The Selection (The Selection #1) by Kiera Cass: Review

RATING: 5/5 stars!

Author: Kiera Cass

Publisher: HarperTeen

Source: library

Release date: April 24th, 2012

Find it on Goodreads here!

SUMMARY (from Goodreads):

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself—and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.  

REVIEW:

This review may contain minor spoilers. Nothing major, but read at your own risk.

Why I waited three years after this book came out to read it I have no idea. But I am definitely regretting not reading it sooner.

I am a huge fan of the TV show, The Bachelor, and this book reminded me so much of that. But THE SELECTION was soooo much better than the TV show. The drama created in this book is way more interesting and much more entertaining.

I liked everything about this book. Maxon was a great male lead, and America, though frustrating at times, was a great protagonist. I wasn't crazy about the love triangle, but it didn't bother me as much as I thought it would.

The only thing I didn't like about this book...is Aspen. He drove me absolutely insane. When America bought dinner for the two of them in the beginning, and he refused to accept it because the "male is supposed to provide for the female" type thing, I wanted to slap him. This book takes place in the future. I thought we'd have gotten over this by now. America was trying to do something nice for you. The least you can do is accept it. And when he refused to leave her alone EVEN AFTER they broke up, I wanted to slap him again. Multiple times. He broke up with her, broke her heart, and now he follows her to the castle. JUST GO AWAY!!

Ok, mini rant over.

Overall, THE SELECTION was an absolutely fantastic book. I highly recommend reading it!!

CONTENT: Kissing, making out, talk of sex, but it is mostly pretty clean.

Another Kind of Hurricane by Tamara Ellis Smith: Review

RATING: 3/5 stars!

Author: Tamara Ellis Smith

Publisher: Schwartz and Wade

Source: Publisher

Release date: July 14th, 2015

Find it on Goodreads here!

SUMMARY (from Goodreads):

 In this stunning debut novel, two very different characters—a black boy who loses his home in Hurricane Katrina and a white boy in Vermont who loses his best friend in a tragic accident—come together to find healing. 
 
A hurricane, a tragic death, two boys, one marble. How they intertwine is at the heart of this beautiful, poignant book. When ten-year-old Zavion loses his home in Hurricane Katrina, he and his father are forced to flee to Baton Rouge. And when Henry, a ten-year-old boy in northern Vermont, tragically loses his best friend, Wayne, he flees to ravaged New Orleans to help with hurricane relief efforts—and to search for a marble that was in the pocket of a pair of jeans donated to the Red Cross. 
 
Rich with imagery and crackling with hope, this is the unforgettable story of how lives connect in unexpected, even magical, ways.
 
“In Smith’s poetic hands, this poignant story barrels across the pages and into the reader’s heart, reminding us that magic can arise from the deepest tragedy.” —Kathi Appelt, Newbery Honor Award winner and two-time National Book Award Finalist

REVIEW:

Thank you to Penguin Random House, who sent me this book in exchange for an honest review!

There were many things I liked about this book. The writing was absolutely gorgeous. It flowed so nicely, which made the book an extremely easy read. The beginning of the novel was very strong, and, like a rip tide, pulled you into the story. 

The current, sadly, was not strong enough to keep me though. 

After the beginning, the story lost its grip. I know it's supposed to be a story of coincidence, but it relied so heavily on this that I felt like it lost something. One thing led to another, and the story became so unbelievable that I almost had to put the book down. What should have taken me a day to read drew out into a week because the story became so bland and boring. No twists. No turns. Stuff just happened and it wasn't enough to keep me interested.

Overall, ANOTHER KIND OF HURRICANE was not a bad book. But, unless you are a die-hard middle grade fan, I would suggest skipping this one. 

CONTENT: Clean



On College and Reading Slumps

Hello everyone!

Sorry I have been so absent lately. I started my first year College back in August, and I have had so little time to do anything else besides do homework, study, and work for the past month. But what has kept me so absent before this?

A reading slump.

