Starcrossed

Josephine Angelini

Goodreads Reviews

I saved this book for last to post about today because it's the one I was most excited about this week and wanted it to be the first book people see when they look at the blog. Just to start off, I gave this book 5 stars. I loved it. It had a fantastic romance, greek mythology!!!, and a twisted plot. What could be better? I'm not going to say anything about it though. I hope people read it and find out for themselves.

It has some cuss words which really bugged me, but I don't know. Am I becoming callous? I have my limit's, but this one isn't too bad.

I am a little ticked I found out about this books so soon. It was just published 2 weeks ago. And, of course, it's a series. What books isn't these days? So now I have to wait another year to keep the story going. And it's a good story. Dang. I feel impatient!

Goose Chase

By Patrice Kindl

Goodreads Reviews

I recommend this book to young girls 10-15 years old. It is a super cute, yet somewhat lacking in literary substance, book that I think girls would love. I plan on calling my neice about it very soon. It's another princess fairy tale, similar to Shannon Hale's novels. If you liked those, Goose Chase will be good enough to keep you happy. It's definately not as good as say, Princess Academy, but it was fun anyway.

Hush: an Irish Princess Tale

By Donna Jo Napoli

Goodreads Reviews

Princess Melkorka is the daughter of a great king in Ireland, or "Eire Land." This book gives the account of what happens to her after she is kidnapped and taken aboard a slave trader's ship.

I felt like the novel went by a little slowly. It was an easy read, but I was disappointed by it. I hated the story line. It just kept going and going. One thing the book had going for it was that it was definitely not predictable. I imagined what would happen next, and then, the author just didn't fulfill. I can't say too much in case anyone is interested in reading this book, but in all honesty, there are so many books out there, and unless you are running low on books you know you could be reading instead, I say don't waste your time. Sorry Donna Jo, but don't give your books crappy endings (or middles for that matter) and I'll like them better!!

I gave this 3 stars because I just kept turning the pages which says something, but I kept turning the page to another disappointment.

Unwind

By Neal Shusterman

Goodreads Reveiws

In a way, this book reminds me a lot of The Handmaid's Tale (terrible book...don't read it). The author is taking a controversial topic, abortion, and giving us his interpretation of what could happen because of it. But instead of abortions, parents can choose to have their kids "unwound" between the age of 13-18. That way they would know for sure if the child was worth keeping. This is the story of kids that have been condemned to be unwound and their adventures in trying to escape that fate.

It was definately a page turner. I was glued to the book. I gave this book 5 stars. I'm thinking 4.5 would be closer to what I really feel, but because I couldn't put the book down, that says enough to bump it up a titch.

The Way of Kings

By Brandon Sanderson

Be prepared. This book is a whopper. 1001 pages. This is the same author who finished Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. He also did a great series called Mistborn.

I can honestly say, this book was not a page turner. I had no trouble at all putting it down. I got a lot more done than usual because I wasn't side-tracked by a book. That's not to say it wasn't a good book. The idea is AMAZING. It's no wonder that this book has been his baby for years. Everything is so unique and exciting that it pulls you into the world he's created, but just not enough to HAVE to know what's going to happen next. Actually, up until page 950, I was debating whether or not I would even care to read the next book in the series when it is written. The ending was so good, though, that now I am positive I will be reading the next.

The issue I had with this book is that's it's told from so many different characters view points. In one chapter you'll read about one character, and in another, someone completely different and unrelated. So you go through the entire novel hoping that eventually these 10,000 characters (small exaggeration) that you've met will somehow meet and actually form some sort of a plot TOGETHER. My other issue is that I liked reading about some of the characters, and others I could've cared less about. I found myself wanting to peek ahead to see if I could find chapters about the characters I liked. But I refrained. I've ruined books by doing that. NOT RECOMMENDED.

I am excited to read the next book in the series though because I'm hoping all of these characters lives will become much more intertwined. For people who love fantasy, I'm pretty sure this book is going to be HUGE!

I'll give it 4 stars for it's creativity and awesome finish to the book that persuaded me to read the next.

Firelight

By Sophie Jordan

Goodreads Reviews

How refreshing! It was nice to read a book with new "creature" ideas and also not have to be bogged down by any nasty language. I'm thinking a lot of the new YA books aren't so young adult, and since I don't even consider myself a young adult, does that mean I'm an adult so I can read that kind of garbage?? Anyway, I regress :), Firelight was good...but for some reason, and this is weird for me, I don't really feel like I NEED to read the next in the series right away. I'm good with waiting until it comes out. I might even need to be reminded when it does come out.

