Wednesday, January 29, 2014
The Elite by Kiera Cass
Okay, after finishing The Selection, I could not wait to put my hands on The Elite by Kiera Cass! This is such a fun series - a young adult dystopian novel. I love the cross between The Hunger Games and The Bachelor with a little bit of Disney movie The Princess Diaries. This book continues the saga of the competition for the heart of Prince Maxon. America Singer still can't choose between Prince Maxon and her love from home, Aspen - a palace guard. This novel has more attacks from the rebels and a little more discussion of the caste systems. America now has a little more competition for the heart of Prince Maxon as she takes so long to make her up mind if she can handle being a princess and future queen.
What I like about the discussion this book could bring to young adults is the fact that one reason Prince Maxon likes America is that she was not chasing him from the beginning and a friendship developed first between the two. A good lesson for young girls (in my opinion!). This novel isn't quite as much fun as the 1st book but I can't wait for the 3td book to come out! I give it 4 stars!
From Goodreads:
Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection. All but six have been sent home. And only one will get to marry Prince Maxon and be crowned princess of Illea.
America still isn’t sure where her heart lies. When she’s with Maxon, she’s swept up in their new and breathless romance, and can’t dream of being with anyone else. But whenever she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, and is overcome with memories of the life they planned to share. With the group narrowed down to the Elite, the other girls are even more determined to win Maxon over—and time is running out for America to decide.
Just when America is sure she’s made her choice, a devastating loss makes her question everything again. And while she’s struggling to imagine her future, the violent rebels that are determined to overthrow the monarchy are growing stronger and their plans could destroy her chance at any kind of happy ending.
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
The Selection by Kierra Cass
I just finished The Selection by Kierra Cass and just loved it! This is a fun YA dystopian novel- it has been described as The Bachelor meets The Hunger Games. As I love both the reality show and The Hunger Games books - this is a fun read for me! I love how America
Singer is discovering her true self while competing for the heart of Prince Maxon. I feel like the character of Prince Maxon is more developed than the America's first love Aspen - we really don't have time to fall for Aspen before she leaves for the palace to compete.
My only complaint about the book is how abruptly it ended. I hope the rest of the series is as good as the first book! I give it 4 stars!
Singer is discovering her true self while competing for the heart of Prince Maxon. I feel like the character of Prince Maxon is more developed than the America's first love Aspen - we really don't have time to fall for Aspen before she leaves for the palace to compete.
My only complaint about the book is how abruptly it ended. I hope the rest of the series is as good as the first book! I give it 4 stars!
Below is a description from Amazon:
For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon. But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks. Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself—and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.
Monday, January 27, 2014
Dust by Patricia Cornwell
It's always a good week when I get to enter another crime scene with Kay Scarpetta, her niece Lucy, FBI husband Benton, and Detective Pete Marino. I loved Dust and think Patricia Cornwell has written another winner!
The novel begins with Kay Scarpetta recovering from the flu and Detective Pete Marino has resigned from Scarpetta's agency and is back with the police force. Of course there are murders for them to investigate and a possible corruption of the FBI. Lucy's back in full force to help her aunt in the investigation and has more new toys.
The storyline held my attention and was not as dark as some of other books. I give it 5 stars!
Description of book from Amazon:
Massachusetts Chief Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta has just returned from working one of the worst mass murders in U.S. history when she’s awakened at an early hour by Detective Pete Marino.
A body, oddly draped in an unusual cloth, has just been discovered inside the sheltered gates of MIT and it’s suspected the identity is that of missing computer engineer Gail Shipton, last seen the night before at a trendy Cambridge bar. It appears she’s been murdered, mere weeks before the trial of her $100 million lawsuit against her former financial managers, and Scarpetta doubts it’s a coincidence. She also fears the case may have a connection with her computer genius niece, Lucy.
At a glance there is no sign of what killed Gail Shipton, but she’s covered with a fine dust that under ultraviolet light fluoresces brilliantly in three vivid colors, what Scarpetta calls a mineral fingerprint. Clearly the body has been posed with chilling premeditation that is symbolic and meant to shock, and Scarpetta has reason to worry that the person responsible is the Capital Murderer, whose most recent sexual homicides have terrorized Washington, D.C. Stunningly, Scarpetta will discover that her FBI profiler husband, Benton Wesley, is convinced that certain people in the government, including his boss, don’t want the killer caught.
In Dust, Scarpetta and her colleagues are up against a force far more sinister than a sexual predator who fits the criminal classification of a “spectacle killer.” The murder of Gail Shipton soon leads deep into the dark world of designer drugs, drone technology, organized crime, and shocking corruption at the highest levels.
With unparalleled high-tension suspense and the latest in forensic technology, Patricia Cornwell once again proves her exceptional ability to surprise—and to thrill.
The novel begins with Kay Scarpetta recovering from the flu and Detective Pete Marino has resigned from Scarpetta's agency and is back with the police force. Of course there are murders for them to investigate and a possible corruption of the FBI. Lucy's back in full force to help her aunt in the investigation and has more new toys.
The storyline held my attention and was not as dark as some of other books. I give it 5 stars!
