Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs

Ah, now this was a fun series! My aunt recommended these so I put them on my list for future reading. Then my parents went to visit her in California and she sent my mom back with the first 3 paperbacks to give me, so they got bumped to the top! Once I started reading I didn't want to stop. Now, don't misinterpret me--these are not amazingly well-written, sophisticated stories. But they are a whole lot of fun and I enjoyed them immensely.

Our heroine is a one Mercy Thompson, a shifter who can change into a coyote. Abandoned as a child by a teenage mother who had no idea what to do with a coyote pup, Mercy was raised by a pack of werewolves in rural Montana. As an adult, Mercy lives in the tri-cities Washington area and works as a mechanic in her own garage. Despite her best efforts, Mercy can't seem to keep herself out of trouble. Throughout the series she has run-ins with vampires, fae, ghosts, demons, Native American monsters, government conspiracies, and even her own werewolves.

With plenty of action and a healthy splash of romance, these books kept me thoroughly entertained. Book 6 got a little sleepy, but the rest were great. Really, the only negative for me was the somewhat promiscuous book covers. Not that I really mind for myself, but it was a little embarrassing to read these at the gym or have people come over to my house and wonder what the heck I'm reading. The covers are a whole lot more suggestive than the actual reading material. Overall, fun books! Thanks Aunt Mary!

4 out of 5 stars

Children of the Promise series by Dean Hughes

I wish I could have found a better picture of these books because I absolutely love the cover art for each one. These are some of my favorite books. I first read them when I was in high school and fell in love with the Thomas family. I have since read them a few times all the way through.

Children of the Promise follows a family, the Thomases, through World War 2. We learn of the experiences of a paratrooper fighting in Europe, a prisoner of war in the Philippines, a nurse in the navy, a German family fleeing their country, and life at home during the war.

One thing I really love about these books is how historically accurate they are. Dean Hughes did a ton of research when writing and I liked knowing that the circumstances surrounding the fictional characters were true. As someone who gets bored extremely quickly when it comes to history, I'm always excited when I find entertaining ways to learn about the past, particularly a war as interesting/disturbing as WW2. There is also a strong Christian influence in these stories which I find uplifting, though I think it's fair to warn someone who might not be expecting religious books. There are some bits that get a little cheesy but overall I find the story to be inspiring, entertaining, and educational. I definitely would recommend these books!

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

I've been putting off this review because I don't really know what to say. Back in high school (about 10 years ago) a friend told me this book was amazing and I simply had to read it. Somehow it kept getting put on hold until a little while ago.

Quick summary: Charlie is a freshman in high school and a social outcast, a "wallflower." He prefers to watch from the sidelines rather than participate in life. The book is a series of letters written by Charlie to an anonymous recipient (presumably us, the readers) describing his experiences during a year of high school. We witness Charlie growing up, uncovering pieces of his past, and learning how to be actively involved in his life.

I really liked Charlie. He has a sweet innocence and his perceptions of the world around him are very mature and insightful. I think Chbosky did a great job at telling the story from a 15-ish (can't remember his exact age) year-old's point of view.

Now for the negative.... perhaps this book has been built up too much, but I didn't like it nearly as much as everyone seemed to think I should. It had way too much explicit material for my taste and was somewhat hard for me to relate to because my high school experience was nothing even remotely like Charlie's. While I appreciate the story for it's own merits, it just felt a little too artsy-fartsy for my preferences. I can see why this book has an almost cult-devoted following, but I have never identified with those people.

Anyway, I don't want to offend anyone who does like this book. I enjoyed it. I finished it and was interested to see how it ended. I just am not in love with it like a lot of people are. To each his own.

3 out of 5 stars

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

Another book recommended by my friend Stephanie and it was definitely another success. In fact, this might be the best book I've read in months...

