Big Lunch Wednesday

Big Lunch Wednesday is not my usual type of memoir but my friend is mentioned in the end of the book since she dated the author.

Memoirs are always tricky for me to review since they are a personal experience and not something just thought up. Real life can have plot holes and odd occurrences. That said if not for the fact my friend asked me to read Big Lunch Wednesday I would not have chosen it. The story felt too personal and it seemed like I missed a lot of inside jokes since I do not know the author.

Mechanica

Mechanica was a wonderful find at the bookstore before it closed. While a retelling of Cinderella some new stuff is introduced and it is a bit of fantasy with steampunk. I adored the combination of the two and I really hope that Betsy Cornwell writes a companion book or a second book with the same characters.

 Nicolette, better known as Nick, is a young girl who loses both her parents. After the death of her inventor mother Nick's father gets rid of any trace of her inventions leaving Nick with almost no reminders of her mother. Upon the death of her father Nick is turned into a servant in her own house. Lucky for her she does have some help, a mysterious note appears under her door on the sixteenth birthday leading her to her mother's wondrous workshop. With a chance for freedom Nick will summon all her courage and learning to make the most of her situation. 

I really liked Nick she was strong willed despite years of abuse from her step mother and sisters. Instead of letting it break her she adsorbed it and grew stronger because of it. Nor does Nick depend on someone else to come rescue her, she wants to rescue herself. I did have a couple problems with the story, key elements were left out. This makes me wonder if a squeal or companion story is being written explaining some of the things in the story.  However since Mechanica is an older book I do not feel this is the case. :(

Christmas Carol Murder

Christmas Carol Murder is another Lucy Stone story and it is a lot farther in the series then I realized.

Working at the Pennysaver newspaper Lucy is in on all the news and at the scene of every big scoop. When the local scrooge is blown up with a mail bomb disguised as a festive Christmas package Lucy is determined to find out who is sending deadly mail. The recession is hitting hard and with many suspects all more disgruntled then the last Lucy has to call on every instinct and trick she has learned to stop the bomber before they strike again.

Leslie Meier's writing has improved drastically since the first book in the series. I still do have some issues with too much fluff and filler that I do not care about. Maybe it is because I have not read the series in order that I wince every time a luncheon or gathering with lots of Lucy friends occur. It was a fun fast read to help get my mind on Christmas.

The Twelve Dogs of Christmas

The super adorable puppies on the cover drew me to The Twelve Dogs of Christmas in the early hours this morning. Sadly the mention of dogs and Christmas was barely existent. If not for the main character complaining about decorating the tree I would never have known it was Christmas time.

Andy Carpenter is a defense attorney and when the local lady, Pups, who takes in puppies to raise until they are old enough to find homes is being harassed by the city for too many dogs in her residence Andy takes up the case. Quickly the tides turn and Pups finds herself the key suspect in a murder case Andy has to figure out what is going on and save an innocent woman from going to prison.

I wanted the story to fit the cute cover which it sadly did not. Andy mentioned walking his dogs several times but still I wanted more puppies and more Christmas. The puppies holding the key to the mystery would have been nice. Lots of ends were left undone and I am not sure if that is because this is a series or the author just did not feel the need to explain. The writing as well done and it never felt like I was reading fluff. Andy had extremely interesting thought processes that were well laid out and fun to read. Despite lacking the Christmas flare I would consider reading another Andy Carpenter mystery I just know now to expect much of the cute details.

Mistletoe Murder

I got sick Sunday and have been sleeping a lot but I woke up around one this morning and was unable to go back to sleep so I checked out a couple books on my Nook. Since Christmas is a handful of days away I was excited to see a Christmas themed book on the main page of the library. Mistletoe Murder did not feel overly Christmassy to me though.

Last year I believe I read a Lucy Stone mystery and did not really care for it. While not really having anything to do with Christmas I did at least enjoy Mistletoe Murder. Working for a local catalogue company Lucy is falling asleep and goes outside for some fresh air to perk herself up. Oddly she hears a car running and finds it odd since it is late at night and all her coworkers are in the building she just left. Rushing to check the car she finds the owner of the business deceased.

