A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner

I would not stand by and let them be lost to the Mede or to Melenze or to an endless civil war where they would never be free of bloodshed until the whole country was stripped to the bare bones. If I couldn't be Eddis, I would be Attolia.

[Click here to see my review of book 1: The Thief, book 2: The Queen of Attolia, and book 3: The King of Attolia.]

Though finishing a series tends to be a tad bittersweet, one must admit that it brings a lovely feeling of accomplishment when you sit back, happily aware that you've read all there is to read when it comes to this particular storyline and these particular characters.

I deeply enjoyed the entire Queen's Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner and I finally brought myself around to reading the conclusion. For all my talk of the greatness of finishing a series, there's also a finality that makes me realize how much I'll miss these characters and these stories. I tend to put as much space between the second to last book and the final one as I can plausibly get away with.

When Sophos, heir to the throne of Sounis, and friend of both the queen of Eddis and the king of Attolia, is attacked in his own village and whisked away to an unknown destination, he manages to weasel his way out of the hands of his captors. However, he soon finds himself a slave on the lands of the very man who ordered his kidnapping. Rendered unrecognizable, he settles into this life, believing it would be best for him to leave the running of Sounis to his uncle. After all, Sophos had never been a very promising heir. He cared too much for his poetry and too little for strategy or battle.

Still, Sophos left much unfinished when he was taken from his home. His sisters and mother may have died in the attack, but there were others who held his heart and a rebellion rising that threatens to overthrow Sounis and leave it vulnerable to the Medes, a country that's been trying to get a foothold in Sounis (along with its neighboring countries) for a time now and is still licking its wounds from being so heartily deterred by Attolia.

When his father comes under attack in the very home that Sophos has been laboring under, Sophos brings himself out of obscurity to save his father and his men. But much has changed since the day that Sophos was taken and he is no longer heir to the throne, but is now king himself. It is his task to save his country and he's going to have to turn to an old friend if he will ever manage to accomplish it. But will the king of Attolia aid him in his quest to save his people, or will Gen prove to be more difficult than he's ever been before?

The most recent installment in what fans of the series are calling "The Queen's Thief" series, A Conspiracy of Kings was (as you can probably see from the summary) told from the perspective of Sophos. It's fun seeing the kid grow up and become and entity and a threat in his own right. Sophos is a fun character and one that the reader can really identify with. While Gen, the subject of the first three books, was always a joy to read, I loved how different Sophos was from him. He was much more afraid, less cunning, but just as clever. I really enjoyed getting to see Megan Whalen Turner write such a different character in this series while still making us love both of our main protagonists.

All of that said, I didn't enjoy this book nearly as much as I did the first three. Perhaps it was simply the way the tale played out. Most of this book was a sort of "leading up to" the main event, while in Gen's stories, they tended to be lots of little main events that led up to a big main event.

I greatly enjoyed the book, I just didn't enjoy it as much as its predecessors, I suppose. It's just not my favorite book in the series. I greatly look forward to the next book in this series. I want to know what happens to the dear friends we've been introduced to throughout these books. I have no doubts that Turner will blow us out of the water with the fifth installment (though we have no idea when it's coming out yet).

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

"He proved me wrong. Either because he can see what we can't or just because he demands the world conform to his own desires. I am never sure which it is that he does." 

Inkspell by Cornelia Funke

Words were useless. At times they might sound wonderful, but they let you down the moment you really needed them. You could never find the right words, never, and where would you look for them? The heart is silent as a fish, however much the tongue tries to give it a voice.

[Click here to see my review of book 1: Inkheart]

I bought all three books in the Inkheart trilogy, written by Cornelia Funke, for the sheer purpose of being able to read them consecutively. I didn't end up reading the second book immediately after I finished the first because it was nearing the end of the year and I wanted to try reading a few shorter books in hopes of reaching my goal of one hundred.

I'm going to have to put some space between reading this book and the final installment of the trilogy for a different reason. This one did quite the number on my heart and I'm not sure I can handle the third book just yet, no matter how desperately I want to crack open its pages. Besides, I don't want it to end. If I delay reading Inkdeath, I'll be able to feel like it's lasting that much longer.

Inkspell starts off about a year after the events of Inkheart. Meggie, Mo, Resa, and Darius have taken refuge with Elinor, making a once empty house feel like home for them all. They are doing their best to return to normal lives and forget the nightmare that was at once surreal and disturbingly real for them all. Meanwhile, Farid has been following Dustfinger around like he is the father he never had, helping him find his way back into his book. But when Dustfinger finally manages it, Farid is left in this world with Basta and Mortola suddenly snapping at his heels and threatening to go back into the book themselves after they kill Silvertongue and his daughter.

In despair, Farid runs to Meggie, the girl he's had eyes for since the moment he was read out of his book, seeking her help to get him inside the book so he can be reunited Dustfinger and warn him of the danger that will soon follow him back.Instead of simply sending him, Meggie joins him in the Inkworld, the one place she's dreamed solely about since her mother's return and Capricorn's defeat.

However, upon arriving they are quick to learn that much has changed in Dustfinger's time away and even Fenoglio, the old man who created it, can no longer control it. But the Inkworld is even more dangerous than Meggie could have imagined and when dangers from her own world come to hunt her here, there may be no escaping. Only her voice and Fenoglio's words can change anything in this turmoil. But with all that is hunting her and those she loves most, can she manage to make anything better or will she lose everyone she's ever cared about?

