Emerald Green

Emerald Green by Kerstin Gier is the last installment of The Precious Stones Trilogy 

 "Gwen has a destiny to fulfill, but no one will tell her what it is. She only recently learned that she is the Ruby, the final member of the time-traveling Circle of Twelve, and since then nothing has been going right. Sue suspects the founder of the Circle, Count Saint-German, is up to something nefarious, but nobody will believe her. And she's just learned that her charming time-traveling partner, Gideon, has probably being using her all along. Emerald Green picks up where Sapphire Blue left off, reaching new heights of intrigue and romance as Gwen finally uncovers the secrets of the time-traveling society and learns her fate."

General Thoughts: This is another book that sticks with me. I don't read many time traveling books, but this one was well done indeed. 

Plot: Gwen is finding that there are more schemes in her family that she really wants to and what is worse is no one is listening to her and no one is telling her anything. She is frustratingly alone except for a very few people who can help. I love the fact that she gets her deceased family to help her out. Her grandpa reminds me of my own grandpa who I miss dearly. Being able to pop in and out of time to see him as he grows and gets older, himself is really neat. I will also say that the final resolution was unexpected and well done. I'd love to go back and read it again to see if I can pick up on any of the hints that I probably should have gotten along the way. 

Setting: Much of the setting is the same as the previous books. Only about two weeks, at most, goes by in the "modern present" and so although there are lots of balls and we jump around the London Bridges and streets from different eras, we don't move around a lot. From what I recall, having read this a year and a half ago, I do believe the descriptions that were given were well done. In listening to the book, I don't think I was ever taken out of the story because I got lost at where we were. Often it was in the same hallways or rooms so then not much needed to change, but we were given enough information to not be floating in a blank space. 

Characters: I think the characters really pull the story along. While the plot is intriguing, the characters really bring it to live. As I said, I love Gwen's grandpa and her best friend. I think I remember them the best. I don't remember why, but I was never really hung up on Gideon. He's not the best love interest I've read about. Other side characters were perhaps even more memorable and enjoyable that him. As for Gwen herself... I don't know. It's been a minute since I've read it, but I also wouldn't consider her as memorable either. I remember things she did, but not so much her personality. I do remember Count Saint-German being a creepizoid and their altercations were engaging and fun to listen to. Maybe Gwen and Gideon really do belong together. 

Spice: 1/5 Spicy Chilis. It is a romance book, but it's a legitimate young adult book so nothing happens. I believe the most they did was kiss and maybe it was a little passionate in the first book, but she's angry and upset at Gideon for the a chunk of this book until he makes things better. 

Overview: I really enjoyed this series. It is kind of strange how it happens so quickly. You could literally have it be one large book and everything would slide in perfectly because no time passes. I think the time traveling here was well done and didn't jar me when she jumped in the timeline. It would be interesting to see what was going on from Gideon's point of view, but not that we'd need a new book for it. I'd be very interested to see what else Kerstin Gier makes and I'd be delighted read them. 

I'd Tell You That I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You

I just couldn't do it. I couldn't finish it, because... ya know... junior high was bad enough. I don't wanna go back. 

Cammie is the daughter of the head master for Galligher Girl's School. What everyone else in the world doesn't know is that it's not just some prestigious girls school for the smart and rich, instead it's a school that teaches those smart girls how to be spies. Cammie has become an expert at not being seen and blending in due to her upbringing, so much so that it's become a detriment to any social life that she could possibly have, not that the girls get out much to socialize in public spaces much in the first place. But on Cammie's first "mission" out at the nearby town carnival, she's actually seen by someone. And not just anyone. A boy. With the "help" of her friends, she now has to figure out if he's just some small town boy who just thinks she's cute and wants to get to know her, or if there are ulterior motives that could put their national security at risk. 

I'm sure the story is fine, that's why I would have given it three stars. It probably has a great story, I just couldn't finish it. I don't think this aged well as the slang in particular is so heavy. I know I talked that way and heard may kids talk similarly to the way they do in the book, but ya know I don't need flash backs to the acne, boys, and hard time junior high school actually was. 

Ally Carter, you did a great job at your research, possibly too well for me. I'm sorry. 

I also think the characters were a bit stereotypical. Goth girl rebelling against her rich, snobby parents. Poor but brilliantly book-smart girl who gets on by scholarship. Amazing at everything and anything girl who still is super awesome and best friend to main character. Everyone has everything except stealth and blending in, which our MC has. They all seem fairly like Mary Sue's to me and it makes it hard to relate in the first place. This is why I dropped it to two stars. 

Sapphire Blue

 The continuation of Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier happens two seconds after the conclusion of the first one. 

Gwen and Gideon get themselves and their fancy clothes back to the House of the Guardians, but Gwen's head is still spinning because he kissed her! and there is a new gargoyle hanging around who won't leave her alone. Maybe he can be of some use, though, when he's not making fun of her. Things are becoming more chaotic and confusing as her world shifts and sways with the new information Gwen keeps getting. Lucy and Paul are trying to get in contact with her, but she's constantly being told that they are dangerous, but are they or are the Guardians or the Count hiding things they don't want her to understand? Then there is Gideon who keeping flip flopping on if he's going to kiss her or scorn her and look the other way. Gwen is only 16, how is she supposed to deal with all of this? 

I enjoyed this one more than the first. Probably because we were more into the story and got a few more answers. I also enjoyed meeting Gwen's grandpa--makes me miss mine. 

I'm intrigued by the bad guy of the series. His motives are understandable and he seems cunning enough to almost get it done. Obviously he won't succeed, at least for long, but I want to know more about this ingenious, charismatic, narsisistic man. 

