Safekeeping- Karen Hesse

Written By: Kellie - Aug• 10•12

ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Synopsis: Radley just wants to get home to her parents in Vermont. While she was volunteering abroad, the American People’s Party took power; the new president was assassinated; and the government cracked down on citizens. Travel restrictions are worse than ever, and when her plane finally lands in New Hampshire, Radley’s parents aren’t there.

Exhausted; her phone dead; her credit cards worthless: Radley starts walking. -Goodreads

Review: Sakekeeping is the story of Radley, who returns home to America in the midst of civil unrest and all kinds of political unhappiness. On top of that, her parents are nowhere to be found… so as the situation at home gets progressively uglier she makes the best decision she can and starts to head north for Canada.

While the story seems to progress slowly sometimes it moves along quickly enough that you are always wondering what will happen next. Radley is continuously forced to make tough decisions and do some (mildly) unpleasant things in order to survive and you are rooting for this girl right from the get go, she is incredibly easy to relate to. As soon as she gets home all she wants to do is see her parents and have them make everything better but when it doesn’t look like it will be that easy she quickly learns that she is tougher than she thought.

All that being said, I felt like a very quick read could have probably been cut down even farther. A lot happens and I can not even guess how many miles (and kilometers, heh) Radley travels in the course of the book but the story still seems to drag in some parts. While it only ended up being a three-star read for me it is absolutely worth saying that this book made me cry, twice. I am not a crier. There was an emotional vulnerability to both Radley and Celia, the traveling companion she eventually picks up.

If you’re looking for a quick read and something that is a bit different from the standard dystopian books many of us are reading, I would absolutely look into Safekeeping. As a bonus, it’s also a standalone so it would make for a very good escape from the massive undertakings in reading many of us have planned. Enjoy!

Buy the book @Amazon (US) @Amazon (CAN)

Rating:

 

 

 

Second Opinions:
@Emily’s Reading Room
@Frenetic Reader

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The City’s Son- Tom Pollock

Written By: Kellie - Aug• 08•12

Synopsis: Running from her traitorous best friend and her estranged father, graffiti artist Beth Bradley is looking for sanctuary. What she finds is Urchin, the ragged and cocky crown prince of London’s mystical underworld. Urchin opens Beth’s eyes to the city she’s never truly seen-where vast spiders crawl telephone wires seeking voices to steal, railwraiths escape their tethers, and statues conceal an ancient priesthood robed in bronze.

But it all teeters on the brink of destruction. Amid rumors that Urchin’s goddess mother will soon return from her 15-year exile, Reach, a malign god of urban decay, wants the young prince dead. Helping Urchin raise an alleyway army to reclaim his skyscraper throne, Beth soon forgets her old life. But when her best friend is captured, Beth must choose between this wondrous existence and the life she left behind.
-Goodreads

Review: This book took me awhile to get into but once I was in, I really enjoyed it. The City’s Son was pretty much the pinnacle of URBAN fantasy. The fast majority of the story took place in an extremely imaginative, dark and gritty London away from the eyes of most of the city’s citizens. It may have been almost too gritty (for me at least) as even though there were some beautifully written fantasy elements, it was hard to get away from the doom and gloom feeling that is given off by every element of this book.

Even with that being said, the best part of this book is easily the setting. Tom Pollock described the streets of London with beautiful accuracy and added in distinct fantasy elements that I doubt I’ve seen the likes of before. The coolest for me was the sentient train wraiths who carry memories of past passengers inside them. It was so easy to visualize in my head and played a big part in immersing me in the story.

The relationship between Beth and Filius is entertaining but the chemistry wasn’t always believable. I think the problem lay more with Filius, he was played up so much as this mysterious boy of the streets with a dark responsibility but I never felt like he was really fleshed out. Beth on the other hand was dynamic with a great history you really believed.

Overall a very cool book that was unlike anything else I’ve read this year but still not exactly my cup of tea (this book will have you using British slang like nobody’s business) but I can absolutely see how this book will appeal to those of you who like a darker edge to their fiction. Enjoy!

Buy the book @Amazon (US) @Amazon (CAN)

Rating:

 

 

 

Second Opinions:
@100 Word Review
@Falcata Times
@Bart’s Book Shelf

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Throne of Glass Release Day!

Written By: Kellie - Aug• 07•12

I almost never do release day posts (this may be a first) but Throne of Glass has a special place on my bookshelf. So, needless to say, if you haven’t read this book yet then you really, really need to. You can check out my review here, and for today I leave you with the Throne of Glass book trailer.

