Bookish in a Box

Review of Sphinx's Queen (Sphinx's Princess #2)

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish in a Box) — Thu, 24 May 2012 12:30:00 +0000

Hunted...Overnight, every aspect of Nefertiti’s life has changed. She is no longer living at the royal palace as the intended bride of the crown prince. Instead, she is being chased by the prince and his soldiers for a crime she did not commit.

Hidden...Traveling with two of her dearest friends, including the crown prince’s brother, who helped her escape, Nefertiti takes shelter in the wild hills along the Nile’s west bank. She must rely on her own resourcefulness and skills (all those secret archery lessons prove very useful) as the fugitives fight to survive.

Haunted...But the need for justice gnaws at Nefertiti. She is determined to plead her case to the Pharaoh and set things right. As she begins to question long-held sacred beliefs—a questioning that could alter the fabric of Egyptian society—her extraordinary journey from commoner to royalty brings adventure, intrigue, and romance.

[from Goodreads]

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 boxes

Target Audience: Mainstream YA fans, devourers of historical fiction...anyone, really

High point: The blend of myth and fact

Low point: The excitement was missing

Reader maturity: 13+

Much as I love YA historical fiction (especially that written by Esther Friesner), Sphinx's Queen was lacking something that it's predecessor, Sphinx's Princess, possessed. I can't put my finger on what it is because it's well-written and the plot and characterization are in line with what occurred in Sphinx's Princess but I couldn't manage to get excited about it.

There were lots of things I loved; for instance, the novel contains many mentions of Egyptian customs and events that are fascinating and play naturally into the events of the story. Esther Friesner also does a wonderful job of including discussions of the Egyptian gods and the "Habiru" god while remaining perfectly respectful and neutral. As for the ending, it was a wonderful place to leave our hero and heroine. Though unsurprising, it was satisfying.

These positive aspects are why I can't decide what I didn't love about Sphinx's Queen. I think I summed it up best in the first paragraph of this review--I just couldn't get excited over it. Perhaps I wasn't in the mood for a historical at the time and didn't realize it. But as for you, fellow readers, if you enjoy historical fiction, I'd still recommend it.

Title: Spinx's Queen
Author: Esther Friesner
Genre: Fiction - Historical
Year: 2010
Book Source: Purchased

Want to Read Wednesday: The Last Princess

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish in a Box) — Wed, 23 May 2012 12:30:00 +0000

Happily ever after is a thing of the past.

A series of natural disasters has decimated the earth. Cut off from the rest of the world, England is a dark place. The sun rarely shines, food is scarce, and groups of criminals roam the woods, searching for prey. The people are growing restless.

When a ruthless revolutionary sets out to overthrow the crown, he makes the royal family his first target. Blood is shed in Buckingham Palace, and only sixteen-year-old Princess Eliza manages to escape.

Determined to kill the man who destroyed her family, Eliza joins the enemy forces in disguise. She has nothing left to live for but revenge, until she meets someone who helps her remember how to hope—and to love—once more. Now she must risk everything to ensure that she not become... The Last Princess.

[from Goodreads]

With Want to Read Wednesday, I'll be spotlighting books I want to read, whether they've been out for 10 years or won't be released for another 10 months.

Review of Beauty Queens

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish in a Box) — Tue, 22 May 2012 12:30:00 +0000

The fifty contestants in the Miss Teen Dream pageant thought this was going to be a fun trip to the beach, where they could parade in their state-appropriate costumes and compete in front of the cameras. But sadly, their airplane had another idea, crashing on a desert island and leaving the survivors stranded with little food, little water, and practically no eyeliner.

What's a beauty queen to do? Continue to practice for the talent portion of the program - or wrestle snakes to the ground? Get a perfect tan - or learn to run wild? And what should happen when the sexy pirates show up?

Welcome to the heart of non-exfoliated darkness. Your tour guide? None other than Libba Bray, the hilarious, sensational, Printz Award-winning author of A Great and Terrible Beauty and Going Bovine. The result is a novel that will make you laugh, make you think, and make you never see beauty the same way again.

[from Goodreads]

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 boxes

Target Audience: Any female who could use a pick-me-up

High point: The resourcefulness of the Miss Teen Dreamers

Low point: There were a few things...

Reader maturity: 13+

While I enjoyed Libba Bray's Gemma Doyle trilogy, I didn't have the same experience with Beauty Queens.

When I first started reading Beauty Queens, I thought I was in for a real treat. It was funny, wry and sarcastic with loads of thinly veiled pop culture references poking fun at both society and its mindless entertainment. There was mystery and an omnipresent sense of dystopia that held eerie similarities to the world as we know it.

And then Beauty Queens developed an agenda.

Now, I don't mind a book with a message. However, I prefer that message to be distributed via food for thought. I like books that make me ask, "Why?" and then allow me to draw my own conclusions. Beauty Queens forces its lesson on the reader, to my irritation.

Much as I disliked the agenda, the end of the book was more about action and adventure, which made for an engaging and humorous conclusion. Libba Bray has the gift of wit, and I'd like to see more light-hearted works from her in the future--sans the soapbox.

Though there were some things that I took issue with, I enjoyed the girl power message and the underlying theme that girls (and women) need to stop living up to impossible expectations and decide their own fate.

Title: Beauty Queens
Author: Libba Bray
Genre: Fiction - Contemporary,
Year: 2011
Book Source: Won from Stories & Sweeties

Supernatural Saturday Review: Cinderella: Ninja Warrior (Twisted Tales #1)

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish in a Box) — Sat, 19 May 2012 12:30:00 +0000

Seeking to escape the clutches of her evil stepmother, Cinderella perfects her ninja skills and magic talents in secret, waiting for the day when she can break free and live happily ever after. In a special twist, readers have the opportunity to make key decisions for Cinderella and decide where she goes next.

