"Winter" (The Lunar Chronicles #4) - Marissa Meyer

Hello fellow bibliophiles! What a last two weeks it has been. Sorry for the lapse the past couple of weeks. It seems like every book I have picked up recently has been taking FOREVER to finish. And then once I finished them, I then ran out of time and didn't get the reviews wrote up. So while I have been reading, albeit slowly, I now have a few reviews to get out to you!! To kick off, here is the latest, and last, installment in The Lunar Chronicles. Check out my review of Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, the first three books in the series. Beware! If you haven't read the first three books, you may not want to read any further as it will give things away for those books!

Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mar her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana. 

Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won't approve of her feelings for her childhood friend -- the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn't as weak as Levana believes her to be and she's been undermining her stepmother's wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that's been raging for far too long.

Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters?

When I read the first three books, they were easy and I was able to get through them fairly quickly. This book, though, took me forever. I was so looking forward to seeing how all four of the main characters and their stories came together. And yes, while that did happen, everything else you could ever possibly imagine happening, was thrown into this book. I mean everything. There were wayyyy too many things happening in this book. I felt like a big majority of these different things took away from the story and made it drag on and on and on. I understand why Meyer wrote it this way. She wanted to make sure all the strings were tied up nice and pretty. But often she was creating more and more issues for the band of misfits to solve, many that were unnecessary. One positive from the book is that she does a good job wrapping up all 4 of the storylines for Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter and I liked how they all ended. All in all, Winter wasn't what I was hoping for. I still gave it a 3 out of 5 solely because I have enjoyed the series overall.  Gorgeous cover once again! As always, feel free to share any thoughts comments or suggestions.

Happy reading fools :)

"Scarlet" & "Cress" - Marissa Meyer

Hello fellow bibliophiles! As part of February's theme, Unfinished Series, today's review continues with books #2 & #3 of the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. You can find my review of book #1, Cinder, HERE! If you haven't read Cinder, you may want to skip this post and come back as the descriptions alone may give hints and spoilers for the first book. I'll try not to give anything away!

Scarlet
The fates of Cinder and Scarlet collide as a Lunar threat spreads across the Earth...

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison -- even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information about her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner. 

Scarlet has, so far, been my favorite in the series. This book continues the fairytale theme, introducing Red Riding Hood and Big Bad Wolf characters. The story switches back and forth between the parallel stories of Scarlet (Red Riding) and Cinder. So many of my questions from the first book were answered in Scarlet which is probably why I liked it so well. Along with the story lines of Cinder and Scarlet, there is also more dialogue from Kai's point-of-view which I had hoped for after finishing the first book. All the characters are dealing with a lot, a continued theme from Cinder. Plague, an evil queen, a missing princess, mind controlling Lunars, and now hybred-werewolves wreaking havoc. Like Cinder, Scarlet has a slew of things thrown at her very quickly, all at once, completely turning her life inside out. She does all she can to put on a strong, resilient front while dealing with obstacle after obstacle.  She's another brave, independent, all around great female character. I felt this book really helped to set up the next book and give me a better idea where the story is headed leading into Cress.

Cress
In this third book in the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder and Captain  Thorne are fugitives on the run, now with Scarlet and Wold in tow. Together, they're plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.

Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl imprisoned on a satellite since childhood who's only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker. Unfortunately, she's just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue of Cress goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Empreror Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has. 

While this book was still great, I didn't feel it was as good as Scarlet. Rapunzel is the newest fairytale character to be introduced as Cress, a Lunar shell, who has been held captive for seven years on a satellite on her own, doing dirty work for Queen Levana. In Scarlet, questions were answered and things began to come together. In Cress, though, I felt more questions have come up yet it had great direction towards a solution. With Cress' hacking skills and Cinder's band of misfits, they finally start to formulate and carry out plans to take down Queen Levana.

This series, as a whole, has been great. The writing is well done and the characters are full of emotion and rhetoric. While the base of the story comes from classic fairytales, the plot line is completely re-imagined in a whole new light. I like the relationships that have formed, though typical in a classic fairytale way. The fourth, and final, book Winter, is already in my hands. Turning to page one will be a bittersweet moment. I'm anxious to see how everything comes together but sad to let the characters go. A great series for teens! Small amount of violence, PG romance, and a highly entertaining fantasy series! I highly recommend it! As always, feel free to share any thoughts, comments, or suggestions!

