Heart Full of Ink

Hot Chocolate Highlights: January 2017 Recap

6:30 AM

Illuminae Review Or 5 Reasons Why It's One of the Few Science Fiction Books I Like

12:54 PM

Summary of Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do. This afternoon, her planet was invaded.
      The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than a speck at the edge of the universe. Now with enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to evacuate with a hostile warship in hot pursuit.
     But their problems are just getting started. A plague has broken out and is mutating with terrifying results; the fleet’s AI may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a web of data to find the truth, it’s clear the only person who can help her is the ex-boyfriend she swore she’d never speak to again.
      Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, maps, files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.

*Summary from Amazon.com

Review

I've often found it strange that bookstores, libraries, and people in general sometimes lump science fiction and fantasy together. To me, they are very different genres. Science fiction focuses on scientific or technological advances while fantasy is steeped in myths, legends, magic, and the supernatural. I've always been a fantasy gal at heart and have never really been interested in reading science fiction. After reading Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff, however, I may start reading a bit more science fiction. Below are five reasons Illuminae is one of the few science fiction book I've liked.

1. The premise is so intriguing. The main character, Kady, breaks up with her boyfriend but then ends up having to team up with him that same day in order to survive their planet being invaded. Talk about awkward.

2. The format it's told in is unique. I've read books told through emails, texts, blogs, etc, but Illuminae takes things a step further with redacted military reports, video commentaries, and word pictures. You literally have to turn the book upside down sometimes in order to read it.

3. The world building isn't over the top. Too often, I get bored with science fiction stories because the author feels the need to give a fifty page back story of how humans came to live on planets other than earth. The world building in Illuminae is short and to the point. (I realize fantasy books usually have a lot of world building in them as well, but fantasy gets a free pass because magic).

4. The Artificial Intelligence (AI) reminded me a lot of I, Robot, which is one of my favorite science fiction movies. The idea that computers could take their programming too far is both scary and realistic.

5. The main character Kady is a hacker. I enjoy reading books with female characters who are diversely strong, and Kady definitely fits the bill with her creativity, tenacity, and intelligence.

I gave Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.

Attachments Review: Another Book In Which Rainbow Rowell Makes Me Fall In Love With a Man From Nebraska

12:10 PM

Summary of Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-Snyder know that somebody is monitoring their work e-mail. (Everybody in the newsroom knows. It's company policy.) But they can't quite bring themselves to take it seriously. They go on sending each other endless and endlessly hilarious e-mails, discussing every aspect of their personal lives.

Meanwhile, Lincoln O'Neill can't believe this is his job now- reading other people's e-mail. When he applied to be "internet security officer," he pictured himself building firewalls and crushing hackers- not writing up a report every time a sports reporter forwards a dirty joke.

When Lincoln comes across Beth's and Jennifer's messages, he knows he should turn them in. But he can't help being entertained-and captivated-by their stories.

By the time Lincoln realizes he's falling for Beth, it's way too late to introduce himself.

What would he say . . . ?

*Summary from Amazon.com

Review

Rainbow Rowell is quickly becoming one of my new favorite authors. I read and fell in love with her book Fangirl and have yet to be disappointed by any of her books. Attachments is a delightful romantic comedy with endearing characters.

The premise of someone falling in love with another person through reading her email sounds creepy, but Rowell manages to pull it off by including generous helpings of humor. The format of the book reminded me a lot of Meg Cabot's The Boy Next Door (which is one of my favorite books) because it's partially told through emails. The email exchanges between Beth and Jennifer are hilarious. I listened to this book on Audible, and the narrator, Laura Hamilton, does an excellent job of bringing those emails to life. I chuckled quite a bit while listening to this book.

In addition to its humor, I also loved how relatable the characters are in Attachments. Rowell is a master of creating characters who I instantly fall in love with, and Lincoln was no exception. He's shy, awkward, and utterly adorable. This is the second time Rowell has made me fall in love with a man from Nebraska.

I loved Attachments by Rainbow Rowell. It's chockfull of witty banter and earnest characters looking for love. I gave it 5 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.

No Mourners, No Funerals

11:35 AM

Summary of Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price--and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...

A convict with a thirst for revenge.

A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager.

A runaway with a privileged past.

A spy known as the Wraith.

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.

Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz's crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction―if they don't kill each other first.

*Summary from Amazon.com

Review

The moment I read the description of Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo I knew I needed to read it. I'm pretty much a sucker for anything involving thieves and magic, and this book was touted as having both in spades. Six of Crows definitely did not disappoint. I loved the characters and world Bardugo created.

I am not a fan of books that tell the story from multiple viewpoints, but Six of Crows is one of the few exceptions. Usually, my problem with books told from multiple viewpoints is that I am only interested in a few characters' storylines and couldn't give one fig about the rest (cough cough, I'm looking at you A Song of Fire and Ice). Thankfully, this didn't happen to me with the characters in Six of Crows. I, of course, still had my favorites like Nina, Kaz, and Inej, but the other characters' storylines intrigued me as well. It was a delight to follow six different characters who are all equally interesting and flawed.

The world these characters interact in is also richly imagined. Six of Crows was my first introduction to the Grishaverse as I have yet to read the Shadow and Bone trilogy (I know, I know, what have I been doing with my life? It's definitely on my list now). I absolutely loved the magic system in the Grisha world, especially the heartrenders.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo is a thrilling heist story with charmingly flawed characters and excellent world building. I bought the second book in the series, Crooked Kingdom, and cannot wait to read it, especially because Six of Crows ended on a cliffhanger. I gave Six of Crows 5 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.