Monday, December 31, 2012

Audiobook Review - Iron Hearted Violet by Kelly Barnhill (3/5 stars)

Reading Level: Middle Grade
Genre: Fantasy
Size: 432 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date: October 9, 2012
ISBN: 978-0316056731
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: Audibook from Audible.com
Rating: 3/5 stars


I listened to this on audiobook. It was an okay fairy tale about how being ugly on the outside doesn’t mean you are an ugly person. I had some issues with the story and the narration.

I listened to this on audiobook and wasn't a huge fan of the narrator. All the women's voices sounded like men with clogged up throats.

This was a fairy tale like fantasy about Violent, an ugly young princess, who gets drawn in by an evil banished God. As a result she almost destroys the kingdom in her search for beauty. It's also the story about a King obsessed with a Dragon.

It is interesting how a storyteller narrates the whole story. I enjoyed the fairy tale feel to it. I loved the inclusion of dragons. The story ends with an interesting twist to it that will leave readers surprised and intrigued.

It does bother me a bit though how Violet is so beautiful on the cover of the book, yet throughout it a point is made to constantly described her ugliness. In the end it is the beauty of her personality that makes people love her, but I didn't enjoy the emphasis put on looks and how her main feature was her ugliness.

I didn’t enjoy or engage with most of the characters in this book. The exception was Dimitri who is a stable boy who is trying to solve the mystery of why the things are going so horribly in the castle. He was an engaging and interesting character and also pretty much the only “good” character in the story.

Overall it was a decently done story and decently written, I just never really enjoyed the characters all that much. I did like the fairy tale feel to it and the twist at the end of the story. I didn’t enjoy the inconsistency between the illustration and the description of Violet in the book. I personally wouldn’t recommend this unless you are really into the ugly princess type of story.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- 150+ Books Reading Challenge

Best of 2012 - Fantasy

I read a ton of really wonderful fantasy books this year. Most of them were middle grade and young adult fantasy book; not by design...but it was just a really great year for YA fantasy. Of all the below there is only one book that is adult only and that is the Riyria Revelations series by Michael J. Sullivan...this is also an excellent series but only appropriate for adult and older.

Anyway I hope you enjoy the list and maybe find something on it that sounds interesting.
Click the picture of the book to read the synopsis on amazon.com or click the My Review link to read my review.


The Peaceweaver by Rebecca Barnhouse

My Review

The Wicked and the Just by J. Anderson Coates
My Review

The Ascendence Trilogy by Jennifer Neilson

The False Prince, Book 1 (My Review)

Graceling by Kristen Cashore
 
My Review
 
The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien
My Review
The Last Apprentice series by Joseph Delaney
 
Grimalkin the Witch Assassin, Book 9 (My Review)
Lure of the Dead, Book 10 (My Review)
The Grisha series by Leigh Bardugo
Shadow and Bone, Book 1 (My Review)

Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas
 
The Assassin and the Desert, Book 0.2 (My Review)
Throne of Glass, Book 1 (My Review)

Riyria Revelations by Michael J. Sullivan
Theft of Swords, Book 1 (My Review)
Rise of Empire, Book 2 (My Review)
The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver
My Review
The Girl Who series by Catherynne M. Valente

The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There (My Review)

The Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke
The Assassin's Curse, Book 1 (My Review)
Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
The Crown of Embers, Book 2 (My Review)

Sunday, December 30, 2012

2013 - Young Adult Reading Challenge

I am signing up for another reading challenge: the 2013 Young Adult Reading Challenge. This challenge is being hosted by My Overstuffed Bookshelf. Read below or follow the image below to sign up and get more information on this challenge.  I am shooting for the Mega Size YA Reading Challenge.

    Rules:
    -Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate. Posting on GoodReads or wherever you post your reviews is good enough.
    -Audio, eBooks, paper, re-reads all count.
    -No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed.

    Levels:
    The Mini YA Reading Challenge – Read 12 Young Adult novels.
    The "Fun Size" YA Reading Challenge – Read 20 Young Adult novels.
    The Jumbo Size YA Reading Challenge – Read 40 Young Adult novels.
    The Mega size YA Reading Challenge – Read 50+ Young Adult novels.