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My favorite books: Growing Up Edition

Written By: Kellie - Aug• 04•12

Reading Princess Academy this week brought on a lot of memories of some of the favorite books I had as a kid that had the same effect on me as Shannon Hale’s wonderful novel. So, as a quick Saturday post, here are some of my favorite books from when I was growing up. I see reviews of these coming on in the future!

Synopsis: For Milo, everything’s a bore. When a tollbooth mysteriously appears in his room, he drives through only because he’s got nothing better to do. But on the other side, things seem different. Milo visits the island of Conclusions (you get there by jumping), learns about time from a ticking watchdog named Tock, and even embarks on a quest to rescue Rhyme and Reason! Somewhere along the way, Milo realizes something astonishing. Life is far from dull. In fact, it’s exciting beyond his wildest dreams…-Goodreads

Why I love it: The Phantom Tollbooth was my first real look into ridiculous realities. Words and numbers came to life with a healthy dose of ridiculous. I think I must have read this book at least four times when I was younger and I still have my well worn copy in a place of honor on my bookshelf. If you haven’t read this yet, I highly recommend it. Even if you are no longer in the target age group, this book offers a perfect mental getaway.

Synopsis: Jonas’s world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear or pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the Community. When Jonas turns twelve, he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now, it is time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back. -Goodreads

Why I love it: The Giver was my first ever dystopian read, and over a decade later still holds on to one of the top spots on my list. I think I was forced to read this at two different grades in school but it was so fantastic I didn’t mind. This was one of the first times I ever got to see the power of a book bringing people together as many of my classmates who hated to read simply devoured this book.

At BEA, I was lucky enough for the chance to see Lois Lowry speak and talk about the last book in this series and so now I have some catching up to do as I would love to see where else she took this beautiful series.

Synopsis: Gareth’s definitely no ordinary cat. For one thing, he can talk. For another, he’s got the power to travel through time. And the instant he tells this to Jason, the two of them are in ancient Egypt, on the first of nine amazing adventures that Jason will never forget. -Goodreads

Why I love it: It has been so long since I’ve read this book that I barely remember the details (time for a reread) but I remember how much I loved this book and how it brought to life a love of history that I still haven’t given up on. Time Cat was pretty much my gateway drug into the world of history leading to Carmen Sandiego to Philippa Greggory to actual *gasp* history books.

 

So these are some of my favorites… what were yours? I would love to hear about the books you remember most fondly from when you were younger and why. We’re never too old for great books.

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Princess Academy- Shannon Hale

Written By: Kellie - Aug• 03•12

Synopsis: Miri lives on a mountain where, for generations, her ancestors have quarried stone and lived a simple life. Then word comes that the king’s priests have divined her small village the home of the future princess. In a year’s time, the prince himself will come and choose his bride from among the girls of the village. The king’s ministers set up an academy on the mountain, and every teenage girl must attend and learn how to become a princess.

Miri soon finds herself confronted with a harsh academy mistress, bitter competition among the girls, and her own conflicting desires to be chosen and win the heart of her childhood best friend. But when bandits seek out the academy to kidnap the future princess, Miri must rally the girls together and use a power unique to the mountain dwellers to save herself and her classmates. -Goodreads

Review: What a great book! I really wish I had been able to read this as a young teenager. The story is great, the message is great. Have I used the word great enough yet? On to the review then shall we?

Princess Academy is about a group of girls who are chosen to learn how to be a proper princess in hopes of being selected to marry the prince. Does this remind me of The Selection? Yes. Are they anything alike? Not really. A common message in this book is about knowledge as power which is something I can absolutely get behind. The best part is that Shannon Hale actually manages to show the benefits of an education rather than just preaching about it. Also, this isn’t just about the education required to become a princess (it’s barely about that at all) but instead how knowledge can improve every aspect of your life.

The characters themselves are wonderfully small town and carry the bond of a shared home and lifestyle. These girls are from Mount Eskel and are quite proud of it, even in the face of being told that they are less than those who come from the ‘lowlands’. The main character Miri is a bit of an outsider and wants more than anything to be part of the group.

This and several other elements will keep you flipping pages. There is always something going on that you want to see the characters through from lessons, to village life, to an unexpected adventure that I wont give away here. I didn’t really expect to like Princess Academy this much and only picked it up because I have the sequel on my shelves now but this story will hook you, no question. It may have been written for children but there’s no question it can be enjoyed by all.

