Summer Love

Wish You Were Italian is by debut author Kristin Rae.

Pippa has always wanted to to to Italy.. but not by herself.  And certainly not to sit in art school the entire summer learning about dead guys' paintings.  When she steps off the plane in Rome, she realizes that traveling solo gives her the freedom to do whatever she wants.  So it's arrivederci, boring art program and ciao, hot Italian guys!

Charming, daring, and romantic Bruno is just the Italian Pippa's looking for-  expect she keeps running into cute American archeology student Darren everywhere she goes.  Pippa may be determined to fall in love with an Italian guy... but the electricity she feels with Darren says her heart might have other plans.  Can Pippa figure out her feelings before her parents discover she left the program and- even worse- she loses her chance at love?

The Breakdown:
1. Rae does a great job and makes this a fantastic summer/beach read.  The story gives the reader a chance to live out a beautiful Italian vacation without bogging it down with everyday touristy scenes. The book only ramps up my desire to visit Italy.

2. Pippa is a wonderful character. She is your average American girl who decides to try to be something different.  She has the same issues we have all experienced like being unable to relate to your parents,  and struggling with feelings for boys. At times she has this enduring awkwardness that I just love in characters.

3. The character of Darren is great.  He is cute, sincere, and funny.  He is not necessarily a sweeping you off your feet with his lines and looks kind of guy, but he feels way more real than any of those guys ever could.  Not that he doesn't have romantic moments, but he also gets in a few cheesy moments, which are some of my favorites.

4. I loved the romance between Pippa and Darren, mainly because of the way it progresses.  They start as strangers with a friendship connection that slowly develops into more. They are cute to watch the other try to analyze their feelings, and if there is more to them than friends. It just reminds me of how many relationships progress.

5. I was a big fan of Chiara.  She and Pippa are fast friends, and they are great friends.  Chiara's honesty with Pippa is wonderful, and her love of her family is sweet.

To Read or Not to Read:
Must Read for summer

Currently Reading:
Push Girl
by Chelsie Hill & Jessica Love

The Indigo Spell

The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead is the third book in her Bloodlines series.

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires.  They protect vampire secrets-- and human lives.
In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she finds herself struggling to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do.  Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch-- a former Alchemist who escaped against all odds, and is now on the run.  Marcus wants to teach Sydney the secrets he claims the Alchemist are hiding from her.  But as he pushes her to rebel against the people who raised her, Sydney finds breaking free is harder than she thought.  There is an old mysterious magic rooted deeply within her.  And as she searches for an evil magic user targeting powerful young witches, she realizes that her only hope is to embrace her magical blood-- or else she might be next.

The Breakdown:
1. Bloodlines really starts to pick up in its story line in this book.  Things are getting more complicated, and the characters are starting to developed more to them. This book brings more light to what exactly in going on with the Alchemist, and just how talented Sydney is in her magic.

2. I liked Adrian in the Vampire Academy books, but I have really started to love him in these books. He proves he is more than a pretty face. I simply love his interactions with Sydney, and seeing just how much he cares for her just goes to show how wrong Rose was for him.

3. Sydney is really going through some great character development in these book.  When we first meet her in Blood Promise, she is very up tight, and kind of prujudice toward the Moroi and dhampirs.  She has become much more accepting.  She is also learning that there is nothing wrong with being yourself.  She has a little ways to go, but I like her better every book.

4. I was not impressed with the character of Marcus.  He was a lot of talk, and willing to risk others doing his dangerous business without any concrete plans. You would think that someone who was able to break the Alchemist hold would be brave and a better planner.

5. Tell you want the developments at the ending will make the next book in the series very interesting.

To Read or Not to Read:
Read

Currently Reading:
Wish You Were Italian
by Kristin Rae

Camelot Burning

Camelot Burning by debut author Kathryn Rose is the first book in her Metal & Lace series.

By day, Vivienne is Guinevere's lady-in-waiting. By night, she's Merlin's secret apprentice, indulging in the new mechanical arts and science of alchemy.  It's a preferred distraction from Camelot's gossipy nobility, roguish knights, and Lancelot's athletic new squire, Marcus, who will follow in all knights' footsteps by taking a rather inconvenient vow of chastity. 

