Calamity by Brandon Sanderson

Summary from Goodreads:

When Calamity lit up the sky, the Epics were born. David’s fate has been tied to their villainy ever since that historic night. Steelheart killed his father. Firefight stole his heart. And now Regalia has turned his closest ally into a dangerous enemy.

David knew Prof’s secret, and kept it even when the Reckoners’ leader struggled to control the effects of his Epic powers. But facing Obliteration in Babilar was too much. Prof has now embraced his Epic destiny. He’s disappeared into those murky shadows of menace Epics are infamous for the world over, and everyone knows there’s no turning back…

But everyone is wrong. Redemption is possible for Epics—Megan proved it. They’re not lost. Not completely. And David is just about crazy enough to face down the most powerful High Epic of all to get his friend back. Or die trying.

Review:

This book was special. I don’t know why I’m always surprised by how genuinely amazing Brandon Sanderson’s books are. I shall now just always expect greatness.

 I could not have hoped for a better ending to the Reckoners series. I think it’s the ending. It felt like a good end. Though, I could see there being a few things to come back to, maybe.

There was never a dull moment. Every second of this book is full of action, fighting, saving, solving, and fixing. From the first mission for Epic weapons, to the last battle for it all, this book was pure excitement. I’m still recovering from all the excitement, and this was 3 books ago for me.

To start with, Prof makes a pretty insane super villain. I love that the lines between good and bad are more blurred in this installment. Now that David knows what he knows about weaknesses and defeating them, he’s on the ultimate mission to bring Prof back. Though, the longer Prof is doing what all Epics do, the more pain he’ll most likely be in when/if he can come back.

Prof is fighting epics for domination of cities. Obliteration is blowing up more cities and is also on a rampage. There’s members of the group David reunites with. But, David is also now in charge. He’s now responsible for the missions, bringing everyone together, and saving the world. On top of that, there’s also something serious going on with him that was only slightly hinted at in book 2. And I have no idea how I forgot all that was going on, but it’s super important.

There’s more romance with Megan. There’s more bad metaphors (though, not too many). There’s a lot more explosions and gun fights. There is also the introduction of other parallel worlds (where there may or may not be a Calamity in the sky). There’s reunions, deaths, sacrifices, and so much more. Also, Calamity is an Epic, not just a historic catastrophe. It was weird having Calamity be a character when I was used to it being a historic event instead. And wow, I was shocked by a lot of things regarding Calamity. There were a lot of twists and turns in general, but all the things with Calamity were the most twisty.

I think this was my favorite book in the series, which is saying something because I loved all the books in this series. I recommend these books to fans of Rick Riordan, James Dashner, and Alexandra Bracken. I so give it a 10/10.

The Slippery Slope by Lemony Snicket and read by Tim Curry

Summary from Goodreads:

Dear Reader,

Like handshakes, house pets, or raw carrots, many things are preferable when not slippery. Unfortunately, in this miserable volume, I am afraid that Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire run into more than their fair share of slipperiness during their harrowing journey up--and down--a range of strange and distressing mountains.

In order to spare you any further repulsion, it would be best not to mention any of the unpleasant details of this story, particularly a secret message, a toboggan, a deceitful map, a swarm of snow gnats, a scheming villain, a troupe of organized youngsters, a covered casserole dish, and a surprising survivor of a terrible fire.

Unfortunately, I have dedicated my life to researching and recording the sad tale of the Baudelaire orphans. There is no reason for you to dedicate your-self to such things, and you might instead dedicate yourself to letting this slippery book slip from your hands into a nearby trash receptacle, or deep pit.

With all due respect,

Lemony Snicket

Review:

I loved this installment. For starters, the Baudelaires are separated. Count Olaf and his troop have poor Sunny. And the older siblings are on a mission to save her. Too bad, they are stuck, climbing a mountain by foot (while Olaf has a caravan). Also, there’s terrible attacking insects, a reunion with a terrible character from Prufrock Preparatory School, another awful song to get stuck in everyone’s head, and lots of other obstacles that get in the way of the rescue.

The mystery is so good too. The orphans are also on the look out for the VFD headquarters, where they are hoping to get more information about VFD, their parents, and the fire that allegedly killed their parents. Another Quagmire is introduced. There’s secret passages, fires, secret code smoke, overheard plans, traps for Esme, and a lot of discovered clues in this book.

I’m loving Sunny more and more. She’s growing into such an interesting character. I love that she’s not a baby any more. And that a lot more of her words are understandable to me. Though, I found it so terrible that none of the troop could understand her at all. They really showed no empathy or understanding at all. Though, I guess the bad guys aren’t supposed to. Also, I love that Sunny is interested in cooking. Her success with the fish reminded me a lot of the show Chopped.

