Books

"Never trust anyone who has not brought a book with them."
--Lemony Snicket

Defy the Stars - Claudia Gray

Aww... this one was bittersweet. I'm fresh off of Defy the Stars, and everything carries that hazy afterglow of Claudia Gray's fantastic universe, and life as viewed by her protagonists. Deceptively straightforward, Gray actually grapples with the deep and esoteric in this galactic and romantic adventure. Freedom, choice, humanity and faith are just some of the ideas that live in this novel. But above all, Defy the Stars is about love, and that had me from the very beginning.

Defy the Stars is followed by:

Defy the Worlds

Defy the Fates

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Strange the Dreamer - Laini Taylor

Love, love, love!
Laini Taylor writes with the most beautiful, fanciful, language. Her unique style is a pleasure to read, and her characters are deep, developed people in their own right (as well they should be).
While I enjoyed the fantasy, and loved the romance, Taylor's main pull for me remained her prose. I could not get enough of her sensory descriptions and vivid imagery. I hungrily await the rest of the series.

Strange the Dreamer is followed by:
Muse of Nightmares
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Maimonides' Advice - Rabbi Shlomo Ezagui

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Fearless Writing - William Kenower

Quite possibly the best book on the creative process ever put to print, Fearless Writing is one that can be re-read a zillion times, which makes it near priceless. Kenower guides the aspiring writer into "the flow", in the gentle, firm voice of a personal mentor. However, the guidance in Fearless Writing is not just for writers, nor is "the flow" a mysterious authors' elixir. Fearless Writing is about harnessing creativity and living life as a confident, creative individual. I recommend this book for anyone who seeks to stimulate and/or live by their creative side. You won't regret it!
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Renegades (Series) - Marissa Meyer

Renegades is followed by:
Archenemies
Supernova
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Cinder - Marissa Meyer
There is so much to love about Cinder. There's the twisted fairytale thing, the sci-fi setting, the technology, tons of conflict, and the ticking time-bomb of a horrible pandemic. And of course, there's the love-story. I enjoyed the developing romance... I mean, who doesn't fall for a young, handsome, vulnerable prince? I also liked that the story didn't cling to every nuance of the Cinderella tale. That made it unpredictable and interesting. Unfortunately, the twist at the end didn't come as too much of a surprise to this reader. But I enjoyed the read regardless. Cinder herself was a good character: determined, up-beat, capable, and very much human, despite her physical differences. In creating a protagonist with prosthetic limbs, Marissa Meyer delves into a realm rarely touched by the fiction world, and she does a good job of turning liabilities into assets.

Cinder reminds me of Finnikin of the Rock and Ella Enchanted (obviously). It's a lighter read, as befits the YA classification.

Cinder is followed by:
Scarlet
Cress
Fairest
Stars Above
Winter

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The Light We Lost - Jill Santopolo
Oh boy, this one is a tear-jerker.

The Light We Lost is a contemporary love story set in NYC. Lucy actually narrates the story in second person to her love interest, Gabe, creating a really interesting point of view. The book chronicles their thirteen-year story in poignant retrospect, interwoven with much broader questions about choice versus fate. And you'd have to be stone-cold not to cry at the end.

SPOILER: While the story obviously surrounds Lucy and Gabe, I was taken by a sub-plot involving Lucy's husband Darren. There is a period of time in which Lucy suspects Darren of infidelity.
Her suspicion develops to the point where everything Darren does supports Lucy's belief. The idea grows and consumes Lucy, coloring her perception of her husband, and influencing her choices. I loved this development because it was so genuine. I don't know about you, but I do this all the time, making assumptions that influence me without checking the facts. The storyline really brought home the dangers of allowing such fantasies to take root.

If you loved Me Before You, you will definitely fall for The Light We Lost.

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Finnikin of the Rock  - Melina Marchetta
Finnikin is classified as YA Fiction novel. I'm not so sure it's actually YA. We enter the story ten years after the desolation of Finnikin's home country, Lumatere. Finnikin and his mentor have been traveling from camp to camp of Lumateren exiles, negotiating with rulers and attempting to secure better living conditions for their people. The setup was engaging and realistic, an excellent hook into a dramatic story of re-conquest.

I enjoyed reading Finnikin of the Rock. I definitely want to read Froi of the Exiles. That said, I'm not sure how I felt about the character Finnikin. While Finnikin's love interest, Evanjalin, seems to have personality, motive, and storyline, Finnikin himself is kind of vague in the personality department. What's he really like? What drives him? What makes him tick? It felt to me like Finnikin was a window into what was happening around him, but not that much an actor. He was a placeholder, if anything. I also found myself losing track of all the names mentioned. Most were locations, and not necessary to trace in order to understand the story, but it was distressing to me to have all these names thrown around.

Overall, though, Finnikin was an excellent read, a page-turner, a feeler, and in places, it certainly made me laugh.

Check out Finnikin if you like Carol Berg, Juliet Marillier, or even Tamora Pierce.