Wonder

From Goodreads:
I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse.

August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school—until now. He's about to start 5th grade at Beecher Prep, and if you've ever been the new kid then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie's just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, despite appearances?

R. J. Palacio has written a spare, warm, uplifting story that will have readers laughing one minute and wiping away tears the next. With wonderfully realistic family interactions (flawed, but loving), lively school scenes, and short chapters, Wonder is accessible to readers of all levels.

My Rating: *****

On principle I know I have to give any book that can make me cry like this one did five stars. This story really touched my heart and has been the first book in a long time (okay, not counting Palace of Stone, which I already knew I would love) that I sacrificed everything to read. I couldn't put it down and I wouldn't read it while trying to run on the treadmill because I knew it would make me cry. :D So, I missed a run for Wonder, but it was completely worth it.

What a beautiful story. I think everyone should read it. Auggie was so lovable and funny and it was amazing to get into his head and see things from his perspective. I also liked that the story was told from his family and friends' points of view at times, because dealing with that kind of issue affects everyone in a person's life.

There are so many hard issues dealt with here, but it's all done in a light-handed way, somehow making it more powerful. It really had that quiet Newbery flavor to it. Definitely recommended to fans of recent Newbery-type books like Okay For Now.

Simply sweet (but not sappy) with lots of real, flawed people. I came away from it feeling all warm and fuzzy and teary and wanting to recommend it to everyone I know. Go read it!

My mother is always right when it comes to books...

I have a daughter, seven years old (eight in just a couple more months here), and she's an awesome reader.

Problem is, I can rarely get her to finish books. She loves Junie B. Jones and Magic Treehouse and A to Z Mysteries and such, but she skims and jumps around and reads whatever looks interesting at the moment. She will read a book from start to finish, but I have to sit her down and make sure she does it.

I've been working on her with this and I keep telling her, "It's more fun to start a book and read all the way to the end."

Lately she's become obsessed with Harry Potter. I read her the first book, and then she picked up the second and read it all by herself.

But the magic happened in the third book.

When she started it, I just looked at her and grinned. "That is one of my favorites," I told her, "and the ending is AMAZING!!!"

And she loved it. When she read the last few chapters, she interrupted every couple pages to tell me something she'd just read.

"MOM! Ron's rat is... is... is a WIZARD. He's been in disguise this whole time!!!"

"Mom!!! Hermione can go back in time!"

"MOM!!!"

And so it went.

I've got her. She's totally hooked.

I'm so proud. :D

And I told her when she was finished, "Your mother is always right when it comes to books. Trust me."


It made me laugh because I remembered that my mom said the exact same thing to me years ago. She's an elementary school teacher and always read to us and filled our home with amazing books. We lived at the library during the summer (that would be the Orem Public Library in Utah - I miss it!) and I was a book devourer. And I read a lot of amazing books, but also a bunch of not-so-amazing books (like every single goosebumps). But one summer I learned to always trust my mom's recommendations.

We were in Venezuela, spending the summer with Italian relatives (don't ask; it's complicated) and I was so bored. I'd read all the books I'd brought and my mom kept telling me to try some of the books she'd brought for me, promising I'd love them. I was skeptical. But I was desperate. She gave me The Witch of Blackbird Pond.

And I have never gone back. :D

And I know that if my mom recommends a book, it will be perfect and I will love it! Thanks mom. I'm glad we can be book-obsessed together.


Do you have someone whose book recommendations you trust absolutely?

Incarceron/Sapphique

 

 

Goodreads summary for Incarceron:

Incarceron -- a futuristic prison, sealed from view, where the descendants of the original prisoners live in a dark world torn by rivalry and savagery. It is a terrifying mix of high technology -- a living building which pervades the novel as an ever-watchful, ever-vengeful character, and a typical medieval torture chamber -- chains, great halls, dungeons. A young prisoner, Finn, has haunting visions of an earlier life, and cannot believe he was born here and has always been here. In the outer world, Claudia, daughter of the Warden of Incarceron, is trapped in her own form of prison -- a futuristic world constructed beautifully to look like a past era, an imminent marriage she dreads. She knows nothing of Incarceron, except that it exists. But there comes a moment when Finn, inside Incarceron, and Claudia, outside, simultaneously find a device -- a crystal key, through which they can talk to each other. And so the plan for Finn's escape is born ...