I can also understand why some people in their reviews give this series a bad time. Gwen, being sixteen, doesn't know what she's feeling and does get led on. She's not the "eat my dust," "all boys suck," "I can do everything myself" kinda girl which is getting shoved down everyone's throat. The "girl power" here is lacking and I think that makes it more believable. I remember being sixteen and seventeen and how windswept you can feel when you find out a boy loves you and kisses you. I remember needing "blowy-upy movies" for a bit after the first break up. It's hard and it's confusing and I think it's portrayed realistically here.

One reviewer in particular hated how Gwen forgave so easily and how she still fauns over Gideon, but didn't we all back then? We want that first love to be real so much that we do stupid things? The fact that everyone keeps commenting that they can see her affection for Gideon so boldly on her face is proof that she doesn't quite know what she's doing, because she has no idea how to hide it! I do believe *SPOILER* Gideon is being manipulative at the start, but I think this is more the romantic troupe of "it started out that way, but then I actually fell in love with you and it's real" like in How To Lose A Guy In Ten Days or other ones like that *end of spoiler.* 

I can't give this one a perfect 5 stars because it's ending was so abrupt again. I think it would have worked better as a single volume instead of three separate books. It would flow better I think. 

Jane Eyre

 Apparently it has been quite a few years since I've read or listened to Jane Eyre, and I'm glad I made this journey again. 

Young, plain Jane is orphaned. Forced to live with her uncles wife and children, she is abused and neglected. Her strong will and temperament are then bridled at Lowood Academy. There she makes friends with the teachers and other pupils. Death pays a visit on a large scale at the Academy, which brings sorrow and a heightening of the presence of God into Jane's life. Fully grown and educated, Jane decides to take her academic learning into a career as a governess. She finds a position at Thornfield Hall and enjoys the small society there. With only the master of the house, her pupil, and the servants in attendance, she begins to find a home at Thornfield and has found a friendship with the master of the house, Mr. Rochester. Their relationship starts to become more than simply governess and master, and he eventually proposes marriage. She begins to let her bridled passions and true character unwind. But fate has a strange turn and all is not as it seems at Thornfield Hall. 

There are reasons why this book has been well loved for nearly 180 years. The characters with their foils, the gothic mystery, the fairytale, the love story, view of God, and symbolism are amazingly well done. 

Jane has probably become my favorite character, almost ever. She is bold and brash where and with whom she finds it appropriate. She has her fault of probably being too easily led, by those who mean well and those who are manipulating a situation -- though part of me wonders how much of that was do to the time and what was expected of women 180 years ago and how much was her character, I don't have an answer yet on that. I love how she is religious and learns, as we all should, about forgiveness and charity and service to others. Those aren't often what is written about now without seeming pompous or prudish. I love how she stands up for what she believes to be right even though it hurts her greatly. She chose not to stay with Mr. Rochester for important reasons. She holds her ground with Mr. Rivers and, though she comes close, she doesn't recant her opinions and holds her ground. She knows what she wants, especially in the long term, and doesn't let herself be trodden on or manipulated by others feelings and wants. She is and has a strong character! I mean, come on! She says, "Oh, I will give my heart to God. You do not want it!" Bold as brass! <3 Love it. 

Mr. Rochester is an interesting character too. Similar to Jane, he's not handsome (which is cool because how many characters are often portrayed as the most beautiful person ever in the whole world or time? It's unrelatable for a large portion of society.) He's loud, has strong opinions, and is rather grumpy (though given his circumstances, it's understandable), sometimes I think he talks more than Jane -- which does make the relationship they have in the beginning a little hard to believe, though that might just be because I need to pay better attention -- but he sees that she is smart and thoughtful. He is proud, which is his biggest fault, but throughout the course of the story he finds himself extremely humbled. I love the way Charlotte Bronte words his devotion for Jane. His love is palpable on the page. It is beautiful, kind, and honest. 

The Gothic and supernatural elements of this book are the best thing for it. It gives the ghosts the prowl the Hall so much more life and vivacity than I think could have been done in any other setting. It gives strong tones of Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen -- though Austen was a satire of Gothic literature in her time. This Gothic atmosphere only ever lends itself to the story and bolsters it up. 

I think the mystery of Thornfield Hall is what most people remember of Jane Eyre today. "Vampyres" and fires are pivotal points in this story and they are so well written. Just... *chefs kiss * it's so well done. 

I have no problems with this book. It was well written. The writing, though older and potentially longwinded, is elegant and only give to the story. It is written in a "more modern" tone as opposed to even Jane Austen which was written 30 years previously which made it considerably easier to dive into. 

I'm extremely interested in finding the many depictions of this story that have been produced. I know plays have been done and I own a movie, but I have a need for more. 

I love it. I love it. I love it. 

In finding a cover of Jane Eyre for this post, I was in awe of how many beautiful (sometimes funny) covers were published. Here are some of my favorite ones. 

Some of these covers, though, make no sense whatsoever or are just completely inaccurate.

He looks really creepy here.... Um... Excuse you, dude! 

I mean, what is this? It definitely screams 1840s Gothic Classic to me... right... 

Dance of Thieves

The sequel series to The Remnant Chronicles  by Mary E. Pearson  and it was done very well. There were many twists and turns that I didn't see coming, which I think is a marvelous point in all of Mary E. Pearson's books. 

With a new Queen on the thrown of Venda, Kazi is sent with her Ratan crew to find a certain traitor who has escaped Vendin justice. The small clan city where they believe he is hiding out has also come under new leadership with the death of their Patre. Jace (the new Patre) and Kazi have a confrontation right before they both get knocked out and shackled by slave runners. Chained together and finally escaping, they must find their way back to civilization and not kill each other on the way. Between political interreges and secrets they won't tell each other, complications arise and they must skirt around each other while falling in love. 

