April 2018 Wrap Up

This is coming a couple of weeks late because I may have become a touch obsessed with the two fantasy books I've been writing. I'm not ready to share too many details but just a hint they deal with dragons and elves. The first is a twist on meeting a prince who is less than charming and his fall. The other, my baby right now, originally started as a Sleeping Beauty retelling that has now morphed into a tale of revenge and blood in four parts. So I'm obviously having a lot of fun. I can't wait to share them with the world!

So for a quick tally I read 6 books, 1 manual for a class on gun safety, and 1 sampler from an upcoming May release. The breakdown is 1 YA mystery, 1 YA Fantasy, 1 epic fantasy, 2 mystery/thrillers, and 1 mythology retelling. This brings my Goodreads count for the year to 39!

Below I have the six books and one sampler listed with information and my rating. There are some short reviews under each one. Be on the lookout for a future post detailing where I get my books! May's wrap up is going to be huge since we're not even two weeks in and I've finished 9 books. Oh boy. Have a great weekend!

Title: Truly Devious
Author: Maureen Johnson
Page Count: 432
Rating: B+
Format Read: Kindle
Genre: YA Mystery
Keywords: Sleuth, Anxiety, Murder
Kid Appropriate: Yes

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Ellingham Academy is a famous private school in Vermont for the brightest thinkers, inventors, and artists. It was founded by Albert Ellingham, an early twentieth century tycoon, who wanted to make a wonderful place full of riddles, twisting pathways, and gardens. "A place" he said, "where learning is a game."

Shortly after the school opened, his wife and daughter were kidnapped. The only real clue was a mocking riddle listing methods of murder, signed with the frightening pseudonym, Truly Devious. It became one of the great unsolved crimes of American history.

True-crime aficionado Stevie Bell is set to begin her first year at Ellingham Academy, and she has an ambitious plan: She will solve this cold case. That is, she will solve the case when she gets a grip on her demanding new school life and her housemates: the inventor, the novelist, the actor, the artist, and the jokester. But something strange is happening. Truly Devious makes a surprise return, and death revisits Ellingham Academy. The past has crawled out of its grave. Someone has gotten away with murder.

My Review:

I really wanted to give this one a five star review. It is addicting, fun, and Stevie is a great protagonist. Her obsession with murder and solving crimes completely reminds me of myself as a teenager and I could empathize with her anxiety attacks as someone suffering with anxiety myself. The cast of supporting characters are not necessarily realistic but definitely memorable.

While I did have fun, there were parts of this story that just did not add up or felt unnatural to the progression of the story. I am not a huge fan of when characters or circumstances are so out of place that they temporarily jog you out of the story. It truly disrupts the reading experience. Despite this I fully intend to continue on in this series. Definitely check it out if you're looking for a fun, not too mentally taxing, murder mystery though.

I would recommend this one for fans of the Charlotte Holmes series (book 1 is A Study in Charlotte)

Title: Three Dark Crowns
Author: Kendare Blake
Page Count: 398
Rating: B
Format Read: Audiobook
Genre: YA Fantasy
Keywords: Sisters, Power, Trials
Kid Appropriate: Teen and older

Synopsis from Goodreads:

In every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born—three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions.

But becoming the Queen Crowned isn’t solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it’s not just a game of win or lose…it’s life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins.

The last queen standing gets the crown.

My Review:

I just did not like this book. For the first two thirds I was bored and nearly DNF'd it a couple of times, never quite able to make myself really care about what happened to Mirabella, Katharine, or Arsinoe. They actually annoyed me most of the time. If I can't click with a character at all I have trouble keeping up with the story.

There was also the issue that I kept finding myself wanting more from this story than it was willing to give. Perhaps this is because I was listening to the audiobook, but I never felt like I got a clear image of anything and wanted to be more immersed in the world that I was.

So why did I not rate Three Dark Crowns lower? The writing was not bad by any means and the last third of the book did manage to capture some of my attention. I have seen on many other reviews that the first book is the least popular in the series and book two is much better. I probably will not be continuing on with this series though.

Title: The Emperor's Blades
Author: Brian Staveley
Page Count: 593
Rating: A+
Format Read: Kindle
Genre: Fantasy
Keywords: Siblings, Assassins, Royalty
Kid Appropriate: Teen and older

Synopsis from Goodreads:

The circle is closing. The stakes are high. And old truths will live again...

The Emperor has been murdered, leaving the Annurian Empire in turmoil. Now his progeny must bury their grief and prepare to unmask a conspiracy.

His son Valyn, training for the empire’s deadliest fighting force, hears the news an ocean away. He expected a challenge, but after several ‘accidents’ and a dying soldier’s warning, he realizes his life is also in danger. Yet before Valyn can take action, he must survive the mercenaries’ brutal final initiation.

Meanwhile, the Emperor’s daughter, Minister Adare, hunts her father’s murderer in the capital itself. Court politics can be fatal, but she needs justice. And Kaden, heir to an empire, studies in a remote monastery. Here, the Blank God’s disciples teach their harsh ways – which Kaden must master to unlock their ancient powers. When an imperial delegation arrives, he’s learnt enough to perceive evil intent. But will this keep him alive, as long-hidden powers make their move?

My Review:

So this was one of the books I snagged on a Kindle Daily Deal. I think I may have gotten it for $1.99. The prologue didn't really draw me in and I wasn't the biggest fan of the cover. It probably sat unfinished for a month before I picked it up again. Never have I been happier to give a book a second chance.

I LOVED this book. If any book I read this month can reduce me to a squealing fangirl, this is the one. To illustrate how much I love this book, I had a bolt in my tire and had to wait almost all day to get the tire replaced. Sitting in crowded waiting rooms and spending money unexpectedly are two things that should have had me freaking out. Instead, I was sitting there with a ridiculous smile on my face clicking away on my Kindle, NEEDING to know what happened next. 

Throughout this book we follow the three children of the emperor: Valyn, Kaden, and Adare. Valyn and Kaden are the primary perspectives that we read from though with Adare appearing less often. Initially, Valyn was my favorite (absolutely my newest book crush) with his chapters containing the most action and mystery that had me flipping through the pages. 

However, the development we see with Kaden and Adare's stories is a much slower burn. After dreading coming to their chapters in the beginning I found myself devouring their stories by the halfway point. And (not a spoiler) but that ending had me freaking out. Completely did not see everything wrapping up the way it did.