Happy reading fools :)

"Cinder" - Marissa Meyer

Hello fellow bibliophiles! I finally started The Lunar Chronicles, something I have been wanting to do for about 4 months now. I have book one, Cinder, finished for you today and I'm hoping to have books 2 & 3 ready for you at the beginning of the week in a combined post. I'm currently waiting for my request of book four from the library! Apparently, I've been swept into the YA science fiction/fantasy realm :)

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

First off, can we just talk about this cover. So gorgeous! And all the books in the series have covers just as amazing. Talk about some cover envy! Okay, back to the reason we're here. Review. What a great start to a series! This book is brimming to the core with new world orders (New Beijing, Luna), technology advancements (androids & cyborgs), and a futuristic spin on Cinderella. Meyer follows along with the classic fairytale but throws spins and twists throughout that kept me reading and begging for more. Cinderella as a cyborg (made of human and metal parts) living in a world being ravaged by a deadly plague with no cure. The Imperial Highness's health hangs in the balance as the Evil Queen from Luna continues to refuse to sign the peace treaty, threatening war with every step she takes. Cinder is stuck in a crappy situation with an evil stepmother and two stepsisters controlling her every move. But she is a strong, honest character, thinking about how her actions will affect others no matter how beneficial it may be for herself. And that goes for other characters in the book as well, always thinking of their actions will affect the rest of the people. I really liked Kai and reading from his point-of-view. I'm looking forward to seeing how his character grows and develops into the next book, Scarlet. 

Meyer is a great writer. While some parts of this new world are not always explained as soon as I would have liked them to be, Meyer does eventually get to it and explains everything clearly. She kept things intriguing and suspenseful throughout until the end. I am anxious to see where the next book picks up from as the end was fairly abrupt. This would be a great series for upper middle school aged kids and older to read. Some violence and a little foul language every so often but nothing too drastic. I will definitely be recommending this series! As always, feel free to share any thoughts, comments or recommendations! I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading fools :) 

"Conspiracy In Death" - J.D. Robb

Hello fellow bibliophiles! If you have read any of my past reviews, you may have noticed the In Death series pop up a few times. Fair warning, you will continue to see more since there are currently 41 books in the series and currently I just finished number 8. I promise to continue keeping all spoilers out! If, for some reason, there is information in the review that may be a spoiler for those who have not read the series, I promise to forewarn you ahead of time!!! Make sure to not skip ahead when reading my reviews!

"Streetwise cop Eve Dallas and her trusty sidekick Peabody face a methodical killer in this latest addition to the In Death series by J.D. Robb, better known as the bestselling author Nora Roberts. In the late 21st century, on the streets of New York City, a street sleeper is found murdered, his diseased heart removed with surgical precision. His death would typically drop to the bottom of a list of senseless and inexplicable killings, but Lieutenant Dallas, who "would stand for the dead and the living," is not about to let that happen. When her research uncovers similar crimes in several cities that were dropped under mysterious circumstances, Dallas knows she's facing a killer cruel enough to prey on the weakest in society and powerful enough to conspire an extensive coverup. To complicate matters further, Dallas faces an equally troubling threat to her career when she's linked to the death of a fellow cop. Now she must fight to restore her good name as well as track down the killer. 

In Conspiracy in Death, Roberts creates a futuristic world of evil that Eve Dallas negotiates through tough talk and brute force. While Robb crafts the crimes with great care, she assumes a familiarity with the characters that new readers will lack. But fans of the In Death series and newcomers alike will enjoy the thrill of the chase as Eve Dallas sets out to get her man."

As I have stated before, these books are generally something that would be out of my wheel-house. I'm not usually into the "futuristic" genre, but something about this series is different. The characters are engaging, witty, and highly intelligent. The books are full of suspense and mystery, and usually, I am left guessing until the end. While I am still highly intrigued into this series, there were parts of Conspiracy In Death that lost me. There are many characters who hold positions in varies medical fields throughout the book. Some hold minor roles but others are key players yet they all come in and out throughout the entire book. It sometimes got to be confusing on who was who. As before, I love the relationship between Eve Dallas and Roarke. It's real yet unrealistic; it's witty yet full of seriousness, and it's full of back-and-forth romance. So far, I haven't lost interest and I hope I never do. Until then, I will keep reading the series! As always, feel free to share your thoughts, comments, or recommendations!

