The Drafter by Kim Harrison (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"Detroit 2030. Double-crossed by the person she loved and betrayed by the covert government organization that trained her to use her body as a weapon, Peri Reed is a renegade on the run.

Don’t forgive and never forget has always been Peri’s creed. But her day job makes it difficult: she is a drafter, possessed of a rare, invaluable skill for altering time, yet destined to forget both the history she changed and the history she rewrote.

When Peri discovers her name on a list of corrupt operatives, she realizes that her own life has been manipulated by the agency. She joins forces with a mysterious rogue soldier in a deadly race to piece together the truth about her final task, unable to trust even herself."

My Thoughts:

The Drafter is one of the most original  science fiction/urban fantasy series that I've read in a long time.  I loved the world that Harrison created with this book and am very eager for more.  I always talk about those books that you can just sink down into and that is exactly what I found myself doing with this book.  It wasn't one of those books that I could set down so instead I found myself reading and saying "one more chapter" for long stretches at a time.  I really liked the fact that this book is so completely different from any other book that I've read.  The idea of being able to alter time but then to just forget what they have altered while also losing stretches of time was so unique to any other books that I've read.  The author used this to add such a thrilling layer of intensity to the book and it was just one of the reasons that I couldn't set this book down.

I'm trying very hard not to give too much away here but warning now for a slight spoiler.  One of the things that I loved most about this book is that the author wasn't afraid to make difficult choices in regards to her characters and the overall plot.  There were times that I was so frustrated but just made me want to keep reading even more.  It felt like a must to see how this would all play out and end.  Would Peri be able to figure everything out in time?  That was the question and it is what kept me reading late into the night.  I loved both her character and also Silas' character as well.  I liked that there is a hint of something more there and am hoping that we get to see more of it in future books.  I really don't think that we have learned fully all about Peri's abilities and that is also something that I'm hoping the author will explore more.  Excellent secondary characters also helped to make this book stand out for me.  The ending of this book left me unready to see it end.  I am absolutely pining for the second book at this point.  I'm also kicking myself a bit for waiting so long to read this one.  I loved the way the author ended this book and won't say more than that (other than it fit perfectly with the book in my opinion).

Final thoughts can be summed up as "Read it!"  A page turning read would be the perfect way to describe this book as well.  Obviously I don't have anything but good things to say about it.  I would love to find more books like this so I'm thinking that I need to stick my toes more in the science fiction genre.  I'm also planning on reading this author's Rachel Morgan series while I wait for book two to release in this one.  It is another series that I've always meant to read and put off but no longer.  If that series is half as good as this book was, then I'm in for a real treat!

Bottom Line:  A thrilling and great beginning to this new series!  I need more!

Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book for the publisher.

Blythewood by Carol Goodman (thoughts)

Blythewood was my final read of 2014 and ended up being a great way to end the year!  I went into this book not knowing a lot about it (other than I have enjoyed both adult books by this author that I have read) and it worked out really well for me.  This was a book filled with questions, where I never knew quite what was going on, and the suspense/questions carried me through the pages with ease.  I loved it!

In this book Avaline Hall is taken in by her maternal grandmother after a few horrifying turn of events including the death of her mother, a fire, and a stay in a mental asylum.  Staying with her grandmother means getting the chance to go to her mother's old boarding school, Blythewood.  Despite never explaining the fallout that happened between her and her own mother, Ava's mother always spoke fondly of her time at Blythewood and her memories from there.  Ava realizes that to learn her mother's secrets she will need to go to that school to look for the answers.  Maybe now she will be able to finally find out who her real father is and what happened to make her mother leave Blythewood forever.  Ava is about to learn though that the world that she is stepping into is one that she could never have imagined.

I really, really enjoyed reading this book!  There are certain authors that you just trust as a reader and Goodman has become one of them for me.  For good reason too as she writes these books that just suck you in as the reader.  That is exactly what this one did to me!  Ava is about to step into this new world that she could never have dreamed of.  She's learning more about herself but she is also learning more about her mother's past.  All of these things led to questions for me as the reader.  This was mainly because I never quite knew what was going on for sure with this book.  The author took her time giving us pieces here and there.  It made the book so much more suspenseful for me!  I feel like I say this a lot in my reviews but this was yet another book that I just could not put down.  The author has set up such a unique storyline that feels different from a lot of what is out there.  It has a historical fantasy feel to it but there was just so much more.  I can't even explain without giving things away that I don't want to.  Suffice it to say that this book is exactly why I will read anything/everything that this author writes!

Other things I enjoyed about this book were the secondary characters.  Neither of Ava's roommates were what I expected and that was a good thing.  I'm eager to see how their characters grow and develop in the next book as this is part of a series or trilogy (not sure which).  There is a hint of possible love triangle that might bother others but what really left me excited at the end of this book was Ava's learning something new and completely unexpected about herself.  I am sure that this is going to play a huge role in the next book and I can't wait to see how!  The ending of this book was done well with things left open for the next book but not in a cliff hanger kind of way.  It just left me super excited to see what will happen next!  I can't wait to get my hands on book two!

Overall, this was a really great way to end my reading year in 2014!  There were so many reasons to love it but what really made this book stand out for me was the unique storyline.  I just cannot wait to see what this author does with the storyline in the next book.  I won't be waiting long to find out as my library has a copy that I can check out for me kindle!  I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book and am hoping that more readers find it as it was a really great read.  Recommended!

Bottom Line:  A delight to read as this book just sucked me in!  I love this author!

Disclosure:  I checked this one out from my local library for my kindle.  Thoughts are my own!

This book counts as book 1 for the Winter COYER challenge that I am participating in.  Woohoo!

Once Upon A Time VII Challenge

It may not feel like spring (when it has been snowing all day long) but spring is definitely here when Carl's Once Upon a Time Challenge comes around!  Are you guys as excited as I am???  You should be!  Carl's challenges are always fun to participate in and a VERY easy way to add to the TBR list :)  I know that I always end up adding a bunch of books that I want to read after seeing everyone's lists and reviews.  He even makes it easy on you because it isn't really a challenge per say AND you can read as much or as little as you want.  Easy, peasy.  I'm signing up for the journey which only requires one read.  I plan on reading more but thought I would keep it simple and see what happens.

Nothing is better then coming up with a pool of books to choose from.  Never mind that half of the time I end up going in the opposite direction.  Or forget completely about my original list of books.  The fun is in browsing the TBR and coming up with possibilities.  Possibilities....I like that!  Here are just a few of the books that I'm considering for this challenge:

 

Lots of possibilities here and a good mix of books that I already have on my shelves and some that I will need to grab from the library.  It has been such a long time since I read the 1st book in the Jasper Fforde series that I might just reread the first book instead.  Howl's Moving Castle is waiting patiently on my e-reader just waiting for me to try it.  And this challenge wouldn't be complete without a little Harry Dresden!  Hooray for Spring and the Once Upon a Time Challenge!!!

Chime by Franny Billingsley (thoughts)

Chime is Briony's story, a self-proclaimed witch with many hidden secrets. Briony has been taught many different things growing up as a pastor's daughter but the one thing that really has stuck with her is that witches are evil, and the reality in the swamp where she lives is that anyone found to be a witch is hung. This is where her story begins...

This book instantly swept me into its' pages from the first page. At the very beginning of the book, Briony tells us that she is a witch and that because she is a witch her anger causes her to hurt the ones that she loves. This is her secret that she carries with her and that plays a huge role in this book. Even though Briony shares her "horrible" secret with the reader, well...I couldn't help but like her. She was one of those characters that I instantly connected with and the relationship that she had with Eldric just felt real to me. Both the characters and the storyline were well developed in this novel. The author's writing had a magical quality to it that spoke of fairy tales while being both haunting and captivating at the same time. It was a book that I couldn't get enough of and found myself wrapped up in throughout. The ending was satisfying and unexpected which made the book all the better in my opinion. I really enjoyed reading this book and would highly recommend it!

Bottom Line: A wonderful read that swept me away in its' pages!

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book for review from the publisher. My thanks!

**In other news, I'm back and hopefully ready to catch up on reviews. So expect all reviews until I catch up except for when I share about my August reads. And maybe I'll post a review of my latest library finds for the RIP challenge (with more to come of course). Or I could post pictures from the first day of school like I've been meaning to for a week or two now. But I WILL catch up on reviews while I'm at it :) Sorry that I haven't been around visiting your blogs...I'll try to remedy that this week. Did I tell you that there is another readathon that I'm thinking about joining??? I'm kind of addicted to them now. Hope you are all having a wonderful week and I'll be by soon!

Once Upon a Time Challenge

I'm sooooooo excited! Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings is hosting the 5th annual Once Upon a Time Challenge. I've participated in this challenge for the past couple of years and absolutely loved it each time! And that banner....look at that banner! I had to have it on my blog just because it is so gorgeous :)

So there are lots of different options to choose from when it comes to amounts of books to read for the challenge or what types of books you want to read. Carl isn't picky and for this challenge the reader can choose between fantasy, mythology, folklore, or fairytales. And the whole point of the challenge is to have fun (while adding to your wishlist like crazy if your name is Sam). Seriously, I don't know how any of you resist this challenge because I honestly can't.

