"The Paper Magician" by Charlie N. Holmberg

"The Paper Magician" by Charlie N. Holmberg

I am so happy to share my review of The Paper Magician, because Charlie N. Holmberg is none other than my cousin! Like, her dad and my mom are siblings and we share a set of grandparents and it's just cool that I'm related to a published author!

This story takes place in a world of magic, but it's unique from any other fantastical magical world I've read about. There are different types of magic and to become skilled in a certain branch of magic you undergo an apprenticeship under an experienced magician. Ceony Twill just graduated Tagis Praff School for the Magically Inclined, which was an experience she never dreamed she could have because of past mistakes and financial set-backs. 

The different kinds of magic in the story are rubber, glass, paper, and metal. Ceony dreamed of becoming a Smelter--a magician bonded with metal--but supply and demand dictated she be assigned to work under Magician Emory Thane, a Paper magician. She's downcast and disappointed. But becoming a Paper magician is better than not becoming any kind of magician, so she accepts the assignment.

Emory Thane is a curious man, older than Ceony but not by too many years. She learns to see the beauty in being a Folder.

But Thane has a muddled past. A dark magician, an Excisioner who practices the dark and forbidden flesh magic, comes to the cottage where Coeny learns under Thane. Thane's heart is ripped out and the dark magician vanishes. Ceony sets off to save her mentor and learn the truths of his heart.

I loved the premise of the story and the curious new way this story of magic is presented. My ten-year-old daughter also read it and liked it quite a bit. When I asked her if she wanted to share any thoughts about The Paper Magician in my review, she answered, "It was really gory." Which made me laugh. Yeah, there's a bit of blood and flesh through the story, but it wasn't upsetting to me. She also liked the simple and direct story line and appreciated there weren't dozens of characters to keep straight in her mind. I liked Coeny's passion for persevering over a magician far stronger and experienced than herself. I think it's a wonderful first novel from my cuz.

You should read The Paper Magician before this upcoming November, when its sequel, The Glass Magician will become available.

"What Alice Forgot" by Liane Moriarty

"What Alice Forgot" by Liane Moriarty

Well, I've been thinking, and there's really not a lot I can tell you about this book without giving away a ton of information. But I'll do my best to review without giving away too much.

What if you had a chance to rewind your life? To start over and mend your mistakes?

Alice Love is our heroine in this story. The book opens with a dream-like scene. It's kind of random and muddled and out-of-context. We learn that Alice hit her head at the gym and blacked out for a moment. When she awakes she clearly remembers she is pregnant with her first child and she is soundly confused why she'd ever set foot in a gym. She's rushed to the hospital and observed overnight. She calls her husband, Nick, only to be chewed out by an unkind assistant that says he's in Portugal and doesn't want to be disturbed. Alice's sister, Elisabeth, shows up at the hospital looking completely foreign and perplexed. Alice can't make head or tails of her world.

The problem is it's 2008 and Alice had been expecting her first child in 1998. Her last memories were of being 29 years old and happily married and best friends with her sister. The Alice of 2008 is separated from her husband, distant with her sister, and has three children she can't remember giving birth to. 

In essence, Alice spends a week in the mindset of her 29-year-old self trying to piece together why the life of her 39-year-old self is falling apart. What had gone wrong in so many ways, and why? That's what Alice forgot...and a little bit more.

I LOVED LOVED LOVED this story. Moriarty has such a raw a witty writing style. Not only do see Alice's perspective of things, but she has included journal entries of Elisabeth to her therapist, as well as letters from her "adopted" grandmother to someone named Phil. I almost think Elisabeth's letters were my favorite parts. But then Alice would say or think something so human and so real I kept changing my mind on what I liked reading more. 

Here it comes: Amy's SOP on "What Alice Forgot." There's a smattering of language throughout the book. A few instances of the f-word and other typical foul language. They're pretty few and far between, considering. The funny thing is the language didn't bother me too much! In other books when I come across less-than-articulate words it sounds so affected, so gratuitous. Like the author is just going for shock factor or trying to not sound out-of-touch with modern readers. Here, however, the expressions of anger or frustration are so genuinely written. As a friend of mine said, concerning the language in the book, it might be a word she would use herself in those situations. (Not that she would ever--I cannot imagine her speaking like that, but it's pretty much how I felt, too.)  So, yes, there's language, but I don't have a big hang-up about it. How's that for funny. Maybe I'm losing my prude--whatever shall we do??

Also, there are some extra-marital relationships mentioned, but there's not a lot of detail at all. Those situations are referred to but there's no explicit scene of infidelity played out for the reader. So, there's that. So this book is definitely for mature audiences.

"The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom" by Christopher Healy

"The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom" by Christopher Healy

I picked up this title because my 10-year-old daughter insisted I must read it. She tore through this book and was hungry for more (famished, I should say). I did some sleuthing and learned that the second and third books were already published, and what's more, a movie is in the works (according to the author's website, BlueSky, the folks who delighted viewers with Rio and Rio2, are spear-heading the project). 

She actually found this title on accident--our library has "mystery" books for readers to check out. A small pile of books, each wrapped in brown paper (seriously, so charming), was sitting in the YA section and my 8-year-old son, who is venturing more into this kind of literature, picked up this gem. He's not quite the bibliophile his sister and I are, and after he unwrapped it he left it in the van (typical Isaac--wonder where he inherited that behavior from? ...innocent whistling...). Anyway, for some reason the kids and I were stuck in the van a while ago and Alayna was just bored out of her mind, so I told her to peruse through Isaac's book. Hook, line, and sinker.

