Thursday, January 31, 2013

WWW Wednesday (38)


To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?



01. Currently Reading: 
The Quintessential Gemini by Linn Halton. Wonderful story so far about a woman who lives by her astrological information. Can't wait to finish this one up! =)

02. Recently Finished:
Song of the Fairy Queen by Valerie Douglas. Fantasy novel that revolves around a war between King Oryan and his half-brother where the only way to win may be the help of the Fairy. 

03. Reading Next: 
Lizzy Speare and the Cursed Tomb by Ally Malinenko. A 12 year old aspiring female writer has her world turned upside down because of a family secret. Sounds hilarious and am excited to read this one! 

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Teaser Tuesday (46)


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The Quintessential Gemini
   - Linn B Halton

At least I'm spared the embarrassing headline "Lonely single woman, recently unemployed, found fatally crushed beneath dining chair. Leaves orphaned cat called No. 4."


Should Be Reading @ Wordpress



Come back for the review, Feb. 2nd! And don't miss more during:



Song of the Fairy Queen

It's said of Fairy that if you are in dire need and call the name of one, they will come. King Oryan, with his castle under siege and his son in his arms, could not be in any more dire need. With only High Marshall Morgan and a handful of Morgan's men at his back, there is only one place left to run, up, and only one ally who can save them.

Kyriay, Queen of the Fairy.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Valerie Douglas brings readers back to the classic and epic aspects of fantasy with her novel, Song of the Fairy Queen. Focusing on Kyri, Queen of the Fairy, and Morgan, a human, Douglas tells a love story that is threatened by war. 

Though told from an omniscient point of view, Kyri is the main character. Readers follow her as she helps King Oryan fight to regain his throne after his half-brother usurps him. She is a mischievous creature by nature, impish, and full of quick wit. As a leader of the Fairy, she is kind, caring, and completely empathetic. She feels every pain of her people and her lands. Kyri falls in love with the other main character, Morgan, and readers will connect with her on this foundation. Especially since love is something she must sacrifice to save her people. 

Morgan, leader of the King's Marshals, is the face and strength of the rebellion. He is King Oryan's right hand and plays a major role in keeping faith alive. Morgan is the epitome of bravery, courage, and sacrifice. He always puts himself last when it comes to survival, while giving each task the highest level of importance. Readers will respect Morgan in every way, enjoy his bantering, and acknowledge that he deserves so much more than what he receives. 

Though the novel is quite lengthy, at around 500 pages, and becomes a bit slow-paced at times, Douglas calls on the classic fantasy novel for description and emotional conveyance. The plot revolves around the war but is softened with the love story of Kyri and Morgan. Even through the cumbersome times, I couldn't put this book down. However, readers must forgive the author for the mistakes sprinkled throughout the novel. Don't let them discourage you from finishing the novel. It's worth it, as Song of the Fairy Queen brings escape and a world only imagined into grasp. 

Rating: 3.5/5 Cups

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Chasing Dragons

From the safety of his bookstore, Sebastian observes the world around him through his books and his counseling clients, whose problems range from infidelity to the challenges of dealing with an overbearing mother. Living within the frenzied metropolis that is Hong Kong, Sebastian tries his best to live a quiet, predictable life.

Unbeknownst to him, there is a parallel story unfolding about Chi Wen and Zhao Chen, two dragons from Chinese mythology. While initially distinct from Sebastian’s modern life, this alternative reality begins to filter through and he finds himself increasingly subjected to visions and memories of a life he does not remember.

Reality and mythology blur and Sebastian is forced to question his own life and his relationship with Chloe. As the modern and mythical worlds start to intersect, Sebastian is drawn back into an ancient battle of wills. Solving the mystery of his frightening visions leads him to a choice that will throw his life into turmoil and potentially destroy his humanity.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Douglas Jaffe combines Chinese mythology with present day reality in his novel, Chasing Dragons. The main character is Sebastian King, a bookstore owner who offers counseling to random friends and strangers. He loves life and pursues knowledge with great passion. 