 

My Rating (for both books): ****

 

I enjoyed this series, but it took me a little while to get into it. It was darker and stranger than I was expecting. And in fact, everything about this plot is unexpected. There were some fabulously huge surprises at the end of book one that I really enjoyed. But it took that to make me want to read the second book.

 

I started it expecting to love it because I've seen such rave reviews everywhere. It sounded like exactly my kind of book, so I was surprised by how much of a chore it was to read it. I never wanted to and so it took me forever to read this series.

 

My problems:

 

I kept waiting and waiting for Claudia and Finn to discover each other, but it took a solid first half (almost three quarters) of Incarceron for it to happen. I hate it when I come to expect something from the synopsis, but then it takes forever to happen.

 

I didn't like Claudia for the longest time. She's so stuck-up and bossy and haughty and rude to everyone it takes probably until the second book before she shows redeeming features. At least in my opinion.

 

BUT...

 

I still gave the whole series four stars. Why?

 

I loved Finn. What an amazing character. I was hanging on throughout the whole series, because I was completely devoted to him and desperate to find out the truth and what his fate would be. Finn is likeable and full of depth. And there are a whole host of other truly interesting characters, like the Warden of Incarceron (Claudia's father - NOT likeable, but very fascinating), and Jared (Claudia's tutor and friend), and Keiko (Finn's blood-brother - was never really sure which side he was on). One thing I thought the series needed more of? Comic relief. It was so serious and the whole time the mood was dark and heavy. I think a little laughter would have balanced it nicely. Again - totally my opinion.

 

And then there's the plot. I'll admit that once I finally got into this, I raced through. I had to find out what was going to happen next and how it would all unfold in the end. I love that the series was only two books long and that both books were out when I started it. The story is a real mind-bender in places and I enjoyed it.

 

Recommended for: fans of dystopian fantasy.



The Night Circus

From Goodreads:

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.

My Rating: ****

Grudgingly, I have to admit that it was gorgeous writing and that I loved reading it.

This is a book that I avoided reading. Maybe it was just too trendy and I don't like to read a book just because everyone else is reading it. I like to read because, well, for a million reasons, but to impress other people is not one of those reasons. Or if it is, it's certainly not very high on that list. :D

Anyway, The Night Circus is one of those books that people don't hide when they're reading it out in public. They proudly make sure the cover is facing out and think to themselves, "Look at me. I'm so sophisticated. I'm reading The Night Circus." Or that's my opinion anyway.

But there's something completely magical that happened to me from the first page and I was instantly whisked off and into tents where Le Cirque des Rêves (circus of dreams) doused me in acts that were not illusion or tricks for entertainment, but real power and magic. The writing is vivid and detailed and luscious and pure frosting. I wanted to get out a spatula and scrape every last bit from the book. And somehow it never got too rich.

I'd recommend it for the experience alone, but there's not a lot else in this book that I will rave about.

The plot is sort of vague and the magic system isn't described all that well. I wish it had been. I think it would have added some nice depth to the story. Add to my list of complaints the fact that I didn't love Celia the main character. I wasn't sold on the love story either and the resolution was just so strange and sudden.

High marks for some of the side characters, though. Loved the twins and Bailey. I almost wish their story had taken up most of the time spent on Celia and Marco.

Overall, I wandered along, feeling totally lost in the beautiful dream world that is The Night Circus. Maybe it just needs a rereading for me to get a better handle on the plot. Maybe? I don't know.

Content: This is an adult book, but it's quite clean. There's one sensual scene, but it's short and non-descriptive. Other than that nothing to complain about. Unless tarot cards make you uncomfortable, because there's plenty of that in here.

Recommended for: I don't know; it's so unique! But if you love magic and stories with prophecies and foreshadowing and beautiful atmospheric writing (think Laini Taylor) you will like The Night Circus.

Throne of Glass

From Goodreads
After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom. Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best. Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

My Rating: ****

Throne of Glass is a book that has gotten a ridiculous amount of hype. It's been on my radar for several months and I was first in line at my library to read it. Turns out the hype is for good reason. Female assassins, an intricate magical system, a cool castle with loads of secret passageways, mystery and suspense, romance, fighting, awesomeness....

But.

It was not all I wanted it to be and I had two major problems.

One - Celaena. Yeah. When one of your main problem is the MC herself it's never a good thing. Every time I think of her that lame song pops into my head... "You're so vain. You probably think this [book] is about you..." Anyone? Anyone?

