Title Tracks

10 Christian Hip Hop Albums You Should Own

2015-06-27T21:23:00.003-04:00

This isn't a top ten. These are not necessarily the 10 best albums in Christian hop hop. This list doesn't even include albums from the top ten artists. Some of my favorite artists don't have albums on this list. (Though some of them make guest appearances.) But if you want to get acquainted with the genre I think this list is a great jumping off point. The list is arranged alphabetically by title.

Christology: In Layman's Terms
Ambassador

The debut solo album from one of the leaders of Cross Movement. No one does a better job than Ambassador of explicitly bringing the gospel with each and every line while never sacrificing the quality of his music. He somehow manages to preach without sounding preachy.

Gang Affiliated
Gospel Gangstaz

At a time when there wasn't a much quality in Christian hip hop, this collection of former Bloods and Crips took the genre to a whole different level. This was probably the first Christian album that could hold its own in mainstream circles.

Grammatical Revolution
Grits

These former DC Talk dancers released their first album at roughly the same time as the Gospel Gangstaz and they brought a similar level of quality, albeit with quite a different style. Rather than the West Coast gangsta style, they followed in the footsteps of Outkast, bringing a smooth southern style to the Christian hip hop genre. You can't go wrong with any of their albums, but I went with their third album, Grammatical Revolution, because I felt it was the most interesting, musically.

Hawthorne's Most Wanted
RedCloud

Clearly one of the most gifted emcees in Christian hip hop, RedCloud brings a unique style to the genre. Once again, you can't go wrong with any of his albums, but Hawthorne's Most Wanted seems to be his most polished offering.

PB&J
The Remnant

This is the newest album and least known group on this list. They're also, in my humble opinion, the most gifted emcees here.

Phase III
SFC

If you really want to know about Christian hip hop and where it's come from, you should listen to this album. SFC were best of the pre-Gospel Gangstaz era. Not only that, but they provided a link to the new era of Christian hop hop with DJ Dove as the DJ for both groups. The Gospel Gangstaz actually make an appearance on this album as well.

Pro Pain
Mars Ill

Leading members of Deep Space 5, Manchild and DJ Dust have delivered a number of top notch albums. After hearing one, you're going to want to hear all of them. And while this isn't their first album, it's a great place to start.

Stereo: The Evolution of Hiprocksoul
4th Avenue Jones

As the subtitle of suggests, this is definitely the most experimental album on this list. Not just rappers, 4th Avenue Jones is a full band, complete with guitars, bass, drums, and even a violin. Smooth vocals, interesting sounds, and flawless emceeing. You won't be disappointed by this album.

The Last Street Preacha
T-Bone

Like Grits, Tunnel Rats, and the Gospel Gangstaz, T-Bone has been around since at least the early 1990's helping to elevate the quality of the genre. The Last Street Preacha delivers a polished West Coast sound that you can't help but love.

The Tunnel Rats
The Tunnel Rats

Far from their first, I believe the self-titled album is the Tunnel Rats' best. A large crew including LPG, New Breed, Raphi, Dokument and more, the Tunnel Rats are hip hop veterans who definitely don't sacrifice quality in their craft.

Labyrinth on Crack

2013-04-22T17:28:00.000-04:00

Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale

Holly Black

Official Website

Language, Violence

Tithe was the first book by Holly Black that I ever read. She hooked me early. She just has a knack for creating characters and settings that are gritty and real. And so, several years after reading it for the first time, I decided to pick up Tithe again. That's kind of a big deal for me. I simply don't re-read books. But this one is worth it. As are the two companion novels, Valiant and Ironside, the Curse Workers trilogy, and anything else Holly Black has ever written.

As the subtitle suggests, Tithe is "a modern fairy tale". Set in a coastal New Jersey town, the story follows Kaye Fierch, a teenager who lives a transient life with her mother, a talented but largely unsuccessful singer. When her mother's boyfriend suddenly turns violent, Kaye and her mother must move back to New Jersey to live with Kaye's grandmother.

Kaye's childhood is abnormal, to say the least. But she has secrets far stranger than being the teenage dropout daughter of a wanna be chick rock star. Kaye sees things. Strange things. And while many children have invisible friends only they can see, Kaye's friends aren't imaginary. You could see them too, if they wanted you to. They don't generally want to be seen, at least not as they really are. So Kaye is a bit of an anomaly. And not just because she can see things others can't. She can also do things others can't. Or at least strange things happen around her.

Holly Black's faeries aren't of the sweet little Disney variety. Fluttering around innocently. Happily granting wishes. They're more likely to put you in a torture rack than a pumpkin carriage. But you wouldn't want to attend one of their balls anyway. Kaye and her friend Cornelius find that out the hard way when they crash a gathering of the Unseelie Court. Hedonistic and cruel, these faeries seem to thrive off of torturing others. Kaye barely escapes with the assistance of a surprisingly kind faerie knight. But will her good fortune hold out once she is under the watchful eye of the Unseelie queen?

Aside from the faeries, the humans in Tithe aren't angels either. Highschool dropouts, underage drinking, shoplifting, sex, anger issues, pettiness. Flaws abound. But that's a good thing. They're human flaws. People aren't squeaky clean. And neither are the characters in Holly Black's world. Nothing in it is clean except her writing. Holly Black creates a world that feels real, like you could touch it, smell it, even taste it. And then she populates it with characters you wouldn't be surprised to meet walking down the street. I just hope, for your sake, that you don't meet any of the characters from Tithe.

Angelfall Soundtrack

2012-11-05T13:51:00.002-05:00

I finally compiled another book soundtrack. This one if for Angelfall by Susan Eee

Armageddon has never been so entertaining!

