Empire of Storms

Goodreads Synopsis:    The long path to the throne has only just begun for Aelin Galathynius as war looms on the horizon. Loyalties have been broken and bought, friends have been lost and gained, and those who possess magic find themselves at odds with those who don't.

With her heart sworn to the warrior-prince by her side, and her fealty pledged to the people she is determined to save, Aelin will delve into the depths of her power to protect those she loves. But as monsters emerge from the horrors of the past, and dark forces become poised to claim her world, the only chance for salvation will lie in a desperate quest that may mark the end of everything Aelin holds dear.

In this breathtaking fifth installment of the New York Timesbestselling Throne of Glass series, Aelin will have to choose what—and who—to sacrifice if she's to keep the world of Erilea from breaking apart.

My Thoughts:

-    I've been dreading this review.

-    I'm so disappointed, and a little angry, about this book. I feel betrayed.

-    The biggest cause of my grief and angst is the porn. This series started out as a fun and edgy YA fantasy. I've cheered on this series, raved about it, defended it, and recommended it to a lot of people, including some teens. I feel like it wasn't fair for the author or publisher to let detailed sex scenes into the 5th book of a series. 

-    Also, why can't people just keep their clothes on. Several of the characters were just randomly naked a lot. Why? It was like a weird cartoon antic.

-    My second biggest complaint was that a lot of these amazing characters were diminished. Rowan was just a dog on a leash for most of the book. It was so frustrating. A lot of the men became dogs on a leash. Lorcan, who gets his power from the devil, became a dog on a leash! Aelin seemed so different. She wasn't a snarky kick butt girl anymore. She had so many doubts and needed so much comfort and support until the crazy unbelievable ending which I will address later.

-    Lysandra and Elide had some great character development. They stole the show for me in this book.

-    Does everyone need to be paired up? In the first four books, only a few of the characters had romantic interests, and all of a sudden, everyone is being paired up with someone! Why!? They don't need to be, unless every male character needs to be a dog on a leash!

-    I didn't buy the ending, and I didn't like it. I don't understand why Aelin needed to keep so many secrets, especially from the small group of people that she trusts and loves more than anything. I also don't think Aelin could predict EVERYONE's moves. There is no way she could predict everyone's motives and what they would do, especially Lorcan. She didn't even know where he was! I hope that wasn't too spoilerish.

-    I was so disappointed with this book, that I've decided to take all the books in the series to a book swap event later this month. I don't want these books in my house anymore. I've never felt so betrayed by a book before. 

Previous books in the Throne of Glass series

(covers are linked to my thoughts)

  

Going Vintage

Goodreads Says:    When Mallory’s boyfriend, Jeremy, cheats on her with an online girlfriend, Mallory decides the best way to de-Jeremy her life is to de-modernize things too. Inspired by a list of goals her grandmother made in1962, Mallory swears off technology and returns to a simpler time (when boyfriends couldn’t cheat with computer avatars). The List:
1. Run for pep club secretary
2. Host a fancy dinner party/soiree
3. Sew a dress for Homecoming
4. Find a steady
5. Do something dangerous
But simple proves to be crazy-complicated, and the details of the past begin to change Mallory’s present. Add in a too-busy grandmother, a sassy sister, and the cute pep-club president–who just happens to be her ex’s cousin–and soon Mallory begins to wonder if going vintage is going too far.

My Thoughts:

-    The first time I tried to read this, I quite. I wanted to give it another chance though because I love the author. I finished this time, but my feeling towards the book didn't change.

-    The characters were pretty lame. I wasn't a fan of any of them, especially Mallory. She was SO over dramatic, and her motives for things were really immature and stupid. Not only did Mallory cut herself off from technology, she cut herself off from people. She wasn't listening to her sister, friends, grandma, or parents. She was so self absorbed.

-    I was really hoping that Mallory was going to go full on 1960s, but her efforts were a sad attempt. I don't think her heart was really in it. She was just being a drama queen.

-    I wish there had been more about the grandma and her life in the 60s. Her life was WAY more interesting than Mallory's.

-    There was no point to this book. There was no lesson learned. What was Mallory trying to accomplish? Nothing! 

-    I was really disappointed with this one, but I really Lindsey's other books. 

Silver in the Blood

Goodreads Synopsis:    A New York Times bestselling author brings dark secrets to life in a lush new YA perfect for fans of Libba Bray or Cassandra Clare.

Society girls from New York City circa 1890, Dacia and Lou never desired to know more about their lineage, instead preferring to gossip about the mysterious Romanian family that they barely knew. But upon turning seventeen, the girls must return to their homeland to meet their relatives, find proper husbands, and—most terrifyingly—learn the deep family secrets of The Claw, The Wing, and The Smoke. The Florescus, after all, are shape-shifters, and it is time for Dacia and Lou to fulfill the prophecy that demands their acceptance of this fate... or fight against this cruel inheritance with all their might.

With a gorgeous Romanian setting, stunning Parisian gowns, and dark brooding young men, readers will be swept up by this epic adventure of two girls in a battle for their lives.

My Thoughts:

-    I had really high hopes for this book, but it turns out that the story was just alright.

-    I'm a big Jessica Day George fan, but this isn't my favorite book of hers. It has so much going for it, but I feel like it just barely missed the mark of being something awesome.

-    The setting was amazing! The book showcases Romania and the time period beautifully. I feel like the book is mostly eye candy.

-    The family secret wasn't super shocking and amazing. I'm sure it was to the characters in the time period, but it wasn't for me as a reader. I felt like there was a lot of build up to the secret, and then it was very anti-climactic and predictable. Also, I wish the secret had been revealed earlier in the story so more of the conflicts could have had more time. 

-    The beginning was slow, but the book picks up about halfway through, and I enjoyed the second half a lot more. I still enjoyed the first half, but it was a lot of setup.

-    Dacia and Lou grew on me, but not a ton. I didn't really love any of the characters. I liked them well enough, but not enough to sympathize very much. 

-    I really liked the homage to Stoker's Dracula. There were mentions of the book in the story. There were also letters and diary entries similar to the ones in Dracula. That was fun.

-    Overall, I enjoyed the book and I think it is worth the read, but it didn't live up to my expectations. 

Sean Griswold's Head

Goodreads Says:    According to her guidance counselor, fifteen-year-old Payton Gritas needs a focus object-an item to concentrate her emotions on. It's supposed to be something inanimate, but Payton decides to use the thing she stares at during class: Sean Griswold's head. They've been linked since third grade (Griswold-Gritas-it's an alphabetical order thing), but she's never really known him.

The focus object is intended to help Payton deal with her father's newly diagnosed multiple sclerosis. And it's working. With the help of her boy-crazy best friend Jac, Payton starts stalking-er, focusing on-Sean Griswold . . . all of him! He's cute, he shares her Seinfeld obsession (nobody else gets it!) and he may have a secret or two of his own. 

In this sweet story of first love, Lindsey Leavitt seamlessly balances heartfelt family moments, spot-on sarcastic humor, and a budding young romance.

My Thoughts:

-    This book is SO cute and SO much fun! I usually don't read and enjoy books like this, but I really like this one! 

-    Among the charm, romance, and fun there are some touching and tender family and friend moments. I really love that this book has a lot more going on than a high school crush.

-    Payton is a girl I can really relate to. I love all the lists she makes!

-    Yes, I admit I enjoy the romance too. I love Sean. He is so sweet and awesome, and I like how Payton and Sean's relationship develops. I really love that he encourages her to do new things and helps her, and . . . I may have pictured Sean as a younger Jeremy Renner ;)

Just look at him! He fits Sean's description, and has a great head! *sigh*

-    I like all the Lindsey Leavitt books I've read, but this one is my favorite! It is that fun comfort read you just want to reach for when you need something nice that puts a smile on your face. 

Queen of Shadows

Goodreads Synopsis:    The queen has returned.

Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she’s at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past…

She has embraced her identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. But before she can reclaim her throne, she must fight.

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die for her. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen’s triumphant return.

The fourth volume in the New York Times bestselling series continues Celaena’s epic journey and builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.

