**I read the first 2 books before writing any of my thoughts down, so I decided to just do a combination post for both of them. My thoughts were prett**I read the first 2 books before writing any of my thoughts down, so I decided to just do a combination post for both of them. My thoughts were pretty similar for both books.
I can't imagine a young person out there, especially young men, that wouldn't love this series of books! *I* already wish that the next book was out, so I could read it, too. These books provided me with such a wonderful learning experience. I learned about new places and even cultures of those lands. They are packed full of adventure and wildlife. I learned about some of the dangers that threaten those parts of the world.
The most amazing part of these books is the fact that Gannon and Wyatt are two real young men that have traveled to these places. The adventures are *loosely* based on their experiences. I don't imagine they'd be traveling quite as much if they were held at gunpoint and came so close to death everywhere they went. If you'd like to read more about Gannon and Wyatt, you can check out their website, Travels With Gannon and Wyatt. I found it pretty fun to peek around over there after reading both of the books. I felt like I was putting more of a face with the stories.
There's journaling pages at the end of the book, so your child can record their own adventures and notes. There's even maps at the end, too. I'm a huge sucker for book maps! I imagine these books would give young people a hunger for adventure and travel. It never hurts for education to be wrapped in a fun package, and that's exactly what this series gives.
As much as I enjoyed this series, it's obvious that it's written for young people. If you're an adult that simply reads middle grade for the fun of it, you might find parts of it corny. I won't lie! I did at times. I was easily able to look past it to see what a wonderful gift this series will be for my boys in a few years, though.
Lord willing, you better believe I'll be adding these books to our shelves for my boys to read! They are great, clean, adventurous fun and I enjoyed reading them!
**I was provided an e-ARC of both books in exchange for my honest opinion. ...more
While Blackmoore is the first book by Julianne Donaldson that I've read, I'm pretty sure I officially have a favorite author on my list! I simply can'While Blackmoore is the first book by Julianne Donaldson that I've read, I'm pretty sure I officially have a favorite author on my list! I simply can't wait to read Edenbrooke if there is any comparison at all between the two. From the high praise I've been hearing, I have no doubt I would love it just as much.
Kate is trying hard to remove the name "Kitty" from her past. She's determined to rid herself of her family's embarrassing, flirting ways. The name "Kate" sounds more mature. Her mother's constant, scandalous behavior with men has rubbed off on her older sister, and Kate feels nothing but shame for her family. Her two best friends, Sylvia and Henry are the bright spots of her days growing up. For one month out of the year, Sylvia and Henry go to Blackmoore, and leave Kate behind. Due to unfortunate name her mother has brought to the family, Henry's mother won't allow Kate to go despite her dream to finally see the place that has captured Henry's heart. Kate's dream eventually becomes to travel India with her aunt. Her mother has decided to never allow it, though. A proper young lady is supposed to dream of marriage! When a "deal" is made, Kate realizes she has a chance at making her dreams come true. She simply has to reject 3 proposals when her opportunity finally presents itself to visit Blackmoore.
Blackmoore is the kind of book you close with a blissful sigh! There is such great emotion packed in the pages that you can feel the characters' pain radiating right off the page. I love being transported so deeply into a character's feelings that I cry with them, or laugh with them, or feel my own face burning with their embarrassment. I know at that point I've found an exceptional author. Donaldson succeeds at pulling those emotions out of me as I read Blackmoore.
It was *painful* to read at times. The tension of chemistry is so thick that you know there are secrets being hid. It's made obvious to the reader just how much these two are in love with each other, but they each suffer attempting to hide it from the other. Kate has vowed to never marry, but with a man like Henry at her side, you can't imagine what's going through her mind! And, Henry! When it comes to fictional guys, you just can't get better than Henry. He was sweet, and so in love with Kate you just wanted to give that boy a hug for the pain he was enduring!
It's through the use of flashbacks that Kate's secrets are eventually revealed and then understanding comes to mind. Slowly filling in the details warmed my heart to the story more and more.
