The Books of Bayern by Shannon Hale

So I finally got around to finishing The Books of Bayern. I have mixed feelings on whether I liked them or not. The first book, The Goose Girl I did a review on earlier. The next three books are Enna Burning, River Secrets, and Forest Born. I really did not like Enna Burning. Enna was Isi's friend in The Goose Girl. In this book she learns fire-speaking and struggles to learn how to harness this power without killing herself or others. I personally just don't like Enna and her personality. She's very selfish and a little too pushy and arrogant. In River Secrets you follow Razo, another boy from The Goose Girl. He and Enna travel to Tiran, the country that attacked Bayern, in order to try to make peace and start trading with them. Razo meets Dasha who can control water. I actually enjoyed reading this book since it had more suspense and danger to it. Someone is burning bodies and leaving them by the Bayern representatives trying to blame them for the burnings and start war again. It actually took me a while to figure out who the fire-burner was. Forest Born was a very slow moving story that follows Razo's sister Rin. She is struggling to find herself and handle her ability to tree-speak and people-speak. She, along with Isi, Enna, and Dasha set out to find a fire burner who is attacking settlements. It was definately a surprise to see who was behind everything throughout all the books. I must admit that you need to read all these books because if you space them out too much like I did you don't remember half the people that show up in the books. Anyway, you'll have to decide how much you like these. I'm not going to say this is a definant read that everyone would enjoy because it's not, but there are some like my in-laws that really enjoyed them and wanted me to read them.

Dust by Joan Frances Turner

I participate with a website called BzzAgent that allows me to get free samples of products, coupons, and sneak peaks. One campaign I am currently in is the release of the new novel Dust. I only got the 25 pages, but it has been an interesting read that I will probably have to rent from the library to finish since I started it. I have never read any gruesome, zombie type books before so this was definately a change and I found myself grossed out but unable to stop reading. Unfortunately, with only having the first 25 pages I pretty much was just introduced to the characters and how they got to where they are as zombies. I didn't even get into the ploto the book, hence the reason I will have to rent it. Anyway, if you are interested below is the official review on it and a link to Joan Frances Turners website for more info.

After she was buried, Jessie awoke and tore through the earth to arise, reborn, as a zombie. Jessie’s gang is the Fly-by-Nights. She loves the ancient, skeletal Florian and his memories of time gone by. She’s in love with Joe, a maggot-infested corpse. They fight, hunt, dance together as one — something humans can never understand. There are dark places humans have learned to avoid, lest they run into the zombie gangs.

But now, Jessie and the Fly-by-Nights have seen new creatures in the woods —things not human and not zombie. A strange new illness has flamed up out of nowhere, causing the undeads to become more alive and the living to exist on the brink of death. As bits and pieces of the truth fall around Jessie, like the flesh off her bones, she’ll have to choose between looking away or staring down the madness — and hanging onto everything she has come to know as life.

Visit dustthenovel.com

Visit dustthenovel.com to learn more about the book and check out author Joan Frances Turner’s blog and other cool Dustcontent.

Room: A Novel by Emma Donoghue

So I have not actually read this book, but I saw a review for it in the paper and am incredibly intrigued by it. Room just came out on Sept 13, 2009 and unfortunately the library has denied my request for them to buy it at this time so it looks like I may actually have to buy this book before actually reading it. I hate buying books before reading them since I may not ever want to reread them, but seeing as how I want to read it and the library will not invest in a book that seems very good I will have to get around to making it to the store or ordering it online.

So pretty much this book is written from the point of view of a 5-year-old. Seems like it may not be well written or annoying with the simple vocabulary and thoughts of a young child, but the article in the paper said that this was not the case and you don't really notice that it is written by a very young child. This kid has grown up in a small room, never having seen anything else, with his mother. She tries to raise him best she can considering the circumstances. She gives him an education, teaches him manners and games, and even teaches him a game where they spend time yelling for help. At night she is taken away and the boy is left alone.

It gives caution that mothers will feel like horrible mothers when reading about all that this mother does and goes through. I'm mostly curious about the overall story line and how this 5-year-old sees the situation since he does not know anything else. It reminds me of other real life people who are kidnapped and end up having children with their captors. What is it like for them as children not knowing that what they are going through is not normal?

Deeanne Gist

I've been reading a few more romance novels by Deeanne Gist. The nice thing about these books is that Gist bases all her novels off of real historical events and experiences. I read A Bride in the Bargain, Deep in the Heart of Trouble and The Measure of a Lady. I definately liked A Bride in the Bargain better.

