Book Review: The Name of the Blade

TITLE: The Name of the Blade
Book 1 in a new series
AUTHOR: Zoe Marriott
PUBLISHED: November 11th, 2014
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Urban Fantasy
PREMISE: A girl borrows her family's ancient heirloom and finds that it actually is apart of a ancient power struggle between mythological creatures.
MY REVIEW: I've never read Zoe Marriott before. I've been meaning to for AGES now. I've heard really good things. But stuff always came up. I figured her newest book was a good place to start though.
Turns out, I should have picked her stuff up sooner, her books are exactly my taste. At least if this book is anything to go by. It was just plain FUN. I will say the premise reminded me a bit of a old (really underrated) anime called Jubei-Chan, which was about a girl who picks up an eye-patch that houses the soul of an ancient warrior. This however, takes that idea in a much different direction then that series went. But again, it is just as fun. There's so much snark and the main character is likable, as are her friends.
In short, this book is a good time, especially if you're an anime fan because there are various nods to anime throughout it.
WHO SHOULD READ: Zoe Marriott fans, urban fantasy fans, anime fans
MY RATING: Four out of Five katanas

Book Review: Ticker

TITLE: Ticker
AUTHOR: Lisa Mantchev
PUBLISHED: December 1rst, 2014
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Steampunk, Adventure
PREMISE: A girl goes on a mission when her parents are kidnapped.
MY REVIEW: I mostly picked this up for two reasons: it's written by Lisa Mantchev. I've long despaired over the fact that her Theatre Illuminate trilogy hasn't gotten more love then it deserves. Second: steampunk. Have I mentioned I love steampunk? Because I totally do.
This was exactly as it was billed: a fun steampunk romp. The plot is fast-paced. There's lots of things going on at once and the characters are snarky so there's lots of snark. It's what I've come to expect from this genre: creative world, fun characters, and a good time.
I will admit, it's not the most original thing in the world, especially compared the author's previous series. But it was a good time and I got what I wanted from it. I was satisfied with the book.
WHO SHOULD READ: Lisa Mantchev fans, steampunk fans, Finishing School series fans
MY RATING: Four out of Five clocks

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Anticipated Debuts for 2015

This is a weekly meme hosted by the ladies over at The Broke and the Bookish

This week: Top Ten Anticipated Debuts for 2015:

1) The Red Queen Trilogy Book 1: The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Released: February 10th, 2015

Why: This has been one of the most buzzed about books in early 2015. Plus, political fantasy. I'm a sucker for those.

2) The Way We Bared Our Souls by Willa Strayhorn

Released: January 22nd, 2015

Why: Another really buzzed about book. The idea sounds really intriguing too.

3) Girl at Midnight series Book 1: The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey

Released: April 28th, 2015

Why: Okay, part of it is the pretty cover. Another part of it is I'm a sucker for a girl discovering magic world and getting caught in magical shenanigans trope.

4) The Conspiracy of Us by Maggie Hall

Released: January 13th, 2015

Why: It's being billed as a YA Da Vinci Code. Despite its faults, I love the Da Vinci Code. I'm in.

5) An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Released: April 28th, 2015

Why: A fantasy based on ancient Rome? Sold.

6) The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

Released: May 12th, 2015

Why: A retelling of A Thousand and One Nights? Um, yes please?

7) Monstrous by MarcyKate Connolly

Released: February 10th, 2015

Why: Looks like a fun little original metaish fairy-tale.

8) Scarlet Undercover by Jennifer Latham

Released: May 19th, 2015

Why: Teen sleuths are my crack. Plus it was described as perfect for Veronica Mars fans.

9) The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman

Released: January 15th, 2015 (in the US)

Why: This is actually already released over in the UK and it sounds made of win, what with the magical library, spies, stolen books, and secret societies. It's like all my favorite tropes in one!

10) The Sin Eater's Daughter Book 1 by Melinda Salisbury

Released: February 24rth, 2015

Why: It's apparently got court intrigue, fantasy, a girl discovering plots, and evil queens. Sounds like my kind of book.

