Series Spotlight: Flavia de Luce

  The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

  Release Date: 28 April 2009

  Page Count: 374

  Genre: Historical Fiction; Mystery

  Target Audience: Anyone 11+

  Series: Flavia de Luce

  Source and Format: Borrowed :: Paperback

  Amazon | Goodreads

  I was introduced to this series this past summer by my aunt. She
  said they were quirky and fun—perfect beach reads. I tried the
  first one and finished it in one day while laying out by the pool.
  Flavia, the protagonist, all but leaps off the page right from the
  start. She is definitely in my top 5 favorite female protagonists of
  all time.

  The series takes place in 1950s England. The country is
  recovering from the horrific events of WWII and every member
  of Flavia’s family has been affected in some way. Flavia herself is 11 and I would not be surprised to find she is Hermione Granger’s grandmother. Flavia is curious, intelligent, stubborn, and young. (Side note - Alan Bradley does an amazing job of keeping her true to age. She lacks self-awareness the way all children do). Flavia uses all of these qualities, plus an astonishing understanding of chemistry, to solve murders that happen around her.

It is a long series— book 9 releases next year— but worth it. Some of the middle books are slower and not as engaging, but the pace picks back up as a new story arc is unfolding. I highly recommend them. Flavia is a character that I do not want you to miss out on! 

February Goals Recap

Well, March came in like a lion this year for me. The month started off awesome with a trip to Boston that I will blog about later (I am in the middle of a serious love affair with Boston). I ended the awesome trip with the flu. Can I just tell you that the flu officially sucks as an adult? I feel like a 90 year old smoker who just ran a marathon. It has taken me a week just to recover from having the flu, not to mention the week that it ravaged me like a plague. The good news is I am (almost) back to 100%.

More good news: I accomplished my February Reading Goal! I reviewed 5 books on the blog, which is actually harder than it sounds. Well, harder is not quite the word, maybe more like time-consuming. Believe it or not, I do not just sit down and write whatever comes off the top of my head. And y’all should be thankful for that. I do not think any of you want to read a review that comes from the comparative literature part of my training. Well, maybe a few of you would, but for the majority it would be too much like school and I want you to try the books I recommend, not run screaming because you are suffering from PTSD due to high school English.

Anyways, I tried to review books that did not fall into the same genre. It is nice to read things outside of your comfort zone. It makes you a better thinker, better reader, and a better person (most times). I have a bit of a reputation of being really smart; the reality is I am really well-read. That in and of itself covers a multitude of shortcomings. Try it sometime. Start a sentence with, “I heard on NPR…” and see if people’s perception of you doesn’t change. I chose to review one nonfiction book, one classic retold, a YA fantasy, a book of short stories, and then the best book I have read in a long, long time. If you have time to read only one book this year please, please, please read Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. I am posting the link to the reviews (though I am sure all of you already read them) below so you can check them out. I hope it encourages you to read a book that you would never have picked up, whether it be one of these 5 or one that has been recommended to you or one that has an interesting cover.

Next month’s goal has been one of my reading goals for the past 3 years. Will I finally manage to accomplish it? Stay tuned to find out :)

Books Reviewed

• Uprooted by Naomi Novik
• Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
• Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari
• Jane Slayre by Charlotte Brontë and Sherri Browning Erwin
• Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman

Jenny Reviews: Trigger Warning

 The Vitals

 Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances by Neil Gaiman
 Release Date: 3 February 2015
 Page Count: 310
 Genre: Fantasy/Horror/Poetry
 Target Audience: Adult
 Series: No
 Source and Format: Purchased :: eBook
 Amazon | Goodreads

Summary (From Goodreads) 
In this new anthology, Neil Gaiman pierces the veil of reality to reveal the enigmatic, shadowy world that lies beneath. Trigger Warning includes previously published pieces of short fiction—stories, verse, and a very special Doctor Who story that was written for the fiftieth anniversary of the beloved series in 2013—as well “Black Dog,” a new tale that revisits the world of American Gods, exclusive to this collection.

Trigger Warning explores the masks we all wear and the people we are beneath them to reveal our vulnerabilities and our truest selves. Here is a rich cornucopia of horror and ghosts stories, science fiction and fairy tales, fabulism and poetry that explore the realm of experience and emotion. In Adventure Story—a thematic companion to The Ocean at the End of the Lane—Gaiman ponders death and the way people take their stories with them when they die. His social media experience A Calendar of Tales are short takes inspired by replies to fan tweets about the months of the year—stories of pirates and the March winds, an igloo made of books, and a Mother’s Day card that portends disturbances in the universe. Gaiman offers his own ingenious spin on Sherlock Holmes in his award-nominated mystery tale The Case of Death and Honey. And Click-Clack the Rattlebag explains the creaks and clatter we hear when we’re all alone in the darkness.

Notes on Trigger Warning

Let me start off by saying that short stories are not my favorites. I am a drawn to completeness and to characters, both of which are hard to manage well in short stories. More often than not a short story has a comprehensive, cohesive narrative or it has well-devolved characters; it is very difficult to accomplish both. Neil Gaiman is an author who has worked long and hard on his craft, constantly pushing himself (and his readers!) by exploring all sorts of storytelling formats so I knew that if there were short stories for me I would more than likely find them here. Are all the stories and poems wonderful? No, but that is okay. There is much good here to be read.

Overall, I enjoyed this book even more than I thought I would. There are a lot of stories and poems that make it worth the price and time. Not everything has the same format or the same genre, though the majority would be classified under fantasy. The introduction alone is worth the price of the book (yes, I read introductions and yes, you should too). It would be nice if he developed it further into a talk or paper. It has the potential, in my opinion, of being very influential in literary and academic circles. Plus, it is something that needs to be said and he says it very well and very kindly, which goes a long way in getting people to listen. If you get the chance to read this, whether borrowed or bought, I highly encourage you to do so. 

Some of my favorites:

• "The Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains..." - I am not sure why I like this one as much as I do. I think because the narrator is so compelling. Plus, the twist at the end is awesome. 
• October Tale from "A Calendar of Tales" - A sweet story about love, obligation, and contentment. This one is very profound for being so tiny. 
• "The Case of Death and Honey" - A Sherlock Holmes story that is, in my opinion, flawless. It would fit seamlessly into the Conan Doyle canon.
• "The Sleeper and the Spindle" - This has been turned into a book with wonderful illustrations. Probably my favorite, it is a retelling of Snow White and Sleeping Beauty (y'all know how I love retellings!) and I am going to buy it on its own so I, too, can have the illustrations.
• "Feminine Endings" - This one was not one of my favorites but the title is, hands down, one of the most perfect titles I have ever come across. It actually enhanced the story for me, which I do not think has ever happened.