About the story, I enjoyed the concept of the draki, a descendant of a dragon that can adopt the human form. The book is a fast read, just a few hours, so definitely something for a lazy afternoon. I don't feel like I got into the story as much as I could have. The main character, Jacinda, lacks any real character quirks or something about her that makes her endearing to the reader. I want to feel for her, but honestly, she's kinda boring! Maybe the next books will be more revealing for her character. I recommend this book if you're looking for something fun and light. 3 stars. It could have been so much better if the characters had more umph to them. Something was missing. The writing just didn't pull me in like I wanted it to.

Storm Glass

By Maria V. Snyder

Goodreads Reviews

This series is a continuance of the Poison Study series. I enjoyed it, but because it wasn't a new idea, it wasn't as much fun as when I first started Poison Study. If you enjoy Maria Snyder, then this book won't disappoint, but I recommend taking a break between the two series'. 4 stars.

Knight's Ardor

By Teresa Swift

Goodreads Reviews

Coolest moment ever! I was the first person to rate this book on goodreads. I feel so important. I found this book on the library's "new books" shelf and grabbed it because medieval books are some of my favorite. If anyone knows a good one, feel free to leave a comment. PLEASE!

What I liked about this book: it was medieval....it was a love story.

What I thought could use some work: The plot was so simple it was almost silly. There wasn't really even an antagonist. Weird! I guess if you can count some people creating small amounts of havoc??? The last book I reviewed, I talked about the author creating problems so that she could hit her conflict quota, but this one does't really have any!

I did enjoy the love story though. It somehow gave off Pride and Prejudice vibes...but should not be compared in the least way! Very predictable, but I seriously read the book in 3 hours! I love pre-school/baby-nap-time!

This book is getting 3 stars.

The Eternal Ones

By Kirsten Miller

Goodreads Reviews

I read a blog that compared this book to fallen angel books. Yeah...not so much. It's about reincarnation. How does that relate? Anyway, It was a totally fun read. I felt like her idea for the plot was completely original (at least I haven't read any reincarnation books lately.) Problem: it's one of those books that makes you so ticked off at the main character for making such obvious bad decisions. For that one reason, I didn't like it as much as I could have. I hate it when authors make their characters stupid in order to create conflict. BUGS ME! Definately darker themed though which dragged me down a little. It had some "swears" in it, but not half as bad as the book I was just reading, Glass Houses. I don't think I'll even review that book, but if you're curious, look it up on Goodreads.com.

If you're looking for a good paranormal romance, I don't think it gets much more paranormal. This book is going to get 5 stars for originality, 3 for predictability and using Haven's stupidity and stubbornness to create problems. Averaged out = 4 Star

Dusty Britches

By Marcia Lynn McClure

Goodreads Reviews

Do I even admit that I read this? I feel dumb. But...did I read it in less than one day....yes, I did. I am dumb. Anywayyy, this author pretty much just writes romantic fluff. But, man, she's good at it. It's just a love story on a ranch, but I wanted to see the people get together SOOOOO badly! I can't compare this with other novels. This kind of literature just isn't my thing, but all of my books I'm waiting for are still on hold at the library. I was desperate and remembered a friend from college telling me about this author. Whatever. It was a fun read. If you're looking for a sappy love story without a lot of twists and turns and crazy creativity, this will be just fine.

4 stars. It can't be compared to a 4 star book of another genre, but for the sappy love story kind, 4 stars it is.

The Seer and the Sword

By Victoria Hanley

Goodreads Reviews

Okay....so... I don't really know what to say. Some of the books that I read, I read because I'm running out of books. If I read 3-4 books a week, other people's recommendations start running out. I found this book on a librarian's list. I'm glad I did. It was fun to pass the time with, and I enjoyed getting to slow down and enjoy some good story telling.

Princess Torina's father gives her a slave, Landen, the former prince of a neighboring country. She set's him free immediately, and then.....they grow up.....ahh! I can't say anything without giving things away. (Great review, right?!)

I hate reviewing books like this. It's fantasy if that helps. If you need a book to read and are tired of the usual YA FIC books that people are reading (i.e. paranormal romance), this book won't be disappointing. I won't be recommending it when people say, "What's your favorite book?", but really, it's good.

