Frozen

Nat is marked. That makes her hunted. She has to find a way out of New Vegas before those that would lock her up can find her. Wes is a mercenary. He lives on the edge, day to day, trying to keep his crew alive. They need each other. Nat has to get to the Blue and Wes can get her there. For a price. They decide to use each other to get what they need. Of course you know what happens next- the F word- feelings! Nat tries to fight her attraction to Wes because they told her she doesn't have a heart. Wes tries to fight his attraction because that is what he does, he doesn't have room to keep one more person safe. As they race through the toxic ocean to find the Blue (which may or may not exist) they face extreme circumstances that cause them to put aside their reservations about each other and band together to survive. But both of them harbor secrets that could drive a wedge between them forever. This story is set in the future where all creativity and technological advancements have stopped. People are eating manufactured food, nothing grows, the world is frozen. You save up all your money to get a clean drink of water or a hit of oxygen. You earn Watts for heat to keep you alive. You trust no one, because no one is trustworthy. I completely fell for these characters and this book. Wes is totally a guy you can count on and Nat fights for what is right. Their crew including a Sylph and some smallmen are quite a team. It moves at a brisk pace to a unsatisfying conclusion and by that I mean a cliffhanger that will make me wait impatiently for book two of this series. I need to go warm up with a cup of coffee after spending time in this frozen novel. Happy reading my friends! Stay warm.

Another Jekyll, Another Hyde

This one has been sitting on my bookshelf for a while and so I noticed it the other day and thought- 'why not?'. This is a retelling of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in modern times. It is set at the Marlowe school for the rich and elite. Thomas Goodman-Brown is the golden boy of the school. But something has happened to him on a night he was at his girlfriend Belle's house. Her governess did something to him. Now Belle has disappeared and Thomas is slowly losing control of his own mind. He doesn't know what is wrong with him, only that his new step-mother is not what she seems. He begins taking a drug called 'W' that a mysterious girl at a club gave him and this only makes things worse. Thomas begins hearing a voice in his head, and that voice is one angry bird! Edward is slowly taking over Thomas's body and doing not so nice things. Thomas doesn't know how this is happening, but must figure out a way to defeat Edward and his evil mother Nicola. The evil is an ancient one and will take everything in Thomas's power to overcome it. He will lose friends along the way, but for him, this is a matter of life or death. I believe this book is the third in a series, although it stands alone. There is much backstory that I assume is explained in either Another Faust  or Another Pan. There are enough references to make me want to read both of these other tales. This book won't be for everyone. It changes voice quite often and this may confuse younger readers. But anyone familiar with the source material will enjoy the modern day twists. Happy reading my friends!

A Million Suns

In this sequel to Beth Revis's book Across the Universe, our main characters must grow up! Now that Amy has realized that she isn't getting off the Godspeed and all her hopes are lost, she must decide if she will wake up her parents. Oh and decide what her true feelings about Elder are. Elder has bigger problems. After freezing Orion in the Cryo tube,  he must take command of a ship that is no longer under the influence of Phydus- a drug that causes the population of the ship to be much like complacent sheep. He ability to rule is under constant question and rebellions begin to form. But then Amy starts getting clues from Orion. He has left her a huge secret which will force her and Elder to make life changing decisions. All is working against them and even Elder isn't sure what his decision should be. Amy, on the other hand, does not waver in her belief that they MUST get off the ship. As the body count rises and time grows short, Amy follows the clues to the shattering secret. And that's when all hell breaks loose. I must say that after the first book, I let this one sit on my shelf for a while. (So long even, that the final book is out in paperback in a couple of weeks) I was depressed at the idea that Amy was going to be trapped on a ship for the rest of her life. But this book was filled with action, adventure and a growing love story. As the characters are on the brink of a new life filled with uncertainty, I am looking forward to seeing what this new chapter will bring for Amy, Elder and Orion. Will the hero get the girl? Will they live happily ever after? Will they have made the right decision? Stay tuned and happy reading my friends!

