The Bride Wore Size 12

The Bride Wore Size 12 (Heather Wells Mysteries #5)

by Meg Cabot

3 stars 

392 pages

Published Sept. 24, 2013 by William Morrow Paperbacks 

 

Another light, fluffy, formulaic murder mystery by Meg Cabot. Not the best book Cabot has written, but entertaining enough. Heather Wells is an endearing character, with cleverness and wittiness in spades.
There is some swearing and some glossed-over sex. I probably wouldn't let my mom read it.

P.S. Just FYI, we just had an magnitude 5.2 earthquake over here in Italy - and we sure felt it! It was my first earthquake - but we all are OK and nothing collapsed. Yay!

Siege and Storm

Siege and Storm (The Grisha #2)

by Leigh Bardugo

4 stars

432 pages

Published June 4, 2013 by Henry Holt and Co.

After reading the first in this trilogy, Shadow and Bone, I couldn't wait to read this one.

I actually tried to read another book before reading this one (a light Meg Cabot book) - but I got too antsy. I had to know what was going to happen next in the lives of Alina and Mal! When that happens, I know that what I'm reading is good - the words are reaching out and grabbing me by the wrist and forcing me to sit down and read.

And luckily, No. 2 in the Grisha trilogy delivers. It's such a relief when you read a sequel and it's just as good (if not better) than the first.

We continue to see growth in all the characters. We follow the struggles to free Alina's world from evil. And just to make things more interesting - the love story hits some snags.

Little to no swearing and no sex.

Can't wait til the last book comes out. It's already on my To Read list.

Shadow and Bone

Shadow and Bone (The Grisha #1)

by Leigh Bardugo

4 stars

358 pages
Published June 5, 2012 by Henry Holt and Co.

Happy, happy day! This fantasy is right up my alley. Part coming-of-age story, part love story and part magical power story.

This is a story about a girl who discovers her inborn powers and her struggle to learn to use them - and not be used by others. She also loses her innocence and naivete by trusting the wrong people.

I was intrigued by the premise and held captive by the plot. I read this book quickly - much to the dismay and neglect of my family.

Pick this up. It's fantastic. No swearing and no sex. Yay!

Steelheart

Steelheart (Reckoners #1)

by Brandon Sanderson 

4.5 stars

386 pages

Published Sept. 24, 2013 by Delacorte Press 

 

I admit, I love superhero movies - but not books about superheroes. They're just so cheesy. I've tried.

BUT ...

I loved, loved this superhero book! It's a totally new take on superheroes ... they're EVIL! And regular people have to figure out their weaknesses and take them down so protect all the other regular people.

The first part of the book is pretty disturbing and violent. Actually the whole book is filled with fighting and violence and death, so I won't be letting my 10-year-old read it for a couple years. But as an adult - and maybe I'm desensitized - I could overlook it a bit and focus on the plot and the struggle for freedom from tyranny and fear.

The writing was fantastic and in places, quite witty. There was little to no swearing and no sex. Just a thrill ride from start to finish.

Based on this book, I'm going to find other books by Brandon Sanderson. And I will definitely be reading the next in line in this series.

Well done, Brandon!

Deep Blue Secret

Deep Blue Secret (The Water Keepers, #1)

by Christie Anderson

4 stars

 

370 pages

Published July 29, 2011 

 

This is another teen love story, with elements of the paranormal sprinkled within. It has a good plot, good character development and a decent “obstacle to love” – every good love story has one. This one is the ol’ “boy protector shouldn’t fall in love with protectee,” but of course it happens, and he feels all sorts of guilt and angst about it. Girl needs boy and is annoyed at his sense of duty and reluctance to just let go.
Sounds cheesy, but it somehow works.

Christie Anderson knows how to write a angsty love story and get the reader to really root for the relationship.

I have to admit that the girl is a bit whiny – and the boy a bit too righteous, but like I said before, it works.