The Forgotten Garden, by Kate Morton, introduces us to a little girl who is left alone on a ship sailing from London to Australia in 1913, sent with nothing but a small suitcase containing a new dress and a book of fairy tales. She is taken home by the dock master and his wife and, unable to learn of any family, is raised as one of their own. On her 21st birthday, "Nell" learns the truth and her sense of identity is shattered. She begins a quest to discover who she is: where did she come from? Why was she abandoned? Who is her family? Nell is lead to the Blackhurst Manor on the Cornish coast and begins to uncover the secrets of the Mountrachet family. Unable to solve the mystery in her lifetime, the search is continued after Nell's death by her granddaughter Cassandra, who is finally able to put all the pieces together.

It has been a long time since I've read a book that is as intelligently crafted as this one. Each chapter contains vital information to the story. To make it even more complex, the chapters are not chronological and are pieced together in the way only a truly gifted storyteller can. The mystery unfolds for the reader gradually by following 3 primary storylines: Nell--abandoned in 1913 and sets off to England in 1975 to find her history; Cassandra--granddaughter who picks up the mystery after Nell dies in 2005; and Eliza Makepeace and Rose Mountrachet--cousins in the late 1890s whose stories hold all the information Nell needs to find out who she is.

I found the characters to be richly detailed and authentic, each with a vibrant personality and voice.
-I loved Cassandra and her personal journey to not only discover her grandmother's past, but to find peace and healing for things that had happened in her past.
-I also loved Eliza; she was an incredibly strong and imaginative individual, the kind of person I would be lucky to be friends with. Though she was also kind of an idiot when it came to those she loved, allowing her affection to blind her to the behavior and feelings of others and getting hurt in the process.
- I like Nell and understand her need to know her past, but I was mad at her when she tossed her adoptive parents and siblings aside when she learned she was abandoned as a child. She became so focused on what she had lost that she was completely blind to all that she had.
-At the beginning of the book I liked Rose well enough but by the end I despised her. She used the people closest to her to get what she wanted. Manipulative and cruel and the worst kind of selfish.
-Though I suppose Rose gets is from her mother, Adeline, who is essentially the reason why there is any mystery story at all. Adeline came from humble beginnings and is obsessed with fitting into society and being a proper lady. This results in an irrational need to cover up anything that might cause the slightest scandal. Her perceived inferiority makes her spiteful and bitter and makes life extremely difficult for those around her, particularly Eliza.
-There aren't as many male characters. Linus, Adeline's husband, is a total creeper and I'm glad there weren't too many details about his incestic obsessions.
-Christian is the only truly respectable central male character and becomes the love interest for Cassandra. Woohoo!

I feel like I could write a pretty thorough essay on the characters and themes of this book. I won't, for all your sakes, but I could. It's that great of a story. I tend to read books that I can breeze through in a few days so I had to remind myself to be patient and allow myself to get truly invested in the characters and the delicious mystery. I absolutely, whole-heartedly recommend The Forgotten Garden! It took a few more chapters than normal to get hooked because of all the year/character jumping, but I got there and I know you'll love this book too.

5 out of 5 stars!

The Giver by Lois Lowry

I'm not sure how I've gone my whole life without reading this book. Most people read it in elementary or middle school, but somehow I missed it.

**spoiler warning--I figure most people have read this book, but if you haven't and don't want to know the ending, you probably shouldn't read this post**

The Giver is a dystopian children's novel about a boy named Jonas. In his society, there are no emotions, good or bad, and it is set far in the future. Everyone is pretty much the same and everything is controlled. There is no color, no snow, no hills, no hot or cold. There is one person in the society who holds all the memories of these kinds of things and he is called the Receiver. Jonas is called to be the new receiver and is slowly given memories from the old receiver, who he calls the giver. They come up with a plan to change their society so one person wouldn't have to hold all the pain and memories for everyone else. Jonas escapes the society to give the people a chance to experience the memories for themselves. The story ends super ambiguously with Jonas weak and cold and climbing a big mountain searching for another civilization.

When I finished the book I was mad at how unclear the ending was. What happened to Jonas? Did he find people? Did their plan work? Or did he die there on the mountain? He was freezing, starving, and in the middle of nowhere. I'm inclined to believe that Jonas died up there, still believing that he was close to a new life.

What do you think the ending meant?

