ARC Review: Panic

by Lauren Oliver
3/5 stars
Harper, 2014
416 pages
YA Contemporary Suspense
Scheduled to release March 4

Source: Received an e-ARC from the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

Another tricky review to write. This was a flowing read that kept me engaged but didn't demand my attention when I had to put it down. I think I spent one whole day not reading it and didn't mind. So that gives you some insight into how I felt. When I love a book, I can barely put it down and I push other things in my life aside just to luxuriate in the world a little bit longer. And that was just not the case here.

In this book, we have the alternating perspectives of Heather and Dodge, two recent high school graduates in the town of Carp who embark on the game Panic, a tradition for the summer after high school. The high stakes jackpot draws the attention of all but the increasing danger also attracts adult attention to prevent the tragedies of previous years. Still determined youngsters with few prospects are dogged and will see the game through to the bitter end.

I guess there were several problems for me with this book, which can be summed up simply: characters, plot, and the end. These are all pretty big problems to have with a book so I think you can see why I was less than impressed.

First are the characters. Heather and Dodge are not particularly close but as participants in Panic (and with him having a crush on her best friend Natalie), their paths soon cross. I didn't have any specific problems with either but we never clicked. I always felt very distanced even though both have reasons for me to feel sympathetic toward them. Even now as I write, I have no strong opinions about them. They're practically ciphers to me. If you've read my blog for a while, you may know that I tend to have a very strong reaction to depictions of the relationship between sisters. So when I tell you that Heather is a protective older sister and it still didn't register with me may give you some insight into how little I cared for these characters.

The second element is the plot. I have no problem with this game of Panic overtaking the young people of this small town. But I do wonder about the adults that so many didn't seem to care what was going on despite tragedies in previous years and the fact that knowledge about it seemed to be disseminated pretty easily. I feel like more adults could have stepped in to stop the game.

Now don't worry, I'm not going to spoil the end, or at least I hope not. I thought the book was building to a big explosive finish but I thought it ended more with a whimper. Am I glad there was some optimism to end since there are many down moments in the book? Yes but it wasn't very exciting nor was it quite what I was expecting.

So that's how I feel about Panic-what about you? Have you read this yet? Are you looking forward to the newest release from Oliver (keep in mind I did not like her Delirium trilogy so this might still please fans of that series.)

Churchill's Angels

by Ruby Jackson
3/5 stars
Harper, 2013
383 pages
Adult Historical Fiction

Source: Received an ARC through Amazon Vine in exchange for an honest review.

Doesn't this look like a fun book? The title's mention of Churchill brings to mind WWII and then the main character is obvious an aviator-what could be more fascinating? In the end, a lot of things as the writing for this book kept me seriously disengaged from this book.

I think I have become spoiled from reading so much YA. I feel like the vast majority (though certainly not all) of the titles in that category are narrated in first-person, giving the narrative a sense of urgency and letting me to connect deeply with her (usually female but not always) and those around her. This book largely focused on Daisy, youngest of five, the "delicate" one in the family whose destiny is radically changed with the advent of war. However the book would randomly flip over to her twin sister Rose or some other member of the family for short sections. This rapid change in perspective frequently disoriented me as I tried to figure out if Daisy was also in the scene.

Beyond that I hoped for a strong story of friendship and a sweet romance, receiving neither. There are four friends at the beginning: Daisy, sister Rose, Grace, and Sally. The latter two swiftly leave town for other employment, leaving Rose at a local munitions plant and Daisy trying to decide how she will contribute. Letters are few and far between so I didn't much of a sense for their personalities. As for the romance, it seems like Daisy is being set up for a relationship with Adair Maxwell, the aristocrat who invites her to help with his plane, who encourages her to pursue pilot studies, and who is just generally pretty lovely. But war leaves them little time to be together and absolutely none of the romantic parts thrilled me.

On a historical note, I was a bit disappointed that Pearl Harbor and the US entry into the war wasn't even mentioned as we definitely cover December 1941 in this book. Mightn't it have been appropriate for Daisy to wonder how much longer the war will last with that new influx of American might? In a different realm, this book does not hold back on the deaths. Three named characters of supreme emotional importance to Daisy are killed (plus more who also affect her) in manners that shocked me. I honestly thought at least two of them would make it through but, no, Jackson just killed them. In yet another area, Jackson's characters are of the lower class with the requisite speech patterns and attitudes. I feel like I've read more books with posh British characters so that was a change. It helped show the changes that war is wreaking, the breaking down of classes as well as the rise of women in the workforce.

Overall: What felt like an alienating choice of narration kept me from connecting with the characters as I had hoped and left me dragging through the book. There's a strong chance I would have set this book aside if I had not committed to reading it for review on Amazon.

Asylum

Asylum by Madeleine Roux
4/5 stars
Harper, 2013
310 pages
YA Horror Thriller

Source: Received an ARC through Amazon Vine in exchange for an honest review.

