The Way of Kings

Book Details:
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Page Count: 1001
Publication Date: Aug. 31, 2010
Why I read it: favorite author
Grade: A+

Cover thoughts:
Beautiful cover! The artwork is amazing, and what's even cooler is there is artwork throughout the book. I love this cover!

About the author:
Brandon Sanderson is the author of Elantris, Warbreaker, and the Mistborn Trilogy. He's also finishing the Wheel of Time series. And he also wrote a middle grade fantasy series. He's a great author, and one every fantasy reader should read.

The plot:
Oh goodness, where do I even start? This is the first of ten planned books in The Stormlight Archive. I assume every serious fantasy reader has already read a plot summary, if not the book itself. The author himself has a hard time introducing the series, so, since I like to keep my blog posts fairly short, if you want to know what the book is about, check out this synopsis on goodreads.

Characters:
With a fantasy novel of this size, you'd think there'd be so many characters that it'd be hard to keep track of them. That's what I've generally found in these doorstopper epic fantasies. Not so in The Way of Kings. There really is only a small handful of main characters, and with the depth and detail in this book, you really get to know and love them, even the lesser characters. Kaladin was my favorite in the story, which I think it fitting since this book is mostly about him.

Setting:
This is the most amazing part of the book. The amount of worldbuilding that went into this book is quite possibly the best I've ever seen. Down to the smallest detail, Sanderson has created a world so different from ours, but not so alien that we can't relate to or care about the characters. I'll admit, I don't understand everything about how this fantasy world works, but I'm looking forward to reading more books and finding out.

Notable quotes:
"Too many of us," she said, "take great pains with what we ingest through our mouths, and far less with what we partake of through our ears and eyes. Wouldn't you say?"

"Let the Vorin believe as they wish--the wise among them will find goodness and solace in their faith; the fools would be fools no matter what they believed."

"'And so, does the destination matter? Or is it the path we take? I declare that no accomplishment has substance nearly as great as the road used to achieve it. We are not creatures of destinations. It is the journey that shapes us. Our callused feet, our backs strong from carrying the weight of our travels, our eyes open with the fresh delight of experiences lived.'"

Read this if you're in the mood for: an epic fantasy that has it all.

Continue or part ways? This one's obvious. Brandon Sanderson is one of my favorite authors, and I'll continue to read everything he writes, especially this series. The second book can't come fast enough for me. I can't wait to see what happens next.

Favorites: Mark of the Lion Trilogy

I haven't blogged about some older favorites for awhile, so I thought it was time to do one. If you're a fan of historical fiction, my absolute favorite is The Mark of the Lion trilogy.

The first book in the series is A Voice in the Wind, and it was my favorite of the three. For a book description and some other goodies, visit the author's website here.

And for a little preview, here's a quote from the book:
"We bear the consequences for what we have done to ourselves, and for the sin that rules this world. Jesus forgave the thief, but he didn't take him down off the cross."

Obviously from the quote, you can see that there is some Christianity in this book. It is set in the time just after Christ, and the main character is one of the early Christians. I was deeply inspired by this book, and it just really resonated with me. If you read and enjoy A Voice in the Wind, continue on to An Echo in the Darkness, followed by As Sure as the Dawn. All very wonderful books that I highly recommend.

Mockingjay

Book Details:
Genre: YA Science Fiction
Page Count: 390
Publication Date: August 24, 2010
Why I read it: 3rd in series
Grade: A+

Cover thoughts:
I love this cover. The colors are great, I love the picture of the mockingjay. The only thing is, why do publishers or authors or whoever does the cover design think that Stephenie Meyer's opinion is a good thing to put on there? I mean, really.

About the author:
Suzanne Collins is the author of the Hunger Games trilogy and The Underland Chronicles. She is amazing, and you can check out her website here.

The plot:
I don't want to give away spoilers for this book or the previous two, so I'll just say here that this is the third and final book in the Hunger Games trilogy, and it blew me away. If you've not yet read The Hunger Games, get off the computer immediately and go buy the whole trilogy. And then read it. I'm not kidding around here.

