A Dance With Dragons

A Dance With Dragons by George R.R. Martin

In the aftermath of a colossal battle, the future of the Seven Kingdoms hangs in the balance — beset by newly emerging threats from every direction. In the east, Daenerys Targaryen, the last scion of House Targaryen, rules with her three dragons as queen of a city built on dust and death. But Daenerys has thousands of enemies, and many have set out to find her. As they gather, one young man embarks upon his own quest for the queen, with an entirely different goal in mind.

Fleeing from Westeros with a price on his head, Tyrion Lannister, too, is making his way to Daenerys. But his newest allies in this quest are not the rag-tag band they seem, and at their heart lies one who could undo Daenerys's claim to Westeros forever.

Meanwhile, to the north lies the mammoth Wall of ice and stone — a structure only as strong as those guarding it. There, Jon Snow, 998th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, will face his greatest challenge. For he has powerful foes not only within the Watch but also beyond, in the land of the creatures of ice.

From all corners, bitter conflicts reignite, intimate betrayals are perpetrated, and a grand cast of outlaws and priests, soldiers and skinchangers, nobles and slaves, will face seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Some will fail, others will grow in the strength of darkness. But in a time of rising restlessness, the tides of destiny and politics will lead inevitably to the greatest dance of all.

                                                      Mary Joy- This book is an amazing read the entire way through and closes with a starting cliff hanger. It picks up where A Storm of Swards left off, but with the other half of the characters left out in A Feast for Crows. Typical of Martin's style, it is full of plot twists, schemes and no shortage of blood and death. It is an intense read that will leave readers waiting expectantly for the next installment of the series. 

Rating: 10 out of 10

A Feast for Crows

A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin

After centuries of bitter strife, the seven powers dividing the land have beaten one another into an uneasy truce. But it's not long before the survivors, outlaws, renegades, and carrion eaters of the Seven Kingdoms gather. Now, as the human crows assemble over a banquet of ashes, daring new plots and dangerous new alliances are formed while surprising faces—some familiar, others only just appearing—emerge from an ominous twilight of past struggles and chaos to take up the challenges of the terrible times ahead. Nobles and commoners, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and sages, are coming together to stake their fortunes...and their lives. For at a feast for crows, many are the guests—but only a few are the survivors. 

                               Mary Joy- This book definitely picks up the slack from the last one. It brings the stories of several of the main characters to starting closure, demonstrating Martin's ability to completely change a plot line and still engage even the most unwilling of readers. My only complaint about the book is that it focuses fully on only about half the main characters, leaving out the input of some of my favorite characters. However, this book is overall a very gripping story and is, in my opinion, the best book in the series.

Rating: 9 out of 10

2nd Chance

2nd Chance by James Patterson

2nd Chance reconvenes the Women's Murder Club, four friends (a detective, a reporter, an assistant district attorney, and a medical examiner) who used their networking skills, feminine intuition, and professional wiles to solve a baffling series of murders in 1st to Die. This time, the murders of two African Americans, a little girl and an old woman, bear all the signs of a serial killer for Lindsay Boxer, newly promoted to lieutenant of San Francisco's homicide squad. But there's an odd detail she finds even more disturbing: both victims were related to city cops. A symbol glimpsed at both murder scenes leads to a racist hate group, but the taunting killer strikes again and again, leaving deliberate clues and eluding the police ever more cleverly. In the meantime, each of the women has a personal stake at risk--and the killer knows who they are.

                                 Sheila Fennell- enjoyed reading this book. It was fast paced, the plot had a lot of good twists and turns. The reader was led in different directions to find the murderer. But at the end a small clue, which I have overlooked pointed out the killer. My favorite character was Lindsay Boxer, but I didn't really like her friend they were bad at finding the murderer. Lindsay takes a lot of chances that almost cost her life. But the end is definitely a surprise!

Rating: 8 out of 10

The Red Pyramid

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan

Since their mother's death, Carter and Sadie have become near strangers. While Sadie has lived with her grandparents in London, her brother has traveled the world with their father, the brilliant Egyptologist, Dr. Julius Kane. 

One night, Dr. Kane brings the siblings together for a "research experiment" at the British Museum, where he hopes to set things right for his family. Instead, he unleashes the Egyptian god Set, who banishes him to oblivion and forces the children to flee for their lives. 

