Dead Ever After

So, I just finished the final installment of the Sookie Stackhouse series. I am not impressed. Excuse me while I go on a mini rant. Ugh, Charlaine. Just ugh. Why'dyouhavetogodothattoagoodseries? (forgive my Diantha speak for a moment).

Now, I guess I should be fair for a moment and say that it is not the worst book I've ever read. But it definitely felt a little...off. Like Charlaine didn't really know what to do with it and just picked a direction. Sometimes, it felt like an entirely different author was writing this book. I dunno if she just lost sight of her original vision or got overtaken by her enjoyment of the tv show or what. But this is not the Sookie series I came to know and love and told everyone to read. It just isn't.

On a positive note, I can appreciate that some loose ends were tied up. Some characters that I quite enjoyed made cameos in the book and tied up their storylines, which was good. The villain was a bit unexpected, so I suppose that works okay, too.

I will say, though, that I hated what she did with some of the characters. And I am conflicted about the ending. On the one hand, it could be the perfect way to end the story. On the other hand, no. Just, no.

So if you're a true Sookie fan and you have the desire to know how it all ends and who Sookie chooses, then definitely read the book. Get the closure. See where it goes. But don't expect the fireworks that you found in some of the earlier books from the series. (And, I'm sure I've said this before, but I just really haven't truly enjoyed any of the books since the vampire convention at Rhodes.)

Not sure what my next book will be, but expect to find out soon!



Night Circus

So, I have only good things to say about Erin Morgenstern's Night Circus. I liked this book a lot more than I anticipated (considering I don't often read about the circus or anything circus related.).

This is a book that is an epic love story as well as an epic competition. Where you know from the beginning who the competitors are, but not what the competition entails. They live in a world where real magic is disguised as illusion within the boundaries of the enchanting night circus (aptly named because it is only opened from dusk until dawn). Everything is laid out in shades of black and white for the characters (literally) and we, the reader, watch as the competition unfolds.

Many things did not happen as I anticipated. Many fascinating events occurred throughout the story and I found myself getting drawn into the book. There are even chapters that literally lead you through various parts of the circus as if you are there.

All in all, I found this to be quite enchanting. The back cover touts it as a love story, but that is really only a small part of the story as a whole. Instead it is more about finding the same outcome despite taking different paths to it. I would definitely recommend this for anyone just looking for a good summer read.

Happy reading, friends!

Name of the Star

So, I confess. I have had this book (by the most fabulous Maureen Johnson) sitting on my shelf for over a year now and I have just got around to reading it. Boo on me. I sooooo should have picked it up sooner because it was fabulous.

So I had heard this was a book with loose ties to Jack the Ripper, which I thought was interesting. Before I read it, I assumed it was set in the past, but it is actually in the present, which I liked. The lead character is likeable as well as most of the secondary characters.
I found myself really interested in what was happening and I didn't figure it out ahead of time. Basically, the main character (Rory) is from Louisiana but moves to England for a year for school because her parents are there on sabbatical. You get all of that interesting adjustment to the new school and new culture blah, blah, blah, which is actually not so bad. And the copycat Ripper murders, of course. I didn't predict most of what would happen in the book, but let's just say Rory's level of involvement is quite interesting. And the end? LOVE what happens.
If you are into some interesting twists and turns, then I would highly recommend this book (and now I have to find the second book of the series, which just came out. Ahh!).

Happy reading!

Still alive, still reading....

Hi all! I know, it probably feels like I've taken a reading hiatus, but I promise I'm still around. It just took me a while to figure out what I wanted to read. In the past two weeks, I have finished both The Golden Lily and Indigo Spell.

         

Can I just say, I love Adrian? Ok. Now that that's out of the way...
I am a fan of this series. A big one. I loved the Vampire Academy series, and I think this is just as intriguing if not more so. Let's just say that Sydney has really grown on me. I thought she was an interesting character in the VA series, but I love that she has become such a dynamic figure in this series. I think it's good for anyone to be able to relate with a character who has to struggle with her beliefs and question everything she has ever known. This starts slowly in the Golde Lily but goes full blown in Indigo Spell. Neither book was a disappoint, and I am anxious to get my hands on the next installment (Fiery Heart) later on this year.

