Belinda’s Book Nook Review: Unmade (The Lynburn Legacy #3) by Sarah Rees Brennan

October 30, 2014 by 1 Comment

unmade

Title: Unmade (The Lynburn Legacy #3)
Author: Sarah Rees Brennan
Copyright: September 23, 2014
Genre: fiction, fantasy, young adult
Format: paperback Pages: 400

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Kami has lost the boy she loves, is tied to a boy she does not, and faces an enemy more powerful than ever before. With Jared missing for months and presumed dead, Kami must rely on her new magical link with Ash for the strength to face the evil spreading through her town.

Rob Lynburn is now the master of Sorry-in-the-Vale, and he demands a death. Kami will use every tool at her disposal to stop him. Together with Rusty, Angela, and Holly, she uncovers a secret that might be the key to saving the town. But with knowledge comes responsibility—and a painful choice. A choice that will risk not only Kami’s life, but also the lives of those she loves most.

This final book in the Lynburn Legacy is a wild, entertaining ride from beginning to shocking end.

My Thoughts on Unmade by Sarah Rees Brennan:

I heard about the first book in the series, Unspoken,  this past summer and I read the it in July. I loved it. You can see my review here. I couldn’t wait and rushed to read the second in the series, Unmade and again enjoyed the story.  Even all the way to the third book, I found my fascination with the idea of people being connected via their thoughts and feelings very intriguing. It could be sexy at times in the case of Cassie and Jared and down right awkward with Ash. It could also be invasive when you want private thoughts but I found it an interesting element in the story.

This third and final book in the series did deliver and I felt it was worth the read.  Cassie continued to be a strong character in the face of difficulty and still youthful in her inability to figure out Jared.  In the first book I used to get so angry with her logic when it came to him and then I realized the author is keeping her age appropriate in that regard while still providing her strength and bravery in all other areas.

I loved the secondary characters, Cassie’s friends, they have so much energy and really add to the story. I found myself laughing at times at comments from her friend Angela and her brother.  They all helped to bring the story to life.

The beauty of coming to books late, is that the wait for the next books in the series are little to none in some cases. So I find my late arrival to the table of some good reads works out great for me.

I enjoyed the books in this series a great deal and would recommend them. It was a fun read that held my interest and for that reason I gave it 4 butterflies!

Happy Reading friends!

Belinda

4ratingA

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Belinda’s Book Nook Review: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

October 22, 2014 by Leave a Comment

The5thWave

Title: The 5th Wave
Author: Rick Yancey
Copyright: May 7, 2013
Genre: fiction, science fiction
Format: ebook Pages: 497

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker.

Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

My Thoughts on The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey:

I kept on hearing about this book on book tube and thought that I might need to see what the fuss was about. First, I would like to say that I think of myself as a big fan of science fiction. I love finding science fiction movies to watch. I especially love to see a team work together to solve/overcome problems. I enjoyed movies like, Mission to Mars, Aliens, Terminator and many more. Last night, I just watched the movie, “After Earth” starring Will Smith and his son. I thought it was good too.  I like the ideas of science fiction writers and I love the mystery and thrills I get thinking of the possibilities.

So when I heard about this book and it came available on my library’s Overdrive system. I took it out and began the journey with Cassie the main character as she experienced each “wave” of the Others'(alien) invasion.  I really enjoyed how the author made you wait to find out what exactly what was going on and who the aliens/others were. It made me think about what we would do if we were invaded in such a way. And that is the thing I love most about science fiction is it tickles my curiosity and a lot of ‘what ifs’ find there way into my mind.

I felt the pacing of book was nice and he used multiple narrators to give you multiple perspectives which carried the book along nicely while filling in the pieces to the mystery. I found myself moving through this book very fast and when he would switch narrators it would be at the precise moment something momentous was happening and I felt compelled to keep reading.

I liked Cassie as the strong female lead at times I struggle with her strength at such a young age but then Yancey would incorporate some indecisiveness that I feel was appropriate for a girl her age and appeared more realistic.

There was some romance and at times a little cheesy but not enough to take away from the story. I do enjoy a little romance in stories and I think it was overall fine in this book.

I stayed up to finish this book and look forward to reading book two which was just released this September. I am not sure if this is a trilogy but I definitely enjoyed book one and look forward to reading the next book in the series called, “The Infinite Sea”.

This was a good size book but I went through it so fast which means it took me on the journey and I love that.

For these reasons, I gave this book 5 butterflies.

5ratingHappy Reading!

Belinda

 

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Book Haul from the Used Book Superstore and Savers

September 19, 2014 by 1 Comment

sept2014haul

Ok so I confess, I love books.  Oh..you already knew that huh?  Well, earlier this week, I had a book attack. I just needed to be in a bookstore.  So I drove to the Used Book Superstore and it conveniently has next to it, Savers.  Both places I have scored some great deals.  This time was no exception.

