The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

(36) Fire and Thorns #1

I really liked this and cannot wait for book two (current pub date 9/18/12!). There was so much to like in this I don’t know where to start. The MC wasn’t persecuted, not truly — she imagined she was, but I think a lot of that was in the character’s head. Her growing up in this book was fun to witness as she grew to own the things that made her different. The book covered a lot of ground, and, with the exception of a vapid male lead, had characters with depth who changed and grew over the course of the story.

Read this. Really. For more info on the series (or the author’s novella that takes place in the same world with the same MC but prior to the events of this book) check out the Rae Carson’s website.

Entangled by Nikki Jefford

(31) Spellbound #1

Quick Kindle read (I was flipping through mine looking for something at random and liked the cover art, lol), I started and finished this one the same day. I didn’t get anything ~else~ done for a few hours, but I did finish this.

End result — it was okay. Not great, and there are a couple of spots where it just outright doesn’t make sense, but not a bad little book. I’ll probably read the next one, if it’s cheap or free since the writing itself had issues that would prevent my editorial snob self from paying more than a couple bucks for a sequel.

The Obsidian Blade by Pete Hautman

(28) The Klaatu Diskos #1

I read, and thoroughly enjoyed, Hautman’s “Godless“* years ago, and picked this up in passing when I took my girl to the library one day. It was dark (not for the younger crowd; think 14 and up, despite the youth of the protagonist) and interesting and I can’t wait for the rest of the series to make it all make sense. It came to enough of a conclusion that I didn’t feel cheated, as sometimes happens at the end of a series novel, but left lots of room for more answers in the next book.

*Yes, that’s an Amazon link. No, it’s not an affiliate link.

Soulmate by L.J. Smith

(18) Night World #6

5/05/12 – Review Coming (today is update the booklist day — will add reviews as I finish them)

The Chosen by L.J. Smith

(16) Night World #5

 

5/05/12 – Review Coming (today is update the booklist day — will add reviews as I finish them)

Dark Angel by L.J. Smith`

(15) Night World #4

 

 

5/05/12 – Review Coming (today is update the booklist day — will add reviews as I finish them)

Spellbinder by L.J. Smith

(13)  Night World #3

5/05/12 – Review Coming (today is update the booklist day — will add reviews as I finish them)

Daughters of Darkness by L.J. Smith

(11) Night World #2

2/18/12 – Review Coming (today is update the booklist day — will add reviews as I finish them)

Secret Vampire by L.J. Smith

(09) Night World #1

2/18/12 – Review Coming (today is update the booklist day — will add reviews as I finish them)

Extras by Scott Westerfeld

(08) Uglies #4

2/18/12 – Review Coming (today is update the booklist day — will add reviews as I finish them)

Specials by Scott Westerfeld

(03) Uglies #3

2/18/12 – Review Coming (today is update the booklist day — will add reviews as I finish them)

Pretties by Scott Westerfeld

(02) Uglies #2

2/18/12 – Review Coming (today is update the booklist day — will add reviews as I finish them)

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

(102)  Uglies #1

I really enjoyed this.

The reader was phenomenal!  I have to wonder, though, who on the production team disliked the character Shay.  The “voice” used when Shay was speaking was nasal, whiny and petulant, even when she was happy and she was the only character with a specifically annoying voice.

I didn’t expect to enjoy this book as much as I did.

The concept behind how such a society could function was hard to grasp until I read book four, but that’s a discussion for another post. What I would LOVE to read, if Westerfeld wants to revisit this world, is the story of the transition — someone who was around when the Rusties were wiped out; who survived it, and who was instrumental in building the new world. In particular, I’d love a sympathetic view of the people behind the Pretty — how they justified it to themselves and each other as well as the tech revival that occurred in the wake of the Rusties downfall.  I fell hard for this world and want more. More history, more future… MORE. Please.

Gregor and the Code of Claw by Suzanne Collins

(97) Underland Chronicles, book 5

Can I just take a second here to plug OverDrive and their integration with library systems to lend electronic books (audio or mobile reader)? This service is FANTASTIC! Instead of reserving the book, waiting for it to show up at my branch, then having to remember to drop it off and pick it up, I pulled it up on the catalog, and was listening in minutes 🙂 Fabulous for the impatient reader in the middle of a series (like, oh, me!).

One caveat — I spent hours trying to find a way to get the WMA audio converted and on my iPhone, since the website said I should be able to do it. Never got it to work and ended up listening to the whole book on my computer, so watch your audio formats when you DL.

Now, on to the book!

Very dark, lots of adult themes here. By adult I mean musings on equality, war and its function in the world, peace and means to achieve it, deep thoughts on the nature of being human and society. I’m not sure how many of these currents were caught by my then 9yo when she read the book, but it resonated with me.

Well-written, thought provoking, and a tidy wrap-up that doesn’t really leave you longing for more. I’d like to know how things went on with Gregor and co — both Over- and Under-land, but the book ended nicely without me begging to know more or feeling unsatisfied. Like book four this one cannot really stand on its own — you need to know the whole backstory of the series for this book to really make sense.

5/5 — read it, y’all! (and get a copy of the series for the reluctant reader, 4th – 6th grade, in your life)

 

Gregor and the Marks of Secret by Suzanne Collins

(96) Underland Chronicles, book 4

So, so, so good.

The series starts to really grow up in this one, a lot darker (though the whole series is a bit dark) in preparation for the big finale in book 5. My only issue with this is that it leaves the reader hanging. Of all the books in the series, this one cannot stand alone — you have to read book 5 to make it all make sense.