Ally Condie comes to Boise!

We never get cool author events in Boise (yes, I have complained about this before), so I was thrilled to hear Ally Condie was coming. Also a little frustrated because I had a doctor's appointment I couldn't reschedule at the same time. :( 

Luckily, I got in a little early at the doctor and got out fast and was able to zip over to the library quickly. I only missed the first 15 minutes of her presentation. 

It was so fun hearing her speak! She was entertaining and down to earth and so cool. I was excited to hear about her Rio project (underwater city? Yes!) and loved hearing more about her writing process and how she balances it all with kids. 

I snuck a couple photos from where I was sitting. :)

Anyway, it was an awesome hour and then she signed books. Since I showed up late I was practically last in line - bummer because I needed to leave early to go get my kids from school (sheesh my life is busy). I mentioned needing to leave to one of the librarians and she offered to get my books signed for me - which made my pregnant, hormonal self almost start crying. 

I love librarians. :D

So, even though I'm sad I didn't get to meet her in person, I loved hearing her speak and my books are now signed and personalized! When Ally heard about me from Jen the librarian, she even decided to write a little extra in my books. Seriously, she is awesome. 

And look how cool these are!

Okay, I'm blogging from my phone and don't know how to flip the pictures, but awesome, right? You can even see my cool little personal embosser stamp (last year's Christmas gift from my husband -does he know and love me or what?). 

I loved signed books. :) I should do a blog sometime to show you my signed book collection. I have some cool ones. 

Do you have any signed books? Have you met any of your favorite authors?

What I Read This Summer

I'm still here! And yes, have definitely been reading up a storm but with very little time to blog about it.

I'm calling the summer over for me, since my kids are officially all in school! I have hopefully a few week of this lovely, blissful freedom before my baby arrives and everything changes. I want it to both go super fast and not come too soon at the same time. I'm enjoying the extra free time, but I'm soooo sick of being pregnant!

Anyway, lots of books read so far. I went on a "I want to read brainless teenage summer romances" binge earlier this summer when I spent a lot of time reading by the pool while my kids took swimming lessons, so you'll see a lot of those on this list (books link back to their goodreads page). Sorry for this brief overview! One of these days I'll get back around to writing real reviews. I kind of miss it. :(

Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson. My rating: 4/5 stars. I'm listing my favorite of the teen summer books first. :D I loved the mixed-media feel of the book! It's full of doodles and receipts and notes and postcards. I love road trips and this one was fun with a sweet little romance (without being too heavy on the issues aspect that all YA contemporary books seem to have).

Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard. My rating: 3/5 stars. Ok, besides the whole idea of a teenage girl backpacking by herself in Central America totally freaking me out, I loved the wild, bohemian feel of this book. I like pretending that backpacking isn't dirty and totally against my perfectionist-plan-it-all-out personality - that it's adventurous and romantic and totally worth the trouble. Besides the backpacking issue, I loved the story and how Bria rediscovers herself.

Thing I Can't Forget by Miranda Kenneally. My rating: 3/5. Straight up, I'll tell you that this one pushed it for me, content-wise. More swearing and sexual content than I would like for sure (plus plenty heavy on issues), which is strange because this one had a "Christian Fiction" label on it from my library. And this book is definitely about how Kate feels about her very strict Christian upbringing, but even more about how she discovers she's against certain aspects about it. Nevertheless, Miranda Kenneally writes with so much emotion that I was sucked right into the story. Plus, the summer camp setting is fun.

The Summer I Turned Pretty (trilogy) by Jenny Han. My rating: 3/5 stars. I burned through these three very quickly and it totally made me want a beach house. That's about the only thing I really liked about this series though. Oh, ugh Belly was soooo whiny! No wonder the boys couldn't make up their minds whether to like her or not! This is the worst sort of love triangle too - it goes back and forth and it seemed like the boys themselves changed from book to book, just to make me root for one or the other. Irritating. But still - it very much filled my need for brainless summer fun.

The Moon and More by Sarah Dressen. My rating: 3/5 stars. This was my first Sarah Dressen and I'll admit: I was hoping to like it a whole lot more than I did. The romance was awful - Luke was a jerk, Theo was completely unattractive (in every way) and the whole books seemed to revolve instead around Emmaline's issues. She was dealing with her father and college and all kinds of things that seemed awfully boring. I liked her mother and sister, though. Overall, I was disappointed. Any recommendations on a better Dressen for me to try next?



So, that's the "summer" books. Here's everything else I read:

 Angelfall by Susan Ee. My rating: 4/5 stars. Angelfall was an intense and awesome post-apocalyptic book. I was blown away by the details and the world building. This book gets a bit gritty at times, but I enjoyed the ride and am looking forward to the sequel.

 Goddess by Josephine Angelini. My rating: 3/5 stars. Finally! The last book in this series! And I think it's the best of the three (though at a three star rating you can tell that I've had my struggles with the whole lot). Fortunately, Goddess has a much bigger focus on the mythology and some seriously cool things happened to tie everything together at the end. The bad news is there's more cheesy romance and people falling instantly in love and a character tragically dies but I didn't really feel anything, so... yeah I'd say I had a hard time connecting to this series emotionally. BUT, worth reading for the greek mythology fanatic.

 Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger. My rating: 3/5 stars. I wanted to love this book! Wind and air spirits and all sorts of cool new mythology not yet explored in YA! But it was so eyeball-rollingly predictable. I knew who the "bad guy" was from the start and when this person suddenly reveals their evilness at the end I was so irritated that everyone had taken so long to get the message. Potential, but I wasn't impressed with the story. Some of the mythology was very cool, though.

 Blood Moon by Teri Harman. My rating: 3/5 stars. Blood Moon is a new book this summer written by a friend of mine (or at least, an online friend!) and I've been excited to read her debut. There's some great witch history and magic here, a completely immersive and engrossing world. Plus this had lots of my favorite things - old houses and books and museums and ghosts. Yeah, Teri and I are definitely kindred spirits. :D The book gets a bit violent in places (real villains! no mamby pamby-ness here) and I had some trouble loving the first chapter where Simon and Willa have their instant attraction and fall deeply in love the first time they meet. I think I would have enjoyed this book a bit more if I had been able to enjoy the falling in love process. I would not classify this as a romance. The romantic stuff is out of the way in the first few pages and the rest is all action. I enjoyed reading it and will be picking up the sequel. Highly recommended for fans of witch stories.

Life After Theft by Aprilynne Pike. My rating: 3/5 stars. I was instantly attracted to this story because the premise is so cool and unique - a retelling of Scarlet Pimpernel about a kleptomaniac ghost? Totally intriguing. Kimberly is the ghost of a rich girl who stole things. A lot of things. Jeff is the new boy at school and Kimberly takes to haunting him, begging him to return all the stuff she stole, which he has to do incognito. It's fun and crazy and a little issue heavy, but I liked it. The book is a bit edgy for Aprilynne Pike, whose Wings series was very clean. I think I gave it a lower rating because it left me feeling kind of sad at the end and that was not what I was in the mood for when I read it.

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo. My rating: 4.5/5 stars. Sequel to Shadow and Bone and I loved it! I've been looking forward to this sequel for a while and it was just as awesome as the first with its cool Russian-ish setting and crazy Grisha magic system. Lots of complications for Alina and Mal and some great new elements to the story. I loved the ice dragon (so beautiful and tragic) and pretty much every word out of Sturmhond's mouth. Plus! Flying ships! I just wanted this to keep going. I now have plenty of proof that I need to purchase the whole series for my shelves and I can't wait for the final book. Check it out if you love fantasy and magic.

 Taken by Erin Bowman. My rating: 4/5 stars. Taken was a bit of a surprise. At the beginning I was irritated by its gritty Hunger Games wannabe-ness. It really starts in almost the exact same way with the exact same feeling. But it doesn't take long before the whole thing is turned on its head when Gray discovers what's outside and where all the men are being taken. This whole crazy sci-fi, futuristic element comes in and was so interesting I flew through the entire rest of the book and really wanted the sequel when I was done. There was even an awful love triangle and it didn't bother me because I was so interested in the story and setting. Read it if you're looking for a new dystopian.

 Unbreakable by Elizabeth Norris. My rating: 4/5 stars. This is the sequel to last year's Unraveling, which I loved more than I'd expected to. Unbreakable is just as fabulous! Love the parallel universes and the sci-fi elements and the FBI stuff and just the whole amazing complex mess! This book is action-packed and I'm a little sad that it's all over - and really over because this is a two book series. Recommended for sci-fi fans who love detective stories and espionage. :D

Vortex by S.J. Kincaid. My rating: 4/5 stars. Ok, last year's Insignia was so good. I had no idea if Vortex would be able to live up to it, but I was thoroughly impressed. These books are surprisingly funny. My husband actually thought I was rereading The Hero's Guide because I laughed out loud so much while reading it. The humor is kind of immature in places, but I'm kind of immature myself so it works for me. :D So, we've got the cool space academy thing going on, plus the antics of Tom and his friends, plus some very real danger from Tom's enemies in high places, plus don't forget Medusa - she's still awesome. There's a lot of win in this series! I think this is especially good if you're nerdy and like computer programming and hacking and such. With computers in everyone's brains there's a lot of potential for both humor and very scary danger with just that one element. Highly enjoyable!


And look! I even read non-fiction!

 The Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp. My rating: 3/5 stars. Read this in preparation for my baby girl. I've never had a colicky baby, but it could happen and I've been hearing great things about this book. I gave it a lower rating not because the advice and techniques on how to calm a baby aren't sound, but because it was really long and drawn out and seemed to repeat the same things over and over again. Plus, I just got the feeling that Dr. Karp is a bit arrogant. He thinks he's got the perfect method here and I've had three babies before, all of which did not fit into his perfect mold. Let's face it - there are things that work for some babies and not for others. IT'S OK. As a parent you just figure out what your baby likes and do your best.

Parenting with Love and Logic by Foster Cline and Jim Fay. My rating: 4/5 stars. Read this highly recommended parenting book because it was kind of a rough summer with all my kids at home and me not wanting to go anywhere ever. We had a lot of fighting and screaming and yelling around here and I was hoping this would help me figure out how to deal with things a bit better. It's a great book and all the advice makes perfect sense. Nothing here was earth-shatteringly life changing, but it was a good reminder of some things I try to do anyway. This is a very sound parenting book and I highly recommend it.


And that's it! Stay tuned - I have a post scheduled soon (shocker, I know) with my fall reading wish-list. There are so many books I want to read before this baby gets here! We'll see if I manage to get at least a few in.