Fangirl

Add to my list of favorite authors Rainbow Rowell. She wrote my favorite summer read Eleanor and Park and now she has added Fangirl to my favorites bookshelf. This is the story of twins Cather and Wren as they go off to college. Their mother left them when they were 8 and their bipolar father raised them. Wren decides she doesn't want to room with Cath at college, which causes Cath to shut down and isolate herself. They are also in love with the world of Simon Snow, the main character in a long series of books (imagine Harry Potter) Cath writes fanfic (stories about the characters) and has a massive following online. At college, Cath's roommate Reagan, a tough talking sassy girl, decides to take pity on Cath and makes her become more social. Reagan's ex-boyfriend Levi is always hanging around. He "passes out smiles to everyone he met like it didn't cost him anything". He is charming, always happy, and such a gentleman. Of course, Cath doesn't realize that he and Reagan are exes and is horrified with herself when she falls for him. Levi is the boy we are all looking for. (yes, top ten fictional boy list material right next to Park) he Outsiders. Cath reads it to Levi and says they are on chapter 12 but only in the middle of the book. The Outsiders  only has 12 chapters. But that is a minor complaint from a language arts teacher who loves that book. Anyway, I highly recommend you check out this author. She is wonderful. Happy reading my friends!
 No magical powers, no extreme talents, not even a great head of hair. Just someone who loves completely and is open to everything. There are lots of serious conflicts in this book, but I won't give them away. It is truly a masterful coming of age novel filled with realistic characters. Her books are so easy to read and almost impossible to put down. My only complaint is about a reference to T

The Dream Thieves

Ok, so the pressure was on. Rylee threatened to finish The Raven Boys tonight and would need this book for the weekend. I never turn down a challenge so I came home, parked myself on the patio and finished the sequel, The Dream Thieves. Now if I tried to explain what this book was about, it would turn into a one hundred page summary that still wouldn't be clear. So I will say this, read the first one and get hooked into the world of Henrietta, where the Aglionby boys and the girl they all adore, are able to do magical things on their quest to wake Glendower, the king who will grant a wish. This book finds Ronan learning to use the power/curse he is born with. Adam must come to terms with who he really is. Noah has to find enough energy to materialize. Gansey must keep his friends together while not abandoning his quest and Blue must stop herself from kissing her one true love. Add to this mix the arrival of Mr. Gray, the hitman, sent to find the Greywaren. He didn't expect to fall in love with Blue's mother, which really puts a crimp in his plans. This is a mystical world, filled with monsters, powers, psychics and at it's heart, a love story. I can't get enough of Maggie Stiefvater's books. She creates the most fabulous characters, who even when they are dastardly, you can't help but love them! (Declan) The twists and turns will keep you wondering what will happen next and I for one, am looking forward to the next book. Because we all know, book two always leaves you hanging. Happy reading my friends!

Crown of Midnight

Okay Rylee- you were right- the last page was crazy! This sequel to Throne of Glass by Sarah Maas was outstanding. It returns to the world of Celaena Sardothien, the King's Assassin. She is bound by the knowledge that if she doesn't do as the king demands, those she loves will be killed. And she has lost far too many loved ones as it is. The King seems to have the mysterious ability to conquer all the lands he wants and he wants all the lands. Celaena is surrounded by her friends, Nehemia, a princess trying to free her enslaved people, Dorian, the king's son and her former flame, and Chaol, the King's Guard, who has become more that just a training partner. Nehemia wants her to be strong and embrace her power to change the world, but Celaena has been burned one too many times. Dorian is grappling with his own mysterious problem that could find him in a mess of trouble. And Chaol realizes he would give up everything if he could take Celaena away and live happily ever after. But as we know, without conflict, the story would have no where to go. So bring on the tragedy. With the tragic and brutal death of one of the main characters, Celaena's world forever changes, not only who she loves, but how she lives. She realizes it's time to step up and face her past even if it means she will lose the only ones who matter to her. Holy Assassin's Batman. This was one action packed read, filled with romance, deception, magic and overwhelming loss. So until the next book comes out, I will have sit and wonder how this epic adventure will be resolved. Luckily, I have boxes of books to keep me occupied until then. But Chaol and Celaena will be in the back of my mind, waiting to be unleased on the evil and unsuspecting King of Adarlan. And here's hoping he gets what he deserves. Happy reading my friends!