Cold Spell

Cold Spell

By: Jackson Pearce


Kai and Ginny grew up together–best friends since they could toddle around their building’s rooftop rose garden. Now they’re seventeen, and their relationship has developed into something sweeter, complete with stolen kisses and plans to someday run away together. But one night, Kai disappears with a mysterious stranger named Mora–a beautiful girl with a dark past and a heart of ice. Refusing to be cast aside, Ginny goes after them and is thrust into a world she never imagined, one filled with monsters and thieves and the idea that love is not enough. If Ginny and Kai survive the journey, will she still be the girl he loved–and moreover, will she still be the girl who loved him?
This series is brilliant. I love how each new book expands on the concepts found in each book. With each new story you see another step into the process of the fenris. As well as meeting new characters (main and supporting) who have real backstories.

Characters:
I loved Ginny and Kai. Jackson Pearce kept up her pattern of writing realistic, well-developed lead female characters. Ginny definitely matches all those qualifications. I love that this book wasn't Ginny and Kai's love story, it was Ginny's self-discovery story. Not often do you read a book about a girl who falls out of dependent love. I also love that she didn't feel like she had to break up with him, she could love him and still become less dependent on their relationship. I also loved Kai for supporting her independence.
The supporting characters also really shined in this book. I loved Lucas and Ella. It was really cool seeing a Reynolds guy who wasn't the love interest. I thought their relationship was really well-written and I loved how they sort of adopted all the others who had lost their families (Ginny, Kai, Flannery, Callum). I wouldn't mind seeing all these characters interact for another whole book. This quote made me smile, quite a bit.

"Ella and I are a family. And we decided, now that we've tracked the Snow Queen, made breakfast, and essentially committed a murder together, that you're family, too. Family sticks together."

Flannery was awesome, as well. Her dynamic with Callum was really great, too. I love that he understood her desire to be unmarried even though they loved each other.

Mora: What an interesting character. I love that in this world, all the villains (except for the Fenris, of course) are always sort of ambiguous. I mean, all of them are given pasts and personalities, they are given reason. It's hard not to empathize with a character when you are in their head, so the reader had a special connection to Mora.

The Plot:
Action-packed as the books in this series always are, but with plenty of time for the building of relationships and the thoughtful, introspective moments. I love how this was sort of a road trip book, but with a definite twist.

Speaking of the fairy-tales, I've loved The Snow Queen story for a while now (since I read Winter's Child by Cameron Dokey, which is a vastly different take on the story, but still quite good). So I was really excited when I heard that the fourth book of this series was going to be based on that story. If you want read my review of Winter's Child, you can click here.

The World-Building (The Connections):
I cannot state enough how awesome this series is in terms of world-building. I love how the scope broadens with every book, yet some patterns are the same. There is at least one Reynolds in each book, there are always Fenris, there is always a twist to the fairy-tale. This makes you connect with each book from the start, even when the characters are unfamiliar.

Quotes:

"I feel as if someone has pulled out an organ. One of those that doesn't seem essential, to the layman---not my heart or my lungs, but rather my pancreas, or my spleen, or my gallbladder. Something that doesn't seem as if it should matter so much, until it's gone and your body can't figure out how to operate and your heart won't stop beating and just give up already."

"Huge difference," she says. "People who don't do anything annoy me. People who don't do anything yet excite me, because they can potentially do everything."

"Nothing happens because of 'just.'"

"So what happens if you don't get him back? You're a paper doll for the rest of your life?"
"I used to think so," I say. "Part of me still thinks so. I never pictured a version of my life without him."

"But I don't love him just because he loved me back, so I can't hate him just because he's stopped."

Brightly Woven

Brightly Woven

By: Alexandra Bracken

Just as the rains come after ten long, dry years, a young wizard, Wayland North, appears, to whisk Sydelle Mirabil away from her desert village. North needs an assistant, and Sydelle is eager to see the country - and to join him on his quest to stop the war that surely will destroy her home. But North has secrets - about himself, about why he chose Sydelle, about his real reasons for the journey. What does he want from her? And why does North's sworn enemy seem fascinated by Sydelle himself?