The Scoop

Hey there!

I'm still alive. :D Just been having a bit of a tough pregnancy. After seeing various markers for serious genetic diseases on my 20 week ultrasound (plus bleeding and a placental concern) I entered a bit of a personal black hole. I was just so worried about my little girl's health and so busy with follow up doctor appointments and extra ultrasounds and blood tests and freaking out about things I read online. Seriously, google is not a pregnant woman's best friend - especially when doctors and geneticists start talking about congenital heart defects and trisomies 13 and 18 and Down's and Cystic Fibrosis and CMV... oh man - it's been rough. I was already extra emotional and unbalanced before all this happened.

But all the tests came back normal.

So...while there are things that we're still going to follow for the next four months (and I will have a doctor's appointment about every two weeks or more for a while) I really think I'm going to have a healthy baby at the end.

As far as reading, I have done a bit. But being stressed as I was I was never in the mood to read and I liked everything I read a whole lot less than I normally would. I've been in a bit of a slump. I've renewed library books as many times as possible until I've finally had to return them unread. I keep telling myself to just read Harry Potter or Pride and Prejudice or something I know I love to get out of my slump.

But they haven't been all bad. Here's what I've read (the title links to the book's goodreads page):

Fragments by Dan Wells. My rating: 3/5 stars. This is the sequel to Partials, which was totally thrilling, but I was totally bored by Fragments. I found it long and rambly and irritating. It's still interesting, and I probably would have liked it more if I'd read it at a different time.

The Pirate's Wish by Cassandra Rose Clarke. My rating: 3/5 stars. This is the final book of this two book series and it just didn't do what I wanted it to do. While I liked The Assassin's Curse, I wanted more to happen in it. Unfortunately, The Pirate's Wish jams in way too much. Naji is awfully boring and quiet for a magical assassin and the romance was unbelievable for me with a horrible ending. There was too much swearing (plenty of "F" bombs) for me too. Overall, a disappointment.

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell. My Rating: 3/5 stars. I heard this one touted as the next Fault in Our Stars, but for me it wasn't even close to that level of emotion and humor and beautiful writing. If I'm going to read a contemporary book about issues it better be worth it. This one was too depressing for me, too heavy, too creepy at the end. And when Park all of a sudden starts wearing eyeliner I was kind of grossed out. Maybe that's just me.

Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers. My Rating: 3/5 stars. It is much darker than the first. Sybella is a bit possessed and takes her assassin nun-ing seriously - but I also was fascinated by her back story. I liked the mix of history and magic, just wish it hadn't been so gruesome and sad. There is newborn infant murder in this book (yeah, not the best thing to read in my current situation). And the romance wasn't super convincing for me. But, bonus points for references to the Bluebeard fairy tale. This must be the year for Bluebeard.

The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle by Christopher Healy. My Rating: 5/5. This book was exactly what I needed. I read it right after finding out all my tests were normal and I was in the perfect mood to laugh off all my stress. This is a perfect sequel. Everyone I loved was back (plus some very enjoyable new characters!) with all sorts of fabulous character development and hilarious adventures. Yes, yes, yes!

Sean Griswold's Head, The Royal Treatment, and A Farewell to Charms by Lindsey Leavitt. My Rating (for all three): 4/5 stars. When I like an author I usually go on a reading binge. Lindsey Leavitt is a new favorite. Sean Griswold was a perfect contemporary teen book full of humor and real emotion and the last two books in the Princess for Hire series absolutely delivered. They are fun and sweet and magical and exactly what I thought the Princess Diaries books should have been. They pretty much scream made-for Disney movie, which was what I was in the mood for when I read them. I needed light. Go check out Lindsey Leavitt if you like the Princess Diaries movies or if you like Janette Rallison's books.

Precious Bane by Mary Webb. My Rating: 5/5 stars. Precious Bane is the shining star here. I knew I would love it and I'm only sad it took me so long to finally read this, since I've been hearing good things about it for years. This is a little older of a book (published in 1924), set in the 1800s in Shrophire about a girl born with a cleft palate. It started a little slowly for me (and the dialogue takes some getting used to), but the writing is gorgeous and the story so beautiful. I loved it for the romance and for the depth of the story. I kind of want to go back to college and write all my literary analysis papers about this book. I seriously loved it and highly recommend it if you like beautifully written classics.


That's the wrap-up for now. I'm going to try and be better but I make no promises. Now that I'm not so worried about my baby the nesting phase seems to have kicked in with gusto because I cannot sit still. I've been cleaning and crafting and sewing things. Since I have four months left still I just hope this doesn't mean I'm going to end up on bed rest or with a premie! For now I'm going to get things done while I still have energy, but I'm sure I'll be back to reading like crazy when it gets hot and I'm massively huge and can't bring myself to do anything else. :D Till next time!

Really Mini Minis

Woefully behind. That's me.

I absolutely love blogging about books. I draft my blogs in my head as I read and after I finish I think about what I'll say about a book as I'm lying in bed trying to fall asleep. I just wish I had more time! It's been a tough few weeks, compounded by some extra emotional stress relating to my pregnancy (long story - which I may share later, but know it probably means you won't hear from me again for a few more weeks until some things have been resolved/figured out). Anyway, I am determined to catch all the way up today. Usually when I say mini reviews it ends up being two to three paragraphs anyway. My goal is about 3 - 4 sentences per book.