2012-10-29T10:24:00.001-04:00

Angelfall

Susan Ee

Website

Violence, Frightening Content

The world may be ending, but thank God this story isn't! Susan Ee's debut young adult novel, Angelfall, sets the stage for a new series which adds an interesting twist to the post-apocalyptic genre. Angels have descended to Earth with the apparent intention of destroying humanity. They've certainly succeeded in wiping out most vestiges of human civilization.

The story follows Penryn Young, who has been thrust into the role of protecting her wheelchair-bound younger sister, Paige, and their schizophrenic mother. She has to move them from abandoned building to abandoned building, staying one step ahead of the street gangs in Silicon Valley, while also keeping them safe from whatever makes the gangs stay inside at night.

One day, while moving from one hopefully safe house to another, they stumble upon a group of angels attacking one of their own, cutting off his wings. In an attempt to create a diversion, Penryn enters the fray, tossing the wingless warrior his sword. He is able to fight off his attackers, but one of them kidnaps Penryn's sister as he flies away.

Penryn nurses the angel back to health so that she can use him to find her sister. The rest of the story follows the two as they make their way to the angels base in San Francisco. Along the way they encounter street gangs, armed human resistance fighters, and something more frightening than warriors of either species.

Penryn is a sympathetic character and I had no problem rooting for her to succeed. She isn't week and helpless as her mother had insisted on her pursuing self-defense and martial arts training throughout her childhood. Susan Ee does a good job of developing the relationship between Penryn and the angel, Raffe. Reluctant allies, the two members of warring species develop grudging respect for each other as they're forced to fight shoulder to shoulder to reach their mutual goal.

Ee also does a good job of creating a landscape of destruction and showing the difference between those people who have determined to keep fighting back and those who have resigned themselves to merely surviving in the new world order of angelic domination. She includes enough biblical "end-times" imagery to make Tim LaHaye proud, but Angelfall shouldn't be confused with the Left Behind series. You won't find this book on Christian bookstore shelves. Where you should find Angelfall is on your shelf or nightstand. The story combines dystopian themes with elements of horror and science fiction. If you're a fan of any of those genres or if you just enjoy heart pounding action, then this is the book for you.

Veronica Roth's Faction = ENGROSSING

2012-09-04T17:08:00.004-04:00

Divergent

Veronica Roth

Official Website

Excerpt
Audio Excerpt

violence

I hate to admit it, but I was way behind the curve on this one! Divergent has been out well over a year. The sequel (Insurgent, which I have yet to get my hands on) has been out for months. And I just got around to reading it? And I'm all about the dystopian novels! I loved The Hunger Games (I also just last week watched that movie for the first time!) Legend, by Marie Lu, was a good read. Going all the way back to Brave New World and 1984, I just love dystopian stories! So it's a little difficult for me to admit that it's taken me this long to wade into the dried up marshland of Lake Michigan in Veronica Roth's futuristic Chicago. But I stepped in, I realized that Roth's landscape was more like quicksand, pulling me deeper and deeper into her imagination.

Like most dystopian stories, the world has suffered from some devastating event or string of events and the survivors have devised a plan to restructure society in an attempt to avoid the sort of wars and violence that brought them to the brink of destruction. In Divergent, Beatrice Prior has grown up in a society that has ordered itself according to five certain virtues, with each virtue being represented by a faction of people: Abnegation (selflessness), Dauntless (bravery), Amity (peace), Erudite (intellectual curiosity), and Candor (truth). It's somewhat reminiscent of The Giver by Lois Lowry, with children being sorted into the different factions which will come to dominate their lives, especially should they join factions other than those of their families. "Faction before blood" after all! Of course which faction a person joins is completely voluntary, but even after that choice is made, the person must complete their faction's initiation and be installed as members. Otherwise, they will be doomed to live on the streets among the other factionless, only surviving because of the kindness of the Abnegation.

The story of Divergent follows Beatrice Prior through the difficult decision of which faction she wants to devote her entire life to and the even more difficult process of surviving initiation. Along the way she learns some disturbing things about her brave new world and has to dig deep within herself to discover which will be her own personal guiding principle. Will it be selflessness, courage, intellect, or something else.

Like I said before, I love dystopian novels. They tend to coincide with some of my non-literary passions and interests. In Divergent, Veronica Roth has crafted a thoroughly engaging story. While starting with the raw materials of some familiar dystopian themes, she manages to build something new and exciting. Her heroine, Beatrice, is a strong character from the beginning, but continues to grow and find to reservoirs strength as the story progresses. The idea of factions forming around common virtues is novel and the often less than peaceful interactions between the factions lends depth to the book. Beatrice's friends are realistic characters. There's a compelling love interest. And there's enough action to satisfy my fellow Hunger Games fanatics.

Of course it's not all perfect. There was one of those frustrating scenes where the good guy (or girl, in this case) misses the opportunity to stop an evil early on, before it can develop into something far more threatening. The kind of decision that you just know is going to cost her big time in the future. But who knows, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe that decision will end up being a good one. I guess I'll just have to keep reading to find out. As if I could keep myself from reading further!

172 Years Reading This Book

2012-08-20T14:34:00.000-04:00

172 Hours on the Moon
Joan Harstad
Official Website
Excerpt

Language, Frightening Situations

I heard a representative of the publisher of 172 Hours on the Moon tell about how terrifying it is. After reading the book, I now understand that she was terrified because it is her responsibility to promote it. Johan Harstad's book centers around three teenagers who are chosen via worldwide lottery to take part in NASA's first trip back to the moon in 40 years. Mia, from Norway, only agrees to go because she wants to create publicity for her band. Midori plans to use the mission as her chance to leave Japan for good and settle in the U.S. Antoine just wants to put as much distance as possible between he and his ex-girlfriend.

