Reading on a Theme: Fire Magic

I've really been looking forward to the day that this Reading on a Theme would be ready to go. For one, I can't get over how amazing these covers look together. I could stare at them all day because it's kind of like staring into the fire. For another, you have to be a tough girl to wield the magic of fire, and I love this cast of characters.

Blacksmith Magic:
Tamora Pierce's Circle of Magic series features four children with interesting magical talents. Daja has blacksmith magic, and her skin can withstand very high temperatures. In Daja's Book the kids and their mentors travel north to help alleviate a drought in a scorched land threatened by fire. Daja's talents play a big part in the final scenes. What I love about Circle of Magic is how congruent everything is. There are four children and four Winding Circle Temples, one for each of the four elements: air, fire, water, and earth. Each of the four books deals (more or less) with a threat from one of the four elements (earth, air, fire, and water in that order). I love all that symmetry. It's just so well crafted.

Magical Mafia:

Ava is a firebug; she can start fires with her mind. Not that all that power has caused her anything but trouble. She was coerced into becoming a hit man for the Coterie, a magical mafia, and now they want her to kill a man that is like a grandfather to her. Enough is enough, but saying no to the Coterie means fighting back. Lish McBride's story is a lot of fun. The best part is that it's full of fabulous characters. I love how, although Ava is technically an orphan, she is surrounded by family. Ezra and Lock, her partners and best friends are as loyal as they come, and Cade is a loveable father figure. The world is gritty and dark. The characters are whip smart, and I would certainly pick up the next in the series. Firebug is out September 23rd, 2014. Review copy from NetGalley.

Pyrotechnic Performance:

In an alternate United States elemental magicians aspire to work in an industry that is kind of a melding of professional sports and the circus. Aria is a fire artist, but she was not born with magic; she stole it from the sky. Aria's theft was with the best of intentions, but the leagues have a strictly no external magic use policy (meaning no genies, think no steroids in sports). I really enjoyed The Fire Artist. I love an alternate reality, and Daisy Whitney offers a satisfying twist on elemental magic. My favorite part about this book is how Aria's dilemma is carefully balanced, and I also enjoyed the infusion of genies into this alternate world. The Fire Artist is out October 14th, 2014. Review copy from NetGalley.

 

Fulfilling a Prophecy:
Iolanthe Seaborne is an elemental mage. She can control water, earth, and fire. Prince Titus VII is looking for the elemental mage prophesied to help rid the world of the Bane and release the people from the shackles of New Atlantis. In a dramatic show of Iolanthe's power, Titus finally finds her. Now he just has to convince her to help him change the world. The Burning Sky is full of everything I love most about the fantasy genre: a colliding of two worlds, girls masquerading as boys, complex political intrigue, prophecy, cool training facilities, and a terrifying villain. Sherry Thomas's book is a lot of fun. I think it would be a great read for anyone really missing Harry Potter.

The Language of Fire:
Enna is already familiar with the languages of the elements through her friendship with Princess Isi, but when an old paper teaches her the language of fire, she enters a world intent on consuming her. I liked Enna when I read The Goose Girl because she is a loyal and kind friend, but I loved seeing her come into herself in Enna Burning. This is Shannan Hale's darkest book, in my opinion, but it handles heavy subjects with great poise--things like war, control of oneself and of others, and being a friend to someone trudging through darkness. With characters I already loved, like Isi, Finn, and Razo, Enna Burning did not disappoint.

Circle of Magic, Firebug, The Fire Artist, and The Burning Sky reviewed by JoLee.

Enna Burning reviewed by Paige.

Top Ten Sequels I'm Eagerly Awaiting

I've read and loved The Broke and the Bookish's Top Ten Tuesday for some time now, but this is my first time participating. I've been introduced to so many fabulous series this year, and I couldn't resist contributing my top ten picks this week. 

The Raven Cycle #4
For a lot of these books I have a long wait in store. Raven Cycle #3 just barely came out.
(featured here)

Lockwood & Co. #3
I just barely finished #2. I need more Lucy, Lockwood, and George. And more ghosts.