I am a complete sucker for books with historical photos included so upon discovering that Asylum was one of those books, I was eager to check it out. As an ARC, it was missing a few pictures but for the most part they were present and really added to the creepy vibe.

The whole premise is pretty dark and creepy though to be honest. Dan is thrilled to be spending his summer attending a college prep course, to be surrounded by other people with a healthy intellectual curiosity instead of being derided for his smarts. Almost instantly he hits it off with two people, one being the prettiest girl he's seen. That night they decide to explore the office of their dorm, formerly a mental asylum for the seriously deranged. This triggers many unpleasant occurrences and leads them to fear for their lives as they attempt to unravel the dark history of this asylum and end up fearing for their own mental health.

See-doesn't that premise promise some thrills? And while I'm admittedly a wimp, I thought this book was very atmospheric and successful in delivering on that. I had no idea what was going on as ghosts seem to threaten their lives...or is it all in Dan's imagination given his own fragile mental state? I had my suspicions and the fast pace of the book and easy writing style quickly confirmed or shot them down.

I don't think this book could be characterized as being heavy on drawing the characters' personality being more interested in spooky going-ons so if you're a reader who likes vivid characters whose souls you get to know inside out, this probably isn't the book for you. If you like a breakneck pace though, you can slip easily into this book for a few hours, coming out at the end with your neck tingling. Could be a fun read for October/Halloween!

Other Opinions:
Ems Reviews Books
Good Books and Good Wine
Moirae (the fates) book reviews
Once Upon a Twilight

Sight Reading

Sight Reading by Daphne Kalotay
4/5 stars
Harper, 2013
328 pages
Adult Historical Literary

Source: Received an ARC through Amazon Vine in exchange for an honest review.

Way back in 2010, I read this author's Russian Winter and enjoyed it enough to have my interest piqued when I saw this new novel especially because of the violin on the cover (except that as I play viola, I pretended it was a viola; it's never a viola.)

The book follows artistic mother Hazel and composer/conductor Nicholas whose marriage is broken up when he sleeps with young violinist Remy. The book follows them over twenty years of struggles incorporating insights into music, art, and life.

I found this book to be very heavy on character development so it was sometimes a struggle to balance the three perspectives especially because I liked Hazel the most by far. I viewed Remy as the callous jerk who broke up a marriage (also a child was involved) and I disdained Nicholas' self-absorbedness, a common theme throughout the novel. Yet I found them all compelling and kept the pages turning, unable to stop until done.

This is most probably due to its incorporation of music. Nicholas conducts at the conservatory where Remy is studying and both of their plots rely heavily on music. I especially adored Remy's summer taking an advanced master class-there was such passion in describing her musical education. I wonder if Kalotay plays an instrument because I thought she did an outstanding job with descriptions here all around.

Sample Quote (just because I loved it): "...But the middle voices were just as important. The seconds, the violas, the altos. The ones no one paid much attention to. They were the ones who added texture and depth, whose presence, if generally unnoticed, was absolutely necessary." (p. 130 in ARC)

For non-musicians, there is a glossary of musical terms at the very end. I always appreciate such resources and I found it interesting to have the translations of terms from say Italian or French to English as well as a bit of history if relevant.

Overall: I feel like this would be a good book for book clubs because though classical music plays a large component, it is at heart focused on relationships, love, and family, very universal topics and it would certainly provide a lot of fodder for discussion with its potentially polarizing characters.

ARC Review: The School for Good and Evil

The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani
4.5/5 stars
Harper, 2013
488 pages
YA Fairy Tale
Scheduled to release May 14

Source: Received an e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

As a long-time devotee of fairy tales and all their retellings, this book has been on my radar for a long time. I love the idea of schools training up the next generation of heroes and villains, especially when those people are pulled from an ordinary world like ours. The big twist here though is that while beautiful Sophie expects to land in the School for Good to be groomed to be a princess, she actually ends up in the School for Evil while her friend Agatha, whose penchant for black and offbeat style had her marked as villain material, enrolls in the School for Good. This book follows the ups and downs of their crazy first months at the schools against a larger tapestry for their fairy tale is only just getting started.

Like most of the books from HarperCollins, I found the writing of this one absolutely addicting. It's a little on the longer side but the last half, especially, flew by. I could not put it down. The plot has a lot of setup introducing both girls in their homes before transporting them to the schools but it all seemed necessary to set up our expectations for life at the schools. A bonus was that this has illustrations, which helped bring the story to life even further.

Once we're at the schools, it felt a little bit like Harry Potter (in the best way!) Since our two protagonists are split, we get a close look at both schools with their different philosophies and agendas. Everyone at the schools is as baffled as Sophie and Agatha as they also judge based solely on appearance. Sophie refuses to do villainous work, attempting to gain entrance to the good school while Agatha merely wants to go home. The girls have a lot of (mis)adventures as these goals are pursued. I don't want to share any spoilers so I can't be more detailed but it was crazy entertaining.