Book Review: The Young Elites

TITLE: The Young Elites
Book 1 in a new Trilogy
AUTHOR: Marie Lu
PUBLISHED: October 7th, 2014
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Fantasy
PREMISE: In a world that despises her kind, a young girl with powers gets taken in by a rebel group.
MY REVIEW: I admit, it took me awhile to fall hard for Legend. I actually didn't really get into it until the second book when it became clear that Lu was not going to be following the typical YA dystopian formula. It became more then Hunger Games version 2. million. This trilogy however, I love right off the bat.
The setting is great. There's lots of world building, complicated characters, and nothing is black and white. The main character herself is not easy to like and I personally love that. I'm of the firm opinion that a character does not have to be likable to be a good character (this is especially true for female characters who seem to get disliked no matter how likable they are). Adelina is a damn good character. Honestly, all of the characters are. I do wish some of the side characters in the Young Elites group got a little more development (the guy who seemed to hate her for no particular reason right off the bat for instance) but that's a minor issue I have with an otherwise very well done and plot twist, page-turning book.
It's not often a YA book series manages to surprise me with where it goes, and this one surprised me. Pleasantly so. I can't wait to see what happens next.
WHO SHOULD READ: Legend trilogy fans, Tamora Pierce fans, X-Men fans
MY RATING: Four and a half out of Five shady politicians

Thematic Sunday: Books With Parties

So, I've decided that I'm combing the Making the Leap and What to Read Next features. They honestly were kind of the same thing, just different focus. Now, I'm just going to take one theme (it may be a trope/character type/setting/genre/anything) and just recommend any kinds of books that go along with that theme. You'll see anything from non-fiction to YA to Adult to middle-grade. If it follows the theme, I'll put it on the list. Maximum books will be ten, minimum books will be 5.

This week, since we just had one of the biggest celebrations of the year, I'm doing books with parties at the center/and or around the main plot.

1) A Curious Invitation: The Forty Greatest Parties in Fiction by Suzette Fields

Need further reading then this list? Check out this nonfiction book that talks about some of the best parties in fiction. In fact, some of the books I'm going to mention here are in here.

2) The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

You can't have a list about parties and not have Gatsby. That's just blasphemy. Though FYI, to all of you who keep throwing "Gatsby" parties, it's not a Gatsby party until a guy is murdered. Just saying.

3) Bright Young Things series by Anna Godberson

Check out the flapper era from another angle.

4) And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

This is actually a party you might want to skip. Everyone starts dropping dead.

5) Yolo by Sam Jones

This one is about a quest to get to an epic spring break party.

6) Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

I swear, every time you turned around in this book, Elizabeth and Darcy were at some sort of party/gathering/function. I don't know where they found the time to even fall in love with all that stuff they were going too.

7) The Girls Book 1: Party Girl by Rachel Hollis

This one is abound an event planner. I say that fits the theme, no?

8) The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe

A Prince hosts lavish parties to hide the fact that crappy things are happening in his country. It gets spoiled by a rebel who doesn't want to ignore the bad things happening.

9) Carrie by Stephen King

AKA the book that proves Prom is overrated.

10) Jinx by Meg Cabot

I'm probably reaching with this one. But the climax of the book does start at a high school dance. Proving once again: they are overrated.

Book Review: Talon

TITLE: Talon
Book 1 in the Talon series
AUTHOR: Julie Kagawa
PUBLISHED: October 28th, 2014
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Urban Fantasy, Shifters, Dragons
PREMISE: A young dragon experiences freedom for the first time all while not knowing she's falling for a dragon hunter...
MY REVIEW: Kagawa never fails to disappoint. Somehow she manages to take tired cliches (sorry, but the shifter dragon thing has been done several times, it's not new) and put fresh spins on them.
Are there some tropes here? Yes. Do the tropes hinder the story in any way? Nope, not really. Yet again, Kagawa manages to weave an entertaining but also kind of thoughtful yarn. This is not an easy thing to do and I get impressed every time I read a new book of hers about how she manages this feat. Kagawa, what's your secret? All aspiring writers want to know.
Basically, if you're a Kagawa fan, this book is for you. It's got her imagination running through it (no, seriously, I love her imagination) and is entertaining throughout. If you're in the mood for dragons, this is your new series to check out while waiting for the new Seraphina book (four months and counting!).
WHO SHOULD READ: Firelight series fans, Julie Kagawa fans, dragons fans
MY RATING: Four out of Five claws

