Julia Reviews The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy by Julia Quinn

Title/Author: The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy by Julia Quinn

Publisher/Year Published: 2015 by Avon

How I got this book: I bought it from Half Price Books for my sister

Why I read this book: Last book in a series of four and I needed something to read on the plane. 

Rating: 3.5 stars

Summary: 

Sir Richard Kenworthy has less than a month to find a bride. He knows he can't be too picky, but when he sees Iris Smythe-Smith hiding behind her cello at her family's infamous musicale, he thinks he might have struck gold. She's the type of girl you don't notice until the second—or third—look, but there's something about her, something simmering under the surface, and he knows she's the one.
Iris Smythe–Smith is used to being underestimated. With her pale hair and quiet, sly wit she tends to blend into the background, and she likes it that way. So when Richard Kenworthy demands an introduction, she is suspicious. He flirts, he charms, he gives every impression of a man falling in love, but she can't quite believe it's all true. When his proposal of marriage turns into a compromising position that forces the issue, she can't help thinking that he's hiding something . . . even as her heart tells her to say yes.

Thoughts:

Recently, Julia Quinn's books have been hit or miss for me. I love her humor and her characters, but the stories just seem a bit old and overdone. They are light and fluffy and that's about all. It was actually perfect for the plane ride back after a rough week at work. 

The thing that kept me reading this book was the Secret. What was it? Why couldn't I figure out what was going on with Sir Richard that was making him act so strange? I like that she kept his secret from the reader as well as from Iris. It took me a bit to figure it out, but once one piece of information fell into place, I figured it out.

The love story is sort of cute. I liked the time Iris and Richard spent together playing off each other the best. The characters are quite strong, even the secondary ones. I just miss the unpredictability.

Overall it's a nice story and a good end to the four Smythe-Smith books. I still read Julia Quinn, and I probably still will read her new books, but it is just not something I am flocking toward with any sort of urgency anymore. Ah well. Still worth the time it took to read it :)

Tahleen reviews: Audiobook of "Armada" by Ernest Cline

Title: Armada
Author: Ernest Cline
Publisher: Random House Audio
Narrator: Wil Wheaton 

Rating: 3.5 stars 

When I found out that Ernest Cline was coming out with another book, and it was also going to be narrated by Wil Wheaton (like his first book, Ready Player One, was), I was super excited. So of course I put that on my TBR immediately. And I finally had the chance to listen to the sci-fi book a few weeks ago.

The basic plot is this: Zach Lightman, a typical 18-year-old, sees something out the window of his classroom that can't possibly be real: a fighter ship from the alien videogame he plays every night, Armada. Soon he finds out that this craft is all too real, and because he is one of the top-ranked players in the world, he is recruited into the Earth Defense Alliance as a pilot. What follows is your basic hostile alien story.

I was kind of disappointed in the book itself. It wasn't terribly original, and I thought characters could have been better developed, especially secondary characters. The ending was kind if interesting, and it makes me wonder if Cline has a sequel in the works. Cline really likes the deus ex machina in his stuff; everything isn't happy by a long shot, but there were a lot of convenient things that happen. It was still fun though. I enjoyed all of the references to different pop culture alien stories, and Cline writes with a lot of humor, which Wheaton delivers extremely well.

As always, Wheaton's narration is on point. I loved listening to him tell me this story, even if the actual story wasn't my favorite. Plus he does voices, like Yoda, so bonus.

Disclaimer: I got this audiobook using my free trail for Audible.com.

Julia Reviews The Scoundrel and the Debutante by Julia London

Title/Author: The Scoundrel and the Debutant by Julia London

Publisher/Year Published: May 2015 by Harlequin Books

How I got this book: I was provided an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Why I read this book: I enjoyed the last book in this series, so of course I am going to read the third

Rating: 3.5 stars

Summary:

The dust of the Cabot sisters' shocking plans to rescue their family from certain ruin may have settled, but Prudence Cabot is left standing in the rubble of scandal. Now regarded as an unsuitable bride, she's tainted among the ton. Yet this unwilling wallflower is ripe for her own adventure. And when an irresistibly sexy American stranger on a desperate mission enlists her help, she simply can't deny the temptation. 

The fate of Roan Matheson's family depends on how quickly he can find his runaway sister and persuade her to return to her betrothed. Scouring the rustic English countryside with the sensually wicked Prudence at his side—and in his bed—he's out of his element. But once Roan has a taste of the sizzling passion that can lead to forever, he must choose between his heart's obligations and its forbidden desires.

Review:

I read a lot of family trilogies or series books in the historical romance genre, and I have to say that Julia London's Cabot Series is a new book every time. Well, you may be asking, of course it is! What a silly thing to say? But I have seen too many times where you pretty much just get the same story again with a slight deviation to make it seem unique. This is not the case here.