In the chapters before the launch, Harstad gives indications that the mission won't go as smoothly as planned. Something spooky happened on the last mission, scary enough to keep NASA away from the moon for a few decades. Unfortunately, the book does not follow through on the promised suspense. First of all, this is supposed to be a book about scary stuff happening on the moon, but the characters don't even leave earth until half way through the book. Harstad used too many pages trying to set the scene and build up the characters and he wasn't even successful doing that. None of the teens are particularly sympathetic and the adults are completely unrealistic.

Flat characters would be fine if the suspense and action were able to carry the day. But that just didn't happen in this case. Even after they reached the moon and some freaky stuff started happening, there was just too little action. The events that did occur were generally unrealistic or insufficiently depicted. Overall, 172 Hours on the Moon is just a poorly written book. It seemed to me more like 172 Years Reading This Book. If it weren't for the fact that I was planning to review this book for the blog, I would have stopped long before the liftoff!

Crossbow toting assassin nuns? Yes please!

2012-07-25T12:38:00.000-04:00

Grave Mercy
Robin LeFevers
Official Website
Excerpt

Violence, Adult Situations

I was pleasantly surprised by Grave Mercy. And considering the fact that I had been eagerly anticipating this book for months, that's no easy feat! I fully expected it to be an entertaining story, it just wasn't exactly the story I was expecting. Set in medieval Brittany - which is now part of France, but was then a duchy fighting to maintain its independence - Grave Mercy is the first installment of Robin LaFevers' His Fair Assassin series. Told in first person, the book centers around Ismae, who flees a brutal arranged marriage and is raised in a convent. But she didn't get your usual Catholic school education. The nuns at the convent of St. Mortain didn't whack people on the knuckles with rulers. Think battle axes instead!

Actually they'd lean toward subtler weapons: knives, daggers, garottes, crossbows, poisons. The convent of St. Mortain raised assassins. Not your typical convent, but then Mortain wasn't your typical Catholic saint. He was the Breton god of death, dressed up in Catholic robes to appease the Church, which didn't look too kindly on local pagan deities. Ismae was marked from birth as belonging to Mortain and the convent trained her to do his will.

Crossbow toting assassin nuns? Yes please!

You can see why I would be so excited to read this book. I was all geared up for an 549 pages of bloody action! Maybe the page count should have tipped me off that I'd be in for something a little different. What starts out as a medieval version of Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls series - minus the boy troubles and with far less comedy - quickly turns into a story of aristocratic intrigue and court politics as Ismae leaves the convent in order to protect the adolescent duchess of Brittany from scheming advisers and backstabbing barons. I've got no problem with that! I happen to love history and politics. I found it very interesting learning about medieval Brittany and its struggle to maintain independence from France, especially since LaFevers faithfully carried over most of the people and events from the documented annuls of history. (Read the author's note for more on the subject of historical accuracy.)

But if you're worried that this book is nothing more than a history textbook, allow me to calm your fears. Grave Mercy is a very well written story. The characters are alive and complex. LaFevers maintains a high level of suspense as Ismae attempts to uncover plots and traitors. And while she is most decidedly not boy crazy, she does struggle with inner conflict concerning her duty to her faith and her burgeoning feelings for the man who is either the duchess' most loyal protector or most treacherous enemy.

Really my only criticism of Grave Mercy is that it isn't bloody enough. Even after readjusting my expectations away from a more action-oriented story, I'm still left feeling that a tale about an assassin should include a few more assassinations. Perhaps I've been ruined by modern cinema, but I would have liked to have seen Ismae's combat training come into play a bit more. Additionally, I think the story would have benefited from more of the characters Beast and de Lornay. But these minor issues aside, I thoroughly enjoyed Grave Mercy and I look forward to the next book in the His Fair Assassin series.

Lady Luck Has a Black Heart

2012-07-17T13:57:00.001-04:00

Luck ain’t a lady. She’s deceitful and shady/
Maybe sweet when you first meet but yo she’s cheating you later/
You’re buying drinks and diamond rings and anything to placate her/
And while you think she’s on your team she’s tossing winks at the waiter/
She’s a player. Her game is tying strings to your heart/
Got you wrapped around her finger, on a leash from the start/
She’s tugging hard. Each and every single touch is a charm/
Dropped her gloves off with the coatcheck girl. Now stroking your arm/
She’s working you, playing your emotions like a song/
Humming melodies of guilt. Make you think you done wrong/
Strumming rhythms of manipulation, mother to son/
Drumming beats of deceit. Always running a con/
She’s a pro and you never know what team she’s with/
Is she the damsel in distress, just sweet and innocent/
Classmate that’s pleading with you to help her with a threat?/
Blackmail is what she said but can you trust this chick?/
Don’t look now. Here comes another wardrobe switch/
Now she’s wearing a badge and her crew’s legit/
She’s a Fed and she’s wanting you to choose her clique/
Uncle Sam is drooling for your unusual gift/
Transformer! Yo there’s more than meets the eye with you, kid/
Still she wants to hustle, trying to play you like some two bit/
Mark, but her target is off. Watch her shoot, miss/
Ain’t no one can tag you unless they’re teaming up with cupid/
Stupid! Left your heart unguarded and she swooped in/
Daughter of the crime boss only one who’s speaking truth/
And tied your soul in knots and you’re not even trying to loose it/
The love of your life but she might cause you to lose it/
Who’s this? Yet another role this woman’s acting/
Most dangerous form. She’s controlling all the action/
Representing Jersey yo the name is Holly Black/
And her literary curses, they’re gonna keep you coming back!/

Badass, Katana-wielding Vampire Heroine!

2012-07-13T15:28:00.001-04:00

The Immortal Rules
Author: Julie Kagawa

Official Website
Excerpt

Violence, Language

I have yet to read the immensely popular Iron Fey series, so The Immortal Rules was my introduction to the work of Julie Kagawa. Based on the first installment of this action filled vampire series, I need to further acquaint myself with the writing of one of the Young Adult world's brightest stars.

