Black Flags, Blue Waters: The Epic History of America's Most Notorious Pirates by Eric Jay Dolin

Black Flags, Blue Waters: The Epic History of America's Most Notorious Pirates by Eric Jay Dolin

During the Age of Exploration, the "Golden Age" of American piracy arrived, spanning from the 1600s to 1700s. At first, colonists supported pirates in a show of solidarity against the Crown. Later, they would vehemently oppose them. Vignettes reveal the true stories behind infamous pirates such as Blackbeard, Stede Bonnet, Captain Kidd, Henry Morgan, and Edward Low, as well as the involvement of well-known historical characters like John Winthrop, Cotton Mather, and Ben Franklin in his printing and publishing days. The tales of these seafaring marauders, stripped of their usual misconceptions and stereotypes, reflect the precarious nature of life in colonial America.  

380 pages.

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

 

When he attends a dying patron of his family's boarding house, young Jim Hawkins has no idea that the man was once a pirate, or that the man's possessions include a map that will lead whoever has it to the island where the  notorious buccaneer, Captain Flint, buried his treasure. Jim and his guardians hire a boat to sail to the island, unaware that crew they have hired includes many members of Flint's pirate band, among them former quartermaster Long John Silver, and that they hope to claim the treasure for their own. 

Now to go and watch Muppet Treasure Island

Pages: 311

The Secret Service of Tea and Treason by India Holton

IT'S MY BABY BOY'S TIME TO SHINE. (Also known as the Catholic butler who kidnapped a Protestant to talk about transubstantiation) 
Hi I would like more backstory and childhood details:

So we love competency in this house.
Also Daniel knowing how to help Alice when she has sensory overload, or pointing out when things are jokes...the deep pressure hugs...just...Can I have a Daniel
368 Pages 

The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by S.A. Chakraborty

It was an ARC but I finished it the day after it was published.
It's the first book in a trilogy, and it's got like...Arabian Nights vibes, except it's pirates.
The historical fantasy.
I still love that she includes all of her research references. We love it.
fd;jklsasfdsjklasfjkld
496 Pages

Well Met by Jen DeLuca

25 year-old character: am I too old to be getting back pain.
me: no. 

hey it's that scene from the end of black pearl 
jkls;fjdakl;j;fljsjglahdsfjkhlasjklfhjlsafhkhjkl
all of the pirate stuff and the Renaissance fair and the English teacher fjkdsljafkljf;kla
336 Pages

TS Song: Sparks Fly, Mirrorball, this is me trying, I Think He Knows

These Rebel Waves by Sara Raasch

Spanish Inquisition
....Keep your secrets
Ok so pirates and fjkdlsjfklsajfklsajfklsajfdklajkljl
WHAT KIND OF CLIFFHANGER IS THAT.
496 Pages

Daughter of the Siren Queen by Tricia Levenseller

I love Riden. I love him so much. Can I keep him?
Did I read this just for Riden and Alosa.... yes I did.
I loved learning more about everyone's pasts.
Mom. I love moms.
I love women growing into their powers and strengths.... send help. I love Riden. (literally the whole review could be me saying I love Riden).
368 Pages

One Piece: Volume 1 by Eiichiro Oda

Me looking up One Piece on Barnes and Noble.... THERE'S 94 VOLUMES.....THAT'S SO MANY...Seriously... FMA was 27, MHA is only at like....26. Haikyu!! had like 45.... I'm exhausted just looking at that....
Hey look it's Draco Malfoy.
Captain Morgan...

216 Pages

Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller

I LOVE PIRATES. THE TROPE I LIVE FOR
.....You can't just name a character Riden and expect me to sit here and do/say nothing...like...come on.

Finally some light light angst, cute soft boys, a sprinkle of enemies to lovers, and pirates and sirens, sfdjklsfdajklsfda;jkl I love a girl with a sword. Also just Riden.... my clever boy.. My stupid clever boy.

It's a nice break from all of the painful super angsty fiction I've been reading. Like no saving the world right now, just a fun adventure. It's good to not be in too much pain for once. I have found my YA fiction landfill and I am living in it. Just let me bliss out on this wonderful easy read.

336 Pages

Montague Siblings Series

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

#BecRereads2019

This is so darned charming and heartfelt, while still being full of adventure. I could read it a hundred times and never get sick of this one.

Book 33 read in 2019

Pages: 513

PREVIOUS REVIEW:
This novel has so much voice, the kind that’s funny and unapologetic. I really do want to hug this book, which is problematic since I listened to the audiobook.

