Book Review: The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead

Title: The Fiery Heart

Author: Richelle Mead

Publisher: Razorbill

Publication date: November, 2013

Stand Alone or Series: Series--this is the fourth in a series.

Hardcover: 449 pages

How I got this book: Bought


Why I chose this book: Richelle Mead is one of my favorite books.  I love her style, and her books are always consistently good.  When it comes to this spin-off series, each book has left me wanting more and more.  I definitely had to see what was going to happen in this installment.

Synopsis:


The struggle isn't over for Sydney. As she navigates the aftermath of her life-changing decision, she still finds herself pulled in too many directions at once. Her sister Zoe has arrived, and while Sydney longs to grow closer to her, there's still so much she must keep secret. Working with Marcus has changed the way she views the Alchemists, and Sydney must tread a careful path as she harnesses her profound magical ability to undermine the way of life she was raised to defend. Consumed by passion and vengeance, Sydney struggles to keep her secret life under wraps as the threat of exposure—and re-education—looms larger than ever.

Review:

Richelle Mead never disappoints me with her books.  I love the vampire world that she's created, with Moroi, Dhampir, and now Alchemists.  Each book is consistent in that it grabs my attention and keeps me fully immersed in that world.

This is the fourth book in the Bloodlines Series, and not the last.  I wouldn't say this is my favorite book in the series.  It went slower than the last book, and a couple times I wanted something to happen and move the plot along.  However, once I started getting past the usual exposition, the story really started to pick up.  And I love getting to see some of my favorite characters from the Vampire Academy series, such as Rose and Dimitri.

The one thing that will not disappoint fans in this book is the romance.  There's quite a bit of it.  We get to see even more of how Adrian and Sydney interact together, and just how much love they have for each other.

One thing this book holds, that definitely makes it amazing, is the feeling you get at the end of the novel.  That feeling is the one that there is no way this can have any semblance of a good ending.  There is no way for there to be happiness, or for the star-crossed lovers to be together.  The reason this is a good thing is because somehow, someway, Mead is going to make some revelations in the next coming books.  And I have a feeling they're going to be amazing.

So while this may not have been the best book in the series, there's no way I would quite reading now.  I have a feeling things are really going to start picking up steam,and it's not something you're going to want to miss.

Book Review: Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger

Title: Etiquette & Espionage

Author: Gail Carriger

Publisher: Little, Brown

Publication date: February, 2013

Hardcover: 320 pages

Stand Alone or Series: Series--this is the first in a series

How I got this book: Galley from the publisher

Why I chose this book: The synopsis of the book just seemed so interesting and unique.  Plus, I'm a sucker for any type of book that has an element of spy-culture in it.

Synopsis:

Fourteen-year-old Sophronia is a great trial to her poor mother. Sophronia is more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper manners--and the family can only hope that company never sees her atrocious curtsy. Mrs. Temminnick is desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady. So she enrolls Sophronia in Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality. 


But Sophronia soon realizes the school is not quite what her mother might have hoped. At Mademoiselle Geraldine's, young ladies learn to finish...everything. Certainly, they learn the fine arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but the also learn to deal out death, diversion, and espionage--in the politest possible ways, of course. Sophronia and her friends are in for a rousing first year's education.

Review:

I was very excited to read this book.  The synopsis just sounded so fun and interesting, I was curious to see what kind of direction the author was going to take this book in. I also want to add in the note that I typically don't read books where the protagonist is this young (14).  On that front, this was new to me, and I wasn't sure if I would like the younger age.

When Sophronia gets sent off to an exclusive finishing school, she gets taught the arts of espionage and assassination.  You would think reading about this school, it would be strict, hard, painful.  However, the entire setting of the school is really fun to read about.  Everything is new and exciting, and it's like you're there for the journey as well.

All of the characters are developed enough that I can get a good enough idea of who I like and who I don't really care about.  As for Sophronia, she's a good character that you can get behind.  I like her, I understand her, I care about her.

The use of steampunk in the novel is also interesting to see.  In the way of novels, steampunk is a fairly new thing.  Every author likes to use it in their own way, and Carriger does a good job of making it fun and interesting.


Really good book, I would definitely recommend this book to friends and readers like like this genre.

Vampire Diaries Is Back!

For those of you who are proud followers of the TV series, you'll know that last night was the highly anticipated premier of the 5th season of Vampire Diaries.

Whether you only watch the series on TV, or follow with the books, you'll know that there's going to be some major drama this season.  Stefan is locked in a safe, constantly drowning over and over again.  Elena and Damen are together at last, but Elena is having dreams of Stefan.  Bonnie is dead, but only Jeremy knows.  Not to mention there's already been a murder on day one at college.  This is what we know just from the first episode.  Can you imagine how much more agonizing the rest of the series is going to become?
I have a feeling some more of my favorite characters are going to die.  There seems to be no problem with killing off some big characters.  I still miss Aunt Jenna, but I don't think she's coming back.