If you like vampires, romance, rouge  fighters, magic, and a little espionage, this is definitely a good choice.

Happy reading, friends! Next book on the list is uncertain. I think I might try out the fourth book in the Game of Thrones series just to catch up on those characters. :)

The Fault in Our Stars

For the past year, I have been told that I needed to read this book. I knew I needed to. As I sat at NCTE last year and listened to John Green talking, I knew that I should read this book because of his style and his humor. To be honest, I don't know that I could have read this book if anyone else had written it. From the outset, you know that the story is about a teenager named Hazel who has cancer. That, alone, would usually be enough to deter me from reading this book.

However, I loved it. John Green has a way of walking this fine line between seriousness and humor that makes this book not just readable but lovable. This might possibly be the best book I have read in a good, long while. I often laughed and my chest often hurt because of how real this story is. These characters could live next door or walk down the hall next to you. John Green doesn't treat them like fragile cancer patients but like real kids. I think that is possibly why this story works so well.

Unfortunately, the story does end in a similar way to what I anticipated. As I read the book, I laughed and cried and sometimes got a little angry at the characters. It is touching in a way many stories fail to be nowadays. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a book that, at its essence, is just a flat out good read.

Twofer- Pandemonium and The Evolution of Mara Dyer

Hi folks. I finished Pandemonium some time ago, but I never got a chance to blog about it. I do have to say that I quite enjoyed it. It didn't take me very long to read it either (despite the holiday hiatus from the blog). I was relatively satisfied with the storyline. I thought it progressed well, and the adjustment of the main character to her new situation was well played. Introducing a new interest didn't really surprise me either. The ending of the story might be considered a shock to some, but I kind of saw it coming. I think anyone who is a fan of the series could predict it, but I liked it anyway. I am very intrigued to see what happens in the third installment, Requieum (which, unfortunately, was not available in time for NCTE this year).

This week, I read The Evoluation of Mara Dyer, by Michelle Hodkin. See previous blog entry from last year on The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer. I was really, really excited to get my hands on this book. Thanks to some fabulous friends who snatched me a copy from NCTE since Michelle signed the morning I left. I wasn't really sure where this book was going to go. Clearly I needed a refresher as it took me a few chapters to remember exactly what happened in the first book. Once I got into it, I was very intrigued. This book really made me feel a little crazy, too. I was beginning to wonder just how much Mara could take. I honestly did not really see the ending coming either. I didn't expect the storyline to take the course it did. I will definitely be ready for the third book next year. I need to know what happens to Mara, and I hope that it will be better than what I anticipate might happen.

Recently, I have finally acquired a copy of John Green's The Fault in Our Stars. All I have heard about this book is how amazing it is, and I am super excited to finally get into it firsthand. Reviews upcoming!

2012 was definitely not a productive reading year for me. Let's hope next year is a better one for reading!

Catching Up

Hi friends. Recently, I have finally caught up with some of those half-read books that have been lying around my house. First up, I finally (finally, finally, finally) finished Dark and Hollow Places. If you're unfamiliar with it, it is the final installment of the triology of Forest of Hands and Teeth  and Dead Tossed Waves. I am not sure why it took me so long to finish this book. I started reading it, thought it was interesting, then started reading something else and it somehow ended up tucked underneath my bed, waiting to be unearthed. I did find the ending to be mostly satisfying. Crazy how it took me months to get halfway through the book then a day to finish the second half. I felt that the end might have been slightly rushed, but it works.

I also finished Insurgent yesterday. I definitely enjoyed Divergent and sped through it. However, I got about 150 pages into Insurgent and just kind of took a hiatus. I really liked what happened in this story. But oh, you protagonists. Get it together! I do have to say that I feel like the lead character, Tris, is very realistic. I think many people would perform similar to how she does when faced with difficult situations. And let me just say, I hope we are never divided into a society of factions. Oy! For this book, I found the ending extremely satisfying but also a bit confusing. I am not sure exactly what is going on at the end of the book and am looking forward to the next installment to see where Roth decides to take the series.

For now, I have actually started a new book (gasp!). I read Delirium a few months ago and have decided to now read the second book, Pandemonium. We'll see how long it takes to get through it. :)