Shadowfever - Karen Marie Moning

Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


BEST END TO A SERIES EVER!

With momentum that never lets up, Karen Marie Moning takes us on a ride that has highs and lows, but does not disappoint. Finally some answers, thank God this did not end up like the dramatic ending to Lost, where even though you understand the ending, you still have so many questions that may never get answered (or maybe they will – if you participate in all the message boards/chat sessions – which I did not). At this point, if you still have questions – well, you might be a little too involved with the series and need to take a step back and evaluate your life…you know, live the one that is not in the books for a while. ;)

Is it weird to say that I’ve never been so happy to get to the end of a series of books? That seems wrong, doesn’t it? It’s just that…it was so good, and the cliffhanger endings were so killer that…well I’m just happy it’s over. I’m completely satisfied with the ending, and it’s obvious that Karen Marie Moning has some stuff a’brewin in that head of hers, as she’s left much room for more writing.

I recommend this series to everyone I think would like it, but I’m very careful about my recommendations because 1. I don’t like recommending books people won’t like, and 2. Well, in this particular case – it’s just not appropriate for some audiences. There IS a reason why I read a lot of young adult books – I get the fantasy/Sci-Fi genre without all the other stuff. I got hooked on this series 3 or 4 years ago? I can’t remember, but I don’t read a whole lot of adult fantasy/sci-fi/paranormal – because either they edge a little on the side of “way too scary” for me, or over on the erotic side; this one is the latter. So definitely not appropriate for…well anyone who wouldn’t/should do anything rated R. That is my warning, take it for what it’s worth. Outside of that, the writing is excellent, the story will suck you in and swallow you, and the ending has a big …pink…bow on it.



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Voyager - Diana Gabaldon

Voyager by Diana Gabaldon

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Summary:

Claire has discovered that Jamie has survived and makes the decision to once again go through the stones and try and find the one man she’s ever truly loved back in time.  This is a decision she cannot make lightly, as she is leaving her daughter Brianna behind, but her love for Jamie surpasses all other.  Life with Jamie is never boring, Claire finds herself in the middle of adventure and danger from the moment she steps back in time.

Review:

Have you ever gotten to the end of a book and thought, “man, I really want to know what happens next?”  I pretty much lived there as a kid.  I always hated when a book ended.  I have a feeling Diana Gabaldon felt the same way, because she takes her characters and keeps moving forward.  The Outlander series is extremely creative, and dramatic story.  Jamie and Claire find themselves in so many different odd scenarios, that sometimes I feel like it’s an episode of Forest Gump, you know how he had his hand in almost every major event of his time?  These books have so much motion to them, that you hardly realize that they are L-O-N-G.  Voyager was an approximately 36-hour audio book.  I feel like I have completed a Claire/Jamie marathon.

My honest opinion of this books and this series (I’m pretty sure I haven’t reviewed any of the other books); they are a great read.  I find I want them the most when I’m in a lull – I have so many books that I find I wait on through the year that if I need something to pass the time, I pick up a Diana Gabaldon book.  I’m not in love with them, however I have met plenty who absolutely LOVE these books and re-read them regularly, I just don’t fall into that camp.  I enjoy them.  They pass the time, and I really love the characters, and the stories.  I think that the only problem is – this is exactly what would happen if a book truly did just keep going on and on.  Eventually you’re like, really?  Can they ever just have a moment’s peace or just live for a few years without incident (but who would want to read THAT book???)  I have to spread these books out, because too much would be…well, too much.



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Yours for the Taking - Robin Kaye

Yours for the Taking by Robin Kaye
Genre: Adult Romance
Form: Book (ARC)

Summary:

Growing up on the wrong side of the tracks wasn’t easy for Gina and her family.  Her mother did everything she possibly could to make ends meet while her father was off in some drug haze, but it was all for naught as they still ended up losing everything in the end.  Gina is bound and determined not to let that happen to her or her sister.  It is this driving force that causes her to accept an offer of a convenience marriage to Ben.  A marriage where they both win in the end; he does not lose an inheritance that his grandfather has continually dangled over his head, and she gets enough money to make sure she and her sister can live comfortably and debt free in houses of their own.  This is not a decision that she makes lightly, but the deal is too good to pass up, especially since there is no danger of it turning in to something more.  Ben is gay after all….isn’t he?