    My Books Will be Listed Below as I Read Them:
    1. Foretold (The Demon Trappers, Book 4) by Jana Oliver
    2. Lost in Time (Blue Bloods, Book 6) by Melissa de la Cruz
    3. The Mephisto Kiss (The Mephisto Covenant, Book 2) by Trinity Faegen
    4. The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd
    5. Reached (Matched, Book 3) by Ally Condie
    6. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
    7. Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon
    8. Boundless (Unearthly, Book 3) by Cynthia Hand
    9. The City of a Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster
    10. For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund
    11. In a Glass Grimmly by Adam Gidwitz
    12. Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles, Book 2) by Marissa Meyer
    13. The Faerie Ring (The Faerie Ring, Book 1) by Kiki Hamilton
    14. Etiquette and Espionage (Finishing School, Book 1) by Gail Carriger
    15. The Darkest Minds (The Darkest Minds, Book 1) by Alexandra Bracken
    16. The Drowned Cities (Ship Breaker, Book 2) by Paolo Bacigalupi
    17. The Mirrored Shard (The Iron Codex, Book 3) by Caitlin Kittredge
    18. Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan
    19. The Diviners by Libba Bray
    20. Ravage (Deviants, Book 3) by Jeff Sampson
    21. Island of Silence (The Unwanteds, Book 2) by Lisa McMann
    22. Breath (Riders of the Apocalypse, Book 4) by Jackie Morse Kessler
    23. Holy Spokes by Rob Coppolillo
    24. Sever (The Chemical Garden Trilogy, Book 3) by Lauren DeStefano
    25. Fuse (Pure, Book 2) by Julianna Baggott
    26. The Indigo Spell (Bloodlines, Book 3) by Richelle Mead
    27. The Obsidian Mirror (Chronoptika, Book 1) by Catherine Fisher
    28. Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin, Book 1) by Robin LaFevers
    29. Taken by Erin Bowman
    30. The Menagerie by Tui and Kari Sutherland
    31. Dark Triumph (His Fair Assassin, Book 2) by Robin LaFevers
    32. Pivot Point by Kasie West
    33. The Sweetest Dark by Shana Abe
    34. Absent by Katie Williams
    35. Fragments (Partials, Book 2) by Dan Wells
    36. The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson
    37. The Eternity Cure (Blood of Eden, Book 2) by Julie Kagawa
    38. The Runaway King (The Ascendance Trilogy, Book 2) by Jennifer A. Nielsen
    39. Yellowcake by Margo Lanagan
    40. Hex Hall (Hex Hall, Book 1) by Rachel Hawkins
    41. The Pirate's Wish (The Assassin's Curse, Book 2) by Cassandra Rose Clarke
    42. Slither (the Last Apprentice, Book 11) by Joseph Delaney
    43. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
    44. Asunder (Newsoul, Book 2) by Jodi Meadows
    45. Siege and Storm (The Grisha, Book 2)  by Leigh Bardugo
    46. The Lost Hero (Heroes of Olympus, Book 1) by Rick Riordan
    47. Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan
    48. Tides by Betsy Cornwell
    49. Dance of the Red Death (Mask of the Red Death, Book 2) by Bethany Griffin
    50. If I Should Die (Revenants, Book 3) by Amy Plum
    51. Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
    52. Some Quiet Place by Kelsey Sutton
    53. Angelfall (Penryn and the End of Days, Book 1) by Susan Ee

    2013 - TBR Pile Reading Challenge

    I am signing up for another reading challenge: the 2013 TBR Pile Reading Challenge. This challenge is being hosted by Bookish. Read below or follow the image below to sign up and get more information on this challenge.  I am shooting for the Married with Children Level since I have a ton of books on my TBR pile.


      Levels:
      1-10 - A Firm Handshake
      11-20 - A Friendly Hug
      21-30 - A Sweet Kiss
      31-40 - Love At First Sight
      41-50 - Married With Children

      My Books Will be Listed Below as I Read Them:
      1.  Empire State by Adam Christopher
      2.  The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter
      3.  Inherit the Wind (Fables, Book 17) by Bill Willingham
      4.  Lost in Time (Blue Bloods, Book 6) by Melissa de la Cruz
      5.  Out for Blood (House of Comarre, Book 4) by Kirsten Painter
      6.  The Mephisto Kiss (The Mephisto Covenant, Book 2) by Trinity Faegen
      7.  The Rest Falls Away (Gardella Vampire Chronicles, Book 1) by Colleen Gleason
      8.   Rises the Night (Gardella Vampire Chronicles, Book 2) by Colleen Gleason
      9.   The Desert Spear (The Demon Cycle, Book 2) by Peter V. Brett
      10. The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack (Burton and Swinburne, Book 1) by Mark Hodder (3/5 stars)
      11. Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan
      12. 1001 Nights of Snowfall (Fables Prelude) by Bill Willingham
      13. Island of Silence (The Unwanteds, Book 2) by Lisa McMann
      14. The Bleeding Dusk (The Gardella Vampire Chronicles, Book 3) by Colleen Gleason
      15. Storm Born (Dark Swan, Book 1) by Richelle Mead
      16. The Book of Magic by Neil Gaiman
      17. Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin, Book 1) by Robin LaFevers
      18. The Book of Ballads by Charles Vess
      19. Strangers in the Land (The Zombie Bible, Book 3) by Stant Litore
      20. Hex Hall (Hex Hall, Book 1) by Rachel Hawkins
      21. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
      22. The Walking Dead (Hardcover, Vol 1) by Robert Kirkman
      23. Iced (Dani O'Malley, Book 1) by Karen Marie Moning
      24. Taboo by Jess Michaels
      25. The Lost Hero (Heroes of Olympus, Book 1) by Rick Riordan
      26. Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan
      27. When Twilight Burns (The Gardella Vampire Chronicles, Book 4) by Colleen Gleason
      28. Three Days to Dead (Dreg City, Book 1) by Kelly Meding
      29. Howl's Moving Castle by Dianna Wynne Jones
      30. Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
      31. As Shadows Fade (Gardella Vampire Chronicles, Book 5) by Colleen Gleason

      Showcase Sunday and Mailbox Monday - 12/31/12


      Hello and welcome to Showcase Sunday. Inspired by Pop Culture Junkie and the Story Siren, the aim of Showcase Sunday is to highlight our newest books or book related swag and to see what everyone else received for review, borrowed from libraries, bought in bookshops and downloaded onto eReaders each week. For more information about how this feature works and how to join in, click here.
      Mailbox Monday can be found at: The Printed Page

      Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week (checked out library books don’t count, eBooks & audio books do). Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

      Got a ton of wonderful books for Christmas this year.  You can see them below.  I also got a copy of A Memory of Light to review from Tor so thank you to them for that.  You can also watch the video below to learn more about these books...or click on the pics to read a synopsis.

      A correction to the video below: The Drowned Cities is the sequel to Ship Breaker not Railsea...my bad.



      For Review:


      Gifts:
            

      Swapped:

      Audiobook: