Mockingjay

Title: Mockingjay

Author: Suzanne Collins

Series: The Hunger Games (Book 3)

Genre: Young Adult

After Katniss shoots the arrow into the force field in Catching Fire, she is airlifted out to District 13. That's right, District 13 does exist and it's been built entirely underground. It is the home of the rebellion against the Capitol and Katniss is going to become the Mockingjay - and figurehead to the rebellion.

This book started out simply lukewarm for me. I didn't like that Peeta was missing (I mean nonexistent in the book - we know he's at the Capitol) and that Katniss had all this time with Gale that was missing all of the warmth and humor that she has with Peeta. Learning about District 13 was interesting enough, but when the battle started it went downhill from there.

When Katniss is actually placed in battle near the Capitol, it was the beginning of the end for me. I didn't like all the nasty things that happened during the battle. I understand that it was war, but it wasn't simply killing but the way people were killed and tortured. It was disturbing. When the end of the book came, I set it down and didn't want to go to sleep because I felt so disturbed.

I felt as if the trilogy was amazing - but that it started on a high point and went down from there. Mockingjay was definitely my least favorite book of the three.

Catching Fire

Title: Catching Fire

Author:Suzanne Collins

Series: The Hunger Games (Book 2)

Genre: Young Adult

After winning the Hunger Games with their Berry move, Katniss and Peeta are going on a tour of the Districts. But before they can go, Katniss finds out that they are in major trouble. The Capitol, and namely President Snow, don't like being made the fools. President Snow even makes his own personal visit to Katniss to remind her to make sure that she looks like a fool in love - because he doesn't believe it. He threatens her with her family and friends.

When the tour begins, everything in the districts seems to be a bit tense. It seems that Katniss's move in the Hunger Games has made the districts want to rebel. The Hunger Games this year are the 75th Hunger Games. Each 25 years there is a little yellowed note that is read to determine what the extra twist is going to be. Imagine how horror struck Katniss is when she learns that this year, the Hunger Game "contestants" will be the victors from previous years. Since she's the only girl from District 12, it looks like she's going back in.

Twisted me - I like when they are in the Games. I think that's why I enjoyed the first book so much and this book got better to me once they were in the games again. Aside from that Katniss has turned a little wishey washey and seems to not really know what to make of most things. I feel this book is a little dirtier, with everyone having lived a little and not being so naive. In my mind Gale never has a chance against Peeta - it's clear to me as a reader. But I hate this in between, Gale doesn't like me anymore stuff. I want more Peeta!

It was another page turner and you could just feel the rebellion growing. I know that in book 3 all hell is going to break loose.

The Hunger Games

Title: The Hunger Games

Author: Suzanne Collins

Series: The Hunger Games (Book 1)

Genre: Young Adult

In a future society, that use to be North America, there are the Hunger Games. Surrounding the Capitol are 12 Districts, each completely unique and making something for the Capitol. Each year, one boy and one girl from the ages of 12 and 18 are chosen to compete. Your name gets added once a year at least. You can also choose to have your name added additional times to "pay" for food and oil for your family.

Katniss is the main character, a 16 year old girl who volunteers herself for the game to save her younger 12 year old sister Prim. For District 12, the Hunger Games usually spell death. Katniss promises her sister she will do her best to win, and heads off to the games with Peeta, the boy chosen from District 12.

The Hunger Games are a fight to the death. 24 contestants enter, and one leaves the winner. The Gamemakers have the ability to alter the weather, terrain and many other variables in the arena where the game is played. Many contestants starve to death, die from dehydration or other exposure to the elements.

Without giving the story of the Hunger Games itself away, I could not put the book down. I've been so busy with work lately, and tried to start reading many books, but have not had the energy or heart to continue with them. I was hooked into the Hunger Games within the first few pages. I felt for Katniss and her practically starving family, and found myself getting up to eat constantly throughout this book. The descriptions of being hungry and thirsty were so intense I had to sate myself.

The story is told from Katniss's point of view, which I thought was perfect. The reader never knows everything that is going on, much like Katniss and it gives you that same slight sense of panic about what is going to happen. I found myself crying throughout the book as it is full of hard decisions and death.

