The Night Circus draws you into it’s world. I felt like a circus goer, a reveur for life. Morgenstern recreates a world of midnight magic. A time where theaters were packed for performances of illusionists rather than musicals. A place in which you can escape to, wondering whether the illusions were real, but preferring not to know the true mechanics behind an act.

I do not want to spoil even one bit of the novel. Reading The Night Circus should be like stepping into a world of which you know nothing but have a peculiar interest. A world of magicians, midnight magic, complex, interwoven relationships, and the smell of caramel apples and popcorn lingering in the air.

Although the settings sometimes seems more detailed than some of the relationships, it truly is a wonderful book.

Morgenstern offers a timeless novel, a novel to be read, then re-read, and re-read again.

Immediately going to buy a lovely red scarf,

Deschy

Note: I LOVE Sophie Kinsella. One of my favorite authors, hands down. So of course, when I found out she also wrote as Madeline Wickham, I had to get my hands on one of her books. There is a distinct difference between novels by Sophie Kinsella and Madeline Wickham. I would go so far as to say the Kinsella books are more mature? The Whickham books are more sporadic and pay less attention to the main female, preferring to include everyone in a conflict of their own. I prefer the Kinsella books.

However, The Wedding Girl still has bits of Kinsella’s charm, but again, it’s more of a cliche romance? I don’t really know how to describe it. Ah! Overplotted. Very overplotted. And with so much plot going on, you don’t really have time to insert funnies or develop characters. </sadness>.

You see, Milly is about to get married – to one of the wealthiest men in Britain. However, once her photographer, Alexander, shows up, she remembers she has a BIG secret to hide. You see, Alexander has already photographed her  in another wedding. And she’s not sure if she’s divorced. dun dun dun. With Alexander taunting Milly with her previous marriage, she’s forced to revisit her past. Only, her past doesn’t want to meet up with her. So, Milly must discover 10 years of forgotten history in 2 days and try to keep it a secret from everyone. And of course, she has doubts about her finance, her fiance hates his father, her sister’s pregnant, her parents have unsolved issues, her godmother’s in there too, her husband – a gay American who needed a way to stay in the country with his lover – is no where to be found, and her husband’s lover is married. Oh the drama.

Soap Operaed  out,

Rachel

PS: If you’re desiring a romcom, read a Kinsella book. They are PHENOMENAL.

Insatiable: a mediocre novel about vampires. Honestly, I was expecting a lot more than I got. In this case, I truly believe Meg Cabot should have stuck to YA fiction. She tried coming from an angle of the protagonist not liking vampires, hating the world’s desire to read vampire material, and yet she falls for the head vampire. The plot was ridiculous. Ridiculous piled upon ridiculous. At one point, probably three quarters to the end of the novel, I lost the desire to continue reading. It just wasn’t even worth it. Even fiction has a point that you don’t cross. The main character was interesting enough. But she was the only character I enjoyed. Again, ridiculous just piled upon ridiculous. Honestly, there are better books to read. I don’t recommend it. I’ll read the second, but if it’s not promising, I’ll stop quickly and I urge you to do the same.

If you’re into “dark” fiction, I recommend The Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko (first in a trio – i think. he might have made more). It’s honestly the best “dark” fiction I’ve read. And even just to lovers of the supernatural or fantasy, it’s a great novel. I s’posse I should write a review on that soon as well.

Disappointed,

Rachel

Now, quick summary: Suzie, like any teenage girl, is not exactly happy when she has to leave her home and move literally, across the country when her mom remarries. However, Suzie has more issues than living in a house with her three step-brothers, because, in her room, she finds a ghost. Which in itself is nothing new. Suzie has the ability to see, hear, touch, and talk to ghosts. She’s a mediator. She has to complete whatever task the ghost needs to get done before they can move on. But the ghost in her room, Jesse, doesn’t seem to have any unfinished business. And as Suzie gets to know Jesse, will she really want him gone?
And of course, Suzie finally meets another mediator, the principal of her new school: Father Dom. Together, the three of them – mediators and a ghost – must help the dead move on. -end basic summary-

Now, the series develops excellently. So it is a definite summer must read. And Suzie – the main character – is a witty and snarky NYC girl that you will love to follow. There are tons of small jokes and commentaries that will make you laugh out loud. So, if you’re in the mood for a good  mini series. Read it.

Mediator at heart,

Rachel

Clockwork Angel was an extremely good book, providing more than I expected. It’s action packed and twisty as a pretzel. If you’re ready for an easy read with lots of adventure and plot and a tad bit of YA romance, I recommend it. To devoted classic’s readers, I don’t recommend. The dialect remains distinctly modern, not at all like a novel from Austen or Bronte, but for YA Readers, READ IT. You’ll enjoy. For those that have read The Mortal Instruments, you’re in for good read. I loved how certain characters made appearances and even last names connected the characters from both books. The world Clare has created is wonderful. An introduction of a character you know is like finding an old acquaintance in a new location, adding to his/her personal story as well as that of the book.

One thing I noticed was that there was a lot of open ends (which would be good for the following novels, but it leaves you with a lot of unanswered questions) And there is always mention of a dark secret, but what that secret constitutes is never addressed. The novel was a great YA read and it definitely set up the foundation for another series full of twists and turns. So while this novel was a great starter I cannot wait for the following books. (Clockwork Prince comes out December 6th!) So if you’re looking for another world to immerse yourself in, read the book.

Wishing I lived in another century,

Rachel

Only the Good Spy Young is the fourth novel in the series of supposedly six -although the fifth is set to be released in early 2012.

Cammie Morgan’s life has definitely had it’s twists and turns, and what else can be expected of a student who attends a preparatory spy school for young women? This book continues down the winding path and does not disappoint. After several life threatening situations, Cammie thought she knew who to trust, but the book starts off with a bang and Cammie’s world begins to totter. Who is actually on her side? And who will Cammie believe?

The novel is action backed and Carter certainly delivers. Our favorite male makes an appearance, as does the mysterious male school. Cammie will look to the past to help her move forward.

Wishing I was a Gallagher Girl,

Rachel

And I’m going to actually write reviews this summer?

Yuppers. As this immensely stressing school year comes to a close, I’ve gained a lot of free time. In fact, I had no idea what to do the first weekend I had no homework. I don’t have three chapters of reading logs due Monday? Then what do I do with myself?!

So, after a year of focus on homework, I come back to the books. I’ll be on another classic binge soon, but for the moment, I decided to reread some of my YA novels. Prepare yourselves for a summer of reviews.

glad to return,

Rachel

Rachel’s review of Bel Canto caught my eye, and the title stuck with me as I shopped for books. It seemed interesting enough, so I bought it. It didn’t disappoint. Ann Patchett has a knack for descriptions, which I can certainly appreciate. She was vivid and detailed, but not boring. The book certainly isn’t “action packed”, but it is an interesting insight to the human mind. And it can be a little, mature, so viewer discretion is advised?

     Bel Canto takes place in an unnamed, though poor, country in South America. In hopes of luring businss opportunities to their desperate domain, the government throws a large birthday party for 53 year old Mr. Hosokawa, a successful japanese businessman. Unbeknownst to them, Mr. Hosokawa can only be bothered to attend after he hears that his favorite opera singer, Roxane Coss, will be singing for him. After she takes a bow, the party is interrupted in the most unexpected of ways: a swarm of men with guns invading the room. The party crashers are members of a terrorist organization known as La Familia de Martin Suarez, who have come to kidnap the country’s president. Unfortunately, the president did not attend the birthday bash. Not knowing what else to do, the terrorists take control of the house, a situation that will span months. Terrorists and hostages will learn to cope with each other, live with each other, and eventually love each other. The end comes rather ubruptly, an event that will leave your head spinning.

     From page one, this book has worked it’s way high up on my list of favorites. It’s beautifully written, the characters engaging, and the plot is wonderful. It’s well worth your time, and certainly won’t be a disappointment.

  The other day, my chemistry teacher was discussing books with another student. She caught me listening in, and (this type of behavior is quite typical in my teacher) whipped around and demanded, “What?You don’t read?!” I laughed, and told her that I loved to read. This seemed to pique her interest. She handed me a book I’d seen on her shelf for a while. I had flipped through the first few pages before class. I had never thought of asking to borrow it, though.
The book itself is a classic mixture of sci-fi meets horror. As it states plainly on the cover, it’s a true story, and actually took place not too far where I live. The book takes place in the Washington D.C. area. It’s the story of a breakout of a strand of Ebola in 1989. Ebola, according to the author, is an extremely dangerous virus. It’s kill rate is anywhere between 50-90%. If it successfully spread among the DC Suburbs, catastrophe would surely ensue. It’s up to a team of Army scientists and civilians working at a research factility known as USAMRIID to stop the outbreak quietly and efficiently.
A lot of the book is technical jargon; the other half is the gruesome details of the disease it described. Sometimes I found that the plot moved too slowly; the first hundred pages or so are merely set up for the actual plot. But other times I had to reread paragraphs several times to digest what had happened. The content itself isn’t so much scary in the horror movie sense – you won’t find any men with chainsaws in this novel. Instead, it will make you shudder with vivid depictions of symptoms the victims have. Or you might find that the detailed, yet matter of fact, explainations of the potential of such situations will send a shiver down your spine. Overall, it’s a great read if you’re looking for a medical thriller that will leave you reaching for the hand sanitizer. It’s not a book I’ll ever call a favorite, but I will definitely remember it the next time I find myself sitting next to a coughing person. Who can say when and where the next hot zone will occur?

Thoroughly creeped out,
Caitlyn