 

I really enjoyed this book. It's interesting to read a fantasy stand-alone (usually there just isn't enough time to fully flesh out the world), but this book did that really well. It had a lot of typical fantasy aspects, but in a really interesting way.

 

Things I liked:

-I loved Sydelle. She's smart and independent. She acted as a heroine, rather than just reacting. I loved her dynamic with North as well. She didn't let him get away with stuff, she called him on his attitude in a way that helped him grow.

-I loved North. He was confusing at times and pretty frustrating, but you always knew that he meant well. As I said, I loved his and Syd's dynamic. I particularly love that he was given a very decisive arc in this story, he's not some perfect hero. He had to grow up a bit in this book, which he did admirably with Syd's help.

-I thought the political aspect was very well done. Things happened quickly in the political aspect, but the alliances and the possibility of war as described made sense in the context of the world.

-A well-written villain. I thought that Dorwan was going to be left as this sort of faceless threat until the end, but I liked that we learned his story. Then he delivered lines like this that made me realize how well his motive was thought out.

 

"You talk of curses as if they're some sort of rarity. They aren't. Everyone is cursed, from the farmer with the pain in his back to the girl who can destroy worlds," Dorwan said. "And do you know how you destroy a curse, Sydelle? You become one. You consume your fear and become it. You plague everyone and everything that dares to hurt you or stand in your way."

 

-I loved the immersive quality of the world. It took we a lot longer to read this book than it usually takes me, but I think that probably has more to do with NaNoWriMo and all the time that's taking out of my schedule. When I did pick up the book, I didn't really want to put it down.

 

Things I Disliked:

-At the beginning the writing was extremely confusing. It felt like whole sentences were missing. By this I mean that it wouldn't mention anything about rain and then a suddenly it'll say something like, "It stopped raining."

-Even toward the end the writing was sort of choppy in a way that I wasn't  fond of. It didn't flow the way I typically like the fantasy books I read to flow.

-A couple things could have stood to be fleshed out or even just explained a bit more.

 

Quotes:

"Do you know what this wench just accused me of being?"
"A filthy pig," North said good-naturedly. "But there's only one filthy pig allowed in her life, and the position's been filled."

"The glass and petals...They're refired into new shapes and forms. It's meant to show that even if the city is set forth into ruin, it can always be built back up. We're a city of re-creators, you know. It's in our blood to start again."

"Love him," she said. "For someone who has grown up hating himself and fearing that there's nothing for him in this world but pain, there is no greater gift."

"How do you tell someone that he is a part of your past, and not of your future?"

Catching Fire---Movie Review

Catching Fire-The Movie

 

There are loads and loads of horrible book-to-movie adaptations (Percy Jackson & Eragon). There are hosts of just okay adaptions (The Host). There are even great adaptations (Harry Potter and The Hunger Games.) But never in my life have I seen a PERFECT book-to-movie adaptation, in fact, I was convinced such a thing did not exist...

...Until last night.

 

Catching Fire was EVERYTHING that it should have been and EVERYTHING that it could have been and EVERYTHING that I wanted it to be, all rolled into one emotional, heartbreaking movie.

 

It's unreasonable to ask movies to leave in every single detail from the book, but honestly, they managed to leave in most of the details anyway. And more vitally, all the important stuff was not just included, but highlighted, the plot-moving things and the world-building things specifically. Even most of the lines were nearly directly quoted from the books.