Inkspell was a treat from start to finish. I thought nothing could surpass the first book, but this one has managed to come out its equal. How Funke managed that is a complete mystery to me, but she managed it without a hitch. The stakes were higher, the danger more imminent, and the emotions more vulnerable. Funke has manage to create a cast of characters that mange to burrow themselves into the reader's heart and take up space there . . . which makes certain parts of the book leave that particular reader sobbing on her bed.

I'm speaking generally, of course.

The bonds between the characters is also something I deeply admire. If you've read past reviews, you'll notice that this is one of those things I find really important in general. Loyalty means a lot to me, so I can hardly help noticing it when it's particularly weak or particularly strong. And in Inkspell, they're particularly strong. The bonds between Farid and Dustfinger, Meggie and Mo, and (of course) Meggie and Farid are beautiful and realistic at the same time. Their devotion to one another is absolutely heartwarming and very likely one of my favorite things about this story. It is, after all, a tale about devotion and what one person would give to save the person they love most.

This book series is quickly becoming an absolute favorite of mine. That's right, it's up there with the Harry Potter series now. I mean, anyone who has read it can see why. Not only is it a superbly written fantasy with strong characters and danger around every corner, it's also a book essentially dedicated to books and the magic hidden in their words. How can a book junkie like myself manage to not fall in love with it?! (Particularly a book junkie who adores fantasy and YA Lit as much as I do.)

All in all, I will suggest this book and the series to which it belongs to anyone and everyone who will listen. If you haven't read it yet, you had better get on that.

~ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ~

"They're all cruel," he said. "The world I come from, the world you come from, and this one, too. Maybe people don't see the cruelty in your world right away, it's better hidden, but it's there all the same."

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it's tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them.

"The Little Prince" is a well-known French children's classic. The moment I caught sight of it in the English bookstore I frequent here in Paris, it was in my arms ready to be purchased.

When a pilot is forced to land in the middle of the Sahara due to problems with his plane, he finds himself face to face with the Little Prince, a small boy who has travelled from a far distant planet to get away from a haughty flower that has made him upset. It has been over a year since he arrived on Earth and, as the pilot soon discovers, he has learned much in his time away from home. And his wisdom, straight from the mouth of such an innocent little prince, is invaluable.

But the Little Prince longs for home, for he has been gone long enough. Yet how can the pilot bear to let go of such a precious treasure as the boy has proven to be?

I can definitely see why this is a classic. It was such a joy to read! It was heartwarming and altogether sweet, though I must warn you that it's conclusion is a bit sad. The artwork, done by the author himself, is as superb as the writing. It truly rounds out the story perfectly.

There's not really much more to say about it other than the fact that I absolutely adored it. It's short and a quick read, but perfect for reading time and again to younger children just as it is perfect for a quick read for those of us grown-ups who still love a good story. I'll definitely be reading this to all the little kids in my life very soon. I can't wait to share "The Little Prince" with them.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

"Fear tastes quite different when you're not just reading about it, Meggie, and playing hero wasn't half as much fun as I'd expected.

After absolutely falling in love with the movie adaptation of this novel (and having it practically memorized), I figured it was about time to read this book. I was absolutely certain I would fall in love with it immediately, and that's probably why it took me so long to finally put it off of my "to be read" shelf and finally read it. I even made sure I had all three books in the trilogy before starting the first, because I was certain I would enjoy the first so much that I wouldn't have much patience for tracking down the sequels.

I wasn't wrong.

When Meggie spots a stranger outside her window in the middle of the night, her first instinct is to run to her father for security, but she soon finds herself realizing that he's keeping something from her. When the stranger warns of a man named Capricorn and they rush to the south of Italy to take refuge with her aunt, Meggie soon realizes that the world is a much more dangerous place than she could have ever imagined. And the secrets her father has kept from her have the power to change her world forever.

It's not long before she learns what he's been keeping from her. It seems that Mo, Meggie's father, has a special gift--the unique power to draw items and even characters from the pages of a book simply by reading aloud. However, he cannot control this gift. He cannot choose who or what comes or even goes. This makes his power dangerous, far more dangerous than it's worth, and that is the reason Meggie's father never read to her. It was far too risky.

Despite this, Mo has been hunted by Capricorn and Basta, two of the thugs he drew out of a book called Inkheart when Meggie was a child along with a third character named Dustfinger. Mo has also tried to evade Dustfinger, but with much less luck and it is he whom Meggie sees standing outside her window when the book begins. Now Capricorn is closer than ever before and he'll stop at nothing to capture Mo and get his hands on the the last copy of Inkheart, which Mo has, until now, kept safely hidden.

This book was absolutely wonderful. I cannot get over how much I deeply enjoyed it. Throughout its pages, books are celebrated and the three main characters (Meggie, Mo, and Meggie's Aunt Elinor) have a deep love for them that I can entirely identify with. Each chapter even begins with a quote from a book that fits what occurs in the chapter (and ended up causing me to add quite a few books to my "to be read" list).

The storytelling and the plot are extremely well-written and the book itself is rich with fantasy and beauty. Experiencing Mo's gift, Dustfinger's despair, and Capricorn's evil alongside the characters was captivating and the vivid way in which Cornelia Funke describes her characters and their emotions can't help but draw you in.

