Ella Enchanted - Gail Carson Levine

On the day of her birth, Ella of Frell received a very unfortunate gift. Lucinda, a well-meaning (but slightly dimwitted) fairy with a reputation for bad gifting, helped Ella's parents celebrate the new addition to the family with the gift (hereafter known as "the curse") of obedience. Whatever Ella is told to do, she must do, even if it's the exact opposite of what she wants. Parents want her to clean her room? Consider it done! Mandy the cook needs help doing the dishes? Easy! Sworn enemies want her to chop off her own head? Hypothetical, but still possible. Ella grows up with this terrible curse, and it only takes one bad incident with a friend to make her realize she must keep it a secret. After that, she couldn't tell anyone anyway - her mother forbids her from disclosing it for her own safety. Since she has no siblings and struggles with the curse, she's somewhat of an oddball around town, taking after her free-spirited mother. Ella spends her days bonding with her mother, playing outdoors, and learning from Mandy... until her mother falls ill and dies unexpectedly. Heartbroken and uncertain about her future with her shrewd father, a traveling trader who is often less than honest with his clients, Ella is wandering around after the funeral when she meets Prince Charmont, heir to the throne of Kyrria. The two connect almost instantly, each recognizing a kindred spirit. From then on, the two are steadfast friends, even going so far as to drop the prince's title and go by the informal and totally inappropriate nickname Char. Unfortunately, the funeral also heralded another new acquaintance, that of the wealth-obsessed Dame Olga and her despicably selfish daughters Hattie and Olive. Believing them to be only passersby on the stage of her life, Ella is more than happy to see them leave after the funeral reception. As if losing her mother, becoming friends with a prince, and running into the world's worst family weren't enough, Ella is shocked yet again by the revelation that Mandy, her long-time companion, is actually a fairy. Even worse, she couldn't take Lucinda's curse off even if she wanted to (and boy, does she ever).

Not long after Ella first meets Char, her father decides he can get much more use out of her if she stops acting like such a wild child and learns the traits valued by society in a real lady. Much to her horror, she finds herself being shipped off to finishing school with Hattie the Horrible and Olive the Overbearing with not so much as a "fare you well". Mandy, however, gifts her with a storybook that will allow her to see what's going on at home while she's away. Despite their less-than-average intelligence, it doesn't take long for Hattie and Olive to realize that Ella can't disobey orders. Soon they've got her jumping through hoops, doing everything from giving up her mother's necklace to acting as their maid. Ella's only reprieve from the torture is her new-found friend Areida, an Ayorthaian who is also an outcast in the social structure of the school. Then, Hattie finds out about their friendship and orders Ella to stop being friends with her. When her magic storybook shows a letter her father wrote describing his upcoming journey to a giant's wedding, she decides it's as good a place as any to get out of Dodge. Hoping to exact a little revenge on Hattie, she snatches her wig and heads off to see the wonders of a giant's wedding.

Along the way, she ends up in the realm of the elves, who gift her with a valuable piece of pottery she was drawn to. They give her a pony and send her on her merry way, wishing her the best of luck on her journey. Unfortunately, when you've spent your entire life in servitude thanks to an overly hasty fairy, luck really isn't on your side. Such is the case when she wakes up next to the remains of her pony and realizes she's become the prisoner of a group of ogres who are debating how to evenly split her up for dinner. Completely fed up with her lot in life, Ella decides to take matters into her own hands, using the persuasiveness of the ogre's voice against them. She manages to lure them to sleep but still can't escape because they told her not to. Enter Char, who (very luckily) happened to be in the area with a band of knights. They congratulate her on a job well done and Char inadvertently gives her permission to leave, allowing one of his knights to escort her to the giant's wedding. Finally, they arrive at the wedding just in time for the ceremony. The whole affair was going off without a hitch... until Lucinda showed up with a "gift" for the newlyweds. After she gives them the "gift" of not being able to go anywhere without each other, a new meaning was given to the phrase "not a dry eye in the house" as the horrified onlookers bemoan yet another victim of Lucinda's foolishness. Ella approaches Lucinda to try to get her to remove the curse, but Lucinda takes a different approach, commanding Ella to be happy to be in servitude to others. And so, of course, that's what she must be. She returns home with her father, happy to hear that he's decided to marry her off to the next rich dude that happens by.

After a brief incident involving some Elvish justice mushrooms and Ella's future husband, Mandy realizes what's happened and enters a fit of righteous fury. She commands Ella to stop being happy about serving, but now there's a new problem; Sir Peter has decided to mend his situation by himself and has found a rich wife. That sounds like the opposite of a problem, until we learn that said rich wife is Dame Olga. Now THAT is a problem. One very boring wedding, another Lucinda gift, a magical glass slipper discovery, and some stair-rail sliding with Char later, Ella finds herself alone in the house with her new step-family while her father goes off on yet another business trip. Once Hattie leaks Ella's secret, she's demoted to a position equivalent to that of scullery maid, but with none of the respect. With no one but Mandy and a parrot for company, Ella turns to writing Char, who's off on a diplomatic trip to Ayortha. As it turns out, Ayorthaians' primary focus is inner contemplation; Char is bored to death, and corresponds with Ella as much as he can, still completely oblivious to both her curse and her demotion to living doormat. Things start heating up pretty quickly, and soon it's apparent that Char and Ella are hopelessly in love with each other. Marriage is brought up several times, but Ella realizes that she could put the whole country in danger by being married to Char; state secrets could be leaked, or even worse, someone could order her to kill Char. Heartbroken, she sends a letter to Char under Hattie's name saying that she had run off with the first rich man she could get her hands on. With literally nothing left, Mandy decides to set Lucinda straight once and for all, but she still refuses to take the curse off and let Ella be reconciled with Char. Ella receives word that Char will be holding a ball to find a wife, and realizing this might be her last chance to see him, she decides to go in disguise. Will she be forced to witness the love of her life marry another, or will she be able to break the curse and live happily ever after?

First of all, if you can't stand annoying characters, put the book down and walk away. You will not like this book. Dame Olga and Hattie (and Olive, in her own way) are evil incarnate. Witches. Bad. 900% can't stand them. How can you treat someone like they're the literal dirt you walk on?? I get waaaay too into this stuff. But if you can manage to look past these admittedly crucial story pieces, the story will pull you in and not let you out until you've finished. Usually, I read a couple chapters on the bus ride to/from school or in between classes, but once I was a few chapters into this one, I took it with me everywhere until it was done. Aside from that, despite the fact that it's technically a children's book, some of the plot elements work for an older audience. (I'm looking at you, eaten-by-ogres pony and jerky Sir Peter who used mushrooms to coerce Ella into liking her future husband).

One of the main things that bugged me was the large number of coincidences that drove the plot. For example, Ella just happens to get lost where the elves live who just happen to know her father and happen to have a pottery piece like the ones they wouldn't sell her father. And then Char just happens to show up when she's been captured by ogres. And please don't get me started on the way they happened to find a magical glass slipper that happened to fit Ella (and only Ella's) foot. Especially in a fantasy novel, coincidences are probably an important plot driver, so maybe I'm being too harsh. But man are there a lot of them.

Pros:

• New take on the Cinderella fairy tale
• Engaging, edge-of-your-seat read
• Enough mature plot elements to keep older readers entertained

Cons:

• REALLY annoying characters (How can Lucinda be THAT dumb? Why is Dame Olga such a witch? Why is Hattie such a witch and why does she need a wig? I HAVE QUESTIONS)
• Lots of coincidences eventually start to make you suspicious
• My perverted sense of justice would've been way happier if something nasty had happened to Dame Olga and Hattie at the end, Grimm brothers style

You probably won't be surprised to learn that there's a movie version of Ella Enchanted, with one of my favorite actresses. They change the plot quite a bit (*cough cough* musical numbers *cough cough*), it's incredibly corny, and you can tell it's more of a kids movie, but I'll leave the trailer here and let you decide for yourself. At least it's funny?

and then you're dead - Cody Cassidy and Paul Doherty

If you're like any normal human being, chances are that you've worried about a window popping out of a plane mid-flight, what would happen if the cable snapped on an elevator you were riding in, whether or not you can really survive a trip over Niagara Falls, and a host of other macabre but slightly practical issues. The good news: this book takes a large amount of these suppositions and analyzes them for your reading pleasure. The bad news: most of them involve you dying. Hence the name of the book. But there's (more) good news. Despite the fact that you're reading scenarios in which you almost certainly die, it's done in a humorous but informative manner. Accidentally jump into a black hole? At least you'll know what to expect. (Hint: spaghettification.) Wanna break the world skydiving record by going from the International Space Station? Here's a list of pros and cons for you to consider. The back cover describes the novel as "gleefully gruesome", and frankly, I really can't think of a better description.

