The Iron Daughter

Title:  The Iron Daughter

Author:  Julie Kagawa

Series:  The Iron Fey #2

Publisher:  Harlequin Teen

Date Published:  July 20, 2010

Genre:  Fantasy, Young Adult

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

My Thoughts:

-    Again, I am torn between 3 and 4 stars, so 3.5 stars for this one.

-    Meghan Chase is stuck in the winter kingdom surrounded by enemies, and the only friend she thought she had is rarely around or being a total jerk. Things between Summer and Winter are tense, but after the seasonal scepter thing is stolen, war is inevitable. While Summer and Winter are preparing for war, Meghan decides to go after the real culprit, the Iron Fey. Even though Meghan took care of the Iron King, another "ruler" has risen up to take his place. 

-    The characters grew on me during this book. I was more invested in what happened to them and their end goals. I also felt like there was more on the line if they failed. 

-    The beginning and the end are so good. The middle is a tad slow. I don't understand why they had to spend so much time at Leansidhe's house doing nothing.

-    Once again, Grimalkin was hilariously snarky, and probably the most important character in the book. 

-    I did not like the love triangle. I don't think the story needs one. I understand why she has feelings towards Puck, but come on! Ash is obviously the one she loves. Sorry if that is a spoiler. I don't think it is though. 

-    The book sort of suffers from 2nd book syndrome, but the ending is pretty darn fantastic. 

My Thoughts in a GIF: 

Trigger Warnings:  Mild Violence, Grief, Sensuality, Substance

Previous Book in the Series:

(cover is linked)

The Iron King

Title:  The Iron King

Author:  Julie Kagawa

Series:  The Iron Fey #1

Publisher:  Harlequin Teen

Date Published:  January 19, 2010

Genre:  Fantasy, Young Adult

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

My Thoughts:

-    I am torn between 3 and 4 stars on this one. It is probably a 3.5 star rating for me. 

-    Meghan Chase is just a regular teen trying to find her way through high school and life. Her reputation at school used to be her biggest worry until her little brother gets kidnapped by a faery king, like what happens to Jennifer Connelly in Labyrinth. She journeys into the Nevernever with her best friend, who turns out to be a faery named Puck. Yes, Puck from A Midsummer's Night Dream. Now she has to travel through a land where everything is trying to eat her and rescue her brother.

-    I first read this in 2014, so it has been a long time since I've journeyed through the Nevernever. I remember really loving these books, but I was worried that 34 year old me wouldn't like the stories as much as 26 year old me. Luckily, the stories have stood the test of time, and I had a lot fun. 

-    I liked Meghan, Puck, and Ash well enough, but there wasn't anything that endeared them to me. I'm hoping that I will warm up to them more as I get better reacquainted throughout the series.

-    The best character is Grimalkin. That cat is hilariously snarky, and I love that he only sticks around because he is amused. 

-    I loved the world of fae that Kagawa has created. I loved what she has taken from mythology, fairy tales, and other literary works. I want to live in the Nevernever. 

-    I am proud to say my reviews have gotten a lot better over the years. If you'd like to see my old (and kind of embarrassing) review, here is a link. 

My Thoughts in a GIF:

Trigger Warning:  Some Violence, Bullying

Golden Sun

From Goodreads:    For anyone who has ever dreamed of hearing a horse’s story...

Oregon, 1790
Golden Sun is a chestnut snowflake Appaloosa. In summer, he treks through the mountains with his rider, a Nez Perce boy named Little Turtle, as he gathers healing plants. But when Little Turtle’s best friend falls ill, Golden Sun discovers his true calling. Here is Golden Sun’s story...in his own words.

With moving and knowledgeable text and lovely black and white art throughout—by a mother-daughter team of horse experts—this is the perfect fit for all lovers of horses and history!

My Thoughts:

-    I use the words cute and heartwarming for each of these books, but I don't think I can say it enough. Cute and heartwarming are the perfect words for the stories!

-    I love the relationship between Golden Sun and Little Turtle. I love that they didn't need words to communicate. They just knew what the other one was thinking and feeling. I love that we can have that kind of deep relationship with animals.

