I'm Sorry!!

Hey everyone!

Yes, it’s me. No, I’m not dead. I haven’t been attacked by sharks, or in hiding from the mafia. I know that this blog has been abandoned for quite some time, and I sincerely apologize for that. For all of you who have stuck with me, thank you!! From now on, I should be posting regularly with loads more book reviews.

You all truly are amazing, and thank you for that.

Caitlin

Shadow and Bone

Back of the book:Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha…and the secrets of her heart.

Shadow and Bone is a magical tale laced with action. The Grisha are a group of citizens with special powers. Alina Starkov longs to be one more than anything. When she and her best friend are caught in a dangerous situation, she shows off her new power. One that could save her kingdom. But her life takes several twists and turns as she learns the ways of the Grisha. Does Alina have what it takes to be a Grisha? Or was it all just one big mistake? Action dominates this book, with flares of romance. The plot is uniquely unlike any before, taking unexpected turns with each chapter. Get swept up in Shadow and Bone, a great read unlike any before.

Thirteen Days To Midnight

Back of the Book:

You are indestructible. Three whispered words transfer an astonishing power to Jacob Fielding that changes everything. At first, Jacob is hesitant to use the power, unsure of its implications. But there's something addictive about testing the limits of fear. Then Ophelia James, the beautiful and daring new girl in town, suggests that they use the power to do good, to save others. But with every heroic act, the power grows into the specter of a curse. How to decide who lives and who dies? In this nail-biting novel of mystery and dark intrigue, Jacob must walk the razor thin line between right and wrong, good and evil, and life and death. And time is running out. Because the Grim Reaper doesn't disappear. . . He catches up.

You are indestructible. Those words save Jacob Fielding’s life, but they also create a real-life horror story for Jacob and his friends. Jacob Fielding is indestructible, and so is anyone he passes the power to. With encouragement from his friends, the quirky but lovable Milo and the beautiful Ophelia, Jacob uses the power to save others. But as the group becomes more and more obsessed with the power, the more it becomes a curse instead of a gift. Jacob slowly learns that the more they cheat death, the tighter grip it has on them. Author Patrick Carman’s story is beautiful but deadly as he writes their spiral from do-gooders into the horror that death brings. Carman experiments with immortality and death, a concept addicting to humans. But as Jacob and his friends learn, which is really the curse?

Thirteen Days To Midnight is a beautifully written book that appeals to the darker side of human nature. Action and suspense propel the plot forward. I laughed with the characters as they experimented with their new gift, and ached as they learned the downfalls of the curse. This book has a unique plot, one that will deliver a fantastic story while challenging you of your own thoughts along the way.

Buy this book here: http://www.amazon.com/Thirteen-Days-Midnight-Patrick-Carman/dp/B005CDUROE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341504295&sr=8-1&keywords=thirteen+days+to+midnight

Scarlet

Back of the Book:

Many readers know the tale of Robin Hood, but they will be swept away by this new version full of action, secrets, and romance. Posing as one of Robin Hood’s thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire. Only the Hood and his band know the truth: the agile thief posing as a whip of a boy is actually a fearless young woman with a secret past. Helping the people of Nottingham outwit the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham could cost Scarlet her life as Gisbourne closes in. It’s only her fierce loyalty to Robin—whose quick smiles and sharp temper have the rare power to unsettle her—that keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight worth dying for.

Author A. C. Gaughen digs deep into medieval ballads to bring broody Will Scarlet to life, with one shocking twist: “Will Scarlet” is really a girl. And she’s running from a past she fights to keep hidden. But as Lord Gisbourne and the sheriff’s men creep closer to Sherwood Forest, it becomes harder and harder to conceal her secrets. Especially as a love triangle forms between Scarlet and two of her best friends: John Little and Robin Hood himself. As she struggles with her feelings between the cocky, womanizing John and ever-the-hero Robin, her backstory unspirals as the band of outlaws fight for their people. Rich with plot twists, thick romantic tension, and a huge helping of action, Scarlet modernizes the story we all know and love.

I can honestly say that I love Scarlet. Ever since I was little, I poured over any Robin Hood book I could get my hands on. Unfortunately, all of them older and difficult for me to comprehend. A lot of them are awfully repetitive as well. But not Scarlet. It still preserves all the colorful characters, action, and romance that drew me to the legend in the first place, along with a new twist. This story is truly a breath of fresh air, one that you will remember long past the last page.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Back of the Book: As a kid, Jacob formed a special bond with his grandfather over his bizarre tales and photos of levitating girls and invisible boys. Now at 16, he is reeling from the old man's unexpected death. Then Jacob is given a mysterious letter that propels him on a journey to the remote Welsh island where his grandfather grew up. There, he finds the children from the photographs⎯alive and well⎯despite the islanders’ assertion that all were killed decades ago. As Jacob begins to unravel more about his grandfather’s childhood, he suspects he is being trailed by a monster only he can see. A haunting and out-of-the-ordinary read, debut author Ransom Rigg’s first-person narration is convincing and absorbing, and every detail he draws our eye to is deftly woven into an unforgettable whole. Interspersed with photos throughout, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is a truly atmospheric novel with plot twists, turns, and surprises that will delight readers of any age.

Jacob’s grandfather weaves him story after story of the orphanage he lived in as a boy. He even has photographs to prove it. As a child, Jacob pours over the pictures of levitating girls and other peculiar shots, but as he grows, the stories become just that⎯stories. But after his grandfather dies under mysterious circumstances, Jacob takes it upon himself to solve the enigma of his grandfather’s childhood, and nothing about that task is easy. Each twist and turn adds a fresh layer to the genius plot of Ransom Riggs. This book is filled with surprises, suspense, and no-satisfaction until you close the back cover.

I decided to give this book a try only because it was on the New York Times Bestseller List. Not the best reason to read a book, but I was bored enough to give it a try. It turned out to be incredible. This may be Ransom Riggs’s first book, but it better not be his last. He certainly writes like no rookie. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children locks you in its suspense and does not let you out until the last page. I couldn’t turn the pages or figure out the plot fast enough. Be prepared to get paper cuts, because this novel will have your fingers fumbling to flip the page.

Goliath

Back of the Book:
Alek and Deryn are on the last leg of their round-the-world quest to end World War I, reclaim Alek’s throne as prince of Austria, and finally fall in love. The first two objectives are complicated by the fact that their ship, the Leviathan, continues to detour farther away from the heart of the war (and crown). And the love thing would be a lot easier if Alek knew Deryn was a girl. (She has to pose as a boy in order to serve in the British Air Service.) And if they weren’t technically enemies.


Goliath is the final book in the Leviathan Trilogy. In the newest installment, Alek and Deryn continue to sail across Europe in hopes to end the war. What they find instead is a real-life mad scientist hoping to recruit Alek. A mad scientist who possesses a weapon, the Goliath, that could possibly end the war. But could the weapon be as good as it sounds? And what about Deryn, whose feelings for Alek can't help but surface, despite the fact he thinks she is a boy?  This book offers more action, energy, and (finally!) romance than the other two books. Bestselling author Scott Westerfeld weaves an alternative World War I full of action and adventure in his trilogy, and the final chapter does not disappoint.


The minute I finished the second book in the series, Behemoth, I hunted down the third one, only to learn that it wouldn't be released until another month. Well, it's a month later, and man, I could not wait for this book to come. Even though it's 500+ pages, I finished this book in under four hours. I couldn't put it down. It's addicting. Scott Westerfeld is one of my favorite authors, mostly because of the Leviathan series. The plot moves quickly without rushing, and keeps the reader constantly engaged. Unlike most girl-disguised-as-a-guy books, Deryn doesn't spend the whole novel yakking about how someone might find out her secret. That issue only begins to bubble as she discovers her feelings for Alek, and how her secret comes between them. And let me just say, I absolutely adore Deryn and Alek together. This is easily one of my favorite books. For any Leviathan lovers, book lovers, or just anyone in general, this book is perfect for you.

Lily of the Nile

Back of the Book:

With her parents dead, the daughter of Cleopatra and Mark Antony is left at the mercy of her Roman captors. Heir to one empire and prisoner of another, Princess Selene must save her brothers and reclaim what is rightfully hers...

In the aftermath of Alexandria's tragic fall, Princess Selene is taken from Egypt, the only home she's ever known. Along with her two surviving brothers, she's put on display as a war trophy in Rome. Selene's captors mock her royalty and drag her through the streets in chains, but on the brink of death, the children are spared as a favor to the emperor's sister, who takes them to live as hostages in the so-called lamentable embassy of royal orphans...

Trapped in a Roman court of intrigue that reviles her heritage and suspects her faith, Selene can't hide the hieroglyphics that carve themselves into her flesh. Nor can she stop the emperor from using her for his own political ends. Faced with a new and ruthless Caesar who is obsessed with having a Cleopatra of his very own, Selene is determined to honor her mother's lost legacy. The magic of Egypt and Isis remain within her. Can she succeed where her mother failed? And what will it cost her in a political game where the only rule is win or die?

Selene is the new Queen of Egypt while living as a prisoner in Rome. After her parents died, the Romans invaded Egypt and captured Selene, her twin Helios, and their younger brother Philadelphus are taken to Rome. Dragged through the streets in chains, Roman emperor Octavian shows them off as spoils of his latest war. Selene desperately wants to go home, but she’ll have to polish her manipulation skills to work her way back to Egypt. Unfortunately, the strange hieroglyphics appearing on her arms aren’t helping.

With the help of her brothers, Selene struggles to figure out the magic at work. But growing up in a Roman house isn’t helping. The more Selene tries to bury Egypt and her mother, the more her true self shines through. Selene has magic. And she knows it. But will she embrace it, so far away from home and surrounded by Romans who believe she should change?

Stephanie Dray paints Selene beautifully. Egypt and Rome spring off the pages and come to life. Dray has obviously researched this novel down to the last article of clothing, and that is apparent through Lily of the Nile. But unlike some historical fiction, this book isn’t weighed down by details. Instead it springs into action, enticing the reader from the beginning. Selene is a smart, headstrong character. But she is human in so many ways. She fears and worries and frets along with the rest of us. She pours over her future and struggles with whether to embrace it.

Lily of the Nile is a fantastic book, one of my favorites. It is astonishing that this is Dray’s first novel. I expect great things from this author! I am already anticipating Lily of the Nile’s sequel, Song of the Nile.