Young Adult Book Review of The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead.
The Glittering Court (associate link) wasn’t completely what I expected. It follows Lady Elizabeth, a rather rich and spoiled young woman who doesn’t want to marry the one man who can save her family, instead, she runs off to join The Glittering Court, in the hopes of finding another suitor. This book was half romance, and half alternate reality or half western, I couldn’t quite decide. The land of Osfrid is loosely based on colonial Europe, and the land of Denham is loosely based on colonial America. I got into this book around the time it turned into a western, but I’m still not sure it works.
The writing was fairly fluid and moderately paced, but there was a lot of inner dialogue that could have been shortened up. Sometimes I wonder if publishing houses make authors add paragraphs just to make a book thick and heavy. I would have been happy with a shorter book that got to the point more quickly. I didn’t like this book half as much as I like Mead’s Vampire Academy series, but it was still a decent read. You might enjoy this book if you really liked The Selection, though I believe Cass’s series is much stronger as the romance is much more addicting and compelling and I preferred the dystopian setting over the western one. But hey, maybe Westerns are your thing.
As for reading the rest of the series, I don’t think I will continue since the next book sounds like it will be a parallel storyline which will feel like a rehash of at least the first half of The Glittering Court. The Midnight Jewel is slated to be released in April 2017.
I have been too busy lately. I haven’t finished the book I began last week and I still have 9 books to go on my GoodReads goal. With only four weeks left to read them. This is leaving me wondering how I’m going to fit it all in. I have a bunch of half-read books, which I’m hoping means I’ll be able to wrap up all nine this month. Between that and some shorter selections and a major cutback on television, I just might be able to do it. Meanwhile, I went browsing at a rather large bookstore when i was out of town, and found all these delicious displays. This will have to be my motivation for finishing up the books already waiting on my shelves! Which books look good to you?
Do you know a girl who loves books? I do. In fact, I am one. So today I’m going to give you my top 10 gift ideas for girls who love books. This is all stuff that I’ve found on my online “window shopping” that I totally crave. Hopefully, you’ll find something on this list that the reader you know and love will crave too.
Leg Warmers
Maybe it’s because, for me, Christmas is all about snow and snow is all about warmth and comfort. But I have a serious desire to get some leg warmers or ‘reading socks’ this Christmas. It’s always nice to be warm when reading.
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2. Reader Themed Mug
Along with being warm, I like to have a warm drink by my side when I’m spending a winter day indulging in a book. I own so many mugs that my husband has tried to ban me from buying more, but it hasn’t stopped me. Especially when it comes to mugs decorated with imagery from my favourite fictional worlds.
I love reading. I love books. I love owning books. I love marking those books as my own so that I can rest assure that when I lend them to people they will make their way back to me. Bookplates are great not just for fiction, but for notebooks, binders, or anything else needing a ‘This Belongs To’ sign.
As an avid reader, i track what I read. I use Goodreads to do this, but I also keep a notebook, just in case I ever forget my password and also because I like writing things down with pen. Is there anything better than doodling on piece of paper.
Adult colouring books are everywhere these days. They came into popularity sometime last year, and have stuck around. I own two and I love them. The popular young adult Throne of  Glass series released a colouring book earlier this year, or there are always classics to choose from like Alice in Wonderland.
Some of the hottest Young Adult Books are made into movies, and those movies have been given stellar soundtracks featuring some of today’s best selling artists. On the Miss. Peregrine’s soundtrack, you’ll find Florence and the Machine, and Pink has a stunning track on the Alice Through the Looking Glass soundtrack.
I believe I’ve already hit on how I love to be both warm and comfortable when reading, though I will read in such uncomfortable places as the subway, a cafe, an on any public bench when I’m killing time waiting for someone. But at home, I’m going to make sure I’m reading some place I can really relax.
Book lovers will probably go gaga over book themed library bags. I use them not only on my trips to and from my local library, but also just around town for groceries, or to stock up on books when I’m heading out of town on a long trip. Sure, I have an ereader, but I have to pack real books too, because what if—GASP—everything electronic stops working?
And of course, what would be a list of gifts to give a book lover without mentioning books? But it can be difficult to buy a reader a book. It’s always a worry that they will have already bought the book you picked out, or that it just isn’t their style, so when all else fails, go with a gift card, this way the reader can choose just what kind of happy ending they want to read about.
If you read the news, then you probably know that everyone is fretting about the impending destruction of the earth. There’s the recent Brexit vote, Donald Trump’s win, the never-ending war in Syria, Terrorism. If you’re a Doom Thinker, then you probably like dystopian novels. I’ve read my fair share of Young Adult end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it books, so here’s my round-up of my favorites, and a few selections that I hope to fit into my reading schedule in the near future.
Invitation to the Game by Monica Hughes
I’m sure I’ve written before about my love for Monica Hughes. In my teen years, I read everything by her that I could get my hands on, but Inivtation to the Game remained my favorite book. It’s about a group of teens invited to play a virtual reality game to escape their horrible lives in a world where there are no jobs, and no money. Only the game isn’t everything it seems. It’s a quick, easy read, but well worth it.
The Hunger Games is near the top of almost every book list I make. I love this series, book or movies. If you haven’t heard of The Hunger Games, then you must have spent the past five years living in the middle of the ocean with no connection to the modern world. If you’ve heard about the books but haven’t read them yet, then pick them up. Suzanne Collins has beautiful writing that you don’t want to miss out on.
This pick might be highly controversial to some, as The Selection series is primarily romance versus dystopian. I was surprised by how much I liked this series, and in truth, I enjoyed it more for the romance aspects than the dystopian ones, but I still think The Selection series is a great read.