Prudence is tired of her sister's scandalous behavior ruining her chances at a happy life. After being unmarried into her twenties, she is not quite sure what to do with herself and falls into a morose outlook of the world. Her sisters decide that just what she needs to be cheered up is to go see her friend who just had a baby. I see a flaw in their logic.

Out of sheer desperation just for a break, she agrees but while waiting for her family friend to pick her up in their carriage for the ride north she meets a stunningly gorgeous and cutely befuddled American gentleman, Roan. Throwing caution to the wind, she decides to purchase a ticket on the public coach to spend more time with this handsome foreigner until her stop where she can rejoin her party. Hi-jinks ensue.

Let me just say there is a lack of ball rooms and ton parties in this book that makes it a nice refresher. It's sort of far-fetched in its realism, but it was enough of an adventure that I was along for the ride. Roan and Prudence are quite interesting leads. They have a good chemistry between them but still hold their own as characters. Prudence, for what I know of her from the last books, seems to sort of morphed into her sisters along the way, but the fact that she is aware of it make it okay.

The story has a pretty fast pace until about the last third where it sort of grinds to a halt. It's still engaging but not as much as the first two thirds. So it was sort of the same problem I had with the last book. I will say that I did read it in one plane ride, so it was definitely something I didn't want to stop reading.

If you enjoy previous Julia London novels, or Regency Romance with a twist and a fun adventure, this is a good pick. I don't think it is necessary to read the other two in the series before this one. There are minor spoilers but nothing too big.

It's not my favorite, but not horrible either. So a solid middle of the road read that put a smile on my face.



Thanks to Harlequin for providing me the ARC for this review.

Julia Reviews The Devil Takes a Bride by Julia London

Title/Author: The Devil Takes a Bride by Julia London

Publisher/Year Published: January 2013 by Harlequin Books

How I got this book: I was provided an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Why I read this book: I rarely get historical romances from Harlequin in the mail, so I figured I would try this one! Plus I've been meaning to try Julia London

Rating: 3.5 stars

I don’t like reading books out of order when they are in a series. I don’t like watching TV out of order when it is a series either for that matter. Call it a character flaw. So when I saw The Devil Takes a Bride show up at my doorstep I thought, “I must read The Trouble with Honor so I can read this one and review it!” Well that didn’t go so well.

Now I was trepidatious. Would I even be able to finish it? I decided that I liked Grace enough from the bits I saw her in the first book to give this a try. And I am glad I did because I ended up liking it in the end.

The Devil Takes a Bride starts off with Grace trying to trap a husband to save her family from the streets. It’s not an ideal action,and she is reminding me a lot of her sister right away which worried me. But once the trap had sprung and she caught the wrong man, things got better. Well, not for her, but for my reading experience. It went a different direction from the first book and focused on the couple just trying to make the best of bad situation.

Grace is far from perfect and is trying to grow up while accepting her fate. Jeffery, the lead, is a recluse by choice and has some nontraditional habits… sexually and mentally. The book is really about figuring out how the two of them can figure out each other without making the other’s life miserable. Jeffery needs to see how he can integrate people into his well ordered world while also understanding that he can open up. Grace needs to see how life isn't all fun and games and that real life is something that is hard and that you work hard for.

I just love how the two of them play off each other. Both failing to understand anything about the other off the bat. They had to grow into each other. That is one of my favorite romance tropes - the married in haste and now we have to make the best of this trope. I was a bit worried though that Jeffery's ails would be healed by the Power of Lurve, but luckily that isn't the case. Instead we just get a non-traditional duke.

In the third act though, more of the secondary characters make appearances which started to drag on for me. The main story had a teeny bit going on at the end, but in my mind they had already solved the main conflict. It was more about figuring out secondary story lines and almost unnecessary. It didn't hold my attention as much as when the story was focused on the two of them.

Overall the book was a nice read for me - a great couple with a sizzling romance. The secondary characters were okay, but they made the ending drag a bit. Despite that I am glad I read it and enjoyed it.


PS. Apparently the book was originally called The Fall of Lady Grace which in my opinion is a vastly superior title. I want to call it that from now on instead of yet another rouge/devil/scoundrel + bride combo.

Thanks to Harlequin for providing me with the ARC for this review!