More than anything, Vivienne longs to escape Camelot for a future that wouldn't include needlework or marriage to a boorish lord or dandy.  But when King Arthur's sorceress sister, Morgan le Fey, threatens Camelot, Vivienne must stay to help Merlin build a steam-powered weapon to defeat the dark magic machine Morgan will set upon the castle.  Because if Camelot falls, Morgan would be that much closer to finding the elusive Holy Grail.  Time is running out and Morgan draws near, and if Vivienne doesn't have Merlin's weapon ready soon, lives would pay the price, including that of Marcus, the only one fast enough to activate it on the battlefield.

The Breakdown:
1. Rose gives an interesting take on the Camelot of legend by adding in steampunk influence.  In her world magic is a dark art, that is like a drug to users, and metal science and alchemy have replaced magic in the good. She stays essentially true to the legend of Camelot, which is seen through the eyes of Vivienne.

2. Vivienne is definitely an interesting character.  She is smart and strong willed in a society in which that is not how most women act.  As the story unfolds, there are hints that there is more to Vivienne than she even knows.

3. Rose, also, provides quite the fascinating character in Marcus.  He has his own secrets and reason for wanting to be Lancelot's squire.  He provides an interesting counter to Vivienne, and is not in the least bit intimidated by her intelligence, in fact he finds it quite attractive.

4. I did find that at times Rose got a little convoluted with her story. At the very beginning in fact, it took a few pages to figure out who the narrator was.  She interweaves dreams and visions in to the story at times and it is not always apparent right a way what cause the switch.  That being said, overall I found the story intriguing, and I am interested in where she will take the series.

To Read or Not to Read:
Read, if you are looking for new take on the old legend

Currently Reading:
The Indigo Spell
by Richelle Mead

More Proof

Paranormalcy by Keirsten White is the first book in the series of the same name.

Evie's always thought of herself as a normal teenager, even though she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she's falling for a shape-shifter, and she's the only person who can see through paranormals' glamours.

But Evie's about to realize that she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

So much for normal.

The Breakdown:
1.The world White has created in Paranormalcy is fascinating. Paranormals are controlled by IPCA so they cannot harm humans, who the average human has no idea these paranormals exist. White does a good job with balance humor in her characters, and unfolding the drama of the story line. Plus she present more proof why the Fae cannot be trusted, even when you know their true name.

2. I really liked Evie.  She is quirky and fun.  Her desire to be a normal teenager is sweet, and her excitement at experiencing the stuff that normal kids do is enduring. She is also very loyal to her friends, and she is a lot smarter that the IPCA gives her credit for at times.  She, after all, warns multiple times that the Fae aren't to be trusted, and that they have their own agenda.

3. Also, really enjoyed Lend's character, the shape-shifting boy.  He is interesting both in personality and origins.  As his and Evie's relationship grows, it is easy to see he is a great compliment to her character.

To Read or Not to Read:
Read

Currently Reading:
Camelot Burning
by Kathryn Rose

Cold Day in July

Ashen Winter is the second book of Mike Mullin's Ashfall trilogy.

It's been over six months since the eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano.  Alex and Darla have been staying with Alex's relatives, trying to cope with the new reality of the primitive world so vividly portrayed in Ashfall, the first book in the this series.  It's also been six months waiting for Alex's parents to return from Iowa. Alex and Darla decide they can wait no longer and must retrace their journey to Iowa to find and bring back Alex's parents to the tenuous safety of Illinois.  But the landscape they cross si even more perilous than before, with life-and-death battles for food and power between the remaining communities.  When the unthinkable happens, Alex must find new reserves of strength and determination to survive.

The Breakdown:
1. I absolutely love post-apocalypse stories, and Mullin has created quite the dozy of one with his Ashfall series.  Although, these books remind me that I would be one of the first to go in these situations. The world in these books is bleak and a true survival of the fittest.  It is amazing what people will do to survive. That being said, there are bright spots of humanity in this crazy world, like Rita Mae the amazing librarian.

2. Alex is an amazing character, who despite all his has had to endure, is still a decent guy.  He is willing to help those who are weaker than him, and his is fiercely loyal to those he loves. He does the right thing on several occasions when it would just been easier to look the other way.