Readers will connect with Sebastian through his enjoyment and love for those around him. They will respect his devotion to constantly discover new ideas and his ability to counsel others, aiding them in forging their own life path. 

The plot is intriguing to readers as it aligns the mythological past of China and the subtle role it still plays in present day. Sebastian's role in the mythological world is both mysterious and inventive. The objective look that 'mortality adds importance' is given a new twist in the later chapters of Chasing Dragons. The fantasy aspect of the novel interrupting Sebastian's reality is a very nice analogy overall of how myths work their way into present culture. 

Jaffe's writing style is definitely the best aspect of the book. It's poetry in the motion of story telling. The dialogue is lovely and the descriptions are chilling yet full of warmth. The entire novel is penned in language at its best. If the story line doesn't grip you, the words will surely move you along as the stream becomes a river, falling over the climactic cliff. 

Rating: 4/5 Cups

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Teaser Tuesday (45)


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Chasing Dragons (Kindle Loc. 73-75)
   - Douglas Jaffe

Thus stated, you have to be clear on what you are willing to sacrifice for an experience, however enticing. Are you willing to discard all that you have built for this experience and if you end up alone at the end of it all - as you likely will - do you think the irreparable damage caused will have been worth it?

Should Be Reading @ Wordpress

Friday, January 18, 2013

Alone: The Girl in the Box

Sienna Nealon was a 17 year-old girl who had been held prisoner in her own house by her mother for twelve years. Then one day her mother vanished, and Sienna woke up to find two strange men in her home. On the run, unsure of who to turn to and discovering she possesses mysterious powers, Sienna finds herself pursued by a shadowy agency known as the Directorate and hunted by a vicious, bloodthirsty psychopath named Wolfe, each of which is determined to capture her for their own purposes...

*May Contain Spoilers*

Robert J. Crane brings mythology back to life with the first novel in a series, Alone: The Girl in the Box. Crane puts "meta-humans" up against each other with the world hanging in the balance. The only difficult part to figure out, why they all want Sienna on their side so badly? 

"Meta-humans" are people with supernatural powers and Sienna turns out to be one of them, only she doesn't know why or what kind of meta-human she is. All she knows is that various groups are out searching for her. For a seventeen year old girl, Sienna is rather strong, incredibly intelligent, and unbelievably fast. Her other powers are manifesting and it seems that she can communicate through dreams. 

As the main character, Sienna is a typical angst-ridden teenager, with a craving for drama, and the tendency to back-talk. I'd say this book is perfect for young adults, but the gore-described-decor puts it closer to the adult age range. Regardless, as the beginning of a series, Crane sets the readers up to slowly form a bond with Sienna. 

The foundation is Sienna's family (or lack thereof) and the emotional feeling of being separated from life. 
The bond strengthens when Sienna finds a romantic interest and the desire to love appears. It strengthens further when Sienna offers herself as a sacrifice to save others. 

I have no doubt that readers will thoroughly connect with Sienna by the end of the novel and that the bond will grow with each book following. 

Rating: 3.5/5 Cups

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Love Regifted

Ava Sullivan thought her biggest problems were a cheating boyfriend, a devious step-sister, and a weakness for designer handbags. But when a mysterious caller leaves her a message for her birthday, Ava’s curiosity leads her to uncover her parents’ best kept secret. Feeling betrayed, Ava begins to question every relationship in her life, especially that of the hot new guy she can’t seem to stop thinking about.

Jay Matthews, on the other hand, knows all about regrets, especially when it comes to families. He also knows what he wants, and Ava sits at the top of that list. Getting her attention is easy. Getting her to learn how to trust again? That will take a miracle.

*May Contain Spoilers*

I usually all out love Stephanie Haddad's novels, but Love Regifted was a bit disappointing. I liked the main character, Ava, for the most part, but I felt like there was just too much going on to really form a relationship with her. 

Ava works as a party planner and she is organized, efficient, fun, and sweet. But she also runs away from her problems, dates the guys she knows are bad, and is quite quick to judge. Though that may be, I feel like I could have connected with her if there weren't so many factors, situationally. 

