Shadow and Bone [Review]

Shadow and Bone

From the Grisha Trilogy

By Leigh Bardugo

Shadow and Bone starts out with two orphans, and inseparable best friends, Alina Starkov and Malyen "Mal" Oretsev. When they were around 8 years old they were tested to see if they were Grisha, or practitioners of the Small Science. There are several different groups and subdivisions of Grisha, and I suspect even more that we'll learn about in the remaining books. It was all a little overwhelming and confusing at first, so I was happy to find a little list of the types of Grisha Soldiers of the Second Army, as well as a map of the lands of this fantasy world.

Doesn't the Unsea look positively terrifying?

Fast forward a few years and Alina and Mal are part of the army, Alina as a cartographer's assistant and Mal as a tracker. Mal has become cocky and a bit of a flirt and Alina is totally crushing on him hard, of course. Unfortunately Mal doesn't seem to be interested in more than friendship, and that doesn't do much for Alina's self esteem. She continually puts herself down throught the book, describing her looks as "tired and sickly skinny", with "dull brown hair". Regardless of how she feels about herself, when we meet her friend and fellow cartographer's assistant Alexei you instantly get the impression that there is no short supply of unrequited love to go around. That's not a spoiler, it's just that obvious, but I won't get into anymore detail about what happens between him and Alina.

So, long story short it's discovered that Alina does in fact have powers that she somehow managed to suppress before. The Darkling, who is basically #2 in command after the king, pretty much tortures it out of her and they discover that she is something called a "Sun Summoner", the only Grisha of her kind. The Darkling's men then whisk her off to the kingdom in Os Alta, and what does Mal, her childhood friend and (secret) love of her life, do? Absolutely nothing. He just watches everything that happens and does NOTHING to try to stop it.

Once she arrives at the palace, Alina is allowed to rest a little before she is cleaned up and presented to the King. The King is ecstatic about her existence, but still manages to comment on how "plain" she is, because what are a few more blows to the non-existent ego, right? She then begins training to learn how to summon and control her powers, as it is believed that she is the key to destroying the Shadow Fold, and reuniting the two sides of Ravka. Alina struggles with all aspects of her training, and as time passes she starts to feel more and more isolated in this new world she's been thrust into. We begin to see how much growing up an orphan has really affected her in the way that she is so desperate to belong anywhere and to anyone, and how that it clouds her judgement and sways her decicions.

I don't want to say much more and give anything away, because this is definitely a book that I would recommend, especially for anyone who has ever considered themselves plain and unworthy of the attention of others. Alina starts off struggling, but she learns a lot about herself from it, and uses that to help her improve and get stronger. The more she embraces who she really is, the more it begins to affect her body and spirit as well.

I mean, that's some inspirational shit right there.

Violence Rating: R (Death)

Romance Rating: PG 13 (Kissing, some petting, some insinuations of sex)

Favorite Quotes:

"Good luck? Have a lovely time, Mal. Hope you find a pretty Grisha, fall deeply in love, and make lots of gorgeous, disgustingly talented babies together. "

"I'm not a Grisha, I'm a mapmaker. I'm not even a very good mapmaker."

D: "What are you smiling at?"

A: "Myself,"

D: "Are you that funny? "

A: "I'm hilarious."

"Dear Mal, I haven't heard from you, so I assume you've met and married a volcra and that you're loving comfortably on the Shadow Fold, where you have neither light nor paper with which to write. Or, possibly,  your new bride ate both your hands."

A: "So you don't want a bite?"

M: "I didn't say that."

A: " I was going to give you a bite, but since you don't want one, I'll just have to eat the whole thing by myself. "

M: "You are a brat."

A: " Ah, but I'm a brat with a sweet roll."

M: "Where did you learn to fight like that?"

A: "Grisha training. Ancient secrets of the groin kick."

Something Reckless [Review]

Something Reckless

(Reckless and Real Book 1)

By Lexi Ryan

Elizabeth joined the dating site Something Real looking for love and the possibility of settling down. When she started chatting with a man by the user name of Riverrat69, she found herself thinking about some less committal things as well. While the site requires it's users to reach a certain benchmark before they are able to share personal information, Liz suspects River is actually Sam Bradshaw, the guy she has wanted since she was a teenager. Liz is more than ready for Sam to confess that he's the man behind the words that keep her coming back for more. She wonders what his reaction will be when he finds out that she is Tink24, or if he knows already. Does he hate her after everything that happened during her Super Summer Screw-Up? And if the mysterious River isn't Sam, then who in their small town of New Hope could it be?