[from Goodreads]

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 boxes

Target Audience: Younger YA readers and maybe older MG readers

High point: Cinderella as a ninja warrior

Low point: Ninjas should probably stick to the big screen

Reader maturity: 10+

The thing I had to keep telling myself while reading Cinderella: Ninja Warrior is that I had to redirect my expectations. When I finally managed to look upon it as a book that's supposed to be a little cheesy and over-the-top, it was a much more fun experience.

Fairytale retellings can feel confined to a set storyline, but Maureen McGowan maneuvers around that issue by making Cinderella a magician/ninja warrior. Regarding that particular aspect of the book, I understand the link between the two (discipline and self-control are necessary for both) but fail to see the connection otherwise (or how Cinderella managed to teach herself acrobatics with just a cat and a book as guides...).

This book has a neat set-up in that it's kind of a choose-your-own-adventure, only less cheesy and with much better plot development. Cinderella has to put up a convincing fight for what she believes in. However, I found her character to be a bit wishy-washy. She's all about girl-power one moment and self-doubt the next, traits that were expressed as extremes rather than nuances. Ninja skills also don't translate very well to text; the descriptions tended to lose my attention.

On the positive side of things, I thought the magician/ninja warrior angle very creative, and I had a lot of fun reading about Cinderella. Yes, the rules of magic and Cinderella's captivity weren't fully fleshed out, but overlooking that allows a lighthearted novel of action and adventure to shine through.

Title: Cinderella: Ninja Warrior
Author: Maureen McGowan
Genre: Fiction - Fantasy, Fairytale
Year: 2011
Book Source: Won from Lost for Words

Want to Read Wednesday: Enchanted

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish in a Box) — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:30:00 +0000

It isn't easy being the rather overlooked and unhappy youngest sibling to sisters named for the other six days of the week. Sunday’s only comfort is writing stories, although what she writes has a terrible tendency to come true.

When Sunday meets an enchanted frog who asks about her stories, the two become friends. Soon that friendship deepens into something magical. One night Sunday kisses her frog goodbye and leaves, not realizing that her love has transformed him back into Rumbold, the crown prince of Arilland—and a man Sunday’s family despises.

The prince returns to his castle, intent on making Sunday fall in love with him as the man he is, not the frog he was. But Sunday is not so easy to woo. How can she feel such a strange, strong attraction for this prince she barely knows? And what twisted secrets lie hidden in his past - and hers?
[from Goodreads]

With Want to Read Wednesday, I'll be spotlighting books I want to read, whether they've been out for 10 years or won't be released for another 10 months.

Review of The Dark and Hollow Places (The Forest of Hands and Teeth #3)

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish in a Box) — Tue, 15 May 2012 12:30:00 +0000

There are many things that Annah would like to forget: the look on her sister's face before Annah left her behind in the Forest of Hands and Teeth, her first glimpse of the Horde as they swarmed the Dark City, the sear of the barbed wire that would scar her for life. But most of all, Annah would like to forget the morning Elias left her for the Recruiters.

Annah's world stopped that day, and she's been waiting for Elias to come home ever since. Somehow, without him, her life doesn't feel much different than the dead that roam the wasted city around her. Until she meets Catcher, and everything feels alive again.

But Catcher has his own secrets. Dark, terrifying truths that link him to a past Annah has longed to forget, and to a future too deadly to consider. And now it's up to Annah: can she continue to live in a world covered in the blood of the living? Or is death the only escape from the Return's destruction?

[from Goodreads]

Rating: 4 out of 5 boxes

Target Audience: Dystopian fans, readers who enjoy immersing themselves in another world

High point: The emotional intensity

Low point: Annah was hard to spend time with

Reader maturity: 13+

As usual, Carrie Ryan delivered a stunning novel about love, loss and betrayal, filled to the brim with existential questions and intense introspection. I'm always amazed at how much emotion she can pack into a story about zombies, of all things.

I didn't enjoy The Dark and Hollow Places as much as The Dead-Tossed Waves (although I like the conclusion better than that of The Forest of Hands and Teeth). It felt very repetitive, like we were stuck in Annah's head, and she wasn't going anywhere. That's probably part of the point, that she felt so trapped and thus the reader does too. However, The Dark and Hollow Places is a very emotionally gripping novel, which compelled me to keep turning pages (although I cheated and read the ending about halfway through so I'd know who I could get attached to). Coincidentally, my favorite scenes are near the end. They're full of symbolism and layers of meaning that provide unexpected depth.

I wish I had read this sooner after The Dead-Tossed Waves because it references the events in Vista, which I couldn't recall. The Dark and Hollow Places provides enough background information to follow the story without trouble, but since I've read The Dead-Tossed Waves, it was bugging me that I couldn't remember what the deal was with Elias, Gabry and Catcher.

Title: The Dark and Hollow Places
Author: Carrie Ryan
Genre: Teen Fiction, Horror & Suspense
Year: 2011
Book Source: Purchased

Supernatural Saturday Review: The Lost Saint (The Dark Divine #2)

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish in a Box) — Sat, 12 May 2012 12:30:00 +0000

Grace Divine made the ultimate sacrifice to cure Daniel Kalbi. She was infected with the werewolf curse while trying to save him, and lost her beloved brother in the process.

Desperate to find Jude, Grace befriends Talbot, a newcomer to town. But as the two grow closer, Grace's relationship with Daniel is put in danger - in more ways than one.

Unaware of the dark path she is walking, Grace begins to give into the wolf inside of her - not realizing that an enemy has returned and a deadly trap is about to be sprung.

[from Goodreads]

Rating: 3 out of 5 boxes

Target Audience: Fans of the paranormal and those who need a vampire break

High point: More Grace and Daniel...

Low point: ...but Grace is very different

Reader maturity: 13+

I don't know if I waited too long to read The Lost Saint (I pre-ordered it and put off reading it for almost a year and a half because I didn't think anything could top The Dark Divine) or if it's because it's radically different from the first Dark Divine novel, but The Lost Saint was missing the key elements that I loved about The Dark Divine.

For one thing, Grace is much wilder. I appreciated her non-saccharine-but-still-a-good-girl personality in The Dark Divine and realize that, once infected by the werewolf curse, she's going to be different. However, it felt like she was changing to meet with someone else's expectations (two different someones, actually), and that didn't seem like Grace at all.

In The Dark Divine, her family is a huge part of her life, but they let her down in The Lost Saint. One scene in particular made me indignant on her behalf, when her (oft absent and extremely secretive) father scolds her for being "self-absorbed." Rash? Irresponsible? Dishonest? Check, check, check. Selfish? Not so much. She develops a bad habit of lying and The Lost Saint contains a lot of secrets and fibs; if everyone had been honest, the story would be a lot less painful (lying is a plot-killer for me), if a good deal shorter.

It's not that The Lost Saint isn't well written or even a good story, but since Grace Divine abandoned her noncomformist, intelligent personality, I found her a lot harder to relate to and sympathize with. Hopefully there's redemption in store for more than one of the Divines in The Savage Grace.

Title: The Lost Saint (The Dark Divine #2)
Author: Bree Despain
Genre: Teen Fiction Horror & Suspense
Year: 2010
Book Source: Purchased

Want to Read Wednesday: Hemlock (Hemlock #1)

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish in a Box) — Wed, 09 May 2012 12:30:00 +0000

Mackenzie and Amy were best friends. Until Amy was brutally murdered.

Since then, Mac’s life has been turned upside down. She is being haunted by Amy in her dreams, and an extremist group called the Trackers has come to Mac’s hometown of Hemlock to hunt down Amy’s killer: A white werewolf.

Lupine syndrome—also known as the werewolf virus—is on the rise across the country. Many of the infected try to hide their symptoms, but bloodlust is not easy to control.

Wanting desperately to put an end to her nightmares, Mac decides to investigate Amy’s murder herself. She discovers secrets lurking in the shadows of Hemlock, secrets about Amy’s boyfriend, Jason, her good pal Kyle, and especially her late best friend. Mac is thrown into a maelstrom of violence and betrayal that puts her life at risk.

Kathleen Peacock’s thrilling novel is the first in the Hemlock trilogy, a spellbinding urban fantasy series filled with provocative questions about prejudice, trust, lies, and love.
[from Goodreads]

With Want to Read Wednesday, I'll be spotlighting books I want to read, whether they've been out for 10 years or won't be released for another 10 months.

Review of Little Women and Me

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish in a Box) — Tue, 08 May 2012 12:30:00 +0000

Emily is sick and tired of being a middle sister. So when she gets an assignment to describe what she'd change about a classic novel, Emily pounces on Little Women. After all, if she can't change things in her own family, maybe she can bring a little justice to the March sisters. (Kill off Beth? Have cute Laurie wind up with Amy instead of Jo? What was Louisa May Alcott thinking?!) But when Emily gets mysteriously transported into the 1860s world of the book, she discovers that righting fictional wrongs won't be easy. And after being immersed in a time and place so different from her own, it may be Emily-not the four March sisters-who undergoes the most surprising change of all. Lauren Baratz-Logsted's winning confection will appeal to fans of Little Women as well as anyone who enjoys a modern twist on an old favorite.

[from Goodreads]

Rating: 2 out of 5 boxes

Target Audience: Either those that love Little Women or those who can't stand it--I'm not sure which

High point: Emily's commentary

Low point: Being restricted to the original story

Reader maturity: 13+

Unlike (it feels like) every other book-reading female on the planet, I'm not a fan of the original Little Women. I feel like I ought to be, since it's a classic beloved by many, but something about it rubs me the wrong way. While this certainly isn't the point of Little Women and Me (the remix, if you will), it gave a name to all the things that have bugged me over the years (with the exception of Laurie and Amy--I still like them together better than Laurie and Jo).

As for the plot of Little Women and Me, I found it restricted by the events of the original, as retellings often are. The narrator actually points out the jumps in time and the sudden appearance of characters who seem to be important but only show up once or twice. Another problem with retellings is that they tend to be predictable, and unfortunately, Little Women and Me is no exception. While I liked the idea of the book, I found it a little dull, although I did enjoy Emily's commentary on Jo's personality and other happenings in the story.

As for age-appropriateness, Little Women and Me contains language and topics that would make Louisa May Alcott blush, but it's not too wild for today's intended audience.

Title: Little Women and Me
Author: Lauren Baratz-Logsted
Genre: Fiction - Fantasy
Year: 2011
Book Source: Won from I Like These Books

Supernatural Saturday Review: The Eternal Sea (Everlasting #2)

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish in a Box) — Sat, 05 May 2012 12:30:00 +0000

Romance and adventure are just around the corner . . .After the thrilling journey that led Camille through the dangerous discovery of love, secrets, and a magical stone that grants immortality, Camille has everything she wants. She's escaped the men who wanted her dead, and now she is ready to build a new life with Oscar, her one true love. But things are not to be so simple. Oscar is acting strangely, and before they can even board a ship from Australia back home, to San Francisco, Camille learns that the journey is not over. If she does not follow the magic of the curse of Umandu, her life and Ocar's could be in grave danger.

[from Goodreads]

Rating: 1 out of 5 boxes

Target Audience: Historical fiction readers

High point: Filling the readers in on what they missed in Everlasting

Low point: Camille!

Reader maturity: 13+

The First 1/3:
Unfortunately, I spent the first few chapters of this book (chapters, not pages) flipping back and forth and checking the back cover to see if my copy was missing a few chapters or if I had jumped in on the middle of a series. A virtual trip to Google informed me incorrectly, which left me with a poor first impression of the novel, and I was about a third of the way through the book (and thoroughly out of step with the story by that time) before Goodreads corrected me. This is the second book in a series, so I was right to be confused.

