Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson

Edenbrooke

by Julianne Donaldson

 

Marianne Daventry will do anything to escape the boredom of Bath and the amorous attentions of an unwanted suitor. So when an invitation arrives from her twin sister, Cecily, to join her at a sprawling country estate, she jumps at the chance. Thinking she’ll be able to relax and enjoy her beloved English countryside while her sister snags the handsome heir of Edenbrooke, Marianne finds that even the best laid plans can go awry.

From a terrifying run-in with a highwayman to a seemingly harmless flirtation, Marianne finds herself embroiled in an unexpected adventure filled with enough romance and intrigue to keep her mind racing. Will she be able to rein in her traitorous heart, or will a mysterious stranger sweep her off her feet? Fate had something other than a relaxing summer in mind when it sent Marianne to Edenbrooke.

(summary from goodreads.com)

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Delightful! Perfect! I have read many Austen inspired books and have been disappointed by most. Claiming to be "inspired by Austen" is a mighty claim and has created a vast amount of unwieldy, over the top literature full of heavy handed romance and things Jane Austen wouldn't have dreamed of. But this book - it was delicate and frothy, with just the right balance between Victorian sentiment and modern language. It reminded me of a Heyer book. No one will ever be the next Austen, and Donaldson didn't try. But she did manage to write a book reminiscent of a purer time, with a lovely and satisfying romance. This is a book I will actually buy (my burgeoning bookshelves have high standards) and reread over and over again.

Mom note: As a mother of readers, I also want to make a note to myself (and others if they care) why I would or would not have my children read this book, because honestly, sometimes I forget. This is an adult book but appropriate for all audiences. Violence: mild. Profanity: none. Sex: no, only mild Victorian-couched innuendos and references.

 

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore

Bitterblue 

by Kristin Cashore

Eight years after Graceling, Bitterblue is now queen of Monsea. But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisors, who have run things since Leck died, believe in a forward-thinking plan: Pardon all who committed terrible acts under Leck’s reign, and forget anything bad ever happened. But when Bitterblue begins sneaking outside the castle—disguised and alone—to walk the streets of her own city, she starts realizing that the kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year spell of a madman, and the only way to move forward is to revisit the past.

Two thieves, who only steal what has already been stolen, change her life forever. They hold a key to the truth of Leck’s reign. And one of them, with an extreme skill called a Grace that he hasn’t yet identified, holds a key to her heart.

(summary from goodreads.com)

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Bitterblue, Bitterblue. In some ways you weren't what I hoped you would be but in others you were so much more. I loved your predecessors and looked forward to your arrival with bated breath. Were you full of adventure and a well written world and cameos of most of my very favorite characters from previous books? Yes! But where was your soul mate? Why was I discontent with Saf? Or was I just reacting to YOUR discontent with Saf? I know your creator can write romantic tension that leaves me convinced her characters will be together forever, and I have to admit I missed that in your story. Does this mean a 4th book is yet to come? Will your story finally give you the love of your life? Will Gideon be given a chance? 

Bitterblue is the third in a series of books that must be read in order, and I encourage one and all to read them. Fabulous books! Begin with Graceling and move on to Fire, then read Bitterblue. That said, Bitterblue was my least favorite of the three, mostly because it felt unfinished. (And for that long of a book, I shouldn't feel that way.) I will hopefully change my mind when the inevitable fourth book is written. Hopefully. But regardless, still an outstanding book by Kristin Cashore. I'm amazed at how different the author's main characters are from book to book - it is delightful to read about different people, rather than the same personality in a different form. I was frustrated for Bitterblue as she dealt with betrayal and cover ups, all while trying to heal her country and come to terms with her past. I loved how Saf and Gideon gave her a glimpse into the inner workings of her city and was delighted to see Katsa and Po again. And remember when I was so worried about not seeing Fire again? Well. Let's just say my discontent at the end of the book was lessened a bit by a lovely surprise.

Mom note: As a mother of readers, I also want to make a note to myself (and others if they care) why I would or would not have my children read this book, because honestly, sometimes I forget. This is a YA book, so everything is within YA strictures. Violence: yes - references to horrible people doing terrible things.. Profanity: none that I remember. Sex: yes, moderate.

 

Miracle by Elizabeth Scott

Miracle

by Elizabeth Scott  

Megan survived the plane crash—but can she survive the aftermath? An intense, emotional novel from the author of The Unwritten Rule and Between Here and Forever.

Megan is a miracle. At least, that’s what everyone says. Having survived a plane crash that killed everyone else on board, Megan knows she should be grateful just to be alive. But the truth is, she doesn’t feel like a miracle. In fact, she doesn’t feel anything at all. Then memories from the crash start coming back.