I fully admit that this book will not appeal to everyone, but if you are looking for something out of your comfort zone or just something different, then you should give it a try. 

Memorable Quotes:

"What we read as adults should be read, I think, with no warnings or alerts beyond, perhaps: enter at your own risk. We need to find out what fiction is, what it means, to us, an experience that is going to be unlike anyone else’s experience of the story."

“Better to have flamed in the darkness, to have inspired others, to have lived, than to have sat in the darkness, cursing the people who borrowed, but did not return, your candle.”

“In my family ‘adventure’ tends to be used to mean ‘any minor disaster we survived’ or even ‘any break from routine’. Except by my mother, who still uses it to mean ‘what she did that morning’. Going to the wrong part of a supermarket car park and, while looking for her car, getting into a conversation with someone whose sister, it turns out, she knew in the 1970s would qualify, for my mother, as a full-blown adventure.”

Jenny Reviews: Jane Slayre

 The Vitals

 Jane Slayre by Charlotte Bronte and Sherri Browning Erwin
 Release Date: 13 April 2010
 Page Count: 391
 Genre: Fantasy/Classic
 Target Audience: Adult
 Series: No
 Source and Format: Purchased :: Paperback
 Amazon | Goodreads

Summary (From Goodreads)
Jane Slayre, our plucky demon-slaying heroine, a courageous orphan who spurns the detestable vampyre kin who raised her, sets out on the advice of her ghostly uncle to hone her skills as the fearless slayer she’s meant to be. When she takes a job as a governess at a country estate, she falls head-over-heels for her new master, Mr. Rochester, only to discover he’s hiding a violent werewolf in the attic—in the form of his first wife. Can a menagerie of bloodthirsty, flesh-eating, savage creatures-of-the-night keep a swashbuckling nineteenth-century lady from the gentleman she intends to marry? Vampyres, zombies, and werewolves transform Charlotte Brontë’s unforgettable masterpiece into an eerie paranormal adventure that will delight and terrify.

Notes on Jane Slayre

In order to enjoy this book you must have a sense of humor. Actually, you must be able to appreciate cleverness. It also helps if you already enjoy the story Jane Eyre, though that is not necessary. I have read 2 other books in this literary mashup genre, both by Seth Grahame-Smith, and enjoyed them far more than I thought I would. The first, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter was really good. I picked it up on a whim at 2nd & Charles and devoured it in 2 days. I then read his Pride and Prejudice and Zombies which I did not enjoy as much but I enjoyed more than the original (Matt and I saw the movie a couple weekends ago and it is pretty good - definitely worth a rental). 

I expected to like Jane Slayre more than the previous two books because I really like Jane Eyre. It is my favorite novel from that period and I knew I already liked this horror/fantasy/classic genre, so I was pretty confident going into it. I will say I enjoyed it. It started off pretty well. Jane is being raised by a vampire aunt who does not allow her children to eat those of common blood, only the nobility, thus preventing Jane from becoming one. When she gets to Lowood she discovers they are creating zombie servants that are fine unless they eat meat. This, too, is fairly well done and fits well into the original story. When Jane moves to Thornfield Hall, however, things get less cohesive. 

Throughout the novel Jane is slowly realizing she has a talent for sensing and dispatching the supernatural. It isn't until she hooks up with St. John and his sisters that she is able o get answers and to fully explore her Slayre heritage. While it makes sense that this is where she gets answers, the problem is it comes late in the narrative (not Erwin's fault, she is following Bronte). She is randomly dispatching vampires during her time at Thornfield Hall with Mr. Rochester and he seems completely oblivious, which is rather disappointing. He notices everything except that one tidbit? Unlikely and unbelievable. The supernatural is inserted rather haphazardly during this portion of the novel, which makes up quite an important part. Aside from the werewolf, no one at Thornfield Hall seems to even be aware of the supernatural creatures that cohabit their world. It is all very odd.

All in all it was an enjoyable read. Will I read it again? No, definitely not. I wanted it to be the same caliber of narrative as the Grahame-Smith novels and it was not. Had I not read them first I might have enjoyed it more. The cover, however, is fabulous. If you do not have high expectations you will be pleasantly surprised, I think.

Memorable Quotes

“Sighing, he paused a moment as if to take in my essence or to gather his wits. As he had no wits to gather, it must have been my essence giving him pause.”

“Nothing like a little zombie beheading to take the edge off staking one’s aunt.”

Jenny Reviews: Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari

 The Vitals

 Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari
 Release Date: 16 June 2015
 Page Count: 277
 Genre: Non-fiction
 Target Audience: Adult
 Series: No
 Source and Format: Borrowed :: Hardcover
 Goodreads | Amazon

Summary (From Goodreads)
At some point, every one of us embarks on a journey to find love. We meet people, date, get into and out of relationships, all with the hope of finding someone with whom we share a deep connection. This seems standard now, but it’s wildly different from what people did even just decades ago. Single people today have more romantic options than at any point in human history. With technology, our abilities to connect with and sort through these options are staggering. So why are so many people frustrated?

Some of our problems are unique to our time. “Why did this guy just text me an emoji of a pizza?” “Should I go out with this girl even though she listed Combos as one of her favorite snack foods? Combos?!” “My girlfriend just got a message from some dude named Nathan. Who’s Nathan? Did he just send her a photo of his penis? Should I check just to be sure?”

But the transformation of our romantic lives can’t be explained by technology alone. In a short period of time, the whole culture of finding love has changed dramatically. A few decades ago, people would find a decent person who lived in their neighborhood. Their families would meet and, after deciding neither party seemed like a murderer, they would get married and soon have a kid, all by the time they were twenty-four. Today, people marry later than ever and spend years of their lives on a quest to find the perfect person, a soul mate.

For years, Aziz Ansari has been aiming his comic insight at modern romance, but for Modern Romance, the book, he decided he needed to take things to another level. He teamed up with NYU sociologist Eric Klinenberg and designed a massive research project, including hundreds of interviews and focus groups conducted everywhere from Tokyo to Buenos Aires to Wichita. They analyzed behavioral data and surveys and created their own online research forum on Reddit, which drew thousands of messages. They enlisted the world’s leading social scientists, including Andrew Cherlin, Eli Finkel, Helen Fisher, Sheena Iyengar, Barry Schwartz, Sherry Turkle, and Robb Willer. The result is unlike any social science or humor book we’ve seen before.