My biggest complaint about Lucy Stone stories that I have read is far too much filler. Lots of things I do not care about and I tend to just skim filler chapters since they do not move the story forward in anyway at all. Besides that I did like Mistletoe Murder it was a fun and fast read.

The Stowaway

In October the local bookstore went out of business and I got several books for ten cents. The Stowaway was one of those books.

The whole story is told from Maimun's point of view and he is relating the tale to a pirate captain. Having been found as a baby in some rubble and left with a druid until he was six years old Maimun knows nothing of his parents or how he really survived. It was not until he was six that he was even given a name which means twice lucky. The name suits Maimun well since he always seems to be ins some sort of trouble.

The Stowaway did end on a cliffhanger and I am curious to know more of Maimun's story. The writing was easy to read and the story flowed along comfortably. 

Enslaved: True Stories of Modern Day Slavery

Sadly Slavery is not a thing of the past and still happens in many different forms. Enslaved tells the accounts of seven different people who were subjected to slavery and one person who was born a slave holder but turned to abolition.

The stories all varied and were on different subjects showcasing the different forms of slavery that exist to this day. At times Enslaved was hard to read and brutally painful to imagine that someone would do those thing to another human being. I choose Enslaved in hopes that I would better understand how slavery is still occurring in the world today and ways I can step up to help stop it. Despite the last chapter being ways to help stop slavery I do not feel that Enslaved was the best choice for learning about ways to stop slavery. It felt more like Enslaved is a starting point on learning more on the subject. Knowing what people have to deal with, even children, have me wanting to read more on the subject especially books that have proactive ways in which I can help make a difference.

Yurei: The Japenese Ghost

Yurei: The Japanese Ghost was an insightful read for the history of a cultural cornerstone in Japan.

Going into Yurei I really had no expectations at to what Mr. Davisson would present so I was delightfully surprised to find all the history and facts in an easy to read and understand format. With the nice breakdown I was never confused about the different type of Yurei despite a vast array of different categories of Yurei.

I had the honor of meeting Mr. Davisson a couple years ago at a Japanese cultural event and he was kind enough to share a bit of Japanese history reading Yurei reminded me of that conversation.

The Safe-Keeper's Secret

I was not really sure what style of story I was getting when I started The Safe-Keeper's Secret and now that I have finished it I am still not really sure what the story was trying to present.

Fiona is the daughter of the local Safe-Keeper, a person charged with keeping secrets from those needing to talk to someone. I sort of took them as therapists in a medieval sense. Since it is typical for a child of a Safe-Keeper to take up the mantel Fiona aspires to make that her career. 

Meanwhile her spirited brother (in name only), Reed does not know what he wants to do. Have been left with the Safe-Keeper as an infant Reed is anxious to learn who his parents are and is always restless. 

Safe-Keepers were not the only class, Shinn also introduced truth tellers, dream makers, and a version of a witch. I think the truth teller was my favorite and I would like to know more about them. It does seems a book was written about truth tellers but centering around different characters.

The dream maker was another interesting idea, someone who makes wishes come true by being near but is cursed with atrociously horrible luck. Only one dream maker exists in the kingdom at a time so it is position of high honor.

The story was an easy read and I did enjoy it but overall I am not really sure what I read. Despite reading a couple hundred pages I am not sure I could even tell someone the plot line. However I would consider reading another tale with these job classifications since they were so unique for me.

Capative of my Desires

I was in a hurry a couple days ago and pulled Captive of my Desires off my bookshelf randomly.

Gabrielle is lost when her mother passes unexpectedly. Determined not to let her solicitor pawn her off on some womanizer guardian until she is of a legal age to claim her inheritance Gabby books passage on a ship and heads to the Caribbean to find her father. Much to her dismay the respectful man she always thought to be a merchant is actually a pirate. 

Despite a few steamy scenes I enjoyed Captive of my Desires, Gabby had just the right amount of spunk to her. Despite being a larger love story things never seemed to drag but fit naturally and smoothly. I would be willing to read more of Johanna Lindsey's work.

The Serpent and the Pearl

The Serpent and the Pearl was an impulse buy since I loved the cover. Thankfully it was a worthy impulse.

