Bitterblue - Book Review

Book: Bitterblue (Graceling Realm #3)
Author: Kristin Cashore, Ian Schoenherr (Illustrator)
Genre: Teen, Young Adult
Publisher/Publish Date: Dial / May 2012
Source: SF Public Library
Pages: 576
Rating: 4/5
GoodReads  •  Amazon

Set in a fantastical world where some people are born with special skills, known as a Grace, some people use this skills for good, others for evil. Bitterblue, the third book in the Graceling Realm series, takes place eight years after the first book. Eight years after the terrible reign of her dad ended, and she became queen of Mosea. While the kingdom is still recovering from the influence of her father, Leck, Bitterblue is trying to sort out how he terrorized the citizens and find a way to bring healing.

Leck was a violent psychopath, and his grace was an ability to make people believe and do what he wanted them to. Bitterblue was left with advisors who had worked for her father, and were focused on a forward-thinking plan, ignoring the past. Her curiosity leads her to sneak out the castle in disguise, to explore the streets of her city, and discover the true story of what her father did and the impact it still has on her kingdom.

I really enjoyed the first two books in this series (the second is a companion book with different characters), and was looking forward to reading this one for awhile. Although it's set in a mythological realm, I like how believable the characters are, making the plot more true to life then a lot of YA books. While there is romance, it's complicated, and doesn't wrap up cleanly in the end. There is mystery, surprises, but it's never over the top. Not to give too much away, but things turn out really great in the end, and I hope Cashore writes many more books about these kingdoms.

Included at the end of the book, an almost too easy to miss, are breathtaking illustrations of the three bridges that are central to the novel, as well as a map of the seven kingdoms. [Purple illustration above is from the inside cover.]

ARC Teaser

I have gotten some great ARC's in the last few weeks and looking forward to sharing them with you in the next few months. Here's what you can look forward to...

Last Summer of the Camperdowns, by Elizabeth Kelly

Screwed, by Laurie Plissner

Queen of the Air: A True Story of Love and Tragedy at the Circus, by Dean N. Jensen

best books for a rainy day

I grew up in Oregon, and one of my favorite things to do on a rainy day was to curl up on the couch with a good book. A book that I could get lost in and would take me away from the crummy weather outside. It's been pretty crummy here the last couple weeks, and if it's crummy where you are, here are some books to check out.

The Mitford Years Series, by Jan Karon
This series of nine books follows the  day to day life of a small town rector. Father Tim lives in Mitford; a charming village with lots of fresh air and green hills and full of interesting characters. These books take you back to a time that was simple and you knew all your neighbors by name. I might not be the normal demographic for these books but I enjoy them.





Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, by Judi Barrett
This children's book has some of my favorite illustrations. What's not to love about the idea of meatballs falling from the sky, pancakes so large they cover houses, and no need to go grocery shopping. Like Mitford, this book is also set in a small town.





The Chronicles of Narnia Series, by C.S. Lewis
I have a vivid memory of watching the PBS version of this book as a kid, while it was snowing out doors. Since then I have read the whole series, and love this fantastical story of a magical wardrobe and the Great Lion Aslan. Over the years there have been an assortment of beautiful covers for this book, my favorite being and illustration of "a faun carrying parcels and an umbrella in a snowy wood," which was Lewis' initial idea behind the book, which came to him at age 16 (according to Amazon.com).



About a Boy, by Nick Hornby
Though more people may be familiar with the movie, I read and fell in love with the book first. Will, a 36 year old confirmed bachelor, befriends a young boy when we tries to con a women into dating in. The awkward friendship leads life changing events that improves the lives of the man, boy and those around them. I think this story can teach all of us some valuable lessons and how to be a better friend.





What's your favorite book to read on a rainy day?

Book Review: No Shortcuts to the Top by Ed Viesturs

I have a little obsession with books, movies, and TV shows about mountain climbing, and specifically Everest. I have literally watched every documentary on Netflix about the mountain, and wish there was more. When I heard about this book, which is Ed Viesturs retelling of his treks to Mount Everest, as well as the other 13 8000'ers (ie. mountains higher than 8,000 meters), it sounded right up my ally.

One thing I found really interesting about this book, is that it deals with one person's journey from never having set foot on a mountain, to becoming a world class mountain climber. The highs and lows of finding love and losing close friends resonate with all of us, but his ease and success at mountain climbing set him apart physically from most of us. Since climbing mountains that are so high it can cause liquid to build up in your lungs, create avalanches that can kill you in a split second, can be dangerous, it adds up to a lot of danger and excitement. And even though we know the outcome (no surprise, he does reach the summit of the 14 highest peaks), each times he heads up, we the reader, doesn't know if he will be successful.

Loki's Wolves: The Blackwell Pages

Book: Loki's Wolves (The Blackwell Pages Series)
Author: K.L. Armstrong & M.A. Marr
Genre: Middle Grade, Mythological 
Publisher/Publish Date: Little, Brown / May 7, 2013
Source: ARC curtesy of publisher
Pages: 358
Rating: 4/5
GoodReads  •  Amazon

The son of the local sheriff, Matt, knew he was a descendent of the Norse God Thor, but until he was chosen as the living representative of Thor it was never a big deal. Being chosen as the champion means he must fight in Ragnarök, the final battle, and he over hears his family saying they don't expect him to survive.

Matt decided to go off on his own, and find the other characters from the myths who were also foretold to fight in the final battle. He wants to prove his family wrong, and return a true champion.

When I got this book in the mail and saw the cover, I wasn't sure what to think about it. But once I got to reading I found I really enjoyed it. In many ways it reminds me of Harry Potter: kids having an adventure without their parents, serpent attacks, friends banding together to battle mythological creatures. While the writing isn't quite on par with J.K. Rowling, I could see this series really taking off, especially with grade school and middle school kids—much like the first Harry Potter book.

It ends on a cliffhanger, and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series. If you have any young kids on your christmas shopping list, this would be a great gift for them.

Thank you Little, Brown and GoodReads for the ARC! I received it by entering a contest on GoodReads, First Reads. It's open to anyone so head on over and see what other books you can enter to win; they have some really great giveaways.

Off Balance: A Memoir - Book Review

Book: Off Balance: A Memoir
Author: Dominique Moceanu (with Paul & Teri Williams)
Genre: Memoir
Publisher/Publish Date: Touchstone / June 2012
Source: SF Public Library
Pages: 256
Rating: 2/5
Other books from author: She's written a series of children's novels that revolve around gymnastics
GoodReads  •  Amazon

This was a book I added to my library request list around the time of the London Olympics. I wasn't sure what to expect and was actually pleasantly surprised. It was nice having a shorter book I could finish in 2 days.

Dominique Moceanu shot to fame at a 14 years old as the youngest gymnast on the US Olympic team, and brought home a gold medal. Behind the smile was a young girl who had tough coaches, parents who pushed her hard, but even then, she loved the sport. The following years lead to emancipation from her family, experimenting with drugs, and the discover of a sister who was put up for adoption.

I appreciated that the book didn't wind up becoming a pity party for her, but she writes of her ups and downs in a straight forward way, focusing on the positive. She still loves gymnastics, coaches and writes children's books about gymnasts.

March - What I Read

Welcome to April everyone. The rain here in SF has arrived right on schedule, but I hope it leaves soon. March was a busy month for me, so I'm happy to have made it through 6 books. None of them were audio books and two of them were pretty large books.

What are your thoughts on the recent announcement of GoodReads being bought by Amazon? I really love everything about GoodReads, so I hope none of that goes away. Crossing my fingers.

Red Carpet Burns, by Georgia Cassimatis
I blogged about it here.

The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict, by Trenton Lee Stewart

Enjoyed this book and love the world that Stewart has created in these books. I blogged about it here.

Off Balance, by Dominique Moceanu

It was nice to have a shorter book I could finish in a couple days. I have a review of this book coming out in a couple days.

Insurgent, by Veronica Roth
I blogged about it here.

Legacy of Rescue, by Marta Fuchs
Blogged about it here.

Loki's Wolves, by K.L. Armstrong, M.A. Marr

This is a book I got as an ARC and really enjoyed it. It's coming out May 7, and I'll be posting a review of later this wee.