Julia Reviews The Beautiful Ashes by Jeaniene Frost

Title/Author: The Beautiful Ashes by Jeaniene Frost
Publisher/Year Published: August 2014 by Harlequin 
How I got this book: I was provided with an ARC in return for an honest review
Why I read this book: I was in the mood for paranormal in October... I wonder why?
Rating: 3.5 stars

This book leaves me a bit torn which is why I think it's taken me a few weeks to start this review. On one hand it has a very interesting paranormal plot line that I haven't read anything similar too. On the other hand the characters aren't very well written. Adrian is as cliche as they come - smoldering demon thing who can melt the pants off women with one look. Ivy is the inexperienced woman who finds herself in a situation she was destined for and somehow gets good at mastering things instantly. Then there is their romance which was very instant attraction that moves into the "I can fix him our love will save the world" cliche mix. But the plot was really interesting! 

Let's back up and talk about that plot. Ivy is a college age woman who's parents just died in a car accident and only other living relative, her sister, has gone missing. She is in New York looking for her when she is sort of kidnapped/rescued by Adrian, a humanish hunk who was sent to take her to this angel guy to start down the path of her destiny and save her from the clutches of demons. She is from some special bloodline and the last of the line and only she can do... something. I don't even really think that was clear... it of course is a series. 

Adrian didn't know who she was initially and was all trying to get in her pants, but once he realized she is the last of that line things change. You see, he is the last of another line whose paths were destined to cross with the first line but in like a betrayer way. 

It's sort of convoluted, but it is introduced easily enough. Things get answered along the way as the plot clips along. It's very much angels vs demons, heaven vs hell sort of book that pulls a lot of stuff from Christianity's history and lore. I really enjoyed that part and the vivid imagery of the demon world. 

But the characters were not as gripping. They were along the ride for the story, but just seemed like plot points or cardboard cutout cliches. I keep using that word, but it very much fits. Think of your normal leading hero in a paranormal book. That's Adrian. Think of your normal heroine in a YA paranormal. That's Ivy. 

That's another thing that bothered me. I thought this was paranormal romance, but it is more like new adultish paranormal romance sort of. When I start a romance novel, I go into it knowing a few things are going to happen. 1) The main characters fall in love (check) 2) They get a Happily Ever After or a Happy For Now (it's a HFN because I think these characters are going to run through the series) 3) They have the sexytimes. (no check) I was a little saddened when I got to the end and pants remained on. This is published by Harlequin, right? Well, I don't know if it will be a plot point later or something, but I was missing the romance part of this book. Not just the sex, but like the tension. It wasn't there for me in the subtext. She told me they were falling in love, but I sure as hell didn't see it.

So in summary, it wasn't horrid. I liked the creativity of the world where it was set. I liked the descriptions of some of the demon based characters. But I didn't like the lackluster leads and their lack of realistic chemistry. Apparently it is marketed as New Adult and not paranormal romance, so if you are looking to try a paranormal story with a dash of romance, I'd say give this a try. At least read the sample and see if it grips you. 

Julia Reviews City of Jasmine by Deanna Raybourn

Title/Author: City of Jasmine by Deanna Raybourn

Publisher/Year Published:  March 2014 by Harlequin MIRA

How I got this book: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Why I read this book: I read the back and it sounded interesting. I've not read many novels set in the 1920s nor in the Middle East.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Description:

Set against the lush, exotic European colonial outposts of the 1920s, New York Times bestselling author Deanna Raybourn delivers the captivating tale of one woman who embarks upon a journey to see the world—and ends up finding intrigue, danger and a love beyond all reason.  

Famed aviatrix Evangeline Starke never expected to see her husband, adventurer Gabriel Starke, ever again. They had been a golden couple, enjoying a whirlwind courtship amid the backdrop of a glittering social set in prewar London until his sudden death with the sinking of the Lusitania. Five years later, beginning to embrace life again, Evie embarks upon a flight around the world, collecting fame and admirers along the way. In the midst of her triumphant tour, she is shocked to receive a mysterious—and recent—photograph of Gabriel, which brings her ambitious stunt to a screeching halt. 

With her eccentric Aunt Dove in tow, Evie tracks the source of the photo to the ancient City of Jasmine, Damascus. There she discovers that nothing is as it seems. Danger lurks at every turn, and at stake is a priceless relic, an artifact once lost to time and so valuable that criminals will stop at nothing to acquire it—even murder. Leaving the jewelled city behind, Evie sets off across the punishing sands of the desert to unearth the truth of Gabriel's disappearance and retrieve a relic straight from the pages of history. 

Along the way, Evie must come to terms with the deception that parted her from Gabriel and the passion that will change her destiny forever...

City of Jasmine is an interesting read. I can't say that I have read many post WWII historical fiction books, but I guess now I can say I've at least read one. The book starts off with our lead character, Evie, getting ready to fly the last leg of her tour is interrupted by some pretty solid evidence that her husband is still alive. She delays her last leg and heads to Demascus with her aunt in tow. They spend some time in Demascus before the real story starts, and that is when we get out into the dessert to see the dig site where Gabriel is. 