My Thoughts:  (Spoilers for previous books)

-    The bandage to my bleeding heart has finally been delivered!! Things get worse before they get better, but I was really satisfied with the ending of this book. I felt like there was a little bit of hope, and the characters have a moment to rest.

-    At first I felt like I was going to kill someone if Chaol and Aelin didn't get back together, but I'm actually happy with how things turned out. Chaol and Aelin have grown and changed so much that they just aren't the same people, and they have very different objectives and paths to take. I'm glad they were able to reconcile their broken relationship into friendship.

-    The tension between Aelin and Rowan is delicious! Oh man! 

-    I LOVE these characters, and I grow the love them more and more with each book. I love the journeys they have all taken and the development they have all had. 

-    Manon is SO intriguing! At first I thought her story was boring and I had this "what does this have to do with anything" attitude, but now I've come to really like her and her story, and I love that we are finally seeing how she fits in to the big picture. I'm excited to see what else she is going to do.

-    I was very moved by this book. These stories just bring out so much emotion in me. I laugh, I cry, and I get SUPER angry. It is awesome!

-    I can't wait for the rest of the series!!! 

Previous books in the Throne of Glass series

(covers are linked to my thoughts)

  

Not in the Script

Goodreads Says:    Millions of people witnessed Emma Taylor’s first kiss—a kiss that needed twelve takes and four camera angles to get right. After spending nearly all of her teen years performing on cue, Emma wonders if any part of her life is real anymore . . . particularly her relationships.

Jake Elliott’s face is on magazine ads around the world, but his lucrative modeling deals were a poor substitute for what he had to leave behind. Now acting is offering Jake everything he wants: close proximity to home; an opportunity to finally start school; and plenty of time with the smart and irresistible Emma Taylor . . . if she would just give him a chance.

When Jake takes Emma behind the scenes of his real life, she begins to see how genuine he is, but on-set relationships always end badly. Don’t they? Toss in Hollywood’s most notorious heartthrob and a resident diva who may or may not be as evil as she seems, and the production of Coyote Hills heats up in unexpected—and romantic—ways.

This novel in the deliciously fun If Only romance line proves that the best kinds of love stories don’t follow a script. 

My Thoughts:

-    This is a fluff book. I'm kinda picky about my fluff books, and this one just didn't do it for me.

-    Rachel is SO SO SO annoying!

-    Nothing really happens for most of the book. There is practically no plot. The characters talk and talk and talk and then talk some more.

-    A lot of people liked the banter between Emma and Jake, but I wasn't feeling it. I wasn't as great as other books I've read, and I didn't find it funny.

-    I did like that Emma and Jake had other goals in life than acting. They were more real, and they wanted a good education.

-    At first I really didn't like Kimmi, but in the end I wanted to give her a high five. I still didn't like her, but she deserved a high five.

-    Hated Brett from the get go!

-    Overall this book was cute, but it wasn't for me. 

The Bravest Princess

Goodreads Says:    Sleeping Beauty's younger, non-magical sister, Annie, still can't rest while trouble in the kingdom threatens her good friend, Snow White. Snow White's evil stepmother has disappeared, and her father wants her married off right away--but who should she choose? How can she tell which prince is best? It's Annie and her good friend Liam to the rescue! A hilarious and and fantastical romp through a fairy tale landscape from beloved author E D Baker.









My Thoughts:

-    I love that there is a third book in this series! These are so fun and charming. I can't wait to share these with my daughter when she is older.

-    The cover is awesome!

-    I really like Liam and Annie's relationship. They are friends and companions, and they are sweethearts. 

-    I like the way Liam looks out for Annie. He is so chivalrous. Sometimes he can be too protective, but it's isn't too bad.

-    The map in the front gives a few plot points away.

-    I liked the different competitions the princes had to do. They were clever and fun to read.

-    I love that Annie doesn't fit the typical mold for a princess. She is curious, brave, and smart. I love how she takes matter into her own hands.

-    Overall, I was very pleased with this story. It was fun and cute.

Series Info:

This is the 3rd book in the Wide Awake Princess series. Click on the cover below to see my thoughts on the previous books.

 

The Amaranth Enchantment

From Goodreads:    A delightful fairytale by a lyrical new voice.

