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