Anyway, Celaena is annoyingly vain. She thinks she's amazing and gorgeous and she's always telling herself how awesome she is and how great she looks. She's obsessed with physical appearances. I wasn't two or three pages in and I realized she'd mentioned her own appearance four times and had already established that the two men she was facing (crown prince and captain of the guard) were deliciously attractive.

I like having attractive characters, but a little more subtlety would have been appreciated. In every aspect. Not only is Celaena gorgeous, but she's the best assassin, ridiculously smart, unbelievably fluent in mutliple languages, surprisingly musical, and it goes on and on. It was just too much. Nothing seemed to ground her and make her real. I love it when my characters are super talented, but without humility it gets ridiculous.

Enough about Celaena. Beef #2 is the love triangle. It was also just too much. An equal amount of time seemed to be spent on developing both of them, so much so that I could never decide which I liked more or wanted to root for more and that annoyed me. In my opinion, there should always be a reason for a love triangle, but in Throne of Glass the only reason seemed to be to prove that Celaena has no trouble attracting any and all males she wants and making them fall in love with her.

Okay, maybe I'm getting a little too negative. And don't forget that I gave this four stars. I was completely into the story; it's un-putdownably good. I will definitely be looking for the sequel, but this isn't immediately on my to-buy list or my recommend-to-everyone-I-meet list.

Recommended for fans of assassins, great fantasy and magic, and people who liked Maria V. Snyder's Poison Study books.

The Hobbit

From Goodreads:
"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort."

Written for J.R.R. Tolkien’s own children, The Hobbit met with instant critical acclaim when it was first published in 1937. Now recognized as a timeless classic, this introduction to the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, the wizard Gandalf, Gollum, and the spectacular world of Middle-earth recounts of the adventures of a reluctant hero, a powerful and dangerous ring, and the cruel dragon Smaug the Magnificent.

My Rating: *****

A masterpiece.

The Hobbit is a reread for me, and I was planning on reading it this year, but not until closer to the movie release. But I walked past it every day and it called to me, so I gave in. What can I say? I have no willpower where Tolkien is involved. I'm trying really hard not to start in on The Lord of the Rings, because I have a tall TBR pile. How can I resist when The Hobbit leads right into Lord of the Rings so brilliantly? With all its cool foreshadowing and all those objects just randomly picked up along the way (mithril coat of arms, the sword Sting, the ring) that become so essential to the plot of LOTR? I will probably be giving in soon. Or hiding the books. One or the other.

What can I say? I love these stories and I love Tolkien's writing style. So lovely and imaginative and descriptive without bogging things down too much. Nobody writes this way anymore for fear of being labeled long-winded. Tolkien is long-winded, but I believe it's in the very best way. His world is so real.

If you haven't read The Hobbit, I hope I'm not convincing you that the pace is slow. The story flies along, and Bilbo is thrust right out of comfort into adventure after adventure, with very little rest in between. The trolls, the goblins, the riddle war with Gollum, the eagles, the forest, the SPIDERS, the escape from the elven palace, the barrels, the dragon, the battle... it never stops and it's so exciting and thrilling. Ah I love it all and I'm now so excited to see it on the big screen. The Hobbit has deserved a decent movie adaptation ever since it was written (don't talk to me about the animated version). And Martin Freeman as Bilbo? Could it be more perfect? I love him as Watson in PBS's Sherlock series. He really does sincere and lovable and funny with unexpected depth - exactly what Bilbo needs. ANYWAY.

This is a story for anyone who gets tired of normal life and would like to go on an adventure. I plan on reading it to my seven year-old daughter very soon. The Hobbit is a classic and if you haven't read it please do.


My favorite quote from this reading:

(Bilbo is creeping down the tunnel from the hidden doorway into Smaug's lair for the first time - he can hear Smaug snoring.)

"It was at this point that Bilbo stopped. Going on from there was the bravest thing he ever did. The tremendous things that happened afterwards were as nothing compared to it. He fought the real battle in the tunnel alone, before he ever saw the vast danger that lay in wait. At any rate after a short halt go on he did; and you can picture him coming to the end of the tunnel, an opening of much the same size and shape as the door above. Through it peeps the hobbit's little head. Before him lies the great bottommost cellar of dungeon-hall of the ancient dwarves right at the Mountain's root. It is almost dark so that its vastness can only be dimly guessed, but rising from the near side of the rocky floor there is a great glow. The glow of Smaug!"

