The Master Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg

The Master Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the final book in a YA Fantasy trilogy about an apprentice who studies paper magic. It's an enjoyable conclusion to an interesting series, though there are a few things I still have questions about.

I enjoyed learning more about the different kinds of magic in this book. The paper magic is fascinating, but I was equally interested in the other types of magic and happy to see they played a larger role in this book.

Pages: 226

Winter by Marissa Meyer

Winter is the fourth and final book in The Lunar Chronicles series. Even though this book is much longer than the others, I never wanted it to end. Princess Winter is a unique and fresh addition to the stories of Cinder, Scarlet and Cress. I can't say much else without giving away spoilers, but I hope that this isn't the last we hear from these amazing characters. Marissa Meyer is a wonderful writer and story-teller, and I hope she continues writing fairy-tale inspired stories for a long time. 

827 pages

The Glass Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg

The Glass Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book two in this YA Fantasy trilogy about a girl who studies the art of paper magic is also excellent and perhaps even more enjoyable than the first book, as it builds the world and magic system even further. I wish the villains would would have been developed a bit further. They are appropriately evil and terrible, but I would like to better understand why.

Page: 222

Flourish: A visionary new understanding of happiness and well-being by Martin E.P. Seligman

This book was on a recommended list from one of the RA sessions at MLA.  Seligman describes his work on developing a theory of positive psychology, to not just help people with depression or other mental disorders, but to show how everyone can get more out of life.  The book includes quizzes to assess your attitudes and character strengths, and exercises to build a positive view of well-being.  This is not just another self-help book, rather a description of how Seligman built his theory of well-being based on work in applied psychology, and then applied it not only in educational settings but with basic U.S. Army training to help soldiers develop resilience to stress.  He identifies five elements of well-being: positive emotion, engagement, meaning, accomplishment, and positive relationships.    320 pages.

The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg

The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a good first book for a YA fantasy trilogy based around a female magician, who gets assigned to an apprenticeship with a paper magician, even though she thinks paper magic is the most boring and pathetic type of magic possible. It's a solid, enjoyable, fast-paced story, set in a fascinating world, with a creative magic system.

Pages: 224

The Redeemers by Ace Atkins

(Posted for Paul Mathews)

Sheriff Colson’s term is finished, but there's a botched robbery and stolen safe with secrets that can take down the local kingpin.

Audio:  13 hrs. 52 min.

Print:  370 pages

The Pharaoh's Secret by Clive Cussler and Graham Brown

(Posted for Paul Mathews)

NUMA team’s misfortune starts with Africa and the lack of water in many African countries. Where’s the water going?

Audio:  10 hrs. 57 min.

Print:  432 pages

After the Prophet - Lesley Hazleton

After the Prophet: the epic story of the Shia-Sunni split. (Doubleday, 2009) 256p.


"In this gripping narrative history, Lesley Hazleton tells the tragic story at the heart of the ongoing rivalry between the Sunni and Shia branches of Islam, a rift that dominates the news now more than ever. Even as Muhammad lay dying, the battle over who would take control of the new Islamic nation had begun, beginning a succession crisis marked by power grabs, assassination, political intrigue, and passionate faith. Soon Islam was embroiled in civil war, pitting its founder's controversial wife Aisha against his son-in-law Ali, and shattering Muhammad's ideal of unity. Combining meticulous research with compelling storytelling, After the Prophet explores the volatile intersection of religion and politics, psychology and culture, and history and current events. It is an indispensable guide to the depth and power of the Shia-Sunni split."(Amazon blurb)

I checked out this book after reading a review.  Because of the timeliness of the topic, I thought it might give some background information for trying to understand the Shia-Sunni split.  If it was dry and boring, I could always return it.  I didn't.

