Top Ten Books on My Fall TBR List

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by the bloggers of The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic is the top ten books on my fall TBR list. Well, I only ended up reading four of the books I mentioned for my summer TBR list. Let's see if I can at least read five of the books I mention below this time?

The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling – J.K. Rowling is one of my favorite authors ever and I'm super excited to read this book (even if it does not feature a certain boy wizard). Also, this releases the day before my birthday. How awesome of a birthday present is that!?

House of Shadows by Rachel Neumeier – All the reviews I've read of this are overwhelmingly positive. This sounds like a fully fleshed-out world with great characters and political intrigue. 

For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund – I just finished reading Jane Austen's Persuasion for the Austen in August read along. Now I'd love to read an adaptation while the original is still fresh in my mind. 

Eon and Eona by Alison Goodman – I've heard great things about this duology. I always love it when girls masquerade as boys. And, while I love the psuedo-Western Europe world of most high fantasies, I am eager to read about an Asian-inspired world.

Graceling, Fire, and Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore – These books are rollovers from my summer TBR list. I own Graceling and Fire and am getting close to the top of the waitlist for Bitterblue. I know of want to wait until I get Bitterblue so I can read all three in a row.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green – Despite also being on my summer TBR list, I still haven't read this either. But now that I will own a physical copy of the book, there's absolutely no reason that I won't be able to read it within the next few months.

The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde – I got a free version for my Kindle but only managed to read about 40% because it was poorly formatted. I really want to read some Wilde and I think this is supposed to be one of his better books, so I'm either going to buy it or check it out of my library soon.

Let me know what's on your fall TBR list!

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Review: Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

Published: 2012,

Series: His Fair Assassin, #1

Genre: Young Adult Historical Fantasy
Source: Library book

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Why must the honorable die when so many dishonorable live?

Oh historical fantasy, how I have missed you. Although I am a huge fan of historical fiction, I haven't read any for a while. Historical fantasy is such an inventive genre, and I love how it combines two of my favorite genres. There's just something so exhilarating reading a book that intermixes the historical with the fantastical. After reading the synopsis of Robin LaFevers' Grave Mercy, I knew that this was something I had to read, and I am glad I did.

Grave Mercy takes place in the Duchy of Brittany, a small independent northern region of France, during the late fifteenth century. Ismae Rienne has not had a great childhood — she is the product of a failed abortion after her parents found her mother to be pregnant with the god of death's child. Already conscious about how little value her parents placed upon her life, Ismae also bears scars from the poisons that failed to kill her and is physically abused by her father. Her life does not seem like it will get any better through an arranged marriage, but hours after the wedding she is whisked away to a secret convent where nuns act as the handmaidens of Saint Mortain, the god of death. There Ismae finds a greater purpose in her life, learning how to serve Mortain through poison lore, seduction, weaponry, and how to administer the god's justice to (mainly male) victims. 

Ismae is eager to try her training out in the world, and her first and second assignments more or less go to plan. For her third assignment, however, Ismae finds herself far out of her league. She is asked to attend court as the mistress of Duval, a noble with a strong distrust for Ismae and her convent in general. At court she must uphold her duties of Mortain and protect both the duchess and independence of Brittany. 

Historical fantasies have the potential to be wonderful stories on so many levels, and Grave Mercy definitely upheld my expectations for the genre. LaFevers put in the research necessary to situate this novel within a very real place and era. It was a very visual book, and I loved all the descriptions of clothing, rooms, and the general atmosphere. I felt like I could imagine the culture at least a little, which is not easy to do. From my brief Wikipedia forays, I was able to confirm some historical aspects about Brittany that were present within the novel, as well as some information about its rulers (more on that later). I've always found it simply amazing when authors are able to bring to life certain events and settings and then infuse them with their own stories and characters. From this perspective, the book was very well done.

