March Wrap-Up

March was nothing short of a fantastic reading month.  I had been in an epic slump since 2014 began.  I don't know if something in the Spring air(or forever summer, I live in Miami afterall) made me devour books at the rate I did.  But I can honestly say, I am never happier than when I read a great book and this month was FULL of great books.  In total I read 17 books: 3 Children's Books, 2 Novella's, 1 Adult Contemporary re-read, 8 YA books, 1 Lady Porn,  and 1 Middle Grade.

 

All ratings can be found on my Goodreads profile.

 



 

The Kissing Booth by Beth Reekles

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Destroy Me by Tahereh Mafi

Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

Fracture Me by Tahereh Mafi

Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

 

Dream Animals: A Bedtime Story by Emily Winfield Martin

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce

The Dark by Lemony Snickett

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

Horten's Miraculous Mechanisms: Magic, Mystery and a Very Strange Adventure by Lissa Evans

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

The Trouble With Being a Duke by Sophie Barnes

Austenland by Shannon Hale

Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberh

Adorkable by Sara Manning

Better of Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg

The final chapter in The Goddess Test series did not deliver

My goodreads review can be found here.

 

I really do not like to post negative reviews, I try to avoid them as much as possible.  But being that I have talked about my love for this series so many times before I felt like I needed to wrap it up in some small way.

I picked up this book mid-way through March, excited that I was finally getting around to finishing up the series.  I could tell from the moment I started that it was not going to deliver the thrills that I had anticipated.  I felt the story was predictable, the main character annoying and worst of all the death(s) in the story unnecessary. It took me 3 weeks to read and I had to force myself to open my Nook to read it.  I think the only reason I actually finished was because I told myself I would not read another book until I finished.  So I finished it. And it was just okay. And that is so dissapointing after following this series for as long as I have.

Rounded up from 2.5

 

Clockwork Princess: An Epic Finale to a Masterful Series

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Review Excerpt for full review visit Examiner.com

In what is probably one of the most highly anticipated books of the year in the Young Adult genre, Cassandra Clare finally brought her spin-off series The Infernal Devices (TID) to a close. Clockwork Princess is an ending so wholly satisfying that I couldn't find one loose end that needed tying. But let's start where we should, at the beginning.

Years ago, when I began reading The Mortal Instruments (TMI), I never expected that I would still be reading a series that I considered mediocre at best. Not to mention a completely new story, spun off from the Shadownhunter/Downworlder mythos and based on the ancestors of the original heroes. As I've previously written, in the years since I read my first TMI book, I have fallen in love with the characters and the world and consider myself a true fan of Ms. Clare's work. Despite that, I picked up the first book in TID out of pure curiosity not loyalty to the author. As a fan of period books, I was curious to see how Cassandra Clare would tell a story in Victorian times.  I have long found her writing to be extremely mature and an author who doesn't cater her writing to her readers but tells the story she intended to tell without sacrificing her voice. She doesn't dumb-it down because her audience is predominantly teenagers, she writes an elegantly crafted story and is an author who expects and (I imagine) hopes, that her readers will pick up on all the nuances she intricately weaves into the characters and their long story arcs.

Contemporary Romance Overkill - Rapid Fire Reviews

Sometime I read books that are great bits of fluff but that I don't really feel the need to write a review for.  I usually just rate them on my Goodreads shelf and move on.  But I decided that even they deserve a little bot of time in the limelight so here is a hodgepodge of some of my romance reads with a succinct one line review.

A Touch of Greek, Out of Olympus Book 1

Surprisingly sweet and steamy romance based on a lesser known Greek god. 

Worth the Weight, Worth Series Book 1

I definitely empathized with Lizzie's body issues and felt like the story had a believable progression.

A Will and A Way

I was amazed I finished it.  The main character was obnoxious and annoyed me. 

Unfinished Business

Predictable and sweet.  Typical Nora Roberts.  

When We Touch

I really enjoyed this one, I thought it was adorable. 

Waking Up Married

Appropriately steamy and unrealistic.  Just what a Harlequin book should be.  

One Night with her Best Friend

The best thing about this book was the adorably sexy/nerdy best friend.  Yes please. 

One Night in the Ice Storm

Meh.  It was ok.  My least favorite of the One Night books. 

One Night with her Bodyguard

For some reason Michael reminded me of Dimitri Belikov from the VA Series.  Enough said. 

The Teacher's Billionaire

It was good, but not good enough to make me want to read the rest of the series. 

Oppression a new spin on Greek mythology

This review originally published on Examiner.com

I have long been a fan of Greek mythology, so it takes little to no coercion to convince me to pick up a book based on any of the myriad gods. For whatever reason I had Oppression by Jessica Therrien on my to read list for almost a full year before finally giving in late one night and cracking open my Nook.

It was not instant love, the story begins rather slowly with a bit of background on the main character, and to be honest, it never really moves past a swift walk as it progresses. A trait that I found exceedingly refreshing. I have definitely started to develop a wariness for YA books that move at such a steady clip that by the end I feel as if I have run a full marathon.

You are never bored while reading Oppression and the story has enough action to keep it moving, but where the story really shines is in allowing the reader to experience and discover the world and mythos of the descendants along with Elyse. Of course the love story is compelling, but refreshingly un-angsty for a change. Elyse doesn't fight her feelings, or cause undue drama for her love interest, after all they have bigger problems to deal with.

If there is one complaint I had while reading the book it's the inevitable comparisons you make while reading it to another famous orphan whose life is dictated by a prophecy. If you know anything of the Potter series, it is impossible not to. I would be surprised if the author sites J.K. Rowling's epic story as a source of inspiration.

The story has some violence, a bit graphic at times and is clearly not meant for younger teens but would be a great story for those with an interest in Greek mythology as it takes the well known stories and turns them on their heads. In Oppression the Greeks Gods are not the main event and this lover of all things mythology found that to be a refreshing twist.

A follow up to Oppression, Uprising will be published later this year. 

Recommended for teens 15+.

Slammed/Point of Retreat by Colleen Hoover: Poignant and Heartfelt

This review originally published on Examiner.com 

I get many book recommendations from friends, and when I say many I mean a ridiculous amount. I usually add them to my to-read list, check out the synopsis and move on. I will eventually read the book but I have such a back log of books that I have been eager to read that I rarely allow a one to skip ahead. A few days ago I made an exception for Slammed by Colleen Hoover.

Truth be told, had I known the depth of the book I probably would have put it off. I assumed, wrongly I might add, that it was a fluffy romantic YA book. I felt like I had been reading so many angsty YA and New Adult (NA) novels lately that a bubble gum read was in order. Slammed is not that book.

Without giving too much away, because the book has several important reveals, it is at its core, a romance between Will and Layken. Two people who have experience tragedy in their lives and are slowing recovering from it. A few chapters in, I could tell that I had underestimated this book. The characters are layered, full of love and show the reader how difficult life can really be. It was an emotional read for me. I cried several times, some of the tears were from sadness, most however, were tears of happiness. I honestly wasn't sure what to do with myself once I was done. So, I did the only thing I could, I picked up the second book, Point of Retreat and started reading it. I wasn't ready to let go the characters I fell in love with just yet.

It is rare for me to read a book and feel a sense of, I'm not really sure how to put it into words, completion, I guess. There is always something that I wish had been different, something that I wish could be expanded on. By the time I was done with Point of Retreat I felt an overwhelming feeling of satisfaction. I had been on a difficult, heart breaking, and uplifting journey with Will and Layken and I couldn't be happier about it.

This is a perfect YA book in my opinion. It makes you feel for the characters while teaching the reader some important life lessons. This is a story that begs to be shared. I am so grateful I made that exception.

Suitable for YA readers 14+.

Slammed

Point of Retreat

Iron Fey Series a fresh take on fairies

My latest Examiner.com review on an excellent highly recommended YA book series.  The Iron Fey Series, by Julie Kagawa delves deep into tolerance and the fear of change than one would expect.  A must read.

Iron Fey Series a fresh take on fairies

A Journey to the Tunnels - Everbound an Everneath Novel

Released on January 22, 2013

The hardest part of reading a series is waiting for the next book to be released. Especially when the world is complex and an extended parting and excessive reading makes it difficult to keep it fresh in your mind. As much as I detest picking up a second or third book in a series and re-reading all the major plot points of the first, I must say for once, I was grateful.

Brodi Ashton revisited her first story Everneath just enough to fill in the gaps of what my memory had long misplaced. Once the story began in earnest it was as gripping, maybe a bit more so, than the first book. Based on a completely new interpretation of hell but heavily borrowing from Greek mythology (and not just the Persephone/Hades myth) Brodi Ashton fills in the gaps of the wide brush strokes she painted of the Everneath in part one. Not only does Becks, the main character, finally get to visit the Everneath, she spends a chunk of the book there giving the reader a wonderfully vivid picture of this other world.