Of course there are a lot of other characters. The most notable is Prince Tedros, the most popular good boy who is the object of Sophie's affection. Since she thinks he is the handsomest boy, it is only fitting that she, as the prettiest girl, be paired with him. Sophie and Agatha also have a lot of interactions with all of the other students and a few notable professors.

Now I did have a few little quibbles although they did not keep me from greatly enjoying this book. I think it was maybe a little long? I'm not firm on that but some of the emphasis on who/what equaled good versus bad wearied me; luckily the latter half had more adventure. I also found Tedros to be super dull...but that's only because Sophie and Agatha had so much pizzazz.

Overall: Recommended especially for lovers of fairy tales as well as fantasy fans and lovers of younger YA (I originally thought this was MG but I know think it is sort of on the borderline depending on your tolerance for violence.)

Why isn't a sequel listed on goodreads yet???

The Spindlers

The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver
4/5 stars
Harper, 2012
246 pages
MG Fantasy Adventure

Source: Received an ARC through Amazon Vine in exchange for an honest review.

I loved Oliver's first middle-grade book, Liesl & Po, in fact, it was one of my top reads of 2011 so I entered this with pretty high expectations. It would have been difficult to meet those expectations and unfortunately The Spindlers did not. Still it was a fun jaunt.

One morning Liza wakes up and discovers that her brother, despite all appearances, is not her brother anymore. No, he wasn't taken by faeries as is sometimes the case but by the titular spindlers, evil spiderlike beings. Although Patrick can drive Liza crazy, he is still her brother and she bravely ventures Below to recover his soul after her parents refuse to believe the truth of what she says about his abduction. Once there she meets a rat and other creatures on her way to the confrontation.

If you think that summary sounds pretty familiar, well, you're right. I know I've read stories with this same basic plotline before and I'm sure I'll read more. Yes, the specific creatures, settings, and descriptions are different but the story follows very predictable beats if you've read other quest fantasy stories like this. I mean, I liked everything that was happening but nothing really stood out to help keep this story in my mind for years to come, especially when I compare it to my love for Liesl & Po.

I also had a question about something; in my ARC, on page 16, it says, "Spindlers were not like regular spiders. They had six legs, of course..."  If spindlers are supposed to be like spiders, shouldn't they have eight legs? This statement is repeated later in the book despite the picture on the cover of an actual spider with eight legs. Does anyone have a finished copy who can confirm if this was fixed or if it was intended to be six legs. That really bothered me because it's such a simple fact. If they're like spiders, then they should have eight. If they're more like an insect, then they can have six.

Cover: Liza definitely looks her age and this feels more like a MG than YA cover so I'm glad that is accurate although Oliver's name will probably draw some crossover like it did for me.

Hidden

Hidden by Sophie Jordan
4/5 stars
Harper, 2012
260 pages
YA Paranormal Dragons

Source: Bought

I loved Firelight. Just loved it. I knew there were flaws and I mentioned them in my review. But I just adored Will and Jacinda as a couple and eagerly looked forward to Vanish. As Vanish ramped up Jacinda's feelings about Cassian, I found myself less enthused but still looking forward this, the conclusion. I was so excited about it that I preordered the book in February and made sure to block out a place for it in my reviewing schedule.

After finishing Hidden, I'm not entirely sure why I was so excited. Was the promise of Firelight really that high? Did I love Will that much? (Answers: not sure and yes, obviously). I mean, I read all of these books in a matter of hours but that is because they are not difficult reads, not so much because I was heavily invested in the characters and their journeys.

The good news for this book is that Jacinda is way less annoying. Her dithering over Cassian and Will in the second book drove me crazy and while there is definitely some of that here, for the most part Jacinda got with the program and is firmly on Team Will. Her future is linked to his and they must work together to protect the secrets of the draki.

The less good is that I was anticipating an epic confrontation between the draki and the draki hunters and while there were some good fights, for the most part, I don't feel like I got the conflict I was imagining and desiring. If you're going to give action scenes, you gotta go big! There are some stunning betrayals and revealing of secrets though if that's your kind of thing.

Other than that, I don't really have a lot to say. I think it's a pretty fitting conclusion to the trilogy, with people ending up where they should and it is very much in-line with the style of the previous books (ie action > character.)

Cover: Very striking; reminds me of Tempestuous by Lesley Livingston with the striking red hair.

 

An Expert in Murder

An Expert in Murder by Nicola Upson
4/5 stars
Harper, 2008
290 pages
Mystery; Historical
#1 in Josephine Tey Series

Source: Library

While browsing the new releases at my library, I came across a couple of interesting looking mystery series and went looking for the first book. I know that you don't necessarily have to read the first book in a mystery series but if possible, I do like to start at the beginning. Luckily this first book was available.

