The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A fun, quick read. I stayed up waaaay too late last night reading it. Satisfying ending.
Why only three stars? The language was rough and completely unnecessary, and there was one slightly graphic sex scene. If that doesn't bother you, it's a 4 star book.

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Don't Expect Magic

Don't Expect Magic (Magic #1)

by Kathy McCullough

4 stars

256 pages
Published Nov. 8, 2011 by Delacorte Press
 
After reading waaaay too many dystopian novels, this was a welcome change.

Uplifting, free from swearing, sex and "dark," I enjoyed it thoroughly. And the best thing??? It's a stand-alone novel! Those are hard to come by nowadays.

Mistborn

Mistborn: The Final Empire (Mistborn #1)

by Brandon Sanderson

4 stars

541 pages
Published July 25, 2006 by Tor Books

Wow. This book was actually pretty awesome. I enjoyed it immensely. Brandon Sanderson knows how to write an epic fantasy novel. He has created a world with well-thought-out rules and ways of life. And of course, his characters are fully fleshed out and real. I would have been disappointed if they weren't - Sanderson's novel has p.l.e.n.t.y. of pages to develop his characters. Yet if I had one gripe about the novel - it would be that ... the length. I know most fantasy books are long, long, long, but this one seemed like it could be condensed quite a bit. Some of his explanations on how the metals worked seemed redundant and overly verbose.

I am happy that the book had a good ending - enough questions remain to facilitate a sequel, but enough tied ends to make it a stand-alone book if you wanted to end it there. Which I may do, I haven't decided yet.

Etiquette & Espionage

Etiquette & Espionage (Finishing School #1)

by Gail Carriger

3 stars

307 pages
Published Feb. 5, 2013 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

 
After reading Gail Carriger's adult Parasol Protectorate books, I thought I'd give her YA ones a try. This one didn't disappoint, although there was a bit less adventure contained within its pages. I thoroughly enjoyed the writing, characters, and the plot. Mostly the writing. Exquisite vocabulary usage.

Completely YA appropriate - no swearing, sex or other ickiness. I may be checking out the next in the series.

A World Without Heroes

A World Without Heroes (Beyonders #1)

by Brandon Mull

4 stars

 

457 pages

Published Mar. 15, 2011 by Aladdin (first published Mar. 1, 2011)

 

For a juvenile fiction book, this one is fantastic. My 10-year-old was recommended this book by her friend, and she LOVED it! It's got action, adventure, a quest, puzzles, some gross stuff - all things that my kid loves. I also enjoyed it.

She's now well into the second one.

Let me just tell you, it warms my heart to see my kid reading a nice, fat book.

The Actor and the Housewife

The Actor and the Housewife

by Shannon Hale

2 stars

352 pages
 

Published June 9, 2009 by Bloomsbury USA (first published Jan. 1, 2009)

Sometimes YA authors should stick to their genre. (Kathy Reichs, I'm not talking about you! I adore your YA books!)

Here, Shannon Hale, author of the popular Princess Academy books and Books of Bayern series dives into adult fiction. It's not a happy dip.

I've read 8 out of Hale's 10 published books, and there is an obvious trend - her YA books outshine her adult fiction books. So be warned.

The book starts out as every housewife's dream: meeting and having dinner with their movie star "crush." But from there, it just kind of got unbelievable - the two becoming best friends and all. That NEVER happens.

But what really bugged me is that Hale uses cancer to force some emotion into the book. Not cool.

Plus, her dialogue and repartee seemed just a bit too clever for its own good. Who talks like that? Who can come up with one-liners like that on the spot? It got old after a while.

Another thing, if you're not Mormon who has spent any time in Utah, you will not get half of the jokes.

Charlie And The Chocolate Factory

Charlie And The Chocolate Factory (Charlie Bucket #1)

by Roald Dahl, Faith Jaques (Illustrator)

5 stars

Published 1989 by Cornerstone Books (first published 1964)

 

Well, of course I'm going to give this book 5 stars. That's a given. Roald Dahl is one of my most favorite authors of all-time. He writes magic. He is the Dr. Seuss of Juvenile Fiction.

I read this as a bed-time story to my son. He ate it up (no pun intended). Fabulous writing, a delightful plot and a not-so-subtle commentary on "bad" children meld to create a book that is entirely readable, loveable and unforgettable.

The books is infinitely better than the movies - yes, BOTH movies. Wonka is portrayed in the book as a bit eccentric, but not creepy. Yeah, I said it - Johnny Depp was freakin' creepy as Willy Wonka!

Anyway, before I get off topic too much ... I recommend this book to anyone with a brain. Anyone who breathes. Read this book!

Heartless

Heartless (Parasol Protectorate #4)

by Gail Carriger

3 stars

385 pages

Published July 1st 2011 by Orbit

 

A solid fourth performance by Gail Carriger. I love these books! The wit, the charm, the manners! 

So why did I rate this only 3 stars? Unfortunately, the story was weak. The plot thin. In my view, the book only acted as a bridge to the next book in the series.

Yet, that major flaw was oddly easy to overlook because Carriger's writing style is so entertaining and engaging. Her vocabulary is incredibly extensive. After reading a few chapters, I always feel smarter!

I will read the next book in the series.

Floors

Floors (Floors #1)

by Patrick Carman

3 stars

261 pages

Published Sept. 1, 2011 by Scholastic Press

I read this book with my 8-year-old son as a bedtime story over the course of a few weeks. He absolutely loved this book!

He loved how the main character - Leo - went on a sort of scavenger hunt and discovered secret floors in the hotel where he lives.

My son also liked the minor robot character - Blop. He thought he was hilarious.

As an adult reading this, I can see flaws in the story and writing - mostly the blatant mirroring to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - but this does not translate into a bad book for children. Children have the ability to just enjoy a book and not analyze like adults do.

More than the book itself, I enjoyed the chance I had to read with my son. I will be checking out Number 2 in the series, because he's asked for it already. Yay!

The Frog Princess

The Frog Princess (The Tales of the Frog Princess #1)

by E.D. Baker

3 stars

224 pages

Published Oct. 7, 2004 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens (first published Nov. 9, 2002)

I liked this book. There were some hiccups in the plot and character development, but overall a thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining twist on The Frog Prince fairy tale. I will probably pick up the rest of the series - but only after I read some other books first.

Blameless

Blameless (Parasol Protectorate #3)

by Gail Carriger

4.5 stars

374 pages

Published Sept. 1, 2010 by Orbit

I can't get enough of this fabulous series! The writing is plain fantastic, and the repartee between characters is witty and whip-smart. Pull out your dictionaries, people, because Carriger sure can use her huge vocabulary for literary hilarity! There are too many great quotes to choose from.

The pacing was fast. The plot well-defined and action-packed. No swearing, and only half a page of sexiness.

The only reason I docked a half star is that the whole explanation on what exactly the kid is going to be and why the Templars were interested in the whole situation was a mite confusing.

Thank you, Gail Carriger, for writing a series that uses an extensive vocabulary - there's no dumbing down for this author!

I can't wait to get my hands on the next book!

Below Stairs

Below Stairs: The Classic Kitchen Maid's Memoir That Inspired "Upstairs, Downstairs" and "Downton Abbey"

by Margaret Powell, Leigh Crutchley (Ghost writer)

4 stars

212 pages

Published Jan. 3, 2012 by St. Martin's Press (first published 1968) 

 

After reading Austen and Gaskell and watching Downton Abbey, etc., I've begun to wonder about the lives of servants. They play such a huge part in the lives of the upper-class - but always in the background, never noticed. Servants cook, clean, garden, raise children, do hair, serve the food, welcome guests - so much stuff!! But rarely, if ever are they even mentioned.
This book, "Below Stairs," gives a fantastic glimpse into the lives of those in service and the undeniable inequality and injustice of the "master and servant" system. Though as a mother, I sometimes feel I am still a part of that - my kids being the masters and I the servant. Hmph.
As this memoir was written by a fairly "modern" woman (she was born in 1907), it would be really interesting to read a memoir of a servant who served back in the 1700s or 1800s, to see if the same dissatisfaction was still apparent.
All in all, a good book. One that I recommend. It's funny, sad, and eye-opening.