-    I really enjoyed the story and the characters, and Gnome loved it just as much.

Previous Horse Diaries Book:

  

Maestoso Petra

Goodreads Says:    Maestoso Petra is a world-famous Lipizzaner stallion. He has spent years in the Spanish Riding School, training to perform the complex airs above the ground that only Lipizzaner can accomplish. But when World War II breaks out in Europe, he learns to think less about performing and more about survival. Here is Maestoso Petra’s story . . . in his own words.











My Thoughts:

-    This was alright, but it wasn't as cute as the other books in the series.

-    The heartwarming relationship with the horse and the humans wasn't there. 

-    The story was a bit dry.

-    I enjoyed learning more about these show horses though.

Previous Horse Diaries Book:

  

Ivy and Bean: What's the Big Idea?

Goodreads Synopsis:    It's the Science Fair, and the second grade is all over it! Some kids are making man-eating robots. Some kids are holding their breath for a very, very long time. Some kids are doing interesting things with vacuum cleaners. The theme, obviously, is global warming. But what should Ivy and Bean do? Something involving explosions? Or ropes? Somethingwith ice cubes? Or maybe . . . maybe something different.









My Thoughts:

-    Here we go again! Another adventure with Ivy and Bean. It was fun.

-    Gnome and I were pretty entertained with this one. We both laughed a few times.

-    I loved that this one tackled a hot topic. It was funny to see what the kids came up with to combat global warming. I also liked seeing the concern the kids had for our planet.

-    I'm glad we kept reading these. They are fun.

Previous Books

  
  

Phantom Hourglass

From Goodreads:    Link's friend Tetra is taken prisoner by a ghost ship, and Link falls overboard when he tries to save her. When he wakes up, he finds himself embarked on another fantastic quest! The discovery of the Phantom Hourglass sets Link on a journey to rescue Tetra, find the Sand of Hours and break the curse on the Temple of the Ocean King. Come aboard with Link for an amazing adventure on the high seas!











My Thoughts:

-    This was a good finish to the series. I wish they had written a book for Wind Waker. 

-    I've played Wind Waker, but I never got around to Phantom Hourglass. Maybe I'll give it a try.

-    Tetra is my favorite Zelda! I love her snarky pirate self.

-    This was a more entertaining volume in the series. I liked the characters and the story. 

-    The artwork is really fun and unique.

Previous Books in the Series:

  
  
  

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

Goodreads Synopsis:    A terrible tragedy befalls Link's family and friends when the traitorous Agahnim launches a plot to seize the Triforce and unleash a terrible evil on the world. To bring justice to Agahnim, Link needs the Master Sword and sets off on a quest to find it. Link's journey may also help him discover what happened to his parents, and while Agahnim's minions and traps are dangerous, this link to the past may be even more challenging!










My Thoughts:

-    This story should have been stretched over a couple volumes. It rushed a lot.

-    I want more details about Ghanti's history. She was the most interesting character.

-    This was not my favorite Link and Zelda design. The artwork was okay, but I like other character designs better.

-    There was part of the book that was telling and not showing, which was really weird for a graphic novel. I understand that they were trying to get through a bunch of dungeon stuff, but still.

-    I feel like the story was misnamed. It should have been a A Link to Dark and Light or A Link to Two Worlds.

-    Is Ganon's true form a pig? He is usually in pig form when I see him, but I know he has a gerudo form sometimes too. 

Previous Books in the Series:

  
  
 

Dogs

From Goodreads:    Since the wolf first snuck into the caves of our ancestors to take warmth from the fire, dogs have been man’s constant companion. Dogs, multi-award-winning photographer Tim Flach’s stunning follow-up to the critically acclaimed Equus, delves deep into the psyche of this enduring bond with Canis familiaris to present an exquisite study of “man’s best friend.”

From specimens on show at Crufts and Westminster to shelter dogs lovingly rescued by volunteers; from the grace and agility of racing greyhounds to adored domestic companions; from Afghan hounds to Hungarian komondors to Chinese crested, the images featured in Dogs promise to deliver one of the most appealing, popular, and exciting photographic tributes to dogs ever published. 