I have seen this book around the bookstores for years, but have always been put off by the (in my opinion) unattractive cover. I heard there was a lot of hype and heard about the releases of the next books, but still I didn't pick them up. It wasn't until I found out there was going to be a movie (March 23, 2012) that I decided it was time. I don't know what took so long!

Succubus Revealed

Title: Succubus Revealed

Author: Richelle Mead

Series: Georgina Kincaid (Book 6)

Genre: Paranormal

Georgina and Seth are working on their relationship and rationing sex. Everything seems to be going pretty well until Georgina finds out she's being transferred to Las Vegas. It seems like a Succubus's dream, but not Georgina's.

She goes and checks it out and everything seems perfect. Seth even wants to move with her, but then his sister has cancer and seems to be doing very poorly. Georgina doesn't want to let him leave her family alone.

And then things start to not add up. Georgina's paranormal group of friends are thinking about how something is not right. Georgina's transfer seems to be a way to keep her and Seth apart. It's time to try and think about the contracts again. Through some past life regression, Georgina and her friends find some very interesting information.

Quite an end to the series. I did feel as if it were a little far fetched (although apparently, making deals with Hell is not?) but enjoyed it just the same. Everything is wrapped up and ended on a perfect note.

Wolfsbane

Title: Wolfsbane

Author: Andrea Cremer

Series: Nightshade (Book 2)

Genre: Young Adult

Calla wakes up and she is in the Searchers' Academy, although she doesn't know that right away. Since switching sides and going against everything that she knows - she is now in a situation where she knows nothing. Within a short time of waking she is reunited with Shay. The two of them along with the Searchers start making a plan to overthrow the Keepers.

This book is chock full of information. We learn about how Guardians came to be (supposedly the real story), what's up with the Keepers and the Searchers and more about everyone's background. Sure there wasn't a lot of action until the very end, but I felt like it was full of information that will be needed to fully understand the war going on.

The reader is often left feeling confused and not completely sure about the happenings...much like our main characters. We are in the same boat as them and learn about things as they do.

There were a few parts in this book where I was shocked by the acts of violence that happen or are mentioned. This is definitely going to be a bloody war.

Spell Bound

Title: Spell Bound

Author: Kelley Armstrong

Genre: Paranormal

Series: Women of the Otherworld (Book 12)

I recently finished reading this book, and couldn't even explain what it was about. It was a book full of fluff.

At the end of Waking the Witch, the cliffhanger was that Savannah has lost her powers. Well, at the end of Spell Bound, she still has no powers. The other characters of the stories that we know and love don't make much of a showing (just Adam). Adam and Savannah's relationship doesn't move forward past friends.

Throughout the story Savannah is looking for who took her powers and how to get them back...she doesn't really get any information regarding this. She does learn that there is a group of paranormals who want to be able to be out in the open. They briefly kidnap her...but there still isn't much that develops from that.

Hopefully this fluff will be rounded out with a great next book.

The Many Sins of Lord Cameron

Title: The Many Sins of Lord Cameron
Author: Jennifer Ashley
Series: Highland Pleasures (Book 3)
Genre: Historical Romance



Lord Cameron, a Mackenzie, never wants to get married again. His late wife, Elizabeth, was abusive towards him and his son. He's never really emotionally healed from that and now sleeps with married women of the ton.

Ainsley Douglas, the queen's confidant, has been sent on an errand to retrieve some stolen love letters of the queen. She is caught by Cameron rooting around in his bedroom looking for the letters.

It seems at first that Cameron wants to make Ainsley his mistress and she hems and haws about it, not wanting to embarrass her family. Although she knows that she loves him and would like to be pampered and taken care of. She finally puts her worry for her family aside and agrees to go away with him. He surprises her, instead, by taking her to get married. But the happily ever after doesn't happen then. Ainsley has to help him to work through his emotional scars left by his wife.

Again, Jennifer Ashley put something a little different into her story. The MacKenzie family is a strange breed and I feel like each sibling's story has something not 100% traditional about it. How often do you get an abused man in a romance novel? She also wins for longest book names.

I fell for Cameron right away, although was irritated by Ainsley's name. I had a hard time remembering she was the main female character, because I find Ainsley to be a boy's name. I kept thinking - who is this guy?

