Annette's Book Spot

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Book Review: Warrior, by Ellen Oh

When I finished Prophecy, the first book in The Dragon King Chronicles, I wasn't sure I would continue with the series. But when I had the chance to get an advanced review copy of Warrior, I just couldn't pass it up. Maybe I should have.

My problems with Warrior mostly has to do with my taste in books. There's a lot of fantasy in these book. To me, it's over the top. I like my fantasy more realistic, I guess. Like Harry Potter. I really was frightened for those characters. I felt the tension and believed their terror. Even though they used magic, it didn't seem to come easily.

In each of these books our main character, Kira, must go on a quest to find a magical object to save the world. She's trying to fulfill the Dragon King's prophecy. She's also in charge of protecting the young prince who is destined to be the next king.

The objects are supposed to be impossible to reach, of course. With every challenge she faces, there are always fantastical magical things that make it possible for Kira and her group to escape. I never had the slightest doubt that her quest would be successful. It was just a question of what magical creature or object would appear to rescue her or tell her what to do to achieve her goal. The demons attack several times, and even when Kira is convinced she is about to meet her demise, I never believed it. Its FANTASY. So just call in the magic.

There's nothing wrong with the writing. The pacing keeps moving and I never felt like it was moving too slow. The main characters are distinct, and you do want them to succeed. But, after about 2/3 through the book, I just started skimming to see how it ended. The ending did not surprise me. It was pretty much as predicted.

I didn't hate this book. I knew going in that it was a long shot, just because of the genre, so this is a case of "it's not you, it's me."

If you enjoyed Prophecy, then by all means you want to get your hands on Warrior. If you haven't started the series, you should start with Prophecy first, and you should really enjoy books about otherworldly creatures and magical happenings. Because this series is all about the fantasy elements.

Published by HarperTeen, December 31, 2013
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
336pages

Rating: 2.5/5

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Merry Christmas!

May you experience all the joys of the holiday season!

Monday, December 23, 2013

Book Review: And Then There Were None, by Agatha Christie

I've been wanting to read And Then There Were None for a long time. I wanted to know how ten people, all alone on an island, can all end up dead!

It's Agatha Christie, so of course it's well written. We are introduced to the ten characters as they make their way to the island. And then they mysteriously end up dying, one at a time.

I won't say too much more about the plot. I can't imagine anyone figuring it out. And, yes, Christie DOES give you the explanation at the end.

And Then There Were None is a very quick read too. It reads easily and is difficult to put down.

If you haven't read And Then There Were None, you should check it out. Especially if you are a mystery fan. Christie is the best.

Published by HarperCollins, 2009 (originally published in 1939)
eBook obtained from the Library
272 pages (qualifies for my Books You Can Read in a Day Challenge!)

Rating: 5/5

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Stacking the Shelves: My Pile for the Holiday Break

I'm off work for almost two weeks, so I grabbed some books off the library shelves that I've been wanting to read. And, I also got a review book from NetGalley.

For Review:

We Were Liars, by E. Lockhart, from NetGalley

This is an edit: a late addition I forgot when I originally posted this! How could I forget:

Cress, by Marissa Meyer, from Around the World ARC Tours

From the Library:

Perfect Scoundrels, by Ally Carter

Champion, by Marie Lu

In the Shadow of Blackbirds, by Cat Winters

A Million Suns, by Beth Revis

That should keep me busy. Especially since I usually knit or crochet something over break too! So, what did you bring home this week? Are you going to have extra time during the holidays for reading? Leave me a link. Please make sure you visit our hosts, Team Tynga's Reviews too. Happy Holidays!

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Book Review: The Perfect Christmas, by Debbie Macomber

If you're in the mood for a warm Christmas romance, then The Perfect Christmas is sure to satisfy.

Cassie is desperate to find a husband and start a family. When she gets a Christmas card from a college friend with a picture of her perfect husband and perfect children, Cassie is willing to try anything. So, when her best friend Angie tells her about a professional matchmaker, Cassie is willing to fork over the $30,000 required for a guaranteed happy family.

There aren't really any big surprises here. It's fairly obvious from the first meeting with Simon, the matchmaker, how this story is going to end. Angie has a secret romance going on too -- and it's also abundantly clear who the guy is.

But...it just doesn't matter. The romance is cute and heartwarming. And it takes place during Christmas. Cassie learns a lot about herself along the way, and for such a short book, I really became attached to her.