We discovered the second and third installments were available, but our library was not in possession of copies. Another really awesome thing about my library is they have fulfilled nearly every purchase request I've made in my five-plus years here, and before we knew it I was getting emails notifying me that "The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle" and "The Hero's Guide to Being an Outlaw" were waiting patiently on the shelves for Alayna to devour. (Since we requested the books, we got first dibs to read 'em.)

Anyway, what's the book about that Alayna and I are making such a fuss about it?? It's a delightful re-telling of four quintessential fairy tales, but what I adore is how "Hero's Guide" focuses on the princes. Frederic (Cinderella) is a dandy, Gustav (Rapunzel) is a brute, Liam (Sleeping Beauty) is your achetypical and heroic Prince Charming, and Duncan (Snow White) is a quirky and distracted dreamer. Even though they are all as different as can be, they all share one thing in common: they are all known by the bards and minstrels of their kingdoms simply as Prince Charming and the musical story-tellers often get the story wrong about the princes. 

The adventure starts off with Frederic, whose father has scared him as a child into avoiding dangerous and heroic feats. After he and Cinderella are betrothed and they get to know each other better post-ball, she realizes she wants someone more rugged and daring. So she leaves seeking adventure. 

Frederic goes after her, and, in his pursuit of his bride-to-be, runs into Gustav. Gustav is very busy trying to redeem himself from the humiliation inflicted by the bards' telling of his "rescue" of Rapunzel (he's also the youngest and most teased of 17 brothers and is desperate to perform an act of heroism that will get his brothers to stop nagging and mocking him). Even though they are polar opposites, Gustav and Frederic set out to find Cinderella. Of course they encounter Liam (who had just broken his engagement with Briar Rose because she's simply an awful spoiled brat) and Duncan, whose own wife, Snow White, decided she needed a break from him (because he is quite eccentric).

The four princes learn of the evil plans of a vengeful witch, and they set off to foil her grandiose endeavors to get her own name to live on through the ages. 

And that's all I'm going to say, because first, frankly, I think I've given away more than I usually do, and second, it's midnight and I'm suffering from a nasty cold. I'm tired.

Originally I started reading this book because Alayna had begged me to, but after finishing it tonight, I'm actually anxious to see where the story continues in the next books. 

Kudos to Healy for a wonderful story, and on Amy's SOP (Scale of Prudishness), I'm happy to report "Hero's Guide" is perfectly suitable and appropriate for its intended audience (younger YA readers). It really focuses on the wholesome elements of the story and imaginative entertainment. Parents can happily encourage their young readers (or any-aged reader) to explore this story without worrying about "grown up" questions or issues cropping up in the pages. 

"Cinder," "Scarlet," and "Cress" by Marissa Meyers

The Lunar Chronicles

"Cinder," "Scarlet," and "Cress" by Marissa Meyer

These books were recommended by a dear friend, who actually bought me a copy of "Cinder" for my birthday. And of course, I was hooked. Warning, there are two more books slated to be published in this series, "Winter" and "Fairest." I believe they're not scheduled for release until 2015. So if you hate starting a new series before all the books are out, keep this one on the back burner until late next year.

I think the best way to describe The Lunar Chronicles is fairy tales marry sci-fi. Cinder, for example, is a cyborg, her body comprised of synthetic tissues and wiring and artificial limbs and appendages. As a result of her upscale hard-wiring, she's a gifted mechanic. Because she's a cyborg, she's the 'property' of the Linh family, a woman and her two daughters (one of which is actually sweet and friendly with Cinder). The story takes place a few hundred years in the future, after World War 4, in New Beijing. 

All of the nations on the planet are unified in the Earthen Union (EU). The moon is populated with people called Lunars, who have evolved the capacity to alter their bioelectric energy to mess with the minds of others, making them see what they want them to see, or to even control their actions. Lunars are not permitted to live on Earth, and are highly distrusted by Earthen citizens. 

There is a plague, letumosis, that has killed hundreds of thousands of people across the planet. Even the emperor of the Eastern Commonwealth has died from it, leaving his young son Kaito to rule the Eastern Commonwealth from the palace in New Beijing. 

So, since you know the story of Cinderella, you'll enjoy the sci-fi twists Meyer weaves into the story of the cyborg Cinder.

"Scarlet" is the next installment in The Lunar Chronicles. Scarlet lives with her grandmother on her farm in France and delivers the produce grown on the farm to local buyers in the village. Her grandmother disappears suddenly, and Scarlet encounters a mysterious stranger, dubbed Wolf, who volunteers to help Scarlet find her. Meanwhile, Cinder has become the most wanted criminal on Earth. Cinder's and Scarlet's stories gradually intertwine at the end of the story. And just so you know, I have a lit-crush on Wolf.

"Cress" is a spin-off of Rapunzel. Instead of a tower, she's lived the last seven years of her life imprisoned in a satellite orbiting Earth, forced by a Lunar official to hack networks and spy on the Earthen leaders. She encounters Cinder, Scarlet, and other characters who have gained significance in the story. 

I really can't give you more details than that, because I want you to enjoy the stories for yourself!!! No spoilers here!

The magical way Meyer modernizes fairy-tales, thrusting them into the future, is deeply compelling and clever. We all know these stories, but Meyer's version modernizes and twists them into something new and riveting.

While the stories themselves are refreshing and addictive, I must confess Meyer's writing style often falls short of what her story deserves. Sometimes it's just plain choppy with poor transitions. Some ideas are rushed into and not as developed as they ought to be. Sometimes I had to reread passages because I wasn't sure what was going on or who was involved. I wish she'd had an editor with higher expectations to make the story more whole and more smoothly polished. 

