Waistcoats and Weaponry by Gail Carriger

*The following text is an honest, spoiler free review. Please enjoy.*

Anyone know where to get a bladed fan? No, just me who wants one? Well dang people that weapon is amazing. What are you thinking?

Welcome back to your third adventure with Sophronia and the rest of the gang from Finishing School. This time around “Ria” (I love this nickname) and her friends are on a journey to help Sidheag with some untimely family issues. They end up being chased by Picklemen (curse those political tyrants,) and flywaymen (this is why we can’t have fun flying things people.) And to think it all started with a pigeon and a dance.

Sarcasm and my favorite genre, steampunk, aside I, and many others, were not disappointed with how this book turned out. Wait, that is debatable because shippings that went cannon died. Curse separation anxiety. The plot on the other hand was up to pitch. We got other shippings that finally went cannon (fangirls beware to have your day made) and we had such cool weapons this time around. I may have to find me a bladed fan or two.

RATING: 4.8 out of 5 stars.

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Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski

          Fun Fact: If you read the acknowledgments then you will know that this book's title comes from phenomenon of the same name. Whenever a young adult book that comes out that is based off of a phenomenon or theory I have so much respect for it. (My nerd I showing, whoops!) 

While I get my nerd under control let’s go the the synopsis:

          Kestrel is part of the elite of the Empire being the daughter of a legendary general. She is never questioned on anything she does until she buys 19 year old Arin, a slave from a nation her father took over. Honesty is the best quality, which sparks a friendship then romance between the two and they soon will discover how much the secret’s they keep cost.

           A forewarning to anyone who reads this book the romance is pretty much screwed. Just think about it; they're on opposite sides, with each one loyal to their cause. Talk about a star-crossed lovers situation.

          Still wondering if you should read this book? My answer to that is if you like romance then, why yes, you should read it. There are so many scenes that are so cutesy and will just woo you. Those scenes my friends, are the ones you will reread about a dozen times just because you want something in your life that cute. Now If only books were reality...

         Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars because well... The story isn't it done we have 2 more books to wait, impatiently I might add, for them to come out.

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Where the Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller

*The following text is an honest, spoiler free review. Please enjoy*

Okay, I’ll be the first to admit that, when reading the beginning half of this book, I thought what in the world am I getting myself into. While the beginning of this book is uber awkward at stages, it gave you a sense that you were living in the books world. I was enthralled at the world and characters Trish Doller painted inside the readers head.

Callie has never had what we would call a normal life. At the age of 5 she was kidnapped by her mother and always on the run avoiding what new danger that shows up next. When what she has been running from all her life finally catches up to her she is thrown in the arms of the man she barely knows, her dad. In order to live a life with her father, she will have to find out what it truly means to be a normal girl.

This book should be the poster child of why you should read a book further than the first 50 pages. There is no denying that. If you get past it’s rocky beginning, you will discover this wonderful, beautiful world. I can’t stop reiterating how wonderful this book ended up being and even the ending… *le sigh* I don’t think I’ll find a book this good for a few months.

Final rating? 4.5 out of 5 stars only not getting perfection due to the rocky beginning. Nonetheless READ THE BOOK.

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The Girl From the Well by Rin Chupeco

*The following text is an honest, spoiler free review. Please enjoy.*

*Shudders* Finally a horror book with actual creepiness. You know that typical horror character when think of Japan,the girl wearing white robes wearing with long hair covering her face, well she happens to be our main character. I’ll let that creepy fact sink in while I get to the synopsis:

Not all ghosts pass over. This one surely hasn’t. While everyone else crosses over our ghost’s job is to help murdered children get revenge and free them from their earthly bonds. When our ghost, later named Okiku, meets Tark she will do anything to protect him, and his cousin from the demon trying kill them.

