Daughter of Smoke and Bone

by Laini Taylor
418 pages

I saw Sarah’s review of this book and knew I had to read it. She’s right, it’s not your typical paranormal read. Upon opening the novel you read, “Once upon a time an angel and a devil fell in love. It did not end well.” I was enthralled to the last page.

As Sarah wrote, “Seriously, pick this book up now!” Just as I did. You won’t be sorry.

The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games
by Suzanne Collins
374 pages

I have heard buzz about this book for a long time, but for some reason never really got into it. For some reason, I tend to stay away from YA novels. But then I heard that Josh Hutcherson was going to be playing Peeta in "The Hunger Games" movie. And I may or may not have a huge ginormous crush on Josh Hutcherson.

So I knew that I had to see the movie. And I try not to see a movie based on a book without reading the book first. So when I was at Target and saw that they had a copy of "The Hunger Games" for only $8, well, it was too good to pass up.

I LOVED it. Love love loved it. And that might be because since I already knew who was playing who in the movie. That helped me to envision what was happening while reading.

Also, Katniss Everdeen might be one of the most badass characters created. Right behind Lizbeth Salander.

Childhood's End

By Arthur C. Clarke
222 pages

This is a classic science fiction novel by one of the greatest sci-fi writers of all time.  Though it is short, it is not a light read.  This book starts during the Cold War and covers the history of Earth for the next 150 years.  However, in this history, the "Overlords" have come from outer space and are now in charge of Earth.  During their reign, wars are ended and mankind reaches a new level of prosperity.  But man has not yet reached the pinnacle of existence...

Overall, I liked this book.  There were a lot of themes to explore, such as the problems with utopian societies and the purpose of life, so I can definitely see why this is a classic.  However, some of the technology and history in this book is dated.  It was written during the Cold War era and before man had actually reached the moon, so you do need to make the proper allowances for these issues.  Thankfully, the themes of this book are timeless, even if the technology isn't. 

Cinder

by Marissa Meyer
390 pages

Looking for something to read while I was waiting for some books to come in, I downloaded the first 5 chapters for free and got started. I was immediately hooked and downloaded the whole book shortly after.

Yes, it’s another Cinderella story and you can easily see how the characters fit in within the fairy tale we know and love, but it still was a very intriguing story, set in New Bejing, China after WWIV
with Cinder(ella) as a cyborg.

The ending was left open since the 2nd-4th novels in this series are lined up to be released 2013-15.

Tortured: A Bridge Story Between Birthmarked and Prized

by Caragh M O’Brien
about 20 pages


A free ebook that tells the short story of what Leon goes through to go after Gaia after he pushes her out of the Enclave so she can run to the Dead Forest. I loved that it was free - pretty awesome that the author did this - but I wanted more information. However, I haven’t read Prized yet, so there may be the information I want in there.

Birthmarked

by Caragh M O’Brien
362 pages


I’ve really been on the YA dystopia with a female heroine reads lately and this was one of the best so far. It had just the right amount of love story, thrilling action and a hint of the rebellion for me. I can’t wait to read the sequel to see what happens to Gaia and Leon and how they’ll come together and conquer the Enclave! :)

The Infernal Devices: Book Two: Clockwork Prince

by Cassandra Clare, 510 pages

While also trying to prevent a coup and reeling from multiple betrayals, Tessa and the Shadowhunters search for the mastermind behind a clockwork army plot before he completes his preparations and launches an attack. Meanwhile, Will attempts to fix his own problems on the sidelines, unaware that he's got more than one obstacle to overcome.

Argh, with the love triangles, already! And why do I always like the third wheels so much! I complain, but I still enjoy this series, and this universe, so I'll just have to wait for the next book and see how it all turns out. My memory of the still-in-progress sequel series is foggy enough that I can't remember what sort of hints were dropped as to the outcomes of these conflicts, so things may work out or they may not....