The Invisible Library Book Review

jacqui_monet
July 15, 2016

Cogman_The-Invisible-Library

Title: The Invisible Library

Author: Genevieve Cogman

Series: The Invisible Library (book 1)

Genre: Sci-Fi; Steampunk; Fantasy

Pages: 351

Review:

I obtained this book as a part of some swag that I received at Phoenix Comiccon this year. I was totally drawn to this book and it was the first one that, based on the blurb on the on the back, I just had to read. The book is about a Librarian named Irene and her new trainee Kai. The pair must locate a book that was owned by a vampire and then stolen when he was beheaded. Unfortunately for them, they aren’t the only ones trying to recover the book. To make matters worse an evil Former-Librarian is on the loose and in the area.

This book contains elements of steampunk, Fae and magic and some supernatural stuff thrown in for good measure. The writing is decent if not a little dry but there is some excellent world building going on and considering that this is a series, it will be exciting to see what comes next for the Librarians.

Ok. So, if you have been following me on social media you know that I’ve been reading this book for what feels like years. Okay, it’s only been a couple of weeks but it feels like forever. I normally read books in days despite their high page count. This book though, was a struggle. It dragged. There would some interesting action going on and then it would drag… again. Getting through it was rough. I’m sure it won’t be that way for everyone. This book and I just didn’t click. Maybe I’ll reread it again in a few years or maybe I’ll just give it way for someone else to enjoy. Oh, well, there are other books out there for me to love.

 

Check out the first few pages of audio below:

PCC Day 4

jacqui_monet
June 5, 2016

So, I skipped Saturday so I could sleep and recover from the hours upon hours of walking. The fourth and final day, though, proved to be fulfilling. I cosplayed as Catty Noir from Monster High and got a lot of positive remarks on the pink hair. I was also a panelist for the Farewell to Downton Abby which was fun. We discussed the timeline of the show, favorite arcs and characters, how the deaths affected the show and the modernization of the estate as the show progressed. I’ve decided that I absolutely prefer panels in which the audience is encouraged to participate. Maybe it’s the actor in me, but I crave the instant feedback that a lively crowd provides.

After my own panel I was able to sit in on a panel called Brighter Tomorrow featuring authors Jason M. Hough, Alexandra Olivia, Lexie Dunne and Patrick Hemstreet. They discussed how science fiction used to be about optimism and futurism  and whether or not we can go back to that era or  continue on the path in which apocalyptic and dystopian novels prevail. It was pretty enlightening to hear their thoughts and they took a lot of question from the audience. I got a chance to ask a question, which was pretty cool. I wanted to know  about their views on racial diversity and disabilities as it pertain to utopias. All four of the authors took turns answering but what Jason Hough had to say, stood out to me. He said that he is afraid of the hive mind that is already starting to present itself via the internet on sites like facebook. He said that when he was young and when his parents were growing up you only really spoke to  the people around you and you learned to discuss your differences of opinion civilly. Today, however, you can go online and virtually only talk to like-minded people. You can viciously argue against those whom you disagree or block them entirely and only speak to and hear from those that think the way that you do. Mr. Hough said that was the dark side to utopia and that he is trying to raise his children against the hive mentality.

After the panel, I was able to have Mr. Hough sign the copy of his book that I picked up on Thursday and I was also able to obtain a signed copy of Alexandra Olivia’s debut novel The Last One which sounds very interesting. Its about a woman who is on an outdoorsy reality competition and when things start to go really wrong, she still thinks its all a part of the show.

Well, that’s all for now. Check back for a new book review post next week!

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PCC Day 2

jacqui_monet
June 4, 2016

Today was pretty fun. I took The Niece for the first time to have one of our many bonding excursions. We saw movie cars like Lighting McQueen and the Mystery Machine. We also sat in on a panel about one of my favorite shows Eureka (Syfy Channel), which was fun although not as lively as the panel I sat on yesterday. This was not the fault of the panelists though, it was just a very different crowd.

Today I got the chance to meet an author whose work I have really enjoyed over the past few years: Frank Beddor! What?!  The author of The Looking Glass Wars and all that has since followed. It’s a pretty cool series, so if you are into Alice in Wonderland, steampunk, revenge, intrigue, love and awesome action sequences, check it out!

Also, I was dressed up as Miyuki the mechanic from the anime Basquash. Frank Beddor touched my jacket and said it was soft and fancy. I didn’t squeal in delight, but sadly I did smile way too big when we took a picture together. But, whatever. Who cares?! See you at con. <3

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Me and Frank Beddor.
Suede jacket by Tia Hawkes.
Suede jacket by Tia Hawkes.

Phoenix Comicon Day 1

jacqui_monet
June 2, 2016

IMG_4411This weekend I’m at Phoenix Comicon. Day one was victorious! I  was a panelist this afternoon debating whether or not the villains from Disney’s Once Upon a Time deserve to have a happy ending. This was my very first time serving as a panelist and my cohort had never been a panelist either. We were both nervous  that no one would show up and I have to say I had a case of the first timer jitters. But, the room was packed and lively and everything went off without a hitch!

After the panel, I walk the Exhibitors Hall and picked up some swag! I love getting free books. I also got to meet Sebastian A. Jones the creator of the new comic book Niobe which he co-wrote with Amandla Stenberg from the Hunger Games movies. Did I mention that I cosplayed as Serena from Pokemon XY?

All in all, I had a pretty good day today. If you run into me at PCC this weekend, make sure to always and definitely say hi!

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