Just so you can get an idea of what kinds of scenarios we're talking here, here's my top 10:
What would happen if...

1. You were attacked by a swarm of bees?
2. You skydived from outer space?
3. You jumped into a black hole?
4. You were killed by this book?
5. You just stayed in bed?
6. You toured the Pringles factory and fell off the catwalk?
7. You dug a hole to China and jumped in?
8. You became an actual human cannonball?
9. You ate as many cookies as Cookie Monster?
10. You were swallowed by a whale?

Now, admittedly, some of these are more speculation than they are based on experience; after all, once you've been atomized inside a black hole, it's going to be a bit difficult to report on what happened, even after you make it past the event horizon in a few million years. Despite this minor obstacle, Cassidy and Doherty do their very best to science their way to a logical analysis for every scenario in the book (45 in case you were wondering). I picked this book up on a whim from the library, and I went online and bought it before I'd even finished the whole thing! In case you haven't gotten the idea yet: READ IT!

Pros:

• You will likely spend at least 89% of the book laughing
• There actually is some quality science-y information provided
• Carefully put-together answers to all those weird questions you always wondered about

Cons:

• WAY too short. Seriously, I'd read a dictionary sized book of this stuff.
• A wee bit graphic if you're squeamish (but really, what did you expect going into space without a suit?)
•  See item 1. For reals, I NEED more.

The Glass Arrow - Kristen Simmons

In a world where women are property and their numbers are carefully managed, Aya is a rebel. Her mother escaped from the city when she was pregnant with Aya, and, even after her death, Aya managed to avoid detection in the mountains for 16 years with her cousins. Then, in a moment of hesitation, she is captured by Trackers and taken to the city. In the city, women are herded into a facility where they are primped and molded into ideal candidates to fetch a high price at the monthly auction. Those who are unfit for sale, whether for impurity or otherwise, have X's slashed into their faces, leaving them permanently scarred for all to see. Thanks to the synthetic nature of virtually everything in the city, local girls lack something that free-ranging Aya has; fertility, a trait that can bring a coveted boy to the highest bidder. At least, it would if Aya had any intention of letting herself be sold on the auction block like an animal or houseware. Unfortunately for the Governess, the woman who orchestrates the sale of the girls to rich Magnates, Aya's greatest goal is to escape and return to the only family she's ever known in the mountains. Failure after failure, botched auction after botched auction, she is unable to escape her merciless captors. Her only reprieve comes when she's sentenced to solitary, where she makes friends with a scraggly wolf pup she names Brax who becomes her sole companion. The Governess' patience with Aya is running out, and so are her chances to escape. Enter the Driver, stage right.

When Aya first meets the Driver during one of her stints in solitary, she's sure he's going to kill her. A shouted warning from her pen startles him and an excellently aimed knife is his reflexive response. Luckily, years of hunting have honed her reflexes too, and she manages to avoid the knife. Next thing she knows, he's jumping over the poisoned river into her space. Like all of his kind, he can't speak, and she struggles to understand why he's being kind to her. Night after night, he returns to the solitary pen and sits there as Aya pours her heart out to him. It's not like he could ever tell anyone what she says anyway. She decides to name him Kiran because of the unusual color of his eyes. And then comes auction day, but this time, Aya can't get out of it. Surprisingly, Kiran appears and distracts the guard and she flees. Desperate for a disguise, she helps a young boy at the market steal a piece of candy in return for his cape. But the ruse fails and she is recaptured and forced onto the auction block. As she looks onto the crowd, she sees the boy with a creepy looking man. She thinks nothing of it until she learns that she has been purchased by the man, who is the brother of the mayor. The boy, Amir, is the mayor's son and she discovers that she is going to be his playmate until he grows older, when she will become something far worse.

In the mayor's household, Aya quickly finds out that Amir is spoiled, cruel, and difficult to please; the slightest sign of obstinance on her part results in pain. A moment of laxity presents an opportunity to escape not long after she arrives, and she takes it. On the way out, she runs into Kiran, who had apparently been mounting a rescue attempt himself. They sneak out together and return to the barn across from the solitary pen where Kiran houses all of his supplies, planning their escape back into the mountains. While there, Aya learns a surprising secret; Drivers can talk, but their silence helps ensure the safety of their women. Another problem arises when Aya sees one of her ex-fellow-inmates being punished by a Watcher in the solitary pen and takes action. Now, Kiran must suit the escape plan for the three of them instead of the original two. They make it out of the city in disguise, but they are joined by yet another companion: Brax, unwilling to be left behind by his master. They may have escaped the city, but they are still being followed by the Mayor's men. When Aya discovers her family is missing, shocking realizations begin to come to light that threaten her understanding of who she is. With her future in the balance, she must commit to a plan of action or risk losing everything she loves.

Man, talk about a heart-pounding, edge-of-your-seat read. I love the main characters ,  I love the plot, I love the way it's written... I just really love this book. The characters are really well developed so you can almost tell what they're going to do before they do it. The plot calls up anger, heartbreak, strength, determination, and a host of other traits I'm leaving out. Additionally, it addresses the divide between men and women in society; it may not be that men are buying and selling women for pleasure or their child-bearing abilities, but the problem is present nonetheless. For another thing, it steers clear of typical dystopian tropes (TDT). If this was a TDT book, Aya would (1) realize she's stuck in an unfair system, (2) meet a boy she falls in love with, (3) decide to escape with said boy, and (4) break the system on the way out, freeing everyone from the tyranny of the corrupt power group. Admittedly, the book does have some of these twists, but the timeline and motivations are vastly different.

If there's one thing that really bugged me about the book, it's how there were a couple of loose ends that never got tied up. Unfortunately, if I listed the primary one, it would kinda give away a huge plot point, so I'll remain silent. Aside from that, there were a few points in the book that seemed to drag on. I'll give you an example of a loop that really started to get me: attempt escape, get recaptured, get punished, attempt escape, get recaptured, get punished, repeat until your head spins. I get that Aya spends most of her time plotting escape and that's one of the reasons we love her, but do we need to hear about it every single time?

I really tried to avoid the temptation of the Simon Cowell meme, but it was stronger than me. I regret nothing. Anyhoo, despite these little issues, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it.

Pros:

•  Good character development and no huge story gaps (e.g. A meets B, they fall in love, and get married in one chapter)
•  Say buh-bye to typical dystopian tropes
•  SO. MANY. FEELS.

Cons:

•  Wee plot inconsistencies, but nothing hugely distracting
•  Occasionally slow; how many escape attempts can we read about before we get bored?
•  SO. MANY. FEELS. 

And yes, I did just use feels as both a pro and a con. Don't judge. As with most books I read, there was a line that really stuck out to me, and, as with most books, there was already a graphic for it on Google images. My work here is done. 

Convicted - Jameel McGee and Andrew Collins

Jameel McGee lives in Benton Harbor, a backwards, crime-ridden town in Michigan. Located across the water from a ritzy white tourist town, Benton Harbor is inhabited primarily by blacks and is policed by an almost entirely white force. Racial tension is high in the town, but Jameel's greatest wish is to open a car wash in a nearby area and put his exceptional work ethic to good use. Unfortunately, he also has a penchant for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, resulting in several arrests despite doing absolutely nothing wrong. When Jameel's ex-girlfriend contacts him to bring over the son he's never gotten to see, he rushes to the grocery store to stock up on supplies to make a good impression. Because of his record, he's unable to drive himself and hitches a ride with a cousin who happened to be going the same way. Unbeknownst to him, his cousin had set up a drug deal and was delivering the goods. When he comes out of the store, he's immediately approached by Officer Andrew Collins, who accuses him of setting up the deal. Despite blatant evidence to the contrary, Jameel is arrested and charged with drug possession with intent to distribute. Shocked that he's managed to get himself into yet another situation like this, Jameel fights back against the charges, but the false testimony of the corrupt cop and the biased judicial system result in a 10 year stay in federal prison, all for a crime he didn't commit. He won't get to see his son and he certainly won't be able to open a car wash now. Angry and hurt at the injustice, Jameel swore that if he ever saw Collins again, he'd kill him. While in prison, though, Jameel underwent a serious transformation; he found God, and with it, he lost a lot of the hate he harbored towards Officer Collins. After serving 3 years of his 10 year sentence and being told that all of his appeals had been rejected, Jameel is released from prison.

Andrew Collins always knew that he wanted to be a police officer, and that's exactly what he did. When he graduated from the police academy, he submitted dozens of resumes but eventually ended up in Benton Harbor. With all of the drug activity in the town, Officer Collins saw an opportunity to gain his peers' respect, so he made it his goal to take down the big names on the street. Somewhere along the way, a case came up where he had to make a decision; lie to incriminate someone he knew was guilty or let them go free. Believing the ends justified the means, he chose to tell a little white lie. Once he had done it the first time, it became easier and easier to twist the truth to get bad people off the streets. Before he knew what was happening, he was embezzling money meant for confidential informants, keeping drugs from busts to plant on suspects, lying to obtain search warrants, and falsifying reports. With this newfound power, it was easy to label Jameel McGee as a major drug lord, even without evidence tying him to the actual drugs. But he had promised an arrest that day, and there was going to be one whether there was a guilty party or not. After this incident, things started going south for Officer Collins; his stash of drugs was found by a superior and the falsified reports were brought into question. As if that wasn't bad enough, his partner in crime threw him under the bus to save his own skin. Now, instead of taking bad guys off the street, Andrew is a bad guy, one facing serious charges and a lengthy prison term. Thanks to months of cooperation with the FBI, he spends only 18 months in prison, but his case has another side-effect; the charges against people arrested by Andrew are dropped, resulting in the early release of Jameel McGee.

When Andrew and Jameel next meet, a lot of things have happened. Andrew has gotten involved with a local church and now holds a regular day job, going home every day to his wife and daughter. After 3 years in prison, Jameel has had to start over, struggling with finding a job thanks to his record, but more involved in his son's life. The situation comes to a head when they encounter each other at a local church function. Jameel remembers the promise he made while he was still in prison and struggles to give the situation over to God. Andrew prepares himself for a beating when the unthinkable happens; Jameel and his son walk away. After this, life moves unexpectedly for both men. Soon, Jameel is homeless and unable to work and Andrew is the manager at a cafe run by the church. As they both struggle to define their new lives, they find themselves being drawn together in miraculous ways. Guided by the power of God and forgiveness, the two men are able to come to terms with their past and each other.

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books in return for an honest review. Even though this really isn't in my normal vein of reading, I found this to be a roller coaster ride from start to finish. The blurb on the back says it all: "It reads like a gripping crime novel... except this story really happened". The novel honestly addresses the racial and power divides in towns like Benton Harbor and demonstrates how faith can bridge even the greatest gaps. I love how the chapters alternate between Jameel's and Andrew's narratives because you get to see both sides of the story. It did seem to drag on a little sometimes, but being that it's a narrative, I guess that's not totally unexpected. Overall, this was a great, motivational read!

Pros:

• Intense, thrilling read
• Based on a true story
• Demonstrates the life-changing power of faith

Cons:

• Sometimes a little too much detail
• Emotional roller coaster (not necessarily bad, but here we are)
• I can't actually think of another con, so I'll just make it look like there's something here

Check out this awesome CBS interview with the two. It sums up the book perfectly!

The Book Jumper - Mechthild Glaser

Before we even get to the actual story, let's talk visuals for a second. This book cover is GORGEOUS. Seriously, I fell in love with it the second I picked it up off the shelf at the library. If I there was a poster of this cover, I'd totally buy it. That being said, I didn't let my love (okay, okay - obsession) with the cover cloud my judgement for this review. After this sentence, it's strictly content. Aaaand go.

Amy Lennox lives with her hippie mother in Germany along with her closest companions: books, as many of them as she can get her hands on. An avid reader, Amy spends her days adventuring with her favorite characters. When a bad breakup hits at home, Amy and her mother decide to return to their ancestral home, Stormsay, in Scotland for a summer getaway. She'd always been told her mother's family was a little crazy and she soon realizes the truth behind it when they land on the tiny island with almost no inhabitants in the middle of a storm. But what was supposed to be a relaxing vacation takes an unexpected turn when Amy learns that she has inherited her family's gift of book jumping, the ability to jump into a story and interact with the characters while she is of a certain age. Not only that, but the power is stronger in her than other members of the family, allowing her to jump from wherever she desires instead of under the portal required by the others. Soon, she is meeting her favorite characters and seeing her favorite fictional places, but there's a catch to her newfound powers; whatever happens, the plot of the story must continue as normal.

Amy begins attending classes with the two others people on the island that share her powers, and it soon becomes apparent that something is wrong in the literary world. Sherlock Holmes goes missing, and the key ideas behind classic stories are being stolen without warning. Amy, who has been sneaking into books without her instructor's supervision, makes friends with an unlikely literary character who tries to help her uncover the culprit. As Amy learns more about the history of her family's gift and gains more experience with book jumping, she begins to piece together an idea of what's going on. Along the way, she enlists the help of Will, a fellow book jumper who was charged with protecting the Sherlock Holmes story when he went missing. The two become closer as the investigation progresses and it soon becomes apparent that they're up against a more serious and close evil than they could've guessed.

The first thing I thought when I picked up this book was "THIS IS THE GREATEST, MOST BEAUTIFUL COVER I'VE EVER SEEN!" The second thing I thought was "THIS IS THE GREATEST, MOST BESTEST IDEA I'VE EVER SEEN!" What reader doesn't dream of living through their favorite stories? The way the author pulls in classic texts makes you feel like you're the one doing the book jumping and her attention to describing details is stunning.

With that being said, there are some downsides. After Amy's initial jumps, there really isn't a lot of time spent inside the actual stories. It's a little disappointing when you think about that being the premise of the book, but it makes sense not to detract from this novel's plot by spending extensive amounts of time on well-established classics. As far as the actual plot, I felt there could have been a little more complexity; once you hit a certain point fairly early in the book, it becomes less of a mystery and more of a "catch-up-with-the-bad-guy" line. Despite that, the ending actually did manage to surprise me somewhat, so it's not a total loss.

Pros:

• I'm so sorry, but does the cover count?
• Awesome plot 
• Fast-paced, can't-put-it-down read

Cons:

• Not a lot of depth in the actual book jumping portions
• There's not really any mystery once you reach a certain point in the book, and the point isn't as far in as you'd expect
• Certain plot aspects are a little too fast-paced (*cough cough* romance *cough cough*)

Despite its downsides, I would still definitely suggest this book. It's a great idea, even if it's not executed perfectly. Aside from that, take a look at this quote from the novel. It perfectly encapsulates every reader's mindset when picking up a new book or walking into a library and I love it!

Harrison Squared - Daryl Gregory

Harrison Harrison isn't your average teenager. First off, he's saddled with the name Harrison Harrison thanks to an old family tradition. As if that wasn't bad enough, his dad was killed in a mysterious boating accident that also left Harrison without one of his legs at a very young age. He was always told a piece of scrap off the ship was responsible, but he remembers it differently; long tentacles with suckers, and a mouth full of razor sharp teeth. Believing this is his imagination's way of filling in blank parts of his memory, he tries to live his life as normally as possible.

Harrison's mother is a marine researcher of the ABM category, or Absent-Minded Professor; she shuts out almost everything when she's working, even Harrison. When she decides to follow her research to middle-of-nowhere Massachusetts, Harrison manages to convince her to let him tag along. It seems like a good idea until they arrive in Dunnsmouth, a tiny town with no cable and plenty of creepy inhabitants. On the surface, the school is full of students who seem as if they've been brainwashed: uniforms exactly in place, no talking during or even between classes, and following expectations to the letter. The teachers are even creepier, leading the students in daily ritual chants and pointing them towards the wrong ideas. Harrison's attendance record in the first week is sketchy at best, but then his mother goes missing while placing one of the research buoys necessary for collecting data and he uncovers the hidden side of the students. Although they seem compliant on the surface, they're secretly rebelling against the "religion" being forced onto them at the school and by their relatives. As Harrison desperately searches to find his mother, he reveals the dark secret of Dunnsmouth, one that goes back centuries and pulled in all of the town's inhabitants. Shockingly enough, it might even have something to do with his father's death and the loss of his leg. Will he and the other children be able to defeat the evil that hangs over Dunnsmouth, or will they too become victims of an ancient cult?

Talk about "couldn't-put-it-down" reads. When I started reading this one, I was really unimpressed, but it only took until about the third chapter before I was totally hooked. One minute you think you're reading a straight-up mystery and then POW! Sea monsters and evil cults and super creepy scrimshanders (which I learned the definition of in this book). I went from "I guess I'll finish it just so I can get it off my to read pile" to "I WILL MAKE A FOREVER HOME FOR YOU ON MY SHELF"!