For the most part I liked Ismae's character. Ismae endured a very difficult life before the convent took her in, but once there Ismae doesn't seem to have quite the amount of struggles with self-worth and doubt that I would have expected. Part of the reason behind that may be that the novel skips ahead three years after Ismae's been in the convent for only a short time, but even past that I felt that there are aspects Ismae's character is lacking. But there are many, many aspects of Ismae that are just a delight to read: she's fierce, determined, and the daughter of death himself. And she does undergo a transformation and is able to question previously assumed knowledge. I always love a rational heroine willing to question the way things are.

The romance between Ismae and Duval, while expected, was also quite satisfying to read. For as much as I hate insta-love romances, I absolutely adore slow-burn ones where the characters start with enmity and misunderstanding. And, although Ismae and Duval have a common goal in seeing Anne crowned as the Duchess of Brittany, their relationship definitely fits this bill. Their relationship changes from one of misunderstanding and disgust (albeit one of mutual goals), to one where they really start to see the other person as a legitimate person, one with passions, personality, and, yes, flaws. Although I will say that this one pivotal scene that really establishes them in a relationship made me roll my eyes quite a bit. But they still form a very enjoyable relationship that I was willing to cheer for.

My main issue, however, is related to the romance I quite enjoyed reading. As a friend of mine recently explained, the novel is kind of divided. There's the beginning part where Ismae is at the convent and completes her first two missions, and that section is all about female empowerment. And then Ismae is taken to court to protect the Duchess of Brittany's claim to the throne, under the guise of being Duval's mistress. In this second half of the novel, female empowerment takes a back seat to many other aspects of the book. The political intrigue, for instance. And also the romance, which is a little unfortunate. Ismae has so much power in the eyes of her convent and her god, yet at some instances she inexplicably becomes much meeker and even second-guesses herself. I realize that she has been introduced into a world with which she's unfamiliar. But I still would have liked to see a little more awesome female empowerment in the second half than there actually is.

I usually don't really focus on secondary characters outside of love interest in my reviews, but I have to take a minute to appreciate a few of the wonderful secondary characters. Anne is probably my favorite character from this book. Anne of Brittany was also an actual historical person whose hand was indeed sought by many suitors. How awesome is that? I also enjoyed learning a little about Ismae's fellow acolytes Annith and Sybella. Based on the promotional blurb for Dark Triumph, it sounds as though Sybella is the protagonist. If that's so, then I'd love for Annith to be the protagonist of the final book. I'm curious to learn what mysterious mission Sybella had for the entirety of this book, and I'd love the chance to see what her inner mind is like. Annith was not in much of Grave Mercy, but I really liked what I've seen of her so far and since she was so incredibly sidelined in this book, it would be nice for her to have her own experiences. Although I enjoyed reading about Ismae, I am excited by the possibility of the following novels allowing us to further expand the world of Brittany and learn more about other characters.

  

There were a few issues I had here and there with Grave Mercy, but overall it was a very enjoyable read. I don't think it's possible for me to resist a well-constructed historical fantasy full of political intrigue and a slow-burning romance.

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Review: This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers

This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers

Published: 2012, St. Martin's Griffin

Genre: Young Adult Post-Apocalyptic, Contemporary
Source: Library book

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Waiting around to be saved is like waiting to die and I have done more of both than anyone else in the room.

I have an announcement to make: I have read my first ever zombie novel! And I've found an issues-driven book that I actually enjoyed. Two awesome firsts that I was able to get from this amazing book, This is Not a Test.

According to Sloane Price, she's been dead for the past six months. Ever since her older sister Lily went away without her, leaving Sloane home alone with their abusive father. All that's left for Sloane to do is kill herself so that her body can be as dead as her mind and emotions are. But then something completely unexpected happens: her town is overrun by a zombie invasion. Sloane wonders if she's already dead and simply experiencing a bizarre dream. By the time she's realized that everything happening is real, she's already found herself to be part of a small group that's barricaded itself in the local high school while the zombies continue to kill outside. Paired with teenagers intent on survival, Sloane realizes that her death will not be an easy thing to accomplish after all.