But aside from all that, I highly recommend this book. On the SOP (Scale of Prudishness) these books rank very high for appropriateness. I'm even letting my 10-year-old read "Cinder" right now and she's simply devouring it. I of course encourage parents to become familiar with the materials their children read, so don't just take my word for it that it's child appropriate. You have to determine what's right for your own young readers. 

"Fangirl" by Rainbow Rowell

"Fangirl" by Rainbow Rowell

I took a gamble on this one. As I've mentioned in previous posts, I am a bit of a prude when it comes to what I read, and there are LOTS of YA books out there that are chock-full of content that I find go against my reading standards. I typically only read YA that trusted friends have recommended to me. But something pulled me to this book, and I was excited to try out a new author. Plus, a friend bought this for me for my birthday. That alone makes this book special!

"Fangirl" is about Cath, a college freshman in Nebraska. She and her twin, Wren, leave home to attend school, but for the first time in their 18 years, they won't be living together. Cath is definitely the more conservative twin, very shy and practical. It even takes her a few weeks living in the dorms before she ventures a conversation with her roommate, Reagan. Cath's sister, Wren, on the other  hand, is a little edgier and can't wait to meet new people and opportunities to party at the frat houses. 

Cath writes fanfiction. In "Fangirl," there's a book series about a magical boy named Simon Snow, which is more or less a Harry Potter version of fiction created for this story. Each chapter in "Fangirl" begins with an excerpt from a "real" Simon Snow book or a bit of fanfic Cath has posted on a popular fanfic site. She has thousands of readers who follow the adventures Cath writes for the characters Simon, Baz, and Penelope. So, first off the bat, props to Rowell, who really had to write three stories instead of one when she created "Fangirl." That's pretty creative and shows a fortitude of talent. Also, each of the these excerpts is a prelude of sorts, foreshadowing what'll happen in that chapter. Something that happened with the "real" or fanfic Simon Snow characters correlates with something that happens in Cath's life. I loved it. 

I also loved Cath herself. She likes to read and write. I relate to that. She's typically shy and nervous about meeting new people. I relate to that. I love that while she encounters several college lifestyle opportunities (drinking, sex, drugs, partying) she steers clear of things that she interprets as bad choices. She doesn't have any real moral grounds for doing so (what her parents did/did not teach her, religious affiliations, etc.) She just recognizes self-destructive or damaging behaviors and avoids it. I greatly appreciated that about our heroine. 

The other thing I loved about "Fangirl" was the subtle lessons on writing that are strewn through the book. Because Cath has so much writing experience, she get special permission to take upperclassmen courses on writing. She really excels in the course until one assignment set her in a tailspin. She used the Simon Snow characters and wrote the assignment like a piece of fanfic, and the professor was highly disappointed that she didn't use original characters. Cath only has experience writing using the Simon Snow characters and she says she cannot come up with her own unique story to write. 

I resonated with this so deeply. I've been trying my hand at my own writing in recent years, mostly in the realm of historical fiction, using people and events that already exist. I felt much like Cath...my brain feels like a barren desert when I try to conjure up my own characters and their exploits. She has several conversations with her creative writing professor where these little bits of gems about writing are sprinkled through the book. And I felt like they were written for me. I genuinely found them motivational and inspiring. For example:

"But I don't want to write my own fiction," Cath said, as emphatically as she could. " I don't want to write my own characters or my own words--I don't care about them." She clenched her fists in her lap. "I care about Simon Snow. And I know he's not mine, but that doesn't matter to me. I'd rather pour myself into a world I love and understand than try to make something up out of nothing."

The professor leaned forward, "But there's nothing more profound that creating something out of nothing." Her lovely face turned fierce. "Think about it, Cath. That's what makes a god--or a mother. There's nothing more intoxicating than creating something from nothing. Creating something from yourself."

"It just feels like nothing to me," Cath said.

"You'd rather take--or borrow--someone else's creation?"

"I know Simon and Baz. I know how they think, what they feel. When I'm writing them, I get lost in them completely, and I'm happy. When I'm writing my own stuff, it's like swimming upstream. Or...falling down a cliff and grabbing at branches, trying to invent the branches as I fall."

"Yes," the professor said, reaching out and grasping the air in front of Cath, like she was catching a fly. "That's how it's supposed to feel" (261-62).

Have you have had a book speak to you? Cath's lessons on finding her own voice spoke to me. They're precious to me. I'm reading "Fangirl" again to mark these tidbits and passages that I may not have been looking for the first time I went through it. The professor's advice to Cath have sparked courage in my own personal writings that I've not dared venture to explore yet. And I'm grateful for the nudge.

Besides all that, I really liked Rowell's tone and how she tells the story. It's developed thoroughly and she's a fantastic story-teller. I loved the characters and their predicaments. There's a love story in there, as well as some tense family drama that made me tear up. 

Because I have friends who read this blog, friends who are just a prude-ish as I am, I must include the following. On my scale-of-prudeness (SOP, hah!), the worst offense this book was the language. I quickly found a black Sharpie and scribbled out the offending words (should've used white-out tape, but I was too busy reading and loving this story to run and buy one--my kids ruined the old one). And yes, this was my own copy so inking it up was totally legit. Lots of f-bombs and other language my fellow prudes wouldn't appreciate. If you want to borrow my 'edited' copy, you're more than welcome to. 

Also on my SOP were all the college life stuff Cath encounters, even though she doesn't usually participate. So there's dialogue about sex and drinking and partying, and I couldn't very well ink out entire sections. But I can overlook most of that stuff because it's not the essence of the book; it's just what's happening in Cath's peripheral. 

