What I’ve Been Reading

Hello everyone, I hope all is well with you. I’ve been on vacation this week, so I’ve been having fun with my hubby and writing. I had an epiphany with one of my stories. I changed the beginning, and my beta reader says it’s better. I also put the finishing touches on another story. So, I’ve gotten a lot accomplished in the writing arena this week.

I’ve also been having fun with my family, but I do have teenagers and they don’t think it’s cool to hang out with Mom and Dad so much anymore. Sob. They’re growing up. They’re great kids though and I’m very proud of them. But enough about that. Don’t get me started on my kids because I’ll talk about them all day long.

Today, I want to talk about something more fun than my last couple of posts. I’ve been more on the serious side in those posts, so I thought I’d talk about something lighter. I thought I’d talk about what I’ve been reading.  I loved Anthony Doerr’s “All the Light We Cannot See,” so when his newest story came out “Cloud Cuckoo Land,” I was excited and picked it up right away.

The cover and blurb are below:

On the New York Times bestseller list for over 20 weeks * A New York Times Notable Book * A Barack Obama Favorite * A National Book Award Finalist * Named a Best Book of the Year by Fresh Air, Time, Entertainment Weekly, Associated Press, and many more

“If you’re looking for a superb novel, look no further.” —The Washington Post

From the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of All the Light We Cannot See, comes the instant New York Times bestseller that is a “wildly inventive, a humane and uplifting book for adults that’s infused with the magic of childhood reading experiences” (The New York Times Book Review).

Among the most celebrated and beloved novels of recent times, Cloud Cuckoo Land is a triumph of imagination and compassion, a soaring story about children on the cusp of adulthood in worlds in peril, who find resilience, hope, and a book.

In the 15th century, an orphan named Anna lives inside the formidable walls of Constantinople. She learns to read, and in this ancient city, famous for its libraries, she finds what might be the last copy of a centuries-old book, the story of Aethon, who longs to be turned into a bird so that he can fly to a utopian paradise in the sky. Outside the walls is Omeir, a village boy, conscripted with his beloved oxen into the army that will lay siege to the city. His path and Anna’s will cross.

In the present day, in a library in Idaho, octogenarian Zeno rehearses children in a play adaptation of Aethon’s story, preserved against all odds through centuries. Tucked among the library shelves is a bomb, planted by a troubled, idealistic teenager, Seymour. This is another siege.

And in a not-so-distant future, on the interstellar ship Argos, Konstance is alone in a vault, copying on scraps of sacking the story of Aethon, told to her by her father.

Anna, Omeir, Seymour, Zeno, and Konstance are dreamers and outsiders whose lives are gloriously intertwined. Doerr’s dazzling imagination transports us to worlds so dramatic and immersive that we forget, for a time, our own.

My Thoughts:

First, I liked his first book much better. This one took me a while to get into and connect with the characters, but once I did, I enjoyed the story. This is more of a dystopian kind of story and the survival of a book through the ages. It was interesting, but not my usual kind of read. I was hoping for another story like “All the Light You Cannot See,” but I was disappointed. I didn’t connect with the characters as much as I did in the Anthony Doerr’s first story and I feel that’s the reason for my lukewarm reception. So, there you have it my thoughts on “Cloud Cuckoo Land.” How about you? Have you been doing any reading this summer? Leave a recommendation! I’d love to hear from you!

What I’ve been Reading

 

Hello everyone, I hope all is well with you. I’ve been doing a lot of reading and writing during these snowy winter days, so I thought I’d share with you the latest book I’ve finished. It was action packed and full of twists and turns. Without further ado, here it is!

 

 

 

 

Kate’s genes say she’s a rebel; will her heart tell her the same?

Katherine Dennard was supposed to go back to a perfect life in The Institute with her fiancé, Saul Goodman, but her amnesia is making that wonderful life harder than she hoped. When that crazy guy, Micah Pennington shows up and tells her everything she knows is a lie, she doesn’t know who to trust, but one thing’s for sure: it isn’t Micah. The thing is, Micah might be crazy, but Saul is definitely hiding something.