In case you couldn't tell, I *adored* this story! It's a wonderfully *clean*, romantic escape to the regency world.
*I was provided an e-ARC through Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion, but I found it worthy of adding a permanent copy to my library! ...more
The Rose Throne is the story of two princesses. Ailsbet and Marissa(Issa). They live in a world full of "weyrs". The women are supposed to be born witThe Rose Throne is the story of two princesses. Ailsbet and Marissa(Issa). They live in a world full of "weyrs". The women are supposed to be born with "neweyr", which is a magical ability that is tune with nature. They keep the plants thriving and manipulate them to grow where they should. The men are supposed to be born with "taweyr", which is the ability to cause death and pain. There's those who are born with no weyr(unweyr) and the unlucky ones who are born with the wrong weyr(ekhonos). The ekhonos are hunted down and killed.
Ailsbet is the princess in a land where newyr is forbidden from being practiced. Her father is a cruel man, and will stop at nothing to get exactly what he wants, even if it means killing those he should love. Ailsbet has been labeled as an unweyr, to her father's great disappointment. Issa is the princess of a land where neweyr thrives, and her power is one of the strongest. She's lived a protected and innocent life thus far.
The lives of both princesses are changed dramatically when Princess Issa is asked to marry Ailsbet's much younger brother, and Ailsbet makes a discovery about herself she wasn't expecting.
I'm going to assume this is going to be a series, because if not, that would have to be the worst ending EVER! It definitely seems to lead up to another book, though.
I was a bit confused at first with all the "weyrs". They eventually fell into place in my mind, though, and reading became much easier. I still don't know what I think about the characters that are left. Ailsbet has potential, but I still don't overly like her. She's learned to be tough and hide how she feels. Many of her actions seem contradictory to what I seem to know of her. I'm curious where the future will take her! There's still a bit of mystery left that I'm especially curious about involving a possible love interest for her. Kellin is from her land, so he's learned to be tough and hide his feelings also. That may be his problem for me, too. I like him well enough, but probably not as much as I should considering he's such a big part of the story. And Issa. She's adorable! She almost comes across as a delicate flower, but she's trying hard to prove her worth. I imagine even greater things are in store for her future.
In the end, I didn't end up liking this book as much as I thought I would. But! I'm still really looking forward to reading more. I think The Rose Throne will be most appreciated by a younger teen audience.
Content: No profanity. There's a bit of *somewhat* mature kissing. There is some violence, but it's mostly just mentioned in passing to the best of my memory. There's a great deal of killing.
*I was provided an e-ARC through Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion....more
Alexandra(a.k.a. Lexi, Xandra, or X)is in her senior year of high school. She's quite the music snob, since her dad(Gavyn) hosts a radio show3.5 stars
Alexandra(a.k.a. Lexi, Xandra, or X)is in her senior year of high school. She's quite the music snob, since her dad(Gavyn) hosts a radio show. Her mom left them years earlier and now Lexi hates her, despite the fact that she hasn't seen or heard from her since. Her two best friends, Eli and Bailey, have started dating, which leaves her alone and sad. When Lexi and Eli sleep together, and she discovers her dad was trying to reach her as he died at the same time, her world falls apart. She leaves New York behind, since there's nowhere to go, and joins the circus in order to survive.
I really enjoyed reading this book! Except for the last portion of the story, I'd give it 4 stars. For me, though, the ending kind of dragged, and I didn't necessarily like how it all ended. It's a realistic kind of story, though. It's definitely not an "everything tied in a nice, neat bow" book. It's full of bad choices and broken hearts. It's kind of sad, but at the same time I loved Lexi's sarcastic voice. I found myself laughing quite often throughout the book. When I read that she was a snarky kind of girl in the description, I had my worries that I wouldn't like her, but she's surprisingly quite likable.
The chapters alternate through most of the book from present time to just before/after her dad's death. Little details are slowly revealed, although there's really not a huge mystery to unravel or anything. It does help to see things more clearly, though.
Instead of a love triangle, this story has somewhat of a love square. I can't say I was happy with who she ends up with, but then I'm usually not when it comes to character's love choices in a love triangle or this case, square.
Overall, I DO recommend That Time I Joined the Circus! I had fun reading it, despite the sadness involved.
Content:
The "sex" incident is never described in detail. You just know it happens. There's only 2(maybe 3) mild words of profanity. It was pretty clean otherwise!
*I was provided an e-ARC through Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion....more
Harriet Manners is a fifteen year old genius....otherwise known as a "geek". She knows all sorts of useless information, and uses them as "comebacks" Harriet Manners is a fifteen year old genius....otherwise known as a "geek". She knows all sorts of useless information, and uses them as "comebacks" when she is being bullied, or is simply nervous. Her best friend, Nat, is an unlikely candidate. She's pretty, by society's standards, and adores the world of fashion. Her dream is to be a model. Harriet could NOT care less about fashion, which makes it even more surprising when the world of modeling is dropped in her lap.
When I first started reading Geek Girl, I found it a bit annoying, just to be honest! There was so much lying, I couldn't help but cringe. And, Harriet's dad....I just wanted to shout, "Grow up, buddy!!!!". There is a moral to the story, though, and I found the second half sweet. I actually adored the ending! I even enjoyed all the little bits of trivia that were thrown in throughout the story! I even had to stop and ask my husband at one point, "Is this true?!".
Geek Girl has a strong "bullying" message, which is a cause dear to my heart. I don't care for it at all, and I always adore a great story teaching young people how to be more comfortable in their own shoes. I'd still label this as a fun, light read. I'd label it "chick lit" for tweens/teens, more specifically. There is some deep messages in there that I really appreciated, though. Plus, it's based in England, with lots of slang included from over there. Fun! :) The word "jumper" is used quite often. What came to my mind when hearing that word isn't something I think normal people wear these days. I finally had to look it up, and it means "pull over sweater" in the U.S.
Overall, Geek Girl is a sweet, cute story that I definitely recommend for fans of tween stories.
Content:
Mild profanity...he** is used several times. A** is used once. Various forms of "Oh, My G**" are used a great deal.
*I was provided an e-ARC through Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion....more
I'm not the best at reading descriptions before I pick up a book. I judged this one based on its cover, which isn't unusual for me, sadly! I thought iI'm not the best at reading descriptions before I pick up a book. I judged this one based on its cover, which isn't unusual for me, sadly! I thought it looked like a fun, contemporary story and decided to give it a shot. Plus, it's a goal of mine to read more "cultural" books, especially those with covers that haven't been "whitewashed". Apparently, those books have a harder time making it these days, so it's important to show some support!
This ended up not being a fun, contemporary story, but I still enjoyed it. "Enjoy" probably isn't the best word to describe my reading experience with this book, though. The Fire Horse Girl takes place in the 1920s. It details the journey of a Chinese family to America, paying close attention to Jade Moon...aka "The Fire horse Girl". It was amazing to see the mistreatment of the Chinese from both their fellow Chinese to Americans and other immigrants from different countries. They were treated like scum, to say the least. I appreciated the way the author handled the tough topics, like prostitution, "tongs"(Chinese mobs) and other general mistreatment. There were never great details, but I still got a good look at just how heartbreaking their situation was. She handled it in a way that I think this is a great book for even younger readers.
Jade Moon lives in a time and place where women are to be quiet and keep their eyes lowered. Since Jade Moon is a "Fire Horse" girl(the worst kind of girl there is, according to Chinese tradition), she finds these restrictions difficult. She prefers to let her opinions be known, and bad luck supposedly follows close on her heels. She's almost 17, which means she should have already been married, which is not something she wants considering her prospects. She's determined that if she can only get to America, her problems will be solved.
Due to the cover, I don't think it should come as a surprise that Jade Moon disguises herself as a boy at one point. Even though this part doesn't come until halfway or more through the story, I still don't feel like I'm giving any spoilers. Again, because of the cover. I will keep quiet about how and why, though. Girls who disguise themselves as boys(in order to survive...not simply for fun) are some of my favorite story plots! I really enjoyed this part of the book, and liked getting to see the relationships she was able to form during her time in disguise.