Love! I can hardly wait to read the next book in the series but I’m going to save it for my special ‘cottage reading’ pile that I will be tackling next week.

Buy the book @Amazon (US) @Amazon (CAN)

Rating:

 

 

 

Second Opinions:
@Tahleen’s Mixed Up Files
@A Journey Through Pages
@Books Were My First Friends

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Inheritence- Christopher Paolini

Written By: Kellie - Aug• 01•12

Synopsis: Not so very long ago, Eragon – Shadeslayer, Dragon Rider – was nothing more than a poor farm boy, and his dragon, Saphira, only a blue stone in the forest. Now the fate of an entire civilization rests on their shoulders.

Long months of training and battle have brought victories and hope, but they have also brought heartbreaking loss. And still, the real battle lies ahead: they must confront Galbatorix. When they do, they will have to be strong enough to defeat him. And if they,/i> cannot, no one can. There will be no second chance.

The Rider and his dragon have come farther than anyone dared to imagine. But can they topple the evil king and restore justice to Alagaesia? And if so, at what cost?-Goodreads

Review: It felt as though I waited forever for this book, but I’m happy to say it was well worth it. Inheritance is the final installment of the Inheritance Cycle, which was a pretty big deal back in 2003 when the first book came out. At the time author Christopher Paolini was only nineteen and the buzz for this series was pretty unstoppable, even for readers that might not generally be into epic fantasy. Initially I wasn’t blow away by the series but everything from writing style to story arc continued to improve with each book and culminated in a spectacular finish.

Even after a three year hiatus it was easy enough to jump back into this extremely layered world and figure out what all of the characters were up to. There is a lot going on throughout this whole book and use use of multiple viewpoint characters makes it possible to get the bigger picture of what is going on politically throughout the world. It also gives us a closer look at a budding relationship between two of my favorite characters (neither of which is in any way an elf).

It’s a shame the Eragon movie was awful and never stood a chance at a sequel. There were some pretty awe inspiring scenes scattered throughout the book. I swear, I even gasped once which was followed by a dose of extreme happiness because I was just so thrilled for the characters. This isn’t the kind of series where you get a lot of good news, so I was pretty thrilled.

There have been some obvious comparisons between the Inheritance Cycle and Lord of the Rings and while I love the world Tolkien created, there is an extra level of reader-friendliness in these books that has the ability to bring in younger readers. I tried reading LOTR when I was about fourteen and really struggled to enjoy myself. That was never an issue here. There was also just enough new, creative content to set Alagasiea apart from just being another epic fantasy world.

Overall, I am really happy with how things ended. I was a little worried that some elements would get cliched finales that would detract from overall it was a pretty well rounded conclusion that I can certainly live with. There was a definitely sense of closure and just enough was left to the imagination. There is no question that somewhere (far, far) down the road I will read this series again and it will be like coming back to old friends.

Buy the book @Amazon (US) @Amazon (CAN)

Rating:

 

 

 

Second Opinions:
@Not While I’m Reading
@Read Breathe Relax
@The Sweet Bookshelf

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Top Ten Character Swaps

Written By: Kellie - Jul• 31•12

Once again, Top Ten Tuesday is brought to us by The Broke and The Bookish. Click the picture for a link. This weeks isn’t so much a genuine top ten as the first ten that struck my interest from my ‘Read’ shelf on Goodreads, but here it is none the less…

The top ten characters I would like to switch places with for 24 hours
Warning: May contain minor spoilers

1. Harry Potter on his first day at Hogwarts

2. Katsa from Graceling on pretty much any day of her awesome adventures

3. Lola (and the boy next door) for the first day after the end of the book

4. Jacinda (from Firelight) on any day that she gets to be a dragon

5. Eragon on any day he gets to ride and communicate with a dragon

6. Avry (Touch of Power), it would be a lot of fun to try out her healing skills

7. Any of the kids from the Gone series. Don’t get me wrong, their world seems incredibly harsh and cruel but I’d want to see what part I’d play if only for 24 hours.

8. Kaylin (Chronicles of Elantra) I just love this series and would adore the chance to get to interact with the world of Elantra.

9. Jaenelle from The Black Jewels Trilogy. I would just really like to see this world first hand, so it might as well be through the eyes of the most powerful Witch ever, right? Hopefully on a day without any life or death battles.

10. Merei from Warrior & Witch because she’s awesome and I lurrvvee her.

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Creative Bookshelf Ideas

Written By: Kellie - Jul• 30•12

I’m not really one for Pinterest. The name is clever and there are some great ideas on that website, but it never managed to suck me in. Still, when I decided to do a post on some fantastically creative bookshelf ideas it was definitely the place to look. So now, I present to you, 9 ideas for quirky bookshelf setups.


1. This NYC loft’s hallway makes me think of Alice in Wonderland or The Wizard of Oz. Follow the curvy-swervy hall of books to the magical world of my apartment.

I can only imagine it would be a lot more to my taste if both sides of the hall were completely covered in books. It would be super colourful and save me a lot of space in my bedroom. Yup, I definitely just considered doing this in my place. Probably wouldn;t have the same effect though.

2. Okay, this is super, amazing, epic cool! Utilize your staircase as a bookshelf that also happens to look awesome. Click the picture for more angles of this staircase, it’s worth it. The only downside here is that you probably can’t do it at home without essentially rebuilding stairs on top of the ones you already have which most of our parents/landlords probably wont go for.

3. I lurrrvvveee this. Of course, it only works if you happen to have a) an attic, and one that is b) shaped like this, but still… awesome! I wonder how many books they managed to fit on there, and how they get them down. It’s not nearly as much fun if you can’t actually access the books anymore.


4. Dude! It’s a Dude! This idea is great if you’re looking to go a little more weird than whimsical. This will absolutely make an impression on any guests. I especially love his pose. Yeah, I’m a guy made of books, what of it. Click the picture for a few other ideas!

5. This bookshelf idea may not be for everyone, but it’s definitely my first choice. You really have to be a Doctor Who fan to get this, but let me assure you it is a great idea. Like the original Tardis, this is bigger on the inside since it’s full of stories and ideas, which are infinite! Click the picture for an entire blog dedicated to fun and creative bookshelf ideas.


6. Okay, so there aren’t a lot of space where this could actually work, but isn’t it amazing?! This might by my new dream workspace although I would think it might be hard to get a lot done with all those beautiful books hanging out right over your head. I’ve also now realized Beauty & The Beast has given me an eternal love for the combination of books and ladders.


7. There is something about this setup that just screams ‘Escape into a world of books’! While the actual shelf setup isn’t that creative (that makes it a bigger possibility for those of us without extreme woodworking skills) the floor to ceiling arrangement and the warm covers make this an idea place to read without distraction. I don’t think I could ever keep my books looking quite that sloppy though.


8. I have no idea how this was accomplished but it’s a great idea. This bookshelf looks like it is barely managing to stay standing but it can clearly hold some serious weight. Big points if you can figure out how to build one of these for yourself.

9. This final piece gets more points for being awesome than the actual use of bookshelves but I would still take it in a heartbeat. Make the inside be a secret book nook or your office, even better.

It was a lot of fun looking through all of these ideas and I would love to be able to implement some of them in my dream home (*cough* castle) one day, but I think if that’s going to happen I’m going to need a few thousand more books. Challenge accepted!

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Bitterblue- Kristin Cashore

Written By: Kellie - Jul• 29•12

Synopsis: Eight years after Graceling, Bitterblue is now queen of Monsea. But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisors, who have run things since Leck died, believe in a forward-thinking plan: Pardon all who committed terrible acts under Leck’s reign, and forget anything bad ever happened. But when Bitterblue begins sneaking outside the castle—disguised and alone—to walk the streets of her own city, she starts realizing that the kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year spell of a madman, and the only way to move forward is to revisit the past.

Two thieves, who only steal what has already been stolen, change her life forever. They hold a key to the truth of Leck’s reign. And one of them, with an extreme skill called a Grace that he hasn’t yet identified, holds a key to her heart. -Goodreads

Review: It is always sad to start reading the final book in a series that you’ve come to love. You’re excited to see how things come together but at the same time you know that every page you read is a page closer to the end. I had originally planned to start reading Bitterblue as soon as I got home from BEA (there was no one other title that I was willing to wait in line for as long as I did for Bitterblue) but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.

