven't slept at all.  Lucky me, I'm currently dealing with this dilemma. I'm reading a book I was sent to review, a science fiction-y type that deals with virtual realities. And while the book is great, sucking me in for hours at a time... I've found that I've dreamed about it the past two nights, and woke up feeling like I haven't slept at all.

Does that mean I will stop reading this book? HECK NO! I need to know what happens! So, essentially I am choosing a book over sleep. And while I know my body will be grumbling for a few days... The book lover in me is intensely happy.

What about you guys? Have you ever chosen a book over sleep? Or has a book wormed its way into your dreams?

My "Must re-read every couple months/years" - Series edition

Today, I shall tell you the series that are so important to me, and I love so much, that I have to re-read every couple months, or in some cases... every couple years.

Let's start at the beginning (or.. the one I read first).. The Chronicles of Narnia. The whole reason I started reading this series, was because I found a tape of the old BBC versions of "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe," "Prince Caspian," "The Dawn Treader," and "The Silver Chair." Watching them now, I recognize them as uh.. so-so movies. But when I was little? They were the BEST THINGS EVAR! I actually own them on DVD now, of course. But from those movies, I found the books. And as I said, they're now some of my favorites. And, in my opinion, the best of them all? "The Last Battle."

I even love the new movies. Prince Caspian makes me sniffle sometimes, even. Oooh, epic battle scenes, I love you!

Next up? Lord of the Rings of course!! I remember when I was about thirteenish, my Mom told me I HAD to read The Hobbit. It actually took me forever to get into.. but once I did, I raced through the rest of the series. I love them all (well.. maybe the Two Towers a little less), but maybe Fellowship and Return a little more than the rest. And Return had a bunch of Appendices in the back. The nerd in me had a fun time reading them all. And while I had plenty of gumbles with the movie versions of this wonderful series... I have to say, they did a pretty good job, considering how tough Lord of the Rings can be.

Of course "Harry Potter" is on the list! I've read all but the last one many times... but that final book. Dang, I can't do it. I can't believe it's over, so I apparently think that as long as I don't re-read the last book when I go back through the series, it will never end. I would love to see a book or two featuring the Marauders when they were in school. I'm sure some of you have noticed my love of side characters... so of course I had to focus on characters that were either dead before the series even started, and aren't mentioned too much, or... Well, you know.


So what is that next one? The Fallen series by Thomas E Sniegoski. Man do I love these books. And I consider them one of my life changing/view changing series. I remember getting these books out of the library so often, I'm sure the librarians were sick of putting them away. And finally, I got the series for Christmas, and I nearly cried I was so happy. There are four books, featuring fallen angels and their nephilim children. I actually haven't re-read this series in a while. Obviously I need to get on that! And Fallen is definitely what started my fallen angel obsession. I think they made these books into a miniseries... if so, I've never watched it. Maybe someday. I do know that the books were reissued.. with the first two books packaged together, and the final two done the same. I do love the new covers.. so much so I might have to buy them. Darn my fallen angel obsession!


Well, there you have it, folks. My Must Be Re-Read books - Series edition. Hopefully some time soon I will feature my Must Be Re-Read books, stand alone or singular edition. Singular meaning it's sort of part of a series, but it stands out more than the rest, at least to me.   But how about you guys? Do you have any such series?

Review of "Deeply, Desperately" by Heather Webber

 I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of the first in this series, "Truly Madly," to review several months ago. You can find my review of that, here.

Disclaimer: I, the reviewer, purchased this book for myself. I did not receive this book, nor anything else, in exchange for a review.

Type: Cozy Mystery, Paranormal, Romance, Psychics, Matchmaking, Private Investigators

From the back of the book: "   Lucy wants to breathe new life into her family's Boston-based matchmaking company. But how? Even though she comes from a long line of ancestors blessed by Cupid with psychic abilities, a freak accident left Lucy with only one special skill: finding things. Car keys, socks in the dryer, needles in the hay-stacks... and now, in a stroke of professional genius, lost loves! It's not long before Lucy's on a winning streak, helping old flames reunite and create new sparks. Business is booming. But when Lucy finds herself involed in a possible case of murder, she realizes she's in too deep. Enter Sean Donahue, Lucy's handsome fire fighter-turned-private eye neighbor, Sean is just the man she needs to help her on the job. Could he also be the man she's been looking for all along? When it comes to Valentine, Inc. falling in love is always serious business.  "

I absolutely loved the first book in the series, "Truly, Madly," so of course I jumped on the second one when it was released. And "Deeply, Desperately" didn't disappoint! Frankly, these books are great for almost any reader - there's hints of romance, mystery, detective stories, and paranormal aspects. Yes, resident psychic Lucy Valentine is at it again, now with her own business of finding lost loves, aided by her hunky boyfriend Sean. Not to mention a whole host of other loveable characters... and some new ones that I'm very excited about. No spoilers (because it's a big one!), but eeeek - I need to know more!