That was the first hundred pages, and honestly I almost gave up the book because of that. Everything was so slow and it could have all started at a different point and been tighter and easier to read. But once we got past all that, the most interesting part of which was the setting, things started to get better. I loved the parts in the desert and once Gabriel and Evie had more interaction together, it was fun to read. 

I really enjoyed the setting and it makes me think I should branch out into different areas of history more often! The setting is probably my favorite part of the story, but how does everything else stack up? The plot is shaky at best. It is plodding in the beginning and all over the place in the middle and then sort of gets vary vague at the end. The middle, while overwhelmed with characters and subplots, was entertaining though (or else I would have stopped reading). The book is teaming with twsts. By the last character who wasn't who they said they were I was rolling my eyes.

Evie and Gabriel are the main characters, but really it's Evie's story. She is really independent and sometimes that makes her make the stupidest decisions ever. But she wasn't annoying and actually a pretty decent narrator. Sometimes I was surprised at what she didn't pick up on, though, like one of those pretty obvious twists. 

This is primarily historical fiction, with a little dash of romance (it is harlequin). If you worried about sex, it's not there. The relationship between Gabriel and Evie is important though and pretty interesting. I liked seeing how they changed from the way they were described as being in the past. 

Overall the book was interesting, the setting really so, and the plot engaging enough. I would recommend it for people who like to read historical fiction in exotic locales. This is the first Raybourn I read and I am not amiss to reading another.

Let me know if you have a recommendation for another Raybourn book or another historical fiction book set in a not common location/period of time in the comments!

Tahleen reminisces and reviews: "Roomies" by Sara Zarr and Tara Altebrando

Title: Roomies
Authors: Sara Zarr and Tara Altebrando
Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks, 2013 (print available from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
Narrators: Becca Battoe, Emily Eiden

Rating: 3.5 stars

When Elizabeth (EB) gets the email with her roommate assignment for college in the fall, she immediately shoots off an email to introduce herself and ask about logistical things like microwaves and mini fridges. She is excited and very ready to leave her suburban New Jersey town for UC Berkeley in San Francisco, especially since her mother is driving her crazy. Plus, she might be able to finally see her gay father who moved to SF years ago. Lauren, on the other hand, is disappointed when she gets the email, since she had requested a single. She just wants to get some peace and be alone for once, as she is the oldest of six by at least 12 years. So their correspondence does not get off on the right foot, but eventually they start to open up to each other—perhaps too much.

When I started listening to this, I immediately was brought back to when I received my roommate assignment for college. It was a little different, as Facebook had just been released and you still needed a .edu email address to sign up for a page, and I didn't get an email address. I was just given a name and a phone number,  but I didn't have any qualms about calling Vanessa. As it turns out, I ended up talking to her mother for a while since she wasn't home when I first called, but eventually we caught up with each other and luckily we seemed perfect for each other. I still feel really lucky I got to have her as my roommate for two years! (Miss you, Vanessa!)

Anyway, back to the audiobook. Sara Zarr and Tara Altebrando do a great job of creating unique voices for their characters, though I'm not 100% sure of who wrote which. My guess is Zarr wrote Lauren's part, and Altebrando wrote EB's. Each girl had very different situations and drama she had to deal with at home, and they shared a lot of this with each other through email. As we all know, it can be MUCH easier to talk about something in writing with someone you don't necessarily know in real life, especially since they might not know the other people you're talking about. But because each girl actually has her own personality and set of morals, things get hairy.

Honestly I was super annoyed with EB for almost the whole second half of the book. She really seemed to be a brat for a lot of that to me, but then again I have never had to deal with the situations she does. Still, I was glad (relieved?) when she came around.

As for the narration, I thought it was good. Becca Battoe reads Lauren's part, and Emily Eiden reads EB's. Both voices were different enough that I had no trouble distinguishing whose part was whose, and for the most part they were easy to listen to. I especially liked Battoe's narration; her voice is pretty soothing.

All in all, I do recommend this book if you like realistic fiction, dual-voice narrations, and/or are feeling nostalgic about college or are excited for your upcoming college experience. It's a good, easy read with a bit of drama and some nice character development.

Disclaimer: I got this digital audiobook via OverDrive from the library.

Quickie Interview + Jamie's Thoughts on The Edge of Falling by Rebecca Serle

The Edge Of Falling by Rebecca Serle
I received this from the publisher for an honest review.
Publisher: Simon Pulse

I really liked The Edge of Falling and my heart just kind of hurts a little bit to think about Caggie's story. Her little sister drowns and she really blames herself because she should have been watching her. The grief really tears at Caggie and her family causing Caggie to really pull away from everyone -- including her (SO PERFECT) boyfriend. Then Caggie becomes thrust into the spotlight because she allegedly saves a girl from committing suicide and she is deemed as a hero. But there's more to the story and that's not exactly what happened on the rooftop and it eats away at Caggie.