To be fair, The Eternal Sea does a decent job of filling the reader in on what they need to know about the events in Everlasting. It does not, however, convince the reader to sympathize with Oscar. I assume from Camille's thoughts and feelings that Oscar was actually quite nice before (although Camille isn't much of a lady, what with two-timing on her gentlemanly fiance), but since my only experience with Oscar is in The Eternal Sea, I just wanted to shake Camille and tell her to stop being so dumb. Without having read Everlasting, I had no emotional connection (and no reason to have one) to her suitor of choice.

The Remaining 2/3:
Even after the issue of publication was sorted out, I still wasn't impressed. Camille is a weak character, a negative trait compounded by the love triangle she forces into existence. And she's such a jerk! She lies to Randall, who is not only her fiance and financial savior, but also a perfectly nice and faithful man; she nags Oscar and can't take a hint; and she's petty and mean to Maggie, who isn't nearly as rude or stuck-up as Camille accuses her of being (I think Camille is projecting--she's the rude one). It's hard to support a character I don't like.

I finished The Eternal Sea, but due to Camille, I'm going to have to categorize it as "not my cup of tea."

Title: The Eternal Sea
Author:   Angie Frazier
Genre:   Teen Fiction - Paranormal
Year:   2011
Book Source: Won an ARC from I Like These Books

Want to Read Wednesday: The Academie

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish in a Box) — Wed, 02 May 2012 12:30:00 +0000

Eliza Monroe—daughter of the future president of the United States—is devastated when her mother decides to send her to boarding school outside of Paris. But the young American teen is quickly reconciled to the idea when—ooh, la-la!—she discovers who her fellow pupils will be: Hortense de Beauharnais, daughter of Josephine Bonaparte; and Caroline Bonaparte, youngest sister of the famous French general. It doesn't take long for Eliza to figure out that the two French girls are mortal enemies—and that she's about to get caught in the middle of their schemes.

Loosely drawn from history, Eliza Monroe's imagined coming of age provides a scintillating glimpse into the lives, loves, and hopes of three young women during one of the most volatile periods in French history.
[from Goodreads]

With Want to Read Wednesday, I'll be spotlighting books I want to read, whether they've been out for 10 years or won't be released for another 10 months.

Review of Delirium (Delirium #1)

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish in a Box) — Tue, 01 May 2012 12:30:00 +0000

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

[from Goodreads]

Rating: 4 out of 5 boxes

Target Audience: Dystopian and YA romance readers

High point: The introspection

Low point: It left a lot of my questions unanswered

Reader maturity: 13+

Delirium was all kinds of awesome. I actually pre-ordered it last year and then didn't get around to reading it until now because I was miffed about the cover change. (Who doesn't like their series' covers to match?) But whichever cover you prefer (I'm partial to the one shown here, the original cover), don't let the publisher's indecisiveness stop you from reading it!

Delirium is a steady, extremely introspective novel, similar in tone to Before I Fall. Several reviewers have described Delirium as "slow," but I don't feel like that's a fair or complete descriptor. True, Delirium has few moments of real action, but there is a constant evolution within Lena and her interactions with her world.

The world-building is to be commended as well, although there are a lot of unanswered questions about how love came to be considered a disease. Lauren Oliver didn't turn the US on its head; she closed it off. There are a few new technologies (the "cure," for one), but mostly the US in Delirium is a collapsing, frightened version of its current self. Quotes from The Book of Shhh and "banned content" from familiar novels were a great addition at the beginning of each chapter. Maintaining 21st century technology and culture keeps the dystopian aspect realistic and allows Delirium to focus on food for thought rather than science fiction-- Is pleasure worth the pain? To what lengths is our society willing to go to be "safe"? Is peace without choice still peace?

I'm not usually interested in short story tie-ins, but I'll admit that I'm curious about Hana's story. She did not turn out like I thought she would...

I'm so glad there's a sequel because Lena's story isn't finished. I have so many questions!

Title: Delirium (Delirium #1)
Author: Lauren Oliver
Genre: Fiction - Dystopian
Year: 2011
Book Source: Purchased

Kindred Review: Our Fathers' War: Growing Up in the Shadow of the Greatest Generation

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish in a Box) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 12:30:00 +0000

Love of reading (and history) runs in the family! Today, I'm featuring one of my mom's recent reads.

A powerful and unique portrait of generational strife and changing styles of masculinity as seen through the stories of ten World War II veterans and their baby boomer sons.
It is fair to say that Tom Mathews’s relations with his father, a veteran of World War II’s fabled 10th Mountain Division, were terrible. He came back from the war to a young son he’d barely met and proceeded to bully and browbeat him—for his own good, he thought. In the course of puzzling out almost fifty years of intermittent conflict, Mathews came to understand that their problems were not simply personal, they were generational—and widely shared by millions of other baby boomer sons. And so, to write this powerful book, which traces the kinetic effect of the war on the men who fought it, their sons, and their grandsons, Mathews has uncovered nine other dramatic and telling father-son tales of veterans in some ways missing in action and how internal war wounds shaped their lives as fathers. These include a combat infantryman whose life was saved by the fabled Audie Murphy, and a black member of the storied Tuskegee Airmen corps. In a moving final chapter, he and his father return together to Italy to revisit scenes from the war—and attempt, at long last, to forge their own separate peace.

In a very real sense, Our Fathers’ War tells the secret history of World War II and its echoes down the years and generations. In the course of doing so, it offers a portrait of evolving styles of American manhood that many, many fathers and sons have been needing and awaiting.

[from Goodreads]

Rating: 3 out of 5 boxes

Our Fathers’ War is a study of an interesting theory about fathers of World War II and why they cannot connect to their sons. Why they came home from war and pushed them away. Why the sons feel they are never good enough and rebel.

Upon reading the first few stories, I thought these fathers and sons could be any family in any generation. Could not their fathering be the result of personality, their own upbringing, and other influences that make us the parents we are? But after reading Mathews interview with the poet, I understand what Mathews was describing; the horrors of war that cannot be spoken, closed down emotions which created fathers and husbands who could never reach a potential. A generation who possessed this specific reason for being the fathers they were. How many generations did this emotionless form of fathering influence? Mathews touches on this in several multi-generational interviews.

The book is composed of well written narratives about real people and the strong forces that molded them into the fathers and sons they were. The final narrative is a touching ending for the author and his father who created their own strong force to counteract the emotions and scars of war.

The book has quite a bit of rough language which I would prefer to have been left out, but I understand that it is a book about real people and this is how they spoke.

Thought provoking book that I will read again in order to see what I might have missed the first time.

Title: Our Fathers' War
Author: Tom Mathews
Genre: History, Memoir
Year: 2005
Book Source: Received as a gift

Review of The Agency: The Traitor in the Tunnel (The Agency #3)

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish in a Box) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:30:00 +0000

Queen Victoria has a little problem: there's a petty thief at work in Buckingham Palace. Charged with discretion, the Agency puts quickwitted Mary Quinn on the case, where she must pose as a domestic while fending off the attentions of a feckless Prince of Wales. But when the prince witnesses the murder of one of his friends in an opium den, the potential for scandal looms large. And Mary faces an even more unsettling possibility: the accused killer, a Chinese sailor imprisoned in the Tower of London, shares a name with her long-lost father. Meanwhile, engineer James Easton, Mary's onetime paramour, is at work shoring up the sewers beneath the palace, where an unexpected tunnel seems to be very much in use. Can Mary and James trust each other (and put their simmering feelings aside) long enough to solve the mystery and protect the Royal Family? Hoist on your waders for Mary's most personal case yet, where the stakes couldn't be higher - and she has everything to lose.

[from Goodreads]

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 boxes

Target Audience: Mainstream YA fans, devourers of historical fiction...anyone, really

High point: Lots of James!

Low point: Mary didn't quite seem herself

Reader maturity: 13+

The Agency is one of my favorite YA series and definitely my favorite historical. After I receive my copy of the latest novel (pre-ordered!), I wait to read it until I have a nice, long, uninterrupted stretch of time in which to savor the experience. And it's always an experience.

All the things that I've praised about the first two books of the series are still here: strong heroine, slow-paced and fulfilling romance, mystery, action, history coming to life...

And yet...there was something strange about Mary in this one. At first, I thought she was acting counter to character, but eventually decided that she was, in fact, evolving. The hot-then-cold reception she gave James and her inability to make up her mind about the issue of her father (not a crime, but not very Mary-like either) gave me pause at first, as I thought she'd had a sudden mental departure from herself. However, it turns out that she's facing painful memories and hard choices. So while I didn't enjoy this particular Mary as much as I did the ones in A Spy in the House and The Body at the Tower, I understand that the change was necessary. She seemed to be in a good place at the end, so I'm still quite hopeful for the next book in the series.

After I got past Mary's indecisiveness, I found the story to be solid, if not riveting in intensity. The Traitor in the Tunnel focuses much more on character evolution and relationship building than do the previous novels. It was great to see Mary move forward, both personally and professionally.

The Traitor in the Tunnel is the third in a YA historical series most wonderful! While I wouldn't recommend starting with The Traitor in the Tunnel (because it's the third one), if you enjoy historical fiction at all, this is a series you need to try.

Title: The Agency: The Traitor in the Tunnel
Author: Y. S. Lee
Genre: Fiction - Historical
Year: 2012
Book Source: Purchased

Want to Read Wednesday: Insurgent (Divergent #2)

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish in a Box) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 12:30:00 +0000

One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.
[from Goodreads]

With Want to Read Wednesday, I'll be spotlighting books I want to read, whether they've been out for 10 years or won't be released for another 10 months.

Review of Two Moon Princess

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish in a Box) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:30:00 +0000

A Spanish Princess.
An American Boy.
A King set on revenge.

An unrequited love
and a disturbing family secret
bring a World to the brink of War.

In this coming-of-age story set in a medieval kingdom, Andrea is a headstrong princess longing to be a knight who finds her way to modern-day California. But her accidental return to her family's kingdom and a disastrous romance brings war, along with her discovery of some dark family secrets. Readers will love this mix of traditional fantasy elements with unique twists and will identify with Andrea and her difficult choices between duty and desire.

[from Goodreads]

Rating: 2 out of 5 boxes

Target Audience: Fantasy fans

High point: The unpredictability

Low point: The characterization

Reader maturity: 13+

While Two Moon Princess has good bones, it's a little rough around the edges. I found Andrea to be immature for her age and inconsistent in personality, the latter of which is a feature of several of the characters. They're either hot or cold and likely to be both within a matter of minutes. I also noticed that every male character who didn't love Andrea turned out to be a jerk, which, while satisfying from a teenaged emotional standpoint, isn't very realistic.

Character complaints aside, Two Moon Princess has a decent story. Andrea is a princess in her world, who longs for freedom. In the process of searching it out, she inadvertently starts a war. She's brave (well, some of the time) and impetuous (pretty much all the time), and she's a good character for expressing adolescent realism. Unlike so many YA characters in dire circumstances, she's not a level-headed, in-control, mini-adult; she acts and reacts passionately.

Another thing in favor of Two Moon Princess was its ability to keep me guessing. I had the romance pegged in Chapter 5, only to be proven wrong in Chapter 7 when I made another guess, which was, in turn, proven wrong. The unpredictability was refreshing!

The protagonist of Two Moon Princess is about 17 (in our world), but the book feels written for an older middle grade audience. It's completely clean (aside from non-descriptive battle violence) so it's appropriate for anyone with the ability to read it.

Title: Two Moon Princess
Author: Carmen Ferreiro-Esteban
Genre: Fiction - Fantasy
Year: 2007
Book Source: Won from I Like These Books

Kindred Review: The Zookeeper's Wife: A War Story

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish in a Box) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 12:30:00 +0000

Love of reading (and history) runs in the family! Today, I'm featuring one of my mom's recent reads.