Scared and alone, Megan doesn’t know whom to turn to. Her entire community seems unable—or maybe unwilling—to see her as anything but Miracle Megan. Everyone except for Joe, the beautiful boy next door with a tragic past and secrets of his own. All Megan wants is for her life to get back to normal, but the harder she tries to live up to everyone’s expectations, the worse she feels. And this time, she may be falling too fast to be saved...

(summary from goodreads.com)

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Yet another heart wrenching, the-main-character-is-an-emotional-wreck kind of book - and again, not what I would call an easy read but I still enjoyed it a lot. I read this around the same time I read Fracture - as I mentioned in an earlier post, it was fascinating to compare the two books, to see how the different girls reacted to their individual traumas, how their parents helped or hurt the process, who they were able to confide in. Both books made me want to take notes, or write a small pamphlet called "What To Do if Your Child/Friend/Loved One Suffers A Traumatic Event". Or more appropriately, what NOT to do. I felt for Megan's pain, for her frustrations, for her guilt. The relationships were real and raw, from her dwindling relationship with her friends to her hesitant relationship with Joe to her fraught relationship with her parents. This is a powerfully written book.

Mom note: As a mother of readers, I also want to make a note to myself (and others if they care) why I would or would not have my children read this book, because honestly, sometimes I forget. This is a YA book, so everything is within YA strictures. Violence: memories of a brutal plane crash. Profanity: yes. Sex: no

Fracture by Megan Miranda

Fracture

by Megan Miranda 

Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it?

Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with similar abilities. At first she's reassured to find someone who understands the strangeness of her new existence, but Delaney soon discovers that Troy's motives aren't quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature-or something much more frightening?

For fans of best-sellers like Before I Fall and If I Stay, this is a fascinating and heart-rending story about love and friendship and the fine line between life and death.

(summary from goodreads.com)

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This is one of those heart wrenching, the-main-character-is-an-emotional-wreck kind of books - not what I would call an easy read but still a book I enjoyed. It reminded me a LOT of Miracle - very similar plot lines. I coincidentally read them almost back to back and it was fascinating to compare the two books, to see how the different girls reacted to their individual traumas, how their parents helped or hurt the process, who they were able to confide in. This book throws in a little paranormal curveball, which is always fun. It also reminded me of Stork and The Body Finder. I loved Decker (every teenage girl needs a Decker). I loved how well written the emotion was in this book - it was seeping off the page. I was happy with how Delaney finally dealt with her new abilities. I will read the next in the series, but if Delaney doesn't spill all to Decker soon I just might have to smack her.

And it references and quotes LES MISERABLES! Which just makes it even that much better.

Mom note: As a mother of readers, I also want to make a note to myself (and others if they care) why I would or would not have my children read this book, because honestly, sometimes I forget. This is a YA book, so everything is within YA strictures. Violence: yes - mild. Profanity: yes. Sex: no, but teenagers making out.

Beauty Queens by Libby Bray

Beauty Queens

by Libba Bray  

The fifty contestants in the Miss Teen Dream pageant thought this was going to be a fun trip to the beach, where they could parade in their state-appropriate costumes and compete in front of the cameras. But sadly, their airplane had another idea, crashing on a desert island and leaving the survivors stranded with little food, little water, and practically no eyeliner.

What's a beauty queen to do? Continue to practice for the talent portion of the program - or wrestle snakes to the ground? Get a perfect tan - or learn to run wild? And what should happen when the sexy pirates show up?

Welcome to the heart of non-exfoliated darkness. Your tour guide? None other than Libba Bray, the hilarious, sensational, Printz Award-winning author of A Great and Terrible Beauty and Going Bovine. The result is a novel that will make you laugh, make you think, and make you never see beauty the same way again.

(summary from goodreads.com)

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Honestly, this book is one of my guilty pleasures. It is wildly inappropriate in parts and I will never let my children read it (at least until they are all mature and stuff), but it is also delightfully funny and mocks our perception of beauty and beauty pageants hilariously. Libby Bray has a wicked sense of humor but mixes it well with real feelings and tragedies and such. Full of fabulously crafted characters and ridiculous happenings. A great book, if you don't mind reading something that pushes the definition of "young adult fiction".

Mom note: As a mother of readers, I also want to make a note to myself (and others if they care) why I would or would not have my children read this book, because honestly, sometimes I forget. This is a YA book, so everything is within YA strictures. Violence: moderate. Profanity: yes. Sex: moderate, but much discussion.

