New Books!!

I love, love getting new books. Especially ones that I have been DYING to read. Today I got Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater and Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick. I am about 40 pages into Shiver and am LOVING it. Stay tuned for the reviews!

Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George

A tale of twelve princesses doomed to dance until dawn…

Galen is a young soldier returning from war; Rose is one of twelve princesses condemned to dance each night for the King Under Stone. Together Galen and Rose will search for a way to break the curse that forces the princesses to dance at the midnight balls. All they need is one invisibility cloak, a black wool chain knit with enchanted silver needles, and that most critical ingredient of all—true love—to conquer their foes in the dark halls below. But malevolent forces are working against them above ground as well, and as cruel as the King Under Stone has seemed, his wrath is mere irritation compared to the evil that awaits Galen and Rose in the brighter world above.

Captivating from start to finish, Jessica Day George’s take on the Grimms’ tale The Twelve Dancing Princesses demonstrates yet again her mastery at spinning something entirely fresh out of a story you thought you knew.

I think the description of this book doesn't do it justice. The book is actually mostly told from Galen's point of view, which surprised me a little because from the blurb above (which is what is given in the book) I guessed that it would be about Rose. Not that it mattered. I really liked this book. It drew me in right from the start. I don't think it really matters if you are not familiar with the story of The Twelve Dancing Princesses. I wasn't, and I don't feel like that hindered my progress at all. Basically, (and I don't know what the Grimm story is, but this is how this novel went...) a queen makes a bargain with an evil magician in order to bear children, and in return the queen will come "underground" and dance for him. Little did she know that she would not bear only one child, but twelve and when the queen dies, her daughters are forced to finish out the contract. Every third night, the princesses dance, and in the morning their dancing slippers are worn through and need replacement. They are unable to tell anyone of the "curse" and their father, the king, is worried for their health. He sends a proclamation to all neighboring countries to send their princes, and the prince who figures out where the princesses are going at night and solves the mystery of the dancing slippers will become heir to the throne and marry one of the princesses. When they all fail, the under-gardener at the palace, Galen, asks to try to solve the mystery. Again, most of the story is told from Galen's perspective, which I actually quite enjoyed. I loved evey page of this book and can't wait to read more by Jessica Day George.
 
 

A Novel Idea by Aimee Friedman

Once upon a time there was a Brooklyn hipster named Norah. Unlucky in love, and short on extracurriculars for her college apps, Norah decided to start a book group. She knew the perfect locale -- a local indie bookstore with a crush-worthy cutie manning the soy latte counter.

When the first meeting arrives, Norah gets a page-turning surprise. The attendees may be bookish, but there are also a few hotties! Most noteworthy: sweet, literary James. He's like a modern Jane Austen hero.... Only, how to snag him?

Ever the romantic heroine, Norah devises a secret plan. And if it works, Norah may just find her "Happily Ever After" love story. The End.

This book was actually quite funny--I was pleasantly surprised. I thought all the characters meshed well, and the sub-plots of romantic chaos were a fun addition. It had some twists that surprised me, which were nice, because it was a fairly predictable book. It was mostly "fluff", with Norah taking love advice from a Harlequin romance novel, but it was just the sort of quick-read "fluff" that I needed yesterday. Again, a clean read. Nice. I love those. :)

So, now I'm wondering... I have read so many decent to great books lately, it may be time for an awful one. I hope not, but we'll see. Happy Reading!

To Catch a Pirate by Jade Parker

Once caught, it’s harder still to let a pirate go.

When Annalisa Townsend’s ship is set upon by pirates in search of her father’s treasure, one of the crew, James Sterling, discovers her in the hold. When he moves to take her necklace, she begs him not to, as it is all she has left of her mother. He accepts a kiss in exchange for the necklace. “A fair trade, m’lady,” he tells her afterward, before disappearing.

A year later, with a forged letter of marque, Annalisa is intent on hunting down the wretched James Sterling and reclaiming her father’s treasure from him. But now she’s in danger of him stealing something far more vulnerable this time: her heart.

This was a quick, charming read. I don't know that I've ever read a book about pirates, so it was a fun change. Since it was set in the early 1800s (? I think) it was a clean read. They were very proper, and such. Well, except the pirates. Isn't that what makes it fun though? I read this book on Monday and loved every second. In fact, as soon as I finished, I took it to my sister so she could read it too. Even though it was a short book, I was very attached to the story. Anna is another one of those women you can relate to. She was a bit headstrong and determined, but also vulnerable. I liked her very much. James Sterling... I can totally picture in my head. Exactly. He is the guy that you would never in a million years admit to liking out loud, but secretly you are obsessed with him. A guilty pleasure. Kind of like a soap opera. :) By the time I reached the end of this book, I had been madly in love, heartbroken, scorned, depressed, giddy, and relieved. This is a book I'm happy to add to my collection. Enjoy!

