Reading Wrap-Up | February 2015

February was another good reading month for me! I didn't read as many books as I read in January, but so far this year I haven't read a single book I've hated. In fact I enjoyed pretty much every book I read this month.

(And to any of my fellow book bloggers who happen to live in Wales, Happy St. David's Day!)

My Life as a White Trash Zombie

by Diana Rowland

My Rating: 

Angel Crawford is a loser.

Living with her alcoholic deadbeat dad in the swamps of southern Louisiana, she's a high school dropout with a pill habit and a criminal record who's been fired from more crap jobs than she can count. Now on probation for a felony, it seems that Angel will never pull herself out of the downward spiral her life has taken.

That is, until the day she wakes up in the ER after overdosing on painkillers. Angel remembers being in an horrible car crash, but she doesn't have a mark on her. To add to the weirdness, she receives an anonymous letter telling her there's a job waiting for her at the parish morgue—and that it's an offer she doesn't dare refuse.

Before she knows it she's dealing with a huge crush on a certain hunky deputy and a brand new addiction: an overpowering craving for brains. Plus, her morgue is filling up with the victims of a serial killer who decapitates his prey—just when she's hungriest!

Angel's going to have to grow up fast if she wants to keep this job and stay in one piece. Because if she doesn't, she's dead meat.

Literally.

Reviewed here!

The Earl & the Fairy, Vol.1

by Mizue Tani and Ayuko

My Rating: 

Lydia Carlton is a fairy doctor, one of the few people with the ability to see the magical creatures who share our world. During one of her rare trips to London to visit her father, Lydia’s quiet life is suddenly transformed when she is rescued from kidnappers by a mysterious young man! Edgar Ashenbert claims to be descended from the human ruler of the fairy kingdom, and he urgently needs Lydia’s help to find and claim his birthright, the legendary sword of the Blue Knight Earl. Things will never be the same for Lydia as she is pulled into a dangerous quest against dark forces!

Reviewed here!

Judas

by Damian Walford Davies

Judas Iscariot—one of the Bible’s most notorious characters—comes to life in this dramatic and thought-provoking new collection of poems by Damian Walford Davies. Fully aware of how ancient enmities shape modern conflicts, the author draws on 20 centuries of representations of Judas to set out a tale that challenges our preconceived notions of holiness and betrayal.

I got to read this poetry collection pre-publication at work! It's a really interesting collection; I'm a big fan of poetry collections that draw on history, mythology and theology, so I'm glad I got to read this. I've refrained from rating it for the timebeing because I never know how to formulate my thoughts on poetry and I don't think I can rate it. Sadly, I'm no poetry expert.

Even White Trash Get the Blues

by Diana Rowland

My Rating: 

Angel Crawford is finally starting to get used to life as a brain-eating zombie, but her problems are far from over. Her felony record is coming back to haunt her, more zombie hunters are popping up, and she’s beginning to wonder if her hunky cop-boyfriend is involved with the zombie mafia. Yeah, that’s right--the zombie mafia.

Throw in a secret lab and a lot of conspiracy, and Angel’s going to need all of her brainpower--and maybe a brain smoothie as well--in order to get through it without falling apart.

Reviewed here!

Fairest

by Marissa Meyer

My Rating: 

Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of them all?

Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story – a story that has never been told . . . until now. 

Reviewed here!

Ms. Marvel, Vol.1: No Normal

by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona

My Rating: 

Kamala Khan is an ordinary girl from Jersey City — until she's suddenly empowered with extraordinary gifts. But who truly is the new Ms. Marvel? Teenager? Muslim? Inhuman? Find out as she takes the Marvel Universe by storm! When Kamala discovers the dangers of her newfound powers, she unlocks a secret behind them, as well. Is Kamala ready to wield these immense new gifts? Or will the weight of the legacy before her be too much to bear? Kamala has no idea, either. But she's comin' for you, New York! 

If you haven't been able to tell, I've gone on a bit of a graphic novel binge this year. 

What a fantastic start to a series. First of all, I'm ashamed to say I don't think I've actually read a book where the main character has been a Muslim. Evidently that's something I need to change; I like to think I read quite diversely, but I know I still have a lot I can improve in that respect when it comes to my reading habits. 

Kamala is such a fun character, and I really loved her relationship with her family, particularly her father. I could understand why Kamala was clashing so much with what her parents wanted for her, but her parents were still portrated as likable people which I really appreciated. I'm looking forward to the rest of this series!

What did you read in February?

Reading Wrap-Up | January 2015

I'm very pleased to announce that January was a brilliant reading month for me, meaning I got the new year off to a fantastic start! I read ten books this month, and enjoyed all of them.

Burial Rites

by Hannah Kent

My Rating:

Set against Iceland's stark landscape, Hannah Kent brings to vivid life the story of Agnes, who, charged with the brutal murder of her former master, is sent to an isolated farm to await execution. 

Horrified at the prospect of housing a convicted murderer, the family at first avoids Agnes. Only Tóti, a priest Agnes has mysteriously chosen to be her spiritual guardian, seeks to understand her. But as Agnes's death looms, the farmer's wife and their daughters learn there is another side to the sensational story they've heard. 

A stunning debut novel and a stunning piece of historical fiction. If you'd like to see more of my thoughts on it, you can find my review here!

White Ravens

by Owen Sheers

My Rating: 

Based on the fable of Branwen, Daughter of Llyr, this interpretation revives one of the most action-packed stories in the whole myth cycle. Moving this bloodthirsty tale of Welsh and Irish power struggles and family tensions into the 21st century, this retelling retains many of the bizarre and magical happenings of the original. After being wounded in Italy, Matthew O’Connell is seeing out WWII in an obscure government department, spreading rumors and myths to the enemy. When he is assigned the bizarre task of escorting a box containing six raven chicks from a remote hill farm to the Tower of London, he soon finds himself ensnared in an adventure that leaves him powerless.

My first retelling of the year was White Ravens, a retelling of one of the tales from The Mabinogion. I enjoyed it, and I look forward to reading more of these retellings!

Saga, Volume 1

by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

My Rating: 

When two soldiers from opposite sides of a never-ending galactic war fall in love, they risk everything to bring a fragile new life into a dangerous old universe. 

This month I finally started Saga, which I've been meaning to read for a long time now. I loved it. I love the originality of the character designs; I love Prince Robot IV, and despite being terrified of spiders I really love The Stalk, too. The chemistry between Alana and Marko is perfection and I just love this series so much. I love it!

Saga, Volume 2

by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

My Rating: 

Thanks to her star-crossed parents Marko and Alana, newborn baby Hazel has already survived lethal assassins, rampaging armies, and horrific monsters, but in the cold vastness of outer space, the little girl encounters her strangest adventure yet... grandparents.

Did I mention I love this series?

Saga, Volume 3

by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

My Rating: 

Searching for their literary hero, new parents Marko and Alana travel to a cosmic lighthouse on the planet Quietus, while the couple's multiple pursuers finally close in on their targets.

Like, really love it.

A Room of One's Own

by Virginia Woolf

My Rating: 

A Room of One's Own is an extended essay by Virginia Woolf. First published on 24 October 1929, the essay was based on a series of lectures she delivered at Newnham College and Girton College, two women's colleges at Cambridge University in October 1928. While this extended essay in fact employs a fictional narrator and narrative to explore women both as writers of and characters in fiction, the manuscript for the delivery of the series of lectures, titled "Women and Fiction", and hence the essay, are considered non-fiction. The essay is generally seen as a feminist text, and is noted in its argument for both a literal and figural space for women writers within a literary tradition dominated by patriarchy.

I've been meaning to read this for the longest time, so I finally got myself a copy and read it during my bus rides to and from work. I loved it; there are entire extracts from this I'd love to print out and stick on my wall.

Saga, Volume 4

by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

My Rating: 

Visit new planets, meet new adversaries and explore a very new direction, as Hazel becomes a toddler while her family struggles to stay on their feet.

When do I get Volume 5?!

The Meat Tree

by Gwyneth Lewis

My Rating: 

A dangerous tale of desire, DNA, incest and flowers plays out within the wreckage of an ancient spaceship in The Meat Tree: an absorbing retelling of one of the best-known Welsh myths by prize-winning writer and poet, Gwyneth Lewis.

An elderly investigator and his female apprentice hope to extract the fate of the ship's crew from its antiquated virtual reality game system, but their empirical approach falters as the story tangles with their own imagination.

By imposing a distance of another 200 years and millions of light years between the reader and the medieval myth, Gwyneth Lewis brings the magical tale of Blodeuwedd, a woman made of flowers, closer than ever before: maybe uncomfortably so.

After all, what man has any idea how sap burns in the veins of a woman?

Next I read another Maginogion retelling. I didn't enjoy it as much as I enjoyed White Ravens - it's very weird - but it was still an entertaining and original read.

The Crown

by Nancy Bilyeau

My Rating: 

Joanna Stafford, a Dominican nun, learns that her favourite cousin has been condemned by Henry VIII to be burned at the stake. Defying the rule of enclosure, Joanna leaves the priory to stand at her cousin’s side. Arrested for interfering with the king’s justice, Joanna, along with her father, is sent to the Tower of London.

While Joanna is in the Tower, the ruthless Bishop of Winchester forces her to spy for him: to save her father’s life she must find an ancient relic—a crown so powerful, it may possess the ability to end the Reformation.

With Cromwell’s troops threatening to shutter her priory, bright and bold Joanna must decide who she can trust so that she may save herself, her family, and her sacred way of life. 

I was craving some historical crime in January, and as the latest Matthew Shardlake book isn't out in paperback until March I decided to pick up the first book in Nancy Bilyeau's Joanna Stafford series. It was just what I was in the mood for, and it was great to read some female-led historical crime. Look out for my review!

Rat Queens, Vol. 1: Sass and Sorcery

by Kurtis J. Wiebe and Roc Upchurch

My Rating: 

Who are the Rat Queens? 

A pack of booze-guzzling, death-dealing battle maidens-for-hire, and they're in the business of killing all god's creatures for profit. 

It's also a darkly comedic sass-and-sorcery series starring Hannah the Rockabilly Elven Mage, Violet the Hipster Dwarven Fighter, Dee the Atheist Human Cleric and Betty the Hippy Smidgen Thief. This modern spin on an old school genre is a violent monster-killing epic that is like Buffy meets Tank Girl in a Lord of the Rings world on crack! 

I really want to read more graphic novels this year, and I think reading five in January has certainly gotten me off to a good start. I really enjoyed Rat Queens; I adore Violet and Dee Dee in particular, and I'm looking forward to the animated series!

What did you read in January?

Reading Wrap-Up | October 2014

October turned out to be a great reading month for me; I read eight books, and enjoyed most of them!

The Graveyard Book

by Neil Gaiman

My Rating: 

After the grisly murder of his entire family, a toddler wanders into a graveyard where the ghosts and other supernatural residents agree to raise him as one of their own.

Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a normal boy. He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a sprawling graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead. There are dangers and adventures in the graveyard for a boy. But if Bod leaves the graveyard, then he will come under attack from the man Jack—who has already killed Bod's family . . . 

Carrying on from Blood Sinister, my last read of last month (which I reviewed here), I decided to cross another book off my Autumn TBR and finally pick up The Graveyard Book. I'd been putting this book off for years (I'm pretty sure I've owned my copy since I was around 14/15) because when I first tried to read it I couldn't get into it. Despite it being one of Gaiman's most popular books I was certain I wouldn't enjoy it, but when I picked it up at the beginning of this month I couldn't put it down. I loved this book, and if you want to see some more of my thoughts you can find my review here!

American Vampire: Volume 1

by Scott Snyder, Rafael Albuquerque and Stephen King

My Rating: 

Snyder's tale follows Pearl, a young woman living in 1920s Los Angeles, who is brutally turned into a vampire and sets out on a path of righteous revenge against the European monsters who tortured and abused her. And in King's story set in the days of America's Wild West, readers learn the origin of Skinner Sweet, the original American vampire – a stronger, faster creature than any vampire ever seen before. 

I went to the library at the beginning of October and borrowed a heap of books, including this one. I don't read that many graphic novels, which is something I'm trying to change, and even though I'm not usually the biggest vampire fan I thought this would be a great book to read as Halloween approaches. I enjoyed it and I'd like to read the other books in the series at some point. I reviewed it here if you'd like to see some more of my thoughts!

Printer's Devil Court

by Susan Hill

My Rating: 

A mysterious manuscript lands on the desk of the step-son of the late Dr Hugh Meredith, a country doctor with a prosperous and peaceful practice in a small English town. From the written account he has left behind, however, we learn that Meredith was haunted by events that took place years before, during his training as a junior doctor near London’s Fleet Street, in a neighbourhood virtually unchanged since Dickens’s times. 

Living then in rented digs, Meredith gets to know two other young medics, who have been carrying out audacious and terrifying research and experiments. Now they need the help of another who must be a doctor capable of total discretion and strong nerves. 

I hadn't even realised Susan Hill had written another ghost story, so when I came across this in my local library and it claimed to be a story about medical advancement gone wrong - a trope I love in my spooky stories - I was very excited. Sadly, I was bitterly disappointed with the result, but judging by the other ratings on Goodreads I'm one of the only people out there who didn't enjoy it. If you'd like to know more about why I didn't like it, you can find my review here!

Rebecca

by Daphne du Maurier

My Rating: 

Working as a lady's companion, the heroine of Rebecca learns her place. Her future looks bleak until, on a trip to the South of France, she meets Max de Winter, a handsome widower whose sudden proposal of marriage takes her by surprise. She accepts, but whisked from glamourous Monte Carlo to the ominous and brooding Manderley, the new Mrs de Winter finds Max a changed man. And the memory of his dead wife Rebecca is forever kept alive by the forbidding housekeeper, Mrs Danvers...

Not since Jane Eyre has a heroine faced such difficulty with the Other Woman. An international bestseller that has never gone out of print,Rebecca is the haunting story of a young girl consumed by love and the struggle to find her identity.

I've been meaning to read Rebecca for years, and after finally reading my first du Maurier, Frenchman's Creek, last month, I decided it was time to delve into du Maurier's masterpiece. If you can't tell by my rating, I really, really, really enjoyed this book. It turned out to be the ideal read for October - it's quite a spooky read, especially with the presence of that horrid Mrs Danvers on every other page - and I'm so glad to finally cross it off my TBR. I've basically discovered a newfound love for Daphne du Maurier, and I'm trying to read as many of her books as possible. I just wish I'd read her sooner!

The Yellow Wallpaper and Other Stories

by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

My Rating: 

Best known for the 1892 title story of this collection, a harrowing tale of a woman's descent into madness, Charlotte Perkins Gilman wrote more than 200 other short stories. Seven of her finest are reprinted here.

Written from a feminist perspective, often focusing on the inferior status accorded to women by society, the tales include "turned," an ironic story with a startling twist, in which a husband seduces and impregnates a naïve servant; "Cottagette," concerning the romance of a young artist and a man who's apparently too good to be true; "Mr. Peebles' Heart," a liberating tale of a fiftyish shopkeeper whose sister-in-law, a doctor, persuades him to take a solo trip to Europe, with revivifying results; "The Yellow Wallpaper"; and three other outstanding stories.

These charming tales are not only highly readable and full of humor and invention, but also offer ample food for thought about the social, economic, and personal relationship of men and women — and how they might be improved.

The Yellow Wallpaper is another story I've been meaning to read for some time now, so after I finished Rebecca I decided to pick up this little collection of Charlotte Perkins Gilman's short stories, and I liked them! The Yellow Wallpaper turned out to be slightly different to what I expected, though I'm not 100% sure what I expected, but I still liked it and I can understand why it's heralded as a piece of feminist fiction. I also very much enjoyed Turned, another story in the collection, and I'm pleased to have finally read something written by Gilman!

Marvel 1602

by Neil Gaiman, Andy Kubert and Richard Isanove

My Rating: 

In Marvel 1602, award-winning writer Neil Gaiman presents a unique vision of the Marvel Universe set four hundred years in the past. Classic Marvel icons such as the X-Men, Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four and Daredevil appear in this intriguing world of 17th-century science and sorcery, instantly familiar to readers, yest subtly different in this new time.Marvel 1602combines classic Marvel action and adventure with the historically accurate setting of Queen Elizabeth I's reign to create a unique series unlike any other published by Marvel Comics.

