Today being July 1st, we are half way through the year and I am now half way through my 50 books! It's nice to know I'm right on track.
The Princess Bride - William Goldman - 398 Pages
2) A classic romance
I know every cultured creature on God's green earth has seen The Princess Bride movie and loves it, but I must now say that it should be a requirement to also read the book. I almost felt like this book was written for me personally. It truly has it all. Sword fights, chases, death, proclamations of love, revenge, speech impediments, heros, poison, asides, rodents of unusual size, murder plots, miracles, and humor. So much humor. I don't remember the last time I read a book where I laughed out loud so often. You get all the main characters in the movie with more back story and more witty dialogue.
The Princess Bride feels so timeless, I recommend everyone read it.
I myself have been meaning to read this book for years but honestly got confused quite often since all the copies say they are abridged. It is supposedly the "good parts" version of the story abridged by Goldman, he also adds in little bits as witty asides.
This book really is a classic and I pity the fool who chooses not to read it.
An Ember in the Ashes - Sabaa Tahir - 446 Pages
47) A Goodreads suggestion
Goodreads has been trying to get me to read this book since I joined which, I might add, was also months before it was even released. They seem to think I enjoy books with strong female characters, harsh odds, a little fantasy, and awesome action sequences.
Where did they get that impression?
I've said it before and I'll say it again, Goodreads is heaven sent.
I'm disappointed in myself for not writing this review before I gave the book back to the library because there were SUCH good quotes I wanted to include and now all I have are page numbers.
This book is pretty brutal. It's not graphic, but there is a lot of violence. These people live in a society that feels spartan, where physical ability and ruthlessness is praised. But it didn't always used to be like that. The land used to be one of learning and art, but those people were subjugated and oppressed by the warriors who now rule the land.
I was hooked from page one. Tahir doesn't give you much time to relax or much time for her characters to be out of danger so it makes those moments all the more special.
This story bounces back and forth between two characters who are in very opposite situations and yet eventually come together.
Honestly, I don't want to give too much away since I think anyone looking for a good, fast paced summer read with action and a little bit of magic should pick this book up.
A Court of Thorns and Roses - Sarah J. Maas - 416 Pages
13) A book you haven't read yet from an author you love
Hmmm. How do I go about this...
Sarah J. Maas writes an INCREDIBLE action sequence. I love her Throne of Glass series for it's originality and action, she made me care for her characters quickly and deeply which can be hard. So I thought, "This means I love Sarah J. Maas. I've read four of her books and enjoyed them all. I can't wait to read her new series and look forward to having a whole new SJM world to explore."
But.
I didn't.
I didn't fall for these characters. I didn't even CARE about their problems. I didn't like the writing style or the plot devises or the dialogue (especially the dialogue). I didn't like the main character.
I didn't intend on finishing this book.
This book is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast with fairies. Maas has done her research, she knows about fairy lore and had a wonderful opportunity to make it shine. To me, she fell drastically short of expectation. The story is weak and SLOW (so very painfully slow) and if it weren't for my sister and being on vacation with no other book I would have put this book down and never finished it.
The saddest part is that it picks up rather nicely, but far too late for me. I like the villains much better than the heros because they actually DID THINGS. The action sequences were good, but they weren't enough to save this book.
If you're thinking of reading ACoTaR here's a heads-up (that I wish I had), Maas intended this book for the "New Adult" category instead of "Young Adult". For that reason, she's included some pretty graphic romantic scenes. They're easy enough to skip since they in no part impact the story, but I'd recommend you skip this book all together and pick up An Ember in the Ashes if you're looking for a good summer read.
Read on,
Jamie
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