So when we meet Caggie we see this intense pain within her from these events and we know she is hurting and we see these signs that she's really having a hard time dealing with it -- the withdrawal from people and then hanging out with this kind of bad boy who has his own problems. Caggie was hard to connect with a lot of the time until closer to the end, where I feel the story really picked up, but I just could feel the weight of everything just weighing her down and the fact that she wasn't dealing with it.

ASTOR. I didn't know whether we were supposed to like him or not but I DID NOT. I kept feeling very nervous for her with Astor around. I got the allure for Caggie in her present state of mind-- he didn't care about talking about their past and so she didn't have to think about things or confront them -- but he was bad news for me. You could tell he had his own issues and together they were just going to implode.

The reveal didn't really surprise me at all but I think hearing Caggie finally say it out loud did affect me. I just felt very emotional towards the end and MAN was that quite the dramatic ending. The second half of the book was definitely my favorite because things REALLY start to come to the surface. It's hard to watch Caggie really go down a path that's not so great and you just really start rooting for her to snap out of it and confront the grief and the rooftop incident before she spirals out of control. You just keep waiting for that moment that you KNOW has to happen. The build up to that moment just really kept me reading. 

Bottom line: The Edge of Falling was a solid read that was emotional and really made me feel the weight of Caggie's grief and pain. It really become quite gripping about half way through and that's where I felt I become way more invested to Caggie's story despite her pain just dripping from the pages from the start.

INTERVIEW WITH REBECCA SERLE

1. If you could describe The Edge of Falling in 3 words, what would they be?
Grief. Family. Flying.

2. What is the most important relationship in The Edge of Falling?

Wow, what a great question. The Edge of Falling is a book about relationships—the one Caggie has with her mother, her brother, her father, her ex boyfriend, her best friend—and the hot new guy at school. But I think the most important relationship in The Edge of Falling is the one Caggie is trying to protect, let go of, forget, and simultaneously keep forever: her relationship with her little sister who has passed away. It is only in coming to terms with that tragedy, and its aftermath, that Caggie can move on to begin to love herself.

3. What is your favorite section of the book?

The climax. I can’t say too much about it because it would give a lot away (and I hope you’ll read it!) but it’s a very intense scene. Caggie is finally admitting out loud what really happened on that rooftop last spring when she supposedly saved a girl’s life, and even though we’ve had hints of it, this is when she really confesses. It was a challenging scene to write, and it’s one I’m really proud of.

4. Describe your writing process for aspiring readers.

Well, first it must be exactly 68 degrees in my apartment and I must have a skim latte made exactly seven minutes prior and there must be no noise, whatsoever, and only direct light overhead…KIDDING. I’m not very precious about my process. Seriously, if you want to do this as a job, you can’t be. I write on the fly, when I can, how I can—that is how my books get written. But when I have a new idea I’ll do something that I think will be helpful for you to know. I sit down and “write my way in.” This means I free write for about 30 pages. Just whatever comes. The characters, the universe, whatever. After those 30 pages I sit back and look at what I have. It’s then that I determine what the story I want to tell really is.

Tahleen reviews: "Zombie Baseball Beatdown" by Paolo Bacigalupi

Title: Zombie Baseball Beatdown
Author: Paolo Bacigalupi
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2013
Narrator: Sunil Malhotra

Rating: 3.5 stars

Rabi, Miguel, and Joe have bigger problems than their losing Little League season. It's true, Rabi is a terrible hitter, and their coach doesn't seem to know what he's doing or how to create a batting line-up. Most of the other kids on the team would like to beat the three of them up, and know how to spin it to their advantage. Miguel's parents have been deported, and his aunt and uncle, who are also in the United States illegally, live in fear that they will be next. You'd think that would be enough problems for the boys. But all that pales in comparison when they stumble upon their coach—zombified. Finding a brain-hungry zombie is only the beginning, as their investigation leads them to the revelation that the zombie problem is much, much bigger than their small Iowan town.

Paolo Bacigalupi has managed to write a book, really a social commentary, on the meatpacking industry, immigration, racism, and zombies. You read that correctly.


I'm not really sure how I feel about this book. I enjoyed Sunil Malhotra's narration, mostly his zombie sounds, and it all works together as a cohesive unit, but part of me feels like Bacigalupi tried too hard to get too much in there, and it was like I was being lectured to at times. We leave this book knowing exactly how the author feels about certain hot-topic issues of the day.