If you’re someone like me, who doesn’t read horror books on a regular basis, but just want a taste or a “gateway” book into the horror genre here is your book. Now keep in mind that at first the writing style of it takes some get used to (imagine a third person point of view when the third person is an actual person in the story.) Once you get past that, this book is a world of it’s own imaginative creation where you will mourn once you finish the actual pages of the written world.

For a book that finally puts the scare in scarey, here is 4.1 out of 5 stars since the creative writing style takes about 50 pages to get used to.

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Why I've gone MIA (non-book stuff)

       

    

      So the last week or so I've not made a post whatsoever. Well on the bright side I'm not dead but on the down side I have 4 or 5 books I have to review which I will start to do.

       Now onto the actual point of this post. The last week I've not been procrastinating or just forgot about you wonderful people and books but I've been competing in an event called Science Olympiad (for more info on what that is http://soinc.org/) which requires my full concentration. There is about 30 of us competing to get 15 spots so I've been a little stressed. Science Olympiad in general is heavy in science (duh) and engineering so to hopefully make up for the lack of posts maybe a funny video would help: 

      PS: Science Olympiad ends next week Wednesday so I should get back to my regularly schedule  of reviews (every other day). Also I should have a review up today if all goes to plan.

The Spiritglass Charade by Colleen Gleason

*The following text is an honest, spoiler free review. Please enjoy*

WARNING: Expect fangirling, romance, steampunky stuff, Twilight reference (I love the author for this one), and plot twists. That is as spoilery as I go which really isn’t because if you have read the first book this is generally what these books are about so… yeah.

In an alternate version of our past Evaline Stoker (sister of Bram Stoker author of Dracula) and Mina Holmes (niece of Sherlock Holmes) have been paired up to solve the crimes that no one else can. After they proved themselves in the events of the Affair of the Clockwork Scarab, Princess Alix once again asks for their help. This time with 17 year-old Willa Ashton who stuck in grief of her mother’s death and her brother’s disappearance she has turned to mediums and seances in order to contact them. When things start escalating from bad to worse they will have to rush to solve this crime before it comes to an end.

To understand my excitement over this book imagine a small petite girl with glasses standing in front of the YA new book section squealing when she sees this book. Then imagine that same girl curled up in a recliner that practically dwarfs her slamming the book down when she is done with it 3 hours later because she can’t wait for the next book. Yeah that pretty much sums up that excitement but you have to understand that I love steampunk to no end. Stoker and Holmes series welcome to my #1 position on my favorite books list.

Colleen Gleason you are a literary genius so here is that 5 out of 5 stars you deserve. I got no faults to claim you on :)

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Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater

*The following review is an honest, spoiler free review. Please enjoy*

Thank advertising agencies that because of Pandora ads that I remembered this book was coming out. (I’ve been following way too many series this year/month so sorry about that.) I’m blaming it on fate with this book and me.

Recently in the world of The Raven Cycle mothers have gone missing in the search of ex-boyfriends. This is a wonderful lesson in parenting; mothers should always leave their children behind for ex-boyfriend's (please note the sarcasm as I am seriously frustrated at this character.) This leaves Blue in only a semi unstable condition but none the less the Raven Boys continue in their search of Glendower and actually make some progress. Oh I forgot to mention we have some cute romantic moments for those who care about that (every book so far as them :) )

Okay onto the opinion. I’m sad to say I’m actually disappointed on how this book went it was like it didn’t hold itself to the other books standards. I still loved the book but it just seemed stale at times and Blue was really out of character kind of temperamental and it just frustrated me to the point I had to put the book down at points. Will I read the last book? Oh heck yeah, this was only disappointing not the point I’m going to drop a series.

Enjoyed it but was disappointed at parts 4 out of 5 stars.

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Warrior by Ellen Oh

Last year when I got the first book I sat down and practically put a do not disturb sign on myself and for the second book I pretty much did that again and may have gotten lost in this world… again.

