Paper Towns has been in my TBR pile(s) for a while now, so I chose it this week after finishing book 5 in A Song of Ice and Fire. After reading A Dance with Dragons, I needed something more grounded in reality and, as usual with John Green's books, I am so glad I did.
Quentin Jacobsen's quest to find Margo Roth Spiegelman took me back to those days in high school where I was surrounded by people and had wonderful friends, but always felt like I was on the outside looking in. I don't mean that in a bad way, I think everyone feels a sense of disconnect from the people around them, especially in our teen years.
I loved the pace of this book and at times I was on the edge of my seat wondering where Margo's hints would lead Q and what he would find. I found myself laughing out loud at times (once while waiting for my car to be serviced), and feeling the same sense of fear the characters felt in the 'not knowing' what was to come. I also enjoyed seeing the strong relationships that Q had with his parents and friends, Ben and Radar.
I wish Mr. Green was writing books when I was at teenager. Paper Towns kept me guessing and hoping until the end, and it didn't disappoint. I totally recommend this book for people of all ages and give it a five out of five stars.
Sunday, August 9, 2015
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
All Souls Trilogy By Deborah Harkness
I LOVE THIS SERIES!
I had read about "A Discovery of Witches" before it was published and it sounded really interesting, so I pre-ordered it. When I read it, I was hooked and couldn't wait for the rest of the series.
My cousin picked up "Shadow of Night" in California while at a book signing (love her for that!), and I ordered "The Book of Life" as soon as it was available for Pre-Order. Yes, it has taken me much longer to finish the series than I would have liked, but life interrupted - I could not focus on the books - and they need all of your attention.
Deborah Harkness has created an amazing world that incorporates the present with the past, historical figures and facts with the paranormal (two of my favorite genres are historical fiction and paranormal). Maybe Ms. Harkness being a Professor of History adds credibility, but I almost believe the story she weaved to be true - wanted it to be true.
I don't give away much with any of my book reviews, so let me just say that I love how the characters are introduced to us, how they meet, and how they slowly get to know each other as we, the readers, get to know them. The All Souls Trilogy isn't for the light of heart who are hoping for a quick read. They are for the thinking person, someone who wants to get lost in a world that you think you know, but has hidden secrets from you all along. A world that takes you back in time and brings you home with answers that the two main characters, along with the rest, need to know to survive.
I could name every character and tell you wonderful things about them, but you need to read the books and find out about them for yourself. I don't think you will be disappointed. I give all three of the books in the All Souls Trilogy five out of Five stars!
My only complaint is - I want more Gallowglass - I NEED more Gallowglass!
I had read about "A Discovery of Witches" before it was published and it sounded really interesting, so I pre-ordered it. When I read it, I was hooked and couldn't wait for the rest of the series.
My cousin picked up "Shadow of Night" in California while at a book signing (love her for that!), and I ordered "The Book of Life" as soon as it was available for Pre-Order. Yes, it has taken me much longer to finish the series than I would have liked, but life interrupted - I could not focus on the books - and they need all of your attention.
Deborah Harkness has created an amazing world that incorporates the present with the past, historical figures and facts with the paranormal (two of my favorite genres are historical fiction and paranormal). Maybe Ms. Harkness being a Professor of History adds credibility, but I almost believe the story she weaved to be true - wanted it to be true.
I don't give away much with any of my book reviews, so let me just say that I love how the characters are introduced to us, how they meet, and how they slowly get to know each other as we, the readers, get to know them. The All Souls Trilogy isn't for the light of heart who are hoping for a quick read. They are for the thinking person, someone who wants to get lost in a world that you think you know, but has hidden secrets from you all along. A world that takes you back in time and brings you home with answers that the two main characters, along with the rest, need to know to survive.
I could name every character and tell you wonderful things about them, but you need to read the books and find out about them for yourself. I don't think you will be disappointed. I give all three of the books in the All Souls Trilogy five out of Five stars!
My only complaint is - I want more Gallowglass - I NEED more Gallowglass!
Sunday, November 2, 2014
The Incarnate Trilogy by Jodi Meadows
The Incarnate Trilogy has been a part of my to be read pile ever since I got a copy of "Asunder," the second book in the series, at the Frederick County Book Fair a few years ago. This past September I was lucky enough to have dinner with a group of women before a book signing at the Bethesda Library, and Ms. Meadows was a part of that group. She was such a lovely and interesting person, I decided to put her books at the top of the TBR pile... and boy am I glad I did.