One of the complaints I had about the first book was that I didn't necessarily believe the love triangle. How can it be a triangle when only two people were actually in love? A majority of this story was dedicated to making you understand how Cole, the anti-hero, makes you feel about Becks. Having said that, it must be noted that readers should pick up Neverfall, the novella written in between books 1 and 2. It really fleshes out Cole in a way that didn't exist in Book 1. It definitely helps the reader understand him.

Overall, the book was an enjoyable read. The story is dark and filled with unexpected turns. 

Recommended for teens 15+.

Review originally published on: Examiner.com 

Gift ideas for the teen who loves to series read

As the holiday's approach, I get prodded more and more by eager parents and family members for suggestions on the perfect book to give the young adult in ones life. The answer that is usually given is there is no perfect book.

Tastes differ and for every taste there is a flavor to indulge it with. With that being said, I thought the best suggestion of "perfect" books would be a list of several, I am including the major themes in the book to help you make the right selection based on the interests of the young adult or young adult lit aficionado that you are shopping for.

View slideshow: Gift Ideas for YA Book Series Lovers

I think most who follow my posts know that I am a huge fan of book series, especially in the YA genre. It's hard not to love a story that continues past the initial 300 plus pages and fleshes out the characters. It is this writers opinions that some of the best YA lit today fits into this category. The best of the bunch are:

The Goddess Test Series - A modern twist on beloved mythology, takes a fresh look at Hades and his epic love story with Persephone. Definitely a love story, but not one that I would recommend for readers under 13 due to some minor sexual situations. This series includes a couple of books and novellas with the final book due this coming year.

If you are looking for another mythology series try: The Abandon Trilogy

The Mortal Instruments/The Infernal Devices Series - I have personally written quite a bit about my love/hate relationship with these beloved characters by Cassandra Clare. A dark fantasy set in a world much like our own but with a darker and more dangerous underbelly this is a series for older readers. Getting involved in these stories is a heavy commitment as TMI currently stands at five (5) book with a sixth and (supposed) final book coming out within the next two years and TID currently at two (2) books with the third and final book coming out next year. The author has also planned a spin off to TMI featuring all new characters which will be another three (3) part series. The long anticipated movie is due out this summer, so make sure that they get through at least the first book in time for the August release. I believe this rich story appeals to both boys and girls, but as most YA books do can skew a bit girly at times.

If you are looking for another dark fantasy series try: The Spellbound Series

The Iron Fey Series - This is my most recent series read and what started as a difficult first book to get through became my absolute favorite Fey series. Based on a world ruled by some of Shakespeare's better known characters and filled with the most fantastical supporting players this is a series that your YA will not want to put down. The series finished off with four (4) books and three (3) e-novellas and has now been spun off into a new series The Iron Prince. As you can imagine by the title of the series the stories kind of played at The Matrix meets A Midsummer Nights Dream, but what an interesting and full series it is.

If you are looking for another fey series try: The Wicked Lovely Series

Princess Series - Reading this series is like wrapping yourself in a warm blanket only to find out that the wool that you had come to expect has turned into silk. Jessica Day George takes the most beloved fairytales from childhood and updates them in an exciting page turning way. The series consist of three (3) books and tell the story of the 12 Dancing Princesses, Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood. A series that any young girl in love with princesses and all that entails will enjoy.

If you are looking for another princess series try: The Princess Diaries

The Vampire Academy/Bloodlines Series - By far and away my favorite vampire series of recent years and my absolute favorite YA vampire series. This six (6) book TVA series and currently two (2) book soon to be three (3) book Bloodlines series tells an intricate story that starts off in an out of the way high school and ends up mired in the intrigue and politics of a royal court. Recommended for older YA readers due to sexual situations, violence and overall scary themes these series will become a hard to put down favorite for your YA reader.

If you are looking for another vampire series try: The Tantalize Series

Matched Series - Set in a dystopian society where one is matched by a computer to their perfect mate this story is a great follow up series to someone who loved The Hunger Games. The third (3) and final book was released a few weeks ago and hopes to put a tight red bow and an story of a young girl who chooses to the fight the system that she was born into.

If you are looking for another dystopian tale try: The Divergent Series.

