No More Tears, by Dr. Margaret Aranda Review

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving for me and all my American followers. It is honestly one of my favorite holidays because, despite the media's and stores' valiant attempts to make us focus on Black Friday instead of celebrating a day of thanks, it's still pretty free of commercial corruption. It's a day we spend with family and friends and focus on blessings instead of all the bad stuff we have to deal with every other day of the year.

I am very blessed and very thankful for many things. And I am OF COURSE thankful for great books and new authors!!

So let me introduce Dr. Margaret Aranda and her book, No More Tears to you:

Dr. Margaret Aranda, M.D., has written scientific articles on neurosurgery, anesthesiology, critical care, and radiology. She has received several awards for medical education in Oklahoma, California, and South Korea. She lives in Los Angeles, California.

There was a day that her life got stumped. First she was a Stanford doctor, then she became a trauma patient due to a car accident. Now, she could not stand up or else she would faint. The doctor-turned-patient had an invisible disease and the doctors were stumped too. What did she have? Why must she live on IV fluid? In No More Tears Dr. Margaret Aranda takes you on a ride to the door of Heaven as she describes her near-death experience after a car accident. She was unable to walk and unable to talk, and for over three years, she lived on IV fluid. No More Tears will inspire you to persevere, to speak up, to be that rare bird that underdog who wins despite the odds.

I have to first say that this type of book is not one I usually pick up. That's not to say I don't like deep, thought-provoking books. I really do. But had I happened upon this one in a store, I probably wouldn't have purchased it.

This is why I am VERY glad the author asked me to read and review it! I love finding little gems like these because it just goes to show me that my predetermined list of things I'll like is way too narrow.

The writing is so beautiful and descriptive and the story will work at your heart and play with your emotions. I am so glad I read this. I am so glad I got to experience this woman's story.

Here's a taste:

"Persevere. Fight. Don't take no for an answer. Realize that you can hide nothing from God and that he sees your actions and he knows your heart. Hum drum, drip, drop. Believe that God is guiding your steps. If I can do it, you can do it. Your attitude? If no one else can do it, you can do it. Hum drum, drip, drop. You have to know that your choices make you who you are.

"I got out of my bed when no one thought I could walk. I started walking without my walker when nobody thought I'd be able to accomplish this, and I walk with a cane instead. I still need the can but in a different, safer way. Hum drum, drip, drop. I'm glad to be alive in any alive form. Just let me be a mother."

If you'd like to find out more and pre-order a copy, visit Dr. Aranda's blog! Or like her facebook page!

Enjoy!

Inanimate Objects, by Kendra Saunders--A Review

Kendra is the author of Inanimate Objects, a magic realism novel, and has been published in Premier Bride Magazine, Snakeskin Magazine and Steampunk Magazine. She hosts the quirky literary podcast 13 1/2 Minutes and is a convention reporter and regular guest blogger at Pure Textuality. She won Honorable Mention in the Writer's Digest Book Awards and is marketing coordinator for YA publishing company Spencer Hill Press.


Oh yay! You have no idea how excited I am to be reviewing Kendra's book, Inanimate Objects. Yes, you already know that she and I are friends, so I'm sure you're thinking that my review will then be very biased. And you would be right. I'm usually a LOT harder on my friends than I am on people I don't know. Why? Probably because I feel I can be a lot more honest with my friends than with strangers. Also, I tend to believe our friends SHOULD be more critical (nice, helpful critical) because they should always want to help us improve.

So let's take a look at it!

Summary from Goodreads:

Inanimate Objects is a dark and glittering novel of artists and magicians, muses and immortals. At the heart of the story is Leonidas Bondi, a charismatic young artist who falls under the watchful gaze of Matilda August. Matilda has been a patron to the stars for hundreds of years, but this fickle muse is more than a little taken with her new protégé, blurring her own lines of work and obsession. Providing opposition is Matilda’s son, Elisha, a moody figure who holds revenge above all else after he suffers a terrible wrong.

There aren't many books I've read lately that have made me go, "Wow. That character really reminds me of someone I know" or "Boy I REALLY wish I knew someone like that." This book does all that and more.