My Thoughts:

-    I'm a dog lover! My dad and siblings are dog people. I'm making my girls dog lovers too. 

-    Gnome and I enjoyed this book. It had AMAZING photographs of various dogs. We laughed and oohed and aahed. It was fun. The baby even enjoyed the pictures.

-    We also enjoyed learning about the different breeds and dogs in the book. I liked getting the background stories of the dogs being photographed. 

-    I wish my library had more Tim Flach books. This was fun. 

The Lying Game

From Goodreads:    I had a life anyone would kill for.

Then someone did.

The worst part of being dead is that there's nothing left to live for. No more kisses. No more secrets. No more gossip. It's enough to kill a girl all over again. But I'm about to get something no one else does--an encore performance, thanks to Emma, the long-lost twin sister I never even got to meet.

Now Emma's desperate to know what happened to me. And the only way to figure it out is to be me--to slip into my old life and piece it all together. But can she laugh at inside jokes with my best friends? Convince my boyfriend she's the girl he fell in love with? Pretend to be a happy, care-free daughter when she hugs my parents goodnight? And can she keep up the charade, even after she realizes my murderer is watching her every move?

My Thoughts:

-    The book's point of view is from Sutton's ghost, but she follows Emma around, and Emma is impersonating her, so I was a little confused about who was narrating at first, but sometimes it is Sutton and sometimes it is Emma. You'd think that would be confusing, but it is actually okay. I don't know how the author pulled it off, but she did. 

-    The story is a little frustrating. The characters are all bratty backstabbing b@%#es, and I feel like Emma is making all the wrong decisions by playing along. 

-    There is no ending to this book!! I was pretty mad that I didn't find out who the killer was by the end.

-    I didn't want to continue the series, but I want to know who killed Sutton. 

Feed

From Goodreads:    The year was 2014. We had cured cancer. We had beaten the common cold. But in doing so we created something new, something terrible that no one could stop. 

The infection spread, virus blocks taking over bodies and minds with one, unstoppable command: FEED. Now, twenty years after the Rising, bloggers Georgia and Shaun Mason are on the trail of the biggest story of their lives—the dark conspiracy behind the infected. 

The truth will get out, even if it kills them.

My Thoughts:

-    This is not your typical zombie book. I wouldn't really call it a zombie book. It was more of a news reporter and politics story with zombies in it. 

-    I wanted more zombie encounters. There were only a few, and they didn't last long. This is my biggest complaint about the book. More zombies! More violence!

-    I liked the book for what it was. I liked the characters, and I liked the little bit of mystery. 

-    The ending was really good. 

-    Overall, the book was alright. I just wanted more zombies. 

The Poison Diaries

Goodreads Synopsis:    A dark, gothic tale of romance... and murder. In the right dose, everything is a poison. Jessamine has spent her whole life in a cottage close to her father's apothecary garden, surrounded by medicinal plants and herbs that could kill her -- although her father has never allowed her into the most dangerous part of the grounds... the poison garden. And so she's never had reason to be afraid -- until now. Because now a newcomer has come to live with the family, a quiet but strangely attractive orphan boy named Weed. Though Weed doesn't say much in words, he has an instant talent for the apothecary's trade, seeming to possess a close bond with the plants of the garden. Soon, he and Jessamine also share a close bond. But little does Jessamine know that passion can be just as poisonous as the deadliest plants in the garden -- for behind Weed's instinctive way in the garden is a terrible secret.


My Thoughts:

-    This was an awful book! It made me SO mad! Not the good kind of mad either!

-    The story and characters were not thought out very well. The book didn't feel like a final draft. It was more like a 2nd or 3rd draft.

-    My reactions while reading: This is interesting. . .nothing is happening. . .nothing is happening. . . oh, something happened. . .the father is acting really weird. . . what the heck just happened? . . . what? the last part of the book is in a new perspective? . . . WHAT THE CRAP!? . . .I'm so sickened and confused. . . feels like a completely different story. . . this is horrible! . . . GAH!

-    The story started out interesting, but in the end, I was so sickened and angry. The whole point of the book is murder. I can't stand needless killing, especially needless killing of animals! What the heck!?