The Elemental Trilogy #3
This is a series that I discovered this year, and it hits all my fantasy novel sweet spots.
(featured here)

The Lunar Chronicles #4
Good thing I have Fairest (The Lunar Chronicles #3.5) to ease the wait.

Shades of London #3
Come February I can finally find out what happened to Stephen. Maybe?
(featured here)

Seraphina #2
I adore Seraphina. I am so thrilled there's another book set in this fascinating world.

Red Rising #2
Red Rising blew my mind. I am itching to get my hands on Golden Son.
(featured here)

Chronicles of Kazam #4
Jasper Fforde is weird in the best possible way.
(featured here and here)

To All the Boys I've Loved Before #2
I'm eagerly anticipating many contemporary novels, but apparently this is the only sequel.

Dissonance #2
Bring on the parallel worlds and alternate dimensions. I could read about them all day.
(featured here)

Reading on a Theme: Parallel Realities and Multiple Dimensions

If I had to pick a pet subject right now, it would be parallel realities. I'm starting to amass quite a collection. Here are five of my most recent parallel realities and multiple dimension reads. There's sure to be more to come.

Yes or No:
Near the end of her life, Patricia Cowen is in a nursing home, and she can remember two lives, one where she married Mark and had four children and another where she raised three children with Bee. In My Real Children the subtle differences between Tricia's, Pat's, and our world are very interesting. Science is a little more advanced in the book, and Tricia's world is a little better than ours, a little more accepting and a little less violent. Pat's world, on the other hand, is a little more violent and more segregated than our own. At times, these two worlds made the book feel a little politicized, but it was very interesting to see how Jo Walton developed parallel themes. I enjoyed this cerebral novel.

Tuning the Worlds:
Delancey Sullivan is a Walker. She can move between the parallel realities born with each choice. The world building in Dissonance is fabulous. I love Walking's associations with music and strings that can be tuned or off key, the genetic aspect of dimension travel, and the slightly sinister ruling body of the Consort. The ties between the Key World and the Echoes are fascinating. Delancey is a type of character that we see a lot in Young Adult fiction. She is exceptionally talented, but she is also reckless, headstrong, and overly confident. Her passion almost always triumphs over reason. I am such a fan of Erica O'Rourke's new novel, and I am excited to see what she has in store for us as the series continue. Review copy from Edelweiss.

Pursuit Across the Dimensions:

Marguerite's parents invented the Firebird, a device that makes traveling across dimensions possible. But now Marguerite's father is dead. On her quest to find her father's killer, the Firebird takes Marguerite to her other lives in other worlds. I love the exploration of the self that takes place in Claudia Gray's A Thousand Pieces of You. Do Marguerite's collective experiences, which change from world to world, make her who she is or is there something  that remains constant from life to life? Marguerite must ask herself if fate can bring people together across the dimensions. Her very existence depends on getting this question correct. A Thousand Pieces of You is out November 4th, 2014.  Review copy from Edelweiss.

Echoes of an Alternate Life:
When The World Was Flat And We Were in Love starts out a little slow. And it's full of those young adult tropes I'm getting a little tired of: mysterious new guy, strange, sudden connection, visionary dreams, stereotypical friends, small town, absentee mother. So the test became whether or not Ingrid Jonach's debut young adult novel could impress me despite all of that. I stuck with the book because I had this feeling that the pay off was going to be worth it. When the secrets--inspired by Albert Einstein's theories (and related to parallel realities)--began to be revealed the book got much more exciting and suddenly had enough that was unlike what I've read before to be enjoyable and thought provoking. 

Pick a Life:
Sabine is terrified of midnight. Every night at that time she shifts from one life to another. Night after night she travels back and forth, living each day twice, once in Roxbury and once in Wellesley, and all that jumping is wearing her down. At first, I found it really difficult to reconcile how different Sabine was in each reality. She carries all of her memories with her from place to place, so shouldn't she be less stuck-up in Wellesley? However, as the pieces started coming together her personalities also began to come together. Sabine changes a lot over the course of the book, in both lives. Jessica Shirvington is an Australian author. One Past Midnight was published as Between the Lives in Australia and the U.K.

