City of a Thousand Dolls

City of a Thousand Dolls

by Miriam Forster

    Nisha was abandoned at the gates of the City of a Thousand Dolls when she was just a little girl. Now sixteen, she lives on the grounds of the isolated estate, where orphan girls apprentice as musicians, healers, courtesans, and, if the rumors are true, assassins. She makes her way as Matron's errand girl, her closest companions the mysterious cats that trail her shadow. Only when she begins a forbidden flirtation with the city's handsome young courier does she let herself imagine a life outside the walls. Until one by one, girls around her start to die.
    Before she becomes the next victim, Nisha decides to uncover the secrets that surround the girls' deaths. But by getting involved, Nisha jeopardizes not only her own future in the City of a Thousand Dolls—but also her life.*

    This book was really masterfully written.  It captured me immediately and I was instantly part of the story.  The world building Forster does is both unique and believable.  It has a taste of politics and a dash of romance, but neither are overwhelming and all aspects of the book are enjoyable.

    By the end of the book, I was on the edge of my seat, hanging onto every word with anticipation.  I greatly enjoyed how to ending played out and am looking forward to a reread.

*From the dust jacket

Of Giants and Ice

Of Giants and Ice

by Shelby Bach

    Rory Landon has spent her whole life being known as the daughter of a famous movie star mom and director dad. So when she begins a new after-school program and no one knows who her family is, Rory realizes something is different. After she ends up fighting a fire-breathing dragon on her first day, she realizes the situation is more unusual than she could have imagined. It turns out the only fame that matters at Ever After School is the kind of fame earned from stories Rory thought were fictional. But as Rory soon learns, fairy tales are very real—and she is destined to star in one of her own.*

    Yes, I know, this book is a bit young for me.  I do not care!  This series was a whirlwind of laughter, tears, and excitement.  I loved every minute and and was gladly sucked into the world of Rory Landon.  I cannot express how much I enjoyed the creativity of this book!  Fairy tales have always been a passion of mine and being able to reimagine those story were amazing!

    10/10 recommendation.  Loved it.

*From the Dust Jacket

The Thief

The Thief

by Megan Whalen Turner

    "I can steal anything." 

    After Gen's bragging lands him in the king's prison, the chances of escape look slim. Then the king's scholar, the magus, needs the thief's skill for a seemingly impossible task—to steal a hidden treasure from another land.
    To the magus, Gen is just a tool. But Gen is a trickster and a survivor with a plan of his own.*

    Gen is such a sarcastic character.  Throughout this book and throughout the entire series, I was laughing my head off or reading slack jawed.  The writing style has rich context without being a Tolkien.  I has everything I can want in a book, while not being predictable.

*From the Dustjacket

Learning to Swim

Learning To Swim

by Sara J. Henry

    "If I'd blinked, I would have missed it.  But I didn't, and I saw something fall from the rear deck of the opposite ferry: a small, wide-eyed human face, in one tiny frozen moment, as it plummeted toward the water."

    When she witnesses a small child tumbling from a ferry into Lake Champion, Troy Chance dives in without think.  Harrowing moments later, she bobs to the surface, pulling a terrified little boy with her.  As the ferry disappears into the distance, she begins a bone-chilling swim nearly a mile to shore with a tiny passenger on her back.

    Surprisingly, he speaks only French.  He'll acknowledge that his name is Paul; otherwise, he's resolutely mute.

    Troy assumes that Paul's frantic parents will be in touch with the police or the press.  But what follows is a shocking and deafening silence.  And Troy, a freelance writer, finds herself as fiercely determined to protect Paul as she is to find out what happened to him.  What she uncovers will take her into a world of wealth and privilege and heedless self-indulgence—a world in which the murder of child is not unthinkable.  She'll need skill and courage to survive and protect her charge and herself.*

    I really enjoyed this book.  A lot of the books I read are fantasy, but this realistic fiction novel was both new and refreshing.  The characters in this book are relatable and they tugged on my heartstrings, each in turn.

    If I could change one thing about this book, it would be the climax.  It was a little cliche and over dramatic.  However, I would still recommend this book.

*From the dust jacket

The Eighth day

The Eighth Day

by Dianne K. Salerni

    The day after he turns thirteen, orphan Jax Aubrey awakes to a world without people.  His reaction?  It must be the zombie apocalypse.  When everything goes back to normal the next day, he's sure he's lost it.
    Then Riley Pendare, Jax's eighteen-year-old guardian, breaks the news: yesterday was the Eighth Day, an extra twenty-four hours between Wednesday and Thursday.  "Transitioners," like Jax and Riley, live in all eight days.  Others, like Evangeline, the teenage girl who's hiding in the house next door, exist only on this special day.
    The thrill of having a secret day wears off when Jax discovers Evangeline is being hunted by people who want to use her to eliminate the seven-day world—and everyone who lives there.  With the threat of human destruction hanging in the balance, Jax has to make a choice: Trigger an apocalypse or save his new friend?  That's a lot to figure out . . . even with an extra day. *

    This series is one of those books that gives you everything you want.  There are no unneeded scenes and the writing style is both impressive and realistic.  And by realistic I am a close as reality as you can get when writing a fictional story.

    One thing that I really loved about this series was that is was from a character that is not the hero or destined savior or hiding fugitive.  It's in the perspective of someone who looks at the hero and does everything that can to live up to that standard.  There have been books that I have read similar to this where I have not liked viewing out of the main characters spectrum, but this series was done very well and I did not have that problem.  I was greatly able to imagine the story as I chose when the protagonist was not in every situation and scenario.

I would highly recommend this book.  Maybe it's a little young and it's a fairly easy read, but it is completely enjoyable and engaging.

*From the dust jacket

Keeper of the Lost Cities

Keeper of the Lost Cities
by Shannon Messenger

       Twelve-year-old Sophie Foster has a secret.  She's a Telepath—someone who hears the thoughts of everyone around her.  It's a talent she's never known how to explain.
   Everything changes the day she meets Fitz, a mysterious boy who appears out of nowhere and also reads minds.  She discovers there's somewhere she does belong, and that staying with her family will put her in grave danger.  In the blink of an eye, Sophie is forced to leave behind everything and start a new life in a place that is vastly different from anything she has ever known.
   Sophie has new rules to learn and new skills to master, and not everyone is thrilled that she has come "home".  There are secrets buried deep in Sophie's memory—secrets about who she really is and why she was hidden among humans—that other people desperately want.  Would ever kill for.*

    This series has really captured my heart. As I go through and read the book I often have moments when I exclaim, out loud, "SAME!"  I've read several series where a character is so unreliable that whenever they appear it snaps me out of the story.  This book really sucked me in and keep me there. The characters have constant personalties and actions and Shannon Messenger really kept me involved.

    I'll admit, I might have cried on several occasions while reading these books, but I have also laughed out loud. Let me tell you, both are embarrassing when they happen in the library before school starts.

    Even though I've gotten so pretty weird looks, by my facial expressions and verbal reactions while reading these book, they are worth reading and I recommend them.  I am anxiously anticipating the release of the newest adventure by Shannon.

*From the dustjacket