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.

Jinx

Jinx (Jinx #1)

by Sage Blackwood

3.5 stars

368 pages 
Published Jan. 8, 2013 by HarperCollins
 
This a fabulous little fantasy adventure for those kids in the middle grades. It has magic, apprentices, lessons on love and loyalty, and myriad other life lessons. The writing is spot-on for the intended audience - no cumbersome words that force kids to the dictionary - although sometimes that isn't a bad thing. When I was a kid, my parents gave me a dictionary for my birthday so I'd quite bugging them with the question "What does this word mean?"

If you have a kiddo looking for a new adventure fantasy book, this one will fit the bill nicely. No swearing or bad stuff.

I'll be reading the next in the series.

Pawn

Pawn (The Blackcoat Rebellion #1)

by Aimee Carter

4 stars

 
346 pages 
Published Nov. 26, 2013 by Harlequin TEEN 

Argh! I can't believe it's been 10 days since I've last posted! But happily, it was for a good reason. Some girlfriends and I flew up to Berlin and spent the whole week sightseeing and shopping. It was delightful.

BUT NOW, back to the reviews.

While on the plane I read this whole book - so you know Pawn will be a fast read. It's not thick on character development or fantastic writing, but it does move along quickly and has a decent premise - think Meg Cabot's Airhead trilogy, with a touch of Keira Cass's The Selection and with some rebellion thrown in.

One happy aspect - there is no love triangle. For a while, I thought there might be, but I was thankfully wrong. And there was an evil grandmother - who doesn't like an evil grandmother?? Quite awesome.

I will be reading the next in the series.

As You Wish

As You Wish (Genies #1)

by Jackson Pearce

3 stars

304 pages

Published Aug. 25, 2009 by Harper Teen

I liked this fluffy little story well enough. It's definitely not fine literature, but a cute beach read for teens.

It touches on how it's OK to not belong to the "in" group and to be yourself. And how change can be a good thing.

There was one f-bomb, which was weird because there wasn't one other swear word in the whole book. Why did the author put it in?

Everbound

Everbound (Everneath #2)

by Brodi Ashton

2 stars

358 pages
Published Jan. 22, 2013 by Balzer + Bray
 
I so wanted to love this book. I used to live near Park City, Utah, which is where the book is set, so I know the places mentioned in the book. That eased visualization a bit. But in the end that "plus" just wasn't enough for me.

The first book in this series, "Everneath," had such great potential. Teenage angst, which is usually annoying to me, was dealt with in a "See what can happen if you act rashly, not rationally!" Yeah, you get sucked underground and your life force is bled from you. Delightful. I loved it.

But this second book ... I felt like half of it was getting to the place where something actually happens. And it was SO dark. Dark and depressing. It was like I was in the Tunnels getting my life force sucked out. I need to watch a light, funny romantic comedy to counteract all the happiness suckage.

My favorite part was the very end. You gotta give Cole props. Nice one, mister.

I'm not sure if I'll read the next in the series. I kinda don't really care what happens next. We'll see.

Everneath

Everneath (Everneath #1)

by Brodi Ashton

4 stars

370 pages
Published Jan. 24, 2012 by Balzer + Bray

I liked this book pretty well, mostly because I've been a lot of the places where the story was set. The writing was good, the plot clicked along at a nice pace and the characters weren't too flat. I will definitely be picking up #2 when it comes out.

Size 14 Is Not Fat Either

Size 14 Is Not Fat Either (Heather Wells Mysteries #2)

by Meg Cabot

2 stars

344 pages 
Published Nov. 28, 2006 by William Morrow Paperbacks
 
I would have given this book an extra star except for the horrible language it contains. I think this was Meg Cabot's chance to cram in as many f-bombs as possible to make up for what she doesn't put in her YA books. It's too bad, though. The language didn't even further the story.

Doubt I'll pick up the next in the series. Life's too short to have your ears burn while reading.

Storm

Storm (Elemental #1)

by Brigid Kemmerer

1 star 

353 pages

Published April 24, 2012 by Kensington 

 

 

I am sad.

This book failed my "3 F-bombs" rule. And by like Page 20, too.

I'm so disappointed because I had been waiting to read this book for months. I had really enjoyed the novella "Elemental" and had expected this to be the same.

Roar and Liv

Roar and Liv (Under the Never Sky 0.5)

by Veronica Rossi

3 stars

68 pages

Published October 30th 2012 by HarperCollins 

A very quick little novella that takes place before "Under the Never Sky" that tells us how Liv (Perry's sister) is sold to feed her tribe. Unfortunately, the story was pretty much told in "Under the Never Sky." The only additional information was a deeper understanding of the relationship between Roar and Liv. Entertaining, but completely unnecessary to the development of the full novel.

The Crown of Embers

The Crown of Embers (Fire and Thorns #2)

by Rae Carson

2 stars

410 pages

Published September 18th 2012 by Greenwillow Books

The first half of the book was booooring. It took me forever to get through it. Slog, slog, slog.

Once I got through that though, it picked up. But then that part went way too fast. Why couldn't Carson skip the lame stuff and concentrate on pacing the good stuff? The final "battle" was like a page long, maybe two.

Don't know if I'm going to read the third in this series.

Valkyrie Rising

Valkyrie Rising (Valkyrie #1)

by Ingrid Paulson

4 stars

352 pages

Published Oct. 9, 2012 by HarperTeen

An interesting book about a subject not written about often. Especially in a YA genre.