Violence Rating: PG13? Honestly, it doesn't matter because you wouldn't want your kid/teenager reading this anyway because of the next category's rating...

Romance Rating: R... NC17?... X? This book has very descriptive sex scenes.

Also I feel like I should mention that Sam gets a little possessive in these books. It almost got to the point that I was worried it had become an obsession, but he never actually acted on it aggressively or hurt anyone in any way because of it. I guess that kind of thing might be endearing to some women? Or maybe the possessiveness ties into the (light) bondage fantasy thing this book has going on. I dunno...

Comments: I was a little embarrassed to read this because the cover alone suggests what kind of book it is, but since it was advertised to me as a free download I figured I'd give it a shot. I am SO GLAD that I did. Yes, this book has sex scenes, enough that I felt a little uncomfortable at times, but that's just because I'm a bit of a prude. What I really enjoyed about this book was how surprisingly amazing the story was! I'm actually not sure why I didn't expect lots of sex and scandals, since the majority of the main characters either work as, work for, or are related to, politicians. What kept me interested was the mystery aspect or the 'who done it' of the story. Just when I thought I had things figured out, and that I knew who was playing what part in things, Ryan would throw another curve ball, revealing something new about someone that I didn't expect; and it changed all my previous assumptions. THEN she had to go and end the book on a cliffhanger, or rather, immediately after something MAJOR was revealed and right before we got a peek at the characters' reactions to this information. I finished this book at 1:00 am and didn't allow myself to download the next book, Something Real, until I got a little sleep. It. WAS. TORTURE.

But it was worth it because the next book was filled with just as many twists as the first. EXCITING!

I recommend reading the prequel novella “Something Wild” before reading this book. It's not necessary in order to enjoy the book, but it gives you a deeper look into the characters and their past interactions with each other. The book itself as well as the novella skip around as far as time is concerned, but I still feel like the Something Wild filled answered some questions that I would have had while reading the book.

Favorite Quotes:

(Aside from the awesome story I thought this book was very funny! I enjoyed reading Liz's cheeky point of view on things.)

“I don't want to have sex with just anyone. I don't need to be engaged or in love or anything, but it needs to be worth it. It's like eating a slice of deep-dish pizza. I'm no stranger to high-calorie foods –bring 'em on –but there's nothing worse than eating a thousand-calorie slice of pizza that leaves you thinking you could've had a V8.”

“Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God.” I tap on my screen wildly as if there's some magical swipe-tap-hyperventilate combination that can take the text back.

Mom: “Are you hiding something? If you're doing something you don't want your mother to know about, you probably shouldn't be doing it.”

Liz: “I'm not a little girl anymore, Mom. There are plenty of things I do that I don't want you knowing about.”

“I am such an embarrassing cliché, but I really wanted to be the one who changed him. Like in the movies where the girl's hoo-ha is so spectacular, the player guy is blind to all other hoo-has after one taste of hers. I wanted to be the one with the magical hoo-ha.”

“He slides his eyes down my body and back up, and I have to reprimand my girly parts when they start in with a celebratory cha-cha.”

“I met Harry here for a drink, and he cornered me after I finished in the ladies' room, which was an expert seduction move on his part because nothing says 'sexy' like the smell of urine and stale beer.”

Harry: “You want me to put it in you, don't you?”

No, hairy Harry, I don't want it anywhere near me.

“You should have seen the way they were dancing together... Pretty sure you could have found the meaning of life easier than the space between their bodies.”

“I look at the message again and a shiver of anticipation races up my spine, followed by a healthy rush of what-the-fuck-am-I-getting-myself-into fear.”

“You're the most beautiful woman I've ever touched,” I whisper. My heart aches with emotion, as if it might burst if the pressure isn't released soon. I'm scared to love her. I'm scared to love anyone, but [her] more than most. She looks at me like Superman just walked into the room, and it makes me feel powerful and weak all in one confused breath.”