The books are Incarnate, Asunder, and Infinite and I would reccomend them to anyone who enjoys getting lost in a book.
Ana has spent her entire life living at Purple Rose Cottage on the outskirts of Range with her mother and has had little contact with other people. She is self taught since her mother refused to teach her or give her any guidance at all, except demanding she do her daily chores. One day Ana takes off on her own to the city of Heart in hopes of finding out why she was born, the first new-soul to the million old-souls continuously reborn over the past 5,000 years.
On her journey, she finds unexpected friendship, loyalty, and love. Ana also learns the dark secrets of Heart and the supposed creator of the old-souls, Janan, who will one day return.
This story is refreshingly new, with characters who will steal your heart and some that will chill you to the bone... oh, and there are dragons, sylph, trolls and phoenixes... a fabulous, new world you won't want to miss. I loved all three books equally and I give this entire series five out of five stars!
I can't wait to read The Orphan Queen - which we can pre-order now!
The books are Incarnate, Asunder, and Infinite and I would reccomend them to anyone who enjoys getting lost in a book.
Ana has spent her entire life living at Purple Rose Cottage on the outskirts of Range with her mother and has had little contact with other people. She is self taught since her mother refused to teach her or give her any guidance at all, except demanding she do her daily chores. One day Ana takes off on her own to the city of Heart in hopes of finding out why she was born, the first new-soul to the million old-souls continuously reborn over the past 5,000 years.
On her journey, she finds unexpected friendship, loyalty, and love. Ana also learns the dark secrets of Heart and the supposed creator of the old-souls, Janan, who will one day return.
This story is refreshingly new, with characters who will steal your heart and some that will chill you to the bone... oh, and there are dragons, sylph, trolls and phoenixes... a fabulous, new world you won't want to miss. I loved all three books equally and I give this entire series five out of five stars!
I can't wait to read The Orphan Queen - which we can pre-order now!
Sunday, June 1, 2014
"Dorothy Must Die" by Danielle Paige
"Dorothy Must Die" by Danielle Paige is absolutely twisted, and I love it.
Amy Gumm (or as the High School bullies refer to her "Amy Salvation Army trailer trash") lives in Kansas with her mother...in a trailer. To say her life isn't the happiest is an understatement. The day she gets in a fight at school and is sent home, there is a tornado warning. To add insult to injury, her mother is going to a "tornado party" and leaves Amy at home alone with her pet rat Star (a pet Amy is not too fond of).
Needless to say, the tornado hits and Amy, Star and the trailer are all twirled away to Oz. It doesn't take long for Amy to realize that the Oz of the book and movie no longer exists. Flying Monkeys and Munchkins are enslaved, tortured and killed. Amy herself is branded a traitor against Dorothy, but is pulled into The Revolutionary Order of the Wicked and trained to fight and on how to use magic.
Those who were once good in Oz are now evil and those who were once wicked are now trying to save Oz... Or are they? Amy learns quickly that she can't trust anyone, all she is sure of is that Dorothy Must Die!
I love that Dorothy Gale, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, the Cowardly Lion and even Toto are unrecognizable and that all of the characters I loved or was afraid of from the original story are still in Oz.
I truly enjoyed this book with all of it's twisted twists and turns and I cannot wait for the story to continue!
I give it five of five stars.
Amy Gumm (or as the High School bullies refer to her "Amy Salvation Army trailer trash") lives in Kansas with her mother...in a trailer. To say her life isn't the happiest is an understatement. The day she gets in a fight at school and is sent home, there is a tornado warning. To add insult to injury, her mother is going to a "tornado party" and leaves Amy at home alone with her pet rat Star (a pet Amy is not too fond of).
Needless to say, the tornado hits and Amy, Star and the trailer are all twirled away to Oz. It doesn't take long for Amy to realize that the Oz of the book and movie no longer exists. Flying Monkeys and Munchkins are enslaved, tortured and killed. Amy herself is branded a traitor against Dorothy, but is pulled into The Revolutionary Order of the Wicked and trained to fight and on how to use magic.
Those who were once good in Oz are now evil and those who were once wicked are now trying to save Oz... Or are they? Amy learns quickly that she can't trust anyone, all she is sure of is that Dorothy Must Die!
I love that Dorothy Gale, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, the Cowardly Lion and even Toto are unrecognizable and that all of the characters I loved or was afraid of from the original story are still in Oz.
I truly enjoyed this book with all of it's twisted twists and turns and I cannot wait for the story to continue!
