Posts Tagged ‘romance’

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Winter

February 12, 2016

Winter-finalWinter

by Marissa Meyer

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

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

Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters?I’ve really enjoyed this series and was looking forward to the final book, though I wondered how well everything turn out in the end, as there is a lot going on! I needn’t have worried though–Marissa Meyer’s done a fantastic job of wrapping things up and Winter is definitely an exciting and satisfying conclusion!

If you like cyborgs, werewolves, twists on classic fairytales, martians, mind control, action, adventure and romance, this is definitely the series for you!

Happy reading!

Reviewed by: Lara (Haggard Library)

 

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A Little in Love

November 30, 2015

A Little in Love

By Susan E. Fletcher

As a young child, Eponine never knew kindness, except once from her family’s kitchen slave, Cosette. When at sixteen the girls’ paths cross again and their circumstances are reversed, Eponine must decide what that friendship is worth, even though they’ve both fallen for the same boy. In the end, Eponine will sacrifice everything to keep true love alive.  (Summary from Goodreads)

Why I picked it up:

Eponine is one of the secondary characters from Victor Hugo’s classic novel Les Misérables and the Broadway musical of the same name.  I consider Les Misérables to be one of the best books I’ve read and find the musical to be an extraordinary experience to which I return again and again.  How could I not pick up a novel focusing upon Eponine’s story?  Would it be a “train wreck” or a tribute to her character?  I had to find out!

Why I finished it:

A tribute it is, indeed!  Fletcher admirably relates the story of Eponine – remaining true to the original book while delving so deep into her character and her background that she seems to leap off the page!  Her story is one of strength, inner character and self-sacrifice in spite of her origin from the darkest recesses of humanity in 19th century France.

Yes, Eponine is part of Jean Valjean’s story in the original book but here she has her own tale to tell. And deservedly so!

 I’d give it to:

I know fans of Les Misérables will get the most fulfillment from Eponine’s story but I also think anyone who enjoys Historical Fiction or Romance will not be disappointed.

I’d give it: 5 Stars

 Reviewed by: Connie (Parr Library)

 

 

 

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The Hired Girl

November 25, 2015

The Hired GirlThe Hired Girl

By: Laura Amy Schlitz

Joan lives with her brothers and father on a farm in rural Pennsylvania. As the only female in the household, she is left to do all the household chores and cooking. Her own mother (now deceased) believed that she should be educated and Joan goes to school. It is insinuated that her mother thought one day Joan should be free from the grueling farm life and carefully sewed money into Joan’s doll for whenever she would need it. After father burns Joan’s beloved books in response to her rebellion, Joan decides to run away to become a hired girl in a family home and make $6 a week. The story is written in a diary format and Joan’s intelligence and passion for romantic plots in novels informs her thoughts and writing.

Joan arrives in Baltimore with uncertainty and cannot find a place to sleep for the night. Upon deciding to sleep on a park bench, she is rescued by the Rosenbachs, a family in need of an additional hand around the house. Malka, the current housekeeper, is treated as family, but is also aging. Joan is brought on contingency before becoming fully hired and making her dream $6 a week. Joan’s primary function is as a “Shabbos goy,” a non-Jewish worker that can help do cleaning during the Sabbath without violating religious doctrine. Some humorous situations involving her lack of knowledge of living in a big city and Judaism add to the plot. Will Joan have her own happily ever after?

Why I picked it up: I saw this book floating around in professional literature and since I love historical fiction, I had to read it.

Why I finished it: At times Joan’s thoughts can become exasperatingly naive, but there is something enjoyable reading through her resolutions. Plus, I had to find out how everything worked out.

I’d give it to: Fans of historical fiction and those that enjoyed the Dear America and American Girl series when they were younger.

I’d give it: 4 stars

4 Stars

 

 

 

Reviewed by: Diana (Harrington Library)

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Court of Fives

October 26, 2015

Court of Fives

Court of Fives

By Kate Elliott

Jessamy’s life is a balance between acting like an upper-class Patron and dreaming of the freedom of the Commoners. But away from her family, she can be whomever she wants when she sneaks out to train for the Fives, an intricate, multilevel athletic competition that offers a chance for glory to the kingdom’s best competitors.

Then Jes meets Kalliarkos, and an improbable friendship between the two Fives competitors—one of mixed race and the other a Patron boy—causes heads to turn. When Kal’s powerful, scheming uncle tears Jes’s family apart, she’ll have to test her new friend’s loyalty and risk the vengeance of a royal clan to save her mother and sisters from certain death.  (Summary from front cover flap)

Why I picked it up:

A starred review on Booklist does the trick for me every time.

Why I finished it:

Kate Elliott is typically an adult fantasy author (World Fantasy Award finalist) and known for her extraordinary world building.  This is her first foray into young adult literature.  This time she has built a high-fantasy world inspired by Greco-Roman Egypt in which your race, gender and class dictate the opportunities or disadvantages you are afforded in life.

