It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

It's Monday, What Are You Reading is a weekly meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. It is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.

I don't actually have much new to report this week. I'm still reading The Survivor by Sean Slater. It's over 500 pages, so it has taken me some time. But I only have just over 100 pages left, and it has really picked up, so I'm hoping to finish it today. Look for a review in a couple of days.

I had been good and not bought any new books in January and up until last week, but then I received a voucher for 10% off from The Book Depository and all my good intentions went out the window. I put in an order for seven books and one Moleskin notebook (don't you just love them?), but I have no idea where to put them when they get here.

I haven't decided exactly what I want to read next, but here is a list of the most tempting ones right now:

Sapphique by Catherine Fisher
The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris
Curse of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir
Inkdeath by Cornelia Funke

Which one do you think I should read first?

Don't forget to enter my giveaway for Heat Wave by Richard Castle! Ends today!

The Trouble With Audio Books

Obviously there are a lot of advantages to audio books; one of the biggest being that you can listen to them while doing something else like driving or cooking or exercising or sewing. Well, maybe you can. I can't. Believe me, I have tried. But when it comes to audio books, my ability to multitask seems to vanish into thin air. The tiniest distraction and I completely forget about the book and start thinking about something else. It becomes background noise, like when the TV is on without anyone watching. When I realise this, several pages or even chapters have passed, and I have to rewind and try to find the place I zoned out. I can manage for a while if I sit completely still and focus on listening, but then another problem arises: I fall asleep. It doesn't matter how interesting or exciting the book is; if I listen to it for more than a few minutes, I start getting sleepy. And if I don't actually fall asleep, my mind starts to wander and we're back to problem number one again. It just doesn't work for me.

I have come to the conclusion that my attention span is simply too short for audio books. However, I must have a very selective attention span, because I normally never have this problem when reading "real" books. (Okay, sometimes I fall asleep with a book in my hands, but that is usually because I stayed up too late the night before.) There are several occasions when an audio book would have been great, like when I am stitching or scrapbooking, but no. I just can't seem to pay attention. I feel like I am missing out, because no doubt there are great adaptions out there. For instance, I love listening to Neil Gaiman reading his own works, but not even he can hold my attention for any length of time (sad, I know).

What do you think? Am I just not trying hard enough? Does your mind wander while listening to audio books?

Booking Through Thursday - Something Old, Something New

Booking Through Thursday is a weekly meme about (mostly) books and reading.

This week's question is:

All other things being equal – do you prefer used books? Or new books? (The physical specimen, that is, not the title.) Does your preference differentiate between a standard kind of used book, and a pristine, leather-bound copy?

I was going to say that my ideal personal library consists of nothing but new books, but then I realised that if they were to remain that way, I could never read them. The thing is that once a book is read, it is no longer new. Even though I try to be very careful when handling my books, they inevitably end up looking less new after a while.

I buy a lot of used books or get them through BookMooch, BookCrossing or the library, and I think it is a wonderful way of saving money as well as the environment. I am somewhat selective when buying used books though; if it is in really bad condition, like partly illegible or pages are falling out (or if it smells of cigarette smoke – major turn-off for me), I will of course pass. But some general signs of wear and tear don't bother me at all. The only exception is a favourite book; if I know I want to keep it forever, I will buy a new hardcover simply because it will last longer.

Giveaway: Heat Wave by Richard Castle

The cast of Castle (photo credit)

I would like to give my gently read copy of Heat Wave to one lucky winner. All you need to do is comment on this post with a way to contact you and tell me who your favourite character on Castle is – or, if you don't watch the show, who your favourite television detective is. I will draw a winner on 28 February midnight CET. Oh, and this is international.

Read my review of Heat Wave.

My answer
As much as I love Castle and Beckett (and Ryan), my very favourite character on the show is Castle's daughter Alexis. She is the sweetest thing; friendly, caring, funny, smart, sensible and just plain adorable. I'm sure all parents wish their teenage daughter was like that. Heck, I wish I was like that.

Review: Heat Wave

Heat Wave
By Richard Castle

First published: 2009
Series: Nikki Heat #1

Read: 17 - 21 February 2011
Pages: 198
Challenges: 1st in a Series Challenge #3
Mystery & Suspence Reading Challenge #2

From the cover
Mystery sensation Richard Castle, blockbuster author of the wildly bestselling Derrick Storm novels, introduces his newest character, NYPD Homicide Detective Nikki Heat. Tough, sexy, professional, Nikki Heat carries a passion for justice as she leads one of New York City's top homicide squads. She's hit with an unexpected challenge when the commissioner assigns superstar magazine journalist Jameson Rook to ride along with her to research an article on New York's Finest. Pulitzer Prize-winning Rook is as much a handful as he is handsome. His wise-cracking and meddling aren't her only problems. As she works to unravel the secrets of a murdered real estate tycoon, she must also confront the spark between her and Rook. The one called heat.