Warrior takes place shortly after Prophecy where Kira has to find the second of the three magical objects, this time a dagger that controls earth. Nothing comes to Kira easily as soon after the book begins the assassination of her uncle the emperor leaves the prince both an orphan and a target of those who want to use the death as an opportunity to seize power. Luckily they use this an excuse to go north to find the dagger, a trip that slowly drives Kira into insanity with the voice of the Demon Lord in her head.

Yeah this book was not lacking in expectations considering I may have done a minor happy dance (luckily no one saw :-D )  in the library when I saw that this book came in. It was also nice to see a little romance which was something I’ve been patiently waiting for and we finally saw some character development where we wanted some (or at least I did).

*Elated* This book blew my mind 4.7 out of 5 stars. Yeah… READ THE BOOK ‘nough said.

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The Glass Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg

Let me introduce you viewers of the interweb to The Glass Magician yet another book by Charlie N. Holmberg and if you are curious it was indeed better than the first book. So if you were iffy about the first book on whether or not you want to read this series let me tell you this; read this and you will hooked. Sadly it is time to start waiting, impatiently I might add, for the third book.

*Starts pacing and checking for updates on book* Yup I've gone that far.

This books starts three months after the events of the first book and Ceony is thriving in the magic of paper, a magic she was forced into in the first book. She has been struggling with her complicated emotions for her teacher Emery Thane (if you are curious she is 20 and he is in his late 20s/early 30s. Don’t judge they are sooo cute together. Sheesh just read the book and see for yourself.) The choices she made are coming to haunt her as people who want revenge for Lira’s freezing are coming to hunt her down so she can redo what she has mistakenly done. Unknown magic will be revealed and you will be shocked on why The Glass Magician is called just that.

There is a distinct feeling I love getting when I read a cute romantic book, the butterflies as some refer to it as, and you will achieve tons of those. Trust me. I keep saying how good this book so you know that means you need to read it right? READ THE BOOK I LOVED IT!

For a book that has officially made it on my “Obsession List” 4.8 out of 5 stars.

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The Espressologist by Kristina Springer

The sad part is this is about coffee and I'm drinking tea at the moment. Bad planning on my part. But I would drink coffee for love.

Coffee is life, Coffee is love. Quite literally when you're Jane Turner a barista that can match-make with just your favorite coffee flavor. But this thought is just a theory till things spiral out of proportion. First starting out of just matching up friends with customers then when the manager finds out her hobby becomes a full blown promotional event for her work. When word spreads Jane will have to balance trying to find her perfect match with trying to find everyone else's.

This was such and interesting concept and cute story even for how short it is just 184 miles. I literally cried because of how happy I was with the ending and that is a hard feat for any book no matter what it’s a about. Every page I read I wished I was in the book living in it’s universe.

For bringing me to tears with a wonderful story 4.5 out of 5 stars.

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Ghost Medicine by Andrew Smith

Wow that escalated quickly straight from a pety rivalry to almost rape to murder. It was like a roller coaster except with horses; starts out slow but once you're in the actual ride it is adrenaline causing and nerve pushing. From death to death this was not what Troy, his friends, and the readers least expected.

The story starts right after Troy Scott's mother dies and we are introduced to a 16 year old with raw emotion of pure grief. It takes his crush, Luz, to get him out of his funk. Once Troy starts working for Luv's and her brother's, who is also Troy's, father at their horse ranch things are set in motion. Friends are made, enemies are challenged but in the end Troy, Gabe, Tom, and Luv can't go back no matter how hard they try. Their lives will be changed forever.

When I picked up this book I expected fluff. I was majorly wrong. It was deep and dark and I loved it even though this one of those books that took me longer than a day to read. This author amazed me and amused me with how words were crafted into a book equivalent of a chocolate cake, both beautiful and delicious.

For a contemporary style book that was deep and dark yet decadent: 4 out of 5 stars

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Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg

Paper magic may not be a powerful magic but who wouldn’t want the books they read to come alive. I don’t know about you but that sounds really cool and wished it existed. Also I have a feelings if this was real movies would become overrated.

