From modern tellings of fairy tales by Alex Flinn, some teen romances by Becca Fitzpatrick and Stephanie Perkins, the beginning of my month began with some pretty fun reads. Then there was a fantasy novel by Laini Taylor that I dived in and barely came up for air until I finished it. Lastly, I joined Percy Jackson on a few Greek God sized battles with the third and fourth book in the series; the Titan's Curse and the Battle in the Labyrinth, respectively.
By far though, my two favorites were The Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor and Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins.
The Daughter of Smoke and Bone was brilliantly done. The world Laini Taylor created hovered in between our world and world of the Serephim and Chimaerae, fantastical creatures filled with hidden agendas and their own world that they were battling for. Set mostly in Prague, the story follows a young orphaned girl, Karou, who has blue hair and a talent for art. The only family she's ever known are the Chimaerae who raised her and still, at 17, they send her all around the world on errands for them. But when a black hand appears on the entrance to the portal into the world of the Chimaeraes, and the Serephim begin to enter into our world, the mystery of Karou's heritage and past begin to unravel.
When I first began to read The Daughter or Smoke and Bone, I wasn't sure if I totally believed in her world. For me, when I dive into a book, I want to believe in the world that the author has created. I want to know without a doubt that their characters are real, living and breathing creatures that I can relate to, that I can see as a part of my world, and that I could interact with if I stepped into that world even if it doesn't really exist. As Karou began to navigate between our world and the world of her Chimaeraes, I just wasn't sure I bought into it. It just didn't have the power or the believability that I needed despite the well written prose. But then I continued reading and before I knew it, not only did I believe in it, but I was completely hooked and could not bear to put the book down. Although the romance in the story may be the star crossed lovers that have been around since Shakespeare's time, the ingenuity, the creativity, and the story itself showed something new and took me to a new place. It's definitely a book that I want to read again. She also left it open for a sequel and I really hope there is one.
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins was another gem that I found.The best way I can describe this book is Lizzie McGuire meets Meg Cabot. There's a sweetness and an innocence to the story but also a bit of underlying sarcasm and humor that runs throughout the novel. Anna is sent by her parents to an American boarding school in Paris. Although going to Paris is the last thing she ever wanted to do, she falls in with a group of friends who help her adjust to life in Paris . . . . oh, and there's the boy, Etienne St. Clair. Although all the students in the school are American, St. Clair conveniently was born American but raised partially in England which results in him having a British accent. That, in and of itself, would be enough for most American girls to be in love with him. Although he has a girlfriend, Anna and he quickly become best friends as he helps her make her way through her first year at the school.
Although this book did nothing in the way of intellectual stimulation, besides a few French words that I learned while reading, the book was well written fun. The story, although perhaps predictable, was light hearted, dealt with some parent and friend issues, and had a wonderful chick flick ending. I enjoyed the slight sarcasm of Anna and of course, the book being set in Paris was also a lot of fun having been there before. There were a few curse words in the book but not enough to detract from the sweetness. That being said, the motivation behind some of St. Clair's decisions didn't make a whole lot of sense but I'll just let you read the book and see if you agree. The book definitely was one of my favorites of this month.
Now for the ones that weren't quite so high on my list. I really hate to be harsh and I want to support writers and their imagination and the worlds that they have created but out of all the books I read this month, the Hush, Hush Saga had an awesome beginning and just went downhill from there. Hush, Hush and the two books that follow, Crescendo and Silence, tell the story of Nora Grey who meets a mysterious young man named Patch that she is instantly attracted to but repulsed by at the same time. Is this plot line ringing any bells yet? In the first book, however, Nora is being hunted, by who or what she doesn't know, but it seems that Patch is either trying to protect her and or a part of the plot to kill her. Eventually, she learns that Patch is a Fallen Angel and once a year for two weeks the fallen angels are able to take over the bodies of the Nephlim. It is a Nephilm that is trying to kill her. In the end, she ends up killing the Nephlim and Patch becomes one of the good guys again and becomes a guardian angel for Nora.
To give the series credit, I really did enjoy the first book. It was well done and well executed but the second and third just got more and more ridiculous and melodramatic and suddenly I felt like I was reading Twilight with fallen angels instead of vampires. Perhaps it didn't help that the series was in first person or that in the second book, Patch and Nora break up and she has some very melodramatic "I can't live without you ever!" moments. Patch also considers their break up a way to protect Nora and expresses how he really can't be with her because it's just not right. Really? I get the whole star crossed lovers thing but find a new, less melodramatic way to tell it. Just because it's a teen novel does not mean the girl has to be whiny and and over dramatic about the breakup. I do give Nora a lot more credit then her Twilight counterpart though. She heals and moves on a lot quicker, understanding that there is more to life than a guy and that I did appreciate. Although the third book had some interesting plot twists, the ending still felt a bit too familiar and I do fear that there is a fourth book in the works. That's fine, she just needs to come up with something new to introduce her readers to and sadly, I will probably read it just to complete the series.
The other books that I read this month were all good and a bit of fun. Alex Flinn does an excellent job with her fairy tales and changing them just enough to make them believable in our world. Rick Riordrian's Percy Jackson series is excellent and a very fun read as well. I'm excited to finish out the series with the fifth book very soon.
I certainly have no regrets about the books that fell into my lap over this month. Although perhaps light hearted and a bit cheesy at times, there is something to be said about the feel good books we pick up. It's why we watch Chick Flicks, why some people love weddings, and why it feels so good to laugh with friends. It's the humor we find in life, the blessings God gives us, and the quiet moments where everything just seems perfect. If we were never able to experience those things and always stayed in the storms, I don't think that would be a world that I would want to live in.
So what's next? I welcome suggestions, comments, and even disagreements. Right now, for next month, here's the teaser; book to film! Some of the books I'll read I have seen the movies already but others I have not. I'm excited to see where this month takes me. A preview includes Never Let Me Go, I Am Number Four, The Help and a few other fun ones that might be a bit more educationally stimulating then the teen romances I somehow ended up with this past month.
In conclusion, I hope that through this you will look through the list, pick out a selection, find a quiet corner with a cup of tea and delve into the world of Dusky Imaginatorium for yourself.
January's list:
Beastly- Alex Flinn
Hush, Hush- Becca Fitzpatrick
Percy Jackson and the Titan’s Curse- Rick Riodrian
Daughter of Smoke and bone- Laini Taylor
Before I go to Sleep- SJ Watson (not a teen read-- definitely an "R" rated book)
A Kiss in Time- Alex Flinn
Crescendo- Becca Fitzpatrick
Percy Jackson and the Battle in the Labyrinth
Anna and the French Kiss- Stephanie Perkins
Silence- Becca Fitzpatrick