Should I give my books stars? Maybe?? Okay. This gets a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Matched

By Ally Condie

Goodreads Reviews

Funny thing. This book makes a lot of people argue. If you want to know where this book comes from, it's pretty much The Giver made into a much more casual read. I actually really liked it. I don't know how much I can really say about it without giving a lot away. Reading it on your own without knowing what's coming is much more fun. It's about a girl in a society where everything around her is completely controlled, but the people do have some semblance of freedom. I think if you are looking for a fast and enjoyable read that has what I thought was a great love story, here you go!

The Undaunted

By Gerald Lund

Goodreads Review

I enjoyed this book a lot....at the end. It was a good 300 pages before the story really got going. If you're looking for a quick read, this is not the book. 1/2 of this book contains little side notes about the history around the story. It was very interesting history, but it didn't really make for a speedy page turner. I felt myself wishing I could read more about the story when I finished though because it was such an involved story. I recommend it based on the fact that I learned so much and the story really was a good one, although it was a little slow...but not too slow. You can handle it!

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

By Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

Goodreads Reviews


This book was refreshingly different. The first 50 pages or so were a little slow. The book is a compilation of letters that tell a story. Reading a ton of letters one after the other kinda slowed my interest down a bit, but eventually the story became so interesting that I was looking forward to the next letter. It's amazing how the author captured their personalities so well through only letters. It was interesting historically as well! (World War II) Where could you go wrong with this book. I hope everyone gets a chance to read this book. I'm glad I didn't put it off any longer. I would've missed out!

The Handmaid's Tale

By Margaret Atwood

Goodreads Reviews


If ever a book has been labeled as "disturbing," this book takes the cake. All I can say about this book is, Ewwww!, Ugh!, Wrong!, and why would someone write about this?! I got to the point that I was reading the first sentence in every paragraph only. I do understand how this book became famous because it's turning the idea of femanism completely upside down and showing what life would be like without it, but REALLY! This was a bit much. Just because the book is controversal doesn't make it amazing literature! It's about a handmaid, obviously, kind of like the handmaids in the bible (given to husbands when the wives couldn't conceive). So the book basically trashes the bible, and the idea that men should provide for women all at once. The author is conveying her idea that if you took away femanism, that women would pretty much be considered worthless, childbearing robots who could do nothing unless they were protected by men. She's obviously portraying the need for balance, but I'm thinking she's a bit messed up. Is she married? Her poor husband! Stupid! So Wrong! Do Not Read This Book! I have to hurry and read another "feel good" book just to try to forget about it. Bleh!

Island of the Blue Dolphins

By Scott O'Dell

Goodreads Reviews

The thing that is most amazing about this book is that this woman really existed. Crazy!! It's not a love story, but it was still a fantastic read. I sat down in a couple of hours and finished it. It's written more as a documentary. The book has been referred to as kind of a "female Robinson Crusoe." I felt like I was reading her diary. I don't feel like I got to know the character that well, but really, how much personality can she show all by herself on an island? This is a great quick read. Definately deserved the Newbery Medal.

Books to Read Thanks to Soozyreads

I now have five new books on my t0-read list. These are books that I keep hearing about, but never go to the library to get.

• Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell


• The Handmaid's Tale by Maragaret Atwood


• The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer


• Cinders by Michelle Davidson


• The Undaunted by Gerald Lund

Thanks soozyreads.blogspot.com.

Summers at Castle Auburn

by Sharron Shinn Goodreads Reviews I devoured this book. This is not YA fiction, but it sure read like it was. I was flipping pages as fast as I could. This novel is about court life mixed with a very tiny bit of fantasy (very small). The book had a few plot holes, people that were't necessary, and quite a few of the author's ideas really needed some more delving into, but I still gave the book 5 stars just for the sheer "must-read-faster"-ness. I don't know anyone who wouldn't enjoy this book A LOT!

The Help

By Kathryn Stockett

Goodreads Reviews

OOOH! I liked this book. It wasn't a page turner, but I loved it all the same. It's about women in the south and deaing with racism. I can't imagine loving a non-page turner, but I did. Read it! It will be good for you. Same goes for Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe. That is a MUST READ!

The Truth About Forever

By Sarah Dessen

Goodreads Reviews

Wow. I guess this is good if you don't want to read a book with, you know, content. This is just a bunch of fluff of girl meets guy. I thought I'd try out the author because I've heard about her so often, but this can't really be considered literature in my opinion. More like someone just trying to tell a romantic story. I need more than just lovey dovey. Not just "Oh, he's neat. I like him" and "oh, she's got such a fantastic personality, and had such a hard life. Too bad we have so many problems in our way so we can't really get together." Not for me. I will not be reading more of her books. Plus she had some language issues too!

Treasure at the Heart of the Tanglewood

By Meredith Ann Pierce Goodreads Reviews Meh... It was okay. I didn't really get into it. To me, it seemed like a new fairy tale or some sort of mythological story that I've never heard about. I guess this is what I get for just grabbing a book off the shelf with no recommendations for it. One nice thing was that it was NOT A SERIES! I actually finished the entire plot in one book. Crazy concept! It reminds me a lot of the Patricia A. McKillip novels.

Inside Out

Also by Maria V. Snyder

Goodreads Reviews

This book is way more Sci-Fi than I imagined. Not really up my alley, but still it was a fun book. She's a great author. It's kind of a like City of Ember...I guess. A dystopia novel...kind of. I don't really know how to explain it. I'm going to read the next in the series just because it's a book, and it's good, but I don't feel like I need to run to all the neighbors to tell them to read it.

Poison Study

By Maria V. Snyder Goodreads Reviews This book was GREAT! It's a little bit of magic, but not enough to be considered fantasy really...yet. I haven't read the others in the series, so we'll see how out there it gets. The plot just WORKS, and it was such a fulfilling read. I'm excited to read the next book. There were a few swear words I could've been happy without, but other than that, awesome.

Books on my Mantle

This is a list of books I plan on reading. On my mantle I have Summers at Castle Auburn by Sharon Shinn, Treasure at the Heart of the Tanglewood by Meredith Ann Pierce, Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder (first in a series, supposed to be great...reading it today!), and Inside Out, also by Maria V. Snyder. Let me know if you plan on reading them with me. I would love to hear thoughts! Obviously I'm in a YA book phase, but I'll come out eventually. I go in spurts. This one has just happened to last like...6 months. The Sharon Shinn novel isn't YA though. :) I would love recommendations. Please!!!!

Entwined

By Heather Dixon Goodreads Reviews This is a fairy tale retelling of the 12 dancing princesses. I thought it was an awesome cute book. I enjoyed that it had so much more than just the boring old fairy tale plot. The author is comparable to Robyn McKinley, if you've read Beauty. The sisters all had distinct personalities which is so hard to do, seeing as how there are TWELVE. It was a fun book. I would especially recommend it to young girls.

The Demon King (aka "my new favorite books!!!")

By Cinda Williams Chima

Goodreads Reviews

AHHHHH! Read these books!! Soooooo good! Can I just say, read these books!!!! I can't even say how much I love them. I mean, look at the reviews!! Cinda Chima is my new favorite author. I feel like I know the characters personally. She's so good! It's kind of like a fantasy, but without the monsters, elves, dwarves, and such. It does have sorcerers, but it has so many other elements in the story. She is so creative. The next book is called The Exiled Queen. Read it!! I like the second one even more. I can't wait until the next book comes out in September.

An Earthly Knight

By Janet McNaughton

Goodreads Reviews

I liked this book mostly because of the storyline. Apparently it was based on a ballad, but I've never heard of it. This book makes me want to hear of it! So saying that, the characters were a little underdeveloped except for maybe 3 of them, and there were so many loose endings that it almost seemed like the book couldn't possibly be over. But, in the books defense, I didn't notice any of these flaws until thinking the book over a few hours later. When I was reading it, it didn't feel flawed at all, but just flowed effortlessly....like a ballad I guess. I recommend reading it, but it's not a literary masterpiece.

Gone

By Michael Grant

Goodreads Reviews

This book is what I think of when I hear Young Adult Fiction. A quick read based on 14-15 year old kids. Don't expect to know what's going on through the entire book. This is one of those reads where you keep waiting for the conclusion....that never happens. I just finished the 3rd book in the series, and I'm still hanging in there. It's starting to drag a little. There are so many characters that if you put the book down for a couple months or even weeks and then try to read the next in the series, you'll be very confused. I hope the author isn't planning on writing five of these. I'm already dragging my feet about reading the fourth, and it doesn't come out until April. Don't get me wrong, I really like the books, but please let 4 be the end of it. Conclude already. I'm sick of being confused.

Rampant

By Diana Peterfreund
Goodreads Reviews
Dang it!! This book had so much going for it. I mean...killer unicorns. So original it could've been big!! The story was actually fun, but some of it was so offensive I had to skim over it and hurry and turn the page. I almost didn't even post about it, but the story was soooo good. I just don't think in good conscience I can recommend it.

Nightshade

By Andrea Cremer
Goodreads Reviews
A werewolf book....yeah, I got on a YA novel kick. I found a list of popular books for YA and now have stacks of Fallen Angel, Vampire, and Werewolf books on my mantle. This book I actually had to have on hold a while. Must be big. The twists to the werewolf world were I think what really made this book exciting. It's rated PG-13 for sure. I would've been okay if she toned it down a little with the romance scenes, but it was fun, and I look forward to the sequel Wolfsbane coming in July. I think this one beats out Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater for sure when it comes to werewolves.

Keturah and Lord Death

By Martin Leavitt
Goodreads Reviews
Seriously! How have I never heard of this book until now? I LOVED it! I guess this book could be considered a fairy tale?? The writing was so artful and smooth. I read it in one sitting. Thank goodness for Sundays.

The Forgotten Beasts of Eld

By Patricia A. McKillip
Goodreads Reviews
This was Wednesday and Thursday's read. It's very very fantasy. Even when reading it, it almost sounds lyrical. I have a lot of her books because she was so BIG on goodreads, but she's not really my thing. It has good ratings, and I read it quickly enough, but yeah, not my favorite.

Fallen

By Lauren Kate

Goodreads Reviews

Great cover right! Also PG-13ish. I think that if you're an author, you could at least come up with better dialogue than resorting to profanity!! Seriously! On the bright side, great romance :) And obviously, given the title, it's a Fallen Angel YA book. I'm not gunna lie, though. I skipped right over the profanity (with a few mean thoughts at the author) and kept right on going....and it's a series!!

Hush, Hush

By Becca Fitzpatrick

Goodreads Reviews

PG-13. Classic YA Fallen Angel Romance. I read this book about as fast as I could. I'm not even going to say anything about it. Good old mindless reading. Gotta love it! Don't forget the next book in the series, Crescendo.

The Vicar of Wakefield

By Oliver Goldsmith

Goodreads Reviews

This book is tricky to get through, but I LOVED it. Not for the easy reader kind of person. It reminds me a lot of Job from the bible. It has love stories, kidnappings, funny comments, and just a good ol' classic.

Birthmarked

By Caragh M. O'Brien

Goodreads Reviews

Ooooh! This was good. It's a dystopia novel (way in the future, different society). The main character is someone we can all want to relate to. ENJOY! The next book in the series doesn't come out until next November though :(

The Changeling Sea

By Patricia A. McKillip

Goodreads Reveiws

Wow! This author is someone fun. I found her just recently. She's written so many books, but this book was the highest rated. It's got magic, princes, love stories, and it's a very quick read. Something fun to read on a night at home.

Wildwood Dancing

By Juliet Marillier

Goodreads Reviews

This book took a while to get into, but I ended up really enjoying it. It's is a combination of all things makebelieve: monsters, fairies, and vampires, and it's all summed up in a great big fairy tale retelling!! It's not exactly my FAVORITE book ever, but it was fun to pass the time with.

The Warrior Heir

By Cinda Williams Chima

Goodreads Reviews

I love when authors come up with things that are so unlike any "book fads" that are going on. No vampires, no elves. This has warriors, sorcerers, dead people, magic tournaments! Awesome book, and it's only the first of the series!

Unearthly

By Cynthia Hand

Goodreads Reviews

This is another angel book, but nice and clean, no nasty language, and a plot about teenagers that actually seem like teenagers. I had so much fun. A one day read for me! This was just published in January, so it's going to be a long time before we get some closure with this series.

The Blue Sword

By Robin McKinley

Goodreads Reviews

I was so surprised by this book. I didn't really know what to expect. Magic swords, handsome (unmarried!) kings, all set in the desert. The book is set in a period not too long ago, maybe the late 1800's, but then you are whisked away to what feels like another world. I only finished is just two days ago and I'm already telling friends about it. It does have a prequel, The Hero and the Crown, but The Blue Sword is my favorite of the two.

First Post Ever!!

I'm so tired of asking for book recommendations. I search goodreads.com faithfully and have a kazillion books on hold at the library, but it would be nice to just have someone say, "read this next." So that's what I'm going to do for other people, and in turn, hope to get some book recommendations back!