She-Warrior

Forest Child by Heather Day Gilbert

Published October 31st, 2016

I don’t usually gravitate towards historical fiction so when the opportunity to read this book came I wasn’t expecting to absolutely love it. But I did. Set in the Era of Leif Erikson, this story is about his brazen half-sister Freydis.

Determined to rise above her rank as the illegitimate "forest child" of Eirik the Red, Freydis launches a second voyage to Vinland to solidify her power and to demand the respect she deserves. She will return home with enough plunder to force her brother, Leif, to sell her the family farm in Greenland.

But nothing can prepare her for the horrors she must confront in Vinland...and nothing can stand in her way when her family is threatened.

In her race to outrun the truths that might destroy her, Freydis ultimately collides with the only enemy she cannot silence—her own heart.

What surprised me the most about this book was the realistic grit of the viking world Gilbert painted. It was refreshing to see a christian novel portray the good, the bad, and the sometimes gruesome. The action was fast paced and tastefully described. I hate when authors make action sequences so complex you have no idea what’s happening. This book definitely didn’t have that problem. The narrative held my attention and was purposeful, there were no filler sentences that didn’t fit.

Freydis as a character intrigued me. I wanted to know more about her as I read, to find out what drove her. At times her pride and malice frustrated me. But then Gilbert would let you see her affection and have you rooting for Freydis once more. The relationship between Freydis and Ref is something that interested me as well. Their marriage was far from perfect and I’m thankful Gilbert portrayed a life-like relationship that was raw and most of the time, strained.

I also enjoyed the setting of this novel and the history I learned as I read. If, like me, you dislike sad or frustrating endings do not fear. This story ended with all ties mended and relationships restored. A story full of action, betrayal, redemption, and girl power to the max. You’ll love Forest Child.

Language: None

Alcohol/drugs: Freydis eats a mushroom that causes hallucinations

Violence: 7

Sexual Content: Nothing that really stands out. A husband and wife lying together is noted throughout the book. Things are said in subtle ways as to make known what happened and nothing is sexualized. Think Bible terminology.

Spiritual Content: While the main character Freydis is not a Christian, Christianity is talked about a lot throughout the book and many of the side characters are Christians. There is a very powerful spiritual redemption at the end on the novel.

Currently Reading: My True Love Gave to Me by Various Authors

Next Post: Review of Glitter By Apprilynne Pike

Half-bloods

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Book #1: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

           I will be posting on Tuesday for a little while and after next weeks review I will be taking a break from blogging until SATs are over. Also, I decided to flip this weeks and next week’s books because I finished this one first. Is that cool? Okay, good.  Percy has just found out he is a demi-god. Half Greek god, half human. He accepts a quest: retrieve Zeus’s stolen lightning bolt in order to restore peace in Olympia. Along the way he comes across many monsters and gods who try to stop him from completing his quest.

“At its core it is a wild adventure story about friendship, courage, and rising above labels.”

Language:

              

  None

Alcohol/drugs:

             

        Percy’s step-father has poker parties where beer is abundant. Throughout the book Percy shows his disgust for him and his treatment of his mother. Basically, the guy is the typical "jerk" character that provides conflict for the main character.

Violence:

              

        As this is a fantasy novel battles and monsters being slayed are frequent throughout the book. It is mentioned that the stepfather has hit Percy’s mother. I would rate the violence a 4.5.

Sexual Content:

              

        The whole idea of demi-gods stems from the fact that gods came to earth and had affairs. It’s not explained upon or talked about in a sexual way but as a fact of their existence.

Spiritual Content:

             

         By now, you have definitely picked up on the fact that this book is about Greek gods. They are pictured as immortal beings who each have their own personalities and faults. They are not depicted as things to be worshiped and certainly not as a religion. To put it plainly, it’s more like they are just giant people with super powers who live up in the sky. It follows Greek mythology and all its stories as if they really happened (which includes the underworld).

            

         Percy inquires once as to whether or not there is an all-powerful God and it is quickly made clear that that is not something to be discussed at the moment. My impression of the exchange was that God existed but, his exact role in this fantasy world was not going to be explained.

Currently Reading: A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro

Next Post: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

3/12

March Wrap-up, Haul, and TBR

Books Read

This is going to be a very short post because I am in a dreaded reading slump. I finished Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas and started The Love That Split the World by Emily Henry. I have yet to finish this book and am about ¾ of the way in. I really wish I read more but I’m not one to force myself to read unless I have a deadline. So, we’ll see when my slump ends.

March Haul

I received Some Kind of Courage by Dan Gemeinhart from Scholastic (Thank You!) it is a middle-grade historical novel based in the Midwest about a boy who goes on a search for his horse. I had my eye on this book for a couple months now and was surprised to receive it in the mail.