 

Review:

Yours for the Taking is a fun, entertaining, witty ride of a book.  As it is with most books for me, characters are everything, and Robin Kaye has created two entertaining characters, to say the least.  I love Ben, but most of all I love his transformation from a metrosexual art dealer into a rough outdoorsy cowboy.  He is super sexy in both roles, and is obviously hard to resist.  Gina is a very cute little Latina that you can almost see running from one side of the room to the other, tossing her hands up in the air on a tirade.  Their chemistry throughout the book is hot!

 

The story line is perfect.  The constant bickering and making up is entertaining while the two fight for control of their lives and what they have known they have always wanted.  Two wildly different people have collided and eventually create the perfect couple.

All That is True - Jackie Lee Miles

All That's True by Jackie Lee Miles
Form:  Book (ARC)
Genre: Adult or Young Adult Ficiton

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Summary
Andi is a privileged teenager.  He lives in a rich neighborhood, can pretty much stay on top of the fashion world and any activity is within her reach.  However, life isn't dealing her an easy hand. Her brother, Alex, recently died.  Her and her best friend, Bridget, have discovered that her dad and Bridget's step-mother are having an affair.  Her mother is an alcoholic and constantly dancing on the edge.  Couple all of that with the fact that she's a typical young teenager who is just trying to discover who she is and how her life is going to turn out - it seems as though her life is a complete mess.

Through many friends and relatives and most of all herself, Andi discovers everything she needs to move forward and not only live life, but how to do it and be happy as well.

Review
All That's True captivates you from the first page!  The book reads almost as a journal as Andi takes you on a journey of a year of her life, probably the hardest time she has ever had to go through.  She narrates on everything from her troubles with her father and his affair, her mother's alcohol problems, all the way to her latest boy craze, or future husband.  Andi is just a typical thirteen year old girl, and all she really wants is live a normal life.

There were many times throughout the book I felt really bad for Andi.  She tried so hard to do the right thing, and do whatever she could to help out in every situation.  Because there was so much going on in her home life, it seemed like Andi was left to figure things out on her own a lot of the time.  Andi is genuinely a good person through and through.  She wants to do what she can to make things the easiest on everyone, which sometimes makes things the hardest for her.  Through out this year she learns that life does not always give you what you want or expect, but given the choices you make and how you choose to react to it, you can make the best of all situations.



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Across the Universe - Beth Revis

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Form: Audiobook

Narrators: Carlos Santos & Lauren Ambrose

Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Summary:
Amy is a teenager who was forced to make the decision whether to be frozen and shipped off to a new planet with her mother and father; a journey that is going to take 301 years to reach it’s destination, or stay at home on earth with her aunt and uncle and friends and everything she knows to be normal. After deciding to take the journey she is first surprised that she is partially conscious, in and out throughout the journey, and then surprised again when she is accidently awakened 50 years before the journey is to have completed.

Elder has been raised to become the leader aboard the ship Godspeed. He is being raised and trained and taught what is best for the people. But Elder is not like Eldest, the current leader, he sees things a little differently and is a bit rebellious when it comes to the rules and expectations of his mentor. This rebelliousness leads Elder to begin to uncover layers of lies that are contained within Godspeed.

Together, Amy and Elder begin working towards discovering these lies and their true meaning, as well as work on finding out why someone is killing the people who were frozen and preserved for life on their new planet.


Review:

I was pretty excited about the release of Across the Universe. I got a little bit of a sneak peek several months back when the first chapter was revealed as a teaser. The book, the entire concept sucked me in right from the beginning. That is the glory of a first chapter that every single author should learn, it is probably the most important chapter of the entire book, it is the foundation for the rest of the book.

Over all, this book had a good story. I felt that time times it was moving a bit slowly. There were so many details about what was going on with the frozen people and the discord between Eldest and Elder; and then Amy and her adjusting to life on the ship. It sort of left me wanting for a bit more action. Still yet, I loved the whole basis. This world being created within a ship, and we being dropped right in the middle of the journey and getting an up close and personal view of how living life has changed over the past generations.

