Bonnie

Review to come.

My rating: 4 of 5 starsA copy of The Dream Thieves was provided to me by Scholastic Press/Netgalley for review purposes.The Dream Thieves is the story of a boy with the ability to make his dreams a reality, of a continued quest to uncover the lost Welsh King and the realization that time may be running out. I loved The Raven Boys, however I found the ending to be far too abrupt and introduced a fascinating storyline that just didn't give me enough. It felt like a pilot episode and left me eager for more but also left me disappointed. The Dream Thieves definitely solved that and then some. When I started this book I noticed a lack of a refresher and I struggled to recall particular details from The Raven Boys. I actually found a fabulous recap written by Maggie Stiefvater herself (here if you're interested) but oddly enough I ultimately didn't need it. While TDT is a continuation and second installment of a series it felt separate and completely new from the storyline that was previously established. What I loved most about this story was it took an even bigger leap into the fantasy and magical aspects whereas The Raven Boys merely trod the line. While fantasy is not my go-to genre, this type of fantasy is done in such a conventional way that blends well with the contemporary background the story is set in; it doesn't ever seem clunky and out of place. It's such a wonderfully inventive type of magic too. The ability to draw items from your dreams and have them become a reality? I love it.One thing which was done differently in TDT was that so much focus was placed on Ronan and Adam that the other characters became secondary characters and were oftentimes unessential. Blue's mother Maura and her fellow psychics had more of a place in the story than Blue herself and Noah was practically nonexistent (except for one incredibly unforgettable scene *sniff*). While I missed the shared distribution of characters, I did enjoy this in depth look into Ronan and finding out what makes him tick. Two new adversarial characters share a bit of the spotlight though: a fellow Aglionby student, Joseph Kavinsky, a ticking time bomb that is unknowingly effecting their search for Cabeswater and The Grey Man who is searching for the same thing.With a double dose of fantasy in a contemporary world and a hint of romance and eternal friendship, The Dream Thieves is an exciting follow-up to a spectacular series. It is a gorgeously written story with such a fresh and unique feel to it and of course sets the scene perfectly for the next book which I am already anticipating.

This is not a genre that I typically jump for but I was in dire need of some serious fluff since I had finished The Book Thief and Rose Under Fire in the same day. Plus, I haven't heard anything other than amazing things about Rainbow Rowell.Attachments was an absolute treat and I really loved it. The chapters alternate between Jennifer and Beth's conversations over e-mail which are written in the form of almost instant messages and then normally written chapters from the point of view of Lincoln. Lincoln was a charming character but Jennifer and Beth were the absolute frosting on the cake. Extremely witty and entertaining, Jennifer and Beth were two girls that I would love to be friends with. Jennifer is married and currently having issues dealing with a husband that wants to start having children while she's still not sure. Beth is in a long-term relationship with a guitarist in an up and coming band and wants to settle down but she doesn't think he'll ever want to. Their conversations were constantly cracking me up. Here's an example of how Jennifer and Beth's chapters appear and a little snippet of the humor.Now that I think about, we've known each other six years, and I've never seen you in a bathing suit. Or a tank top. Not a coincidence, my friend. Iv'e got the arms of a Sicilian grandmother. Arms for picking olives and stirring hearty tomato sauces. Shoulders for carrying buckets of water from the stream to the farmhouse.Has Chris seen your shoulders?He's seen them. But he hasn't seen them. I get it, but I don't get it. No sleeveless negligees. No direct sunlight. Sometimes when I'm getting out of the shower, I shout, "Hey, look, a bobcat!"I bet he falls for that every time. It's Chris. So recreational drugs are a factor.And my favorite, because I'm a total Jennifer.Even construction workers don't whistle at me. That's because you ooze preemptive leave-me-alone death rays.Lincoln was an interesting main character since I can't recall the last Chick-Lit type novel I read that featured a male character. It was a success though. Lincoln is in his late 20's and has just graduated (again) from college and has moved back home to live with his mom. He plays Dungeons & Dragons on the weekend, doesn't like to go out to bars and is terrible at connecting with females. He stumbles upon Jennifer and Beth's emails in the course of his daily job duties and while they were clearly violating the personal email rule he never reported them. Instead, he continued reading about their lives that interested him in a way he couldn't understand. While I was anxious to find out what happens when the two finally do meet, the ending was a bit overly mushy and leaned a bit too much towards 'perfect'. Attachments is a charming and adorable tale of finding love in the least expected ways and a touching story of female friendship.

