Books Archives - Page 22 of 50 - Brooke's Reviews and Sweeps

The Priory of the Orange Tree

By Brookelorren on August 8, 2019August 7, 2019Leave a Comment

Earlier this year, I read Samantha Shannon’s The Priory of the Orange Tree. In case you didn’t know, this is a brick of a book, at 846 pages. Despite its length, I don’t really think there were many wasted words. This has an intricate plot to rival Game of Thrones, although, as a stand-alone, you won’t have to wait over 20 years to find out what finally happened.

The Queendom of Berethnet needs an heir. For some magical reason, the Berethnet queens always have one child, and it is always a daughter. Queen Sabran the Ninth hasn’t married yet and doesn’t really want to. Still, she must have a child. There’s a prophecy that as long as there’s a Berethnet Queen on the throne, the queendom will be safe.

Meanwhile, evil forces are waking up, and in other places people are training to be heroes. All of the stories weave together until the final confrontation, where a different world will arise.

A Complex Story

The Priory of the Orange Tree is a long story with a lot of complexity. It’s one of those stories that might be better on a reread. There are so many characters, I wasn’t able to keep them all straight all the time. For me, it was the same with Game of Thrones. By the fourth book, I was starting to forget what plot line happened with which character, but I think a reread would be helpful with that too. For quite a while, I was getting confused between the West and the East. They both have vastly different politics. Towards the middle I was able to sort everything out.

Other Thoughts

The book had a lot of beautiful writing, and you could tell that the worldbuilding was well thought out. While I was reading it, I highlighted quite a few passages that I thought were beautiful.

The Priory of the Orange Tree uses a ton of archaic vocabulary. While it does add authenticity to the world, you might want to have a dictionary handy. Most of the archaic words deal with clothing, weapons, and other items in the universe.

Overall, I enjoyed this story. However, it did run a little long and I had a little bit of difficulty keeping all the storylines and characters straight, at least at first. Still it might be good for a reread. Someday.

All About Covers! (Top Ten Tuesday)

By Brookelorren on August 6, 2019August 4, 201924 Comments

Welcome to another edition of Top Ten Tuesday (hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl)! Today’s topic is supposed to be “Cover Redesigns I Loved/Hated,” but to be honest, I can’t even think of ten cover redesigns, so we’re just going to list a few cover redesigns and then talk about covers that I love or hate. So here we go!

I do like the redesigned covers for The Mortal Instruments better than I like the original covers (although I really like the original cover to The Shadowhunter’s Codex). The first ones weren’t really all that pleasing to me.

I like the new cover to Flame in the Mist better than the original as well. I think the colors are more aesthetically pleasing, and I’m not sure what the bird from the original cover has to do with the story.

I love the cover to Wicked Fox! It hasn’t been redesigned or anything, but it was the cover that drew me into this book to begin with. The title was just okay for me, but once I saw this cover, I knew I had to read it!

I’m probably alone here, but I think the Shatter Me covers are creepy. I’m not a big fan of the eyes. Sorry. I wouldn’t mind a redesign of these covers with something other than eyes.

They redesigned the American Panda cover for paperback… and I’m just not feeling it. I like the original hardback cover pictured here. I like the model’s angle with her holding the frothy beverage… it makes me think of winter, so maybe that’s why they redid it, but I like this one better.

I’m not a big fan of the Divergent movie tie-in covers either. I prefer the original covers with the flame.

I guess I’m talking about redesigns more than I thought I would today. I really like the original US version of The Kiss Quotient. I don’t really care for the UK cover with the heart. “You had me at math” was why I decided to give this book a try, and the whole division sign on the front added to my love for this cover.

I really like the cover to Rebel with the butterfly and the riot of chalk dust. I don’t know how I’d feel if they re-designed the original trilogy to match this one, but this one is nice the way it is.

There is a redesigned cover for Blood Heir going around, and I’m not sure if they’re planning on using the original cover (pictured here) or the other cover, but I prefer this cover. The publishers and author decided to push back the release date after there was a little bit of controversy, but I don’t see why it would have warranted a new cover, IMO.

I love the cover for Of Curses and Kisses as well. It’s a little hard to see at this size, but I absolutely love the detail on Jaya’s shoes and the detail in the lettering. This is supposed to be a trilogy so I’m looking forward to three of these adorable illustrated covers!

So that’s my Top Ten Tuesday about book covers! What covers do you love or hate? I’m looking forward to seeing what everybody else has to say!

Start Here

By Brookelorren on August 5, 2019August 1, 20191 Comment

I recently read Start Here by Trish Doller. It is a beautiful story about a trio of friends: Willa, Taylor, and Finley. Years ago, when Finley was healthy, they made a pact to sail from their home in Ohio to Key West, Florida after graduation. Only problem is, Finley, the glue that held their relationship together, died. Willa and Finley decide to take the trip anyway, but it’s not the same. I have to thank Netgalley and Simon Pulse for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy.

As they leave for their journey, Willa and Taylor are skeptical that they’ll have a good time. Without Finley, they don’t really have a lot in common. Taylor doesn’t enjoy sailing, and Willa still remembers hurtful comments that Taylor made years ago. The only thing that binds them together is their mutual grief. Somehow, they have to make this work.

This was a really sweet book. Along the journey, the two young ladies grow as people and discover things about themselves. They learn how to live in a world without their friend, and discover the next steps they want to take with their lives. The journey is challenging — but they come out better people on the other end. And it was a delight to read about.

Even though this story deals with the death of a loved one, it’s not a sad book. I did cry — when I read the first chapter and the last page of the book. Although Willa and Taylor went through a wide range of experiences on their journey, they didn’t leave me ugly crying.

The background to this book was amazing. I enjoyed virtually traveling with the two as they sailed down the coast and stopped to enjoy the sights along the way. Although I have sailed (in a frigate) from San Diego to places like Hawaii and Portland and the Caribbean and back, I’ve never sailed the route they took, and I enjoyed experiencing it with them.

Although there is a little bit of romance along the way, it isn’t the focal point in the story. The book leaves it fairly open-ended as to how those stories end.

I won’t tell you how the story ends, only that it does end towards the end of the summer, when the responsibilities of life after graduation tend to beckon. In that small sliver of life between high school and college, our futures are ambiguous. I will say that it left me in tears, but not because it left me disappointed. This book is a great book for reading during the summer, or at other times of the year if you just need a book that brings you summer vibes.

ABC Book Challenge – E

By Brookelorren on August 4, 2019August 3, 20192 Comments

Hello, and welcome to the fifth week of the ABC Book Challenge, where I point out books I liked and books I’m looking forward to that begin with a certain letter of the alphabet. I found this over at Me, Myself, and Books, but I think it was started by Thrifty Bibliophile. There are actually more E books than I thought there would be.

It’s been a while since I talked about Echoes by Alice Reeds, but I really loved it and couldn’t put it down. She has said that there should be another book in this series, called Fissures, which I think is supposed to come out in 2020? I don’t know for sure because there’s no information on Goodreads. I do know that I definitely would want to read it.

I really liked The End series (which started with Edge of Apocalypse) by Tim LaHaye and Craig Parshall. I don’t know if I ever read the last book though. The Left Behind series might have been Tim LaHaye’s most famous book series, but I think these were written better.

I haven’t read Eliza and Her Monsters yet, but every time I hear about it I want to. Eliza reminds me a little bit of Cath from Fangirl, and I loved that book. Being a writer myself (and one that has a hard time talking to people in person) I think I can relate to a creative type who has an easier time with her online creations than in the real world.

I haven’t read An Ember in the Ashes since A Reaper at the Gates came out last summer. I read all three of the already-released books in one week. And now… I have to wait even longer for book four. This is a series that I’ll definitely want to reread before the next book comes out.

I absolutely LOVED Enchantée by Gita Trelease! It was my favorite book that I read last year (I was lucky enough to get an ARC). For me, the writing had a sort of magic to it. I almost called in late to work so I could finish it.

So this is the third week that I’ve featured one of Veronica Roth’s books, but I’m excited about October 1st coming up. That’s less than two months away now!!! I have three books pre-ordered for that date: The End and Other Beginnings, Rebel, and Ninth House. Then there’s two other books that come out that day that I intend to read, Shadow Frost, and Fountains of Silence, but I’ll be reading those as ARCs.

There are a couple other E books that I’m leaving out today, but for a book that I don’t use at the beginning of words a lot, E is sure a popular letter for book titles! At least the ones I’m interested in. Looking ahead, there are actually quite a few F books too, but I’ll save them for next week.

A Court of Mist and Fury

By Brookelorren on August 1, 2019August 1, 20196 Comments

I recently read A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas. It’s the second book in the Court of Thorns and Roses series, and I think I enjoyed it better than the first book. Since this is the second book in a series, it may include a few spoilers.

Feyre has survived her ordeal under the mountain, and is now learning how to live as one of the Fey. But now that she’s an immortal, something seems… off. She gets to be with Tamlin, but he seems possessive and controlling. Maybe Feyre doesn’t want to return to the life she once had, where she has to hunt for survival, but she also doesn’t want to be shut away in manor like some fragile doll. Tamlin swears that things will get better, but will they really? She’s about to marry him, the mating bond hasn’t kicked in, and things seem wrong.

On the day of Feyre’s wedding, things seem to fall apart.

There’s a lot that happens in this book. We already knew that Feyre was a strong human, but in A Court of Mist and Fury she learns how to be strong as one of the fey. We get to see more of the world beyond the wall. There are new threats… and new friends. And Feyre’s life is turned upside down yet again.

If you read a lot of book blogs or hang out on book Twitter, it’s hard to avoid all spoilers for this series, but even though I knew of something that was going to happen in this book, I didn’t know how it was going to happen, and I really enjoyed it. I was also quite surprised at other things that occurred in A Court of Mist and Fury. Especially the end.

Even though they are marketed as YA, SJM books are definitely more adult than young. This series is not an exception. But if you are on the adult end of young adult and enjoy fantasy books with fey, I recommend this series and this book.

Of Curses and Kisses Cover Reveal!

By Brookelorren on July 31, 2019July 31, 20194 Comments

Last week I was chosen to be one of Sandhya Menon’s Street Team members! I’m excited because her books are great and she’s such a nice person. Anyway, one of her new books (coming out February 18, 2020) is Of Curses and Kisses, which is a Beauty and the Beast retelling set at a private school in Colorado!

She revealed the cover today and I’m allowed to share it with you!

It looks adorable! The release date is still months away, but you can read an excerpt over at Bustle! You can also pre-order it already.

Books on my TBR From the Last Ten Years

By Brookelorren on July 30, 2019July 25, 201925 Comments

Hello! It’s Tuesday again, so it’s time for another Top Ten Tuesday (hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl). This week was a freebie… at first I had no clue what to do today, but I was inspired by Whimsy Pages to create a list of books from the last ten years that were still on my TBR! I decided to do one book per year, like the one where we listed our favorite books (one per year) that we did on May 28th. I didn’t have a book on my TBR from 2010, but thanks to that week’s list, I was able to find a book that I’d like to read from that year, so now it resides on my TBR as well.

2009: The Maze Runner

I actually checked this one out of the library, read a couple of paragraphs, and then didn’t come back to it. The book sounds interesting enough, but I was interested in other books at the time. This one remains on my TBR.

2010: Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour

I first heard about this book through Top Ten Tuesday a couple of months ago. It sounds like a good book, so it went onto my TBR.