In Modern Romance, Ansari combines his irreverent humor with cutting-edge social science to give us an unforgettable tour of our new romantic world.

Notes on Modern Romance

Before I begin, I hope y'all were able to make it through the summary. That is seriously the longest summary I think I have ever seen. 

Okay, the book. I really enjoyed this book. It is not a memoir or even Ansari's views on love. This is a research book, written with a sociologist and has actual notes in the back of the book. My kind of book :) It is a study of love in the modern age — What do we think love is? How do we show love? When do we feel loved? How do we find love? It is a fascinating look into the modern human psyche and it definitely stings at times. He talks to a wide range of people about love, from senior citizens to college kids, people who live in big cities and people who live in small towns. The most fascinating chapter, to me, was the chapter on love in foreign countries. The world does not see or approach love the same way. My other favorite part was the role of technology in the search for love. He had some very interesting things to say about that, some things I was saying, YES! to and others I was like, Huh, never would have thought that. This is an easy read that will make you laugh and make you think, but not too deeply. (If you are a Parks and Rec fan then you will definitely hear Tom Haverford in some of the writing)

Memorable Quotes

“Why do we all say we prefer honesty but rarely give that courtesy to others?”

“When I've really been in love with someone, it's not because they looked a certain way or liked a certain TV show or a certain cuisine. It's more because when I watched a certain TV show or ate a certain cuisine with them, it was the most fun thing ever.”

“For me the takeaway of these stories is that, no matter how many options we seem to have on our screens, we should be careful not to lose track of the human beings behind them. We’re better off spending quality time getting to know actual people than spending hours with our devices, seeing who else is out there.”

Jenny Reviews: Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

 The Vitals

 Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
 Release Date: 10 January 2006
 Page Count: 247
 Genre: Literary Fiction
 Target Audience: Adult
 Series: Gilead #1
 Source and Format: Purchased :: Paperback
 Goodreads | Amazon

 Summary (From Goodreads)
Twenty-four years after her first novel, Housekeeping,   Marilynne Robinson returns with an intimate tale of three   generations from the Civil War to the twentieth century: a story about fathers and sons and the spiritual battles that still rage at America's heart. Writing in the tradition of Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman, Marilynne Robinson's beautiful, spare, and spiritual prose allows "even the faithless reader to feel the possibility of transcendent order" (Slate). In the luminous and unforgettable voice of Congregationalist minister John Ames, Gilead reveals the human condition and the often unbearable beauty of an ordinary life.

Notes on Gilead

This short novel blew me away. I was compiling a list of people to recommend it to before I was even half way through with it. It is an epistolary novel (a novel written in letter, diary, etc. format) whose narrator is an old man who has reached the end of his life. He did not have a son until late in life and wants his son to be able to know who he was in his own words. As he reflects back on his own life and the events and people that shaped him, he is working out his thoughts, feelings, and salvation in the events that are happening in his present (as he is writing the letters). 

This is a book that you savor. It is not meant to be read in one sitting, though there is a great temptation to do just that. The reflective, self-aware tone of the novel is lost if one does not respect it and adhere to the pace Robinson sets for the reader. John Ames is one of the most honest, clear-thinking characters in modern literature. His is an honesty that soothes and convicts, that alternately tears and heals. I hope everyone is able to experience just a fraction of the self-awareness Ames has. To be able to see ourselves clearly, even for just a bit, is truly life-changing. I say this with full confidence, having survived my own season of self-awareness not too long ago. It is exhilarating, humbling, and defeating. But totally worth it. 

Even if you are not given to contemplation I think you should read this book. Learning how to think critically of yourself is a gift (and burden) that should be nurtured. When we strip away the lies that we believe about ourselves we are, finally, truly, able to grow into who we were meant to be. Is it painful? No doubt. Is it worth it? Read Gilead and see.

Memorable Quotes

“Love is holy because it is like grace--the worthiness of its object is never really what matters.”

“There is no justice in love, no proportion in it, and there need not be, because in any specific instance it is only a glimpse or parable of an embracing, incomprehensible reality. It makes no sense at all because it is the eternal breaking in on the temporal. So how could it subordinate itself to cause or consequence?”

“I don't know exactly what covetous is, but in my experience it is not so much desiring someone else's virtue or happiness as rejecting it, taking offense at the beauty of it.”

“Nothing true can be said about God from a posture of defense.”

Jenny Reviews: Uprooted by Naomi Novik

The Vitals

Uprooted by Naomi Novik
Release Date: 21 May 2015
Page Count: 438
Genre: Fantasy
Target Audience: Young Adult
Series: No
Source and Format: Lauren B. :: Hardcover
Goodreads | Amazon

Summary (From Goodreads)
Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life.

Her people rely on the cold, ambitious wizard, known only as the Dragon, to keep the wood's powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman must be handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as being lost to the wood.

The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka is afraid. She knows - everyone knows - that the Dragon will take Kasia: beautiful, graceful, brave Kasia - all the things Agnieszka isn't - and her dearest friend in the world. And there is no way to save her.

But no one can predict how or why the Dragon chooses a girl. And when he comes, it is not Kasia he will take with him.

Notes on Uprooted

I loved, loved, loved this book. It is, to me, fantasy at its finest. It has one of the best first lines of any book I have read - "Our Dragon doesn't eat the girls he takes, no matter what stories they tell outside our valley." You're intrigued now, aren't you? It only gets better from there. 

This book is, at its core, a book about community. Agnieszka's village is in close proximity to the Wood, a malevolent forest that tries to kill anyone it can. The Wood is sentient; it is actively trying to do the villagers and, as we find out later, the whole kingdom harm. Terrible things live in the Wood that come out on occasion and snatch unsuspecting villagers. The Wood sends harmful seeds and winds to infect the village's crops and livestock. It is a dangerous place to live, which only serves to strengthen the ties of the community. The one thing helping to keep the Wood at bay, besides the villagers sheer stubbornness, is the Dragon. He is a wizard, sent by the king, to help to combat the Wood. His purpose is to keep the Wood from claiming more ground, a task he has been at for a long time. The measure of his success is the fact the Wood has not been able to move further, though it has not been forced to retreat, either. 