When Lucinda Chapdelaine was a small child, her parents left for the royal ball and never returned. Ever since, Lucinda has been stuck in perpetual servitude at her evil aunt’s jewelry store. Then, on the very same day, a mysterious visitor and an even more bizarre piece of jewelry both enter the shop, setting in motion a string of twists and turns that will forever alter Lucinda’s path. In this magical story filled with delightful surprises, Lucinda will dance at the royal ball, fall under the Amaranth Witch’s spell, avenge her parents’ death, and maybe—just maybe—capture the heart of a prince.

My Thoughts:

-    This was a fun Cinderella retelling. It wasn't amazing, but I liked it.

-    I didn't understand the romance between Lucinda and the prince. Why were they attracted to each other? The prince didn't have much of a personality. I liked Peter a lot better. I think Lucinda should have hooked up with him.

-    Peter reminded me of Dodger from Oliver Twist and Sage from The False Prince. He was fun, snarky, and a rascal. 

-    The Amaranth Witch was probably my favorite character. She was mysterious, and I didn't know if Lucinda could trust her completely. Her story was interesting as well. I want to know more about her life and her world.

-    The story went in directions I didn't expect. It is always good when a story surprises me. 

-    I probably wouldn't buy this book, but I'm glad I read it. 

Rapunzel's Revenge

Goodreads Bit:    Once upon a time, in a land you only think you know, lived a little girl and her mother . . . or the woman she thought was her mother.

Every day, when the little girl played in her pretty garden, she grew more curious about what lay on the other side of the garden wall . . . a rather enormous garden wall.

And every year, as she grew older, things seemed weirder and weirder, until the day she finally climbed to the top of the wall and looked over into the mines and desert beyond.

Newbery Honor-winning author Shannon Hale teams up with husband Dean Hale and brilliant artist Nathan Hale (no relation) to bring readers a swashbuckling and hilarious twist on the classic story as you've never seen it before. Watch as Rapunzel and her amazing hair team up with Jack (of beanstalk fame) to gallop around the wild and western landscape, changing lives, righting wrongs, and bringing joy to every soul they encounter.

My Thoughts:

-    A triple Hale book. There was no way for this book to not be good!

-    The illustrations are, of course, beautiful and amazing.

-    I feel like Disney used this book in a lot of their planning for Tangled. 

-    I liked the duo of Jack and Rapunzel. They are funny together. Rapunzel is spunky and fearless, and Jack is funny and clever. 

-    I love the charm and humor that Shannon brings to this story.

-    I read this to my 3 year old, and she loved it! It was really fun and cute, and I love that it entertained me and her.

-    I didn't even realize who Jack was until the end! I felt dumb! 

-    I like how other fairy tales made there way into Rapunzel's story.

-    Overall, this is a fun fun fun book! Read it!

Book of a Thousand Days

Goodreads Description:    When Dashti, a maid, and Lady Saren, her mistress, are shut in a tower for seven years for Saren's refusal to marry a man she despises, the two prepare for a very long and dark imprisonment.
As food runs low and the days go from boiling hot to freezing cold, it is all Dashti can do to keep them fed and comfortable. 

But the arrival outside the tower of Saren's two suitors—one welcome, and the other decidedly less so—brings both hope and great danger, and Dashti must make the desperate choices of a girl whose life is worth more than she knows.

With Shannon Hale's lyrical language, this forgotten but classic fairy tale from the Brothers Grimm is reimagined and reset on the central Asian steppes; it is a completely unique retelling filled with adventure and romance, drama and disguise.

My Thoughts:

-    This was good, but it wasn't my favorite of Shannon's. I found it a little dry.

-    I wanted to be more emotionally involved in the story. The book was a journal of Dashti and her experiences, and I felt like I was just being told a story. I like stories where I feel like I'm right there with the character.

-    I loved Dashti's sketches in the book. They were fun.

-    I liked Dashti from day 1. She was so kind and had a good heart, but I wasn't really attached to her. I didn't feel for her as much as I wanted to. I didn't feel for any of the characters really. 

-    Dashti put up with A LOT! I would not have been so kind to Saren for that long.

-    I enjoyed the war with Khaser. It added intensity to the book.