Review: Throne of Glass

Throne of Glass
by Sarah J. Maas

Synopsis

In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king's champion. Her name is Celaena Sardothien. 

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass--and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.



Review

I've owned this book for awhile and finally picked it up a few days ago. I've been in a kind of reading slump so it took me a bit to get into the story. However, when I finally sat down and just read - wow. I just love this story! It could be because I've gotten into fantasy/adventure stories lately and my on-going love for all kick ass girls. I just simply love LOVE the character of Celaena Sardothien. She's a contradiction in how simple she is (a girl who loves books, food and music and flirting every now and then) and complicated (her sad past and assassin ways). I found her to be quite refreshing since she was able to make sacrifices and work toward her goal of being free. Celaena is loyal and caring and fierce as well. 

Although the love triangle is nothing unique, I did find the male characters to be. An arrogant prince is nothing new - but a prince who plays arrogant who actually has a kind heart? Yeah, I'm up for that even though I am totally loving Chaol. He's my favorite for being so quiet, loyal, strong and caring. Ugh, just LOVE. 

Anyway - add magic and mystery the mix and I'm hooked. I already ordered the second book and the collection of novellas. 

And as a plus - look at the cover. Just look at it. It's beautiful. There's a second hardcover going around that is less than lovely, so I'm glad I got this one in paperback with this cover. The two books I ordered are hardback, so I won't have a matching set :( but that's okay because LOOK AT THE COVER. 

Okay. Done.

Verdict

If you like a strong female character who isn't afraid of being honest but who is also caring and fun - Celaena is your girl. Plus magic - yes, please!

Top Shelf Short Stories: Pilot, Copilot, Writer

Pilot, Copilot, Writer
by Manuel Gonzales

Awesome story about a man who is on a plane that's been hijacked. The Pilot hijacker has the plane circling above Dallas with "perpetual oil". They stay encircling the area for years and years. People pass away. A woman gives birth to her son. They learn of news down below from their old lives. The narrator's wife remarries and his parents pass away. There is more to the story, but I don't want to ruin it for you! 

It is truly an intriguing story definitely worth the read. 

Verdict

I've only read this first story in the collection, and I hope the rest of the book is like this. It's so good!

Interview: Sage Adderley - Author of Invoking Nonna

Invoking Nonna
by Sage Adderley

Note: As you can see, dear reader, I am running late on this interview! No fear because my good friend Sage, author of the lovely book Invoking Nonna (how AWESOME is that?) has been quite understanding of my lateness. Now, onto the good stuff!

Book Synopsis  

Maggie Sloan is a free-spirited teenager growing up in rural Georgia. Unlike her peers, Maggie is a witch and so is her mother. In addition to normal teenager rites of passage, she must learn about her family lineage and witchcraft. Her mother, Laura, keeps a tight lid on their family secrets - like the mysterious life and death of her grandmother who passed away before Maggie was born. 

Practicing the craft will test solid friendships and introduce Maggie to new realms. While seeking the truth about herself and her family, Maggie is faced with danger from churchgoing classmates who will stop at nothing to make sure she is found out. Laura and Maggie strengthen their bond through witchcraft and work together to overcome their enemies. Are their magical gifts enough to keep them safe? 

Interview 

 1. What inspired you to write a book about a strong teen who becomes/realizes she’s Wiccan? 

 I love YA novels, but it’s rare you come across a teen character that practices witchcraft in modern times without some fantastical theme or character, like dragons or witches flying on broomsticks. I enjoy fantasy stories, but I wanted to depict a teen girl who happens to practice Wicca in present day. I also wanted to show how hard it can be to publicly practice a religion other than Christianity, especially in the deep south of the US. 

 2. How did you do your research for the Wiccan details in your story? It’s detailed in the best way! 

 Thank you! I’ve been reading about Wicca since I was a teenager. So, roughly twenty years. I’ve always been drawn to Pagan spirituality, so I am very familiar with Wicca. I also took advantage of books at my local library. 

 3. I love that you used the library! Many young adult authors appear pressured to include a love story in their books – was this something you considered for Invoking Nonna? 

 Well, I didn’t want a love story, but I was concerned this would be an issue for readers because it’s extremely common in most young adult books these days to have a romance and/or love triangle. Actually, I am surprised by how many people have commented that it’s refreshing not to have a love interest for Maggie. Who knows what the future has in store for Maggie, but right now, her family is the main focus. 

 4. I know I definitely appreciated how strong Maggie was without a male counterpart. Maggie and her best friend are so different – was that difficult for you to write as your story moved forward? 

 Not really. I wanted them to have a good connection while maintaining their own identities. I think that is important. 

 5. Definitely! Also, the mother/daughter relationship is dealt with heavily in your book – something that many women can sympathize with. Why did you pick this particular theme to center your story around? 

 I think many readers can relate to the issue of disconnect with their parents. I wanted to show a particular situation that could be mended between a mother and daughter no matter how bleak things seemed to be. 