Right away Kate Quinn caught my attention by introducing a spirited cook Carmelina, who turned out to be my favorite character. Full of spunk and determined to make it on her own Carmelina traveled across the country to find her cousin who will hopefully take her under his protection. 

Leonello, a dwarf who likes to cheat at cards to make a living, is a unique character and I grew fond of his sharp tongue and wit at figuring ways out of tough situations. Avenging the death of one of his few friends Leonello ends up in the dungeons of the Borgia family unsure of his fate.

Vivacious Giulia Farnese was probably my least favorite character, in ways I found it a bit hard to relate to her.Famous for her beauty and charming manner to match all Giulia can think about is her marriage to a handsome man only a year older then her. Upon her marriage she is horrified to learn it is all a front and she is to become mistress to a powerful Cardinal who is in his sixties. Ill at the thought she denies him and begs her husband to fight for her. His answer is to flee to a countryside estate leaving her to the cardinal's woes. 

The writing was elegant and just flowed off the pages. I loved every word and all the details. It never felt like too much information was given and I had a clear picture of what was going on at all times. My only complaint was the end. The ending was not as smooth as I liked, while I understand this is a series the book just sort of stopped. Did not taper off into a smoother ending while still leaving a cliffhanger. I did read a sample of The Lion and the Rose and I must admit I was extremely confused as to what was going on. It seemed like a major time skip occurred which is odd since The Serpent and the Pearl ended on such a cliffhanger. I do hope to read The Lion and the Rose soon.

The Camelot Papers

I received The Camelot Papers in a book bundle and it took me ages to get to it. I was immediately drawn in by the original one of a kind cover but sadly the cover was misleading and nothing that was listed as a scandal was even in the story.

Viviana is a young slave girl who is sold to the castle in Camelot. Resentful of her father for selling her into slavery Viviana has learned how to survive despite the horrible conditions she has had to endure. Hoping for a slightly better life in the castle Viviana attempts to keep her head down and work hard. Through good luck and being in the right place at the right time Viviana becomes hand maiden to the Queen.

While a retelling of the Arthur Legend I did not care for the Camelot Papers, it drug and lacked the humor I hoped it would have. The writing was well done but beyond that I just did not care for the dry story line full of useless details. For me the best part was finally finishing it so I can move on to something else.

The Assassin's Blade

The Assassin's Blade is a collection of five novellas in the Throne of Glass series.

Celaena is a notorious feared assassin and the stories explain some of her greater missions along with her relationship with Sam. A couple of the novellas felt a bit weak but I did enjoy seeing the earlier softer side of Celaena. Despite being a feared assassin Celaena clearly enjoys being a girl and flaunting her beauty. I like how stubborn and determined Celaena is while also showing a weak vulnerable side. All the stories added to Celaena's character development and I feel like I know her even more. All in a great read that pulled at my heartstrings at times.

Dark Frost

Dark Frost is the third book in the Mythos Academy series. I had high hopes for Dark Frost since Gwen's rival is finally stepping out of the shadows.

Having bested a reaper and seeing him safely imprisoned Gwen hopes her life will become a bit more normal. Still chosen as Nike's Champion Gwen knows she will remain a target so she agrees to spend extra time working on her fighting skills which are severely lacking. Her relationship with Logan is also rocky, due to her magic they both have misgivings about being together.

I am disappointed in the writing, once again certain words were all over and reused so many times I wanted to scream when I saw them. By this point in the series the reader should know that Carson is a band geek and Gwen's magic classifies her as a gypsy, no need to shove it at the reader every other paragraph. I do plan on reading Crimson Frost and I hope that the writing improves because I like the overall story line.

Leyla: The Black Tulip

Leyla: The Black Tulip is not my normal style of book. However my Goddaughter has been wanting to read about girls from other lands so I read it thinking she might enjoy it. Leyla is totally age appropriate and I hope to pass it on to my Goddaughter next time I see her.

When Leyla's father disappears during a way Leyla helps in the only way she can selling herself to slavers so her mother and younger siblings will not starve. Scared and alone on the journey Leyla is bought by the Sultan and being mentored by a mute lady in the palace in the art of gardening.