I also enjoyed the icky bad guy. I wish there were more of him – though I think that he will be in the next book quite a bit.

Can’t wait to find out, because I will be reading the second book!

Thank you to Mark My Words Publicity for providing this book for review.

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.

Champion

I've been out of town for a week - hence the lag in posting. But I'm back!

Champion (Legend #3)

by Marie Lu

4.5 stars

369 pages

Published Nov. 5, 2013 by Putnam Juvenile

I was sad when this series ended, because overall it was a well-written, exciting dive into a post-apocalyptic, dystopian society. I was happy though, that most, if not all the loose ends were tied up nicely - if a bit too abruptly. But I can't complain too loudly when an author doesn't neglect her duty to satisfy readers' needs for closure.

The ending was happy, with a touch of sadness - lots of room for hope and healing. I enjoyed that very much.

No swearing, but one slightly glossed over sex scene.

I'd love to see a spin-off of this series set in the world of Antarctica. That place was intriguing.

Good job, Marie Lu, I like your style!

Anna Dressed in Blood

Anna Dressed in Blood (Anna #1)

by Kendare Blake

2 stars

316 pages
Tor Teen First Edition

Published September 2011 by Tom Doherty

 
I can't recommend this book based on a couple of things.

First the language is horrible. Really, really bad. I felt like I was with a bunch of Marines, not a couple of teenagers. The F-bomb is liberally slathered throughout the book - and for NO REASON! I found myself skipping whole passages in order to cut down on the number of curse words I had to read.

Second, there is quite a lot of guts and gore. People dying right and left. Police didn't do much, which was not believable, especially with WHO the victims were. They asked maybe 3 or 4 questions and decided that was fine. The gore was all very slasher movie-esque.

The ending was OK, but I'm not sure I understood exactly what happened. There was an epilogue, but it only gave information about what happens in the near future. I wanted to know what happens much later on.

I will not be reading any other books by this writer if the cursing continues to taint the stories.

Prodigy

Prodigy (Legend #2)

by Marie Lu

3.5 stars

371 pages

Published Jan. 29, 2013 by Putnam Juvenile

An exciting sequel to Legend. It has everything I love - survival, anti-government rebellion, a good love story with "issues," so it's not too boring.

I also appreciate how the main characters don't know who to trust, but ultimately decide to trust each other. I will read the last in the trilogy to see how it all plays out.

Little to no swearing, and no sex. A bit of violence, but it's mostly glossed over. Nothing like the first book where it was glorified and reveled in and described in minute detail.

The Bitter Kingdom

The Bitter Kingdom (Fire and Thorns #3)

by Rae Carson

4 stars

448 pages 

Published Aug. 27, 2013 by Greenwillow Books

This is the way a trilogy is supposed to end. Happy, with all loose ends tied up and the main character ending up with the guy she's supposed to end up with. Throughout the trilogy you see the queen grow from a wimpy, but intellectual, girl - into a strong, fierce woman. And likewise, the author Rae Carson has matured and developed into a competent and exciting storyteller. She figured out pacing and plot. She developed deep characters with myriad facets to their personalities. It was a delight to read her literary journey.

I hope Carson keeps writing, because I'll keep reading her stuff.

No swearing and just one glossed over sex scene.

Can recommend!

The Last Storyteller: A Novel of Ireland

The Last Storyteller: A Novel of Ireland

by Frank Delaney

3 stars

400 pages

Published Feb. 7, 2012 by Random House

At first, I didn't think I was going to make it through this book (which I won in a First Reads giveaway), but there's something oddly compelling, darkly beautiful and exquisitely twisted about the book. I love all things Irish, but if you're looking for a story filled with rainbows, leprechauns and Darby O'Gill, this book is not the one for you. The story revolves around a man writing his memoirs to his 2 children, to be read after his death. As an 18-year-old, he falls in love with an older woman. Then the woman is stolen away by her family, never to be seen again.