4 out of 5 stars

My Fairy Godmother series by Janette Rallison

 It took me a day per book to read these gems. I'm always up for a good teen-lit fairy tale and these didn't disappoint! Chrysanthemum Everstar, aka Chrissy, is a Fair Godmother, not quite good enough to be a Fairy Godmother, which is why her teacher has assigned her to do some extra credit assignments to boost her grade. In book 1, Chrissy is sent to help 16-year-old Savannah who has just been dumped by her boyfriend for her older sister. Unfortunately she's already bought the perfect dress and now needs someone to take her to the prom, only a few weeks away! Savannah gets three wishes and the first two get her sent to the middle ages to play the part of Cinderella and then Snow White. When she wishes a "prince-type guy" will take her to the prom, she learns that a cute but quiet guy from school has been sent to the middle ages by Chrissy so that he can become a prince. Savannah must go and help Tristan become a prince so they can all get home, hopefully avoiding too much trouble along the way.

Book 2, My Unfair Godmother, is much like the first but still lots of fun. Her first extra credit project wasn't enough, so Chrissy is back to help another mortal with their dreary life. When her parents got divorced when she was a kid, Tansy didn't cope very well. She wouldn't talk to her dad on the phone and stopped reading novels because it used to be something they did together. She did things with the sole purpose of annoying her father. So when she is sent to stay with her dad, stepmom, and stepbrother for the summer, she finds Bo, who she believes is just misunderstood. After an already bad date gone wrong, Tansy finds herself in the police station and in a whole lot of trouble. Chrissy comes to grant three wishes, resulting in Robin Hood and his Merry Men showing up in Tansy's town and holding up local convenience stores. Further wishing lands Tansy and her family, plus gorgeous Hudson the police chief's son, in the middle ages. Tansy is forced to spin straw into gold for the king where she meets the manipulative Rumpelstiltskin. In order to get herself and her family home, Tansy must learn the moral to her story before it's too late.

I loved these books. They were witty, fun, had cute romances, and were so enjoyable to read. I love fairy tales and these were very fulfilling. Not too serious, though book 2 had a few serious moments, and perfect for a light and entertaining read. I highly recommend!

4 out of 5 stars

Septimus Heap series by Angie Sage

I've recently joined a new book club. I haven't actually been able to attend any of the meetings yet but I'm trying to read the books anyway. One of these months I'm convinced I'll be able to make it. Two months ago the assigned book was "Magyk" by Angie Sage. Little did I know that I was checking out the first of seven books in the series. If I'd known it would be such a commitment I'm not sure I would have taken the plunge.

How does one sum up an entire 7-book series?? I'm not so sure I'm up to the task but I'll do my best. The series has been compared to Harry Potter, targeted toward children and young adults, but aside from magic, I don't think they have much else in common. Septimus Heap is the seventh son of a seventh son, which, in the magical world, is very rare and means he is born with great magical power. As an infant he was stolen from his parents by agents of an evil and powerful magician, intended to become a dark apprentice, but through a mix-up, ended up in an army for kids with no knowledge of his true identity. The story brings him back to his family ten years later and Septimus begins his study of magic as the apprentice to the top wizard, Marcia Overstrand. Throughout the books Septimus fights evil alongside his adoptive sister, Princess Jenna (heir to the throne), best friend Beetle, and several of his Heap brothers.

Some of the books in this series were really good, others were kind of lame. One major problem I had with the series as a whole was that there was no overarching theme, dilemma, or objective to tie all seven books together. They could be grouped in pairs, trios, and singles: books 1+2, books 3+4+5, book 6, book 7. I think it desperately needed something to unify the series. In Harry Potter, Lord Voldemort pops up everywhere to create an epic battle at the end, culminating the efforts of the previous 6 books. Lord of the Rings has evil Lord Sauron and the Ring to keep the heroes busy throughout the trilogy. A series of this length needs something to unify the story, and poor Septimus just didn't have it.

Also I felt that the author went on a lot of boring and useless tangents. I had to skim read a lot, which I hate because it wastes my time. I shouldn't have to skim to get to the good parts. It's annoying.

I thought the characters were really fun. I loved Septimus and his best friend Beetle. By book 7 I had a little girl crush on Beetle. He's adorable. I liked how magic was presented and that it was different from HP.