My rating: 4 of 5 starsA copy of Rose Under Fire was provided to me by Disney Hyperion for review purposes.'Hope is the most treacherous thing in the world. It lifts you and lets you plummet. But as long as you're being lifted, you don't worry about plummeting.'Rose Under Fire tells the story of Rose Justice, an American pilot who is captured and sent to the concentration camp Ravensbrück which held primarily women and children. The beginning of the story is a short, day to day accounting in epistolary (journal) form of her duties as a pilot. After, she transcribes everything she remembers from her experiences in Ravensbrück and how she managed to be one of the few who lived to tell the tale.The horrors that Rose and the thousands of other women suffered through at Ravensbrück will break your heart. There isn't a lack of detailing either, the story is vividly retold making it disturbingly palpable. It also doesn't help to know that while the story is fictional, Elizabeth Wein's story is based on fact and is a slight retelling of actual survivors from Ravensbrück.Over a six year period between 1939 and 1945 over 130,000 women and children resided at the camp; some were transported to other camps, some survived till the end of the war and most died within those walls. Out of that inconceivable number only a reported 15,000-32,000 managed to survive. The most horrid aspect of what went on at this camp are the details of the medical experimentation that was done on a reported 86 women that were known from then on as 'Rabbits'. I will avoid detailing this as you'll receive enough within the book itself, but the fact that even a single one of those women were able to survive is astounding.Rose Under Fire is a companion novel to Code Name Verity. It's not necessary to have read CNV prior, but I would definitely recommend it. Code Name Verity came close to being a DNF for me only because it was overly focused on the mechanical aspects of piloting but Julie was an amazing character. Rose Under Fire is a much more prevalent and typical tale of a WWII survivor; an incredible character possessing a perseverance that was truly admirable.

*sigh* My heart hurts.

My rating: 3.5 of 5 starsSource: Library Checkout"Today we are going to talk about where the human race may be headed. We have the power to improve ourselves, if we wish to do so. We can become anything we wish to be."After the postman fell in love with a raven they had a child, a child that looked like a normal human being except for the fact that she could not speak (only caw) and she had an extreme longing to fly. She traverses life as easily as any normal girl but she's constantly living a life that is lacking. When a doctor, a Dr. Moreau type, tells her that he has the ability to give her the wings she's always dreamed of she feels the stirrings of hope.This story actually came to be after Audrey was asked to collaborate with the Royal ballet in order to a dark fairytale type story to life on the stage. With it's haunting subject, dream-like qualities and gothic undertones I can definitely see this being a beautiful stage production. The artwork was gorgeous and the creation process of the illustrations was far more complex than I would have normally guessed. Using a procedure called aquatint, it's a process that was intended to imitate watercolors but it's an extremely time-consuming process. To learn more about aquatinting, Audrey discusses it in detail in this video on youtube: http://youtu.be/oO4v9miJLxYThe Raven Girl is an obscure tale of a metamorphosis of sorts. She underwent an artistic transformation because after living with knowing she was different for so long she finally became who she was always meant to be.

My rating: 4.5 of 5 starsSource: BBC Radio 4 Extra'I cannot make you understand. I cannot make anyone understand what is happening inside me. I cannot even explain it to myself.'Imagine you go to bed one night with nothing out of the ordinary occurring only to wake up to find you have transformed into a monstrous insect overnight. Your family can no longer communicate with you, they no longer can even stand to look at you. You've become repulsive and abhorrent for seemingly no apparent reason. What do you do?Everyone has heard of The Metamorphosis, Kafka's literary masterpiece, a book that is obviously more than meets the eye. The story possessed a dream-like quality where nothing is ever considered appropriately, as Gregor accepted his transformation into insect form a lot more readily than one might normally. Many have attempted to form their own interpretations of the story but I personally can't see it being anything other than a metaphor. While there are bound to be several different opinions on this, this is what I came up with:Up until that life altering morning Gregor led an uneventful life where he worked constantly to support his family and in turn they steadily grew unproductive the more they began to depend on him. Gregor travels so often for work that communication between him and his family begins to cease and most importantly his family stops being appreciative of all he does for them and instead begins to simply expect it. That fateful morning he woke and began to contemplate his job and how terrible he finds it and if he didn't have his parents to worry about he would have "given in my notice a long time ago, I'd have gone up to the boss and told him just what I think, tell him everything I would, let him know just what I feel." The more and more he dwells on this the more he realizes what he does for them, what they don't do and how his work ethic in order to support his family has in turn alienated them from him. By becoming the sole breadwinner of the family he transformed himself into an outsider, the transformation only becoming a physical interpretation when he realizes that himself.I've never read Kafka before having always found myself intimidated by his works. When I discovered that the BBC Radio had produced a recording of this being read by Benedict Cumberbatch I jumped on the opportunity and I am so glad I did. I had listened to a clip of the audiobook that was released by Blackstone Audio and narrated by Ralph Cosham... that audiobook sat on my phone for so long I forgot about it because it sounded dreadfully dull. Benedict Cumberbatch truly brought this story to life and made this a real treat for me.