Leyla reminded me of a lot of the American Girl stories, some history and a lot more of the character development. Despite all her tribulations Leyla really came into her own and found her own strength in dealing with what life handed her.

Jenna & Jonah's Fauxmance

Jenna & Jonah's Fauxmance sounded cute and fun from the description so I downloaded a sample on my Nook. I liked the opening and finally found it at the library. Sadly after the first couple of chapters I was totally bored with the story line. I had no other book with me to read so I went ahead and finished it.

Both Charlie and Fielding were annoying as heck. I could barely stand to read it when the chapter was from Charlie's point of view. Fielding was slightly better but not by much. The whole story felt like filler for the most part after about three or four chapters and I just wanted it to end. I saw no character growth or development.

Crown of Midnight

I have been wanting to read Crown of Midnight for ages but the wait list at the library has been massive. Hopefully Heir of Fire will not take as long to get.

Celaena is now the King's Champion and doing all his dirty work. Disgusted that she is working for tyrant Celaena works at finding a way out of her contract without putting those she loves in danger. Caught up in political intrigue Celaena wonders what move to make as she tries to keep one step ahead of the King's friends and avoid becoming a rallying point for the King's enemies. 

The writing was lovely and Celaena is a strong, thought out character. Despite being an assassin Celaena loves to be girly and chances to a normal woman in the court. I eagerly look forward to Heir of Fire.

Kiss of Frost

Kiss of Frost is the squeal to Touch of Frost and I am happy to say I enjoyed it immensely. Thankfully the writing and the character development picked up so I am glad I continued with the series.

Gwen is now Nike's champion and being hunted by a Reaper. Unsure of who she can trust and lacking pretty much any fighting ability Gwen works at staying alive. Not wanting to be alone at Mythos academy while the students go to the annual winter festival Gwen relucantly tags along with her best friend. Instead of fun games and yummy food Gwen is playing a deranged game for her very life.

I had major issues with the writing in most of Touch of Frost and happily the writing was a lot more enjoyable. Instead of every other word being "gypsy gift" or "gypsy girl" new words were introduced describing Gwen's power and it was not shoved down the reader's throat. I look forward to reading Dark Frost.

Bubble World

Bubble World was very different then what I expected. I chose it blindly from a bargain bookshelf at the local bookstore since the cover looked interesting.

Freesia has it all, good looks, amazing clothes, perfect family, friends, and a stunning island life. Sadly for her none of it is real, instead she is in a virtual reality school. When her life starts to glitch Freesia is beyond confused as to what is happening. Despite living a virtual reality world for several years and then being back in the real world suddenly Freesia did not really lose it. I did find her character extremely shallow and two dimensional. All Freesia cared about was pretty people and clothing.

Sadly Bubble World was not my favorite. I found the main character unbelievable and the side characters were painfully underdeveloped. The writing was majorly confusing in the start, I did not know what was going on half the time. Several words were invented for Bubble World and it took me a bit to figure them all out. The ending was predictable and anti-climatic. 

Room

I do not recall where I saw Room, maybe a Friday 56 blog, but I have been anxious to read it. A few pages in I knew Room was going to be tedious but I still wanted to read it.

Jack's whole life is a tiny room, he has never been outside or seen a single person except his mother. Kidnapped and locked up like a prisoner Jack's ma gives birth to him and does all she can to keep him safe from her abductor. Since Old Nick only shows up at night Ma has Jack sleep in the wardrobe for his own safety. At times Jack seemed wise beyond his years and other times he seemed highly immature.

In some ways I would have liked to know more about Ma and old Nick. They were both kind of understated characters. The writing was hard to read since it is told in a five year old's voice and it did take me awhile to figure out what was going on. However it was a nice change of pace from books I have been reading a lot of lately.

Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies

I was not sure if I wanted to buy another collection of short Hogwarts stories since I was not overly happy with the first one I purchased. It just seemed not enough for the money however I wanted to know more about side characters in Harry Potter. Since Pottermore confuses the daylights out of me I broke down and bought the short story collection.

No denying it is short, under a hundred pages and most pages only have a few words on them but it was still fun. Harry Potter maintains a magic all its own for me so any time I can get additional details about it I am happy.

All in all a fun read with a few new facts about side characters in the Harry Potter series.

