The Book of Three and The Black Cauldron

Hello out there! Salutations! Greetings! And so forth.

It's certainly been awhile, but I hope that hasn't stopped you from enjoying an array of baked goods and fine reading material. I've been adjusting to life as a new mother (which I love!), which is why I never talked about The Book of Three, and I've only just now finished reading the sequel, The Black Cauldron. I've also been reading quite a few children's books as my goodreads profile will attest to.

But let's talk about the first two books in Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles. I first read them years ago, and it's been fun to go back and revisit them. I didn't realize how much I'd forgotten or remembered incorrectly as the Disney movie was fresher in my mind than the source material.

Speaking of which, if you haven't seen Disney's The Black Cauldron, I wouldn't bother. Well, you can if you're really curious. It's not one of Disney's successes. It's not even one of those that failed at the box office, but then you watch it a few years later, fall deeply in love with it, and can't imagine why nobody likes it. (For example, I'm a huge fan of Treasure Planet and think it deserves more love than it gets. Anyone else out there with me?) The Black Cauldron, unfortunately, falls short. Perhaps there's some cult following of it somewhere, but I have yet to meet a person who talks about it being one of Disney's greats.



There are a few problems with the film as I recall. However, I think the thing that bothered me the most was some of the voice acting. Okay, mostly just Taran. I can't stand him. To be fair, he definitely has his flaws in the book, which is intentional. One of the great things about these first two books (the film was based on both) is the character development of Taran in particular. He's kind of arrogant with delusions of grandeur, but he has some humbling experiences and meets characters that help him learn what it means to be a true leader and hero.

There's much more depth in the books than the movie managed to portray. It's not an easy thing making a book into a movie, and now that these books are fresh in my mind, I would say that this story could be potentially difficult. It's not that it wouldn't make a great film. It's more that there are many elements, locations, and characters to deal with. For the time limit they were allowed and the number of plot elements in the story, it must have been a difficult task indeed.

The books themselves are worth a read. The characters are unique and memorable and learn valuable lessons on their journeys. I enjoy each of the main characters and could take time talking about each one as they truly each have something that sets them apart. It's a great introduction to the fantasy genre and would make a good starting point to transition over to something like Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.

My favorite bit of these books was the quote I shared recently on Facebook from a character who you will not see in the film--"Is there not glory enough in living the days given to us? You should know there is adventure in simply being among those we love and the things we love, and beauty, too."

If Netflix ever wants to turn  the books into a series, I would give it a go. For now, if you're a  fantasy fan, I would definitely give these a go.

Also, now I kind of do feel like I need to watch the Disney film again just to see if it's as bad as I remember...

The Little Selkie

Title: The Little Selkie

Rating: 3/5

Author: K.M. Shea

Pages: 318

Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy

Synopsis:

Dylan is a selkie which means she has the ability to change from a human form to a sea lion form as long as her sea lion pelt remains safe and undamaged. She also has a special connection to the ocean and a duty to protect it. When the waters are tormented by a wicked sea witch, Dylan brashly races onto land to confront her. Too late she realizes the severity of her mistake.

The selkie is captured and her pelt stolen from her. She’s certain the sea witch will force Dylan to use her special powers to help aid her in her wicked plans. But Dylan’s powers only work through her ability to sing. When Dylan stumbles upon a passing enchantress, she begs her to seal her voice. Now, unable to speak and fearing that she may never retrieve her pelt, Dylan must discover the sea witch’s plot and do whatever she can to thwart it before it’s too late.

My Reaction:

Recently, I saw a book list full of books with strong female characters, so I know that’s something some readers are looking for. If that’s you, than K.M. Shea may be the author for you. One of the positive things about both of her books that I’ve read so far are female protagonists who get the job done!

Aside from that, The Little Selkie was another enjoyable read. However, I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as Beauty and the Beast. I appreciated the fact that she was a selkie instead of a mermaid. It changed the dynamic of the story a little bit as her motivations are different than say Disney’s version of the tale. Also, there’s no turning into sea foam involved, so that’s a plus for Dylan. I kind of would have liked a just a little more information on selkies. I mean, you can figure out the concept, but I found myself wondering if they spent more time in seal bodies versus their human forms since Dylan thinks of things like all her sister’s books or sleeping on straw mattresses which didn’t really match what I was picturing in my head (waterproof books, perhaps?). But, you’ll understand the important bit—a destroyed pelt equals bad news for a selkie.

Also, I will admit that I googled “selkie” because I wasn’t sure what it was as opposed to a mermaid. See? Reading is good for you. You learn stuff.

You may notice that this book as well as Beauty and the Beast are part of the series, but fear not. You don’t have to read them in order. In fact, you could just read one book out of the series and still be fine. From what I’ve seen, they are stand alone books that may make subtle references to each other just to let you know that they are in the same universe.

Oh! I nearly forgot to mention that there is still a love story in there. Don't worry about that :)

Reader’s Guidance:

I can’t think of anything.

Similar Books:

I feel like I’ve run out of fairy tale books to tell you! Here’s an idea: what are your favorite fairy tale related books out there?

Next Book:

So, I started reading another fairy tale, but then thought, “Maybe I need to shake this up and come back to this one.” But the first few pages seem interesting, so I may just keep reading it anyway. It’s called Goldheart by Kenley Davidson, and it’s a retelling of Rumplestiltskin. I was a little hesitant to start reading a retelling of that particular story as I read Rump last year and absolutely loved it! Based on the first little bit though, I think they’re going to be totally different in both style and twist on the original tale.

The other books I’ve been thinking of are The Prydain Chronicles. You may not know that name, but perhaps you’ve heard of The Black Cauldron, which is one of the books in the series (and not one of Disney’s finest adaptations into film). I read the series some years ago now. I was talking to my husband about Disney’s take on the book and found that I couldn’t remember much about the series as a whole except that I liked it. It’s sitting on my shelf ever so patiently waiting to be read again.

