Reading Stack #26

I finished the three books on my last stack, so it is time to load up once again. I am reading Obsidian for my Random Read this month and so far it is interesting. I don't like Daemon much, although Katy seems to be attracted to him. I am only on Chapter 4, so maybe he will show some redeeming qualities soon. I am also reading Beautiful Darkness by Garcia and Stohl and I love getting lost in Lena and Ethan's story again, just like I did in Beautiful Creatures. If I can finish those two books I will have completed my challenges for the year. I would also like to finish the Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong, so I can see how the Supernatural kids story ends. I have started it, but I am trying really hard to read my challenge books first. I still have down to reread Clockwork Prince, but the odds of finishing it before the new year are not good. I love that series, but it breaks my heart everytime I read the twisted love triangle plot. So, I will stick with these four books for my end of the year reads. What do you hope to finish this year?

Legend by Marie Lu

Penguin Group

I finished my third book in the Fall Into Reading Challenge. Legend is the first in the Legend series and book 2, Prodigy will be released in January. It is often compared to the Hunger Games, which it does have an evil dystopian society,  but it is very different from HG.

Each year 10 year olds in the Republic take the Trial, a test to determine their worth to the Republic. June is the Republic's darling. She is the first to score a perfect 1500 score in the Trial and she is about to graduate from college at the age of 15. Day is the Republic's most infamous criminal and failed the Trial. He could be in league with the Colonies who are fighting the Republic saying that the Republic and the Colonies were once United States. He could be fighting for the Patriots, who want to overthrow the "elected" Elector Primo and his regime. In reality, he has his own separate agenda. Day has taken down planes and stolen Notes from a bank, but he never kills anyone, until June's brother Metias. June in her anger wants to hunt down Day and Metias's Commander Jameson and friend, Thomas are willing to allow her the chance. Day for his part was trying to find a cure for the plague for his younger brother. Day throws a knife at Metias as he flees the hospital crime scene, but he thinks he hits Metias in the arm. As June hunts down Day by going to the Lake sector of Los Angelos, she unwittingly befriends the boy and his tagalong Tess. She begins to fall for the boy, until she learns the truth. However as she learns more about Day, she begins to question all she has been taught to believe. Is Day really the cold blooded murder and troublemaker for the good Republic or is the Republic really the enemy? June's decision chould change her world.

I have read several dystopian novels lately and this is one of my favorites. The only one I liked better is Divergent. I loved Lu's writing style and I loved the dual point of views. I think having Day's words in a different font and color than June's was a brilliant publishing idea and it even reflected their different personalities. June's seemed more precise, whereas Day's seemed more thoughtful and informed. June's showed her beliefs in the systems and Day's his ability to see past lies and to the facts. The relationship between the characters was extremely believable and well-developed. I also had a very hard time putting the book down and the pace is so quick, you just don't want to stop reading. Her society seems possible and real, which is a scary thought. You just want June to wake up and take out the Republic. The story is both heart-breaking and thoughtprovoking and  I can't wait until Prodigy.

Favorite Character: Day. He loves his family and is willing to risk everything for them. Even though he knows he should be looking out for himself and his family, he can't help taking care of others, like Tess and June. He is also smart and resourceful and according to many of the females, good-looking.

Favorite Quote: "If you want to rebel, rebel from inside the system. That's much more powerful than rebelling outside the system. And if you choose to rebel, bring me with you."

Definitely a 5 cups of cocoa book! I was completely drawn into the story and loved the characters! Well-developed and extremely strong debut book!

Note to self: I really need to stop reading series or at least start reading sequels, because my TBR pile is huge!

Classic Double Challenge 2013

This challenge is hosted by Melissa at One Librarian's Book Reviews (1lbr). The idea is to read a classic book or original story, fairy tale, or mythology and compare that to a retelling or a book that relates to the classic story. Melissa lists several options on her site, which you can go to by clicking the image at the top or on her blog's name in this post. She also has different levels you can choose to complete.  Last year I just did the Small level, which is one pair. I read Persuasion and For the Darkness Shows the Stars and I loved them both! This year I am going to try for the Medium level, which is two pairs or four books. I think I want to do Ten by Gretchen McNeil and And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. I am already reading Ten for the New Author Challenge, but I would love to see how it compares to the original Christie story. I love reading Christie's stories when I am in a reading slump and surprisingly I have not read And Then There Were None yet. Other possibilities include Romeo and Juliet and one of the many retellings of this story or maybe another Jane Austen novel. I hope to pick my second pair soon.

2013 New Authors Challenge

Artwork: Anglerfish by Vlad Gerasimov


The New Authors Challenge is hosted by Jackie at Literary Escapism. The idea is to find new authors that you haven't tried to read in the past. You can pick 15, 25, or 50 new authors. After finishing a book, you post reviews and link them to the New Authors post. For more info go to http://www.literaryescapism.com/new-author-challenge/new-author-challenge-2013.