 6. In general, what motivated you to write your story? What motivates you to continue? 

 Fun fact about how the story started - The first scene I wrote for the book was about the family of healers that have a magical shop set up at the local flea market. They were my inspiration. I built the Sloan family around Ana and Claudia. I have to continue because there is so much more to this family. More secrets, more pain, more love … and more magic! 

 7. We know you can’t tell us everything, but can you give any hint as to where Maggie’s story is going? 

For you, I will give some hints. In book two we will delve deeper into “the curse” and I think readers will learn more about Maggie’s father, too. The dynamic between Ruby and Maggie has changed, I’ll be touching on that. 

8. Thank you for the exclusive! Do you have any other projects in the works? 

Aside from writing book two of the Triple Goddess Series, I am also churning some ideas for a preschool story that I have in my brain. 

Many thanks to author, Sage Adderley, for taking the time to answer my questions and providing us an inside look into her world of Invoking Nonna. If you haven't read it, keep reading this to find out where you can order your copy today!

Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5Dnc1YczF0 

Purchase Links: 
Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Invoking-Nonna-Sage-Adderley/dp/0989709825 
Etsy (print & digital available) - https://www.etsy.com/shop/sage 

Follow Sage: 
Website – http://sageadderley.com/ 
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7559413.Sage_Adderley Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/MyNameIsSage 
Twitter - https://twitter.com/sageadderley 

About the Author

Sage Adderley is a single (and very busy) mom of three humans and one cat. She is passionate about kindness, coffee, mental health, fat activism, and the DIY lifestyle. 

Sage is the owner of Sweet Candy Distro & Press, Sage's Blog Tours, and writes the zines Tattooed Memoirs and Marked For Life. She is also the creator of FAT-TASTIC! 

Sage currently resides in the magical land of Olympia, Wa.

Review: I Remember Nothing and Other Reflections

I Remember Nothing and Other Reflections
by Nora Ephron

Synopsis

Nora Ephron returns with her first book since the astounding success of I Feel Bad About My Neck, taking a hilarious look at the past, the present, and the future, bemoaning the vicissitudes of modern life, and recalling with her signature clarity and wisdom everything she hasn’t (yet) forgotten. 

 Filled with insights and observations that instantly ring true—and could have come only from Nora Ephron—I Remember Nothing is pure joy.





Review

How have I not read anything by Nora Ephron before? I mean, the woman and I were practically soulmates (I am mostly being sarcastic here...mostly). 

But I digress.

In a matter of I don't know how many essays, Ephron managed to pack years of life experiences in such a poignant way. Seriously - I don't know how the woman did it. It's not even that she used "big words" or unveiled the secrets of the universe. She talks about very ordinary-but-unique-in-each-person's-way experiences and used understandable language. So how did this woman manage to turn my world upside down in less than 150 pages?

I don't know. But the important thing is that she did. 

Ephron discusses everything from Christmas dinners, divorces to meeting your heroes and meat loaf. And I think that the unexpected thing, after the laughter, were those moments of subtle heartbreak. And that Ephron was a clever one - she waited for the last two pages of the book to completely break your heart. 

I'm not going to tell you what those last two are about - just going to have to read to find out.

Verdict

Read it. And then do as this reader is doing and hunt down her other writings. 

Review: You Are Here

You Are Here: Romville Stories 
by Joe Boland 

Synopsis

The Romville Stories in You Are Here by Joe Boland combine universal insights into human character, humor, and a distinctive, noir writing style that pulls you in and keeps you reading even when you want to turn out the light and go to sleep.

A short passage from “This Story”, the first in the collection, shows Mr. Boland’s wit and style: 

Her name was Mora. I misspelled it “Maura” in my first Valentine’s Day card to her resulting in a huge fight, which should have clued me in to her temperament a little bit at least. But being in love is kind of like spraying yourself in the eyes with Mace in that it hurts a lot and impairs your vision badly. And it ain’t cheap either. I met her in church (which just goes to show you there is no place free from peril) at my cousin’s wedding. She was sort of a friend of the bride’s sister-in-law’s brother or some such thing. I wound up dancing with her a bunch of times and she smiled and smiled till her face inhabited my mind the way a needletip burns itself into a junkie’s skin.

Review

If I had to describe You Are Here in one word, I would say it had to be real. First of all, as the reader probably knows by now, I love short stories. (Yeah, I am going to try that short story a day thing again in December. I know, I know...) So, I mean, this book already had my interest. Second of all, I love when authors can make me care (in one way or another) about characters in a short story. I mean, think about it - you're given only so much time to really invest yourself in this idea, this character. It's fantastic.

But anyway, like I said, these short stories involve characters and situations that feel real. They aren't glossy and sweet, but rather dark and unapologetic. However, just like real life, Boland has found a way to intertwine the grittiness of real life with the tenderness of human emotion.

