Ender's Game

I wasn't sure if I should blog about this book or not, since I didn't actually finish it.  This is a book that most boys would enjoy, but it just wasn't for me.  I have heard many great things about it over the years, but I just got bogged down too much in military strategy and training to finish it.  Parts of the book were very interesting, which is why I made it as far as I did through it. 
In the far future, Earth is preparing to defend itself from another alien invasion.  To prepare, the military is training child geniuses to be the next starship commanders and soldiers.  Ender Wiggins is taken from his family at the age of 6 to train.  He soon shoots up the ranks to command his own army.  He may be the last hope of the human race, but in reality, he is still just a child trying to cope with the world around him and the monster he fears he will become. 

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Graceling is a book that I have been interested in reading for a long while.  I'm really glad that I finally got the chance to pick it up and give it a try.  It definitely did not disappoint me. 

In the world that Kristin Cashore has created, certain people are born with a grace.  Their grace can manifest itself as a variety of different skills, such as being able to swim like a fish, being a graced fighter who is unbeatable, being a skilled storyteller, being a mind reader, or any number of other skills.  Everyone knows who the graced are because of their eyes.  At an early age their eyes turn to two different colors.  Katsa, our main character, has one blue eye and one green eye.  When she was ten years old, her grace became obvious when she killed a man for touching her.  Her uncle, the king, has used Katsa as an assassin ever since.  Katsa hates killing for her uncle, but she feels she has no choice.  Everything begins to change for Katsa when she meets another graced fighter who is almost her match.  She and Po travel together to solve a mystery and uncover a terrible secret in a far away kingdom.  Along the way, she must decide whether she can trust someone other than herself. 

There are two companion books to Graceling - Fire,  and Bitterblue.  Unfortunately, from what I have gathered, these two books do not focus on Katsa and Po.  I felt that these two were very interesting characters and I would like to learn more about their adventures. 

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

I have wanted to read this series for a long time, but it just seems I never have enough time.  Finally, I picked up the first book in The Mortal Instruments series.  The Mortal Instrument Series will have six books total when it is finished.  Currently, five have been published and the final book is expected in March 2014.  Personally, I like long series, so that isn't a problem for me, but I know that some people prefer not to commit themselves to them.

City of Bones introduces the reader to Clary, who lives alone with her mother.  Clary seems to be just an ordinary teenager who hangs out with her bestfriend, Simon.  All of that changes one night when she goes to a club and witnesses a murder by a group of teenagers.  Strangely though, only she can see the three murderers, and the victim disappears when they kill him.  She soon learns that the group are Shadowhunters.  Jace, Alec, and Isabelle kill demons.  Clary becomes caught up with the trio when her mother is kidnapped by a demon and Clary is attacked. 

I really enjoyed this book.  It was very fast-paced and I couldn't stop turning the pages to find out what would happen next.  There is a huge twist at the end, and I can't wait to pick up the next book in this series.  There are a lot of intricate plot details that I can't discuss without giving away too much of the end. 

The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman

Thanks to her science teacher, Elizabeth is offered a very unusual, new job.  She works in a library that lends, not books, but objects.  At first, it seems to be fairly straightforward.  People check out period clothing for plays, tea sets for entertaining, tools for fixing things, etc.  However, Elizabeth soon learns that some of the objects in their collection are not what they seem.  She learns that there is a collection in the basement called The Grimm Collection, that holds magical items straight from Grimm fairytales.  These items include seven-league boots which allow the wearer to travel seven leagues with one step, a table that creates a huge feast, the mirror that belonged to Snow White's evil step-mother, and much more.  These magical items are very powerful, as well as dangerous in the wrong hands, and now these items are starting to disappear.  With the help of her coworkers and some magical items, Elizabeth sets out to catch the mysterious thief.

I really enjoyed this book.  I felt that the story was a bit rushed in places though.  For instance, the conflicts were resolved too quickly, and could have been drawn out a bit more.  Overall, it was a fun read that most people would enjoy.

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

One Choice Can Transform You...

Okay, so I've been really busy lately, and I've gotten behind in my blogging.  But, just because I have been busy, doesn't mean I haven't been reading.  This will be the first of three books I'm blogging about today, so be sure and check back a little later for the rest of my posts.  Insurgent is the sequel to Divergent, which I blogged about recently.  Often sequels do not live up to the first book.  I absolutely loved Divergent, so I was a little worried about starting this books.  Also, it is the second in a trilogy, and I have no idea when the final book is expected, so I was hesitant to read this book.  I was afraid that it would leave me hanging at a crucial point in the story (like Catching Fire did). 

One Choice Can Destroy You...

I found that this book definitely lived up to Divergent.  Roth picks her story back up right after the end of Divergent, so it is easy to immerse yourself back into the story.  I hope that the final book will do the same.  This book does leave you with a slight cliff hanger, but it does wrap up a major part of the conflict.  I am looking forward to the next book in this series.  Tris and Tobias (Four), are at odds through much of this book, but their inner conflicts add depth to each of their characters. 

Overall, this is a series that is definitely worth reading.

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Okay, I have to admit, I was attracted to this book by the cool cover.  It drew me in and made me want to read it the first minute I saw it.  I just knew it was going to be a great creepy story, because let's face it, that is one creepy cover.  It looks like the house from the Amityville Horror in the background, with a creepy girl covered in blood in the foreground.  Then, I opened the book and looked at the inside flap and read the following:  "Just your average boy-meets-girl, girl-kills-people story...."  Okay, you had me with the cover, now I am even more hooked.  I read Stephen King through junior high, this sounds like it is right up my alley.  However, in the back of my mind, I had a feeling I would be disappointed.  I usually am on these types of books.  It seems that most young adult authors are careful not to make things too creepy because they don't want to traumatize you.  So, I started reading, but I didn't want to get my hopes up too high.  It only took the first chapter to have me completely hooked.  I couldn't put this book down.  When my husband woke up at midnight and I was still reading, I decided to pry myself away from the book and go to bed.  I should have known better, because I couldn't sleep.  I kept thinking about this book. 

Cas is a ghost hunter, like his father before him.  His father was killed by a ghost when Cas was 7.  He is determined that when he is strong enough, he will eventually go back to Baton Rouge and face his father's killer.  He doesn't just kill every ghost he comes across.  He seeks out ghosts that are causing problems.  Usually victims of a violent crimes come back to inflict the same type of damage on some unsuspecting living person.  Most of the time, the ghosts don't even realize that they are dead.  Everything is working well for Cas until he decides to go after a ghost that the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood.  Anna gruesomely kills every person that enters her house, but she doesn't kill Cas.  Instead, he watches her rip another boy apart right in front of him.    Cas discovers that, not only is Anna the most powerful ghost he has ever faced, but she is also aware of her situation.  There are two sides to this ghost, the innocent victim of a terrible crime who doesn't want to hurt anyone, and the blood thirsty killer.  Cas must determine what to do to destroy the killer without hurting the innocent victim. 

Odd Interlude by Dean Koontz

This is an unusual addition to my blog because of its format.  Odd Interlude is a novella that has been broken into three parts.  Furthermore, I think, at this time, that it is only available as an ebook.  In addition, while this book could be read as a standalone, it will make a lot more sense to you if you start with the very first book, simply titled Odd Thomas.  If you haven't been introduced to Odd Thomas yet, then you are missing out.  Odd is an extremely likeable character who wants nothing more than to live a simple, ordinary life as a fry cook, or perhaps a tire salesman.  Unfortunately for Odd, as his name suggests, he is anything but ordinary.  Odd has the ability to see dead people....no this isn't The Sixth Sense.  Odd can see the lingering dead, but they can't speak to him.  He also has other supernatural gifts, such as psychic magnetism.  If he thinks about someone he wants to find and he keeps moving, he will move to where that person is located.  Odd also seems to be drawn to places where great human tragedies are going to happen.  He is compelled to try to prevent these events from happening, sometimes at great personal loss to himself.  There is so much about Odd Thomas that I don't want to give away, but he is definitely a character worth reading about.  He always seems to have interesting non-living companions that hang around him, and he keeps a positive, humorous outlook through his adventures.