I give it five of five stars.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga - It's Creepy Good!
First let me say, I know it has been a long time but I have been busy reading the A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin, and you can't rush them! I took a break reading the fifth book because I don't want to finish it too soon especially since the sixth book isn't coming out until 2013.
Recently I received a pleasant surprise when 14 books showed up in a box on my doorstep. The first one that I was drawn to was I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga.
Jasper (Jazz) Dent lives with his nearly insane grandmother in Lobo Nob. He has a best friend Howie, who is a Type A Hemophiliac, and a girlfriend, Connie. They are the only two people in Jazz's life that he truly cares about and trusts. Jazz has adults looking out for him, like G. William, the local sheriff, but there are also a few who want to exploit him, like Doug Weathers a sleazy reporter looking for fame at Jazz's expense. Then there's his father, Billy Dent, the "world's most infamous serial killer," who use to take young Jazz with him for on the job training.
Life seems to be going along smoothly for Jazz ... or the appearance of normalcy is working for him ... when a body is found in Lobo Nod.
I am not one to give anything away, so I will stop there. What I will say is I love how Mr. Lyga lets you into Jazz's mind to see the struggles he has within himself. It is all kinds of warped, but I found myself rooting for Jazz throughout the book, no matter what.
Mr. Lyga kept me guessing until the end, and I can't wait to read the next book... there better be a Next Book! : ) I give the book five out of five!
Recently I received a pleasant surprise when 14 books showed up in a box on my doorstep. The first one that I was drawn to was I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga.
Jasper (Jazz) Dent lives with his nearly insane grandmother in Lobo Nob. He has a best friend Howie, who is a Type A Hemophiliac, and a girlfriend, Connie. They are the only two people in Jazz's life that he truly cares about and trusts. Jazz has adults looking out for him, like G. William, the local sheriff, but there are also a few who want to exploit him, like Doug Weathers a sleazy reporter looking for fame at Jazz's expense. Then there's his father, Billy Dent, the "world's most infamous serial killer," who use to take young Jazz with him for on the job training.
Life seems to be going along smoothly for Jazz ... or the appearance of normalcy is working for him ... when a body is found in Lobo Nod.
I am not one to give anything away, so I will stop there. What I will say is I love how Mr. Lyga lets you into Jazz's mind to see the struggles he has within himself. It is all kinds of warped, but I found myself rooting for Jazz throughout the book, no matter what.
Mr. Lyga kept me guessing until the end, and I can't wait to read the next book... there better be a Next Book! : ) I give the book five out of five!
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Under the Vampire Moon Contest by Lynsay Sands
I am spreading the word that Lynsay Sands has a fabulous contest going on right now in honor of her new book, Under the Vampire Moon which will be released on April 24, 2012.
You can pre-order the book now on Amazon.com.
Book Description from Amazon:
Good Luck!
You can pre-order the book now on Amazon.com.
Book Description from Amazon:
When Vampires Go On Vacation . . .
Escaping a horrible marriage, Carolyn Connor has no desire to think about men—a vow she's determined to keep while on vacation in St. Lucia. She'll take the Caribbean sun and sea and plenty of tropical drinks with those cute umbrellas poolside, thank you. She absolutely does not need male company, no matter how tan and rock-hard his body may be.
Easy enough, but then Carolyn meets the charming Marguerite Argeneau, who is infamous among her family for her matchmaking prowess . . .
Christian Notte has well known the power of finding a life mate. He's seen enough of his Argeneau relatives taken down for the count, but he never imagined he'd let himself fall in love—until he meets the enthralling, charmingly skittish, and oh-so-mortal Carolyn. But how will he reveal what he is and still convince this once-bitten mortal to trust him with her heart . . . and her forever?
Escaping a horrible marriage, Carolyn Connor has no desire to think about men—a vow she's determined to keep while on vacation in St. Lucia. She'll take the Caribbean sun and sea and plenty of tropical drinks with those cute umbrellas poolside, thank you. She absolutely does not need male company, no matter how tan and rock-hard his body may be.
Easy enough, but then Carolyn meets the charming Marguerite Argeneau, who is infamous among her family for her matchmaking prowess . . .
Christian Notte has well known the power of finding a life mate. He's seen enough of his Argeneau relatives taken down for the count, but he never imagined he'd let himself fall in love—until he meets the enthralling, charmingly skittish, and oh-so-mortal Carolyn. But how will he reveal what he is and still convince this once-bitten mortal to trust him with her heart . . . and her forever?