Ready. Set. Go!

 From Goodreads:
The Bluebeard fairy tale retold. . . .

When seventeen-year-old Sophia Petheram’s beloved father dies, she receives an unexpected letter. An invitation—on fine ivory paper, in bold black handwriting—from the mysterious Monsieur Bernard de Cressac, her godfather. With no money and fewer options, Sophie accepts, leaving her humble childhood home for the astonishingly lavish Wyndriven Abbey, in the heart of Mississippi.

Sophie has always longed for a comfortable life, and she finds herself both attracted to and shocked by the charm and easy manners of her overgenerous guardian. But as she begins to piece together the mystery of his past, it’s as if, thread by thread, a silken net is tightening around her. And as she gathers stories and catches whispers of his former wives—all with hair as red as her own—in the forgotten corners of the abbey, Sophie knows she’s trapped in the passion and danger of de Cressac’s intoxicating world.

Glowing strands of romance, mystery, and suspense are woven into this breathtaking debut—a thrilling retelling of the “Bluebeard” fairy tale.

My Rating: 4 / 5 stars
 
This book was deliciously creepy and totally fascinating. I went back and read the original Bluebeard fairy tale after I'd finished and I think Jane Nickerson did an amazing job reinventing it; I was engrossed and terrified and sucked in by the gorgeous writing. I did think Sophia was a bit thick at times, taking way too long to figure things out and I thought her "real" romance was thin and detracted from the story. Overall, though, fabulous, gothic, fairy-tale retelling goodness.

Content: Not gonna lie. Really creepy occasionally and some disturbing revelations and descriptions.

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 From Goodreads:
They have tried to squeeze us out, to stamp us into the past.

But we are still here.

And there are more of us every day.

Now an active member of the resistance, Lena has been transformed. The nascent rebellion that was under way in Pandemonium has ignited into an all-out revolution in Requiem, and Lena is at the center of the fight.

After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven—pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators now infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels, and as Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the young mayor.

Maybe we are driven crazy by our feelings.

Maybe love is a disease, and we would be better off without it.

But we have chosen a different road.

And in the end, that is the point of escaping the cure: We are free to choose.

We are even free to choose the wrong thing. 

My Rating: 3 / 5 stars

Finally! The last book in the Delirium trilogy! It took me a while to get to it and I'm sorry to say that, while my love for the first two books is undying, this conclusion was a huge disappointment. It's still gorgeous Lauren Oliver writing, but there's really no conclusion! The whole book just dragged on and on and I kept waiting for something (anything) to happen and feeling really irritated by Lena and actually enjoying the sections from Hana's POV best. There's no resolution to the love triangle, no answers about anything I cared about, just a weird, preachy open ending. Blah.

Content: People die (nobody I really cared about), but not in gruesome ways. Talk about sex, though no actual sex.

P.S. This book does get bonus points because Hana's story parallels the Bluebeard fairy tale, which is laced throughout the book. I thought that was especially cool because I'd just read Strands of Bronze and Gold.

--------------- 

 From Goodreads:
You, dear reader, continue at your own risk. It is not for the faint of heart—no more so than the study of dragons itself. But such study offers rewards beyond compare: to stand in a dragon’s presence, even for the briefest of moments—even at the risk of one’s life—is a delight that, once experienced, can never be forgotten. . . .

All the world, from Scirland to the farthest reaches of Eriga, know Isabella, Lady Trent, to be the world’s preeminent dragon naturalist. She is the remarkable woman who brought the study of dragons out of the misty shadows of myth and misunderstanding into the clear light of modern science. But before she became the illustrious figure we know today, there was a bookish young woman whose passion for learning, natural history, and, yes, dragons defied the stifling conventions of her day.

Here at last, in her own words, is the true story of a pioneering spirit who risked her reputation, her prospects, and her fragile flesh and bone to satisfy her scientific curiosity; of how she sought true love and happiness despite her lamentable eccentricities; and of her thrilling expedition to the perilous mountains of Vystrana, where she made the first of many historic discoveries that would change the world forever.

My Rating: 4 / 5 stars
I loved the unique take on dragons in this book! Everything about this is fun and realistic and fresh. I think I would have like it more, but I was in the mood for something fast-paced when I picked this up and this book is slow and seriously drags at times. However, Isabella is a great and spunky and intelligent heroine (I loved her old lady narrating voice!), and I'll be picking up the sequel which had better be coming soon - that was horrible and SAD ending!

Content: None. I kind of wish there had been a few more dangerous/violent dragon scenes, actually. Dragons were a bit sparse for a book with a dragon on the cover.

------------------

From Goodreads:
Emma Smallwood, determined to help her widowed father regain his spirits when his academy fails, agrees to travel with him to the distant Cornwall coast, to the cliff-top manor of a baronet and his four sons. But after they arrive and begin teaching the younger boys, mysterious things begin to happen and danger mounts. Who does Emma hear playing the pianoforte, only to find the music room empty? Who sneaks into her room at night? Who rips a page from her journal, only to return it with a chilling illustration?

The baronet's older sons, Phillip and Henry, wrestle with problems--and secrets--of their own. They both remember Emma Smallwood from their days at her father's academy. She had been an awkward, studious girl. But now one of them finds himself unexpectedly drawn to her.

