Where's Melissa?!

Wow, it has been awhile, hasn't it?  I'm truly sorry about that, but admittedly other areas of my life are so full and busy right now that there just hasn't been the time (or even the passion) for book blogging.  I've still been reading here and there, but really haven't had the urge to write any reviews (of course, a few of my more recent reads have actually been RE-reads).

So, no, I haven't fallen off the face of the Earth.  Far from it!  In fact, I'm pretty excited to be able to make an announcement that I've been sitting on for awhile now... My husband and I are expecting our first baby next May!  Just when I thought I was busy, our life is about to get even crazier, but we can't wait! I am out of the first trimester and just beginning the second.  I just found out that we may even be able to find out what we'll be having at my 17-week appointment just three days before Christmas, I can't wait!

Hopefully now it's a bit more understandable why I just haven't been around that much.  Unfortunately, I can't promise that is going to change.  While I am not precisely declaring a formal blogging break, don't be surprised if you only hear from me very sporadically for awhile.  I'm just not ready to give this up quite yet!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday.  I know we are thankful for so much right now, so it was a very special holiday for us!  Enjoy the rest of the holiday weekend!

Review: Victory

Title: Victory
Author: Susan Cooper
Genre: Fiction, Young Adult/MG
Pub Date: December 2007, Simon & Schuster Children's
Paperback, 224 pages
Book Source: Purchased from Amazon.com

Synopsis

LIVING CENTURIES APART, BUT JOINED IN AN EPIC BATTLE.

Sam Robbins is a farm boy, kidnapped to serve on HMS Victory, the ship on which Lord Nelson will die a hero's death at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Molly Jennings is a twenty-first-century English girl transplanted to the United States by her stepfather's job, who's fighting her own battle against loss and loneliness.

Two lives that couldn't be more different, two hundred years apart, are linked by a tiny scrap of fraying cloth, tucked into an old book. It draws Molly into Sam's world, to a moment in time that changed history — a frightening shared moment that holds the key to secrets from the past and hope for the future.

My Thoughts

A light and easy read, Victory is a book I know I would have enjoyed had I read it at the age Cooper intended the book for.  The story is told in alternating points of view, going back and forth between Sam Robbins and Molly Jennings, which tends to keep things moving pretty quickly.

While there are obvious connections between these two characters, the more you read, the more you want to know just why their lives would be connected.  In the end, while I suspected what was coming, no matter how improbable it may have been, I really enjoyed how Cooper laid everything out and revealed all of the pieces of the puzzle.  It was also interesting to have a glimpse of the history of Lord Nelson, even though it came in a fictionalized setting.

I think readers young and old could appreciate this story not only for its plot and setting, but also for the cast of characters.  If you are looking for an adventure that won't bog you down but will keep you entertained, I definitely recommend Victory.

My Rating:

If you have reviewed this book and would like to see a link to your site listed here, please leave a comment with the link to your review!

Mystery Mondays: Review: Pushing Up Daisies

Title: Pushing Up Daisies
Author: Rosemary Harris
Genre: Fiction, Mystery
Pub Date: February 2008, St. Martin's Press
Hardcover,
Book Source: Received my copy from the author for review

Synopsis

Thirtyish former television exec Paula Holliday relocates from New York City to sleepy Springfield, CT, determined to turn her passion for gardening into a new, less stressful career.

When an eccentric spinster dies, her landmark property is left to the local Historical Society, and Paula sees the garden’s restoration as a way to get her fledgling business off the ground. She’s prepared for everything, but not for the mummified baby she digs up her first day on the job. After a cursory investigation, the local police decide it’s an old secret, not a recent crime, so they drop the matter, but . . . Paula’s not so sure.

Casual snooping turns serious when someone is impaled on a garden tool and one of Paula’s helpers is arrested for the crime. Aided by the still-hot aging rocker who owns the local greasy spoon, a Shakespeare-quoting massage therapist, and a handsome Mexican laborer with a few secrets of his own, Paula unearths more dirt the suburban town has kept buried.

Rounding out the cast, and among the suspects, a randy Congressman and his gin-swigging mother, an amoral newspaper reporter, an octogenarian ladies’ man, childhood sweethearts reunited after 50 years, and a tattooed lady you wouldn’t want to mess with.

My Thoughts

Have you been looking for a fun, cozy mystery to read?  Then I would urge you to try out Rosemary Harris' Dirty Business mystery series!  Quirky and entertaining, Pushing Up Daisies is a very worthy debut in the world of cozy mysteries.