Overall I enjoyed the series but there were definitely some flaws. Perhaps it would be enjoyed more by kids.  This was a fun read but long, so only start if you're willing to see it through. Starts a little slow but it picks up as you go.

3 out of 5 stars

Matched trilogy by Ally Condie

I've had these books on my to-read list for a long, long time. At first I waited to read them because Reached, the final installment of the trilogy, wasn't published yet. Then I waited because there were 50+ holds on Reached at the library. Once the hold list got under 30 I decided I was tired of waiting and I was going to get started.

This trilogy has a typical dystopian setting, set in the future after society has fallen and a new Society has emerged. In the Society everyone is Matched with their ideal partner, disease is a thing of the past, and everyone is a contributing member to society. In the first book, Cassia is Matched with Xander, her best friend, but she is having feelings for Ky. Shouldn't she have the right to choose who she loves? In Crossed, book 2, Cassia has joined the rebellion and is working to bring down the Society. In Reached, the Society has fallen and Cassia, Xander, and Ky all have to work together to find a cure to a mutated disease that threatens to destroy the life they've been working for.

I'm not sure exactly how I feel about these books. Considering all the hype I heard, they weren't as good as I was expecting, but they were still worth reading. Entertaining, but not great. I feel like the love triangle theme is way overused in young adult fiction so I wasn't too happy about the Cassia, Ky, Xander situation, even though it all works out in the end. I was also annoyed by how much Ky and Xander adored Cassia. She's a nice girl and all but she's kind of an idiot. It's hard to love a series when you don't respect the main character.

Overall, I think these were entertaining books and an enjoyable read, but don't expect an amazingly original storyline, because you won't get it.

3 out of 5 stars

The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen

This book is by the same author who wrote Flipped, which I read a few months ago. Just before I read this book I decided that I wanted to do a big race before planning to have another baby and, consequentially, getting out of shape. I'd been exercising a lot already so I just needed to pick a race and tweak my training schedule. I thought about doing a half-marathon, but I really hate running so the idea of running 13.1 miles sounds like my idea of hell. My friend mentioned doing a triathlon and the idea stuck with me. I signed up for a sprint triathlon, which is the shortest distance: 1/2 mile open water swim, 15.1 mile bike ride, 3.1 mile run. Easy peasy, right?? Well I worked and I trained and I completed my first triathlon on June 1, 2013. During my training was when I read this book and it was the perfect read to keep my head in the game.

The Running Dream is about a high school track star who loses her leg in a car accident on the way home from a track meet. The story focuses on her personal journey of learning how to cope with losing a leg and adapting her life. She decides that she wants to continue running and works to accomplish her dream despite inconceivable obstacles.

I don't know if this is based on a true story, but shortly after I finished reading came the attacks at the Boston Marathon and I couldn't help but think of those people who lost their limbs and the journey they have ahead of them. I found The Running Dream to be inspiring and it helped me aspire to work harder to accomplish my dreams despite the difficulties life has in store. I definitely recommend this one--uplifting, easy read, all-around good book.

4 out of 5 stars

Hot Money by Dick Francis

Wow, I have been super neglectful of my blog. I've read several books since I last posted so now I get to review them all at once.

Hot Money was recommended by my aunt and I checked it out because I trust her opinion, even though it looked really different from the stuff I usually read. Turns out I should read "different" stuff more often because this was a really entertaining book! It's sort of a classic murder mystery who-dunnit book and I was guessing until the very last chapter. There are a lot of characters, aka suspects, and the author does a good job at making each one seem like the potential killer. Since it's been a couple months since I read it, I can't remember the character names, but the story is centered on an extremely wealthy man who has been married 5 times and has now-grown children from 4 of his marriages. His most recent wife has been murdered and now the killer is coming after him. The only person he trusts is his (I think youngest) son, who helps protect him and discover who is trying to take his life and his money.

I highly recommend this read, especially if you're looking for a good mystery!

4 out of 5 stars

Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson

Oh this was a lovely book! The more I read, the more I realize what a hopeless romantic I am at heart. My favorite stories in the world to read are the ones that have a good love story and end happily. That's not to mean that I don't appreciate other literature as well, but there's something special about books like Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre.

Edenbrooke is a story set in Regency times, though it was written just a few years ago. Our heroine is Marianne, twin to Cecily, whose father has just sent her to live with her grandmother after the death of their mother. Cecily was sent to live with a cousin while their father went off to France to be alone to deal with his grief. Marianne tries to make the best of her situation though she is perfectly miserable. One morning her grandmother informs her that she intends Marianne to be her heir if she can prove herself to be a proper lady. Marianne is sent to live with her mother's best friend Lady Caroline at Edenbrooke for the summer where she is supposed to learn the ways of elegant ladies. Cecily, who has become great friends with Lady Caroline's daughter, will be there too and has written Marianne about her ambitious plans to marry Lady Caroline's eldest son.

On her way to Edenbrooke, Marianne's carriage is held up by a highwayman (gasp!) and her coachman is shot. The highwayman flees when Marianne's maid shoots a gun at him, and Marianne drives the horses to the nearest inn, where she meets a handsome and arrogant stranger. Marianne soon learns that he is Sir Philip, one of the sons of Lady Caroline of Edenbrooke and they strike up an unlikely friendship.

I loved the sense of humor throughout the book. Marianne is very funny and Philip very much appreciates her wit, resulting in highly entertaining banter. I only had a couple issues with this book. At times I could tell that this was not a genuine Victorian novel and that it was written in modern times. Compared to the classics, you can tell that this is an imitation. Also, as much as I loved Marianne, she was really, really stupid when it came to her own feelings, and that irritated me. She convinced herself for practically the whole story that she wasn't in love with Philip and that he didn't love her, when it was totally obvious that they were both in love with each other. Also I was annoyed that Cecily was completely obtuse and didn't figure out what her twin was going through.

In any case, I loved the book. Even though it wasn't convincingly Regency and sometimes the characters were a little dense, I read Edenbrooke twice in a row. Yep, twice. I read it the first time in a day and when I was done I realized I wanted to savor it a little more, so I read it again. And even after the second reading, I still love it.

Definitely recommend to the other hopeless romantics out there.

4.5 out of 5 stars

(btw, I debated about this rating. I loved the book, but there were a couple things that annoyed me. But I read it twice in a row, that's got to count for something. I almost gave it a 5, but I rarely give 5's. I have to be absolutely raving about a book to give it a 5, so I settled on 4.5.)

The Host by Stephenie Meyer

This is a story I've had on my mental to-read list for years. Really, ever since I read the Twilight series I've been meaning to read The Host, but I kept putting it off. I'd been told that it was sci-fi and had to do with aliens and I couldn't really psych myself up for it, even though I kept hearing that it was "so good." Last week I asked my facebook friends for book suggestions and I received several. After cross-checking with my library and finding that The Host was the only one available, I decided it was time.

Now after reading it I'm not sure why I didn't read it earlier. It actually was "really good," even perhaps great. The world has been invaded by tiny alien life forms who implant themselves in human bodies and take over their "hosts'" consciousness. There are rebel groups scattered across the world who haven't been invaded yet, and Melanie Stryder is one of those rebels. When she is captured and implanted with a Soul named Wanderer, she fights with all her strength to keep knowledge of her brother and boyfriend hidden so they won't also be captured.

I thought the story was really interesting. It is told from Wanderer's point of view, but myself being human, I was sympathizing with Melanie and how wrong it is for these aliens to come and rob humanity of their free will. Though as the story continues, Melanie's personality starts to grate my nerves and I sympathize with Wanderer and all she is going through. Wanderer and Melanie learn to work together to accomplish their joint goal of keeping Jamie (the brother) and Jared (the boyfriend) safe from harm. I loved how Wanderer and Melanie's relationship grew throughout the story from hateful enemies to like sisters and how they learned to take care of each other. I also enjoyed the rather bizarre (at times) love triangle, or I guess it was more like a square...but in any case, it was entertaining.

I definitely would recommend this, even to those who may be hesitant to jump into a fad that might become as crazy as Twilight was (or is...). I can only hope that this great story doesn't get ruined by bad acting/directing/scripting in the upcoming movie like others I've seen.