               

My March Reading List

1.       Finish The Love That Split the World by Emily Henry

2.       Sudden Mission by Guy L. Pace

I decided to keep it small since I’m in a slump but hopefully I can read more than this!

Currently Reading: The Love That Split the World by Emily Henry

Next Post: Full Review of Cress by Marissa Meyer

The Wrong Day

Books, And the Songs to Listen to While Reading Them

I know, I know, it’s Tuesday. The lighting isn’t good enough to take pictures so I decided to do a post I created a while ago for my blogging class instead of my next review. Music is one of my favorite pastimes because like books, it transports you. I have compiled a list of songs that represent the characters, plot, or mood of a book.

Characters

Wolf - The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

           Songs:  Human - Of Monsters and Men & Raised by Wolves - Family Force 5 

           

            Celaena Sardothien – Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

            Song: Semi-Automatic - twenty-one pilots & Upgraded - Capital Kings

           

            This song represents three heroines. All of who become part of something bigger than themselves and later accept they are in the middle of it all or the cause of it all. Tris Prior – Divergent Series by Veronica Roth, Katniss Everdeen – The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins, Celaena Sardothien – Throne of Glass Series by Sarah J. Maas. It could apply to so many more but these are three well-known heroines.

            

             Song: I Of The Storm - Of Monsters And Men

Books

            The Love That Split the World by Emily Henry

            Song: Hometown - twenty-one pilots

            All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

            Song: Flaws – Bastille

            Divergent by Veronica Roth

            Song; Lean On – Major Lazor (feat. MO & DJ Snake)

I have linked all the YouTube videos in the song titles. They are all lyric videos and the songs are “clean”.

Currently Reading: The Love That Split the World by Emily Henry

Next Post: Full Review of Cress by Marissa Meyers

2/12

February Wrap-up, Haul, and TBR

Books Read

I finished reading All the Bright Places in the beginning of the month and then moved on to Cress (The Lunar Chronicles #3) by Marissa Meyer. Let me tell you, I could not put it down. I read it for four hours straight one Sunday afternoon and finished it three days. There will definitely be a review coming soon.  

After Cress I tried to read Eleanor by Jason Gurley but couldn’t get into it. Not after how amazing Cress was. So I actually didn’t read for a few days. When I was ready to dive into a book I picked out something I knew would be good. My TBR challenge this month was “A book with non-human characters”. What I picked is my current read and my last book of the month. Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas. It has…creatures in it.

February Haul

               

                The first book, I got for my birthday. It is a Puffin Chalk edition of The Wizard of OZ by L. Frank Baum. It’s my favorite classic and I’ve been eyeing this edition forever. I also received the first book in The Shannara Chronicles by Terry Brookes. It is the TV show edition titled The Elf Stones of Shannara. This book is a high fantasy novel, set in a fictional world called the Four Lands. It follows the quest of Wil Ohmsford and Amberle Elessedil to create a new Ellcrys, a magical tree that serves to banish all Demons from the Four Lands.

               

                Later in the month I bought some books on Amazon the first being The Kiss of Deception (The Remnant Chronicles #1) by Mary E. Pearson. This story follows a seventeen-year-old princess who is betrothed to a prince she does not know and runs away on her wedding day. She settles in a distant village and meets two mysterious men. One, the prince, and the other, an assassin sent to kill her. It sounds so good and I can’t wait to read it! The other book is The Love that Split the World by Emily Henry which is a sci-fi novel with time travel. That concludes my February haul!

My March Reading List

1.       Finishing up Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas

2.       The Love That Split the World by Emily Henry

3.       Allegiant by Veronica Roth

4.       TBR- A book with plants on the cover

Currently Reading: Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas

Next Post: (I haven’t decided yet)

The Girl in the Red Hood(ie)

Scarlet by Marissa Meyers is my first book read of 2016 and I can’t think of a better book to start off the year with. This book was SO GOOD! This is the second book in The Lunar Chronicles. Some people were not as impressed with this next instalment but I was blown away once again. I think I liked it better than Cinder. I’m not going to insert the inside cover synopsis because I don’t want to spoil anything. But, I wrote my own very vague blurb.

Scarlet is inspired by the fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood. The main character Scarlet lives with her grandmother on their large farm in France. But her grandmother has been missing for two weeks and with no help from the police Scarlet decides to take the search into her own hands. She meets Wolf, a street fighter who has strange antics and piercing green eyes. Meanwhile, Cinder returns in this sequel with a new companion, Captain Carswell Thorne.