I have not experienced one of these for a long time. It all started when I read ANOTHER KIND OF HURRICANE by Tamara Ellis Smith. It was sent to me for review...and I just did not like it at all. It was so slow, and everything in the story was far too convenient for my taste. It took me forever to read, and after this book, I just lost all desire to read. I started INHUMAN by Kat Falls, hoping this book would pull me out of this slump, but I was not crazy about that book either. This takes me right up to when school started, and I started reading A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES by Sarah J. Maas. I absolutely love this book, but I have so little time now to read for enjoyment that it is making me crazy. But I'm hoping that as I get settled into my school routine more that I will have more time to read and review. Because I miss it. A lot. I know my posting has been sparse, and I really hope to get back into posting at least once a week instead of once a month like it has been :)

If anyone is still reading this blog, thank you so much! I adore each and every one of you. Sorry I have not been able to post more!!

~Marie

Top Ten Authors I've Read the Most Books From

"Top Ten Tuesday" is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week I'm talking about the top ten authors I've read the most books from!

 

1. Rick Riordan- 15 books

 

This doesn't really surprise me. I absolutely love his books.

 

2. Cassandra Clare- 13 books

 

Again, this one doesn't surprise me. I love all of Cassie's books.

 

3. Julie Kagawa- 12 books

 

The Iron Fey series <3 p="">

 

4. Richelle Mead- 11 books

 

I love all of her books! I have yet to read the last Bloodlines, though.

 

5. James Patterson- 11 books

 

Maximum Ride was my absolute favorite...until he kept writing more books. Then I got bored.

 

6. Scott Westerfeld- 11 books

 

His books are fabulous.

 

7. Neal Shusterman- 11 books

 

Neal Shusterman is my favorite author, so I honestly thought he'd be higher up on the list. I should work on that.

 

8. Anthony Horowitz- 11 books

 

The Alex Rider series was my absolute favorite. I need to read more of his books.

 

9. Holy Black- 9 books

 

These are definitely all of the Spiderwick books :)

 

10. Brandon Mull- 9 books

 

FABLEHAVEN <3 p="">

 

Who is on your top ten?

The Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale: Review

RATING: 4/5 stars!

 

Author: Shannon Hale

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Source: Bought

Release date: September 1st, 2007

Find it on Goodreads here!

 

SUMMARY (from Goodreads):

 

When Dashti, a maid, and Lady Saren, her mistress, are shut in a tower for seven years because of 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 broiling hot to freezing cold, it is all Dashti can do to keep them fed and comfortable. With the arrival outside the tower of Saren's two suitors--one welcome, the other decidedly less so--the girls are confronted with 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 little-known 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.

 

REVIEW:

 

Before reading THE BOOK OF A THOUSAND DAYS, I did not read the summary. I went in totally blind, and I had no idea what to expect.

 

I wasn't quite sure what to think at first. I did not expect it to be told from the POV of the maid, Dashti, and the first part of the book was SO BORING. Dashti and the princess, Saren, were shut in a tower, and besides the few interludes with a cat and a prince, almost nothing happened. I was getting so fed up with them being in the tower that I almost put the book down. But I kept reading, and I am so glad that I did.

 

The story took a total turn, and it was absolutely wonderful. I don't want to give anything away, but I loved the way Shannon Hale took the story. It was so beautifully written, and I was pretty giddy by the time I finished the book. SO GOOD!

 

Overall, THE BOOK OF A THOUSAND DAYS is not one to miss! 

 

CONTENT: Clean 



Interview with NIGHTBORN Author, Lou Anders!

Hello all! I am thrilled today to have Lou Anders, author of the THRONES & BONES series, on my blog today! NIGHTBORN, the newest addition to the THRONES & BONES trilogy, will be released on July 14th of this year. Trust me when I say, these books are absolutely fabulous! Read my reviews for  FROSTBORN and NIGHTBORN.

 

 

From the author of Frostborn comes Book 2 in the acclaimed Thrones and Bones fantasy-adventure trilogy for fans of Lloyd Alexander and Brandon Mull.