Endlessly

From Goodreads:
Evie's paranormal past keeps coming back to haunt her. A new director at the International Paranormal Containment Agency wants to drag her back to headquarters. The Dark Faerie Queen is torturing humans in her poisonous realm. And supernatural creatures keep insisting that Evie is the only one who can save them from a mysterious, perilous fate.

The clock is ticking on the entire paranormal world. And its fate rests solely in Evie's hands.

So much for normal.

My Rating: ****

I've had my struggles with this series (mostly Evie tends to get on my nerves), but I couldn't think of a better ending for this series. In fact, after I finished it, I started rethinking my decision not to buy this series. It is fun and ended in such an epic and perfect way. Evie makes some real growth and I was so happy for her at the end. Plus, it was just a hugely magical and dramatic showdown at the end. Really spectuacular. Except it ended a little suddenly after that and I wanted a little more time to slow down and accept the end of this trilogy.

All the major and important characters are here in this book, all with crucial roles to play. Even though, can I just say one more thing that bugs me? In one book, a character will be everything that's evil and the ultimate villain, and in the next they always make a comeback and Evie forgives them right away. Nobody stays a villain, but they don't do it with those shades of grey that I love in not-so-villain-villains. They're all evil. Except, until they're not. Anyway, just a beef and something that confuses me.

Anyway, I don't want to end this review on that note. I'll just end by saying that the Paranormalcy trilogy is not your typical paranormal romance. It is funny and cheeky and sassy and sweet (but not sappy sweet). I think it has a broad appeal and that there are very few readers (who enjoy YA) out there who wouldn't read this trilogy and enjoy it. It's a fun ride and has some wonderful magic and some great characters. Recommended!

Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Free Throws

From Goodreads:
Going head-to-head with your best friend is never easy, on the court or off.

Josie loves hottie Ethan Lancaster, the captain of the basketball team, but she never can do or say the right thing in front of him. So how can it be fair that Ethan is only interested in her best friend, Cami, when Cami isn't even trying for his affection? Or is she?

Cami dreams of winning her basketball team's coveted MVP award, and earning the chance to take the court during a special halftime demonstration with WNBA star Rebecca Lobo, but her best friend, Josie, is a better player. So how can it be fair that Josie is a shoo-in for the honor if she is barely interested in basketball in the first place and isn't even trying to be the best? Or is she?

My Rating: ***

I'm always looking for a good, clean, fun contemporary, but for some reason I can hardly ever find ones that I like. This one is good, definitely clean, kind of fun, but not brilliant.

Generally, I adore Janette Rallison. I own probably 7 (maybe 8?) of her books. Most of them I've bought used from random places (though I highly recommend buying her My Fair Godmother books - they are far and away her best). I picked this one up at DI for 25 cents. I saw it, squealed "Janette Rallison" and bought it.

I'm not sad I spent money on it, because it certainly was fun (and really, 25 cents? even for cheapskate me I think I can manage not to feel guilty for spending 25 cents). I just couldn't get that into the story or the characters and I didn't necessarily love the way it ended either. Maybe it's like this: some YA contemporaries manage to capture deep emotions and move me. This one really is a fluffy teenage story about silly crushes that don't pan out and friendships that struggle because of dumb things but get worked out. I'm sure there are pre-teen or teen girls who would enjoy it, but for me it's not a reread.

But, being Janette Rallison, it is ridiculously funny at times. She is the queen of the awkward situation. :D

Recommended for Rallison fans and younger teens.

Wonderstruck

From Goodreads:
From Brian Selznick, the creator of the Caldecott Medal winner THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET, comes another breathtaking tour de force.

Playing with the form he created in his trailblazing debut novel, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Brian Selznick once again sails into uncharted territory and takes readers on an awe-inspiring journey.

Ben and Rose secretly wish their lives were different. Ben longs for the father he has never known. Rose dreams of a mysterious actress whose life she chronicles in a scrapbook. When Ben discovers a puzzling clue in his mother's room and Rose reads an enticing headline in the newspaper, both children set out alone on desperate quests to find what they are missing.

Set fifty years apart, these two independent stories--Ben's told in words, Rose's in pictures--weave back and forth with mesmerizing symmetry. How they unfold and ultimately intertwine will surprise you, challenge you, and leave you breathless with wonder. Rich, complex, affecting, and beautiful--with over 460 pages of original artwork--Wonderstruck is a stunning achievement from a uniquely gifted artist and visionary.
My Rating: *****

Absolutely gorgeous. I loved this in every possible way. First off, Brian Selznick is a genius. It is so fun to read his books (have you read The Invention of Hugo Cabret?) because of the mix of pictures and text. It feels like a movie. No. Like a comic book. But not. Beecause it has the literary feel of a classic. It's just. EVERYTHING.