Overall, I felt there could have been a little more conflict to the story - they came together too easily. But otherwise it was another original read.

The Duke's Perfect Wife (Hart's Story) is up next, due out April 2012

A Night to Surrender

Title: A Night to Surrender
Author: Tessa Dare
Series: Spindle Cove (Book 1)
Genre: Historical Romance


Spindle Cove is Susanna Finch and many other ladies oasis. It is a small seaside town that has few men and what men there are aren't much bother. The ladies who go to Spindle Cove are those that just don't fit in the rest of society. They may be spinsters, "ill" or simply not get along with their husband. It is a perfect retreat where their days are filled with activities and womanly fun.

Then Victor Bramwell, a hurt soldier who only wants to return to the battlefield, arrives to speak with Susanna's father and everything is set on it's head. The women are forced to be around men again - and that includes Susanna. Susanna and Bram are drawn to each other and don't let much get in their way.

The character of Susanna was such a strong character, yet seemed to totally change once Bram was on the scene, I felt much in the same with Bram. It's like the author created 2 characters initially then completely changed to different ones. I understand that a character might develop within a relationship, but in this story did not feel that was the case.

I felt that the book wasn't fantastic, yet it wasn't horrible. Another luke warm story that is too predictable. I know most romance stories come together in a predictable way, but sometimes it's just too much. I'm going to continue to read the series to see what happens anyway.

Another Chance to Dream

Title: Another Chance to Dream
Author: Lynn Kurland
Series: De Piaget (Book 1)
Genre: Historical Romance


Gwen has a large dowry of land, homes and money. It's only natural that her father would want to use her to the best advantage when looking for a husband. Unfortunately, high spirited Gwen falls in love with landless Rhys de Piaget when she is merely 10. The two pledge to each other and plan to get together, but it never seems to work out in their advantage.

Gwen's husband Alain is being led around by his brother, who harbors a deep and twisted love for Gwen. He does his best to keep her from ever having any peace and love with Rhys.

I felt like this was the never ending story. Gwen and Rhys are going to get together...but then it's 5 years later and they're not. They plan it again...and time passes and their not. It did irritate me that Gwen had 2 kids with Alain and still wanted to leave him asap, even though I wasn't a fan of his character in general.

I would also have liked to have seen Rhys find out about his son, but expect it may happen in a later story.

Goddess of the Rose

Title: Goddess of the Rose
Author: P.C. Cast
Series: Goddess Summoning (Book 4)
Genre: Romance


The Goddess Summoning Series is books that are based on fairy tales. Goddess of the Rose is based loosely on Beauty and the Beast. I thought it was interesting that the dedication page said, "This book is for everyone who fell in love with the Beast, and then was truly disappointed when he turned into a handsome prince."

Mikado Empousai is a single woman who has a hard time finding someone to date. She loves her roses and feeds them her blood to keep them healthy and one of a kind. After a date gone wrong she is wandering around a Rose Garden where she volunteers when through a series of events is transported to another realm, where she is celebrated. Mikki has been entrusted with the "job" of keeping all of the roses of her new realm alive and happy. It is a pretty sweet job, except for the whole sacrificing yourself thing.

The Guardian (the Beast, Asterius) is exactly what his title suggests. He keeps the bad things away from the realm and helps Mikki in her work. He was recently freed after a long imprisonment. He had fallen in love (so he thought) with the previous Empoisa and helped her escape so she didn't have to be sacrificed. He has paid his toll but is afraid of getting close to Mikki. Unfortunately for him, Mikki has other ideas.

I felt like this was a beautiful story. Very far from Beauty and the Beast, but beautiful none the less. I love Mikki trying to break through all of the Asterius's walls and defenses as well as learning about the Dream Weavers. I really felt for Asterius throughout the story and felt as if he was a much better version of "the Beast"

Intertwined

Title: Intertwined
Author: Gena Showalter
Series: Intertwined (Book 1)
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal



Aden has led a rough life, bouncing from foster home to mental institution to being homeless and back around. This is all due to the four souls living in his mind with him. He's not crazy, but try to tell that to someone after you told them you hear the voices of 3 other people.