This book has everything. Totally unexpected mystery, supernatural elements, power struggles, politics, religion, a touch of romance that isn't overwhelming, even some adventure. Power through the slower beginning and you will not regret picking this one up.


Title: Our Kind of Cruelty
Author: Araminta Hall
Page Count: 288
Rating: C
Format Read: Hardcover
Genre: Thriller
Keywords: Obsession, Kink, Murder
Kid Appropriate: Not at all

Synopsis from Goodreads:

This is a love story. Mike’s love story.

Mike Hayes fought his way out of a brutal childhood and into a quiet, if lonely life, before he met Verity Metcalf. V taught him about love, and in return, Mike has dedicated his life to making her happy. He’s found the perfect home, the perfect job, he’s sculpted himself into the physical ideal V has always wanted. He knows they’ll be blissfully happy together.

It doesn’t matter that she hasn’t been returning his emails or phone calls.
It doesn’t matter that she says she’s marrying Angus.

It’s all just part of the secret game they used to play. If Mike watches V closely, he’ll see the signs. If he keeps track of her every move he’ll know just when to come to her rescue…

A spellbinding, darkly twisted novel about desire and obsession, and the complicated lines between truth and perception, Our Kind of Cruelty introduces Araminta Hall, a chilling new voice in psychological suspense.

My Review:

I chose this as my Book of the Month. Creepy stories with possibly warped perceptions are some of my favorite reads. They make you think and leave your mind racing even after you've put the book down.

This one had a good start to it. You felt like you were inside Mike's mind and felt his mental state shifting further and further away from stability as he watched V. Unfortunately, this promising beginning fell a bit flat. The second half of the book drags on for far too long and the ending was just bleh. 

I don't regret reading it but wish I'd gone in with lower expectations. If you're interested in this sort of twisted story line I would recommend picking up You by Caroline Kepnes.

Title: Then She Was Gone
Author: Lisa Jewell
Page Count: 359
Rating: A
Format Read: Hardcover
Genre: Mystery
Keywords: Missing children, family, obsession
Kid Appropriate: No

Synopsis from Goodreads:

THEN
She was fifteen, her mother's
golden girl. She had her whole life ahead of her.
And then, in the blink of an eye, Ellie was gone.

NOW
It’s been ten years since Ellie
disappeared, but Laurel has never given up
hope of finding her daughter.
And then one day a charming and charismatic stranger called Floyd walks into a café and sweeps Laurel off her feet.
Before too long she’s staying the night at this house and being introduced to his nine year old daughter.
Poppy is precocious and pretty - and meeting her completely takes Laurel's breath away.

Because Poppy is the spitting image of Ellie when she was that age.
And now all those unanswered questions that have haunted Laurel come flooding back.

What happened to Ellie? Where did she go?
Who still has secrets to hide?

My Review:

Another choice I made for Book of the Month. This was a solid mystery novel that you can certainly predict parts of it easily enough but I was delightfully surprised to not be able to guess exactly how the elements I had figured would come about would wrap up. If you're looking for a mystery that focuses more on the family response than an investigative procedural pick this one up. 

Title: Furyborn (Chapter Sampler)
Author: Claire Legrand
Rating: B+
Format Read: Kindle
Genre: YA Fantasy
Keywords: Queens, angels, death
Kid Appropriate: Teen and older

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Follows two fiercely independent young women, centuries apart, who hold the power to save their world...or doom it.

When assassins ambush her best friend, the crown prince, Rielle Dardenne risks everything to save him, exposing her ability to perform all seven kinds of elemental magic. The only people who should possess this extraordinary power are a pair of prophesied queens: a queen of light and salvation and a queen of blood and destruction. To prove she is the Sun Queen, Rielle must endure seven trials to test her magic. If she fails, she will be executed...unless the trials kill her first.

A thousand years later, the legend of Queen Rielle is a mere fairy tale to bounty hunter Eliana Ferracora. When the Undying Empire conquered her kingdom, she embraced violence to keep her family alive. Now, she believes herself untouchable--until her mother vanishes without a trace, along with countless other women in their city. To find her, Eliana joins a rebel captain on a dangerous mission and discovers that the evil at the heart of the empire is more terrible than she ever imagined.

As Rielle and Eliana fight in a cosmic war that spans millennia, their stories intersect, and the shocking connections between them ultimately determine the fate of their world--and of each other.

The completed book will be hitting stores on May 22, 2018

Title: Circe
Author: Madeline Miller
Page Count: 394
Rating: B
Format Read: Hardcover
Genre: Mythology retelling
Keywords: Greece, gods, witches
Kid Appropriate: No

Synopsis from Goodreads:

In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child--not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power--the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves.

Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus, the murderous Medea, and, of course, wily Odysseus.

But there is danger, too, for a woman who stands alone, and Circe unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. To protect what she loves most, Circe must summon all her strength and choose, once and for all, whether she belongs with the gods she is born from, or the mortals she has come to love.

My Review:

My final Book of the Month pick. I did truly enjoy this book. If you are at all familiar with Greek mythology (whether from school or Rick Riordan) much of the story will be old news for you, but if you are unfamiliar with it then you won't feel completely lost at sea. The voice of our narrator, Circe, is slow. And I do not mean necessarily that it was a boring book. Rather, this story meanders along without a care to rush. If you're looking for a relaxing read this is the one.

Slight warning: Do be aware that rape is present in this story.

First Quarter 2018 Reading Wrap Up

Life has been absolutely crazy since the start of 2018 so of course I read way too much. Yay for productive coping skills! Here are the 31 books I read in the first three months of the year. Watch out for individual reviews for my favorites coming soon!


Title: Unfiltered
Author: Lily Collins
Page Count: 240
Rating: F
Format Read: Kindle
Genre: Memoir
Keywords: Coming of age, celebrity, advice, girl power 
Kid Appropriate: Yes

Synopsis from Goodreads:

In this groundbreaking debut essay collection, featuring never-before-seen photos, actress Lily Collins—star of Mortal Instruments and the upcoming Rules Don’t Apply—is opening a poignant, honest conversation about the things young women struggle with: body image, self-confidence, relationships, family, dating, and so much more.

For the first time ever, Lily shares her life and her own deepest secrets, underlining that every single one of us experiences pain and heartbreak. We all understand what it’s like to live in the light and in the dark. For Lily, it’s about making it through to the other side, where you love what you see in the mirror and where you embrace yourself just as you are. She's learned that all it takes is one person standing up and saying something for everyone else to realize they’re not alone.