This one is full of adventure and action. I literally could not stop listening to it. I also loved that there’s a bit of romantic interest for Violet. It’s not just Sunny who’s growing up quickly.

The kids are growing up, the mystery is getting better, the adventures are scarier, and everyone is becoming so much tougher, smarter, and braver. I love that this is a series where the characters grow, change, and learn over time. It’s such a treat to read these. I give this one a 9/10.

Waiting on Wednesday (179)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that allows bloggers to share which books we are most anticipating.

This week I am waiting on Ghostly Echoes by William Ritter (8/23/16):

Description on Goodreads:

Jenny Cavanaugh, the ghostly landlord of 826 Augur Lane, has enlisted the services of her detective-agency tenants to solve a decade-old murder--her own. Abigail Rook and her eccentric employer, R. F. Jackaby, dive into the cold case, starting with a search for Jenny’s fiancé, who went missing the night she died. But when a new, gruesome murder closely mirrors the events of ten years prior, Abigail and Jackaby realize that Jenny’s case isn’t so cold after all, and her killer may be far more dangerous than they suspected.

Fantasy and folklore mix with mad science as Abigail’s race to unravel the mystery leads her across the cold cobblestones of nineteenth-century New England, down to the mythical underworld, and deep into her colleagues’ grim histories to battle the most deadly foe she has ever faced.

Why I’m Waiting:

These books are amazing. Seriously, I wish they had a little more hype. They are well written, witty, smart, and full of supernatural mystery.  The characters are fantastic. I cannot wait to continue on with this fantastic series. Also, I love this cover and how cohesive it is with the rest of the series.

What are you waiting on this week?

Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira

Summary:

It begins as an assignment for English class: Write a letter to a dead person.

Laurel chooses Kurt Cobain because her sister, May, loved him. And he died young, just like May. Soon, Laurel has a notebook full of letters to the dead—to people like Janis Joplin, Heath Ledger, Amelia Earhart, and Amy Winehouse—though she never gives a single one of them to her teacher. She writes about starting high school, navigating the choppy waters of new friendships, learning to live with her splintering family, falling in love for the first time, and, most important, trying to grieve for May. But how do you mourn for someone you haven't forgiven?

It's not until Laurel has written the truth about what happened to herself that she can finally accept what happened to May. And only when Laurel has begun to see her sister as the person she was—lovely and amazing and deeply flawed—can she truly start to discover her own path.

In a voice that's as lyrical and as true as a favorite song, Ava Dellaira writes about one girl's journey through life's challenges with a haunting and often heartbreaking beauty.

Review:

This was such a beautiful book. I actually started to read it over a year ago, but stopped because I saw the direction it was heading in and I wasn’t able to read any intensely emotional YA for a while. Mostly, I was dealing with my own emotions. I am so glad I saved this one for when I did. I read it at the right time. And frankly, I don’t think I’ve ever read anything quite like it.

The main character literally writes letters to famous dead people. Her sad, unique, creative, and captivating story is told through the letters she writes. This isn’t something I’m used to seeing. And I loved every aspect of it. What teenager doesn’t give thought, time, and love into celebrities, bands, and pop culture? And more than that, who doesn’t learn about the music, books, poems, movies, and roll models that change our lives in high school? Dellaira accomplishes a lot in this book, but this part of growing up, this renaissance of fandoms is so special.  There is just something so beautiful about watching this main character listen to Janis Joplin for the first time.

It’s also a tough story, and the longer you read it, the more you know something bad happened. Laurel doesn’t come out with the details of it until the end. And I thought this was written well. It kept me guessing and needing to know more.

I think what really stands out too, is just how real it all felt. This wasn’t sugar-coated high school. This was the high school where date rape drugs are passed out at parties and homosexuality is looked down upon. There’s abused teens, heart ache, molested teens, grief, alcohol, and depression. But, there’s also perfect car rides, poetry, sleepovers, first love, discovering good music, parties, and amazing friendships.

All in all, I can’t really think of anything negative to say. I loved this book from page one. It’s not a fluffy contemporary by any stretch of the imagination, so you might want to wait to read it at the right time, like I did. I definitely recommend it to fans of E. Lockhart, Lauren Oliver, Amy Zhang, and Jennifer Niven. I give it a 10/10.

A Good Week in Books (130)

I had another nice book week. I needed a little blog break last week, but now I’m back to business. That means I have a lot of reviews to write/catching up to do. In the mean time, I received one for review (thank you Macmillan!) and I received one I pre-ordered a long time ago. I may have already started it…And lastly, the wonderful boyfriend got me the much coveted coloring book (Thanks, Nick!). I’ve really got into the adult coloring book trend. Finally, it’s acceptable for me to color in public with no children around. Yes.