At first I was disappointed with the relationship between Amy and Elder. I sort of wanted more than what was given. But as I take a step back and look at the book as a whole, first – THEY aren’t what’s going on in this book. While they are the main characters, the book isn’t really about them. Second, it’s actually refreshing to watch a relationship being built at a normal pace rather than instantaneous, absolute, all encompassing love. Both Amy and Elder are real. They are concerned with what is important, the people and the goings on within their home, their ship. So after second thought, I have come to realize that the goings on between Amy and Elder are perfect…this is not really a romance novel, despite what the cover may look like.

I will be honest though – I had a lot of the book figured out pretty early on. I was waiting for the twist, that moment when I discovered I was wrong and when my thought process went off track, but no. There were a few extra details I didn’t figure out, but mostly I did find it predictable.

Beth Revis has done an awesome job for her first novel. I love the idea, and the execution was pretty good too. I look forward to more from her in the future!



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Trendy, Trendy, Trendy

I’ve been thinking about things that have become trendy lately.  Specifically when it comes to movies, books, and music – or books, movies, and music; since one of the new trendy things is to make movies based off of young adult books.  Of course it’s obviously a good idea, anyone can look at the popularity of the Harry Potter and Twilight franchises – big fat DUH!   Obviously there is something there.   Honestly, I’m completely okay with the current “trendy.”  I prefer fantasy/sci-fi (minus aliens…I’ve never gotten much into aliens – unless Will Smith is involved…but that’s only because he’s a good actor), I like romance; put the two together and I’m sold.  I guess what really has me thinking is how many people out there are banking on it.  Should I care?  Probably not – but since this stuff is turning up on every media outlet I can think of, it’s just more and more apparent that people take what is popular and suck the profit out of it until it’s dead.

 

This IS basic supply and demand.  We want, they give, not exactly brain science.  I think what I don’t like is being suckered.  I don’t like getting a novel, or watching a movie that has great potential; it’s got a running theme and idea that I like, etc., but it turns out to be mediocre at best.  To me, it seems as though this person/people are just trying to jump on the train and cash in.  When you are just taking something because it’s popular and trying to make it yours, it feels faked.  Not only that, but it sort of starts to turn you away from the very thing you love.  When I pick up a book and start reading, and the material is just…”eh, well, that kind of sucked,” it really does not make me excited to try new authors and new books. Hello, disillusionment! I don’t want to read “suck.”  Why waste my time when my favorite authors are putting out a least a book a year…well most of them anyway(ahem…Stephenie Meyer…where ARE you???)    In my opinion, what has made the big contenders (Twilight, Harry Potter, The Immortal Instruments, The Wolves of Mercy Falls)  so good is that it came from the imagination.  The authors/producers/writers (whoever…in most cases I’m not actually sure who all is involved) have this idea that is all their own and it turns into something wonderful.

 

Of all media outlets, what has surprised me the most is music.  In the past it seemed to me that music followed it’s own trend scale.  Music and other media didn’t seem to be linked so much on topic matter.  Apparently that has changed.  I recently have gotten Norah Jones’ The Fall, and Plain White T’s Wonder of the Younger CD’s, and both of them included Pirates and Werewolves in their songs.  Plain White T’s even have some vampire action.  Princesses have also made an appearance.  So basically, a lot of the things that we rae reading and watching lately are making their way into the music as well.  I love fantasy..and it’s kind of neat that we are getting the cross over into music….but artists, be careful.  There is a fine line between, “hey, that’s pretty neat,” and “well, that was super cheesy.”  Both artists mentioned above have some very good songs on these CDs – so please don’t take any of that as an “I don’t like…” because I do recommend both!  It’s just that I really, really love the heart being poured into music.  I don’t care the subject matter, as long as what is being sung is a story from the heart – it’s meaningful.  Fluff us fluff, though, and this can turn people away.  Which, I’m assuming, is the opposite of what anyone would want to do.