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Under the Never Sky

by Veronica Rossi 

Since she’d been on the outside, she’d survived an Aether storm, she’d had a knife held to her throat, and she’d seen men murdered. This was worse.
Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland – known as The Death Shop – are slim. If the cannibals don’t get her, the violent, electrified energy storms will. She’s been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He’s wild – a savage – and her only hope of staying alive.
A hunter for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile – everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria’s help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must accept each other to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.

(summary from book cover)

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Great book! Mystery, romance, some lovely dystopian survival moments ... fascinating. I thought the premise was fabulous - very Hunger Gamesish in it's taking one aspect of our modern life and blowing it out of proportion. Instead of reality TV this book uses virtual reality. Very cool to see where we could go (you know, in a hyper dystopian kind of way) if we continue on the path we're on. Also riveting to explore the differences between "real" and "better than real". I'll stick with real any day, thanks, though an occasional "better than real" would certainly be a lot of fun. The genetic leaps and bounds that caused supernatural senses was a little far fetched, but a fun addition to the story. I loved the characters, I enjoyed seeing Aria grow from an extremely sheltered (but never whiny! Thank you Veronica Rossi!) girl to a strong capable woman. I will certainly read the next in the series.

One thing I had to overcome before admitting I loved the book was the name of one of the main characters. Perry? Really? I guess my kids watch way too much Phineas and Ferb, and unless the character is a semi-aquatic egg-laying mammal of action, the name just doesn't work for me. It didn't even seem to fit with the other names in the book - Hawk, Roar, Vale, ... and Perry? I get it, I get it. The falcon motif was important. So just keep it Peregrine! We're reading, not speaking. A name doesn't need to be shortened to the point of ridiculousness (cough, Wanda) when it's in a book. Just my nit-picking opinion. (Even Peri would have been better. Like Nessa would have been SO much better than Nessie. But I digress.)

Mom note: As a mother of readers, I also want to make a note to myself (and others if they care) why I would or would not have my children read this book, because honestly, sometimes I forget. This is a YA book, so everything is within YA strictures. Violence: moderate fighting, including between brothers. Profanity: none that I can recall. Sex: yes, moderate for a YA book.

Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane

Shutter Island

by Dennis Lehane

In a masterful departure from the Boston-based hard-boiled mysteries he's known for, New York Times bestselling author Dennis Lehane (Mystic River) offers an atmospheric psychological thriller set in a 1950s asylum for the criminally insane.

It's 1954, and up-and-coming U.S. marshal Teddy Daniels is assigned to investigate the disappearance of a patient from Shutter Island's Ashecliffe Hospital. He'd been gunning for an assignment on the island for reasons of his own -- but before long he wonders whether he hasn't been brought there as part of a twisted plot by hospital doctors whose radical treatments range from unethical to illegal to downright sinister. Teddy's code-breaking skills soon provide a promising lead, but the hospital refuses him access to records he suspects would break the case wide open. As a hurricane cuts off communication with the mainland, more dangerous criminals "escape" in the confusion, and the puzzling, improbable clues proliferate, Teddy begins to doubt everything -- his memory, his partner, even his own sanity.

(summary from goodreads.com)

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A few years ago my siblings and I started a book group - we try to read one book a month and then discuss it over email. Sometimes our discussions are a little sparse, but it's fun to know we are all reading the same book. All of us like different genres so it's been a great way to get out of my comfort zone - and as the only girl in the group, I delight in making them read books I know they would never otherwise pick up. One of them said: "Oh great. Another dystopian novel. Let me guess - a girl meets a guy and they both save the world." Okay, maybe. But it's the journey that's important, brother dear, not the destination.

This book (shocker) was not one of my picks. I liked it but thought it was too long and drawn out. I'm not very good at reading long suspense books - I always cheat and look at the end. I know! Terrible habit. But it is so much more enjoyable for me to see all the twists and turns as they happen rather than being surprised by them. Are you all shocked now? Perhaps appalled? (After admitting this to my son, he said "Our book relationship is over!" Hmm, does that mean he'll stop borrowing my books?) The twist at the end was fun (regardless of knowing it in advance) but the whole story was tragic and horrible. I don't mind a little tragedy in my books - it spices things up. But this was too much, and had no happy ending to sweeten it.

Mom note: As a mother of readers, I also want to make a note to myself (and others if they care) why I would or would not have my children read this book, because honestly, sometimes I forget. This is an adult book, so anything goes. Violence: yes - insanity resulting in brutality. Profanity: yes, a lot Sex: crude references