what i'm reading: cress by marissa meyer

It's really easy for a series to become boring or too elaborate but The Lunar Chronicles are still going strong and somehow, with each book, it becomes more fun and exciting to read.

Now, for the sake of no spoilers, I am just going to talk about what I really enjoy about how the series progresses. Each book adds a new character and the characters that surround her. The premise (as I have talked about before here) is Cinderella in a futuristic world of cyborgs and moon colonies. With each book you get introduced to another futuristic version of a classic fairy tale. While this seems like it could easily repeat itself or become too complicated, it does not at all. The characters continue to grow and develop, the world of the book expands with each new book, and the relationships become more interesting and dynamic. Cress (Lunar Chronicles)* was a fantastic third book and now I have to sit and wait for the next book in the series. It's a fun and dynamic YA read that creates a fantastic Sci-FI world.

what i'm reading: scarlet by marissa meyer

I love a good Sci-Fi book and I love a good YA book that isn't all a-girl-can't-live-without-her-man. Cinder was spot on when I read it a few months back and yesterday I picked up Scarlet (the second book in The Lunar Chronicles) and was excited to see that the story just gets better.

Scarlet continues in this future world of cyborgs and moon people with the same momentum and charm the first book has. I like to keep my reviews short to avoid any spoilers and that is especially true with the second book in a series.

This book definitely has more of the gooey romance that I tend to gag at when reading YA. I like finding books with strong female characters who are more than just the trendy Twilight-esque "I need a man to survive." But Marissa Meyer does a great job of adding in romance without making the romance a weakness of the character. You know, like how love works in real life.

I could not put the book down. I read it in a day. Meyer created a unique and intriguing future world with characters that are funny, smart, and charming. I've already started the next book in the series and I love that with each new character that is introduced is their own person. Often books will downplay characters, wash them out to make them similar to each other so it would make sense how they all connect but instead Meyer plays up the differences and how those differences bring them together which is part of what makes the book such a fun and enjoyable read.

This is a great book to recommend to young teens who enjoy Sci-Fi (although there are some violent scenes, nothing more violent than The Hunger Games but still may not be considered appropriate for everyone.)

Have you read any of The Lunar Chronicles yet? What did you think?

xoxo,
kat

what i'm reading: cinder by marissa meyer

The problem with reading YA books is that when you find ones that you really enjoy, they are usually part of a big series. That is the only problem I have with Cinder* by Marissa Meyer. This is an absolutely fun and engaging read and now all I want to do is read the other books in the series! 

As the cover and title indicate, this is a modern, sci-fi take on the classic Cinderella story. As happens most of the time (when you are an adult reading books made for those younger than you) a lot of this book was predictable but that did not ruin the book for me. The writing is engaging, comic, and authentic. The main character, Cinder, is relatable and not your typical female falling for the prince. There is much more to her and to her world than a romance.

While there is a romantic story line between the prince and Cinder, it's not at all your stereotypical story and Cinder is very aware that there are bigger issues than whether or not the prince likes her. It takes place in the distant future where there is a colony on the moon ruled by a queen, a commonwealth ruled by an emperor in Asia, and cyborgs and androids are a part of society.

I love this take on Cinderella and it was a book I could not put down. If you are a fan on Young Adult books and Science Fiction, this is a great book. But be warned, it is part of a series and once you fall in you are going to want to read the rest of the books!

Have you read it? What did you think?

Next weeks book will be Amor and Psycho: Stories by Carolyn Cooke.*

xoxo,
Kat

what i'm reading: neil gaiman

I have started writing this post five times already. I just don't know how to write a proper review for such a haunting and amazing book. The Ocean at the End of the Lane is one of the most intriguing and beautiful stories I have read in a long time. Neil Gaiman writes in a way that seems so simple and natural but is truly brilliant and complex. This book is no exception to that. He writes a beautiful story, a man remembering a part of his childhood that leads him to remember an incredible group of women and a series of impossible events, in a voice that resonates within you and draws you in.

I guess this book would be labelled a Fantasy novel but it did not feel like a Fantasy story to me and that was kind of the point. You read it and yes, all these mystical and magical aspects are a part of the story but there is such an honesty to the writing that the lines are blurred between what can and cannot happen in this world. So much of this is because of the voice he has created for the narrator, as he remembers not only what happened, but how it all felt, and he expresses it in such a way that you begin to feel it too.

As I have said before, I do not like writing long reviews with too much detail because I hate spoilers. The best part of reading is discovering what happens in a story. This story has stuck with me since I finished it. It was a fast read for me (mainly because it was so hard to put down) and even as I am halfway through my next book, I find myself wanting to come back to this book again.

what i'm reading

Last week I told you how I had just started reading Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo and how I just could not put it down. Well, I really couldn't. I loved it so much I immediately read the second book in the Grisha Trilogy and then yelled a dramatic "NOOOOOO!" when I discovered the third book isn't out until June.

Shadow and Bone was amazing. The world that Bardugo created is so rich and intriguing. The characters were relatable, detailed, and they drew you in. I hate weak female characters - this is different than flawed characters, I enjoy reading flawed characters or characters that are conflicted. Bardugo did an amazing job creating a lead female character who is not weak but does have flaws and faces challenge after challenge.

The world of magic that is created is beautiful and distinct from other worlds recently created in books. I also really loved that so much of the book focuses on the struggles of power in so many different ways. This is such a refreshing focus as opposed to love (not that this book doesn't have it's fair share of love and intrigue.)

When I finished Shadow and Bone I immediately picked up Siege and Storm. I was worried that the second book wouldn't deliver or would repeat the same pattern as the first. The first chapter makes you think "Oh no, it's just going to keep repeating" but a series of great twists and new characters introducing you to more levels of the world Bardugo has created makes this another compelling read.

I wont lie, I was able to guess some of the twists and turns in these books but that didn't make the books any less enjoyable. The writing is so good that even if you might have an idea what's happening next, you have to keep reading to see if you are right and if it's going to be ok.

I cannot wait for the next book and I was very excited to get input from Leigh Bardugo on what to read while I wait its release.

@ramblekatramble what other types of books do you like? have you tried Megan Whalen Turner, Rae Carson, Robin LaFevers, Melina Marchetta?

— Leigh Bardugo (@LBardugo) February 24, 2014

What are you reading right now?

xoxo,
kat