Good Luck!
Monday, February 27, 2012
The Selection by Kiera Cass
When The Selection by Kiera Cass came in the mail on Saturday I decided to set aside book five of George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series to read it. (Don't get me wrong, I LOVE everything about Mr. Martin's books, but I was happy to take a break from the heaviness of A Dance with Dragons.)
I was struck by how apropos the political caste system in The Selection was to what is going on in America today and was very intrigued by the back story of how the country of Illéa came to be.
The caste system in Illéa goes from ones to eights, with ones being the wealthiest and eights being homeless. Our protagonist, America Singer, and her family are fives within the system. There are very strict laws in Illéa regarding relationships outside of your caste system and America is in love with Aspen Leger who is a six, so they have to hide their relationship from everyone.
Applications for The Selection have gone out to all eligible young women in Illéa. The Selection is a contest of sorts wherein 35 young women are randomly chosen to move to the palace and possibly be chosen by the Royal Prince Maxon to be his bride. Anyone chosen automatically becomes a three within the caste system, and their families are compensated each week that they are gone. The girl chosen by Prince Maxon will automatically become a one, as will her family.
America wants nothing to do with The Selection because she loves Aspen and refuses to leave him. After careful thought, Aspen makes her promise that she will apply telling her he couldn't live with the "what ifs" that might be between them if she doesn't even try. Her mother also bribes her to apply, telling her that she can keep half of any money she makes if she just fills out the application.
America applies, believing that the chances of her being selected out of the thousands of applicants are very slim and with the extra money she now has, she plans a surprise dinner for Aspen. Needless to say, Aspen's male ego takes over with the whole "I am supposed to provide for you, not the other way around" macho thing, and he breaks up with her. America is heartbroken, and when her name is called out on the weekly Capital Report as one of the 35, she is happy to leave Carolina.
America's life changes dramatically once she begins participating in The Selection and I found myself rooting for her the whole time. I have to admit, I couldn't put this book down -- staying up until 2:30 a.m. to finish it the same day it came in the mail! I was dying to see what was going to happen to this strong-willed young lady and wanted to scream NOOOOO when I realized that this was the first book in a series and that I am going to have to wait to find out what happens next!
I truly enjoyed the refreshing and unique premise of the story as well as the characters and their interactions with America. I give the book 4½ out of 5 and recommend you pre-order it now. I can't wait for Book Number 2!
I was struck by how apropos the political caste system in The Selection was to what is going on in America today and was very intrigued by the back story of how the country of Illéa came to be.
The caste system in Illéa goes from ones to eights, with ones being the wealthiest and eights being homeless. Our protagonist, America Singer, and her family are fives within the system. There are very strict laws in Illéa regarding relationships outside of your caste system and America is in love with Aspen Leger who is a six, so they have to hide their relationship from everyone.
Applications for The Selection have gone out to all eligible young women in Illéa. The Selection is a contest of sorts wherein 35 young women are randomly chosen to move to the palace and possibly be chosen by the Royal Prince Maxon to be his bride. Anyone chosen automatically becomes a three within the caste system, and their families are compensated each week that they are gone. The girl chosen by Prince Maxon will automatically become a one, as will her family.
America wants nothing to do with The Selection because she loves Aspen and refuses to leave him. After careful thought, Aspen makes her promise that she will apply telling her he couldn't live with the "what ifs" that might be between them if she doesn't even try. Her mother also bribes her to apply, telling her that she can keep half of any money she makes if she just fills out the application.
America applies, believing that the chances of her being selected out of the thousands of applicants are very slim and with the extra money she now has, she plans a surprise dinner for Aspen. Needless to say, Aspen's male ego takes over with the whole "I am supposed to provide for you, not the other way around" macho thing, and he breaks up with her. America is heartbroken, and when her name is called out on the weekly Capital Report as one of the 35, she is happy to leave Carolina.
America's life changes dramatically once she begins participating in The Selection and I found myself rooting for her the whole time. I have to admit, I couldn't put this book down -- staying up until 2:30 a.m. to finish it the same day it came in the mail! I was dying to see what was going to happen to this strong-willed young lady and wanted to scream NOOOOO when I realized that this was the first book in a series and that I am going to have to wait to find out what happens next!
I truly enjoyed the refreshing and unique premise of the story as well as the characters and their interactions with America. I give the book 4½ out of 5 and recommend you pre-order it now. I can't wait for Book Number 2!
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