House of Hades by Rick Riordan

Heroes of Olympus, Book 4

It's not a secret that I adore Rick Riordan and his main character extraordinaire, Percy Jackson.  This book, the long awaited sequel to Mark of Athena (which ended on a cliffhanger so disheartening even the author knew to apologize in his dedication) brings back all of our favorite demigods.

This book allows loyal fans to bear witness to the maturing of many beloved characters.  Leo just reads like a calmer guy, Percy seems more at peace, Piper is stronger, and some long awaited answers about Nico finally arrive.

The book doesn't have the satisfying ending of a final installment (I know that's because it's clearly not the last) but it also doesn't have the action of the earlier books.  It read like the falling action of a story...which was a bit disappointing.  I'm still a HUGE fan of the series and I've already put the next book on my wish list...but this one is only 3 smiles.

Four by Veronica Roth

Divergent was an amazing series (see my earlier review).  This new book, following Tobias (my favorite) will not disappoint fans.  You'll get more of his story, some favorite scenes from Divergent from Tobias' viewpoint, and get yourself right back into their world for awhile.  As a stand-alone book it would be highly frustrating, because it's not intended to be the complete tale.  But for those of us who read the series and craved a little more, this is the missing piece.

Fittingly, 4 smiles.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Whatever you think Gone Girl is about...you have no idea.

It starts out exactly like you expect from the synopsis on the back, the cover, the hype of the movie, and the chatter you've heard.  Your brain, as it often does as you read, starts trying to piece the puzzle together before the characters can.  You can actually feel your opinion wavering as you get deeper into the book.

This book continued to surprise me until the end.  Gillian Flynn is a remarkable writer with an amazing ability to write a character's thoughts.  She captivates me with her characters and surprises me continuously.

Read this one.  Seriously.

My Blood Approves Series by Amanda Hocking

This review encompasses the series including the books with the following titles:
My Blood Approves, Fate, Flutter, Wisdom...

Do you ever stop to wonder what, exactly, is the pull of writing about vampires?  For that matter, what is the pull about reading about vampires?  Is it their dark nature?  Is it their inability to die?  Do we all just aspire to be blood sucking creatures?  It's a little out of control, isn't it?

But I digress.  Let's talk about this particular vampire tale.  I actually love the way the gay characters are portrayed throughout the series.  Sure, at first, he is the token stereotypical gay character.  But as the series develops these two become the best love story in it.  Their relationship is real, they are strong men, and they are great!

Alice-I like her.  She makes smart choices, she deals well with tough issues.  I like a tough woman main character and Alice fits that bill completely.

There are moments in this series that make me roll my eyes because they have been done before but then I think what more can anyone really bring to the vampire tale.  Honestly, it's all been done. If she tried to interject something really ground-breakingly new we'd accuse her of making up things that don't fit what we think we know about these creatures of the night.

Perhaps because these copies were ebooks I find errors rampant in their pages.  This, on one hand, annoys me.  But they are not errors you can't figure out.  Is she skips a word on a line, your brain simply fills it in. It's not overly distracting it's just vexing.

Overall, I like the twists.  I like the characters.  I personally thought the ending to Wisdom was fantastic.  One can become tired of the cliche happily-ever-after, all questions answered ending.  This was not that and I truly loved it.  Then I did a little research (not uncommon for me) and found something I thought was a bit disturbing...
The author, in what resembles a temper tantrum to me, said in 2011 that she was not finishing the fifth and final book in the series (like I said, I didn't even feel it needed another installment).  She went on to say that the series in finished, in her opinion, and people complaining and sending her hate mail has made her not want to write the fifth.

So, here's my two cents for this controversy Ms. Hocking (if you happen to find this).  If people love your characters enough that they seem so real their decisions actually make the reader feel something...you've done your job.  Get someone to read your mail for you (or with you) to remind you of that when someone presents this love for your character poorly.  If they are reading your material, you've done your job.  You can't please everyone. More importantly, it wouldn't be a very good book if you tried to.

Oh, and this series...3 smiles.

The Awakening by Shannon Drake

This story takes place in Salem, Massachusetts, a place I am familiar and enraptured with.  The story also happens to take place the week of Halloween which is a pretty major holiday around those parts.

I enjoyed the two main characters and the mystery surrounding them.  Alas, it was a bit predictable and the ending was anticlimactic for my tastes.  In my humble opinion if you spend 400 pages on the week prior to an event, feel free to spend more than 50 on the major event.  But, I digress.

It was a good story, meant for cheap thrills which is delivered.  I'm glad I read this one around Halloween.

3 smiles

Ungifted by Gordon Korman

Funny and interesting, this middle grades book kept me turning pages rapidly.  Donovan starts off a bit troublesome but quickly becomes a great role model for kids!  He finds himself smack dab int he middle of a gifted school he doesn't really belong in and teaches us all a thing or two.  In fact, this one would be a great book study for teachers!

4 smiles

Invisible by James Patterson and David Ellis

Another amazing cannot-put-it-down work by Mr. Patterson.  This one follows Emily, who I adore, as she pieces together a puzzle only she believes is even a puzzle!  I loved the twist of our main character being the only one who believes in this creep, I loved the ending, and I love James Patterson.  With over 200 books to his name and countless authors clamoring to share the byline with him, he hasn't lost his touch at all.  Highly recommended for mystery, thriller, or Patterson fans everywhere.
 5 smiles, 1 wink

Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver

I really wanted to like this book.  I've enjoyed other works by Ms. Kingsolver, including Bean Trees and Pigs in Heaven (highly recommended books, by the way).  This book was a realistic fiction story that follows a rural family with troubles as they encounter a scientific phenomenon that changes their small town.  The story is woven with some excellent science details and a few characters who I really respected and enjoyed (Ovid Byron, for one).

