Review: The Bridei Chronicles by Juliet Marillier

March 11, 2015 by Alyssa

Hi friends! Whew it feels like it has been forever since I have brought you reviews but if I am being honest, I have barely even had time to read! I have, however, had time to listen to ALL THE AUDIOBOOKS!! Well, “all” really covers too wide of a range as in actuality I started some pretty awesome but LONG series on audiobook and have been devouring them for months. Let’s take a looksie..!

Oh these books. These books were just wonderful. I can’t lie, I was a little wary to branch out into another Marillier series seeing as my love for her Sevenwaters series knows no bounds. I took the plunge, and did so in the form of the audiobook read by Michael Page and in doing so, found myself a new favorite narrator! Don’t you just love it when that happens?! I would highly recommend this series for fans of Marillier, strong female leads, brooding heroes, slow burn romances between the two and hints of political intrigue…

Title: The Dark Mirror

Author: Juliet Marillier

Narrator: Michael Page

Publishing Information: March 6, 2004 by Tor

Genre: Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Romance

Series Information: Book one in The Bridei Chronicles (was a planned 5 book series that turned into a trilogy)

Format: Hardcover, 512 pages

Source: Bought for my personal library (in hardcover AND audiobooks!)

Recommended For: Fans of epic fantasies, slow burn romances, and historical fiction

The Dark Mirror was one of those books that broke my heart a little bit, the relationship between Bridei and Tuala is very sweet and I loved the strength shown from both of them. Each has to deal with their own struggles, but it was the struggle that Tuala faced that really felt heart wrenching to me. I liked how The Dark Mirror set the tone for the rest of the series, though the next two books branch off, they always come back to the backbone that is Bridei’s kingdom, and the relationship between he and Tuala. If I am being honest, though I did enjoy book one in this trilogy, I did not LOVE it and it was the promise of better things to come that had me continuing on with the series. The relationship between Bridei and Tuala was very sweet, but it was the secondary characters that really piqued my interest. Had I not known that the next two books would be focusing on Faolan (hubba, hubba) I am not sure that I would have been as excited to continue on.

“Tales within tales. Dreams within dreams. Pattern on pattern and path beyond path. For such short-lived folks, the human kind seem determined to make things as complicated as possible for themselves.” Continue reading →

On the Same Page: American Gods by Neil Gaiman

March 2, 2015 by Alyssa

Hello my friends! This month the gals and I read American Gods by Neil Gaiman! It should come as no surprise to you that I love, love, LOVED it. It is well known that I am a Neil Gaiman fangirl. Therefore, it is no question that people usually come to me and ask questions like, “If I wanted to start reading Neil Gaiman books, where should I begin?” This question is generally so hard to answer because Neil Gaiman is such an interesting author, he writes all types of books, for all ages and levels of enjoyment. Due to his eclectic nature, I think that it is important to do a reference interview of sorts before recommending any of his books, you may read something by him and loathe it, but then pick up something else he wrote and fall in love. Keeping that in mind I decided I would put together a little guide on Gaiman. If you don’t know where to start, read on and let me help!

If you like fairy tales…read Stardust:

Stardust is much more than a fairy tale, and given Gaiman’s nature it holds a lot of so called “horror” aspects as well. Stardust is a coming of age novel, a novel about family. It is also a story about different kinds of love. Like those feelings of “love” that really turn out to be just being in love with the idea of who you want someone to be and not who they really are. Stardust has witches, fallen stars, and pirates. It’s filled with intrigue, bravery, witty banter, and a sweet romance. The best thing that I can say about Stardust is that it is often compared to The Princess Bride by William Goldman, how can a review get any higher than that? If you enjoy fairy tales, witty main characters, and novels filled with light and dark moments, then Stardust is the book for you.

If you want to laugh out loud…read Good Omens (co-written with Terry Pratchett):

Good Omens is, in a word, brilliant. I am unfamiliar with the work of Terry Pratchett (I know, I KNOW) but I am looking to pick up his Discworld series immediately due to my love for Good Omens. In a nutshell, Good Omens is a story about the coming of the apocalypse. It’s the story of the angel Aziraphale and demon Crowley, who would rather it didn’t interfere with their very spoiled lives, thank you very much. What comes next is a novel full of shenanigans from a mass of people who are trying to prevent the end of the world, not to mention find the Antichrist who is somewhere, being raised by a rather regular sort of family. Hilarity ensues, as Aziraphale and Crowley do their best to save the world while also trying to maintain some sort of dignity. If you can, listen to the full cast audio of this one as it is rather fantastic.

