Meradeth Houston's Blog, page 4

After Reading: THE MARBURY LENS by Andrew Smith

Sixteen-year-old Jack gets drunk and is in the wrong place at the wrong time. He is kidnapped. He escapes, narrowly. The only person he tells is his best friend, Conner. When they arrive in London as planned for summer break, a stranger hands Jack a pair of glasses. Through the lenses, he sees another world called Marbury.

There is war in Marbury. It is a desolate and murderous place where Jack is responsible for the survival of two younger boys. Conner is there, too. But he’s trying to kill them.

Meanwhile, Jack is falling in love with an English girl, and afraid he’s losing his mind.

Conner tells Jack it’s going to be okay.

But it’s not.

Andrew Smith has written his most beautiful and personal novel yet, as he explores the nightmarish outer limits of what trauma can do to our bodies and our minds. (Goodreads)

So, this one definitely kept me up late reading. The pacing is spot-on, as is the world building. I couldn't get enough! The whole premise is really fascinating, although disturbing on many levels: the abduction of Jack, the lens, Marbury pretty much as a whole, and then Jack's utter unraveling. It's creepy and fascinating. The lens and traveling between the worlds really came off as some kind of drug, which in many ways it was, and the portrayal was superb. As was the relationship between Jack and Conner--it was obvious they cared about one another deeply. The ending did leave me being "wait, what, that can't be the end!" but of course there's another one in the series that I must now get my hands on!

Have you read this one?

Teaser Tuesday: SOMEONE ELSE'S SOUL #SciFi #mustread #amreading

Well, it's been an age since I've done one of these, so why not? It's coming up on THREE MONTHS to my release of Someone Else's Soul (eeeeeep!) and so here goes the opening bit. Tell me what you think, or even better, go pre-order a copy!

"There was a close correlation between the amount of body spray a man used and his perceived attractiveness to the opposite sex. Tonight was no exception. My mark was surrounded by a giant cloud of fumes, which was apparently doing its job, because he hadn’t had a moment alone since he arrived.

Though that might have more to do with the Rolex on his wrist and the shoes that cost more than the contents of my entire closet. The women here were hunting, and my mark, Eduardo—Eddy—was a prime catch.

A woman in a stunningly miniscule mauve dress with a major eating disorder giggled and batted her lashes at him while he ordered another round for his table at the bar. His gaze raked over her, but his smile was polite, dismissive. She could tell, her weight shifting back and away, but she still tried another tack—asking him something about his friends.

When he didn’t bother to answer, she rolled her eyes and flounced off in her dress that didn’t attempt to hide any of her willowy frame.

Part of me wanted to go tell her she was better off. He was shorter than her, and part of a family that communicated through violence. Didn’t she see the scar on his jaw? The burn on his inner arm? The way he favored his left arm? All reminders of an insurrection he put down last year. This man was bred for violence, and he would continue his family’s tradition.

Unless someone took them all down. Which was exactly what I planned to do."

After Reading: CARNIVAL OF SOULS by Melissa Marr

In a city of daimons, rigid class lines separate the powerful from the power-hungry. And at the heart of The City is the carnival, where both murder and pleasure are offered up for sale. Once in a generation, the carnival hosts a deadly competition that allows every daimon a chance to join the ruling elite. Without the competition, Aya and Kaleb would both face bleak futures—if for different reasons. For each of them, fighting to the death is the only way to try to live.

All Mallory knows of The City is that her father—and every other witch there—fled it for a life in exile in the human world. Instead of a typical teenage life full of friends and maybe even a little romance, Mallory scans quiet streets for threats, hides herself away, and trains to be lethal. She knows it's only a matter of time until a daimon finds her and her father, so she readies herself for the inevitable.While Mallory possesses little knowledge of The City, every inhabitant of The City knows of her. There are plans for Mallory, and soon she, too, will be drawn into the decadence and danger that is the carnival. (Goodreads)

Lots of book reviews of late! I need to post some new content, and I will. Soon! Or as soon as I get a little time (hardy-har-har!)

Okay, so, this was an interesting read. I really enjoyed the world-building, with the different classes and intricate nature of the city of daimons. The witch/daimon war and general background was also really rich and quite fascinating. Honestly, that's what kept me intrigued throughout. The daimon characters--Kaleb, Aya, Zevi--they were also interesting and quite a lot of fun. Mallory felt like she needed a bit more fleshing out overall, but perhaps that's just because she was forced to be something she wasn't and that's how it came across in her personality? Or something, because I had a really hard time swallowing her situation. I also wasn't terribly fond of the way Kaleb went about the end of the book and their, well, "relationship"--it kind of struck me as icky and underhanded. I know it's a fantasy world, but I also wanted to see Mallory have some kind of free will in what she was roped into. Anyhow, my biggest complaint is the cliffhanger ending and the fact that there's not another book. What happened there? It's been 7 years and I'm pretty sure that means I'll just have to leave this world without any resolve :/

Have you ever read a book that clearly was intended to have a sequel, but didn't? 

After Reading: A RELIABLE WIFE by Robert Goolrick

He placed a notice in a Chicago paper, an advertisement for "a reliable wife." She responded, saying that she was "a simple, honest woman." She was, of course, anything but honest, and the only simple thing about her was her single-minded determination to marry this man and then kill him, slowly and carefully, leaving her a wealthy widow, able to take care of the one she truly loved.

What Catherine Land did not realize was that the enigmatic and lonely Ralph Truitt had a plan of his own. And what neither anticipated was that they would fall so completely in love. 

Filled with unforgettable characters, and shimmering with color and atmosphere, A Reliable Wife is an enthralling tale of love and madness, of longing and murder.  (Goodreads)

I was up for a bit of different read and picked this up out of my library, hoping for an twisty mystery to keep the pages turning. Instead I got a whole lot of exposition of several people who honestly I didn't really like and found myself nearly putting this book down more than once. The opening chapter, with page upon page of telling me just how sad Truitt was, was enough to make me start skimming. I did keep on, interested in what sorts of secrets these people might be hiding, but in the end never felt like it was enough to keep the whole plot moving. All of the "twists" were entirely predictable, and the ending made me roll my eyes. I did like one of the main themes, that it's possible for people to change and grow, though I'm not sure it was depicted all that well, as the motivations were still heavily biased (hell, I'd change a lot about myself for an endless fortune...). And the prose itself was poorly done--a lot more showing of the emotions that were described for page upon page would have done worlds for the characters. Anyhow, not something that was terribly a great read to start out the new year on, but oh well :)

Have you read this one? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Getting back into the writing habit #amwriting

This past year has been one where life took a major pinwheel on me, yet again. I ought to be used to it by now, one might think :) But here I am, in a much better place, yet my writing time and energy has been all but snuffed out. I've done by best to keep at it as much as I could, but it has not been easy, and it has not been fun.

When I do find some moments that I could spend writing, it's exhausting. Why is that? I used to feel energized by writing, the words flowed relatively easily, and I could put down several thousand words relatively quickly. Now, I find myself taking longer to get into a piece and my need for a mental/physical nap exceeds expectation all too quickly.

Writing is a bit like exercising. I need to work
out my mental muscles more. (And, let's be honest, not get so distracted by the internet, haha!) I'm working on this, and can see the end of my current novel. I just need to keep at it! I have never been one of those "have to write every day" kind of people. I like to, but my schedule is often all over the place ("oh, yeah, sure, I can make that 8am/6pm/Saturday morning meeting...."). But, keeping up on my story helps. A lot. And it often means I don't start spelling one of my main character's names differently halfway through! *guilty*

What do you do to get yourself back in the writing game?

After Reading: THE RAVEN KING by Maggie Stiefvater #amreading

The Raven Cycle #4

All her life, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love's death. She doesn't believe in true love and never thought this would be a problem, but as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore. (Goodreads)

Things that would have been smart before reading this novel: re-reading the rest of the series. Things that didn't matter before reading this series: re-reading the rest of the series. I loved it nevertheless. I make no bones about being completely in love with Stiefvater's work--it's lyrical and immersive and just the right blend of humanity and magic. This series has been really intriguing since the start and something out of the norm in a way that I really enjoyed. Dreaming things into reality? Where does one sign up for that ability? :) I was certainly sad to see the story end and felt like there were a few things that I wanted to see more fleshed out (Maura and 300 Fox Lane for instance), but I know there are more books that are supposed to take place in this general world that I hope fill in some of those blanks. Anyhow, this has been added to my list of books to binge read in order over a short period of time as soon as I get a chance!

Farewell to 2018, Looking Forward to 2019!

I'm a tad shocked that somehow we've arrived at the last day of 2018. It's been quite the year! So many amazing things have happened: book sales, NSF funding, lots of fun stuff at work, and of course the most amazing part:


The year has been far from perfect. I've experienced more stress about the potential for losing my job than I care to admit, but that seems to have *finally* panned out and things are rolling forward. I am looking forward to the future, filled with (hopefully) tenure, more amazing science, and BOOKS!

2019 is sure to bring lots of interesting adventures: I have two books releasing and I'm gearing up for that. I'm hoping to finish the one I've been working on here as soon as I possibly can. And I am incredibly grateful for my partner and best friend who has brought my life so much joy.

Wishing everyone a wonderful New Year filled with amazing things!

After Reading: MUSE OF NIGHTMARES by Laini Taylor

Sarai has lived and breathed nightmares since she was six years old.

She believed she knew every horror and was beyond surprise.

She was wrong.