I was sucked right into the story and every little detail was so engrossing. I kept waiting, desperately waiting, for Ben and Rose to meet up, because their paths kept crossing. And when they finally did, it was so not what I was expecting. It was more and it blew me away.

I loved Ben, his loneliness and his struggles with learning to handle life as a deaf person. And Rose. Rose is just the most beautiful character I've met in a long time.

So, each Brian Selznick story revolves around some theme. In Hugo, we got a lot of cinematic history, which I found interesting, but I also have very little outside interest or knowledge of the subject. In Wonderstruck, it's museums. Do I ever love museums. I always have. I've wanted to run away and live in a museum since I first read From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler when I was who knows how old.

As I was reading I kept thinking about how much the story reminded me of The Mixed-Up Files, and after I finished (and while I was still sighing from the gorgeousness of the story) I read the acknowledgements at the end and Brian Selznick says that he did it on purpose, that any story about museums would have to be a tribute to The Mixed-Up Files, and that he'd hidden references of it throughout the book.

!!!

So, I went back and looked for more and found more.

Sheer genius.

Yeah. I loved this. Highly recommended! It doesn't take long to read and you will never regret reading it!

Unraveling

Summary:
Two days before the start of her junior year, seventeen-year-old Janelle Tenner is hit by a pickup truck and killed—as in blinding light, scenes of her life flashing before her, and then nothing. Except the next thing she knows, she’s opening her eyes to find Ben Michaels, a loner from her high school whom Janelle has never talked to, leaning over her. And even though it isn’t possible, Janelle knows—with every fiber of her being—that Ben has somehow brought her back to life.

But her reincarnation, and Ben’s possible role in it, is only the first of the puzzles that Janelle must solve. While snooping in her FBI-agent father’s files for clues about her accident, she uncovers a clock that seems to be counting down to something—but to what? And when someone close to Janelle is killed, she can no longer deny what’s right in front of her: Everything that’s happened—the accident, the murder, the countdown clock, Ben’s sudden appearance in her life—points to the end of life as she knows it. And as the clock ticks down, she realizes that if she wants to put a stop to the end of the world, she’s going to need to uncover Ben’s secrets—and keep from falling in love with him in the process.

From debut author Elizabeth Norris comes this shattering novel of one girl’s fight to save herself, her world, and the one boy she never saw coming.

My Rating: ****

That's a very surprised four stars from me, because I didn't start out loving it, but the farther along I got into it, the more obsessed with the story I got. I was reading it on the treadmill and instead of going for 3 miles like I planned, it turned into 5 and a half, just so I could finish it.

The Bad: Straight up, I'm just going to tell you that the language is awful in this book. If you're sensitive to swearing, this book will bother you. There are so many "F" words in here that if you open the book to any given page, I'd say odds are 98% you'll see one or more. This is not an exaggeration. As far as other content, there is some mild sensuality, but it wasn't too bad.

Without the swearing, I would have given this five stars.

Wow I loved the characters. Janelle is tough and self-sacrificing. She's not a whiner and she fights every moment of the book for those she loves. She's also smart. Like Sherlock Holmes-ian smart. She notices things. She learned from her FBI agent father every cool trick in the book and I loved it when she turned super spy on me. I love spy stories. Plus, her dad was amazing. She also had a very real relationship with her little brother, a side story that added so much heart to this book. Her family and friends (especially her best friend and next door neighbor Alex) all made this book multi-dimensional. The story is not just about her romance with Ben, which I appreciated.

Ben himself is pretty cool. I thought I was in for some great X-Men style powers but it turns out this story is more X-Files than X-Men. Woah. Talk about surprises and plot twists and things I did NOT see coming. I loved that. I don't get surprised enough.

Another I liked was that the story didn't wrap up in a pretty bow. It wasn't afraid to be a little tragic, and it pulled it off without being melodramatic. Kudos to Elizabeth Norris for that. Also, I could tell that Elizabeth Norris is a kindred spirit and a fan of literature, because there were a lot of awesome references to classic lit.

So, a pleasant surprise from Elizabeth Norris's Unraveling. I'll be checking out the sequel, Unbreakable, next year.