So, this is a tongue-in-cheek recommendation. For my friends who are less prudish than I am, you'll love it. For my prudish friends, you'll not appreciate the language and such worldly tidbits.

Regardless of my SOP, this book will always be dear to me!

"Wonder" by R.J. Palacio

"Wonder" by R.J. Palacio

Okay, even before I get to the book, isn't this a fantastic cover?!

"Wonder" is about August, a special 10-year-old boy. Auggie is special because of a chromosomal abnormality that affects his face. When the story opens Auggie's mom introduces the idea of him going to school. The idea frightens Auggie. Because of his medical background he's been home-schooled by his mother through the 4th grade. August's dad wants to protect him from the cruelties he'll encounter in a school setting, but they decide to go through with a tour of the school. The reader meets August's new friends, sees his new school, and experiences the joys and pains of the 5th grade along side with him.

This book is such a wonderful exploration of the human heart. We have so many fears and the capacity to hurt, but also beauty within to love more than ourselves. You'll get to see this as you see the story through several different perspectives: August, his sister Via, Via's friend Monica, August's friend Jack, and a few others. Each voice is so unique, I was startled when I realized Palacio created all of them to tell August's story. She definitely has the gift of word-crafting.

This is one of those heart-warming stories that will be loved for decades. And one of my favorite things about it is that it's a book about a 10-year-old that I can proudly give to my own 10-year-old and know she can read it without offensive material creeping up here or there (that's the prudish side of me, again).

Please pick up "Wonder" next time you're looking for something soul-nourishing to read!

"The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green

"The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green

I'm trying to get back in the swing of things, my friends. My whole life I've been a reader. I'm typically reading 2 or 3 books concurrently, always obsessed with the next must-read, and highly dissatisfied if I finish a book and I don't have a new one on hand to bite into. But recently I discovered it had been a long time since I read a new book, and what was worse, I didn't care that I wasn't reading anything. What the heck happened to Amy?! So I grabbed the first pop-lit book my friends recommended to me. I think I'm making my way back into the game!

So, just in case you have not heard about this book (what rock have you been living under??), let me give you the scoop. I have not yet seen the major motion picture, so I'm just going with what I read. 

This story is about Hazel, a 16-year-old girl with terminal lung cancer, and Augustus, a 17-year-old boy in remission from osteosarcoma. They meet through a mutual friend, Isaac, another cancer-stricken teen, at a support group for youth battling cancer. Of course, it's a novel about teenagers, so a relationship develops. But Green's story is about teenagers who are staring straight at death, living with the fact that their infinities are much smaller than other people's infinities. It's a book about kids with cancer, so it's sad. But I laughed far more than I cried. Oh yes, I did shed tears. I find that the older I get, tears are more prone to fall.

There are a lot of words in this book I had never heard before. Thank heavens for the built-in dictionary in my Nook app. 

Sometimes the book seemed a bit pretentious, but then again, it's told from the POV of a snarky, dying, 16-year-old girl. I don't think most normal teenagers talk like that, but I was never anything close to a normal teenager, so I can't count on my own experiences to guide me here.

I will openly admit I can be a bit of a prude when it comes to my literature, and a lot of my friends I recommend books to are also on the prudish side. So I will state for the record that there is some swearing in the book, mostly mild but at least one f-bomb. Also, there is an intimacy scene between Hazel and Augustus. I'm not really wild over the idea of two minors getting it on, but as far as sex scenes go in books, this one was tastefully written.

If I had to rate this book on a scale of 1-10, I'd give it a glowing 8.9. I have never read Green before, so I don't know if his literary flavor is the same for all his novels. But I thoroughly enjoyed his writing voice. Let me give you a few examples that resonated with me. Or maybe more than a few!

"Congratulations! You're a woman. Now die."

"Republic of Cancervania."

"Caroline is no longer suffering from personhood."

"Come over here so I can examine your face with my hands and see deeper into your soul than a sighted person ever could."

"Her brain cancer was of the variety that makes you not you before it makes you not alive."

Okay, so out of context those passages weren't as stimulating as they were in the story. I really did enjoy the book, despite my prudish tendencies. 

"Allegiant" by Veronica Roth

"Allegiant" by Veronica Roth

Disappointed.  If you want the very short version of my review of Roth's third book in the Divergent series, that's all you need to know.  If you're interested in reading a more detailed review, or if you want to know why I was disappointed, keep reading.

(Spoiler Alerts...read at your own risk...yadda  yadda yadda)

"Allegiant" begins in the aftermath of "Insurgent"'s conclusion, with the revelation to the people within the city that they are secluded from the rest of society because people outside the chain link fence will need the people of the factions to rescue them.  A rebel group, the Allegiant, aim to overthrow Evelyn Johnson's factionless society.  Headed by Cara and Johanna, the Allegiant organize a group to sneak past the security at the fence in order to make contact with the outside world.

Faults:  So, it sounds exciting, right?  But out of the three books in the series, this final installment had the weakest development.  When I'm lost in a good story, I am thoroughly invested in the experience the author has created for me.  I enjoyed that experience in the first two books, but as I was reading "Allegiant" I felt like I was walking through a story with gaping holes everywhere:  ideas that weren't complete, segues that were shaky, characters that weren't appropriately introduced.  One of the biggest faults in the story, I felt, was voice development.  Roth broke away from Tris's solo narration and gave some chapters over to Tobias to tell.  But Tobias didn't have his own individual voice!  His voice was not unique enough to carry his own chapters and his voice was not true to the character I had grown fond of during the first two books.  Frequently during the Tobias chapters I forgot who was telling the story, because he sounded so much like Tris. He'd express himself and I thought, "Really??"  It simply wasn't believable.