I would highly suggest this to anyone, young or old. It's a fantastic story . . . one that should be read widely and often. I can already tell that this series could easily be one of the gateway sort for those who aren't really fans of reading just yet. Much like J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, this one will draw you in and show the reader exactly why reading is so absolutely imperative--that stories have a power all their own.

Rating: ~ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ~

[Click here to see my review of book 2: Inkspell]

"Is there anything in the world better than words on the page? Magic signs, the voices of the dead, building blocks to make wonderful worlds better than this one, comforters, companions in loneliness. Keepers of secrets, speakers of truth . . . all those glorious words."

The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner

"Don't look so uncomfortable. I have learned that there is a flaw in your philosophy. If we trust no one, we cannot survive."

[Click here to see my review of book 1: The Thief and book 2: The Queen of Attolia.]

After reading the first two books in this series, I could help eagerly awaiting my chance to read the third. Megan Whalen Turner has artfully managed to create a fantasy that is wholly believable on every front. Everything about it is simply well-done and I cannot commend the author enough at having done her job so thoroughly and making it all so utterly authentic.

The King of Attolia is seen primarily from the point of view of Costis, a young soldier who has moved himself high up in the Queen's Guard through both his talent and his utter devotion to the Queen. So, of course, he is overcome with outrage at her marriage to the Eddisian Thief who stole her away and then forced her to marry him. He unthinkingly takes it one step further when he decks the new king out of anger and nearly ends up being put to death by the very Queen he would give his heart and soul for.

The new king spares Costis and goes one step further in naming him as the lieutenant of his personal guard. Though shown mercy, the boy seethes under the attention of the king and believes this all to be an elaborate ploy of the weak king in doling out his frustration upon someone who can't fight back.  However, as Costis spends more time around the king, he begins to see that Euginedes isn't quite so inept as he had formerly suspected, and maybe he has the makings of a king within him after all.

Once again, Megan Whalen Turner has blown me away in both her storytelling and her beautifully rounded out characters. I never seem to know what to expect in these books and yet each comes through in such a way that I wonder how I didn't see it coming in the first place.

Eugenides never fails to draw the reader's compassion or steal one's heart and Costis has also become the sort of character you can't help cheering for the whole way, even when you know he's the one in the wrong. Attolia made quite the impression on me as well, becoming even more of a person in this novel than the last; not so much an impressive figurehead as a strong and very wounded woman.

Turner's storytelling is once again superb and I cannot praise this series enough. It is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. It just keeps getting better and better

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
"They think I lied on your instructions. That Teleus and I killed the assassins in the garden and let you take the credit." 
"Oh, that," said the king with a shrug. "That isn't your honor, Costis. That's the public perception of your honor. It has nothing to do with anything important, except perhaps for manipulating fools who mistake honor for its bright, shiny trappings. You can always change the perception of fools." 

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

"You watch yourself. One day you're gonna pick a hole in the sky and the universe is gonna fall right through. Then we'll all be in a fix."

I've been interested in reading Beautiful Creatures ever since I saw Margaret Stohl at LeakyCon, thought she was pretty cool, and started following her on Twitter. The last action further encouraged me to read the book after constantly being bombarded by news about the book and its movie adaptation that will be hitting theaters in February.

So I finally got around to picking the book up at the library and started reading it as soon as I got the chance. It was wonderful. A rich and well-written story, Beautiful Creatures is more than worthy of all the attention it's getting right about now. In fact, I think it deserves a little more.

Nearly every night, Ethan Wate has the same nightmare. The particulars may be different, but each one involves him doing everything in his power to save a girl he deeply loves and each ends with her slipping through his fingers as his heart shatters. He does his best to convince himself that these dreams are of no consequence, even as he wakes up covered in mud or dripping from water and with the smell of rosemary and lemons in his nostrils. When the girl from his dreams ends up being in his class on the first day of school, though, Ethan is no longer able to fool himself.

Lena Duchanne (pronounced doo-cain) immediately attracts the attention of the entire town of Gatlin. The small, southern town is wary of outsiders and those who are different. Not only does Lena look and act different than any of the other girls in Jackson High School, but strange things keep happening around her and it's not long before it is discovered that she's also the niece of Macon Ravenwood, the town's local shut-in.

But Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her. She's different and that's intoxicating to him, but it's more than that. They share a connection that no one, not even she, can explain and Ethan soon finds himself willing to put everything on the line to protect and love this strange girl.

However, things are more complicated than they seem. A heavy cloud hangs over Lena and it takes more than a little coaxing before he learns why. Lena is a Caster (generally considered a sort of witch, though most Casters hate being called such) and her sixteenth birthday is rapidly approaching. For most Casters, their sixteenth birthday is the day they choose whether to be a Dark or Light Caster, but in the Duchanne/Ravenwood family, a curse takes the choice out of their hands. They don't get to choose. A path is decided for them.

Lena, fearful of what she may become, does her best to push Ethan away, but he might be just what she needs to keep her from losing everything she is. One way or another, each new day brings her birthday closer and Ethan is determined to do whatever it takes to keep Lena from slipping through his fingers.

With masterful dialogue and memorable characters, Margaret Stohl and Kami Garcia spin an excellent tale filled with love, magic, fear, and darkness. The pages are rich with wonderful storytelling and keeps the reader hooked from beginning to end and longing for more even after one has reached the final page. Each character was well-rounded and interesting, each scene executed with precision and finesse.