There are several POV characters, but my two favorites are Elisha August and Leonidas Bondi. And just looking at those names, you can probably get a glimpse of the flavor of the novel. It's very dark and romantic, speckled here and there with gold sparklies and very matter-of-fact magic.

I love how Leo is not your typical male MC. He's flashy and dark at the same time. He loves his makeup and fancy clothes, parties and champagne, but at the same time, his art and poetry will rip your heart out with their sorrow.

And Elisha. Ah, poor Elisha. You just want to give the guy a hug the whole time. Something horrible has happened in his past and he spends the novel plotting his revenge, but you know deep down that even if he succeeds, he's never going to be happy again. And I wanted him to be happy so badly!!!

As far as the writing goes, it's amazing. It's very Neil Gaiman-esque. The settings are beautiful, the people practically pop to life right off the page, and the concept is brilliant. There need to be more stories like this one.

Inanimate Objects absolutely deserves 5 stars. It is by far one of my favorite novels. 

If you haven't had a chance to buy a copy yet, I leave you with these links for your purchasing convenience. Do it. It is such a good deal and you will NOT be sorry.

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Enjoy!

Book Review--The Maze Runner, by James Dashner and a Movie!

Back of the book blurb:

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.

Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers.

Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind.

What I liked:

Pretty much everything!  Thomas was a sympathetic character the whole way through and the plot moved along at a steady (and sometimes heart wrenching) pace.  In fact, that warm and fuzzy feeling you tend to get when reading books because you know the main list of characters might get hurt really bad but they certainly won't die is in as much danger of being squashed and consumed as the characters in this book.

Few authors have made me dread as much as need to turn the page as James Dashner.  In THE MAZE RUNNER, you just never know what's going to happen, but you're pretty sure it's going to be bad.  

What I didn't like:

I wouldn't say this is something I didn't like, but it's definitely a warning.  This book is intense and should be read with caution by the younger members of the YA crowd. There were parts that made me, a 28 year old U.S. Army veteran, a tad squeamish.  

So, what kind of rating would I give THE MAZE RUNNER??

...

...

...

5 stars! 

(as in, what are you still doing reading this post?!  Go out and buy this NOW!)

Yeah, THE MAZE RUNNER just is that good, and it's a wonderful start to what I foresee as one of the best YA trilogies out there.

For your purchasing convenience, I provide you now with this link.

And now, because my kids seem to want to keep me perpetually sick (or at least sick 90% of the time), I missed yesterday's post and had to combine it with today's.  So...

Enjoy this movie!!

Book Review--Incarceron, by Catherine Fisher

Synopsis: (ripped from Ms. Fisher's own website) 

Imagine a living prison so vast that it contains corridors and forests, cities and seas. Imagine a prisoner with no memory, who is sure he came from Outside, even though the prison has been sealed for centuries and only one man, half real, half legend, has ever escaped. 

Imagine a girl in a manor house in a society where time has been forbidden, where everyone is held in a seventeenth century world run by computers, doomed to an arranged marriage that appals her, tangled in an assassination plot she both dreads and desires. 

One inside, one outside

But both imprisoned.

Imagine a war that has hollowed the moon, seven skullrings that contain souls, a flying ship and a wall at the world's end.

Imagine the unimaginable.

Imagine Incarceron.


My own summary of the book:


Finn is trapped inside a prison while Claudia's living in the 17th Century splendor of Protocol on the Outside as the daughter of the Warden.  Finn's life is rife with problems between escaping the psychotic whims of a self-aware prison and the power-hungry (and often drugged-up) rulings of a Winglord.  Claudia has only one problem:  She has to marry the prince.


Except the prince she's supposed to marry might be stuck in the prison.


What I liked:


The plot is actually pretty unique, and there are a lot of twists and turns that caught me by surprise.


I especially enjoyed Finn.  I thought he was a great character full and depth and genuine emotions.  


The settings were spectacular both Inside and Outside Incarceron.  I often felt like I was literally inside Ms. Fisher's world.


What I didn't like:


Oh dear, there were a few things, unfortunately.


For one, I couldn't stomach Claudia.  My dislike for a character doesn't usually sway my opinion of a book (after all, unlikeable people are very realistic), but she started out as a stuck-up snob from her first page and stayed a stuck-up snob even up to the last page of SAPPHIQUE.  And considering I really did like Finn, I ultimately ended up hating Claudia's treatment of him. 