-    Some of the personalities were really inconsistent. The father was all over the place. I could not figure out his character. Weed was fine until we got in his head, and then he sounded like Jessamine. 

-    I really didn't like switching to a new perspective for the last few chapters. The story should have been written in third person, so that when Jessamine became incapacitated, we didn't have to get in Weed's head. 

-    Don't read this! It isn't worth the time. 

Heist Society

Goodreads Synopsis:    When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her on a trip to the Louvre…to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria…to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own—scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving “the life” for a normal life proves harder than she’d expected.

Soon, Kat's friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring Kat back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has a good reason: a powerful mobster has been robbed of his priceless art collection and wants to retrieve it. Only a master thief could have pulled this job, and Kat's father isn't just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat’s dad needs her help.

For Kat, there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it's a spectacularly impossible job? She's got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in her family's history--and, with any luck, steal her life back along the way.

My Thoughts:

-    This was a really fun story with great characters. It is very reminiscent of any "heist" movie like Ocean's Eleven and The Italian Job. I really enjoyed it.

-    Kat is a great main character. She is smart and has an awesome set of thief skills, but she also struggles with stealing things and how her family operates. 

-    I love Kat's family, and I love that the story is an all around family business. It is great to see a book with strong family ties. 

-    Some parts of the book felt a little slow to me, but I was interested the whole time, and I loved getting to the actual heist. 

-    I really enjoy Kat's relationship with Hale. There is tension there, and they've known each other for forever. I love romances that bloom from friendship. 

-    Very fun book, and it has Ally's humor and style all over it. I'm excited to read the rest of the series. 

Vampire Knight: Volumes 11 - 15

From Goodreads:    The Night Class at Cross Academy has been abolished. Zero still attends the Day Class while carrying out his duties as a vampire hunter. Yuki now lives hidden away at the Kuran residence with Kaname, but can she embrace the life of a pureblood vampire?











My Thoughts:

-    Some time has lapsed since the last volume. Things have changed.

-    It seems like Yuki is really struggling with her new vampire life.

-    Why does Zero hate Yuki so much? It isn't like Yuki had any control over what she is or what happened to her, just like him! He is such a hypocrite! 


Goodreads Synopsis:    It's been one year since Yuki left Cross Academy with Kaname, and tonight is her first vampire soirée as a pureblood. Her best friend Sayori has snuck into the party to see her, but will Yuki and Zero be able to protect a human girl amid a bevy of vampires?











My Thoughts:

-    I HATE that Kaname is such a control freak! What the heck!?

-    I'm really losing interest in the story and characters. I miss the mysterious Kaname and brooding Zero. The tension and dynamic isn't the same between Zero, Kaname, and Yuki.


Goodreads Says:    Yuki is attacked by another pureblood outside a graveyard for meddling in the ways of the vampire society. Injured, she returns home to Kaname, who shares with her his past memories and the truth behind the Kuran family.












My Thoughts:

-    I love Kaname's wolfy!! He is so cute!

-    I'm so confused! Who is Kaname? 

-    I liked learning how vampire hunters and their weapons were created. It was nice information.


Goodreads Synopsis:    The Vampire Hunter Society has imprisoned Aido in order to interrogate him about Kaname’s connection to Sara Shirabuki. Meanwhile, Yuki wants a fresh start with Kaname, but circumstances arise that may force them apart.











My Thoughts:

-    Kaname and Yuki have a really weird relationship. I don't like it.

-    I don't understand what is going on. I'm so confused.

-    I don't like Kaname anymore. I don't like any of the characters really. 

-    Why do so many mangas start out amazing but end terribly? It seems to be a pattern for most of them.


From Goodreads:    With Kaname missing, Yuki must now step in as acting head of her clan to maintain the fragile peace between the human and vampire societies. Will she be able to regain the trust of the vampire aristocrats, much less Aido?












My Thoughts:

-    I don't understand what reinstating the night class is going to do. What is the point of all this?

-    Yuki should stop playing around and go find and reprimand Kaname!

-    I'm glad Yuki is finally taking some action, but to what end?

-    I'm bored and confused, and I wish the series had ended with volume 10!