Set a few generations in the future, the Blood of Eden series centers around Allison Sekemoto, an unregistered scavenger living in a vampire controlled city were she must beg, borrow, and steal just to survive. During a foraging mission outside the safety of the city's walls, she and her gang are attacked by a swarm of rabids - creatures which were once human but are now mindless almost vampires. Think of the rage-consumed zombie-esque monsters from the film 28 Days Later, but with vampire strength, fangs, and sensitivity to sunlight. The monsters kill her friends and are about to finish her off when she's rescued by a dark stranger who offers her a choice. She can either die of her wounds or become what she hates most. I'll let you guess which she chooses, but just remember if she went with "A" then this would a shorter, much less interesting story.

So that's the background, now for my thoughts and ramblings. I have to admit that it took me a little while to get into this story. But once Kagawa was able to fully sink her fangs into me, she just wouldn't let go. I couldn't explain why until I finished the book and began analyzing it for this review. It turns out that I didn't find Allie all that likeable. I didn't completely dislike her like I did Ember Morris from Kristen Simmons' Article 5. (Read that review here). And it's not like she went off the deep end for 300 pages when her vampire boyfriend she's known for two seconds abandons her to the cliff-jumping werewolves in order to keep her safe. So I didn't hate Allie, I just didn't really like her. That is, until she became a badass, katana-wielding, rabid-slaying vampire. Allison Sekemoto's character was a little reminiscent of the character Selene (played by Kate Bekinsale) from the movie Underworld.

The other characters felt a little flat to me as well, but it didn't bother me much. Similar to Underworld, it isn't character, but rather intriguing plot and razor sharp action that drive this story. Kagawa does a good job of keeping you engaged, wondering what's going to happen to Allie and the band of humans she attaches herself to. There's the obvious questions concerning the potential for a romance between her and Zeke, son of the group's Puritanical leader. But there's more to keep you guessing as well. Will the group discover what she is? How will she control her blood hunger without becoming a danger to her knew friends? Will the group find their Eden, a city rumored to be a human stronghold and last bastion of resistance to vampire tyranny? Because Kagawa does not, for the most part, tell you where in the country as we know it the action is taking place, I had fun trying to figure out where this city of Eden is located.

Overall, I enjoyed The Immortal Rules. It was an action-packed introduction to a new series which I feel has the potential for a quality television show. (Are you listening AMC?) Hopefully, considering Allison Sekemoto's heritage, we wouldn't be subjected to Kristen Stewart in a starring role. I look forward to reading the next installment in the Blood of Eden series. In the meantime, I'll just have to pick up Julie Kagawa's Iron King.

I Hunt Killer Stories!

2012-07-07T14:42:00.001-04:00

I Hunt Killers

Author: Barry Lyga

Official Website

Preview (10 Chapters) & Short Prequel

Violence, Gore, Language, Adult Situations

And finding Barry Lyga's book was one of the most satisfying ends to a hunt I've ever experienced! I knew from the start that I was on the trail of something really good. Finding a story about a guy whose father is a notorious serial killer (over 100 murders) who raised him to follow in daddy's bloody footprints made me feel like a lion catching the scent of a particularly juicy gazelle. And with each masterfully written page I could feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins.

I love the concept for I Hunt Killers. It's somewhat reminiscent of the TV show Dexter, what with a kid being taught from an early age the best methods of brutally murdering a person without getting caught. In both cases, the protagonist struggles mightily against the monster within them. Barry Lyga did a fantastic job of keeping me in suspense about whether or not Jasper "Jazz" Dent would be able to keep his own demon at bay. He made me feel Jazz' agony about the horrors he had seen as well as the paralyzing fear of what he might become as a result.

As far as Jazz' father, Billy Dent is one of the more terrifying characters I've encountered, even if he is largely absent, appearing mainly in dreams, flashbacks, and discussion of his past crimes. The other primary characters, Sheriff G. William Tanner, friends Howie and Connie, The Impressionist, and Gramma are all well rounded, realistic characters who add depth to the story of Jazz' struggles to hunt down a serial killer and avoid becoming one himself. Lyga also includes enough potentially shady secondary characters to keep you guessing about the true identity of the latest monster to unleash a reign of terror on the small town of Lobo's Nod.

Realistic details of crime scene investigation and human physiology add even more realism to this dark tale which is part murder mystery, part psychological thriller, and all around great read. I would just like to include this one reader's advisory: Reading this book is likely to cause you a lot of sleepless nights, either through fear of nightmares involving serial killer Billy Dent or Christmas Eve style anticipation of the sequel which Santa Lyga currently has scheduled to deliver through your chimney in Spring 2013.

Hunger Games meets Zombieland...but with Vampires!

2012-06-27T17:39:00.000-04:00

The Hunt

Author: Andrew Fukuda

Websites: Official Website for Book
Excerpt

http://andrewfukuda.com/

Violence, Gore

Survival Rule #1: Don't do anything to stand out.
Oh well, nice try Andrew Fukuda, but I'm afraid you blew it on the very first rule! Now that Mr. Fukuda has made the mistake of distinguishing himself through his excellent writing, dangerously drawing vampire attention to himself, I'll continue sharing the survival rules with the rest of the class.

Rule #2: Read The Hunt, by the aforementioned Andrew Fukuda!