"Deeply, Desperately" had so much going on, so much action and mystery packed into three hundred pages. I'll admit it, during scenes with a lot of dialogue, I tend to skip the in-between parts and just focus on what the characters were saying. But I quickly learned to stop when reading this book. As I said, there is a lot of stuff going on, and just skipping a sentence inbetween paragraphs of dialogue will leave you feeling lost later on down the road. It's a fast-paced novel, and you have to pay attention. But with everything going on in the plot, Lucy's story will keep you on the edge of your seat.

I just want to take a second to talk about the cover. I absolutely love it. The colors are cheery, and though there are definitely some un-cheery moments in this book, I feel like it reflects Lucy's sometimes-overly-opptomistic outlook on life in general. And the ivy flowing down from the rooftop just ads a nice touch.. especially the leaf that hangs over the girl's head. Maybe it's just me.. but that particular leaf looks a heart.

I'm going to give "Deeply, Desperately" by Heather Webber a FIVE out of FIVE (5/5). I loved it, of course, and I'm already looking forward to the next book in the series "Absolutely, Positively," due out in February of 2011.

Read one or both of the Lucy Valentine books? Tell me your thoughts in the comments. Want to check them out? Find them at Amazon.com! Happy Reading!
~!~ Morning Glow

Giveaway Scout - Has anyone else used this?

I saw a post by another blogger mentioning Giveaway Scout a little while ago. So of course, I saved it to look at later. And after several brief viewings, I am shocked at how much stuff they have on the site! And I've only book looking at the Books section, maybe soon I'll venture into the other areas on the site.

From what I've seen, you can add your blog to the site, and whenever you have a giveaway, it will be posted in the appropriate section. This means more traffic for your giveaways, and therefore for your blog! I am debating adding my blog to the list.. not that I have many giveaways, but I do have some books I'm looking into giving away - all gently used. Actually.. one of them wasn't even read. I was going to sell them, but I figure I prefer giving them away instead!

So tell me, has anyone else used giveaway scout? How do you feel about it? Did you put your blog up on the site, or... if this is the first time you've heard about it, are you going to add yours?

Review of "Early to Death, Early to Rise" by Kim Harrison

 Finally got my hands on the second book in the Madison Avery series. You can find my review of the first one here.

Disclaimer: This book has been borrowed from my local library. I have not received this book, nor any monetary compensation, in exchange for a positive review.

Type: YA Fiction, Angels, Oh crap I'm dead!, Series, Reapers

From the book jacket: "   Madison Avery's dreams of ever fitting in at her new school died when she did. Especially since she was able to maintain the illusion of a body, deal with a pesky guardian angel, and oh yeah, bring the reaper who killed her to his untimely end. Not exactly in-crowd material. It's amazing that her crush, Josh, doesn't think she's totally nuts. Now Madison has learned that she's the dark timekeeper, in charge of angels who follow the murky guidelines of fate. Never one to abide by the rules, she decides it's time for a major change to the system. With the help of some unlikely allies, Madison forms a rogue group of reapers who definitely don't adhere to the rules of the heavens. But as she grapples with the terrifying new skills that come with being a timekeeper, Madison realizes she may not be prepared for what lies ahead- unless she gets some seriously divine intervention.   "

I'm really liking this series. Madison is an interesting character, and I love her interactions with the reapers, guardian angels, and even other timekeepers.. which we see more of in this book. One of the characters makes a mention of Madison changing people, and maybe that's her purpose.. to change the structure the light and dark reapers have been working with for millenia.

This book reads quickly, helped along by the fact that it takes place in one day, from the morning of one to the morning of the next. I was a little sad to see less of Josh, who was a big player in book one (as well as the short story that started the series), but he is present for a short while, and I can see how and even why he wasn't able to stick around for the whole of the book. But the lack of Josh means more of our resident angels, Nakita, Barnabas, and even some Grace. I really do love seeing the two reapers bicker, and Grace's rhymes make everything worthwhile. Really! They do.