Happy reading fools :) 

"Until We Meet Again" - Renee Collins

Hello fellow bibliophiles! Huge shout out to NetGalley for an advanced copy of today's book! Can you believe Thanksgiving is just 12 days away! Where has this year gone?! It feels like Fall was barely here. I love fall. Cool weather, sweaters, football. What's not to love! So while today's review is not a fall themed book, it is a sappy, young adult romance. Think Lake House but with teenagers. Ah, teen love :)

"They exist in two different centuries, but their love defies time. 

Cassandra craves drama and adventure, so the last thing she wants is to spend her summer marooned with her mother and stepfather in a snooty Massachuttes town. But when a dreamy stranger shows up on their private beach claiming it's his own -- that the year is 1925 -- she is swept into a mystery a hundred years in the making. 

As she searches for answers in the present, Cassandre discovers a truth that puts their growing love -- and Lawrence's life -- into jeopardy. Desperate to save him, Cassandra must find a way to change history ... or risk losing Lawrence forever."

I had a hard time putting this book down. Renee Collins wrote a beautiful, touching, "pull-on-the-heartstrings," teen romance. Until We Meet Again is written from both Cassandra and Lawrence's points-of-view, back and forth between 1925 and present day. Not only is the reader experiencing the love and relationship between Lawrence and Cassandra but also their own struggles and stories outside of their summer romance with each other. I loved the romance mixed with time travel and history. There are some "cheesy" moments, but I mean, come on. Would you expect anything less? I also felt that both character's acceptance of the entire "spacetime continuum" was a little rushed. I know I would have a hard time accepting it and not thinking I'm going insane! Great book for young adult readers, high school age and above. I highly recommend it. Thanks again NetGalley! As always, feel free to share any comments suggestions or recommendations!

Happy reading fools :)

"Orleans" - Sherri L. Smith

Hello fellow bibliophiles! Today's throwback review comes to you from an ARC I received from Goodreads giveaway a couple years back. Thanks Goodreads & Putnam Juvenile Publishing! At that time, this book was way outside my normal genre but has now become something I'm very interested in. Orleans by Sherri L. Smith was really different. A good different. I was transfixed with this book from the moment I received it. Here's why:

"First came the storms.
Then came the Fever.
And then the Wall.

After a string of devastating hurricanes and a severe outbreak of Delta Fever, the Gulf Coast has been quarantined. Years later, residents of the Outer States are under the assumption that life in the Delta is all but extinct... but in reality, a new primitive society has been born.

Fen de la Guerre is living with the O-Positive blood tribe in the Delta when they are ambushed. Left with her tribe leader's newborn, Fen is determined to get the baby a better life over the wall before her blood becomes tainted. Fen meets Daniel, a scientist from the Outer States who has snuck into the Delta illegally. Brought together by chance, kept together by danger, Fen and Daniel navigate the wasteland of Orleans. In the end, they are each other's last hope for survival. "

Needless to say, the book has an interesting concept to it. The beginning half was a little slow going for me, but I think that is entirely due to me learning about the different tribes and how Orleans and the world "now" operate. The book was something different than anything I had read at the time and I really liked the whole concept. To me, it was a fantastic idea and a little scary at the same time as some parts of the book are potentially possible. I liked the blood type/tribe aspect of the book which is how people are now classified and segregated. I thought it added a new angle and different direction than other dystopia books. The two main characters, Fen and Daniel, have well-written story lines and I liked how they interconnected throughout the book. Overall, it's a good story. I wish it had turned into a series. I would have liked to learn more and see how the world would progress! As always, feel free to share any comments, suggestions, or recommendations!

Happy reading fools :)

"The Martian" - Andy Weir

Hello fellow bibliophiles! Can you blieve it's already one week into November?! Where has this year gone?? Today's review is for The Martian by Andy Weird which is now a hit movie. Simply put, its a great book. Attention grabbing, suspenseful, and highly captivating.

"Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Marks finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he's alive -- and event if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first. But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills -- and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit -- he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?"

I really liked this book. It was great. But explaining to you why I liked it and giving specifics has proved not to come as easily as it normally does for books that I like this well. Maybe it was the characters. Maybe the genre, or the writing stlye. Maybe it's all of the above.  The main character, Mark Watney, is great. Andy Weir did a fantastic job writing this character. He's smart, innovative, witty, and sarcastic. Watney's relentless drive to stay alive gives the reader an emense sense of hope. You have to root for him! I loved his journal entries and continually found myself laughing at his random comments and sarcasm. I cannot imagine what I would write in a journal if I was left all alone somewhere. It's probably better actually if I don't try to imagine :)

Be forewarned, there are alot of numbers and science/chemisttry jargon throughout, especially in the beginning. While understanding his math and knowing how long each necessary component will last him (food, water, air, etc.) is important, these sections can be skimmed over easily. I couldn't put the book down. Thrilling and suspenseful from the start to the end. It's easy to see why they made it into a movie. I have yet to see it but have heard great things. As always, feel free to share any comments, recommendations, and suggestions about the book or movie! I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading fools :)

"In Death" series by J.D. Robb

Hello fellow bibliophiles! One thing I love when it comes to books is series. Once I start, no matter how good or bad, I feel I have to continue and see the series through to the end. Read my reviews on the Vampire Diaries and you will understand what I mean. The hard part with series as a blogger is keeping the reviews and posts new and fresh. Hard to do if you are continuing to write about the same characters and story if no one else has read the first book! I'm guessing that is why when I started the In Death series by J.D. Robb (otherwise known as the infamous Nora Roberts) back in August, the books escaped me when posting new reviews. And on top of that, there are a lot of books in this series. When I say "a lot," I mean there are 41 books currently. Talk about intimidating! That being said, I have recently finished the seventh book, Holiday In Death. So far, these books are great. Mystery, suspense, science fiction, and of course the romance that we all know, love, and expect from Nora Roberts.


The books are centered around two main characters, Eve Dallas, a NY police lieutenant, and Roake, who's the mega-rich handsome type that toes the line between what is right and his illegal roots. Both are plagued with dark pasts they continually try to forget and overcome throughout their daily lives. A murder in the first book, Naked In Death, brings Dallas in as lead lieutenant and Roake as one of her main suspects.

And the rest is history. The dynamic between the two is what readers have come to expect from any Nora Roberts book. They're love-hate, tension filled relationship continually evolves and keeps the reader coming back for more. Normally, I'm not a huge fan of science fiction, but I love that aspect to this series. Robb does a fantastic job making all of her ideas feel natural and normal. When reading it's easy to imagine flying cars, voice over commands to control everything, and robots as part of everyday life. That being said, don't feel overwhelmed or turned off if you think you don't like sci-fi. There is still a lot to the story that is no different than how life is now.

I do have one concern though for the series as a whole. I'm not sure how the series can continue without starting to feel repetitive. I'm hopeful but not optimistic. Reminds of the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. Seven books in and I haven't had this feeling yet but I think I will be taking a short break and read something new for a while. That is the nice thing about the series. It is easy to pick up and pause as each book begins and ends, no cliff hangers. All in all it is a good, cozy mystery series. I have enjoyed it thus far and think you might too! Check Robb and all the books at her website, www.jdrobb.com. As always, feel free to share any comments, suggestions, and recommendations!

Happy reading fools :)

"The Scorch Trials (The Maze Runner #2)" - James Dashner

Hello fellow bibliophiles! I hope everyone has had a fantastic and relaxing weekend. Hard to believe it is already August! Only 30 more books to reach my goal for the year :) That being said, let's get right to this next review. Last night I posted the review for the first book in the series, The Maze Runner. Make sure to read that first before jumping in here and catching spoilers!

The Scorch Trials starts right where we left off in the previous book. The Gladers have been rescued after fighting their way out of the maze and are currently waiting to learn more about WICKED and their part in the trials. While the Gladers may think they are done, WICKED has more up their sleeve. Time to start Phase Two! The rules are simple. There are no rules, just a few simple instructions. Get to open air, head north, and arrive at the "safe haven" within two weeks. If only things were that easy. Scorching heat, blasted storms, crazed people infected with "The Flare," and of yeah, a group of girls known as "Group B" who have apparently been going through the trials as well and out to kill Thomas. More information is given about WICKED, the trials, and world since the sun flares to the Gladers but who can they really trust? Are their friends really who they say they are? And why were they chosen as candidates? Let's hope the next book sums everything up and brings it full circle! I mean, "WICKED is good," right?

I know many people did not like this book as much as the first. I can say I concur. But as a friend pointed out today, I think some people may have started reading the series because it was popular and didn't fully realize the genre that the series is until the books started getting down to the nitty gritty. These books are sci-fi and they fully live up to that. Simple as that. Yes, parts of the books are way out there, especially in this book, but that's the fun of a good sci-fi novel! I just hope Dashner starts bringing things all together. Their can only be so many trials and test before people start getting annoyed. That said, I'll be starting The Death Cure tonight and hope that their will be light shed on some answers! As always, feel free to share any recommendations, suggestions, or comments!

Happy reading fools :)

"The Maze Runner" - James Dashner

Hello again fellow bibliophiles! I have been a busy reader today and have another review for you! To make things clear, I'm not the type of person to jump on the band wagon of popular books. If a new book comes out and people are going on and on about how great of a book it is, I won't read it. I know, I'm weird. I prefer to swim against the current instead of with it :) That being said, there are times when I give in and read a book everyone is raving about. And that leads us to the book for today. I never read the Maze Runner series by James Dashner when it came out and I didn't have any interest when the movie came out last year. I guess you could say the tides have changed.

A couple weeks ago I was flipping through the new movies on HBO when I noticed The Maze Runner. I wasn't that interested but I thought why not. I. LOVED. IT. So much that the moment the movie was over, I watched the trailer for the next one 3 times, logged onto my library website, checked out e-copies of all the books, and instantly started reading.

Dear James Dashner,
I'm sorry it took me so long to discover your incredible series. Please forgive me.
                                                 Your forever faithful reader, Kala.

The book was great. Sometimes fantasy/post-apocalyptic books can be all over the place. A lot are good while others fall short. I really liked the general idea and premise for the story. Kids thrown together on their own, given basic supplies and necessities but left to survive and figure things out on their own, doing all that they can to escape and live while being surrounded by a maze that seems to have no exit. And then one day, all things changed. A girl arrives with a message that no more supplies will arrive. The only thing to do is to find way out and survive. It's hard to give you any more than that without giving anything away! I do wish I would have read the book before watching the movie. I can't believe I am going to say this but there were parts of the movie that I liked better than the book. From the start, there are some big differences, but nothing that makes the story change. I actually liked the beginning of the movie better than I liked the beginning of the book. The ending of the book though gives a lot more detail into the story of the world and why these kids were put into the trials. I've already started the next book and cannot wait for the movie to come out this fall! I highly recommend the series! As always, feel free to share any comments, suggestions, or recommendations.

Happy reading fools :)

"The Elite" & "The One" - Kiera Cass

Hello fellow bibliophiles! I hope everyone had a fantastic day celebrating our country's birth! Mine was perfectly relaxing. Today's post is a double whammy! The Elite and The One by Kiera Cass are the next two books in the Selection series. Check out my review of the first book, The Selection here. I really like how this series has came together. While the writing is still a little second rate and choppy, I do like the message the books present.

I will make this review short as not to give too much away. If you have read the first book, its pretty easy to somewhat figure out where the story goes simply based on the titles of the next two books. I liked the way Prince Maxon's character has developed throughout but America still  tends to get whiny and be difficult at times. I often want to yell at her to stop being so stupid! Overall the books are a great new YA series. While I wish there would have been a little more to the ending of The One, it did wrap up well. I have read the description for the next book, The Heir, but I am not sure if that book is going to be as good. I know the story jumps ahead but I hope Cass fills in from where we left off to see how things have or have not changed. Hopefully she doesn't disappoint! As always, feel free to share any recommendations, suggestions, or comments!

Happy reading fools :)