So many times while I read this book I thought it felt rushed, like Roth was writing for a deadline instead of investing time in making the story polished and complete.  I almost wondered if she thought, "This is my third book and I have such a strong following.  People are going to buy it even if I don't put as much effort into it."  I know, that's really unfair of me.  But I was sorely let down by the style and development of the story.  And the ending...don't get me started on the ending.  It was not only disappointing, but wholly unnecessary.  Perhaps Roth felt it was justified, but she didn't prove it to me.

Positives:  There were a few shining gems hidden throughout the story.  I love reading books on my phone so I can highlight the articulate ideas and phrases that are pleasing to my senses, the parts that resonate with my heart.  A few examples:

"The first step to loving anyone is to recognize the same evil in ourselves, so we're able to forgive them."
"It seems fitting that the blow would leave a mark on both of us.  That's how the world works."
"I know what people who are stained with violence look like."
"If we stay together, I'll have to forgive you over and over again, if you're still in this, you'll have to forgive me over and over again too."
"I think you're still the only person sharp enough to sharpen someone like me."
"I fell in love with him.  But I don't just stay with him by default as if there's no one else available to me.  I stay with him because I choose to, every day that I wake up, every day that we fight or lie to each other or disappoint each other.  I choose him over and over again, and he chooses me."
"Time can make a place shrink, make its strangeness ordinary."
"Don't confuse your grief with guilt."
"It's what you deserve to hear..., that you're whole, that your worth loving, that you're the best person I've ever met."
"That is not enough of her, but it is also far too much."

There you go, Amy's reflections on "Allegiant."  I know lots of people who agree with my feelings as well as lots of people who really enjoyed it.  If you've read the first two books, you have to read this one to see how it all wraps up.  But be warned, you might not enjoy the end of the ride.

"Insurgent" by Veronica Roth

"Insurgent" by Veronica Roth

I finished listening to "Insurgent" last week.  For a few days, for a few hours at a time, you could find me hunkered down on my couch with ear buds in my head while working on a crocheting project, occasionally interrupted by children and housework.  It was a very happy time, though, when I could live in this semi-hypnotic state, engulfed by fabulous story-telling and "double crochet, double crochet, double crochet, chain chain, repeat."  Bliss, indeed.

The saga continues for Tris and Four, along with Marcus, Peter, and Caleb, as they arrive in the peaceful headquarters of the Amity faction following the Dauntless attack on Abnegation, courtesy of an Erudite simulation.  But you know a couple of Dauntless won't last long in the peaceful banjo-strummin', hand-holding atmosphere of the Amity farm life.  Especially after Tris learns Marcus knows the secret behind the Erudite attack on Abnegation.  She'll risk almost anything, even her relationship with Four, to find out the truth behind her parents' deaths, .

Throughout "Insurgent," Tris is tortured by memories of some of her actions during the Erudite attack on Abnegation.  She can't forgive herself for the act of self-defense, and she's ashamed to confess to those closest to her, especially Four.  When he does find out, he is injured by the fact she wouldn't trust him enough to tell him herself.  In fact, the majority of this story is Tris being reckless and bristly because of the conflicting emotions she's bottling up inside.  She feels her life is only worth something if she sacrifices herself for the greater good, like those who sacrificed their lives for her survival. 

I loved this follow-up to "Divergent," but I hated how Tris treated Four throughout the book.  But that's a Dauntless romance for you, I guess.  I kept wishing they'd just kiss and make-up and she'd stop picking fights.  By the end she got all her ducks in a row.

(I listened to this one on audio book, and I have to say, the narrator did a FANTASTIC job when Tris is given the Amity peace serum.  It was probably funny in print, but it was over-the-top hilarious hearing the narrator's ditzy voice inflections when Tris is under the influence.  The. Best.)

The set-up for "Allegiant" has left me WAY too excited for its release.  I know I should have waited to start this series, but what can you do?!  Oh, re-read the books, I guess!

"Divergent" by Veronica Roth

"Divergent" by Veronica Roth

I've lost count of how many friends have recommended this book to me.  For a while I had a long to-read list and I didn't seem to have room for it, plus when I learned the third book of the series wouldn't come out till October 2013, I decided I'd wait till all the books were out before starting the series.  Then, last Tuesday night happened.

I was hot, tired, in a bad mood, and had a raging headache.  My husband could sense my bad vibes from across the room.  He wisely suggested my two favorite things:  "read" and "bath."  But I got grumpier because I didn't have a book to read!  

(That's a blatant lie.  I have several books that I've never cracked open.  It is like standing in my closet and saying I have nothing to wear.  I have plenty of clothes, but none that I want to wear, just like I had plenty of book but none that I wanted to read.)

Then a rush of instant-gratification washed over me and I decided to download the book onto the Kindle app on my phone.  I don't do ebooks very often, but it was only $3.99, so with that special one-touch purchasing option (thanks, Amazon!), I was reading in no time.  