When the suspicious acts escalate, can the clever tutor's daughter figure out which brother to blame... and which brother to trust with her heart?

My Rating: 3 / 5 stars

I  think I'm finally sick of Julie Klassen because this one kind of irritated me. There was a lot more religious-y stuff in this one and I found it distracting from what was a pretty interesting plot. There was real evil and danger (except I thought there were people who got away wayyy too easily in the end) and I liked learning about how people with mental illnesses were treated during that time period. It was also a lovely setting. Romance, though? Urgh. Really cheesy.

Content: Nothing.

----------------

From Goodreads:
When Desi Bascomb gets discovered by the elite Facade Agency–royalty surrogates extraordinaire–her life goes from glamour-starved to spectacular in a blink. As her new agent, Meredith, explains, Desi has a rare magical ability: when she applies the ancient Egyptian formula “Royal Rouge,” she can transform temporarily into the exact lookalike of any princess who needs her subbing services. Dream come true, right?

Well, Desi soon discovers that subbing involves a lot more than wearing a tiara and waving at cameras. Like, what do you do when a bullying older sister puts you on a heinous crash diet? Or when the tribal villagers gather to watch you perform a ceremonial dance you don’t know? Or when a princess’s conflicted sweetheart shows up to break things off–and you know she would want you to change his mind?

In this hilarious series debut, one girl’s dream of glamour transforms into something bigger: the desire to make a positive impact. And an impact Desi makes, one royal fiasco at a time.

My Rating: 4.5 / 5 stars

I  really loved this! The most fun book I've read in ages. It's cute and hilarious (Janette Rallison level funny) and magical and I really wish I had the other two books already. I picked this one up at a library book sale and I am on the hunt for the sequels. Desi has spunk and charm and gets into some seriously funny blunders. It's a must-read.

Content: Nothing.

 --------------------

 From Goodreads:
When Mallory’s boyfriend, Jeremy, cheats on her with an online girlfriend, Mallory decides the best way to de-Jeremy her life is to de-modernize things too. Inspired by a list of goals her grandmother made in1962, Mallory swears off technology and returns to a simpler time (when boyfriends couldn’t cheat with computer avatars). The List:
1. Run for pep club secretary
2. Host a fancy dinner party/soiree
3. Sew a dress for Homecoming
4. Find a steady
5. Do something dangerous
But simple proves to be crazy-complicated, and the details of the past begin to change Mallory’s present. Add in a too-busy grandmother, a sassy sister, and the cute pep-club president–who just happens to be her ex’s cousin–and soon Mallory begins to wonder if going vintage is going too far.

My Rating: 4.5 / 5 stars

So, after loving Princess for Hire I was really excited to try out another Lindsey Leavitt book, contemporary YA style. LOVED it. So funny and so charming! Mallory going cold-turkey on technology made me realize just how hard it would be if I tried to do that myself. She has some great experiences with her family (loved them all, by the way, especially her sister and her grandma) and the whole adventure is a great read. Highly recommended.

Content: Definitely more talk about sex and sexually-based humor than you'd find in a Janette Rallison novel, but nothing more than that.

-------------------- 

 From Goodreads:
If fate sent you an email, would you answer?

When teenage movie star Graham Larkin accidentally sends small town girl Ellie O'Neill an email about his pet pig, the two seventeen-year-olds strike up a witty and unforgettable correspondence, discussing everything under the sun, except for their names or backgrounds.

Then Graham finds out that Ellie's Maine hometown is the perfect location for his latest film, and he decides to take their relationship from online to in-person. But can a star as famous as Graham really start a relationship with an ordinary girl like Ellie? And why does Ellie want to avoid the media's spotlight at all costs? 

My Rating: 4 / 5 stars

Is this book in the least bit realistic? No. But it's a perfectly sweet and funny little bite of a story and I really enjoyed it. Plausibility was my main problem, with the unbelievability piling on with each new revelation, but I liked it best when I just sat back and enjoyed the funny email exchanges and the crazy situations in this book. This is a great, light summer read for teens and you know, non-teen people like me who just love YA. :D

Content: Nothing.

P.S. I also recommend The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith. It came out last year and was so cute. If I were less lazy I'd put a link here to my own review. :D Sorry! You're going to have to check my review index if you're curious. 

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From Goodreads:

Strange things are afoot in Castle Glower: new rooms, corridors, and even stables keep arriving, even when they aren't needed. Celie's brother Bran, the new Royal Wizard, has his hands full cataloguing an entire storeroom full of exotic and highly dangerous weapons, while Celie has her hands full . . . raising the creature that hatches from a giant egg she finds! Will they be able to find out what's making the Castle behave this way in time?

My Rating: 4 / 5 stars

I borrowed this from a friend who got it from goodreads first reads. I was so excited when I saw it at her house and of course had to steal it from her for a quick read. This will be out May 7th. I liked Tuesdays at the Castle but thought the ending was a little rushed. This time, Jessica Day George unfolds her plot slowly, building up the tension at just the right pace. I was loving Celie's cute creature troubles, but even more I loved the history and answers behind Castle Glower's mystery, not to mention the danger the castle is in. My only problem? The big fat cliffhanger at the end. I guess Jessica Day George decided that leaving me hanging was better than leaving me confused by a too-fast wrap-up. This is a great series and I'll be getting my own copy of this soon for my library.