My favorite part of the book is the relationship that Agnieszka and Kasia have. They are best friends who have grown up together knowing Kasia would be chosen by the Dragon because she is beautiful and brave and smart; you know, all the classic heroine attributes. They refuse to stop being best friends even though they will not see each other for 10 long years, after which most girls the Dragon takes are so changed they cannot stay in the village for long and move away. Their bond is one of the main driving forces of the book. Real, solid friendships like these two share are so rare in books these days, which is terribly unfortunate. Part of what makes books like The Lord of the Rings so wonderful is the friendships the characters forge. Novik does an excellent job of giving her girls the type of bond that is so crucial to quest-type narratives. Having been blessed in my own friendships I love being able to read about healthy friendships that are not romantic. Too often (it seems to me, anyway) characters cannot be just friends, they have to be something more. Or if they are just friends then that relationship is not a central part of the book, but rather an after thought. That is not the case in Uprooted and it is the better for it.

What does the Dragon do with the girls? Why does he need them? Why is the Wood so bent on destruction? You will have to read to find out. You will not be sorry that you did.

(Side note: This is the UK cover. It is more beautiful than the American edition and Lauren was awesome and ordered this one for me.)

Memorable Quotes

“I don't want more sense!" I said loudly, beating against the silence of the room. "Not if sense means I'll stop loving anyone. What is there besides people that's worth holding on to?”

“But she hadn't been able to take root. She'd remembered the wrong things, and forgotten too much. She'd remembered how to kill and how to hate, and she'd forgotten how to grow.”

“They all had stories. They had mothers or fathers, sisters or lovers. They weren't alone in the world, mattering to no one but themselves. It seemed utterly wrong to treat them like pennies in a purse. I felt the soldiers understood perfectly well that we were making sums out of them-- this many safe to spend, this number too high, as if each one wasn't a whole man.”

Jenny Reviews: Innkeeper Chronicles

I am a big fan of the husband and wife team behind Ilona Andrews. I have read and re-read the Kate Daniels series and The Edge series multiple times in the two years since I have come across them. Their books are always humorous, well-written, and character-driven. They come up with the quirkiest ideas and, somehow, they work. One of the quirkiest, in my opinion, is the Innkeeper Chronicles. Each of the books (only two so far) starts life as a serial on their blog. This means we get to read it for free, one chapter at a time, while they are writing it. It is a really cool process. I came across Clean Sweep, the first in the series, when it was almost done so I missed out on most of it but was able to follow the second book, Sweep in Peace, from the beginning. And I am so glad I did! It was a fascinating to get the story piece by piece as it is written. It has given me an even deeper appreciation for the craft of writing long, sustained narratives. With that being said, I want to introduce you to the two books that currently make up the Innkeeper Chronicles — did I mention that they are very reasonably priced? Even more reason to love them!

The Vitals

Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews
Release Date: 2 December 2013
Page Count: 235
Genre: Fantasy
Target Audience: Adult
Series: Innkeeper Chronicles #1
Format: Purchased; Kindle e-book
Goodreads | Amazon

Summary (From Goodreads)
On the outside, Dina Demille is the epitome of normal. She runs a quaint Victorian Bed and Breakfast in a small Texas town, owns a Shih Tzu named Beast, and is a perfect neighbor, whose biggest problem should be what to serve her guests for breakfast. But Dina is...different: Her broom is a deadly weapon; her Inn is magic and thinks for itself. Meant to be a lodging for otherworldly visitors, the only permanent guest is a retired Galactic aristocrat who can’t leave the grounds because she’s responsible for the deaths of millions and someone might shoot her on sight. Under the circumstances, "normal" is a bit of a stretch for Dina.

And now, something with wicked claws and deepwater teeth has begun to hunt at night....Feeling responsible for her neighbors, Dina decides to get involved. Before long, she has to juggle dealing with the annoyingly attractive, ex-military, new neighbor, Sean Evans—an alpha-strain werewolf—and the equally arresting cosmic vampire soldier, Arland, while trying to keep her inn and its guests safe. But the enemy she’s facing is unlike anything she’s ever encountered before. It’s smart, vicious, and lethal, and putting herself between this creature and her neighbors might just cost her everything.

Notes on Clean Sweep

This book is unlike any I have read. The premise — an innkeeper who is trying to revive an intergalactic inn — is unique and provides a wonderful, elastic backdrop for all sorts of adventures and misadventures (which, arguably, are more fun than adventures, anyway). The main character, Dina, is one of my favorite characters in fantasy literature. She is so normal, and I mean that in the best possible way. She is someone you would want to hang out with. Everything about her is so real; she does not make stupid decisions that have you rolling your eyes in disbelief. Can I just tell you how freakin' refreshing that is?! She is practical, she is slightly snarky, and she is steadfast. She balances out the otherworldliness of the other characters perfectly. I cannot recommend this book enough. It is well worth the few hours and few dollars (literally - it is $1.99 on kindle!!!!). 

Memorable Quotes

“Being an innkeeper meant walking a fine line between courtesy and tyranny.”

“Where is Arland?"
"Rapunzel decided to walk around in the woods to get 'the feel of the battleground.' He won't leave the grounds and he promises to defend the inn with 'all the strength in his body.' I told him if he gets in trouble, he should try singing prettily so his woodland friends will come to the rescue. I don't think he got it.” 

 The Vitals

 Sweep in Peace by Ilona Andrews

 Release Date: 13 November 2015

 Page Count: 237

 Genre: Fantasy

 Target Audience: Adult

 Series: Innkeeper Chronicles #2

 Format: Purchased; Kindle e-book

 Goodreads | Amazon

 Summary (From Goodreads)

Dina DeMille doesn’t run your typical Bed and Breakfast. Her inn defies laws of physics, her fluffy dog is secretly a monster, and the only paying guest is a former Galactic tyrant with a price on her head. But the inn needs guests to thrive, and guests have been scarce, so when an Arbitrator shows up at Dina's door and asks her to host a peace summit between three warring species, she jumps on the chance.

Unfortunately, for Dina, keeping the peace between Space Vampires, the Hope-Crushing Horde, and the devious Merchants of Baha-char is much easier said than done. On top of keeping her guests from murdering each other, she must find a chef, remodel the inn...and risk everything, even her life, to save the man she might fall in love with. But then it's all in the day's work for an Innkeeper…

Notes on Sweep in Peace

I love this book even more than the first one. And, to be honest, that very rarely happens. Normally the second book is either on the same level or a bit lower than the first; that is not the case with this series at all. Dina has to host a peace-keeping (or, rather, seeking) summit at her inn that no one wants. Her inn desperately needs guests and this would be a major coup. Several friends from another series pop in, which was a wonderful crossover for longtime Andrews' fans. The plot is tight, complex, and engaging. You cannot simply skim through this book; it requires more brain cells than the first. There is so much at stake in the peace talks that it requires a more serious, more harsh (in a way) book than the first. Yes, this book is still humorous. It just has a more serious undertone than the first. Perhaps, too, with the events of last week in Beirut and Paris the necessity of peace has been driven home a bit within us all. The resolution is brilliant and compassionate. How I wish such a measure could be used in our world. Nothing breaks down walls like understanding one another's pain. Sorry to get all philosophical — back to the book! The best part of all of the Andrews' work is the complexity and believability of the characters and the plot of this book really allows that strength to shine. These characters are all true to form and are not caricatures, which I would imagine is easier said than done when it comes to writing them. For example, the vampires are not defined by their "vampirism"; there is more to the characters than simply trite stereotypes. They are driven by a multitude of emotions and motives, making them a million times more believable. These book has several main players and each one is carefully developed AND stays true to that development. I cannot wait to see what the Andrews have in store for Dina next!