By turns hilarious and heartbreaking, Lily’s honest voice will inspire you to be who you are and say what you feel. It’s time to claim your voice! It’s time to live your life unfiltered.

Title: A Court of Wings and Ruin
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Page Count: 707
Rating: A
Format Read: Kindle
Genre: New Adult Fantasy
Keywords: Fae, magic, war, love, bloodshed
Kid Appropriate: Teen and older

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Looming war threatens all Feyre holds dear in the third volume of the #1 New York Times bestselling A Court of Thorns and Roses series.

Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin's manoeuvrings and the invading king threatening to bring Prythian to its knees. But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit – and one slip may spell doom not only for Feyre, but for her world as well.

As war bears down upon them all, Feyre must decide who to trust amongst the dazzling and lethal High Lords – and hunt for allies in unexpected places.

In this thrilling third book in the #1 New York Times bestselling series from Sarah J. Maas, the earth will be painted red as mighty armies grapple for power over the one thing that could destroy them all.

Title: Queen of Shadows
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Page Count: 656
Rating: A-
Format Read: Kindle
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Keywords: Fae, magic, demons, war, friendship
Kid Appropriate: Preteen potentially and teen

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she’s at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past…

She has embraced her identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. But before she can reclaim her throne, she must fight.

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die for her. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen’s triumphant return.

The fourth volume in the New York Times bestselling series continues Celaena’s epic journey and builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.

Title: The Two Towers
Author: J. R. R. Tolkien
Page Count: 398
Rating: A
Format Read: Audiobook
Genre: Fantasy
Keywords: Hobbits, Middle-earth, rings
Kid Appropriate: Yes, though maybe a bit slow for very young

Synopsis from Goodreads:

The Fellowship was scattered. Some were bracing hopelessly for war against the ancient evil of Sauron. Some were contending with the treachery of the wizard Saruman. Only Frodo and Sam were left to take the accursed Ring of Power to be destroyed in Mordor–the dark Kingdom where Sauron was supreme. Their guide was Gollum, deceitful and lust-filled, slave to the corruption of the Ring. Thus continues the magnificent, bestselling tale of adventure begun in The Fellowship of the Ring, which reaches its soul-stirring climax in The Return of the King.

Title: Empire of Storms
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Page Count: 704
Rating: A
Format Read: Kindle
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Keywords: Break your heart, war, amazing
Kid Appropriate: Preteen potentially and teen

Synopsis from Goodreads:

The long path to the throne has only just begun for Aelin Galathynius as war looms on the horizon. Loyalties have been broken and bought, friends have been lost and gained, and those who possess magic find themselves at odds with those who don't.

With her heart sworn to the warrior-prince by her side, and her fealty pledged to the people she is determined to save, Aelin will delve into the depths of her power to protect those she loves. But as monsters emerge from the horrors of the past, and dark forces become poised to claim her world, the only chance for salvation will lie in a desperate quest that may mark the end of everything Aelin holds dear.

In this breathtaking fifth installment of the New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series, Aelin will have to choose what—and who—to sacrifice if she's to keep the world of Erilea from breaking apart.

Title: The Valley of Fear
Author: Arthur Conan Doyle
Page Count: 217
Rating: B
Format Read: Audiobook
Genre: Mystery
Keywords: Sherlock Holmes
Kid Appropriate: Yes

Synopsis from Goodreads:

From the annals of Dr Watson comes this dark tale of Sherlock Holmes’ early encounter with Professor Moriarty. When Holmes and Watson receive a cipher from one of Moriarty’s henchmen warning of dark doings at a manor house, they find themselves on the trail of a murderer.

Almost immediately, they are on their way to Sussex where they discover a corpse with its head blown to pieces. But all is not as it seems. For the origins of this case lie in America, and involve a Pinkerton’s man and the doings of a terrible and secretive lodge...

Title: The Darkest Part of the Forest
Author: Holly Black
Page Count: 337
Rating: D
Format Read: Kindle
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Keywords: Fairies, relationships, curse
Kid Appropriate: Yes

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Children can have a cruel, absolute sense of justice. Children can kill a monster and feel quite proud of themselves. A girl can look at her brother and believe they’re destined to be a knight and a bard who battle evil. She can believe she’s found the thing she’s been made for.

Hazel lives with her brother, Ben, in the strange town of Fairfold where humans and fae exist side by side. The faeries’ seemingly harmless magic attracts tourists, but Hazel knows how dangerous they can be, and she knows how to stop them. Or she did, once.

At the center of it all, there is a glass coffin in the woods. It rests right on the ground and in it sleeps a boy with horns on his head and ears as pointed as knives. Hazel and Ben were both in love with him as children. The boy has slept there for generations, never waking.

Until one day, he does…

As the world turns upside down, Hazel tries to remember her years pretending to be a knight. But swept up in new love, shifting loyalties, and the fresh sting of betrayal, will it be enough?

Title: Art in the Blood: A Sherlock Holmes Adventure
Author: Bonnie MacBird
Page Count: 320
Rating: B
Format Read: Kindle
Genre: Mystery
Keywords: Sherlock, murder, missing children
Kid Appropriate: Teen and older

Synopsis from Goodreads:

London. A snowy December, 1888. Sherlock Holmes, 34, is languishing and back on cocaine after a disastrous Ripper investigation. Watson can neither comfort nor rouse his friend – until a strangely encoded letter arrives from Paris.

Mlle La Victoire, a beautiful French cabaret star writes that her young son has vanished, and she has been attacked in the streets of Montmartre.

Racing to Paris with Watson at his side, Holmes discovers the missing child is only the tip of the iceberg of a much larger problem. The most valuable statue since the Winged Victory has been violently stolen in Marseilles, and several children from a silk mill in Lancashire have been found murdered. The clues in all three cases point to a single, untouchable man, an art collector seemingly beyond reach of the law.

Will Holmes recover in time to find the missing boy and stop a rising tide of murders? To do so he must stay one step ahead of a dangerous French rival and the threatening interference of his own brother, Mycroft.

This latest adventure, in the style of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, sends the iconic duo from London to Paris and the icy wilds of Lancashire in a case which tests Watson's friendship and the fragility and gifts of Sherlock Holmes' own artistic nature to the limits.