4.5 out of 5

Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen

Ahh, the perfect, light-hearted thing to read after a depressing WW2 book full of death and suffering. Flipped is about 2 kids who live across the street from each other, Juli and Bryce. Since the day Bryce's family moved in when they were about 6 years old, Juli has been in love. Something about his beautiful eyes made her swoon and forget her senses. So for years, until they hit middle school, Juli is on the offensive trying to be with Bryce as much as she can. Problem is, Bryce thinks she's a freak and doesn't want anything to do with her. Juli is oblivious to his cold shoulder and idolizes him for years. As she grows up a bit she starts to realize he may not be all she thought he was cracked up to be. Of course, this is about the time when Bryce realizes that Juli isn't exactly what he thought she was either and now has to convince her that he is a good guy, worthy of her attention.

This was a sweet, simple and silly story that took me back to elementary and middle school and all the crushes I had on boys. Only, unlike Juli, I was always too scared of the boys I liked to talk to them at all. I would pine for them from afar. It was fun to remember those days and the change in my literary repertoire was welcome. I finished in about a day and it was the perfect reprieve from overly serious stories.

3 out of 5 stars

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

 This is the final (for now) installment of my series of World War 2 related books. After reading The Book Thief, I've decided I really need a break. Not that I didn't enjoy the story, it was just much heavier than I had anticipated. In my search for pictures of the cover I learned that yet another recently read book is being made into a movie. The Book Thief is set to release in January of 2014, according to IMDB. The cover picture to the left is the one that was on the copy that I read, but I found the picture below and really liked it and decided it must be included.

The Book Thief was an interesting book. It was narrated by Death, which I thought was a unique perspective, and it turns out that Death has a sense of humor. So Death takes us around Nazi Germany and showcases various stories, mostly focusing on a little girl named Liesel who is sent to live with foster parents after losing her family. In time her new family offers a hiding place to a young Jewish man in their basement. Amidst the stress and horror of her life during the war, Liesel finds comfort in books and reading and she begins to steal literature where she can, whether that be a graveyard, a bonfire, or even an old lady's house.


It's hard to really say what this book is about since the storyline is interrupted so many times by side stories and glimpses into the future or past. Death kept giving away the endings to characters and I felt that really took away from my interest. I had a bit of a difficult time getting into the story, mostly because of the way it was narrated. I like the uniqueness a story told by Death, but to be honest it wasn't gripping enough to make me fall in love with any of the characters. My favorite character was Rudy, the boy who lives next door to Liesel, but unfortunately I didn't get the story I wanted out of him. I think the thing that put me off the most was the ending: it was horribly depressing. Not that it wasn't probably the most realistic of endings considering the time period, but still depressing.

Overall I would recommend The Book Thief, but don't expect a happy, feel-good story.

3.5 stars out of 5

The House at Tyneford by Natasha Solomons

Next on the list from my friend was another World War 2 book, and just a heads up, the book I'm reading now is also WW2 era. So many good stories inspired by such a colossally horrific chapter in history.

Our heroine is Elise, a bourgeois Jewish girl from Austria, whose mother is a famous Opera singer and father is an author. Her sister inherited her mother's beauty and talent, leaving Elise with little beauty other than her father's jet black hair. Times are changing for Jews in Vienna and the family makes preparations to go to America. Since no visa could be procured for Elise, she is sent to be a housemaid in an English country home where she would be safe and she must learn to adapt from her life of comfort to becoming a member of the working class. Upon her arrival at Tyneford, the house in which she will be working, she meets Kit, the 20-year old son of the master of the house. They strike up a friendship, one that helps her bear the weight of the trials and tragedies that come her way during the upcoming years.

I found this to be a very beautiful and well-written story. I grew to respect Elise and the grace with which she learns to handle her lot, especially compared to the immature tantrum-throwing child of 19 years she was when she left Vienna. This was not a happy, feel-good kind of novel, which I think is actually much more appropriate considering the setting, but I loved it completely. I'm a happy ending kind of girl, and while this one did end well, it wasn't the "happily ever after" I usually hope for when reading a book.