“My head sees this mess I've fallen into and knows the math doesn't add up. But my heart hurts with all this emotion I've trapped in there. Sooner or later, something's going to have to give.”

“We don't get to choose who owns our heart and we don't get to choose who has the power to break it.”

“Home isn't the place you never leave. It's the place where you return.”

This Is What Happy Looks Like [Review]

This Is What Happy Looks Like

By Jennifer E Smith

Sixteen year old Ellie O'Neill is just your average girl from Middle-of-Nowhere, Maine. She lives with her mom and their pet beagle, and splits her time between two summer jobs. Everything about Ellie's life seems fairly normal until an email is mistakenly sent to her from a stranger on the opposite side of the country, and a friendship is formed. Though they don't even know eachothers' names, the two become comfortable with one another, sharing bits and pieces of their lives and identities through witty correspondence over the next three months. For seventeen year old actor Graham Larkin, the daily emails bring a familiarity and sense of normalness to his otherwise hectic life in the spotlight. So when the opportunity arises for him to spend some time working in Ellie's hometown, he is more than willing to throw his weight around a little to make it happen. After a bit of confusion the two finally meet in person and everything seems great, until their completely different lives start to get in the way. Graham's manager is pressuring him to start a relationship with his costar for publicity and he continues to grown more estranged from his parents and the normality he once had. A secret from Ellie's past threatens to rise in the wake of all of the attention that seems to constantly surround Graham, and she is forced to make a tough decision. Will she throw away her new-found romance, or will she risk ruining the life she and her mom have built for themselves? As the story unfolds over the course of the summer both characters find themselves isolated and longing for something more out of their lives. Relationships are tested, rash decisions are made, and consequences are dealt with.

Violence Rating: PG (Aggressive paparazzi & retaliation)

Romance Rating: PG

Comments: 
This is a cute, somewhat girly, feel-good book. The main character is a ginger, so that's always a plus in my opinion. ;)

Jennifer E. Smith allows the reader to look into the shared emotions resulting from the struggles of very different realities. As time progresses, the characters are reminded of the good in their lives that is worth fighting for. This may be a bit of a spoiler, but I like that this book ends in a more realistic way instead of the rarely attainable fairy tale ending. 

Favorite Quotes:

Quinn: "Paparazzi in Henley. Crazy, right? ... Too bad I don't want to be an actress. Or a reality-TV star or something. This would be such a great opportunity."

Mrs. O: "Yes, it's a terrible shame you only want to be a marine biologist. I suppose it would be much more useful to have been asked out to dinner by a whale."

Quinn: "They're terrible conversationalists, though."

Mrs. O: "Then I guess you'll have to make do with the movie star."

Graham: "Are you planning to murder me?"

Ellie: "Only if you keep asking so many questions."

Graham: "I've never had fortune cookies with chips and salsa before."

Ellie: "Well, we're on the cutting edge of the Chinese-Mexican fusion movement here at Chez O'Neill."

Ellie: "I bet you were supposed to be learning your lines instead of hanging out with me all afternoon. Do you know them?"

Graham: "More or less. I've been carrying them around in my pocket all day, so I'm hoping there's been some osmosis action."

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta [Throwback Thursday]

This October, as a belated birthday gift, we took the kids to the annual International Balloon Fiesta, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

 

I read somewhere to arrive around 5am to avoid traffic and find a close parking space. We ended up getting there pretty close to when it began, and while we were stuck in a little bit of traffic, it wasn't as unbearable as my husbands protesting would suggest. We also ended up getting a fairly close parking spot which was a plus since we had to carry two sleepy toddlers. Babywearing was definitely a life saver at this event.

If you want to sit and observe from the sidelines then I would recommend bringing a blanket or chairs or whatever it is you need to feel comfortable. We ended up ditching our blanket in favor of being in the middle of the action. As long as you stay out of the way of the balloon crews and the event vehicles needed to set up, then you can walk through the field itself. It was exciting to get a close-up view of the mechanics of it all, and we just moved along as soon as the balloons near us were released, guaranteeing ourselves a everlasting front row seat.

Once the fun was over we decided to leave. They have tons of food and souvenir vendors set up if you're into that sort of thing, but we're cheap. Traffic leaving the event was tolerable, and as we were driving we got to watch the balloons make their way to the various local businesses that they were set to land at. All in all it was a cheap, stress-free, enjoyable event. We definitely want to go again, and I would recommend it to anyone of any age. They have golf cart shuttles from the parking lot to the event for those that need it, though everything is fairly handicap accessible.