As the blurb states, Ms. Hazleton has written a "gripping narrative".  The book is well researched, compellingly written, and very engrossing.  I can't say it was a book I couldn't put down...but it was a book I enjoyed reading.  And I didn't skip to the end to see what happened.  (Yes, I do that on occasion. Besides I already knew there would be no happy ending.)  The power struggle began even before Muhammad died.  And I found myself musing at the beginning..."If only Muhammad had selected a successor...all this could have been avoided."  But after reading the whole book, I have revised my thinking on that.  This was/is a political power grab and would have happened eventually, regardless (or because) of who was anointed as successor.  The Shia-Sunnit split is a clan struggle cloaked in religious fervor.  Barring a second coming of Muhammad, I don't see a ready reconciliation.  

Lesley Hazleton is a journalist and has written several books on Islam.  I plan on reading them all.

End of Days by Susan Ee

End of Days by Susan Ee
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The final book in this YA fantasy series was by far my favorite. I really love a series that grows so much you hate to leave it behind. This book has a big, slam-bang finish that will knock your socks off.

Pages: 344

World After by Susan Ee

World After by Susan Ee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was an excellent 2nd installment in a strange but interesting YA fantasy series about post-apocalyptic angels and demons, and an accidental, everyday hero, named Penryn.

Pages: 320

Angelfall by Susan Ee

Angelfall by Susan Ee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is an interesting, fast-paced, and unexpected take on a post-apocalyptic world overrun with both angels and demons. Penryn is refreshingly different, and her troubled family (mom is schizophrenic and little sister is a paraplegic) adds an interesting element to the story. This is book 1 in a trilogy, and I have already started book 2.

Pages: 288

The Other Side of the Bridge by Mary Lawson

Arthur and Jake Dunn are the sons of a farmer in the small town of Struan, Ontario in the mid-1930s. From childhood, Arthur is burdened by his size and his character; he has his father’s character, reticent, solid, and dutiful.  He is set to inherit the farm.

 

Jake is younger, attractive, mercurial and dangerous to know – the family misfit. He is a devious bully, but has a sunny personality. He is his mother’s child; articulate and charismatic and the world is his oyster.

 

A terrible accident befalls Jake and the blame falls on Arthur. Thereafter a spirit of enmity grows between Jake and Arthur, one that will poison their relationship and inextricably tie them to the past. When a beautiful young woman comes into the community, the fragile balance of sibling rivalry tips over the edge.

296 pages

The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

On a cold winter's night in Lexington, KY, Norah Henry goes into labor. It is 1964, and Lexington is in the midst of a blinding blizzard. Norah's husband, Dr. David Henry, administers drugs and delivers twins; a healthy baby boy and a girl with Down syndrome. Deciding that his wife cannot handle having a 'handicapped' child, he instructs his nurse, Caroline Gill, to take the child to an institution and never reveal its existence.

However, Caroline cannot bring herself to leave the child when she sees what life is like in the institution, so she takes the child and disappears. She moves to another city and raises the little girl as her own. Norah is told that her son Paul's twin died at birth.

Norah and David's life deteriorates under the burden of guilt (David's), grief (Norah's), and the longing for a lost sibling (Paul's).  Meanwhile, Caroline and baby Phoebe build a warm, satisfying life, albeit one also built on a lie, as is David and Norah's. A compelling read.

434 pages

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is brilliant. My brain almost exploded while reading.

I am totally in love with this dangerous fantasy world, and I want nothing more than to live inside it with all the incredible, unique, and deadly characters. Every book is better than the last. I actually hope this series never ends. It’s not possible that I will ever get enough of it.

This is book four, so make sure you start with book one: Throne of Glass. Also, the novellas are fantastic and can be read as a complete set before you start book one, if you want. I recommend that, because they provide excellent background information.

Pages: 648

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

(Posted for Paul Mathews)

Teenage Darrow believes mining will help improve the planet's future; his wife thinks they are slaves to the upper classes.  He becomes warrior, winner, leader for the lower classes while competing in the upper class games.

Audio:  13 hrs. 49 min.

Print:  382 pages

Feed by M.T. Anderson

Feed by M.T. Anderson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This novel has excellent characterization, but whatever you do, don't read it. It has incredible voice, but you have to listen to this one. It’s a whole different experience, because all the advertisements and reports that come through the Feed were created for the audiobook, with background music, announcer voices, sound effects, and more.

