Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George

I have only just started blogging and I'm already a bad blogger! I finished this book a couple days ago and told Myself to "go write a book review"... but I guess Myself didn't want to listen. So, here I am. Fashionably late, I hope. :)


(From Goodreads)
Galen is a young soldier returning from war; Rose is one of twelve princesses condemned to dance each night for the King Under Stone. Together Galen and Rose will search for a way to break the curse that forces the princesses to dance at the midnight balls. All they need is one invisibility cloak, a black wool chain knit with enchanted silver needles, and that most critical ingredient of all—true love—to conquer their foes in the dark halls below. But malevolent forces are working against them above ground as well, and as cruel as the King Under Stone has seemed, his wrath is mere irritation compared to the evil that awaits Galen and Rose in the brighter world above. 

 ~

From reading various reviews I learned that most people greatly enjoyed this book. Adventure, mystery, and romance all spun together in a breathtaking story. My expectation: another fairy-tale retelling with a predictable ending and sappy romance. The reality: an amazing fairy-tale retelling with twists and turns, lovable characters, and a balanced romance. This made me very happy, as you can imagine. I love it when books turn out better than I thought they would be!

The character development with the two MCs was nicely done, and by the end of the book I felt like I personally knew Galen and Rose. One of my favorite things while reading this was how the princesses are portrayed. The youngest ones cry, complain, and blurt out whatever is on their minds - just like any kid you'd meet (especially at my house), and even though the older ones aren't main characters you still get a sense of their personalities. Overall, I think every character was well written and easy to 'get to know'.

Fun little tid-bit I thought was amusing: at the end of the book, before the acknowledgements, there are pattern instructions for two of the things Galen knits in the story (yes, he knits and he's awesome for it). So, if you are a knitter you can knit the same things he did! I am not a knitter, if you were wondering, and the only thing I've tried knitting I never finished. It's still lying in a box at the top of my closet ;)

Five stars

Age 12+

The Merchant's Daughter by Melanie Dickerson

A retelling of Beauty and the Beast set in England around the year 1352. Annabel is the daughter of a deceased wealthy merchant (big surprise, huh?) and has a mother and two older brothers who are just plain lazy. Because of this, Annabel is sent to be an indentured servant for three years in the new lord, Ranulf Le Wyse's, house. Rumors around town say he's ugly and beastly, but over the weeks Annabel learns to love him. Understandably, she  is worried that her feelings are wrong because he is her lord. And sadly, because Ranulf's wife (now dead) had betrayed him in the past, he thinks that all women can't be trusted and shuns his feelings for Annabel in order to protect himself. Will love and justice reign?

I really enjoyed this book. It was well written and had a great Christian message about loving others and not judging them. It has sweet romantic parts that, in my opinion, don't cross the line of inappropriateness that others books do. There are a few parts where Annabel is harassed by a man who wants to marry her, but they don't go to far and definitely show what a dishonorable man can be like. On the other-hand, the character of Lord Ranulf pictures what an honorable, Christian man is like. So very worth the read :)

5 stars

Age 13+

Beastly by Alex Flinn

Kyle Kingsbury is handsome, popular, and has the 'hottest' girl in school for a girlfriend. His dad is a news reporter. You know, the good looking guy with the sparkling smile and perfect hair? Yeah, that's him. He's the dad who only cares about his job and reputation, and by living this way he taught his son to be a rude, arrogant, jerk. So, although Kyle looks like he has it all, in truth he really doesn't.

Guess who comes into the scene next? That's right, the witch. She turns Kyle into a beast and says he can only break the curse if his true love kisses him before two years time. Then he meets Lindy.



I'm really a fairy tale kind of girl. Fantasy, adventure, and romance are things I love most in a book. Unfortunately, my view of 'romance' isn't very popular these days. It's hard to find a book that doesn't go too far with it's lovey-dovey moments. Beastly went to far in some parts. Kyle is constantly thinking of having sleeping by him and there are a couple sexual references. They weren't as horrible as they could've been, but I almost put the book down because of them. Maybe I'm too sensitive? There were also (in my opinion) a couple curse words, minor in some eyes, but not something I like reading.

Overall, Beastly was a pretty enjoyable book. I even laughed at some parts. Sadly though, it will not be a book I recommend to everyone.

Three Stars.

Ages 15+

Summer!

Summer is just around the corner, like literally just around the corner! For me, summer means books. I read like a maniac during this time of year. Mostly, I think, because my library does a summer reading program and depending on how many books you read you get a gift card to Target, or...wait for it...BARNES AND NOBLE!!! It's a win-win situation all around! I get to read a bazillion books and get free money to buy more books - Happy Dance!

 

So anyway, I am challenging myself this summer to post a book review of EVERY book I read this summer. Evey. Single. One. Hopefully, at the end of the summer, I'll be better at writing book reviews. Plus, it will give you all a laugh to see me mess up profoundly on each one I write. ;)

Any book suggestions? I'd love to hear them!

Book Review: What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang

Addie and Eva are hybrids.

They are two souls in one body.

All people start out like this, but eventually one soul is dominant and the other flutters away permanently. Those who do not 'settle' are considered hybrids and are hunted down. That's why Eva and Addie must keep their secret...well, secret. Addie is pretty much the dominant soul - she controls all their body's actions. Eva is on the edge of dissapearing - all she can do is watch and think. She has no control over their body. Addie and Eva can talk in their mind and they fight just like all close sisters do.

They also love each other like all close sisters do.

But is that enough? When their worst fear comes true and threatens to force one of them into nonexistence, will Addie and Eva have the strength and courage to save themselves...and perhaps others like them; other hybrids?



I won this book off of a drawing I entered at the notebooksisters blog. I was super excited, but at the same time a little skeptical. A book about two people -two souls- in one body? Creepy, right? Wrong. Well, it was a little strange (and maybe a tad creepy in some parts) but overall I greatly enjoyed it. The plot is fresh and original and kept me hanging on the edge of my seat. There were times when the story was going a little too slow for my taste, but somehow each word kept me interested. The ending left me yearning for more and I can't wait for the sequel!

20 Book Questions

 I got these questions from nerdybookwormy's blog.

1. Which book has been on your shelves the longest?

Like a book I haven't gotten around to reading yet? I'd have to say Starlighter by Brian Davis...I've just been so busy with school (lame excuse, I know)

2. What is your current read, your last read and the book you’ll read next? 

Current: Nothing (shocked silence...), Last: Mark of Athena by Rick Riordon (reading them with my brother, they're okay. Not great), Next: who knows? I'm random when it comes to books! (and everything else in life...)

3. What book did everyone like and you hated?

I don't really have an answer to that - most of the books I read no one's ever heard of lol

4. Which book do you keep telling yourself you’ll read, but you probably won’t? 

 Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens...I don't know why I can't bring myself to do it!

5. Which book are you saving for “retirement?” 

Well, I have a summer list, if that's what you mean. On that (enormous) list I have Cinder and Scarlet by Marissa Meyers

6. Last page: read it first or wait till the end?

When I was younger I always read the last page, but now I say WAIT TILL THE END!!!

7. Acknowledgements: waste of ink and paper or interesting aside?.

I never read them.

8. Which book character would you switch places with?

Dasha from The Books of Bayern by Shannon Hale

9. Do you have a book that reminds you of something specific in your life (a person, a place, a time)?

The Goose Girl (first of the Books of Bayern)

10. Name a book you acquired in some interesting way.

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale (You can read how I got it here)

11. Have you ever given away a book for a special reason to a special person?.

Not really special but I did give books away at a yard sale

12. Which book has been with you to the most places?

 I always have like a thousand books in my bag and they're never the same :D

13. Any “required reading” you hated in high school that wasn’t so bad ten years later? 

I'm still in high school, but I didn't really enjoy A Tale of Two Cities at first, now I kinda do.

14. What is the strangest item you’ve ever found in a book?

A little girl's school calendar 

15. Used or brand new?

Both! I love finding awesome books at yard sales and thrift stores, but I also love the feeling of a brand new never-been-touched-before book.

6. Stephen King: Literary genius or opiate of the masses?

Never read any of his books.

17. Have you ever seen a movie you liked better than the book?

Unfortunately, yes. Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole was a tad better than the Guardians of Ga'Hoole series it was based on.

18. Conversely, which book should NEVER have been made into a movie?

I've never read them, but I'm just gonna say Twilight because I've seen it and didn't like it one bit.

19. Have you ever read a book that’s made you hungry, cookbooks being excluded from this question?.

All books make me want to snack on something, I don't know why.
 

20. Who is the person whose book advice you’ll always take?

I have a very open mind to everyone's suggestions and love reading different genres to see what I like best :)


Feel free to copy and paste these questions onto your own blogs! All I ask is you let me know so I can read your answers :D 

Blog Party Game: Pass the Parcel

 The Notebook Sisters (one of my new fave blogs) are throwing a blog party! This game is called "pass the parcel"...but it's more like "answer these incredibly difficult questions"!

1. Name your top 5 favorite YA authors!
Seriously? Ya'll are just pure evil! ;) I don't know if I could ever just pick five, but I guess I'll have to try...
       
~ Shannon Hale,
~ Rachel Coker, 
~Trenton Lee Stewart, 
~ Brian Jacques, 
~ and J.R.R Tolkien 
        
(quite a mix, huh?)



2. What's the last YA book you read and what did you think of it? 

Umm...let's see if I can remember...Hmmm...
I think it was Chasing Jupiter by Rachel Coker.
No, it was The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan (they're the only real books my almost 12-year-old brother will read, so I agreed to read them with him)


3. What's your favorite YA genre? (Dystopian, romance, sci-fi, contemporary, etc.)

Fantasy Fiction. I like a fantasy book with suspense, a tad bit of romance, battle scenes, comedy, and clear words...if that makes any sense.


4. Let's talk characters! Pick a character you love and tell us why?

Oh, goodness. Just one? Hmm...I think I'll have to go with Dasha from the Books of Bayern by Shannon Hale. She's a lot like me, I suppose that's why I like her. Then again, I can relate to almost ALL of Shannon's characters! Anyway, back to Dasha. She has a diplomatic approach to things, so do I, (but if talking it out doesn't work I usually show my Enna [another character in the series] side and end up pinning the person on the ground). Also, Dasha laughs and smiles like me. I know that's a weird thing to compare, but it's true! When she's especially happy, her nose wrinkles when she smiles - same with me. :)


5. Top YA villain?

Gollum. Totally.


6. Top YA couple?

I'd either say Dasha and Razo, or Gollum and The Ring. (no sarcasm there)


7. With dystopian on the decline, what do you think will be the next hot-trend in YA?

I have no clue, I really am never "up-to-date" on the newest trends. So, instead of saying some completely unintelligent answer, I'm gonna say: I. Have. No. Clue. But I hope it's something action-packed,epic, and funny, never forget funny.


8. What's the next YA book on your to-be-read pile?

I've been making a list of all the books I want to read over summer because I'm so super busy with school and haven't had time to read much (sniffle). Here's a fragment of that list:

Cinder and Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
The Nine Lives of Chloe King trilogy by Liz Braswell (maybe)
The Dragons in Our Midst series by Brian Davis


9. What's the fastest time you've ever finished reading a book in? (And what was the book?!)

Haha, I remember it so clearly the first time I read a book in a day. I was 12 and read the Little House on the Prairie book: The Long Winter. Since then, I've finished (especially good) books in a couple of intense hours...I think the last book I truly devoured was Avalon High by Meg Cabot.


10. (And now for the burning question) Do you think books should be sorted according to colour or title? (This matters.)

Color. Definitely. It looks way more organized that way. Not that I've ever done that, my books are just strewn about wherever they please.