The best thing about this series are the two main character and the natural development of their own individual character growth. The supporting characters are fantastic as well and do so much to build each other up to make it feel like a naturally functioning people. The Ratan and Jace's family are fantastic. Sometimes, because there are so many, I did get a bit confused, but many of them have such stark attributes that it's easy to tell what each character is like. I also listened to the audiobook and it helps a lot as well because the readers for this series did such a good job with characterization as well. My favorite is particularly toward the end when Synove fires her blunted arrow at a traitors back. That was perfect. That was amazing and so well set up. 

There are misunderstandings, but not in the cliché "it's going to run the plot" kind of way. They intentionally keep secrets from each other because "national security." With it being intentional instead of happenstance, it makes the story and the dance that happens real and much less the cliché. 

The world building that Mary did for The Remnant Chronicles and this series is amazing. It is top notch, even through it is in a basic "fantasy setting." There is so much time taken into the history of both series that makes it seem alive, seem real. No good story has no history. The histories, the ruins, the monuments, the rivalries all stem off how important history is to many of the cultures in this world. World building is my favorite thing in stories next to good characters. And this book is no exception to that. 

I'm loving it and am listening to the second one animatedly. The cliffhanger at the end of this book, demands that the second book is picked up quickly. So, on we read. 

The Beauty of Darkness

 The last book in the The Remnant series and a great ending it was. 

Lia is saved by Rafe from the river as they had tried to make their escape. But dressed like a pin cushion and dying, the cold journey to safety is long, hard and torturous. With help from Rafe's men and a persevering princess, they make their way to safe territory with their vital information of a coming siege. Kaden finds them and is "invited" into the party with shackles. Now, to convince generals of the hostilities coming and to weed out corruption from her own government while not getting captured or assassinated by the officials who work as spies for the Komizar. 

I ended up actually putting this one down for a while, and wasn't super keen on getting back to it. The beginning, getting away, even the romantic escapades between certain characters were fine, but as the story went on toward the middle, Lia rather annoyed me. There was a lot of angst and an exorbitant amount of aggression between characters. In the previous books, it made sense because there were kidnappings and hostage-ness going on, but now trying to save all the kingdoms it seemed unnecessary and a lot. 

I still really enjoyed the ancestral parts of the series. All of the ruins and lore and the fact that histories are different depending on where you're reading them from. Perspectives change as you jump from culture to culture and interpretations change and waver depending on situations. I do wish there was a little more history when it came to the ruins and cities that they passed through, but I know there are those, especially when it comes to Young Adult stories, that don't like going lore heavy. It is something that I very much enjoy and drink up wholeheartedly. 

Aside from angsty-teenagery-ness I did enjoy the characters. Particularly side characters for this book. They were given more time on the center stage and I think they are what pulled me back into the story. Pauline especially,  because you don't often get older, pregnant teenage girls who also have a baby in stories in general, especially in a fantasy setting. I enjoyed the fact that Pauline and Kaden didn't get a long and he was forced into midwifery and that he stood up for her later when she was being harassed. It was sweet and actually made me like Kaden more. Other characters bloomed too throughout the series and culminated here at the end. 

Lia and Rafe's relationship was very apparent. They did make love and none of it was described physically . It was all emotional, which I think is a good, healthy way to be describing it--especially in a Young Adult book. It worked and it worked well. 

I did enjoy the climax of the story. * spoilers *  The war parts were well written and the fact that Lia was able to use her Gift to help was pretty cool. Though, with all the point of "sacrifice" in the prophecy, I was thinking she Mary Pearson might do something truly cool and kill of characters, an ending like the Divergent series or something. But it was a different kind of sacrifice which I guess was okay.... Fine. Mary Pearson isn't so bold as to kill of her main character in a dramatic, story driven way. Makes the girls who are squeeing about the story really happy. 

All in all, it was pretty good. I enjoyed the series and would recommend it for people who are wanting a good series to read. 

Persuasion

 Persuasion is my favorite novel by Jane Austen. 

Anne Elliot lives is on the verge of becoming an old maid. At 27, and having been persuaded to decline two proposals in her younger years, she depressed-ly resigned herself to the fact that she will be living with her Father and older sister for the rest of her life. When family debts become so high that the family must "retrench" to Bath instead of living in their family hall, Anne is invited to visit her younger, married sister, Mary, while her father and sister move to Bath. The new tenets of her father's estate she learns is the sister and brother-in-law to her only love and the first proposal she was persuaded to decline eight and a half years ago. When Captain Fredrick Wentworth visits his sister and visits the surrounding families (which Mary is one), Anne finds that he stays but seems to have no wanting to continue any relationship they had had previously. And yet he stays around.

Anne is my favorite Austen heroine in that I find, to a degree, similarities between myself and her--or at least I hope so. For one simple point of Anne being the most quiet, and probably has the fewest lines, for any of Austen's heroines. 

Anne's growth throughout the story is delicately weaves throughout the book, where she also stays diligent to her beliefs and her character is strong. I like the brief glimpses we get into Anne of her seriously having depression after she first declines Captain Wentworth's offer, where it says that "her bloom" isn't there anymore, but then by then end getting out of the depression and seeing Wentworth again and associating with him, her very vain father comments on how she has it back. While Austen never says that she has depression, she does make a point to say that her "bloom" returned. 

This is a simple love story that I adore. I found out that it was probably based on a real love story, which makes my romantic and historian side of my brain love it even more (A book you can find about it is called: The Real Persuasion: Portrait of a Real Life Jane Austen Heroine). I brings the romance of the sea along with the reality of navel life. 

The real love I have for the book is Wentworth's Letter he gives to Anne. It is simple, sweet, and so full of hope. Sends my heart a flutter. 