 

Now on to the emotional side of things. My cry count was a total of 4 times where I had tears streaming down my face, but I spent the entire movie in a state of 'almost-crying'. Another fact of note is that the tone and the themes of the book can be found prominently displayed in the movie. It is about corruption and political power-struggles and selflessness. It is about the destructive nature of human beings and our ability to accept even the most disgusting, violent things as normal.  For movies like this one, that could be so easily misinterpreted into something violent for the sake of violence, they stayed true to the book's brilliant purpose of using violence to sensitize us to violence (rather than desensitizing us, like most things). I think one of my favorite parts was the slow breakdown of part of both Effie's worldview because of the actions of the victors. The interviews with Caesar were perfectly executed. They managed to thwart at least some of Snow's ideology.

 

Now to casting. THEY COULD NOT HAVE DONE A BETTER JOB. It mattered less if a person wasn't like how I pictured the character in the book because the hearts and souls of those characters were all perfectly in place.

Jennifer Lawrence is a genius and deserves all of the awards. ALL OF THEM. NOW. She taps into Katniss' snark as well as her heartbreak. She presents the character in the way the character deserves to be presented. I particularly loved that Katniss was allowed to break down, she was allowed to cry and still be a powerful character (I'd say she was a more powerful character for that). They did a great job of showing the effects that the first Hunger Games had on her and her mental state. If she wasn't shown as having a form of PTSD then she wouldn't be the selfless heroine that we know from the books.

Josh Hutcherson is the perfect Peeta. He's good at playing the selfless hero as well as the angry tribute in a few scenes. I was especially impressed with him in the district 11 scene and his scenes in the arena and the train. Okay, so I was impressed with all his scenes. For all the doubt in him, he brings Peeta to light in a way that is truly brilliant.

Sam Claflin WAS THE ABSOLUTE PERFECT FINNICK. (For the record, I realize that I am using the word perfect a lot, but I honestly do not care one bit. It's all true.) His Finnick is spot on with how Finnick is supposed to be. His every scene with Mags was touching. And him with the Jabberjays? And him being sarcastic with Katniss? And him? Finnick is alive in him in a way I didn't anticipate, but it was wonderful.

My reaction toward Jena Malone as Johanna Mason: IMPRESSED. IMPRESSED. I AM SO IMPRESSED. She played on the anger and the bitterness that is Johanna. She made me remember why I love that character, she is cruel and cold and angry at the world, but because she has reason to be. (Yes, I'm going to use that word again,) Jena Malone is the PERFECT Johanna.

Liam Hemsworth. Okay, I don't know if it was his lines in the Hunger Games, but I was not that into his performance in the first movie. I didn't hate him in it, he just came off as a bit cheesy. But in this one? He really surprised me (a pleasant surprise). He did excellent work in this movie and I feel much better about him as Gale. Which is good because we are headed into Mockingjay where he has a MUCH bigger part.

The lady who played Mags (Lynn Cohen) did a fantastic job, even without having any lines. I just want to give her a big hug. She made me cry (or almost-cry) every time she came on the screen. Mags has always been a silent hero, someone that we should aspire to be like, and Lynn Cohen showcased her magnificently.

Woody Harrelson as Haymitch. He did a great job in The Hunger Games, but in my opinion in this movie he was given better lines to show Haymitch's sentiments as well as his humor in a way that didn't detract from his humor. We see him caring about Peeta and Katniss. We see their small, pieced-together family on the tour as well as when they return for the Quarter Quell. Woody Harrelson has become Haymitch in my mind. He fully embodies what the character is supposed to be. (I'm trying not to say it again. But he's the perfect Haymitch....oops).

Donald Sutherland as President Snow. YES. Creepy, disgusting, conniving. He embodies everything that President Snow is supposed to be. I personally love all the behind-the-scenes of the games that they show in the movies that the book can't show because it is from Katniss' perspective alone. But all of the scenes that are added in are heavily implied and, I believe, necessary for the movie to show.

Philip Hoffman as Plutarch Heavensbee. For me, he was exactly how I pictured him. But beyond just appearance, I think he did a great job of pretending to be evil and manipulative (well, you could make the argument that he really is manipulative. But either way...) I loved that if you hadn't read it, you would be held in suspense just like you were in the book.