Fans of Castle Will Love This Book

If you have, like me, been watching and enjoying the police drama Castle on ABC, you know all about Richard Castle and Heat Wave. If you haven't, well, what has been stopping you?

Okay, okay, here is a quick summary: Castle is about the famous mystery writer Richard Castle who, thanks to his friendship with the mayor, gets to tag along with NYPD Homicide Detective Kate Beckett as research for his new series about famous journalist Jameson Rook who gets to tag along with NYPD Homicide Detective Nikki Heat as research on an article he is writing about the NYPD.

I will give you a moment to think that through.

*whistles*

Got your head around it yet? Good! Then let us carry on with this review.

I don't know if the real author or authors of Heat Wave (should I call them ghost writers?) work on the television show, but the book certainly reads like a regular episode. I almost expected there to be commercial breaks between each chapter.

I love how Richard Castle is presented as a real, living author. There is a short bio of him inside the back cover, and at the end of the book there is a 4-page interview with him. The book even has blurbs by James Patterson and Stephen J. Cannell on the cover (these two have also appeared on the show as themselves).

The murder mystery itself is presented like in an episode; the reader gets the same information as the detectives and at the same time, so it is not easy to guess the murderer early on. In fact, I only realised who it was just before it was revealed in the book, and even then I was not sure.

I adore the dialogue between the characters (again, just like in the tv show). The banter between Heat and detectives Raley and Ochoa (affectionately known as Roach) reflects people who are comfortable with each other and used to thinking in unison. Rook's wise-cracking is very funny, and the sexual tension between Heat and Rook is (excuse the pun) hot.

Because I am so familiar with the tv show, it is impossible for me to think about Heat Wave without thinking about Castle. When I read it, I was seeing Stana Katic as Kate Beckett and Nathan Fillion as Rick Castle in my head instead of picturing Heat and Rook. Would I have enjoyed Heat Wave as much if I had not seen a single episode of Castle? I have no idea. Chances are it would have made me want to watch the show.

Best: The murder mystery, the banter, the sexual tension and being able to get inside the head of Kate Beckett – eh, Nikki Heat.

Worst: My biggest problem with this book was actually the binding. I have the mass market paperback, and the font was very small and the inner margins too thin, so I had to use force to hold the book open enough so that I could read the words closest to the spine. I wish I had bought the Kindle version instead; it would have been much easier to read.

Bottom line: A must-read for Castle fans, a clever mystery novel for everyone else.

My rating:

The Nikki Heat series

1. Heat Wave
2. Naked Heat
3. Heat Rises (coming autumn 2011)

Come back tomorrow for a giveaway of Heat Wave!

It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

It's Monday, What Are You Reading is a weekly meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. It is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.

READ LAST WEEK
I finished rereading one of my all-time favourite books, The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch. It is an amazing fantasy book, and I am so glad I gave in to my urge to read it again, because I had a great time. I will try to write a non-fangirly review, but no guarantees!

I also finished Heat Wave by Richard Castle, which should be familiar to all of you who watch Castle. It was like reading an episode of the show, and I really liked it. Review coming later today.

CURRENTLY READING
I will be starting The Survivor by Sean Slater when I finish work today (seems I am always starting a new book on Mondays – I think it has something to do with this meme!).

WHAT'S NEXT
So much to choose from! Maybe an ebook, as I haven't used my Kindle in a while.

What are you reading this week?

Book Beginnings On Friday

The beginning of Heat Wave by Richard Castle:

It was always the same for her when she arrived to meet the body.

Now, I am a fan of the tv series Castle, which is about the (fictional) author of this book, so I immediately think of this as the opening scene of an episode of the show. As far as opening lines go, this one tells us there is a body (a key ingredient in a murder mystery), and that "she" is most likely the police investigator, because she is on her way to "meet" the body (rather an odd phrase, don't you think?) and that she has done this thing before. How's that for detection skills?

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Book Beginnings on Friday is hosted by A Few More Pages

How to participate: Share the first line (or two) of the book you are currently reading on your blog or in the comments. Include the title and the author so we know what you're reading. Then, if you feel so moved, let us know what your first impressions were based on that first line, and let us know if you liked or did not like the sentence. The link-up will be here at A Few More Pages every Friday.