While the overall story and mystery might have benefited from a bit more fleshing out, this book remains a winner.  With a wide array of characters, most of whom are quite likeable, you can't help but expect some interesting events to occur, and Harris certainly takes us for a winding ride on the way to solving the puzzle.  In the end, since everyone in town seems to have a secret to hide, there's more than one mystery that needs to be solved, which adds a bit of spice to the story.

Yes, there's also a bit of potential romance in the air with this book--two eligible bachelors are introduced, in fact.  So now, not only do I look forward to trying out another of Harris' mysteries, I am anxious to see who Paula Holliday ends up falling for.  Again, many thanks to Rosemary Harris for sending me Pushing Up Daisies for review!

My Rating:

Other reviews of Pushing Up Daisies:

Lesa's Book Critiques ~ Kylee's Journal ~ S. Krishna's Books

If you have reviewed this book and would like to see your site listed above, please leave a comment with the link to your review!

Review: Guardian of the Gate

Title: Guardian of the Gate
Author: Michelle Zink
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Pub Date: August 2010, Little Brown
Hardcover, 340 pages
Book source: Purchased at B&N @ Ga Tech

Synopsis

As sixteen-year-old LIa Milthorpe searches for a way to end the prophecy that has divided her family for generations, her twin sister, Alice, works to hone the skills she'll need to defeat Lia. Alice will stop at nothing to reclaim her sister's role in the prophecy, and that's not the only thing she wants. There's also Lia's beloved, James.

The sisters always knew that the prophecy would turn those closest to them against them. But they didn't know what betrayal could lead them to do.

In the end, only one sister will be standing.

My Thoughts

There's definitely no sophomore slump for Michelle Zink with Guardian of the Gate! While I had a difficult time getting drawn into Prophecy of the Sisters (but ultimately enjoyed it), I was immediately hooked on this story. Perhaps that was because I was already familiar with what was going on from the first book, though I also think the action really started very quickly in this book.

We see quite a bit of character development with Lia and her two friends--two of the four "keys" in the prophecy. And yes, there is betrayal that is heartbreaking and potentially detrimental to their mission, but we are left with hope in the end as well. Speaking of characters, there is just one thing that bugs me about this book, and that's the introduction of Dmitri, who I feel came out of nowhere to find a place in Lia's heart. What about James?! Is he so easily forgotten? I am definitely curious to see how that storyline evolves in the third book. Don't get me wrong--I rather like Dmitri's character, I just don't know how I feel about his place in the story.

There is quite a bit more world-building in this book as well, as we follow Lia's journey to Altus and read about her time there. We've been given a few more pieces of the puzzle, yet there is still so much more to be learned about the prophecy and everyone's role in it. Overall, this was a great read that was easy to get sucked into. If you liked Prophecy of the Sisters I definitely think you will enjoy Guardian of the Gate.

My Rating:


Other reviews of Guardian of the Gate:

I Heart Monster ~ Bloody Bookaholic ~ in BetweeN the Pages

Bookalicious ~ The Book Reader ~ Beyond Books

If you have reviewed this book and would like to see your site listed above, please leave a comment with the link to your review!

Review: Clockwork Angel

Title: Clockwork Angel
Author: Cassandra Clare
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Pub Date: August 2010, McElderry Books
Hardcover, 478 pages
Book Source: Purchased from Amazon.com

Synopsis


Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What’s more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own. 

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length . . . everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world. . . . and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

My Thoughts

Those of you familiar with my blog and books I've read probably know that I loved Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series. Clockwork Angel serves as a prequel to those books, and while I generally hate to see series end and look for related books, I have to admit it took me quite awhile to really get into this one.

I really can't put my finger on what it was about this book that caused me to really have to plod through nearly half of it before it clicked for me. Part of it may have been that I didn't find a lot of the characters to be very compelling (initially), or perhaps it's the fact that the story just seemed to move slowly for awhile. Whatever the case, eventually the plot found a good rhythm and I was finally pulled into the story and couldn't put it down. As always, Clare resolves some aspects of the storyline but leaves us hanging on perhaps the most interesting points. I would rather have some resolution than have the entire story left wide open, though!

Those of you who enjoyed the Mortal Instruments series will likely enjoy this book. It might be beneficial to read this one not long after finishing that series, though. I have read so many books since finishing those, that it took me awhile to get back up to speed with the premises behind the story.

My Rating: >

Other reviews of Clockwork Angel:

Just Your Typical Book Blog ~ YA Reads ~ Dark Faerie Tales

Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf ~ Bitten By Books

If you have reviewed this book and would like to see a link to your site listed here, please leave a comment with the link to your review!