THIS BOOK. . .this book. Ugh, it was amazing. The three new characters were such well written editions. I loved Scarlet. She was feisty, head strong, and passionate. I related to her so well and really enjoyed her story. Wolf. Wolf is bae. I can’t give much away about what makes him so cool because it could be a spoiler. But just know…it’s amazing. Captain Carswell Thorne was hilarious. He reminds me a lot of Finnick Odair from The Hunger Games series which is definitely a compliment. He is full of himself, flirty, and loves his spaceship. At times he provided some much needed humor and sarcasm.

The story moved along nicely with plenty of twists and turns. Chapters switched between Cinder and Scarlet’s POVs. I think that the number of chapters in a row allotted each character was perfect. Meyers cut you off at the right time and it felt complete but still was an excellent cliffhanger. Overall, I think this was a strong sequel and moves sets you up for the next novel: Cress.

Language: Very Mild

Alcohol/drugs: There are two scenes in a bar where some of the customers are drunk but nothing further than that is mentioned

Violence: 6

Sexual Content: There is some kissing and

Spiritual Content: None

Currently Reading: All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven (I’m almost done)

Next Post: Full Review of All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

First Out of Twelve

January Wrap-up, Haul, and TBR

         It’s the end of the first month of 2016 and five days till my birthday. This month I read three books, and accumulated six. In this post, I’m going to talk about what I read, what books I received/bought and the books I’m going to read in February.

Books Read

The first book I read is one I received for Christmas from my parents. It is the second book in The Lunar Chronicles titled Scarlet written by Marissa Meyers. Scarlet was sooooo good and I will gush further about this book in my next review post.

            The Second book I read is an indie novel that was sent to me by the author for review. The book is The Warrior Spy by Dony Jay. It is a military thriller novel and the first I’ve ever read in that genre.

            The Last book was my TBR challenge jar pick which was “Finish a book you started in 2015." The book I chose was All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven. I started this book in November but was not really getting into it so, I put it down. I’m so glad I took a break from it. Because, going back to it, I love it so much more!

January Haul

Here is a list of all the books I got in January and where I got them.

Eleanor by Jason Gurley- Sent to me through Books for Bloggers by Penguin Random House.

Cress (Lunar Chronicles #3) by Marissa Meyer- A Christmas present from my friend

Pride + Prejudice + Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith- I bought this on Amazon with a gift card I won.

Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2) by Sarah J. Maas- An early birthday present 

Five Children and It by E. Nesbit- Also bought with my gift card.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley- Bought because I needed it for school . . .

My February Reading List

           #1 on my list is Pride + Prejudice + Zombies. #2 is Eleanor and #3 is my TBR challenge which is “A book with a non-human character.” I’m going to pick Cress (Lunar Chrinicles #3) by Marissa Meyer. This series is so amazing! This book a few non-human charcters such as a Iko (the droid), Wolf (The wolf hybrid), and Lunars (a race of people who live on the moon). I want to see what happens next SO bad. I may or may not have cheated and looked through my jar to find a TBR that fit this book instead of picking one at random . . .

Currently Reading: All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

Next Post: Full review of Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2) by Marissa Meyer

Miss Maas

If you read the word assassin what image comes to mind?

Don’t get too attached now, because I’m about to change things. But don’t worry, it’s for the better. Now, I want you to take that image, put it on the floor, and smash it with your heel. Enter your assassin’s replacement : Celaena Sardothian; avid reader and bookworm, lover of food, also, one of the most feared people in all the land.

         In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king's champion. Her name is Celaena Sardothien.

         The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass--and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.

Does that sound amazing or what?

Celaena is probably one of the most unique characters I have ever come across. Maas totally annihilates the typical heroine. She takes a selfish, enslaved assassin and turns her into something so relatable you forget that everyone is afraid of her. Oh, and did I mention she has a soft spot for puppies?

So, here is our first look at Celaena when we start the book. She has been a slave in the Endovier Salt Mines for over a year. She is unexpectedly summoned and escorted by the Captain of the Royal Guard. 

Being lead through various underground tunnels and stairwells, she contemplates the reason for this…surprise visit. Celaena concludes that she is to be hanged and when they come to a halt in front of two large red-and-gold doors she grows restless. But what she finds behind those doors make her heart freeze in her chest…

Sarah J. Maas takes us on a journey with a girl who, at first, is focused on one thing: Escape. As the story grows and the plot deepens secrets about the strict Kingdom of Erilea are revealed. Celaena surprises everyone, even herself with what she is truly capable of and she discovers that there is more to her magically desiccated kingdom than meets the eye.

Not only does Maas know how to imagine a great plot and characters she knows how to write them. That is what makes this book such an amazing reading experience. You can have tons of great ideas, but you must know how to write them and that’s what makes them come alive.

Language: Mild-2-3

Alcohol/drugs: There is a character who smokes a drug to ease her migraines. She does misuse it and has some unpleasant side effects.

Violence: 7.5

Sexual Content: There is some mentioned lustful looks and a kiss or two

Spiritual Content: This is a high fantasy novel with make-believe religions and revolves around magical elements.

Currently Reading: The Warrior Spy By Dony Jay

Next Post: Full Review of Dark Horizons By J.T. Colgan (A Doctor Who novel)

Cyborgs and Booktube

Cinder

 Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth's fate hinges on one girl. . . .

           Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She's a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction.

            Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world's future.

            I am going to use this post to introduce you to two things very close to my heart. Booktube and Cinder by Marissa Meyer. I mentioned Cinder in my 2015 wrap up post so if it looks familiar that's why :)

            Booktube:

 So, if you didn’t know, there is a whole community of people on YouTube with channels dedicated to books. I know, it’s so amazing I need to take a moment…okay, let’s continue. So basically, these young people do book reviews and book related videos. Oh, the joys of spending your afternoon watching people talk about books. Here are the links to some of my favorite Booktubers:

Tasha Polis- https://www.youtube.com/user/tashapolis

Jesse- https://www.youtube.com/user/jessethereader

Christine Riccio- https://www.youtube.com/user/polandbananasBOOKS

Sasha- https://www.youtube.com/user/abookutopia

I also want to introduce you to possibly one of my favorite books ever.

           Ta-da! Isn’t she gorgeous? This book had the whole package, amazing plot, amazing characters, and amazing writing. I finished this 387 page novel in 2 ½ days. Whoop whoop! I’m so excited about this book can’t ya tell? Instead of me blabbering on I am going to insert review of Cinder by one of the Booktubers mentioned above.

Language: None

Alcohol/drugs: There are some drugs used for scientific and medical purposes

Violence: 2

Sexual Content: None

Spiritual Content: None

Currently Reading: Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles book #2) By Marissa Meyer

Next Post: Full Review of Throne of Glass By Sarah J. Maas

So Long 2015

So Long 2015

It’s that time of the year in the book world. The 2015 wrap up. This is my first wrap up post and hopefully I will be writing more in the future. I’m going to tell you my favorite books, movies, TV shows, and music of the year. Plus, how I’m starting off the New Year and my reading goals for 2016.

Top 3 Books Read in 2015

1.       Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles #1) By Marissa Meyer

The easy to read writing style and engaging story is what gave this book an edge in my mind. All I knew going into this book is that it was about a girl named Cinder who is modeled after Cinderella. She lives in a futuristic Beijing and she’s a cyborg. The world Meyers creates is so detailed, yet the way she writes immerses you into it almost immediately. The characters not one dimensional or run-of-the-mill. They are unique and well, they were just awesome.

2.       Rebel Belle By Rachel Hawkins

Rachel Hawkins’ humor is. . . Spot. On. This book was so much fun to read and I flew through it. The main character Harper Price was so relatable and a pretty good role model considering this is a secular book. The action scenes in this book were written so creatively and the violence, though detailed, was not heavy at all. I think it had just the right amount of every positive aspect a book should have. I have a full length review here.

3.       Everything Everything By Nicola Yoon

This book has one of the most beautiful covers I’ve seen. And I’m happy to say it has story to match. With its short imaginative chapters and playful dialogue it was an easy read that left me so satisfied in the end. The two main characters Madeline and Olli were so good together and the whole idea of a girl with a disease that prohibited her from stepping foot in the outside world intrigued me from the beginning.

Top Movies Of 2015

All my favorite movies summed up in a single sentence.

                

                 Star Wars: (The Force Awakens) - It’s Star Wars, enough said.

                

                The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Pt.2- All the feels.

                

                Avengers: Age of Ultron- My favorite part of this whole movie can be summed up in two words: The Twins.

               

               Jurassic World: Chris Pratt and Dinosaurs.

                

               Cinderella: Have Courage and Be Kind.

My Reading Goals

             

            My goal for this year is to read 30 books. I may not seem like a ton but as the end of the school year rolls around the work piles up and next year I’ll be a senior. Hopefully I’ll surpass that goal but I’d rather exceed the goal then not meet it at all. My TBR challenge this year is 15 reading challenges long and I will draw one out of a jar each month. So, I should be reading one challenge book and one regular book a month. Fingers crossed.

I also want to announce that I have an official date for blog posts. I aim to post every Monday from here on out. At the end of each post I will include what my next post will be and what I’m currently reading. Like this:

Currently Reading: Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles #2) By Marissa Meyer

Next Post: Full Review of Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles #1) By Marissa Meyer