Sunday, November 27, 2011

In My Mailbox (Week of November 27th)


Books for review:
 Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer
Truth by Julia Karr
 Immortal City by Scott Speer
Harbringer by Sara Wilson Etienne
Radiant Days by Elizabeth Hand
The Catastrophic History of You and Me  by Jess Rothenberg
The Right & The Real by Joelle Anthony
A Temptation of Angels by Michelle Zink
Borrowed:
A Touch Morbid by Leah Clifford
Hallowed by Cynthia Hand
 Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
Bought:
The Pledge by Kimberly Derting
Wherever You Go by Heather Davis

Friday, November 25, 2011

All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

Source: Publisher
In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty. And yet, for Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city's most notorious (and dead) crime boss, life is fairly routine. It consists of going to school, taking care of her siblings and her dying grandmother, trying to avoid falling in love with the new assistant D.A.'s son, and avoiding her loser ex-boyfriend. That is until her ex is accidently poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures and the police think she's to blame. Suddenly, Anya finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight--at school, in the news, and most importantly, within her mafia family.
Engrossing and suspenseful, All These Things I've Done is an utterly unique, unputdownable read that blends both the familiar and the fantastic.
There are books that I love to read and want to keep on reading, All These Things I've Done is one of those books. The characters are very lively and  realistic. I could relate to most of them, because of how exceptionally flawed they are. I really liked Anya. She was very tough at times, but she was also cautiously loving. I liked that she struggled with her faith and what she wanted, because that was very easy to relate with. I loved hearing from her Grandma, because she is almost from my generation and I liked hearing from her. I loved Leo. He was so sweet to his sisters.  Their younger sister Natty was very cute and sassy. Anya's best friend Scarlet was very sassy and really cared about Anya, even when a boy came between them. Win is a sweet and sensitive guy that I totally fell in love with. He really cared about Anya and wanted the best for her.
The world building of this book is really amazing. It is a dystopian novel, but unlike many other novels in  this genre,the government isn't oppressive. The government seems to be falling apart and becoming more corrupt slowly. I really liked seeing the crime aspects in a novel and how it can affect the people around them. I also love mobsters in books and really loved the futuristic ones. The fact that chocolate and coffee are banned, is depressing, but I could see that happening. Since both product are surrounded in such indulgence now. The plot of this book was exciting for me. I really loved the characters and found myself to be rooting for everything to turn out alright. The pacing varied, but I think that it fit the book well. A problem that I had with Anya's voice is that she would tell what was happening, instead of showing it. Her voice might not appeal to a more sheltered teen, because she has experienced a lot and seems older at times. Zevin's writing captures great character and an engaging plot that I loved.  I liked the mob aspect and am excited to see how this series will play out in the next books. Overall, I enjoyed this book and found it to be a fun and entertaining. If you like other dystopian books, you will probably like this book.

Why I have been gone...

I kind of disappeared at the end of September. It isn't a secret, but I went to college.
I also broke my ankle the first day and have had several other health issues have came up.
So, that has been a problem. Another is living in a dorm and being social more often than I usually am.
Anyways, I am going to aim to post at least a review a week.
Hope you are all enjoying your week.
Sarah.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope that you all have a great day with your family and friends and enjoy the food.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

Source: Publisher
My name my True Name is Ashallayn’ darkmyr Tallyn. I am the last remaining son of Mab, Queen of the Unseelie Court. And I am dead to her. My fall began, as many stories do, with a girl.
To cold faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.
Then Meghan Chase a half human, half fey slip of a girl smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.
With the unwelcome company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end a quest to find a way to honor his vow to stand by Meghan's side.
To survive in the Iron Realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. And along the way Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.

I adored this series. As sad as I am to see the end of the series, I was glad to see all of characters develop and become stronger. Puck was just as funny as the first book. His one liners were amusing. I also loved Grim. He is so snarky and honest. Ash seemed to grow up a lot and I still adored him as much as I did him in the first book. I missed Meghan's point of view and wished that it wasn't just Ash's point of view. Her voice and attitude were more engaging to me. The plot wasn't as exciting either and not as many remarkable events happened. Even with those drawbacks, I still enjoyed the book. This was partly due to Kagawa's flawless writing and how the stories were resolved. If you haven't read the first three books in this series, I would recommend reading those books now. You won't regret it.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

In My Mailbox (Week of November 7th)


Books for review:
A Million Suns by Beth Revis
Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Out of Oz by Gregory Maguire
Lexapros and Cons by Aaron Karo
When the Sea is Rising Red by Cat Hellisen
Melody Burning by Whitley Strieber
Various Positions by Martha Schabas
Life is but a Dream by Brian James
After the Snow by SD Crockett
Tempest by Julie Cross
The Pledge by Kimberly Derting

Bought:
Crossed by Ally Condie
Ingenue by Jillian Larkin
Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

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