He finally seems to be in a good place, a ranch for troubled teens and has gotten the opportunity to go to a public school as well. Have I mentioned that each of the four souls have their own ability: Time Travel, Raising the Dead, Possession and Prophecy.

His good place starts to turn on it's head when he meets a Vampire, Shape Shifter, Witches and all other sorts of creatures that say he has called them. Time to figure things out.

I've always loved this author's other books and finally decided to check out her young adult fiction as well. The stories really remind of me of Kelley Armstrong's young adult series.

I really like the way this series has started out, and never saw the connection to one of the ghosts coming. I had my guesses (are they siblings?) but none of them really panned out.

Sisterhood Everlasting

Title: Sisterhood Everlasting
Author: Ann Brashares
Series: Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (Book 5)
Genre: Young Adult


My last few years of high school and through college, I read the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series. At a later date I was given them as a Christmas gift from a close friend. I've read the four original books and while I enjoyed them to some degree always seemed to have a difficult time keeping the four characters separate. When I heard that there was another book, with the girls on the verge of turning 30, I picked it up to read it.

I can't really give much explanation about the story line, it's one of those stories where you're not sure where it's going, nor how it's going to get there. Little by little it is revealed.

What I will say, is that the book for me was horribly depressing. I felt like up until the last few chapters, it was all doom, gloom and depression. We see the girls floundering around not having any direction and being overall confused with life. Being close to their age currently myself, I was shocked to see how juvenile they all seemed to be portrayed. Sure maybe one of them could be that way, but all of them?

Then the last few chapters, everything is wrapped up perfectly. Everyone lives together, one big happy family. How is it that 3 of the girls end up with the boys that they met in their early years? They all met their significant others by the time they were 15? I understand that's probably due to pleasing the readers and having them have an investment in the men in the story, but still very unrealistic.

Goddess of Legend

Title: Goddess of Legend
Author: P.C. Cast
Series: Goddess Summoning (Book 7)
Genre: Romance



Isabel is doing what she does best, taking photographs, when on the way home she accidentally goes over a bridge. This is a death situation. She is intercepted by a water goddess and brought to Camelot to help Arthur find love so Merlin can live. Isabel and Arthur fall in love.

This book was slightly disappointing. I love when authors take well known mythology or other legends and put a modern twist to them. But in this case, Isabel was not the character for it. I usually love that P.C. Cast puts modern day references in her stories, but this time there were just too many.

I also kept waiting for a conflict, but it never really happened. Guinevere got sick and I thought for sure it was some magical meddling making her turn against Isabel, but that was definitely not the case.

On a related note...how did I miss books 3-6?

Much Ado in the Moonlight

Title: Much Ado in the Moonlight
Author: Lynn Kurland
Series: MacLeod (Book 9)
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Ghosts, Time Travel



At the end of My Heart Stood Still Thomas decides that he thinks Victoria and Conner should meet, and maybe drive each other a little crazy. Thomas "gives" Victoria his haunted castle for her to do a production of Hamlet in with her troupe. She sends them all over to Scottland and soon starts having ghostly encounters.

She and Conner meet and seemingly effortlessly fall in love. Victoria, much like her brother, needs to go back in time to save Conner from before he was murdered.

Even though there is a book between MHSS and MAM, I am glad that I read them one after another. It seemed like a fantastic transition between the two couples. I was, however, left with a little lackluster feeling in the romance department between Victoria and Conner. Where with most of the other couples I have felt the longing, I just didn't feel it between these two. I also felt that Conner wasn't the same gruff Conner that we met in MHSS. This is not to say I didn't enjoy the story, I just felt it wasn't as superb as the rest of the series.

That being said, I'm done with the MacLeods and on to the De Piaget.

My Heart Stood Still

Title: My Heart Stood Still
Author: Lynn Kurland
Series: MacLeod (Book 7)
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Ghosts, Time Travel


Iolanthe MacLeod is murdered by the man her family sold her to when she's a young woman. She haunts the keep where she died for the next 600 years, living a fairly unremarkable existence. Until He comes.

Thomas McKinnon has bought a castle unseen. His sister Megan (The Three Wise Ghosts) owns the little inn just by it. Thomas has decided to come and restore his castle. Then he meets Iolanthe.

The two start to have a meaningful relationship and eventually fall in love. How unfortunate the Iolanthe is a ghost. Thomas learns the secret of the time traveling gates and visits Jamie to learn swordplay and how to swear in Gaelic. He goes back in time to save Iolanthe, and when he does he brings her back to the future. The only problem is, since she never spent her time as a ghost, she doesn't remember him.

Although this story started out a little slow, I felt as if it's one of my favorites in the series. It's such an unique storyline. I love that not only did Iolanthe come to the future and have to learn her way there, but that we got to watch Thomas and her struggle to have the relationship that once existed before.

I am really starting to see more of the connections between the two books. Characters that show up again and again. Only one more left in the MacLeod series.

Kiss of Snow

Title: Kiss of Snow
Author: Nalini Singh
Series: Psy-Changling (Book 10)
Genre: Paranormal



Sienna Lauren defected from the Psy-Net with the rest of her family. She is a cardinal X and no cardinal X has ever lived past an age of twenty-five. It looks like she's getting closer and closer to synergy, which will cause her to burst into flames and consume everything around her and herself.

Hawke is the alpha of SnowDancer and has been attracted to Sienna since she showed up in his territory. Unfortunately, she was too young then, and he think she's still too young. There is a large age gap between the two. Hawke also lost what he thought was going to be his mate at a young age and is sure that he could never mate.

There is more uproar between the Psy and Changelings and it comes down to a full scale war in San Fransisco and surrounding areas. Being Alpha, Hawke is right in the middle of it.

Hawke and Sienna did a lot of dancing around each other for the book and I loved their relationship. Every time I read another Changeling book, I am reminded of how much I love the series. Something about Hawke and Sienna's relationship really reminded me of my own relationship and I spent a majority of the book fading in between the two relationships. It was an entirely different type of reading experience. I don't know if it was something that author did that many will feel in the story, or how close their relationship seemed to hit to my own.

This was the story that I have been waiting for the most, and I was not disappointed. Time to wait until 2012 for the next book in the series. I mentioned in December that I had thought I missed book 8. Looking for it, I still don't see it in my blog. Oddly enough, it's sitting on my bookshelf and I can't remember if I read it or not but I feel like I did. Looks like a good way to fill the gap between now and 2012.

The Three Wise Ghosts

Title:The Three Wise Ghosts (Anthology: Christmas Spirits)
Author: Lynn Kurland
Series: MacLeod (Book 6)
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Ghosts


Megan MacLeod McKinnon has a hard time holding on to a job. Most recently, her brother has given her the "job" of traveling to Scotland to see his castle and report back to him. Little does she know, but her brother was persuaded by three ghost ancient relatives to give her this job.

Gideon de Piaget is a workaholic and is sent on a holiday by his brother to the same inn in Scotland that Megan is at. The two meet and through some slightly comical circumstances, get together and fall in love.

I think I liked this short story the least of the few I've read recently. The two seem to get engaged pretty much overnight. It seemed a little too far fetched (I only feel like this can be allowed in some areas, such as time travel)

The Icing on the Cake

Title: The Icing on the Cake (Anthology: Opposites Attract)
Author: Lynn Kurland
Series: MacLeod (Book 5)
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Samuel MacLeod is a writer and at home chef. Sam is not your average guy, he doesn't know how to chop wood, or use tools. What Sam does know is cooking and baking. He has moved to the Alaskan wilderness for a while and has rented a room in a cabin. Little does he know, but the cabin is also home to a woman.

That woman is Sydney Kincaid, who is very surprised when she learns that this handsome man is staying in her cabin. If you haven't guessed, Sydney is also not your average woman. She can't bake or cook, but is really good at things like fishing, chopping wood and using tools.

The two clash a bit at first before they realize that they like each other. Neither tells the other but uses the excuse that they are learning from each other so they will have good prospects for future relationships.

One interesting thing about this short story is that neither of the main characters is a time traveler, nor does any of it take place in Scotland or have anything to do with any other characters we know. This seems more like a stand alone story. Change Sam's last name and it wouldn't matter.

Only one more short story in the MacLeod series and I am grateful. I'm tired of reading this less interesting and developed then normal stories. I'm ready to sink my teeth into the last two full novels of the series (well, last two that I haven't read). But first, one more short story.