Tempest Series - A young girl finds out she is the daughter of a mermaid and that she may be the key to winning a long and hard fought war raging under the ocean. For any reader who loves mermaid stories this gives you an excellent look into a gorgeous underwater world and all the turmoil that resides within.

If you are looking for another mermaid series try: Of Poseidon Series

In case you have a voracious reader on your hands here are a few more excellent YA series:

• Midnighters Series by Scott Westerfeld
• The Mysterious Benedict Society Series by Trenton Lee Stewart
• A Beautiful Dark Series by Jocelyn Davies
• Firelight Series by Sophie Jordan
• Everneath Series by Brodie Ashton
• Gemma Doyle Series by Libba Bray

This article originally published on:  Examiner.com 

Some late input on The Mortal Instruments

I have a bit of a secret to tell. Several years ago, on the recommendation of some friends, I picked up City of Bones, the first book in what was then The Mortal Instruments trilogy. To be frank, I hated it. But, the aforementioned friends convinced me that I should put my overwhelming feeling of queasy unease aside and finish reading the series.

It took me much longer than I had expected but after a couple of months I could finally say that I had given it a legit chance and move on with my life. I left the books behind me with a tepid opinion of them.

Then the buzz started because this much beloved series was not only getting a spin off series (prequel to be exact) but several more books were going to be added to the original three, and a movie had been optioned. I didn't get it.

As much as I thought the story was well written, because it is. Much more so than so many other hard to put down YA series, ahem Twilight. I just couldn't understand Jace's appeal and don't even get me started on the creep factor I felt stemming from the love triangle. So, I proceeded to forget about it. My friends got excited about the movie and I ignored it. And then this summer, suddenly finding myself with an incredible amount of free time on my hands I decided to revisit the series I just didn't get, despite an overwhelming stack of to-read books on my shelf and Nook.

My thoughts on the original three books have significantly improved. Do I still feel a bit off about the love triangle, of course, I don't know any one who is reading the series that wouldn't. But I learned to appreciate the nuances in the story, the layered characters, how incredibly developed and rich this world of Shadowhunters and Downworlders that Cassandra Clare created for her readers. I genuinely enjoyed reading it the second time around, and to my surprise found that I didn't remember large chunks of the book, so it was at some points like reading it for the first time.

I have since moved onto books 4 and 5, and I am finding much like the first three I am not in love with them the first time around. I honestly think that, maybe just maybe, the Mortal Instruments Series gets better with age, but I will wait to give a better review upon finishing the remainder of the books.

I can say now that the first movie is in production and I have found a new found love for Jace, Clary, Simon, Izzy, Alec and Magus I am counting down the days along with my friends.

This article was originally published on:  Examiner.com 

Book Coveting

My latest Examiner.com post: Book Coveting

Dying of Antici...Pation Monday's

Despite the fact that I have about a billion books on my shelf and Nook that I have yet to read and about eight that I am currently in the middle of, there are always a ton that I can't wait for.  I count down the days, pre-order them wait impatiently for them and then let them sit on my shelf or on my Nook while I finish the books that I am currently reading.  Its a problem people.  I have too much on my plate and not enough time to dedicate to my first and real love Reading.

But, despite that I wanted to start a regular feature where I let you all in on the reads that I am dying for. (extra points if you caught the Rocky reference in the title)

 I was not all about this series when I first picked it up.  The first half of the first book gave me the heeby-jeebies and then by the last chapter I coudln't put it down.  By the time I was done with the third book I wanted to cry that the series was over.  Then she announced a prequel and then a fourth book.  It was like dear sweet Cassie had heard my prayers.

 The second book in the prequel to the Mortal Instruments.  I am saving Book One until Book Two comes out, do not ask for my insane logic but basically I don't want to wait months to figure out the resolution to the cliffhanger ending.

 I couldn't be sadder that this series is coming to a close.  Much like the Vampire Academy series it is one that I feel has truly grown with the characters.  I understand that Young Adult fiction is not for everyone but I love some bubble gum amidst my Classic Lit. and there is nothing better than fairy flavored bubble gum.

 I'm reading part two now.  So good.  So good.  I love how suspensefully dark this series is and can't wait for the third.

 Medusa's daughter, yes, please.

Regency romance and intrigue all wrapped up (pun intended) in what looks to be a tight little teen lit package.  I think this is going to be a sweet little and quick read for me.