Pros:

• Super multi-dimensional plot keeps things very interesting
• Mystery + horror + adventure = <3
•  Really bizarre, fun characters

Cons:

• Some of the plot points didn't add up (e.g. estranged aunt dropping everything to come live with Harrison when his mother disappears)
• Ending goes really fast compared to the rest of the story
• Fair bit of language

The Other Mr. Darcy - Monica Fairview

Who doesn't love Pride and Prejudice? If the answer to this question is you, you can probably skip this post entirely. This novel is entirely based on the classic; it's written in a similar fashion, it's set in the same time period, and it has all of the same characters. If you love Pride and Prejudice (like me), you may enjoy this read (also like me). If you don't, you won't.

Caroline Bingley was always certain she would manage to snag the elusive Mr. Darcy as a husband. She followed the rules of flirting she learned from Mrs. Drakehill's finishing school and the advice of her mother. Everything was going perfectly... until he married Elizabeth Bennet. Stunned by the loss of what seemed a sure future, Caroline is horrified to find herself weeping at his wedding. As if it wasn't bad enough that she was crying over a man, there's a witness to her emotional display; Mr. Darcy's American cousin, Robert. Believing she'll never see him again, Caroline convinces the handsome stranger to keep the little incident a secret and they go their separate ways.

Life at Netherfield continues normally until Robert Darcy reappears bearing grave news; Elizabeth has fallen ill and would like Jane to come visit her at Pemberley. Jane, unsure of how to maintain a household as large as Pemberley, enlists Caroline's help. As a result, Caroline reluctantly finds herself being escorted (with her sister Louisa) by the dashing foreigner. A county fair forces the company to stop at a friend's home until they are able to pass, but disaster strikes. A rumor is circulated that Caroline is engaged to one of her most promising prospects, a fatal move if the proud Sir Cecil were ever to discover the ploy. Not understanding the rules of London society and hoping to help Caroline save face, Robert announces their engagement instead. Now, Caroline faces an even bigger problem: how is she supposed to make a good match when everyone thinks she's engaged? The group continues on to Pemberley, where they are joined by the entire Bennet family. Unsurprisingly, another crisis arises; Lydia Wickham shows up claiming her impulsive husband has run off with a married woman. As the group tries to navigate this new hurdle, Caroline finds herself drawing closer and closer to Robert, despite his somewhat scandalous ideas on common societal issues. Robert, who runs a business in the states, initially has no desire to marry a woman like Caroline, but as he gets to know her better, he finds himself falling for her. But will either of them be able to overcome their pride and confess their feelings before it's too late?

As I've previously said, I LOVE Pride and Prejudice. I know, I know, it's such a chick flick (chick book?) but it's just so good! The cool thing about this novel is that it's essentially a continuation of Austen's book. Unlike some sequels that change little things around and make different assumptions, everything is the same. Fairview even manages to capture the different characters' personalities really well!

Pros:

• There's no such thing as too much Pride and Prejudice (unless you count Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Ick.)
•  Written in the same style with the same characters
•  Makes a pretty good standalone if you've never read Pride and Prejudice (which you should definitely do eventually)

Cons:

• Caroline comes across as a slightly different character than in the original
•  Probability problem - how likely is it Mr. Darcy happens to have a cousin that Caroline happens to accidentally get engaged to? 
• If you're a stickler for not changing anything from the original, you might not like some of the plot twists

If you've never ready Pride and Prejudice, I would highly encourage it. Elizabeth Bennet is one of my favorite literary characters! Besides, who can resist a good romance novel, especially one with rejection and bad life choices in it? Here's a trailer for the movie, which I also really love!

The Liebster Award!

I am so excited to be nominated for the Liebster Award by the fabulous Lark and Lily! The last time I got an award was when I won a ping-pong championship in 2013 (roundabout), so I'm ecstatic to have something to show for the past 6-ish months of blogging. Prior to being nominated, I had never heard of the award (or Lark and Lily, for that matter), but I'm so glad I've been introduced to both! The Liebster Award is meant to help promote book bloggers in the blogging community, and Lark and Lily is certainly a good one! So, here's the rules:

Rules

If you have been nominated for the Liebster Award and you choose to accept it, write a blog post about the Liebster Award in which you do the following:

• Thank the person who nominated you and post a link to their blog.
• Display the award on your blog by including it in your post and/or displaying it using a widget or gadget.
• Write a 150-300 word post about your favorite blog that is not your own. Explain why you like the blog and provide links.
• Provide 10 random facts about yourself.
• Nominate 5 - 11 blogs who have less than 200 followers that you feel deserve the award.
• List these rules in your blog post.
• Inform the people/blogs that you nominated that they have been nominated for the Liebster Award
• If you have been nominated before at any time, please share the love. Many people believe the Liebster Award is similar to a chain email/letter and it shares similarities, but the underlying idea is to help promote each other's blogs.

Questions from Nominators

1) Favorite author?
This is like asking a parent who their favorite child is. I don't really have a "favorite" author so        much as I do favorite books within an author's works, but if I had to pick one, I'd say probably Hilari Bell. I LOVE the Knight & Rogue series and the Goblin Wood (which I just posted about recently).
2) Favorite quote from a book?
Does a poetry book count as a "book book"? If so, it's gonna be this one from Rupi Kaur's "milk and honey":

 If we're saying that doesn't count as a "book book", I'm going to have to go with the oh-so-classic:

 Call me sappy. You're not exactly wrong, but you can't tell me you don't love Mr. Darcy.
3) Would you rather win an Olympic gold medal or an Academy Award?
Simone Biles. This is all.
4) If you could be any character from a book, who would you be?
I would definitely pick Will from the Ranger's Apprentice. That's the first book series I ever loved and I was OBSESSED for the longest time. I still kinda am, but I hide it better.
5) What is the last book you read that was so bad you had to put it down?
I've started lots of books and never finished them, and almost all of them have been e-books. I can't remember the title of the last one, but it was the cheesiest, worst romance story I have ever had the misfortune to download. Boy did I get out of there quick.
6) If you were in a movie, would you rather play the villain or the hero?
I spent 99.7% of my childhood loving Batman. It's too late in the game to switch sides on him now.
7) Infinite chips or infinite candy? (That you can eat without getting fat)
I was going to say candy until I remembered the world's greatest invention: ranch dip. Original Ruffles and ranch dip is all you need, my friends. 
8) Vacation to South America or Asia?
South America is sooooo beautiful, so I'd probably have to pick there. There's lots of places in Asia I'd like to go, but just picking one for a vacation, I'd pick South America.
9) Least favorite book cover?
I hate it when they remake book covers from movie shots. Like, can we just not? Please? I also can't stand when really really good books have terrible covers. If you're a cover judge-r, you might miss out on a really great read because of an awful cover. 
10) Least favorite book to movie cast?
Generally speaking, Harry Potter is one of the best-cast book to movie conversions I've ever seen, but specifically, Peeves is the worst because his movie version DIDN'T EXIST. (Yes, we're all still salty about that.)
11) Physical books or e-books?
There's something really comforting and magical about a bookshelf stacked high with your favorite reads. Also, tea and paperbacks go together a lot better than tea and e-books.

Questions for Nominees

1) If everyone in the world had to read one book and you got to pick it, what book would it be and why?

2) Chocolate chip cookies or apple pie?

3) If you could be a fantastical beast, what would you pick?

4) What book have you read that made you the most emotional when reading it?

5) Would you rather zipline or skydive?

6) What's your favorite genre?

7) If you could suddenly know how to play an instrument, which would would it be?

8) Batman or Superman?

9) What's your favorite movie?

10) Why do you enjoy reading?

11) How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

Favorite Blog 
Prior to being nominated for the Liebster Award, I really hadn't done much digging into other book bloggers. It takes me so long to actually write up a post that I find acceptable that I'm usually exhausted by the time I finish. Consequently, I really had to go out and dig for a blog I'd be comfortable recommending to others. And this is how the hunt ended with The Crazy Bookworm. This blog reviews books on a variety of topics, but what really got me is the gifs randomly interspersed throughout the reviews for dramatic effect. I. Love. Gifs.

10 Random Facts 
1) I've seen every episode of Star Trek: The Original Series. At least twice.
2) I've broken the same bone three times, each time on or near Mother's Day.
3) I could happily live my life with nothing but Blue Bunny chocolate sundae crunch bars to eat.
4) I really want a horse.
5) I've caught the microwave on fire because I tried to heat up an Arby's sandwich in the wrapper.
6) Vanilla chai with two sugar and a dash of milk is the world's most perfect brew for reading.
7) If I had a pet camel, I would name it Alexander Camelton.
8) I can sing all the songs from Phantom of the Opera (while hitting most of the notes) AND role hop between singers. Boom.
9) I study Brazilian jiu-jitsu and jeet kune do.
10) S'mores are life.

Nominees 
1) Thinking Like A Fangirl
2) Of Stacks and Cups
3) You, Me, and a Cup of Tea
4) Books As You Know It
5) The Life of a Mirkwood Elf

So ends the longest post of my blogging career. I hope you find some great new blogs to inspire your reading!

Edwina - Patricia Strefling

Remember that chat we had on a previous post about e-books? Well, I'm back with yet another great find! I know what you're thinking: "what in the name of Alexander Hamilton is an Edwina?" or maybe "why is the cover pic such terrible quality?" To answer the first, Edwina is a very old-timey sounding name. Like Agnes. Or maybe Ethel. As for the low-resolution cover, I'm guessing it's because few people actually bother buying a physical copy of an e-book, which means fewer available pictures for use by bloggers like yours truly. But enough about that.

Edwina Blair is a small-town librarian whose greatest aspiration is to write the perfect romance novel. Painfully practical, plain, and a little overweight, Edwina's life is as routine as her father's yearly sock purchase during the January whites sale. Contrarily, Edwina's half-sister, Cecelia, is beautiful and business-minded, believing that her success has nothing to do with her good looks and movie-star mother. Despite their differences, the two get along well aside from the occasional spat. When Cecilia books a relaxing vacation to Scotland, she naturally tries to get Edwina to go with her. Anticipating a negative response, Cecilia took the liberty of including Edwina in her plans before letting her know about the trip. Once she finds out, it's too late for her to cancel without significant cost to Cecilia, and Edwina, never one to throw away money, resigns herself to a tour through Scotland. The two are preparing to board the plane out of the States when Cecilia is called away by an emergency. Alone and inexperienced, Edwina flies to Scotland without her wordly sister's help. Once there, she realizes just how far in over her head she is: the ritzy hotel, booked by and held for Cecilia, refuses to accept Edwina in her place. The overwhelmed and exhausted Edwina faints dead away at the desk and comes to a few moments later in the arms of a very handsome Scot who was in line behind her. Aware of the ordeal facing the American and anxious to get home to his fiancee, he insists that Edwina come to stay at his home until she has recovered enough to get back on her feet. Edwina, too overwrought to protest, finds herself the guest of one Alex Dunnegin, a Scottish laird and owner of the beautiful castle Edwina is taken to.

Once situated in the Scot's home, Edwina realizes she's been given the opportunity of a lifetime; the romantic Scottish hills, handsome laird, and rich surroundings are the perfect fodder for her romance novel. Soon, however, she realizes that there's something more going on at the castle than what's on the surface.; Laird Dunnegin is constantly being called away on mysterious legal matters and there are murmurs of a tragedy not long past. Edwina tries to take everything in during her short stay, but she feels oddly remorseful when she leaves for the rest of her trip. After some vigorous touring, Edwina is surprised to find Laird Dunnegin calling on her at the hotel. A dinner meeting reveals a job proposition, one made relevant by the departure of the now ex-fiancee, but it's cloaked in secrecy. True to her nature, Edwina ultimately declines, citing her job, family, and obligations at home as the reasons she can't possibly accept. Believing the matter to be closed, she returns to her tiny apartment and routine life in Michigan.

Edwina finds that things have changed since her trip, but she's startled to discover that she's changed too. When she's fired from her librarian position on false claims, she's almost relieved to be free of the daily grind her life was before the impromptu vacation. She decides to go visit Cecelia in one of the new apartments she's fixed up in New York, especially as she's preparing for guests Edwina invited from Scotland. The guests arrive as planned, but the accompaniment of Laird Dunnegin comes as a shock to Edwina. Once again, he has a job proposition for her, but now he reveals some of the details that were in the dark the last time. Should she choose to accept the position, Edwina would act as a teacher for Laird Dunnegin's daughter, who is currently the focus of a legal dispute meant to take her away from him. His wife, who died when the child was very young, was the daughter of a rich American, groomed to take up the family business. With her dead, Paige is next in line for the business, and her grandfather intends to get her however he can. Again, Edwina declines the offer, but she realizes that the things that had prohibited her last time were no longer an issue. Aside from that, she desperately wants to help her knight in shining armor and show that his faith was not misplaced. A little nervously, Edwina accepts the position. As she uproots her life to move to Scotland, will she be able to fulfill her duties without her feelings for the handsome laird getting in the way? Will Laird Dunnegin be able to keep his daughter from the clutches of her grandfather? Most importantly, will a common bond bring the two closer than the employee-employer relationship they have now?

To be honest, this is a pretty far cry from the books I normally read/review. This is, unabashedly, a romance story. Yeah, it's got a little bit of mystery and some fun cultural tidbits, but not enough to make it anything but a romance. With that being the case, it's a teeny bit surprising that I love it as much as I do. Generally speaking, I'm the one laughing at the sappy romance cliches, but I really relate to Edwina and her struggle to find her place in the world. Her safe life is a result of her insecurities, but all it takes is one spur-of-the-moment trip to Scotland to make her realize that there's so much more to life than saving a few bucks a month by having a shower instead of a bathtub in your apartment. She's got some really fun, quirky habits and she's surprisingly funny. 

My biggest critique of this book is a structural issue. I don't know if it's because it was converted from an e-book or what, but my paperback version is LOADED with misspellings and formatting errors. Of all the books on my shelf, Edwina easily has the most errors in it, which drives me absolutely insane. As far as problems with the actual text, there are a couple of instances where Edwina comes across as really whiney, which also drives me absolutely insane. Additionally, sometimes the timeline is a little confusing; for example, a few days in Scotland translates to a substantial first part of the book, but when she returns, a couple of weeks go by in a page or two. While that actually ties in kind of well with how her life goes in general, it can still be a little disorienting.

Pros:

• Handsome Scottish lairds with castles
• Not your typical "beautiful girl and handsome boy fall in love and live happily ever after" story
• Relatable characters with really great development arcs

Cons:

• SO. MANY. FORMAT. ERRORS.
• Not consistent in how much time is represented per chapter (awkward wording, but check the last paragraph and you'll see what I mean)
• Really (really really really) short chapters, probably another side effect of e-book to actual book

The Gobin Wood - Hilari Bell

How much do I love this book? ALL OF IT. ALL OF THE LOVE. I have read this book pretty much every summer since the year I first signed up for our local library's teen reading program, which works out to about 8 years now. (And suddenly, I feel old.) Despite reading it over and over, I still find myself racing through to find out what happens. The primary issue within the novel, which is told from the perspective of two very compelling characters on opposite sides, is complex enough that you may very well find yourself switching between sides.There are very few books that I would recommend without having to add a caveat, and this is definitely one of them.

Makenna is a hedgewitch, or at least she will be when her mother teaches her a little more about their magic. Despite being declared insufficient for priesthood at birth because of her lack of strong magic, Makenna is content to live in their little town and learn while her mother treats the villagers for various injuries and problems. Lately, it's been getting more difficult to continue their work uninterrupted as the priests, under orders the ruler of the land received from the Bright Ones, begin cracking down on unholy sources of magic. Suddenly, goblins that had previously lived in uneasy truce with humans are cast out and hedgewitches that were trusted members of a community are punished. For Makenna, everything changes the day her mother is murdered by the very people she had served. Grief-stricken and alone, Makenna flees into the forest with nothing but her mother's precious spell books and her rage to support her.

While she tries to eke out a living in the woods, she unwittingly angers a group of goblins who, in typical goblin fashion, make her life miserable in creative and extremely irritating ways. Soon, she learns the goblin system of trading; if she sets out enough food, they'll return the pack they stole the night before or mend her broken gear. When she finally manages to capture one of them and promptly sets him free, she inadvertently gains his indebtedness to her for the unbalanced trade. Cogswhallop, for so he is called, becomes her ally and, eventually, her friend, bringing her food and providing information about the road ahead. Just when it seems he has paid his debt, he comes to her and asks for her help to rescue a goblin family that is about to be killed by a mob nearby. Despite her best efforts, she only manages to save some of the family, and the heartbreaking screams of the rescued goblins as their family burns strike a chord in Makenna. From that point on, she vows to lead the goblins in a war against the humans that mindlessly slaughter their people and betrayed her mother.

On the other side of the conflict, Sir Tobin finds himself an unwilling accomplice to a treasonous plot that would've resulted in execution for his brother, the real perpetrator. As his father's heir, the punishment Tobin faces for his supposed involvement is much lighter than the one his brother would've faced. Stripped of his knighthood and disowned by his father, Tobin is desperate to recover his honor. Soon, he is approached by Master Lazur, a priest of the Bright Ones who offers Tobin a chance for redemption; help capture the sorceress that reigns in the Goblin Wood and all will be forgiven. Unwilling to commit murder even for the return of his honor, Tobin learns that barbarian attacks are slowly but surely driving the people of the realm further north towards the wood where the sorceress and her goblins have made their new home; unless the goblins are driven out so the people can relocate, the realm faces utter destruction. Master Lazur gives him a stone from the mysterious Otherworld which, if planted close enough to the sorceress's camp, will allow the priests to scry for it and determine the location of the rebels. Tobin travels to the Goblin Wood with every intention of carrying out the plan, but the sorceress, who turns out to be a mere hedgewitch, proves to be more elusive than he expected. When he is captured and forced to live among the goblins, he realizes the issue isn't as black and white as it seems.

Have I mentioned yet that I love this book? I honestly feel like this review doesn't do it justice, but I tried. As I said previously, the issue facing the characters is a complex one with valid points on either side, which is what makes it so interesting. It's showcased beautifully by the passion of each character to their cause and the insight we're given into what they're thinking. The novel is part of a series, but the book addresses most (if not all) loose ends that are presented. I seriously can't say enough about this book, so I think I'm just going to stop there!

Pros:

• Complex, engaging dilemma (not to be confused with "dilemna", which is apparently NOT a word. That's 21 years of my life I'll never get back.)
• Likable, relatable characters
• Great writing, fabulous storyline, and no iffy content! (Is this the Holy Grail of young adult fantasy lit?!)

Cons:

• I legitimately can't think of any
• Nope
• Not even one

Carnival of Souls - Nancy Holder

Okay, I know what you're thinking; "Buffy the Vampire Slayer, really? That is sooooo 90's." Yeah, it is. But you know what? So am I! Team 90's kids all the way. Admittedly, this is a bit of a departure from my usual content, but it was such a fun read that I couldn't resist.

Buffy used to be a normal girl. She went to school, had pretty average grades, and spent a little too much time at the mall. But that was before she found out that she was the Chosen One, the girl of her generation chosen to wage war against the forces of evil that make their way into our world. Since then, there's been a lot less mall shopping and a lot more vampire slaying going on. With the help of her Watcher, Giles, and her two closest friends, Xander and Willow, Buffy manages to keep her head on straight and get the job done. It also doesn't hurt that she's finally managed to get close to Angel, the vampire with a soul that's been helping her in the fight against the bad guys. Especially with all the recent slayage that's been going on, Buffy and the gang are ready for a little quality relaxation when Professor Caligari's Traveling Carnival comes to town. Yeah, sure, the owner is super creepy, no one can decide when the carnival actually arrived, and the crime rate takes a drastic trip north, but what's the worst that could happen? It's not like overindulging in some harmless carnival fun is going to suck your soul out...

When Buffy and her friends go to investigate the carnival after unexplained crimes start happening in Sunnydale, they decide the best course of action is to take in the carnival themselves. Believing the Tunnel of Love to be behind the strange behavior, they all take a trip through with a partner, but come out seemingly unaffected. After experiencing a few of the different attractions at the carnival, it's apparent that something funky is going on. Xander, who admittedly was pretty single-minded about food before, is constantly hungry, eating whatever he can get his hands on. Willow, usually shy and humble, seems to have been bitten by the green-eyed monster. Giles takes a trip back to the angsty days of his youth and Buffy suddenly decides that she's better than everyone in the town. Soon, they reveal that Professor Caligari is an ancient evil bent on nothing short of the destruction of Sunnydale and the enslavement of all its inhabitants. But with the various faults assailing the group, will they be able to overcome their own problems and save Sunnydale?

The first thing that should probably be addressed is the relation of this book to the Buffy series. If you're a huge fan of the 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' series, you'll enjoy this one either way, especially with the added Easter eggs. If you've never seen or heard of Buffy, you may miss out on some of the references and a little back story, but the author was really good about summarizing plot points that are important without detracting from the current story. That being said, reading this book is like watching the series. To be honest, the writing style threw me off a little at first because it's so Buffy, and by that I mean lots of 90's phrases that have since faded into obscurity. After a couple of chapters, you get used to it and you can focus more on the plot, but boy was that a bit of culture shock initially. Admittedly, reading the book from Buffy's iconically sarcastic POV is extremely amusing, but be aware that it's not written from a dry third-person view.

As far as the actual plot, I (obviously) really enjoyed it. The whole storyline is based around the idea of overindulgence and the Seven Deadly Sins, which are portrayed as actual characters. Morally, it backs up the idea that giving in to temptation when you know you shouldn't is bad and literally gets your soul taken away. Aside from that, it uses some of your typical carnival players without over-emphasizing them. Take clowns, for example. In a horror-ish type story about a carnival, you'd obviously expect there to be creepy clowns with chainsaws or blood-sucking tendencies or something like that, and while there are some clowns, they don't play as huge a role as you might expect. Overall, this is a fun read, especially if you're familiar with the Buffy series.

Pros:

• Carnival horror
• Merges really well with TV series plot progression
• Virtually non-stop comedy

Cons:

• 90's lingo. It might as well be Klingon (in which I'm barely literate)
• Plot is drawn out, but not excessively
• May take away any desire to visit carnivals in the near future

Newt's Emerald - Garth Nix

After reading Nix's Sabriel in a university literature class, I was extremely excited to see one of his novels pop up in the monthly book box I subscribe to. I was even more excited to see that it was a fantasy of manners, a term I recently learned can refer to Regency era novels with an element of magic. The book's partner in the subscription box was pretty disappointing, but I'm happy to say I sailed through this one in a day or so. Read on for the plot summary and review!

Truthful Newington lives with her cantankerous father, a retired Admiral, after the death of her mother. On the brink of her official entry into society, her father shows her the Newington Emerald, a powerful magical talisman that is to be hers on her 25th birthday. Truthful has no small skill herself, having inherited her family's magic of weather influencing. When the Admiral brings the Emerald out of its safe place, a sudden gust from a violent storm blows into the room and, in the ensuing chaos, the talisman disappears. The Admiral, shocked by what he believes to be the theft of the Emerald, falls ill and takes to his bed while Truthful vows to seek out the Emerald and return it to its rightful place. She travels to London to live with her great-aunt for the duration of the search and, what now seems less important, for her entry into London society. Once there, it is quickly decided that she can't possibly investigate as herself, so Great-Aunt Badgery, a powerful sorceress, disguises her as an absent French cousin so she can roam the streets freely. On one of her excursions, she runs into (literally) Major Hartnett, a handsome but irritating fellow who, despite seeming to be rather suspicious of Truthful (in male cousin guise), ends up working with her for the remainder of the search. As the hunt continues, it becomes apparent that there is a larger force at work than originally believed. Truthful, who finds herself falling for the dashing Major Hartnett, continues to poke around in hopes of recovering the Emerald, but when she goes to confront the villain, she discovers that she may be in over her head.

So let's chat. I'm a huge fan of Regency/magic/undercover debutante books. Obviously, this one falls right into that category so it's hard for me to not like it. Fantasy books are kind of my thing, especially when you start mixing in historical periods I love as much as the Regency Era. I also seem to have an affinity for books with strong female leads, which this one sort of is. I liked the plot, even if it was a bit simple, and the writing is pretty funny at some points; one of my personal favorites is how the disguise is in enchanted on a mustache that Truthful has to wear. In these respects, I thought it was a fun book, especially for younger readers.

There were, however, things I definitely didn't like. The first is the extremely underdeveloped romance between Truthful and Major Hartnett. Both seem to have strong feelings for the other, but there's absolutely no reason for it. In the few encounters Major Hartnett has with Truthful as Lady Truthful, he sees her as a spoiled, selfish, debutante brat, albeit it a very beautiful one. Truthful's affection can be explained more easily since she ended up spending a lot of time with him as the male cousin, but it seems to advance a little to quickly for what we're given, which conveniently leads into the next point: pacing. The whole novel seems to rush along, and although I liked a lot of the scenes, they came and went so quickly that you end up with plot whiplash.

Pros:

• Regency Era + Magic = Fun!
• Straightforward, doesn't require a lot of extra attention to keep up
•  Entertaining (if not a little predictable) plot

Cons:

• Unlikely, underdeveloped romance
• PACING
• A little corny at either end 

The Entropy Effect - Vonda McIntyre

If you've been on my blog for any amount of time, you've probably learned that I have a slight Star Trek obsession. Within that obsession, this book is like a sub-obsession; it is hands down my favorite Star Trek novel based on the original series. Keep reading for the summary!

The U.S.S. Enterprise has been orbiting a naked singularity for 6 weeks while Commander Spock takes observations that may prove to be critical for understanding the life span of the universe. Unexpectedly, Captain Kirk receives a top-priority order to proceed to Aleph Prime, a mining colony, and weeks of meticulous observations are ruined on the cusp of proving a shocking discovery. Upon arrival at the planet, however, Kirk finds that there is no real emergency; brilliant physicist Georges Mordreaux, once Spock's teacher, is being transferred to a rehabilitation colony after being convicted of murder and the Enterprise has been diverted to take him. Mysterious circumstance seem to follow Mordreaux wherever he is taken and unexplainable bouts of hypermorphic botulism are responsible for the deaths of key individuals related to the case. Spock, unable to believe that his former teacher is capable of performing the crimes he was convicted of, tries to read up on his latest research and finds that a virus is systematically removing all mentions of Mordreaux and his work from computers universally. Mordreaux is transferred to the Enterprise along with the prosecuting attorney on the case, but Spock insists he be confined in a guarded guest cabin instead of the brig.

On the way to the rehabilitation colony, Mordreaux appears on the bridge and uses an outlawed weapon on two of the crew, killing both of them. When security mounts a search for Mordreaux and the weapon, the former is found in his cabin, seemingly unaware of what happened, and the latter is nowhere to be found. Spock, in temporary command of the Enterprise, visits Mordreaux to get his side of the story and learns that the professor had been working on time travel technology and, in fact, had sent some of his friends back in time. Realizing that time travel was involved, the two piece together the solution to the mystery of the Mordreaux that couldn't have been on the bridge and the weapon that was never found. The final conclusion reveals a stark reality; messing around with time has created a disruption in the very fabric of reality, which manifested as the naked singularity, that threatens the future of the universe with hundreds of alternate realities that shouldn't exist. With this in mind, Spock and the present Mordreaux work to reverse the damage and restore the reality that was meant to be.

As I said previously, this is my favorite Star Trek novel. It's almost like a Doctor Who/Star Trek combo because of the time travel factor. There's a major shock scene (the result of which I tried to conceal as best as I could in the summary) that may result in a few tears. We get a lot of backstory on Sulu because he does more in this novel than just sit at the helm, and, fun fact, this book is the origin of some of the information we get on him in the TV series (or so I've heard). Additionally, since Spock is the main character in this one, we get to see a side of him we don't usually get to. The other thing I love about it is the complexity of the plot; virtually nothing is what it seems to be and it keeps you guessing throughout the novel.

The main complaint I have of this book is more format-related than textual, and that is the length of the chapters. They. Are. So. Long. With the schedule I've had recently, I've had to sneak in a bit here and there instead of chugging through like I normally would, but the lack of chapter breaks made it really hard to keep track of where I was between readings. I know what you're thinking - "Why didn't you just use a bookmark?!" Well, while it is true that I have an abundance of bookmarks, it's also true that I never seem to have them when I need them. But, such is life. Aside from the long chapters, I also noticed that there are a few things that aren't really fully addressed at the end; you can definitely imply the answers, but they aren't explicitly stated. Overall, it's a great read that I would definitely recommend!

Pros:

• Time travel!
• Lots of interesting backstory on Spock and Sulu
• Interesting, complex plot

Cons:

• Really. Long. Chapters.
• Still a couple of loose ends at the conclusion of the novel
•  Teeny bit of inconsistency between book and TV series, but nothing major

Since this post is about my favorite Star Trek novel, I can't resist sharing my favorite piece of Star Trek fan art to go with it. I wasn't able to track down the artist, but whoever you are, you're my hero. This is some seriously amazing skill, especially considering the only art I can do is abstract. You can almost feel the emotions being portrayed here. Okay, done ranting, I'm gonna just leave it here.

 

Dragons of Autumn Twilight - Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman

Get ready, folks, this one's likely to be a doozy. I've been a fan of these books for a few years now, but they definitely aren't for everyone. By the end of the post, you'll know why! It might be helpful to watch the trailer at the bottom of the post first, but either way, I'm sure you'll get the idea!

When Tanis Half-Elven returns to Solace after 5 years abroad, he expects to sit down with some of his closest friends for a chat about the state of the world. When he arrives at the designated meeting place, he finds some of his companions are already there: Sturm, the solemn knight who serves an order almost forgotten, Flint the old dwarf, Tas, an irrepressibly curious kender whose light fingers often get him into trouble, Caramon, a warrior by all stretches of the imagination, and Caramon's twin brother, Raistlin, a sickly but powerful mage who recently underwent a transformation that left him bitter and cynical to even his brother. The adventurous group, each pursuing different goals, made an oath years ago to meet at Solace to discuss how the world is changing, but one of them is missing; Kitiara, Caramon and Raistlin's half-sister and the object of Tanis's favor. The breaking of the oath is bound to be a bad omen, and sure enough, not long after their arrival, trouble breaks out. Sturm, adhering to the Code he values above all else, picked up two barbarian on the way to the meeting, a man and a woman bearing a strange staff that seems to be the talk of the town. To make matters even worse, Solace has been overrun by hobgoblins claiming to serve a Dragon Highlord of the dark queen Takhisis, despite the fact that dragons haven't been seen in Krynn for ages. The combination of these two factors result in a fight in the inn and the companions are forced to flee with the barbarians and the strange staff in tow.

Unsure of how to proceed now that they know that someone is after the staff and evil is making its way through the land, the friends once again band together for a common cause; find the origin of the magical staff and its healing powers, and deal with the threat presented by the armies of the Dragon Highlord. Unfortunately, the latter presents problems for the former, with strange, lizard-like creatures called draconians patrolling the paths for any sign of the magical staff. Their flight pushes them into Darken Wood, a forest feared for the evil presence lurking within its borders. Inside the wood, they encounter the fabled ghost warriors, who, surprisingly, recognize the staff. Just in the nick of time, a band of centaurs appears and leads the group to the Forestmaster, a unicorn who has also sensed the rising evil in the land. She insists that the companions travel to Xak Tsaroth, an ancient city that fell when the gods were believed to have abandoned Krynn. There, they would discover the key to the staff. In spite of some opposition, the group travels to the old city hoping to settle the mystery once and for all. When they finally reach Xak Tsaroth, they discover the horrifying truth; dragons are back in Krynn, and they're on the wrong side. Goldmoon, the bearer of the staff, finds herself in the temple at Xak Tsaroth, where she discovers that the staff is a sacred symbol of a cleric of Mishakal, the goddess of healing. She becomes a disciple of Mishakal, giving her healing powers that come in handy when the group is almost killed by the dragon that lives in the city, and learns that she must recover the disks of Mishakal if they want to have any hope of driving the Dragon Highlord's forces from Krynn. In the underbelly of the city, the companions must work with gully dwarves who have been enslaved by the draconians to help secure the disks. Eventually, however, they manage to retrieve them and begin the long journey back home.

To their shock, Solace has been all but burned down by draconian armies, and they, along with the barmaid Tika, are captured at the inn after a fight. On the way to the slave mines where they are to serve their sentence, they meet up with a befuddled old magician named Fizban who seems to be more than he appears. Another stranger turns out to be Gilthanas, an elven prince who used to be friends with Tanis and was on a scouting mission when captured. When they travel through the woods on the way to the mines, they are rescued by elves and taken to the House of the Speaker of the Suns. There, Tanis has a painful reunion with his first love, a beautiful elf princess named Laurana. Despite his efforts to turn her away, Laurana follows the group on a rescue mission to the mines, where men, women, and children are being held captive and overseen by dragons. While journeying to the mines, they come across a band of men that had been slain by the draconian armies; one man, Eben, managed to survive, and he journeys with them for revenge. By the time they reach the mines, some of them will be lost and others will betray them. Read the book to find out if they manage to rescue the captured citizens and defeat the Dragon Highlord!

As I'm sure you can tell by the veeeeery long summary, this book is veeeeery long. Reading it almost feels like you're reading a whole series compacted into one novel. That being said, it's got plenty of humor (thanks to an oh-so-tumultuous-but-actually-caring relationship between the dwarf and the kender) and the plot has enough twists and turns to keep you interested. Additionally, this novel is like an essential oil of fantasy; it's highly concentrated in the usual fantasy tropes. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but sometimes it's can be a little too much fantasy. If you don't like long, drawn out stories, I wouldn't advise this novel. If you do like long, very fantasy-based books, I'd say give it a go. Worst case scenario, you hate it and never have to waste another second on it. Best case scenario, you love it and decide to add it to your collection!

Pros:

• Epic quest narrative
•  Fairly balanced plot
•  Unicorns (obviously)

Cons:

• Very lengthy
• Plays up fantasy tropes A LOT
•  A teeny bit sexist in a couple of parts, but I wouldn't say it's overpoweringly so

And just like I promised at the top of the post, here's the trailer from the 2008 movie. Okay, yeah, it's little cheesy but let's be real; is there any book-to-movie conversion worse than Eragon? Especially considering it's an animated movie from almost 10 years ago, I didn't think it was awful. Plus, the full movie is on YouTube, but since I'm not sure of the legality of that, you didn't hear it from me.

The Assassination Game - Alan Gratz

My life is basically a series of obsessive phases. One of the biggest was Star Trek. Not just any Star Trek, though; the Original Series with William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and the rest of the gang. Saturday night was rerun night, and every week I'd plop myself down in front of the idiot box and watch the exciting adventures of Captain Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise. Next Generation is okay, but TOS was my first love. Despite the sometimes cheesy acting and low-budget special effects, Star Trek was revolutionary for its time, addressing controversial social issues and always envisioning a brighter future. I've amassed quite the Star Trek collection, especially since the release of the 2009 reboot, which I actually really liked for the most part. One of the results of the reboots is the Starfleet Academy series, which explores the crew's time at the Academy pre-Enterprise. There aren't very many, but the ones I've read so far have been pretty good!

James T. Kirk came to Starfleet Academy to live up to the reputation of his father, a first officer who was forced to take command while his ship was under attack and gave his life to save the crew. The responsibility he feels doesn't keep him from enjoying life at the Academy, though, especially when it comes to female cadets and the secretive rites that help students make a name for themselves. One such rite is the Assassination Game, a glorified version of tag in which players must get their target alone and touch them with a standard-issue Starfleet Academy spork, the victor of which inherits their target's target and so on until there is only one cadet left standing. Hoping to earn some respect and gain the admiration of the fairer sex, Kirk undertakes the game with excitement. It's hard enough to get by under normal circumstances, but it gets even harder when Kirk is assigned to be the personal security guard of the Varkolak, a wolf-like species that is visiting Earth to attend a medical convention and demonstrate goodwill after a period of tenuous relations with the Federation. The distrust surrounding the wild race makes Kirk's job even more difficult, especially when it appears as if there's a terrorist on campus targeting the medical convention. One attack is followed by another and the evidence starts to pile up against the Varkolak, who insist they are innocent.

Meanwhile, Cadets Sulu and Uhura find themselves being invited to join a secret society called the Graviton Society and help preserve the safety of the Federation at whatever cost. But some strange occurrences within the society seem to be related to the recent terrorist attacks, and the cadets are increasingly suspicious of the supposedly beneficent group. With the help of Commander Spock, also a member of the society, they try to uncover a mole in the system.While Kirk, Sulu, Uhura, and Spock are busy getting a piece of the action, Doctor McCoy has finally managed to overcome the slump he's been experiencing as a result of the nasty divorce from his wife and has had his eye drawn to Nadja Luther. Just when it seems like their relationship is starting to progress, McCoy is arrested for possible involvement in the attacks. As the clock starts to tick down for the terrorist's target, our cadets try to unravel the intricate plot and reveal the perpetrator of the real Assassination Game before it's too late.

I usually get a little irate when people try to come up with reboots of things I really like; it makes it seem like they didn't think the original was good enough. That being said, I own all of the Starfleet Academy books that have been released so far, which should demonstrate how much I like them. In the original series, we really don't get a ton of information about the Academy days, so it's really fun to explore them through the novels. One thing I don't like is how they change significant parts of the storyline; in the reboot, Spock and Uhura are in a relationship, which was extremely weird at first and still hasn't lost all of its weirdness. If you don't like pushy, cocky characters, you might think Kirk is a little annoying, but he comes across in a pretty humorous way. Also, the main plot and subplots can get a little mixed if you're not paying attention. Aside from that, if you're a Star Trek fan, I'd definitely recommend it, but be aware of the deviations so you don't almost have a heart attack like I did the first time around! If you're not a Star Trek fan, you can still enjoy the novel with the added bonus of not knowing what's canon.

Pros:

• Star Trek! 
• The Assassination Game (the spork-tag version) is a constant source of humor, especially when paired with Kirk's antics 
•  The plot is more intricate than it appears at first glance so you're kept guessing and addresses some societal issues that pertain to us today

Cons:

• The reboots deviate from the Original Series in some pretty significant ways, which can be a bit of holdup if you're a die-hard fan
•  Kirk's personality can be a little grating after a while (how many times can we read him trying to pick up a girl before it gets old?)
• Sometimes the plot can be a little too intricate and you lose the thread

In case you haven't seen the reboot, here's a trailer for the first one that came out in 2009. Who doesn't like trailers?

Diamond Boy - Michael Williams

Patson Moyo has lived in Bulawayo for all of his life with his little sister, Grace, and his parents. When their mother dies, Patson's father, Joseph, remarries "the Wife", a selfish, uncaring woman whose greatest desire is to live in the lap of luxury. Joseph struggles to make ends meet for his family with various teaching positions, but, despite being one of the best teachers available in the area, the government is unable to pay him anything of worth. The Wife receives a message from her brother James Banda in Marange, where he runs a diamond mining operation. Soon, she has convinced Joseph that, unless they want to starve to death, they must go to Marange. Believing he has secured a teaching position there, Joseph concedes and they begin the trek to the mining fields. Before they have even reached the fields, trouble strikes; the driver James hired to bring them to Marange abandons them on the edge of the fields and insists they go through the bush to avoid the police roadblocks. They enlist the help of Boubacar, a rough-looking Congonese man, to make it through the wilderness. On the way, they are forced to hide from murderous soldiers who are patrolling the outskirts of the fields; it is only through pure chance that they run into a member of the Banda family, who is able to escort them to the mining operations hub. The Wife is happily received, but after their initial welcome, the rest of the Moyo family is moved from the main house into tobacco sheds.

Although the original plan was for Patson and Grace to attend school while Joseph taught, they soon find that the school has been closed down and overrun by a different kind of "school" run by women. Stuck in Marange with no way of providing for themselves, they realize the only way they will survive is to become diamond miners themselves. Patson is eager to mine, knowing he can find a girazi, a pure diamond, and change his family's fate. Eventually, he is accepted into a gwejana syndicate with other young miners, each of which smuggles ngodas, small industrial diamonds, out of the fields when they are able. With the help of Boubacar, Patson is able to sell them and divvy up the proceeds to members of the syndicate. Getting caught withholding diamonds from James Banda has serious consequences, so when Patson finds his first girazi, he carefully hides it away. Then the soldiers come.

When the government realizes how much money is leaving the country in the form of precious diamonds, they send Commander Jesus, a ruthless taskmaster, to take over Banda Hill and the surrounding fields. When he and the soldiers arrive, they kill many of the miners and force the rest to continue searching for diamonds. With his father assumed dead and his sister being held up at the main house, Patson finds his second girazi, managing again to avoid detection. The gwejana syndicate makes plans to escape, all except for Patson and Arves, Patson's best friend who lives with HIV and has become very sick due to the withholding of his medication. While the rest of the syndicate escapes, Patson goes to get the medication that keeps Arves alive. After he returns, he finds yet another girazi, but this time he won't go unnoticed. Commander Jesus forces Patson out of the fields and into a trap where he is severely injured. Through the persistence of Boubacar, he manages to escape, but the injury has left him debilitated. Now, with nothing but the thought of rescuing his sister to sustain him, Patson must try to avoid the greedy commander and track his sister with Boubacar's help.

I could not put this book down. It had been sitting on my shelf for a while, and I finally decided to pick it up. I wasn't expecting much, but boy was I surprised! Despite being more of a fantasy/mystery reader, I was drawn in by the promise of hope that led Patson and his family (except the Wife, because she is one evil witch). Patson's journey, both geographically and mentally, is so engaging that you can't help but sympathize with him. To make it even more interesting, the diamond fields of Marange are real and just as ruthless as those in the novel. I read up a little on the subject and what went on there is truly frightening. I will say that this is a very intense read; James Banda is a tyrant from the start, one of the characters struggles with HIV, and there is a lot of physical violence. Plot-wise, it does stretch out quite a bit, and there are some jumps that are a little hard to follow. I've also read that it inaccurately reflects real life in Zimbabwe, painting a much more gruesome picture of the culture and government than is actually the case, but since I don't know enough on the topic, I'll withhold any comment.

Pros:

• Historically based story
• Character arc is through the roof
• Engaging 

Cons:

•  Might be a little intense for younger readers
• Some plot incongruity
• Brief instance of strong language