The Hunt is the second vampire book I've read that doesn't actually use the word "vampire". (The other one is Peeps by Scott Westerfeld.) And both are among my short list for tops in the genre. Though, aside from the existence of blood suckers, neither book shares much in common with say, Twilight. The Hunt really is more like the movie Zombieland - the world is overrun with the undead and almost no humans remain. The human protagonist shares his rules for surviving in such a deadly world. In this case, he has to try to blend in and pretend that he is actually just a regular vampire like everyone else. Like Zombieland, Fukuda's story maintains a sort of surreal lightheartedness in spite of the fact that death is literally just a sneeze away. (Click here for your "Real Vampires Don't Have Allergies" T-shirt!)

Almost all joking aside, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. And I don't want to give the wrong impression about the book's tone. There isn't a single moment when you forget that the protagonist is surrounded at all times by people who would rip him to shreds in two seconds if they knew what he was. Not when he's at swim practice with the blood suckers. Not even when he's playing spin the bottle and is forced to go into a closet and neck with the hottest girl in school who also happens to be a spawn of Dracula. He is always on guard and so was I when I was reading it.

The concept is unique. Intricate details really make the setting and characters extremely realistic. (FYI, vampires don't laugh, but you'll have to read the book to find out what they do instead. Oh, and they're not "vampires" remember? They're just "people"! Don't make me send you to sensitivity training.) Not that vampires, I mean "people", are very sensitive. To them, we're all just a bunch of "hepers". And the Heper Institute for Refined Research and Discovery is exactly where our protagonist is headed as he's chosen at random to take part in a Heper Hunt. Turns out they're not extinct after all. The government's been raising a few on the down low and is ready to let a handful of lucky citizens have a chance for their first taste of genuine heper blood! I'm sure it's a coincidence that the announcement is made at a time when The Ruler's approval rankings are sagging due to the anemic state of the economy!

It's great that our hero has been able to fool his classmates and teachers, but now he'll have to test his wits against an institute filled with researches who specialize in heper studies. He'll also have to stay clear of the other hunters who would love nothing more than to rip out his jugular vein. It's an exciting book and it won't take you long to read it. But then you'll be like me, hanging around in your sleep holds, waiting for the sequel!

Reading Article 5 is NOT Mandatory

2012-06-21T00:07:00.003-04:00

Article 5
Author: Kristen Simmons
http://www.kristensimmonsbooks.com/
Read Chapter 1

Some violence and adult situations

Synopsis:

After some undefined war, the United States has been taken over by an extreme religious right government and the Bill of Rights is replaced by the "Articles of Reformation". The new moral laws are enforced by the militaristic Federal Bureau of Reformation, known to the general public by the derogatory term Moral Militia. Ember Miller, a seventeen year old girl, is taken into custody as her mother is arrested for violating Article 5 by conceiving a child outside of marriage. Among the unit sent to arrest them is Ember's childhood friend and first love, Chase Jennings. Ember is taken to a rehabilitation center run by the Sisters of Salvation, from which she plots her escape. Her only goal is to find and rescue her mother, and the entire story revolves around her attempts to do so and her now conflicted feelings for Chase.

Review:
I couldn't wait to read this book. A tyrannical government is imposing its views of morality on the populace? A small band of resistors are fighting back while a young woman finds herself thrust into the middle of the fight for human liberty? Count me in! I just love me some dystopia!

Make that: I just love me some good dystopia! And that's where Article 5 loses me.

The concept is a good one. And considering the way our governments continue to shred our liberties and trample on our human rights, the topic is timely and important. But the execution just wasn't there. Simmons doesn't give enough detail to construct a real, tangible world. There wasn't enough action to make it a quality adventure story and some aspects of the story weren't quite believable.

But most importantly, the heroine was not very likeable. Ember Miller didn't seem to be a particularly strong or logical character. She keeps mistrusting Chase even after he rescues her again and again. And since the novel is written in first person from her perspective, the reader is stuck inside her mind, constantly subjected to her irrational and downright whiny thoughts.

I'm usually pretty easy to please when it comes to books and movies. It doesn't take a whole lot to draw me into a story as I willingly suspend disbelief and let the storyteller carry me where she will. But I've got to like the character enough to care what happens to her. When it comes to Ember Miller in Article 5, I just didn't care.

Holly Black is a Curse Worker

2012-06-20T22:11:00.001-04:00

Black Heart (The Curse Workers Book #3)

Author: Holly Black

Websites: http://thecurseworkers.com/

http://blackholly.com/

Some violence, language,

sexual content, drinking

There is absolutely nothing that I dislike about Black Heart or the rest of the Curse Workers series! Holly Black is one of my favorite authors. She hooked me with the Tithe series and gave me no room to wiggle off the line with her current film-noir-mixed-with-some-paranormal crime drama.

****Alert: Since this a review for book three of a series, it contains spoilers for anyone who hasn't read White Cat and Red Glove. If you find yourself in that unenviable position, you need to immediately step away from your computer, use the fastest means of transportation available to you, and get yourself to a bookstore so you can begin reading what is sure to become one of your favorite series. (If you're new to Holly Black, then you've got even more catching up to do. Don't miss out on Tithe, Valiant, and Ironside!)

Now back to the review. Cassel Sharpe is an eminently sympathetic character. He's a loyal friend/brother/son. He has a surprisingly strong sense of right and wrong, considering he was raised in a family of supernatural thieves and con artists. A family which lied to him and made him believe he was the black sheep without the power to alter people's memories, make them fall in love, or kill them with a single touch. He was the outcast since he wasn't a "Curse Worker". Just one problem: He is a curse worker. And not just any curse worker, but a transformation worker. He has the ability to turn you into anyone or anything he wants. So they used him to commit murders and to transform his best friend and only girl he ever loved into a cat, then erased his memory of it (White Cat). In attempt to set things straight his mom, the emotion worker, curses the girl to fall in love with him. So now he can't be with her because he knows it's not real and refuses to take advantage of the situation (Red Glove). It's amazing that he doesn't go on a psychopathic rampage transforming everyone into beanbag chairs!

In Black Heart he's got the Feds hounding him to join their Licensed Minority Division so they can have the rarest and most feared type of curse worker as their own weapon. Then there's the crime boss (and father of the girl of his dreams) who's holding his mother hostage until he can retrieve a diamond she once stole from him. And just for fun, let's throw in a terrified girl from school who begs him to help her deal with a blackmailer, while clearly holding back some vital information. There's just so much being thrown at this kid from every angle. But he just takes it all in stride and stays one step ahead while everyone thinks they're playing him.

Black Heart is a fast paced, fun, and extremely well written novel. The characters and situations are completely believable. The setting is beautifully constructed. The plot is well thought out and perfectly executed. Exactly what I've come to expect from Holly Black, who clearly works her magic by touching her fingers to a keyboard. For writing this solid, the blowback must be crazy!

Been Away...Still Am

2012-06-17T09:53:00.002-04:00

Just wanted to let y'all know why I haven't been posting lately. My wife and I bought a house and so we've been spending as much time as possible getting it ready for our move. We're getting things done and we're moving soon. So before long I'll be giving you more of those reviews, soundtracks, and videos that hopefully aren't causing your eyes and ears to bleed...unless you like that sort of thing! My next review if going to be for the book Black Heart, which is book 3 of the Curse Workers series by Holly Black. If you haven't read books 1 and 2 (White Cat and Red Glove), go get those books. You won't be disappointed! Thanks for your patience!

Black Heart Soundtrack

2012-06-07T00:38:00.001-04:00

Enjoy this soundtrack for Black Heart and the rest of the Curse Workers series by Holly Black.

Burnout Soundtrack - Spotify

2012-06-04T17:39:00.004-04:00

Here's the Spotify version of the Burnout soundtrack.
Same songs. Better player.

BZRK Soundtrack - Now on Spotify

2012-06-04T16:56:00.007-04:00

I've switched over to Spotify for my Soundtracks. Playlist.com wasn't working as well as I liked. It wasn't playing in the blog and said you had to click over to their site to listen to the playlist. Anyway, I hope this works better. Drop a comment and let me know if everything is working. Also, please let me know where I dropped the ball. What songs should I have included?

Buffy meets Blade

2012-06-02T12:10:00.001-04:00

Title: Every Other Day
Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Tags: young adult, paranormal, action, preternatural, psychic, telepathy, chupacabra, zombie, hellhound, vampire, dragon, basilisk, biomedical research, Darwin, hydra, alternate history, science fiction, suspense, family, friendship
Format: Hardcover, 336 pages
Publisher: Egmont USA
ISBN-10: 1-60684-169-6
ISBN-13: 978-1-60684-169-3

Website:
http://www.jenniferlynnbarnes.com/everyotherday.html

Read an excerpt: Chapter 1

Advisory:

This book would probably be PG-13. There are no language or sex issues. The violence raises this to PG-13, but no higher.

Synopsis:
Kali D'Angelo is just your average teenage girl...except when she's not. Every other day, Kali is something else, something stronger. A nearly indestructible hunter who is driven to slay monsters, despite all the governmental regulations protecting preternatural creatures. Then she meets Bethany Davis: daughter of her father's boss, cheerleader, high school queen bee, soon to be victim of the chupacabra which has marked her for death. Kali has less than a day to save this girl. Unfortunately it's the wrong day.

Review:
I thought the concept for Every Other Day was clever. I've seen plenty of inhumanly strong heroines, but I've never met a character who alternated between human and superhuman. And Jennifer Lynn Barnes executes the concept very well. It's got a good mix of action, character development, and world building. I'm not a huge fan of the alternate history element in this story, but that wasn't a major sticking point for me.

The book is written in the first person from Kali's perspective, which I've found in other books has led to whiny, snarky, or otherwise unlikable protagonists. Barnes doesn't fall into that trap with Kali. In fact, I found all three primary female characters to be very likable and believable. "A little bit psychic" Skylar was particularly endearing. For me, one mark of a solid character is when I start picturing an actor to portray him or her in a movie version of the story. From the beginning I had no trouble casting Ashley Greene (Alice Cullen from Twilight) in the role of Skylar. Bethany's character was deeper and more interesting than I expected at first. Not your stereotypical cheerleader after all.

I wasn't quite as happy with the male characters in the story. Zev, Elliot, and Kali's father all seemed a little flat to me. But once again, it didn't detract too much since the ladies were asked to carry the load and they were more than capable of stepping up to the challenge.

Overall, Every Other Day is a very entertaining novel. If you're hunting for a story with intense action and strong lead characters, then your literary bloodlust should be satiated by this story which is part Buffy and part Blade.

Burnout Soundtrack

2012-05-31T18:28:00.000-04:00

I compiled this soundtrack on Playlist.com. You can go there and set up your own playlists for free. So I hope you'll listen to the Soundtrack I've compiled for Burnout, and if you've read the book and have ideas for songs I've missed here, go ahead and post the Artist and Title in a comment below!

BZRK is CRZY!

2012-05-29T18:59:00.004-04:00

Noah Cotton, yo what’s he gotten/
himself into this time? His bro’s in asylum/
Froze in his own mind, who knows why he’s talking/
bizarre stuff like “nano” and “macro”. This jargon/
is nonsense. And who is this Bugman he’s warning him?/
What could have happened? What memory’s haunting him?/
Just wants some answers. He just wants his brother/
Instead he’s approached by some people who want him/
to join them fighting this sick corporation/
Trying to control our minds and enslave us/
And while Noah’s fighting and trying to save us/
it’s likely that he will just die or go crazy/
BZRK is the book. Michael Grant is the name/
of the author look, y’all, he’s clearly insane/
Talking about people hijacking brains/
with nanotechnology, spliced DNA/
The concept is frightening, writing is tight/
And he switches perspectives to all in the fight/
Hero or villain, you’re inside their minds/
It’s like you were a biot who climbed in their eyes/
This ain’t the book with picturesque images/
Beautiful landscapes and romantic kisses/
It’s close up descriptions of blown off appendages/
Lightning fast action and heightened suspense/
It’s got battle scenes - gritty and raw and intense/
The plot is non-stop and keeps drawing you in/
Till you’re lost in the midst of an awesome adventure/
that grips you and holds you enthralled till the end/
BZRK!

The Always War - Review

2012-05-28T11:58:00.000-04:00

Title: The Always War

Author: Margaret Peterson Haddix
Tags: young adult, juvenile, middle grade, dystopian, war, future, unmanned planes, computer, science fiction
Format: Hardcover, 208 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
ISBN-10: 1416995269
ISBN-13: 9781416995265
Website:

http://www.haddixbooks.com/books/always_war.html

Publisher's Description:

For as long as Tessa can remember, her country has been at war. When local golden boy Gideon Thrall is awarded a medal for courage, it’s a rare bright spot for everyone in Tessa’s town—until Gideon refuses the award, claims he was a coward, and runs away. Tessa is bewildered, and can’t help but follow Gideon to find out the truth. But Tessa is in for more than she bargained for. Before she knows it, she has stowed away on a rogue airplane and is headed for enemy territory. But all that pales when she discovers a shocking truth that rocks the foundation of everything she’s ever believed—a truth that could change the world. Is Tessa strong enough to bring it into the light?

Advisory:

This book would definitely be rated no higher than PG, possibly G. There are no language or sex issues. And despite the title, there's no violence either.

Review:

I love a good dystopian novel. Give me a protagonist ready to break through the drab, gray malaise of her life and defy a tyrannical government and I'm usually hooked. Unfortunately, this wasn't one of those times. Especially given the current state of our own society - groping TSA agents, inane terror alerts, etc. - I was excited to read a story about a society governed by the constant fear of enemy attack and mandated vigilance. Haddix does manage to capture the malaise, describing a people broken down by war weariness. Many of the scenes are, however, a little too unbelievable. To the extent that there are any adults in the story, they are unrealistically incompetent. The child protagonists are, on the other hand, far too sophisticated. Tessa and Gideon are, at best, high school aged and Dek is viewed by them as a mere child.
Yet these three are much more intelligent and capable than any of the adults they encounter. There is simply no satisfactory explanation for why this should be the case. There are really no adults in the society who were as capable as the children of finding out the truth?

The characters don't really grow throughout the book either. Tessa's self-confidence does grow by the end as she begins to trust her own knowledge and abilities, but Gideon and Dek don't really grow much at all. Granted, the story occurs over a short period of time, but there just isn't a whole lot of depth to those characters.

According to the publisher's website, The Always War is aimed at those 7th grade and up. I think they've got that backwards. It should be 7th grade and below. There's nothing objectionable for younger readers and I think older readers would not find the plot credible. This could be a decent dystopian for upper elementary/ lower middle grade readers. It's similar to The Virtual War by Gloria Skurzynski or Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, though it's more tame than those books. But I would definitely choose those titles over The Always War. I'll give it three turntables. I'd rate it lower for myself, but since it's geared for a younger audience, I think it's decent for that age group.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone - Title Tracks Review

2012-05-21T17:42:00.000-04:00

Title: Daughter of Smoke and Bone
Author: Laini Taylor
Tags: young adult, suspense, paranormal, fantasy, family, friendship, angles, chimera, amnesia, Prague, magic, wishes, art, drawing, romance, other worlds
Format: Hardcover, 432 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
ISBN-10: 0316134023
ISBN-13: 9780316134026
Website: http://daughterofsmokeandbone.com/

Read an excerpt: Chapters 1-5

Advisory:
This book would probably merit a PG-13 rating based on violence, though a film version could ramp that up a bit. There's no language which would raise this above PG-13. While there's mention of sex, what's actually depicted is pretty chaste, though that might potentially be ramped up in a movie version as well.

Review:
Angels, demons, monsters. Seems like Prague is teeming with all these beings/

An artist with a heart that’s feeling a loss that she can’t even possibly reason/

Raised in the workshop of a dark wishmonger, adopted father, demon/

Orphan daughter apprentice running her errands shot by some mobsters for teeth and/

All the while in the dark for a reason. What secrets these monsters are keeping/

Family you just gotta believe in but why can’t she seem to just squash these feelings?/

Enter a stranger with a scheme. Things start to come apart at the seems/

Real life is colliding with dreams. Two worlds, two souls fighting for peace/

Taylor’s words draw a thousand sketches. Gothic cathedrals and haunting legends/

Markets filled with Moroccan peasants. Bargains with grave robbers over dentures/

Daughter of Smoke and Bone, a tale well told that will make you long/

For the next installment. You’ll be enthralled with this haunting story of blood and hope/

Rating:

5 Turntables

DJ, spin that #@$%!

2012-05-11T16:30:00.000-04:00

Burnout - Review

2012-05-01T17:00:00.000-04:00

Title: Burnout
Author: Adrienne Maria Vrettos
Tags: young adult, suspense, substance abuse, family, friendship, rehab, New York, amnesia, life choices
Format: Hardcover, 208 pages
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books (Simon & Schuster)
ISBN-10: 1416994696
ISBN-13: 9781416994695
Website: http://www.adriennemariavrettos.com/books

Read an excerpt: Chapter 1

Publisher's Description:
On the day after Halloween, Nan wakes up in a subway car. She is not dreaming. She doesn’t know where she’s been or what she’s done. She’s missing a whole day from her life. And she’s wearing skeleton makeup and a too-small Halloween costume that she doesn't remember putting on.

Nan is not supposed to wake up in places like this anymore. She’s different now, so far from that dangerously drunk girl who hit bottom in the Nanapocalypse. She needs to find out what happened to her, and fast. As she tries to put together the pieces of the last twenty-four hours, she flashes back to memories of her previous life. But she would never go back to her old friends and her old ways. Would she?

The deeper Nan digs, the more disturbing things get. This time, she may have gone one step too far. This time, she may be a walking ghost.

Advisory:

This book would probably be PG-13 by film industry standards. Possibly PG. Despite the subject matter (teenage substance abuse), there's almost nothing in this book to be concerned about. Basically a few curse words, the aforementioned underage drinking, and some allusions to sex (no actual sex scenes in the book).

Review:

I won my copy of this book through a website started by another YA author, Jessica Brody. The website is Free Book Friday and every Friday they give away one book in each of four categories: Fiction, Romance, Teen, and Indie. The first week I entered, I won the book for the teen category. Let's just say that Friday was definitely my lucky day as I was able to snag a copy of Burnout! I urge everyone to go there and sign up (even though it lowers the odds that I'll win another awesome book like Burnout.)

Before I entered the drawing on Free Book Friday, I had never heard of Burnout. I owe Jessica Brody a big thank you for enlightening me as this is one of the best books I've read in a while. It's short, but it could have been twice as long and it still wouldn't have taken me long to read it. I'm not a particularly fast reader, but Burnout is one of those can't-put-it-down kind of books. Vrettos keeps you on the edge of your seat, just itching to find out what happened to Nan the day before, why she can't remember anything about it, and why she's having blackouts.

Besides the suspense, I really liked how Vrettos developed her characters. Not only is the book short, but the primary story unfolds over the course of a single day. Not much room for character development. But the chapters alternate between the current day and memories of Nan's past. Vrettos uses those memories to paint a rich picture of a girl who faced some difficulties in life and had made some poor choices, but had taken steps to correct her life's course. But every new piece of evidence Nan uncovers about the previous day is another knife slash through her portrait of redemption. Add in growing concern for her friend's safety and you've got a recipe for a great book.

The biggest downside to Burnout is that it's so short. Don't get me wrong, Vrettos accomplishes everything she needed to in those 200 pages. But I could have easily devoured another 200! I'm giving Burnout five turntables and immediately adding all of Adrienne Maria Vrettos' other books to my reading list!

A Girl Named Digit - Review

2012-04-28T14:10:00.000-04:00

Title: A Girl Named Digit
Author: Annabelle Monaghan
Tags: Young Adult, FBI, terrorism, Los Angeles, CIA, teen crush, action, romance, math, code, genius
Format: Hardcover, 192 pages
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books For Children
ISBN-10: 054766852X
ISBN-13: 978-0547668529
Website: http://www.annabelmonaghan.com/digit/

Publisher's Description:

Farrah "Digit" Higgins may be going to MIT in the fall, but this L.A. high school genius has left her geek self behind in another school district so she can blend in with the popular crowd at Santa Monica High and actually enjoy her senior year. But when Farrah, the daughter of a UCLA math professor, unknowingly cracks a terrorist group's number sequence, her laid-back senior year gets a lot more interesting. Soon she is personally investigating the case, on the run from terrorists, and faking her own kidnapping-- all while trying to convince a young, hot FBI agent to take her seriously. So much for blending in . . .

Advisory:
Rating: By film industry standards I think the book would be rated "PG." There's just a couple of curse words, some underage drinking, and a chaste romance between the 17 year old heroine and her 21 year old FBI handler.

Review:

I'm a fan of Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls series and Heist Society series. I chose to read A Girl Named Digit because the description reminded me of those stories: strong female lead dealing with typical teenage issues of friendships and boys, all the while engaged in very atypical, Mission Impossible style covert operations. Nothing too serious, aside from saving the free world from homicidal terrorist organizations. Just a light, fun, action-packed read. Ally Carter's books definitely deliver, but I feel A Girl Named Digit falls just a fraction short.

It's a shame, actually. Monaghan's story held a lot of promise for me. I like detective/spy stories and I like math. The television show NUMB3RS was one of my favorites and I thoroughly enjoyed the nonfiction book In Code written by Sarah Flannery, who was also a teenage math genius. There are some pretty cool descriptions of mathematical codes, but much of the story, especially the FBI related stuff, isn't very believable. So the FBI has a Willy Wonka elevator that runs underground from their Los Angeles headquarters to various warehouse districts in the city?

But it's not just technical details that bothered me. Characters often acted in unbelievable ways as well, especially Farah's parents. The lightning-fast romance between the ambitious, goal oriented FBI agent and the teenager whose safety is his primary mission strained credibility. In order to enjoy a fun, light-hearted novel I was perfectly willing to accept the possibility of this romance occurring, but I just couldn't accept the speed with which John flipped the switch from professional FBI wunderkind to love-sick highschooler. And even though he wasn't a math genius, I would think that an Ivy League educated, 21 year old federal agent would at least be able to say "Fibonacci", even if he didn't have a thorough understanding of the number sequence.

I wasn't expecting a "literary novel", all character development or weighty philosophical issues. I was expecting a solid novel with some fun action, quirky characters and witty one-liners. Monaghan almost gets there. Almost. There's some good humor here and Farah's character, at least, is fairly well written. But I just think the deficiencies detract too much from the story. It's a very short book, under 200 pages. I think Monaghan could have added another 50-100 pages and developed some of the characters and scenes a little better.

Based on the humor, descriptions of scenery, and some cool math, I'll still give A Girl Named Digit three turntables. But it could have been better. If you're expecting Ally Carter here, be prepared for disappointment.