When spoilers were released about season 5 we were told someone minor was going to die in the first episode.  Check! That was the new roommate, Megan.  We were also told someone more major was going to die. Check! That was Bonnie's father.  There's even more death to come as the season progresses.

What do you think is going to happen next in the season?  Who's going to die next?  Will Stefan be saved from the locked safe?  Will Elena and Damen stay together?

Book Review: There Are Reasons Noah Packed No Clothes by Robert Jacoby

Title: There Are Reasons Noah Packed No Clothes

Author: Robert Jacoby

Publisher: Cloud Books

Publication date: October, 2012

Softcover: 342 pages

Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone

How I got this book: Galley from Publisher



Why I chose this book: This book had such an interesting synopsis, it was really hard to not want to read it.  It just seemed like it was going to be a very intense read.

Synopsis:

You need your eyes, don't you?

So does Richard Issych. Two weeks ago he overdosed. Now he's fighting for his life, finding threatening notes like that one on his nightstand.

There are Reasons Noah Packed No Clothes is the story of 19-year-old Richard Issych, who wakes to a harsh new reality inside an inpatient unit. Now Richard's journey turns into one of revelations and struggling through his own reasons for being as he discovers new meanings for redemption, sacrifice, hope, love-and the will to live.

In the end, what are the reasons Noah packed no clothes? Richard can only imagine. But it has something to do with a size 3XL bowling shirt with the name "Noah" stitched over the pocket.

Review:

What first drew me into this novel was the synopsis, the idea of a boy who failed to kill himself, and is then put into a mental ward where there are a bunch of other people who are deemed "crazy".  Not only is it so intriguing, interesting, and heartbreaking to read about, but it's a topic that people tend to stray away from because it's taboo, it makes people uncomfortable.  So to see it talked about like this in such an intimate way is very refreshing.

It's really easy to understand the main character , Richard.  We're in his mind like we're hearing his thoughts exactly as he's thinking them.  This gives the reader a very vivid view of the character not just in how he acts, but also in how he thinks, which I think is critical for a novel like this one, where what you're thinking about is pivotal to the story.  I also like the idea that we don't always know if what Richard is thinking/seeing is what is correct.  A lot of authors tend to have this character that is always right and all-knowing, even though in real life people are much more flawed.  We can see in Richard how those types of flaws play out.

Though I may be contradicting myself on my last point, sometimes it is hard to follow Richard's thinking process.  I think this is both a bad and a good think.  On the one hand, it makes it so much more realistic and honest, but on the other it makes it harder for the reader to follow along and understand exactly what's happening.

Would I recommend this book to others?  Yes, I would.  It's a beautiful story that's truly worth the read.  I would give it four stars. 

Book Review: The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid

Title: The Reluctant Fundamentalist

Author: Mohsin Hamid

Publisher: Harvest Books

Publication Date: April, 2008

Softcover: 191 pages

Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone

How I got this book: Bought



Why I chose this book: I didn't necessarily choose this book.  It was required for me to read for one of my classes, and decided to share my feelings on the book with you guys.  Whether you've read the book or not, it's an interesting thing to learn about.

Synopsis:

At a café table in Lahore, a bearded Pakistani man converses with an uneasy American stranger. As dusk deepens to night, he begins the tale that has brought them to this fateful encounter . . .

Changez is living an immigrant’s dream of America. At the top of his class at Princeton, he is snapped up by an elite valuation firm. He thrives on the energy of New York, and his budding romance with elegant, beautiful Erica promises entry into Manhattan society at the same exalted level once occupied by his own family back in Lahore. 

But in the wake of September 11, Changez finds his position in his adopted city suddenly overturned, and his relationship with Erica shifting. And Changez’s own identity is in seismic shift as well, unearthing allegiances more fundamental than money, power, and maybe even love.

Review:

I would have never read this book had it not been assigned to me in one of my courses.  The synopsis sounds interesting enough, but it's not my typical style of book.  It's a quick read, easy to flip through the pages to see what happens at the end, but it's definitely not a book for everyone.

Here's why: It's aimed towards people who want to learn more about how Muslims were treated after the events on 9/11.  Or maybe not even that, but just what the world was going through at that time, in the perspective of a man who is not native to America. 

It's a decent read.  I would recommend it if you, like I mentioned above, want to get a different kind of perspective on a major historical event that happened in America.  I think the idea of the book is to try to get you to think or dwell on things, but that's not really how it happened for me.  I read it, it was okay, that was that. 

A quick read, interesting, but I probably wouldn't recommend it.