I also found myself wondering what POV Ms. Fisher was trying to write in.  She seemed to start out in strict Third Limited with POV shifts separated by chapters.  However, as the books (INCARCERON and SAPPHIQUE) went on, the POV shifts started happening within scenes and then from one paragraph to another.  I found I had to backtrack a few times to even understand whose voice I was in.  And considering she started adding more and more POV characters as time went on, it became increasingly difficult to stay rooted in the story.


The twists and turns may have been fascinating, but by the time I finished SAPPHIQUE, I still had questions (questions that will forever go unanswered).  Perhaps this isn't such a big deal, but I do like to have everything wrapped up nicely by the time a story is finished. 


My Rating:


1 star: Don't even bother
2 stars: It may be your cup of tea, but it ain't mine
3 stars: Pick it up at the library some time
4 stars:  Go ahead and buy it.  You might like it!
5 stars:  What are you doing still reading this post?!  Go out and buy it NOW!


I give the INCARCERON series...


2-3 stars!


Ultimately, I may not have liked it as much as I would have hoped, but there IS a lot of positive buzz for Ms. Fisher's books.  


So, it may be your cup of tea, but it ain't mine. :)


For your purchasing convenience, click this link to order INCARCERON!  

Neverwhere, by Niel Gaiman

Back of the book blurb

"Richard Mayhew is a young man with a good heart and an ordinary life, which is changed forever when he stops to help a girl he finds bleeding on a London sidewalk.  His small act of kindness propels him into a world he never dreamed existed.  There are people who fall through the cracks, and Richard has become one of them.  And he must learn to survive in this city of shadows and darkness, monsters and saints, murderers and angels, if he is ever to return to the London that he knew."

The best way I can describe this book to you is this:

It is a dark and twisted story with elements that reminded me of PETER PAN and THE WIZARD OF OZ, but written for adults.  Neil Gaiman broke practically every rule that has ever been beaten into writers as unbreakable, and it was beautiful.

In essence, the book follows the story of Richard Mayhew, though there are plenty of other pov characters, around London Below in his quest to get home.  And in order to get home, he has to help Door, a girl with a particular knack for opening anything and even creating a door where there wasn't one before.  Gaiman skips around from pov to pov in a very who-dunnit-mystery kind of way.  

About halfway through, you'll be positive you know who the mastermind behind everything is, but when you get to the last few chapters, you'll realize you were totally wrong.  And THEN you'll be positive you finally know everything, and you'll STILL be wrong.  

NEVERWHERE is one of those books that will keep you entertained all-around.  Between a fantastic premise that has you constantly guessing and beautiful prose that's quite simply a pleasure to digest, you won't be able to put it down, but you won't be able to read it in a day, either.  Though it's not particularly long, it IS one of those books you have to keep going back and rereading because the writing is so beautiful and intense, you'll want to keep reading the same paragraph over and over before moving on.

Out of a rating system that goes like this:

1 star: don't bother

2 stars: It may be your cup of tea, but it ain't mine

3 stars: pick it up at the library some time

4 stars:  go ahead and buy it.  You might like it

5 stars: What are you doing still reading this post?? Go out and buy this NOW!

I give NEVERWHERE...

5 stars! 

If this review has piqued your interest, I give this link for your purchasing convenience. :)

Have any of you dear readers read this already?  If so, what did you think?

XVI, by Julia Karr

Description:

Nina Oberon's life is pretty normal: she hangs out with her best friend, Sandy, and their crew, goes to school, plays with her little sister, Dee. But Nina is 15. And like all girls she'll receive a Governing Council-ordered tattoo on her 16th birthday. XVI. Those three letters will be branded on her wrist, announcing to all the world - even the most predatory of men - that she is ready for sex. Considered easy prey by some, portrayed by the Media as sluts who ask for attacks, becoming a "sex-teen" is Nina's worst fear. That is, until right before her birthday, when Nina's mom is brutally attacked. With her dying breaths, she reveals to Nina a shocking truth about her past - one that destroys everything Nina thought she knew. Now, alone but for her sister, Nina must try to discover who she really is, all the while staying one step ahead of her mother's killer.