This book was excellent and I cannot wait to read it's three successors. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good read that's dark and beautiful all at once, filled with fantasy and eerie delight. It was just spooky enough to keep me enthralled without discouraging my interest. I can't wait to see what these lovely ladies come up with next.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

I don't know what I was expecting, but if I had learned anything about Lena by now, it was to expect the unexpected and proceed with caution.

Christopher Paolini at the Dallas Museum of Art

Right now, Christopher Paolini is having his last book tour for the Inheritance Cycle. He has recently published the deluxe edition of the final book in the series (which includes a great deal of goodies, including artwork of Shruiken and extra content) and he is going on a book tour to promote this version. Fortunately for me, one of his first stops happened to be at the Dallas Museum of Art.

I found out about his appearance, so close to where I live, via an email from the museum. I immediately called all of the Eragon fans I knew and purchased my ticket. When the day came for the event, my close friend Andrew and I drove up to Dallas, both of us definitely fangirling as we awaiting the beginning of the event. Both of us are aspiring writers and big Eragon fans, so it was a very exciting prospect for us.

The fans present filled a small auditorium that seated about three hundred or so and nearly all attendees were under fourteen or the parents of those kids, but that didn't put a single damper on the event, nor did Paolini let that dictate how he presented himself and his material in the slightest.

Christopher Paolini, author of the Inheritance Cycle series, was home schooled and graduated at the age of fifteen. Following his graduation, he tells us he was extremely bored. Not having schoolwork was fun for about two weeks and then he realized there was now nothing for him to do. After digging himself a nine by nine foot hole in his backyard and fashioning it into a Viking Mead Hall, he realized he needed to focus his efforts on something worthwhile. He chose to write the kind of fantasy novel he enjoyed reading.

Andrew and I with our tickets.

So Christopher Paolini set to work creating Eragon, the first in the series of four rather large books, and finished it within the year. Then he went back to read his work for the first time . . . and marveled at how terrible it was. It was so bad, he told us during his time onstage, that the main character's first name wasn't even Eragon. It was Kevin. And, to be honest, who would have read the tale of Kevin the Dragon Rider?

Instead of giving up, Paolini went through the tedious process of editing and rewriting the first draft, as all authors must. From that came the book we all know and love. When it was complete, the Paolini's chose to self-publish. Christopher's sister, Angela (inspiration for the character of the same name in the series) drew up the cover while he drew the map and eye that remain in each printing of the book to date, while his parents helped him self-publish and draw attention to the book through numerous events and engagements they secured for him. In order to garner attention during that time, he often attended those engagements in medieval clothing consisting of knee-high boots, a red pirate shirt, and similar items of clothing.

After a Q&A forum, during which he confirmed plans for further books set in Alagäesia and the fact that his current novel is sci-fi, he gave a few tips for aspiring authors that I took notes on and will share here:

-Good readers are good writers. Read as much as you can. The things you don't like can help improve your writing just as much as the things you do, even if it's only showing you what you shouldn't do.

-Learn as much as you can about the English language. The more you know about spelling, grammar, and writing in general, the better you'll be able to communicate what's in your head to your audience.

-Write about whatever it is that you care about most. If you aren't interested in what you're writing, you won't do a very good job at it and writing won't be nearly as enjoyable. Even if what you care about isn't that popular, there are a lot of people on this planet and there are bound to be plenty of people who will find what you love just as cool as you do.

-Write EVERY DAY. It keeps you in practice and helps you maintain your relationship with the material so that writing will come easier to you than if you write once a week and have to take the time to get back into the world of what you're writing every time you sit down to it. "Persistence beats out talent almost every time," he reiterated. If you keep putting it off, you'll never finish. Writing every day keeps you focused on finishing what you've started.

-Have fun. If writing isn't enjoyable to you in the slightest, you're probably pursuing the wrong thing. Enjoy what you're doing and do it well.

My signed copies of Eldest and Inheritance.

Overall, it was a wonderful event and Christopher Paolini is really quite an engaging speaker. I loved hearing everything he had to say. He's quite friendly and very relatable. Afterward, he signed books for everyone. I brought Eldest and Inheritance for him to sign and he seemed rather excited about the fact that I had purchased the European editions, which was pretty cool for me.

Christopher Paolini is a master when it comes to the skill of writing and I definitely suggest his books to anyone looking for a fantasy that will keep you hooked from beginning to end. He's a pro at his trade and a wonderful person, definitely worth seeing if he tours in your area. I'm incredibly thankful he came to Dallas and grateful that I had the opportunity to see him.

The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner

The Thief leaned closer to the queen to speak almost into her ear. "From shadow queen to puppet queen in one rule," he whispered. "That's very impressive. When he rules your country and tells you he loves you, I hope you believe him."

[Click here for my review of book 1: The Thief]

I was really looking forward to reading The Queen of Attolia, especially after how much I enjoyed the first book in the series. Turner didn't disappoint. The Queen of Attolia was well-written and incredibly original. I was impressed by how different it was from the first book in the series, since it's rather easy for authors to repeat the basic outline of the previous story when it comes to sequels.

The country of Eddis is a mountainous region that sits between Sounis and Attolia, two larger countries who would like nothing more than to add her lands to their own territory. In the first book, Eugenides, the Thief of Eddis, managed to save his queen from an unwilling union with Sounis in the nick of time.

Now, however, the stakes are higher. Attolia seems to have reached an arrangement with the Medes, a large country offshore that would dominate all three countries if given the chance. With this partnership, they could become more dangerous than ever before.

Eugenides, suffering from a loss that has left him blindsided and vulnerable, is Eddis's only hope. He is tasked with the wellbeing of his country and his queen. He will have to look past his trauma if he is going to manage it. And he's going to have to be more clever than ever before, because this is no trinket he is tasked with stealing. This time his task is to steal a queen.

I really enjoyed The Queen of Attolia. Megan Whalen Turner takes the reader on an entirely new adventure filled with danger that keeps you turning page after page, dying to know what happens next.

Instead of telling the story strictly from Eugenides' point of view, she lets us see through the eyes of the queen of Attolia, the queen of Eddis, and a few others. This was a nice change of pace and really supplemented the story in ways I hadn't expected it would.

Once again, Turner's Pantheon intrigued me. They had a lesser role than in the previous book, but still showed up more than once. As a huge fan of Greek mythology, from which she pulled a great deal of inspiration, I soaked in every word of it.

Overall, this book was a lovely addition to the series. It was all-around wonderful and I can't wait to see how Turner will top herself in the next work. I will definitely be checking the next book out from the library as soon as I can manage it.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
[Click here to see my review of book 3: The King of Attolia.]

The Thief stopped in the doorway. He looked from her to the chair beside her. He was puzzled only for a moment. He looked back at her but cried out to the patron God of Thieves, "God, no," and threw himself backward. The guards caught at him. He sank through their arms, then stood again to drive the heel of his hand up under one guard's nose. The guard dropped as if he'd been hit with an ax, but it was all the strength the Thief had in him. He grabbed for the doorway, but they pulled his fingers free one by one and carried him thrashing to the chair.

Top Ten Tuesday: Thought Provoking Books

Over at The Broke and the Bookish, they have this thing called Top Ten Tuesday. Each Tuesday they give other bloggers a chance to participate in making a top ten list with them. This week's topic is thought provoking books! I only chose seven this time around, though I'm sure there are plenty more I could add. Here are the ones I decided to highlight:

1) Paper Towns by John Green
Paper Towns is a personal favorite of mine for many good reasons, but one of the most important of those reasons is the fact that this book really makes you look at the way you perceive others. Throughout this book, the main character (Quentin) realizes that we tend to romanticize our friends and most especially the people we admire and look at them through those rose colored glasses instead of seeing them for who they really are. This is a discredit both to them and to ourselves. I loved that this book challenged me in the way I view others and encouraged me to accept them for who they are instead of who I want them to be.

2)The Cold Awakening Trilogy by Robin Wasserman
I think the Cold Awakening Trilogy easily qualifies for this list. The trilogy's main question permeates each of the books and begs the question: "What constitutes humanity?" Each of the books explores this question and really makes you stop and consider what it means while bringing up multiple other deep questions of morality along the way. 

3) My Secret: A PostSecret Book by Frank Warren
The PostSecret books are essentially collections of secrets that were sent in to Frank Warren anonymously, first as an art project and now as a worldwide community. Each of the books hold a plethora of secrets that allow you to see into the lives and hearts of people all around the world. It reminds you that everyone has a secret and that everyone's hurting.

4) Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
In hearing the story of a girl who underwent a major traumatic experience in the middle her most impressionable formative years, this book lets the reader see into her head and her heart. It allows them to see how earth-shattering that traumatization can be for its victims and causes the reader to reevaluate how they treat others, because it reminds us that you can't always see what's hurting someone but that doesn't mean they aren't in need of rescuing.

5) The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
One of the things that makes the Harry Potter series so memorable and life-changing to its readers is the plethora of questions it asks its readers. As we read these books, we walk alongside Harry and his friends as they discover that the world isn't as lovely or fair a place as we perceive it at first. We see what drives them as they choose how far they are willing to go to reach an end and what means justify those ends. We are given the chance to see them fight for what they believe and lobby for the rights of those who are beaten down by others who are stronger and more outspoken. Rowling invites the reader to make these decisions along with Harry and therefore analyze the way we think and the decisions we make.

6) The Help by Kathryn Stockett
I think that nowadays it is easy to downplay the offensiveness and overall nastiness of racism, especially for those who haven't personally experienced racism or that type of stigmatism. It's also easy to believe that the issue of racism is outdated and no longer applicable to our time. Both of these assumptions are very, very wrong. This book reminds us that racism was beyond rampant less than fifty years ago. In fact, it was a household prejudice and widely considered acceptable. The Help reminds those of us who might have forgotten that this is still an evil to be fought against and one we ought to stomp out entirely.


5) Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
I am almost to the end of this book (the actual review ought to be up by the end of the week) and I am definitely loving it. One of the reasons I love it so much is the fact that it reevaluates the meaning of childhood and adulthood, as well as deciphering where the line is between being a good person and a monster. 

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

"Molly, how many times do I have to tell you? They didn't report it in the press because Fudge wanted it kept quiet, but Fudge went out to Azkaban the night Black escaped. The guards told Fudge that Black's been talking in his sleep for a while now. Always the same words: 'He's at Hogwarts . . . he's at Hogwarts.' Black is deranged, Molly, and he wants Harry dead."