All reviews by JoLee.

P.S. Two more parallel reality tales.

A Few Thoughts: On Bedtime Stories

I (JoLee) would guess that I do 90% of my reading in my bed. Sometimes I think about reading someplace else, like in a cozy chair or outside in the fresh air, but, when it comes right down to it, I do my very best reading in bed. That's why we are excited to team up with the mattress and bedtime experts at Casper to talk about our favorite bedtime stories. The Casper mattress combines the perfect amount of sink and bounce so that you can get a good night sleep or stay up all night reading in comfort.

Because a bedtime story is something everyone loves, today, National Young Readers Day, is the perfect day to be sharing our favorite bedtime stories. Paige and I have each picked three favorites, a childhood favorite, a current favorite, and a book we love to read to our children.

Childhood favorites:

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (JoLee):
When I was a kid my dad read all the original L. Frank Baum Oz books to my brother and me. He's great at reading aloud and did different voices for the many characters. There are fourteen books in the original Oz series, so they kept us busy for awhile. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz will always remind me of my dad.

Rikki-Tikki-Tavi (Paige):
I remember Dad reading to me when I was sick in bed. My favorite story was "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" and I requested it every time. I still remember one day when my dad tried to convince me to choose a different book in the short story anthology "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" was in, but I loved the story of the plucky mongoose defeating the scary cobras.

On our nightstands:

Isla and the Happily Ever After (JoLee): 
Here's a book that demanded that I stay up reading into the wee hours of the night. Josh and Isla fall hard for each other, and I fell hard for them. Isla and the Happily Ever After is a heady, romantic read. It's sweet and funny and passionate with characters who make mistakes and get second chances. It was such a pleasure to read even though I was really tired the next day.

Peter and the Star Catchers (Paige):
JoLee's favorite read for bedtime now is a book that kept her up all night reading. My choice is a book that settles me for sleep. Peter and the Star Catchers is the perfect blend of fantasy and mystery. Fantasies are perfect bedtime stories because they take you into a dream world before you fall asleep and the mystery aspect keeps me interested night after night.

Reading to our kids:

Little Owl Lost (JoLee): 
This little book is about a baby owl who falls out of his nest and then searches for his mother with the help of a squirrel and a frog. I love just about everything about it: the story, the illustrations, the colors, the font. The design is basically perfect, and my children love it too.

Click Clack Moo: Cows That Type (Paige):
The cows on Farmer Brown's farm found a typewriter and started making demands. This book has a clever story line, advanced concepts, and a fun chorus. My boys and I love books where there is a chorus we can read together. Farmer Brown's animals make us laugh and open the boys' imaginations.

Pair It With: Playing with Matches and The Break-Up Artist

Getting involved in other people's relationships can be tempting. Maybe you've thought about setting up your friends, or you've wished fervently that you could break-up a destructive relationship. These characters take all that if-only wishing a step further. Both Raina and Becca have sisters with broken engagements, but the way that each reacts couldn't be more different. Raina becomes an incognito matchmaker while Becca starts an anonymous break-up business. This Pair It With was too good to pass up. It really is the perfect match.

**********

Playing with Matches is such a fun ride. Raina Resnick is sent to live with her aunt and uncle in Toronto when she gets expelled from her private school in Manhattan. Her aunt thinks she's irresponsible. Her principal is on her all the time about improving her grades. Worst of all, her sister Leah blames her for her broken engagement. Almost by accident Raina sets-up her one friend in Toronto with her aunt and uncle's good friend. Word spreads and suddenly Raina is an official, although anonymous, matchmaker.