The main conflict of our protagonist Sloane is not how to survive amidst a zombie invasion, but whether there is anything left to live for anymore. She's been contemplating this dilemma for months now and has come to the conclusion that she no longer wants to live. Although she clearly has a lot of issues, Sloane is a great protagonist. I feel like most zombie novels focus on the protagonist's struggle for survival against the undead. While there are instances of Sloane physically fighting or running away from the zombies, her struggle is fundamentally different at the core. The zombie invasion could have been an easy way for her to die, but things become much more complicated than she first imagines. Sloane's not strong and tries to distance herself from the others who are not willing to die without a fight. Yet some of their mentality cannot help but rubbing off on her, and she's forced to feel guilt as she sees the pain that the others endure. She may be suicidal, but Sloane is very compassionate and really considers and values everyone else's life. Sloane's initial detachment does not work very well, and by considering the well-being of everyone else, she is forced to come to terms with her own issues and beliefs. I love how Sloane is a peripheral character. It would have been so easy to focus on the "leader" in this story, but from her place in the group to her painful internal struggle, Sloane definitely offers an interesting perspective.

While I didn't necessarily like all of the characters trapped in close quarters with her, I appreciated the fact that I was able to develop a pretty good understanding of each of them. All of the characters can fall into stereotypes: Cary, the troubled leader, Rhys, the rebel hiding a serious secret, Trace, the strong and argumentative almost-antagonist, Grace, the sweet girl, and Harrison, the obligatory helpless character (and can I say I am so happy that he is not a girl?). But the characters are so, so much more than the simple sum of their parts. They're all so incredibly real and mutual-faceted and I got a distinct character portrait of each one.

Considering that this is a book about a zombie apocalypse, this book does not feature much action and is very much internalized. This book is very much about human dynamics, and it was so fascinating to read how their dire situation affects six very different characters. The live-or-die situation causes some characters to act out, others to become involved in romantic interactions, and all to question each other and their motives. Despite being placed in a very high-stakes situation, I found all the characters to exhibit very believable teen characteristics.

I actually think that the guise of a zombie apocalypse is the perfect way to induce issues-wary readers to give a more heavy contemporary read a try. I generally do not read issues books simply because I have no interest in that sort of thing. I think the only book I've read this year that could be considered an issues-driven book is Sarah Dessen's Just Listen. And that didn't work out so well for me. This is Not a Test is incredibly issues-driven: Sloane is a product of parental abuse and suicidal, and the entire group of students faces mistrust and despair as each tries to survive. For the most part I enjoyed reading about all of these issues, but I think that the zombie aspect provided some much-needed distance for me. I know that there are tons of readers out there who wouldn't need that additional context to enjoy a novel discussing these issues, but I am not one of them.

This is Not a Test is a disconcerting and dark novel. It forces the readers to reflect upon some very heavy topics, and does not spare the bits of pain and discomfort necessary in such a novel. For those readers looking for a darker read with an intense character study that makes you experience so many feelings, this may just be the book you need.

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Persuasion Read Along #3

END (chapters 19-end)

Here we go, the final part! Once again, this read along is part of Austen in August, hosted by The Book Rat.

What was your initial reaction to Persuasion as a whole? Did you connect with Anne as a heroine, and Wentworth as a hero? 

I felt very satisfied as I finished reading the book. It took me a while, but I do feel like I connected with both Anne and Wentworth. I think both of them had built up such high walls that it was difficult even for me as the reader to connect with them. But their actions were very much redeemed in the end.

Has your perception of Persuasion changed since reading it, especially if you've read it more than once?  

I have read Persuasion before, but I don't really remember it all that well. I can say, however, that I continued to enjoy the novel more and more as I kept reading during this read along. The novel starts out very slowly with so many details and back-story, but then it really builds upon that knowledge as the story continues.

The characters are constantly on the move in Persuasion (from Kellynch to Uppercross to Lyme to Bath, etc), so the reader gets to see a variety of scenes; did you like the constant changes of scenery? Did you have a favorite? Do you think the different locations bring out different aspects of the characters?

I didn't mind the change of scenery from a reader's perspective. I don't think Austen is a very image-oriented writer, so the different locations really didn't matter to my visualization of anything. But I think the movement is essential to the characters and their development. Without movement between locations, the characters wouldn't have had so many different ways and opportunities to interact with one another and grow through it. I suppose I liked Lyme the best of all the places simply because it is there where Anne really starts to gain self-assurance and recognize her own worth.

Discuss one of the biggest fangirl-inducing moments in Austen: "The Letter;" did you know the ending was originally written without "The Letter" in it? Do you think your overall perception of the story would change without "The Letter"?

I did hear that the ending originally did not include the letter. In fact, the version of the book that I own (The Modern Library Classics) does include the original ending. I'll be honest, however, and say that I didn't read it. The original two final chapters looked like two letters with no paragraphs and tons of dashes. In other words, a headache I didn't feel like taking the time to read right then and there. I'll probably read the original ending eventually just for comparison's sake. But I can't see that ending being even close to as good - I loved the letter! It was such a swoon-worthy way that Wentworth declared his undying love and affection for her. It reminds me a little of Pride and Prejudice there, but that doesn't diminish how appropriate and enjoyable reading about Anne reading the letter and the immediate aftermath was. Romantic that I am, I like it when characters I love end up loving each other and being happy.

What do you anticipate for the futures of any of the characters, but particularly Anne? Will her family ever come to accept Wentworth, or is she essentially disowning herself by marrying him?

I think that Austen hints at how Anne's family will now accept Wentworth. Wentworth is far better off than any of them currently are. Anne's father even adds Anne's marriage to Wentworth in the family history book. I do think it was necessary for Anne to start asserting her own independence in smaller ways first, which she does through her visits to Mrs. Smith and general attitude while in Bath. She's not rude to her family, but her self-confidence forces them to look at her in a new way. And her family is now getting to know Wentworth as a man of quality, which of course makes her own family look better. So I don't imagine any problems there. I am not convinced that life will ever really improve for Anne's family, but I do believe that Anne and Wentworth can live a life of enjoyment together.

On reflection, are you ever bothered by the fact that Anne is essentially put in the same position - to give up the life she knows and loves for Wentworth, and that the same is never expected of him? Does this bother your modern sensibilities, or do you think the right decision is made regardless?

I never really considered that. It doesn't really bother me, however. Anne doesn't have much to lose. She doesn't have a career or passion or anything really in life (which is sad). Plus her family is not the most supportive system. Wentworth is established in life and thus can provide for her. I'd clarify the changes in Anne's life as her gaining a husband, a better station, and the potential for happiness, rather than her actually losing anything here.

What were your favorite parts of the novel? Your least favorite? Things you wish were different?

My favorite parts were all those interactions between Anne and Wentworth. I would love to be able to take those scenes out of the book and just put them together so I could see uninterrupted just how their relationship is able to be rekindled after these eight years. After reading through the entire book and seeing that Anne and Wentworth manage to stay together despite the odds, I do think that Mary's role in the story is rather amusing. Whenever I was reading a scene that featured her prominently I was torn between wanting to bang my head against a wall and laughing. I think that from now on I can favor the desire to laugh, because she really is a ridiculous character and probably on par with Mrs. Bennet from Pride and Prejudice.

Any last thoughts on the book?

I found it extremely difficult to read Persuasion while also reading so many "lighter fare" books. But I do love it! I love how through this novel Jane Austen really examines love and loss, and yet ultimately makes the message that true love will wait for those who deserve it. Maybe it's not the most realistic message ever, but it makes the romantic in me happy. And I thoroughly enjoyed watching Anne's transformation over the course of the book from a passive young woman who feels far older than her age to someone who learns to be guided by her own desires and is able to gain self-confidence.

This read along was fun! I'll definitely sign up for more in the future!

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Top Ten Bookish Confessions

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by the bloggers of The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic is supposed to be my top ten bookish confessions. And it is, but it also kind of turned into a list of confessions about my bookish annoyances. 