Don't hesitate to sit down by the Christmas tree for a couple of hours and get lost in The Perfect Christmas. Really...it doesn't take any time to read. I've read several Macomber books and, while I couldn't survive on them, I really enjoy her stories once in a while when I feel like snuggling up with a book.

Published by Mira, 2009
Copy obtained from a friend
232 pages (qualifies for my Books You Can Read in a Day Challenge!)

Rating: 3/5

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Book Review: The Red Queen, by Philippa Gregory

Even though I really enjoyed the story of The Red Queen, I really didn't like our main character, Margaret.

The story covers the life of Margaret Beaufort from 1453 to 1485. She is a Tudor (and she'll never let you forget it.) She spends her entire life trying to get her son to be the King of England -- sparing nothing.

As a child, Margaret believes she has a calling from God to be an Abbess. Her mother laughs because Margaret is royalty, and she will marry whomever her parents see fit. Her first marriage produces an heir, Henry Tudor, but he is never raised by his mother. His father dies, and his mother is betrothed to another man. Henry is left in the care of his uncle.

The entire time, Margaret believes she gets messages from God that tell her to do everything to make Henry the king. Even when the Yorks take over England, Margaret still vows that some day Henry will be king. She pretends to follow the Yorks, she plots and plans and cajoles people to do her bidding...even to the point of determining that some people must be killed. ALL in the name of GOD!

The societal norms at this time are just so hard to relate to. The royal lineage meant everything. The most important thing was to be in the good graces of the current rulers (which seem to change on a regular basis, and mostly in very violent confrontations.)

Margaret is extremely whiny and conceited. She has a self-important attitude that is abrasive. She spends hours each day on her knees in prayer, and therefore believes that God's will is that she do anything to make Henry the king. Funny how that works.

So, I didn't like Margaret, but I was mesmerized by the setting and the court intrigue. Also, very thankful I don't live during that time. What a mess.

I so appreciate the research that Gregory does for her books. And the fact that what she writes, even though historical, is still very entertaining. I did get confused about all the royal lineage and all the people that are mentioned. Margaret keeps track of how many steps Henry is from the throne -- and it changes so often. There's a family tree at the beginning of the book that is very helpful.

If you like reading historical fiction from this time period. The Red Queen is not to be missed. And really anything by Gregory is a must read for historical fiction fans.

Published by Simon & Schuster, 2010
ARC won (a long time ago) from Carrie @ In the Hammock Book Reviews
387 pages

Rating: 3.5/5

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Book Review: Allegiant, by Veronica Roth

While I loved the revelations and the "world" of Allegiant, I found myself really bored during much of the book.

Tris and Tobias end up going beyond the city to find out what is there. What they find is not all they had hoped for. It appears there isn't anyplace free from strife. We are introduced to some new characters in the outside world that are just as warped as the faction leaders. They visit "the fringe" which basically are the slums full of people who the government doesn't care about. I won't get into the different classes in the outside world, but they are as crazy as the factions and the factionless.

Tris and Tobias and their friends are of course stunned at what is really going on in their city. It's hard for them to grasp what the outside world has created and why. But yet, they jump right in and start fighting for what they believe is right with some dire consequences.

I love this scenario and the explanation of the factions and why they exist. I love the fact that the people who are running the experiments are so misguided themselves. I think the world that Roth has created is unique and very creative.

The reason I was bored is because it just seemed like different groups kept rebelling, and they would get through one battle and figure out more about what is going on which would lead to another battle. And, the solutions always just seemed too easy. I never got a real sense of danger until the end of Allegiant. They do end up figuring out a plan to truly make the world a better place, and the execution of this plan at the end of the book is awesome. But, the 400 pages before that just kind of went in circles. There was a lot of planning and fighting, and the advancement of the plot was slow. Probably because there was all this relationship stuff going on too.

I did like Tris and Tobias' relationship much better in Allegiant. Their "honesty" policy helped a lot. In Insurgent, I was very frustrated with their lack of communication and honesty. I'm glad things got better with them, and I enjoyed the progression of their romance. I've seen many reviews that complain about the alternating POVs being confusing because Tris and Tobias sound so much the same, and I agree. At times I couldn't remember which "I" was talking.

I'm OK with the ending. Gutsy. It had been spoiled, so I knew it was coming. Pare down the middle of the book by about 100 pages, and this would have been a 5 hat review. Anyone who has read the first two books (Divergent and Insurgent) should definitely finish the series. Allegiant is worth it.