Memorable Quotes

“My future chef was an oversized, hysterical hedgehog with a martyr complex.”

“No, I never expect people to be idiots,” George said. “I do expect them to lack some of the necessary information, because experience has demonstrated to me that assuming someone in a key position knows everything you do leads to disaster.”

“You are not meant to be at peace. We, the human beings, are meant to live life to its fullest. We are meant to experience it all—sadness, disappointment, rage, kindness, joy, love. We are meant to test ourselves. It is painful and frightening, but this is what it means to be alive.”

Jenny Reviews: Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee

The Vitals

Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
Release Date: 14 July 2015
Page Count: 278
Genre: Historical Fiction/Literary Fiction
Target Audience: Adult
Series: No
Source and Format: Borrowed; Hardback
Goodreads | Amazon

Summary (From Goodreads)
Maycomb, Alabama. Twenty-six-year-old Jean Louise Finch--"Scout"--returns home from New York City to visit her aging father, Atticus. Set against the backdrop of the civil rights tensions and political turmoil that were transforming the South, Jean Louise's homecoming turns bittersweet when she learns disturbing truths about her close-knit family, the town and the people dearest to her. Memories from her childhood flood back, and her values and assumptions are thrown into doubt. Featuring many of the iconic characters from To Kill a Mockingbird, Go Set a Watchman perfectly captures a young woman, and a world, in a painful yet necessary transition out of the illusions of the past--a journey that can be guided only by one's conscience.

Notes on Go Set a Watchman:

I have not been so moved by a book in a long time. It has taken me a couple of days to process the complex simpleness of this book. (Yes, you read that right. I will come to back to it in just a minute.) I re-read To Kill a Mockingbird  before I read Watchman and I am so glad I did. I do not think you can fully understand it without first re-reading Mockingbird, most especially if the last time you read it was in high school. You will hate Watchman if you do not have an adult's grasp of Mockingbird. You might hate it anyway, but do not let it be because you do not have the full picture.

So, the complex simpleness. This is a simple book. Scout, beloved narrator of Mockingbird, returns home for a visit. This is, essentially, what the whole book is about. She has a beau, one Henry Clinton, who is Atticus made over, more or less. Perfect for the little girl who idolizes her daddy. She is trying to decide if she wants to love him enough to marry him. Atticus is getting older but is still practicing law; Alexandra has moved in permanently; Jem has passed away; Uncle Jack now lives in town. Maycomb is, more or less, exactly as she left it. This continuity is something Scout depends on even as she is exasperated by it at times. 

Intertwined with this permanence is the infallibility of Atticus. Scout has long held her dad as her own conscious, making moral decisions based upon the question "What would Atticus do?" I believe this is also a sin of which every reader of Mockingbird is guilty. He is, as Miss Maudie says, "the same man in the street as in privacy of his own home". He is a wonderful person, but he is also a flawed person. This is a painful lesson. It is never fun to discover that idols have feet of clay. Scout's awakening is, to be sure, more painful than it has to be. She does not listen well. She is impetuous and quick to accuse. She is, in short, every one of us in our 20's. We are coming to understand that the world looks different from how we thought it would, or should, that there are more shades of gray than we are comfortable with. 

This is where the complexity comes in. The issue of race in the South was (and still is) as complex an issue as can be found. It touched on every aspect of life and was not something that could be solved by the government. Please do not think I am saying that change did not need to occur, because that is the opposite of what I am saying. My point is that it was an issue that so permeated society that change needed to come from more than just the political sphere. Actions have consequences. Just because an action is positive does not mean that it cannot also have negative consequences. One must not shy away from looking forward to all the consequences and trying to take into account other changes that one change can necessitate. This is what Atticus was doing and what he was trying to get Scout to do as well. Do I agree with his position? Not at all. Does he raise valid concerns that need to be addressed? Yes, he most certainly does. We should not be afraid of conversations like this. Our generation resorts to social media as a place to put forth our opinions, rather than sitting and having a face-to-face conversation and actually listening to what someone else has to say. 

I am still wrestling over how prophetic this book is. Harper Lee wrote it in the mid-1950's. The issues that Scout and Atticus and Henry Clinton and Uncle Jack were dealing with are still very much what we are dealing with today. I can understand why Lee only wrote two books; what more could she have to say? Her insight into human nature is humbling. I was so upset when I realized how Atticus felt about things. I loved every word Scout threw at him. I was also cut to the quick by that last conversation with Uncle Jack, when I realized how much of Scout is in me... especially when I was talking about how I did not like her that much in the previous blog post. What good are Scout's convictions, which I agree with, if she cannot listen to another's view without becoming angry, without feeling as if a disagreement about a position was a personal attack? What good are her convictions if she has not thought through them, if she only has them because she thinks that is what Atticus's are, not because they are her own? What good are your convictions if you are only concerned about being right?

Memorable Quotes
“Every man’s island, Jean Louise, every man’s watchman, is his conscience. There is no such thing as a collective conscious.”

“Remember this also: it’s always easy to look back and see what we were, yesterday, ten years ago. It is hard to see what we are. If you can master that trick, you’ll get along.”

“The time your friends need you is when they’re wrong, Jean Louise. They don’t need you when they’re right—” 

 

2015 Releases Update

Awhile ago we did a post on the which 2015 releases we were most excited about and I thought it would be a good idea to talk about the ones I have read so far. I do not want you, faithful reader, to think that we come up with these lists and then do nothing with them. I enjoy the lists because they help me to organize my otherwise unwieldy TBR list.

Thus far I have read 2 of my 10 books that I was most anticipating. I am waiting on a Barnes and Noble coupon (it pays to be a member!) to buy book 3. Have you read any on your list yet? Did you have a list? I would love to hear it - I am always looking for new authors to try!

The Vitals

Dead Heat by Patricia Briggs
Release Date: 3 March 2015
Page Count: 336
Genre: Fantasy
Target Audience: Adult
Series: Alpha & Omega #4
Source and Format: Amazon; eBook
Amazon | Goodreads

Summary (From Goodreads) 
For once, mated werewolves Charles and Anna are not traveling because of Charles’s role as his father’s enforcer. This time, their trip to Arizona is purely personal, as Charles plans to buy Anna a horse for her birthday. Or at least it starts out that way...

Charles and Anna soon discover that a dangerous Fae being is on the loose, replacing human children with simulacrums. The Fae’s cold war with humanity is about to heat up—and Charles and Anna are in the cross fire.

Notes on Dead Heat

I gave this book 3. 5 stars because it was just okay. The problem with a series like Alpha & Omega is that it starts out with complex, well-developed characters, which can be difficult to maintain the longer a series gets. Don't get me wrong, I still really like this series, but this particular entry was just okay. The ending felt a little rushed and overall I am not really sure what this book has to do with the overarching plot of the series. Perhaps this is just a bridge book and they do tend to be mediocre but necessary. Charles and Anna have been dealing with heavy issues their whole relationship and while there is certainly some heaviness here, it is more a secondary issue that is not as fully dealt with as previous conflicts have been. 

Overall Diagnosis

Memorable Quotes

“But that is the dual gift of love, isn’t it? The joy of greeting and the sorrow of good-bye.”

“It comes with being a teenager—you inspire violence in the hearts of those who love you. It mostly goes away when you hit twenty.”

The Vitals

Prudence by Gail Carrier

Release Date: 17 March 2015

Page Count: 368

Genre: Fantasy

Target Audience: YA/Adult

Series: The Custard Protocol #1

Source and Format: Amazon; eBook

Amazon | Goodreads

Summary (From Goodreads)

When Prudence Alessandra Maccon Akeldama (Rue to her friends) is given an unexpected dirigible, she does what any sensible female would under similar circumstances - names it the Spotted Custard and floats to India in pursuit of the perfect cup of tea. But India has more than just tea on offer. Rue stumbles upon a plot involving local dissidents, a kidnapped brigadier's wife, and some awfully familiar Scottish werewolves. Faced with a dire crisis and an embarrassing lack of bloomers, what else is a young lady of good breeding to do but turn metanatural and find out everyone's secrets, even thousand-year-old fuzzy ones?

Notes on Prudence

I was seriously disappointed in this book. I have read both her Parasol Protectorate and Finishing School series, the first Adult and the second YA, and enjoyed them immensely, especially the first books in which she really fleshes out her characters and sets out a plausible story arc for the series. This one was missing both of those things. The main character, Prudence, is an amalgamation of the protagonists from her previous 2 series. She is so very flat, which is something I never thought I would say of Ms. Carriger's characters. Another issue is the target audience; I do not think this book was supposed to be considered YA but it very clearly is. The situations were a little too outrageous and the characters a little too immature to be believable as adults. This book seems a little too ambitious for a first book in a series. The more you love the characters, the more leniency you are willing to extend and this book just did not justify that leniency, in my opinion. 

Overall Diagnosis

Memorable Quotes

“He wielded verbal italics as if they were capable of actual bodily harm.”

"The ambassador’s wife was clearly a woman who enjoyed the sound of her own voice. She dropped flowery vocabulary about her like an incontinent hen might deposit eggs."

Jenny Reviews: Innocence by Dean Koontz + Nowhere But Home by Liza Palmer

I am doing another two-for-one today because both of these books are A) really good and B) really hard to rate. They have nothing in common, but the fact that I read them back-to-back has gotten me thinking (always a dangerous thing) about rating and reviews and what makes a good/great book. This post is part book review and part musing.

The Vitals

Innocence by Dean Koontz
Release Date: 10 December 2013
Page Count: 480
Genre: 
Target Audience: Adult
Series: No
Source and Format: Lesley Anne; Paperback
Amazon | Goodreads

Summary (From Goodreads)
In Innocence, Dean Koontz blends mystery, suspense, and acute insight into the human soul in a masterfully told tale that will resonate with readers forever.

He lives in solitude beneath the city, an exile from society, which will destroy him if he is ever seen. She dwells in seclusion, a fugitive from enemies who will do her harm if she is ever found. But the bond between them runs deeper than the tragedies that have scarred their lives. Something more than chance--and nothing less than destiny--has brought them together in a world whose hour of reckoning is fast approaching.

Notes on Innocence

1. The writing is phenomenal. This is my first book by Koontz and it will definitely not be my last. He has gone on my list of "Authors I Read Because of How They Write". This list contains authors such as Elizabeth Kostova and Kate Morton. The way they string words together is marvelous.

2. The story was odd. I am still not sure if I like it or if I am ambivalent. It starts out really engaging and pulls you in immediately. By the end I was wondering if Koontz is beyond brilliant or simply ran out of steam. I cannot tell you much without spoiling it, but the reason behind the main characters ostracization from society is... original. Kind of hard to wrap your head around. BUT society's reaction to this is spot on and the reason I am leaning towards Koontz being brilliant. 

3. How do I rate this book?! The writing is wonderful. The characters are engaging, for the most part. The commentary on human nature is inspired. The storyline is just a little off. I ended up giving it 4 stars because I did enjoy it, for the most part, and the writing is perfect. It seems I have a higher tolerance for mediocre storytelling when the storyteller is a master of language.

Overall Diagnosis

The Vitals

Nowhere But Home by Liza Palmer

Release Date: 2 April 2013

Page Count: 384

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Target Audience: Adult

Series: No

Source and Format: Purchased; Kindle e-Book
Amazon | Goodreads

Summary (From Goodreads)

Queenie Wake, a country girl from North Star, Texas, has just been fired from her job as a chef for not allowing a customer to use ketchup. Again. Now the only place she has to go is home to North Star. She can hope, maybe things will be different. Maybe her family's reputation as those Wake women will have been forgotten. It's been years since her mother-notorious for stealing your man, your car, and your rent money-was killed. And her sister, who as a teenager was branded as a gold-digging harlot after having a baby with local golden boy Wes McKay, is now the mother of the captain of the high school football team. It can't be that bad…

Who knew that people in small town Texas had such long memories? And of course Queenie wishes that her memory were a little spottier when feelings for her high school love, Everett Coburn, resurface. He broke her heart and made her leave town-can she risk her heart again?

At least she has a new job-sure it's cooking last meals for death row inmates but at least they don't complain!