Basically, I’m claiming to be reading two books now, though in all honesty I probably won’t read them simultaneously. I don’t think I’ve ever been successful with that. Usually one book falls by the wayside. Well, I’ve committed now. You’ll be expecting reviews on both. Let’s do this.

Also, does anyone else feel in need of another baking post? Perhaps I need to bake something… I

mean, I bake usually once a week at least, but I should maybe document it. Ha!

Ogre Enchanted

Title: Ogre Enchanted

Rating: 4/5

Author: Gail Carson Levine

Pages: 352

Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy

Synopsis:

If you’re familiar with the story of Ella Enchanted, then you know that some interactions with fairies are more trouble than they’re worth, especially if that fairy is Lucinda.

Well, Lucinda makes another appearance in this story to ruin someone else’s life. This time, she isn’t blessing someone with the gift of obedience. Instead, she curses a young healer named Evie, turning her into an ogre, all because she turned down a marriage proposal! Now Evie only has a limited amount of time to break the curse, and there’s only one way to do that. Someone must propose to her and she must accept—not the easiest task for a smelly ogre who finds it very tempting to eat a human being despite the fact that she used to be one.

Set in the same world as Levine’s award winning Ella Enchanted, this book is a good stand alone story reminiscent of the classic tale of Beauty and the Beast.

My Reaction:

I’m pretty sure I said it before, but I’ll say it again—I always enjoy a good Gail Carson Levine book. This story is such a great addition to her collection of books. If you know someone who is a fan of fairytale type stories, just buy them a ton of Levine’s books.

What’s great about Levine’s stories is that even if they have similarities to stories we’re familiar with they’re so uniquely their own. They are original with great characters. I had a fair idea of how the story would end after only a few pages, but really just one main plot point. Everything surrounding it and leading up to it wasn’t entirely predictable.

Evie is a strong, courageous character that learns a lot in the process of her journey. Sometimes people, or ogres, aren’t all that they seem. Maybe we can lift the lives of others even if our own circumstances are less than favorable.

Ogre Enchanted is a great read especially if you’re already a fan of Levine’s books.

Reader’s Guidance:

Well, there is a part where Evie kills a band of ogres and their heads are later left on display outside of a city. That’s probably the most violent event in the story.

Similar Books:

Ella Enchanted or anything else by Gail Carson Levine

Books by Cameron Dokey—she’s done a good handful of fairytale retellings

Books by Liesl Shurtliff like Rump

Epilogue:

I hope you all are enjoying this holiday season. I know I've been enjoying some good baking. We made up some goodies to take to some of our neighbors, and of course we saved a few for ourselves. So, basically a sugar cookie has been part of my dinner every night this week. And they are delicious! Also, some are in nerdy shapes like Yoda and Mickey Mouse. We couldn't help ourselves. I'm a bit of a cookie cutter fanatic, so we had a good amount to choose from besides the traditional Christmas shapes.

I also tried a couple things I've never done before like fudge (super easy by the way) and Mexican wedding cookies. Nom nom nom! I love baking! What are you guys enjoying as part of your Christmas celebrations? What are some cool traditions you have? I should start a book related tradition. It seems fitting especially when I know that there are some book traditions out there for this time of year. 

It's hard to believe that 2018 is almost over! Stay tuned for a post on my top picks out of the books I read this year!

My attempts to make a storm trooper cookie.

East

Title: East

Rating: 5/5

Author: Edith Pattou

Pages: 507

Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy

Synopsis:

There is an old superstition that children will inherit specific traits based on which direction their mother is facing when they are born. For Rose’s very superstitious mother, the last thing she wants is a north-born child, who would be filled with a need for adventure and wanderlust. Not only that, but when her mother is told that if she has a north-born child that child will surely be lost to her under an avalanche of ice and snow, she’ll do anything to ensure that none of her children are born in that fateful direction.

When her final child, Rose, is born in a rush, her mother is so distraught in finding that she’s a north-born that she convinces herself that she was actually facing east. Rose believed the lie all her life until one fateful evening when a great, white bear appears on their doorstep demanding that Rose come with him. In return, her ailing family would be blessed with much needed health and prosperity. Realizing that she was always destined for something like this, Rose accepts the bear’s offer. She is taken to a mysterious castle where she soon discovers that there’s more to her circumstances than meet the eye. When she makes a terrible mistake, she is forced with the most difficult decision of her life—return to the love and safety of her family or embark on a perilous journey to undo her wrongs and save the very creature that stole her away from her family in the first place.

My Reaction:

I always think twice before I give a book a 5/5 rating, but when I finished this book I couldn’t think of single thing wrong with it! Therefore, it earns a 5/5.

This book is based off of a fairytale called East of the Sun and West of the Moon, a fairytale I had never heard of before. However, it did remind me of other classic tales—Beauty and the Beast and Cupid and Psyche in particular. It also jogged my memory of a movie my sister used to like when we were kids. If I’m not mistaken, the movie is The Polar Bear King which is based off of the same fairytale. Beauty and the Beast is my favorite fairytale, so it really comes as no surprise to me that I would enjoy a book with similar themes (I’m not saying all Beauty and the Beast stories would earn a 5/5… I’ve read a couple that didn’t quite make the cut for me.). Part of what I enjoyed about it was how Edith Pattou incorporated some real history and landscape details. She clearly did her research as she developed this story.

The book is told from multiple points of view, which I know bothers some readers. Pattou pulls it off well, and it gives us glimpses of all aspects of the story. The readers get a more in depth tale through these different characters. I’d say the book is still predominately told by Rose, and I think that’s why the different perspectives work so well—there’s one leading voice that solidifies the story and keeps the reader on track. It also makes it a little bit quicker of a read, so don’t be daunted by 500+ pages.

This is a great take on a little known fairytale full of adventure, superstition, making amends, and the importance of love and family. I thoroughly enjoyed it and had a hard time putting it down. I read it during every free moment!