 

Characters that really impressed me, but that I don't want to spread this review out for miles to go into detail for all of them.

-Stanley Tucci as Caesar Flickerman

-Lenny Kravitz as Cinna (he added to the cry count)

-Elizabeth Banks as Effie

-Willow Shields as Prim

-Rue's Mother (she added to the cry count)

-BEETEE!

-Wiress

-The Morphlings

 

Basically the PERFECT CAST IS PERFECT.

I loved how they showed the rebellions in the districts in a way that aided the climax of the story as it was supposed to. The scope of this movie is broader than the first one (just like it is in the books). We see victors and other districts and allies being made. We are being prepared for the destruction that is Mockingjay.
 

This movie ripped my heart out just like the book did and I am both dreading Mockingjay and am anticipating it. I hope Francis Lawrence stays on the project because he upped the game by about a billion.

 

If every book-to-movie adaptation was like this one, the world would  be a better place (albeit not a happier one because let's be honest, if this movie didn't kill you emotionally there is something wrong with you).

 

 



One Year.

One Year.

One Whole Year.



That's how long I've been running this blog. I have posted 111 reviews. This blog has inspired me to read more than I thought I could. I've loved summarizing my feelings about books in a way that I can go back to and reference later.

 

I have a history of starting projects and then getting distracted by other projects. I don't finish many things. So when I decided to start blogging book reviews, I thought, "Well, I don't know how long this will last, but I'll give it a chance." Thank goodness, I did. I think my life has improved for running this blog and I am definitely aiming toward two years now.

Most importantly, thank you to anyone who has read even one of my posts from this past year. It really means a lot to me that I can post my opinions and people read them (even if you hate me for them or strongly disagree). Basically, the internet is cool.

And I think it's a shame that I don't know any of you who read things that I write on here (if that 'you' even exists). So really, feel free to comment on any of my posts if you agree or disagree or are just plain neutral.

Thank you, all.

Champion

Champion

By: Marie Lu

June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic—and each other—and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. June is back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the government’s elite circles as Princeps Elect while Day has been assigned a high level military position. But neither could have predicted the circumstances that will reunite them once again. Just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic’s border cities. This new strain of plague is deadlier than ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her country’s defense. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking the one she loves to give up everything he has.

 

YES. This book. I was reminded instantly why I love these books so much. They are fast-paced. Not just in action, but in also in emotion and relationships. By that I mean that things are always changing. There are no segments when the same things keep happening. Forward motion is the key to this series and part of what makes it so brilliant.

 

Characters:

Day: Oh gosh. I've always had mixed feelings about Day, in the best way. I think he is a brilliant character and is written perfectly. That's part of why I've always had mixed feelings. He makes me happy and sad, frustrated and in awe. He's a hero and sometimes a jerk. That's just how it is. And I love that. I think it's important how well his characterization is done.

In this book especially, he really shone. For once he doesn't have his physical abilities to rely on. He had to come to terms with his slowly fading health, as did the reader. It was heartbreaking, but it truly made me sympathize with and respect him. He's just such a great character, okay?

His feelings for June always make me both happy and sad inside. They loved each other, but there was just so much crap between them. (I also loved that it wasn't necessarily "relationship drama" between them, it was their positions and roles in the Republic. It was also the fact that they were each so connected to the other's most painful loss.)

June: She's my homegirl. I love her so much. She's smart and physically capable and logical. But she is also heartfelt and genuine. I liked her in Legend. I started to love her in Prodigy. In this book she made me completely love her character. I respect her and her decisions so much. It's crazy how well she is characterized as well. Like when she went to 'talk to' Metias and the sacrifices she made (even to the little details like knowing exact seconds and minutes or exact distances).

 

Tess: I wish we'd seen a bit more of her, but I finally started loving her in this book. Her character arc is one of the ones in the background, but it was also really cool. I love how she and June became good friends in the end, even with the absence...(well, that's a spoiler. But if you've read it you know what I'm talking about.)

Eden: THE POOR BABY. I love him. A lot. His relationship with Day is one of the sweetest sibling relationships I have ever read.

 

Tone:

The feel of these books is so immersive. The fast pace and the interesting dynamics of government against government keeps you grounded in the world. In Champion we definitely got to see more of the emotional side, I think. In the other books emotional issues were presented, but they all came to a head in this book in particular. I love the sort of odd mix of action and emotion that I have only as distinctively in these books.

Writing:
Marie Lu is a master. Her voice is perfect for the world she's built and the characters he uses to tell the story through. Her straight-forward tone at first makes you underestimate her, but when the story gets intense or complicated, the writing remains beautiful as well as functional. You never forget that you're in a battle scene when you're in it, but she works in other emotions into her action-writing (which I absolutely love). I also always forget how truly fantastic her just-emotional writing is. As in, I read her tensely emotional scenes and I feel it in my gut like I am supposed to. Her scenes like that stand in stark contrast to the rest of her books, too, because she doesn't drop one on you every two seconds. She makes the moments like that that she does take, and makes them matter.

Tropes:
And can I just discuss for one minute how this series breaks nearly EVERY DYSTOPIAN TROPE OF ALL TIME? There is no good side and bad side. The Republic isn't really the enemy, it is something they are fighting for despite it's flaws.
Isn't that how life is most of the time. You fight for a cause, not because it is flawless or inherently good, you fight for a cause because it is what the world needs most.

Quotes:

"Absolute power is absolute power, no matter what it's called. Isn't it?"

"I don't know why I want to stand on the hill with them now. Maybe I have a little bit of faith."

"...the boy of light and laughter and life, of grief and fury and passion, the boy whose fate is intertwined with mine..."

"I scream for everything that has gone wrong. I scream for everything broken in our lives."

"It's an odd feeling to wander these same streets as the person I am now. At once familiar and strange."

Far From You

Far From You

By: Lisa Schroeder

Lost and alone...down the rabbit hole. Years have passed since Alice lost her mother to cancer, but time hasn't quite healed the wound. Alice copes the best she can by writing her music, losing herself in her love for her boyfriend, and distancing herself from her father and his new wife. But when a deadly snowstorm traps Alice with her stepmother and newborn half sister, she'll face issues she's been avoiding for too long. As Alice looks to the heavens for guidance, she discovers something wonderful. Perhaps she's not so alone after all.

I decided to jump right into another book in verse. 1.) because the first one so much and 2.) because I am a bit behind on reading because of NaNoWriMo and I knew I could fly through it in a couple hours.

I will say that I really liked this one. Once I started it I wasn't sure that I would. I've read stories like this before (contemporary with blended family troubles) and while I realize why they are important to people, I've never really connected to them. But this was one that I genuinely liked. I don't know if it's because it felt like the character development happened quickly, rather than her slowly coming to the conclusion that she was wrong.

The writing was really pretty, particularly in the car bits of the story. I loved that it was more of a snapshot into their lives (I think that kind of story works best in verse). You got close to all the characters and I felt like I understood them despite the relatively short time you spend with them in the book.

I was surprised that I genuinely ended up caring about Alice and Victoria. In these types of stories I usually find myself lacking empathy for the characters, but I really wanted them to both work it out.

I don't have much else to say, but this is a quick and good read if you're interested in books told in verse.

Quotes:

"As if sadness
can be thrown,
like a small stone,
into a raging river
and quickly
forgotten."

"What I believe
is that life
is music and fabulous fall foliage,
but it's also cancer and wars."

"But in an instant,
I saw what I couldn't see,
and it was
wonderful
and sad
all at the same time."

"I don't think it matters how hearts are mended, Al.
Just that they are, you know?"

"Everything's always changing.
Nothing stays the same,
Yesterday's gone forever,
I've got memories and my name.

But like Alice I grow bigger,
and I shrink back, yes, it's true.
It's the ebbs and flows of life,
it's the rabbit hole we go through."

YallFest 2013

This past Saturday I had the chance to drive to Charleston, South Carolina for YallFest. YallFest is a huge YA Literature Festival. This year there were over 50 authors in attendance. The day is filled with panels, discussions, and signings.

But since everything is scheduled at the same time you have to prioritize between signings or panels. I was lucky to get everything done that I wanted to get done.

We got to the Music Hall at 6:30 to wait in line. The first 500 ticketed fans were let in to meet Veronica Roth and get one book signed by her. We were lucky enough to be in the first twenty.

Then we were let into the Music Hall at nine to wait for the Keynote Speech. The authors speaking during the Keynote were Veronica Roth (Divergent) and Rae Carson (The Girl of Fire and Thorns).

 

They discussed the power dynamics between girl and boy characters in YA literature. It was a really interesting discussion. They talked about the power balance between Tris and Four as well as Hector and Elisa.

 

Then we got moved upstairs to the Veronica signing. Then I met VERONICA FREAKING ROTH AND IT WAS AMAZING.

 

 

She signed my copy of Allegiant and said it was awesome to meet me. Needless to say, I was Fangirling. As one of my favorite authors (and one of the ones that most inspires me to write) it was so fantastic to meet her.

 

Then we were late for any 11 o'clock panel. So we got in line to get Marie Lu's signature. The line was humongous though! It wrapped around a block and a half of the street and went around two corners. We then realized that she wasn't going to be able to get to all of us. So we headed to the Taherah Mafi (Shatter Me) and Ransom Riggs (Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children) Coffee Talk. (The Coffee Talks were basically two authors discussing their books and giving anecdotes.)

 

 

This was one of my favorites that I went to all day. They told funny stories about their books or their lives. They were the absolutely adorable couple that I was expecting as well.

 

Then we went to a Fantasy and Sci-Fi panel with Victoria Schwab moderating (The Archived), Leigh Bardugo (Shadow and Bone), and Marie Lu (Prodigy). They discussed what it is like to write fantasy and sci-fi (with a focus on world-building).

 

Victoria Schwab

Marie Lu

Leigh Bardugo

 

Then my kind mother decided she was done with panels and agreed to go wait in line for me. She stood in the Rainbow Rowell line (which was HUGE) while I went to a Coffee Talk with Stephanie Perkins (Anna and the French Kiss) and Rainbow Rowell (Fangirl). They talked about why they write "nice" characters and why they avoid writing bad boys (because Levi and Etienne wouldn't be nearly as awesome if they were "bad boys"). They also talked about how writing can be therapeutic and can allow writers to work through events in their lives in a healthy way. This was my favorite panel I attended all day. They were funny and serious in equal measures. They gave good advice and were really honest and open.

 

 

Then I went to a panel about the craft and business of writing YA and Middle Grade. They discussed the bias against books for a younger audience and how unfair that judgment really is. It was really cool hearing them giving advice for aspiring authors who do want to write solely YA. I loved when they said that finding the voice for YA or Middle Grade can be just as difficult if not more difficult than finding the voice for literary fiction for adults. They also discussed how people find themselves thinking that teenage readers are less discerning, but that they actually can call crap like it's their job. They know when something is inauthentic or forced.

 

After that panel I had the chance to jump into the line where my mom was waiting with my books to meet Rainbow Rowell (Eleanor & Park). Then she signed my copies of Eleanor and Park as well as Fangirl. When I told her that Fangirl was one of my favorite books I have read so far this year she gave me a Fangirl button. (AND SHE TOLD ME SHE LIKED MY DRESS AND THAT WAS COOL. I don't think I'll ever get rid of it now. Ever.)

 

Then Marie Lu was kind enough to offer a second signing for all those who didn't make it to the front of her first line. We were about fourth in line because we got there early. We got in to meet her really quickly and she signed my copies of Legend, Prodigy, and Champion.