The world as we know it has been destroyed by disease and teens have been stuck in some kind of weird maze. Yeah. You’ve probably heard of this series or watched the movies. The Maze Runner is a great action book, and makes me think a lot about scientific experimentation, the truth about disease, and what’s really real.
I read this amazing piece of Young Adult fiction and award winner a few years ago, and have yet to post a back dated review for it. But I really enjoyed the story, and when I finished it, I went looking for a second book, which at the time there wasn’t one. There is now, and Drowned Cities is another book on my Want to Read List. Ship Breaker follows Nailer, a young boy who has to scavange for valuable parts on old ships to get by in a world ruined by the melting of the polar ice caps.
This book is a bit different than the rest on the list, because the dystopian-ness is caused by the rise of sea creatures from the ocean floor (not a virus, corruption, or a collapse in government). But I have a weakness for all things ocean, and I loved the main character, Lyric, and the grimy, gritty feel of this story.
I know that a lot of lists ove this book at the top, and while I liked, I didn’t find the world as convincing as some of those above, but I still loved the series. The movies are pretty good too, even if they are up in the air regarding whether or not the last movie will go to television or theaters, and whether Shailene Woodley will actually be in the show (you can read more about this here).
8. Wither (The Chemical Garden Series) by Lauren DeStefano
This series, like The Selection, is more romance driven than dystopian focused. However, the characters were strong and the mystery keep one reading. If you haven’t read this series yet, and you’ve read everything else on my list, you might as well try this one.
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9. Pretties (series) by Scott Westerfeld
If there’s one thing I was obsessed with in this book, it was the hover-boards. I still want one to this day. This dystopian series primarily deals with a world obsessed with looks and social media. If you feel this kind of pressure, then you’ll probably relate to the main character, who realizes that maybe a perfect looking world, isn’t so perfect underneath.
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The following are books I haven’t read yet, but that are on my Want To Read list. Legend has been sitting on my ereader for four years. There just isn’t enough time in the world for books!
10. The 5th Wave (series)
Aliens and the end of the world. Yes Please!
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11. Legend by Marie Lu
I’ve heard such good things about this book, and like I mentioned above, it’s been waiting to be read for four years! That’s probably the longest of any book on my To Be Read shelf. Poor book! Hopefully I’ll find time for you soon!
I posted a while back about reading Hexed, which I loved. I moved onto Charmed right away. I finished a few days back, though I was hoping to finish sooner but being sick and busy and going back to working 80% hours at my regular job didn’t equate to a quick read.
Charmed (associate link) was as charming as the first book in this duology. I was really hoping there would be more books in Krys’ series, but it doesn’t look like there is. Though she does have a brand new realease that just came out this week, which I might have to check out because I love her writing style.
Charmed was a fast paced as Hexed, and brought me deeper into the Witch Hunter’s world. Indigo was smart and sassy, and most of the time she didn’t rely on boys to save her (that is one of my pet peeves about some heroines). Indigo learns more about her magic in book two, and the stakes are just as high. If you love witchy books about teens, then pick up this book, you’ll love it.
Twisted Currents is finally here! I do not have the physical copies yet, but the ebook is up on the Kindle store now.
You can also order physical copies on the CreateSpace store, this is a great option if you don’t live in Saskatoon and want to order yourself or someone you love a whole bunch of books. You can find the entire series here.
Now Reformatted!
So, now that I’m done writing the Black Depths Series, I can get back to focusing on NaNoWriMo, which I’m terribly behind on. Hopefully I can catch up within the next week. This year, I’m working on a piece of literary fiction, but don’t worry, I have some other YA drafts I’m looking at polishing and self-publishing in the near-ish future.
I picked this book up for my e-reader a month ago, and I have to say, I wasn’t disappointed. Hexed was the perfect read for pre-Halloween. Hexed is a classic “Teenaged girl discovers she’s a witch, story,” but the voice of the main character, Indigo, is unique and easy to fall in love with. Indigo’s more than a little bit self-centred and naive at the beginning of the book, but I love the progression and growth of a character who learns some hard lessons.
Hexed(associate link) is a quick read with lots of action, which takes the leader on a journey into a simple magical world of “good guys” vs “bad guys”. The story is set in LA, which I found fresh, because doesn’t it seem like everything is set in New York or London these days (and not just books but TV and Movies too)? I mean, there are so many other places in the world to see (side note: This was part of why I really enjoyed Daughter of Smoke and Bone, because it was set in Prague and I’ve always wanted to go there).
Once I finished Hexed, I picked up the sequel, Charmed, right away. It’s that good.
2. Reader Themed Mug
4. Reading Journal
5. Book Themed Adult Colouring Books
6. Book-Turned-Movie Movie Soundtracks
And of course, what would be a list of gifts to give a book lover without mentioning books? But it can be difficult to buy a reader a book. It’s always a worry that they will have already bought the book you picked out, or that it just isn’t their style, so when all else fails, go with a gift card, this way the reader can choose just what kind of happy ending they want to read about.
8. Wither (The Chemical Garden Series) by Lauren DeStefano
Have you read any of these books? What would you add to this list?
 (associate link) was as charming as the first book in this duology. I was really hoping there would be more books in Krys’ series, but it doesn’t look like there is. Though she does have a brand new realease that just came out this week, which I might have to check out because I love her writing style.
(associate link) is a quick read with lots of action, which takes the leader on a journey into a simple magical world of “good guys” vs “bad guys”. The story is set in LA, which I found fresh, because doesn’t it seem like everything is set in New York or London these days (and not just books but TV and Movies too)? I mean, there are so many other places in the world to see (side note: This was part of why I really enjoyed Daughter of Smoke and Bone, because it was set in Prague and I’ve always wanted to go there).
J. E. H U N T E R 