Reader’s Guidance:

This book involves trolls who capture humans to use as slaves. Rose sees a troll kill a human. She also discovers that when humans outlive their usefulness they are left in a frozen wasteland to freeze to death. Neither of these situations was super graphic. I didn’t find the telling of them bothersome.

Similar Books:

Beauty by Robin McKinley – A retelling of Beauty and the Beast that is worth the read!

Next Book:

Gail Carson Levine recently released a new book, and I love me a good Gail Carson Levine book! Set in the same world as her award winning Ella Enchanted comes her brand new story, Ogre Enchanted!

Sheer Power: Second Chances

Have you ever read a sequel book or even a sequel movie for that matter and thought, "Man, I really should have read/watched the first one again before I read/watched this one."

I kind of thought that as I read this book. I mean, really, it's been like eight months since I read the last one. Still, I didn't find it too hard to pick things up and remember some key details. Besides, unfortunately I no longer have the first one in my possession since I was borrowing it from someone.

Alright, then. Down to business!

Title: Sheer Power: Second Chances

Sequel to: Sheer Power: Crossing Paths
Rating: 3/5
Author: Vye Brante
Pages: 327
Genre: Young Adult/Action & Adventure

Synopsis:

Things have gone relatively back to normal after the final events of Sheer Power: Crossing Paths. Juto has gone back to training his somewhat arrogant and stubborn student, Kimiten, while Seisho continues helping out around the house.

Tensions begin to rise as Kimiten becomes jealous of Seisho and starts putting pressure on Juto to fire his "maid." To make matters worse, that spark of rebellion is nowhere close to being extinguished. Before long they are once again wrapped up with powerful energy users who will do anything to bring more people to their cause, and it turns out that they have a more powerful weapon than anyone could have imagined.

The fight against Yorik Moya and his thugs is only just beginning.

My Reaction:

I had quite a few observations and random thoughts about this book. I'll try to stick to the key ones. That being said, I should perhaps mention that I started going off about different random things I thought about while reading before I deleted the whole paragraph because I deemed it unessential. Ha!

There are some elements that I think are good, strong points in this story. I particularly liked the wrap up (and no, it's not because the book was over...). We finally got to learn more about a particular point in Seisho's past that is really key to his character and was well presented. On the other hand, there was one aspect that I thought had good potential but then let me down a little bit in the end. I don't want to give anything away, but there was something in particular towards the beginning that there was some focus on, and if I recall correctly, it was one of the mysteries I wanted answered from the first book. It seemed like it was going to be more complex than it actually turned out being. Maybe that's mostly because I had an idea of where it should go, so I set myself up for disappointment (like all those people making theories for The Last Jedi only to be disappointed that all of their theories were wrong).

I believe I said something similar last time, but it's clear that Brante has a clear understanding of her world and how energy use works. She explains elements and rules of energy use and sticks to those faithfully. She did well at tying things together. Many things mentioned towards the beginning of the story came back into play towards the end.

There were some things that were more cleaned up as far as the writing itself, and I looked passed many small grammatical errors since this copy was a proof. However, I do think there are a few style things that could be strengthened. There were a few moments that felt like they went on a little too long, and a bit of wordiness at times that made it feel a bit passive. However, if you can get passed that and focus on the story itself, there are some great elements of betrayal, mystery, and action that will appeal to some readers.

There is a third book planned, and I hope the newest mystery introduced will be explored further. I wouldn't mind getting more story involving Seisho's family also. I can't remembering if I'm forgetting certain details from the last book, but I'd like to know more about his family and their "mission," so to speak. Or, I would like to see more feedback from them. Seisho's so worried about their opinion, but mostly we've just seen his mom who is super supportive of everything he does (except for maybe his OCD when it comes to cleaning). We get a little bit of opposition from his sister, but I think it would be interesting to see that familial pressure on a larger scale.

I'm curious about where things will go from here, especially concerning a new character introduced in this book.

Reader Guidance:

The book is full of physical combat involving energy use. There's nothing super brutal or graphic in terms of the violence.

Similar Books:

I still got nothing. I thought more of cartoons and RPG's than books. I'm such a nerd.

Next Book:

I am extremely happy to announce that the next book up is Red: The True Story of Red Riding Hood! This is going to be good. I can feel it in my bones! I loved Rump, and I've waited far too long to read this one.

A Swiftly Tilting Planet

Before getting to the review, I'd just like to point out that the blog now also has a twitter! Woohoo! Click on the link on the side bar and follow my book related twitter escapades!

Title: A Swiftly Tilting Planet
Rating: 4/5

Author: Madeleine L'Engle
Pages: 278
Genre: Young Adult/Science Fiction

Synopsis:

Some time has passed since the events of A Wind in the Door, somewhere around ten years, and all the Murrays have gathered together for a nice Thanksgiving feast. Unfortunately, their festivities are interrupted by a phone call from the president about the threat of nuclear war. Their only clue as to how to stop it is an old rune that Meg’s seemingly crazy mother-in-law suddenly remembers. He’s not sure how, but Charles Wallace knows it’s up to him to save the day. With the help of a new found friend, a unicorn named Gaudior, and Meg, they may just have a chance. But with time against him and absolutely no idea what he’s meant to do, can Charles Wallace save the world in time?

Reaction:

I enjoyed this book better than the last one, but it didn’t resonate with me in the same way that A Wrinkle in Time did. I think the subject matter was just more enjoyable for me. No, not the threat of nuclear war, but the way Charles and Gaudior have to go about fixing it. This book still uses the echtroi as a sort of nemesis (they were introduced in the last book and could be compared to devils who basically just want to make everything horrible for everybody). So Charles has to fight against them and his lack of time to stop a madman from setting off his nuclear weapon, and he does this by time travel. It was almost like L’Engle’s version of a Doctor Who episode.