Sounds pretty awesome, right?  


Well, it seems like Nina is pretty much alone when it comes to her sex-teens (cute little nickname society has given to the momentous occasion).  She doesn't want them to happen.  She doesn't want sex and she certainly  doesn't want to get a tattoo telling everyone she's open for business.  Her friend, Sandy, on the other hand is bordering on obsession over it.  Wait.  Who am I kidding?  She's not bordering anything.  Sandy's walking around in the skimpiest clothes she can find and tossing her hair at any guy who passes by.


It's a very disturbing story, when you get down to it, but for a dystopian, it actually reads light-hearted.  Though the topic itself is disturbing (and even a few things that happen are quite chilling), the tone of the writing doesn't match the darkness I've read in most dystopian novels.  Maybe this is a good thing.  It's actually quite nice to not be depressed throughout an entire novel.  And the ending?  Despite being the first book in a series, XVI actually stands alone!  All the little details wrap themselves up quite nicely.  And let me tell you, dear readers, I appreciated that little courtesy from Julia Karr.  


While most of the story and characters gripped me in their authenticity and scope (all the extra details she put into how society worked and the technology was astounding), there were some parts that bordered dangerously close to cheesy romance.  I may have yelled once or twice, "No! No teenage boy would EVER say that!"  But you know what?  I'm a 27 year old woman.  The target audience of teenage girls will eat that stuff up.  So good job, Ms. Karr!  


Out of a rating system that goes like this:

1 star: Don't even bother
2 stars: It may be your cup of tea, but it ain't mine
3 stars: Pick it up at the library some time
4 stars: Go ahead and buy it!  You might like it!
5 stars: What are you doing still looking at this post?  Go out and buy it NOW!

I'm going to give this book...

4 stars!

Go ahead and stop by Amazon today. :)

Book Review--Crescendo, by Becca Fitzpatrick

Some sad news, my dear readers.  N.R. Williams has injured her hand and was unable to write a post for today.  Don't worry!  She will be rescheduled!

In the meantime, I thought I'd gush over a little story you may or may not have heard about (if you haven't heard of it, oh dear, you are missing out).

About Becca Fitzpatrick: Becca Fitzpatrick's first book, Hush, Hush debuted as a New York Times bestseller. She graduated college with a degree in health, which she promptly abandoned for storytelling. When not writing, she's most likely running, prowling sales racks for shoes or watching crime dramas on TV. She lives in Colorado.

Back of the book blurb: 


Nora should have known her life was far from perfect. Despite starting a relationship with her guardian angel, Patch (who, title aside, can be described anything but angelic), and surviving an attempt on her life, things are not looking up. Patch is starting to pull away and Nora can't figure out if it's for her best interest or if his interest has shifted to her arch-enemy Marcie Millar. Not to mention that Nora is haunted by images of her father and she becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened to him that night he left for Portland and never came home.

The farther Nora delves into the mystery of her father's death, the more she comes to question if her Nephilim blood line has something to do with it as well as why she seems to be in danger more than the average girl. Since Patch isn't answering her questions and seems to be standing in her way, she has to start finding the answers on her own. Relying too heavily on the fact that she has a guardian angel puts Nora at risk again and again. But can she really count on Patch or is he hiding secrets darker than she can even imagine?

This book was REALLY hard to read, to tell you the truth.  It was so rip-your-heart-out sad, I couldn't put it down until I got to the end because I didn't know if I'd be able to sleep being that depressed.

It seems everyone is against Nora--even Vee, her best friend who can't seem to grasp how much pain Nora is in and how NOT helpful it is to say certain things.  And all the while, Nora's being pulled into this little web of games by someone trying to kill her.  

Patch, meanwhile, you just don't know what's going on with him.  One moment, he's there and you're sure he loves Nora even though he refuses to say it and the next moment he's running off with Marcie Millar--a girl who's got it out for her.  

Becca pulls her readers on a roller coaster ride of emotions in Crescendo, not letting you off one bit until the most awesome and painful ending ever (painful only because you know you have to wait a year for the next book).

My advice: Get this book.  Well, read Hush, Hush first if you haven't already THEN get this book.  If I were to start giving out stars to books I review, Crescendo would easily get 5 out of 5.