The Girl Who Raced Fairyland All the Way Home by Catherynne M. Valente
Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare
The Harry Potter Coloring Book

How was your week in books?

The Siren by Kiera Cass

Summary from Goodreads:

From Kiera Cass, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Selection series, comes a sweeping stand-alone fantasy romance.

A girl with a secret.
The boy of her dreams.
An Ocean between them.

Years ago, Kahlen was rescued from drowning by the Ocean. To repay her debt, she has served as a Siren ever since, using her voice to lure countless strangers to their deaths. Though a single word from Kahlen can kill, she can’t resist spending her days on land, watching ordinary people and longing for the day when she will be able to speak and laugh and live freely among them again.

Kahlen is resigned to finishing her sentence in solitude...until she meets Akinli. Handsome, caring, and kind, Akinli is everything Kahlen ever dreamed of.

Falling in love with a human breaks the Ocean’s rules. But for the first time in a lifetime of following the rules, Kahlen is determined to follow her heart.

Summary:

I enjoyed reading this one a lot more than I thought I would. I’ve seen the mixed reviews. Also, I wasn’t sure I’d love a Kiera Cass romance without a dystopian backdrop. I was worried it would be too much like every other YA paranormal romance.

I’m glad I was mostly wrong. For starters, I had troubles putting this book down. I was needing a book like this, something addictive and not too intense to get me through a busy work week. This book was just what I needed.

I love that the ocean was a character. She was a mother and a savior, but also a villain and a destroyer. And I have never read the ocean’s perspective before. I was fascinated. I loved all the layers to her. And I loved her connection to Kahlen, the main character.

That being said, I found Kahlen to be a bit boring. I connected to her introvert-ness. She loved reading and felt so much guilt for all the “singing” she had to do. But, other than that I didn’t find too much depth to her. I actually liked all of her siren sisters better. I wish her sisters were a little more developed, if only because they seemed so cool.

It was great that a major component to this novel was friendship. It was maybe only half about the boy. The rest was about friends and family, and it was super refreshing to have these things be so important in a paranormal romance. I found the mythological/paranormal aspects of the book to be different and fun to read about. I never thought of sirens having contracts with the ocean before. Or leading normal lives between all the destructive singing.

There were also some clear, and fun parallels to Disney’s The Little Mermaid. There was a definite Disney vibe. However, it was dark too. There was a lot of death and grief, and even some abuse and murder. It wasn’t as fluffy as I was expecting. But, I guess that’s kind of how all of Cass’s books are.

I’ve seen multiple reviewers call the romance, insta-love. But, I disagree. I thought it took a long time to build. Months even. She didn’t just meet him once and fall in love. After the first date, it was clear she really liked the guy, but the love thing was a long time coming. I liked that they both seemed to be old souls. They both knew love, loss, and pain. And Cass excels at writing romance.

Kiera Cass has a clear voice. This book was both similar and different from her others. I feel like I’d be able to tell it was her if I didn’t read who the author was. Yet, the story is different enough that I think some people who didn’t like The Selection might enjoy this one. Though, I don’t see why people who liked her past books wouldn’t also enjoy this one too. The romance is fun. The plot was interesting and different enough from other romances to keep me intrigued. It was a fast read. The ocean made for one cool character. The side characters were interesting. I wish the main character was a little less boring. But, really, I had a lot of fun with this one. I give it a 9/10.

Waiting on Wednesday (178)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that allows bloggers to share which books we are most anticipating.

This week I am waiting on Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (10/18/16):

Description on Goodreads:

Moving to a space station at the edge of the galaxy was always going to be the death of Hanna’s social life. Nobody said it might actually get her killed.

Hanna Donnelly is the station captain’s pampered daughter; Nik Malikov the reluctant member of a notorious crime family. But while the pair are struggling with the realities of life aboard the galaxy's most boring space station, little do they know that Kady Grant and the Hypatia are headed right toward Heimdall, carrying news of the Kerenza invasion.

When an elite BeiTech strike team invades the station, Hanna and Nik are thrown together to defend their home. But alien predators are picking off the station residents one by one, and a malfunction in the station's wormhole means the space-time continuum might be ripped in two before dinner. Soon Hanna and Nik aren’t just fighting for their own surivival; the fate of everyone on the Hypatia—and possibly the known universe—is in their hands.

But relax. They've totally got this. They hope.

Why I’m Waiting:

I feel like “waiting” is not even a strong enough word. Seriously, I cannot wait for this next installment. Illuminae was one of my favorites of 2015. I cannot wait to see what will happen next. More awesome characters, amazing dialog, unique formats, crazy plot twists, and sci fi mystery please! Also, I hope the cover is final. It looks awesome. The summary sounds awesome too. October is way too far away.

What are you waiting on this week?