Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles) by Marissa Meyer

Summary from Goodreads:
The fates of Cinder and Scarlet collide as a Lunar threat spreads across the Earth...

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

Read March 2013

Library Book

4.5 Stars

My Review:
Wow!  I really liked this book!  This is book 2 in The Lunar Chronicles.  I would recommend reading book 1 first.

I admit that I don't remember that much about the first book in The Lunar Chronicles, Cinder.  I remembered bits and pieces, and I remembered being a bit confused sometimes.  I remembered thinking it was a bit more sci-fi than I usually like.

I was worried when I picked up this book that I wouldn't remember enough of the story from Cinder to gather what was happening.  THANK YOU Marissa Meyer for having enough "reminders" in the story without feeling like I was re-reading Cinder.  It really helped and I was able to enjoy the story without feeling like I didn't know what was going on.

I really liked the character Scarlet.  I liked her story, her personality, and the adventures she went on.  She has a romance in this book that was just enough to enjoy and was totally clean.

I liked getting further information on what was happening around the world and in the Lunar world.  This story went more into what the Queen was planning and how she was doing it.  In Cinder, we really only see what is happening in New Beijing.  

This story follows what is happening in 3 places at the same time.  Although I like knowing what is happening, sometimes I just wanted to stick with the one story.  I would be going along, thrilled with what I was reading, and then it would switch gears to the other person's story.  I can see why Marissa Meyer did this.  There is so much to tell and so much to keep up with.  

This book gives a lot of information and is an interesting story.  It is definitely part of a series in the sense that not a lot is resolved.  Now I can't wait for the next installment due sometime in 2014 called Cress.

Warnings: Some violence

I would let my 15 year old read this book.

The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead

The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead

Summary from Goodreads:
In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she finds herself struggling to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch--a former Alchemist who escaped against all odds, and is now on the run. Marcus wants to teach Sydney the secrets he claims the Alchemists are hiding from her. But as he pushes her to rebel against the people who raised her, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought. There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as she searches for an evil magic user targeting powerful young witches, she realizes that her only hope is to embrace her magical blood--or else she might be next.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, the Bloodlines series explores all the friendship, romance, battles, and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive—this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone’s out for blood.

Read March 2013

Library Book

4 Stars

My Review:
This is book 3 in the Bloodlines series.  

I really liked the Vampire Academy Series and this series takes up with some of the characters and continues their story.  I have enjoyed the Bloodlines series and have liked that they are a little bit more clean than I remember the Vampire Academy series.  However, this third book amps up the sexual tension and has some pretty heavy kissing scenes and a few swear words.  

This particular book explores some important questions for most young adults.  Who am I?  Who do I want to be?  Do I believe everything my parents have taught me?  The main character goes through these questions with lots of confusion and self doubt as well as finding moments of confidence and wild abandon.  This is the most serious self reflection we have seen in Sydney.  

I love Adrian.  He is not someone I would ever date (well I am married now, but you know what I mean).  He is definitely the bad boy with more problems than I would want to take on.  However, in this book he takes on a new maturity.  He makes some choices that show him in a different way, to us the reader, as well as Sydney.

This story does include the regulars, Jill, Eddie, Angeline.  However, their stories are not even secondary, they are more tertiary.  I actually hope to read more about them in the next book.  I like them and want to know what happens to them and this book didn't really go in to much of what is going on with them.

If you liked the first 2 Bloodlines books, then I believe you will like this one too.

Warnings: Sexual references (talk of losing virginity), heavy kissing, some drinking, some swearing, magical spells and such

I would let my 15 year old read this book.  However, it is definitely more grown up than the first two books and is borderline too grown up.  It is hard for me to say.  (I have a philosophy on this, but have decided not to include it here.  Maybe that will come in another post some day.)

Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter GUEST REVIEWER

Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter

Summary from Goodreads:
Katarina Bishop and W.W. Hale the fifth were born to lead completely different lives: Kat comes from a long, proud line of loveable criminal masterminds, while Hale is the scion of one of the most seemingly perfect dynasties in the world. If their families have one thing in common, it's that they both know how to stay under the radar while getting--or stealing--whatever they want. No matter the risk, the Bishops can always be counted on, but in Hale's family, all bets are off when money is on the line. When Hale unexpectedly inherits his grandmother's billion dollar corporation, he quickly learns that there's no place for Kat and their old heists in his new role. But Kat won't let him go that easily, especially after she gets tipped off that his grandmother's will might have been altered in an elaborate con to steal the company's fortune. So instead of being the heir--this time, Hale might be the mark. Forced to keep a level head as she and her crew fight for one of their own, Kat comes up with an ambitious and far-reaching plan that only the Bishop family would dare attempt. To pull it off, Kat is prepared to do the impossible, but first, she has to decide if she's willing to save her boyfriend's company if it means losing the boy.

GUEST REVIEW by Brooke's daughter, Julia

Read March 2013

Library Book

4 Stars

My Review:
I really liked this book.  It gives some background to the other books.  It has a lot of intense moments when you don't know what is going to happen or what secrets will be revealed.   I really like how Ally Carter keeps the story going without dragging it on and on and on.  The book is really detailed and will keep you reading.

Warnings: Some very mild violence

I would let my 15 and 11 year olds read this book.  My 11 year old did the review!

Royal Target by Traci Hunter Abramson

Royal Target by Traci Hunter Abramson

Summary from Goodreads:
When CIA agent Janessa Rogers meets the royal family of Meridia on assignment, she expects to use her skills in linguistics and security detail to protect and serve, but she doesn't expect to find herself engaged to Prince Garrett Fortier, Meridia's most eligible bachelor, as part of the security plan. And she certainly doesn't expect to fall in love with him. Janessa resists her feelings, fearing conflicts in her personal and professional life, yet when the Prince admits his feigned affection has become genuine she can no longer pretend. Matters of security, society, and spirituality make their unlikely romance even more complex, and escalating political intrigue gives Janessa an excuse to ignore the questions in her heart. But when a terrorist plot against the royal family endangers them both, Janessa and Garrett must face the challenges of loyalty to family, to country, to God —and to love.

Read March 2013

4 Stars

Borrowed from a friend

My Review:
This is another fun read by Traci Hunter Abramson.  It is an LDS fiction book with action and romance.

I have now read 4 books by this author and will continue to read more.

Warnings: Action, death threats, explosions

I would let my 15 year old read this book.

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson

Summary from Goodreads:
Written with a delightfully dry sense of humour and the wisdom of a born storyteller, Major Pettigrew's Last Stand explores the risks one takes when pursuing happiness in the face of family obligation and tradition.

When retired Major Pettigrew strikes up an unlikely friendship with Mrs. Ali, the Pakistani village shopkeeper, he is drawn out of his regimented world and forced to confront the realities of life in the twenty-first century. Brought together by a shared love of literature and the loss of their respective spouses, the Major and Mrs. Ali soon find their friendship on the cusp of blossoming into something more. But although the Major was actually born in Lahore, and Mrs. Ali was born in Cambridge, village society insists on embracing him as the quintessential local and her as a permanent foreigner. The Major has always taken special pride in the village, but will he be forced to choose between the place he calls home and a future with Mrs. Ali?

Listened to February/March 2013

Library Book on CD

4 Stars

My review:
This book was recommended to me by my sister-in law.  I decided to listen to it on CD because I occasionally have a short attention span with books and I was concerned that this one was going to be one of those occasions.  I'm glad I did an audio book because the "reader" was excellent and I was able to listen while driving on a couple of long drives.  I honestly don't know if I would have gotten through the entire book if I had to read it.  I just don't know.

Because I listened to this book on CD it almost felt like I was listening to Masterpiece Theater.  I love Masterpiece Theater, so that is a good thing.  For some it may not be.  The main players in the story are older (the two main characters are 68 and 58 years old).  The setting is southern coastal England in a country village.  There isn't anything "young and hip" about this book.

Some great things: 
The characters.  The author describes them well, we know who they are, what they look like, we probably know somebody like them.  Some of them are hysterical and quirky.  Others are as annoying as anything.  Some are outright rude and we can't stand them.  Some we love.

The setting.  Again, the author has described this village, the environmental surroundings, the quaint homes and grand manors, and the social clubs with enough detail that we can picture this place.

There were some great individual scenes in this story.  There were some very funny exchanges in dialogue.  The humor was dry and witty.  

Some not so great things:
I didn't like how much swearing there was.  
Sometimes I just wanted to get on with the story, enough with the descriptions.

This was a mature book for those that are interested in mature subjects.  This was not a light read (or listen, in my case).

Personal note:
When I was 4 my family moved from Maryland to Brussels, Belgium.  Six months later, I started Kindergarten in a French speaking school.  I don't remember much other than being confused and upset that I didn't understand what people were saying.  I was young enough that the language came to me quickly and I was able to adjust to the new surroundings.  Although I was a foreigner, the children easily accepted me.  I think young children are much more accepting of anyone.  Four and a half years later, when I was 9 years old, my family moved back to Maryland.  I was entering the 4th grade.  This transition was difficult for me. I was American, I spoke English.  For much of my 4th grade year I was treated as a foreigner.  There were children in class who proclaimed that they taught me English.  They would speak slowly to me.  I was made fun of for the clothes I wore.  I often felt so misunderstood.  Why didn't they understand that I was just as American as they were?  I think the older age made a difference.  

I realize that our situations were totally different, but with this little bit of personal history, I felt for Mrs. Ali.  Although her heritage was Pakistani, she was every bit as English as any of the people in the village.  I felt her frustration.  

Warnings: Swearing, premarital sex (nothing described in detail), abortion, child out of wedlock

I would not let my 15 year old read this book.  This is definitely an adult book. 

Borrowed Light by Carla Kelly

Borrowed Light by Carla Kelly

Summary from Goodreads:
Julia Darling never expected to cook for some cowboys in Wyoming, but when she breaks off her engagement in Salt Lake City, it's the perfect opportunity for her to escape. Determined to stick the job out, Julia faces her biggest challenge yet - letting go of borrowed light to find her own testimony. Set in the early 1900s, this is one romantic adventure you'll never forget.

Read February 2013

Library Book

5 Stars

My Review:
I loved this book!  How could I be so lucky as to read 2 books in a row that I love.  Of course, the chores are being a bit neglected, but they seem to be there when I'm done reading.

This is an LDS fiction book.

I saw this book was a winner in the 2011 Whitney Awards and put it on my "to read" list.  There aren't a lot of LDS fiction books at my local library, but they have inter-library loans that give me access to a broader region.  Thank you local library!  I was checking the library sites to see if they had any books on my to read list and saw that this was there.  I ordered it, of course.  I wasn't sure what it was about or anything, just that it had one this award.

Well, I see why it won the Whitney Award for best romance.  This was a great story.  It had the struggles of leaving behind a life and starting a new one with new challenges.  It had the struggles of rugged, difficult country/surroundings.  It had wonderful characters, main and secondary.  But most of all it had the sweet relationship between the 2 main characters.  

This was not a romance with outward signs of romance, like lots of kissing or hugging, loving words whispered along with soft caresses.  This relationship developed with kindness, friendship, and mutual respect.  The love was there, ever present, but neither acted on it in an open way.  I appreciated the small, kind gestures they shared.  There was lots of comfort given to each other, without expectations.  

I also appreciated the spiritual journey that Julia went on.  She was a member of the church her entire life and never questioned her beliefs.  At the point of this book, she reads the Book of Mormon for the first time, at the age of 28.  I was brought up in the church as well.  Although I attended scripture classes as a teenager, I never read the Book of Mormon for myself until I was in college, away from home.  At some point,  each person has to decide for themselves what they believe and I liked reading about Julia's self discovery.

Warnings: Loved ones dying

I would let my 15 year old read this book.

Undercurrents Trilogy by Traci Hunter Abramson

Over the past 2 weeks, I've been reading several books.  During this time I read a trilogy of books by Traci Hunter Abramson.  I borrowed them from a friend and devoured them.  I am going to put all three books in this one post.

This series is called Undercurrents.  Book one is Undercurrents.  Book two is Ripple Effect.  Book three is The Deep End.  by Traci Hunter Abramson

Summary of Undercurrents from Goodreads:
Shaye Kendall, an Olympic-bound swimmer, has been in the witness protection program ever since she witnessed her boyfriend's murder.  She now has a new name, a new life, and strict orders not to reveal her secret. But fitting into a community is hard when you can't tell people anything about 
yourself.  When she learns that one of her new friends, Matt Whitmore, is LDS, she can't even tell him that she's a Mormon too.  She doesn't dare get involved.  The fact that Matt's father is a high-profile senator could give 
her the kind of exposure she doesn't need.  How can you fall in love when you can never reveal who you really are? 

But when someone almost takes her life, Shaye recognizes that whoever is after her knows exactly who and where she is.  Can she trust Matt to help her?  Can she trust his family?

Summary of Ripple Effects from Goodreads:
Kylie Ramsey is supposed to be invisible. In fact, to keep her unnoticed, the FBI has changed the world-class swimmer's identity and moved her twice in the last year. However, there are still a few people who would quickly recognize her. One of them is Matt Whitman, the man Kylie could have easily spent eternity with. The other is Judge Rush-the man who wants Kylie dead.

Now the former rising-star athlete is forced to live a life in the shadows. Worst of all, Kylie believes she will never see Matt again-especially now that she lives two thousand miles from his home. But through a twist of fate, or perhaps a fatal FBI clerical error, they both arrive in the same town, and Kylie now struggles between feelings of elation and dread. What was supposed to be a safe haven could become the most dangerous place on earth.





Summary of The Deep End from Goodreads:
Matt's hands balled in frustration. . . . He couldn't even acknowledge that he knew the dark-haired beauty down the street
But little do CJ and Matt know the extent of the danger and loneliness that will haunt their lives. A world-class swimmer with Olympic aspirations, CJ faces overwhelming odds that threaten to drown all her hopes and dreams. Will the deep end prove to be a dead end for CJ and Matt?

In a story where reality is as tentative as the waters of competition, and happiness is as elusive as the forces of evil that conspire to end all their dreams, CJ and Matt's race for safety becomes a marathon of fear.



Read February 2013

Book 1 and 2 borrowed from a friend.  Book 3 library book.

5 Stars

My Review:
This is an LDS book series.  I am fairly new to the LDS fiction reading world.  I have read a book here or there, but in general haven't read a lot.  Regardless of any experience I have or have not had with LDS fiction books, this was unlike anything I have ever read.

This series is filled with action, mystery, friendship and love.  There is danger everywhere, but there is also the underlying sweetness of romance.  I couldn't put these books down.  They were exciting and I had to know what was going to happen next.  The author kept me on my toes and I found little predictable.  I imagine it is like reading a bit of a tamed down Tom Clancy novel.  I've never read one of his novels, only seen some of the movies, so I can't say for sure.  But it had that feel to it.

I appreciate having secondary characters that I loved almost as much as I loved the 2 main characters.  They were well developed and I was invested in them.  I liked the different settings all over the country and the different living experiences that the same characters had, depending on what was happening at the time.

And, the story has a very strong LDS theme in it, with lots of experiences and discussions revolving around the main character's belief system.  It is hard for me to tell, as an LDS person myself, if this story could be enjoyed as much by a non-LDS person.  In my opinion, the story was so strong that it could take place with someone of any strong religious belief.  In this case, the character is Mormon, but anyone with strong religious beliefs could understand the religious convictions the character has.  I don't feel that it was preachy, but then again, I believe what is being shared.

Warnings: Some violence and action, shooting deaths

I would let my 15 year old read this book.