Content: None.

New Dystopians

 Okay, maybe it would be more accurate to call these sci-fi, paranormal, dystopians. But that just seemed a bit much for a blog post title, don't you think? These are all new releases I've recently read. One good, one bad, one just plain baffling. :D

From Goodreads:
In this gripping exploration of a futuristic afterlife, a teen discovers that death is just the beginning.

Since her untimely death the day before her eighteenth birthday, Felicia Ward has been trapped in Level 2, a stark white afterlife located between our world and the next. Along with her fellow drones, Felicia passes the endless hours reliving memories of her time on Earth and mourning what she’s lost—family, friends, and Neil, the boy she loved.

Then a girl in a neighboring chamber is found dead, and nobody but Felicia recalls that she existed in the first place. When Julian—a dangerously charming guy Felicia knew in life—comes to offer Felicia a way out, Felicia learns the truth: If she joins the rebellion to overthrow the Morati, the angel guardians of Level 2, she can be with Neil again.

Suspended between Heaven and Earth, Felicia finds herself at the center of an age-old struggle between good and evil. As memories from her life come back to haunt her, and as the Morati hunt her down, Felicia will discover it’s not just her own redemption at stake… but the salvation of all mankind.

My Rating: 3 / 5 stars

Level 2 would be the baffling book of the batch. I wanted to like it and I thought it had a rocking premise - so much potential. But it was just weird. And unsatisfying.

I love the idea of there being this waiting area after death. It was creepy and interesting to read about Felicia and her fellow drones and the way they shared and rated their earth life memories. It was so claustrophobic to read about their existence (I almost used the word life, but that's not quite accurate is it? :D) and freaky to think that they might be stuck there forever.

Enter side plot about it all being a huge conspiracy with evil angels called the Morati trying to keep the drones where they are because the Morati were feeding off their energy, trying to break portals open into heaven since they aren't allowed into heaven. That was the story I wanted more of and I wanted to read about Felicia and Julian working together to fight them.

Instead, most of this book is Felicia reliving her earth memories and trying to make sense of her earth life. There are lots of things about Felicia's past being held back for the reader throughout the novel, trying to create suspense. Instead, I found myself kind of annoyed. Is this a contemporary novel, where Felicia comes to terms with the awful events of her life, thus allowing her to move on to the next level? Or is this that cool story with evil angels and Felicia hacking in the afterlife and freeing her fellow drones? It's neither. Not enough time is spent on the stories to make either of them feel complete.

The big fight and resolution at the end are so rushed, so info-dumped, that after it was over I wasn't sure I had any idea what had just happened. Or why, especially. So confusing.

Definite kudos for a creative premise, but the execution did not work for me. So, unless I see some super good reviews for book 2, I don't know if I'll be reading it next year.

Content: Some swearing, some sexual-ish content: Felicia does take all her clothes off in front of her boyfriend hoping for some (he refuses because he's super religious and has signed a church thing saying he'll be a virgin until marriage).

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From Goodreads:
Fia was born with flawless instincts. Her first impulse, her gut feeling, is always exactly right. Her sister, Annie, is blind to the world around her—except when her mind is gripped by strange visions of the future.

Trapped in a school that uses girls with extraordinary powers as tools for corporate espionage, Annie and Fia are forced to choose over and over between using their abilities in twisted, unthinkable ways…or risking each other’s lives by refusing to obey.

In a stunning departure from her New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy, Kiersten White delivers a slick, edgy, heartstoppingly intense psychological thriller about two sisters determined to protect each other—no matter the cost.

My Rating: 4 / 5 stars

Mind Games was so good. My favorite Kiersten White so far. Don't get me wrong - I thoroughly enjoyed her Paranormalcy series, I just found Evie annoying occasionally. Mind Games has no fluff. It is a psychological thriller (like the summary says), both intense and fascinating.

Not gonna lie, it was a little dark at times. Fia's mind is messed up and she has been manipulated into doing things (like assissinating people) because of the society that is keeping her sister hostage, essentially. Fia can be depressed and tortured and she's a great unreliable narrator. You never know what she's going to do and she keeps her thoughts secret and acts purely on impulse (both habits she needs in a world where people can read her mind and see her future if she decides her course too much ahead of time). Lucky for her, her impulses are always right. She has perfect instincts, which I thought was a very cool power. She's a great fighter and a super spy.

Annie is also a wonderful characters. Blind, but with the ability to see the future, she makes a great pair with Fia. These two girls have not had it easy, but they do their best to work together and try and protect each other. Overall, I thought the whole story was well done. I loved the spy elements and how they work together to fight the system they're stuck in. I don't want to give too many more details, because I don't want to spoil anything, but this book is a wild ride of instability and surprise. The ending is heartbreaking but fitting. I wanted something different for Annie and especially Fia, but things are in place for a killer sequel. I can't wait to see where it goes.

Content: Yeah, plenty violent at times. Not gory, though. It's mostly situational intensity that makes it so scary. Little swearing and the occasional sexual innuendo, but nothing much.

 

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 From Goodreads:
You or your Alt? Only one will survive.

The city of Kersh is a safe haven, but the price of safety is high. Everyone has a genetic Alternate—a twin raised by another family—and citizens must prove their worth by eliminating their Alts before their twentieth birthday. Survival means advanced schooling, a good job, marriage—life.