The plot isn't so much a quest to find her as a search to find himself, with a healthy dose of Irish history, politics and legend interspersed within. Honestly, I looked forward to the retelling of the legends parts, because those parts shone some sunlight into such a melancholy story. But it's all so eloquently written and characters so fully fleshed out, it was hard not to finish. It's not a "page-tuner," no, not by any stretch of the imagination, but it is thought-provoking. I recommend.

You Have Seven Messages

You Have Seven Messages

by Stewart Lewis

3 stars

304 pages

Published Sept. 13, 2011 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers (first published Jan. 1, 2011)

 

I just finished this book, like 10 minutes ago, and I'm not sure what I think of it. It's a very sad, depressing book, and it has some relationship ideas that I wouldn't deem appropriate for the audience this book was written for. It delves into things that are deep and controversial, but the writer puts it out there like his beliefs are the only true and right way.

That being said, I liked how the story emphasizes that people aren't perfect and that we all make mistakes, and that we should be willing to forgive. That theme alone is why I give this book three stars.

Maybe in a few days, after I give it time to stew, I'll change my star rating, but three is feeling just right.

Eon: Dragoneye Reborn

Eon: Dragoneye Reborn (Eon #1)

by Alison Goodman

2.5 stars

531 pages

Published Dec. 26, 2008 by Viking Juvenile (first published Jan. 1, 2008)  

 

I have a number of adjectives describing this Eastern-culture inspired novel:

slow
boring
repetitive
whiny
confusing
verbose
way too long
predictable

So why did I finish it? I'm not sure. Maybe there was something compelling about the theme - not the characters, though, they were one-dimensional and weak; or the plot - which was over-simple and over-written.

The theme - accepting strength in womanhood - is contrived, yes. And the book does it no justice with the weak characterization of Eon/Eona. But the universal truth of the theme made me interested to see how Eon/a came to realize it. Unfortunately, by the time Eon/a got her head on straight, the book was pretty much over, so I stuck it out til the end.

This book actually drained me so much that instead of reading the next book on my To Read list, I watched TV! Ach! The tragedy!

The bright spot was that there was no swearing and no sex. But there are some transvestite and eunuch characters, if that bugs you. Actually the best character in the book was the transvestite. S/he was pretty awesome.
 
I will not be reading the sequel.

Legend

Legend (Legend #1)

by Marie Lu

4 stars

320 pages

Published Nov. 29, 2011 by Putnam Juvenile

This was just the book that I needed to get over a super crappy book I had just previously read. (See post below.)

Marie Lu really knows how to write an exciting, intriguing story - complete with decent character development, evil bad guys and a bit of computer hacking! I loved it.

I did think the torture scenes were a little too gleefully gratuitous, hence the one star docking. And I didn't like some of the characters doing a complete 180 - first they hate, now they don't. Or conversely, nice guy turns uber-evil. It was a bit jarring.

But overall, I deem it a fantastic book. No swearing, yay!

I've added #2 and #3 to my to-read list. Thankfully the last in the trilogy was just published, so no having to wait for the next one to come out!!

I can recommend to all!

The Friday Night Knitting Club

The Friday Night Knitting Club (Friday Night Knitting Club #1)

by Kate Jacobs

2 stars

352 pages 

Published Jan. 18, 2007 by Putnam Adult (first published January 1st 2006)

 

I had waited a few years for this book to finally be added as an ebook at my local library. I thought I would like this book - yarn and women crafters with a touch of romance thrown in? Sounds good! I love working with yarn, although I enjoy crocheting more than knitting. Maybe I was hoping for a bit of inspiration to get me back into knitting. I rarely delve into adult fiction, but I thought I'd make an exception for this one.