When Germany invaded Poland, Stuka bombers devastated Warsaw—and the city's zoo along with it. With most of their animals dead, zookeepers Jan and Antonina Zabinski began smuggling Jews into empty cages. Another dozen "guests" hid inside the Zabinskis' villa, emerging after dark for dinner, socializing, and, during rare moments of calm, piano concerts. Jan, active in the polish resistance, kept ammunition buried in the elephant enclosure and stashed explosives in the animal hospital. Meanwhile, Antonina kept her unusual household afloat, caring for both its human and its animal inhabitants—otters, a badger, hyena pups, lynxes.

With her exuberant prose and exquisite sensitivity to the natural world, Diane Ackerman engages us viscerally in the lives of the zoo animals, their keepers, and their hidden visitors. She shows us how Antonina refused to give in to the penetrating fear of discovery, keeping alive an atmosphere of play and innocence even as Europe crumbled around her.

[from Goodreads]

Rating: 2 out of 5 boxes

When I heard about the book, The Zookeeper’s Wife, my interest was piqued. I am intrigued by stories of people and what their lives were like in Europe during World War II. I was looking forward to reading this book because it appeared to be from a different viewpoint, a zookeeper’s family, than others I have read.

The book is taken from diaries written by Antonina, the wife of the zookeeper in Warsaw, Poland. The first two chapters of the book are used to create the setting of the zoo. I understand that the reader needs background information, but I felt that the depth with which the writer went into describing the animals and zoology was unnecessary and sluggish in a book subtitled "A War Story." I almost quit reading, thinking that the book was not as I supposed it to be about life in Nazi Poland, but I decided to read a little more. Once the story moved forward to life revolving around the war, it did become somewhat more interesting. Though much of the book just skimmed the surface, there is a section that explains Jan’s involvement with the ghetto which delved a bit deeper into the people and life at that time.

I also understand that the book is taken from diaries, so there is limited information, but a connection never really developed with Antonina or Jan, the zookeepers. I also felt disconnected from the characters that were saved by the zookeepers. Though the viewpoint was different and therefore held its unique interests, the writing left me feeling as though I had only seen the outline of a book and I wanted to read the finished product.

Title: The Zookeeper's Wife: A War Story
Author: Diane Ackerman
Genre: History, Biography
Year: 2008
Book Source: Received as a gift

Amaranthine Review: Anne of Windy Poplars

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish in a Box) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:30:00 +0000

Anne Shirley has left Redmond College behind to begin a new job and a new chapter of her life away from Green Gables. Now she faces a new challenge: the Pringles. They're known as the royal family of Summerside--and they quickly let Anne know she is not the person they had wanted as principal of Summerside High School. But as she settles into the cozy tower room at Windy Poplars, Anne finds she has great allies in the widows Aunt Kate and Aunt Chatty--and in their irrepressible housekeeper, Rebecca Dew. As Anne learns Summerside's strangest secrets, winning the support of the prickly Pringles becomes only the first of her delicious triumphs.

[from Goodreads]

Rating: 5 out of 5 boxes

Target Audience: Girls of all ages

High point: The odd people of Summerside

Low point: None whatsoever

Reader maturity: 8+

Favorite quotes: "Isn't it queer that the things we writhe over at night are seldom wicked things? Just humiliating ones."

"I hate to lend a book I love...it never seems quite the same when it comes back to me."

Anne of Windy Poplars is the 4th book in the Anne series, and it's just as charming and sweet as the first. Anne is more mature and less verbiose than her eleven year old self, but she's just as mischievous and dreamy as ever.

After I finished reading this (the most recent time), I wondered to myself how L. M. Montgomery managed to keep the momentum of Anne's story without it becoming dry or redundant. I'm still not exactly sure, but I think it has something to do with the inclusion of so many subplots and characters that stretch the bounds of belief. And the characters are so vibrant! Even the ones that have only one appearance manage to steal the show. The people of Summerside astound me! I want to know if they were inspired by people like that somewhere or if I'm reading tales that are pure imagination. Rebecca Dew's one-liners made me laugh aloud more than once. Anne of Windy Poplars is similar to Chronicles of Avonlea in that there are many small vignettes tied together by Anne's own story and her letters to Gilbert.

In an earlier review, I mentioned that there's a little of Anne in every girl, and that holds true for the Anne of Windy Poplars. Though still prone to mishap (perhaps that's why she's still so likable, even as she ages), she's good at heart, with wild dreams and flights of fancy than we can still relate to, over 7 decades later.

Title: Anne of Windy Poplars
Author: L. M. Montgomery
Genre: Children's Fiction & Literature
Year: 1936
Book Source: Purchased

Want to Read Wednesday: The Golden Lily (Bloodlines #2)

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish in a Box) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 12:30:00 +0000

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives.

Sydney would love to go to college, but instead, she’s been sent into hiding at a posh boarding school in Palm Springs, California–tasked with protecting Moroi princess Jill Dragomir from assassins who want to throw the Moroi court into civil war. Formerly in disgrace, Sydney is now praised for her loyalty and obedience, and held up as the model of an exemplary Alchemist.

But the closer she grows to Jill, Eddie, and especially Adrian, the more she finds herself questioning her age-old Alchemist beliefs, her idea of family, and the sense of what it means to truly belong. Her world becomes even more complicated when magical experiments show Sydney may hold the key to prevent becoming Strigoi—the fiercest vampires, the ones who don’t die. But it’s her fear of being just that—special, magical, powerful—that scares her more than anything. Equally daunting is her new romance with Brayden, a cute, brainy guy who seems to be her match in every way. Yet, as perfect as he seems, Sydney finds herself being drawn to someone else—someone forbidden to her.

When a shocking secret threatens to tear the vampire world apart, Sydney’s loyalties are suddenly tested more than ever before. She wonders how she's supposed to strike a balance between the principles and dogmas she's been taught, and what her instincts are now telling her.