Kate must sift through the mysteries of her past to uncover who she is, but unraveling the truth unearths secrets that threaten to destroy the only life she can remember. If Kate can’t remember who she was, how can she figure out who she’s supposed to be?

 

My Thoughts:

This is the third story in the Young Adult series Destiny by Design. I’ve read the first two books and this one is my favorite. The story line is exciting and full of twists and turns that kept me turning the pages. The characters are realistic and complicated which makes for a better story. The science in the story is well-thought out and believable and that made the story intriguing as well. If you are a dystopian lover, I highly recommend this series. The books are well-written, and the plots are realistic.

 

If you want to start the series from the beginning, here are the first two book covers and blurbs.

 

 

When Katherine Dennard is selected to become a “Creation Specialist” in Sector 4, the opportunity sounds like a dream come true. But Kate soon discovers the darker side of her profession – the disposal of fetal organs and destruction of human life. It makes sense, really. In a society where disease and malformations don’t exist, human perfection demands that no genetic “mutants” be allowed to live. For Sector 4, “survival of the fittest” is not just a theory – it’s The Institute’s main mission.

When Kate discovers that The Institute is using her DNA to create new life, her work gets personal. In order to save her unviable son, she’ll have to trust Micah and his band of underground Natural Born Rebels. The problem is, if The Institute discovers her betrayal, the next body tossed in the trash could be hers.

“This is a powerful story about the meaning and value of life–we don’t have enough of those.” ~ Terry Trueman, Printz Honor author, Stuck in Neutral

 

Seventeen-year-old Katherine Dennard will risk the freedom she fought so hard to gain to rescue the man she loves, even if it means making an unthinkable deal with Saul, a high-ranking military officer determined to capture her and destroy all Natural-Born rebels. But the arrangement may forever strip her of the quiet life she desires with Micah and her newborn son and thrust her back into the dangerous world of The Institute — where only perfect, genetically-modified babies are allowed to survive.
Natural-Born rebel, Micah Pennington, will die in prison before he gives up information that would put Kate and her child in danger or reveal the secrets of the Hidden City. And if by some miracle he does escape, he must find a way to obliterate The Institute and their genetic engineering practices once and for all.
Saul Goodman fosters trust with the rebels in order to infiltrate their society, reveal intel, and devise a way to eliminate them. Kate holds the key to the downfall of The Institute, and Saul will use her baby against her, stopping at nothing to protect The Institute’s future.
Will Kate choose to save Micah even if it means placing the life of her baby in Saul’s hands?

Book Review of “Divergent!”

 

One choice can transform you. Beatrice Prior’s society is divided into five factions—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). Beatrice must choose between staying with her Abnegation family and transferring factions. Her choice will shock her community and herself. But the newly christened Tris also has a secret, one she’s determined to keep hidden, because in this world, what makes you different makes you dangerous.

 

 

Hello everyone, I hope all is well with you. I’m back today with another book review. The book on the agenda this morning is “Divergent” by Veronica Roth. I must say that when I first bought the book I was skeptical. I’ve been reading a lot of Contemporary Young Adult Fiction and I was into all the teenage angst that comes with that type of story. So when I picked up this dystopian novel and started reading I didn’t think it would suck me in.

At first it didn’t. It took a couple of chapters before I had the desire to get to know the characters, but when I did, I had a hard time putting it down. I enjoyed the relationship between Tris and Four and I love how their relationship develops. I became interested enough in the story to buy the next book, “Insurgent.” I’m reading that one right now.

I’ve also become interested in learning what happens to the five factions, Amity, Abnegation, Candor, Dauntless, and Erudite. This is a unique story and I’m looking forward to reading the others in the series.

However, I must say, it hasn’t drawn me in nearly as much as the Contemporary Young Adult books that I’ve recently read have. That said, I admire the author’s imagination. She has certainly created a unique world for this story. I’ll be reviewing the second book in the series soon. Thanks for stopping by! If you’d like to share your thoughts regarding “Divergent,” feel free to do so. I’d love to hear from you.