All my friends were right, I loved it!  It paralleled "Hunger Games" and "Matched" in the fact that it's a future version of our culture after a societal collapse, and they've restructured in a way they believe will induce peace among themselves.  This story unfolds in Chicago.  As "Hunger Games" had the reaping, and "Matched" had a matching banquet, "Divergent" has a choosing ceremony.  There are five factions that the people have divided into, each focusing their way of life around a virtue to balance and serve one another:  Abnegation (the selfless), Candor (the honest), Amity (the peaceful), Erudite (the intelligent), and Dauntless (the brave).  The year the youth turn 16, they are expected to choose to remain in the faction they were raised in, or leave their families and way of life forever and align with another faction.  This story follows Beatrice, who was raised in Abnegation.  Before the choosing ceremony, the youth go through an aptitude test to determine their strengths to help them decide which faction they'd succeed best in.  Her results were "inconclusive," which is a rare (and as she discovers, a dangerous) result.  She was advised to tell no one she is Divergent, leaving her to determine her fate at the choosing ceremony on her own.  

That's how it starts, in a nutshell!  I loved this YA book.  I can't wait to get my hands on the next in the series, "Insurgent."  Roth's break-through novel left me anxious for more.

"Wings of Nestor" by Devri Walls

"Wings of Nestor" by Devri Walls

Have you ever had a humongous chocolate craving, and as soon as you get your hands of a bag of M&Ms (or any chocolate indulgence of your choice) you eat them and eat them and you devour the whole bag and then it's gone, and you sit back and realize you never really tasted the chocolate?  You were so absorbed in the consumption of your treat that you didn't take the time to pace yourself and enjoy it?  That was so me with this book!  I'm embarrassed to admit it.  But I was so eager to continue the story, I dove right in and almost didn't come up for air.  I enjoyed it, don't get me wrong.  But I read it so fast, the memories of what I read are a blur in my brain.

I wanted to read this one in the ebook version, to see if it had the same formatting errors the first two books had.  The answer to that was, yes, it did, and no, it didn't.  It didn't have the weird paragraphs in the middle of a sentence, but it lacked the italics that helped the reader understand when the characters communicated telepathically.  So, there you go.  Looks like the system still has a few bugs in it.

The 4th book in The Solus series is "Wings of Lomay," to be released sometime later this year (I think).

"Wings of Tavea" by Devri Walls

"Wings of Tavea" by Devri Walls

(sorry, this was the best image I could find!)

I told you this was coming!  Back in February I wrote about Walls' first novel, "Wings of Arian." Last night I finished the second book in the Solus series, "Wings of Tavea."  "Tavea" picks up right where "Arian" left off, with Kiora (the Solus), Emane (the Protector), and Drustan (a shape-shifter) leaving Meros after an enchantment was dropped, which had kept the kingdom safe from evil for a thousand years.  They are not only looking for Dralazar, but are also in search of something else they need to defeat evil:  the Lights.  They meet new magical creatures and discover new enemies.  And a love triangle develops (I feel like I'm 14 again when I read about a good love triangle!).

Walls' scope of imagination blows me away.  I've read my fair share of fantasy books, but she brings new elements to the genre with one-of-a-kind beings, powers, and places.  I feel her story line and characters are positively unique.  I remember reading Mortal Instruments the first time and I thought it was like Harry Potter had a love child with Twilight.  Almost none of that in the Solus series.  And I'm greatly impressed with the development of Walls' writing skills between her first and second book.

Downsides to "Tavea:" the first negative aspect in the book was also found in "Arian."  I don't know if it's in the editing or transferring the ebook into paperback, but there are weird mistakes like paragraphs starting in the middle of a sentence, misplaced quotation marks, etc.  These errors were really distracting at times.  You know in "The Princess Bride" when Vizinni keeps shouting, "Inconceivable!" and Inigo finally says, "I do not think it means what you think it means."  Punctuation and grammar have rules and consistency for a purpose, and when those rules aren't followed for one reason or another, it really takes away from the essence of the story.  At least that's how I felt.  So I hope in future editions of the book those mistakes are taken care of.  Because Devri deserves better than that!  Second downside: I read "Arian" back in February, so remember the basics of the story, but some details escaped me.  I felt "Tavea" didn't have enough story overlap to help the reader remember certain details from the first book.  There's a fine line between under-explaining and over-explaining, and I felt "Tavea" was a little lacking and didn't quite cover all the bases to help the reader know what was going on all the time.

I highly recommend that you all explore Walls' story, and I'm more than anxious to get started on the third book, "Wings of Nestor."

"Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald" by Therese Anne Fowler

"Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald" by Therese Anne Fowler

Man! It's been such a long time since I've written a review. I know you've all been waiting for months with baited breath. ;) I am going to try and be better at this blogging venture!

This was another book that I saw on the new bookshelf at the library and thought it looked pretty interesting. It's a historical fiction novel about the life of Zelda Fitzgerald after she met F. Scott Fitzgerald. At the end of the book, the author lets the reader know what is fact and what is fiction. A lot of the dates and places are real. F. Scott Fitzgerald's temperament and alcoholism is based off actual events that happened and Zelda's hospitalizations were also accurate, among other things. The author speculates a little on the reason why Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald end their friendship and how Zelda may have felt after Scott's drunken episodes.

I don't think I will ever tire of catching glimpses into other people's lives, even if it is partly fictional. :) I really like that she writes in first person and uses letters of correspondence to develop the story further. It made me sad for the life the Fitzgeralds may have had if they hadn't been so wrapped up in the "young and bright" age of the 20s and the fame of his first novel. It made me sad for her as a wife and mother. I'm not sure if it's true or not, but I was surprised to find that she wrote as well and her stories were doing better than Scott's. Because of the time period, though, her stories were placed under his name. How frustrating that must have been! And not being able to realize other dreams that she had. I am realizing this is sounding quite depressing and it was a little bit, BUT I enjoyed how the author showed how much Zelda and Scott loved each other despite their misgivings and hardships. How much their love endured.