At the Used Book Superstore I only found one book, Angel Burn by L.A. Weatherly which is a young adult fantasy. It’s book two in a trilogy so I will have to keep my eyes peeled for book one and three. I usually don’t buy out of order but this copy was signed. So I snatched it up for $3.29.

I then headed over to Savers and that’s where the magic happened. I found two hard cover books in brand new condition and two soft covers.

  • My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares who wrote The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants as well as a new one called, “The Here and Now”.  This book is about reincarnation and the love that lasts a lifetime. It sounds like a nice snuggle under the blanket fall day kind of book.
  • Savage Girl by Jean Zimmerman is  a tale from the author of The Orphanmaster about a wild girl from Nevada who lands in Manhattan’s Gilded Age society. The cover is so amazing on this book, I just can’t wait to dive in.
  • Huntress by Malinda Lo is the adventure prequel to Lo’s highly acclaimed novel Ash and is overflowing with lush Chinese influences and details inspired by the I Ching, and is filled with action and romance. Sounds like a fun read. The cover is beautiful on this book and let’s face it, I like kick-ass female leads.
  • The Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray is the first The Gemma Doyle Trilogy.  It is a young adult historical fiction set in the Victorian Age. I am thrilled to check out the first in the series to see if I should venture further.

If you read any of these books let me know what you think.

Well now I am off to go heat up some tea and continue reading my current bookclub selection, “Strength in What Remains by Tracy Kidder. I will leave a review soon.

Happy reading!

Belinda

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Belinda’s Book Nook Review: The False Princess by Eilis O’Neal

August 19, 2014 by Leave a Comment

ThefalsePrincess

Title: The False Princess
Author: Eilis O’ Neal
Copyright: September 11, 2012
Genre: fiction, fantasy
Format: audiobook Narrator: Mandy Williams

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Princess and heir to the throne of Thorvaldor, Nalia’s led a privileged life at court.  But everything changes when it’s revealed, just after her sixteenth birthday, that she is a false princess, a stand-in for the real Nalia, who has been hidden away for her protection.  Cast out with little more than the clothes on her back, the girl now called Sinda must leave behind the city of Vivaskari, her best friend, Keirnan, and the only life she’s ever known.

Sinda is sent to live with her only surviving relative, an aunt who is a dyer in a distant village. She is a cold, scornful woman with little patience for her newfound niece, and Sinda proves inept at even the simplest tasks.  But when Sinda discovers that magic runs through her veins – long-suppressed, dangerous magic that she must learn to control – she realizes that she can never learn to be a simple village girl.

My Thoughts on The False Princess:

When I work in my craft room, I enjoy listening to music, podcasts and audio books. I enjoy this because I can listen to something while I work. Over the last six months I have really enjoyed being able to keep up with my “reading” while still getting my crafting time .  The first place I go when I need an audiobook is Overdrive since it is free from the library. I read the description, listened to a preview of this book and checked out it’s ratings on Goodreads and it sounded just like the right book to listen to.

The False Princess  is a fantasy book filled with magic, romance and mystery. Mandy Williams did a great job with the narration. Which I believe can make or break the listening experience.

I enjoyed this debut novel by Eilis O’Neal right from the start because it brought you right into the mystery.  I liked the main character Nalia who was really Sinda.  She was a strong character with definite flaws.  Many typical of a 16 year old girl. Which I had to keep reminding myself.

Most of the women in this book were very strong characters. Sinda’s aunt despite the shock of a niece she thought had died appearing on her doorstep, did not let her poverty keep her from taking care of her niece.  Filanthra, who was portrayed as a bit of a loose canon and  an outsider, still managed her home with help from servants and found a place for her magic and potions to maintain her lifestyle. Melaina, although the antagonist was a very strong women that took command of the situation and planned a through deception. Which I think would have been very difficult in such a male dominated society. Perhaps magic was the great equalizer.

I enjoyed the light romance in the novel with Keirnan. He was a charming friend for Sinda and a little love in stories is always good.

The only thing I would say that I was frustrated with was the fact that Sinda was so strong and bright and yet they made her so naive when it came to love and romance. Over and over, her doubt presented itself and at times, I felt could be skipped. Perhaps that is how authors create drama but I felt it was a little overkill at times.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and the detail and the descriptions for the settings. I felt I could really see the settings and the narration was spot on. I haven’t read many books with magic so this was a little fun for me. I ended up listening to the last few hours of the book into the wee hours of the morning to find out how it all would turn out. I think the message finding out who you really are and learning to accept yourself for who you are was a strong message in this book. Particularly with Sinda.

I think if you are looking for a light read with good narration, you should give it a try.

I give this book 4 butterflies.

4ratingA

Happy reading!

Belinda

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