Soon, Sadie and Carter discover that the gods of Egypt are waking, and the worst of them —Set— has his sights on the Kanes. To stop him, the siblings embark on a dangerous journey across the globe - a quest that brings them ever closer to the truth about their family and their links to a secret order that has existed since the time of the pharaohs.

                         Smee Bucket- This is the first book of Riordan's "Kane Chronicles" series, which is about two siblings who are decedents of powerful Egyptian magicians. They learn how the Egyptian myths still play out in the modern world and must save the world from approaching chaos. This series is similar to the "Percy Jackson" series, but the gods and goddesses work in different ways. I didn't enjoy this book as much as the "Percy Jackson" series, partly from personal preference and partly because it was hard to get used to the way Egyptian magic works in the story. All in all, this is an enjoyable series that I recommend if you like mythology or adventure stories. 


Rating: 7 out of 10

Nation

Nation by Terry Pratchett 

Alone on a desert island — everything and everyone he knows and loves has been washed away in a storm — Mau is the last surviving member of his nation. He’s completely alone — or so he thinks until he finds the ghost girl. She has no toes, wears strange lacy trousers like the grandfather bird, and gives him a stick that can make fire.
Daphne, sole survivor of the wreck of the Sweet Judy, almost immediately regrets trying to shoot the native boy. Thank goodness the powder was wet and the gun only produced a spark. She’s certain her father, distant cousin of the Royal family, will come and rescue her but it seems, for now, that all she has for company is the boy and the foul-mouthed ship’s parrot, until other survivors arrive to take refuge on the island. Together, Mau and Daphne discover some remarkable things (including how to milk a pig, and why spitting in beer is a good thing), and start to forge a new nation.

                                 Smee Bucket- This book is historical fiction from an alternate universe (if that makes sense). It's partly about an island boy named Mau and partly about a wealthy European girl called Daphne. This book has humor, but also some very dark and depressing scenes. Mau explores his faith in the gods and humanity. Religious questioning is prevalent throughout the story, and the question "is there a god" is never answered (which is realistic when you think about it). I definitely recommend this book. The story is captivating and the conflicts will make you think. 

Rating: 8 out of 10

Zoo Station

Zoo Station by David Downing

By 1939, Anglo-American journalist John Russell has spent fifteen years in Berlin, where his German-born son lives. He writes human-interest pieces for British and American papers, avoiding the investigative journalism that could get him deported. But as war approaches, he faces the prospect of having to leave his son and his longtime girlfriend.

Then, an acquaintance from his communist days approaches him to do some work for the Soviets. Russell is reluctant but ultimately unable to resist. He becomes involved in other dangerous activities, helping a Jewish family and an idealistic American reporter. When the British and the Nazis notice his involvement with the Soviets, Russell is dragged into the world of warring intelligence services.

                            Desarae- If your into reading about drugs and all of that stuff, this would be perfect. It gets into depth with drugs, abuse, and sex. I do not recommend this book to anyone that feels uncomfortable when they read about drugs. Reading this book as a freshman set my book standards pretty high. It was a very good book!

Rating: 9 out of 10

Up All Night

Up All Night by Peter Abrahams, Libba Bray, David Levithan, Patricia McCormick, Sarah Weeks, Gene Luen Yang, & Ariel Pollak

A brush with the supernatural? A rock concert? A reunion? A poolside revelation? The need to know what's up? The confessions of a friend? The dream of escape? A sick pet? An English assignment? The rear-window view of a murder next door? The search for the mother you never met? What keeps you up all night?

                                 Smee Bucket-  This is a compilation of six short stories written by said authors. The stories vary in quality and subject matter, but that all center around a teen who is up all night for whatever reason. Some stories are excellent and fun to read, while others are only so-so. A few deal with sexuality, and a few have very strong language. The last story, to me, is very off-putting. While the first five are more or less realistic fiction, the sixth story is a comic strip about a monkey and his search for something. Unlike the other stories, which were moving one way or another (even the ones I didn't like), the sixth story read like a fable. I don't know why the authors ended this anthology with the monkey comic, but hey, maybe you'll like it. 

Rating: 5 out of 10