Should she trust the Alchemists—or her heart?
[from Goodreads]

With Want to Read Wednesday, I'll be spotlighting books I want to read, whether they've been out for 10 years or won't be released for another 10 months.

Review of All These Things I've Done (Birthright #1)

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish in a Box) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 12:30:00 +0000

In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty. And yet, for Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city's most notorious (and dead) crime boss, life is fairly routine. It consists of going to school, taking care of her siblings and her dying grandmother, trying to avoid falling in love with the new assistant D.A.'s son, and avoiding her loser ex-boyfriend. That is until her ex is accidentally poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures and the police think she's to blame. Suddenly, Anya finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight--at school, in the news, and most importantly, within her mafia family.

[from Goodreads]

Rating: 4 out of 5 boxes

Target Audience: Dystopian and mystery readers

High point: Anya's loving family and friends

Low point: The culprit behind the poisoned chocolate was predictable

Reader maturity: 13+

The summary on the inside cover of All These Things I've Done gave me pause--a Mafiya daughter, a dystopian, a romance...Could all these things work together in a way that would actually work? (Short answer: Yes.)

What makes All These Things I've Done stand apart from other dystopian or crime family novels is the focus on friends and family. Anya has a fantastic support system. She is, if not in name then in fact, the head of her family, and she does a stellar job of taking care of them and keeping them together. She shoulders much more of a burden than should be hers, but she did it in a realistic way. Sometimes in stories like these, the character is too adult or too childlike, but she's the perfect mix of adult responsibility mixed with teenage passion.

Something else that sets this novel apart is Anya's tendency to talk to the reader, a technique that I've always enjoyed. It reminds me of the old-timey books I read when I was younger, when authors tended to tell their stories as if to a present audience rather than some unseen public. Anya explains a lot of her actions and thoughts to the reader too, and I'm glad she does. Otherwise, her actions might appear out of character when they are actually rational moves on her part. The introspection this provides also allows greater insight into Anya's personality. Without it, she would seem too put-together.

When writing this review, I discovered that this is the first in a series, and I'm quite excited about that. As I finished the last page of the book, I wondered if (and hoped) there would be more in store for Anya and the remains of her family.

Title: All These Things I've Done (Birthright #1)
Author: Gabrielle Zevin
Genre: Fiction - Dystopian
Year: 2011
Book Source: Won from Valerie Kemp

Kindred Reviews: Barbara Bush: A Memoir

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish in a Box) — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 00:30:00 +0000

Love of reading (and history) runs in the family! Today, I'm featuring one of my mom's recent reads.

Barbara Bush endures as one of America's most popular First Ladies. She has won worldwide acclaim for her wit, compassion, and candor as both a presidential wife and mother. In this #1 New York Times bestselling memoir, Mrs. Bush offers a heartfelt portrait of her life in and out of the White House, from her small-town schoolgirl days in Rye, New York, to her fateful union with George H.W. Bush, to her role as First Lady of the United States. Here, she writes candidly about her early years with George Bush in West Texas; the tragic death of her young daughter; the world of Washington politics and the famous figures she's met in her role as the nation's leading literacy champion; her feelings about the Iran-Contra scandal, the Persian Gulf conflict, and the Cold War; the disappointment of the 1992 presidential campaign -- and the mixed blessing of regaining her private life...and much more. Filled with entertaining anecdotes, dozens of personal photographs, and a healthy dose of humor, this memoir is as compelling and honest as the former First Lady herself.

[from Goodreads]

Rating: 4 out of 5 boxes

I have been an admirer of Barbara Bush since her husband was president. She seemed to me to be honest--not a limelight seeker--and a solid supporter of her husband. As I read her memoir, I was not disappointed as all these attributes are present but was surprised at some which the book revealed. I found her, through the book, to be someone who is ready to have good fun, someone who can definitely stand up for herself when warranted and someone who is very self-deprecating about her looks and her weight.

The book is written in an honest, easy to read format, almost as if Barbara is sitting in the room telling her stories. Most of the book I thoroughly enjoyed. Reading about the Bush’s experiences in foreign countries was fascinating. Following her and George from house to house, through the birth of their children, into politics and all that entailed was very interesting. After George entered politics, parts of the book are very immersed in the campaign trail. This was slow reading for me because I am not interested in political maneuvering. Even these parts, though, held some interest as she writes about the opponents on a personal level.

I think by reading this book, I got to know the real Mrs. Bush. The writing comes across as forthright, written by a person who is not pretending to be someone she isn’t. She is obviously biased when it comes to her husband and his politics, but after reading her story, I believe that is what she honestly feels and who she is. It's a good read on many levels--historically, personally, culturally and politically from one side of the spectrum.

Title: Barbara Bush: A Memoir
Author: Barbara Bush
Genre: Autobiography
Year: 2003
Book Source: Borrowed

Review of Shadows on the Moon

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish in a Box) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 12:00:00 +0000

A powerful tale of magic, love, and revenge set in fairy-tale Japan.

Trained in the magical art of shadow-weaving, sixteen-year-old Suzume is able to re-create herself in any form - a fabulous gift for a girl desperate to escape her past. But who is she really? Is she a girl of noble birth living under the tyranny of her mother's new husband, Lord Terayama? Or a lowly drudge scraping a living in the ashes of Terayama's kitchens? Or is she Yue, the most beautiful courtesan in the Moonlit Lands? Whatever her true identity, Suzume is destined to use her skills to steal the heart of a prince in a revenge plot to destroy Terayama. And nothing will stop her, not even the one true aspect of her life- her love for a fellow shadow-weaver.

[from Goodreads]

Rating: 4 out of 5 boxes

Target Audience: Readers looking for a YA book that's an experience

High point: The writing style

Low point: Terayama was two-dimensional compared to the other characters

Reader maturity: 13+

Shadows on the Moon masterfully molds the timeless themes of love and betrayal into a riveting tale set in ancient/fairytale Japan. With a new wardrobe, Suzume could be a girl of the 21st century. Instead, she's trapped in a twisted maze of revenge generations in the making.

I enjoyed the beautiful imagery and glimpses into the lifestyles of nobility, servants and gijo. The city came to life under Ms. Marriott's pen. Suzume's special abilities are beautifully described. In my mind's eye, I could see her covering her scars and deceiving her stepfather. The shadow-weaving is an integral part of the story, and the frequent descriptions contribute without overwhelming or becoming tedious.

Just a word of warning (and possible SPOILER ALERT)--Suzume self-injures. Her condition is treated respectfully and her journey to health is certainly a positive message, but the descriptions of her self-abuse, while not disturbingly graphic, per se, are still vivid and could serve as a trigger to some or be considered too mature a topic for younger readers.

In short, Shadows on the Moon is beautiful and magnificent in its descriptions of Japan and Suzume's shadow-weaving abilities. The touch of romance adds lightness, and Suzume's journey of personal growth from innocent to avenger to the strong young woman she becomes is one of the best I've ever read.

Title: Shadows on the Moon
Author:   Zoe Marriott
Genre:   Teen Fiction - Fantasy, Cultural
Year:   2012
Book Source: Received an ARC for review from Candlewick Press

Want to Read Wednesday: Dark Eyes

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish in a Box) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 12:30:00 +0000

Wally was adopted from a Russian orphanage as a child and grew up in a wealthy New York City family. At fifteen, her obsessive need to rebel led her to life on the streets.

Now the sixteen-year-old is beautiful and hardened, and she's just stumbled across the possibility of discovering who she really is. She'll stop at nothing to find her birth mother before Klesko - her darkeyed father - finds her. Because Klesko will stop at nothing to reclaim the fortune Wally's mother stole from him long ago. Even if that means murdering his own blood. But Wally's had her own killer training, and she's hungry for justice.

[from Goodreads]

With Want to Read Wednesday, I'll be spotlighting books I want to read, whether they've been out for 10 years or won't be released for another 10 months.

Review of Girl Parts

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish in a Box) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 12:30:00 +0000

David and Charlie are opposites. David has a million friends, online and off. Charlie is a soulful outsider, off the grid completely. But neither feels close to anybody. When David’s parents present him with a hot Companion bot designed to encourage healthy bonds and treat his “dissociative disorder,” he can’t get enough of luscious redheaded Rose — and he can’t get it soon. Companions come with strict intimacy protocols, and whenever he tries anything, David gets an electric shock. Parted from the boy she was built to love, Rose turns to Charlie, who finds he can open up, knowing Rose isn’t real. With Charlie’s help, the ideal “companion” is about to become her own best friend. In a stunning and hilarious debut, John Cusick takes rollicking aim at internet culture and our craving for meaningful connection in an uberconnected world.

[from Goodreads]

Rating: 1 out of 5 boxes

Target Audience: Teenage boys?

High point: Rose's transformation

Low point: The crude content

Reader maturity: 15+

Somehow I missed the actual meaning of the blurb on the book cover of Girl Parts and naively assumed that "girl parts" merely referred to the robotic female within the pages. And it does...but it's also referring to anatomy. Once I figured that out, it was all downhill from there.

I couldn't get over the crude, immature and misogynistic content in order to appreciate what good there might have been in the novel. Nothing in particular struck me as being incomplete or hastily done, but I was so blinded by the egos and self-centered of most of the characters that everything else faded into the background. Maybe there's a good tale in there somewhere about a boy learning to respect himself and women or of another boy and girl learning to break out of their shells and trust a little...or maybe everyone ends up exactly where they started.

As the only non-crude character (at least for a while), I liked Rose (again, for a while). Her transformation from newborn robot to almost being a person was very convincing, and I liked the way her personality and quirks developed.

Obviously this wasn't my cup of tea, due to content, but other readers have liked it, as it has 3 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. I've linked to it in case you're interested in some other opinions. Mine seems to be more extreme than most.

Title: Girl Parts
Author: John M. Cusick
Genre: Fiction - Science Fiction
Year: 2010
Book Source: Purchased

Kindred Review: At Home on Ladybug Farm

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish in a Box) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 12:30:00 +0000

Love of reading (and history) runs in the family! Today, I'm featuring one of my mom's recent reads.

A year after taking the chance of a lifetime, Cici, Lindsay, and Bridget are still trying to make a home for themselves on the newly-renovated Ladybug Farm. Life in the Shenandoah Valley is picturesque but filled with unexpected trials- such as the introduction of two young people into the ordered life the women have tried to build for themselves.

As the walls of the old house reveal their secrets and the lives of those who have gone before begin to unfold, the cobbled-together household starts to disintegrate into chaos. And when one of their members is threatened by a real crisis, they must all come together to fight for the roots they've laid down, the hopes they share, and the family they've become.

[from Goodreads]

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 boxes

This book is a delightful, easy read. At Home on Ladybug Farm is the second in a series. I have not read the first book, A Year on Ladybug Farm, but would now love to. Beginning with the second book was not an issue. I found nothing in this book that needed to be explained by reading the first.

The characters were fun to get to know with just enough back story of their lives to understand who they were, but not dwelling on their past because this is a story of new beginnings. The story line was mostly light. There is a theme about Noah, thought to be orphaned teenager, and his mother. Unlike the pasts of the other characters, the story does not dwell on the negative aspects of his life but more on the positive things now happening as he tries to find his place.

As one who finds history very interesting, I was pleased that the telling of the three women’s stories was interspersed with history about the old house which they bought and the people who had lived there before them. The author included several comical events which balanced the emotional stories of the past and present. It was refreshing to read about people following their hearts and making it work. There is a surprise ending which I will not spoil, but I did not see coming until the near the end of the book. The ending was happy and left me cheering them on to continue their mission of fixing up the old house and pursuing their interests.

Title: At Home on Ladybug Farm
Author: Donna Ball
Genre: Women's Fiction
Year: 2009
Book Source: Borrowed