Description of book from Amazon:
Massachusetts Chief Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta has just returned from working one of the worst mass murders in U.S. history when she’s awakened at an early hour by Detective Pete Marino.
A body, oddly draped in an unusual cloth, has just been discovered inside the sheltered gates of MIT and it’s suspected the identity is that of missing computer engineer Gail Shipton, last seen the night before at a trendy Cambridge bar. It appears she’s been murdered, mere weeks before the trial of her $100 million lawsuit against her former financial managers, and Scarpetta doubts it’s a coincidence. She also fears the case may have a connection with her computer genius niece, Lucy.
At a glance there is no sign of what killed Gail Shipton, but she’s covered with a fine dust that under ultraviolet light fluoresces brilliantly in three vivid colors, what Scarpetta calls a mineral fingerprint. Clearly the body has been posed with chilling premeditation that is symbolic and meant to shock, and Scarpetta has reason to worry that the person responsible is the Capital Murderer, whose most recent sexual homicides have terrorized Washington, D.C. Stunningly, Scarpetta will discover that her FBI profiler husband, Benton Wesley, is convinced that certain people in the government, including his boss, don’t want the killer caught.
In Dust, Scarpetta and her colleagues are up against a force far more sinister than a sexual predator who fits the criminal classification of a “spectacle killer.” The murder of Gail Shipton soon leads deep into the dark world of designer drugs, drone technology, organized crime, and shocking corruption at the highest levels.
With unparalleled high-tension suspense and the latest in forensic technology, Patricia Cornwell once again proves her exceptional ability to surprise—and to thrill.
Allegiant by Veronica Roth
I just finished the third book in the Divergent Series - Allegiant by Veronica Roth. I will admit that I absolutely loved the first book - Divergent about the characters Tris and Four. The second book Insurgent was good too. I will admit it had been awhile since I had read the first two that I did not remember what had happened and was confused about the storyline and the characters. My advice is to read all three books back to back!
The two main characters Tris and Tobias (Four) narrate this book and their love story continues. We learn what is outside the city and how the factions are formed. The philosophy of perfect genetics & manipulating genetics is discussed and the different experiments that were conducted on the "genetically damaged". The ending is controversial and not my favorite way to end this series.
To be honest, this book was a major disappointment to the series. I did not like the characters narrating the story and I did not like the ending. I know there is probably not a perfect ending to this series but felt the author had such a great story going that she could have come up with a better conclusion. What is good about this book is the discussion it could lead too with the genetics and what did happen in Germany. I give this book two stars.
From Goodreads:
The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.
But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.
The two main characters Tris and Tobias (Four) narrate this book and their love story continues. We learn what is outside the city and how the factions are formed. The philosophy of perfect genetics & manipulating genetics is discussed and the different experiments that were conducted on the "genetically damaged". The ending is controversial and not my favorite way to end this series.
To be honest, this book was a major disappointment to the series. I did not like the characters narrating the story and I did not like the ending. I know there is probably not a perfect ending to this series but felt the author had such a great story going that she could have come up with a better conclusion. What is good about this book is the discussion it could lead too with the genetics and what did happen in Germany. I give this book two stars.
From Goodreads:
The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.
But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.
Sunday, January 5, 2014
The Goldfinch by Donna Tart
I just finished The Goldfinch by Donna Tart. This book has been on so many of the “Best Books of 2013” that it peaked my curiosity. The book revolves around the main character Theo Decker and all the characters he meets throughout his life. When Theo is a child, he and his beloved mother are in a NY museum when it is bombed – Theo survives and his mother does not. After the bombing, Theo wakes up and befriends an old man and takes a painting of “The Goldfinch” from the museum. This act becomes the basis of the whole story. Just like the goldfinch in the painting, he is chained by this event his whole life.
Many questions are asked “What if all your actions and choices, good or bad, make no difference to God? What if the pattern is pre-set? No No-hang on- this is a question worth struggling with. What if our badness and mistakes are the very thing that set our fate and bring us round to good? “ My favorite “Who’s to say that coincidence was just God’s way of remaining anonymous?” or “Can’t good come around sometimes through some strange back doors?” “Beauty alters the grain of reality. And I keep thinking too of the more conventional wisdom: namely, that the pursuit of pure beauty is a trap, a fast track to bitterness and sorry, that beauty has to be wedded to something more meaningful.”
So many times during the story of Leo’s life – I just want to shake him and tell him “NO – don’t do that, don’t hang around him, turn around, quit it!” . Leo makes so many mistakes and his lifestyle is never one I would have approved of and so I’m surprised that I could relate to his character. I so want him to redeem himself – maybe that’s why the reader keeps holding on to this long story. Along the journey, there are people who keep coming back into his life – the family of Andy Barbour– a childhood friend, Hobie the furniture restorer, and of course the Russian best friend Boris.
I do know that I want to talk about this story with others – is Leo redeemable? I do know I want to see the painting of the goldfinch. I would like to read more of Donna Tart’s books – but right now I think I need to read something light! This won’t be a good book club selection for my book club– most of our members want a shorter, lighter read – but they will be missing out on a marvelous read! I will be thinking about Leo and The Goldfinch for a long time - which is always the hallmark of a great read! I would give this 5 stars!
From Goodreads:
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