 

 

Then we ate a small snack in between our last signing and the Smackdown. We saw Tiger Beat perform, which is a band made up of authors. It includes Libba Bray (The Diviners ) as lead singer and she ROCKS HARDCORE! After that there were improvisational games for all the authors to participate in and it was pretty dang hilarious.

 

Overall it was a fantastic day. I just loved being around so many different bookish people from around the country. I loved connecting with strangers over the books that we'd all read and loved. It was awesome seeing the authors being their own kind of geeky selves. (I mean, how many people can say they've seen Veronica Roth jamming out to a song? Her dancing is adorable, by the way).

 

I'm really hoping I'll be able to go next year, too.











The Song of the Sparrow

The Song of the Sparrow

By: Lisa Ann Sandell



The year is 490 AD. Fiery 16-year-old Elaine of Ascolat, the daughter of one of King Arthur's supporters, lives with her father on Arthur's base camp, the sole girl in a militaristic world of men.

 

Sadly I've gotten out of the habit of reading historical fiction, even though I love it. But I want to get back to it because I miss it. This was an especially interesting book because it is about King Arthur and his knights, but it's told in verse. This was the first verse book that I've read and I can say that it will not be my last. I thoroughly enjoyed this particular type of story-telling.

 

The tone of this book was perfect for the time period. It told of all the things usually found in Arthurian literature and in a lovely way. It spoke of friendship, bravery, love, and honor. All of the characters were well-developed given the relatively short size of the book. I grew to love Arthur, Lavain, Gwyn, and especially Tristan. Even Lancelot.*

 

Elaine was a true heroine and was given a fair chance to tell her story. I love that she went through things that teenagers go through now, it gives the problems of youth a sort of timeless feeling and what feels like a historical context. You connect with Elaine because you understand the things she is feeling, despite the fact that she lived in a 5th century war camp surrounded by knights.

 

The writing in this book is gorgeous and evokes all kinds of emotions from the reader. I felt panic and fear and strength and heartbreak. That's the mark of a great story-teller.

 

 

As I said this will definitely not be the last book in verse that I will read. Especially after this one I'm hoping to read some more very soon.

 

*side note: I love the show Merlin so props to the author for making me picture different characters than the ones from Merlin even though they have the same names and are based off the same legends. I love the diversity of Arthurian canon.*

 

Quotes:

 

"And I remember asking myself

how there could be men like Arthur and men

like our bloodthirsty enemies,

built of the same flesh, yet so

terribly unalike."

 

"...but now you have a whole army of brothers."

 

"That things change,

that people change

                   and die,

that we grow older,

that life brings the unexpected,

the unwanted,

                  oh,

some days it fills me with

a measure of lightness, for

I will be a woman soon.

But other days,

the very thought

of growing older,

of not being that small girl

who danced over river rocks,

whose brothers held her hands,

                              whose mother lived,

the very thought of it crushes me,

till it is stopped,

by the world

outside

my memories."

 

"Savor their love today.

And it will never leave you."

 

"I try to recall what

was life like

before these boys,

these men.

And I wonder, what

would life have been like

if I had never known them...

...Surely I would have missed them."

 

"When I look up at the heavens,

it is hard to believe that everything

down here on this earth is changing,

so fast, so terribly."

 

"Everything in this world changes

given the passage of enough time.

...I dare not even think on it.

The peace we all hope for,

that they fight for,

gathers on the horizon like a brewing storm.

This peace would leave us scattered and apart.

...Still the peace that we all pray for,

it is our only hope."

 

"No man has ever looked

at me but to see my figure, my face.

I hate them for it. But mostly, I hate

myself, because I am nothing more than

a seashell beautiful on the outside,

empty within."

 

"they hold my hand and sing me

songs of battle and glory.

And they whisper that the glory is mine."

 

"But, I believe, I continue, I know now

what true love is---or what

it should be.