Book Review: And Only to Deceive

TITLE: And Only to Deceive
Book 1 in the Lady Emily series
AUTHOR: Tasha Alexander
PUBLISHED: 2006
CATEGORY: Adult
GENRE: Historical Mystery
PREMISE: A young widow investigates her deceased husband's affairs and finds some surprising things.
MY REVIEW: This week's library find is an historical mystery series. Emphasis on historical, mystery as an afterthought. If you want Sherlock Holmes style mysteries...you're better off going elsewhere. Not the mystery is bad or nonexistent. It's there and there are intriguing things there. It just...takes awhile to get to the actual mystery part.
However, if you want beautifully described historic places, this is your book. Alexander is a great history writer for sure. She nails this setting. I also really enjoyed the slight feminist awakening in the heroine. Well, feminist for that time period anyway. So if you're a history buff who likes romantic suitors pursuing the independent female...this is for you.
So, this one was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I loved the setting, I quite liked the heroine, and the mystery was appropriate for the time perio. It just was...slow. Really really slow. So I'd advise patience for this one if you decide to give it a whirl.
WHO SHOULD READ: historical fiction fans
MY RATING: Three and a half out of Five widows gaining independance

Looking Ahead: January 2015

2015 is shaping up to be an awesome book year. Long awaited sequels are FINALLY coming, new interesting looking series are starting, and so much more. Here are some notable books in January that I'm looking forward too and can't wait to read.

Out January 6th:

Hellhole by Gina Damico

Category: YA
Genre: Demons/UF
Why: Damico's books are always fun. This looks like no exception. It'll probably be my first read of the year. I already have the galley up and ready to go for when I finish my galleys for this month.

Ghosts of Heaven by Marcus Sedgwick

Genre: Not sure, looks like historical fiction though
Category: YA
Why: I've heard good things about Sedgwick and this book has been getting some buzz.

Dark Star Book 3: Fire Fall by Bethany Frenette

Category: YA
Genre: Urban Fantasy/superheroes
Why: My favorite underrated series comes to end. ;sniff;

Wollstonecraft Detective Agency 1: The Case of the Missing Moonstone by Jordan Stratford

Category: Middle-Grade
Genre: Steampunk, Mystery
Why: It's a steampunk mystery. I'm weak to this action guys and you know it.

Splintered Book 3: Ensnared by A. G. Howard

Category: YA
Genre: Retelling/Fantasy
Why: My favorite wacky reimagining of Alice in Wonderland comes to a close ;sniff;





Out January 13th:

The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

Category: YA
Genre: Fantasy/Faeries
Why: It's Holly Black. If that's not enough said, she's doing faeries again. I'm sold.





Out January 15th:

Brother's Grimm Mystery Book 1: The Case of the Missing Frog Prints

Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery/Retelling
Why: Dude, grown up Gretel solving mysteries? What more could you possibly need?




Out January 20th:

Avalon Book 2: Polaris by Mindee Arnett

Category: YA
Genre: Science Fiction
Why: Because Avalon was underrated awesomeness.

Fever series Book 7: Burned by Karen Marie Moning

Category: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Faeries
Why: This is one of those long awaited sequels I was talking about (and it is by no means the only one this year).





Out January 27th:

Embassy Row series Book 1: All Fall Down by Ally Carter

Category: YA
Genre: Mystery/Adventure
Why: A new Ally Carter book is always something to be happy about. Especially if it's a new series.