Truly Madly Deadly

I read a sample of Truly Madly Deadly several months and immediately ordered it from the library.

Sawyer is struggling to come to terms with the death of boyfriend Kevin. While their relationship seemed perfect to the untrained eye it was far from that. Kevin was abusive and Sawyer was always his favorite punching bag. Worried if she does not grieve properly Sawyer is unsure how to act around her family and friends. All that changes when a note appears in Sawyer's locker saying "You're Welcome."

I could not stop thinking about everything going on even when I was not reading. The mystery and suspense were dished out in the perfect amounts. I did have a couple issues with a few small things that occurred, they just did not seem to fit with everything that was going on. Overall I enjoyed the story and would not mind reading more work by Hannah Jayne.

Wrecked

I have been wanting to try a merperson story for months so when I spotted Wrecked on the discount shelf I did not hesitate to buy it.

Miranda blames herself for the death of her friends in a boating accident. Despite not having been drinking she was driving the boat and somehow managed to escape the water despite plantlife tangling in her leg. Lost in her own sorry Miranda goes around in a drugged trance trying to cope with all the changes in her life.

Christian has always been drawn to the human world and despite the pains from surfacing Christian watches humans. Seeing a boating accident Christian is unable to help himself and saves a girl who passes out in his arms. 

Sadly I am not even sure how to describe the plot line, writing, or character development for Wrecked. The story was long, boring, and full of filler. Almost none of it was believable, friends turning against Miranda because she lived through the boating accident seemed odd and poorly done. I saw no changes in Miranda at all and this was a huge disappointment. The story was so boring and poorly written I just skimmed the last fifty pages or so. Thankfully it is a standalone novel so I was not left wondering anything or trying to decide if I would struggle through the second book.

Touch of Frost

The dazzling cover piqued my interest in Touch of Frost. Drawn to the cover I downloaded a sample on my Nook and was immediately hooked. Lucky for me the library had a copy in so I did not even have to wait.

Gwen Frost has had a normal life until the death of her mother, pulled out of her school she is enrolled in Mythos Academy. Hurting over the death of her mother, the loss of all her friends, and confused about her new school Gwen is a loner and a outcast until she stumbles upon the body of the most popular girl in school. Despite the teachers shielding the student body from the horrible details of the girl's death Gwen is determined to find the truth.

I had a couple issues with Touch of Frost. The writing was just plain bad in parts, the farther I read the better things got but it took far too long for anything to be revealed which was frustrating. Literally it was three pages of what is going on then wham out of no where forty pages of everything being thrown at you at all at once. Another major issue for me was the repetitive writing, I kept checking to see if I had read that part before. Way too much use of the words "gypsie gift" and with how touchy people are about slurs I am not sure that was the best terms to describe Gwen's powers. Despite these flaws I do hope to continue the Mythos Academy series.

Run

A few weeks ago I read an excerpt for Run on a Friday 56 blog post and I immediately ordered it from the library. Sadly I am unable to recall which blog it was to provide a link. :(

Bo Dickinson is known as the local wild girl who does what she wants when she wants. Full of spirit and caring little what others think Bo works at befriending a local blind girl.

Agnes has always been quiet and accepted her parents iron control over her, as they say they are keeping her best interests in mind. Stuck with a friend that treats her more like an inconvenience and ditches her any chance she can Agnes's life is pretty much school and then hanging out at home with her parents. All that changes for her when Bo decides to start being her friend.

The two girls are very different and I saw a lot of peer pressure in the book at times. Parts of it did seem to odd to me when Agnes just gave in like it was no big deal and yet held out on other things. I did enjoy Run a good deal until the end. I was not happy with the ending at all. 

How to Meet Boys

Months ago I downloaded a sample of How to Meet Boys on my Nook since it was listed as a book I would like. Since I have been doing some heavier books I thought a light read would be nice and just my luck it as my turn to get it from the library. The story is told from dual points of view.

Lucy just wants to escape her home and her overbearing mother who is obsessed with planning her second wedding. Since her Grandparents needs help at their store she quickly jumps on the idea and heads to a small tourist town with her best friend Mikayla.

