So this list might be kinda long, because it actually covers half of October as well as November. If you saw my last post, you'll know that I tried to read as many books from the 'horror' genre as I could, so I could give you some recommendations for Halloween reads. Well, let me tell you, I can only read so many books in a row from the same genre before I say
enough already! (I still have three books left from that library run that I can't bring myself to read right now!)
So anyway, my October post covered less than three weeks, and the rest have to be lumped in with November. So here goes:
Stone Field, By Christy Lenzi, was one of the best novels I've read in a long time. It is set at the beginning of the Civil War, so if you like historical fiction I recommend it. It is about a girl who doesn't really fit in with other people or the expectations of society, so if you like books with personal angst, I recommend it. The girl meets a man who has amnesia, finds that he is her soul mate, and falls in love, so if you like romance, I recommend it. The author did a wonderful job portraying the heroine's emotional struggles, allowing the reader to feel along with her, so if you just like good writing, I recommend it. (By the way, this is apparently a retelling of
Wuthering Heights, which I haven't read, but I did read a summary blurb about it and suspect that the story lines might part ways before it ends. Just thought I'd mention it in case any of you care.) (Reading Level: ? /Upper Grades)
I really enjoyed
Shallow Graves by Kali Wallace. It was different. And interesting. It was about magic (a little bit), and monsters (quite a bit), and a girl who found that she had somehow become a monster (mostly). It is kind of a murder mystery, and kind of a horror story, and also a coming of age type of story, although I guess you could say it was more of a coming to terms type of story (still an identity crisis at the cusp of adulthood). It has a lot of suspense and a little bit of action, and a fair share of quirky dialogue. It would have made a perfect October pick - lots of Halloween-type stuff rolled up into a refreshingly unique package. My only complaint is that we never get a definitive answer to the BIG QUESTION, but I guess that both is and isn't the point of the story (you'll understand if you read it), so I guess I'm okay with that and not complaining after all. (Reading Level: 4.9/Middle Grades+)
Charm & Strange by Stephanie Kuehn was a fantastic book. The blurb on the front says it is "Twisted and twisting. Relentlessly compelling. A must-read." I agree wholeheartedly. I read it in a day and a half (over the weekend, when there was time) because I just could not put it down. Of course, the blurb I just quoted mentions that the book is
compelling, which basically means it is a serious book about a serious topic, and due to the subject matter, I would definitely say that this one is for the more mature reader. I am finding that I am at a loss for words to explain exactly what it is that makes this book so good (writing, plot, character development - everything, maybe?), so you will just have to take my word for it. (Reading Level: 4.1/Upper Grades)
Okay, so
Erased, by Jennifer Rush, was nowhere near as good as the first book in this series,
Altered (see my mini-review
here). Considering the first book was only a three star read, that's not saying much. It was like the author sat around doing nothing for six months after she finished the first one and then said,
oh heck, I have the draft for the second book due in three weeks, and she just threw a bunch of words at the paper and didn't do a whole lot to clean it up in the end. If I had read this one first, I wouldn't have continued with the series. I guess I'll still read the third and final part, seeing as how it is already sitting on my bookshelf, but I'm crossing my fingers that it will not be a waste of my time. (Reading Level: 4.3/Middle Grades+)
Mortal Heart, by Robin LaFevers, is the final book in a trilogy about girls who train to be assassins in the service of the god of death. Although this installment had less action and adventure than the first two, it still had some, along with the mystery and intrigue and romance and personal soul-searching of the heroine. I liked it. It overlapped in time with the previous two books, and then continued the story with all three heroines coming together and the outcome of the underlying conflict finally being resolved. If you like historical fiction and fantasy, then this historical fantasy novel is a good pick. You should definitely read the other two first, though, or you will be frustrated and confused for a good portion of the story. (Reading Level: 6.4/Upper Grades)
The Graces, by Laure Eve, is a book about magic. Well, not so much about the magic, as about the people
with the magic. It's kind of about witches, but not really, and it's definitely not the hokey kind of modern witch story I despise so much. It's kind of a book about wanting to fit in, but the motivation behind it all is not to be popular. There is an ulterior motive there, but I can't tell you what it is, because that would spoil the whole book. It was pretty good. Different from what you usually find, and interesting. And that's always a plus, if you ask me. (Reading Level: ?/Upper Grades)
I waited a long time to read
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, by Michelle Hodkin, because it has been checked out of the library ever since I heard about it (which is like more than a year, now). I thought it was going to take a long time, because it is pretty darn thick, but it is a quick read, especially because it is one of those books that you have trouble putting down. You know, the ones that keep you up reading past your bed time, even when you know you are going to regret it tomorrow. The concept isn't entirely original (someone discovers they have a power), but it is done in an original way, and the banter between the heroine and her love interest is fun to read. There are a few parts where a bit of revision would be helpful, and I didn't really care for the ending, but I guess there had to be some sort of conflict so we would pick up the second book in the series to find out how it all pans out. Which I will, of course. (Reading Level: 4.3/Upper Grades)
So I read the third book in the
Altered series.
Reborn, by Jennifer Rush, was definitely better than
Erased. It had a better story line, and was told from the perspective of different characters. It was kind of unbelievable in the time frame it was supposed to take place in, which is the kind of thing I find annoying (like, she could have just made the book
longer . . .). Now I'm trying to remember if the first book in the series was so much better than the second two, or if maybe I was just in a forgiving mood at the time. Notice I say
series and not
trilogy, because it is very obvious after finishing this one that nothing has really been wrapped up and there will
have to be at least one more part to the story. (Reading Level: 4.5/Middle Grades+)
I didn't get very far into
The Death and Life of Zebulon Finch, by Daniel Kraus, before I put it back on the shelf. It is a very thick book (642 extra- large pages), and I just wasn't in to it for some reason. Which was very disappointing, because I really loved Kraus's previous novel,
Rotters. (That was a super weird book about a family of grave robbers and it had an evil dwarf in it and everything - probably one of the most unique things I've come across.) Anyway, I may pick it back up at some point, but we'll see.
This one is a last minute addition - I just finished it last night! I am a little bit conflicted about
Drift & Dagger, by Kendall Kulper. It is the companion book to
Salt & Storm, which I really liked from beginning to end. This book caught me in the beginning, came close to losing me in the middle, and totally redeemed itself in the end. What did I not like about the middle? Well,
Salt & Storm was great historical fantasy, being basically historical fiction except for the fact that it involved actual witches with actual powers. And as much as the story was about these powers, it was more of a coming of age novel.
Drift & Dagger is also a wonderful coming of age story, this time with a male protagonist, but it focuses a lot on magic in general (it felt a lot like a steampunk novel but with magic instead of machinery), which isn't really the kind of book I enjoy. I did say that it redeems itself in the end, though, so overall I guess I would say it was a great book. (You don't have to read Salt & Storm first, but I do recommend doing so, as it allows you to have those wonderful
Aha! moments.) (Reading Level: 6.1/Middle Grades+)
So I guess this turned out to be not so many more books than usual after all (I had to take time off reading for a two week intensive stint of Halloween costume sewing), but that's okay, because it still gives you plenty to choose from.