...It should begin with friendship and truly knowing

who a person is, knowing his flaws and hopes

and strengths and fears, knowing all of it.

And admiring and caring for---loving

the person because of all those things."

TTT: Sequels I Can't Wait To Get My Hands On

Sequels I Can't Wait To Get My Hands On

Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Every week they have a different Top Ten list topic that a bunch of bloggers take and make their own list of those things.

This is such a difficult list to narrow down, but I managed to get it down to twelve. That's as good as it's going to get though, folks. But really, I AM DYING TO READ THESE THINGS*.

[I would like to take this moment to apologize for all the caps in this post. I'm just pumped, guys. I can't control my excitement. I JUST CAN'T. There go the caps again.]

1. Champion
This one actually comes out today and I NEED IT ON MY EYEBALLS, OKAY*! The cover is gorgeous, the summary is intriguing to say the least, and the cliffhanger was killer. Need I say more?



2. Cold Spell
Yes. This book. I loved every other book in this series (except perhaps Sisters Red). I love how each book expands the world-building as well as connecting in cool ways and introducing a new fairy-tale with a twist. I've actually read another fairy-tale retelling of the story that this book is based on, so I'm interested to see where Jackson Pearce takes it.

3. Hollow City
I loved Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children and its interesting mixed media brand of storytelling. So when I heard that there was officially going to be a sequel I was pretty dang excited. And, I mean, it left off at a really interesting place that I'm not sure where it's headed. Even more reason to be excited.

4 The Unbound
I loved the world of The Archived. It is easily one of the most inventive and well-executed premise for any book ever. Victoria Schwab's writing is gorgeous. There is literally no reason not to be excited for this book.


5. Lair of Dreams
Am I ready to have my dreams haunted for another month? HECK YES*. More creeptastic, roaring twenties and scary occult-ish things. I am beyond pumped.

6. The Infinite Sea
What is even going to happen? I have no idea, but I want need to find out. The name also really intrigues me. What does it mean? Where is this all going? AHHHH*.

7. Isla and the Happily Ever After
THIS BOOK. I adored Anna and the French Kiss, I loved Lola and the Boy Next Door. I am beyond excited to inhale another adorable love story in Stephanie Perkin's fantastic voice. It's going to be interesting because we've met Isla and Josh before, but it'll be great interesting. I can feel it.

8. Ruin and Rising
The two previous books of this series were absolutely stellar. I love Ravka and Alina and the world-building. Oh, and STURMHOND*. I am so prepared to delve into the world again for what I'm sure will be a stunning conclusion.


9. Blood of Olympus
For obvious reasons. I mean...Gaea, giants, Camp Halfblood, Camp Jupiter, deaths (DON'T LET THERE BE DEATHS*). I am desperate for this book, but at the same time I desperately don't want it. Because I just know people are going to die and it's going to hurt and it's the end of all things Percy Jackson and PLEASE DON'T LET IT END*.

Whew. Coming down from that little freak-out. I JUST HAVE A LOT OF FEELINGS*. (Mean Girls reference, guys. This is how I live my life).

10. Undivided
Another series that I desperately don't want to end, but that I need to see a conclusion to. I know that this will be a fitting conclusion to a brilliant series. Each book has only gotten better and better and I hope this will be no exception.

11. Mortal Heart
More assassin nuns? Give it to me now. I'm excited to hear more about Annith. I'm hoping we'll see small cameos from Ismae and Duval, and Sybella and Beast. That's my hope, at least. Or maybe see everyone come together? That'd be cool

12. Throne of Glass #3
This book doesn't even have a title BUT I NEED IT IN MY LIFE*. I mean, Chaol. CHAOL*. And Celaena. and the ocean. and the mission. WHAT IS LIFE? Life without this book is a difficult life indeed. I want to sneak into Sarah J. Maas' house and make her type it out that second and put it into my hand. Is that legal? Not sure. BUT I WANT TO*.