Mikayla is eager for her job at a club and to spend time with her best friend. Her first day bicycling to her job she is hit by a car. The driver is super cute and worried about her. Immediately taken by him Mikayla works to get closer to the driver only to find out he is the boy who broke Lucy's heart three years earlier.

Several parts were cliche' and predictable but it was a fun light read.

The Double Edge Sword

Since the local bookstore is closing I am stocking up on books and I was immediately drawn to the cover of The Double Edged Sword.

Right away I like the start, a bit of mystery, along with an interesting character who seemed determined to learn more about his past. Fin seems a bit resentful he was discovered as a small baby and baffled by why he was left. Under the guardianship of a judge Fin's life has always been a bit awkward. Attending two different schools, performing a mysterious task on his birthday every year, and never really knowing anything about his guardian. All that changes in an instant though and Fin finds himself thrust into the unknown along with his two best friends.

Sad to say about half way through I started losing interest in the story. Things got too complicated for me. I do enjoy heavy fantasy books but I like them to start out that way and The Double Edged Sword started out simplistic and stayed that way for a good while. Due to that I am not sure if I want to continue the series or not.

Friday 56: The Double Edge Sword

This is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice.

1. Grab a book, any book.

2. Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader.

3. Find any sentence (or a few, just don't spoil it) that grabs you. 

4. Post it.

5. Add the URL to your post in the link on Freda's most Friday 56 post.

The Double Edge Sword page 56:

Fin walked towards the door without looking backwards, not wanting to look at the Judge dead any more, afraid that he might not be able to remember what he'd looked like alive, but just as he reached the door, he froze.

Hogwarts: An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide

Ever since reading Harry Potter series I wanted to know more about Hogwarts so when I saw Hogwarts; An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide in the Nook store I did not hesitate to buy it.

Overall it was really short, lots of blank pages and pages with just a paragraph on them. Really should have gotten all three collections of stories in one book with just different parts to it. I also did not feel like anything new and exciting was reviewed.

While it was a fun read it was not worth the price and a bit of a disappointment overall.

Tales of the Peculiar

Tales of the Peculiar is a collection of short stories about moral and life lessons for Peculiar Children.

Each story is short around ten pages but still manage to leave the reader fulfilled and not wondering what happened. Like any collection of stories I liked some stories and was not fond of others. My favorite story was about how Ymbryne and Peculiar children came together in The First Ymbryne.

The writing was smooth and easy to understand. I think one could even read the tales without having read Miss Peregrin's Peculiar Children.

Friday 56 - Tales of the Peculiar

This is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice.

1. Grab a book, any book.

2. Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader.

3. Find any sentence (or a few, just don't spoil it) that grabs you. 

4. Post it.

5. Add the URL to your post in the link on Freda's most Friday 56 post.

 

Tales of the Peculiar page 56:

Hildy tried to take her sister's advice, but she had never had a living friend.

Sixth of Dusk

Sixth of Dusk is a novella by Brandon Sanderson that is set in the world of Mistborn and Stormlight Archive. I have read Mistborn and part of The Way of Kings. Despite this knowledge I really had no clue what was going on in the novella at all.

All I really got was the island wanted to kill Dusk and anyone else on the island. Thanks to a bird with a talent the trapper, Dusk, was able to avoid death. That is really all I understood. Maybe if I read it more times I would understand more but it was tedious for me to read the first time. A shame since I generally adore works by Mr. Sanderson.

The White Queen

I have read and enjoyed books by Philippa Gregory so when I saw The White Queen on the shelf at the second hand bookstore I had to buy it.

The war of the cousins, the mystery of two young princes locked in the Tower of London never to be seen again yet no body ever found, a roadside beauty, and an ambitious family make up the tale of The White Queen. The more I read by Philippa Gregory the more I want to read by her.

Elizabeth is a young widow who lost her lands during the war when her family chose to support the losing side. Desperate to get her wealth back she appeals to the young King Henry begging him for justice. Taken aback with her legendary beauty the young King not only grants her land back but makes her his queen in secret. So begins the story of a bloody battle between cousins and brothers for the throne.

