After the End

Author: Amy Plum
Series: After the End #1
Genre: Dystopian, Sci-Fi, Romance, Contemporary
Release Date: May 6, 2014

Summary: World War III has left the world ravaged by nuclear radiation. A lucky few escaped to the Alaskan wilderness. They've survived for the last thirty years by living off the land, being one with nature, and hiding from whoever else might still be out there. At least, this is what Juneau has been told her entire life. When Juneau returns from a hunting trip to discover that everyone in her clan has vanished, she sets off to find them. Leaving the boundaries of their land for the very first time, she learns something horrifying: There never was a war. Cities were never destroyed. The world is intact. Everything was a lie. Now Juneau is adrift in a modern-day world she never knew existed. But while she's trying to find a way to rescue her friends and family, someone else is looking for her. Someone who knows the extraordinary truth about the secrets of her past.

Review: My initial reaction after reading the summary for the first time went a little something like this:

 With a little some of this:

I know, you're probably thinking, "How can a book be contemporary and dystopian?? The answer to that being the first portion of the novel (about the first 30 pages) has a very dystopian feel. However, after Juneau ventures away from her home, it then moves into more of a contemporary feel since she is then in the present time/world.
With that being said! This was my first experience with Amy Plum. Let me tell you, I'm impressed. This story was so captivating, emotional, unique, and adventurous. Juneau was such an amazing main character! She was strong-willed, extremely capable, a fast learner, and quick minded. I really enjoyed that she wasn't weak or in need of assistance when it came to surviving.
The beginning of the novel reminded me of the movie The Village. The similarities between them being those of a community/clan of 40-50 people living out on their own, away from the world, and not telling the younger members of their clan about their situation. Only to have one of their members, Juneau in this case, have to travel outside and realize that the world is, in fact, not suffering from radiation and the aftermath of WWIII. However, that is where the similarities stop. Mainly because that is where The Village ends. The rest of the novel was extremely unique and well written.
After the End was set at a great pace. Leaving me with few complaints in that department. It is also written in duel POV. Juneau being one, and Miles the other. My only complaint with the POV was that I wished at certain points that Miles' POV were a little more lengthy. I was also extremely saddened, literally almost in tears, when Juneau had to leave her two huskies behind. I honestly wish that they could have gone along with her, but also realize that that would have changed the entire feel of the novel. A great piece of work. One that I'll definitely be recommending!

The second book in the series, Until the Beginning, releases on May 5, 2015

Seige and Storm

Author: Leigh Bardugo
Series: Grisha #2
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Adventure
Release Date: June 4, 2013
Summary: Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land. She finds starting new is not easy while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. She can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long. The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her--or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.

Review: Okay, so Siege and Storm didn't quite live up to it's predecessor, Shadow and Bone, but it was still quite a fantastic novel. I was a little nervous to pick this novel up at first. Mainly because I loved the first novel, and I didn't want the second and third novels to disappoint. It seems that I am one of the few who didn't quite like Siege and Storm as much as (if not more than) Shadow and Bone. Don't get me wrong, it was an amazing book! I just didn't find it as satisfying as Shadow and Bone, and here's why.

Alina, now with an Amplifier, sometimes thinks she is all-powerful. To say I didn't appreciate this would be a slight understatement. Although I'm happy she has an amplifier, I continually felt throughout the novel that she was flipping back and forth as to whether or not she liked having this extra power. I hated her indecisiveness and feel that if she has a downfall, this would be part of the reason.

The Darkling has so little to do with this book! Okay, I understand that he is the bad guy and all but COME ON!! I missed him constantly throughout the book. And personally, I liked him way better than Mal (#sorrynotsorry).