Karn Korlundsson is a gamer. Not a riddle solver. But in order to rescue his best friend, Thianna Frostborn, he will need to travel to the faraway city of Castlebriar (by wyvern), learn how to play a new board game called Charioteers (not a problem), decipher the Riddle of the Horn, and tangle with mysterious elves.

Meet Desstra. She’s in training to join the Underhand—the elite agents of the dark elves. When she crosses paths with Karn, she is not all that she appears to be.

Everyone is chasing after the horn of Osius, an ancient artifact with the power to change the world. The lengths to which Karn will go in the name of friendship will be sorely tested. Who knew that solving a riddle could be so deadly?

The novel includes instructions for playing the board game Charioteers. Visit ThronesandBones.com for additional games, maps, character profiles, and more!

PREORDER on Amazon or Barnes & Noble

 

Hello Lou! I am so excited to have you on my blog today! Without further ado, onto the questions:

 

 

1.    What inspired you to incorporate Norse mythology into your story?

There were two different factors working together. The first was that I wanted to write a strong female character that my own daughter, and girls everywhere, could read and enjoy. I wanted my heroine to be the one in the thick of the action, not relegated to being the “brains of the operation” or the magical member of the team, as girl characters can sometimes be in adventure books. And as my own children are biracial, I wanted to explore a character who felt like she was caught between two cultures. So the idea of a half-giantess was born. At the same time, this was my first foray into fantasy fiction, and I wanted to explore the roots of the genre in Western literature, drilling back to the same myths and legends that inspired Tolkien. So while I was settling on a girl who grew up with frost giants, I was also researching the mythology of Europe, and both things led me to the Scandinavian people and their influences.

2.    Was it always your dream to become an author?

Yes. Though it was a dream that was put on hold many times. As a child, I wrote short stories and small comic strips, and I was always the Game Master when we played Role Playing Games. I took fiction writing courses in college, but my own limitations (doubtless caused by a lack of maturity) frustrated me, and I set the dreams aside for a while. I got into acting, studying it first in a fifth year of school, and then in Oxford and London, and I eventually moved to Chicago, where I ended up writing and directing theater. This led to a move to Los Angeles, where I worked as a journalist while writing screenplays with a partner. Through a roundabout move into the dot-com space in San Francisco, I eventually ended up working in genre publishing. Then, about five years ago, a friend asked me to write a short story for an anthology. I was reluctant, but he insisted. When I finished, we both agreed that what I’d written was more an introduction to a book than a stand-alone short form work. I set about to turn it into a novel, and while that wasn’t Frostborn, it was the manuscript that got me an agent and started me writing prose in earnest.

3.    Is writing your only job? Or do you have other jobs on the side?

When I wrote Frostborn and Nightborn, I was working as the editorial director and art director of an adult science fiction and fantasy imprint. In fact, I have won the Hugo Award for editing and the Chesley Award for art directing, and I may be the only person in the field to have won both of those awards. I quit last September, however, to devote myself full time to writing the Thrones and Bones series.

4.    I know that the THRONES AND BONES trilogy is not finished . . . but I see that there are lots of places on the map that haven’t been explored yet. Is there a possibility of a spin-off series?

In short, yes. There are actually seven maps to date, all drawn by the incredible Robert Lazzaretti, and with Nightborn’s publication, six of them will be public. But I realize it’s the Continent of Katernia map you are referring to. When I built the world, I deliberately constructed it to be a vast-enough canvas to encompass a thousand stories. And I hammered out the different countries and their histories and cultures for weeks before I ever started a plot outline. Now all I have to do is open the map on my computer and pick a location, and story ideas start to suggest themselves to me. I can tell you things going on all over Katernia, and some of the other continents as well. And I can tell you about stories that happened hundreds or even thousands of years before the events of the Thrones and Bones series. I hope I get to follow Karn, Thianna, and Desstra’s adventures for years to come, but there are other characters waiting in the wings to have their turn as well.

5.    If Karn, Desstra, and Thianna were to play Monopoly, who would win?

Karn and Desstra would be fairly evenly matched in a game like Monopoly. He’s the better strategist, but he has a blind spot when it comes to deceitful characters, and Desstra could probably trick him again. She’d play dirty, and he might fall for it. We’ll never know, however, as Thianna would lose patience with the game almost immediately, snatch the playing pieces, and run off.

