I'd say that it's not that I generally don't like angel books but rather that I haven't found one that made me care about them. UNEARTHLY does a good job of turning that around, though I have two wishes: the first is that the use of rape as a plot point for fallen angels - I was repelled by this. There has to be another way. The second is something I believe we'll see more of in HALLOWED, and that is the exploration of Christian as his own character rather than what Clara has envisioned him to be.Time to read HALLOWED.
After reading FOX FOREVER, it helped me to understand and better enjoy THE FOX INHERITANCE. I think these last two books may be my favorite bit of the series. Check in on the 14th, when Mary Pearson will be stopping by to discuss a passage.
Well. I need to come back to my brain for this, but two things are certain:This book, for me, far surpasses SHATTER ME.And I'm firmly Team Juliette.
I read this book at the perfect time; I needed a story to break up a litany of similarly themed books (but still good) I'd been reading. This book, the story of these characters - it was one of the most beautiful portrayals of friendship that I've read in some time.It may start off slow. And you may be thrown off somewhere the last 1/4 of the book, but please keep going. All of the threads slowly come together and you will be shocked and amazed by Elizabeth Wein's ability to throw you completely off in such a wonderful and heartbreaking way.Highly recommended.
I don't know how to talk about this book. I don't. And saying that I loved it isn't really the right word. It meshed with me in an intrinsically beautiful way and I am grateful.
Insurgent (Divergent Series #2)
I love love loved DIVERGENT.I did not love love love INSURGENT. I guessed the ending from a million miles away and even though I knew that's where they were going, I kept on reading and hoped that it wasn't. It felt too easy, kind of like the ending of OUTSIDE IN.This is something I need to think about for a bit.
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I absolutely positively glowed with happy reader's glee from the first half. I legitimately think it's ridiculous (in a good way) and perfect.But the pacing about 100 pages or so from the end just completely threw me off and completely bothered me for the rest. I need to sleep on it before I can gather my thoughts about the matter properly.Edit: Review scheduled to post on 15 January at papereader.com
The tone of this piece is, for me, rather different than that of WARM BODIES. Perhaps it's because this is right after R became one of the Dead, but the personality that he has in the book is lacking. Zombies then, are like wine - better with age?
 - Isaac Marion)
It's incredible how closely this book mirrors my thoughts about human society. I am Perry, but now I feel a bit like Julie. I don't know how to bring about change, yet I want it and believe in it so strongly.On the surface this is a book about a human woman, a zombie, and the story of Sleeping Beauty. Underneath is woven a tale of caution, hope, and redemption.
This will easily be one of the best books of 2013. A full review will be posted at papereader.com this weekend; anything less would not do it justice.-Sometimes there are just books that you know are meant for you. Maggie Stiefvater's THE SCORPIO RACES was one of those books, and as soon as I read the tagline for THE ARCHIVED, I knew it would end up on a very small shelf of favorites, too. The narrative beautifully transitions from the present to the past, highlighting the moments that Mackenzie spent with her grandfather that lead her to becoming his successor as Keeper. Though we don't see much of him throughout the course of the book, we don't need to as the moments in which he's present his personality are vivid and commanding. These flashbacks highlight his importance in Mackenzie's life, their bond, and the rules that, as a Keeper, she must live by. Though the Archive and the outside world have a symbiotic relationship, it is precariously balanced, and it's Keepers like Mac that have to play by the rules for order to be sustained. Bruises, omissions, and absences in order to create peace for both.Read the full review at paper reader.
One of my favorite things about DAYS OF BLOOD AND STARLIGHT is its pacing; if you've read DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE then you know what happens to Karou at the end. In many books the division between characters* would have been navigated inexpertly and some sort of unsatisfying reunion would take place. Laini Taylor deftly avoids that in her writing by her incredibly talented narrative pacing throughout the arc of the series, leaving this installment to explore Karou and what needs to happen in order for her to grow and accept the possibility the future brings.If you have not begun this series I highly, highly recommend it for its beautiful creativity and writing. *I'm being deliberately vague here to avoid large spoilers for both books.
Beautiful coloring and the beginnings of a fabulous journey. Barton gets a bad rap, but like he said, he's just a normal guy with really good aim. This is that story.Merged review:Favorite new book of 2012. Fraction and Aja. That says it all.
Between Shades of Gray
Ruta Sepetys manages to take a horrific (and little publicised) topic such as that of the Lithuanian genocide and find the words not only to make it incredibly powerful and tear-inducing, but also to choose the words that create a beautifully composed story. There is nothing negative that I can say about this story and the one thing I can say otherwise is this: I will share this book far and wide. Jonas' story will not be forgotten.
After the events of FEAR ITSELF, a sober Tony has to deal with the ramifications of his actions. If that were the only issue he was facing, then perhaps everything would be doable, but Tony never does anything in a less-than-complex manner and waiting in the wings are enemies upon enemies just waiting to take him down as many notches as possible.With everything that Tony Stark has dealt with so far in this series, how much lower can he go? Well, I was surprised.
I think my favorite thing about this book was its tone; it would be really easy to take a subject like this and write it terribly with all sorts of tropes. Kat Zhang approaches the subject (which, in the style of books being compared to two other books, reminds me somewhat of UNWIND and ULTRAVIOLET - both books I loved) with careful finesse. I started out the book, like Addie, curious and skeptical but finished it with a sense of hope.I don't know if the idea of being hybrid is supposed to be metaphorical for something else, but even as it is, WHAT'S LEFT OF ME does a targeted job of appealing to the humanity within us all.Full review to come this week.
