Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Ruin and Rising (Grisha #3) by Leigh Bardugo

Those four stars didn't come from this trilogy having a (sort of) happy ending. I liked this best of the three because Alina didn't sulk as much. The saint finally grew balls. Heh. Seriously, this was the most action-packed and at some parts I may have been on the edge of my seat trying to hold on until I found out what happens next. There were too many deaths, though. If some people can be resurrected from the dead then there shouldn't have been too many deaths. WHY WERE THERE TOO MANY DEATHS?!! 

Not to be a fanatic but I noticed some similarities between this and another famous series ... but I didn't want to ruin the experience when I'm finally enjoying the story so I let it go lol. Hmm I guess I also liked that they explained a lot of things in this book. Oh! Also! Also! Also! I was told how I will like this book depends on who I want Alina to end up with ... does that mean I was rooting for ***tooot***? I can't say yes. But it was okay what happened in the end. I guess it was ... fitting?

Monday, December 29, 2014

A Marriage Made In Heaven by Erma Bombeck


Weirdly, I think I already read some parts/chapters of this book in previous Erma Bombeck books I've read. I cannot confirm, of course, because I don't have time to look for my older books. Although I have never been married, I still enjoyed this book. Nevermind that this was written when I was only getting the hang of reading (lol) and a lot of these things happened before I was even born, I still had to laugh and chuckle a lot. Love her dry sense of humor.

Saturday, December 27, 2014

Annabel Scheme by Robin Sloan

As much as I love Robin Sloan, I can't figure this one out. I was just lost half of the time when I was reading this. I get the artificial intelligence sidekick and thought it was kind of cute but ... what was the point of all of this I couldn't explain. Maybe I should read this again ... one of these days.

Friday, December 26, 2014

Siege and Storm (Grisha #2) by Leigh Bardugo



I spent half of the time getting annoyed at Alina. If on the first book I couldn't decide whether I liked the main character or not, in this book I've decided I don't like her at all. Would I still read the last book? Yes. The story telling is very good. I like the story enough, I just couldn't warm up to a character who pities herself from the very beginning. I guess it's the same as every other orphan-savior character. The only difference is she's a girl. She has hormones. I therefore conclude she has an excuse. 


I liked Nikolai, I liked Mal better here than the first book, I liked Tamar and Tolya ... other than that, I can't say much. Maybe ill write a better review next time. Or not.

Thursday, December 25, 2014

The Christmas Mystery by Jostein Gaarder


This is like reading the Bible except I didn't find the Bible (at least the parts that I've read) dragging. 

It's a bit disturbing for a children's book, isn't it? I mean, a girl willingly strayed from her mother to go to a pilgrimage with an angel to see the Child-Christ in the manger ... and the angel let that happen why? Actually, the girl ran after the lamb because she wanted to stroke its soft fleece and she told the angel that and the angel just said, hey whatever you're coming with us. Dear angel, what very important part did that little girl play in the birth of Jesus Christ for you to have her tag along and not just return her to her mother like how you saved the drowning guy somewhere in the story? In the Bible, parents were known to be told to sacrifice their children to prove their faith to God (at least the petty, vindictive, old testament god) but at least they know what will happen to their child if their child disappears. Elisabet's mother was tormented for 50 years not knowing what happened to her little girl. Okay, let's not blame the angel because towards the end it was said she was abducted by people during the war ... yes let's make this a political thing as if it's not confusing to begin with. And then in the end the book still implied that the pilgrimage was what really happened so ... yeah. Psychological roller coaster? Anyone?

Is this a book I'd read to children? Eesh.

Sunday, December 14, 2014

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

I guess the hardest part to writing fantasy is introducing the new world you created? Despite the non-complicated prose and simple language, I had a slow start reading this because I couldn't follow the rankings and description of ... mostly everything. Of course, it could just be my slow brain, heh. It was easy once I got through the introductions. 

I loved the fast-paced story, most of all. I thought it didn't drag at all. I haven't decided if I like the main character yet but I like the story enough to read it. I'm not sure this should be under YA, too. Maybe just fantasy romance. I think it's a bit too twisted and ... romancey (I totally invented that word) for young adults but, oh well. There's a lot of fantasy, love triangle trilogies out but I like how the main character is sort of in love with the antagonist. However, I think part of its charm is lost for me because I already know the ending; someone accidentally told me because she thought I was done (she's evil, I know); but I'd still read it. 

This is a 3.5 at most.