Anywhoo, I've decided to go with Quest the First which is five books in any of the categories listed above. I read more and more fantasy each year so this shouldn't be a problem whatsoever. In fact, I'm going to include a pool of books that I would like to choose from...although more than likely I'll completely change my mind and pick something different up.


Here are just a few of my choices:






1. Prospero Lost by L. Jagi Lamplighter
2. Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
3. Un Lun Dun by China Mieville
4. Indigo Springs by A.M. Dellamonica
5. Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier
6. Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

Just looking at these books gets me excited about this challenge and I have so many other reads that are on my wishlist just waiting to be read. I can't wait to begin!

Cold Magic by Kate Elliott (thoughts)

Can I just start off by saying that I loved this book? Cold Magic is just one of those books that grabbed me and didn't let go. Filled with twists and turns, I was utterly entralled throughout the story and now all I want is more.

This is the story of Cat and Bee, two young women going to college and living during The Industrial Revolution where the story is set. But there is magic in this world, cold magic, and before they know it they are ripped away from each other and the only lives that they have ever known by cold mages. Their lives are turned upside down and danger is lurking around every corner. The question remains, who can they trust?

I can do nothing but sing this book's praises. The world that the girls' live in is fantastically described, and I was caught up within the pages of the story instantly. The storyline itself was fast paced and filled with surprises. There were a couple of times where I was reading (thinking I knew what was going to happen next) and just had the rug pulled out from underneath me. It took my breath away and all of a sudden I was frantically reading the pages as fast as I could trying to see what was going to happen next. I loved it. I loved the experience of reading this book, never really knowing what was going to happen next, and just going along for the ride that the author was taking me on. It was an amazing journey as this book was a chunkster at a little over 500 pages. And the characters were great as well. Both Cat and Bee were well fleshed out characters and even though this was mostly Cat's journey, I still grew to care about what happened to both characters. I also liked that this book was filled with different types of characters like trolls, cold mages, and an eru. It helped to make the story that much more interesting. I'm pretty sure that I don't have a single complaint with this book. All in all, this is a book that I am still thinking about after finishing a couple days later and one that I would highly recommend. All I have to say is Ms. Elliott, would you please write fast...I cannot wait for book 2 in this trilogy!!

Disclaimer: This book was sent to me by Orbit Books...I'm pretty sure that I love them now after reading this book :) And of course this is my honest opinion.

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

Summary from Goodreads:

"Choose....A quick death....Or slow poison....

About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She'll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace-and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.

And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly's Dust-and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison."

My Thoughts:

Loved it! This is one of those books that instantly pulls you in and I was caught up in Yelena's world and the difficulties she faced from the very beginning. Yelena was a very interesting character to read about. She is facing death every single day and she doesn't crumble. Instead she tries to figure out ways in which to escape and make a better life for herself. The reader is only given pieces at a time of Yelena's life prior to being jailed which kept my curiousity throughout the book. I wanted to know what had happened and how it related to everything that Yelena was now experiencing. The book itself was easy to read, captivating, and when I finished I instantly wanted more. By far my favorite parts of this book were the characters and the world building. I was transported while reading this book into Yelena's world and the life that she was living which made it a great read for me! I can't seem to say enough good things about this book so I'll end it with this being one of those books that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.

Final Thoughts: Maria V. Snyder has created a world that I couldn't get enough of- I'm super excited to continue on with this trilogy and see how Yelena continues to face the difficulties that lay before her.

Disclosure: Another book from my local library.

*I read this book for the following challenges:

New Author Challenge

100+ Reading Challenge

Once Upon a Time Challenge III (how am I still reviewing books for this?)

Fantasy Reading Challenge

Support Your Library Reading Challenge

"P" Title for A-Z Challenge (personal)

Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception by Maggie Stiefvater

I'll admit that I was super excited to read this book just because of all of the hype that has been surrounding this author lately. This fit in perfectly with the Once Upon A Time IV Challenge so I picked it up at the library. I'm really glad I did since this was a good read and an author that I'll certainly read more of.