Speaking of Mal . . . he bugged . . . like constantly. I didn't appreciate how insecure he was about his relationship with Alina. Seriously dude, she has been in love with you for for-reaking-ever!! And now that you finally decided you love her back and want to be with her you're getting all insecure about it! GRRRR!!! :/

On a lighter now, Bardugo did an excellent job of continuing the story throughout Siege and Storm. The pace was great, and everything was as explained as it needed to be. Oh yeah, and I can't forget Nikolai. Seriously, he was my favorite character in this book! And that ending. Let's just say I was glad I had Ruin and Rising on hand!!

As You Wish

Author: Cary Elwes and Joe Layden (and a foreword by Rob Reiner)
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: Memoir, Biography, Autobiography
Release Date: October 14, 2014
Summary: From actor Cary Elwes, who played the iconic role of Westley in The Princess Bride, comes a first-person account and behind-the-scenes look at the making of the cult classic film filled with never-before-told stories, exclusive photographs, and interviews with costars Robin Wright, Wallace Shawn, Billy Crystal, Christopher Guest, and Mandy Patinkin, as well as author and screenwriter William Goldman, producer Norman Lear, and director Rob Reiner.

The Princess Bride has been a family favorite for close to three decades. Ranked by the American Film Institute as one of the top 100 Greatest Love Stories and by the Writers Guild of America as one of the top 100 screenplays of all time, The Princess Bride will continue to resonate with audiences for years to come. Cary Elwes was inspired to share his memories and give fans an unprecedented look into the creation of the film while participating in the twenty-fifth anniversary cast reunion. In As You Wish he has created an enchanting experience; in addition to never-before seen photos and interviews with his fellow cast mates, there are plenty of set secrets, backstage stories, and answers to lingering questions about off-screen romances that have plagued fans for years! With a foreword by Rob Reiner and a limited edition original poster by acclaimed artist Shepard Fairey, As You Wish is a must-have for all fans of this beloved film.
Review: Such an all-around great book. If you adored the classic movie, The Princess Bride, they why wouldn't you want to read this book?! An incredibly quick read, mainly because it's so enticing. Although a great majority of the book is written from Cary Elwes' point of view, he also has incorporated a good portion of the other main actors POVs on particular parts of the movie as well. Oh yeah, if you listen to the audio book, all of the characters are voicing their own parts . . . can I just say, "HOW SO TOTALLY COOL!?" Let me tell you though, as soon as you finish this book, you'll definitely be reaching for your copy of the movie. One that I'll definitely be recommending.

"Oh, you want me to read, 'As You Wish' . . . "

 

Shadow and Bone

Author: Leigh Bardugo
Series: Grisha #1
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Adventure
Release Date: June 5, 2012
Summary: Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee. Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling. Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart.

Review: Holy A-M-A-Z-I-N-G-N-E-S-S!! Seriously, this book blew me away! I'd seen it floating around the library for a while but never picked it up. The library then purchased the audio book and since it was brand new (and I love brand new things) I checked it out. Well . . . it then sat in my drawer for a little over a week. One restless night (I've been having a lot of those lately with Christmas so near) I pulled it out and started listening to it . . . um, can we say 'BAD IDEA'?! I listened to it for three hours straight and was more awake than I'd been before! Right off the bat, Shadow and Bone captured my attention. The world Bardugo created was fascinated, eerie, and adventurous. Alina was a fairly decent main character. There were a couple things she said throughout the book that made me facepalm, but other than that, I really enjoyed her. The supporting characters (the Darkling, Mal, and the fellow Grisha) were also very well written. The storyline progressed at a great pace. I never felt things were going to fast/slow or that certain things were brushed over. On a side note, I would definitely recommend listening to the audio book because there are some Russian-based words that I never would have been able to pronounce and it made reading the book more enjoyable. This is one that I will definitely come back to again and again. A must read over the holidays!!

 

**ALSO, there is one scene towards the beginning of the book (within the first 50-75 pages that was a little gory and graphic (a body gets split in half), but the rest of the content and language is clean, with very few minor swear words

 

 

Merry Christmas!!

 

Opposition (including a combined review of the entire Lux series)

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Series: Lux #5 (Final)
Genre: Sci-Fi, Romance, Adventure
Release Date: August 5, 2014

Summary: Katy knows the world changed the night the Luxen came. She can't believe Daemon welcomed his race or stood by as his kind threatened to obliterate every last human and hybrid on Earth. But the lines between good and bad have blurred, and love has become an emotion that could destroy her—could destroy them all. Daemon will do anything to save those he loves, even if it means betrayal. They must team with an unlikely enemy if there is any chance of surviving the invasion. But when it quickly becomes impossible to tell friend from foe, and the world is crumbling around them, they may lose everything— even what they cherish most—to ensure the survival of their friends…and mankind. War has come to Earth. And no matter the outcome, the future will never be the same for those left standing.

Review: If you're wondering or confused, yes, this book is about aliens invading the earth. Now if you're like me, your first reaction when reading the summary for the first book in the series (Obsidian) was somewhere along the lines of, "what in the world could this possibly be about?" But then, out of curiosity you picked it up because you needed something new to read and you know that Armentrout rarely disappoints.

I found the first two books in the Lux series absolutely enthralling. The story was original and the writing was top notch. The third book (for me) was where the series started going down hill. I wasn't about to give up on this series though. So I read the fourth book, and didn't really enjoy where the story line was headed. Since it ends with a cliffhanger, I really had no choice but to finish out the series with Opposition. 

To say the least, I was disappointed with the writing of this book the most. This series is classified as 'young adult' so I didn't expect anything major when it comes to romance, language, etc. Wow, I was totally wrong. Within the first hundred pages there was already an incredibly sexual scene that I found myself skipping over. After that point, I found myself skimming a great majority of the rest of the book. I wanted to see how everything ended, but I didn't really want to subject myself to anymore of the goings-on of Katy and Daemon's relationship. 

Overall, I was mildly satisfied with this book, thus the three stars. The story, although original, failed to hold my interest. Unless your deeply into the sci-fi genre, I don't know if I would necessarily recommend this one.

Pure Grit: How American World War II Nurses Survived Battle and Prison Camp in the Pacific

Author: Mary Cronk Farrell
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: Historical Non-Fiction, Young Adult,
Release Date: March 1, 2014

Summary: Pure Grit tells the important but little-known story of the heroic women who served in the Philippines during World War II. Pure Grit is a story of sisterhood and suffering, of tragedy and betrayal, of death and life. This is the story of how a group of women cared for one another, maintained discipline, and honored their vocation to nurse anyone in need, all of them coming home alive.

Review: First and foremost, let me start off by saying that I had never heard anything about American nurses being captured in the Philippines in WWII in any of the history classes I've taken. Maybe I just wasn't listening close enough, but I'm pretty sure I would have at least remembered a little bit here and there about it. Moving on. I happened across this book while cruising my local library's website for something new to read. I've been trying to read more non-fiction lately just out of interest. Being partial to the young-adult genre I looked there first and what do you know?! Pure Grit showed up. After simply looking at the cover, I put it on hold! 

I was a little nervous starting out because I didn't want this book to be boring (because I often find non-fiction and boring relate in some extent). However, Pure Grit wasn't that way at all. It includes a great deal of facts, but they are extremely well-integrated into the story making it so that I never felt bombarded by them. The book also includes a variety of incredible photos from that time as well as many first hand accounts. After reading this book, I'd encourage and recommend it to anyone! A truly riveting account of some of the unsung heroes of WWII.

The Thousand Dollar Tan Line

Author: Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham
Series: Veronica Mars #1
Genre: Mystery, Suspense
Release Date: March 25, 2014

Summary: Ten years after graduating from high school in Neptune, California, Veronica Mars is back in the land of sun, sand, crime, and corruption. She's traded in her law degree for her old private investigating license, struggling to keep Mars Investigations afloat on the scant cash earned by catching cheating spouses until she can score her first big case.Now it's spring break, and college students descend on Neptune, transforming the beaches and boardwalks into a frenzied, week-long rave. When a girl disappears from a party, Veronica is called in to investigate. But this is not a simple missing person's case. The house the girl vanished from belongs to a man with serious criminal ties, and soon Veronica is plunged into a dangerous underworld of drugs and organized crime. And when a major break in the investigation has a shocking connection to Veronica's past, the case hits closer to home than she ever imagined.

Review: Alright, I absolutely love everything that is associated with Veronica Mars. So when this book came out I was all, "YEAH!! I can satisfy my addiction even more!" I finally got around to actually reading the book a couple of weeks ago. The overall story line = AWESOMENESS! It was just like watching an episode of Veronica Mars . . . except that I was reading it. The mystery was very well thought out and unique. I was a tad disappointed when my initial excitement started wearing off around page 100. Even though the overall mystery was interesting, the plot really wasn't moving forward. Around page 200 I began debating just putting the book down. BUT ALAS!! This is VERONICA MARS, I couldn't just leave her hanging!!! I endured to the end and it was worth it. As you've probably figured, I was extremely frustrated that the mystery didn't really all come together until around pages 290/300. (I guess it really couldn't because where would the story go after that??) If not for those last 30ish pages, this would have been a three star for me. If you've watched and enjoyed the series I obviously will recommend this novel. Also, if you've read and enjoyed the book and haven't seen the series, definitely go and watch it! DO IT NOW!! :)

Overall, this was a 4 star! Veronica is just as witty and fun to read about as she was to watch in the television series and movie. I'm definitely planning on reading Mr. Kiss and Tell (the sequel) which releases on January 15, 2015. My sources (the internet haha) tell me that it will feature Logan more strongly (because having him gone was, like, the saddest thing ever! LOGAN AND VERONICA FOREVER!! omg I'm such a fan-girl....).

In the Afterlight

Author: Alexandra Bracken
Series: The Darkest Minds #3
Genre: Dystopian, Post-Apocalyptic, Adventure
Release Date: October 28, 2014

Summary: Ruby can't look back. Fractured by an unbearable loss, she and the kids who survived the government's attack on Los Angeles travel north to regroup. With them is a prisoner: Clancy Gray, son of the president, and one of the few people Ruby has encountered with abilities like hers. Only Ruby has any power over him, and just one slip could lead to Clancy wreaking havoc on their minds. They are armed only with a volatile secret: proof of a government conspiracy to cover up the real cause of IAAN, the disease that has killed most of America's children and left Ruby and others like her with powers the government will kill to keep contained. But internal strife may destroy their only chance to free the "rehabilitation camps" housing thousands of other Psi kids. Meanwhile, reunited with Liam, the boy she would-and did-sacrifice everything for to keep alive, Ruby must face the painful repercussions of having tampered with his memories of her. She turns to Cole, his older brother, to provide the intense training she knows she will need to take down Gray and the government. But Cole has demons of his own, and one fatal mistake may be the spark that sets the world on fire.

Review: Well, to say the least, I had a pretty rough time getting through this one. If any of you are friends with me on goodreads you'll know that is has taken me literally weeks to get through this book. I actually started out by listening to In the Afterlight for the first couple of chapters but then just decided that I'd rather physically read (well mostly skim . . .) than keep listening. I had an inkling that I wouldn't really appreciate/enjoy this series when the first book (The Darkest Minds) didn't sit well with me. By the times I got through the second book in the series (Never Fade) I knew that the only reason I was going to be reading the last book in the trilogy was to find out what happened in the end. 

There were a lot of plot twists, and a little more romance (more so than the first two books). I feel slightly bad about giving this book only 3 stars. But although it was an interesting and really unique idea, it (mostly the main character, Ruby) just never really sat well with me. I would definitely recommend giving this series a try though because from what it looks like (mainly on goodreads) it is a fairly popular book!