3. So I totally get that Darla is the more practical of character in the relationship, but there are times when her callousness bothers me.  She, unlike, Alex is willing to look the other way at times.

4. It will definitely be interesting to see how the introduction of the new characters play out in the last book of the series, and how the ending will effect where the story goes from here.

To Read or Not to Read:
Read

Currently Reading:
Paranormalcy
by Kiersten White

The Golden Lily

The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead is the second book in her Bloodlines series, which is a spin-off the Vampire Academy series. You can find the review to the first book under United States of YA- California.

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires.  They protect vampire secrets- and human lives.

Sydney would love to go to college, but instead, she's been sent into hiding at a posh boarding school in Palm Springs, California- tasked with protecting Moroi princess Jill Dragomir from assassins who what to throw the Moroi court into civil war.  Formerly in disgrace, Sydney is now praised for her loyalty and obedience, and held up as the model of an exemplary Alchemist.

But the closer she grows to Jill, Eddie, and especially Adrian, the more she finds herself questioning her age-old Alchemist beliefs, her idea of family, and the sense of what it means to truly belong.  Her world becomes even more complicated when her magical experiments show Sydney may hold the key to prevent becoming Strigoi- the fiercest vampires, the ones who don't die.  But it's her fear of being just that- special, magical, powerful- that scares her more than anything.  Equally daunting is her new romance with Brayden, a cute, brainy guy who seems to be her match in every way.  Yet. as perfect as he seems, Sydney finds herself being drawn to someone else- someone forbidden to her.

When a shocking secret threatens to tear the vampire world apart, Sydney's loyalties are suddenly tested more than ever before.  She wonders how she's supposed to strike a balance between the principles and dogmas she's been taught, and what her instincts are now telling her.

Should she trust the Alchemists- or her heart?

The Breakdown:
1. After finishing the Vampire Academy series, I wanted more from Mead's supporting characters, like Sydney, and definitely more of Adrian, so the Bloodlines series is a great follow up.

2. Sydney, while not a kick ass fighter like Rose, is a strong heroine in her own way.  She is super smart, and a great problem solver. She is wonderfully caring and loyal to those she cares about.  Although, her whole body image issues bothers me at times, I still really like her as a character.

3. Love how Adrian has developed as a character in these books so far.  While I enjoyed his character in the Vampire Academy books, I feel that he really comes into his own in these books.  He has learned to be responsible, and with Sydney, Jill, and Eddie, what a real family is like. Mead has really made him mature as a character.

4. So in the first book, Bloodlines, I thought there was something weird about Trey, and boy was I ever right. It will be interesting to see how his part will play out in the series.

To Read or Not to Read;
Read

Currently Reading:
Ashen Winter
by Mike Mullin

Gone

Gone is the last book in Lisa McMann's Dream Catcher trilogy.

Things should be great for Janie- she has graduated from high school and is spending her summer with Cabel, the guy she's totally in love with.  But deep down she's panicking about how she's going to survive her future when getting sucked into other people's dreams is really starting to take its toll.  Things get even more complicated when she meets her father for the very first time- and he's in a coma.  As Janie uncovers his secret past, she begins to realize that the choice thought she had has more dire consequence than she ever imagined.

The Breakdown:
1. As the last book, I expected more from this book than the first two, but McMann disappointed with this one. While interesting to learn the story of Janie's father, I felt the book did not do a whole lot for the story line as a whole. Plus, I felt Janie and Cabel's relationship, which is my favorite part of these books, really got pushed to the wayside.

2. In the last book, I got the impression the Janie was learning to open up about her feelings and worries with both Cabel and the Captain, but this book had Janie taking backwards steps in character progress. She becomes secretive about what she is doing and what is going on with her dad.

3. The ending did nothing for me. I finished the book going that was it? I felt like there should have been a little more, or a epilogue on what happens to Janie and Cabel.

4. Still don't like the style in which McMann lays out the story.

To Read or Not to Read:
Only Read if you really want to finish the trilogy, otherwise skip

Currently Reading:
The Golden Lily
by Richelle Mead