Some reviews have equated Court of Fives to the literary classic Little Women.  As far as the close relationship between the mother and sisters, I would agree to a limited extent.  However, that is not what kept me reading.  The action, adventure and suspense (far from being aspects of Little Women) kept me turning page after page.  In that regard, Hunger Games would be a far better comparison and even the TV competition Ninja Warriors!  And Katniss Everdeen….I think you just may have met your equal in Jessamy!

Jessamy…a striking heroine in a male-dominated land – brave, bold, unafraid and loyal to those she loves.  Book Two can’t come out too soon!

I’d give it to:

Anyone who loves to get lost in a brand new world built convincingly by an author with detailed craftsmanship.

I’d give it: 4 Stars

 

 

 

Reviewed by: Connie (Parr Library)

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Another Day

October 12, 2015

Another Day

By David Levithan

Another Day Cover

Every day is the same for Rhiannon.  She has accepted her life, convinced herself that she deserves her distant, temperamental boyfriend, Justin, even established guidelines by which to live: Don’t be too needy.  Avoid upsetting him. Never get your hopes up.

Until the morning everything changes.  Justin seems to see her, to want to be with her for the first time, and they share a perfect day – a perfect day Justin doesn’t remember the next morning.  Confused, depressed, and desperate for another day as great as that one, Rhiannon starts questioning everything.  Then, one day, a stranger tells her that the Justin she spent that day with, the one who made her feel like a real person… wasn’t Justin at all.

In this enthralling companion to his New York Times bestseller Every Day, David Levithan tells Rhiannon’s side of the story as she seeks to discover the truth about love and how it can change you.

Why I picked it up:  Every Day is one of my favorite books EVER, so when I heard that David Levithan was writing a companion book telling Rhiannon’s version of their story, I just had to read it!

Why I finished it: I love reading stories told from different perspectives, trying to understand the different character’s thought processes.  I can’t even begin to imagine how Rhiannon must have felt being told that she was with the same ‘person’ inhabiting a different body each day. How do you even process that?  Rhiannon’s initial mistrust and disbelief felt very real to me, as did her gradual acceptance of A’s reality. Both characters moved me, and I was really rooting for their romance/relationship.  The ending is, well, inevitable I suppose and I loved it! Please, read this one for yourself.  I’d love to get your thoughts. Both books make for great discussion!

I’d give it to: Everyone who is a fan of Every Day (and if you haven’t read it yet, do it!  Do it NOW!  It’s amazing!!)

I’d give it:  5 Stars

Reviewed by:  Melanie, Parr Library

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Just One Wish

September 28, 2015

Just One WishJust One Wish

By Janette Rallison

Seventeen-year-old Annika is intelligent, pretty, gifted at reading others’ emotions and predicting their personalities, and a skilled athlete to boot. But when her six-year-old brother, Jeremy, is diagnosed with a brain tumor, she can’t use any of her abilities to help him. Or can she?

Annika is convinced that Jeremy’s only hope might be the healing power of positive thinking, otherwise known as the placebo effect. She comes up with a plot to convince Jeremy to believe in wishes, in order to give him a better chance at surviving his surgery–if she can make one wish come true for him, then get him to wish for his surgery to go well, his belief could help him recover.

But when Jeremy wishes for a personal visit from the star of his favorite TV show, Teen Robin Hood, instead of the action figure she expected, Annika’s plan backfires.  Now she has less than four days to get to California and convince Steve Raleigh, the actor who plays Robin Hood, to come and visit Jeremy before his surgery, or else Jeremy will lose his faith in wishes, and Annika is terrified that she might lose her little brother as a result.

Why I picked it up: My friend Sarah highly, highly recommended it, and she has excellent taste, so I knew I couldn’t pass this book up.

Why I finished it: Not many books combine a zany, mad-cap adventure story with a poignant, at times even heartbreaking inquiry into the nature of God and mortality the way that Just One Wish does; even fewer pull it off with the aplomb that Rallison manages. I could see the scenes that the author painted as clearly as if I were watching a movie, from Annika’s hilarious efforts to get Steve Raleigh’s attention, to the moments where she faces off with her mental image of the Grim Reaper. And, where other authors might be tempted to use the power of fiction to re-arrange reality, the ending of Just One Wish strikes exactly the right note.

I’d give it:
5 starsFive stars. Just like in real life, there are many things Annika can’t control, but her creativity and determination are inspiring and reminded me that, when the unthinkable happens, even if it seems there’s nothing you can do, doing nothing isn’t the answer.

 

 

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Rook

September 25, 2015

RookRook

By Sharon Cameron

History has a way of repeating itself. In the Sunken City that was once Paris, all who oppose the new revolution are being put to the blade. Except for those who disappear from their prison cells, a red-tipped rook feather left in their place. Is the mysterious Red Rook a savior of the innocent or a criminal?