Title: Meno 
Author: Plato
Page Count: 82
Rating: C
Format Read: Kindle
Genre: Classic
Keywords: Knowledge, contemplation, questioning 
Kid Appropriate: Yes, but possibly boring

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Meno (Greek: Μένων) is a Socratic dialogue written by Plato. It attempts to determine the definition of virtue, or arete, meaning virtue in general, rather than particular virtues, such as justice or temperance. The first part of the work is written in the Socratic dialectical style and Meno is reduced to confusion or aporia. In response to Meno's paradox (or the learner's paradox), however, Socrates introduces positive ideas: the immortality of the soul, the theory of knowledge as recollection (anamnesis), which Socrates demonstrates by posing a mathematical puzzle to one of Meno's slaves, the method of hypothesis, and, in the final lines, the distinction between knowledge and true belief.

Title: The Cruel Prince
Author: Holly Black
Page Count: 384
Rating: B
Format Read: Audiobook
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Keywords: Royalty, family, fairies, spies
Kid Appropriate: Teen and older

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Of course I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.

And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.

Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.

In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.

Title: The Woman in Black
Author: Susan Hill
Page Count: 200
Rating: A
Format Read: Audiobook
Genre: Horror
Keywords: Ghost stories, sanity, haunting
Kid Appropriate: Not young children

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Arthur Kipps, a junior solicitor in London, is summoned to Crythin Gifford to attend the funeral of Mrs Alice Drablow, and to sort through her papers before returning to London. It is here that Kipps first sees the woman in black and begins to gain an impression of the mystery surrounding her. From the funeral he travels to Eel Marsh House and sees the woman again; he also hears the terrifying sounds on the marsh.

Despite Kipps’s experiences he resolves to spend the night at the house and fulfil his professional duty. It is this night at Eel Marsh House that contains the greatest horror for Kipps. Kipps later discovers the reasons behind the hauntings at Eel Marsh House. The book ends with the woman in black exacting a final, terrible revenge.

Title: Lady Fortescue Steps Out
Author: Marion Chesney
Page Count: 152
Rating: B
Format Read: Audiobook
Genre: Fiction
Keywords: Windows, poor relations, comedy
Kid Appropriate: Teen and older

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Elderly widow Lady Fortescue must escape genteel poverty. If each of five geriatrics relieve a rich relative of a costly trifle, they can turn her house into a hotel for the ton. Her nephew, Duke of Rowcester, is horrified, until he meets hotel chef Miss Harriet James, green-eyed beauty who remembers their waltz - before she lost parents and inherited debts.

Title: Confronting Al Qaeda: The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy in Al Anbar
Author: Martha L. Cottam, Joe W. Huseby, and Bruno Baltodano
Page Count: 158
Rating: B
Format Read: Kindle
Genre: Nonfiction
Keywords: Terrorism, military, political psychology 
Kid Appropriate: If interested

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Based on in-depth interviews with tribal Sheiks involved in the Awakening and their American military counterparts, Confronting al Qaeda is a study of decision-making processes and the political psychology of the Sunni Awakening in al Anbar. It traces the change in American military strategy that made the Awakening collaboration between the Sunni tribes and the U.S. forces possible. It explains how the evolution of the tribal leaders' perspective and of the American military strategy led to defeat al Qaeda in al Anbar. The process of these changing mutual images is detailed as well as how the cooperation between groups led to further evolution of perceptions. Political and military realities urgently forced these perceptual and social identity shifts initially, but the process of cooperation and engagement accelerated these shifts through increasingly mutually beneficial cooperation and interaction during the battle with al Qaeda in Iraq.

Title: Tower of Dawn
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Page Count: 668
Rating: C
Format Read: Kindle
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Keywords: Fantasy, political intrigue, healers
Kid Appropriate: Teen and older

Synopsis from Goodreads:

In the next installment of the New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series, follow Chaol on his sweeping journey to a distant empire.

Chaol Westfall has always defined himself by his unwavering loyalty, his strength, and his position as the Captain of the Guard. But all of that has changed since the glass castle shattered, since his men were slaughtered, since the King of Adarlan spared him from a killing blow, but left his body broken.

His only shot at recovery lies with the legendary healers of the Torre Cesme in Antica—the stronghold of the southern continent's mighty empire. And with war looming over Dorian and Aelin back home, their survival might lie with Chaol and Nesryn convincing its rulers to ally with them.

But what they discover in Antica will change them both—and be more vital to saving Erilea than they could have imagined.

Title: Group Processes: Dynamics Within and Between Groups

Author: Rupert Brown
Page Count: 448
Rating: A
Format Read: Paperback
Genre: Nonfiction
Keywords: Political psychology, groups, social science
Kid Appropriate: If interested

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Group Processes aims to deepen our understanding of relationships within and between groups by means of three key ideas.

Title: Pax
Author: Sara Pennypacker
Page Count: 289
Rating: D
Format Read: Kindle
Genre: Children's Fiction
Keywords: Fox, pet, war
Kid Appropriate: Yes

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Pax was only a kit when his family was killed, and “his boy” Peter rescued him from abandonment and certain death. Now the war front approaches, and when Peter’s father enlists, Peter has to move in with his grandpa. Far worse than being forced to leave home is the fact that Pax can’t go. Peter listens to his stern father—as he usually does—and throws Pax’s favorite toy soldier into the woods. When the fox runs to retrieve it, Peter and his dad get back in the car and leave him there—alone. But before Peter makes it through even one night under his grandfather’s roof, regret and duty spur him to action; he packs for a trek to get his best friend back and sneaks into the night. This is the story of Peter, Pax, and their independent struggles to return to one another against all odds. Told from the alternating viewpoints of Peter and Pax.

Title: Warbreaker
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Page Count: 669
Rating: C
Format Read: Kindle
Genre: Fantasy
Keywords: Colors, magic, breath
Kid Appropriate: Possibly preteen and older

Synopsis from Goodreads:

This is the story of two sisters, who happen to be princesses. Theirs is a world in which those who die in glory return as gods to live confined to a pantheon in Hallandren's capital city. A world transformed by a power based on an essence known as breath. Using magic is arduous as breath can only be collected one unit at a time.