I really enjoy that the reader gets to share Madison's journey into the unknown. There is much she doesn't know about her new job, and we the readers get to learn it with her. The first time she flashes forwards is an almost haunting experience.. and it's one of the scenes that stuck with me once I finished the book. I don't think it's much of a spoiler, but just in case, I'll put up a warning here...
*********** POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT ************

Madison is watching a possible Mark, someone that may need to be reaped, when suddenly things start seeming.. blue. Lights have a blue tint, her vision is fading into blue, and it's an experience that physically drains her. She begs Barnabas not to let her look at the stars as she fades into the flashforward... and wakes to him holding her tightly, mentioning he was afraid to let her go, because he thought she would fade away. I took great pleasuring in imagining this particular scene, and it almost hurt to see how pained Madison was upon waking, as well as how scared Barnabas was of letting her go.

*********** END OF SPOILERS ****************

I seriously enjoyed this book, and I'm desperate for more of the series. Now we have a new player in the timekeeper world... Ron's student/replacement, and I love the dynamic his character is adding. I can't wait to see more from Kim Harrison's Madison Avery series. And I'm loving the titles. I can't help it, I love playing-on-words/phrases kind of titles..

I'm giving "Early to Death, Early to Rise" by Kim Harrison a FIVE out of FIVE (5/5). I loved it, I really did. It's a quick read, which is probably the only item on the Con side of the pro/con list for this book. I want more Madison! More Barnabas! More Nakita! More Grace! More... everyone, really. So please everyone go check out "Early to Death, Early to Rise" by Kim Harrison, as well as the first book in the series "Once Dead, Twice Shy".. and the short story that starts it all, found in "Prom Nights From Hell."

Read the book? Tell me what you thought in the comments. Want the book, find it at Amazon.com!


Happy Reading!
~!~ Morning Glow

Review of "Getting Lucky" by Carolyn Brown

 Look at this! A new review! Bout time, huh? Nothin' like some delicious cowboys.

Disclaimer: This book has been borrowed from my local library. I did not receive this book, nor any monetary incentive, in exchange for a postive review.

Type: Series, Cowboys, Romance, Sexy, Stubborn men

From the back of the book: "    After being the center of nasty gossip in her last hometown, all Julie Donovan wants in Saint Jo, Texas, is a quiet uneventful life for her and her daughter Annie. But when a sexy cowboy walks into her classroom with a daughter who looks like Annie's twin, suddenly the whole town is looking for explanations...  Devoted single dad Griffin Luckadeau will do anything to protect his own, and no sassy redhead is going to get in his way. When he thinks Julie is scheming to steal his ranch out from under him to benefit her own daughter, sparks really begin to fly... Julie and Griffin can't seem to cross paths without a scuffle. But when the dust settles, these two Texas hotheads may realize they've actually found something worth fighting for...  "

I'm a little torn about this book. There were definitely parts I liked, but once more and more characters, especially the Luckadeau family, were introduced, I was pretty darn confused. I realized a little later on that this book is part of a recurring series featuring the Luckadeau family. And maybe if I had read the rest of them before this, the supporting character names and back stories might not have all run together. Griffin even told Julie the story of his relatives and how they got their Happily Ever After, but all the names started to mush together into one big ball of confusion.

I also found a lot of the same phrases being used over and over, and not just by the same people. I think that helped make me confused. That since people were acting similar and saying the same things, I would often mistake one character for another. Or just get annoyed with something they said several times. For the life of me, I can't remember what the one phrase was that bothered me the first time I heard it, let alone the next couple. Does anyone else have that problem? A character says something and it just pulls you out of the story.. and then they keep doing it?

As I said, I'm a little conflicted on this book. Yes, obviously it had some not-so-great moments, but "Getting Lucky" also had some wonderful moments. Both Julie and Griffin were obviously very loving and devoted parents... and I love their chemistry together, as well as with their children. Both main characters felt real, and multi-faceted. And there were definitely some steamy scenes between the two... both of the loving and argumentitive kind. I loved when they quarrelled in the beginning almost as much as I loved when they kissed and.. well, you know, all the rest of that fun stuff. *Wink*

Despite my mixed feelings on "Getting Lucky" by Carolyn Brown, I am eager to check out more from her. I really would like to read "I Love This Bar" and maybe some day I'll go back and read the earlier books in the Luckadeau series. That said, I'm giving "Getting Lucky" a THREE POINT FIVE out of FIVE (3.5/5). It was good, just mixed feelings and all that.

Have you read it? Let me know what you think in the comments. Want to read it? Pick up your copy from Amazon.com.



Happy Reading!!
~!~ Morning Glow