If you need something to read aloud to the kids…read Fortunately, the Milk:

I say read this aloud to your kids but if I am being honest I laughed out loud to myself while reading this while on the train home from NYC. Fortunately, the Milk is a great read aloud as it is funny and quick, not to mention the fact that it is filled with wonderful illustrations. Fortunately, the Milk is a hilarious story of time travel, and dinosaurs, and of the love of a father who really just wants to get home to his kids who are obviously in dire need of some milk for their morning breakfast.

If you like fables, mythology, superheroes and some philosophy…read Sandman:

That’s right. Sandman has all of these things and more. I wasn’t much of a reader of graphic novels before I picked up Sandman, but now I am completely hooked. So much happens throughout this series but ultimately the reader is taken on many journeys through many different places and time. We travel through Hell at one point, and Shakespeare’s time, and to an inn at the world’s end. We meet some superheroes, and some different gods and goddesses. I love this series so much because so much happens in each volume that re-reads are absolutely inevitable. Our main character, Morpheus, is one of the seven Endless (Destiny, Death, Dream, Destruction, Desire, Despair, Delirium) and as our title character much of the story revolves around his troubles. The only thing (potentially) negative is that I want MORE from the other Endless. NEED more, please. Continue reading →

Book Hoarder’s Anonymous: Best of 2014

December 29, 2014 by Alyssa

Let’s get a little personal for a minute…2014 wasn’t the best year for me. In truth, it was actually one of the hardest years of my life, and quite frankly there were moments I wasn’t sure how I was going to make it through. It was a year I spent in a long distance relationship (that is, after living together for 5 years, we were forced to live 4 hours apart due to career choices). It was the year I obtained my DREAM JOB, and also the year I lost said DREAM JOB only a month later. It was the year I had to reevaluate everything I had been working toward for years, I was forced to make decisions that nearly had me throwing up from anxiety, but I did it, and am better for it. 2014 was filled with angst and “I don’t think I can do this anymore” moments, but it was also filled with so much love. It was one of those years where it was imperative to surround myself with loved ones who could help carry the burdens I was attempting to shoulder. Those of you who read my blog know that Amy (Tripping Over Books), Brittany (The Book Addict’s Guide) and myself are very close. To be quite honest, I cannot put down in words how much these two have helped me over the past year. They listen to the same stories over and over, always offering encouragement and support. They often offer to Avada Kadavra anyone who is annoying/hurting me and most importantly, they remind me of my strengths. They are quite literally, sunshine on my cloudy days. To come full circle, I will remind you all that the three of us wouldn’t be friends if we had not started blogging, we would not be here as a group to offer you our #samepage feature, and I would be missing an integral part of the person I am today. I feel blessed to have the kind of people in my life who have become soul friends. Despite the darkness of 2014, I look forward to what 2015 will bring.

Now, let’s get into the more bookish stuff, shall we?

Overall favorite book of 2014: This is a hard one, but I think The Lies of Locke Lamora. I will leave you with my initial review: So very good. Incredible, even. It was as if The Adventures of Robin Hood and The Kingkiller Chronicles had a baby. The relationships were some of the best that I have ever read, loyalty at its best. The plot was driven, and interesting, Lynch left clues throughout that made up a very detailed plot. Also it must be said, the language was fantastic! Some may find curses to be vulgar, but let me tell you, The Lies of Locke Lamora is enriched by stellar insults and perfectly timed sailor language. In short, read this book, read it now.

Favorite BAMF: Well I am just getting into the (long) series but I really love Nynaeve and Egwene from The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. They were especially coming into their own in book two, The Great Hunt and I can’t wait to see what’s next.

Favorite debut author: Rosamund Hodge. I loved Cruel Beauty so much, the writing and the darkness of the story were all things that spoke to me.

Books with Pictures: Definitely Through the Woods by Emily Carroll. It was GORGEOUSLY illustrated and written and completely an “Alyssa” book.

BFF: I should say BFFs, as in bromances, because Locke and Jean take the cake for this one. I love their friendship immensely!

Most swoon-worthy lad: OH, Jared from The Lynburn Legacy. I loved him so much that upon finishing book one in the series, I immediately picked up the third and fourth. Continue reading →

On the Same Page: Burial Rites by Hannah Kent

September 17, 2014 by Alyssa

Title: Burial Rites

Author: Hannah Kent

Publishing Information: September 10th 2013 by Little, Brown and Company

Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Crime

Series Information: Standalone

Format: Hardcover, 314 pages

Source: Obtained an ARC from the publisher at BEA 2013

Recommended For: Readers who enjoy historical fiction with vivid setting and to be quite honest, no hope throughout.

Related Reviews: Brittany’s Post on Historical Fiction and Amy’s Post

Here we are back for another On the Same Page post from your Gals on the Same Page. I realize that we usually do something a little different for these posts and I would but unfortunately I can’t bring myself to do anything creative with something representing this novel.

In truth, it is hard for me to put my feelings into words in regards to this novel as the novel itself invoked very little emotion in me as I was reading. I can’t write a ranty review for you, because the novel didn’t anger me, and it surely didn’t make me weep as it did so many others. At the most I felt frustration that it was taking me so long to get through the whole thing, and upon completion couldn’t help but think, “FINALLY, I AM DONE!!” along with, “that was it?” Clearly going into this novel one knows how it ends, so I didn’t expect it to make me cry as I prepared myself for it to be sad. I did, however, expect the novel to make me feel compassion toward our main character, Agnes. In truth, as I neared the end and got the final tidbits to the story I did have a moment to think about how sad the situation was for this character but I couldn’t help but think that circumstances surrounding her situation were brought on by her own choices. Maybe I am overly judgmental but she made specific choices to be in that place at that time, and I just can’t believe that she was as “strong” and “intelligent” as people said due to these choices.

In addition to our main character we are introduced to a few other characters first hand, a reverend named Toti, who helps Agnes find God before her execution, who reminded me of a besotted school boy, letting his feelings cloud his judgment. The family who Agnes stays with are not viewed in depth despite them being with Agnes daily, though I did have a fondness for the mother of the family as she seemed no nonsense and rather strong. The character Natan is clearly a very important character in this novel, as it is his murder Agnes is being tried for, and despite viewing many memories of him through Agnes, I still couldn’t feel much for him. I am sure some readers will believe that “he had it coming,” as he was highly unfavorable, but I just couldn’t help by judge Agnes more by the company that she was keeping. The secondary characters of Sigga and Fridrick could have used some more detail as well, though to be fair I can see that despite them playing an important part in Agnes’ life, this was her story and not theirs.

One thing I can say about this novel is that it was haunting and the landscape was vivid in my brain as I was reading. I did feel the cold, vast world as Agnes felt it. I understood her overwhelming feelings of loneliness in such a wide open world, and her desire to run away. If anything stuck with me after finishing Burial Rites, it was most definitely the setting.

Shelf Talker: I always hate being the odd one out, the one who wonders if she has read a different book than those who came before. Such is the way with Burial Rites. While I went into this novel preparing myself for overwhelming emotion and heart wrenching characters and what I found was a dull novel filled with characters I couldn’t connect with. I hate that it happened – trust me because it took me ENTIRELY TOO LONG to get through this book – and I wish that I had connected more. I do believe that it is an atmospheric read and therefore you may have to be in the “mood” to read it. Unfortunately for me, I couldn’t connect with Agnes or her heartbreaking story, and had I not been obligated to read it for my blog feature, I probably would have DNFd it early on.

On the Same Page is a feature here on Books Take You Places that I am hosting along with two of my very dear friends, Amy (Tripping Over Books) and Brittany (The Book Addict’s Guide). Essentially, we will be reading one book a month together and then doing a non-traditional review such as a playlist, character analysis, and so on…To find out more about this new feature, head on over to its dedication page!

On the Same Page: Landline by Rainbow Rowell

June 30, 2014 by Alyssa

Title: Landline

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Publishing Information: July 8, 2014 by St. Martin’s Press

Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Series Information: Standalone

Format: Hardcover, 308 pages

Source: Received an ARC from the publisher at BEA 2014

Recommended For: Those of you who sometimes feel the pressures of a long time relationship, the good and the bad.

Related Reviews: Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

Wow, friends, have I been struggling with this review. As you know, for our On the Same Page feature we usually do something a little out of the ordinary to showcase the unique things that we loved about the novel we just read together. The bottom line is, I don’t know how to do that for this book. So I decided I would write a quick and open letter to Rainbow Rowell trying to convey what I felt when I read her novels… Continue reading →

Review: Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

January 9, 2014 by Alyssa

Title: Eleanor & Park

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Publishing Information: February 26, 2013 by St. Martin’s Press

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Realistic Fiction

Series information: Standalone (It has been rumored that the author is planning to write a sequel, set when the characters are in their 30’s)

Format: Hardcover, 336 pages

Source: Borrowed from my public library

Recommended For: Fans of romance filled with real characters that you really can’t stop rooting for.

Set over the course of one school year in 1986, ELEANOR AND PARK is the story of two star-crossed misfits – smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you’ll remember your own first love – and just how hard it pulled you under.

Wow. That was my first thought upon finishing Eleanor & Park. Wow. Those of you who pay attention to this blog (or Twitter, OR Goodreads) know that my go to novels are fantasies. I love dragons and strong heroines and all things fantastical. What I do not have much experience with, however, are contemporaries. That’s why when some of my most trusted friends told me that I absolutely HAD to read Eleanor & Park I sort of nodded and made non-committal noises. Read a teen contemporary novel complete with hand holding? No thanks. Then, I went to Book Expo America and stood in line for quite a while to meet Rainbow Rowell and pick up a signed copy of her new book Fangirl, for my friend Kiki. As I said, I was there for a while, and what do you do while waiting in line at BEA? You talk to your fellow line holders! Let me tell you, these fellow readers were Rainbow Rowell FANGIRLS (that’s right, I went there) and so, when it was my time to meet her and tell her the story about how I waited in line to get a book for Kristina I was taken aback at how amazing and gracious this woman was. She looked me in the eye and listened to my story and had a real conversation with me about the whole thing, and it really heightened my experience (plus, she has excellent hair). I got to thinking about some of the things that people were saying in line and realized that MAYBE I could step out of my comfort zone a little, and upon arriving back home, I went to my local library and borrowed Eleanor & Park. And you guys, I devoured it. In one day.

The first thing I did upon finishing the novel was thank Rainbow for Eleanor, and I will say it again, I am so thankful for Eleanor. I saw myself in Eleanor. I saw myself in her eccentricities and in the way that people made fun of her for her clothing and for the way she was different from everyone else. I was that girl. I don’t think that it is out of line to assume that at some point or another, we have all been that girl. She was quirky, and she was kind, and she was left to fend for herself in an ugly world. Park was different from Eleanor. He managed to fit in despite his half-Korean background and spends his time as most teenagers do – hanging out with friends, complaining about his (admittedly lovely) family, and listening to music. When Eleanor comes into his life everything is turned upside down and he doesn’t really know what to do about it.

I love the way in which Rainbow didn’t omit details of either character’s story. We learn that Park has a somewhat aggressive father, but he is in no way as aggressive as Eleanor’s. We learn that while Park is begrudgingly spending time with his family, Eleanor is hiding from hers. The beauty of their love story is how quietly it happens at first. Park catches Eleanor reading his comic book over his shoulder – and he waits until he knows she is finished before turning the page. Or when he loans her batteries so that she can listen to his favorite tapes:

“He slid the new tape in and then, pressed Play, and then – carefully – he put the headphones over her hair.”

It was beautiful, and heart wrenching. Never has hand holding been so romantic.

The thing that stood out for me the most about Eleanor & Park was how real their story felt. Sure, it’s classified as “realistic fiction” but I can’t put into words just how realistic it was. Sure, their love story was sickly sweet, but it was also deep and meaningful in a way that anyone can understand. This novel comes highly recommended for all readers, especially for those who don’t usually read contemporaries.