Deirdre is a talented musician who meets a mysterious boy named Luke at a music recital. From the beginning, Luke is very elusive and seems to know things about Deirdre that she really doesn't know about herself. Because Deirdre is starting to see things that only she can see and all of these new unknowns in her life seem to point to Luke. I really liked the premise of the novel as Deirdre is a Cloverhand which basically means that she can see faeries. Except that she never knew before now that she has this talent and it also means that she is in danger because not all faeries are good or want to be seen. I'm probably one of the few that hasn't read a lot of books about faeries (in fact, the only one that I can think of that I've read was Wicked Lovely) so this was a refreshing read for me. Luke and Deirdre are interested in each other although many of Luke's motives and thoughts aren't shared as to keep the reader in the dark about him. This made me a bit leery of their growing relationship..in fact, I was much more a fan of Deirdre's best friend James. James was a great secondary character in my opinion whom I wanted to play a more important role than he did. He just clicked for me where Luke didn't. The conflict between Deirdre and the faerie Queen was interesting although it took me awhile to understand the relationship between the Queen and Luke. And the ending was good for me but not what I was expecting. It left things open a bit for another book which I *believe* there already is. All in all, I ended up liking this book and the characters in it. And while I had a few problems with it (mainly not being drawn into it right away) I'm planning on picking up the sequel to this one as soon as possible. I'm interested to see where Stiefvater goes with this story and the characters within.

Final Thoughts: An author that I want to read more of and a refreshing read!

Disclosure: I got this one from the library as usual :)

*I read this book for the following challenges:

New Author Challenge

Once Upon a Time IV Challenge

100+ Reading Challenge

YA Reading Challenge

Support Your Library Reading Challenge

Fantasy Reading Challenge

Harry Potter Reread Thoughts

I have a serious love for Harry Potter. When all of the hype for these books started, I avoided them. Like the plague. Not for any good reason other than I figured that I wouldn't like them. And sadly, I'm not even sure now why I thought that I wouldn't like them but I WAS convinced that I wouldn't. So because I am SUPER excited about the next Harry Potter movie coming out in November (I think) and because I joined the Flashback Challenge which is all about rereading, I decided that I would reread the Harry Potter books. Unfortunately, last year I fell way behind in reviews and didn't share my thoughts on rereading the 1st book so this will be a mix of both even though I just reread Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets recently and not the Sorcerer's Stone.

I'm happy to say that I felt that both of these books were just as good the second time around as they were the first. I was a bit worried that they might have lost some of their magic for me but that just isn't the case. And it has been awhile since I read these so it was fun to notice the differences all over again between the books and the movies. I'll admit that I absolutely love the movies as well but for different reasons. The main one is that the characters in the movies are exactly as I would pictures the characters in my head while reading the books. Especially Professor MacGonagal (sp?). The movies have become comfort watches for me that I pick up whenever I need a pick me up.

J.K. Rowling is an amazing author and it was interesting to see how things from these two books tie into later books. Stuff that I missed the first time reading these. It just blows me away to think that she created these books especially when they are SO fabulous. Enough of me gushing though, suffice it to say that I'm a huge fan and cannot wait to pick up the 3rd book :)

P.S.- Did anyone see that they have broken the last book up in two movies?!?! I may be a bit behind the times but I can't say that I'm happy about this. It just means more waiting too.

And I think I'll leave you with the links to my actual reviews of the first two books here and here.

Spindle's End by Robin McKinley

Spindle's End is the retelling of the classic fairy tale Sleeping Beauty. For those of you who don't know the story of Sleeping Beauty begins when the princess is born and an evil fairy puts a curse on her saying that she will prick her finger on a spindle's end and die on her birthday. That's the gist of the story in a nutshell :) But what makes this book different is that the author puts her own spin on the story and on the princess herself. Robin McKinley adds many different elements of fantasy to the story to make the book unique and different from the classic Disney version that most of us have seen.

My opinion on this one goes a bit of both ways. The best way to put it is that I liked Spindle's End but I didn't love it. I liked the way that Rosie (the princess) is portrayed and I really liked all of the characters in the story. We really got to know the characters throughout the book and I couldn't help but grow attached to them as the story went on. I was constantly wondering what was going to happen next especially since I knew the way that they story was "supposed" to go. Happily, the author was constantly putting her own spin on things which made the ending a suprise and different than what I expected. Now on the flip side, this book dragged for me at different points. I'm not sure if I got bogged down in all of the details or what but at times it just felt to be a bit too much. I think the author could have cut out some of the details relating to fairies and magic and the story would have been just as good. But that's my opinion and others might disagree.

All in all, Spindle's End was an interesting retelling of Sleeping Beauty and I will be open to reading more books by this author especially since I see that she has won some awards for other things that she has written. But I recommend it with a caution as there are some slow parts that cut down on my enjoyment of the novel.

Disclaimer: This was another great find from my local library!

*I read this for the following challenges:

Fantasy Reading Challenge

New Author Challenge

YA Challenge

Support Your Library Challenge

100+ Reading Challenge

"S" Title for A-Z Challenge (personal)