Why did this one seem so interesting to me? Because its amateur detective is writer Josephine Tey, author of Daughter of Time, which I read and which has been very highly praised. I love the idea of using a famous mystery writer as a detective as the basis for a series (has anyone ever done this for Agatha Christie? I would *so* read that.) And I'm not very familiar with Tey's actual life so I knew everything would be new to me.

The setting for this book is March 1934 with Tey's hit play Richard of Bordeaux in its final week and her coming to London to honor that. But a horrific murder of a young girl who adores the play and who had traveled with Tey casts a pall over the proceedings. When a second murder, seemingly also related to the play, occurs, the stakes are raised to stop a ruthless and meticulous killer.

I did have some trouble getting in to the book as we jump around and spend time with several of the characters. I immediately liked Tey but wasn't necessarily as interested in the other characters. I'm also so used to first-person narratives in YA that third-person can be a transition for me. It took me some time but I did become immersed in the world.

Indeed, what a world! I love books with backstage drama and this one is full of it with conflicting egos and agendas and passions high. The closing of a hit play allows people to bring closure to their role but also sends them out to do something else that may not be as successful. But another theme comes from the war. Although over a decade has passed, the Great War still casts a pall over people's lives (which is not helped by the economic depression) and is something they may or may not have dealt with. This additionally complicates the plot and makes it harder to determine the murderer.

An exciting surprise for me was almost pinpointing the murderer and motive. I just had a suspicion about this character right from the beginning and I was right to assume that s/he was not what s/he pretended to be. Obviously I don't want to spoil who did it but I found it immensely gratifying as I am normally horrid at figuring such things out.

I wish I had read more Tey so I could compare this book to her work, to determine if it lives up to her standards. I don't feel confident enough to do that but I certainly enjoyed this book and recommend it to mystery fans.

100 Unforgettable Dresses

100 Unforgettable Dresses by Hal Rubenstein
Harper Design, 2011
203 pages
Non-fiction; Coffee Table Book
4/5 stars

Source: Library

The ladies in my family love looking at pretty dresses so it was a no-brainer for us to pick this up at the library.  We were familiar with most of the Hollywood dresses and got to be surprised by some of the more out-there designs.

Besides spotlighting individual dresses, some ladies get several pages with several iconic dresses such as Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly-very deserving in my opinion. Personally I didn't think as much of the inclusion of Sarah Jessica Parker but I may be holding some recent missteps against her.

I do have some quibbles with the presentation such as the fact that some pages were white text on black background. I have seen many pages recommending that bloggers do not use that design and it holds true for print as well-it was *so* hard to read. Luckily most of the pages are not like that but unfortunately some are.

I most also quibble with a few of the entries. While there are several dresses I don't think very highly of, I will admit that I can conjure them in my mind at the least. Others though were not that impressive to my mind. I guess that is the problem with a book like this: there will always be disagreements about what is included and what is not.

Lastly I wanted more pictures. Some were only in black and white when color would have been helpful. For example Grace Kelly has a picture from To Catch a Thief in black and white despite the fact that the movie was filmed in color and the dress is gold-I don't understand that. I also would have liked more pictures as there was not always enough detail to fully examine the dress and its construction.

Overall: A fun book to look over but not necessary to own if you can find it at your library.

Under the Never Sky

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
Harper, 2012
374 pages
YA; Dystopian; Science-Fiction
4/5 stars

Source: Won a copy through goodreads.

I was so excited to win this book because I love winning and I'm always eager to give YA debut authors a chance. I wasn't entirely sure I'd love this due to my general dissatisfaction with the genre and the sameness. Happily I was somewhat caught off guard and found the book pretty unique.

There are two main characters who tell the story in alternating third-person perspective, a nice change from first-person. The best part of that choice, to my mind, is that it ups the chances that one of them might die; not that I'm bloodthirsty and desiring death but I never think the main character of a first-person narrative will really die. I'm not going to spoil you by telling you if one of them dies but I can promise some at least some violence in this futuristic world.

Anyway back to the characters. On the one side we have Aria who lives in a Pod, where most people live after the collapse of their society, fearing the outside known as the Death Shop (cheery). But the book opens with her breaking out with companions in order to try to find her mother, who has strangely been incommunicado. After this jaunt turns violent, Aria is expelled and left to die. She is saved through an encounter with Perry, an Outsider, who has little sympathy for Aria. Still they must work together to accomplish their goals: Perry wants to recover his kidnapped nephew and Aria wants to find her mother.

My favorite parts were Perry and Aria learning to trust each other and work together. This created a more plausible romance (definitely no instalove) and there was no love triangle! Instead just a solid foundation of pretty responsible people (for their age and situation)

I was a bit put off by some of the descriptions of Perry scenting Aria. His sense of smell is incredibly powerful and heightened and for whatever reason, I was creeped out. I understand the context of using smell, which is only one of the incredible powers possessed by certain Outsiders but it grossed me out instead of pulling me in.