I really enjoyed the relationships between the main characters and the development of their relationships with secondary characters, and the climax is great. The parts with the zombie attacks really make this book worth listening to; if it weren't for that, I'm not sure I would have bothered.  I am not so sure how I feel about the complete open-endedness of the book, but I can understand the logic behind Bacigalupi's choice to end it the way he does. It is impressive that Bacigalupi is able to write a readable and zombie-filled story while really writing a social commentary on two major contemporary issues, I just wish the execution had been a bit more subtle.

I listened to this book as part of the 2014 Hub Challenge. It was one of the Top Ten Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults.

Disclosure: I got a copy of this audiobook from my local library.

Lori Reviews Treasure Island

Title:  Treasure Island
Author:  Robert Louis Stevenson
Published:  Cassell and Company, London, 1883
Where I Got It:  I bought an old copy at a used bookstore ages ago, but finally read a copy on my Nook.






I was initially going to read Moby-Dick.  I told my boyfriend that I wanted to just read one book at a time and not pick up another book until I finished and that I was starting with Moby-Dick.  At some point on Sunday, after the grocery store, I realized that Melville just wasn't doing it for me.  I really wanted to watch Muppets Treasure Island, but Zach wasn't in the mood.  So I decided to start reading the book, figuring that this would be the next best thing.

In a way it was.

This book has been on my list for a very long time.  It's just one of those books that so many people seem to have read.  

There's a boy who finds a treasure map and convinces some rich, older men to finance a voyage to find the treasure.  The crew is pretty sketchy.  But things go well.  Until they site land.  Then there's a mutiny.  And some more stuff happens that I don't want to give away because I think you need to both watch the movie and read the book.

As I read the book I had a good time picking out which Muppet played which character.  Interesting tidbit--Miss Piggy's character is actually a man in the book and did not previously know Kermit.  It was a great adventure, which I kind of needed because we got snowed in on Sunday night.  Fortunately work was cancelled on Monday, which meant I was able to spend all bloody day in bed reading until I finished (reason number eleventy bajillion why I'm glad I have not procreated yet).

I think I would have loved this book to pieces had I read it about 16 years ago.  It's a book geared towards children, so that kind of makes sense, but it's also a story that you can still love as an adult (particularly if you read it as a child).  I still liked the book enough to give it 3.5 stars, but...

I spent a good part of the time asking Jim Hawkins what the hell he was doing!  He kept separating from the group of good guys and getting in these bad situations with the pirates.  You don't go off without telling anyone to get a little boat to board the massive ship (apparently with the idea of moving the ship around the island somehow) when there are pirates afoot.  But that is probably a detail you would overlook as a child.

Previously my experience with this book was the Muppets movie, which is fun and funny.  So they really glossed over a lot of the death that took place in the novel in order to make a family-friendly movie.  They really kill people in this movie.  Just pick them off with guns.  Go in commando style and kill them at night.  There was no Billy Bones-esque keeling over when he got the spot (Billy Bones actually dies of a stroke in the book).  That was a bit surprising to me.  But back in 1883, you wrote kids books that dealt with some darker themes, so it was not terribly out of place.

All in all, I liked the book.  If I had any, I would read this to my own kids.  But it is not the Muppets movie.

Paula Review Beyond The Wall

 Published 2012 by BenBella Books, Inc. 

How I got it: got an ARC copy of it from the publisher at BEA last year

My rating: 3.5 stars

Disclaimer: this might be a short review and have some typos- because I have a very intrusive/insistent creature (a 3 year old corgi/german shepard) sitting here next to me and licking my hands and keyboard and computer while I'm trying to type.

This is the first time I've ever felt the need to read a companion book to a series. No matter how head over heels I am with a series- I've never actively gone out to find essays that delve further into the legend and lore of the series. I am usually of the mind set that sometimes fans reach too far and read too into things that the author never intended. With that being said- I finished the latest A Song of Ice and Fire book at the beginning of the year and I was in such a state of "I NEED MORE" that I was excited to remember that I had picked this up at the BEA last year.

First off if you are going to read this book- make sure you have finished all 5 of the currently released books! It reveals pretty much everything that could be considered a spoiler in the series. I had considered reading it right when I got it last year- and I would have been really bummed because there are a lot of Book 5 details in it.

My thoughts: There were a mix of essays I liked (an essay about how magic plays its part in Westeros) and essays that either weren't things I'm interested in (such as an essay about collecting the series and how much certain editions of the book are worth). There were also essays I just did not find compelling or agree with at all (one argued that rape or fear of rape plays an essential part in forming the lives of women in westeros- which just raised my hackles in all the wrong ways).