Published by Katherine Tegen Books, October 22, 2013
Copy obtained from the library
526 pages

Rating: 4/5

Monday, December 16, 2013

Book Tour and Review: Neverwas, by Kelly Moore, Tucker Reed & Larkin Reed

My Review:

I rarely read book blurbs. So, when I agreed to read Neverwas, I didn't know what I was getting into! I didn't remember details of Amber House, so when I started reading Neverwas, I was a bit confused. The world was different. The house was the same, but the country, the politics, and the personalities of some of the characters was totally different.

Then Sarah started having visions and receiving messages that were telling her things were wrong. Things were not the way they were supposed to be, and I realized that we are now in an alternate universe. How cool!

I won't go into too many details of this strange world, but the Nazis won the war, and there's no such thing as civil rights. But, some things are good! Sarah's parents get along great, and her mom has no intention of selling Amber House.

Jackson is helping Sarah to interpret her visions, and they decide that they must try to do something to make the world go back the way it was. Sarah has to figure out what she needs to change in the past, then she and Jackson have to figure out how to do it.

This quest is very exciting, but sometimes the solutions came a bit to easily (although not ALL the time!) I found the details of all the ancestors and what each of them did to be a little bit difficult to follow, but those details aren't really important. There's only a couple of people from the past that end up being critical to the events that changed the world.

I wish I would have been able to read Amber House again, right before Neverwas. You really need to read them in order, and I would have liked the details of Amber House to have been a bit more clear in my mind. I definitely recommend this series to teens who like a little paranormal adventure. We have ghosts, time travel, and visions (both past and present) to keep you entertained while you are visiting Amber House.

Don't leave yet! Scroll down to see my puzzle piece for the tour -- you can win a signed first edition copy of Neverwas!

Published by Arthur A. Levine Books, January 7, 2014
eBook obtained from the author
320 pages

Rating: 4/5

Here's my puzzle piece:

In NEVERWAS, Sarah must piece together the mystery of her forgotten past with the help of clues left behind by her great-grandmother, Fiona Warren. For readers interested in the chance to win a signed first-edition hardback of NEVERWAS -- with an exclusive hint for what's in story for Sarah in the final book, OTHERWHEN, hidden inside -- visit each blog on the tour for the month of December, collect the various lines from the poem, arrange them in the proper order, and submit the final sonnet by New Year's Day for a chance to win the special copy of NEVERWAS! Submit your poem to: http://www.amberhouseblog.com/

Visit these blogs to find previously posted puzzle pieces on the tour:

Whispering Pretty Stories
Marie Loves Books

Bibliophilic Monologues
Books Take You Places

Tomorrow's tour stop is:

Zach's YA Reviews

About the authors:

KELLY MOORE is a New York Times best-selling author, former litigator, and single mother of three. Her latest project, the young adult fiction series THE AMBER HOUSE TRILOGY, co-written with her two daughters and based loosely upon her own family history, examines fourteen generations of Maryland women and their ties to the past, present, and future. The first book in the series was nominated for the 2014 Dolly Gray Children's Literature Award for its realistic portrayal of characters with autism; Moore is outspoken about her inclusion in the autism spectrum, and is dedicated to autism awareness.

TUCKER REED is an award-winning fiction and nonfiction writer. She has been recognized on the national level for her short stories, essays and poetry. She is also a notable political blogger and has appeared on CNN, CBS, ABC and HuffPost Live, as well as featured in articles published by TIME magazine, Marie Claire magazine, Ms. magazine, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, and The Guardian, among numerous others.

LARKIN REED is a professional photographer, currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in filmmaking. In 2013, Reed established her own multimedia production company, and has subsequently produced and directed several short films.

Sunday, December 15, 2013

The Other Side of Life - An New Angel for the Tree

I'm using these posts to occasionally describe other things I enjoy (besides books.) I used to post these projects on my other blog, but I posted so seldom that I decided to include them here. Feel free to skip this one, if you are strictly in it for the books.

I made a new angel for one of my Christmas trees. She's having trouble holding up her wings, but we're working on it! I'm still happy with how she looks:

Stitched from this pattern purchased from Embroidery Library.

How are your decorations coming? If you post some pictures, please let me know in the comments!

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Stacking the Shelves -- Just One

Hope you are all coping with the holiday preparations! It's practically here! So, I only procured one book this week, but that's OK. I have plenty...

For Review:

Wicked Games, by Sean Olin, from Edelweiss

So, how about you? Did you have a big book week? Let me know in the comments. Be sure to visit our host, Team Tynga's Reviews and see all the participating blogs. Thanks for stopping by and hope to see you back here soon.