The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling

From Goodreads: A BIG NOVEL ABOUT A SMALL TOWN ...

When Barry Fairbrother dies in his early forties, the town of Pagford is left in shock.

Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war.

Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils ... Pagford is not what it first seems.

And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?

(Warning: my review is brutal)

My Thoughts: Before I read this book, I read through a couple reviews on Goodreads.  I was interested to read the summary of the book and see if this is something I could get into.  Almost all of the reviews on GR that I read mentioned that Rowling wrote this book for shock value, to remind readers that this isn't Harry Potter.  Also, a few reviews said they couldn't even finish the book! I thought: "What a bunch of crap; These people just don't know how to appreciate a good book like I do!! What fools they are to not realize that they simply aren't reading HP and respect the adult book for what it is" And I could go on... 

Those reviewers don't know anything. Wannabe JK Rowling fans.

So the summary of the book intrigued me, and thus I began to read.  I got as far as chapter 6 (VI).  Yes, so that should say it all.  Take my review with a grain of salt because I didn't finish the book, but I really couldn't bring myself to. It really made me sad and disappointed because I expected so much more from Rowling.  

 She has, arguably, one of the most popular book series in the world, and we get this as her adult novel?

And guess what? Those 6 chapters that I read made me realize that the reviewers were right! No plot, just a different family with multiple characters in each chapter that you had a hard time keeping up with (since so many were introduced), talking about Barry Fairbrother's death.  That's it.  The characters all have some secret hatred or ugly truth inside of them that's supposed to interest the readers.  I get that she is trying to write something new, and depict people for how they really are (petty, shallow, greedy, mean, fake, etc) but it really does come off as though she is trying to shock us, especially because 6 chapters in there is no plot.  Not to mention the vulgarity.... in some parts it is disgusting.  I don't even want to get into it, but it involves the crude thoughts of teenage boys (and apparently according to other reviewers also rape and pedophilia later in the book).  So please, try this book if you want but really....it might disappoint you. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Series

So, as you know I've been reading Rachel Caine's Morganville Vampires series.  I never intended to go on a YA vampire book reading binge, but for some reason when I read a few books in the series I can't stop.  I need to finish the series.  And, the books are alright--some in the series better than others, but nothing I would probably re-read again (I don't mean that in a bad way, it's just that I need to reeeally love a series to re-read it again). Early on in the series, and even later books, she leaves a ton of cliffhangers at the end of the books.  If I was a reader waiting for these books to be published I would be annoyed because I don't like when authors manipulate you into buying their books via plot tricks. Anyway, it would bother me if I quit a few books into the series.  Is anyone else like this?  Once you start a series you have to finish it?

Now I finished book 11 (even though there's two more books which will have to wait) and I think I'm going to move onto something with more substance.

It's the Holiday Season

For the last couple of weeks, my life has been extremely hectic (as I'm sure was everyone's).  I came right from my finals to working in retail. Christmas, as you know, is the busiest season for retail.  Back to school might be the only other time it gets super busy, but they don't hire extra people to help out.  Anyway, the store was really busy this past week especially, and I have been trying to get as many hours in as I can, so that doesn't leave a lot of room for reading.  Or rather, I should say, working, family visiting, holiday obligations, shopping for gifts, taking back presents, planning new years doesn't leave a lot of time for reading.  But alas! I actually managed to sneak in some time.

I have read a couple of books that I would like to give a small summary and review on.  These books I read in hardback version from the library, but since I got a KINDLE FIRE (yes, I shouted that.  I'm really excited about it :-D) I will slowly be trying to convert everything over into digital format.

                                 
Jinx by Meg Cabot

Meg Cabot is one of my favorite YA authors to read when I need something light, girly, and funny.   And that's exactly what I needed, so I picked up this book.  Jinx is a girl who moved to her aunt and uncle's house in New York, NY because she was having some issues in her hometown. Her cousin Tory doesn't like Jinx, and decides to make Jinx's life as hard as she possibly can for her.  Of course, there is romance involved, and a few OMG moments that I didn't expect. But to me, this book got a little weird with all the witchcraft involved.  This book seemed like a cross between the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Charmed.  Usually I love Meg Cabot's books, but I only gave it two stars on Goodreads because I felt it was just okay. However, if you've never read Meg Cabot and you aren't sure now that you read this review, please read her books! I do enjoy almost all of them.



The next series I read, I've wanted to for a long while:

The Morganville Vampires by Rachel Caine 

The first book in the series

Glass Houses is the first book in the series. I've only read the first and second book so far, and there are 15 total as of 2013 (some are being published this year).  So, that's a lot of books.  I have to say I wasn't too taken with her other series, The Weather Warden (about people who control the weather), so I wasn't in a rush to read these.  It wasn't until I saw on one of my book forums that I follow that many people were recommending it.

Anyway, this series is about a very intelligent young girl, Claire, who is able to go to college early because she is so smart. Her parents wanted her to enroll at a college close to home, and that school is in Morganville, TX. Claire soon realizes that the whole town isn't really what it seems and that it is overrun by vampires.  Now, before you go "Not another vampire fluffy sparkle book," know that these vampires are written the way I think Bram Stoker originally intended.  They aren't nice, are barely human, and they don't mess around. The interesting twist to this story is that the vampires have placed a psychic, magical field around the town so that once people leave they forget that vampires even existed there. And if people do remember, the vampires come after them.

So far this series has been part horror, part drama, a little romance, and even a hint of dystopia, because the humans are so oppressed in this town.  This series shows many people's negative sides, a lot of violence, and how far humans will go to keep the vampire's protection.  In Morganville, you are either protected by vampires and look the other way, or you are their food. The vampires monitor the television, internet, and take a census of who enters and leaves the town. Rachel Caine has a writing style that is non-stop action, and what you think will happen does not.  This is a fast-paced, intriguing, and at times anxiety-causing series.  But, it is a nice refreshing change from all the vampire love stories out there.  Give this series a try!



I'm off to get my kindle fire working....have a good day everyone :)