I did like the take on Elizabeth and while it was clear it was following a chronicle order of dates that are proven a fascinating tale was still put together making me want to keep turning the pages to see the fate of everyone. I did have a couple problem with the writing this time, for some reason (I have never noticed in any other books by Philippa Gregory) much of the writing was poor especially the first half of the book. Lots and lots of use of the word he and she. Many times a whole paragraph would be sentences that all started with he and it did interfere with my enjoyment of the book at times. The second half the writing picked up a little becoming less tedious. I do hope to read more of Philippa Gregory's work in the future.

Nefertiti's Heart

I am a major fan of steampunk and Egypt so seeing the those two things woven into a book immediately caught my eye. Even more exciting Nefertiti's Heart was a Free Friday book.

Sadly despite my excitement for Nefertiti's Heart I was bored with it and just wanted it to end. Cara drove me crazy I was sort of hoping she would die at the end. I saw no development in her and so many scenes just dragged and it kept feeling like I had read her parts before.

Nathaniel was not much better. I did not care about him or about his quest to pursue Cara. Nate also felt majorly undeveloped and just seemed to be there for a love interest.

Not nearly enough steampunk attributes for me just small mentions of them. Also it was portrayed on Nook as young adult and is not young adult at all, heavy intimate scenes that I did not care for. The writing was boring to me and I wont be continuing the series.

Friday 56: The White Queen

This is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice.

1. Grab a book, any book.

2. Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader.

3. Find any sentence (or a few, just don't spoil it) that grabs you. 

4. Post it.

5. Add the URL to your post in the link on Freda's most Friday 56 post.

 

The White Queen page 56:

Sister, they were pissing in the fireplace rather than leave the great hall - and then the door opened and the king came out looking grim and the king put on his happiest smile and said, "Well, my lords, I thank you for your patience."

 

Starglass

The local bookstore is going out of business so I went in and bought up a bunch of books. The vivid cover is what made me decide to give Starglass a try.

Terra dreams of life outside of living in outer-space and as Asherah, the spaceship she is on, approaches Zehava, the planet her people abandoned earth for five hundred years ago, Terra grows increasingly restless. Anxious from spending all her time in the dome upon the Ashera Terra struggles to feel normal and accept her upcoming responsibilities as an adult. I was not a huge fan of Terra, she felt extremely flat and under developed for most of the story. Terra did seem to pick up a bit as the story progressed so I feel this is a write getting used to a character a bit. 

The pacing was steady, no part felt slow or fast but I did read Starglass fairly quickly considering how busy I am. Despite not caring much about Terra I do find myself terribly curious about what is going to be Terra's fate so I do want to read Starbreak. 

Friday 56: Starglass

This is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice.

1. Grab a book, any book.

2. Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader.

3. Find any sentence (or a few, just don't spoil it) that grabs you. 

4. Post it.

5. Add the URL to your post in the link on Freda's most Friday 56 post.

Starglass page 56:

"Like what?" I demanded. "I don't know the first thing about botany."

Arabian Nights

I have read previous books by Kathryn Wesley so when I saw Arabian Nights at a second hand store I had to buy it.

The Sultan is plagued with madness ever since his first wife plotted to kill him with his brother. Forced to marry again to stay Sultan he decides he will have his wife killed after one night.

Shahrazad is the daughter of the grand vizar and not about to let any women from the harem be killed for the Sultan's madness. Having known the Sultan all his life she agrees to marry him. Believing that the kind boy still exists Shahrazad starts weaving a story and catching the Sultan's interest. Soon it is morning and the Sultan needs more of the story. 

As far as stories by Kathryn Wesley go this one was not my favorite but it was entertaining. My one complaint is all the names were super similar and started with an S. At times I was trying to figure out if the Sultan or the Sultans brother.

Nefertit's Heart

This is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice.

1. Grab a book, any book.

2. Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader.

3. Find any sentence (or a few, just don't spoil it) that grabs you. 

4. Post it.

5. Add the URL to your post in the link on Freda's most Friday 56 post.

 Nefertiti's Heart ebook 56%:

Armed with a satchel full of books and diaries, she commandeered the ornate conservatory, the staff too startled to stop her.

Me Before You

I have been wanting to read Me Before You for ages so I was beyond excited when the library said it was in.