In the wake of tragedy, neither Lazlo nor Sarai are who they were before. One a god, the other a ghost, they struggle to grasp the new boundaries of their selves as dark-minded Minya holds them hostage, intent on vengeance against Weep.

Lazlo faces an unthinkable choice—save the woman he loves, or everyone else?—while Sarai feels more helpless than ever. But is she? Sometimes, only the direst need can teach us our own depths, and Sarai, the Muse of Nightmares, has not yet discovered what she's capable of.

As humans and godspawn reel in the aftermath of the citadel's near fall, a new foe shatters their fragile hopes, and the mysteries of the Mesarthim are resurrected: Where did the gods come from, and why? What was done with thousands of children born in the citadel nursery? And most important of all, as forgotten doors are opened and new worlds revealed: Must heroes always slay monsters, or is it possible to save them instead?

Love and hate, revenge and redemption, destruction and salvation all clash in this astonishing and heart-stopping sequel to the New York Times bestseller, Strange the Dreamer. (Goodreads)

Before I launch into my review, a quick announcement: SOMEONE ELSE'S SOUL is up on NetGalley! If you're up for a review, and want to read the book early and for free, be sure to check it out :) Hopefully you won't be disappointed. (I won't even begin on how nervous this makes me!)

Anyhow, Muse of Nightmares: Ahhhh! Such a good read. I loved the first book, and the conclusion was fascinating. There was a bit of oddness in bringing in another set of characters here, though I did like the overlap in the true evil character (even if we never see him alive). I like the interesting idea of evil actions having long-lasting ripples through time. I also particularly loved the growth of the characters. The way that they dealt with so much pain and heartbreak and were able to grow into something stronger and bigger than what they'd been dealt. There is so much here that left me thinking and just overall loving these characters and their world that overlaps with so many others (love the reference to the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series!). Taylor has a fabulous way with words, too, which draws me in and makes me sigh with just a little bit of jealousy :) Overall, a duology to check out for sure!

Starting to Write: lessons I'd tell myself #AuthorLife #amwriting

I ended up messaging with a friend last week about starting to write and it got me thinking: what would I tell myself if I were starting out now instead of all those years ago? Would I still do it? It's been a long and messy business to get where I am today (and I'm not exactly what you'd call "successful" so there's still plenty of goals ahead of me). It sounded like an interesting blog post, so here goes:

What I would tell past self about writing:

It's gonna be a long and bumpy road, so strap in! Almost no one has it easy. There's no such thing as a smooth path to a finished novel/agent/book deal and anyone who says they've had one is probably lying :)Know those first few books you write are undoubtedly crap. And that's great! Enjoy the process of learning how you write, what works best, and how to get to The End.Read and write a LOT. As much as you can. Every word you put down, and every sentence you edit, teaches you a ton.When you're ready, and only once you've worked out your own writing game, start to share. You don't need to spend money to do this! Finding writing groups isn't terribly difficult and they're amazing! Don't listen to everything people tell you about writing/editing. Some things work for you. Some things won't. Knowing the difference will come with knowing how you best write. I'm sure there are more, but those first few books I finished and worked through taught me a ton about my writing and especially about myself. Am I sad they're in a trunk? Nope. The experience was invaluable. And really, what it taught me was the most important lesson about writing:
HAVE FUN! This is about enjoying the process. And if you can't/don't enjoy the process, then for heaven's sake, it's sure-as-shit not worth it :)
What might you tell yourself about writing?

SOMEONE ELSE'S SOUL

It's snowing in Montana. My partner is over the moon at the thought of hitting the slopes. I'm daydreaming about the end of the semester. It's November in our household :) Anyhow, I thought I'd pop up a post today to remind people to go add Someone Else's Soul on Goodreads. And if you're up for a review, lemme know, m'k? I could potentially make that happen!

There are 14 strangers who share her face, and one company is determined to erase them all.

Everyone has secrets, and it's Diana Kane's job to know them. It's a talent--being able to see into someone's life from the scuffs on their shoes to the way they hold their hands--a talent that sets her apart from everyone. When a mysterious stranger drops into her life dangling the possibility of something she’s longed for, a real connection with someone who might actually understand her, she’s too intrigued to refuse.

But when David Addington shows up to their date knowing too much about her, and the top secret agency she works for, Diana realizes their meeting was anything but coincidence. David has more than his share of surprises, including an impossible claim about Diana’s past and photos of an inexplicable woman who shares her face.

When her life begins to unravel around her, Diana has no choice but to put her faith in the mysterious David and the man he claims is his father. As she struggles to piece together the truth about where she came from, she’s forced to face the reality that her entire life has been manufactured, along with fourteen other women who share her exact same DNA. Confronted with the troubling reality that she’s nothing more than a research experiment that’s pushed the boundaries of science and ethics, Diana must rescue the others like her before the company can erase them as mistakes. She will have to put all her skills to the test in the ultimate game of survival...