What I've Read Lately - June

I don't know how I managed to read so many books this month, considering I spent a considerable amount of time on other projects.  Maybe because three of those books were so fantastic that I couldn't put them down.  Overall, it was a pretty mixed bag, with some great books, some okay books, and even some well-that-was-a-waste-of-my-time books.

I didn't really care for Vanguard, by Ann Aguirre.  It is an add-on to the Razorland Trilogy (see my review here) originally published in 2011, and picks up not long after the other three left off.  Since the original trilogy was mostly an action-adventure post-pandemic dystopian series (with just a bit of romance), I thought I was going to get the same thing with this one.  Nope.  It was basically a romance novel, but the romance was between a human (one of the original characters) and one of the 'monsters'  (whose ancestors had been human but somehow mutated into an animal-like species).  I don't know, but it was kind of cringy.  Since when did that sort of thing become not taboo anymore?  Because, although the monster character had learned to talk, he and his 'people' were really portrayed as animals up until this point.  The writing wasn't that great, either, so just stick with reading the original trilogy and stopping there.

The Abused Werewolf Rescue Group is a companion novel to Catherine Jinks' The Reformed Vampire Support Group (see mini-review here).  One of the minor characters is a main character in this one, and a few of the major characters now take on minor roles as well. The main character is a thirteen year old boy who enjoys doing stuff like trying to set fire to things in the microwave.  Seeing as I can't even begin to comprehend the appeal of such a thing, I found it kind of hard to relate and thus get into the story.  Once the boy gets kidnapped and starts trying to escape, though, the story got pretty action-y and it was a lot more fun to read.  Not as good as the first one, but still a solid three star read, and younger teen/preteen boys would probably enjoy it even more.  (Reading Level 4.3 / Middle Grade+)

I was really looking forward to reading Abigale Hall, by Lauren A. Forry, because the preview I read made it sound like it was going to be a really good horror story.  I am pretty conflicted about what to think of it now that I've read it.  The concept was good, the pacing was alright, there was a bit of a mystery, and the ending was a nice surprise.  There were numerous passages throughout the book that were perfectly written and so darn creepy, especially when the author is describing the main character's dreams.  On the other hand, some of the decisions the characters make are downright stupid (translate as annoying), and the writing, for the most part, was really sort of boring.  And since I'm criticizing things here, the title is just dumb, because the majority of the story doesn't even have anything to do with the portion of the house called Abigale Hall.  I would say find something else to read, but honestly, as far as books in this genre tend to go, this one really wasn't all that bad in comparison.   (Reading Level ? / Upper Grades)

The Knowing, by Sharon Cameron, is the companion novel to The Forgetting, which I read a couple of months back (see mini-review here).  Like the first book, this one was a science fiction dystopian action-adventure mystery romance.  And like the first book, this one was superbly done.  It only took me two days to read, because I just couldn't put it down.  I don't have a single negative thing to say about this book, but I have a lot of space left next to the little book cover picture over there on the left, so I will say this:  go to the library and check out a copy, or get down to the bookstore and buy one, or get on your computer and order a copy online, but this would not be the preferred method, because then you would have to wait longer before being able to read it, although if you are trusting me enough to just go out and buy a copy, by all means save some money and order it online!   (Reading Level 4.8 / Upper Grades)

Stalking Jack the Ripper, by Kerri Maniscalco, is another one of those novels in which the smart, aristocratic heroine bemoans the Victorian era restrictions on women that make it hard for her to pursue her interest in science and/or medicine.  I swear I have read a ton of those, and this one was not one of the better ones.  Although the banter between the main character and her unacknowledged love interest is fun at times, at other times it is downright annoying.  Also, the author throws in small, vaguely steampunk details here and there, but not enough to make this a steampunk novel, just enough to make it slightly weird.  The book is a forensic murder mystery, but it doesn’t do a very good job of developing the whole thing at all, and on top of that, the author chose to throw fictional crime scene evidence into the story, but didn't point this out in her historical note about the murders at the end of the book (in fact, this note was so unhelpful as far as giving information about the actual history that it was basically worthless.) So if you would like to read a Victorian era mystery with a smart wealthy girl who goes against the standards of the day and develops a romance in the meantime, you should read Jennifer Donnelly’s These Shallow Graves (see mini review here) instead – it was much better.

Days of Blood & Starlight, by Laini Taylor, is the sequel to Daughter of Smoke & Bone, which I read back in April (see mini-review here).  This book may be even better than the first one, which is actually a rarity when it comes to the trilogies I've read.  I can't think of a single, solitary thing that was wrong with this story, but I can think of a whole lot that was right - the thought processes and dialogue of the characters, the development of the plot, the suspense created by ending chapters at just the right point and then alternating between the characters/settings, the way mysteries are built and then revealed, and more of the originality that hooked me in the first place.  I have six books already waiting on my bookshelf to be read, but I'm seriously considering taking a special trip to the library to pick up the final book in this series.   (Reading Level 5.6 / Upper Grades)

So.  I just read Strange the Dreamer.  And I think Laini Taylor is now one of my favorite authors.  This book was absolutely A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.  Seriously.  I am like in awe here.  As I was reading it, I was thinking that it easily tied for The Best Book I Have Ever Read, but then I got to the end and found out that the story didn't actually end, because this is book one in a trilogy, and somehow it seems wrong to say it is the best book ever when it doesn't have a proper ending, so I'm thinking that it is going to tie with the Raven Boys trilogy as the best series I have ever read.  I'm planning to write a longer post about it (I know, I have been doing a very poor job of actually writing those longer posts lately), but if it doesn't turn up for a while, don't wait - just go out and read the book anyway, because it is incredible!   (Reading Level 6.8 / Upper Grades)

The Hazel Wood, by Melissa Albert was pretty good.  I originally thought that it was supposed to be a kind of horror story, and for the first quarter of the book or so it seemed like it was shaping up to be more of a suspense/thriller type of book, but then it morphed into a horror suspense/thriller, and then it changed again into more of a fairy tale story.  Of course, it became a dark fairy tale sort of story, so there was still a bit of the creepy vibe, but not as much as I had been expecting.  I don't really want to say too much about the plot, because I don't want to give away what makes it good, but I will say that there are concepts in the story that are not entirely original, but they are presented in a way, and combined with enough original elements that instead of feeling like more of the same old stuff, it comes off as more like a variation of a theme, and overall, it's a good pick to read for Halloween, or if you just like reading books that have something to do with fairy tales.   (Reading Level 5.2 / Upper Grades)

The Last True Love Story, by Brendan Kiely, is about a teenage boy in L.A. who decides to take his Grandfather, who has Alzheimer's, back to New York before he loses all of his memories.  Unfortunately, the boy has neither a car, nor a driver's license, nor permission to go.  Sounds like a humorous adventure, right?  Well, it's not.  It's much more serious and deep and delves into relationships and personal identity and has a budding romance thrown in for good measure.  Although it was a bit preachy in a politically correct sort of way, that was pretty much the only thing I didn't like about it.   (Reading Level 5.3 / Upper Grades)

What I've Read Lately - May

May was a busy month for me, with two big projects and several smaller ones taking up most of my time.  That means I didn't get to spend much time reading, so I've only got five books for you this time.

Now I Rise, by Kiersten White, is the second book in a series, after And I Darken.  I didn't like it as much as the first one (see mini-review here).  I enjoyed the parts that followed Lada through her attempts to regain the throne of Wallachia.  I liked the way the author chose to portray Vlad (Lada) Dracul not as a sadist, as writers so often claim, but instead as a brilliant but ruthless strategist who was callous enough to do whatever was necessary to achieve his (or in this case her) political objectives.  I was pretty conflicted about the parts with her brother Radu.  I liked the way the author portrayed his conflicting loyalties while undercover inside Constantinople, but there was way too much Woe is me, the love of my life doesn't love me back going on.  It was very tiresome.  I also didn't like the way the Ottoman  brutality was glossed over and their empire presented as a glorious, civilized, beneficent overlord, yet the Byzantine side was made out to be full of stupid, superstitious people with a stupid, selfish ruler, and the conquered Europeans were little more than barbarians.  We'll see how book three pans out when it arrives.  (Reading Level: 5.2 / Upper Grades)

Hey, another dystopian novel worth reading!  Your One and Only, by Adrianne Finlay has a really interesting concept: in a post-pandemic future world, the earth is populated by clones, but they have been genetically manipulated (by themselves) and recopied so many times that things are starting to go wrong.  Enter a human . . .  I thought the book started out kind of slow, and the end seemed pretty rushed, but the majority of the story was paced just right, was interesting, and didn't have anything in it that I could complain about.  So I'd call this one a win.  Especially if you like dystopian heavy on the science fiction with a bit of a mystery thrown in.  (Reading Level: ? / Upper Grades)

 A Skinful of Shadows, by Frances Hardinge is a fantastically original historical fantasy novel that would make a wonderful bedtime story for older kids, especially in the month of October, as it deals with ghosts and old family estates.  It also has its fair share of action and adventure, even though the heroine of the story is a girl.  And the writing is quite creatively descriptive as well. It is another example of why Frances Hardinge is becoming one of my favorite authors.  (Reading Level: 5.9 / Middle Grades)

The Disturbed Girl's Dictionary, by NoNieqa Ramos was SOOOooooo good!  Absolutely heart-wrenching, but so, so good.  It is the story of a 15 year old girl living in the ghetto, and it will wrench your heart for sure.  In fact, you probably shouldn't read the last 40 or so pages in public, unless you want people to see you crying over it.  Seriously.  The author did a superb job with the writing, with an incredibly unique voice and a format that, although used many times before, works so well that it feels entirely new.  It is definitely for the older reader, though, as it is full of disturbing content pretty much from beginning to end.  (Reading Level: ? / Upper Grades)

I was so disappointed by The Memory Trees by Kali Wallace.  It's not that the book was bad or anything, but Wallace's first book was so good (see mini review here), that I was expecting something more from this one.  What I liked about it: the concept (amazing - just what I thought I would get from this author), the organization of chapters (not original, but worked very well for this story).  What I didn't like about it: the main character (annoying), the writing (why does the main character have to be constantly thinking about walking on eggshells around her mom?  We get it already.  Think about something else for a change.), the pacing (have you ever had a dream where you run and run and you never get any closer to where you're going?  Well, with this book I read and read and never seemed to be any further than about halfway to the end - and I kept checking, because it seemed like it was taking forever to read!)  Things got better near the end, but I'm not sure if that can make up for 400 or so pages of a character constantly self-doubting herself.  To me, that's not entertainment.   (Reading Level: ? / Middle Grade+)