Verdict

If the reader enjoys a glimpse into other lives and not necessarily the fairy tale, then the reader will definitely enjoy this story!



About the Author

Joe Boland Biography Joe Boland, pretender to a lovely throne, was born on the side of a hill in Danbury, CT, quite a long while ago. 

He spent a great deal of time in cow-lots and cellars, building houses of cards at his grandfather’s careless Canadian feet, and avoiding anything resembling Work, which he is allergic to (he has a doctor’s note).

Top Shelf Short Story: Tiny, Smiling Daddy

Short Story: Tiny, Smiling Daddy

Collection: Because They Wanted To
Author: Mary Gaitskill

Review

I l-o-v-e-d Gaitskill's writing! I hadn't read anything by her before and was instantly surprised. It's not that I was expecting something else or bad. It was just that I've mostly heard of Gaitskill's book, Bad Behavior. So, silly me thought I wouldn't like any other book by her? I don't know. 

Let's move on. 

The story I read was just realistically heartbreaking. The story is about a father who is made to remember interactions with his "rebel" daughter after learning that she's written a magazine article about him. The story deals mostly with the father's anxieties toward finding out what his daughter has written about him. While he's waiting for his wife to come back with their car so he can hunt down the magazine, he thinks back to how much his daughter has changed throughout the years. First as the sweet young child who loved her father's jokes to the rebellious individual he knows her as in present day. 

I found the story heartbreaking because the father is basically chronologically placing the memories of how he emotionally lost his daughter as the years went by.  The last paragraph of this story is definitely painful. 

Verdict

Painful, but beautifully written. Involves LGBT issues. 

Top Shelf Short Story: A Temporary Matter

Short Story: A Temporary Matter

Collection: Interpreter of Maladies
Author: Jhumpa Lahiri

Review

This story is quite different than my previous short story reads. For one, this is realistic...brutally so. The story is about an Indian couple who have recently had a stillborn child. This, of course, causes pain to arise in both the characters in very different ways. Shukumar watches as his wife, Shoba, cares less and less about their home (and even Shukumar) and becomes more self-absorbed. Lahiri offers the best metaphor for their relationship in the form of their pantry. Once full of food, the pantry supply slowly dwindles. Instead of filling it with what his wife cannot provide at the moment, Shukumar takes what's left and makes his wife dinner. While at dinner, they learn that their electricity will be shut off for one hour each day for a week. It's while having dinner together, in the dark, where they tell each other their secrets. And through these secrets, we learn just how far Shukumar and Shoba have let their union dwindle...just like that pantry. 

Reader, you can probably guess that I loved this short story. I truly did. It made me so sad, but the language is so beautiful that I forgot for a moment or two that I was witnessing the end of a marriage. The pantry was a perfect metaphor for the situation between Shukumar and Shoba. It's everything a short story should be. 

Verdict

Read it! You'll either cry or just get really sad - but it's worth it :)

introduced by The Broke and the Bookish

Favorite Reads from Native American Authors

10. War Dances

by Sherman Alexie

9. Fool's Crow

by James Welch

8. Blue Dawn, Red Earth

by Various

7. Ceremony

by Leslie Marmon Silko

6. Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven

by Sherman Alexie

5. Spider Woman's Granddaughters : 

Traditional Tales and Contemporary Writing 

by Native American Women

4. Love Medicine

by Louise Erdrich

3. The Beet Queen

by Louise Erdrich

2. Reservation Blues

by Sherman Alexie

1. The True Story of a Part Time Indian 

by Sherman Alexie

Review: Amy & Roger's Epic Detour

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour

by Morgan Matson

Summary:

Amy Curry thinks her life sucks. Her mom decides to move from California to Connecticut to start anew--just in time for Amy's senior year. Her dad recently died in a car accident. So Amy embarks on a road trip to escape from it all, driving cross-country from the home she's always known toward her new life. Joining Amy on the road trip is Roger, the son of Amy's mother's old friend. Amy hasn’t seen him in years, and she is less than thrilled to be driving across the country with a guy she barely knows. So she's surprised to find that she is developing a crush on him. At the same time, she’s coming to terms with her father’s death and how to put her own life back together after the accident. Told in traditional narrative as well as scraps from the road--diner napkins, motel receipts, postcards--this is the story of one girl's journey to find herself.

Review:

A wonderful story about loss, grief, friendship and love. It's no surprise that I love the YA genre - but rarely do I come across a story that I feel truly shows what grief and loss are to its reader. And this book...this book does it beautifully well. There is plenty of humor, adventure and painful moments throughout the book - it was crazy to realize that it spans about a week (I believe). I could not put it down because the characters were believably written and that made me care about each of them. It also made me realize that some people are not meant to stay in our lives; some people are meant to leave their footprint and move on. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a humorous, but bittersweet read. Also, just so you know, there are bad words, sex and death mentioned in this book.  Each topic was used well and did not ruin the flow of the story. Actually, they only helped the evolution of the characters. 

Rating: