Once and For All

If you are a Sarah Dessen fan you may understand this- I look forward to reading her books with dread. Because I know that she will introduce characters that will break my heart. And yes, she did it again with this book. Louna is the daughter of a wedding planner. This means Louna works with her mother and her mother's best friend William to create memorable weddings. This, of course, isn't always easy. Especially when her mother hires Ambrose in order to get him off a bride's nerves. Ambrose is everything Louna is not. He is flighty, impulsive, and unbelievably kind while also a serial dater. Louna doesn't believe you can have more than one true love and she knows she has already had hers and it ended in unspeakable tragedy. Ambrose is determined to find out what makes Louna tick even while getting on her very last nerve. I am not going to tell you more about the plot, it is best left to experience on your own. I will say a few things. I love the way the story unfolds as Louna tells the story of her epic love. I love the world of wedding planning, so interesting. I love that Auden makes a brief appearance. I love Ambrose and all he brings to the world. The list he makes in the beginning of the story had me laughing out loud. I love that he blows out every candle he lights to make a wish and then relights it. I love his spirit and presence and how he is in the moment with whoever he is with. And I love the care he shows for everyone, even Ira, the stolen dog. But most of all I love how Louna comes to find that wishes may actually come true. Oh, and I love the wishes she makes for all her wedding couples. I love this author and the the damage she does to me with each new book. So if you are a fan, you already have this book on the shelf and if you aren't, oh boy are you in for a great treat. Happy reading my friends and may all your wishes come true.

A Crown of Wishes

"What was magic anyway, but the world beheld by someone who chose to see it differently? " Man is this book beautifully written! This is the companion book to The Star-Touched Queen which was also beautifully written. I often found myself stopping and rereading sentences and getting lost in the meaning. But enough of that- This is the story of Maya's sister Gauri, who is being held captive in by her brother. She wants to be Queen, but he is doing all he can to prevent this. He has her taken to the neighboring kingdom and wants them to kill her. But the Prince of this land, Vikram, has problems of his own. He is a puppet prince due to circumstances of his birth. When Gauri tries to kill him, he offers her a way out- to the Tournament of Wishes, where the winners will each receive one wish. As they enter the Otherworld, they must get over their fears and distrust of each other and figure out a way to outwit the magic that is all around them.  They will be surprised that the wishes they thought they would ask for, no longer seem important in the end. This is a lovely, fantastical book. It is filled with magic, friendship, trust and sacrifice. The characters are complex and interesting on every level. And I must say, the ending is absolutely exquisite. Rosin Chokshi is a brilliant writer who can evoke such amazing images with her words. You don't have to read the first to understand the second, but it does help you understand the relationship between Gauri and Maya. I loved this book and will use it to teach descriptive language this next school year. You won't be sorry. Happy reading my friends!

Blackhearts

I must confess, I love pirate stories, shows, movies, etc. After finishing watching Black Sails, I found Blackbeard fascinating. Of course, they destroyed him in one of the last episodes, but to take to the sea and live the life of a pirate sounds freeing. Except for never being clean and having to eat fish of course. So when I found this book, it immediately came home with me. This is the story of Edward Teach, son of a merchant, longing for life at sea. And Anne, the daughter of a slave and rich merchant who winds up in the house of Edward's father as a maid. (That is a tale in itself) As Anne and Teach encounter each other, sparks fly and they soon must admit they were made for adventure and each other. But society will not have it. Nor will Edward's father. When the truth of their romance gets out, trouble abounds and dastardly deeds occur. I love the thought of an origin story of someone so notorious. I love the way the author created the set of circumstances for the life of an infamous pirate. I love Anne and her fierce independence and her will to find her place in the world. And I hopefully will love the love story that may take place, that I hope book two will provide. I couldn't put this one down, and loved every page. I can't wait to see how they find each other and how Blackbeard comes to be. Yo ho my friends and happy reading!