I am also very biased as to my preference to the movie adaptations. Persuasion 1995 with Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds is by far the best. There is no running through Bath scene for one (and it's a big "one') and it is more accurate to the book. Ciaran Hinds also, I think plays a more dignified Wentworth and I care more for Amanda Roots Anne simply for her facial expressions, if nothing else. The 2007 version struggles. Hard. I hate the wardrobe; the background for scenes seemed very off (especially the ones in Bath); Sally Hawking's performance as Anne was subpar; I don't find Rupert Penry-Jones stoic or a charming Wentworth at all; I hate, hate, hate the running across the Royal Crescent in Bath so much--it's when she's reading the letter and it just ruins the whole atmosphere of the most important scene!!  

If you are going to watch an adaptation, stick with 1995. Favorite actors/actresses with brilliant performances and it stays true to the story. 

Heartless

 

The tale of the Queen of Hearts. 

Catherine is the daughter of nobility, but she'd prefer to make cakes. She doesn't care for the parties and courtly appointments, she prefers to get her hands, dress, and the backs of her ears covered in flour. But that is not what her mother wants, not what the King wants. Suddenly she is nearly engaged to the King of Hearts who loves her creations and finds her just as delicious. As she tries to escape the proposal, the Jabberwaky attacks and she is saved during a corset affiliated fainting spell by the new court Joker. Now with her eyes locked on lemon colored Joker eyes, she even less interest in the King and being his Queen of Hearts, because hers heart is already taken. 

It was a charming story, read well by Rebecca Soler who did all the voices superbly! One with many loved characters from Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventure in Wonderland. The Hatter before he's mad, the March Hare, the White Rabbit, flamingos and hedgehogs for crochet, and all the other outrageous characters that is part of the land of Hearts. The world is very comically odd as the way Wonderland is supposed to be. It is fabulously portrayed and written, just as Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles did with Cinder(ella) and the rest. 

It is also a love story between the Joker and Catherine. He has a mission and she has dreams. They both have tricks and are bound to lose their hearts, but to each other? They are fun characters with interesting adventures. 

(Spoiler!!) Sadly, though, we know the story of the Queen of Hearts from Alice's Adventure in Wonderland. The Queen is not a happy person. She is heartless and, oh, so willing to take off a person's head. This story is not a happy one. It is a fragility with a comic as it's star. You hope and you read on because "Maybe it's different" "Maybe there is a change" "Maybe she's not that Queen" "Maybe..." But her's is not a happy tale. And this, I think will be the only time I read it. 

I can't give it five stars because it didn't end how I wanted it too!! Written well, yes! Mastered beautifully, yes! But I wanted it different. And what happens to Jest was so quick it almost didn't seem real. Well done, but I didn't want to be sad with this book. 

Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

 This is a super cute book that is for anyone wanting to read something sweet. 

Written in letters after the end of WWII, the story is about a woman named Juliet who gets a letter from a man on Guernsey who came into possession of one of her old books by Charles Lamb. They begin correspondence and she finds out that in order to deal with being occupied by Germans during the war, this small group of odd neighbors begin a literary society--with an interesting story as to how it started and its name. The Society has continued on after the war and from the society begin to open up about their experiences in the war. Juliet was also a writer for a local British news paper and wants to write a book with their collection of letters. Of course, Juliet has her own life back in London, men, writing, friends, post-war happenings. 

It is a great story with full characters, many of them with fascinating stories. This is one of the best parts of the books. So many different people with different points of view, with different happenings, ways of coping with trauma, and different ways of being heroic in times of difficulty. 

I also greatly enjoyed the romance part of it. Rich American guy who is charming and witty and a lowly country boy from Guernsey. A little love triangle without being high school dramatic. They are adults here and act as such, for the most part. It wasn't heavy on the sappy romance, which was good, but there was sweetness and a comedy about it. 

There isn't really anything that I dislike about it. It was written well. However, the audio book that I listened to for it was misleading. The gentleman they had voicing the younger men wasn't that young sounding. So the younger men sounded like they were in their sixties instead of late twenties, early thirties. When she started liking a certain person, I was concerned that she liked the oldest gent in the literary society. It wasn't until I looked at the Netflix cover that I realized, "Oh, he's much younger" which was a relief. 

I very much enjoyed it and will reread it again. I've also heard the Netflix movie did it justice, so I'm going to be taking a look at that soon. 

A Spy's Devotion

If you're looking for a light reading and okay with a dose of cheese amongst the pages, then this one's for you.

A Spy's Devotion is about Julia, her extended family, and a recently returned and injured army Captain. Julia is an orphan that has been taken in by her pompous aunt, aggressive and angry uncle, and spoiled cousin. She has always done her best to stay back and support her cousin in every avenue she decides, and right now that is to help her gain the affections of Mr. Nicholas Langdon, the talk of the Town. Throughout the course of balls and dinners Julia and Nicholas find out, rather early on, that her uncle is a nefarious man who intends to assassinate important generals in the war with France. Julia is now tied between helping King and Country and not hurting her family and their interests--both of love and of money.

In my opinion, it was okay. There were parts that were extremely cheesy and, for those who've done the research into the Regency Time period, somewhat technically unbelievable. Small things, but they kind of irked me. The ending was also much longer than it needed to be. They could have wrapped things up a good seven chapters earlier without needing the trip to the Athertons or past loves coming into the story needlessly. It elongated it and didn't seem to be needed except for her to write her letter to him to tell how she truly felt. Yes, we get that being a governess is not the most amazing job and that there are many trials that come from it, but we got that with Sarah's "adventures" and letters. I feel we didn't necessarily need first hand accounts.

I think the characters were different enough to be distinct, but some of them I felt were simply stereotypical. Some of them had the same exact interests as similar characters from Jane Austen's books. Udolpho which is a rather scandalous novel from the time period. Even Julia is an orphan with no money to her name and is forced to live with angry/obnoxious relatives who are beyond wealthy (everyone is beyond wealthy here, making triple of what Mr. Darcy makes in Jane Austen's books and Pemberly is huge!). Ms. Dickerson pulled a lot, probably too much from Jane Austen and Jane Eyre.