Title: Hunting Prince Dracula
Author: Kerri Maniscalco
Page Count: 434
Rating: A
Format Read: Audiobook
Genre: Young Adult Mystery
Keywords: Vampires, autopsies, girl power
Kid Appropriate: Preteen and older

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Following the grief and horror of her discovery of Jack the Ripper's true identity, Audrey Rose Wadsworth has no choice but to flee London and its memories. Together with the arrogant yet charming Thomas Cresswell, she journeys to the dark heart of Romania, home to one of Europe's best schools of forensic medicine...and to another notorious killer, Vlad the Impaler, whose thirst for blood became legend.

But her life's dream is soon tainted by blood-soaked discoveries in the halls of the school's forbidding castle, and Audrey Rose is compelled to investigate the strangely familiar murders. What she finds brings all her terrifying fears to life once again.

Title: Monster
Author: Sanyika Shakur
Page Count: 400
Rating: C
Format Read: Paperback
Genre: Autobiography
Keywords: Gangs, violence, crime
Kid Appropriate: No

Synopsis from Goodreads:

"After pumping eight blasts from a sawed-off shotgun at a group of rival gang members, twelve-year-old Kody Scott was initiated into the L.A. gang the Crips. He quickly matured into one of the most formidable Crip combat soldiers, earning the name “Monster” for committing acts of brutality and violence that repulsed even his fellow gang members. When the inevitable jail term confined him to a maximum-security cell, a complete political and personal transformation followed: from Monster to Sanyika Shakur, black nationalist, member of the New Afrikan Independence Movement, and crusader against the causes of gangsterism. In a document that has been compared to The Autobiography of Malcolm X and Eldridge Cleaver’s Soul on Ice, Shakur makes palpable the despair and decay of America’s inner cities and gives eloquent voice to one aspect of the black ghetto experience today."

Title: There are No Children Here
Author: Alex Kotlowitz
Page Count: 323
Rating: B
Format Read: Paperback
Genre: Nonfiction
Keywords: Social science, poverty, Chicago
Kid Appropriate: Not young children

Synopsis from Goodreads:

This is the moving and powerful account of two remarkable boys struggling to survive in Chicago's Henry Horner Homes, a public housing complex disfigured by crime and neglect.

Title: My Life as a White Trash Zombie
Author: Diana Rowland
Page Count: 320
Rating: A
Format Read: Audiobook
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Keywords: Zombies, morgues, brains
Kid Appropriate: No

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Angel Crawford is a loser.

Living with her alcoholic deadbeat dad in the swamps of southern Louisiana, she's a high school dropout with a pill habit and a criminal record who's been fired from more crap jobs than she can count. Now on probation for a felony, it seems that Angel will never pull herself out of the downward spiral her life has taken.

That is, until the day she wakes up in the ER after overdosing on painkillers. Angel remembers being in an horrible car crash, but she doesn't have a mark on her. To add to the weirdness, she receives an anonymous letter telling her there's a job waiting for her at the parish morgue—and that it's an offer she doesn't dare refuse.

Before she knows it she's dealing with a huge crush on a certain hunky deputy and a brand new addiction: an overpowering craving for brains. Plus, her morgue is filling up with the victims of a serial killer who decapitates his prey—just when she's hungriest!

Angel's going to have to grow up fast if she wants to keep this job and stay in one piece. Because if she doesn't, she's dead meat.

Literally.

Title: The Dispatcher
Author: John Scalzi
Page Count: 128
Rating: A
Format Read: Audiobook
Genre: Science Fiction?
Keywords: Death, mystery, love
Kid Appropriate: No

Synopsis from Goodreads:

One day, not long from now, it becomes almost impossible to murder anyone - 999 times out of a thousand, anyone who is intentionally killed comes back. How? We don't know. But it changes everything: war, crime, daily life.
Tony Valdez is a Dispatcher - a licensed, bonded professional whose job is to humanely dispatch those whose circumstances put them in death's crosshairs, so they can have a second chance to avoid the reaper. But when a fellow Dispatcher and former friend is apparently kidnapped, Tony learns that there are some things that are worse than death and that some people are ready to do almost anything to avenge a supposed wrong.
It's a race against time for Valdez to find his friend before it's too late...before not even a Dispatcher can save him.

Title: Silver in the Blood
Author: Jessica Day George
Page Count: 368
Rating: A
Format Read: Kindle
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Keywords: Transylvania, vampires, mystery
Kid Appropriate: Preteen and older

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Society girls from New York City circa 1890, Dacia and Lou never desired to know more about their lineage, instead preferring to gossip about the mysterious Romanian family that they barely knew. But upon turning seventeen, the girls must return to their homeland to meet their relatives, find proper husbands, and—most terrifyingly—learn the deep family secrets of The Claw, The Wing, and The Smoke. The Florescus, after all, are shape-shifters, and it is time for Dacia and Lou to fulfill the prophecy that demands their acceptance of this fate... or fight against this cruel inheritance with all their might.

Title: A Curious Beginning
Author: Deanna Raybourn
Page Count: 352
Rating: B
Format Read: Audiobook
Genre: Mystery
Keywords: Butterflies, royalty, secrets
Kid Appropriate: No

Synopsis from Goodreads:

In her thrilling new series, Deanna Raybourn, the New York Times bestselling author of the Lady Julia Grey mysteries, returns once more to Victorian England...and introduces intrepid adventuress Veronica Speedwell. 

London, 1887. After burying her spinster aunt, orphaned Veronica Speedwell is free to resume her world travels in pursuit of scientific inquiry—and the occasional romantic dalliance. As familiar with hunting butterflies as with fending off admirers, Veronica intends to embark upon the journey of a lifetime.

But fate has other plans when Veronica thwarts her own attempted abduction with the help of an enigmatic German baron, who offers her sanctuary in the care of his friend Stoker, a reclusive and bad-tempered natural historian. But before the baron can reveal what he knows of the plot against her, he is found murdered—leaving Veronica and Stoker on the run from an elusive assailant as wary partners in search of the villainous truth.
  
Title: Till We Have Faces
Author: C. S. Lewis
Page Count: 313
Rating: A
Format Read: Audiobook
Genre: Retelling 
Keywords: Cupid, Psyche, Sisters
Kid Appropriate: No

Synopsis from Goodreads:

In this timeless tale of two mortal princesses- one beautiful and one unattractive- C.S. Lewis reworks the classical myth of Cupid and Psyche into an enduring piece of contemporary fiction. This is the story of Orual, Psyche's embittered and ugly older sister, who posessively and harmfully loves Psyche. Much to Orual's frustration, Psyche is loved by Cupid, the god of love himself, setting the troubled Orual on a path of moral development.

Set against the backdrop of Glome, a barbaric, pre-Christian world, the struggles between sacred and profane love are illuminated as Orual learns that we cannot understand the intent of the gods "till we have faces" and sincerity in our souls and selves.

Title: Lady in Red
Author: Mel Teshco
Page Count: 193
Rating: B
Format Read: Kindle
Genre: Romance
Keywords: Prostitution, Identity, Love
Kid Appropriate: No

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Bullied and battered as a child, Kate Matthews grows up and transforms herself into beautiful and confident, Brandy Alexander, a sexy, high-class call girl. With a select number of rich and successful clients and a jaw dropping income, Kate feels like she’s living her dream being desired and bedded by some of Australia’s most powerful and influential men. But she has one rule. Don’t fall in love. Except the more time she spends with her favorite client Blaine Waymann, the more she fears he might be the one man who could topple the perfect world she’s built.

Billionaire philanthropist Blaine Waymann is determined to break Kate’s rule. He wants exclusive rights to Brandy and Kate, in bed and out, and is willing to risk everything to win her body and her trust. But when Kate starts opening her heart to Blaine, she faces an agonizing decision. Run like she always does, or stay with the man she not only lusts after, but loves. 

Title: Hunted
Author: Meagan Spooner
Page Count: 384
Rating: A
Format Read: Kindle
Genre: Young Adult Fairytale Retelling
Keywords: Love, Beauty and the Beast, Dogs
Kid Appropriate: Preteen and older

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Beauty knows the Beast’s forest in her bones—and in her blood. Though she grew up with the city’s highest aristocrats, far from her father’s old lodge, she knows that the forest holds secrets and that her father is the only hunter who’s ever come close to discovering them.

So when her father loses his fortune and moves Yeva and her sisters back to the outskirts of town, Yeva is secretly relieved. Out in the wilderness, there’s no pressure to make idle chatter with vapid baronessas…or to submit to marrying a wealthy gentleman. But Yeva’s father’s misfortune may have cost him his mind, and when he goes missing in the woods, Yeva sets her sights on one prey: the creature he’d been obsessively tracking just before his disappearance.

Deaf to her sisters’ protests, Yeva hunts this strange Beast back into his own territory—a cursed valley, a ruined castle, and a world of creatures that Yeva’s only heard about in fairy tales. A world that can bring her ruin or salvation. Who will survive: the Beauty, or the Beast?

Title: The Lost World
Author: Arthur Conan Doyle
Page Count: 272
Rating: B
Format Read: Audiobook
Genre: Adventure
Keywords: Dinosaurs, South America, Unrequited love
Kid Appropriate: If interested

Synopsis from Goodreads:

It's London, 1907. Journalist Edward Malone, rejected by the woman he loves because he is too prosaic, decides to go in search of adventure and fame to prove himself worthy of her. Soon after, he meets Professor George Challenger, a scientist who claims to have discovered a 'lost world' populated by pterodactyls and other prehistoric monsters.

Title: The Emperor's Soul
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Page Count: 175
Rating: B
Format Read: Audiobook
Genre: Fantasy
Keywords: Souls, Elantris, forger
Kid Appropriate: Preteen and older

Synopsis from Goodreads:

A heretic thief is the empire’s only hope in this fascinating tale that inhabits the same world as the popular novel, Elantris.

Shai is a Forger, a foreigner who can flawlessly copy and re-create any item by rewriting its history with skillful magic. Condemned to death after trying to steal the emperor’s scepter, she is given one opportunity to save herself. Though her skill as a Forger is considered an abomination by her captors, Shai will attempt to create a new soul for the emperor, who is almost dead.

Probing deeply into his life, she discovers Emperor Ashravan’s truest nature—and the opportunity to exploit it. Her only possible ally is one who is truly loyal to the emperor, but councilor Gaotona must overcome his prejudices to understand that Shai’s forgery is as much artistry as it is deception.

Brimming with magic and political intrigue, this deftly woven fantasy delves into the essence of a living spirit.

Title: Gilgamesh: A New English Version

Author: Stephen Mitchell
Page Count: 304
Rating: D
Format Read: Kindle
Genre: Classic
Keywords: Heroes, adventures, gods
Kid Appropriate: No

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Miraculously preserved on clay tablets dating back as much as four thousand years, the poem of Gilgamesh, king of Uruk, is the world’s oldest epic, predating Homer by many centuries. The story tells of Gilgamesh’s adventures with the wild man Enkidu, and of his arduous journey to the ends of the earth in quest of the Babylonian Noah and the secret of immortality. Alongside its themes of family, friendship and the duties of kings, the Epic of Gilgamesh is, above all, about mankind’s eternal struggle with the fear of death.

Title: The Last Wish
Author: Andrzej Sapkowski
Page Count: 359
Rating: A
Format Read: Audiobook
Genre: Fantasy
Keywords: Fairytales, heroes, magic
Kid Appropriate: No

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Geralt de Rivia is a witcher. A cunning sorcerer. A merciless assassin. And a cold-blooded killer. His sole purpose: to destroy the monsters that plague the world. But not everything monstrous-looking is evil and not everything fair is good...and in every fairy tale there is a grain of truth.

A collection of short stories introducing de Rivia, to be followed by the first novel in the actual series, The Blood of Elves. Note that, while The Last Wish was published after The Sword of Destiny, the stories contained in The Last Wish take place first chronologically, and many of the individual stories were published before The Sword of Destiny.

Tech Review: Kindle Oasis 2017 Edition (aka My Precious)

For Christmas 2017 I was fortunate enough to be gifted the second generation of the Kindle Oasis.
After using the device for 3.5 months, completing about 15 books on it, and reading other people's concerns here are my thoughts on the device.

My Kindle History:

This is actually my first true Kindle e-reader. I have had the first generation Kindle Fire for about six years now and I do love reading on it. If you are looking for an inexpensive device that you can use for watching movies and TV shows as well as reading and some web surfing I would definitely recommend checking out the Fire.

Despite my love of the device it wasn't great for my daily reading. I work on computers all day and am prone to migraines which the bright Fire screen just made worse. In the struggle to increase my reading time without hurting my head I began hunting for the perfect Kindle for me.

Which One Do I Have?

My Kindle is the 2017 second generation of the Oasis. Mine is the color Graphite and they will be releasing the color Champagne Gold soon. Mine is also the 32 GB storage with both wifi and free cellular connectivity model. I went with this option since I do travel often and do not always have easy access to wifi. I also opted for no ads on my lock screen

Design:

This Kindle is gorgeous and just about everyone who has seen me reading it doesn't even realize it is a Kindle. The groove on the back fits perfectly into my hands for a secure grip. I really enjoy the larger 7" screen compared to the 6" screen of all the other Kindles.

The buttons for the page turn work well though I will admit about once a week I have noticed having to push the button multiple times to get a reaction from the device. This is rare though and has not ever truly bothered me enough to call it a true problem. Some people did complain that the buttons are a bit on the loud side. I can agree with this. There is a definite sound when you push for the next page. While I have used it successfully next to a sleeping baby without waking him up I do get a bit self conscious using the buttons in crowded waiting rooms. In that instance I just tap the screen which works perfectly. If you're worried about this I would recommend stopping by a store to test one for yourself.

As far as the weight goes, this is great if your wrists get tired easily. My Kindle Fire always required both hands or to be propped up on something if I was going to be reading for more than a few minutes. The 6.7 ounces were startlingly light when I first removed mine from its box and reading for up to five hours has caused no wrist or hand strain. The screen flips easily so that you can hold with the groove either fitting into your right or left hand as well. I was surprised to find that even though I am right handed I tend to read with the Kindle in my left hand most comfortably.

Last the concern I read a lot in the reviews, people said the device is slippery and cold. It is true that the back of the Kindle is a metal design rather than the rubberized backing of most Kindles, but in over three months of daily use the device has only slipped in my hand once. For reference I am a fairly petite person with smaller hands and frequently read with only one hand holding the Kindle. This device may be too big for a smaller child to hold comfortably with one hand but should not be a problem with two.  If you live in a colder climate, then yes the aluminum back will be cold to the touch. I used this during a very snowy winter and can say that the longer I held the reader the cold faded fairly quickly and was not an issue for me. In hot climates I have not noticed the device getting overly warm to the touch. It actually stays fairly cool in my experience.

Is it really waterproof?

While I have not fully submerged my Oasis, I can say that it has shown itself to be waterproof. A drooling dog or two, spilled V-8 juice, bath time, and splashes from cooking in the kitchen haven't slowed this device down one bit. If you want to see the device fully submerged there are several videos on YouTube showing that the device is perfectly water friendly.

Battery Life:

I am an avid reader. At minimum I read an hour a day every single day. At the maximum I have read for about 14 hours straight. This is the one spot where the Oasis struggles to compete with other Kindles that I have heard can last up to a month without being charged.

When I am on vacation and reading voraciously the battery only lasts about a day and a half. When I am working full time and have a bit less free time going for me I can usually get a week and some change out of a single charge. Most of the books I read are minimum 400 pages and up to 900 pages. I have not been able to get through an entire book without needing to charge the battery so far unless it was a very short novella (<100 pages). Keep in mind that if you are listening to audiobooks on your Oasis the battery is going to drain even faster.

Despite this there is a bright side. To go from completely drained to full power again the Kindle charges is less than an hour. Mine usually only takes 40-45 minutes. So keep this in mind when you're despairing about the somewhat lackluster battery performance.

Cellular Connectivity:

So far this has worked for me fairly well. It is slower than when connected to wifi and the reliability depends on the strength of your cell signal. When I was living in the middle of nowhere farmland, this option did not work at all. When I am in cities and larger towns though or even on road trips it works great.

Outdoor Reading:

This screen works so much better if you plan on reading in direct sunlight or outside. There is at worst minimal glare and no reflecting when in especially bright situations, though most of the time you will have a perfectly clear screen. I have found that turning up the brightness one or two levels
usually fixes any issues I've had.

Inverted Text:

In the accessibility setting of your Kindle there is an option to make the text white and the background black. At first this seemed odd to me, but if you plan on reading in especially dim lighting or have a headache this has actually been a great option for me.

Do I need a case?

I bought the Fintie case for my Oasis and keep it in the case when I am traveling or going out for the
day. It has done a great job of protecting my reader as well as it looks and feels nice. For the first month my Kindle survived naked in a school backpack with an assortment of loose pens, notebooks, computer equipment, and other potentially damaging supplies. It survived with only the tiniest scratch on the corner.

The Kindle Oasis is tough and can probably survive without a case but if you want to protect it a bit more (and maybe individualize your Kindle a bit more) then I would recommend picking up a case. It does make it a bit heavier but the Kindle is easy to pop in and out of the case for while you're reading and even in the case it still fits perfectly into my small cross body purse.



Who do I recommend the Kindle Oasis 2017 for?

If you are an occasional reader who might use an e-reader a few times a week or month and is not necessarily into audiobooks then I would recommend looking at the Paperwhite ($119.99) or Voyage ($199.99). They have the same screen quality as the Oasis. The main difference is that they have 6" screens, are a bit heavier, no true page turn buttons, are not Audible compatible as of yet, and are not waterproof. If you don't need a back lit screen on your Kindle and want something really simple then look into the basic Kindle ($79.99). It is Audible compatible like the Oasis but is not meant for reading in the dark by any means. If you wait until around certain holidays or Prime Day the Kindle and the Paperwhite drop their price by usually $20.

Now, who should venture towards the oddly shaped and pricey Oasis? Here is a list:

1. If you have a lifestyle where water or dog drool or clumsy people spilling things could damage and electronic device you should check out the Oasis. 
2. If reading is your passion/hobby/greatest joy check out the Oasis
3. If you have at least an extra $249.99 and rather enjoy reading then check out the Oasis
4. If you pick up the Voyage and find yourself thinking "This is nice but there's just something missing..." check out the Oasis
5. And finally if you want the Oasis check out the Oasis

I love my Kindle Oasis and do not regret getting it at all. I use it daily and it works fantastically. Don't let the bad reviews scare you. Stop by a store near you that sells Kindles (I checked out Best Buy for mine) and test them out. Watch a ridiculous number of YouTube videos of people unboxing them and setting them up like I did. Maybe even make a pro and con list. Either way at least consider the Oasis and whether or not it fits with your reading style. If you have any questions comment below!

Nevernight by Jay Kristoff

Title: Nevernight
Author: Jay Kristoff
Page Count: 427
Keywords: Magic, Cats, Assassins, Love
Genre: Fantasy
Younger Readers: Not for young children. Sex, murder, and language all present

Synopsis from Goodreads:

The first in a new fantasy series from the New York Times bestselling author.

In a land where three suns almost never set, a fledgling killer joins a school of assassins, seeking vengeance against the powers who destroyed her family.

Daughter of an executed traitor, Mia Corvere is barely able to escaped her father's failed rebellion with her life. Alone and friendless, she hides in a city built from the bones of a dead god, hunted by the Senate and her father's former comrades. But her gift for speaking with the shadows leads her to the door of a retired killer, and a future she never imagined.

Now, Mia is apprenticed to the deadliest flock of assassins in the entire Republic--the Red Church. If she bests her fellow students in contests of steel, poison and the subtle arts, she'll be inducted among the Blades of the Lady of Blessed Murder, and one step closer to the vengeance she desires. But a killer is loose within the Church's halls, the bloody secrets of Mia's past return to haunt her, and a plot to bring down the entire congregation is unfolding in the shadows she so loves.

Will she even survive to initiation, let along her revenge?

My Review:

Taking a quick break from the never ending struggle of trying to stay on top of grad school, I finished this book a couple of nights ago. IT WAS AMAZING. I literally called my fiance in the middle of the night screaming (as much as you can when a cold has stolen your voice) about how good this book was...he handled that phone call surprisingly well.

I will admit that the first time I tried reading through this I just could not get into the style. Fiction with footnotes seems a bit odd and dense for a fun read. Especially when you're trying to escape the reality of research methods and international relations theories...yay. However, this ended up being one of my all time favorite reads. The writing was equal parts gorgeous descriptors and snarky humor. Characters were delightfully unpredictable and deep without dragging down the experience. Even when I hated a character, I still loved them. No parts of this book feel useless.

The world building was phenomenal. It felt as if Kristoff gave readers a taste of the world, leaving the edges blurry. One, this is great for imagination. It was easy to fall into the world. Second, this leaves the series open for some massive developments. Which is why I immediately purchased book two in the series, Godsgrave.

If you are interested in fantasy, assassins, betrayal, and general sarcasm I highly recommend running out to pick up this book. If you've tried to read this in the past, maybe give it another go. It took me a year from purchasing this book to finish it. Why did I wait so long?!

Currently Reading and my TBR for September!

Now that I finally have internet connection and life has settled down I can start posting again! For those of you that do not know, I just started my first year as a PhD student in Political Science and I am working as a TA. The reading is insane but I am loving it so far. Later in the semester I will post about some of the books I will be reading (there are fifteen so far for my courses and one for the course I'm TAing).

In the meantime, I am attempting to keep up with my own personal reading and writing. I am working on two separate manuscripts that I started earlier this year on top of the second book in my fantasy series. One is a contemporary YA novel while the other is developing into a high fantasy. I am so excited about both of them! I'll try to write some fiction writing posts before the end of the year.

Here are the books that I plan on getting to in the coming month.

Title: Nevernight
Author: Jay Kristoff
Page Count: 427
Keywords: Magic, Cats, Murder
Genre: Fantasy
Younger Readers: Not for young children. Some sex and language present so far. Teens and older would likely be the appropriate audience.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

The first in a new fantasy series from the New York Times bestselling author.

In a land where three suns almost never set, a fledgling killer joins a school of assassins, seeking vengeance against the powers who destroyed her family.

Daughter of an executed traitor, Mia Corvere is barely able to escaped her father's failed rebellion with her life. Alone and friendless, she hides in a city built from the bones of a dead god, hunted by the Senate and her father's former comrades. But her gift for speaking with the shadows leads her to the door of a retired killer, and a future she never imagined.

Now, Mia is apprenticed to the deadliest flock of assassins in the entire Republic--the Red Church. If she bests her fellow students in contests of steel, poison and the subtle arts, she'll be inducted among the Blades of the Lady of Blessed Murder, and one step closer to the vengeance she desires. But a killer is loose within the Church's halls, the bloody secrets of Mia's past return to haunt her, and a plot to bring down the entire congregation is unfolding in the shadows she so loves.

Will she even survive to initiation, let along her revenge?

Thoughts so far:

I am only about 10% into this book so far but it is AMAZING! It is highly addictive and enchanting. I've already cried once. I understand why so many people have been raving about this one!

Title: It
Author: Stephen King
Page Count: 1156
Keywords: Magic, Fantasy, Classic, Adventure
Genre: Horror
Younger Readers: Classic Stephen King with language, sex, and other adult content

Synopsis from Goodreads:

To the children, the town was their whole world. To the adults, knowing better, Derry, Maine was just their home town: familiar, well-ordered for the most part. A good place to live.

It was the children who saw - and felt - what made Derry so horribly different. In the storm drains, in the sewers, IT lurked, taking on the shape of every nightmare, each one's deepest dread. Sometimes IT reached up, seizing, tearing, killing . . .

The adults, knowing better, knew nothing.

Time passed and the children grew up, moved away. The horror of IT was deep-buried, wrapped in forgetfulness. Until they were called back, once more to confront IT as IT stirred and coiled in the sullen depths of their memories, reaching up again to make their past nightmares a terrible present reality.

Thoughts so far:

I have read the first couple of hundred pages and it is definitely enjoyable. Creepiness and thoughtful backstories abound. However, it is just going very slowly. I'm hoping to finish up soon since I started reading this one in May.

Title: A Court of Wings and Ruin
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Page Count: 705
Keywords: Magic, Fantasy, Revenge, Family, Soulmates
Genre: New Adult Fantasy
Younger Readers: Based on previous novels in this series, sex and language are present

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Looming war threatens all Feyre holds dear in the third volume of the #1 New York Times bestselling A Court of Thorns and Roses series.

Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin's manoeuvrings and the invading king threatening to bring Prythian to its knees. But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit – and one slip may spell doom not only for Feyre, but for her world as well.

As war bears down upon them all, Feyre must decide who to trust amongst the dazzling and lethal High Lords – and hunt for allies in unexpected places.

In this thrilling third book in the #1 New York Times bestselling series from Sarah J. Maas, the earth will be painted red as mighty armies grapple for power over the one thing that could destroy them all.


***I also have about a two hour commute every day so I have been listening to the Harry Potter audiobooks read by Jim Dale. I just started Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire***