This year, Goodreads.com introduced a new feature that breaks down different reading stats based on what books you logged on Goodreads.  I thought it'd be fun to post some screenshots of mine:

These stats were fun.  The Giver was read for my Books and Media for Children class earlier this spring.  Cosplay in Libraries ... was just released a few months ago, so considering the price for this professional development book ($50), it's not surprising that only 2 other people have read the book (it also explains the 5.00 rating: 3 of us must have all given it 5 stars)!  I think I normally rate books a 4.0, but because I added comic books and graphic novels, I think that affected my average rating (there were several 1 - 2 star ratings I gave for some of those).



At the beginning of the year, I decided to add comic books and graphic novels for my total of books read (in previous years, I would only add them after I added all the books/novels I read for the year).  As a result, I chose to double my normal reading goal (of 50) to 100.  I ended up reading 80 books and 61 comic books/graphic novels, so I don't think I did too bad!

Lastly, some details on ratings and top shelves.

What about you?  Do you use Goodreads?  Tell me about your 2015 reading goals or milestones! 

Hello everyone!

I'm currently fiddling with a couple new blogger templates for The Artist Librarian --it's been over a year since I started blogging and I've always wanted to give this blog a more professional look that the default, stock blogger.com templates just don't give me. 

I think I've just found a new favorite fantasy author!

Title: The Shock of Night (The Darkwater Saga #1)
Author: Patrick W. Carr
Published: 2015 by Bethany House Publishers

About the Book:

"When one man is brutally murdered and the priest he works for mortally wounded on the streets of Bunard, Willet Dura is called to investigate. Yet the clues to the crime lead to contradictions and questions without answers. As Willet begins to question the dying priest, the man pulls Willet close and screams in a foreign tongue. Then he dies without another word.

Willet returns to the city, no closer to answers than before, but his senses are skewed. People he touches appear to have a subtle shift, a twist seen at the edge of his vision, and it's as though he can see their deepest thoughts. In a world divided between haves and have-nots, gifted and common, Willet soon learns he's been passed the rarest gift of all: a gift that's not supposed to exist.

Now Willet must pursue the murderer still on the loose in Bunard even as he's pulled into a much more dangerous and epic conflict that threatens not only his city, but his entire world--a conflict that will force him to come to terms with his own tortured past if he wants to survive."

The Artist Librarian Review:
I've heard amazing things about Patrick W. Carr's work since his debut novel, A Cast of Stones, was released in 2013.  I hadn't gotten the chance to get to any of his books, so I immediately jumped on the opportunity to review Carr's latest fantasy novel (and the start of a new series).  Now I'm asking myself what took me to long to give his books a try!  The Shock of Night is a thrilling mystery/crime procedural set in a medieval fantasy world.  Full of political intrigue, action and swordplay, and mysterious powers, this novel has high crossover appeal to not only Adult/YA, but also the general fantasy market as well.

Willet Dura is one of King Laidir's reeves: A detective of sorts, the medieval kingdom of Collum's equivalent to a modern-day police investigator.  As someone who grew up reading mysteries and watching crime dramas on television, I thought this was a unique touch I hadn't encountered in any of the previous fantasy novels I've read.  While called on to solve murders and other crimes, it quickly becomes clear to Willet that there is more at work here.  In this fantastical world, people can be "gifted" --charisms from the god Aer which magnifies specific natural talents, abilities, or traits of an individual.  Though often passed on from parent to child or mentor to apprentice, when Willet discovers he has been given one of the most powerful and uncommon gifts, he is thrust into the midst of intrigue and danger.

Carr's writing is incredibly immersive.  While including enough elements and world-building for a full, medieval, fantasy feel, he doesn't get bogged down in minutiae that a lot of fantasy authors can get caught in.  The history of this world, concepts of gifting, and the political intrigue between nobles and between the different religious sects are intriguing and I can't wait to see what's revealed next.  He also masterfully incorporates flashbacks, first person and third person narratives in a logical fashion.

While published by Bethany House, I think this fantasy novel could easily cross over into the general market.  The spiritual thread isn't an obvious allegorical route (that often used to be utilized in Christian fantasy) and it could be considered part of the world-building since it's not "preachy."  I'm looking forward to reading more of Carr's Darkwater Saga in the future, especially since this novel concludes with a more than a few loose ends!  I'd highly recommend The Shock of Night to teens and adults that would enjoy clean but mature medieval fantasy with a mystery component.

Also, if you're wanting more of Carr's work, check out By Divine Right, an ebook prequel novella to this book.  I've just downloaded it to my Amazon Kindle App, but I believe it should be available at other ebook retailers (currently it's free)! 

What or who is the best new-to-you book or author you read this year? 

Content notes (not exhaustive): I'd consider this a clean fantasy novel, though I wouldn't really recommend it to young children.  Typical fantasy violence (skirmishes, dead bodies, one brief torture scene, characters put in zombie-like states, etc.), but never graphically depicted in detail ... oftentimes characters fall unconscious from pain rather than it being described.  Think the Lord of the Rings/Hobbit live action films, nothing that would be R-rated.

About the Author:

"Patrick W. Carr was born on an Air Force base in West Germany at the height of Cold War tensions. He has been told this was not his fault. As an Air Force brat, he experienced a change in locale every three years until his father retired to Tennessee. Patrick saw more of the world on his own through a varied and somewhat eclectic education and work history. He graduated from Georgia Tech in 1984 and has worked as a draftsman at a nuclear plant, done design work for the Air Force, worked for a printing company, and consulted as an engineer. Patrick's day gig for the last eight years had been teaching high school math in Nashville, Tennessee. He currently makes his home in Nashville with his wonderfully patient wife, Mary, and four sons he thinks are amazing: Patrick, Connor, Daniel, and Ethan. Sometime in the future he would like to be a jazz pianist, and he wrestles with the complexity of improvisation on a daily basis."

[Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes.]

(c.) 2015 by Kodansha USA Publishing

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine, where you feature a yet-to-be-released title you're anticipating!

Note: I've tried to edit some spoilers from the publisher's summary ... a strength of this manga are some of the crazy twists in the storyline! 

Title: Attack on Titan, Vol. 17
Creator: Hajime Isayama
U.S. Release Date: December 15, 2015 by Kodansha USA Publishing
Rating: T - Ages 16+ by the publisher

About the Book:

"Thanks to Rod Reiss, Eren finally knows the terrible truth behind ... Titan powers and the depth of his father’s crimes. The king orders ... Historia to kill Eren and restore the power of the Titans to its rightful place, but she chooses her own selfish path: survival. As the cavern crumbles around the Survey Corps, Eren must make another last-minute decision, with the lives of all his friends in the balance."

Why I'm "WoW" About Attack on Titan, Vol. 17:
You may remember my Fandom Friday feature on this crazy series earlier this year, where I briefly wrote about the combination of the manga and the anime (animated series) that hooked me into this dystopian, post-apocalypic series.

So the last manga volume released in August ended on. Such. A. Cliffhanger.  I was extremely tempted to throw it across the room (kind of).  Not only were was there a "Oh, no --you didn't just stop there!" moment, one of my favorite characters was injured and I'm hoping nothing horrible happens with that, though it has been a bit since a reoccurring character has been ... removed from the main storyline.  I've never followed a comic book or manga series before, so it's a different experience for me to be waiting every 3-4 months or so for the library to get a copy of the next volume.
The cover art for this volume is interesting and looks very calm compared to some of the other more intense covers.  The main characters look like the 15-year-old teenagers they should be rather than the hardened, battle-weary soldiers that they are.  I hope that means they'll be getting a well deserved break from the intense action of the previous volume, but who knows?

Are there any current manga or book series that you're following?  How do you cope with the wait time between books?

I apologize for dropping off the face of the "bloggersphere" again! This past weekend was our state library association’s annual conference and I presented my first LIS academic poster there: “‘Cos It’s More Than Just Play! Engaging Fandom in Public Libraries Through Cosplay.” It was an awesome experience, but because I was prepping for that, I didn’t get a chance to write any posts in advance. I haven’t done a Top Tuesday for a bit and this week’s theme from The Broke and The Bookish's blog was a neat way to look back at my list of books I’ve read this year (and a reminder that I need to update my goodreads account)!

So, in order by date read ...

Brian Selznick: The Invention of Hugo Cabret
--Required reading for my Books & Media for Children class. This Caldecott award winner’s strength is Selznick’s combination of story and illustrations. The visuals in this book are gorgeous!  Can't wait to read his other hybrid novels ...

Lois Lowry: The Giver
--Another required reading for my Books & Media for Children class. I had seen the film adaptation earlier this year –I had enjoyed that version, though I know the book purists weren’t thrilled with the "aging up" of Jonas. Perhaps because I had seen the movie first, it was kind of weird to think of a younger Jonas going through everything that he did. I never picked up the book as a teen because the summary/storyline didn’t really seem like it’d be my cup of tea, but I did enjoy it and I can see why it’s taught in many elementary, middle, and high schools.  Random fact: Lois Lowry herself took the photo of the older gentleman used on the original book cover!

Neil Gaiman: The Graveyard Book
--Though I don't think I'd ever be able to read his acclaimed Sandman graphic novels, I've always meant to read his children's books.  I thought I'd get to Coraline first (because I've been meaning to see the animated film), but again, this was required reading.  It felt almost timeless at times, but there are references to cell phones and other things that place it in the modern world.  It really had a British vibe to it and a bit dark, but for the most part, still appropriate for the target age group.

Dina L. Sleiman: Dauntless & Chivalrous --Totally fell in love with Dina's YA medieval historicals that are inspired by legendary figures such as Robin Hood or King Arthur and Camelot.  One author I'll definitely be keeping an eye on ... I'm hoping to try her earlier published work soon. My reviews of Dauntless and Chivalrous.

Susan May Warren: When I Fall in Love (#3), Take a Chance on Me (#1), It Had to Be You (#2)
--I first came upon When I Fall in Love, book 3 of the Christiansen family series, and was immediately drawn in by the story (I love cooking competitions and I grew up in Hawaii!) and taken by the characters.  I quickly borrowed the first two from the library and then fell behind on the series (which I'm going to remedy really soon).  I don't read a lot of contemporary fiction, but I'm totally won over by Warren's writing.

Becky Wade: Meant to Be Mine
--Another new-to-me Christian Contemporary Fiction author I read this year was Becky Wade.  A daring storyline with enough romantic tension that kept me flipping pages late into early morning hours to finish!  While readable as a stand-alone, I'm hoping to get to books #1 & #3 of the Porter series soon. =)

Jennifer A. Nielsen: The False Prince, The Runaway King, The Shadow Throne
--I initially selected The False Prince for an assignment in my Books & Media for Teens class this summer.  After my course was over, it was clear because of the ending that I'd have to continue reading the trilogy.  With short chapters and full of action, it's perfect for reluctant readers.  While it took me a bit to warm up to Sage (he was a bit too rogue for me personally), seeing his maturation and growth through his journey was rewarding.

J.L. Mbewe: Secrets Kept
--I remember stumbling onto Jennette's blog earlier this year and discovering a similar love of fandoms and fantasy.  While I don't usually review books from presses I'm not familiar with, I'm glad I did for Secrets Kept!  Her diverse characters and elaborate world building brought the novel to life and it's a welcome addition to the Christian fantasy genre.

Nadine Brandes: A Time to Die & A Time to Speak
--Along with Jennifer A. Nielsen, Nadine wins the award of "cliffhanger queen" this year ... =P  One of the things I love about being a book blogger/reviewer is having the opportunity to read books I might not normally give myself a chance to read.  I remember seeing A Time to Die around the book blogging world last year, but I hadn't heard of the publisher, so I ... kind of dismissed it.  Huge mistake that I'm glad I've rectified this year!  The Out of Time books are easily some of the the best Christian YA dystopians I've ever read. My review of A Time to Die & A Time to Speak.

Becky Cloonan & Brenden Fletcher: Gotham Academy, Vol. 1
--I was able to briefly meet these creators of Gotham Academy at #ALAac15 this summer, along with Karl Kerschl, who illustrates this new and gorgeously mysterious, slightly spooky, Nancy Drew-esque entry into DC Comics and Gotham lore.  While a lot of the "Bat-verse" and Gotham set stories starring Batman and co. are often a bit too dark for my taste, this series, aimed at middle grade, teen, and new comic book readers, is what would probably be rated "all ages appropriate" graphic novels. My review of Gotham Academy, Vol. 1.

Have you read any of these authors --what should I read next? What are some "new-to-you" authors you read this year you'd recommend? 

(c.) 2015 by Bethany House

Title: Darkness Reigns (The Kinsman Chronicles #1, Part 1) 
Author: Jill Williamson

Published: 2015 by Bethany House

About the Book:

"Part 1 of Jill Williamson's Epic Fantasy Series, The Kinsman Chronicles.

The god of the soil is furious. Volcanic eruptions, sinkholes, earthquakes--everything points to his unhappiness. At least this is what the people of Armania in the Five Realms believe. Amidst the unsettling state of the world around them, the princes of Armania live their lives focused more on who will claim the throne after their sickly father, King Echad, dies. That is until Prince Wilek's concubine turns up dead--beside her, a bloodied message that seems to have come from the mother realms."

The Artist Librarian Review:
I've been following Jill Williamson's work ever since reading her Blood of Kings trilogy --a Christian fantasy series which instantly struck me for it's older target audience (upper teen - adult).  Set in the same story world as the Blood of Kings books, this prequel series has a more mature and grittier feel. Not to mention a sprawling cast of characters, political intrigue and such that give it a scale comparable to the wildly successful Game of Thrones series!

My favorite part of Williamson's books are her characters.  Darkness Reigns does not disappoint --the beginning of the book lists over 60 characters, though I don't think all of them appeared in this ebook.  Perhaps this character list is for the entire series?  Thank goodness for the list --I constantly referred to it while reading.  It can sometimes take a while for me to acclimate myself to a large cast and the world-building for this type of epic, high fantasy series, but I love being immersed like that.  However, this won't be everyone's cup of tea, so to speak. 

The third-person narrative switches between four characters: Wilek (the eldest son of King Echad), Mielle (a maid), Charlon (a woman searching for freedom), and Trevn (the youngest son of King Echad and my favorite).  Ironically, I was drawn to the teenage characters rather than the adult ones closer to my age --I don't know if that's just a reflection of me and my YA lit obsession or the fact that Williamson is known for strong YA characters.

The weakest point for me was the spiritual content.  There's definitely spiritual content, but most of it focused on multiple gods and goddesses followed by many of the populace.  I guess I was just looking for more "light" because it definitely felt like "darkness reigned."  Though not gratuitously graphic, the world these characters live in is a place where it is common for noblemen and royalty to take multiple wives and concubines and King Echad sends people to be sacrificed to his god, just to name a few.  A part of me was unsettled that this didn't feel like what I'm used to reading in the Christian fantasy genre.  However, another part of me was excited that Williamson and Bethany House are publishing for an older, more mature target audience. 

One of the things I've always admired about Williamson is that she doesn't shy away covering topics other Christian authors might avoid (e.g. her dystopian Safe Lands trilogy touched upon STDs, abortion, and teen pregnancy).  I heard that Williamson drew inspiration from the kingdoms of Judea and Israel in Old Testament --if so, much of the content that initially set me aback makes sense.

Darkness Reigns is the first of three e-books that will be collected into a print version next April, so  it does end without a complete conclusion.  However, I have confidence in Williamson's writing and  hope that there will be more light from Arman and perhaps other characters that will bring about a change in their world's ideals and mindsets.  Despite my little quibbles, I think Williamson's return to epic fantasy is off to a great start! 

The Heir War, Part II reviewed here!
The End of All Things, Part III reviewed here!

About the Author:

"Jill Williamson writes fantasy and science fiction for teens and adults. Jill grew up in Alaska, staying up and reading by the summer daylight that wouldn't go away. This led to a love of books and writing, and her debut novel, By Darkness Hid, won several awards and was named a Best Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror novel of 2009 by VOYA magazine. She loves giving writing workshops and blogs for teen writers at www.GoTeenWriters.com. She now lives in Oregon with her husband, two children, and a whole lot of deer. Visit her online at www.jillwilliamson.com."

[Disclosure: I received an ARC of this novel from the author for review purposes.]

What are some of your favorite fantasy series?  Would you prefer to get a novel in parts as e-books as they release or wait a year to get the print version?