Characters:
Oh, Katniss, I really love you, but you break my heart. How you are not a puddle of goo on the floor by the end of the series, I'll never know. I love the characters in these books. I must admit that I've always been Team Gale, but this book for me was really all about Katniss. And Finnick a little bit. Okay, a lot. I loved Finnick. But so many of the characters in this book were broken down and at the end of their rope. It was hard to read at times. There were times when I had to put the book down so I could cry for a little bit. And there were times when I was literally sobbing.

Setting:
This series is set in the future in what used to be the United States. Collins has created an amazing world here, although definitely not one that I'd like to visit anytime soon. Or ever.

Notable quotes:
"You're still trying to protect me. Real or not real," he whispers.
"Real," I answer. - "Because that's what you and I do, protect each other."

"Is that why you hate me?" I ask.
"Partly," She admits. "Jealousy is certainly involved. I also think you're a little hard to swallow. With your tacky romantic drama and your defender-of-the-helpless act. Only it isn't an act, which makes you more unbearable. Please feel free to take this personally."

Read this if you're in the mood for: the best book you've read in a long time. But first read The Hunger Games and Catching Fire.

Continue or part ways? In case I haven't made it clear, I loved this book. No, it wasn't perfect, but after waiting for this book all year, I wasn't disappointed at all. I'm only disappointed that I read it so fast and now I'm done. I don't want to read anything else right now because I'm afraid nothing will measure up. I haven't read the Underland Chronicles yet, so I'll be getting to those when I get a chance, and I'll definitely be reading anything else Collins writes.

Faeries of Dreamdark: Blackbringer

Title: Faeries of Dreamdark: Blackbringer
Author: Laini Taylor
Genre: YA Fantasy
Page Count: 437
Why I read it: fairies!
Grade: A+

Synopsis:
When the ancient evil of the Blackbringer rises to unmake the world, only one determined faerie stands in its way. However, Magpie Windwitch, granddaughter of the West Wind, is not like other faeries. While her kind live in seclusion deep in the forests of Dreamdark, she's devoted her life to tracking down and recapturing devils escaped from their ancient bottles, just as her hero, the legendary Bellatrix, did 25,000 years ago. With her faithful gang of crows, she travels the world fighting where others would choose to flee. But when a devil escapes from a bottle sealed by the ancient Djinn King himself—the creator of the world—she may be in over her head. How can a single faerie, even with the help of her friends, hope to defeat the impenetrable darkness of the Blackbringer?

My review:
I wish I was a good enough writer to convey exactly how much I loved this book. But I'm not, so I'm left with writing a review that will never do it justice. I think there are rare times in life when you read a book and you feel like it was written just for you. I can recognize that this book will never be as popular as some of the other juvenile or YA fiction out there, but it was perfect for me. I loved everything about it, and I can't think of one thing I didn't like.

For start...more I wish I was a good enough writer to convey exactly how much I loved this book. But I'm not, so I'm left with writing a review that will never do it justice. I think there are rare times in life when you read a book and you feel like it was written just for you. I can recognize that this book will never be as popular as some of the other juvenile or YA fiction out there, but it was perfect for me. I loved everything about it, and I can't think of one thing I didn't like.

For starters, this is what fairy stories should be like. The fairies were not humans with wings like I see so much of in stories now--they were small, completely different, exactly how fairies should be and so rarely are. Anyone who really knows me knows how much I love fairies. I have a fairly large collection, including a collection of warrior fairies, which made this book even better for me, because the main character in this is a warrior fairy. And she's so very likable and strong. This is what I've been missing in YA fiction. I'm sick of the simpering, man-obsessed girls, and this was exactly the opposite of that.

The other characters were wonderful. I loved the crows, more than I ever thought was possible to love animal characters. I loved the language, the writing, and the artwork--oh my goodness, I want to hang it on my walls; I just wish there would have been more! And I'm so excited that there's another book in this series for me to read. I would highly recommend this to YA fantasy fans--this will go on my very small list of all-time favorites.