Bitterblue picks up almost a decade where Graceling left off but not much has changed in the seven kingdoms despite Bitterblue now being Queen. She has a lot to figure out and more obstacles than I could keep track of standing in her way. Despite the beautifully interwoven story line, and I hate to say this, but I wasn’t as riveted by Bitterblue’s story as I was by Katsa and Fire’s (if you haven’t read the other two books yet, go for it. These books all standalone really well even though they are absolutely better together) and I don’t really know why.

Bitterblue as a main character was great and exactly what you’d have expected the young girl in Graceling to become. There are so many things in her past that haunt her but at the same time she is fiercely dedicated to the task of being a great queen and literally nothing else is more important. She has a tendency to be a little childish (or even hurtful) at times, but she’s eighteen. Unlike her predecessors, she has no special ability to fall back on but she still managed to hold her own throughout the story.

One trademark of Kristin Cashore’s books that did follow through to this series was her particular brand of romance. There’s a romantic storyline here, but it never overshadows the personal and political sides of the plot. It plays out exactly how you would expect for a teenager who happens to have way more important things to worry about than a crush. While I love a good whirlwind romance, this is always a really refreshing take on priorities.

Another element that really stood out for me here is how clear the secondary and even tertiary characters are. There are a lot of different people running around Bitterblue’s castle (and even the city) but the people with roles to play in the storyline each held their own beautifully even though there were occasionally things four similar old men with the same back story, and yet you knew who each was.

As I said before, the plot of this novel is multi-layered in so many ways which is great, but I also have to give kudos for a lack of predictability. I would seriously love to sit down with Kristin Cashore one day and pick her brain for a bit as this is clearly an author who knows how to think outside the box.

Overall, Bitterblue ties everything together wonderfully and leaves you feeling hopeful (and maybe a little sad at the same time). There are moments you want to clap your hands together because you’re so excited (but can’t because you’ll drop the book) and moments where you just wish things would move a little faster, but there is no question that you’ll fall in love with this book. I’m sure I’ll be reading it again someday.

Buy the book @Amazon (US) @Amazon (CAN)

Rating:

 

 

 

Second Opinions:
@The Book Smugglers
@Jess Hearts Books
@Justin’s Book Blog

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Ashes, Ashes- Jo Treggiari

Written By: Kellie - Jul• 27•12

Synopsis: Epidemics, floods, droughts–for sixteen-year-old Lucy, the end of the world came and went, taking 99% of the population with it. As the weather continues to rage out of control, and Sweepers clean the streets of plague victims, Lucy survives alone in the wilds of Central Park. But when she’s rescued from a pack of hunting dogs by a mysterious boy named Aidan, she reluctantly realizes she can’t continue on her own. She joins his band of survivors, yet, a new danger awaits her: the Sweepers are looking for her. There’s something special about Lucy, and they will stop at nothing to have her. -Goodreads

Review: This week I finally finished reading Ashes, Ashes. It was a decent book and had some great action scenes but I never really felt like it sucked me in. Big points for the cover though (which isn’t something I comment on all that often), it really captured the essence of the post-apocalyptic world the characters live in and is colored beautifully.

The best quality of the entire novel for me was the characters. The main people Lucy is unquestionably a survivor and is pretty adept at making it on her own out in the wilderness. It’s an interesting read to see her work herself back into society and meet others who have been through just as much as she has. Everyone in this book has an understandably dark and twisty side so there are lots of heads butting from beginning to end.

One thing that kept me from truly engaging in this story was the apocalyptic medium of choice. There wasn’t just one, it was a little bit of everything. The biggest contender for world domination seems to have been constantly evolving strains of the plague. Never fun. When you add in a wide variety of natural disasters and a city that has come crumbling down in only a few short years… well it can be a lot to take. Of course, this adds a lot of different challenges for the characters, which were interested to read, but I felt like this book could have used a bit more focus.

I didn’t realize going in that this is a stand alone (I pretty much just assume everything is a series now) so it was a nice surprise to get some genuine closure for a change. Plus, Jo Treggiari just left enough to the imagination to let your imagination fill in the blanks after everything is said and done. There were still some unanswered questions, but I didn’t really find myself dwelling on.

From time to time I go out of my way to find a stand alone book that will leave me feeling like I really got an entire story in one book. If that’s you too and you’re in the mood for a little apocalypse then I’d recommend checking out Ashes, Ashes.

Buy the book @Amazon (US) @Amazon (CAN)

Rating:

 

 

 

Second Opinions:
@Hippies, Beauty & Books Oh My!
@Oh My Books!
@The Moody Teenager

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