Denton Little's Death Date

Denton Little has know the date of his death since he was born. Everyone knows their death date. This way you can give your own eulogy, attend your own funeral and get your affairs in order. As Denton's date approaches, he looks to fulfill some goals. He and his best friend Paolo have plans. They have been friends forever since Paolo is set to die 26 days after Denton. Denton's girlfriend Taryn is making things difficult as her ex boyfriend seems to be waiting for Denton to die so he can get her back. Then there is the fact that he and Paolo's sister seemed to have hooked up and Denton can't remember. As the hours tick down to the end, Denton gets a weird rash that turns him purple. But could this rash actually be saving his life? As Denton races through his last day, long kept secrets are exposed and he must run in order to possibly survive. This book is a wild ride filled with action. It is funny and clever and rings true to high school. Paolo is hilarious and inappropriate most of the time. The love triangle is in the background, but adds a few funny moments. Denton is an insightful character that has a unique outlook on life. I enjoyed this book and will look for the sequel next spring. Happy reading my friends!

The Bane Chronicles

Ahh. That feels better. If you know anything about me, you know that Will Herondale of the Infernal Devices series is my number 1 favorite fictional boy. The nine books that Cassandra Clare has written are some of my all time favories. This book is about Magnus Bane, one of the characters in her series. He is a warlock so he has been alive through all the Herondales and their adventures. Why did I mention Will? I guess him being a part of this book took my tear ducts by surprise. All he had to do was mention Will and Tessa and Jem and I was crying on my couch. Not a very sane reaction I'll admit. That being said, I loved this group of stories that tells Magnus's tale. It is funny and touching and lovely. It was a way to bring all the characters back and tell more of their stories. And it shed light on others. Magnus is a hopeless romantic and his love of Alec makes him a true treasure. It was great to see how their love story started from Magnus's point of view. It's not easy living forever and watching those you love die. But Magnus tells the story with wit and insight-and a flair for fashion.  I don't know which scene was my favorite, but anything with Will is first. The introduction of Clary and Jocelyn and how they met Tessa made me cry too. If you love these two series, this is the perfect companion. It will tide you over until the new series is out. Magnus lived quite the life and you can chronicle it through his fashion and famous friends. I am sad to let go of Will once again and now I'm stuck hoping that the new series will have some Jace, Clary and the Lightwoods in it too. Happy reading my friends...

Code Name Verity

As a rule, I don't like to read WW2 books. They are always heartbreaking. And sad. And they make me angry. So when people began recommending this book to me, I said "no thanks". But they were persistent and promised that I would love it. I really need to stick to my guns. It was heartbreaking. It was sad and now I am angry. This is the story of two girls in England who get involved in the war effort for the Allies. One is a pilot and the other a spy. Queenie is captured and tells the tale of her friendship with Maddie in the form of an interrogation at the hands of the Nazi's. She is clever and determined. Maddie is tough and focused. She flies planes and airmen to secret locations in awful conditions. They strike up a lovely friendship in the toughest of times. The first half of the book is Queenie/Julie's story, the second is Maddie's. Needless to say, it is not a happy ending for them. Did I like the book? Well, I couldn't put it down, I had high hopes for a sappy happily ever after ending. That's just my style. But it left me crushed. The bravery of people in war times is something I hope to never have to experience. I don't know where the courage comes from. These characters will stay with me for a while. But I will go back to my no WW2 novels for the time being. There is too much reality even in a fictional tale. I salute the actual women who risked and lost their lives fighting for the rights of others. Happy reading my friends!

The Lovely and the Lost

The Waverly family is dealing with some issues. Gabby is in training to join the Alliance. Grayson is fighting the urge to give in to his Hellhound side and Ingrid is dealing with her demon and angel blood. Just another day in Paris. Of course, this is a problem since this is not the way people behave in polite society in the 1800's. To top it all off, Luc, the families protector, is fighting his love for Ingrid which is strictly forbidden. See, Luc is a gargoyle and committed to protect all who live in his territory. To add to the drama, Axia is trying to get her angel blood back from Ingrid, as is a secret society who wants to experiment with it. So basically, Ingrid is in peril and Luc must try and keep her safe while keeping his distance. Then you have Nolan, the dashing Scottish Alliance member who is in love with Gabby, but must keep his distance because his father wants her to stay away. To add to the mix,  the gargoyles and the Alliance have an uneasy truce that could shatter at any moment. It's hard to know who to trust and who is on which side. Everyone is at risk, the Alliance, the Dispossessed, the Waverly's, the Daicrypta, Axia, no one is safe. This is book two in the Dispossessed Trilogy. This means there is a lot of action and zero resolution, so be prepared. There is a love triangle between Luc, Ingrid and Vander. (though not a believable one- it's Luc all the way). There is Grayson running off as a Hellhound, being called to serve an evil master. There is Gabby who does something unforgivable by accident that will put her relationship with Nolan in jeopardy along with her life. And the surprise- Marco, the broody gargoyle who is now solely in charge of protecting Ingrid. I love a good supernatural book as you know. This one has a great atmosphere, setting and interesting cast of characters. Start with The Beautiful and the Cursed and meet the family, then hang on tight- gargoyles really know how to fly! Happy reading my friends!

The Queen of the Tearling

Let me start with, I thought this was a YA book, but after reading, I would change that opinion. The heroine is a 19 year old girl, but the story is definitely for an adult audience in enough places for me to issue that warning. That being said- I loved this story. It was heralded as a more serious Hunger Games, but this story is all it's own. Kelsea is the daughter of the fallen Queen. Her uncle has been acting Regent of the Tear. He has run the kingdom to the ground. Kelsea has been in hiding for 18 years. If found, many factions want her dead. As she comes of age, the Queen's Guard comes to fetch her from her guardians. It is a treacherous journey back to the kingdom and not all make it back. On the way she meets the Fetch- think of Robin Hood- and she strikes a bargain about the kind of queen she wants to be. As she finally makes it back to the Tear- with a lot of help from the Mace- she finds her citizens loaded into wagons to be sent as tribute to the Red Queen of Mort. Kelsea won't stand for this and released the tributes. This of course will start a war with the Mort, but Kelsea doesn't want to be weak like her mother or corrupt like her uncle. People try to kill her at every turn and Kelsea must figure out who can be trusted. The people of the Tear, however, feel like she is the True Queen, and pin their hopes on her. With forces working against her, Kelsea must make decisions that could cause her death. She must take charge and be the queen her guardians knew she could be. This book is filled with interesting characters and premise. The time period is the future with enough references to a past I certainly recognize. Kelsea thinks books are the greatest need in society, so she and I would be BFFs. Luckily for me, the sequel is out on Tuesday and will accompany me to New Orleans. Now, about a YA reader- just be warned of several adult themes and language. It is for a more advanced and mature reader. Happy reading my friends!