Lou has enjoyed working at a small cafe in her hometown but when the cafe closes Lou is forced to find employment quickly. After failed attempts at jobs from the employment agency Lou is given one last chance as a companion to a quadriplegic man. Bitter about his accident Will is anything but friendly to Lou. Instead of making her job easier he goes out of his way to make it harder with his sharp tongue. Determined to make Will feel like his life is worthwhile Lou works at making every day an adventure for Will.

Me Before You ran hot and cold at times for me. I loved it and yet did not like parts. People have told me I should read After You and the copy of Me Before You had a sample of it. It did not really draw me in so I am not sure if I will give it a try or not. The writing was lovely and witty at the same time. I did connect with Lou and Will wanting what was best for both of them.

Friday 56: Me Before You

This is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice.

1. Grab a book, any book.

2. Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader.

3. Find any sentence (or a few, just don't spoil it) that grabs you. 

4. Post it.

5. Add the URL to your post in the link on Freda's most Friday 56 post.

 

Me Before You Ebook 56%:

"I can't. My mum told me it was rude to spit."

 

Kidnap and Ransom

Kidnap and Ransom sounded like a fast paced thriller with lots of action when I read the description on the back.

I believe that Kelly was suppose to be the main character but so much was going on that I am not sure. It felt like the author had a bunch of ideas and just pushed them all into one book instead of just focusing on one story. I did not enjoy this method of story telling at all. I was unable to care about any of the characters or even really like them. Due to the poor story telling I was hoping the bad guy would win since he was the least annoying by far.

I do not plan on reading anything else by Michelle Gagnon.

The Name of the Wind

The Name of the Wind is the first book in the Kingkiller Chronicle. 

Kvothe is a legendary hero in the land and people desire the story of his life. Unwilling to share his past with anyone Kvothe finds a small town and becomes an innkeeper. Unluckily for Kvothe a famous writer stumbles upon him taking care of some creatures in the woods. 

Famous for having chronicled the lives of numerous people including kings and famous warriors Chronicler has one goal in mind the story of Kvothe the prodigy who emerged from the University. Despite not knowing Kvothe's location Chronicler sets out to find him and with luck manages to find and convince Kvothe to share his story. 

Kvothe is the main character in the book since he is telling the story of his life but despite that none of the other character come across as being slighted, under developed, or ignored. I loved the flow and balance between Kvothe telling his story and the stuff happen in the inn. Despite being a hefty story nothing felt like it dragged or had unnecessary information. High fantasy is my favorite so you have to enjoy that genre to really stay with The Name of the Wind. My only issue is the magic system is a bit complex and despite reading that part several times I still struggled to get a good picture of how the magic system worked. 

Despite being part of a trilogy The Name of the Wind has a wonderful ending, lose ends were tied up nicely and yet it was left open for the next book to easily start where the story stopped. I LOVED the writing and the flow of the story. The Name of the Wind was mesmerizing and highly entertaining. Hopefully I am able to start The Wise Man's Fear soon.

The Last Star

The Last Star is the final book in the Fifth Wave trilogy.

Cassie has changed so much since the first book not only did she go from thinking she is the last human on earth to thinking humanity will not lose the fight to survive the aliens. Some of Cassie's growth I believed but other parts I was not sure about. Despite being reunited with her little brother Cassie stayed a bit bitter and especially took it out on Evan which bothered me a good deal.

Ben, aka Zombie, did not change too much that I saw. Determined to keep his remaining comrades alive and carry on the memory of those who have fallen Ben carries a heavy burden. Since the death of his sister he has carried an enormous amount of blame over everyone's death.

Markia, aka Ringer, has always been my least favorite character. I never felt she was really needed in the story and just around to have another girl. I did not like her development she just came off as annoying to me.

Sam, aka Nugget, changed a lot but I believed his changes the most. Since he was a young child I could see him changing easily. I did feel bad for him several times. Young enough everyone wants to protect him but old enough to know what is going on and wanting to help.

The writing was a bit choppy since it jumped around a lot. Short chapter and many characters point of view. Overall I thought The Last Star was the weakest of the Fifth Wave books plot wise and  I was not a fan of the ending.