I'm also a fan of fairy tales, so I really enjoyed hearing some of the Chinese fairy tales that were included in the book. There was close attention paid to "The Weaver Girl" story. I'm assuming this story was a traditional Chinese story, as opposed to the author's imagination, but I still enjoyed it either way.
Overall, The Fire Horse Girl is a great peek into the world of Chinese immigrants during the 1920s, and I don't hesitate to recommend it, even for young readers.
Content: There's no profanity. There is some violence, but as I mentioned above, the author doesn't go into great detail. There's fighting, guns, mention of prostitution/brothels, poking/prodding/nudity during "check-ups" to get into America, etc.
*I was provided an e-ARC through Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. ...more
This book reminded me of a mix between 27 Dresses, Save the Date(Jenny B. Jones), and The Wedding Date! It was fun, but also had some deeper 3.5 stars
This book reminded me of a mix between 27 Dresses, Save the Date(Jenny B. Jones), and The Wedding Date! It was fun, but also had some deeper issues.
The relationship progress between Violet and Jackson was mostly fun. Jackson took a little time to grow on me, though. I didn't overly like him at first. He was cruel to Violet in college, and his excuses were never enough to satisfy me. Amazingly, people DO change, though! Violet does have a difficult time forgiving and forgetting those college incidents. I appreciated that realistic aspect of the story.
Then there's Reagan. She's a stay at home mom to 4 little ones. There was a great deal that I connected with in regards to her story. Then there was a great deal not so much. She misses working out in the world, where I love the difficult job of staying at home. Her story also included learning to be honest with her husband. I just cringed a bit at her journey, though. I couldn't imagine hiding some of the things she did(although none of it was bad!).
Shadow was a great addition! She's young and trying to find her place in the world. She's also trying to deal with her mother's death and her father re-marrying. I think her journey may have been my favorite part of the book.
Definitely pick this one up if you're in the mood for a mostly light, contemporary chick lit book!
*I was provided am e-ARC through Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
Maggie and her family are spies. Maggie, more specifically, is one of the best safecrackers around, even from an early age. She and her family move arMaggie and her family are spies. Maggie, more specifically, is one of the best safecrackers around, even from an early age. She and her family move around a great deal, changing names, and homes. There's never time to make friends, so it usually makes the move less difficult. When Maggie is assigned a case that involves enrolling in high school, her life includes a great deal of changes, including a couple of friends. It doesn't help that one is a boy, and he's the key to solving her case.
Knowing this book was about a family of spies, I just couldn't resist giving it a try! Where there's spies, there's got to be a bit of mystery, right?! I especially enjoyed that the whole family was involved, as opposed to just Maggie. There was an awesome group of secondary characters, too. Roux has her faults, like all of us, but she was fun, for the most part. I can't say I enjoyed everything about her, but I especially enjoyed her relationship with her doorman. That portion of the story got lots of laughs from me. Then there's Angelo. He's an older spy-friend of the family, and somewhat of a mentor to Maggie. I just loved him! Of course, there's a bit of romance involved, too. It was a very sweet romance, indeed!
As I mentioned above, there is a bit of mystery involved, but more than anything this story is about Maggie learning to live a new life in high school and make new friends. Some struggles with Maggie's family surface as she deals with all the "newness" of her life.
Overall, this was a sweet, fun book!
*Content: Before picking up this book, I read a content review that said this book was very clean with only one word of profanity. Imagine my surprise when I discovered there's closer to 50 words of profanity(I didn't actually count...guesstimate there), and about as many religious expletives. The profanity is mostly mild(he**, a**, da**, bi***, etc) and one bad one(g-da**). I did read an e-ARC, so maybe the final copy doesn't include all that. ?? There's also kissing and drinking at a party. One of the characters get VERY drunk! Other than that, it's clean.