Top Five Reads of 2009

I was going to do a top ten of my favorite books for this year, but I felt like I wanted to just do a top five, and focus more on the books that I absolutely loved.  Honorable mentions for my favorite books of the year are:

The Vanishing Sculptor by Donita K. Paul
Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
Wake by Lisa McMann
The Restorer by Sharon Hinck (not reviewed on this blog)
Hammered by Elizabeth Bear (not reviewed on this blog)

And now for my top five:


#5

I'm really glad I read this one.  It matched up well with my political views, which was kind of a bonus, but besides that it was fast-paced and kept me turning pages.  There were some parts, pages here and there, where the author got a bit too technical and needed to shut up and get back to the story, but I was willing to forgive that because the rest of the book was so excellent.

My review






#4

Brandon Sanderson is excellent at world building.  His characterization is pretty darn good, too.  He is fast becoming one of my favorite fantasy authors.  Actually, one of my favorite authors in general.  I loved Warbreaker for it's complexity, although I wish the ending hadn't have felt quite so rushed.
My review







#3

This was a surprise for me, I think.  I received a review copy of this one, as well as for the second book.  And I really loved this one.  As I said in my review, the editing could have been tighter, but the writing itself was excellent.  The world was interesting and original, and I really cared about the characters.
My review




 #2

I think I enjoyed Catching Fire even better than The Hunger Games.  From what I've read, it's the opposite for most people, but there was something in Catching Fire that connected more with me.  These are great books, and I would highly recommend them, no matter what you usually read.
My review






 #1

This one is a little different for me, because I'm a really big fantasy lover, and those are usually my favorite books, as you can see from the other books in my top ten.  There is just something about this series by Sandra Byrd that I adore.  I love the characters, the setting, the story.  It's just a wonderful series, and I love all three, but I've put the last book in the series here since it was published in 2009.                    My review

Best books- Ender's Game

I haven't been book blogging for very long, so every once in awhile (when I think about doing it) I'm going to post about one of my favorites that I read before my blogging days.  Today's book has been at the very top of my favorites list for years and years.  Recently, I read Let Them Eat Cake, and while I originally felt like it replaced my top favorite, I realized they are such very different books that they can't be compared.

The book is Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card.  When I first read this book, it seriously blew me away.  I loved it so much.  This is one of those books that I recommend to everyone.  I don't care if you like to read or not.  I even made my husband (who is definitely NOT a reader) read it, and he liked it too.  I don't care if you're not a science fiction fan--this book isn't too heavy on the science, and it's very character driven.

Here's a synopsis:
Aliens have attacked Earth twice and almost destroyed the human species. To make sure humans win the next encounter, the world government has taken to breeding military geniuses -- and then training them in the arts of war... The early training, not surprisingly, takes the form of 'games'... Ender Wiggin is a genius among geniuses; he wins all the games... He is smart enough to know that time is running out. But is he smart enough to save the planet?

REVIEW - Catching Fire

Title: Catching Fire
Author: Suzanne Collins
Genre: YA science fiction
Got it from: library (after a long wait)
Why I read it: sequel
Grade: A+

Synopsis:
Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

 My review:
You know how sometimes a book is so talked about and hyped up that when you read it, you are inevitably disappointed?  This wasn't one of those books.  Not only did it live up to the hype, but it was a lot better than I thought it would be.  I absolutely loved it!

I remember at the end of The Hunger Games, I thought it was a pretty crappy ending to an awesome book.  I was thinking we just needed maybe 20 more pages, and the story would have wrapped up nicely.  I didn't know there was a sequel.  But then when I found out there was a sequel, I wondered what the heck it could be about.  The Hunger Games were over, what was there left to write about?  Boy, was I wrong!

I think I liked Catching Fire better than The Hunger Games, and right now I'm really excited for the last book in the trilogy.  I think it's going to be awesome.  This is one of those books with excellent character development.  I really cared about the characters, and I think sometimes science fiction (although this one isn't all that sciency) lacks in that department.  So, if you haven't read these books yet, what are you waiting for?  They're really, really good.  So much better than some of the other popular YA books that are around right now.  I feel like I've had a really lucky reading month.  I've read some really awesome books.

REVIEW - Oracle's Legacy: Children of Sun

Title: Oracle's Legacy: Children of Sun
Author: R.B. Holbrook
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Got it from: the author
Why I read it: received a review copy
Grade: A+

Synopsis:

The Structure is a secret civilization made up of seven houses that chase after enlightenment by attempting to understand the nature of energy.The structure of the Houses that insists upon learning and growing together is collapsing. In its place begins the seeds of infighting. Soon, without their notice, the people of the Houses begin losing their special powers.The Oracle, the leader of the Structure, hates to see what has become of her people. But she's dying and can do little to help them. Now, as the Structure begins tipping deeper into darkness, a new leader is needed to prevent conflict among the houses from escalating into an all-out war.Ollie could be the key to finding the next leader, but she has her family to think of and a life to live. Getting involved in a violent conflict is the last thing she wants to do, and so she must remain unnoticed.As power hungry factions hunt for Ollie, however, she has no choice but to get involved. She'll do whatever's necessary to protect her loved ones.

My review:

This book started off a little rough for me.  I felt like I was dropped into a world where I had no idea what was going on, what the rules were, who all these characters were--and this all after reading the glossary in the beginning.  But the more I read, the more I realized that was the coolest part of the book.  As you read, the story starts to become clearer, and layer upon layer peels off, until you begin to understand more of what's going on.  And even though I still didn't know everything that was going on, I knew enough to know that it was awesome!  Normally I don't think I'd like that kind of book, but in Oracle's Legacy it really works.

The writing style is reminiscent of the Black Dagger Brotherhood novels.  Lots of alpha males, but the bonus in this book is that there is also a kick-butt heroine in Ollie.  In fact, she steals the show.  It's obvious that this is a first novel.  It could have used some tighter editing, but when a first novel is this good, it makes me really excited to read more books by this author.  Lucky for me, I have a review copy of the second novel in the trilogy waiting for me.  Yay! 

The world is incredible and extremely well thought out.  At first I thought there were way too many characters, but as the story progresses, the focus moves to a handful of main characters, and the others fade into the background a bit.  In an interview on the author's website, she talks about growing up reading Marvel comics, and then the ideas for the Oracle's Legacy trilogy grew from there and the "what ifs" in her head.  As a huge fan of Marvel and superheroes, I'm loving these characters and the cool powers they have.  

I would definitely recommend this one, and it's at Amazon right now for a steal!  It's also available FREE in ebook format here.  Read it!  An A+ rating is rare from me, only 24 of the last 700 books I've read have gotten it.  A review of the next book in the series will be coming shortly--I'm going to start it now.

Best Books - juvenile fiction

I'm going to try to do a new thing, where I recommend a book from a certain genre that I think is a must-read--old favorites that I've read before I had my book blog.  This meme was inspired by a quote from Henry David Thoreau that says, "Read the best books first, or you may not have a chance to read them at all." 

I always love to get recommendations, so I'm going to try to give a few out here and there. 

This week, my recommendation is for juvenile fiction.  This isn't young adult fiction or picture books, but what you'd find in between.  :)   


If you've never read Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery, you've really got to!  This book is one that I would put on the list of books every reader should read.  The writing is wonderful and imaginative, and Anne is a character that will stay in your heart for a long time.

Anne of Green Gables can be found in many editions for purchase at Amazon.

REVIEW - Pièce de Résistance

Title: Pièce de Résistance
Author: Sandra Byrd
Genre: Christian chicklit
Grade: A+

Synopsis:
This is the third in the French Twist series.  In this one, Lexi is back in Seattle as assistant manager of the new Delacroix family bakery, Bijoux.  This one is a more high end bakery, for wedding cakes and business catering.  Lexi finds that she's having a hard time being the manager, as she just wants to bake.

The job is harder than she thought it would be, and she's the one that has to make sure Bijoux succeeds, so she's under a lot of pressure.  She comes up with a lot of great marketing ideas, but she doesn't know if any of it will pan out.

She's also got two men in her life.  Dan, who we met in Let Them Eat Cake, and Philippe (with his daughter Celine), from Bon Appetit.  Both of whom are in Seattle, and she feels torn between them.

My review:
Oh, how I LOVED this book!  I got it in the mail yesterday, and decided to finish the other book I was reading first, since I had less than 100 pages to go.  But then I picked this up, and didn't stop reading except to sleep and go out to dinner with friends (and I would have rather been reading!).  It also took every ounce of strength I had not to flip to the back of the book to see how it ended.  I don't know why I feel such a connection to these characters and this story, but I do.