The young lady in The Measure of a Lady drove me crazy as she worked out he hypocritical issues and prejudice against those that do not follow lady-like, christain lifestyles. She gets stranded in San Francisco with her younger brother and sister during the gold rush and find themselves the only 'respectable' people around. Her sister ends up being a paid girl for a guy and her brother becomes a dealer. Rachel ends up havig to pretty much ignore her siblings acquantances and kick them out of her cafe since they do not follow what a good christain example should be doing. Kinda annoying.

A Bride in the Bargain is set right after the civil war when Asa Mercer came up with his scheme to bring war widows/orphans from the east to Washington under the pretense that they are being hired as cooks, nannies, and schoolteachers. Instead, they were purchased as brides by the men in Washington. Joe finds himself losing his land that was granted by the state because he no longers has a wife and so only qualifies for the bachelor portion of land and so desperate to keep his land he purchases a wife. Of course Anna thinks she is being hired as a cook. Of course they fall in love, but the book does have quite a few twists so that you arent' anticipating the entire story.

Deep in the Heart of Trouble has been my least favorite of Deeanne Gists books. You have a young man whose father dies and is disinherited and forced to leave pennyless. He gets hired as an oil worker for another wealthy oil company run by Essie Sprecklemeyer and her father. Essie is very feminist which drives me crazy. I don't mind people wanting female power, but they go to extremes and try to hard to force all their ideas/morals on others and take offense so easy. Yeah, I'm not too much for such opinionated people. I'm a little curious about another one of her books called Courting Trouble that I just read an excert from since it seems she has the same name again, Essie Sprecklemeyer for her character. She must really like this extreme name.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

The final book of The Hunger Games. I'm not sure how I feel about how this book turned out. Katniss is crazy as ever and dealing with some serious mental issues the entire time, but I guess all the tributes pretty much are dealing with trauma and it is nice to see that Suzanne Collins portrays them in a way that is pretty realistic for what they all have gone through. It still bugs me how selfish Katniss is most of the time. I guess not selfish, but self-centered may be the better word to use. Gale even summed it up when he and Peeta where talking. "she'll choose who she can't live without." Everything is centered around what she needs or wants and is rarely about the overall need of everyone. It takes her a long time to realize this about herself. How she gets away with everything she does is amazing and lucky on her part and unfortunately she doens't seem to really appreciate or understand this. Even at the end she has to be convinced to have kids by her husband. You'll have to read the book to see if she chooses Gale or Peeta. In the end it makes sense who she chooses and is a good choice for her. This series was a good series to read and probably one of the more educational series I have read in the sense that it makes you think about government and people. It's not just about reading for enjoyment, but also about thinking about how things are run and how people react and handle stressful situations. When I read these books I think of how these would be good books to discuss in a classroom.

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Holy cow!! I just looked online to see how many books were in this series thinking it was only three, yeah, we're talking about a good 6 books if not more and I've only read the first. Now I just have to mention that most books I've been reading are in a series and it's fun, but I am getting a little tired of series that last more than 3 books, especially if it's close to 7 or more like Artemis Fowl, Rangers Apprentice, Leven Thumps, etc... The only exception was Harry Potter since that was my first real series to read when I was in high school. Anyway. I've been trying to steer clear of Vampire books since it is almost embarrassing to read Vampire related books after the huge success and publicity of the Twilight series. I really liked that series until everyone got obsessed with it after I had read them already. Yeah, kinda ruined it along with the movies and my english major husband telling me that the writing is very plain and there are no details so of course I now notice whether a book is simple or complex. Sort of ruined the whole reading experience a bit for me, but I still like it.

I picked this book up since all my other books are on a long hold at the library and this one was ready to pick up. I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed reading this book and it had been a while since I've read a book I had a hard time putting down. If you noticed I'm posting this the same day as the Sorcerer's Apprentice. That's how quickly I read these two books. This isn't like Twilight in any way. You have the good Moroi who are one with the environment, vampire people who feed every day off of feeders who are humans that willingly let them drink their blood since they get a high when they get bit. Most feeders are people who were into other drugs and stuff and are recruited to be cared for in return for their blood. They get addicted to this high. Then you have Rose who is a guardian to the Moroi since the Moroi are hunted by the Stigoi (Moroi turned evil vampires). A little crazy, but it works. Rose and her Moroi friend Lissa attend the Academy where they learn to harness their unique gifts or powers for their role in life. Rose and Lissa share a unique bond that allows Rose to enter Lissa's mind and see and feel what she is feeling at the moment. Someone is threatening Lissa and Rose protects her and saves her during this book. I'm curious to see how they can get so many books from this first book, but hopefully the rest are good as well.

The Sorcerer's Apprentice by James Ponti

I hesitated to read this book, but the previews for the movie actually looked pretty cool so of course I had to read the book. It is an incredibly short read and I finished it in two days (that's with kids and a husband interupting me). It was fun to read, but not really in depth or incredibly entertaining. It's the classic story of a nerdy kid who finds out he's a sorcerer but tries to not believe it. You have the good sorcerer that has locked the bad sorcerer's in a doll that the kid accidentally lets out and now is forced to save the world and gets the pretty girl he has been crushing on since 5th grade. It's not a book to buy and read again, but if you just want something short and quick to read for fun it's a good pick. Unfortunatly, once you start getting into more in depth books, these short, basic books are hard to really enjoy.

A Bride Most Begrudging by Deanne Gist

While on a trip with my sister-in-laws this past weekend I finished the one book I had and had to borrow this book from my sister-in-law so I had something to read. I'm always a little hesitant to read romance looking books since some are decent and some are just annoying. I enjoy a romance novel now and then and am glad I got to read this book. Hopefully other Deanne Gist books are just as good as this book.

Constance is a noblemans daughter from England who finds herself kidnapped and sold as a bride-to-be in the Americas. Of course no one believes who she is since most bride-to-be's are prisoners from England sent to America to carry out their sentence. Drew is a hard w0rking farmer planning to make his place into a plantation and is in town to buy servants to help him and retreive the bride-to-be that his brother has brought for him. Drew wins Constance in a poker game and finds himself with two brides. Of course the counselman are not happy about this and forces Drew to marry on of them. Mary, the other bride, is actually married and so Constance and Drew find themselves married. Of course they find themselves falling in love as the story goes but each struggles with their own doubts about the others true happiness since Constance knows nothing about working and Drew doesn't believe a noblewoman would want to stay. It doesn't have just sappy romance the entire time, but has the settlers fighting Indians, overcoming sickness, and trying to not get too embarrassed at a Christmas dinner.

Rebel Island by Rick Riordan

I loved the Percy Jackson books and had to try some other of Rick Riordan's books. He started out writing books like Rebel Island before moving to some teen literature such as the Percy Jackson books.

Tres Navarre is a retired detective who has just gotten married to his pregnant wife. His brother convinces them to spend their honeymoon on Rebel Island for old times sake. His family used to take vacations to this island when he was younger. He agrees and runs into an another detective who is known for having his suspects conveniently die because they tried to run away. They arrive with a Hurricane coming in and that night the detective dies. Riordan writes from different perspectives instead of just Tres's point of view. This really helps keep you confused until the end who the real murderer is since each person has some sort of score to settle. All strangers on the island are somehow drawn together and trying to hurt someone or trying not to be hurt. It's a fun read especially if you like mystery books.

The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull

We love Brandon Mull, author of Fablehaven. If you haven't read Fablehaven or any of Mr. Mull's book, you need to. His writing is entertaining and always fun to read. The Candy Shop War was not a disappointment like some authors who tend to have one good series, but fail to continue with other good books. You follow 4 young kids who become friends with a Candy maker who makes secret candy that makes you float in the air, become unbreakable, and breath fire to name a few. In order to have access to these mysterious candies, Nate, Summer, Trevor, and Pigeon have to do unusual requests such as break into museums and dig up graves. Each successful endevour is rewarded by Mrs. White, owner of the Sweet Tooth. Soon they realize they are in over their head when they are given the order to kill Mr. Stott, an ice cream truck driver that happens to also be a magician. Who can they trust since both are trying to find the treasure and then there's also a mysterious man that keeps showing up and coming after them. How can these 1o year olds stop this war and reclaim their friends and family who have eaten the white fudge that makes them oblivous to everything around them?

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

Looks and titles can be deceiving. Seriously, look at the cover of this book and read the title. Who would really want to even consider reading this book. Obviously I did and I'm glad I took the chance. I kept seeing this book on reading lists and on 'customer's who read/bought this book also liked..." You have Miri, a young 14 year old who lives in a poor mountain village that mines linder (stone). No one in the kingdom thinks highly of this territory because they are not a province in the kingdom and therefore do not have any nobles or educated people. When it is time for the prince to marry, by tradition, the priests read the stars and determine which area of the kingdom the new princess will come from. Of course, Miri's area is chosen and since there are no ladies, the Princess Academy is formed and all girls 12-18 must attend. There are 20 in all and they are taken from their homes and forced to live in this academy with a very strict and mean teacher. You follow the girls throughout the year as they learn about all aspects of being a queen and competding against eachother to be the star academy princess and be the first to dance with the prince. There's love, fights, and kidnapping that keep the book interesting.

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

This is the first book in the Books of Bayern series. This was recommended to me by my sister-in-law a couple of months ago but I just wasn't that interested in it. I kept reading other books that I thought were more interesting and fun to read. I finally decided to try it out since I had heard of a couple other people reading it and was pleasantly surprised. I am curious if the other books will be better, the same, or worse so I'll let ya know when I get around to reading the rest. Ani, the queen princess has never lived up to her mothers expectations of becoming a true sophisticated queen. Instead, she prefers to be outside talking to birds. Obviously this isn't acceptable and Ani tries as she gets older to be the perfect princess. Unfortunately it just doesn't completely click with her and she finds herself comparing herself to her lady in waiting. After Ani's 16th birthday, the queen informs Ani that she has been promised to a prince in another area. On her travel to Bayern, the lady in waiting and most of the guards rebel with the intention of killing Ani and putting the lady in waiting in Ani's position as the future queen of Bayern. Ani barely escapes and finds herself as a goosegirl herding geese outside of the castle walls trying to find a way to let the king know she is the true princess while also concealing her true identity since the guards are still out trying to kill her. The story has a surprising amount of action, adventure, and a little bit of love.

The Dragon Heir by Cinda Williams Chima

The Final book of the Heir Chronicles and it was good. Madison and Jason become major players in this series while Seph and Jack take a backseat. We see Seph struggle to keep up with the demands of being a leader and almost single-handedly protecting everyone from the Roses. Jack is finally able to tell his mother who he really is and come to terms with his role as a warrior and having to kill people. Jason has to decide if he is a team player or all about himself and getting revenge by killing D'Orsey. He and Madison find themselves with this strong desire to have the Dragon Stone, but are unable to get it. Madison returns home to take care of her family and you learn about her past and what brought her to Trinity in the first place. A nice ending to the series, however, I do wish there was a little more to the story of how they end the fight. It isn't very glorious or anything and slightly non-climatic, but otherwise a series that I would definately read again.

39 Clues books 7-9

After a 6 month break from keeping up with this series, I finally checked out the latest 39 clues books to catch up. There is still one more book coming out soon. I'm glad a took a break since I was starting to get a little bored with keeping up with these books every other month and the same story over and over again, but starting up again made me remember why I started to read this series. They are short, fun books that teach you a little about history in a fun, discreet way. We find out that Dan and Amy are Madrigals, the dreaded, evil group going after the Cahill family and the 39 clues. In the 9th book you find out that they are not bad, but the good guys in this whole crazy contest and Dan and Amy are officially made members. Their first assignment, finish the hunt and unite the 5 Cahill branches, yep 5 branches. Who knew that the Madrigals were the 5th Cahill branch, but kept a secret from the other branches. We also find out what exactly the 'grand prize' is. A serum that enhances human abilities which is why each branch of the family has a soecific area that they excel. I'm pretty sure Dan and Amy will succeed since Alistar Oh is pretty sympathetic towards them and Hamilton Holt already works with Dan and Amy. Ian has been disagreeing with his mother and Natalie is starting to question her mother's actions as well. The rap star cousin has decided he no longer wants part of the search and saved Dan's life. There's only 3 people he will have to work on that are almost too determined and focused on finding the clues. Interestingly enough it is the parents of Hamilton, Ian and Natalie, and the rap start that do not hesitate to use force and even kill to get ahead in the search for the 39 clues.

Fablehaven: Keys to the Demon Prison

(Some Possible Spoiler Info)

The final book in the Fablehaven series definately is not a disappointment. It was a great way to end this terrific story. I'm sad it has to end and am disappointed that Brandon Mull is not even considering adding on to this story since he could definately add more to it following Seth's quest to complete his bargain with the Singing Sisters. I don't know how much a story he could come up with Kendra and her future with the fairies and possibly becoming an Eternal, but I'm sure he could come up with something good. It was great how he was able to include so many characters and make them have a bigger part in the story such as Newel and Doreen. They definately add some humor to the story. It was also nice to see Kendra and Seth both separated and working on their own. Seth takes a much bigger role than Kendra does. She almost seems a bit in the way most of the time, but it is good to see her take a major part at the end. I'm excited to read his new series coming out in 2011 and to read the Candy Shop War. Hopfully they are not a disappointment after reading Fablehaven. Also waiting for someone to make this into a movie. If done by the right people it could be a great movie.