For more information on all things related to this event, including next year's scheduled dates and times, go to their website at: http://www.balloonfiesta.com/

(The Secrets of the Eternal Rose Series) Venom [Review]

 Venom

Book 1 of The Secrets of the Eternal Rose series

By Fiona Paul

Cassandra Caravello might as well be dead. Her life is already predetermined for her; how she should behave, the man she will marry, the person she will become. Every expectation is as narrow as the canals, and as stifling as the coffins in the graveyard next door. But everything that Cass thought she knew about herself, and the city of Venice, begins to change the night she finds the body of a murdered woman. With the help of a handsome young stranger named Falco, Cass sets out to discover the truth. From running around the city at night to wearing disguises and sneaking into dangerous places; the more time Cass spends with Falco, the more she notices a change in herself. While she finds that she is falling for Falco she is burdened by the weight of her engagement to a man she hasn't seen in three years, and how both men might react if they found out about the other. But Falco has secrets of his own, and Cass soon begins to wonder not only if she can trust him, but also if he might have some kind of involvement in the murder they're investigating. Emotions run high, corruption runs deep, and like the waters of the city, evil flows silently among them like venom. 

Violence Rating: PG17 (Murder)

Romance Rating: PG 17 (Non-descriptive sex, Courtesans doing what they do best)

Comments:

This book should have been subtitled "Keep Calm and What Would Matteo Think?" because the only thing Cass' Aunt Agnese seems to care about is what her nephew Matteo, who even we the readers have yet to see or hear from, would think of any and everything that Cass does. Mystery nephew aside, I LOVED this book! I think fans of The Infernal Devices series would enjoy it as well, both because it is set during the same time period, and because of the similarities between leading men Falco da Padova and Will Herondale. Cass starts out as a proper lady, born into nobility and forced to live a life predetermined for her, down to the person she'll marry. Cass has always stood out as not being like other girls of her station, but it isn't until she meets Falco that she starts to discover who she really is. I love watching her grow more and more with each obstacle that she faces, in confidence and in acceptance. I feel like this story could be very encouraging for anyone, young women especially, who might be too scared to step out of their comfort zone in pursuit of what they really want out of life. I love how in the end Cass sits down with her journal and literally writes out every unanswered question that the reader could possibly have. I feel like this acknowledges that the story is unfinished and that more books are to come. Cass was faced with a very tough decision at the end of the book and I'm anxious to read the next one and see what direction her choice will send her in.


I also learned a lot of new things (and a lot of colorful language, mostly Italian) from reading this book.

 

molte scuse: many apologies
mi dispiace: I'm sorry
silenzio: hush
bella: beautiful
ciao: hello
a presto: see you soon
signorina: Ms, miss
idiota: idiot
caspita: good heavens
accidempoli: dammit
mannaggia: damn
fondamenta delle tette: street of tits
palazzo: building
sveglia: wake up
faites attention (french): be careful
bonjjour ma cherie (french): hello darling

Favorite Quotes: This book was filled with lots of funny quotes, but there were several beautiful and thought-provoking ones as well.

"She might as well be dead; her life was spread in front of her, a series of high walls and predetermined paths, rules, and expectations, all as narrow as the canals, as stifling as a coffin."

"How terrible it must be to be a member of the noble class. So many rules. Such restraint. You must feel like a caged bird, battering it's wings against the sides of it's golden prison." -Falco

"His mouth hovered in the air, a parchment's width away from hers. Eternities came and went."

"She felt truly warm for the first time. Like she'd been living her whole life in a block of ice and had finally escaped into the sun."

"The human form, it's a symphony. Tiny interlocking movements that join together in a song." -Falco

"She had spent her whole life depending on others. Maybe now was the time for her to start depending on herself."

Falco: "Why can't you just be who you are?"

Cass: Because I don't know who that is anymore. "You're changing me. I see everything differently now."

Siena: "Cass, you know how your aunt dislikes the whole world staring at you."
Cass: "They're not staring at me, Siena. They're too busy living."