It's difficult to pay attention to the main character when she's fighting off an ex-boyfriend who is trying to marry her step-sister, trying to seduce a bartender, finding out some intense family secrets, and up for a promotion at work. And not to mention, attempting to be supportive of her friends who have their own problems. 

The first part of this book was hilarious. I loved it. But then three (low estimation) plot lines emerged, tangled together, and before I knew it I was half way through with the book and didn't really care. It was too much to take on. Perhaps I should have spread the novel out for a few days? I did read the entire thing in one day, though not in one sitting. 

The story was wonderul! It just kind of flopped with character connection. (Sadly.) The beginning and the end: highly recommended. The middle: skim? 

Rating: 2.5/3 Cups

WWW Wednesday (37)


To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?



01. Currently Reading:
Starting a new book today! Haven't decided which one as of yet, but probably something fun that I already have on my Kindle. And then back to the review list.

02. Recently Finished:
Love Regifted by Stephanie Haddad. Finished this last night. Wonderful story about several types of love and how opening up to that can change your life. Review to be posted later this evening.

03. Reading Next:
Going back to the review list for Chasing Dragons by Douglas Jaffe. Novel about a counseling bookstore owner in Hong Kong. =)

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Teaser Tuesday (44)


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Funny teaser this week! =) This book has had me laughing out loud nearly the entire time!



Love Regifted
   - Stephanie Haddad

I'm just not sure yet whether I want her to hold me back from killing Pheobe or hold Pheobe down while I kill her. Only time will tell.

Should Be Reading @ Wordpress

The Key Inheritance

Ten years after the trip to Scotland that changed her life, Lou is back in the misty, magical country. This time, however, she’s not on vacation: Lou is there to settle some distasteful and depressing family business. When Brian, her old Highland fling, turns up, Lou is forced to wrestle with a past that she thought was dead and buried. As tension between the former lovers mounts, something wicked is stirring in Scotland. Lou must use all her strength to handle the increasingly desperate situation, but will she be strong enough to battle both a vengeful ghost and her heart?

The Key Inheritance is a novella that takes place a decade after the events of The Burning of Isobel Key. This contemporary story crosses into the supernatural as Lou discovers evidence of a long-dead spirit who refuses to rest in peace. Lou may have thought that she was finished with the witch Isobel Key, but her inheritance is more than the young woman can handle alone.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Ten years later, the lovely Scottish Professor MacDonald, who helped Lou exorbitantly, has passed away. Unfortunately, this is Louisa's sole reason for returning to Scotland, at least at first. The country that gave her a family now holds for her an inheritance in Jen McConnel's newly released novella, The Key Inheritance. Along with another mystery to solve. 

Suspicions arise within Louisa when she discovers how much planning the professor was able to do before his death, down to knowing the date that Louisa would arrive in Scotland to take care of his belongings. When Lou stumbles upon a journal, she has a frightening revelation. And it all comes back to one Miss Isobel Key. This plot keeps the story moving along quite quickly which pulls readers in, allowing the previous formed connection with Lou to build. 

In this continuance, readers get a chance to rekindle their connections with Louisa and Brian. Louisa has obviously changed into a woman who understands her beliefs and has continued her study of magic. Flames of her past self still burn within as Lou is still uncertain of what she wants out of life. Readers who bonded with Lou based on her desire to know her past, will strengthen that bond when Lou starts opening herself up to love. 

Brian plays a bigger part in this novel; as it is more about their relationship with a side dish of mystery and ghost stories. He becomes a pillar of Louisa's strength, giving her someone to lean on in hard times. Readers also get a peak at how he was affected by Louisa ten years ago. To say the least, I nearly had to reach for a tissue.

Highly recommended. Promise these will not bring disappointment. Read them. =) 

Rating: 4.5/5 Cups

Monday, January 14, 2013

The Burning of Isobel Key

Lou is in the middle of a quarter-life crisis. Ever since college, she’s lacked direction, working as a clerk in a local bookstore. But when she quits her job just before the winter holidays, Lou must do some serious soul searching to overcome her fears of straying from the mainstream. On a whim, she accompanies her best friend, Tammy, to Scotland for the winter holidays, but the vacation soon turns into an emotional roller coaster.

When she becomes embroiled in a hunt for information about Isobel Key, a woman falsely accused of witchcraft in the seventeenth century, Lou opens up to her intuition and makes a startling discovery about her own heritage.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Jen McConnel brings back the witch hunts with a Scottish twist in her novel, The Burning of Isobel Key. Relatable to the Salem Witch Trials of the U.S., readers will love this historical novel that focuses on heritage and all that entails. 

Louisa is a young woman who doesn't know what she wants to do with her life, which causes her adoptive parents to be a bit pushy. When she escapes to Scotland with her best friend, Tammy, Lou has no idea that her heritage is about to be uncovered. 

Lou is quite a fun character. Whether she's bantering with Tammy, going against her parents' wishes, or delving into the world of magic, she keeps readers intrigued and entertained. Though Lou is unsure of herself and what she wants, she has the desire to find out the answers. Even though it would be going against expectations. Readers will connect with Louisa through her desire to learn about her heritage, her strong demeanor in the face of adversity, and the openness with which she sees the world around her. 

Part of the novel is in the past and focuses on Isobel Key, a Scottish woman who was burned for witchcraft. As the plot pulls the reader forward, Isobel and Lou become entangled. Isobel is a character in which all things are inferred. Readers will see what happened to her, though not experience it themselves. The story that is told about Isobel will allow them to form their own characterization of Isobel, labeling her with qualities that they focus in on. This technique will let readers form the bond they want to with her character. 

The Burning of Isobel Key dips into a variety of genres, with something for everyone to enjoy. It studies paranormal, entices with romance, shifts through history, laughs with comedic intent, and describes the horrors of the past. It truly is a novel for all. Recommended for fast-forwarding through an afternoon, as the book will charm readers into sitting through the spell. 

Rating: 4/5 Cups

Sunday, January 13, 2013

The Night Circus

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des RĂªves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Erin Morgenstern morphs poetry into novel with her book, The Night Circus. With wonderful analogies, a complex cast of characters, and a plot that is tied together by string and folded paper, The Night Circus is a truly magical book that promises the stars and delivers the sky. 

One of the main characters (though it is hard to choose which characters are considered 'main' because each character has a delicate role in the book) is Celia Bowen. She's the daughter of Prospero the Enchanter, an astounding magician whose magic was real but made to look doubtful in performance. Celia has inherited his talent for enchantment and is set up to be the next player in Prospero's games. 

Celia is a three dimensional character with hopes and fears. She's full of joy, yet held back by being forced to play a game where there is no rule book. Celia's a bit naive, but very intelligent. Readers will connect with her through her desire to love and find love and also the want to make her father proud in the competition. These down to earth desires make Celia the Illusionist quite relatable while her magical abilities set her apart. 

Marco Alistair is the second main character, opposite Celia in the complex game of magic abilities. He was found by one Mr. A. H---- in an orphanage and raised solely to be in the competition. Always studying magic, Egyptian glyphs, charms, and anything else he could as a child, he grows up to face down Celia. Though the two magicians don't start off knowing their opponent, The Night Circus is the venue of the duel. 

Marco is an unreliable character, but not in the dependable sense. He changes his appearance, tends to stay in the shadows, and can manipulate reality. Readers won't know whether to trust him or run from him. But as the story and the competition evolves so does Marco. As he falls in love with Celia, all bets for the competition are off as there can only be one left alive at the naming of victor. I think readers will have a hard time creating bonds with Marco, but will still love him. He's unsure of himself, giving, hard working, and has a beautiful imagination. 

The plot of The Night Circus is twisty-turvy, to say the least. The duel between modern magicians is a fascinating idea, but the story spans years and each chapter brings on a different time frame. This makes it harder than usual to create a timeline in readers' minds. It takes great effort to keep everything straight and I feel like this will muddle up the story for some readers. Though I still would highly recommend it for everyone and anyone who likes magic and/or fantasy. A new world is built within the tent stripes of The Night Circus and everyone must buy their ticket. 

Rating: 3.5/5 Cups