My rating: 3 of 5 starsSource: Library CheckoutPronto tells the story of Harry Arno: he's a Miami bookie, is dating a topless dancer named Joyce and plans to retire to a villa in Italy within the next year. Harry has been skimming profits from his boss Jimmy 'Cap' for years but has so far remained undetected until the Feds decide to set him up in order to get to Jimmy thus forcing him to move up his retirement date and has him fleeing town immediately. I decided to pick Pronto as my first Elmore Leonard novel because of the fact that I love 'Justified' so much. While my love of the show centers around the character Raylan Givens (or, if I'm being quite honest, mainly because of Timothy Olyphant) he doesn't play the leading character as I would have expected. Pronto is a dialogue driven narrative with a large cast of engaging characters that are all given their share of the spotlight in this story. The mob bosses are hysterical and their simple mindedness is portrayed well and with good humor. Raylan Givens is a small-town cowboy that is much smarter than his persona would imply. Harry is a thief who uses and abuses anyone that can be a benefit to him but still manages to still be a character you care about. Pronto is an entertaining blend of western and crime fiction with a subtle dash of humor.This was enjoyable on audio with narrator Alexander Adams capable of using a multitude of different voices and even managed to make the occasional Italian dialogue sound authentic. Now that I've had my first experience reading an Elmore Leonard book I can safely say it won't be my last.

"Silently and Very Fast" written by Catherynne M. Valente and read by Kate Baker.http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/audio_10_11b/

My rating: 4 of 5 starsA copy of The Waking Dark was provided to me by Netgalley/Knopf Books for Young Readers for review purposes.The killing day.The day the devil came to Oleander.That day.Oleander, Kansas is a small, quiet town that was never cause for much attention... until the killing day. The day when twelve people were killed in a few short hours by the hands of their friends and neighbors. Once all surrounding them were dead they then killed themselves having outlived their purpose. One survived to tell her tale, but she remembers nothing of the horrors that she dealt out. When the town is placed under quarantine after a horrific storm does further damage to the town, a darkness wakes in the citizens. The deacon decides this is the perfect opportunity to cleanse the town and the remaining citizens begin to take the law into their own hands. This book is insanity incarnate. It's dark and distressing. It's maddening and stupefying. It's one of the most horrific books I've ever read. It was fantastic. I have never been left more shocked and appalled by a single chapter and that's just what Robin Wasserman managed to do. The Waking Dark is horror, but it's not exactly scary. The madness that consumes this small town is more vexing and mortifying than anything and showcases perfectly the mentality of a small town and what can happen when it all goes wrong.The story is extremely character driven and is told from several different points of view with very distinct characters so it didn't cause any confusion as its fantastically written. It's a sordid tale told over the span of a few short weeks with enough violence to last a lifetime. The Waking Dark has drawn comparisons to Stephen King and Gillian Flynn, I believe for good reason. Having read both authors I feel that they both possess a subtle eeriness in their writing, a creepiness and unflinching details that sneaks up on you and takes you by surprise. I feel it must be said that this is one of the most violent and mature YA books I've read and is definitely not meant for a younger crowd. It involves infant murders, detailed meth use, crucifixion and people being burned at the stake (and that's not even half of the craziness that goes down in these pages). This is not for the faint of heart.There is so much to say about this story, but so much that needs to be experienced firsthand. I have to say though, I was extremely pleased at how the violence was maintained throughout the story because I figured it would letup at some point, (nope) but I expected it to end in a manner as shocking as the first chapter but it was a bit too tidy of an ending for my liking. Nevertheless, I am most impressed with this author and will be seeking out her past works.