I absolutely hate it when the spine breaks on paperback books. For me, books have a greater value when they don't look all worn and used. All of my trade/pocket-size paperbacks tend to look brand new even if they've been read more than once simply because I refuse to open them up all the way when I read.

With that being said, I love recommending books to people but am reluctant to actually hand out books for others to borrow. All of my paperbacks with broken spines are the result of them them being borrowed and read by someone who doesn't have the same OCD tendency as me.

It bothers me immensely when publishers decide to change a series' cover art halfway through the series. The Queen's Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner is one of my favorite series ever and all of my covers look different and are different sizes. I like it when my series match - this kind of thing drives me insane!

I also will not annotate in books. I will use post-its to mark important passages or, even better, write my notes in a notebook. Once again, this goes back to my desire for my books to look pristine and perfect. The only book I ever annotated was John Milton's Paradise Lost (which definitely needed those annotations).

It annoys me to no end when I see or hear about people using their e-reader devices primarily for non-reading related purposes. I'm not speaking of devices like the iPad, but Kindles, Nooks, Kobos, and other devices that are specifically being marketed as e-readers (with extras). Not internet tablets (with the added potential to read books). See the difference?

I always have to read before I go to sleep, even if it's only ten pages. It's just part of my routine that calms me down and allows me to clear my mind of any real-life worries for the night.

I wrote a research paper on reinterpretations and retellings of the "Beauty and the Beast" fairy tale over the years. Now it's become a mission of mine to continue reading all different retellings of it because I adore this fairy tale and would like to see how many different ways people can interpret it. (My favorite so far is definitely Robin McKinley's Beauty).

I hate how it's become so common these days for books to be written in first-person and present tense. Although first person narration can make it easier to understand the protagonist, the combined use of present tense makes the book feel super informal (and just not as well-written in general) to me. I like my books to feel a little distant for me - not enough that I can't relate, but enough for me to be able to step back and examine and analyze the story. And a more formal writing style makes me more confident in the author's ability to write well and write a good story. 

I read Gone with the Wind years ago and I really enjoyed the story, but by the time I got to the last twenty pages, I just put the book down. I knew how it ended and I didn't want to actually read how it panned out (maybe there was some denial there). I actually did the same thing for my first reading of Pride and Prejudice.

I'm a bit of a book purist so I have a difficult time appreciating the fact that books and their movie adaptations are different mediums and inevitably going to interpret things a little differently. (I'm mainly referring to the Harry Potter movies here and my complete abhorrence of them. The few that I have seen were not worth it.) My one notable exception is The Lord of the Rings, in which case I actually prefer the movies to the books.

So know that you know many of my strange bookish confessions, let me know what some of yours are!

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In My Mailbox #5

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren. It's a great way for book bloggers to showcase books and other literary things they've received over the past week.

This week was a good one for me! 

For review:

Audrey's Guide to Witchcraft (Audrey's Guides, #1) by Jody Gehrman

Author Jody Gehrman graciously gave me a copy of her first YA book. Thank you! Last year I read Witch Child by Celia Rees, but apparently I don't read books about witches very often, and this book also features a necromancer and baking!? I am very curious to see what this story is like.

 

Purchased:

Finnikin of the Rock (The Lumatere Chronicles, #1) by Melina Marchetta

I read Finnikin of the Rock back in January this year at the recommendation of a good friend. It took me a while to get warmed up to, but I ended up loving it. It's still one of my favorite books I've read this year, so I just needed to have my own copy.  

Froi of the Exiles (The Lumatere Chronicles, #2) by Melina Marchetta

I have yet to read Froi of the Exiles, despite having borrowed it from the library months ago. After loving both Jellicoe Road and Finnikin of the Rock, I decided that I needed more Melina Marchetta in my life, even if Froi was not my favorite character from the previous book.

Library:

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly

Courtney of Courtney Reads a Lot read this book a few months back and recommended that I should read it myself. I adore fairy tale retellings and couldn't resist picking this up from the library. Plus this is a darker retelling that is technically classified as adult fiction. I've been feeling the lack of adult fiction in my life recently.