The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg features a 19 year-old girl by the name of Ceony Twill who wants nothing more than to be a Smelter when she graduates from magic school. When the time comes she is not given a choice like all the others to become whatever magician they want; no, she is forced to become a Folder the thing she least wants to do. She is placed under the apprenticeship of a Magician Thane, a young man who is considered a master of his trade. Fangirls commence the shipping. As the past finally catches up to Thane, Ceony will have to try her hardest using her little skills to save him from those who want to harm him.

It is cute I’ll give it that and possibly even fangirl worthy but a little cheesy and rushed at times. To me it is simply best explained as what would happen after Harry Potter meets the forbidden romance between teacher and student of Vampire Academy and Divergent. I feel the right to say the entire teacher/student romance things weird me out, a lot. Besides those points I enjoyed the book, a girl who will willing put herself in danger to save someone and who isn’t afraid to go into a fight where she most likely will loose.

4 out of 5 stars for the reasons in the paragraph above. I didn’t dislike it but I didn’t love it either but am going to read the second book. Yeah this book is just a filler book for me.

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Magnolia by Kristi Cook

Oh that was a cute book. Pretty much the opposite of a Romeo and Juliet story which made it all the better and we don’t have a helpless female which is all the better. So if you’re curious one word to sum up this book would be kawaii; short, simple, and sugary sweet.

Southern belle Jemma Cafferty has her entire life mapped out from the guy she’s suppose to marry to the college she will go to. But defiance is in her blood and she will do anything to go against her mom’s and Mrs. Marsden’s planning including hating the boy she’s suppose to fall in love with and applying to a school she actually wants to go to. The real question is how long can she rebel and hate the guy she’s secretly in love with. As a cheerleader with perfect aim with her gun Delilah she will have to decide how far she is willing to go to be against her parents.

In very few books we receive a character who is willing to admit they were wrong but finally some author decided it was time to stop that. Thank you Kristi Cook for that. This is also the book where extreme stereotypes are broken; the cheerleader is an awesome skeet shooter (something I’ve never seen a female character be good at) and the jock is actually kind and considerate and extreme genius but still has phobias. This book is a gem.

Overall? 4.5 out of 5 stars. Really cute but lacked the wow factor but none the less it is still an amazing book and you should pick it up.

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Some Boys by Patty Blount

I feel like I just got off of a really good emotional roller coaster. This is coming from the girl who strongly dislikes school drama. My excuse? This was a wonderfully crafted book.

This whole book occurs after “That Night” where Grace’s life is turned upside down and shaken senseless. I’m going to say it. She got raped. Not by any person but by the guy she broke up with two days prior and when she reveals that he raped her she gets shunned by the whole school. That is what happens when you accuse the hometowns golden child that he may not be as perfect as he seems. She will need the help from his best friend, Ian, to prove the entire school wrong and finally get justice. Expect major romantic vibes between the two of them.

The entire event that led me to read this book was simple; I wanted to take a break from fantasy and get faced with reality. Honestly I expected to take a few days dragging myself through this book not what actually happened with me reading for 3 hours nonstop to finish this book. We don’t particularly get a happy ending but you fall in love with a strong headed and determined girl has she makes peace with what happens and finally gets the justice she deserves. That is odd for books you get either a happy ending or non happy ending never a shade of gray like this book is. It wasn’t a fake reality it was like you were living through the eyes of the characters and sometimes it sucked. You cried when they cried. You laughed when they made a joke. You burned with fury at how they treated others.

Get the memo I really liked this book and I’m saying you should read it because you really should. IT WAS AMAZING. 5 out of 5 stars for a contemporary book that blew me out of the water.