My rating: 4 of 5 starsA copy of Simon's Cat vs. the World was provided to me by Akashic Books/Library Thing for review purposes.Simon's Cat began as a series of YouTube videos and quickly turned popular for their hilariousness and how accurate the depictions were of how cat's truly are. The first Simon's Cat video was uploaded over 5 years ago, on March 4, 2008. It's one of my all-time favorites. You can watch it here.While the books aren't nearly as hilarious as the videos, they are still entertaining and fun to flip through for a good laugh. Simon's Cat vs. the World are single page illustions detailing various encounters from visits to the Vet, holiday outifts, discovering the vividness of HD TV and even fireworks.In addition to that, there was also a short section in the back that details how to draw a few of the animals that feature in his books.And my favorite part? A whole page of adorable stickers.The best thing about these books is just how realistically the illustrations showcase the shenanigans of cats and what cat owner's constantly have to deal with. Simon's Cat is highly amusing and a source of good quick fun. Recommended for any cat lover and anyone who just enjoys a good laugh.

My rating: 1 of 5 starsI won this book in a giveaway hosted by Violette @ The Mystery Bookshelf.*I rarely give one stars, but this was bad and I feel the need to rant so spoilers beware! You've been warned.*The main character is Sunny Meadows (Nope, I am not fibbing. She changed her name because she was CLEARLY not a Sylvia. And Sunny is much better.) and wants to start her own Fortune Teller business. She decides it's time to move out of her parents house and has chosen Divinity, NY as her new home. She is 29 years old after all and wants to take care of herself... with her handy-dandy trust fund, of course. She buys up an old Victorian, which she promptly names Vicky, and plans to remodel and redecorate it herself so she can reside there and run her business out of it as well. This is all very shocking considering the degree of genius we're dealing with."Shivering, I realized how cold it was in the house. The thermostat read fifty-five degrees. It was a wonder the pipes hadn't burst."We're obviously dealing with Einstein-level genius here. So her business gets started and she has her first customer and she gives her a tea reading and reports that she sees a deer which of course means a dispute and also a flag which means danger! But then! THE KETTLE. Which means he won't be making her tea... he'll be killing her soon. DUN DUN DUN.Okay so dramatic business aside, in addition to the eye-rolling storyline this was very poorly written with the most ridiculous set of characters. She was extremely immature for a 29 year old and was so very unrealistic. This entire book was honestly unrealistic. Cozy mysteries have an air of silliness as a standard, however, the few I've read have managed to still at least make sense and been funny and entertaining. But when Sunny is made the prime suspect in the death and then is promptly recruited by the police department to aid in the investigation... I'm sorry, what? Plus, she acted like a teenager half the time and couldn't control herself from blurting out case details at the most highly inopportune times. Then there was the nonsensical romance between Sunny and the cop and her parents showing up to also assist in the case and then there's Morty the magic cat and Sunny's ongoing absurdity like when she broke into a suspects house but ends up having to hide in the closet while the suspect and her boyfriend watch porn....This was clearly not my cup of tea. (ha-Sorry. I couldn't resist.) I manage to somehow possess more willpower to keep going when I'm reading a crappy book as a buddy read so that's my only explanation for actually finishing this ridiculous mess of a book. As ridiculous and unbelievable as this book managed to consistently be, the ending and answer to the whole mystery was infuriating. I will definitely not be continuing this series