A few of the essays helped me form my own thoughts about characters and events in the series. However, I do not think that all of the essays in it are created equal. If your library has it and you need a little Westeros in your life- I think that this is a good book to read while waiting for the next installment.

Julia Reviews A Notorious Countess Confessess by Julie Anne Long

We now interrupt this week of holiday shenanigans with a review post! Time for some romance!

Title/Author: A Notorious Countess Confesses by Julie Anne Long
Publisher/Year Published:  October 2012 by Avon
How I got this book: I own the eBook
Why I read this book: I am slowly working my way through this series.

Series: Pennyroyal Green Book 7
Previous Reviews: I Kissed an Earl, What I Did for a Duke, How the Marquess Was Won

Rating: 3.5 stars

This one I just finished few days ago, or last night, I don't remember. Anyway, I had the same feeling with The Notorious Countess Confesses that I did with How the Marquess Was Won (review). 

In this one we have our sexy preacher, Adam, and the new girl in town, the notorious countess and ex-courtesan, Eve. It took me way too long to realize they were called Adam and Eve. It was over half the book...

Anyway, we have one person misunderstood for the role she has had in life and the other misunderstood, or under appreciated more likely, for the role he currently has.  And they sort of hit it off. 

My first qualm with the book actually came in the beginning because wow were there a lot of info dumps in the first few chapters. I swear in the first three chapters, two things actually happen. Everything else is mused on when people are walking or sitting near a fire. Luckily once the plot showed up things evened out and were awesome.

The tension between these two is top notch, and I think they have some real concerns between the two of them that they would have to overcome for their happily ever after. So the middle part, the falling in love part, that's good. It's the freaking ending AGAIN that ruins it for me. Everything has to be neatly wrapped up in a nice little box with a bow on it. And of course it is all solved by stuff done off screen and too many coincidences or "We can just do this and everything works!"

Bah. That's why this is rated where it is. It's not bad. The majority is entertaining and fun in a heartbreaking way sometimes. But still, good romance. But the slow start and the rushed finished just left me with a sad face. 

It's not the worst in the series, and it's not the best either. It didn't leave me wanting to shoot any characters so that's already a step up from Violet's book. I guess if they are consistently okay then that's better then me hating/loving them.

One more book and I am caught up! I thought this was the most recent. Ha. Of course not. But I may need a break before I read another. 

(cross posted on my BookLikes account)

Kelly reviews "The Queen's Rivals" + giveaway!

The Queen's Rivals by Brandy Purdy

Tour and giveaway hosted by:
 Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

Kensington Publishing | 384p | June 25, 2013

Jane Grey is known in history as the Nine Days Queen - she briefly held the throne of England between the time of her cousins Edward VI and Mary. There are countless books telling her story, but what about two other equally fascinating characters, her two sisters Katherine and Mary? They are often overlooked during this turbulent period of history. Interestingly, in The Queen's Rivals, Brandy Purdy chose to have Mary as the narrator. Mary was the youngest sister and was historically described as either a dwarf or a hunchback. In this story, she stopped growing at the age of five and is thus often overlooked or pushed to the back. Because of this, Mary offers the best view of all the events surrounding her tragic family.

The Grey sisters, daughters of the Duchess of Suffolk, who is the daughter of Henry VIII's sister, are all very sympathetic characters. Yes, as is typical, Jane is painted as a prude and generally unlikable, and Katherine is seen as ditzy and naive, but they are so real. You really feel sorry for them as they are treated as pawns in games they really wanted no part of. Even though the sisters are completely different, they stuck together through everything. Each character, especially the sisters, had such a depth and the story was vividly brought to life. The book follows through to Jane's attempt for the throne and her consequent downfall, to Katherine's marriage and later demise, and as well as Mary's heartbreaking time as the only Grey left. None of the sisters had an easy life nor a happy ending.

Mary holds nothing back, whether it be the tantrums thrown by Jane, the abuse given by her mother, or the unusual interests of her father. There was an entirely creepy undertone to the book that I'm finding hard to explain. It may be the difficult family the sisters had, the lack of anything positive really ever happening to them, or a jaded narrator, but I constantly felt queasy and like I was the one personally subjected to all this bad luck. It was discomforting to tell the truth, but really hit home as great writing and characterization. Overall, The Queen's Rivals struck me as a truly unique look at Jane Grey and the ascent of Queen Mary, making it a standout reading experience.

GIVEAWAY: You have a chance to get a copy of The Queen's Rivals for yourself! Simply leave a comment below to enter, you have until August 3rd (U.S. only).