2011: The Miracle of Freedom: 7 Tipping Points that Saved the World

I love history, and this book sounds really interesting. This book is about how lucky we are to be living in the world we are today, because there were several turning points in history, that if they turned out differently, could have caused human history to turn out differently.

2012: The Raven Boys

I talk about how I need to read one of Maggie Stiefvater’s books almost every week. Why haven’t I? So many books, so little time.

There’s actually a readalong going for these books, and I’m really planning on doing it. So maybe I’ll read it this month?

2013: Vicious

V.E. Schwab is another author I talk about wanting to read. Every. Single. Week. I’ve even purchased some of her books. Yet I haven’t read one of her books yet. Soon.

2014: The Auschwitz Escape

I’m pretty sure I’ve liked every single Joel C. Rosenberg book that I’ve read so far. I haven’t read this one yet, but I’d like to. There’s actually several of his more recent books that I haven’t read yet.

2015: Uprooted

I still haven’t read anything by Naomi Novik, even though both Uprooted and Spinning Silver look good. Perhaps sometime this year.

2016: The Underground Railroad

I hadn’t heard about Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad until last year, but it looks like a really good book. Don’t know when I’ll get around to reading it, but hopefully someday.

2017: Eliza and her Monsters

I just recently added this book to my TBR, but it looks pretty good and I’d like to read it sooner rather than later.

2018: American Panda

There are so many amazing books I’ve read from 2018, but one of the books that is still on my list is American Panda. It seems like such a cute book. Why haven’t I read it yet? Probably for the same reasons I haven’t read any of the other books on this list. I’d like to though.

So those are some books from the last ten years that are on my TBR that I haven’t read yet. What are some of the books on your TBR that you have yet to read?

The American Dream?

By Brookelorren on July 29, 2019July 29, 2019Leave a Comment

I recently read The American Dream?: A Journey on Route 66 by Shing Yin Khor (thank you to Netgalley and Zest Books for providing me with an advanced reader copy!). It’s an adorable graphic novel detailing the journey of an American Immigrant and her dog along the historic Route 66, from Santa Monica to Chicago. In today’s world, where there seems to be such animosity between people in the United States, a book like this is good for everybody to read.

In The American Dream?, Shing details her travels along Route 66 with her dog Bug, where she camps out in her car for most of the trip. She tells about the sites she encounters along the way and her feelings about them. The book has a way of immersing you in her journey, which I just loved.

The Sights. I enjoyed reading about all the sights she saw along her journey. I’ve driven parts of Route 66 without knowing it before, as I’ve lived in Los Angeles and have traveled through the Southwestern United States quite a bit, but I don’t always stop to see all the little places along the way. There are many historic and touristy places off the side of the road, and Shing visits many of them. She talks to some of the people she meets along the way or explains some of the history. It was quite interesting (and not all of the history is happy, either).

The Illustrations. The illustrations in The American Dream? are adorable. One of the main things I like about this book is how it draws you into the journey with her. A written description of the places she visits wouldn’t be the same as her visuals. They’re not photographs (we could always google those) but they’re detailed enough to make you feel like you’re there on the journey with Shing (and her dog).

The Immigrant Perspective. Shing’s perspective as an immigrant separates this book from other travel memoirs or guides. She sees things that I would never have thought of while making her journey. As an example, she saw a sign that said “American Owned” and it seemed like code for racism to her. My initial thoughts to reading the sign was “What? Is there a problem with foreign corporations buying up tourist stops along Route 66 or something?” From her perspective, she was seeing that as code for the shop owners to say “we’re not immigrants.” Without being able to stop and talk to the owners, we can’t tell whether their intention was racist or not, but I can see how someone might take it that way.

I enjoyed reading The American Dream?, and thought it was an adorable, easy to read graphic novel. It’s appropriate for both Upper Middle Grade readers and Young Adults. I’d recommend this book for several different reasons. Not only is it an interesting travel book, but it also allows you to see the United States from an immigrant’s perspective. We can always use more books that can help us see the world through someone else’s eyes.

ABC Book Challenge – D

By Brookelorren on July 28, 2019August 3, 2019Leave a Comment

Another week, another edition of the ABC book challenge! This week is all about books that begin with the letter D! I found this challenge over at Me, Myself, and Books, but I think it was started by Thrifty Bibliophile. On to the D books!

Descendant of the Crane has such a lovely cover! It’s a Chinese-inspired fantasy that sounds like it will be great to read. I found it on sale at Amazon.com last month, but I haven’t gotten around to reading it yet.

I read Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl a long time ago, back when I was in Middle School, but it’s a significant book and deserves its place among books that begin with the letter D.

It’s been several years since I read The Discoverers by Daniel J. Boorstin. I loved this book, which talks about how humanity created things as simple as the calendar and then proceeded to invent things and explore the world, and I’ve read it twice so far. Maybe it’s due for a reread someday.

We can’t talk about books that begin with the letter D without talking about one of my favorite books ever: Divergent. This book is a life-changer for me. It’s the book that got me into YA and got me writing again, which all led to this blog. No wonder I own it in four languages!

Another significant set of books in my life were the Dragonlance books. My future husband gave these to me a couple of months after we met. We named our two kids after characters in this series (my daughter named her cat after another character). I regularly think about philosophies and concepts in these books, such as evil turns in upon itself and when people believe they are too good, they turn into people like the Kingpriest of Istar and start persecuting people who don’t live up to their standards.

So those are some books that start with the letter D!

The Thousandth Floor

By Brookelorren on July 25, 2019July 24, 2019Leave a Comment

I recently read The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee, and I liked it quite a lot. This book is not without its controversy, however. In interest of fairness, I’m going to talk about what I liked about the book, as well as the more controversial elements of this book. That way you can make a more informed decision about whether this book is for you or not.

The Thousandth Floor takes place in 2118, in a giant tower that soars 1000 stories in the air. It deals with the über-wealthy, the poor, and the places where their lives intersect. Not one of the characters in this book is a saint. I feel a sympathy for most of these people, but at the same time… wow, they really mess up. It makes for an interesting story that climaxes at a party that ends in tragedy.

What I Liked

This story was fun. The characters on the upper floors live lives where money isn’t a concern and morality is quite loosely defined. Most of the parents aren’t very involved in their children’s lives, sometimes even drinking alcohol with them. On the lower floors, the characters are just trying to survive, and their descent into illegality has more to do with survival than just trying to have a good time.

Still, they all have their secrets. Some of these secrets are deadlier than others. As I read this book, sometimes I’d be afraid to read on, afraid that one of them would get caught. Of course, if you read the prologue, you know something bad is going to happen. You just don’t know who. I didn’t know until the end.

In many ways, this seems to be an escapist read. These aren’t really problems that I have to deal with, and there can be something satisfying about wealthy people with problems.

The Controversy

There has been a lot of controversy surrounding this book, which may make you decide not to read it.

The “incest” storyline – from nearly the first chapter, you find out that Avery, a girl that was genetically designed to be as “perfect” as possible, is in love with her adoptive brother. They’re not genetically related, but if you find this sort of thing creepy, then you’re probably better off not reading this series.

Skip this paragraph if you don’t want spoilers – there is one character who is bi. None of the characters seem to think that it’s a big deal or anything. However, the character does die. I can see how this might be troublesome.

Other Social Issues – The Thousandth Floor seems to have some social difficulties. The white girl is perfect. The brown girl seems to be the villain. The Indian guy is the computer genius. Drugs are used to take advantage of a boy. There’s some sexual harassment. This seems to be a pattern.

Conclusion

The Thousandth Floor is fun to read. It drew me in from the prologue (and I don’t care for most prologues). However, this book isn’t without its controversy, and there are issues you should be aware of before you should decide to read this book or not.