Meanwhile, across the sea in the Commonwealth, Sophia Bellamy’s arranged marriage to the wealthy René Hasard is the last chance to save her family from ruin. But when the search for the Red Rook comes straight to her doorstep, Sophia discovers that her fiancé is not all he seems. Which is only fair, because neither is she.

As the Red Rook grows bolder and the stakes grow higher, Sophia and René find themselves locked in a tantalizing game of cat and mouse. (Summary from cover flap)

Why I picked it up:

The cover initially caught my attention but after I read the summary, I was hooked!

 Why I finished it:

Rook had an interesting slant on dystopian fiction (what could happen if there was a polar shift and all modern technology was lost).  Yet, it seemed as if it were also historical fiction, as this post-apocalyptic period had reset to the Regency period complete with elements of the French Revolution.  From time to time I had to remind myself that I was not reading about 18th century France but a far distant future which knew little or nothing of our “ancient” civilization and its technology.

I totally enjoyed the swashbuckling adventure and romance (resembling the classic novel – The Scarlet Pimpernel) with a beautiful and seemingly frivolous debutante who was secretly the Red Rook – the savior of those condemned to the guillotine (The Razor) , smuggling them away from danger and leaving her trademark rook feather behind. Excellent writing, well-developed characters, edge-of-your seat adventure and romance!  Who could ask for more?

 I’d give it to: Anyone who enjoys strong female characters, historical fiction, romance, and/or dystopian novels.  This one has it all for a variety of reading interests!

I’d give it: 5 stars

 Reviewed by: Connie (Parr Library)

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Kissing in America

August 21, 2015

Kissing in AmericaKissing in America

By Margo Rabb

In the two years since her father died, sixteen-year-old Eva has found comfort in reading romance novels—118 of them, to be exact—to dull the pain of her loss that’s still so present. Her romantic fantasies become a reality when she meets Will, who seems to truly understand Eva’s grief. Unfortunately, after Eva falls head-over-heels for him, he picks up and moves to California without any warning. Not wanting to lose the only person who has been able to pull her out of sadness—and, perhaps, her shot at real love—Eva and her best friend, Annie, concoct a plan to travel to the west coast to see Will again. As they road trip across America, Eva and Annie confront the complex truth about love. (Summary from book cover flap)

Why I picked it up:

I like road trip novels and I thought this one could be unique. I was right!

 Why I finished it:

I’m typically not one for romance novels or novels dealing with death and dying, both of which are significant components of this novel’s plot. However, Rabb’s characters grabbed me with all of their authenticity and complexity and wouldn’t let go!  She expertly interweaves the devastation of grief from loss and heart-break in all of its convoluted aspects while also interjecting moments of humor to lighten the mood. Eva and Annie’s cross country travel adventures continued to open up new avenues with each experience and kept me reading to the very last page.

I’d give it to:

  • My coworker who loves novels about grief, death and dying (or anyone else who does for that matter).
  • Anyone who enjoys books about self-discovery with a smattering of romance.

I’d give it: 4 stars

 Reviewed by: Connie (Parr Library)

 

 

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The Fire Horse Girl

July 13, 2015

The Fire Horse girlTitle: The Fire Horse Girl

Author: Kay Honeyman

Jade Moon is a Fire Horse – the worst sign in the Chinese zodiac for girls, said to make them stubborn, reckless, and far too headstrong. While her family despairs of marrying her off, she dreams of traveling far beyond her tiny village, living out a story as big as her imagination.

Then a young man named Sterling Promise offers Jade Moon and her father an incredible opportunity: the chance to go to America. As they travel, Sterling Promise’s smooth manners and Jade Moon’s impulsive nature strike sparks again and again. But America in 1923 doesn’t welcome Chinese immigrants, and when they are detained at Angel Island – the so-called “Ellis Island of the West” – Jade Moon uncovers a betrayal that destroys all her dreams. To get into America, much less survive there, she will have to use every bit of her stubbornness and strength to break a new path…one so brave and dangerous that only a Fire Horse girl could imagine it. (Taken from cover).

Why I picked it up: Kay Honeyman is coming to our library to help kick off our NaNoWriMo program this November. I wanted to read her novel before I met her.

Why I finished it: I finished the novel because the story was great. I was not aware of the problems that the Chinese emigrants faced when they came to America in the 1920s. I loved Jade Moon’s determination and strength.

I’d give it to: Anyone who enjoys a good historical fiction novel.

Star Rating:   Four stars

Reviewer: Renee (Parr library)

 

 

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Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda

July 2, 2015

simonSimon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda

By Becky Albertalli

“Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met.” (from the publisher)

Why I picked it up: This book was recommended to me on Goodreads.  I liked the cover and the description.

Why I finished it: I LOVED this book.  Simon was such a sweet, geeky character, and the mystery of who “Blue” might be keeps you wanting more.  Simon’s friends are also pretty amazing too.

I’d give it to: Fans of Openly Straight (Konigsberg), geeky characters, romance, and musical theatre.

Star Rating:   Five stars

5 stars

Reviewed by Ashley (Davis Library)

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