~Emily White

Book Review--Firelight, by Sophie Jordan

From the site: With her rare ability to breathe fire, Jacinda is special even among the draki—the descendants of dragons who can shift between human and dragon forms. But when Jacinda's rebelliousness leads her family to flee into the human world, she struggles to adapt, even as her draki spirit fades. The one thing that revives it is Will, whose family hunts her kind. Jacinda can't resist getting closer to him, even though she knows she's risking not only her life but the draki's most closely guarded secret.

I really, really liked this book.  Will was a great love interest with his deep, dark secrets and killer good looks and Jacinda was an all-around fun MC to read.  The tension was tight and the stakes were high in just the right amount.  Jacinda's indecisive nature did irritate me for a few pages, but she redeemed herself in the end.

I kind of like the idea of dragon shapeshifters.  I've seen it a few times and it continues to intrigue me.  Sophie Jordan did a good job of taking this idea and putting her own little twists into it.  The fact that Jacinda is the first fire breather in generations plays well into the idea that the Draki are slowly losing themselves.  They were once true dragons who developed the ability to shift into human form and years later, now they're mostly humans who can shift into dragon form.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who hasn't read it yet.  It will definitely keep you turning pages, looking for more.  

~Emily White

By the way, don't forget about Christi Goddard's goober post tomorrow!

Book Review of Hush, Hush, by Becca Fitzpatrick

From the site: For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch came along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment.

But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.

For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.

I feel I must preface my review by saying I quite literally read this book twice last weekend.  I started it on Saturday morning, finished Saturday afternoon, started it again Saturday evening, and finished it Sunday evening.  Even while reading it the first time, I knew I was going to read it again.  Becca Fitzpatrick very successfully created a world I just didn't want to leave.  

Patch Cipriano is like the ultimate bad boy.  As in "oh-he's-so-dreamy-I-know-I-can-change-him-as-long-as-I-love-him-enough bad boy of every girl's teenage fantasy.  In fact, he's so bad, there are times when you wonder if he's the antagonist.  But then you quickly stop caring because he does something so dreamy that antagonist, or not, you just want to see more of him.  And it's this roller coaster ride of emotions that the reader experiences right along with the MC.

Nora's friend, Vee, was annoying as heck.  There were times I wanted to smack that girl just to make her shut up.  But that's okay, because Nora felt the exact same way.  I don't mind annoying characters as long as the MC and I are on the same page.  Not every character on the protag's side needs to be immediately lovable, as long as they redeem themselves at some point--and she does.

Nora was definitely an interesting MC to follow along.  She was this goody-two-shoes-always-does-what-other-people-want girl that kind of got swept away into a world she didn't belong in.  

One thing that I really liked about this book is that the MC and the love interest didn't fall madly in love with each other with a look.  They just kind of fell in love the way most teenagers in high school do.  I.E. they fell into lust with each other.  There were no promises of leaving behind family and friends to be with the other or gooey proclamations of "I just can't live without you."  But it worked because what did happen seemed more natural.

This is one book I definitely recommend you read.  You will not want to put it down.  But you're in luck!  Because today is the release day of CRESCENDO, the sequel to HUSH, HUSH.  

Enjoy!

~Emily White

Book Review--Wings, by Aprilynne Pike

First of all, there's a great discussion going on here about why on earth aren't we advertising books on TV??  Please join in!

If you don't know by now that I love fairies, well you must be extremely new.  And if that's the case, welcome!  I'm glad you're here!  Here's some cookies.

So of course any book about fairies is immediately going to pique my interest.  Wings does not disappoint.  Aprilynne Pike adds a new take on an old myth in many surprising ways.  I've envisioned fairies in what I thought was every way imaginable, but I was blown away at the twists in this book.

Though it seems to be geared towards girls, there are many scenes in this book I'm sure any boy would like.  And of course there's the ever expected love triangle between Tamani, David, and the MC Laurel.  Though a love triangle has almost become cliche in YA, Pike delivers it in a new, refreshing way.  I usually pick a team, but in this book I honestly can't decide who would be better.  

If you haven't read this book, I highly encourage you to do so immediately.  

~Emily White