6.    You are sentenced to a ten-year exile on a desert island with nothing but a knife, a canteen, and a piece of string. You are allowed to take one of the characters from FROSTBORN and NIGHTBORN with you. Who would you take?

I wouldn’t dare split up Karn and Thianna’s friendship. They belong together until they decide they don’t, and far be it from me to come between them. Desstra, however, is a loner without a clear place in the world. I know where she’ll eventually come into her own, but it’s going to be a long time coming, and as an elf, she’s long-lived anyway, so a ten-year detour to hang out with her creator wouldn’t be hard on her. I hope.

 

Thank you so much for stopping by today, Lou!

About the Author:

Lou Anders drew on a recent visit to Norway, along with his adventures traveling across Europe in his teens and twenties, to write Frostborn and Nightborn, combining those experiences with his love of globe-trotting adventure fiction and games (both tabletop and role-playing). However, he has yet to ride a wyvern. With the addition of characters Desstra and Tanthal, Anders hopes that his second book in the Thrones and Bones series will continue to appeal to boys and girls equally. Anders is the recipient of a Hugo Award for editing and a Chesley Award for art direction. He has published over five hundred articles and stories on science fiction and fantasy television and literature. A prolific speaker, Anders regularly attends writing conventions around the country. He and his family reside in Birmingham, Alabama. You can visit him online at louanders.com and ThronesandBones.com, on Facebook, on Tumblr, and on Twitter at @ThronesandBones and @LouAnders.

Links:

Personal Website: www.louanders.com

Book Website: www.thronesandbones.com

Twitter: @ThronesandBones @LouAnders

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThronesandBones

Tumblr: http://louanders.tumblr.com

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/louhanders/

Instagram: http://instagram.com/thrones_and_bones

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/61741.Lou_Anders

YouTube: https://youtu.be/X1fY0iK84U4

 



Nightborn (Thrones & Bones #2) by Lou Anders: Early Review

RATING: 5/5 stars!

 

Author: Lou Anders

Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers

Source: ARC from publisher

Release date: July 14th, 2015

Find it on Goodreads here!

 

SUMMARY (from Goodreads):

 

From the author of Frostborn comes Book 2 in the acclaimed Thrones and Bones fantasy-adventure trilogy for fans of Lloyd Alexander and Brandon Mull.

Karn Korlundsson is a gamer. Not a riddle solver. But in order to rescue his best friend, Thianna Frostborn, he will need to travel to the faraway city of Castlebriar (by wyvern), learn how to play a new board game called Charioteers (not a problem), decipher the Riddle of the Horn, and tangle with mysterious elves.

Meet Desstra. She’s in training to join the Underhand—the elite agents of the dark elves. When she crosses paths with Karn, she is not all that she appears to be.

Everyone is chasing after the horn of Osius, an ancient artifact with the power to change the world. The lengths to which Karn will go in the name of friendship will be sorely tested. Who knew that solving a riddle could be so deadly?

The novel includes instructions for playing the board game Charioteers. Visit ThronesandBones.com for additional games, maps, character profiles, and more!

REVIEW:

First off, I want to say thank you to Penguin Random House for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book blew my mind. It took the expectations I had and completely shattered them into a gazillion little pieces. I loved it so so so much!!

All of the old characters were back, still as awesome as ever...but I think the new characters were my absolute favorite. Desstra, a dark elf, dethroned Thianna as my favorite character. I loved how she was made out to be a villain, but knew she should be good. I don't want to give anything away, but her character development was flawless.

I also loved the way that Anders took the story. Karn was able to use his gamer skills yet again to solve riddles, and even Thianna had her moments.

The world that Anders created is so cool. We got to see a lot more of it in this book, and I absolutely loved it! I can't wait to see more!

Overall, NIGHTBORN is a fabulous addition to the THRONES & BONES series! I highly recommend starting this trilogy!

CONTENT: Mild violence.