U.S. cover

U.K. cover

A side note: The Queen's Rivals will be published in the UK this September as The Fallen Queen under the name Emily Purdy (confusing!) and of course, there's another cover comparison! I do like the UK one better. The stained glass background is quite pretty.

Kelly reviews The Tudor Conspiracy + giveaway

The Tudor Conspiracy by C.W. Gortner

Tour hosted by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

St. Martin's Griffin | 352p | July 16, 2013

The Tudor Conspiracy is the second book in C.W. Gortner's Spymaster Chronicles series.  Brendan Prescott is caught between trying to show loyalty to Princess Elizabeth and trying to stay alive with Queen Mary. His mission is to help hide a letter of Elizabeth's that may potentially have her arrested or killed as part of a treason plot against Mary. His comings and goings between the two women are made difficult because of a shady ambassador and a beautiful woman (isn't there always) who may or may not be all that she seems (....but isn't there always?). Brendan himself has secret ties to the royal family and struggles to keep his true self out of harm's way.

Perhaps me not reading the first book in the series is the reason for feeling a little disconnected from the characters. It would probably help if you read the first book of the series, The Tudor Secret, before reading this one. I think I was missing a large plot piece in this book: how was Brendan involved with the Dudleys and why do they hate him so much now? There were a lot of characters that I think were in the first book and got some good development, yet here fell a little flat without knowing their backstories. Elizabeth, one of my favorite historical women, didn’t seem that interesting to me, yet I loved the portrayal of Queen Mary. She was still a bit crazy, but she’s very sympathetic and seems simply misguided and lonely.

I thoroughly enjoyed having a male narrator. I made a mental list of the fiction books I've read this year so far (81), and except for Fight Club, a John Green book, and Harry Potter, NONE of them have had a male narrator or main character. My two favorite genres, historical fiction and YA, seem to be severely lacking in attempts to get into the male brain. This fact made The Tudor Conspiracy so refreshing, though I did quite miss detailed descriptions of the women's dresses, as are usual in historical fictions! I really loved C.W. Gortner’s other book on Queen Isabella of Castile and enjoyed his writing style; this carried over to his recent book as well. Even though I felt disconnected from the characters (perhaps my own fault) I still thought the story was an interesting ride overall!

I am able to giveaway my copy of the book (I simply can't keep books anymore) to one of you readers! Like I said earlier, try to get your hands on The Tudor Secret before reading this one. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and you have until July 26th. Simply leave a comment below! Good luck!

U.S. cover

U.K. cover

 I love doing cover comparisons, whether they be by county, language, or time. I received the U.S. version on the right and was constantly giggling at the determined look on the girl's face (and still wasn't sure of who she was) but I am absolutely in love with the U.K. cover! It's both mysterious and serious, two things I associated with the story. Is it just me or are all British covers usually better?

Kimberly Reviews the warrior heir

Book: The Warrior Heir

Author: Cinda Williams Chima

Series: Yes

Angst Level: 1

Rating: 3.5 stars

Before he knew about the Roses, 16-year-old Jack lived an unremarkable life in the small Ohio town of Trinity. Only the medicine he has to take daily and the thick scar above his heart set him apart from the other high schoolers. Then one day Jack skips his medicine. Suddenly, he is stronger, fiercer, and more confident than ever before. And it feels great - until he loses control of his own strength and nearly kills another player during soccer team tryouts.

Soon, Jack learns the startling truth about himself: he is Weirlind, part of an underground society of magical people who live among us. At their helm sits the feuding houses of the Red Rose and the White Rose, whose power is determined by playing The Game - a magical tournament in which each house sponsors a warrior to fight to the death. The winning house rules the Weir.

As if his bizarre heritage isn't enough, Jack finds out that he's not just another member of Weirlind - he's one of the last of the warriors - at a time when both houses are scouting for a player.

I read Cinda’s Seven Realm series last year and LOVED it. It’s a brilliant series and I devoured it quickly. I was excited to read more of her writing. The Warrior Heir was good, much of what I like about her writing was present and the plot was intriguing. However… for some reason I just didn’t connect with the characters the way that I did with the Seven Realms. There is still a lot to enjoy about the book. The main character is a teenage boy. It is so rare to come across a YA novel with a male MC, and it’s refreshing.  I always seem to be at a loss when recommending good YA books for a boy, some of them are just too girly for a teen. I like them, but I’m a girl in her mid-twenties. Big difference.  I’m excited to lend this one to my 12 year old cousin, he will LOVE it.

I’d recommend this to anyone who has read Cinda Williams Chima’s other books, fantasy lovers, or someone looking for a male MC.

(The ‘Angst Level’ is borrowed from my blog. It indicates the level of angst in the story, because if you’re like me, I like a fair warning of how much angsty drama I’ll have to put up with in a story.)