Classic Marvel heroes in the early 17th century? Yes please! As soon as I discovered that Marvel 1602 exists, which was only a few months ago, and that it was written by Neil Gaiman, I immediately ordered myself a copy. It took me a while to get through, mainly because it was quite a thick graphic novel compared to others I've read and I enjoyed just dipping in and out of it, but I did like it, though I'm disappointed I didn't like it more. I think when it comes to Marvel I'm always going to enjoy watching it more than reading it (and I think Marvel 1602 would make a great film or TV show) but I did enjoy this. I haven't decided yet whether I'm going to read the rest of the series.

Medieval Underpants and Other Blunders

by Susanne Alleyn

My Rating: 

This is not a book on how to write historical fiction. It is a book on how not to write historical fiction.

If you love history and you’re hard at work on your first historical novel, but you’re wondering if your medieval Irishmen would live on potatoes, if your 17th-century pirate would use a revolver, or if your hero would be able to offer Marie-Antoinette a box of chocolate bonbons...

(The answer to all these is “Absolutely not!”)

...then Medieval Underpants and Other Blunders is the book for you.

Medieval Underpants will guide you through the factual mistakes that writers of historical fiction—-both beginners and professionals—-most often make, and show you how to avoid them. From fictional characters crossing streets that wouldn’t exist for another sixty years, to the pitfalls of the Columbian Exchange (when plants and foods native to the Americas first began to appear in Europe, Asia, and Africa, and vice versa), to 1990s slang in the mouths of 1940s characters, Susanne Alleyn exposes the often hilarious, always painful goofs that turn up most frequently in fiction set in the past.

This month I also finally finished this piece of non-fiction I've been dipping in and out of. As a writer of historical fiction, books like these can come in very useful - and this book certainly gave me some great quotes for my MA essay! - but I think it could have been written better. Even though there were parts of it that were fun and other parts that were very useful, for the most part I felt as though Alleyn needed to get off her high horse and stop treating her readers like they're stupid. At times there was something quite condescending about her tone that made this a lot less enjoyable than it could have been.

Bellman & Black

by Diane Setterfield

My Rating: 

A childish act of cruelty with terrible consequences. 

A father desperate to save his daughter. 

A curious bargain with a stranger in black. 

And Bellman & Black is born.

My final read of October was my first foray into Diane Setterfield, known for her other novel The Thirteenth Tale. This book was an odd one. I really, really enjoyed it; Setterfield's writing style is gorgeous and I loved how this novel is reminiscent of the Victorian Gothic genre. However, the more I think about it the more I realise that it's quite a misleading story; I think anyone who reads the blurb will expect an entirely different story to the one they get, I know I did, but because of my love for historical fiction and Setterfield's lyrical writing I didn't mind that. Having read the reviews on Goodreads, though, I know there are a lot of disappointed readers. One of the main issues, I think, is that everyone is describing Bellman & Black as a ghost story, but it's not as simple as that; it's a very subtle ghost story hidden within a family saga, so if you're expecting something like The Woman in Black you're going to be disappointed.

Those are all the books I read in October! What did you read last month?

Reading Wrap-Up | August + September 2014

After a little hiatus my reading wrap-ups are back, and today I'll be sharing with you what I read in August and September. Considering I was finishing up my MA portfolio and just generally stressing out throughout both of these months I got more reading done than I expected!

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane

by Katherine Howe

My Rating: 

Connie Goodwin should be spending her summer doing research for her Ph.D. dissertation in American History. But when her mother asks her to handle the sale of Connie's grandmother's abandoned home near Salem, she's compelled to help. It's not long before the time she's set aside for research is instead spent sorting through her grandmother's ancient possessions, discovering a woman she barely knew. One day, while exploring the dusty bookshelves in the study, Connie discovers a key hidden within an old bible. And within the key is a brittle slip of paper with two words written on it: Deliverance Dane. Along with a handsome steeplejack named Sam, Connie begins to dig into the town's records, looking for references to Deliverance Dane. But even as the pieces begin to fall into place, Connie is haunted by visions of the witch trials so long ago, and she begins to fear that she is more tied to Salem's dark past than she could have ever imagined. 

The first book I read in August was a re-read for me. I first discovered The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane in my local library and enjoyed it that much that I had to get my own copy. It had flaws in places - the villain was a little too obvious and the ending felt a little rushed - but I enjoyed it just as much as the first time I read it. Connie's a very relatable heroine and I love her mother, too. Not to mention Sam, the love interest, who I certainly wouldn't kick out of bed.

Even More Terrible Tudors

by Terry Deary

My Rating: 

Want to know:-- who invited Queen Elizabeth I to visit his brand new toilet?
- what you get when you sew the front of a chicken to the back of a pig?
- how to catch jail fever if you've never been to prison?

Read on for amazing information about the good times and the gory - from the fabulous fun of the great goose fairs and the harmless horrors of Shakespeare's plays, to the vicious variety of painful punishments and the terrible trickery of the ruthless royal family.

History has never been so horrible!

I grew up on the Horrible Histories books, they might be non-fiction but this series was one of my absolute favourites when I was little and I devoured them. Over the past few years it's garnered a whole new fanbase following the success of the show on CBBC and new, bright editions of the books have been released for a whole new generation of kids to enjoy. But I will always love the editions I grew up with which I sadly lost some years ago (I have a feeling my Mum donated them to charity), so when I discovered an entire box of the books in the editions I grew up with on a market stall there was no way I was walking away empty-handed. They were only 70p each, so I ended up picking up some of my favourites, including this one! One night I couldn't sleep, so I read this and it was really comforting. I love these books.

Deadline

by Mira Grant

My Rating: 

Shaun Mason is a man without a mission. Not even running the news organization he built with his sister has the same urgency as it used to. Playing with dead things just doesn't seem as fun when you've lost as much as he has.

But when a CDC researcher fakes her own death and appears on his doorstep with a ravenous pack of zombies in tow, Shaun has a newfound interest in life. Because she brings news-he may have put down the monster who attacked them, but the conspiracy is far from dead.

Now, Shaun hits the road to find what truth can be found at the end of a shotgun.

The last book I read in August was the second book in Mira Grant's Newsflesh trilogy. As expected, it was amazing and I loved it and I had to start the third book, Blackout, straight away. I haven't had much of a chance to really get into the third book yet, but I'm hoping to complete the trilogy this month! If you haven't picked up this series yet then frankly I don't know what you're doing with your life.

Frenchman's Creek

by Daphne du Maurier

My Rating: 

The Restoration Court knows Lady Dona St Columb to be ripe for any folly, any outrage that will relieve the tedium of her days. But there is another, secret Dona who longs for a life of honest love - and sweetness, even if it is spiced with danger. Dona flees London for remote Navron, looking for peace of mind in its solitary woods and hidden creeks. She finds there the passion her spirit craves - in the love of a daring pirate hunted across Cornwall, a Frenchman who, like Dona, would gamble his life for a moment's joy.

In September I finally read my first Daphne du Maurier book! I was going to read Rebecca, but I've heard such amazing things about it that I didn't want to read Rebecca first and ruin du Maurier's other books for me. Being the lover of historical fiction that I am I decided to pick up Frenchman's Creek instead, and I really, really enjoyed it; it was just the kind of fun adventure/romance story I needed after finishing up my MA, and now I can't wait to read more du Maurier!

Blood Sinister

by Celia Rees

My Rating: 

Ellen Forrest is sick, she feels as if the life is being sucked out of her. The doctors think that she is suffering from a disease of the blood, and she has been sent to her grandmother's house to rest, but she seems to be getting worse, not better. Can it have anything to do with the diaries she has found in the attic? Diaries written in Victorian times by her great great grandmother. Diaries that describe an encounter with a handsome young Count who comes from the Land Beyond the Forest. 

Ellen likes a vampire story, who doesn't? The difference is that this one just happens to be true…

I wanted to cross at least one book off my Autumn TBR in September, so considering Blood Sinister isn't even 200 pages long it seemed like the perfect choice. It was okay. It wasn't the worst book I've read, but it wasn't particularly special either, although it was fun to read about people watching videos - you just can't beat the '90s! If you're in the mood to read something easy this Halloween then I recommend you pick it up, but don't expect to be wowed.

What have you read recently?