Matched - Ally Condie

Matched by Ally Condie

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


In a world where “The Society” makes all the decisions for you; what to eat, what to wear, where you’ll work, what you’ll learn, who you marry, it’s easy to feel like life is safe and easy. The Society works for the good of the people after all; life expectancy is long, almost all signs of sickness and disease has been eradicated, everyone seems happy. This is the life that Cassia has learned to expect and trust – especially when she is Matched (her future husband that is chosen for her by The Society) with her best friend, Xander. But then comes the day after she’s matched, when in addition to Xander, the face of Ky, another boy in the neighborhood, flashes on the data card; the Society’s mistake spins Cassia into a whirlwind of emotions; who is her real match? How did this mistake happen anyway? Is the Society really trustworthy?


Matched is not just a love story, but a story of realization; of awakening, and this is what makes the book a definite must read! While it’s appalling to think of a time when the government makes every little decision for you, I do not think it’s an utterly unreasonable notion. In fact, there are countries where this is closer to reality than anyone would really like to admit. Seeing Cassia move from someone who completely trusts in the only life she’s ever known to realizing how much control The Society actually has and despising it is probably the best part of the entire story. Cassia is extremely believable, there really is nothing extra special about her. Everything that she comes to know and understand throughout the book seems to follow a natural process of observing and thinking through. This is so refreshing and enjoyable – as usually the hero or heroine has qualities about them that that cause them to stand out in some way or another or give them an extra edge. I actually feel the same way about Ky, while he has figured out how to play The Society’s game, up until near the end of the book, it was all about not standing out, about being safe, and being basically invisible. I do believe he and Cassia are opposites in that while she has never known another life, he has had a taste of what freedom might look like. His personality and character as a whole are just as equally believable as Cassia’s. I cannot wait to see how their relationship unfolds, but even more than that, I can’t wait to see what major rifts they cause within the Society.

I do wish I could have gotten to know Xander a bit more. Or maybe not. I already felt bad enough for him, getting to know him more might have made it worse. To that thought, I also felt that Xander was way too good. There was not enough edge to him, he seemed to almost lack emotion. But then again, maybe this is exactly right, with a society that makes all decisions for you – maybe one would lack emotions. But still – due to some stuff at the end of the book I have reason to believe there was a lot of depth that could have been added to his character. I really ramped up the gaming scene between him and Ky in my head (as it was unfolding). I was sort of viewing it from a “who’s the better man” perspective. I was entirely wrong about the scene, but I guess I was just looking for the real Xander to come out. While he may not have known what was going on between Cassia and Ky, he did know something wasn’t exactly right with Cassia. I was thinking this scene was going to reveal that somewhere inside he DID know what was going on. Anyway – even when he did figure things out, he did not react in a way I felt someone who is suppose to be competitive and possibly in love would react. This makes me think that maybe there is more to Xander than he even knows just yet. I do hope there are good things for him in the future books.

So here’s looking forward to November 2011 – Crossed!



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Book Overload!

So I'm about to be on book overload - what I mean is, I'm going to have too many books to deal with in a matter of days.  I just found out that I can download e-books via Overdrive Media for my ipod through my local library.  (If you haven't checked your library's website recently, you might want to - you can download audiobooks and ebooks for your ipod or e-reader for free.  Of course you are just borrowing the books, so you can't keep them....but for me it's WONDERFUL!)

I recently went to the Barnes and Noble website and found out they were having a sale on their bargin books.  (I'm not sure the sale is still going on, so don't be disappointed if you go and find no sale!)  I purchased four books for about $15 - can't beat it.  So currently I'm waiting on the following books to arrive from BN:

1. Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
2. The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen
3. The Tenth Gift by Jane Johnson
4. Midnight Never Come by Marie Brennan

I am waiting on the following Audiobooks on Overdrive media:

1. White Cat by Holly Black
2. Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
3. The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

I already have the following Audiobooks waiting to be listened to:

1. Voyager by Diana Galbaldon
2. The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff
3. Matched by Ally Condie
4. Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan

E-books I have requested:

1. Prom Nights from Hell - Compilation
2. The Eternal Ones by Kristin Miller
3. How to be an American Housewife by Margaret Dilloway
4. Ash by Malinda Lo 

Not to mention the fact that Tempestuous by Lesley Livingston, Across the Universe by Beth Revis and Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning are all coming out this month.  One of these three I'll be getting via audio using my Audible credit.

So that is 18 books people...and it's just January!