On the cover is printed something to the effect of "Fans of Downton Abbey will love The House at Tyneford!" I had never seen Downton Abbey but kept hearing friends rave about it, so when my husband and I got a week trial of Hulu Plus (to try and catch up on a different show that turns out wasn't actually available, but that's a whole other story) we decided to give it a try. We finished the 2 seasons during our trial and it was kind of fun to be reading this book at the same time. They definitely have their similarities: centered around a world war, give a good view of the upstairs vs downstairs life, in England, etc. So if you are a fan of Downton Abbey, you probably would enjoy this book. However, I wouldn't limit my recommendation to only those people; I think many would enjoy it.

4 out of 5 stars

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

This was another recommendation from my friend. I knew I'd love this book just from the title: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society. How can you not love a book with such an awesome title??

Written in letters, this story is set at the end of World War 2 on a little island off the coast of England called Guernsey. Juliet Ashton, a writer, receives a letter from a stranger in Guernsey and they strike up a friendship. He writes her of the German occupation of their island during the war and how their literary society came to be and how it bonded the islanders together during a difficult time. Juliet is so intrigued by their stories that she decides to write a book on the experiences of her new Guernsey friends.

What I loved most about this book were the characters. Other books I've read written in this style (letters or journal entries) have come off as disjointed and choppy and unrelatable. It can be hard to care about the story without a constant storyline, which is what made me appreciate this book even more. I was able to pick out small details in the writing and try to draw my own conclusions between the characters, hope and guess about potential romances, in different ways from traditional novels. I loved the main character, Juliet. She has gumption. And I absolutely fell in love with the people of Guernsey and their stories. I felt like they became my friends and I cared about what happened in their lives. There is one character, Elizabeth, whom everyone speaks about but Juliet never actually gets to meet, and yet by the end of the book, you feel as though you know her and care about her better than anyone else. I learned that they are making this book into a movie in the next year or so and Kate Winslet is supposed to play Juliet. I adore Kate Winslet and think she'd be a perfect cast.

I definitely recommend this one!!

4 out of 5 stars

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman

Last week I ran out of things to read. After I finished North and South, I started to panic because none of the books on my to-read list were at the local library, and heaven forbid I should go even a day without reading material. So I polled some friends during a play group for our kids and got a great list of books. The next few book reviews on this blog will be a result from their recommendations. Thank goodness for fellow bookworm friends!

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt was a delightful feel-good book that left me with warm fuzzies all over. CeeCee, a 12 year old girl living in Ohio, has been raised by a mentally ill mother who frequently acts out her delusions that she is still the Vidalia Onion Beauty Queen from her youth in Georgia. She dresses up in prom gowns from the local Good Will and parades herself around town, humiliating her daughter. When CeeCee's mother is hit by a car and killed, her father, who chose to ignore his wife's illness and desert his family, comes to arrange for CeeCee to move to Georgia to live with her Great Aunt Tootie. Leaving the past behind, CeeCee is able to live and heal and thrive under her kind aunt's care and she meets many wise people who help her learn to move on and love her mother's memory.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. If ever in the mood for a good, soul-uplifting story, I heartily recommend this one. I really enjoyed the characters that CeeCee meets in Georgia. Pretty much all of the significant characters, aside from her father, are women and there sure were some powerhouse ladies to help CeeCee along her way. The story is set in the 1960s and it kind of made me wish I'd grown up in the south. As a California girl, I can truly say that I've never, ever wished that before, but there is something so charming about southern hospitality and the way women back then took care of each other. Although it also reminded me of the racial inequality of the times, making me grateful for how far we have come as a nation.

Loved this story. Perfect for reading snuggled under a blanket on a cold day.

4 out of 5 stars

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

Over the Christmas holiday my sister in law lent me the movie North and South. She said I'd probably like it because of how much I like Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre. Plus it stars Richard Armitage who plays Thorin Oakenshield in the Hobbit (of which I am a huge fan) and I thought it'd be fun to see him in a different role. Last week I finally watched it and instantly fell in love and decided I simply must read the book. Besides, after all these fantasy and paranormal books I've been reading lately I decided a nice Victorian novel sounded divine.