However while I mostly enjoyed this book, I didn't love it. I felt a bit of dread every time I had to pick it up although I could usually immerse myself back into the story fairly quickly; I was forcing myself to read rather than eager to read. I also would like to know more of the history of the Realms, how exactly we reached this point and how the technology was developed to sustain it.

Overall: An action-packed novel with good characters that just didn't click with me.

Liesl and Po

Liesl and Po by Lauren Oliver
Harper, 2011
307 pages
Middle-Grade; Fantasy
5/5 stars

Source: Received an ARC from Amazon's Vine program in exchange for an honest review.

Before I Fall was one of my favorite books last year and while Delirium didn't quite work for me, I remain enchanted with Oliver's writing and I wanted to give her third book a shot, especially as it is the middle-grade category.

Liesl is the main character, a young girl living imprisoned in an attic by her evil stepmother who murdered her father. Soon she meets Po and Bundle, ghosts from the Other Side. Their paths are entangled when Will, an alchemist's apprentice, accidentally switches wooden boxes containing on the one hand, the most powerful magic ever and on the other hand the ashes of Liesl's dead father. When Liesl escapes to fulfill her father's final wish of having his ashes scattered by their old house, the plot kicks into high gear with various adult characters chasing after her.

My favorite part of the book was how the different characters and their wishes and schemes were first introduced and then became entwined. It always makes me think of Dickens, except in this case the prose is more manageable and less long-winded! There's the high-handed Lady Premiere and the scheming Stepmother, both mean social-climbers who are exposed and thwarted through their greed in following Liesl. But there's also the kindhearted guard Mo, who loves hot chocolate and cats (my kind of guy!)

I was also really excited about this being a middle-grade novel because it probably meant less romance, which was true! Although there is love in this book, it is familial and totally heart-warming. Friendships are fostered, good is saved, and evil is punished in appropriate ways.

As I look over what I have written, I realize that I have mostly neglected talking about the ghosts Po and Bundle. As they have been on the Other Side for a long time now, their earthly form has dissolved such that gender and species is difficult to discern; thus Po is referred to as it and Bundle might be a dog or a cat-we don't know and it doesn't matter. Because they are invisible to most (but not to Liesl), they are incredibly useful as guards and spies in assisting Liesl on her mission. But honestly I was more into seeing the wicked adults be punished so they weren't my favorite part.

Overall: A magical experience with sweet main characters, a fast-moving plot, and an easy writing style.

The Princess Curse

The Princess Curse by Merrie Haskell
Harper, 2011
325 pages
YA; Fairy Tale
4/5 stars

Source: Received an ARC through Amazon's Vine program in exchange for an honest review.

I held back on reading this because I wanted to save it for a special occasion, such as being my 300th book read for the year! I had been reading some disappointing books and I was hoping for something to lift me out of my doldrums. Well I accidentally read a different book first so this was 301 and it wasn't as great as I had hoped.

The main character is Revelka, a herbalist's apprentice who serves in the castle where the twelve princesses have been cursed to dance their shoes to pieces for years, resulting in extreme danger for them and the kingdom as enemies encircle their land. Additionally all who have attempted to break the curse have been put into a almost deathlike sleep. And yet the curse has not been broken. After Revelka's friend falls under the curse, she becomes even more motivated to solve the mystery and secure the prize.

I mostly liked Revelka, who has the bad habit of lying but who is smart and spunky. Well, mostly; she's also drawn to a forbidden love interest in the plot aspect that really let me down.  I was very creeped out by the dynamics between her and the love interest as she is only thirteen and while I guess he's a decent man, I didn't really like him.  Additionally, I thought his appearance coincided with the pace of the book slowing down. Although I read the whole book quickly, the first half definitely moved better than the second.

Another thing I didn't like was the princesses.  There are twelve, of course, with various mothers; only two are technically legitimate but the king actually decreed that they should all be considered full princesses. They do not like each other nor do they seem to like anyone else.  Although there are twelve princesses, I only have a vague idea about three of them; I don't think the rest even got names, making them indistinct presences. I know it would be too much for me to have twelve princesses with distinct personalities in addition to all of the other characters but if I didn't know the story, I would think there were only three.

Another thing was the politics. The small kingdom of Sylvania is facing multiple threats as outsiders fail to understand the curse and covet the land. The discussion about these threats was BORING! I tuned out whenever it talked about the neighboring lands and how they're threatening the country in various ways.

Although I have a lot of complaints about this book and it may seem like I didn't like it, I loved the little tweaks on the traditional story and the explanation of how that story came to be the prevailing one. I loved the insertion of Hildegard as Revelka's patron saint because of her interest in herbs too. However in the end I must recommend Entwined by Heather Dixon over this story as its rich story and atmosphere created better princesses, strong family ties, sweeter romances, and overall a more pleasing twist on "The Twelve Dancing Princesses."

The Heroine's Bookshelf

The Heroine's Bookshelf by Erin Blakemore
Harper, 2010
197 pages
Non-fiction; Literature
4/5 stars

Source: Library

Erin Blakemore examines twelve beloved heroines and their authors for inspiration for life.  It had been my understanding that the focus would be more on the heroines themselves but instead Blakemore also examines the lives of the authors and how their experiences shaped the characters in their novels.  I enjoyed almost all of the essays except for the first which is about Elizabeth Bennet.  I'm not sure why that one didn't click for me (because it's my favorite novel and although I don't know everything about it, I did know everything presented in this essay?) but in general it does seem as if the novels I didn't know as well had better essays.  This book also made me want to reread To Kill a Mockingbird, which is a good thing because that's such a great book but also a bad thing because I have a big pile of library and review books to get through.

The essays are:
Self-Elizabeth Bennet/Jane Austen
Faith-Janie Crawford/Zora Neale Hurston
Happiness-Anne Shirley/Lucy Maud Montgomery
Dignity-Celie/Alice Walker
Family Ties-Francie Nolan/Betty Smith
Indulgence-Claudine/Colette
Fight-Scarlett O'Hara/Margaret Mitchell
Compassion-Scout Finch/Harper Lee
Simplicity-Laura Ingalls/Laura Ingalls Wilder
Steadfastness-Jane Eyre/Charlotte Brontë
Ambition-Jo March/Louisa May Alcott
Magic-Mary Lennox/Frances Hodgson Burnett


Overall: A cute little book (it is smaller than a regular hardback); perfect for the lifelong (probably female) bibliophile; I would recommend you check it out from the library.

Tempestuous

Tempestuous by Lesley Livingston
Harper, 2010
361 pages
YA; Fantasy; Faerie
4.5/5 stars

Source: From the library

SPOILERS for first two books!

Summary: The conclusion to Livingston's Wondrous Strange Faerie trilogy! After Kelley says she does not love Sonny Flannery, events are set in motion.  He can't believe her about-face; she can't believe she managed to lie despite her faerie blood.  The illness of her father leads to chaos among the Realms and Kelley has to access both dies of her lineage in order to save the world.

Thoughts: As usual, it took me a bit to jump into the world of Kelley Winslow and her friends and relations.  She is so determined to protect Sonny that she is willing to sabotage their relationship, which is admittedly a theme I hate.  Why can't couples ever just talk normally to each other?!  But the trope does set the plot in motion as Sonny and Kelley independently investigate; the switching between points of view enables the reader to put pieces together (something that I predicted actually turned out to be true!) for the final showdown between our heroes and the villains.

I really liked that Kelley struggled more with her relationship to her father Auberon and mother Mabh.  While she did not understand them and had a contentious relationship in the previous books, she moves closer to building a stronger bond with them and accepting their legacy.  They really do seem to love her, even if their nature doesn't express that love as a human might understand it.

The appropriateness of the title kicks in as Shakespeare references have abounded throughout the books and Kelley's acting company takes on the challenge of performing "The Tempest" as the conclusion to this novel.

I was sad for a general lack of Tyff, Kelley's roommate and another faerie, but I understand that she didn't really play a part in this story. Other secondary characters remain such as Maddox, Fenn, Chloe, and of course the wonderful Puck/Bob.

Overall: A fitting conclusion to this fantastic trilogy-my favorite Faerie novels! The mix of magic, romance, and mystery please me immensely. I highly recommend reading them all in order now that they're all released as the previous books ended with massive cliff-hangers.

Cover: Another striking cover with her beautiful bright hair grabbing the eye.

Delirium

Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Harper, 2011
303 pages
Ebook Challenge
3.5/5 stars

Source: Uncorrected eproof from Netgalley

Summary: People used to think that love was a good thing, not realizing that their headaches, knee pains, strokes, etc were usually caused by love.  Now the situation is better because there's a cure, administered at the age of eighteen.  Lena cannot wait for the cure.  Her mother suffered from love all her life before dying and Lena wants the cure in order to become normal, calm, and dignified.  But just weeks before her scheduled treatment, her best friend starts acting oddly and she meets a boy with whom she actually falls in love.

Thoughts: There's been a lot of buzz in the blogosphere about this book and it's obvious why.  Oliver's first book Before I Fall was a critical smash and she continues her beautiful writing in Delirium.  However I was much less pleased with this book.

First it turns out that it is supposed to serve as the first book in a trilogy; I had thought it would be a standalone like Before I Fall.  Thus Oliver spends a lot of time creating the world and it is boring.  I kept waiting for something to happen and interest me in the story.  Then things do happen but I was pretty annoyed with Lena by that point.  I did not want to read about how good looking she found Alex, how nervous she was about what she was doing, and my personal breaking point was about halfway through when she sneaked out of the house, supposedly to go warn her friend out about regulators seeking the uncured after curfew.  I didn't believe Lena's rationale that she had to leave and I thought she was a complete idiot for doing so.

As the story progresses, it unfolds like many dystopians that I've read with the main character slowly coming to the realization that the government is manipulating people, is doing wrong, etc, etc.  I may be a bit tired of dystopians and am plunging into some more mysteries and contemporary in the foreseeable future.

However I do still like Oliver's writing, it's absolutely beautiful, and the ending was very shocking to me.

SPOILERS:
1. Super sad part: Lena comes across a dog that was shot by the regulators and is dying in the street-the saddest part of the book as far as I'm concerned.
2. Ending: Alex dies and I'm not sure I want to read the sequels without him in them, even though I did get tired of Lena gushing about his stupid eye color.

Someone else who reviewed this book with similar feelings to me (but who wrote about it better) is Small Review.

Overall: A very slow dystopian that some people might find more rewarding than I did.

Cover: I don't like this cover very much; I do think the blue is pretty and the basic concept could be used for all three books but it's not attractive to me.  If I hadn't read Before I Fall or hadn't been a part of the YA blogosphere, I probably would not have read it.

Out today in stores! Links for more info:
Goodreads.com
Bookdepository.com
Barnes and Noble
amazon.com

Firelight

Firelight by Sophie Jordan
Harper, 2010
323 pages
YA; Fantasy
4/5 stars

Source: Bought

Link to Goodreads for more info

Thoughts: I'm not usually one who swoons over boys in books; I don't know why, it just doesn't usually happen.  But that must be because those boys weren't Will. *sigh* I love Will (who incidentally is the only main character with a normal name).  I loved reading about his beautiful eyes, about his instinctive connection with Jacinda, and about his struggle to be part of a family far different from himself, just like Jacinda is.  He's sensitive and he treats her well, despite her own indecisiveness over whether she should become involved with him.  When I picture Will, I kind of think of Peter in "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" (not the sequels) who incidentally also fits my image of Peeta, so I guess it makes sense that I'd love Will too.

But there is a lot to love about this book besides Will (although he is my number one reason!)  The mythology of the draki greatly interested me.  Although we didn't spend that much time with the pride, what was revealed tantalized me.  Basically they are descendants of dragons who have evolved the ability to demanifest themselves, meaning they can turn themselves into a human which helps protect their secret.  Additionally they all have specific powers.  Some are sleek and strong in the water; others can confuse humans with fog; Jacinda is rare and special because she can breathe fire.  She is the first one in her pride in several hundred years and they are desperate to keep her, especially because the younger generation of draki are not exhibiting those characteristics, thereby threatening the very continuance of them.  If she stays, she would be mated with the future alpha Cassian, with or without her consent.  Then there is the additional threat of human hunters who value the various properties of the draki.  It is very dangerous for Jacinda.

But Jacinda's mother and twin sister do not have this draki power and in a desire to protect Jacinda from the avaricious pride take her away to be enrolled in a normal high school where she connects with Will, feeling that instant connection.  They moved to the desert in order to kill Jacinda's draki so that she can be normal; however being with Will actually keeps hers alive.  She is torn between a desire to be with him and the wish to return to the pride.  Upping the stakes are Cassian, seeking to bring her back to the pride and Will's family, hunters of draki who would love the addition of Jacinda's skin to their collection (don't worry-Will is not restraining himself from killing her; he is as disgusted with his family's hobby as she is).

While I mostly enjoyed this book, I thought Jacinda was a bit annoying with her back and forth.  She was so indecisive and whiny.  Her family also bothered me.  Her twin Tamra delighted in being the "normal" one and was very unsupportive of Jacinda's struggles and her mother withheld important information from her.  Despite this flaw, I am eagerly anticipating the second book Vanish, which seems to be due later this year.

Overall: An enchanting debut; highly recommended

Cover: One of the reasons I bought this book, besides the good reviews, was the cover.  I think the scales at the corner are very beautiful and I love the font on the title-so elaborate and gorgeous.

Russian Winter

Russian Winter by Daphne Kalotay

Harper, 2010
459 pages
Historical Fiction; Literary
4/5 stars

Source: Library

Summary: Nina Revskaya, a former ballerina in the Bolshoi and defector, is preparing to auction off some of her glorious jewelry and thus finally silence the past.  But two people, Drew Brooks from an auction house, and Grigori Solodin, a professor with a mysterious past of his own, won't let the secrets remain unspoken.

Thoughts:  I saw this advertised on goodreads and then saw it at my library so I grabbed it even though I was already reading some other stuff.

It shifts between about 1950s USSR and 2003 New England, USA (References are made to the president's preparing for war and the fact that there's an election the next year).  The historical sections were more gripping to me; I don't know much about the USSR and it was interesting to read about.  I want to know more.  It was disorienting to read a book published this year but set seven years ago although that doesn't matter so much. 

The relationships between the characters were okay; I preferred the other areas such as descriptions of the jewelry and the insights in to the working of Soviet Russia (Twice does Nina see Stalin up close) and how people dealt with that (hint: not well).  There are also musings on the importance of art, literature, and love.  Grigori is a professor and friendly with a Hungarian poet who speaks about the latter two at one point.  Nina was married to a poet and had two main friendships with fellow ballerinas and their lovers who do the majority of actions in the historical sections.  Present day is a bringing together of Drew and Grigori to excavate Nina's past, where she remembers betrayals, both real and imagined.

Overall: A slowish book that could be rewarding if you like those kind of stories.  I wanted to love it but I did not.

Cover: I'm not entirely sure why the pendant is on backwards nor why the woman's hair is that color but the colors work nicely together.

Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M.

Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M. by Sam Wasson
Harper, 2010
204 pages
Non-fiction; celebrity
3/5 stars

Source: School library

Summary: A look at the making of 'Breakfast at Tiffany's:' how the producers, director, writer, and stars came to make it and how it impacted cinema and American life.

Thoughts: I think I saw a review of this in People magazine and I put it on my list because it seemed like a breezy read with links to the classic movies I love (actually don't really like BaT but I also need to watch it again).  This was a very quick and easy read. I'm not particularly familiar with any of it although I've seen BaT and I don't not like Audrey Hepburn (she's not in my top 10, but maybe the top 20).  Reading the backstories was interesting-tracing Hepburn's path to this role and looking at the backstage people is always interesting as they're too often neglected.

But Wasson's argument about how groundbreaking this film was in its depiction of female sexuality is  not well argued.  Just repeating that it pushed boundaries and was remarkable does not equal a well-reasoned and well-supported argument.  It also seemed quite shallow and I kept feeling like there should be more to the story although I wasn't sure what.

Overall: Definitely recommended for the diehard fans of BaT; otherwise don't bother.

Cover: I love the cover-Audrey in the iconic dress with Tiffany blue in the subtitle is perfect!

Furious Love

Furious Love by Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger

Harper, 2010

438 pages

Non-fiction; Celebrity

5/5 stars

Source: A bribe from my mom to take my sister to see Eclipse

Summary: The legendary love affair of Liz and Dick although they preferred Elizabeth and Richard, with new insights based on their private letters.

Thoughts: LizandDick is a topic I didn't know much about (I'm actually more of a fan of Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier, a couple with quite a few similarities) so I was excited to dig in to this. I read the excerpt in Vanity Fair and I was sold! I picked up a copy and sat down. It took me a bit longer to read than I expected because of my busy weekend (and my mom "borrowing" it to read) but I loved it!

I loved most everything-it had background on both of them; psychoanalysis on their addictions; gushing over Elizabeth's general fabulousness; extolling of Richard's talent. It's really a shame that he never got an Oscar-I know I enjoyed his performance in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"

I quibble with the needless repetition at times but it didn't stop me from loving this book. It also has one of my least favorite ways of citing sources but this is a celebrity gossip book so I can forgive it.

Overall: Compulsively readable and highly recommended!

Cover: This isn't the cover I have but I like it; I couldn't find my cover which has the same picture of them four times and has them looking at each other.

Random: Their relationship also makes me think of the song "Fall For You" by Secondhand Serenade. In the movie trailer of their relationship that I've created in my head, this is heavily featured. Although of course no one could ever play Elizabeth or Richard.

I hope you like Elizabeth Taylor because I'm reviewing another book about her tomorrow!

Bible Babel

Bible Babel by Kristin Swenson

Harper, 2010

271 pages

Religion

Source: The library

Summary: An examination of the Bible, looking at the characters, places, and things as well as what it says and how it's been interpreted.

Thoughts: While I have been trying to read the Bible, there is still a lot I don't know so I appreciated this look at it. It is quite readable and while scholarly, it includes humor. I was particularly interested in the chapters situating the Bible in a historical context as history is my interest and I think it's especially important to remember that these events took place in a far different world from ours.

For me, the best chapter was discussing how the Bible can be used to support and condemn homosexuality, abortion, other controversial political issues. It was very respectful of both point of views and clarified many points to my mind.

The later chapters look at male and female characters, plants, and places. There was interesting information but at times it seemed to drag. A personal preference of mine is footnotes while this utilizes endnotes, meaning I had to keep a finger in that section while reading the actual text which was awkward.

Overall: 4.5/5. Very enjoyable; highly recommended!

Cover: It's hard to see in this picture but the little boxes are various pictures relating to Judaism and Christianity such as the Jesus Fish and the Star of David.