Month: May 2015

Review – The Dead Lands by Benjamin Percy

~ Erika K ~ 1 Comment

The Dead Lands
by Benjamin Percy
The Dead Lands

***NOTE: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

Genre: Horror / SciFi / Fantasy
My Rating **** (4 of 5 stars)

The Dead Lands is at its core a story of survival in the face of apparently insurmountable obstacles – survival not just of a few individuals, but of humanity itself.

Synopsis From Goodreads:
In Benjamin Percy’s new thriller, a post-apocalyptic reimagining of the Lewis and Clark saga, a super flu and nuclear fallout have made a husk of the world we know. A few humans carry on, living in outposts such as the Sanctuary-the remains of St. Louis-a shielded community that owes its survival to its militant defense and fear-mongering leaders.  (read more)

The story starts out in Sanctuary, and then hops back and forth between there and the group of escapees who have set off in the hopes of discovering something better. Each member of the scouting party has his or her own personal reason for fleeing Sanctuary. For some, the struggle with their decision to leave causes them almost as much grief as the monsters, inhospitable climates, and other people they meet along the way.

This book had both the horror-road-trip feel of The Talisman, by Stephen King and Peter Straub, and the find-other-survivors-and-keep-the-human-race-going vibe of The Passage, by Justin Cronin. (Both of which I highly recommend if you have not already read them!) It was a suspenseful, thought-provoking tale and I really enjoyed it.

I do think that the way the story wrapped up, there might be a possibility of a little more Lewis and Clark (not to mention Gawea) in the future. I’m not sure that’s what the author was getting at, but I can hope….

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What Are You Reading Wednesday 5/6/15

~ Erika K ~ 2 Comments

What are you reading Wednesday – 5/6/15

whatareyoureadingwed

What Are You Reading Wednesdays is a weekly meme hosted by Its A Reading Thing. Just answer three little questions about what you are reading this Wednesday, then head on over to their blog to add a link to your own post, or leave your answers in the comments below.

The Questions are:
1. What’s the name of your current read?

2. Go to page 34 in your book or 34% in your eBook and share one complete sentence.

3. Would you like to live in the world that exists within your book? Why or why not?

My Answers this week:

1. I’m currently reading The Dead Lands, by Benjamin Percy
The Dead Lands

2. If Lewis was the type to share, the type who offloaded all his aches and worries and displeasures onto others, then he might complain about the dreams that bother him nightly.

3. I would most definitely not like to like in this fictional future. The world has been devastated by an outbreak of a deadly flu virus, and the survivors are few and far between, scattered into small communities across the USA. Technology is nearly non-existent, and the climate is extreme. Life here is hard, uncomfortable, and dangerous.

Can’t wait to hear what everyone else is reading today!

Review – Blue Labyrinth by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

~ Erika K ~ 3 Comments

Blue Labyrinth
by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

Blue Labyrinth (Pendergast, #14)

Pendergast Series, #14
Blackstone Audiobooks, 13 CDs, narrated by Rene Auberjonois

My Rating **** (4 of 5 stars)

This was another audiobook I listened to during my commute back and forth to work, and Rene Auberjonois continues to do a great job narrating this series. Sometimes I don’t even mind the nearly-hour-long drive! 🙂

Lincoln and Child are two of my favorite authors, whether they are writing together or individually, but I really enjoy their Agent Pendergast novels. If you haven’t read anything in this series however, Blue Labyrinth might not be the best place to start. There are returning characters from previous novels, and reading some of the earlier books (especially Relic, #1 in the series)  will make this one even more enjoyable.

I love revisiting old friends and old places in this series, and the New York Museum of Natural History is by far my favorite place in Pendergast’s New York. Blue Labyrinth opens with a dead body in the museum, and Margo Green called in to assist with the police investigation. Full of danger and Pendergast family drama, this installment moves along at an incredible pace, and is a great addition to the series.

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