 

Our heroine is Miss Margaret Hale, the daughter of a parson, Mr Hale, who decides to abruptly uproot his family from the quiet country town Helstone for the bustling factory town of Milton. As Margaret in confronted with her prejudice of mill-owners and factory towns, she becomes acquainted with lower class factory workers, particularly the Higgins family, and a mill-owner Mr Thornton. She becomes personally invested in the social inequality and injustices she sees between the two classes, all the while cultivating unconscious (for most of the novel) feelings for Mr Thornton, who also has feelings for her.

 

I loved this book. I love that so much of it is focused on the political issues of the time it was written. I probably don't need to point out that I live for a really good love story, and the romance between Mr Thornton and Margaret, while not the focus of the book, is sweet and provoking. The only negative I can have is that I wish the ending was more developed. You root for Margaret and Mr Thornton for the full 400+ pages, so the ending should adequately represent the struggles they both (and the reader) go through to get there. At least the movie embellishes on the ending to make it a little more satisfying. But overall I was so happy to have discovered this gem. It's definitely more serious and darker than Pride and Prejudice, and has less romance than Jane Eyre, but anyone who is a fan of either of those (or any other Jane Austen, Bronte, or Dickens), I highly recommend North and South.

 

5 out of 5 stars

The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare

Is it strange how you can finish a series, look at all the covers lined up in a row, and not be able to recall what the story was?? I'm experiencing this conundrum right now. I finished book 5, City of Lost Souls, just about a week ago, and for the life of me I can't remember what happened in each book. Strange...

In any case, The Mortal Instruments series, by Cassandra Clare, was a whole lot of fun. They're making a movie of the first book, City of Bones, to be released soon. It's difficult to explain what this series was about because Clare created a richly detailed world in which to tell her story, so giving a vague summary won't do it justice.

The story starts with a girl named Clary, a seemingly normal girl who is best friends with an actually normal boy named Simon. One night Clary and Simon meet some strange people--Jace, Alec, and Isabelle, shadowhunters whose duty it is to destroy demons and protect humans. When Clary's mom is kidnapped by a powerful rogue shadowhunter, Clary discovers secrets of her past and learns that she is, by blood, a shadowhunter. She and Simon are thrown into this world of demons, vampires, werewolves, faeries, and angels and join the battle to save the world.

I think the thing I liked best about this series was that I couldn't predict ANYTHING. The only clues I had to who ends up with who were from the book covers, and the story was beyond anything I could have guessed. The character development was really good--you get to know and care about each character, which I think is monumentally important to any good story. Each book had great momentum, full of adventure and excitement, with the exception of book 4 where it got a little slow. I almost think the series would have been stronger if it ended after book 3 when a major conflict that tied books 1-3 together was resolved. Instead a few threads were left hanging to propel the series to books 4-6+ (book 6 is to be published around 2014). When I picked up the first installment at the library, I figured that since there were 5 books then the series must be complete. I probably wouldn't have started these if I had known they weren't finished yet. I absolutely hate waiting for books to come out; I lose interest if I have to wait too long.

Overall I thought these were a great read and I would definitely recommend to others.

4 out of 5 stars

Wings series by Aprilynne Pike

I've gotten into the bad habit of waiting to blog until I've read several books so that by the time I get around to blogging, I can hardly remember what I read. Such is the case this time. I read this series by Aprilynne Pike, recommended by my fellow book worm friend Katie, a couple months ago.

Wings starts off with a girl named Laurel who finds out that she is a faerie, sent to live in the human world to protect the gateway to Avalon, the home of all faeries. She also finds herself in a rather complicated love triangle, torn between the enticing and passionate faerie Tam and the grounded, human best-friend Mike.

I found this series to be enjoyable and entertaining but somewhat predictable. I was never surprised by anything that happened, even her eventual resolution of the love triangle. It was fun to read about faeries; I've never read any faerie stories before. I would definitely recommend these books if you're looking for a light, pleasant set of books in which you could easily be lost.

3 out of 5 stars for the first three books
4 out of 5 for the last