One of the things I thoroughly enjoyed was getting glimpses of different time periods. At one point, he’s in the Salem witch trials era. At another point, he’s in the civil war era. Having a bit of interest in history, this aspect of the story really appealed to me. Plus, there’s a bit of a mystery to be solved which also made things interesting. The whole time you learn little bit by little bit with the characters until everything comes together and forms a resolution.

One of the major themes I got from the book was the idea that by trying to control everything we sometimes do more harm than good—a valuable lesson and a realization that sometimes we need to accept that things are out of our control.

Reader Guidance:

There are a few brief instances of things such as domestic violence, recollections of war, a man falling to his death—things of that nature. The war descriptions include a man getting his face blown off and another man stabbing his own brother because they were on opposite sides. The domestic violence describes a young man getting in the way of a blow intended for his grandmother. As a result, he falls down the stairs and fractures his skull.

Similar Books:

The other books in the Time Quintet:

A Wrinkle in Time
A Wind in the Door
A Swiftly Tilting Planet
Many Waters
An Acceptable Time

Next Book:

I had some other books in mind, but since I received that proof of Sheer Power: Second Chances, I decided to go ahead and do that one next. So we’ll take a break from Madeline L’Engle for now. The other two books are about Meg’s twin brothers and Meg’s daughter respectively. Since they don’t focus as much on the characters we’ve focused on in the last three books, this seems like a good place to take a break! Happy reading!

A Wind in the Door and a Follow Up on Last Week's Post

First of all, here's a little follow up on last week's post.

Thanks everyone for reading and commenting! You offered a handful of books that you wouldn't recommend, and I'll admit, I haven't read a single one of those! I also got a couple of book recommendations out of the deal, so it was a win-win situation for me. In case you are curious, here are the books that your fellow blog readers said they wouldn't recommend:

1. The School for Good and Evil - This specifically went for book one as they didn't keep reading. A choppy and predictable story line as well as an immature main character without enough growth made this book not very enjoyable.

2. Eat Pray Love - Apparently this one is hard to get into. I know that it was pretty popular at one time, but I've actually heard a few people say they didn't like it. Having only seen the movie myself, I can't make my own personal judgement on the book.

3. Across Five Aprils - There were conflicting comments on this book actually. So, possibly, this one is worth a read. It may just depend on whether or not it's your cup of tea.

4. Banner in the Sky - This book sounds quite adventurous and exciting (I just read the book description on Amazon), but apparently it's a bit of a let down and is actually quite boring.

5. Ready Player One - I've been curious about this one with the upcoming movie and all. It looked interesting and sometimes I like a good pop culture reference, but apparently the premise is really the only good thing about it. But hey, it's a bestseller, so someone obviously likes it...

So there you have it. Add those to your don't read list or possibly to your I'm going to read this anyway and see if I agree list. Seriously, the only reason why I read the The Golden Compass was because of all the negative hype surrounding the movie. It peaked my curiosity. So, the second book list is totally legitimate. And come to think of it, I went on to read the second book in that series, didn't care for it, and never read the third. I suppose that's another series that didn't tickle my fancy.

Okay, on to business!

Title: A Wind in the Door
Sequel to: A Wrinkle in Time
Rating: 3/5
Author: Madeleine L'Engle
Pages: 211
Genre: Young Adult/Science Fiction

Synopsis:

Something is seriously wrong with Charles Wallace. Up until this point, Meg has attributed it to the bullying he's received since he started going to school. But when he tells her one day that there are dragons in the twins' vegetable garden, she's forced to realize that Charles Wallace's condition is much worse than that.

Once again, Meg is called upon to fight and incredibly evil force. With the help of Calvin and some new friends along the way, they must pass three trials in order save Charles Wallace's life as well as their own!

Reaction:

I'm not as in love with this book as I was with the first one. I just didn't connect with it as much, I suppose. It's not a bad story, and it certainly isn't poorly written. It just didn't pull me in as much and therefore landed in the middle of the rating scale.

It still has some religious themed mixed in with the science, although it's not quite so straightforward in this one. If you're a religiously minded person, you can pull out parallels and similarities to things like the devil and temptation, but it doesn't come straight out and mention things like the Bible, etc. There are also some good themes about the power of knowing who you are and how love makes you the best version of yourself, the true you. So there are definitely some great themes and thinking moments. In the end, I just preferred A Wrinkle in Time. The book is still worth a read.

Similar Books:

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

Next Book:

Time for the third book in the Time Quintet! We'll be reading A Swiftly Tilting Planet, which I can't remember a single thing about! There's a unicorn on the cover, so I guessing there will be unicorns. Who doesn't love that!

See you next time!

A Wrinkle in Time

Rating: 5/5

Author: Madeleine L'Engle

Pages: 211

Genre: Children's/Young Adult/Science Fiction

Synopsis:

It's been a long time since Meg Murray has seen or heard from her father--long enough for people to start spreading rumors. Meg knows that he's off doing something incredibly important, but she doesn't know what. It's getting to the point where people are telling her to move on, but she can't while there's still hope that her father will one day return. 

One day, Meg is introduced by her incredibly intelligent younger brother to three mysterious figures who not only seem to know what her father was working on before he disappeared, but they also know where to find him. And he's in incredible danger! Meg, Charles Wallace, and there newfound friend Calvin are whisked away on incredible adventure to different worlds where they learn about the war of light against the darkness. Only together can they save Meg's father, but can they resist the powers of darkness and save her father before it's too late?

Reaction:

This is my fourth time reading this book, and I must say, that I don't think I've ever enjoyed it so much as I did in this last reading. I loved it! The only slightly negative thing I could think of is that Meg is sometimes a little whiny, but given the circumstances and her age, I think it's justified. Not only that, but the fact that she has flaws is actually pointed out by the characters and is used to make a good point--we can do great things despite our flaws, and there are times where what we consider flaws can actually become a strength. So it worked in this case, and wasn't too the point where I wanted to tell her to shut up. That sort of thing happens to readers on occasion when they encounter certain characters.

But I digress.

Not only does this book stir the mind and imagination and has some great adventure and conflict, there were themes in the book that just spoke to me this time around. That classic fight of good versus evil, the idea that our world isn't perfect but having our own individuality is a blessing, or the idea that we can be a force for good no matter our circumstance. There are also some religious references in the book, and for me, being a religious person myself, I enjoyed having those in there.  They talk about how Jesus is taking part in the battle against the darkness, there's reference to guardian angels, and Meg's father quotes from the bible to bring her some encouragement. I saw L'Engle's style of writing compared to that of C. S. Lewis who is also known for Christian themes in his writing.

It's a great read that kids everywhere will love to read under their desks instead of listening to their fifth grade teachers, just like I did (Just kidding, teach your children to pay attention in class!).

Fun Fact:

This book is a Newbery Medal winner, but it is also on the American Library Association's list of  Frequently Challenged Books, meaning it is a book "that is sought to be removed or otherwise restricted from public access, typically from a library or a school curriculum" (Thanks, Wikipedia!). Did you know there was a such a list? I learned about it in my Young Adult Fiction class in college. We were given an assignment that involved reading one of the books on the list. I chose this one, and that's how I got one of my four readings in. It sounds like it's been challenged for references to witches and crystal balls, religious content, and listing Jesus alongside well known artists, philosophers, scientists, and other religious leaders as people fighting against the darkness. I wasn't bothered by any of those things at all, and I should mention that those references to witches and crystal balls aren't actually references to magic or witchcraft, not really. One of the characters even says essentially, "You know they're not witches." Anyway, no dark magic going on. Take a read for yourself and see if you would put it on the challenged list!

Reader Guidance:

I've already mentioned the Christian themes, so if that's something that bothers you, this may not be the book for you. The only other thing I can think of that might be troubling is a glimpse at a boy who didn't stay synchronized with this particular world's rhythm (watch the trailer for the new movie and you should get an idea of what I'm talking about). He appears to be in extreme pain as he is forced to synchronize. 

Similar Books:

Well, this is the first of five books, but as I recall, they also work pretty well as stand alone books. But, besides the other books in the series, another great series is The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. That series is more on the fantasy side than the science fiction side, but still a great one if you enjoyed A Wrinkle in Time.

Next Book:

Next up is the next book in the series of course, which is A Wind in the Door. The only thing I remember about this next one is that it deals with saving Charles Wallace. Let's jump in! Also, you should know, I finally got a copy of Red: The True Story of Little Red Riding Hood which I've been wanting to read ever since I finished Rump. So, just keep in mind that that book will be coming up on our list shortly!

Enders

Rating: 3/5

Author: Lissa Price

Pages: 272

Sequel to: Starters

Genre: Young Adult/Science Fiction/Dystopian

Synopsis:

This is the second and last book of the Starters series. Not much time has passed since the ending of the previous book, and Callie is still hearing the voice of the Old Man in her head, but things are getting worse than Callie could have ever imagined—even with the destruction of Prime Destinations, the Old Man seeks to take control of everyone with chips in their head and sell them to the highest bidder as a weapon.

With a new found friend, Hyden, that Callie can’t be sure is trustworthy, Callie endeavors to stop the Old Man once and for all before he takes over her body and never gives it back!

My Reaction:

I must say, I liked this book a little bit better than the first one. Parts toward the end seemed to draw me in a little bit more. However, I was also tempted not to finish reading it because for the first bits of the book I was still in the, “Meh, this isn’t bad but not super awesome,” frame of mind. So if you liked the first one, definitely read this one, and just like I said with the first story, there’s definitely a market for this book and readers who will absolutely love it.

It still has some good action and mystery and a killer twist at the end that made me rethink everything about the first book. I did not see that coming! This book doesn’t really feel like the end though. It almost seems like there should be one more book. Maybe we’ll have another one in the future, or maybe it’s one of those cases where the author leaves the audience to fill in the blank. Things are wrapped up well enough so you won’t be like, “What the heck?! That’s the end!” It just seems setup for another book.

I think there was only really one, maybe two things that bugged me, and it’s just a personal preference. I’m sure other readers eat this stuff up! Number one: “He was good-looking in such an intense way, it almost scared me” (page 39). Yeah, apparently that’s just not my style of writing. I think I may have bought it in high school, but now I read it and think, “That’s not even real! Who thinks like that?!” Maybe I just don’t understand passion and romance in the world of books. Or perhaps I’m a sucker for a different sort of romance. Later on, there was a moment with the same fellow where he takes her hand and puts it on his abs for her to feel (page 86), and again I was just kind of like, “Okay?”

Like I said, I’m pretty sure that’s just reader preference. If you read the post about Starters, you’ll now know that I don’t really care for make out scenes in books or what I deem to be crazy, unrealistic romantic thoughts. I just can’t relate to that! I’ve never looked at a guy and thought he was so intensely handsome that it scared me. Nope.

Reader Guidance:

I’ll try to do this spoiler free, but here’s your spoiler warning just in case.

• There are two instances where chips in people’s brains blow up. In one case, a man’s arm is severely injured (the pain on his face is described and the fact that his arm is completely black).
• There are a few people who get shot. Some die, some don’t.
• A guy is crushed and killed by a garage door.
• There are some cases of slapping or punching people.
• A character stabs herself in the arm with a letter opener.
• In one test to control a character with a chip, the testers have the character shoot targets of harmless people, including a friend. Then the actual people are brought in and the test is repeated on them with blanks, not real bullets.
• A character has a condition where every time he touches someone he has extreme pain.
• One character remembers how his renter wanted to use his artistic abilities to draw girls naked.
• When one character is hacked, she is forced to do a strip tease. She removes her shirt and camisole so she is in her bra, but they don’t go any farther than that.
• This one is kind of a spoiler: Blake asks what he and Callie did while someone else was taking control of his body in the last book. He asks if they did anything more. Callie tells him that they just kissed giving the impression that what he was trying to ask was if they’d had sex.

Similar Books:

The Host by Stephanie Meyer

Uglies by Scott Westerfield

Next Book:

First off, let me say that it may be a little bit before you get another book review on here. I have the next book in mind, so I’ll go ahead and put that here. However, as you saw from my last post, I’m trying to stick in NaNoWriMo mode. Not only that, my husband and I are in the processes of getting things packed up and moved to a new place which should all be said and done in a few weeks. So I might not get a lot of reading done! But the next book with be Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin by Liesl Shurtlipp.

Starters

Rating: 3/5

Author: Lissa Price

Pages: 336

Genre: Young Adult/Science Fiction/Dystopian

Synopsis:

Callie has never felt more desperate. The Spore Wars left her world in devastation as it resulted in the deaths of everyone from their twenties to their sixties. With her parents dead and no other family to speak off, she is forced to roam the streets with her sick brother and their friend, Michael. With danger at every turn, their very lives are at stake.

When Callie gets word on the street about a company called Prime Destinations, a place willing to pay teens more money than Callie could ever dream of having. This could be her one way ticket out of the slums. All she has to do is allow an Ender (the society’s senior citizens) to occupy her body for a time, giving them a chance to feel young again. It’s all as easy as falling asleep.

But when Callie wakes up in the middle of her rental session in a place she’s never been before, she soon finds out that her renter had more on her mind than a few nights on the town, and that Prime Destinations has a much bigger, sinister plan up their sleeves.

My Reaction:

I liked the unique concept of this book. I’ve read a good handful of these sorts of books, and although I was reminded of some of them, I feel like as a whole this is an idea I haven’t seen before. This is definitely an action packed, thrilling ride. There’s a lot of mystery that slowly unfolds, but things aren’t all completely satisfied which leads us into the sequel, Enders.

Something that made the book relatable is that we have somewhat familiar settings and objects that make this world seem like it really could happen at some point in our future. Hopefully not though…

Overall, this book kind of fell in the middle of the scale for me. It wasn’t bad, in fact I think I’d say it was a good story, but it wasn’t necessarily a book that will land on my all time favorites list. I’m curious enough to check out the second book just to see how a couple details play out, but at the same time I feel like I could walk away from it. Like I said, it isn’t bad read, and I do think there are some readers who will absolutely love it.

I didn’t necessarily care for one of Callie’s relationships with one of the characters. The one good thing that came out of it was an interesting twist at the end that I didn’t see coming. I won’t say anymore. Once you get to the end of the book, you’ll know who I’m talking about.

The style and feel of this book reminded me of a number of other popular dystopian books out there. For that reason alone, I feel that there is definitely an audience for this book, and if you enjoyed any of the similar books listed below, you should pick this one up and give it a go.

Reader Guidance:

• There were a couple of things worth mentioning. If this were made into a movie, I could see it being rated PG-13.
•  There are a few cases of mild profanity, as well as someone giving the finger.
•  When Callie first goes to Prime Destinations to find out how it all works, she asks if there’s any chance her renter would have sex while in her body, and she’s told that’s strictly prohibited. Later on, she’s reminded by another character that no sex is allowed.
• There’s a couple of instances where some guys check out girls and it’s referred to as “undressing us with their eyes.”
• There are two small make out scenes (Nothing too major. Nothing past kissing and talking about the thrill and touching “my face, my neck, my hair.” Honestly, I didn’t care for those scenes because it’s just slightly enough to make me shy and start to get a little uncomfortable, but I’m extra sensitive to those sorts of scenes. I realize this. If a small make out doesn’t bother you, you’ve nothing to fear!)
• There is some violence. Note that this may contain some SPOILERS:

o   Chips inserted in the brain are setup in such a way that if you try to remove them they will explode (this doesn’t actually happen to anyone).

o   There are a couple instances of physical fighting. The more intense one involves a girl with what sounds like brass knuckles. She gives quite a beating the requires a stitched up face afterwards.

o   A 12 year old girl is killed while acting as a diversion.

o   A small car crash leaves a character with a lovely gash in her head.

o   Okay, here’s a SPOILER: Callie tries to kill someone. They are pushed out of the way by another character, so he isn’t killed, but the shot still hits him in the arm.

o   The marshals (cops) use a sort of enhanced, sometimes lethal taser to help hunt down unclaimed minors.

o   Another SPOILER: Callie’s renter is killed. We aren’t witness to it, so we don’t really know details except for that she’s murdered.

Similar Books:

While there were a number of books I thought of, there were two in particular that came to mind.

The Host by Stephanie Myer—The main reason I was reminded of this book was because of the similarity of essentially two beings in one brain that can communicate with each other. Also as I recall, there was a bigger make out scene in this book that also made me uncomfortable. I tell you, I have a hard time reading that sort of thing. What can I say? (If you’re looking at the screen incredulously, would it help you to know that I’m chuckling a little at myself right now?)

Uglies by Scott Westerfield—This one is the first book of a series. I was reminded of it because of the fact that there’s a lot of work done on Callie in the beginning to make her look physically perfect and therefore more appealing to renters. But there’s not so much emphasis on this as there is in where a huge point of the plot is that once you turn a certain age you are made pretty and get to go live the good life with all the pretty people. As with Starters, everything is not what it seems. There was probably making out in this book too. HA! It’s been too long for me too remember specifically, but I do remember a love interest, so, you know, make out potential there.

Next Book:

We’ll go ahead with the next book in the series, Enders. After all, we have to figure out the rest of the answers to the mystery. Besides, sometimes you like stories better as a whole than just as one book. Let’s give it a go!