I haven't participated in this meme for quite a while. I usually find that I don't receive enough books on a weekly basis to justify participating in this meme, or else I will post the book's review very shortly and so I don't feel the need to showcase it only a week or so before a full review comes anyway. But sometimes I do want to display bookish things I've recently acquired that I'm super excited about. Perhaps I'll continue to participate on a biweekly or monthly schedule. We'll see.

Anyway, please let me know what you've received in your mailbox this week!

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Review: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Published: 2010, Dutton Books

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Source: Library book

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How many times can our emotions be tied to someone else's - be pulled and stretched and twisted - before they snap? Before they can never be mended again?

So I caved and read Stephanie Perkins' Anna and the French Kiss. I'm not really into all things France (I'm a Spanish culture and language type of girl), and I tend to avoid books where the focus seems to be on romance. But it seems like everyone has read this book and enjoyed it. I have yet to see a review, meme, or something else mentioning this book with even a slight hint of negativity. I was seeking some good books to take on vacation and was curious to see what all the hype was about. And, yes, I agree that the hype is correct.

Anna's plans for the upcoming year involve spending lots of time with her best friend Bridgette, working at the local movie theater, turning her crush into a relationship, and enjoying her final year in Atlanta before college. What she does not anticipate is spending her senior year at the elite boarding school SOAP, the School of America in Paris. But that's where her father, a famous writer, decides to send her. Now Anna is coping with culture shock, finding new friends, and the grief that she's thousands of miles away from her best friend and almost-boyfriend. Enter Meredith, Rashmi, Josh, and Etienne St. Clair. They adopt Anna into their group, and Anna must learn to deal with conflicting feelings for both Toph and Etienne, who already has a girlfriend.

Anna is such an adorable protagonist. I completely emphasized with the range of emotions she endures throughout the novel as she comes to realize that one by one all the plans and expectations she has for her life are falling apart. While I would not consider her to be a super strong character, she's so incredibly relatable. I think that if I was faced with similar situations, my responses would be the exact same. I totally would have been the one to eat lunch in the bathroom if I didn't have anyone to sit with. I also would have been the one to get food from the self-serve menu because I'd be too afraid that I wouldn't be able to actually order food in French. She's not perfect but she's a good person trying to deal with all the unplanned aspects of her life. And I love her passion for films. I'm glad that Anna actually has some definite interests; in lots of books I don't think I could even tell you the protagonist's hobbies.

While not all of the characters are particularly well-defined, I enjoyed everything that I did learn about them. I really wish I could have been part of Anna's friend group; they all seem like great friends. Anna's school "rival" is the completely contrived mean girl. Her best friend Bridgette and crush Toph from home also come off as rather flat. But hey - I'm not going to complain about this. I interpreted this book as a character study that completely revolved around Anna and Etienne, and it painted very successful portraits of both those characters.

Of course I loved the relationship that develops between Anna and Etienne. I'm especially a fan of the fact that in a book like this the relationship could have very easily have been insta-love, but it's not. There's true depth to Anna and Etienne's relationship. I get the feeling that Perkins was really trying to make Etienne a bit of an anomaly: the drop-dead gorgeous boy who has substance. And she does. But honestly if I was to complain, it would be that he doesn't need to be super attractive. That's not what drew me to his character, nor what drew in Anna (after she got to know him better as a person, that is). Both of them have major issues they're dealing with, yet they're able to rely on each other to confront their problems. By being together, they're both able to mature and become more confident in themselves. Not everything is easy for Anna — or for Etienne, for that matter — but I think this book is a classic example of how through persistence and struggle, things will work out in the end. And who doesn't like to read books like that every once in a while? Reading about relationships like this always makes me happy.

Yes, there are parts of Anna and the French Kiss that could have been better. But I honestly didn't care while reading it. It is light chick-flick fare and doesn't try to be anything other than that. Sometimes that's all I want out of my books. This was a perfect vacation read. From what I've heard, I think that I'd clash with Lola from Lola and the Boy Next Door, but I will definitely read Isla and the Happily Ever After once it's published.

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