I felt like I was actually experiencing the feed, and I can’t imagine that reading the book would have the same effect. Also, the main character, Titus, has a style of telling the story that sounds fantastic and strangely charming when read aloud by David Aaron Baker, but I think it might have driven me crazy if I’d have read it myself. It’s hard to explain, but go listen to the sample to see what I mean.

Here’s the first line, which drew me in right away: “We went to the moon to have fun, but the moon turned out to completely suck.”

Audio Length: 5 hours and 1 minute
Narrator: David Aaron Baker

Pages: 299 (paperback)

All the Bright Places

By Jennifer Niven

400 pages

A very interesting, moving, sad, and absorbing book!  And soon to be a major motion picture starring Elle Fanning! ;)

Here's the Amazon snippet:

Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.

Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.

This is an intense, gripping novel perfect for fans of Gayle Forman, Jay Asher, Rainbow Rowell, John Green, and Jenny Downham from a talented new voice in YA, Jennifer Niven.

Looking for Alaska

By John Green

221 pages

I'm working through John Green's books slowly.  Looking for Alaska wasn't my favorite of his works, but it was still moving and funny and oh-so-human. 

Here's the Amazon snippet:

Before. Miles “Pudge” Halter is done with his safe life at home. His whole life has been one big non-event, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave “the Great Perhaps” even more (Francois Rabelais, poet). He heads off to the sometimes crazy and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young. She is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart. Then. . . .

After. Nothing is ever the same.

Dumplin' by Julie Murphy

Dumplin' by Julie Murphy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Willowdean is a fabulous character with a lot of authentic voice. She's honest, makes mistakes, falters, and grows, and her sidekicks in the story are equally delightful. 5 stars and a crown for everyone.

Pages: 375

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Madeline hasn't left the house in 17 years, due to Sever Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID). Being allergic to the world is lousy, but this story is perfection. I read this book straight through and couldn't stop.

Pages: 320

"A Deadly Secret" by Matt Birkbeck

The subtitle of this true crime book is "The Bizarre and Chilling Story of Robert Durst."  I recently viewed "The Jinx", a documentary about Durst and the 1982 disappearance of his first wife, Kathie, and I wanted to know more about the case.  This book seemed to be the most in-depth and was first published in 2002; the edition that I read was updated in March of 2015, after "The Jinx" had aired on HBO.

However, this is not just about Kathie's disappearance but also about the murder of Morris Black, a Texas drifter killed and dismembered by Durst in 2001.  The author interviewed the major players in both cases, including the police, private detectives, Kathie's family and friends, prosecutors, and witnesses.  He does a thorough job of going through details and using them to show that Durst is a sociopath.  The only quibble I have is with the way the author uses quotations of conversations for which he wasn't present nor were recorded.  Durst is currently being held in Louisiana on an illegal firearms violation but has been charged in California with the 2000 death of his friend Susan Berman.  That case is also covered in the book.  299 pages.

Corridors of the night by Anne Perry

Hester, Monk, and Scruff their adopted street urchin are back on the case in this latest installment of the William Monk series.  Hester has agreed to take over the night nursing duties of a friend called away on a family emergency. On her first night, she encounters a young girl calling for someone to help her dying brother.  What are children doing in the Royal Naval Hospital? Why does Hester fail to return home after a shift at the hospital? Monk and Scruff call on all their friends to help find out what has happened to Hester.

The first part of the book is a fast paced search for Hester against the backdrop of medical care in post-Crimean War England.  Imagine a time when patients routinely bled to death because doctors didn't know how to give blood transfusions. Perry makes the reader question just how far medical research should go in search of life-saving treatments. As is always the case in the series, the solving of the crime is followed by the court case.  I found this part of the book less interesting and the ending a bit abrupt, as if Perry didn't know how to end the story.  If you like the series, you will enjoy reading about the continuing development of Hester and Monk's family and friends in the Corridors of the Night. 271 pages.