I enjoyed reading the book, but there were certain things that were a bit too... promiscuous for lack of a better word. There were some swear words and a bit too much sexuality in a few directions for my taste. Nothing too explicit, but it might be better reading about their lives in a biography if you're uneasy about that kind of stuff. 

"Letters in the Jade Dragon Box" by Gale Sears

"Letters in the Jade Dragon Box"

Micaela recommended this to me, and she read it first, but I got my review up first!  Neener neener!  I read this one because of the biography/memoir kick I'm on.  

Chen Wen-shan is a fifteen-year-old girl living in British Hong Kong in the 1970s.  She lives with her stoic great-uncle and she likes Western culture, specifically cornflakes and rock 'n roll.  One day a messenger delivers a request for Wen-shan and her uncle to visit the Smythes, British museum curators living in Kowloon.  Wen-shan knew of her mother and grandfather still living in mainland communist China, but she had been smuggled to the safety of her great-uncle when she was five years old and she had no memory of her life there.  Mr. Smythe informs Wen-shan and her uncle he had smuggled out a box full of letters from her mother and paintings from her grandfather.  Over the next several months, Wen-shan and her uncle read the letters and view the paintings and learn of Wen-shan's past.

For me, the greatest value of this story, based on real events and people, was the story of the beginnings of communist China and the devastation wreaked  upon tens of millions of people.  It was a history I knew nothing of and I was often moved beyond expression at the horrors inflicted upon the Chinese by Chairman Mao and his socialist regime.  I wondered why on earth I don't remember studying this in school.  How come I know about Hitler and Nazi Germany and concentration camps, but I didn't know about Mao's campaign to make himself a vengeful and all-powerful god to the Chinese?  My naivete baffles and embarrasses me.  I guess that's why we must always seek learning and knowledge.  

"The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly

"The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate"

Ever since I read "Heaven is Here..." by Stephanie Nielson, I've been checking in on her blog every now and then. In one of her posts, she mentioned this being one of her new favorite books. I was planning a 20 hour drive to see my parents and saw this in the audio books section at the library and thought it would be perfect for my trip.

Calpurnia Tate is 11 in 1899 and is the only girl in a family of all boys. Her mother is intent on making her more domestic in the arts of homemaking, but Calpurnia has much different interests. She is fascinated with the world around her and why things are the way they are. As she explores her world, she begins to also see her grandfather in a much different light.

I loved being able to listen to this book- especially when I was all alone in my car for hours at a time! :) It's a great book for girls that are more interested in things other than what the social norm expects of them. However, I felt like it smacked a little too much of feminist ideals. Calpurnia is constantly asking why: "Why can't girls be scientists? Why do girls have to stay home and cook and knit?". Questions that I'm sure girls had during that time period, but I don't know. Something about it just made me think the author may have been trying too hard to let girls know they can be anything they can.

Anyway, other than that little bit, it was a great book. I laughed out loud a couple of times at the wit and humor the author displays and loved the characters' development throughout the story.

"Angela's Ashes" by Frank McCourt

"Angela's Ashes" by Frank McCourt

A friend suggested this title to me because she knows I've been interested in biographies/memoirs lately.  I'm really glad she told me about "Angela's Ashes" because it was a gritty, honest story.  It took a little while to get used to McCourt's voice because the style of this book is completely different from the  majority of books I've read.  Once I got used to his cadence I felt I could hear his voice and see through his eyes as he recalled his childhood and adolescent anecdotes.

McCourt was born of Irish parents in New York in 1930.  When his infant sister died, the family returned to Ireland to be close to family.  But survival was a bigger challenge in Ireland than anything they had faced in New York.  McCourt accounts the challenges of growing up in Limerick, Ireland with a Yankee accent and having a father from the north and therefore distrusted in Limerick.  McCourt's father's alcoholism forced the family to live in ruin for years because he drank every rare penny that fell into his hands.

This was one of those books that made me ask myself where do I get off complaining about my insignificant problems when countless people like the McCourts had to endure inexpressible poverty, living life as the dregs of Irish society.  Similar to "Unbroken," this book made me ask myself how much can a man endure and survive and come out of it a decent, compassionate person. People are beautiful, as his is a genuine "diamond-in-the-rough" story.  His words and perceptions could be delicate and insightful despite the coarseness of his environment and upbringing.  Overall I appreciated how he was able to tell his story in a straightforward way, almost charging like a train, saying it how it happened and not thinking too much about it or what it meant.  It was what it was and then there was something new to share.  

One of the things I admire about McCourt's story is he didn't directly say he was hungry or he missed his father.  Just talking about the lack of food and his father's absence was enough for me to feel the keen aches and loneliness.

I'll confess it got a little too raw when he got to his puberty and adolescence and he divulged all the things boys experience during that phase.  I appreciate that it was a part of his development and story, but I wish it hadn't been so prominent the last third of the book.  And I was disappointed by the end.  It made sense to end when McCourt returned to America, but to wrap up the story with a romp with a married woman his first night off the boat's just to conclude with, "Isn't this a great country altogether?"  I mean, really?  I would have expected something with more sincerity and not so base to segue from the first 20-some-odd years of his Irish life to a new start in America.  

"Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand

"Unbroken"

I took AP US History in high school, but I don't remember much at all what I learned about WWII.  And what tidbits I do remember all evolve around the European side of it.  Sadly, most of what I know about America's involvement in the Pacific side of WWII comes from the 2001 movie "Pearl Harbor."  Yup, my familiarity with history is pretty sad.

After several recommendations, I finally decided to try "Unbroken."  I actually had it loaded on my iPod for months and months, but didn't start listening to it until a few weeks ago.  It was a wonderful reading by actor Edward Hermann (I recognized his voice, but looked over his filmography and the only movie of his I've seen is "Overboard"--funny I remember his voice from such an obscure and long-ago appearance).  

"Unbroken" is the life story of Louis Zamperini, a first-generation American born of Italian parents.  He was a hellion as a boy, causing his parents great amounts of angst and frustration.  As a young man, his older brother Pete trained him up as a runner, and he found state- and nation-wide recognition for his achievements on the track, ultimately forming him into an Olympic runner in the Berlin games of 1936.

With the onset of the war Louis was called up to serve as a bombardier and served several successful missions over the Pacific.  One sad day his plane was gunned down and he and two of his crewmen were stranded on a raft in the ocean for 47 days.  They were taken prisoners of war by the Japanese, and the following years of interrogation and POW camps where horrific and difficult to comprehend.  But the Japanese lost and Louis finally went home, believed dead by the military for years.  

His post-war recovery was gruesome, but he finally found hope in Jesus Christ through a tent revival by none other than Billy Graham.  He repaired his life and committed himself to helping troubled boys, much like his brother had helped him when he was young.

The strongest impression I got from this book was, "How much more can a man live through?"  I listened to the audio book, like I've mentioned, and it had a total of 214 tracks.  I kept watching as I progressed through the story as it got more and more incredible, stretching the imagination almost by the minute.  And then I'd see how many tracks were left in the story, my jaw dropping to see how much of the story was left to be told.  Again and again I wondered what else a man could endure and still survive.

I'm not prone to tears when I read, but "Unbroken" brought me close so many times.  The Bird.  That's all I will say.  This book will change the way you think about humanity.

Click here to read Micaela's review of "Unbroken."

"A Single Shard" by Linda Sue Park

"A Single Shard"

Tree-ear is an orphaned boy living under a bridge with his older friend in a village of Korea known for it's beautiful and unique celadon pottery. He is fascinated by the potter's art, especially the work of one potter in particular- Min.

This book was a pleasant and easy read, but I felt like it was a little bit too predictable. It seemed to be on a more simplistic plane than most Newbery books that I've read. I wonder if the award was given based off the cultural aspect of the novel. I did enjoy getting a little peek into the Korean culture and I could picture the pottery vividly in my mind. I would love to see some! I think the message of the book is that with hard work, strong morals and good ethics, that you can find yourself and have a sense of belonging in the world. At least that's what I got out of it. :)

Definitely not a 5 star book in my opinion, but if you're looking for an entertaining and quick read, then I'd say try it.

"The Power of Starting Something Stupid: How to crush fear, make dreams happen, and live without regret" by Richie Norton

The Power of Starting Something Stupid

This is a different kind of book for me to read.  I usually stick to fiction, and I just started into biographies, but a "self-help" or "business" book is really not what I usually dip into.  But I found out about it through Natalie Norton, whose name is on the cover.  I went to high school and church with Natalie, and through Facebook I heard all about her husband's writing.  My monthly budget has a zero balance for books, so I did what I usually do when I encounter a title I must read:  I drive down to (or sometimes call) my small-town library and submit a purchase request.  I was ecstatic when I got my email last week saying this title was available behind the desk for me to check out.

What Norton suggests in "Stupid" is applicable to anyone.  If you have a business idea, this is for you.  If you have an idea to improve your community, this is for you.  If you have personal goals you want to achieve, this is for you.  No one is happy living stagnantly.  You need motion, you need to START.  Norton's personal voice encourages the reader to believe in breaking out of their shell and discovering the power within to do great things.  Because of a dream.

Inspired.  That's what this book is and it's how it made me feel.  I have a dream, a goal, just like everyone else.  But this special book helped me give myself permission to believe in it and believe I can achieve it.  My dreams are unique and not quite like anyone else's dreams.  My dreams are valid and I won't live to regret not acting on them.

"In Search of Heaven: The Barrington Family Saga Volume 1" by Anita Stansfield

"In Search of Heaven"

So, I'm a little bashful about this one.  I think there's a stigma about LDS authors such as Stansfield; either you think the genre is pertinent religious-based literature, or you think it's a load of cheese.  I'm not a fan but I do not condemn her writing.  I had my own reasons for reading this one, which I'm choosing to keep to myself (neener, neener).  I actually read this about 4 years ago, and it's the first of a series.  I won't be finishing the series, but I do want to read another Stansfield book to see if her style goes across the board or if she changes her voice depending on the theme of the book.

To sum up "Heaven," Eleanore is a young English woman who is a servant in the house of Lord James Barrington.  She has the opportunity to be promoted to governess of his children after the death of his wife.  With time he proposes a marriage of convenience as he makes plans to travel to America.  Eleanore accepts, for she has her own reasons for wanting to go to America.  She had discovered a strange new book of scripture and has keen desires to align herself with the religion that follows it.   Eleanore must overcome the trial of her marriage of convenience.  Her husband is a good man and treats her well, but she discovers that even though she married for practicality and an irresistible opportunity, she has fallen in love with him.  His heart was injured by his first wife, and he believes he can never love again.  Eleanore battles with being happier and more blessed than she ever anticipated, but despite all she has, she wants the love her husband denies her.

If you're not LDS (Latter-day Saint), this kind of story will probably seem ridiculous and predictable.  Even I sometimes thought the predicaments polished up far too neatly. But I adored the principles that drove the story line.  And I'm a girl--a predictable love story is always welcome.