Garden Spells

In Bascom, things are not normal. This suits Claire Waverley perfectly. After a childhood on the road with her unreliable mother, she's glad to have a place to put down roots and stay put, even though her legacy is a strange one. Her garden blooms out of season, the food she makes can bring special powers to the people who eat it, her aunt gives away things people need, before they need them, and the tree in the garden bears strange apples. Claire is happy with her beautiful, solitary life, no matter how much her new neighbor intrigues her. And then her sister Sydney returns, with her daughter.

The bad: There is one sensual scene, and I say sensual because everything is more implied in Allen's fairy-tale manner than stated.

The good: This story is about developing relationships based on love, making true friends, even though both Claire and Sydney have their troubles.

My view: I love this book. Reading it is like coming home to the best home you can imagine. Sarah Addison Allen's style is a delight to read. This is a beautiful fairy tale full of magic and mouthwatering food.

Heart's Blood

It has been way too long since I've had time to post on my blog! I've had a crazy semester at college, 17 credits (which is a lot at my college)! Unfortunately this means that not only do I not have a lot of time to write, I don't have a lot of time to read. I did get a chance to read Juliet Marillier's book Heart's Blood (and you would to if you won it in a writing contest and it was signed by the lady herself!). The story follows a scribe, Caitrin as she flees her abusive family to a town with a hidden past.

The bad: This Marillier is more occultish than her others, which deal more with fairies and old beings. I guess I prefer the latter. On the back of the book it says that she was going for a more Gothic theme, which I can understand, and she certainly accomplished (with those drafty old halls and the compulsive looks of the shoulder *shudder*).

The good: This is an adaption of the classic Beauty and the Beast story line (it says so on the book itself), so we've got all those great themes of sacrifice and true love.

My view: I fell in love with Daughter of the Forest and I've devoured her books since. Lately I haven't really been getting into them. Wildwood Dancing, Cybele's Secret and Heir to Sevenwaters just didn't capture my attention. Heart's Blood is definitely a return to Marillier's earlier and better style. Though not up there with Daughter of the Forest and her other early ones, I certainly enjoyed this story. Heart's Blood is an elegant and atmospheric love story.

Heart's Blood Competition

Normally I'm not really into book competitions, but I simply adore Juliet Marillier's books so I had to enter the writing competition to try and win her new book: Heart's Blood (a signed copy!). I'm feel like telling you what entry is mine would be like cheating, but head on over to the Juliet Marillier Cafe where the entries are. You do have to be a member, but the process takes all of one minute, and is no strings attached. Here is the link to the Juliet Marillier Cafe, so mosey over and read all the amazing entries. Voting starts October 18th and ends November 8th. If you want to enter, read the instructions on the page, but the "due" date is October 17th.

See ya there!

Sarah

11 The Onion Girl

So, I know that you're not suppose to start a series on book eleven, but this is the one I picked up. I was intrigued first by the cover art, done by my favorite cover artist John Jude Palencar, and then I was interested in the story, a modern fantasy were everyday people find magic in this world and others, a plot line I find vastly interesting. Here's the story: Jilly, a returning character in this series (apparently), is an artist in the eclectic town of Newford. She always in motion, always joyful and she is well loved by everyone. But not everyone, after a hit and run that leaves her immobilized maybe her past is catching up with her in the form of a malevolent person, attacking her in this world, and the other.

The bad: Both Jilly and other main characters have had really rough lives, which are explored for the purpose of the book (whatever that is ; ).

The good: Interesting themes such as fate and chance are explored, which I always think of as a good thing. I also liked the sense of community that Newford offered, everyone had their place, quirks and talents. Everyone was accepted.

My view: I enjoyed reading The Onion Girl, and it had a lot of interesting things to ponder. But it wasn't spectacular, like I thought it might be. But I'll be reading more, maybe I'll even start at the beginning (a very good place to start).

North of Beautiful

Terra has lived her whole live with a large birthmark on her face. She's tried all the surgeries, which it defied, and now settles to cover it with tons of makeup. To her dad, the birthmark is just one of the many things wrong with Terra, and she's just another disappointment in a long list of them including her mother and brothers. But Terra's on a journey, accompanied by her new sometimes goth friend, Jacob, she might just realize that north of beauty is a good place to live, and make a stand.

The bad stuff: Terra and her boyfriend Eric sleep together, and what is with that? Has sex become simply a more friendly way to make out? It seems to be cropping up in more and more books I read, like Along for the Ride and Ordinary Ghosts, and I just can't agree. Not to mention STIs, this casual sex seems to have destroyed the intimacy and commitment that make sex so amazing (I've heard : ). Also, there's some swearing, what else is new in the world?

The good stuff: I can't be reminded enough that beauty is truly a thing from within. As hackneyed as this sounds, the focus on appearance is only staved off by surrounding oneself in messages like it.

My view: Especially since I started going to college as a high school student, I've felt a little north of beautiful myself. When I surrounded by all the well dressed, mature, manicured people that attend college I feel like I simply am too fat, under dressed, dull and pimply to exist in their world. But here is a book that condemns those who judge on appearances, including me. This is a message I can't hear enough, like most people (and the ones that don't want to hear it, their opinion doesn't matter then, does it?)
My one word:

Forward

10 The Soldiers of Halla

I have been reading these books for three years. Since I was fourteen! So as you can imagine, I approached the end of this series with mixed feelings of mourning, excitement and lots of screaming (yes, I was home alone while I read). Pendragon left us in the Raven Rise with terror that he had messed it all (and I mean ALL) up, and hope that him (he?) and the rest of the Travelers could "fix" things.

The bad: I would like to think that there is more to life than being happy, anyone else? I saw it coming, but it still bored me, the chapters of philosophical stuff that I thought was pretty much crap. People are pretty much good inside? I don't think so, pretty much good people don't do horrible awful things to each other...

The good: As much as I don't agree with D.J. MacHale's beliefs, I do respect the way he has his characters live them. As usual, Pendragon just keeps trying, even though it seems that everything he has done and is doing is just making everything worse. Keep at it dude! Only the series is done...

My view: This is just the kinda book that had to finish the series. Since I'm so emotionally attached to the characters, I'm just glad to see them all again. But this isn't the best book out of the series, and it almost couldn't be, with all the loose ends that needed to be tied up. Also, the end confused me. I don't like being confused. Did anybody else get it? But an all around necessary and decent book. My one word:

Hobey-ho!

13 Little Blue Envelopes

Ginny is a good daughter, she's quiet and follows the rules. But when her aunt dies and leaves her step by step instructions in 13 blue envelopes, Ginny takes a leap of faith and follows her aunt's wishes.

The bad: Nada.

The good: I love books where the characters step outside their comfort zones and experience a new way to live life. 'M not saying that we should all travel around Europe with little to no money, but...

My view: I picked this book up at my library, thinking it looked interesting. And it was. Though it is different than Sarah Dessen's style, I feel like they are comparable. Fun, light and interesting, I loved it. My one word:

Freeing

4 The Singing

The final book of the Pellinor series in which, we hope, Maerad and her brother Hem can stop the Dark by singing the Treesong. But of course the book is quite a bit longer then them just finding each other and singing that darn Treesong, so they fight battles, get stage fright, heal illnesses and have other uninteresting adventures until the meet.

The bad: Other than just general lameness, not much is bad about this book.

The good: Well, yay, saving the world from evil. And there are some interesting parts of self-reflection from Maerad. I like genuine self-reflection.

My view: This series started promising, and then got bogged down in itself. I got confused with the second one, the third one was beyond me. I did like, in this last one, I could follow the story. But I wouldn't recommend wasting time reading these large volumes. But some people really love them, so since there isn't anything particularly wrong with them, I guess most of my dislike is just personal opinion. My one word:

Cumbersome