Madman's Daughter Trilogy Book 3: A Cold Legacy by Megan Shephard

Category: YA
Genre: Retelling/Classic Book referencing
Why: Yet another underrated trilogy draws to a close.

Lunar Chronicles 3.5: Fairest by Marissa Meyer

Category: YA
Genre: Science Fiction/Retelling
Why: If you've read the Lunar Chronicles, you know why. If you haven't, what the hell are you waiting for?





Other notable books out: I Was Here by Gayle Foreman, Woven by Michael Jensen and David Powers King, The Conspiracy of Us Book 1 by Maggie Hall.

Book Review: 2 A. M. at the Cat's Pajamas

TITLE: 2 A. M. at the Cat's Pajamas
AUTHOR: Marie-Helene Bertino
PUBLISHED: August 5th, 2014
CATEGORY: Adult
GENRE: Realistic Fiction, Drama
PREMISE: A group of people get drawn together for one night at a popular night club.
MY REVIEW: This was very much a random read for me. It's not at all my usual type of read. I picked it up after rave reviews over at Book Riot.
I think the highlight of this book is absolutely the writing. The writer has such lovely prose. She also does dialogue and characters very well. The story all ties together neatly.
It just...ends somewhat too abruptly for my taste. It was just kind of sudden when it happened. It wasn't a bad ending. It suited the book just fine. It was just startling when it happened because I expected there to be more. So I won't be at all surprised if there's a sequel. But it's literary fiction so I suspect there won't be. Literature fiction isn't as sequel happy as genre fiction after all.
All in all it was a good read. I absolutely see why it got good reviews. It wasn't necessarily my kind of book, but for those into literature and realistic drama type fiction...I definitely recommend it.
WHO SHOULD READ: fans of literary drama, nightclub goers
MY RATING: Four out of Five beautiful prose

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Book Goals/Resolutions for 2015

This is a weekly meme hosted by the ladies over at The Broke and the Bookish

This Week: Top Ten Bookish Goals for 2015

1) Read 150 books at least: I did make my goal of 200 this year (a lot weren't reviewed here for various reasons), but as it looks like I'm going to be trying to move next year, I will likely have lots of my free time eaten up by working more to get moving money and getting my new place. So I'll probably have less reading time.

2) Get through the A authors in my reading through the library project: I'm about midway at the moment (at Al) so I think this is entirely possible. Especially as most of the upcoming authors are romance authors whom I have no interest in reading so I can skip a bunch of those. Possibly, I'll make it the B authors by July. May even get to the second row of shelves this year!

3) Keep up more on new releases: was kind of bad about that this year.

4) Keep up on my Net Galley reading: kind of ties into the keeping up on new releases thing, but I was sort of bad about Galley reading this year. Sorry publishers!

5) Finally read the rest of Jane Austen's books: I got the Barnes and Noble Jane Austen hardcover for Christmas this year. I've only ever read Pride and Prejudice and Emma. I think it's high time I've read the rest, especially as I've seen all the movies.

6) Read more John Scalzi. I loved Lock In. Time to read Redshirts finally. Also plan on reading more Chimanda Ngozi Adichie because Half a Yellow Sun was awesome.

7) Get more books I've been meaning to read forever out of the way: this includes: Diary of a True Part-Time Indian, Sabriel series by Garth Nix, some other Laurie Halse Anderson books, and so on.

8) Be more consistent about reviewing. My blog was really random this year, wasn't it? Sorry about that. At least I was kind of better then last year?

9) Do Thematic Sundays feature: I've decided to take the two features I had going for awhile and just combine them into one feature on Sundays, where I will take a theme and just rec any kind of book (adult, YA, MG whichever) that falls under that theme.

10) Get back into graphic novel reading and non-fiction reading: I sometimes like to take a genre I've been neglecting and get back into it. This year, I'm getting back into graphic novels because Ms. Marvel reminded me why I loved comics back in the day and I think I'll be doing some non-fiction reading because there have been some awesome looking ones coming out this past year (Yes Please by Amy Poehler, and Bad Feminist by Roxanne Gay for example).