Books I've read (mid-Feb through mid-April)
12. Beautiful Darkness Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl *** I didn’t like this one as much as I liked the first, but it was still all right. I thought the world building was pretty solid and it’s an interesting mix of the two worlds. The pacing was kind of slow in a lot of spots though and I thought there were many scenes that could have been cut in half without impacting the story or characters at all. It took me a while to get through those scenes. But the ones that didn’t have what felt like filler were good and kept me interested enough to finish the book. I did like the decision Lena made at the end. It was what I was hoping would happen but wasn’t sure if it would. I like the decision because of the new dynamic it adds to the story and her character
13. Desires of the Dead Kimberly Derting **** Even though I was able to figure out most things early on, there was still plenty of tension to keep me going and I was still able to enjoy the discovery of just how everything would play out. I like the new dynamic that Sara Priest and Rafe brought to the story and I’m curious to learn more about them. I also like the idea that Violet’s ability doesn’t necessarily have to be a secret if she doesn’t want it to.
14. Spellbinder Helen Stringer *** This book had a pretty interesting concept. I’ve never seen a book about ghosts quite like this. I liked the way the land of the living and the land of the dead were so connected. I also really enjoyed the time Belladonna and Steve spent in the land of the dead. I liked Belladonna’s character, especially the way she insisted on always doing something instead of waiting for those who were more experienced/had more knowledge than her to figure out what needed to be done. Although, there were many times throughout the book that I forgot she was only 12. She read a few years older to me. I’m not sure if that’s because I’m so used to reading about older teens or because the way she was written felt more like a 16 or 17-year-old rather than a 12-year-old. But overall, it was a good book
15. Because of Winn-Dixie Kate Dicamillo **** (read with T) This is the third book I’ve read of Kate DiCamillo’s and I’ve definitely become a fan. This is such a sweet story and I love Opal’s voice. It’s a slower-paced book, but I don’t mind that because it gives us plenty of time to get to know all the characters and they are definitely worth getting to know. I really like the combination of depth and simplicity in the both the writing and the characters.
16. Warped Maurissa Guibord ***** This book had many of my favorite fantasy elements: time travel, unicorns, medieval age, dragons, magic, and a great love story. I know some people say these things are cliché, but I’ve always loved them. And there is definitely nothing cliché about how they were used in this book. It’s an original story with wonderful characters and great writing. I loved it!
17. Demonglass Rachel Hawkins **** I liked this one even better than the first. The stakes and tension were much higher, especially the emotional tension. The story kept moving in directions I didn’t expect, but they definitely worked. My only complaint is with the ending and that’s only because the next book isn’t available yet.
18. Sean Griswold’s Head Lindsey Leavitt ***** This is such a sweet, touching story. There’s so much depth not only to Payton, but to all the characters. The thing I loved most about it though, is that this book does an excellent job at showing how MS can affect not only the person who has it, but also their family and friends. It’s similar to what I hope to accomplish with type 1 diabetes and Dreamwalker.
19. Beyonders: A World Without Heroes Brandon Mull **** At first, I didn’t like this book as much as I like his Fablehaven series and it started out kind of slow for me. But once I really got into it, I really enjoyed it. It has a similar feel to my novel, Wayworn, and gives me hope that one day I might be able to find a good home for it.
13. Desires of the Dead Kimberly Derting **** Even though I was able to figure out most things early on, there was still plenty of tension to keep me going and I was still able to enjoy the discovery of just how everything would play out. I like the new dynamic that Sara Priest and Rafe brought to the story and I’m curious to learn more about them. I also like the idea that Violet’s ability doesn’t necessarily have to be a secret if she doesn’t want it to.
14. Spellbinder Helen Stringer *** This book had a pretty interesting concept. I’ve never seen a book about ghosts quite like this. I liked the way the land of the living and the land of the dead were so connected. I also really enjoyed the time Belladonna and Steve spent in the land of the dead. I liked Belladonna’s character, especially the way she insisted on always doing something instead of waiting for those who were more experienced/had more knowledge than her to figure out what needed to be done. Although, there were many times throughout the book that I forgot she was only 12. She read a few years older to me. I’m not sure if that’s because I’m so used to reading about older teens or because the way she was written felt more like a 16 or 17-year-old rather than a 12-year-old. But overall, it was a good book
15. Because of Winn-Dixie Kate Dicamillo **** (read with T) This is the third book I’ve read of Kate DiCamillo’s and I’ve definitely become a fan. This is such a sweet story and I love Opal’s voice. It’s a slower-paced book, but I don’t mind that because it gives us plenty of time to get to know all the characters and they are definitely worth getting to know. I really like the combination of depth and simplicity in the both the writing and the characters.
16. Warped Maurissa Guibord ***** This book had many of my favorite fantasy elements: time travel, unicorns, medieval age, dragons, magic, and a great love story. I know some people say these things are cliché, but I’ve always loved them. And there is definitely nothing cliché about how they were used in this book. It’s an original story with wonderful characters and great writing. I loved it!
17. Demonglass Rachel Hawkins **** I liked this one even better than the first. The stakes and tension were much higher, especially the emotional tension. The story kept moving in directions I didn’t expect, but they definitely worked. My only complaint is with the ending and that’s only because the next book isn’t available yet.
18. Sean Griswold’s Head Lindsey Leavitt ***** This is such a sweet, touching story. There’s so much depth not only to Payton, but to all the characters. The thing I loved most about it though, is that this book does an excellent job at showing how MS can affect not only the person who has it, but also their family and friends. It’s similar to what I hope to accomplish with type 1 diabetes and Dreamwalker.
19. Beyonders: A World Without Heroes Brandon Mull **** At first, I didn’t like this book as much as I like his Fablehaven series and it started out kind of slow for me. But once I really got into it, I really enjoyed it. It has a similar feel to my novel, Wayworn, and gives me hope that one day I might be able to find a good home for it.