Tell the Wolves I'm Home and Darkfever

The last two books I read are Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt and Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning. Both books were very entertaining, though vastly different from each other.

Tell the Wolves I'm Home is about a girl who is coming to grips with the aspects of life that are changing around her. The biggest change was that her Uncle, seemingly the only person who understands her uniqueness, dies from AIDS. The time frame in which this book is set is when AIDS is widely misunderstood. There are some hateful feelings for the man who shared his life with her Uncle. June has the courage to look beyond the surface and see what more there is to see. Throughout this process June and her family are identifying some issues and working through them. The idea that life is precious and short, as well as the innocence of children is explored significantly in this book.

Darkfever is a book of the Fae, from a different sort of point of view. Mac is on a mission to avenge her sister's death. So naturally she cashes in her life savings, flies to Ireland (where her sister was killed), and is going to bring justice for her family. Of course, supernatural occurrences start occurring and bring about this giant family secret. There is death, suspense, and a lot of sarcasm, which I appreciate... The book ends leaving you hanging, so of course I will be moving on to the next book in the series.

As I said above both books were entertaining and fairly quick reads. I would recommend both books.

Happy Reading!!

~Judi

The Dark Heroine by Abigail Gibbs

Is there anything better than a clearance book?

Usually my answer would be no...however, this book was not the greatest. 

It was all over the place and made sense about half of the time. I get the overall plot of the book but I was getting plot whiplash from the back and forth; of which could have been smoother.

What drew me to this particular book, of all the clearance books, is the fact that it is set in London. I love the language and the cultural differences. It usually makes for an interesting story.

The plot of the story was fairly predictable. I did like the prophecy piece of the story line. You just don't read a good prophecy plot anymore. The books were clearly set up to be a series due to the fact that much was left open and only part of the prophecy was revealed and explained. 

Perhaps the next book will be less scattered...

Happy Reading!!

~Judi

Skin Game- Jim Butcher

The Dresden series is one of my favorite series. This book is number 16 in the series.

Recap: Harry Dresden is the only wizard listed in the yellow pages of the greater Chicago area. He has a knack for finding trouble, but usually with the best of intentions in mind. He has a group of trusted friends that are a rag-tag bunch. The amount of sarcasm dripping from this book is great. I tend to be sarcastic myself so I can relate.

These books are sci-fi genius. You have the fae, Greek Gods, and batman in training. Temple dogs, hidden portal ways, mercenaries, trolls, fallen angels, archangels, and swords of faith also make an appearance. Then to add just a little more (if you can handle a little extra), Harry gives birth...yes birth. Hooked now aren't ya??

Go enjoy a little bit of Dresden! And if you haven't divulged in the series yet...start at the beginning. It will SO be worth it.

Hope you enjoy a good book today!

~Judi

The Breathing Series- Rebecca Donovan

This trilogy was amazing. Within the first 100 pages I was angry, cried, laughed, and totally fed up. I couldn't put the books down and ended up reading the trilogy within 1 week.

Background: Emma Thomas is living with her aunt and uncle because her father passed away and her mother chose to deal with this by way of drugs and alcohol. Her best friend is Sara McKinley and she's the only one who knows Emma's secret. Then Evan Mathews comes to town. There is an instant connection between the two but Emma is trying to conceal her secret from him.

This series covers a lot of tough issues: abuse, love, trust, suicide, and the consequences of your actions. Alcohol and drug use are a large part of the series and draws a lot of attention to the issues associated with these activities. They are good eye-opener books that I think every teenager and college student should read.

This is an odd love story, of sorts, but it's hard to walk away from. You see a great amount of character development throughout the series. Just when you think you have it all figured out, yet another twist is thrown in.

The three books are Reason to Breathe, Barely Breathing, and Out of Breath. They are excellent books that keep your attention all the way through.

Hope you enjoy a good book today!!

~Judi

No Place like Oz & Takedown Twenty

Since the last blog I have read 5 books. Three of these 5 are a part of a trilogy. This particular post will be focused on the first two books I read.

No Place Like Oz by Danielle Paige is a prequel to the book Dorothy Must Die. I have read the Oz series as a child and thought I would like to see the other side, so to speak. In this book I could not stand Dorothy. I realize the author was attempting to establish a feeling of contempt for Dorothy, otherwise why must she die. But OH MY GOODNESS! She was the epitome of a petulant teenager. It took a lot for me to get through the book because I could not get past this character. I will, however, read the next book once I've had a bit of a break from Dorothy. After all, I need to see if there is any follow-through. I know why she must die, I now need to know if she does.

Also, the background and setting for the book was a bit different. However, there was a different ruler. The course of time was apparent and addressed, so that helped.

Takedown Twenty by Janet Evanovich was a great book, as expected. If I've said before then I'm sorry but this series is a great read. Everyone should read these books. They are light, entertaining, and quick reads. If I am in the mood for a pick-me-up these are my go to books. This book is number 20 in the series. I already have my name on the hold list at the library for #21.

This book contains crazy old ladies dating and placing curses on people, run-away giraffes (yes giraffes), henchmen, and old (should-be retired) mobsters. What more can ya ask for?

Hope you enjoy a good book today!

~Judi~

The Fault in Our Stars- John Green

This book was pretty good. It is a little predictable in that it is a coming of age, finding your own way, teenage love story. However, I did not truly see the ending coming. I had thought something else would occur. That a different individual's funeral would be taking place in the book.

There is a specific book talked about a lot in this book. I also thought perhaps the ending of that book would be the ending of this book, as it was referred to quite often. That was not the case. I did, however, like the ending of this book better.

It was a quick read, had a great voice, and lots of sarcasm, which I appreciate greatly.

This book is a bit sad, as cancer is no laughing matter. I liked some of the messages associated with cancer and the attitude toward it. It is geared toward a younger audience.

All in all a good book.

Enjoy!!

Ahab's Wife of, The Star-Gazer by Sena Jeter Naslund

It has been a while since I started this book. Working full time and going to school full time leaves precious little time for recreational reading. This book was quite the undertaking, but well worth it.

I loved the forward thinking of those in Nantucket. In a time when an escaped slave was vying for women's right to vote, the Nantucketeers were in awe of and commending the free thinking of women. I loved the literary genius that was used as educational tools, such as Shakespeare, Keats, Byron, and Wordsworth, as well as the literary greats that Una came in contact with during her life- such as Mr. Hawthorne, Mr. Emerson, Margaret Fuller, and Frederick Douglass. The fact that Una spoke her mind and relished in these acquaintances brought a smile to my face.

In the beginning Una states that Captain Ahab was not her first husband and would not be her last. Her loyalty to her first husband, even when his madness drove him from her, was commendable. Then Ahab came along and you see Una truly flourish with the independence the wife of a sea captain is afforded.

We know from Mr. Melville's tale that Captain Ahab was a man obsessed. However, this is reflected more so in a variety of manners. He is drawn to Una from the very beginning and his obsession with her is solidified once she is free from her previous husband, of which Ahab wastes not time in amending. There is an obsession with success, due to his upbringing, obsession with revenge upon a leviathan, and obsession with the representation of ivory. It is a unique view into Captain Ahab.

We also know Captain Ahab does not survive his obsession, to which Una is, once again, without a coupling. The stance she takes is far beyond that of the times, however works with the strong, independent, free-thinking woman she is portrayed as. Also, the stance that marriage is more about what you do and say than a piece of paper was refreshing. As is the fact that Una took into consideration what others said or attempted to advise on, but ultimately did what she felt was the right thing to do.

This book contained views on religion, or the lack thereof, abolitionists, homosexuality, feminism, life, and death. Love and loss were a great part of life at this time and was evident within the writing as well. But all of this pales in comparison to the catch at the end...

(Spoiler alert)
Ahab's wife ended up sharing a life with Ishmael, the soul survivor of the Pequod, the last man to see her "beloved," and a man who intended on writing the same basic story of Captain Ahab, from a sailors point of view. I found there to be some sort of poetic justice in the fact that Captain Ahab's widow should find comfort and solace in the lone survivor of the last trip to sea her husband ever took.

All in all a great book! Long, but well worth the journey!

Enjoy!