Small Persons With Wings - Ellen Booraem

Small Persons With Wings (They Hate To Be Called Fairies) by Ellen Booraem




I pulled this myself yesterday, (Darrell was out,) and ended up reading it yesterday as well.
I was kind of intrigued by the jacket description, but wasn't expecting too much.
About midway through I was a little nervous that the book wasn't going to have a conflict, but I was wrong, it was just a lot further into the book than most.

Short synopsis:

Mellie Turpin used to have a fairy small person with wings living in her bedroom, she proclaimed this to her kindergarten class, but when she tried to bring him in, he disappeared. For years she has never been able to live it down but gets her chance when her family moves away. But of course having a small person with wings isn't just a coincidence, its her families birthright. So moving only makes her small person with wings problem worse. They want their magic back from the Turpin family, but of course one small person with wings wants the power all to themselves.

This was a cute take on fairies. I had a hard time following the magic and what made it work and where it was from.
But sometimes I have a tendency to skip over or skim sections without realizing, and then it's too much trouble to reread because I'm not sure what I missed.
Other than that, which is my own fault, I really liked it.
The throw you for a loop part at the end wasn't too drastic, and it played out nicely.

Credit:
Amazon - in case you're into buying
Ellen Booraem - author website

Read on.
Jessica.

Fall Of Night - Rachel Caine

The Morganville Vampires by Rachel Caine

This is book 14 of a series I started 2 summers ago.

I had read the Twilight books, and wanted more vampire books,

so I searched for vamp books on the e-library consortium and came up with this series.

I will be adding a page up top for series' that I really like, and keep up with.

This will definitely be on the top of the list.

This is one of my favorite series, and I can't wait for each new book to come out.

I don't want to give too much of the backstory away because I do want to write about the rest of the books that come before this.

 

Fall of Night

 

 

Short synopsis:

 

Claire Danvers is finally on her way to MIT.

She leaves everything she's known for the last two years, and tries to make it on her own.

But leaving Morganville isn't what she thinks it will be, they may have made nice with the vamps in Morganville, but Claire doesn't realize that there are vamps other places.

And while they aren't directly under Amelie's thumb, she still has eyes on every vamp 'alive'.

The vamps outside of Morganville are going to put everybody in Morganville in jeporady.

 

I love every single book in this series, and am always stoked to get the next book when it comes out.

The series doesn't drag on and repeat itself, there are legitimate new obstacles, and villians in each new book, and Rachel Caine also extends some villians and obstacles through more than one book, which helps keep the series alive.

 

I will deffinately be doing a write up on each of the books in this series. So look for that in the coming months. (13 will take me some time.)

 

Credit:

Amazon - in case you're into buying

Morganville Vampires - series website

Rachel Caine - author website

 

Read on.

Jessica.

My New Normal - Sara Michelle

My New Normal, Series by Sara Michelle

This is a two part post.
I started this series and had planned to wait to post about the first two.
But. I have no idea when I'll be able to get my hands on the third,fourth, and fifth books.
And I also don't know how many more past five she is going to write.
Sara Michelle is a teen author, I'm all about kids getting big breaks in life.
I think it's super cool that she's still in school.

These books are kinda cool. The print in them is gigantic, so they don't take that long to read, plus they are super tiny to begin with. I read them each in about 15 minutes.
They are of course about tragedy. Were you surprised???
So, without further ado....

 

 

Book 1: The Aftermath

 

Short synopsis:
 

Cecilia and Ryan are two of only a handful of apocalypse survivors.  After a ginormous earthquake they are alone in an a world of unknowns. Set in what was previously Denver, they brave the elements of late December, to find food, water, and shelter.



Book 2: The Inside

 

Short synopsis:

 

After Cecilia and Ryan find the Denver Snow Shelter, they make themselves as comfortable as they can given the circumstances. A few days after finding shelter, a stranger, Jason shows up demanding to know why they kept the place a secret and when they were going to let other know about it. Jason goes out, finds five other survivors and brings them back. But Cecilia is getting sick, and Jason is a little too creepy for everybody's liking.

 

 

These books break off suddenly with a very suspenseful last sentence, so you are hanging on at the end of each waiting to start the next one.  Hopefully the third book takes after the second book and isn't as foreboding as the last sentence implies it will be. I can't wait to read the next three and however many more she is able to write.

 

Credit:

Amazon - in case you're into buying

Author has no website

 

Read on.

Jessica.



Before You Go - James Preller

Before You Go by James Preller





I finished this back in March but didn't have time to write about it because of school.
I checked this out way back then, but I don't remember if I pulled it or if Darrell recommended it.

I must be magnetically attracted to books about tragedy, so of course this one is tragic as well. And so are the next two. It must be a disease.

This one has no happy ending, unfortunately. But it is a good book nonetheless. I read this over a month ago, and while I don't rememeber all the details, I remember I don't really want to reread the tragedy. So my synopsis might be a little dry.

Short synopsis:

Jude starts his summer with a new not so glamerous job, but is dertermined to make new friends, and hopefully continue to put his past behind him. Eight??? (I can't remember exactly how many) years before he lost his little sister to a tragic accident. Since then his barely kept together family, has been trying not to fall apart. It's an event that continually haunts Jude, so he hopes that this summer will liven up his life a litte bit. He meets a girl, and hopes that maybe his luck and his life are finally looking up. (Of course this can't be accurate, I don't read happily ever after books!!!) Then tragically, you have to read the book. Because I haven't given any endings away yet, I don't want to spoil it for anyone.

Credit:
Amazon - in case you're into buying
James Preller - author website

Read on.
Jessica.

School sucks, but now it's Summerrrr!!!!!

Ohhh Mannnn!

Its been 2.5 months since I've been on here.
I totally suck. Well actually it was school that sucked.

MAJOR.
This semester was ridiculous. My science class killed me.
I haven't read anything lately.
I didn't even end up reading my textbooks really.

So I have a lot to make up for this summer. Starting today hopefully.
I made out a schedule, so I can try to keep on top of what I'm posting,
and how much I'm reading.

I've read a grand-total (drumroll please) of FOUR books this year. 
Whoops. I better get started reading if I'm gonna make that 120 mark by 12.31.

I will be starting book 14 of one of my most favorite series tonight.
Be on the lookout for that post in the next few days.

Until then.

Read on.
Jessica.

Blink Once - Cylin Busby

Blink Once by Cylin Busby

 

First book of March!!!
Woohoo!
I can't believe I managed to read two books in one week.

We had a snow day Wednesday, so I took advantage of that downtime to knock one off the pile.
I realllllllyyyyyy enjoyed this book.
This was one I pulled myself.
My book choosing strategy is probably not politically correct, I look at the spines, and when the spine design and font grab my attention, I pull the book and read the jacket. I base all my personal selections based on jacket summaries.

I don't read reviews that say "Great story, another fantastic blahhh blahhh blahhh" -New York Times.
What does that even mean?????
I wanna know what the dang book is about.

So back to this story, it's another mind efff like The Raft by S. A. Bodeen.
And I didn't even realize it!!! I was so disappointed in my self.

I have this tendency to pick out books about amputees, paralysis, coma and cancer patients. I'm such a sucker for a heart warming story. And I'm way past sold if it's a love story.
And this one just happened to be a paralyzed coma patient, I know right?? Such a sucker.

Short synopsis:

West wakes up from a dirt bike accident to a pretty dark haired girl named Olivia telling him he is paralyzed. With her help, he figures out how to communicate with her and his surroundings. During his stay, he falls in love with Olivia. Before he transfers hospitals to have surgery, he promises to come back for her. And here comes the mind eff, but I can't give anymore away. Because anything else I say will give away what happens, and I can't have that.
You must read this book.
It's an amazing show of love, dedication, healing, strength, trust and perseverance.

This book and West are so easy to fall in love with. I highly recommend it, and I think it's a fantastic motivational book, you know RahRahRah! you can overcome any obstacle, but in an endearing way.

Credit:
Amazon - in case you're into buying
Cylin Busby - author website

Read on.
Jessica.

Mister Death's Blue-Eyed Girls - Mary Downing Hahn

 

Mister Death's Blue-Eyed Girls by Mary Downing Hahn

I finished this a few days ago, and have been formulating a 'review' in my head since then.

 

This book is insanely intense and very close to home.

Mary Downing Hahn was born and raised in Maryland, within two hours of where I was.

Every place she talks about in the book is something I recognize. That in of itself is kindaaaaa freaky if you ask me.

Darrell actually asked me to read this for him to get feedback for his summer reading program.

When I saw him last, I was only a portion of the way through, but we already had tons to discuss.

This book is based on a series of true events that Downing Hahn experienced and then added some fiction into.

 

I started reading at night and got freaked out by the first chapter, I thought it was going to be a horror/ghost novel, but it's not. As I kept reading I noticed the Maryland references, mainly Ocean City. I actually flipped the book upside down and shook it. Like that would explain why OC was in the book I was reading. :)

 

Short synopsis:

 

July 1956, two girls were killed in a park in broad daylight while walking to school on their last day for the year. Nora, the main character and one of three narrators deals with the deaths, (the two girls were good friends with her best friend) her wavering faith, and coming of age as a good girl.

The second narrator is Buddy, who is accused of killing the girls, his chapters are not as prevalent and are angst filled. The last narrator is the actual killer. And he's creepy as hell. I did not enjoy reading his chapters. I think I would've preferred to not know his opinion, but it does add a lot to the story, it fills in a lot of gaps. That being said, it is not a clean ending by any means.

 

This would have been an easy read had I not been so busy with school and being sick. Although it would've been quicker and easier, it would not have been any less intense.

This is one that gave me chills more than a few times.

I want everyone in Maryland to read this, mainly because it is so rare for us Marylanders to read a book that takes place in our own state.

 

Darrell and I did some research on the actual murders, and even found a few articles from the Baltimore Sun.

In her author's note Downing Hahn explains her connection to the murders, but reading the actual articles, was bone chilling.

What she wrote in the book, actually happened.

 

I keep thinking of more I want to say.....

This book uses these deaths to deal with very real religious issues, thing's that I think kids are still going through today. I think that there are a great number of girls especially that will read this in the next ten or so years and figure out that it's okay to question, to wonder, and to stray, because ultimately, it's your life, not your parents, and you must deal with your own feelings and beliefs.

 

Credit:

Amazon - in case you're into buying

Mary Downing Hahn - author website, that is very outdated

 

Read on.

Jessica.