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Falco: "So, did I interrupt something? A sordid little tryst, perhaps?"
Cass: "You must be joking." Cass was in no mood for humor. Besides, the closest she'd ever been to a tryst was when he'd fallen on top of her in the street earlier that day.
...
Cass: "Is that why you're here? Looking for a date?" Cass gestured toward a row of pointed head-stones. "I do believe you're in luck. I see some ladies who won't be able to refuse you."

Falco: "Not safe? ... I feel quite safe. In fact, I was just settling in to do some reading."
Cass: "Reading?"
Falco wagged her journal in front of her.
Cass: "Give it back!"
He opened the leather-bound book to a random page and cleared his throat. Clutching a hand to his chest, he pretended to read aloud in a high-pitched voice.
Falco: "Oh, how I love the way his fingers explore my soft flesh. The way his eyes see into my very soul."
Cass: "That is not what it says."

"What had she walked in on? The people were having sex, obviously, but Cass had never dreamed it could be so... naked."

(The Mortal Instruments Series) City of Bones [Review]

City of Bones

Book 1 of The Mortal Instruments series

By Cassandra Clare

Clary Fray doesn't believe in the existence of demons until one attacks her in her kitchen not even twenty four hours after watching another being murdered by three teenagers, with strange marks on their bodies, that only she can see. The fifteen year old Brooklyner thinks she is going crazy until she is sought out by Jace Wayland, one of the tattoo'd troublemakers. Jace explains that he and the others are part of a secret group of demon fighting warriors called Shadowhunters, and that she can see them because she has something called the Sight. Clary is troubled by this new information and turns to Jace and her witty best friend Simon for help in possibly finding out more about herself as they search for her mother, who has suddenly gone missing. In seeking out the truth of her own past, Clary soon comes to find that just about everyone she knows and meets has a big secret of their own. Cassandra Clare enthralls and entertains in what is only the first of many books (and series) depicting the amazing other world, hidden within our own, that she has created.



Violence Rating: PG13 (including death)
Romance Rating: PG13
Favorite (non-spoiler) Quotes:

Alec: "What's this?"
Jace: "It's a girl. Surely you've seen girls before, Alec. Your sister Isabelle is one"

Luke: "Jesus!"
Simon: "Actually, it's just me. Although I've been told the resemblance is startling."

Simon: "What do you want?"
Clary: "Just coffee. Black-- like my soul!"

 Clary: "I don't want tea, I want to find my mother. And then I want to find out who took her in the first place, and I want to kill them."
Hodge: "Unfortunately, we're all out of bitter revenge at the moment, so it's either tea or nothing."

"What would demons want with our microwave?" -Clary

Madame Dorothea: "Come into the parlor."
Clary: "There's a parlor?"
Madame Dorothea: "Of course there's a parlor. Where else would I entertain?"
Jace: "I'll just leave my hat with the footman."

Clary: "You're my best friend, I wasn't mad at you."
Simon: "Yeah, well, you clearly also couldn't be bothered to call me and tell me you were shacking up with some dyed-blond wanna-be goth you probably met at Pandemonium after I spent the past three days wondering if you were dead."
Clary: "I was not shacking up!"
Jace: "And my hair is naturally blond. Just for the record."

Alec: "I kind of doubt he sent a Ravener demon to her house because he wants to 'get back together.'"
Jace: "It wouldn't be my move. First the candy and flowers, then the apology letters, then the ravenous demon hordes. In that order."
 
Jace: "I wish you'd stop desperately trying to get my attention like this. It's become embarrassing."
Clary: "Sarcasm is the last refuge of the imaginatively bankrupt."
Jace: "I can't help it. I use my rapier wit to hide my inner pain."
Clary: "Your pain will be outer soon if you don't get out of traffic. Are you trying to get run over by a cab?"
Jace: "Don't be ridiculous. We could never get a cab that easily in this neighborhood."

"Missing, as in gone, absent, notable for his lack of presence, disappeared." -Jace

"Jace was still staring at her as if she'd told him she'd found one of the Silent Brothers doing nude cartwheels in the hallway."

"That's why when major badasses greet each other in movies, they don't say anything, they just nod. The nod means, 'I am a badass and I recognize that you, too, are a badass,' but they don't say anythng because they're Wolverine and Magneto and it would mess up their vibe to explain." -Simon


Comments: This is a good read, even if you don't plan to read any of the other books in this series. Cassie Clare writes hilarious characters and the relationships between them are totally believable. If you DO plan on reading this and her other Shadowhunters series then I would recommend reading The Infernal Devices first, or at least before reading the epilogue in City of Heavenly Fire because it does mention a few things that I wish I hadn't known when reading TID.

See my blog about the series, the show, and the movie here.





Favorite (SPOILER) Quotes:

Jace: "Do you remember back at the hotel when you promised that if we lived, you'd get dressed up in a nurse's outfit and give me a sponge bath?"
Clary: "Actually, I think you misheard. It was Simon who promised you the sponge bath."
Jace involuntarily looked over at Simon, who smiled at him widely.
Simon:  "As soon as I'm back on my feet, handsome."

Defy [Review]

Defy (Book 1 of the Defy series) by Sara B. Larson

Fourteen year old Alexa Hollen has no choice but to cut her hair and pretend to be a boy in order to join the army after she and her twin brother Marcel become orphans. Three years later, “Alex” has used her fighting skills and years of training to earn herself a spot on the Prince Damian's Guard. After an assassination attempt is made on Damian's life, Alex is assigned to be his personal guard, and she soon learns that she isn't the only one keeping secrets. Though she may be skilled enough to be captain, she is no match for the sorcerer who kidnaps her, her fellow guard Rylan, and the prince. The three are led through the dangerous jungle to the castle of a rival kingdom where they are held prisoners. Lives are lost along the way and Alex struggles with trust, acceptance, and emotions that she has had to suppress for her own safety. It appears that there are some who know her secret, but are they friend or foe? And just how much is she willing to risk in order to protect the kingdom she serves?

Strong Female Lead
Violence Rating: PG-13 (Death)
Romance Rating: PG-13
Favorite (non-spoiler) Quote(s): 
"True beauty is what lies inside of us, not what the world sees. A beautiful shell that houses a vile soul becomes sullied over time. But an outer shell, imperfect as it may be, that houses a beautiful soul shines with that beauty, radiating it for all who have eyes to see."
Comments:
The phrase "his expression inscrutable" was used about once every-other chapter. Just sayin.
SPOILER ALERT!





Favorite (SPOILER) Quote(s): 
Person 1: "You were attacked by a jaguar, and you didn't think to tell me? Are you all right?"
Person 2: "You knew I was a girl and you still came out to talk to me in the middle of the night without a shirt on?"
Person 3: "You did what?"

Cadillac Ranch [Throwback Thursday]

If you're ever visiting or even just passing through Amarillo, Texas on I40, then I would definitely recommend stopping by the Cadillac Ranch. (We hopped off on exit 60 and after a quick stop at the Loves gas station there we headed east on old Route 66 for little more than a minute before we saw it on our right.) 

 

There isn't a parking lot so we, along with everyone else, just pulled over to the side of Route 66 and walked in. There is no charge to visit the Cadillac Ranch and the trek from the road to the cars isn't a long one. We were unfornate enough to be passing through on a rainy day and all of the dirt had turned to VERY sticky mud. My two year old took one look and said "Oh no, it's poop!"

His opinion of the place didn't get much better as time passed.

Thoroughly unimpressed by this historical work of art.

 

 

I didn't have the forethought to bring a can of spray paint but luckily for us most people left their marks and then left the evidence behind. Now, they do have signs prohibiting such acts, but it seems that everyone who has ever visited has taken advantage of the fact that no one is there to enforce the rules; us included.

Nothing says "Family Vacation" like a little vandilism.

I'm not going to go into the full history of the place, but I have listed some links farther below that I found interesting and informative.

 

If you happen to be visiting on a day when the weather is anything like it was for us, I would highly recommend bringing towels, water, and a spare pair of shoes (and maybe even pants if there's a possibility that you'll have to carry an unhappy, muddy toddler like I did).

 

 



 





 

Want to learn more about the Cadillac Ranch?
Check out these other websites made by people who know what they're talking about:

http://www.texasmonthly.com/travel/forty-years-of-the-cadillac-ranch/

http://www.legendsofamerica.com/tx-cadillacranch.html

http://amarillo.com/news/local-news/2014-06-29/cadillac-ranch-turns-40