This is an example of first person narrative done right.  I love Lexi, and don't remember a time in all three books where I found her whiny or annoying.  I loved all the secondary characters, even the ornery ones who grew on Lexi and the reader throughout the book.  And I just adore little Celine!

At the beginning of the book, I started feeling a little let down.  I could see the story wasn't going how I wanted it to go.  But Sandra Byrd knows what she's doing, and soon I was swept away in the story, and it ended perfectly, and I cried, and I want to read ten more books of this series, but it's over.  This is my favorite series ever, and I would highly recommend it!  Let Them Eat Cake remains my favorite book of the series, but Pièce de Résistance was a beautiful ending to the story.  Très bien!

REVIEW - Bon Appetit

This was my second time reading Bon Appetit, but the first time around I read it before having read the first book of the series, Let Them Eat Cake. I loved it more this time around than I did the first.

Bon Appetit is the second book in the French Twist series, and continues the adventures of Lexi. In this book she travels to a city right outside Paris and attends a cooking school there while working in the family bakery of her previous boss from Seattle, Luc. It was nice reading this again after having the background from the first book. It was actually enjoyable and could be read either way, but background info is always nice.

While Lexi is in France she meets Phillipe and his daughter Celeste. Phillipe is part of the family at the bakery. I totally fell in love with them the first time around, and even more so this time. Forget old boyfriend in Seattle, France is where it's at! I'm very interested to see where things go in the third novel, which released today, but I'd just like to say for the record that I'm team Phillipe.

I can't wait to read the third novel of the series, but I'm very sad that it'll be ending. I've come to love Sandra Byrd as an author, and I hope to read more adult books of hers in the future! I rate this one a big 5/5, and would recommend it no matter what you like to read. A very sweet and engaging book!

Let Them Eat Cake

Lexi Stuart is at a critical crossroads. She’s done with college but still living at home, ready to launch a career but unable to find a job, and solidly stalled between boyfriends.

When a lighthearted conversation in French with the manager of her favorite bakery turns into a job offer, Lexi accepts. But the actual glamour is minimal: the pay is less than generous, her co-workers are skeptical, her bank account remains vertically-challenged, and her parents are perpetually disappointed. Her only comfort comes from the flirtatious baker she has her eye on–but even he may not be who he seems to be!

So when a handsome young executive dashes into the bakery to pick up his high profile company’s special order for an important meeting–an order Lexi has flubbed– she loses her compulsion to please. “What am I going to do?” he shouts. “Let them eat cake!” she fires back with equal passion and a nod to Marie Antoinette. And then, something inside Lexi clicks. Laissez la révolution commencer! Let the revolution begin! Instead of trying to fulfill everyone else’s expectations for her life, Lexi embarks on an adventure in trusting God with her future–très bon!

I can't even begin to express how much I loved this book. I had previously read the second book, so I knew what decisions she was going to make at the end of the book. There was no suspense, and yet I still very much enjoyed the journey of reading. I cried at the end, not because it was sad, but because I loved the book so much, and it was over.

This book had a lot of things I love. First, it was a book, so it gets bonus points right there. Second, there was talk of Paris and France (the second book takes place just outside of Paris, so it gets slight bonus points there, but this one didn't lack). Third, it mostly took place in a little cafe/bakery. Now, I don't really cook. I don't think I really like to cook. But I want to like to cook. I'd love to be able to whip up pastries and figure out delicious recipes. So when I read books like this it inspires me. It makes me think maybe I could try to like it.

The one thing I didn't like about this book had nothing to do with the story itself. It made me a little sad. It made me want to go to Paris so much that it hurts. When I visited Europe for two weeks (Brussels and Paris), I felt like it was where I was meant to be. I liked the oldness of it. The cathedrals, the cobblestone streets, the more laid back attitude. I liked walking everywhere. I really liked the pastry shops. I loved all the beauty--it's just so different from the way things are here.

But back to the book . . . I plan to re-read the second book, and hopefully have a fuller appreciation for it now that I've read the first. The second book didn't make my favorites list, as this one did, but it may after a re-read. And bonus! The third book comes out in a couple of weeks. These books are ones that I would heartily recommend, and will be going on my keeper shelf as soon as I can get ahold of them (since I can't keep the library copies).