My rating: 3.5 of 5 starsA copy of The Girl You Left Behind was provided to me by Pamela Dorman Books for review purposes.______________________________"Once it is done, it cannot be undone."1916In the midst of WWI, a small French town is overtaken by the Germans and Sophie and her sister Helene are forced to make the soldiers extravagant meals every night. When the portrait of Sophie that her husband painted of her catches the attention of the Kommandant, he begins showing her a kindness not afforded to any others. Sophie decides to take advantage of that kindness in hopes that she will be able to help free her husband from the ravages of the prison camp. For his help though, it will come at a steep cost.'Sometimes life is a series of obstacles, a matter of putting one foot in front of the other. Sometimes [...] it is simply a matter of blind faith.'2006Liv is still grieving for the husband she lost unexpectedly 4 years prior. She meets a man that she feels she could actually move on and be happy with only to find that he's been searching for a long lost painting that Liv's husband gave to her while on their honeymoon. He was hired to recover the painting when the descendants came forward when she was discovered as being stolen from the family during WWI. Liv begins researching information on the girl in the portrait in hopes to uncover the truth behind it's origins.I'm a huge fan of dual narrative stories, especially when you have a wonderful mix of old with the new. This is perfect for fans of historical fiction and/or contemporary because you get both genres intertwined. I personally was a bigger fan of the 1916 storyline and all the aspects of WWI, plus I felt Sophie's story was simply a better written and riveting tale. Sophie's story was heartrending as war tales typically are. Liv's story was equally distressing but lacked a clear understanding why she was so adamant about keeping the portrait.I picked up this story after being thoroughly enchanted by 'Me Before You' however, this is a vastly different type of tale with much more focus on the historical aspects. I would recommend this read to fans of Sarah Jio and Susanna Kearsley as both typically focus on dual narratives and/or the blending of past and present.The Girl You Left Behind is the tale of two women, both surviving trying times, joined through decades by a remarkable portrait. A portrait that brings to light what's right and wrong and how there is oftentimes a middle ground, a grey area.

My rating: 3.5 of 5 starsSource: Library Checkout*Considering this is the 6th installment, it's highly possible there are spoilers for the previous books in the series. Beware!*I've been highly anticipating this latest installment forever. I blew threw the first five books practically all in a row and I've been hurting since. While this is quite possibly my least favorite of the series it's STILL good. This series is why I love Urban Fantasy as much as I do and even though it had it's flaws this is still one solid series. So, now for the details:What I enjoyed: The inclusion of mythological and biblical aspects was awesome. It might not have been 100% believable (but then again this is UF, so whatevs) but it was an absorbing and fascinating concept and definitely welcome to mix things up.What I hated: The stupid girl child thrown into the story just to create drama was borderline rage inducing. The drama was rampant in this installment and I ultimately felt it was all just entirely unnecessary. I was enraged for the vast majority of this book and it was a constant battle trying to calm myself.And another note on the drama: Curran. Dude. You could've handled that so much better than you did. And that's the second thing that bothered me the most... if drama can be avoided and it's NOT then you're an idiot and I hate you. Don't be dumb. Avoid the drama. If I was Kate, your head would have been on a spike. I assumed it was going to end fine but that still didn't make going through the drama any easier because his actions were so. freaking. irritating.And my biggest issue with the storyline: Kate and Curran didn't need to go through this in order to prove their relationship is everlasting and durable and all other adjectives that best describe tupperware. Kate is a badass chick and is supremely confident in herself and didn't need to be transformed into an insecure maniac for me to believe that their relationship is solid. Again, to repeat myself for the nth time... the drama was supremely unnecessary and I really could have done without.The ending was exhilarating, shocking and I loved it... if the drama llama hadn't trounced on the other 300 pages this would have garnered a higher rating from me. As it stands though this is still one of my favorite UF series, ever, and I will be anxiously awaiting future installments.