The MC is a charming rake who gets himself into mess after mess, and I adore the fact that one of the side characters is his sister. That’s so rare in YA these days…to have a really relevant character be a sibling, and for that sibling to go along on the adventure. It added a nice dynamic.

These teenagers were appropriately teenagery, and I loved how the dated time period still felt so fresh and easy to exist within. These are the kind of characters who steal away little pieces of your heart, and you don’t even mind.

---

The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is another great YA historical adventure by Mackenzi Lee.

This one has some amazing feminist undertones, though the MC, who likely feels she is one of the first feminists, has a whole lot to learn about what it truly means to be supportive of women and to advocating for their rights, while still respecting their choices and preferences. She has an amazing friend who teaches her some difficult lessons.

Plus, this one has pirates, water dragons, family legacies run a muck, amputations, and once again plenty of diversity, especially for being a historical novel. The voice is unique, and it made me so happy that Monty and Percy played a role in Felicity's story, without crowding her out of the spotlight.

Book 34 read in 2019

Pages: 450

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Daughter of the Siren Queen by Tricia Levenseller

Sequel to Daughter of the Pirate King

Summary: "Alosa is the daughter of the Siren Queen, and her mission is finally complete. Not only has she recovered all three pieces of the map to a legendary hidden treasure, but the pirates who originally took her captive are now prisoners on her ship. Still unfairly attractive and unexpectedly loyal, first mate Riden is a constant distraction, but now he's under her orders. Now Alosa and her crew are in a deadly race with Vordan, the pirate king, to find the treasure."

Well, I liked this book, but I wish it was just...more. It felt like the author didn't know where to take the story. In the first book, there was a stronger focus and purpose to everything that happened. In this book, plot-lines seems random and unfulfilled. I still enjoyed Alosa, Riden and the other characters as well as the female pirates and sirens. The sirens were ultimately underused and underappreciated - I wanted so much more from them! 

341 pages

Daughter of the Siren Queen by Tricia Levenseller
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a pretty good follow up to book one, but I was a bit lost at the beginning, as I couldn't remember who anyone was or what had actually happened in book one. None of the references were making any sense to me. That was partly poor planning on my part, but I didn't want to reread book one and didn't take time to read a recap. Oops.

Also, the audiobook volume was cued incredibly low, so I struggled to hear well at max volume no matter which headphones I used. As a result, I missed a lot of things and rewound a lot until I settled in. All of that impacted my overall view of the book, which may be partly why it got 4 stars.

I was settled in pretty well once I hit the midpoint, and I thought the last half was solid. This is a cute series.

Book 175 read in 2018

Pages: 352

To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo

Summary: "Princess Lira is siren royalty and the most lethal of them all. With the hearts of seventeen princes in her collection, she is revered across the sea. Until a twist of fate forces her to kill one of her own. To punish her daughter, the Sea Queen transforms Lira into the one thing they loathe most—a human. Robbed of her song, Lira has until the winter solstice to deliver Prince Elian’s heart to the Sea Queen or remain a human forever."

Whew, this book was quite a ride! It started off a little slow for me, but then it picked up the pace. I adored Lira's spirit and her interactions with Elian. I also appreciated that the author didn't shy away from the violence and brutality associated with sirens and the Sea Queen. 

Even though some of the plot and pacing is a little off at times, this is a wonderful story overall. I would love to see more siren stories in the future! 

P.S. There are pirates in this one! Wildcard!

342 pages

Artemis by Andy Weir

 Artemis
by Andy Weir
Pages: 305
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

From the author of The Martian comes a totally different science fiction adventure. Besides being set on a planet in space this novel is quite different from The Martian, much more adventure and less science. Artemis is a settlement on the moon owned by a corporation.

The main character Jazz Bashara was born on the moon and is just as tough as the atmosphere. While being smart and talented Jazz is often her own worst enemy and is still paying for some mistakes she made as a teen. Jazz is trying to make a fast buck but ends up in the middle of a conspiracy to take over the control of Artemis. But Jazz will need more than her brains and daring to commit the perfect crime, she's going to have to learn how to deal with her past and forgive herself and others to succeed.

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

The Princess Bride by William Goldman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was so much fun. I watched this movie all the time while growing up, so I'm not sure why I never read the book. I should have picked it up sooner.

Book 165 read in 2018

Pages: 398

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

Summary: "Henry “Monty” Montague doesn’t care that his roguish passions are far from suitable for the gentleman he was born to be. But as Monty embarks on his grand tour of Europe, his quests for pleasure and vice are in danger of coming to an end. Not only does his father expect him to take over the family’s estate upon his return, but Monty is also nursing an impossible crush on his best friend and traveling companion, Percy.

So Monty vows to make this yearlong escapade one last hedonistic hurrah and flirt with Percy from Paris to Rome. But when one of Monty’s reckless decisions turns their trip abroad into a harrowing manhunt, it calls into question everything he knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores."  -Amazon

Oh my goodness, this book.  It has everything.  Seriously.  Mystery, adventure, romance, scathing commentary, evil, and the alchemical elements give just the right amount of fantasy.  But I have to say, the absolute best part are the characters.  Yes, romping around 18th century Europe is fun, but holy-moly are the characters gems!  Monty is rebellious and impulsive, but he has a vulnerability that makes you want reach in and hug him.  Percy is quiet and steady; he deals with being bi-racial in a world of hatred and ignorance with a grace that is both defiant and dignified.  And Felicity - whew!  She is such a strong female presence, intelligent and caring.  The characters have such depth.  Bravo, Ms. Lee.  Bravo.

This book is a ride, with humor and gravitas both.  If I had only one word to use in recommendation of this novel, it would be 'refreshing'.  So many books are the same character types in different settings, or the same premise with different items.  Not so here.  Refreshing!  It's over 500 pages and still not enough.  I can't wait to read the sequel.

5/5

510 pages

Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates by Brian Kilmeade

From the Halls of Montezuma

To the shores of Tripoli;

We fight our country's battles

In the air, on land, and sea;

The first lines of the Marines Hymn refer to the Barbary War.  Yet, this is not a well known  part of American history.   Kilmeade outlines the political and naval maneuvers of the war in entertaining fashion, albeit from simplified perspective.   

273 pages

Bloody Jack by L.A. Meyer

Bloody Jack by L.A. Meyer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I picked this up at random to earn pirate points for our work challenge, and I ended up really enjoying this adventure story. It's about Jack, a plucky orphan girl, and how she survives in the world on her own, which includes how she ends up serving as a deck boy on a naval ship that fights pirates.

So yeah, fun times were had by all, or at least me. This has some of my favorite tropes from childhood, including the whole girl pretends to be a boy gem.

It bridges the gap between MG and YA by starting out with a strong MG feel and ending up more in the upper MG to YA realm. I thought the author did a great job of showing how Jack changes as she starts to grow up.

Also, the audiobook is narrated by Katherine Kellgrin, who is amazing. She narrated over 200 audiobooks and won many awards, including being inducted into the Narrator Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, she passed away in January of 2018, so there will be no new books narrated by her. However, I still will try to listen to as much of her body of work as possible, as she has such a good sense for the dramatic and really pulls a reader into the story.

Book 107 read in 2018

Pages: 304

The Princess Bride by William Goldman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Summary: What happens when the most beautiful girl in the world marries the handsomest prince of all time and he turns out to be...well...a lot less than the man of her dreams?

As a boy, William Goldman claims, he loved to hear his father read the S. Morgenstern classic, The Princess Bride. But as a grown-up he discovered that the boring parts were left out of good old Dad's recitation, and only the "good parts" reached his ears.

Now Goldman does Dad one better. He's reconstructed the "Good Parts Version" to delight wise kids and wide-eyed grownups everywhere.

I was nervous about reading this book, because I needed to read a pirate book for a challenge. But I found that I really enjoyed this book more than I thought I would!
View all my reviews

398 Pages

The Whydah: A Pirate Ship Feared, Wrecked, and Found by Martin W. Sandler

The Whydah: A Pirate Ship Feared, Wrecked, and Found by Martin W. Sandler

Legend says that on the shores of Cape Cod, a young Englishman fell deeply in love with a beautiful girl named Maria Hallett. They would not have long together, however. The Englishman would eventually leave her and go on to become one of the most fearsome pirates of his day. Black Sam Bellamy became captain to the Whydah, a ship designed to hold vast quantities of cargo, both material and human. The Whydah served as Bellamy's flagship until a stormy night in 1717 when it was ran aground and sank, killing most of the crew. In his short nonfiction novel, Sandler explores the Whydah's background, its destruction and the aftermath, as well as the search for the Whydah's remains and artifacts.

170 pages.