I didn't know a lot about the Norse legends and myths and this was a good introduction. I'm familiar with Odin and Loki (from the movie Thor), but the Valkyries were mostly new.

I enjoyed the pacing and the writing. The main character was a bit too whiny for me at first, but she got better. Especially when she discovered her powers.

I'll probably read the next one in the series. There's enough room for a sequel, but it's not necessary. This is a standalone book.

Daddy-Long-Legs

Daddy-Long-Legs (Daddy-Long-Legs #1)

by Jean Webster  

5 stars

249 pages

Published 1912 by Hodder & Stoughton

 

It is rare that I give 5 stars, but this adorable book deserves it. I believe this is one of the sweetest books I've ever read. It's witty and cute, and although it's written back in the early 20th century, it still is pertinent to today. I loved it.

I recommend to everyone! It's a quick read and you'll be a better person for reading it.
How many books can you say that about?

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.

Don't Turn Around

Don't Turn Around (PERSEFoNE #1)

by Michelle Gagnon

4 stars

309 pages
 

Published Aug. 28, 2012 by HarperCollins (first published Jan. 1, 2012)

Non-stop action and suspense coupled with computers and hackers and conspiracies! What a combination! I am definitely going to be reading the next in the series to see where it goes. Great book.

Happy Valentine's Day! 

Dust Girl

Dust Girl (The American Fairy #1)

by Sarah Zettel

2 stars

 

304 pages

Published June 26, 2012 by Random House Books for Young Readers (first published Jan. 1, 2012)

 

Meh. Not a great book. I think its first mistake was pairing the Great Depression/Dust Bowl with Fairies. Not a good match. It's like that awful movie a while ago - "Cowboys and Aliens." No amount of Daniel Craig-ness could pull that one out of the gutter. 

This book wasn't quite that bad, but it was sure weird. Weird. Weird. Some things just shouldn't be paired.
Will not be reading anymore in the series.

The Secret Life of Sparrow Delaney

The Secret Life of Sparrow Delaney

by Suzanne Harper

3.5 stars

364 pages

Published July 1, 2007 by Harper Teen

 

This was a solid 3+ star book. I enjoyed it!

It's about a girl, who is the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter, who refuses to embrace her "destiny" as a medium who talks to dead people. But one ghost refuses to be denied.
I liked Sparrow. It's not often that a character is fully fleshed out in a teen fiction book. They are usually flat, flat, flat. Oh! I love Edward! or Oh! I'm so angst-y! or Oh! I have to fight to survive!

Sparrow actually had a range of emotions!

The Moon Riders

The Moon Riders (Moon Riders #1)

by Theresa Tomlinson

2 stars

381 pages
 

Published Oct. 31, 2006 by Harper Teen (first published Feb. 6, 2003)

I have given up on this book. It's just not my style and a bit boring and sloooow. The only reason I gave it two stars is that it's not a bad book, I just can't get into it. I gave it a good try though - made it halfway before going on to other books.

If you are into the Battle of Troy and the legend of the Amazons, then you should give this a go.

Heat Wave

Heat Wave (Nikki Heat #1)

by Richard Castle

4 stars

198 pages

Published Sept. 29, 2009 by Hyperion

I've been on this Castle kick for the past couple of weeks - kids have been sick, I've been sick; husband, too. So I checked out the first three seasons of the show from my local library to help me veg out.

Have I told you how much I love libraries? Oh, yes. It's a well-known fact that when buying a house (which we do a lot, since we're moving every three years), I migrate toward homes that are close to libraries. In fact, now that I think about it, every home I've lived in during my married life has been within walking distance of a library. All the better to feed my addiction.

Sorry, back to the subject.

So, I fell in love with the wit and repartee and - dare I say it? - immaturity encapsulated in the main character of Richard Castle, played by Nathan Fillion. He is endearing and rascally!

I watched all three seasons in like 3 weeks, and begged my friend to let me borrow her seasons 4 and 5, which she did, bless her heart. I watched those in like 2 weeks. My daughter started watching them, too! Although I had to pick and choose the ones that were more appropriate for her. The sexy ones I nixed. While watching, I made a mental note to look into the books that the fictional Richard Castle wrote - the Derrick Storm books and Nikki Heat books.

I started with this one. 

And I loved it just as much as I love the show! Because it reads exactly like a Castle episode. The writing is exactly the same as the show's writing. The characters are the same. 

I will be reading more of these books - since I am not done with my glut of Castle.

There is some swearing - no F-bomb. A mild sex scene on page 105.

Firstborn

Firstborn

by Brandon Sanderson
4 stars

47 pages

Published July 14, 2010 by Tor Books (first published Dec. 17, 2008)

Another Brandon Sanderson short story. This one is set in the far future in space - about a guy who is an absolute failure as a military tactician.

Fantastic moral at the end - with a bit of a Twilight Zone-ish twist. Loved it.

Mitosis

Mitosis (Reckoners #1.5)

by Brandon Sanderson

4 stars

ebook, 35 pages

Published Dec. 3, 2013 by Delacorte Press

A short story in the universe of the Epics and Reckoners - this could have been a chapter or two in the next book, but it's a nice taste for people who loved the first book and can't wait for the next to come out.

I am one of those people.

Quick paced and full of action, Mitosis will not disappoint. I am quickly becoming a Brandon Sanderson fan.