Bookish Mewsings: Rosemary & Rue by Seanan McGuire & Enjoying a Book in Multiple Formats & Favorite/Least Favorite Abstract Covers

Along with my mini reviews, I am linking to both Book Beginnings, a meme in which readers share the first sentence of a book they are reading, hosted by Gillion Dumas of Rose City Reader and Friday 56 hosted by Freda of Freda's Voice, in which readers share a random sentence or two from page 56 or 56% of the book they are reading.

Rosemary and Rue (October Daye #1) by Seanan McGuire
DAW Books, 2009
Fantasy; 346 pgs

Book Beginning:

The phone was ringing. Again.

Friday 56 (excerpt from 56%):

I sighed. "Lily, being hast doesn't usually get you shot."

"I see. So I suppose you paused to think through whatever actions did lead to your being shot before you took them?"

Thank you again to all who voted for my June TBR List book. As usual, I am late posting my thoughts. I love Seanan McGuire’s Ghost Roads series and was eager to try one of her other books. Rosemary and Rue is the first in her October “Toby” Daye series, featuring a changeling who is half fae and half human. Toby has been trying to stay under the radar, avoiding everyone she knew from her past, the fae in particular. She just wants to be left alone. The murder of Countess Evening Winterrose, however, forces Toby back into the life she had left behind. Evening’s dying words, left on Toby’s answering machine, weren’t simply a cry for help, but a binding curse that will either end with Toby’s death or her finding Evening’s killer.

This dark urban fantasy set in San Francisco had me from the first page. McGuire has a way of creating a world I can feel myself in as I read, no matter how fantastical. In this one, she weaves the intricate details of fae politics and the fae interactions in the human world seamlessly throughout the novel. There are so many interesting characters and little mentions here and there of past events that has me eager to read more in the series. Toby is awesome. She is a knight with a backstory I hope I can explore further as well. I want to know everything! It wasn’t so hard to figure out who did what early on, although Toby isn’t in the know until much later. Full of magic, action, and twists and turns, great characters, and just an overall entertaining read, Rosemary and Rue is a winner in more ways than one.


Have you read this one? What did you think? If not, is it something you might like?

Every Friday Coffee Addicted Writer from Coffee Addicted Writer poses a question which participants respond on their own blogs within the week (Friday through Thursday). They then share their links at the main site and visit other participants blogs.

Have you ever enjoyed the same book in two or more formats (print, ebook, or audiobook)?

It does not happen often, admittedly. I am not a big re-reader. However, when I first began listening to audiobooks, someone recommended I start by listening to books I had already read in print. Especially since one of my biggest issues is being easily distracted by my constantly wandering thoughts. Knowing the book ahead of time, supposedly would make those moments a little less frustrating in the beginning.

I test drove that theory with Storm Front by Jim Butcher, a book I had read years ago and loved. The audio version, narrated by James Marsters, was enjoyable too. My family and I listened to the first Harry Potter book narrated by Jim Dale while on vacation this past summer. It was another book I have read in print form before--and loved. In the case of both, the Dresden Files and Harry Potter, I hope to continue listening to both series in audio finding it a perfect way to revisit the two series. I can see myself listening to other favorite series or books that I have read in either print or e-book form. I think it is a great way to experience a book in a different way.

The last time I read Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre was via e-book, although the multiple times I had read it before then was my print copy. It remains one of my all-time favorite books and did not suffer with the change of format. Honestly, I am not sure I noticed much, if any difference.

I have not really read a book in different formats during the same reading. The closest I came was with War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, I suppose. I started the print version and then broke down and got the e-book for convenience sake. I didn't finish either that time, but would later start again from the beginning with the e-book and read it to the end.

What about you? Have you enjoyed the same book in different formats? 

Everyone has a favorite and then we also have something we dislike. Like a coin, there are two sides to every question. Each week, Carrie at The Butterfly Reads and Laura from Blue Eye Books ask participants to list what they like and don't like about that week's topic.

This week's topic is Favorite/Least Favorite Abstract Cover

My favorite abstract cover of a book I have read belongs to The Story of a Brief Marriage by Aunk Arudpragasam. I love the simpleness of the design, the touch of colors, and the subtle way it connects to the book itself.

Then it may be no surprise that my least favorite abstract cover of a book I have read belongs to Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain. The gray is so drab and even the red lettering of the title doesn't do enough to make up for it. 

What are your favorite and least favorite abstract cover? 

 I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Be sure and tell me what you are reading and are up to!

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