Fifteen-year-old West Grayer has trained as a fighter, preparing for the day when her assignment arrives and she will have one month to hunt down and kill her Alt. But then a tragic misstep shakes West’s confidence. Stricken with grief and guilt, she’s no longer certain that she’s the best version of herself, the version worthy of a future. If she is to have any chance of winning, she must stop running not only from her Alt, but also from love . . . though both have the power to destroy her.

My Rating: 2 / 5 stars

I knew going into this that it wouldn't be my favorite, but I was in the mood for fast-paced and intense one day so I pulled it out of my library pile. So horribly dark and violent. Yikes!

I had a really hard time connecting with West (and every other character in this book). She's so withdrawn, so obsessed with being a fighter and keeping everyone out of her life that there was no way I was going to feel connected to her. This book would really have benefitted from some comic relief, some show of humanity from West. I just didn't get her. She was a killing maching. I don't know why she decides to become an assassin, why she was motivated to anything she did in this book.

I didn't understand anything about this world, actually. It's never explained in a really convincing way why this society feels the need to create doubles of each person and force them to kill each other off as children/teens. Some mumbo jumbo about there being a huge war outside their compound and to keep themselves safe every person needs to be capable of fighting and killing. Not good enough for me. I thought it would have been better if alternates had been explored more, been given better personalities. Because it's not like they're robots. They're actually people with families and hobbies and lives. They just happen to have an identical twin. West is an alt herself. Plus, there's no way this kind of constant murder wouldn't have major psychological effects on their society. Instead, people go on to live happy lives after the murder in their youth. Not believable.

What I was hoping for was for West to fight the system. To not believe in it. Maybe to get to know her alt and see her as a person. Instead, she does exactly what the system asks her to, without question. She's bothered, of course, but there are no hints that she's interested in changing anything about the status quo.

Oh yeah. Technically there's a bit of romance too. I guess. Not sure I would call it that. Remember how West refuses to get close to anyone? It's a pathetic attempt at a love story.

So, overall, pretty bad. Read it if you can suspend your belief and want a fast-paced action story (and really, the whole cat and mouse game between West and her alt is intense and well-written suspense). But I won't be reading the sequel.

Content: Loads of killing. Bloody and stomach-turning at times. Swearing, no sexual content.

 

The 3 Best Books of 2013 (so far)

I have recently read three seriously amazing books. I don't know what my end of the year lists will look like yet, but I can guarantee these three books will be on them (and likely somewhere at the top because I'm going to have to find some mind-blowing things to beat them). I bought Scarlet before reading it and got the other two at the library (though I immediately went and ordered them from Amazon after finishing both - they are that good). I highly recommend you pick up one or all three ASAP!!!

From Goodreads:
The fates of Cinder and Scarlet collide as a Lunar threat spreads across the Earth...

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.


My Rating: 5 / 5 stars

Don't read any further if you haven't read Cinder yet (and if you haven't I recommend it's the next book you read :D)!

Scarlet was so incredibly satisfying. All sequels should be this amazing! It is as good if not even better than Cinder. I loved the way the story continued and all the new characters that were introduced. And the incredibly brilliant way Marissa Meyer brings in fairy tale touches is my favorite, favorite part. This series really is the best of sci-fi, the best of dystopian, and the best of fairy retelling books. So, Scarlet is Red Riding Hood, but with moxy. She is so freaking awesome. The whole story and how it unfolded had me on edge, because as Scarlet gets to know Wolf (and holy cow, Wolf!) the whole time I'm thinking, "Ummm... we like him, but hello!!! His name is Wolf!!!! Don't trust him!" Let's just say the way it all turns out is (like I said before) incredibly satisfying. Staying true to the fairy tale, but still taking a completely original and clever spin on it.

And don't forget about Cinder. She plays a big part, along with the hilarious Captain (or should I say Cadet?) Thorne. Oh this book needed him. Scarlet's story is intense and when it switches over to Cinder and Thorne's POV (and Iko! So fabulous the way she returns!!!) Thorne provides some much needed comic relief. He's such a swaggering Han Solo wannabe and he cracked me up. Cinder finds much-needed answers and proof of her past and decides to embrace her real identity. It is so empowering. Don't forget Kai (love!) and Queen Levana either. Poor Kai is left confused and conflicted about missing Cinder and has a huge burden left on him - that would be Queen Levana and her wrath. And she further proves she is the most psycho evil queen of all time. All the stakes are being raised here for all characters and I am dying to see where this goes next.

Which is to the moon, by the way. And a Rapunzel character (who we know from her brief book 1 cameo as the instantly lovable trapped hacker - oh my gosh I can't wait for her story).

Content: Nothing in the way of language or sensuality (ok, maybe a little snogging between Scarlet and Wolf, but trust me - it's not a bad thing!). The final battle scene did get a bit bloody for my tastes but it also in my opinion makes the danger more real and got me even more invested in seeing Cinder and her friends succeed in the end.

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 From Goodreads:
Knowing the outcome doesn’t always make a choice easier . . .

Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if?” As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It’s the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie’s parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with—her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the “Norms,” or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it’s not.

In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school—but she never wanted to be a quarterback’s girlfriend. When Addie’s father is asked to consult on a murder in the Compound, she’s unwittingly drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she’s willing to live through . . . and who she can’t live without.