The Passion of Dolssa

I will start with this- I don't think my 8th graders will have any interest in this book. That being said, i really liked it. Dolls is a mystic- she believes she talks to God, that she is his bride. In the 1200's this could get you burned at the stake as a heretic. So Dolssa is sentenced to die and somehow escapes and runs for her life. Botille, a 17 year old matchmaker, finds her on the side of the road and is compelled to help her. This could condemn Botille and her sisters to face the same fate. But Dolssa saves Botille's sister from death and the sisters become her biggest supporters, no matter what this will lead to. The Inquisitors, led by Lucien are determined to find Dolssa and enact her punishment, but Lucien is strangely conflicted about her. He may believe she is a miracle worker. As he gets closer and closer to finding her, the entire town becomes complicit to the crime of hiding Dolssa as she has helped everyone in the town with something miraculous. Unfortunately, Lucien finds her and with the threat of extraordinary punishment, the town cannot stand by her any longer. The sisters must run for their lives and forever hide from the Inquisition, never really finding peace and safety as there is no statute of limitations for the crime of being a heretic. I am always amazed by religious persecution, because, by nature, religion should be kindness and understanding. But throughout time and even present day, the atrocities committed in the name of religion are many. We do not seem to learn from the past, but just find new ways to destroy each other in the name of piety. I love historical fiction so I couldn't put this down once I started but I don't think I have met the student yet who would enjoy or follow this story. But there is always next year! Happy reading my friends!

History is All You Left Me

Theo and Griffin have been best friends forever. This leads up to the day they came out to each other on the subway, confessing the feelings they have. First love ensues with all that goes with that. When Theo goes off to college in California, Griffin breaks up with him so things don't get weird. They stay in touch for a while via Skype until Griffin notices someone in the background- Jackson. Griffin's world falls apart as he realizes his plan has backfired and Theo may have actually moved on. But then the worst happens, Theo dies and Griffin must come to grips with what this means. Lost love, guilt, sadness, depression and a raging case of OCD. Griffin tells this story to Theo as he comes to terms with what Theo meant to him and who he will become in the future. The road is not easy and it is full of life lessons for Griffin. Feelings are hurt, emotions are frayed and grief is explored. This is a great coming of age book for our time. It is told in alternating chapters via flashback and leads you to the secrets that Griffin is keeping to protect his friendships. Next up- not sure if it will be supernatural or Sarah Dessen, don't think I can take two sad ones in a row and the beach is calling so..... Happy reading my friends.

Court of Wings and Ruin

So if you haven't read a book by Sarah Maas yet, run don't walk to the book store. This is the third in her second series about Feyre and Rhysand, Lord and High Lady of the Court of Nightmares. I could tell you all about the plot and who did what and where and who died and all that, but if you haven't read the first two, that would be pointless. I will say this- I read this book between my fingers. I have come to love these characters almost as much as Aelin and Roan. The family created in these pages is lovable, frustrating, powerful and dynamic. The fight they are up against is epic. The consequences are literally life and death. Characters are redeemed, love triangles solved, and new ones created. Evil is unleashed, goodness prevails at times and truces are made. In the end, the lesson is that family is not what you are born into, but what is created through love and respect. The way Rhys treats his family and mate should be taught. I am glad it is over for now, I can breathe several sighs of relief as I wait for more of Aelin's story as she wastes away in an iron coffin in another series. Summer is here and the books are piled up. Give this series a try, but be warned if you are a teacher, this one doesn't go on my 8th grade shelf- too much adult content. Happy reading my friends! (Rhys, Cassian and Az are all on my top ten fictional boys list- but they share a spot due to lack of space)

Shadowcaster

If you read any of my blogs, you know that next to Will Herondale, Han Allister was my favorite fictional boy. Now that he is no longer, this new series has to fill in for that loss. This second book in the new series follows Han and Raisa's daughter Lyss. Lyss is mourning the loss of her brother and father and she is tired of waiting around for war to come to her kingdom. She is tired of sitting on the sidelines and wants action. She is headstrong and fearless like her parents. But she has no desire to be queen, she likes the soldier life and excels at it. When she captures an enemy soldier, she finds herself falling for him. As she and her team are attacked repeatedly, Lyss must find a way to save herself and her kingdom from those out to destroy the Gray Wolf line. She isn't sure what to do about Hal. She can't be with him, but she can't seem to stay away from him. And is her brother alive or is that another cruel twist of fate. And what is the flying beast that saves them from being destroyed. This book leaves more questions than answers and creates a new group of characters that can hold your attention for hours. It almost makes you forgive the fact that Adrian isn't even in this second book and that Han is dead. (almost) I have loved every book by Cinda Williams Chima and this is no exception to that. If you haven't started yet, go back to the beginning with The Demon King and if you finish these two series, there is also the Heir Chronicles to fill your summer, which is just around the corner -9 days and counting! The pile of books is waiting and I'm ready for the challenge. Happy reading my friends.