My rating: 2 of 5 starsSource: Library Checkout*I plan to discuss parts of this book in detail so spoilers!*Oliver Barett IV is a rich jock from a well-to-do family. Jenny Cavilleri is a poor, wise ass sorta chick. This is definitely a case of opposites attract with a touch of Romeo and Juliet syndrome; they were destined to fail from the beginning. But they meet; they fall in love, etc. etc. And as the summary so eloquently puts it: “…sharing a love that defies everything yet will end too soon.” “What can you say about a twenty-five-year-old girl who died?”That is the very first line of the book so right off the bat you know you’re in for an emotional tale. But that’s the funny thing... it all seemed very impassive to me. Vapid. Insipid. And that’s the furthest from what I was expecting to feel from such a renowned and supposed emotional tale. The thing that really bothered me the most about this story was I never fully believed those two actually loved each other; it felt far too contrived. Oliver’s father’s declaration that he is NOT to marry Jenny otherwise he would basically disown him seemed like the catalyst for Oliver’s proposal and nothing more. To me, it wasn’t a proposal that was emotionally charged but rather a petty attempt to do the opposite of what daddy tells him just because he can.“Love means never having to say you're sorry.”Of course I had to include/discuss the most famous line of the book since I don’t quite agree with it. I think love means you’re more likely to be forgiven but I don’t think that should excuse you completely from an apology. But if love means never having to say you’re sorry, then that would mean that any future actions are automatically forgiven and following that same vein means you could do whatever you want because it’s okay, he/she loves me. Honestly, we all fuck up at one point or another in relationships because this shit is no cake walk but love doesn’t automatically excuse you from wrong. Love means you can fuck up, you can apologize, you can talk about it if need be and you can behave like mature adults and grow and learn from the experience. Love means never having to say you’re sorry? No. That’s a total cop out. There was also a ton of cussing, which I don’t have issue with considering I cuss like a sailor, but the dialogue sounded like a 6th grader trying to include cuss words in their everyday speech and ends up overdoing it. It was very forced and awkward feeling. Oliver and Jenny even replaced cute nicknames for cuss words as well. At one point he casually referred to Jenny as “my wife, the bitch” and I think he frequently called him a bastard. Or an asshole. Possibly both? I can accept that they obviously had a ‘different’ sorta love for each other and that’s just how they expressed themselves but it was very off-putting. The other issue I had was with the doctor and Oliver’s decision not to tell Jenny of her own illness, but I realize since this book is 43 years old there are customs that occurred then that I’d never be able to fully grasp and understand.Erich Segal was the Nicholas Sparks of his era with his tales of epic love. He’s not known for his literary masterpieces but he was a prominent name a few decades back and it was just one of those that I had to try out for myself. Plus, I was told that this book would absolutely make me cry (which books don’t make me do often) so I had to accept that challenge. I won by the way. Will I try more of his works? Maybe. Sappy tales aren’t normally my thing but every once in a while when I’m dealing with a chemical imbalance in my brain it makes me want to pick up this kind of stuff, so maybe someday. Have you read Love Story or any other novels by Segal? If so, are there any you would recommend?

My rating: 3 of 5 starsA copy of Just One Year was provided to me by Dutton/Penguin Group (USA) for review purposes.'It was like she gave me her whole self, and somehow as a result, I gave her more of myself than I ever realized there was to give. But then she was gone. And only after I'd been filled up by her, by that day, did I understand how empty I really was.'Finally. We have Willem's story. Just One Day left readers contemplating what possibly could have gone wrong, why he never came back to Allyson and if they were ever going to be able to find each other again. Just One Year possesses the same melancholy feel as its predecessor with Willem stumbling around in an apparent daze, unable to trust the stability of his feelings for Allyson because after all... they only knew each other for a single day.'...it's Lulu I miss, and I know it must be displaced, my loneliness a heat-seeking missile, her the heat. Only I can't seem to find a new source of heat.'This is a tough one for me to figure out how I feel about. Willem was a tough nut to crack and I went through the majority of the book not feeling any sort of compassion towards him, no pity for his plight, when I think that would have been the regular response. He gave up his search for her very early on and considering we already know what Allyson went through physically and emotionally makes me sad for her. Willem was convinced to start looking for her again by friends and as much as he kept saying he was still looking for her that whole time, it wasn't an active search. It felt like he was simply sitting back and waiting for something to happen, for her to find him.'The truth and its opposite are flip sides of the same coin.'Willem's story became less about their romance and more about him discovering things about himself and becoming a better person because he met her. This is actually what I had originally hoped for her in Just One Day; for Allyson to recognize the incredibly transformed person she had become (and she did) but that even though it resulted from her meeting Willem that she didn't need him to continue to be as such. Willem found the independence and strength their meeting imbued and used it in a positive manner and while I'm glad at least one of them did this, I never quite liked Willem enough in order to root for him. I never saw what appealed to Allyson and I never understood quite why they transformed each others lives in the first place.While I'm glad to have the closure of Willem's side of the story, I still can't help but feel the ending would have benefited from... more. I needed to see Willem and Allyson's transformations being applied since we as readers were only afforded a quick glance before reaching the final page. Just One Year is a tale of transformation, of finding happiness, of finding love and finding yourself.