It's been *squints at computer screen* two months since I've posted on here--despite being on summer vacation since May, I still haven't gotten back the motivation to consistently post on here. Well, to all three of my blog viewers who are interested, I figured I'd do a "what I've been doing lately" blog post, because why the heck not.
Friday, August 19, 2016
Sunday, June 19, 2016
Review: Prisoner of Night and Fog, by Anne Blankman
Title: Prisoner of Night and Fog
Author: Anne Blankman
Publication Date: April 22, 2014
Genre: Historical fiction
In 1930s Munich, danger lurks behind dark corners, and secrets are buried deep within the city. But Gretchen Müller, who grew up in the National Socialist Party under the wing of her "uncle" Dolf, has been shielded from that side of society ever since her father traded his life for Dolf's, and Gretchen is his favorite, his pet.
Uncle Dolf is none other than Adolf Hitler. And Gretchen follows his every command.
Until she meets a fearless and handsome young Jewish reporter named Daniel Cohen. Gretchen should despise Daniel, yet she can't stop herself from listening to his story: that her father, the adored Nazi martyr, was actually murdered by an unknown comrade. She also can't help the fierce attraction brewing between them, despite everything she's been taught to believe about Jews.
As Gretchen investigates the very people she's always considered friends, she must decide where her loyalties lie. Will she choose the safety of her former life as a Nazi darling, or will she dare to dig up the truth—even if it could get her and Daniel killed?
From debut author Anne Blankman comes this harrowing and evocative story about an ordinary girl faced with the extraordinary decision to give up everything she's ever believed . . . and to trust her own heart instead. -Goodreads
Uncle Dolf is none other than Adolf Hitler. And Gretchen follows his every command.
Until she meets a fearless and handsome young Jewish reporter named Daniel Cohen. Gretchen should despise Daniel, yet she can't stop herself from listening to his story: that her father, the adored Nazi martyr, was actually murdered by an unknown comrade. She also can't help the fierce attraction brewing between them, despite everything she's been taught to believe about Jews.
As Gretchen investigates the very people she's always considered friends, she must decide where her loyalties lie. Will she choose the safety of her former life as a Nazi darling, or will she dare to dig up the truth—even if it could get her and Daniel killed?
From debut author Anne Blankman comes this harrowing and evocative story about an ordinary girl faced with the extraordinary decision to give up everything she's ever believed . . . and to trust her own heart instead. -Goodreads
2 Stars
After thinking over Prisoner of Night and Fog for a bit, I think 2 stars is a far more fitting rating for this book. Friday, March 18, 2016
Blog Tour: Shimmer, by Paula Weston
Title: Shimmer (The Rephaim #3)Author: Paula Weston
Publication Date: March 8, 2016
Genre: Fantasy
Gaby thought her life couldn't get more complicated.
She's almost used to the idea that she's not the teenage backpacker she thought she was. She can just about cope with being one of the Rephaim--a 139-year-old half-angel--whose memories have been stolen. She's even coming to grips with the fact that Jude, the brother she's mourned for a year, didn't die at all.
But now Rafa--sexy, infuriating Rafa--is being held, and hurt, by Gatekeeper demons. And Gaby has to get the bitterly divided Rephaim to work together, or Rafa has no chance at all.
She's almost used to the idea that she's not the teenage backpacker she thought she was. She can just about cope with being one of the Rephaim--a 139-year-old half-angel--whose memories have been stolen. She's even coming to grips with the fact that Jude, the brother she's mourned for a year, didn't die at all.
But now Rafa--sexy, infuriating Rafa--is being held, and hurt, by Gatekeeper demons. And Gaby has to get the bitterly divided Rephaim to work together, or Rafa has no chance at all.
4 Stars
Thank you Tundra Books for sending me a copy of this book for review!
I've been completely smitten with The Rephaim series since I first read Shadows back in 2013. Mind you, I had been going through a very painful books-about-angels phase, so you'd think I wouldn't still like this series. Perhaps not unexpectedly, my love for this series has not dwindled one bit, and I found myself enjoying this book far more than others I've been reading as of late.
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Review: The Gathering Storm, by Robin Bridges
Title: The Gathering StormAuthor: Robin Bridges
Publication Date: January 10, 2012
Genre: Historical Fiction
St. Petersburg, Russia, 1888. As she attends a whirl of glittering balls, royal debutante Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, tries to hide a dark secret: she can raise the dead. No one knows. Not her family. Not the girls at her finishing school. Not the tsar or anyone in her aristocratic circle. Katerina considers her talent a curse, not a gift. But when she uses her special skill to protect a member of the Imperial Family, she finds herself caught in a web of intrigue.
An evil presence is growing within Europe's royal bloodlines—and those aligned with the darkness threaten to topple the tsar. Suddenly Katerina's strength as a necromancer attracts attention from unwelcome sources . . . including two young men—George Alexandrovich, the tsar's standoffish middle son, who needs Katerina's help to safeguard Russia, even if he's repelled by her secret, and the dashing Prince Danilo, heir to the throne of Montenegro, to whom Katerina feels inexplicably drawn.
The time has come for Katerina to embrace her power, but which side will she choose—and to whom will she give her heart?
An evil presence is growing within Europe's royal bloodlines—and those aligned with the darkness threaten to topple the tsar. Suddenly Katerina's strength as a necromancer attracts attention from unwelcome sources . . . including two young men—George Alexandrovich, the tsar's standoffish middle son, who needs Katerina's help to safeguard Russia, even if he's repelled by her secret, and the dashing Prince Danilo, heir to the throne of Montenegro, to whom Katerina feels inexplicably drawn.
The time has come for Katerina to embrace her power, but which side will she choose—and to whom will she give her heart?
2 Stars
Maybe I'm just a cynical old hag, but this was nothing near what I was expecting. And not in a good way. Political intrigue! Courtly drama! A compelling historical tale! These are all what I expected the book to contain; alas, while these were included, it was portrayed in a very immature, superficial manner.
Saturday, December 19, 2015
What Kinds of Reviews Do You Write?
I haven't done a discussion post in a while, so I think I shall do one now!
The other day I was browsing through Goodreads, looking for some books to read and browsing tons of my friends' reviews. While in the midst of this browsing I noticed a pattern in types of reviews; some were more detailed than others, some more straightforward, and others more lighthearted. Many readers' reviews fall into a particular category and normally follow an overall format, and I mentally listed these categories that Goodreaders tended to follow.
I'm not saying that there won't be some overlapping in how people write their reviews and in which categories they're in, as most of you will probably be able to relate to several of these. Now, this is just my opinion, and you guys probably have a total different perception of the different types of reviews that exist.
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
Waiting on Wednesday: Salt to the Sea, by Ruta Sepetys
Title: Salt to the SeaAuthor: Ruta Sepetys
Publication Date: February 2, 2015
Genre: Historical fiction
The author of Between Shades of Gray returns to WWII in this epic novel that shines a light on one of the war's most devastating—yet unknown—tragedies.
In 1945, World War II is drawing to a close in East Prussia, and thousands of refugees are on a desperate trek toward freedom, almost all of them with something to hide. Among them are Joana, Emilia, and Florian, whose paths converge en route to the ship that promises salvation, the Wilhelm Gustloff. Forced by circumstance to unite, the three find their strength, courage, and trust in each other tested with each step closer toward safety.
Just when it seems freedom is within their grasp, tragedy strikes. Not country, nor culture, nor status matter as all ten thousand people aboard must fight for the same thing: survival.
In 1945, World War II is drawing to a close in East Prussia, and thousands of refugees are on a desperate trek toward freedom, almost all of them with something to hide. Among them are Joana, Emilia, and Florian, whose paths converge en route to the ship that promises salvation, the Wilhelm Gustloff. Forced by circumstance to unite, the three find their strength, courage, and trust in each other tested with each step closer toward safety.
Just when it seems freedom is within their grasp, tragedy strikes. Not country, nor culture, nor status matter as all ten thousand people aboard must fight for the same thing: survival.
A visual representation of me when I saw this book:
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
Review: The Raven Boys, by Maggie Stiefvater
Title: The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle #1)Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Publication Date: September 18, 2012
Genre: Fantasy
Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue never sees them--until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks to her.
His name is Gansey, a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.
But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can't entirely explain. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul whose emotions range from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher who notices many things but says very little.
For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She doesn't believe in true love, and never thought this would be a problem. But as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore.
His name is Gansey, a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.
But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can't entirely explain. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul whose emotions range from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher who notices many things but says very little.
For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She doesn't believe in true love, and never thought this would be a problem. But as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore.
4 Stars
My first impression of The Raven Boys was that it was a book about four rich white boys who screw around with magic because they have nothing better to do with their lives. I was so terribly wrong, and I'm glad I forced myself to get past the 100-page mark, because that's approximately where things began to get better.
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