[Click here to see my review of book 1: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and book 2: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets]

Now in his third year at Hogwarts, we rejoin Harry in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in the midst of his summer vacation. He is still living with the Dursleys and very unhappy about it when his Aunt Marge goes too far in insulting Harry's deceased father and ends up being blown up like a balloon from the force of Harry's anger.

Panicking over his accidental used of magic outside of school (which is strictly prohibited), he runs out of the house and soon catches a fleeting glimpse of a large, black dog just before leaving for the Leaky Cauldron.

As the school year begins, Harry continues to catch fleeting glimpses of what he soon finds out may be a Grimm, a death omen. Nearly every time he has seen this apparition, he seems to have a near death experience. And now his Divination teacher is even predicting his death.

To make matters worse, Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban. Black was placed in the high-security wizard prison twelve years ago for the murder of thirteen Muggles and one wizard not long after the defeat of Voldemort. The clues all point to his return to Hogwarts where he intends to finish the job he started so many years ago: He's coming to kill Harry Potter.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is my second favorite book in the entire series, topped only by Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. J.K. Rowling never falters in her masterful storytelling. Her magic with words is equal in strength to the magic in the story, it draws you in from the first page to the last.

Walking along with Harry as he discovers more about his parents and more about himself is always a treat and this book is so riveting that you simply have to find out what happens next. Rowling brings back the characters you've already fallen in love with, only to make you love them even more and introduce even more wonderful people you won't soon forget.

This book was absolutely wonderful and I so enjoyed rereading it. I suggest it to anyone who wants a magical story, great characters, and a journey that will last with you long after you've finished the series itself.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

[Click here to see my reviews of book 4: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, book 5:Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, book 6: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and book 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.]

"You say you remember him at Hogwarts, Rosmerta," murmured Professor McGonagall. "Do you remember who his best friend was?"
"Naturally," said Madam Rosmerta, with a small laugh. "Never saw one without the other, did you? The number of times I had them in here--ooh, they used to make me laugh. Quite the double act, Sirius Black and James Potter!"

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

"It's our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."

[Click here to see my review of book 1: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone]

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is the story of Harry's second year at Hogwarts: School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. After spending a terrible summer with the Dursley's, Harry is just about to return to school when a strange creature that calls himself Dobby shows up in his bedroom. Dobby warns Harry that terrible things are going to happen at school this year and he mustn't be there, because it would put his life in grave danger.

Harry, however, refuses to stay with his horrible family and dismisses Dobby's warning as a cruel joke played by someone who doesn't want him back. But things start going wrong from day one: Ron and Harry can't get onto the platform for the Hogwarts Express and have to find other means of getting to school. That's merely the beginning of it.

Then Harry starts hearing voices that no one else can and something starts attacking the Muggle-born students. No one is safe. A rumor about the Chamber of Secrets and Slytherin's heir passes through the student body quickly as fire. Can Harry find out who the Heir of Slytherin is and stop the monster that's attacking the students in the process? Can he protect his friends and convince people that he is not the heir?

Rowling draws us into the sequel to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone with the same eagerness and excitement that made the first book so wonderful. Once again, she manages to knock us off our feet with her masterful storytelling and her way of keeping us hooked from beginning to end.

Not only does she write wonderful characters that you get to grow with and learn to understand as if they were close friends, but the story itself is filled with twists and turns that one wouldn't have expected, yet would never question. When an author can have you coming back to the story time and time again, wanting to delve into it just once more, that's what makes a truly good book. And that's what J.K. Rowling has in this series of books. You'll always come back wanting more.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
[Click here to see my reviews of book 3: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, book 4: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, book 5: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, book 6: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and book 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.]
The ink shone brightly on the paper for a second and then, as though it was being sucked into the page, vanished. Excited, Harry loaded up his quill a second time and wrote, "My name is Harry Potter." 
The words shone momentarily on the page and they, too sank without a trace. Then, at last, something happened.
Oozing back out of the page, in his very own ink, came words that Harry had never written.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

"Harry--you're a great wizard, you know."
"I'm not as good as you," said Harry, very embarrassed, as she let go of him. 
"Me!" said Hermione. "Books! And cleverness! There are more important things--friendship and bravery and--oh Harry--be careful!"

This is the second time I've read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (the third, if you count listening to the audiobook) and it is no less a magical ride now than before. It is the perfect introduction to an amazing series and some wildly wonderful characters.

Harry Potter is living with his awful relatives, the Dursleys, who mistreat and dislike the boy, when he discovers an amazing truth. He is a wizard, as were his parents before him. Suddenly, his life takes a turn for the better. He is sent to a school for wizards called Hogwarts and, for the first time, manages to find a place where he feels loved and can make friends that are loyal and kind.

Everything is going well, better than he could have imagined, when he and his friends discover a three-headed dog on the third floor, apparently guarding something of great value. At first, they're merely interested, until they find that one of the teachers is trying to steal it. If he manages to do so, it could mean the end of the security the wizarding world has only just gotten used to. It could mean the return of a threat that was thought to have ended eleven years ago, the night Harry's parents were murdered and he received the scar on his forehead that resembled lightning. Nothing is quite as it seems and there are many dangers awaiting Harry and his friends during his first year at Hogwarts. Will they be able to make it through the year's dangers and excitements and still manage to pass their exams? It will take all of their cleverness and all of their loyalty if they even want a chance at succeeding.

It's no secret that I am a major fan of J.K. Rowling's work and it was a sheer pleasure to be able to immerse myself in it again. After LeakyCon, I wanted to reread the books and I'm very excited about continuing on. Even in her first book, Rowling shows a profound ability to draw the reader in and present them with both a believable and simply magical tale that captures their hearts.

Definitely a must-read, this series is very likely one of the greatest fantasy series of our time, on par with the works of Lewis and Tolkien. Whether you're nine or ninety-nine, you'd better go pick this book up right away.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

[Click here to see my reviews of book 2: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, book 3: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, book 4: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, book 5: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, book 6: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, and book 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows]

"After all, to the well organized mind, death is but the next great adventure. You know, the Stone was really not such a wonderful thing. As much money and life as you could want! The two things most human beings would choose above all--the trouble is, humans do have a knack of choosing precisely those things that are worst for them."

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

"It is too bad for you that intelligence does not always attend gifts such as yours, and fortunate for me that it is not your intelligence I am interested in, but your skill. If you are as good as you say you are."
I repeated myself. "I can steal anything."
"Except yourself out of the king's prison?" the magus asked, lifting only one eyebrow this time.
I shrugged. I could do that, too, but it would take time.

The Thief is another book I picked up because the author is going to be at LeakyCon this coming week and I wanted to get a good sampling of her writing style. I found it at the library with the rest of the series that I will soon be getting my hands on, because I enjoyed this one immensely and can't wait to see where else Gen's adventures take him.

In The Thief, we are immediately introduced to Gen: our narrator, main character, and current tenant of the king's prison for stealing his seal and then bragging about it to the public. He has been there for quite a few months when the king's advisor, the magus, decides that his skills as a thief could aid him in the recovery of a treasure that could change the fate of their land forever.

Gen, having no other alternative besides going back to prison, joins the magus on this quest. Along with them are Ambiades, the magus's apprentice; Sophos, the son of the duke; and Pol, the captain of the duke's army. On their travels, they must journey through two neighboring countries with whom their own country is not necessarily on good terms, while trying to keep Ambiades and Gen from killing each other.

Gen has more to worry about than Ambiades's snarling, though. He may not be all he seems to be, but even he wonders if he is up to the task of securing a hidden treasure that hundreds of thieves have died trying to attain.

Turner's story is an entertaining fantasy in a land very much of her own making. The Greek influences are heavy, from the pantheon of gods to the very climate of her fictional countries, but it is still clearly a world unlike any other. I am always interested in discovering new worlds in literature and hers fascinated me immensely.

The characters were interesting and well crafted, none of them turning out quite as I had originally pegged them. I love when an author can give me an ending I hadn't anticipated from the beginning (predictability can only go so far in entertainment), and the fact that Turner could do so with both her story and her characters is a feat she ought to be proud of.

This was a fun journey that may not have wrapped me up the way some of my favorite fantasy series' do, but it was enough to leave me wanting more. I definitely suggest reading this book if you're looking for a new series to enjoy. It's quite worth the read.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

[Click here to see my review of book 2: The Queen of Attolia and book 3: The King of Attolia.]

"Do you think," he stammered, "there's some . . . body in the maze with you?"
I wished he hadn't so obviously substituted "somebody" for "something." Not that I thought ghouls and ghosts were real, but they were easier to believe in when standing in a cold, dark, wet hole in the ground.

Top Ten Tuesday: Vivid Worlds

Over at The Broke and the Bookish, they have this thing called Top Ten Tuesday. Each Tuesday they give other bloggers a chance to participate in making a top ten list with them. This week the topic is "Most Vivid Worlds/Settings in Books". 

So here are mine: 

1. Narnia
-I've been a huge Narnia fan since I was a kid and my dad read the books to my brother and I as bedtime stories that I eagerly clung to. Narnia meant Aslan, it meant a magical world where animals could talk and children could win battles. It holds a very special place in my heart and still hasn't stopped taking hold of my imagination.

2. The Magical Version of our World Seen in Harry Potter
-I'm a latecomer to the "Potterhead" grouping, only having discovered the wonder of this universe in the last few years, but I'm hooked. I love everything about the way J.K. Rowling integrated magic into our world and hid it behind closed doors so that when you're reading it, you can almost believe that it's all true. Then again, that would mean I was a Muggle in a magical world, so that's a downside . . .

3. Middle Earth
-Granted, I've only read The Hobbit, but I loved every bit of the world Tolkien created there. Also, I've seen the Lord of the Rings movies so many times I can practically quote the majority of it. Altogether, Middle Earth gets my thumbs-up for being wonderful, yet dangerous; majestic, yet scary. Everything about it simply urges you to find out more.

4. The World in Robin Wasserman's Skinned Trilogy
-This isn't the type of world I would love to be a part of (like the first three), but it's one I found myself engulfed in. It's very believable and realistic, drawing you in and making you ask questions that most novels wouldn't dream of diving into. The way she has formed each dilemma, each evolution of the way our world turned out, is something you can almost see happening. And it's quite a scary thing to observe.

5. Panem
-Despite my dislike of Suzanne Collins' writing style, she did manage to create a rather vivid picture of the futuristic world her book is set in. It's another believable, yet scary place to live. I wouldn't want to set foot in it, but I could most assuredly believe it.

6. Alagaesia
-In Christopher Paolini's fantastically crafted world, I managed to lose myself in a book that took me longer than most to read. Where I tend to get impatient with books that I can't tackle in a few days (which are few, because I read pretty quickly), these ones were a pleasure straight through. Paolini etched every bit of his world in clear contrast and made every bit as real and defined as the world we live in.

7. Amara
-It's been a while since I've read Donita K. Paul's DragonKeeper Chronicles, but I enjoyed them immensely. The different creatures Paul created were interesting and original, her dragons were varied and interesting, the story wonderful. It was entirely well done. 

8. The World in the Dragons in Our Midst Series
-Bryan Davis created an incredibly imaginative and interesting world in his series' detailing the lives of Billy Bannister and Bonnie Silver. There are actually three series within this series, of which I've only read the first two and that was probably four or five years ago. Still, the details and intricacies of the world he created stand out in their excellence.

9. The Worlds in Howl's Moving Castle
-This book is a wonderful journey and one I intend to reread as often as possible in the future. A large part of this is due to the worlds within it (yes there are more than one, but they're all connected). They are worlds of magic and war, of impossible contracts and things that shouldn't come to life but do. It draws you in and invites you to stay for as long as you should choose to remain.

10. Faerie
-I'll finish off with a world I'm not sure whether I would want to live in or away from, but one that takes one's imagination and soars with it. There are so many things I loved about the world Neil Gaiman created in Stardust and I would definitely cite it as a vivid world that I am quite fond of.

How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy by Orson Scott Card

The second thing you should learn from my example is that ideas come from everywhere, provided that you're thinking about everything that happens to you as a potential story.

I picked up How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy because I thought it would be a good book for writing advice and give me a little more insight into what it takes to write that genre. I'm mostly interested in fantasy, though I do like a good sci-fi novel, and I know my writing often sways in that direction as much as YA fiction.

This book covered all of it's bases. Card is very thorough in his teaching, going over everything from the difference between science fiction and fantasy to the technicalities of creating an entire world and the boundaries that must be decided and set for each one. There is an overwhelming amount of information concerning the audience an author in either of these genres would be catering to and how to navigate through the publishing of a book that isn't in one of the most common categories of writing.

Not only does this cover a great deal of information concerning science fiction and fantasy, but there was also a great deal of advice that could easily translate over to any other type of writing. Card coaches the reader concerning what drives your plot and how to make sure you're staying consistent with the story throughout the writing of it. He teaches how to be a better writer in general and even gives advice from one author to another on how to make sure you're keeping your life balanced in the meantime.

I really enjoyed this book and eagerly devoured its contents. It will definitely be one I'll want to leaf through quite often for tips and suggestions. Card really knows what he's talking about and is able to share it in a way that is relatable and in no way overbearing.

Any author/aspiring author who even has the slightest inclination toward science fiction and fantasy should consider reading this book. It was very informative and incredibly useful. I learned so much more than I could have expected.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

The novelty and freshness you'll bring to the field won't come from the new ideas you think up. Truly new ideas are rare, and usually turn out to be variations on old themes anyway. No, your freshness will come from the way you think, from the person you are, it will inevitably show up in your writing, provided you don't mask it with heavy-handed formulas or clichés.

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

"He was in there two hours," said Calcifer, "putting spells on his face. Vain fool!"
"There you are, then," said Michael. "The day Howl forgets to do that will be the day I believe he's really in love, and not before."

After reading The Space Between Trees, I immediately went online and bought it on Amazon. And here again I've stumbled upon a book that I absolutely must purchase as soon as I get a bit of money.

I didn't exactly stumble upon Howl's Moving Castle. In fact, I happen to be quite fond of the movie adaptation. When I found that it was based off a book, I knew I had to read it. Once again, I am profoundly glad I did. It is nearly an entirely different story and I loved every second of the journey.

Howl's Moving Castle is the story of a girl named Sophie. As the eldest of three, she is doomed to an entirely uneventful and unsuccessful life. She resigns herself to this fate, even as her younger sisters go out to seek their fortunes. However, fate doesn't seem to agree with her on how her life is supposed to turn out.

When the hat shop she runs with her stepmother is visited by the Witch of the Waste, Sophie is put under a curse that turns her into an old woman. Unsure of what to do and unable to tell anyone of the curse, Sophie decides to leave the home she has always known in order to find her destiny and hopefully an end to the curse.

When she seeks lodging in a moving castle belonging to Wizard Howl, she expects to be turned out almost immediately. However, she makes friends with its occupants: a fire demon named Calcifer, Howl's fifteen year-old apprentice (Michael), and the dreaded wizard himself. Howl is nothing like she had been told. Still, the vain wizard manages to trample on every last one of Sophie's nerves.

That's not the only trouble, though. The Witch of the Waste is hot on their tail, eager to get Howl in her clutches, and she'll stop at nothing to succeed in her aims. On top of that, Sophie needs to find a way to break her own spell. Calcifer promises to break it if she can break the contract between he and Howl, but to do that, Sophie is going to have to find out the terms on her own.

Howl's Moving Castle is a fantastical adventure through a land filled with wonder. I enjoyed every moment of the journey and couldn't wait to see where it would take me next. I would advise it for both young teenagers and grown adults. It's a compelling read and lovely story.

Rating: ~♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥~

It seems as if those of high ability cannot resist some extra, dangerous stroke of cleverness, which results in a fatal flaw and begins a slow decline to evil.