But when secrets from the past emerge, will Queenie be able to stick by her family or will she leave home again? A fun-filled, touching story of food, football, and fooling around.

Notes on Nowhere But Home

1. This was a wonderful story. The characters are so real and I want to be friends with them. The story was unique and yet easy to relate to (at least for me). The humor was one of my favorite parts. This is one of those books that makes you happy for no particular reason.

2. The plot had a couple of holes that were filled a bit too conveniently for me. Some of the ways that information was revealed was too easy and unrealistic. This kept me from loving the book.

3. How do I rate this book? I enjoyed the story immensely but was disappointed in the way things were so easily resolved. No lie, all people had to do was talk to one another, just once, and most issues were resolved. Now, I realize this is probably a clever way of showing how communication is so important but it was just a little too easy. I highly recommend it but I do not love it.

Overall Diagnosis 

Do y'all see why it was so hard to rate these books? How do you decide the number of stars when a book is really great but just didn't appeal to you personally? Or what do you do when you love a story but was not impressed with the way it is resolved? 

Lesley Anne Reviews: Me Before You by JoJo Moyes

The Vitals

Me Before You by JoJo Moyes
Release Date: December 31, 2012
Page Count: 369
Genre: Contemporary
Target Audience: Adult
Series: Standalone
Source and Format: Library; Audiobook
Amazon | Goodreads

Summary (From Goodreads)
Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick.

What Lou doesn't know is she's about to lose her job or that knowing what's coming is what keeps her sane.

Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he's going to put a stop to that.

What Will doesn't know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they're going to change the other for all time.

Notes on Me Before You

It has been really difficult for me to put my thoughts on this book into words. Jenny can confirm this review has been sitting as a draft in our queue for forever. It was probably driving her crazy. I know it was driving ME crazy. So in an attempt to preserve our sanity, I'm finally making myself finish my thoughts on Me Before You, and I hope I can do it justice.

I can honestly say I have never read a novel like this, and the subject matter dealt with is something I have not quickly forgotten, nor will I ever forget. This is the kind of book that stays with you for a long time after you turn the final page, no matter how you feel about it at the conclusion. I finished this book last Fall, and somehow I've managed to think about it fairly often since then. For that reason alone most people would be intrigued to pick up this novel, but I did have a few issues with it that kept me from calling it a favorite.

Lou Clark, the main character, is a 26-year-old who is content with her job at a local cafe called The Buttered Bun. At the opening of the novel, she is shocked to find out the cafe is closing (not a spoiler, promise!) and she must find other means of employment, as she is still living at home with her family and they rely heavily on her income to sustain their standard of living. She resorts to using a staffing agency to find a new position, and ultimately accepts a job as a caretaker for quadriplegic Will Traynor.

What I loved about Lou is that she felt so REAL to me. Her insecurities, her mistakes, and her complacency were so true-to-life and refreshing to read about in a heroine. There were times when she drove me nuts and I badly wanted to shake her out of her stupidity, but that only made her feel more authentic to me. It also helps that this is the first novel I've read in a LONG time where the main character was my age. Obviously, MCs in young adult novels are mostly in their teens, while main characters in adult novels average age 40+, leaving the twenty-something crowd without a lot of books about people their age. The publishing industry has tried to address this deficiency with the New Adult genre, but we won't go there, lest you want to hear me rant. To read a book about a character in the same stage of life as me, wrestling with the same questions and struggling with the same fears, was a welcome surprise and very refreshing. So thank you, JoJo Moyes, for that!

The banter between Will and Lou also had its moments of brilliance and I really enjoyed the unconventional nature of their relationship. They certainly had a lot to learn about each other, and in turn, discovered a lot about themselves. One of my all-time favorite fictional moments EVER happens between these two, specifically during Lou's birthday celebration. Such a sweet, sweet moment. :) There's so much anticipation and build-up in this book when it comes to Will and Lou, which leads me to one of my biggest issues with Me Before You.

This is 100 percent my fault, but here it is nonetheless: I hyped up this book in my head WAY too much. Pretty much every review I read about it or mention of it on Twitter had me prepared for a heart-wrenching, life-changing, tearjerker of a novel. And call me heartless, but that was not my reaction at all to this book. In fact, I would say it was quite the opposite for me. I still had an emotional response, but it leaned more towards the angry and frustrated side of the spectrum than anything else. And no, I didn't read this book because I wanted a good cry, but I did feel like maybe I missed something that had everyone else in tears but made me ready for some fighting words. Like I said, this frustration is due to misguided expectations on my own part, and not necessarily a fault with the book itself. But as a warning, if you do decide to pick up this book, be prepared to feel strongly one way or the other, and don't be surprised if you want to chuck the book across the room, like me.

So am I glad I read Me Before You? It certainly opened my eyes to several things I was clueless about, and made me think about what I would do if I were in someone else's shoes in a seemingly helpless situation. Ultimately, it solidified my beliefs on suffering and that purpose can take on many shapes and forms in our lives. I know I'm being really vague about this, but I don't want to take away from the experience of reading the book for yourself if you haven't picked it up yet. So my answer is yes, I'm glad I read Me Before You, though I probably won't read it again. And if you have read it, PLEASE let me know so we can chat. This book has me itching to discuss!

Memorable Quotes
“You only get one life. It's actually your duty to live it as fully as possible.”

“Push yourself. Don't settle. Just live well. Just LIVE.”

Overall Diagnosis

Get A Second Opinion

• Alexa from Alexa Loves Books: "Me Before You was certainly an enjoyable, gripping novel that had me from nearly the very first page. The book had me feeling all sorts of things, with glee, anger and sorrow being chief among all others."

• Asheley from Into the Hall of Books: "Me Before You is one of the most discussable adult contemporary books I think I've ever read. It seems like everyone will likely have an opinion on some of the events that are included in the story. Whatever your opinions, however you feel, this book is one that is worth taking the time to read if you enjoy books that spark discussion and make you think."

Book Club Reviews: The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Hey y'all! Ready for another book club book review? Jenny and I knew we wanted to do something different when we reviewed book club books on the blog, so we're going to break our reviews down into three parts: (1) Jenny's Thoughts, (2) Lesley Anne's Thoughts, and (3) Overall Book Club's Thoughts. You'll see at the bottom that we have a fun way to show what the overall book club thought every month. ;) So first things first, we'll give you the summary of The Maze Runner by James Dashner so you have an idea of what the October book was about:

If you ain’t scared, you ain’t human.

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He’s surrounded by strangers—boys whose memories are also gone.

Nice to meet ya, shank. Welcome to the Glade.

Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It’s the only way out—and no one’s ever made it through alive.

Everything is going to change.

Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying.

Remember. Survive. Run.

Jenny's Thoughts: 

This book was interesting. I gave it a 3 on Goodreads because while I didn't hate it, I didn't love it, either. Since it is the first book in the trilogy it asks a lot of questions but does not provide a lot of answers. And by "not a lot" I mean none. It is actually really frustrating. There are too many characters for them to be developed to the point where you really care what happens with them. It is a really engaging world and premise, but there is not enough of the carrot to entice me to read the rest of the series.

Lesley Anne's Thoughts:
I completely agree with Jenny on this one. The Maze Runner had a bit of a slow start, but once THINGS started happening, the pacing really picked up, and pretty much every chapter ended on a cliffhanger moment, which made for a quick read (I know some people LOVE that, but it's not my favorite). The writing also really turned me off from this book -- it was very juvenile, cheesy, and somewhat repetitive. I know that twenty-something women probably weren't the target audience for this book, so I shouldn't be too hard on it on that front, but it was still hard for me to look past the cheesiness. Add in too many unanswered questions, bad situations conveniently wrapped up, and an ensemble cast of characters that were barely distinguishable from each other, and this one also only got 3 stars from me. I know I make it sound like I hated this book, but I really didn't. I enjoyed it, and I was intrigued by the many parallels I noticed to Lord of the Flies! But it's one of those books I won't read again, and I probably won't continue reading the rest of the series.      

Overall Book Club's Thoughts:

Opinions were all across the board! There were those that read the book in one sitting because it was too hard to put down, to those who tried to listen to the audiobook and were turned off by Dashner's invented slang. We even had a few that went on to read the entire series before we met to discuss the first book, so we were able to ask them which questions were answered by the end of the trilogy and decide whether or not we wanted to keep reading ourselves. This is why I love our book club so much - the diverse opinions really help me to see and think about things in ways I wouldn't have if I had read this book as a solitary experience. 

So what did we read in November? Jenny mentioned it in yesterday's post, but we read our first non-fiction book and chose Jesus Feminist by Sarah Bessey. We met to discuss it this past Monday night, so our thoughts will be coming soon. In the meantime, I hope everyone has a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving!!

Jenny Reviews: Mortal Heart + The Blood of Olympus

I don't know about y'all, but I am always apprehensive about the last book in a series. The last book has the potential to make or break a series for me, even if I've loved the previous books. One of the best things about a series is the journey you get to take with the characters. If the last book does not complete the story to my satisfaction (which I realize is completely subjective), then I feel as if the journey has been a waste (Do not ask me my feelings on the Hunger Games Trilogy). I decided to review two books that came out recently because they are the last book in their respective series. Think of it as Two-For-One Day here at Pathological Readers :)

Book 1:

Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers
Release Date: 4 November 2014
Page Count: 464
Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy
Target Audience: YA
Series: His Fair Assassin #3
Source and Format: Purchased; Kindle eBook

Summary (From Goodreads)
Annith has watched her gifted sisters at the convent come and go, carrying out their dark dealings in the name of St. Mortain, patiently awaiting her own turn to serve Death. But her worst fears are realized when she discovers she is being groomed by the abbess as a Seeress, to be forever sequestered in the rock and stone womb of the convent. Feeling sorely betrayed, Annith decides to strike out on her own.

She has spent her whole life training to be an assassin. Just because the convent has changed its mind doesn't mean she has… 

 


Notes on Mortal Heart
This was a very satisfying conclusion for me! This trilogy features a different protagonist in each book, but each one shows up in the others' books. The leading ladies are all assassin nuns, of a sort. Their father is the Breton god of Death and they are raised to be his instruments here on earth. The book is set in 15th century Brittany, which is in France. The conflict revolves around France wanting to subsume Brittany into its own land. This third book is about Annith, who has been raised in the convent, unlike the other girls who make their way there. She is being kept in the convent rather than sent out on missions and she wants to know why. I really liked this book, even more than I thought I would. LaFevers resolves both the conflict between France and Brittany and the conflict between Annith and the convent nicely. I will say that the solution for the France/Brittany conflict was a bit far-fetched (and is what kept me from giving it 5 stars) BUT it was also plausible within the world that LaFevers created so it was not completely unbelievable. It was just a bit too convenient for me. The love interest in this book is also... different. I enjoyed it but I could see where some readers would have a hard time with it. Overall, this book was a wonderful way to the end the trilogy. Well done, Robin LaFevers!

Book 2:

The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan
Release Date: 7 October 2014
Page Count: 516
Genre: Fantasy
Target Audience: YA, Middle Grades
Series: The Heroes of Olympus #5
Source and Format: Purchased; Kindle eBook

Summary (From Goodreads)
Though the Greek and Roman crewmembers of the Argo II have made progress in their many quests, they still seem no closer to defeating the earth mother, Gaea. Her giants have risen—all of them—and they're stronger than ever. They must be stopped before the Feast of Spes, when Gaea plans to have two demigods sacrificed in Athens. She needs their blood—the blood of Olympus—in order to wake.

The demigods are having more frequent visions of a terrible battle at Camp Half-Blood. The Roman legion from Camp Jupiter, led by Octavian, is almost within striking distance. Though it is tempting to take the Athena Parthenos to Athens to use as a secret weapon, the friends know that the huge statue belongs back on Long Island, where it "might" be able to stop a war between the two camps.

The Athena Parthenos will go west; the Argo II will go east. The gods, still suffering from multiple personality disorder, are useless. How can a handful of young demigods hope to persevere against Gaea's army of powerful giants? As dangerous as it is to head to Athens, they have no other option. They have sacrificed too much already. And if Gaea wakes, it is game over.

Notes on The Blood of Olympus
This book. I gave it 3 stars on Goodreads because it was just mediocre to me. For those of you who have not read the series, each book is narrated by 3 of more of the characters. This is cool because you get to really know the characters since Riordan gives you a glimpse into their heads. This woks really well when it is only three characters; not so much when you have 4+ narrators. There were too many characters in this book. There were two story lines that were going on simultaneously. There were two different battles with multiple characters. It was just A LOT. The book felt... busy. Chaotic. It did do a nice job of wrapping up most of the questions everyone had. It also provided a happy ending for most everyone. I think Riordan bit off a bit more than he could chew and it was more messy than his normal style. This series started out really great but the more characters that were added, the harder it was to enjoy the story because everyone's separate stories kept getting in the way. This series did not end on a high note, but it was not also the worst.


Hope you enjoyed Two-For-One Day!