Unfortunately, when I closed the cover on my Nook after reading the last sentence, I was decidedly underwhelmed and not a little bit disgusted. I remember all sorts of hype associated with this book. Why? The ending was crap. If I had known what was going to happen (and I purposely did NOT read any spoilers beforehand), I would not have wasted my time. The only reason I gave it 2 stars was that the writing was pretty good - except for the swearing. TOO MUCH! I mean, come on! This is a book about knitting! You don't need to be dropping the f-bomb when you're purling!

So, I cannot recommend this book to any of my friends. Sorry. Actually - I'm not.

Glimpse (Zellie Wells #1) by Stacey Wallace Benefiel

Glimpse (Zellie Wells #1)

by Stacey Wallace Benefiel

3 stars

262 pages

Published May 9, 2010 by Write Free (first published Apr. 20, 2010)

I got this ebook for free on Barnes and Noble for my Nook more than 2 years ago. I didn't have high hopes for it, but it surprised me. I actually enjoyed it! If you can overlook some flat characterization and uneven plotting, you will enjoy it, too.

Didn't like the adultery aspect, though. Or the mild swearing.

Crown of Midnight

Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2)

by Sarah J. Maas

4 stars

420 pages 
Published Aug. 27, 2013 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens

What a fantastic sequel to the Throne of Glass. We find out more about who Celaena really is and how she works. I especially appreciated the subtle Star Wars moment.

One thing bugged me, though, and that was the unnecessary swearing. This is a fantasy book - swearing should have no place in this world. And the horrific killings committed by Celaena. That was disturbing - but she is an assassin, so I guess that's expected.

I can't wait for the next book to come out.

The Swiss Family Robinson

The Swiss Family Robinson

by Johann David Wyss, Scott McKowen (Illustrations), Arthur Pober (Afterword)

4 stars

 

352 pages

First published in 1812

 

I tried reading this book with my kids, but the vocabulary was beyond my 3rd and 5th graders - this edition one of the first translations, so many, many words were archaic and out of use. I'm going to find an Illustrated Classic version to read to them, which I think they'll enjoy.

I loved this book, though. A lot of the flora and fauna which the Robinson family found on their island was improbable - elephants on an island? Bison? Plus so many types of birds. That many birds would mean being close to a major landmass, and hence in shipping lanes, and hence being found much sooner. But I loved the book anyway. I wish I could be as knowledgeable as Mr. Robinson - he had an encyclopedic knowledge of, well, everything. He knew how to make drawbridges, looms, treehouses, husbandry, farming, slaughtering and wide variety of animals, etc.

I can see why this book is a classic. It's a fun read.

Bitterblue

Bitterblue (Graceling Realm #3)

by Kristin Cashore

3 stars

563 pages

Published May 1, 2012 by Dial

The title of the book is perfect, because after I read the thing I was left feeling Bitter and Blue. Bitter, because I'm going to have to wait for the NEXT book to come out; and Blue, because this book is pretty dark, twisty and depressing. It's all about the effects that one person can have on so many other people. One person's choices can hurt many, many people - even after that person is gone.

I couldn't get this book out of my head for a few days - it really is that dark. I usually don't finish these types of books because I hate feeling depressed. The reason I stuck with it was because of the main character, Queen Bitterblue. She was a strong, good, decent person trying to rectify the wrongs of her evil father. She was trying to give hope to those who were deeply affected by her father's atrocities. So that glimmer of hope gave me the wherewithal to keep slogging through to the end.

Another great theme of this book is the importance of friendship. Bitterblue relies heavily on her friends and their loyalty. Surrounding yourself with good, decent people who are trying to do what's right will help you be and do better.

The reason for the three stars is that the story was convoluted and hard to follow. And some of the characters were pretty flat. I especially disliked how Bitterblue's love interest had such a reverse of feelings - it was love, hate, love. Bam, bam, bam. Very disorienting. AND the book was soo flippin' long! Edit, please!

Anyway, not bad, but not great. I'll read the next in line, but I may not go further if that one is anything like this one. I don't need any depression in my life.