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The Diviners by Libba Bray

Ever since Disney’s Princess and the Frog I’ve loved the 1920s combined with occult because who didn't enjoy Friends on the Other Side. This book has proven worthy of 578 pages worth of words with flapper references, occult signs, and magical powers it promises to it’s readers. Also it has cults which I love to see implemented in books. Who doesn’t enjoy a crazy cult?

Flamboyant Evie O’Neill is sent to her uncle in New York City after she has shamed hometowns golden boy by revealing his darkest secret with her power to take memories from objects. Soon after she arrives the Madman of Manhattan starts his killing streak that cause Evie’s uncle to be called in to help with the investigation as it is heavy in the occult signs. Evie’s power to reveal the hidden, might be the thing that solves this string of murders with the help of her friends and the secrets they hold.

I originally picked up this book to be a buffer book between books and for a time it was but once you got past a certain point you were lost and there was no hope of putting it down. Evie is strong but kind and once she starts to warm up to her environment she shows you her true colors and you practically get a character makeover. She has weaknesses; she acknowledges them and overpowers them. This is the kind of heroine every book should have.

It ended up being better than my original opinion of it scoring 4 out of 5 stars

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The Jewel by Amy Ewing

I must say I’m kinda disappointed. A few weeks ago when I read the synopsis I fell in love with the idea of the book. Let’s just say I’m less than pleased.

Violet is born special and by that it means she has this special power and can bear children. As told by the government all girls who can do this shall be raised in a holding facility to teach them to be a good servant… or a slave as they really are. Therefore when she finishes training she shall be sold to royalty who cannot bear children and have the child for them.

Okay yeah the concept is REALLY warped. And let me correct something; it is not The Selection meets The Handmaid’s Tale but it’s The Selection meets The Chemical Garden Trilogy by Lauren DeStefano (and we ALL know how that went down if you don’t I suggest you save yourself the time and just trust me on this). To me this book felt like it wanted to be an adult book but stayed behind because the YA market is better. It would have fared better in the adult market.

As I’m questioning what lead me to the moment that caused me to read this I give it this rating: 3.1 out of 5 stars

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Undertow by K.R. Conway

*Breath in, breath out* Excuse me while I fangirl for a second. . . Okay I’m back. I’m proud to say I have fallen in love with this book. Second off I NEED THE SECOND BOOK.

Eila is given a 1800s mansion that resides in Cape Cod by a complete stranger who says it should belong to descendant of the original owner. She moves from Kansas to Cape Cod with her guardian Mae (we aren’t in Kansas anymore seems totally appropriate at the moment,) unbeknownst to the enchantment, magic, and sacrifices that will follow. In a war against the Mortis she will have to trust her enemy to be able to survive.

The book had the most absolute perfect amount of action, romance, and the supernatural. The only qualm I had was early in the book was a conversation that looked like editing had not exactly worked out for it and I was confused for a page. Otherwise I LOVED THIS BOOK.

Final Rating 4.9 out 5 stars.

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Remember Me by Stacey Nash

First off the cover is deceiving but I have to say this was a good deceiving because at the moment I can’t think of a single thing in this book that really irked me. During the first 50 pages we jump sides extremely quickly. Anamae (like anime) our heroine who goes by Mae is part of the resistance against the government. When she is captured by the enemy and has her mind erased she has to fight for her memories back and go back to the life she left behind.

I read this book over a course of two days and could not under any circumstance get it out of my head. If you like Hunger Games, Divergent, or Legend you might very well like this book. The book shows you not everything is black and white there is gray to why the “bad” side is doing what they’re doing and not everyone under them is evil; that is a perspective that is hard to find these days in dystopian novels. For those of you who like romance there is some good cute romance in here with both her best friend/becoming more and her crush. For those of you who like action there is enough of that to satisfy the most picky person without it being too much or too little.

What more can I say besides I loved the book *pets book*. What are you waiting for? GO READ THIS BOOK NOW :).

Final Rating 4.5 out of 5 stars.