If you want a regency book with a simple thrill of spy-ness, go for it. I wouldn't recommend this one very highly though.

Entwined

I picked this book up years ago and after reading through the first couple of pages gave it back to my local library (go support your libraries, ladies and gents. It's worth it!). I knew I wanted to read it again or at least give it a try, but when my library was "weeding" the books they were going to get rid of this one. So for $0.50 I snagged it, hoping I'd get to it eventually. Well, I got to it eventually, lol.

This is a fairytale retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses. Azalea is the eldest of eleven princesses whom she loves and takes care of while their mother is deathly ill. Their mother is pregnant and sick and on the night the youngest is born she dies. The girls and the King grieve in different ways, but all are subjected to mourning for a year. Merry Christmas, everyone. The thing that the girls love most is dancing and because of mourning they are denied this. They get scolded and reprimanded for sneakily doing it in defiance of their father, knowing "Mother would have let us do it." The castle they live in is a magic one and they find an enchanted room in their fireplace where a man with magic has been imprisoned by the same magic he uses. He invites them all down every night to dance and enjoy themselves. They greedily take the opportunity. Between arguments with their father, grieving over their mother, being forced to be alone in mourning, and the occasional "political business" where gentlemen would strut around trying to entice the princess into political marriages, they dance.

I really enjoyed the ending of this book. The beginning was a bit cheesy, which is why I didn't get very far the first time, and the middle was a little elongated more than it really needed to be, but the ending was very well done. Highly intriguing and engaging where I finished the last 200 pages in a day--where as I somewhat struggled picking it up in the middle. It was worth it in the end. I'll definitely be keeping this book on my shelf and will probably read through it again later.

The driving force of this book was more to do with Father/Daughter relationships more than "I love this boy" which is different than most YA books out there. Yes, there is romance, but moral of the story is family. They learn to grieve together and it's not something that happens over night. That build up of Parent/Child relations is what took the middle of the book so long. It was needed and important for the end, so I'm glad it was there, but it might drag a bit for some. Family is first. Loving family first where boys and potatinal marriages are second. Different and good.

There is a struggle some authors have in keeping different character (especially lots of different characters) separate and distinct. Heather Dixon does a good job with this. All the girls are flower names, but they are all in alphabetical order so then we as the reader can at least guess as to where they land in age. Azalea is 17 or so all the way down to baby Lilly. We can keep them in order because of their names. There are also a lot of gentlemen who come and go throughout the story and, through their names as well, we are able to keep them separated as well as given a bit of their personalities. Lord Teddie is rambunctious, Lord Bradford is practical and a good political while still being kind, Lord Fairweather is constant and stiff. Names and personalities here were well straightened out for the most part, which is hard to do with so many people.

The setting was fun, and the magic in the world was simple, yet different. The large portion of magic at the end, the climax and resolution of it all, was set up well enough but there was one part I had a problem with due do lack of explanation--which gave its excuse of it possibly being "Old Magic" therefore mysterious. Slight cop out, but I guess it works.

The only thing that I can complain about is the slight cheesiness of the dancing toward the beginning. It got better as it went on and it might have to do with the fact that I'm not a dancer, really, and don't get the fascination so much. Good for them if they do, but it was kind of cheesy to me. The reader can get over it and it's not so bad, just push on and it gets to be better.

In the end, it's a really good book. Heather Dixon did a really good job at portraying this story which often gets over looked for other "princess classics." Read it and enjoy.

Sense and Sensibility

Jane Austen's first published work Sense and Sensibility has been read over and over again for more than 200 years. It is a classic that has been loved and survived the years because it's a good book full of vibrant characters and an engaging story.  

After the death of their father, Elinor, Marianne, Margaret, and their mother are forced out of their home to live in a cottage in a different county while their half brother and his wife take over the family estate. Their time in this cottage, making new acquaintances and enjoying the countryside, is quickly changed to lovestruck conversations when Marianne is saved by a young gentleman and love blooms. For Elinor though love is a trying thing when she learns that the man whom she admired is in love with someone else whom she also is acquainted.

I think this book has stood the test of time, unlike many of the other romantic stories of the time, because it hits home more than some of the others. The things that Elinor and Marianne deal with, loss of father, home, loves, sickness, surviving monetarily as well as plain surviving your family relations and acquaintances. These are things that we all struggle with at one point. We read things that are often similar to our own lives via theme or circumstance. Sense and Sensibility does that, even to today, which is fascinating. There have been many critics, papers, articles, and readers of this book over the years and if you search them out can find a lot of enlightening information and opinions.

I like the play on opposites that is presented here. Elinor is the sensible one in the family (rather logic based) and Marianne is full of sensibilities (and can often let her emotions run rampant). Willowby vs Colonel Brandon, The Ferrar's brothers, John Dashwood vs Sir John Middleton, even the rolls that men play vs women and how they are portrayed (hunters vs mothers). The way Austen plays with opposites is engaging and can be thought provoking.

The characters, though, aren't only opposites of one another, but they are their own people. They aren't merely a stereotype but do have their own personalities and quirks that make them unique.

This, again, is an older book. Classic for a reason, but not everyone's cup of Sleepy Time tea. It's language is different and more wordy than what present novels give. There were times when I needed to put it down because my head was starting to ache or I couldn't pay attention because of how the language was constructed. It is what it is. I also have the Oxford World Classics edition which honestly read more like a textbook than a novel which might be published in a different format. But it did have a lot more insights, critiques, and definitions which were very much helpful and fun to look up without having to go very far. It also had a good introduction by Margaret Anne Doody who has done many other critiques and papers for the Oxford World Classics company. Again it was very enlightening to aspects that I didn't see my first "read through" during college. In the end, be forewarned that it is older, wordy, and "harder" to read for the "modern" reader.

Read it. Enjoy it. Take it slow if you need and please go and find articles about it. They can be very enjoyable.

Northanger Abbey

Upon reflection, I realized I haven't written about Northanger Abbey and how much I thoroughly enjoyed Jane Austen's first written novel, thought it was published after she died in 1817 alongside Persuasion.

Catherine Morland was not born to be a heroine. That is how Jane Austen starts it. She isn't particularly pretty. She isn't super accomplished. As she grew, she started to love novels and reading. But being born out in the country, she didn't have much in the way of possible social interactions which is what a young girl in her station needed in order to find a good husband to marry. So, joining a family friend in Bath in hopes of finding that social interaction, she runs into a boy--well, man--who seems shrouded in supernatural mystery. Or maybe she's reading too much into his family secrets. Mr. Tilney isn't the only one looking to become better acquainted with the somewhat naive Miss. Morland as well. Love and potential Gothic encounters are in the air. Or maybe she's reading too much into all interactions.

This is one of my favorite Jane Austen books, so much so that I wrote my under-graduate thesis on it in college. Jane has her satirical fingers all over this book as she's poking fun of the Gothic novels that were circulating around her in her teenage years, when she started to write. Catherine reads these types of books and when presented with Northanger Abbey, which is Mr. Tilney's family home, she can't help but imagine secret passageways, diabolical schemes, ghosts, even vampires that reside behind each fluttering curtain. Jane Austen was critiquing The Monk, The Castle of Otranto, The Mysteries of Uldolpho (which she names specifically) and many others (none of which I've read). She pokes fun of them all because, in her opinion, they are kind of ridiculous.

I love the fact that Catherine isn't really the heroine of her own story. It says she is and it is her story but she doesn't save the day, she didn't solve a mystery (maybe I could give that one to her, but I probably wouldn't), she wasn't taken captive by a roving spirit where Mr. Tilney had to come and save her from a fire that the ghost started. No fainting spells, no vampires, no vindictive vendettas she needed to evade, or whatever. In part, she nearly lost it all because her imagination was wild and got the better of her.

Catherine and the rest of the characters are fun. Jane Austen is really good at making her characters human and realistic. Even though her writing style is older it works and stands well against time. Honestly, not many can do that well. They are human with fault and problems, with family who are sometimes the problem, with tempers, and schemes for marriages, for wealth, for love, for stability and survival. Jane Austen took the situations, and sometimes the people, around her and gave them to us to see. One could say she gave a big portion of the truth of Society to Society. (It kind of make me think of The Help by Kathryn Stockett. Such a great book.)

I think the biggest hang up that people have for this is the older writing style of Jane Austen's books. Modern minds have to take a second and slow down to actually think about what is being said instead of having the language be as simple as it is today. It's like they have to adjust their eyes and minds to the colorful words.

Lady Susan

Jane Austen is a well known name for many of her works. Mainly Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Sense and Sensibility, &c. but there are some of her works that people don't know. Lady Susan is one of those, though it has risen in popularity though people may not know it.

Lady Susan is a story written in letters between the different characters about the flirtatious whims of Lady Susan. After making a quick leave from friendly relations, she imposes herself on her brother and his family for a time. She is an expert in the ways of speech and a ridiculous flirt. Mrs. Vernon--Lady Susan's sister-in-law--after being invaded by this woman with a sour reputation, has a full house when her brother, also a lover of flirtation, comes to meet her and have lively conversation. But then Lady Susan starts captivating the young Mr. De Courcy. She has snatched away his sense and has him completely wrapped around her finger. Other characters are introduced that shed light on Lady Susan's character, or lack there of, which characters include her daughter and a certain Mr. Manwaring and Mr. James. People all around her can see her intentions and falsehoods, yet are still bewitched by her words.


This story has recently been retold in the movie adaptation "Love and Friendship" (Not to be confused with Jane Austen's satirical story "Love & Freindship," which is also funny, but different). I think Kate Beckinsale did an amazing job at this proud, rather obnoxious character.

I think Jane Austen did an expert job with the letter writing between characters. It gave enough information to not lead the reader astray, but also make it feel like they were letters to friends or family. There was even voice change, even slight at parts, between the different writers, which (as a writer) was fascinating.

I really like the characters. I like they they are a family that has to work through a family problem and that this story doesn't have a "we fixed her and she's not who she was." There is no way to fix Lady Susan because she doesn't think she needs fixing. She is insufferable, but she doesn't think so.

I like how this also shows Jane Austen's humor. Honestly, how many people were writing books like this where the title character is willingly being a lover to a married man and thinks its the wife's fault, and writing this story at the turn of the 19th Century? I mean this two decades before the Victorian Era where they were the most prude and proper society. Twenty years, that's not a lot. (Yes, I know Shakespeare made fart jokes, let us move on.) That is not what we think of when we think Regency, not initially any way.

It is a great read. A short read comparatively, though it comes from a different age. Therefore, writing style and wordage's are different. (Similar to the Hardy Boys, The Belgariad, and Shakespeare.) That change in age can take some getting used to, but once you do it flows so quickly. I love it.

Enjoy the book. Watch the movie and enjoy that too.

Special A

I finally finished another series. Things are finally calming down so I can read again.

That being said, Special A was a very enjoyable series. It was sweet and easy going. Definitely a series to read when needing an easy, light hearted read.

Special A is about a girl who wants to beat a boy. Her whole life she has always come in second place with him being first. In every competition they have, he wins. Grades,  he wins. Sports, he wins. Everything, he wins. He affectionately calls her, "Ms. No. 2." The rest of the series is about her finally realizing that he likes her and that she loves him. There is a mix of other characters, mainly in this SA class, and their romantic relations too.

My biggest critique is the plot. There isn't much of an over arching theme or story over the whole series. There are lots of jumps from this person to that person and their feelings and romantic moments, but it doesn't have a strong plot. Even the idea of constantly wanting to beat Takashima at any challenge is put on the back burner for major portions of the series. There are also plot points that seem very similar to other series that I've read, such as Maid-Sama or Ouran High School Host Club. Wealthy guy and poor girl with class differences, flights across the world to "save" the boy, etc. It seems to be a trend from books published in the later 2000's.

I very much enjoy the characters here. SA has some very different characters than other series I've read. They have a few more jealousies from Takashima and Arika, Hikari is willing to get dirty and can take care of herself as well as look and act feminine, the family unit of the twins and Ryu was sweet, and Tadashi's obnoxious yet still genuine kindness is nice to see. The other side characters have their own personalities which are very much different from one another and others from different series--which I seem to be comparing to a lot. I like them as characters, but there is much character progression or arch to their own stories... It is very much about being/falling in love. They are fun characters to have and make for fun moments, but overall they are kind of flat.

I think I prefer the anime to the manga on this one, which is weird to say. The anime doesn't go as far in the series, but because of that the lack of character development in the manga as well as the basic beginning arch. And that was fine. I was content with it as it ended with a complete story.

I'd read this a book series again if I was wanting something super light that I didn't have to think to much. Enjoyable but not the best.

Saint Anything

Saint Anything is a good book and this audiobook has a good reader.

Sydney has always lived in her brother's shadow. When he started doing drugs and getting drunk, her parents had eyes only on Payton and the drama he was dragging their family through. When he ended up hitting a kid with his car after being out drinking, everything changed. And nothing changed. Payton went to jail and everything stayed Payton oriented. Sydney was, as she had been for years, invisible. The good kid. The kid with good grades and always kept her nose clean. Nothing to worry about, so easy to forget.

She then makes the decision to change high schools. She was known as "Payton's sister" never actually Sydney and desperately wanted to not have that stigma. There she finds friends that dissipate the monotony and feels seen for once. Sydney finds that she likes it.

I really liked Sydney and the individuality of all the other characters. It's actually pretty hard to find a good young adult novel with parents being prominent characters that aren't just "my parents" or "the evil bad guys who never want me to have fun" let alone parents who have personalities are individuals with their problems and equal strengths. It's even rarer to find parents in YA novels who actually get along and have each others back. This was nice to see that change where everyone, not just the teens, are real people who have wants and ambitions that go beyond the scope of the plot line of the novel.

The setting that they are in are the same for Sarah Dessen's other novels and characters make appearances from other stories. Seaside Pizzeria makes its appearance in Sarah Dessen novels as well. They are fun little easter eggs that she lays around.

I think one of my favorite things is when the cover and title finally make sense. Those little light bulbs that go one were very pleasing even if one of them took to the end for me to finally get. That was probably my fault. I also very much like it how her books, like this one, come full circle. Practically every loose end is tied and the metaphors she uses work well for the story she is creating. Finding the carousel and the sinkhole and even the thrift stores and valuable things that some people have either lost, given away, or forgotten runs powerfully through the story.

The predictability of the book was kind of sad. I knew what was going to happen long before it did, but it was still satisfying nonetheless.

I love Sarah Dessen's books for the characters and metaphors she uses. They are both always strong. The hopeless romantic in me loves the romance that takes place too. It makes it a fun, enjoyable read, that are often different and give voice to someone who is searching for their own.

Please enjoy.

Blackmoore

Blackmoore is the second book Julianne Donaldson wrote and it was very well presented.

Kate comes from a very scandle-infused family where all she wants is to be free. Blackmoore is supposed to be her way to escape all of the ever past and move toward India with her aunt Charlotte, who--like Kate herself--has promised she'll never marry. But after making a deal with her mother so then she can actually get to her friend's estate, she finds herself still caged with sour memories filling her mind. Henry, is there. Blackmoore is his home. He has always been and will always be there to help her get out of the sticky situations she gets herself into, and her time at Blackmoore seems to breed these.

This story was far more lively than her previous book Edenbrooke and there seems more at stake here. There are many more thematic elements as well, which carry the book along and wrap it up neatly. Black birds and cages and the freedom of flight... they were well put together.

I tried to read this book with a book in my hand and found Kate at the beginning to be very annoying. More snobbish than I was wanting to spend my time with for the moment. But when I got the audio CD with Cassandra Campbell reading, I found I enjoyed it a lot more. It just took time to get there. Development of the character, depth to Kate grew the farther we went into the book. Cassandra Campbell did a great job with the many voices and tones throughout the story, which livened it up very much.

I do wish there was more character description. There was little to none in the book of the actual characters. There wasn't as much scenery either, which saddens me a little. We get the basics of the place and people, but nothing that paints a full picture as the story goes on. For the life of me I can't remember what Kate or Henry look like aside from Henry's "granite colored eyes." I would want more of them and the settings around them to give depth the story.

The characters themselves were well done. They all had their own personalities and traits which set them apart from each other and made it so none of them were mistaken for another. Even many of the party guests had their own distinct tones, voices, and personalities which set them apart as different. Which was fantastic! Way to go Julianne!

I would recommend this to anyone really who loves the regency era in British history who is looking for a sweet romance. My biggest  pro here is that it's clean which is often hard to find in the romance section of any library or bookstore.

Enjoy!

Dengeki Daisy

A great series of amazing characters. 

Dengeki Daisy is about a high school girl named Teru who lives on her own since her brother passed away from cancer. However she is not alone. She has Daisy. Her brother gave her a phone before he died and said that when she needed someone to talk to, talk to Daisy. At first she didn't want to, but as the mental need arose she began emailing him. Daisy has been her biggest support through her hardest times and she's never seen him in person. 

Enter Kurosaki. The janitor and groundskeeper at Teru's high school. Through some forced persuasion, he gets Teru to help take care of the school grounds. They start becoming friends and their punky relationship is one of the funniest things. The way they act around each other is hysterical. 

This series has computer hackers, gun fights, kidnappings, cute and amazingly funny romances, and secrets from the dead. Each of the characters is unique and has their own stories, which is sometimes hard to get. Teru's brother is such a good guy and I wish he was around for all of them. 

I think my favorite part in the series was when Kurosaki was trying to leave and Teru, in her own mischievous way, gets him to come back. Teru is a much different character than most of the other typical "shoujo mangas" heroines. Instead of being clingy and having little stars or flowers every time something cute happens, she often does something to change the subject or bops him on the head or something obnoxious. And what's awesome is that Kurosaki does the same thing back to her. Their relationships if funny and different. And they still have very cute moments to make your inner-chick-flick watcher squee. 

The premous of the stories and their adventures are different too. They are more high stake and the fact that computer hacking is even a thing makes it engaging and, again, different. Throughout most of the series there was always something that kept me going. If life hadn't gotten crazy, I would have finished it a month ago. I will warn that, for me, volume 14 and bits of 15 were slow in my opinion. There was lots of meetings that didn't seem to really do anything. But if you push through you'll very much enjoy the end. 

I very much enjoyed the series. 

Chibi Vampire AKA: Karin

Chibi Vampire other wise known as Karin is the story of an un-vampire.

Karin is a strange young girl not only in the human world where she has the occasional nosebleed and is considered sickly at times; but also in the vampire world where she doesn't bite people to suck their blood, instead she bites people and gives blood. She can also walk around in sunlight, doesn't have the heightened senses a normal vampire does, and can't wipe people's memories as needed after biting someone. All in all, she is strange.

Things seem to run smoothly in the Marker household with Karin going to school and the rest of her family staying up all night, until a transfer student enters the class. Karin finds that her blood level increases quickly and nosebleeds happen more often when ever she is around Kenta Usui. In him she's found her bloods affinity, the type of emotion her body yearns to bite. When they bite a person normal vampires suck that emotion out. So if a person is super stressed and a vampire bit that person they would become stress free for a short period of time. This could be considered helpful and kind of a cool take on vampires. It is a 14 volume series so after she finds out how to cope with Usui, her grandma wakes up, and a new girl comes into town looking for the Markers and a specific vampire in their family.

I think it is a very well thought out and well done story. The overarching plot was interesting and cute, engaging and hysterical at times. I love the family dynamic throughout the series and the ending kind of had me angry. I really liked the epilogue episodes. They satisfied me enough to accept the decision that the writers made. The Marker family was full of fun, intersting characters with their own personality that rounded the family.

If you have enjoyed the anime before you read the manga, that's great. But know that the manga and anime are vastly different. The anime derails from the manga after only a few episodes. Sadly Winner St. Clair makes no appearance in the manga. This fact made me very sad. But the manga is really good and I do recommend it. An oldie but a goodie.

Siren's Lament: Season 1

Siren's Lament is a web comic I was introduced to by my best fwiend (yes, that was intentional) and it's artwork is BEAUTIFUL!! The second I opened it up on my phone I was take aback by the beautiful artwork (and cute chibis) that make of Siren's Lament by instantmiso.

This story is about sirens and the curse that it is to be one. Sirens seek out brokenhearted people, kiss then, then trade places with the human becoming human again while the person becomes a siren with no memories of their previous life. Lyra watches the boy that she's liked for years be with the most beautiful girl whoever mo-ped-ed into the city. Not wanting to change the friendship that they do have, she says nothing. One night, after a "not-date" is canceled with Shon (the boy) she goes to the ocean crying. Hearing a strange song she falls into the ocean and is saved by a siren's kiss. However, something goes wrong and they both end up on land with legs, except for when they are submerged in water when they gain fins. Neither Ian nor Lyra wants to be a siren so they must find a way to break the curse before time runs out and she loses everything.

This was a sweet story even though it has a nasty love triangle. Normally I don't like them, I blame a specific vampire novel for that. So if I know that the main point of the story is a LT I tend to skip it. However, if it isn't the main focus or if both guys are awesome I can over look it. LT's often have too much unneeded YA drama. This, because the characters are older, out of high school, most of the flaring drama recedes. Yay for this story!

I do really like the characters here. Both of the guys because they are very different and Ian is hysterical. Lyra is funny too and while Shon isn't as outwardly comical, he definitely has his funny moments. Their chibi's and the way they act around one another is great. It seriously made my day. There is some mild bedroom humor, but nothing overly obnoxious. Pele and Tua are great fun too and I like them both a lot, especially together. Over all, for everyone there were times when I busted up laughing and had my husband look at me strangely. It was great fun.

The basis of the story is compelling and the world that is made around it is an interesting one that I want to dive more into. Trying to get the curse lifted alongside gaining enough courage to say how you feel work well together. It also brings great conflict amongst the characters even as they are growing closer together. The ending of Season 1 was particularly thrilling and I busted chapter after chapter very quickly wanting to know what was going to happen.

It is only available online as a web comic (at webtoons.com) or an ebook. It appears most of Season 2 is published online where you can read it, but because it hasn't been completed as of 9/2018, I'll wait to give my review of Season 2 once it is done. It comes out weekly with new updates, so read the continuing story.

Enjoy.

P.S. Here are some photos of the beautiful artwork that is just amazing.

 

They make me laugh so much!