I am going to try to read 15 new authors. I have a few ideas of authors I would like to read. I may try Rachel Vincent, Gretchen McNeil (I have seen so many great reviews of Ten), and Kristin Cashore. Hopefully I can branch out a little in my reading.
1. Ten by Gretchen McNeil
2.

2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge

This is a paranormal reading challenge hosted by Megan Likes Books and Jessi at Auntie Spinelli Reads. The goal is to read at least 12 paranormal books, at least one each in the following categories.

Vampires

Werewolves/Shifters

Fey

Angels/Nephilim

Mermaids

Dragons

Zombies

Demons

Witches/Wizards

Ghosts

Aliens

Other (ie: sirens, unicorns, centaurs, time travel etc.)

You can read more than one in each category if you have time. The books can also count for other challenges. For more information click on the image at the top or on the links to the hosts' websites.

January is Vampire month and I know that I want to read Vampire Academy for January. So far that is the only book I know I am going to read for the challenge. I will update this post as I choose and review.
1. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead- finished and reviewed!
2.

Cold Fire by Tamora Pierce

This is my last book this year for the Dusty Bookshelf Challenge. I finished three books and completed the Pixie Dust Level.

Cold Fire is book 3 of the Circle Opens Quartet and this series follows the Circle Quartet. If you have not read any of the books in the Circle Quartet, this will have spoilers for that series. However, the books in the Circle Opens Quartet do not have to be read in a particular order at least the first three haven't.


Daja and Frostpine have decided to travel around to different smiths, so that Daja can learn about how other smiths work. The two have settled down in Kugisko, a cold Northern town, for the winter. They will have to stay there until early spring when the mountain pass thaws. The two are staying with the Bancanor family, Kol and Matazi and their four children, the oldest of which are twin girls around Daja's age. Kugisko is a city made of wood and so it is prone to fires, particularly in the winter when everyone is trying to keep warm. Within the first weeks of Daja's stay, she witnesses a fire and notices a brave man, Ben Landradun, who is trying to teach the town how to fight fires. Daja wants to help Ben and begins working on gloves to help keep his hands from being scorched while fighting the blazes. However, Daja's free time is quickly occupied by the twins, Jory and Nia. Daja spots magic in Jory and learns she is a cooking mage and since one twin has magic, the other has to have it too. Daja scries Nia's talent as a carpentry mage and sets about finding mages to train the girls. Even though she finds mages, she is stuck with teaching the girls meditation to harness and control their powers and she has to teach the two separately. In the meantime, more fires break out and Daja and Ben realize the fires are being set. Can Daja help catch the firebug and teach the girls? With all this work, Daja is looking forward to the spring.

I love this series and the world that Pierce has created! Briar is my favorite of the Circle four, but Daja is a close second. Daja and Frostpine have a wonderful teacher/student relationship and I think of the four, she has the teacher that matches her powers the best. Daja still mourns for her family, but she has now learned how to interact with others outside the Trading families. Out of the three I have read about so far, Daja is the one who has matured the most. I enjoyed seeing her teaching style and her interactions with the twins. Pierce masterfully creates a believable world and with her descriptions you can easily visualize the area. I like how magic in her world is tied so closely to the earth and how magic seems almost real and understandable.

Favorite Character: Daja. She is strong- she is a smith mage after all- and very patient, even though she thinks she is not. Daja seems the most loving of the four Circle teens and she is also willing to trust others, both a fault and a virtue, more than her Circle friends.

Favorite Quote: "That's magic for you, she thought gloomily. One part glory, one part fun, and one part polishing the brightwork till your back and your knees and your hands all ache." This quote is one of the reason's Pierce's magic is so believable. She shows that the mages have to really work at building and controlling their magic.

I know in many reviews, people fault this book for revealing early on who the firebug is. A few moments are told from this person's point of view and you know within the first one hundred pages who it is. This did not bother me. I thought the point of the story was more that sometimes people disappoint us and that we cannot recognize bad people just by looking at them. The story also revolved just as much about teacher/student relationships. I thought both those themes were fascinating and knowing the firebug did not ruin this for me.

5 cups of cocoa! I really want to read Tris's story now, but that will have to wait until next year!

December Random Read

 

This is a meme hosted by Sarah at www.imlovingbooks.com. You can create a list or use your Goodreads To Be Read feature to choose a book. After deciding on your list, then go to random.org and type in the number of books on your list and see what you get for the month.



Entangled Teens Publishing

I finished both my October and November Random Reads in November! For my December Random Read, my book is Obsidian by Jennifer Armentrout. I have seen really good reviews for her book and have had this one on my list for a couple of months now. This one is about aliens and since I haven't read any books about aliens I am looking forward to something a little different. Here is the review.