Beauty and the Beast: Lost in a Book

Rating: 3.5/5

Author: Jennifer Donnelly

Pages: 341

Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy

Synopsis:

Taking place somewhere between the wolf rescue scene and the "Something There" musical number, this story is almost like a book within a book, making the title, Lost in a Book, very fitting for this book (Heh heh, okay, I've said book enough times). Simply put, this story is a tale that takes place smack dab in the middle of Disney's Beauty and the Beast (more specifically, their live action version).

Belle's still having a hard time transitioning to her new life. Things are becoming more confusing than ever as she finds herself uncertain about the beast's character. At the same time her heart is torn between the love for her father and her new found love of the enchanted objects of the castle, what Belle could really use is an escape, one which she finds in the same place she always has--in the pages of a book.

When she stumbles across a magical book within the beast's library that literally sucks her in, it seems better than anything she could have ever hoped for. But is the book more than it seems and is it possible that she will get lost in its pages, unable to ever return home?

My Reaction:

It has just occurred to me that I'm very stingy with my 4 and 5 star ratings. I guess I need a little more wow factor to get me to commit to something higher. A five is like "I love this so much that I believe everyone in the world should read it else they will miss out on one of the greatest things of life ever!"

That doesn't necessarily mean this isn't a book worth reading.

I think the hardest trial of this book is that it takes place in an already well known and well loved story. That's risky. As a reader and huge fan of Disney's storytelling, it can be hard to accept something new into a beloved story or to keep yourself from comparing it to the movie. Not to mention that sometimes books based off movies aren't always the best in my experience. So I was a little leery when I started this book, but curious too. Also, the cover is one of the most beautiful book covers I've ever seen. I should give the book an extra point just for that!

I feel that Jennifer Donnelly put a lot of work into making sure all the beloved characters we already know were true to what Disney as already portrayed them as. She also did very well crafting her own characters and blending the two together. 

There were somethings I wasn't sure about at first as far as writing style. I found myself thinking, "Yeah, I already know this. This feels slightly repetitious." However, that was only towards the beginning of the book and didn't last very long. Also I'm pretty sure I thought at one point, "Don't be an idiot, Belle." It's probably a good thing characters can't hear my thoughts...

What really pulled me in was the building up to the climax and the climax itself. It was pretty exciting, and although obviously I knew things were going to turn out, I wasn't sure exactly how it would. 

Overall, not a bad story. It was intriguing and also catered a bit to my nerdy side what with references to Shakespeare and Greek mythology. I also really enjoyed that the story is littered with "golden nuggets" as my tenth grade English teach called them. 

Here is one such gem:

"Home is all the people, all the places, and all the things that you love. You carry it wherever you go."

I really liked those moments and how, even though this isn't in itself a love story in and of itself necessarily, it still has some good commentary on love. It talks about how love takes courage and how love gives us power to do things we wouldn't normally do.  

Reader Guidance:

None that I can think of.

Similar Books:

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

This was the first book that came to mind, which I imagine some people might find strange since I'm not recommending another book based off a fairy tale. However, these stories actually have quite a lot in common--wishing to escape the current situation, finding another world that seems amazing, realizing that world actually kind of sucks, realizing how much you want your old situation back, and having to fight to fix everything. See, they're pretty much the same story!

Next Book:

Summerlost by Ally Condie. I learned about this book's existence through Good Reads. This is another one where I'm sucked in by the cover alone! So we'll give it a shot. But be warned! It sounds like it's meant to be a tear jerker about loss and friendship.

Enna Burning

 

          

Rating: 3.5/5

Author: Shannon Hale

Pages: 317

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Synopsis:

Enna Burning is the sequel to The Goose Girl. In this story, Enna is the main character whereas Ani/Isi has a supporting role.

A few years have passed since Isi married Geric, and Enna finds herself back at home in the forest and no longer working in the city. When her brother, Leifer, starts behaving strangely and suddenly demonstrates the ability to wield fire, Enna returns to the city to talk to the only person who would understand—Isi who not only has the power to speak with birds but to speak with the wind. Upon her return, Enna discovers that there is more to worry about than this sudden appearance of fire. War is upon them from the land of Tira in the south. Determined to stay by her friend’s side, Enna joins the war effort as Isi’s maiden. But when Leifer gives his life using the power of fire in a major battle, Enna can’t fight the need to do more and to understand her brother’s sacrifice.

Before she realizes what she’s gotten herself into, Enna herself has learned the gift of fire, but this is a gift that needs to be controlled. If she masters the skill, she can aid in the victory of Bayern. If she can’t, she could find herself consumed by the flames.

My Reaction:

Enna Burning is a well crafted story, much like The Goose Girl. It is somewhat darker than its predecessor in that much of the story deals with this inner struggle to control the fire within her. Fire has a need to consume and burn, so it encourages her to burn, even to burn other people especially since she’s in the middle of a war.

One of the things I liked best about this story is how it all wrapped up in the end. The last few chapters were honestly my favorite (and no, it wasn’t just because it was all over!). I think for me it was in those last few scenes where I personally connected most with the characters. Speaking of which, there are a few other characters from The Goose Girl that make reappearances as well, most notably Finn and Razo.

In the end, I gave this book a little bit of a lower score than The Goose Girl. It was a good read with some good conflict and resolution, but it just didn’t quite pull me in to the same level that The Goose Girl did. I’d still say it’s worth a read if you enjoyed the first book.

Reader Guidance:

It shouldn’t surprise you that a book dealing with war is going to have some violence to it. For the most part, I felt the violence was dealt with appropriately and wasn’t overly graphic. The thing that would probably be most concerning to me was when she burns people or fights the urge to burn people. When I was reading this book, a 9 year old girl asked me to read out loud to her, and because it was a little darker and dealt with this people burning aspect (and because I didn’t know the sorts of things her parents might approve of) I didn’t really feel comfortable reading it to her. I’d say it’s more for a mid-teen audience.

Here are some of the things to consider for this book:

•       The book opens with a woman burning to death
•         Battle descriptions—arrows biting soft flesh, metal tearing their middles, delivering death blows, etc.
•         The dead from battle are stacked in a heap and burned
•         There’s a fight to the death
•         It causes Enna physical pain to use the fire—describes the pain and her screaming
•         Enna burns a man to free herself
•         There’s a story mentioned of a mother who bathed her child in blood to make him an invincible warrior
•         Mention of soiling oneself
•         A man comes to taunt Enna and possibly take advantage of her, but another soldier shows up just in time and beats up the first guy.
•         There are two instances of language, both times using the ba— word
•         There are a few instances of people being stabbed or shot in the back or people punching other people
•         There are some more instances of people being burned alive

As I mentioned above, I didn’t feel like these were overly graphic.

Similar Books:

There are currently four books total in the stories of Bayern:

The Goose Girl

Enna Burning

River Secrets

Forest Born

Next Book:

I was ready for a break from the world of Bayern, but I wasn’t quite sure where to go next. I ended up doing exactly what I told my husband I would do: I went to the library, stepped into a random aisle, and checked out the first book I randomly set my hand on. As it happens, I recognized the cover as being a book I’d noticed before while perusing books, and it was one I was interested in reading. Clearly fate has brought us together! So next up is The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate.

                                                    

I must say, yesterday I started reading the first little bit of this book (I even read it out loud to that same nine year old mentioned above), and I'm already enjoying it (as was the nine year old). I'm excited to see how this one progresses!

The Goose Girl

Rating: 4.5/5

Author: Shannon Hale
Pages: 383
Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy

Synopsis:

Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee, or just plain ol' Ani, is the crown princess of the kingdom of Kildenree, although she doesn't think she's very good at the role. As a child she would much rather spend time listening to her aunt's stories and learning to talk the language of the birds, something the queen frowned upon to say the least. As she grew older, she tried to be the princess she ought to be, and often found solace is long rides on her horse with her father riding his own steed beside her.

But when the king dies, Ani's mother determines that the best use for her first born is to marry her off the prince of the neighboring kingdom Bayern and thus avoid any potential future threat of war. Ani reluctantly sets off never guessing what her future would hold. Before they reach her destination, Ani's lady in waiting, Selia, rises up against her with a devious plan to take over Ani's identity as princess of Kildenree. Ani's only choices are to run or lose her life. Forced into hiding and finding work tending the king of Bayern's flock of geese, Ani must form a plan and bide her time to stop Selia before her treachery leads to, not only the deaths of many of her kinsmen, but the death of Ani herself!

My Reaction:

The Goose Girl is a book I've been meaning to read for a long time. I enjoy a good retelling of a fairy tale, and when I saw the cover of this book on a bookshelf some years ago it stuck out to me. It's about time I actually got around to reading it!

The story is based of off the fairy tale of the same title by the Brothers Grimm. It wasn't one I was familiar with, so I didn't know entirely what to expect, which I think was a good thing because I had no idea where things were going. In retrospect, I feel like I really should have seen some of those things coming. So I suppose Shannon Hale gets some points for keeping me interested with some surprises.

I really enjoyed this book. I read a synopsis of the original fairy tale, and I feel that Hale did a good job of staying true to the story while at the same time making it uniquely her own. She has good use of simile in her writing that I enjoyed. Ani is a relatable character with some insecurities, but also with such a great desire to do her part and to do well. It's good to see her change over time and become more of the princess she always wanted to be--strong, confident, capable of changing lives for the better.

It's a great story with some great characters. I also loved the way things were wrapped up in the end. Overall, a good book I could recommend, and I look forward to reading the companion books to it!

Reader Guidance:

It shouldn't surprise you that a book based on one of Grimm's fairy tales should have some grim moments...pun intended. I'll try not to give any spoilers, but here's some bullet points of violence and suggestive material in the book:

• The queen near the beginning pricks her finger with a broach to put a few drops of blood on a handkerchief as a symbolic gesture when Ani leaves on her journey.
• A man hits on Ani a bit, saying something like, "You like that I'm a man." I don't recall the exact quote.
• There are multiple stabbings in the back, a few mentioning swords going clean through the chest, some just cuts because the attacker was unsuccessful in getting their sword/knife deep enough in to kill. There's also a javelin to the back at one point.
• In Bayern, after men have been hanged for their crimes, their bodies are left hanging from the wall of the city. This sight and the sickening effect it has on Ani is mentioned a few times.
• There's one scene at a knacker's yard, a place where dead or unwanted animals are disposed of, especially those not fit for human consumption (some of the meat would be used for dog food). It's a bit of a gross and traumatizing scene through the eyes of Ani. It mentions blood and things like fur and feathers and discarded animal parts.
• A horses head is hung up at a gate.
• At one point a character relates an old story about women encouraging their men during war by alluding to the fact that they would be captured and the enemy would have their way with them.
• There is one line that says, "You would have touched [her]. You would have shared her bed." The man who says it is jealous and angry towards a man that was meant to marry.
• There's also someone who gets stabbed with a knife to the side and a man who receives a sword wound to the shoulder.

With things like war and treachery, there's bound to be some dark stuff. It is intended for a teenage audience. 

Similar Books:

There are three other books that take place in Bayern. My understanding is that they are independent stories from The Goose Girl, but they do involve characters first mentioned in this book. They are:

Enna Burning

River Secrets

Forest Born

Other fairy tale type books you may enjoy include:

- Anything by Gail Carson Levine

- Beauty by Robin McKinley

- Beauty Sleep by Cameron Dokey

Next Book:

I think I've got to give one of these companion books a try! I really liked Enna in The Goose Girl, so I think the next book up will be Enna Burning.

What did you guys think of The Goose Girl? What should we read after Enna Burning? Happy reading!