**I was provided an e-ARC through Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. ...more
I don't think you can hear about this book without hearing the whole "Gossip Girl Meets Downtown Abbey" comparison. While I haven't watched e3.5 stars
I don't think you can hear about this book without hearing the whole "Gossip Girl Meets Downtown Abbey" comparison. While I haven't watched either show, the "Gossip Girl" part was almost enough to keep me away, but the "Downtown Abbey" part intrigued me enough to give it a chance. I generally adore books with the rich/poor theme. While I read a great deal of Christian historical fiction, I rarely venture into the secular YA historical world. This book was actually very similar, except with a *bit* more scandal than I typically encounter in Christian fiction, and of course, there wasn't the Christian aspect.
At first, I was a little overwhelmed. There are a great deal of characters introduced pretty quickly, and I was a little confused with some of them initially. I'd say the main characters are Lady Ada and Rose. We are let in on a secret between the two of them early in the story, but they remain in the dark. Lady Ada loses her virginity to a stranger(in the prologue)on her way home from India. She is left sorting through her feelings throughout the story as this boy re-enters her life upon arriving home. She soon meets her father's new wife, along her children, discovering that it's not possible to please everyone. Rose dreams of being a composer, but doesn't want to "put on airs". She is only a servant girl, after all. She soon becomes Lady Ada's ladies' maid, and enters a whole new world of living.
There's so much to like AND dislike about this book! Besides the huge amount of characters that are introduced in a small amount of time, there also the odd writing arrangement. I did read an e-ARC, so I don't know if it's different in the final copy, but one paragraph will be about one character and conversation. No warning, the next paragraph is a completely different conversation! I found myself confused often due to this, and did a good bit of re-reading in an attempt to figure out who I was reading about. I also found it a little slow at times.
I did enjoy the upstairs/downstairs storyline, though! It's always fun to get a good look at both sides. I hate to admit how long it took me to "get" the title. Despite my complaints above, I DO enjoy the author's writing style(for the most part), and I'm looking forward to seeing what she pens in the future.
Content: There is some mild profanity....Da** and Bas****. God's name is used in vain...Good G**, My G**, etc. There is a few homosexual characters that may bother some of you. As I mentioned earlier, one character does lose her virginity early on. There are no details! Despite some scandalous activities, everything is written pretty tastefully, in my opinion.
*I was provided an e-ARC through Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. ...more
Kyra is a master with potions, even extremely lethal ones. She's on the run after attempting to kill the princess, who was also her friend, with a poiKyra is a master with potions, even extremely lethal ones. She's on the run after attempting to kill the princess, who was also her friend, with a poisoned needle. She's still trying to digest her one and only "miss", but she's determined to find the princess in order to hit her target this time. Her former friends and ex-fiancee are now her enemies as they attempt to capture her. While crossing a river with a pig on her head, she meets a new friend. Fred is a goofy, yet handsome boy, and Kyra struggles to keep him out of her thoughts, and maybe even her heart. Throw in a few goblins and witches, and the adventure really begins.
It was fun to see little mysteries unraveling as the story progressed. Lots of secrets hide in the pages of Poison, and I loved being surprised as I learned what they were. Poison is a fairy tale at its sweetest. The precious little pig, named Rosie, was probably my favorite part of the story! You did notice the little pig peeking out of the ferns on the cover, didn't you?! She almost makes me want a little piglet of my own. Almost! ;)
Kyra is a tomboyish young lady, who would rather wear black than anything else. I found myself liking her immediately, despite the fact that she was on the run from an attempted murder. As the story unfolded, I liked her more and more. She has many layers that start showing as the story progresses. And, Fred! The author did such an amazing job of creating a handsome, appealing young man, despite his very goofy tendencies. He was a sweetheart, to say the least!
Overall, I greatly enjoyed my time in this adventure. I think it's a perfect fairy tale for both the young and old!
Content: Da** was used a couple of times, and I think I recall he** being used once. (I did read an e-ARC, so those words may or may not have ended up in the final copy). Violence was extremely mild. The author was very creative in assuring that nobody actually died in any of the fights. Very sweet, mild kissing is as far as anything goes in that nature.
*I was provided an e-ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. ...more
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