My Rating: 5 / 5 stars

Pivot Point is the first debut novel this year to completely live up to and exceed my expectations. I fell in love with it almost immediately and I am so looking forward to continuing this series. If you try one new book this year, let Pivot Point be it.

It seems like X-Men type superpowers have been done a million times and a million ways, but Pivot Point does the impossible and makes them totally fresh and new, with powers and abilities I've never seen done before. Addie's ability to search choices is so awesome (made me wish I could have had that one as a teenager). So, if you've read the summary you know the gist. Addie is given the impossible choice of deciding which of her parents to live with. One lets her stay in the paranormal compound she's lived in her whole life, and the other takes her to the outside world. The book is essentially her search, alternating chapters between what will happen in each scenario. It was so fascinating, especially as the suspense begins to build and it becomes clear that Addie has an impossible choice. Each scenario is filled with the same very real danger and Addie is able to do things about it in each scenario, but neither is enough to solve the mystery and the crime and to stop the murderer (and his accomplice/s who may or may not be people Addie is close to...) The romance is also worth a mention and so lovely. Addie develops a love interest in each scenario but this is no love triangle. As the book progresses I definitely found myself leaning one way and then wayyyy that way and then some big reveals come out and POW! Just woah. Can't say anymore. Someone read it so we can talk because that was awesome but heartbreaking.

I liked that the same basic events happened on each side; the parallel was so cool to follow. And huge kudos to Kasie West for an excellent job well done making me love and get invested in all side characters. From Addie's best friend Laila to Duke and Trevor (the love interests - both so incredible and layered) to Addie's FBI agent dad. Even the villains are well-drawn and multi-faceted.

And ack!!! Wait till you see how it ends and what Addie has to decide!!!

Highly recommended.

Content: Absolutely, beautifully clean. I found nothing objectionable. No swearing and no violence (even though the danger and evil are very real). I was especially pleased that the teenagers didn't spend their free time partying and drinking. There's a point in the story when a football game has just ended and Addie's with a group of friends celebrating and I thought for sure that the alcohol would come out, but instead they split into groups and played a game where they raced around to each other's houses, competing to see who could find the best dessert. It made me laugh because it's so something I would have done with my friends as a teen. I wasn't surprised to find out that Kasie West is originally from Utah and most likely Mormon, because we Mormons have to get crazy and creative like that as teens, since we don't drink and party. :D Maybe all that creativity is what makes so many Mormons great writers? Who knows, but I seriously appreciate seeing teens spending time not killing their brain cells.

 

 

 

 

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From Goodreads:
Sixteen-year-old Kyra, a highly-skilled potions master, is the only one who knows her kingdom is on the verge of destruction—which means she’s the only one who can save it. Faced with no other choice, Kyra decides to do what she does best: poison the kingdom’s future ruler, who also happens to be her former best friend.

But, for the first time ever, her poisoned dart . . . misses.

Now a fugitive instead of a hero, Kyra is caught in a game of hide-and-seek with the king’s army and her potioner ex-boyfriend, Hal. At least she’s not alone. She’s armed with her vital potions, a too-cute pig, and Fred, the charming adventurer she can’t stop thinking about. Kyra is determined to get herself a second chance (at murder), but will she be able to find and defeat the princess before Hal and the army find her?

My Rating: 5 / 5 stars

Oh my goodness. Poison is so charming, so funny, so perfectly everything I love in this type of book that I want to cry because there will never be a sequel. If you're a blogger, you've probably heard, but if not, the author Bridget Zinn passed away in 2011 from cancer and this book is being published posthumously. But don't think for a moment that I'm giving this book a glowing review out of charity, because it fully deserves every one of those five stars.

Kyra... well Kyra is fabulous. Hilarious. And talented. Don't mess with her because if you annoy her she'll knock you out with any of the numerous poisonous weapons she has hiding on her person at all times. Her potion and magical abilities are delightful and despite her penchant for poison-tipped weapons she is a good person and would never hurt a thing (I was kidding about her knocking you out for annoying her - she wouldn't... but she would definitely think about it!) unless it was absolutely necessary.

That right there is what drives this book. Why? Why would Kyra try to kill her best friend the princess? What did the princess do to deserve it? I liked Kyra so much I trusted her to have a good reason even though the answers don't come until near the end of the book. And when the answers come they are perfect. So mind-blowing. So good.

Kyra's adventure covers witches, trolls, evil magicians, vengeful thief lords, a seriously adorable pig (I'm not one to easily fall for cute animal sidekicks, but trust me - it's never been done this way before... I want that pig), poison, magical potions with lots of fun effects, mistaken identities, disguises, and I could go on. I loved every moment. And don't forget the romance with Fred. So perfect. So charming. I don't think I've ever liked the name Fred so much before. :D

Some things were predictable, but there were plenty of surprises in store (some huge ones even!). I loved it all. I can't wait to read it again and again.

Content: Nada. Enjoy!

Favorite Bookish Pins

My Bookish Things page on Pinterest is one of my favorite things and I love finding funny book-related pins. If you're on pinterest, you should definitely come check out my board because I have tons of pins on it! Here are some favorites.

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Anyway, there's lots more on my page, like things to make out of books and bookish jewelry and lots of cool home library inspiration pictures, like these:

 

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Are you on pinterest? I'm obsessed.