However, the story slows painfully in many spots and I felt myself needing to force the reading to get through it.  The information about global warming is actually presented quite well and reads quickly, helping this earn a smile from me.  Overall, I give this book 2 smiles.  One earned for the presentation of global warming and one earned because I like the extended metaphor of the butterflies to our main character.

Lincoln's Grave Robbers by Steve Sheinkin

This book was a gift to me from some amazing little readers I've had the privilege of teaching or working with in some capacity over the years.  I really enjoyed the factual evidence presented in an interesting way and the pictures were great!  I have never considered myself a history buff, but I completely fell in love with this story.  Anyone interested in history at all should give this quick read a go.

As a side note this would be a GREAT one to read with a class!

4 smiles

Trashed by Diana Morgan

This mystery story is the first novel for a woman from New Hampshire.  Having spent years of my childhood playing around Lake Winnepausakee, I enjoyed the references to the New Hampshire lifestyle.  The mystery itself was good.  The story is interesting, fast, and creative.  I figured it out a bit earlier than I liked, but I enjoyed the ride nonetheless.

The characters in this novel were great.  I really liked (and related to) Will and Vic.  I appreciated the fresh take on the cliche mystery characters this author provided.  She was not afraid to break that mystery mold and I admire her choices.

The only nuances I found, probably due to the fact that this is a first novel, were the difficulties in dialogue.  At a few points in the story I had trouble tracking who was speaking in a conversation.  There are little or no indications (ie "he said") to help you follow.  Occasionally there is even a direction (ie "Will shrugged") that will follow a different character speaking and confuses the reader.  It is a small criticism and it honestly didn't ruin the book at all.

Overall, great story and a remarkable first novel.  Kudos Ms. Morgan.

4 smiles

Getting the Pretty Back by Molly Ringwald

I really wanted to like this book.  Mostly because I've always liked Molly Ringwald movies, honestly.  The book has cute illustrations, glossy pages, and plenty of short lists to keep any reader interested.  But the content is nothing more than dribble.  I wanted the book to be about finding inner beauty, discovering that you have a youthful "pretty" side still inside your aging body.  Instead, the book is about fashion, dinner parties, hair, and other crap I am simply not cut out for.  I can practically hear her hundred dollar bills flying out the window as I turn pages.  Meanwhile, I cannot even fathom a situation that would justify spending that kind of money on a Hermes scarf.

Sorry Molly, I simply hated the tips you provided.  To be fair, if you are the kind of person who reads fashion magazines and lives for fashion tips you'll probably love it.

1 smile since I can't do less.

The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult

"Inside each of us is a monster; inside each of us is a saint.  The real question is which one we nurture the most, which one will smite the other."

Read nothing about the details of this book-search for no other reviews (I promise not to ruin it) and look for no spoilers.  Do this, and you will be shocked with a 1-2 punch that leaves you holding your breath with goosebumps decorating your arms within the first 50 pages.

Jodi Picoult weaves a story of a young woman who makes an unlikely friend harboring a secret she doesn't see coming (and you won't either).  What she chooses next can shape so many things.  Like all good Jodi Picoult books, this one rang with a truth and an emotion that you cannot help but feel.

As my husband, and anyone else who happened to see me reading this book, can attest to this book is an emotional roller coaster.  I couldn't binge read this one like I wanted to, because I often had to set it down to let my emotions roll back downward toward normal.  The topic becomes chilling quickly and the story is masterfully told from points of view that Ms. Picoult certainly must have researched well.

No matter what you like to read, read this one.  Seriously.

5 huge smiles
1 tear

Middle School the Worst Years of my Life by James Patterson and Chris Tebbetts

On my quest for finding books that will make students read-I tried this one.  In the style made popular by "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" this book is told by a sixth grader, Rafe, and is heavily illustrated.  The story is fast and full of voice kids will appreciate.

The premise of the story will have some adults turned off of this one-so read it before you hand it to your kids.  Rafe has decided to make it his mission to break every single rule in the school handbook.  Not exactly an idea you want in your kids head.  Patterson makes it pretty obvious that this was not a great choice.  Rafe gets in a LOT of trouble (obviously) for this plan.

The entire theme SEEMS like it's "rules are not for everyone" which some adults may see as a dangerous idea.  However, when you dig for it with your child they will soon realize the true theme is that traditional learning is not for everyone.

I enjoyed the book, but I won't be adding it to the classroom library anytime soon.

2 smiles for the cute idea and the voice

Broken Harbor by Tana French

I've said from the first novel of Tana's that I ever read (In the Woods, rated 4 smiles and wink in June of 2013) that her novels are brilliant.  Ms. French has a knack for giving us murder mysteries that don't read like typical murder mysteries.  The novels move at a different pace than other mystery authors, but the intrigue is still alive.  The detectives don't get everything right the first time, and you can't predict it all.  You don't get all your answers when the book ends, but enough to be satisfied.

This particular novel follows Mike Kennedy (anyone who read Faithful Place will know him as Scorcher Kennedy) as he attempts to find out who killed 3 people in a family of 4 and left the 4th to die.  Mike is also training a rookie, Richie Curran, who adds another level of depth to the novel.

I continue to be a fan of Tana French.  Her characters come alive for me.  I enjoy that she takes a minor character from the previous book and makes them the focus of the next.  As a reader you often wonder "what's their story?" when a minor character is introduced.  With Tana French, you have a chance of finding out later!

Note: This book is NOT a sequel to any of Tana's earlier books.

Highly recommended.  5 smiles and a wink