Suri Rosen's debut novel is really funny and sweet. It's hilarious to read about Raina's "business" spiraling out of control and the things she's expected to do as an official matchmaker. Like most big secrets, this one has some pretty serious, but also pretty funny, consequences. In Toronto, Raina makes a lot of mistakes, but they all come from the best of intentions. Raina is especially intent on fixing things for her sister who is no longer speaking to her. She also reassesses the events that happened in New York and seeks to make amends. If you can't tell, I really loved Raina a lot. She has the ability to take people as they are and see the best in them--definitely a good trait for a matchmaker.

It was also fun to read about the Jewish community and their traditions. Playing with Matches is definitely not just for Jews. This book will be a fun and enjoyable read for anyone that enjoys a quirky comedy.

Playing with Matches is out September 9th, 2014. Review copy from NetGalley.

If you are a fan of E. Lockhart's The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, you need to give The Break-Up Artist a go.

Becca Williamson is the Break-Up Artist, hired by her classmates to end relationships. Of course, no one knows who the Break-Up Artist is. No one, that is, except Becca's jaded and jilted older sister. Becca's seen firsthand the damage that relationships leave behind. Not only has her sister checked out since being left at the altar, but also Becca's best friend abandoned her when she got a boyfriend and skyrocketed to the upper-echelons of the high school social scene. When Becca is hired to break up the most popular couple in the school and, coincidentally, her former best-friend and her boyfriend, she knows it won't be easy, but a little revenge does seem in order. What she is isn't counting on is how this job will change her view of love, relationships, friendship, and the whole break-up business.

Philip Siegel's debut novel is one of my favorite reads so far this year. The Break-Up Artist is funny, entertaining, well-written, and has the perfect amount of depth. Somehow Siegel manages to keep Becca real, grounded, and most-importantly, likeable despite all of her questionable choices.

The Break-Up Artist is out April 29th, 2014. Review copy from NetGalley.

Pair It With: Six Feet Over It and The Secrets of Lily Graves

I couldn't resist putting these two books together. Both Leigh of Six Feet Over It and Lily of The Secrets of Lily Graves have families in the funerary business. Leigh's father recently purchased a cemetery and Lily comes from a long line of morticians. Let's see how they deal with the family business, shall we?

Leigh already felt like she was an agent of death before her father went and bought a cemetery. Now that she's working for the family business dealing with burials and grieving families everyday that whole agent-of-death-thing is feeling truer than ever. Then the new gravedigger and groundsman, Dario, finds out that Leigh's birthday is on the Mexican holiday, the Day of the Dead. When Dario tells Leigh that her birthday is a gift and that she's a patron saint of death, Leigh determines to never get close to anyone again.

Six Feet Over It is equally tragic and poignant. Leigh, in dealing with her past and the death around her, must come to accept death's place in life. It's not an easy lesson, and at times I felt like I was wading through Leigh's depression with her. Dario is the little piece of light, but you worry that Leigh's feelings for him might end up crushing her even more.

Jennifer Longo's book is very character driven. As a reader you ache for Leigh to pull it together and reach out. At the same time, I felt like the book was a little slow. I was always waiting for something to happen and nothing much did. However, in the end, I think Leigh will be okay.

 
The Secrets of Lily Graves is so much fun. Lily Graves lives in a funeral home with her mom, aunt, and oma. She fully intends to take over the family business someday. She's really into death, and she's got this whole goth-look going. Lily is also one spoke of a love triangle that involves a Matt, popular jock and Erin, of high-school royalty. Erin is murdered and all the evidence seems to point to Lily and Matt. So Lily and her best friend and true crimes lover, Sara, set out to clear Lily's name.


The Secrets of Lily Graves is a book that you can't say too much about because it's best to avoid all possible spoilers. I will say that Lily is a great character. Her quirks make her interesting (funeral home, death obsession), but she's also incredibly relatable and likeable. She's also a fantastic narrator. Additionally, (and this is just want you want in a thriller) Sarah Strohmeyer's mystery is nice and twisty. I thought I had it all figured out early on, but I was wrong.

The Secrets of Lily Graves is out May 13th, 2014.

Review copy from Edelweiss.