Fairy Tale by Cyn Balog

Morgan Sparks has always known that she and her boyfriend, Cam, are made for each other. But when Cam’s cousin Pip comes to stay with the family, Cam seems depressed. Finally Cam confesses to Morgan what’s going on: Cam is a fairy. The night he was born, fairies came down and switched him with a healthy human boy. Nobody expected Cam to live, and nobody expected his biological brother, heir to the fairy throne, to die. But both things happened, and now the fairies want Cam back to take his rightful place as Fairy King.

Even as Cam physically changes, becoming more miserable each day, he and Morgan pledge to fool the fairies and stay together forever. But by the time Cam has to decide once and for all what to do, Morgan’s no longer sure what’s best for everyone, or whether her and Cam’s love can weather an uncertain future.

This book has gotten a lot of mediocre reviews, which surprises me, because I loved it. I had a hard time getting into the first few pages, mostly because of Morgan's "psychic" ability. I didn't know much about this book when I started reading it, so that little turn of events was a bit odd for me. Once I read the first few pages two or three times and realized I wasn't misreading it, I moved on and loved it. I thought Pip, Cam's "cousin", was quite funny at times, and very endearing. This was one of those books that, although I was happy with the ending, I also felt like I was saying goodbye to friends. I know everything works out in the end, and there really isn't a set-up for a sequel, but a part of me wishes there was one. This is another one of those books that I would happily recommend to anyone, well--any female. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

And Then There Were None is the signature novel of Agatha Christie, the most popular work of the world's bestselling novelist. It is a masterpiece of mystery and suspense that has been a fixture in popular literature since it was originally published in 1939. First there were ten-a curious assortment of strangers summoned to a private island off the coast of Devon. Their host, an eccentric millionaire unknown to any of them, is nowhere to be found. The ten guests have precious little in common except that each has a deadly secret buried deep in their own past. And, unknown to them, each has been marked for murder. Alone on the island and trapped by foul weather, one by one the guests begin to fall prey to the hidden murderer among them. With themselves as the only suspects, only the dead are above suspicion.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again-- I love intrigue, suspense, and mystery. This had all. I was reading it in bed last week and I really thought every single noise in my house was a crazed murderer. It was fabulous. I love books that scare me so much (in a good way) that I can't even put my feet on the floor because I am afraid something is lurking under my bed. This was the first Agatha Christie book I've ever read (absurd, I know--with my love of mystery and all) and I was left guessing until the VERY last... 2-3 pages. Everything got explained and even then I was just... mesmerized. This has to be, by far, the most well-written murder mystery I have ever read. And, trust me, I have read A LOT. Wow. She's not the queen for nothin'!

Me and Mr. Darcy by Alexandra Potter

Dreams come true in this hilarious, feel-good fairy tale about life, love, and dating literature’s most eligible bachelor!

After a string of disastrous dates, Emily Albright decides she’s had it with modern-day love and would much rather curl up with Pride and Prejudice and spend her time with Mr. Darcy, the dashing, honorable, and passionate hero of Jane Austen’s classic. So when her best friend suggests a wild week of margaritas and men in Mexico with the girls, Emily abruptly flees to England on a guided tour of Jane Austen country instead. Far from inspiring romance, the company aboard the bus consists of a gaggle of little old ladies and one single man, Spike Hargreaves, a foul-tempered journalist writing an article on why the fictional Mr. Darcy has earned the title of Man Most Women Would Love to Date.

The last thing Emily expects to find on her excursion is a broodingly handsome man striding across a field, his damp shirt clinging to his chest. But that’s exactly what happens when she comes face-to-face with none other than Mr. Darcy himself. Suddenly, every woman’s fantasy becomes one woman’s reality. . . .

I just want to start by throwing this out there-- Why is it that EVERY woman thinks they'd be good enough for Mr. Darcy? I'm being serious. Only about 1% of the population of women could "tempt" him, and I'm sure I WOULD NOT be in that 1%. That said-- Me and Mr. Darcy wasn't one of my favorites. It wasn't awful, but it wasn't original. Everything that happens to Emily is an exact parallel to what she has LITERALLY just read in Pride and Prejudice. In my opinion, if she was really THAT big of an Austen fan, she would have figured it all out SO much sooner. The language throughout was a bit unnecessary, but I think maybe it wouldn't have annoyed me so much if I hadn't read as many clean YA novels before getting to this one. This book was more of a chore to finish than anything.