Cinder by Marissa Meyer

TITLE:  Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles #1)

AUTHOR:  Meyer, Marissa
GENRE:  Young Adult/Science Fiction

DATES READ:  8/13/2016 - 8/27/2016

MY RATING:  3/5

My sister-in-law gave me this to read.  Her and her mom both loved it, so let's see how it goes.  SciFi isn't always my favorite, but I love fairy tales flipped around.

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Cinder is a cyborg mechanic in New Beijing, when a deadly plague is killing off the population.  There's a race called the Lunar who live up on the moon with their terrifying queen, and handsome prince named Kai with secrets up his sleeve.  Will Cinder make it to the ball?

I loved the overall idea of a futuristic cyborg Cinderella story.  I just kept waiting for more to happen, but I understand this is also the first book of a series of many.

The writing, characters, and setting are fun and innovative.

Will read and write soon!

***Photo by B. Bumble***

Abandoned by Dan Foley

TITLE:  Abandoned

AUTHOR:  Foley, Dan
GENRE:  Horror

DATES READ:  8/12/2016 - 8/13/2016

MY RATING:  3/5

This is for a bookstore author event.  It's a short horror story, so I should be able to breeze through.

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This book was a quick read about a young man with severe abandonment issues.  It all starts when he finds a pair of glasses, and the glasses begin to speak to him.  They feel abandoned too... and they won't rest until they're reunited with the eyes they were made for.

It definitely had the creep factor.  The only gripe I had is that lipstick you bought yourself and someone else refuses is not really abandoned.  But I guess it just goes to show how crazy the main character really is.  Creepy!

I may try another Dan Foley book soon, as this was interesting.

Will read and write soon!

Book Cover Source

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King

TITLE:  The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon

AUTHOR:  King, Stephen
GENRE:  Fiction/Thriller?

DATES READ:  8/7/2016 - 8/12/2016

MY RATING:  3/5

Reading this one for our Stephen King book club at the end of the month!  Seems part-thrilled, partly baseball oriented.

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A young girl, 9-years-old, gets separated from her family, and decides to take a shortcut.  Now, she's alone... with only the crackles of the distant Red Sox baseball game in her walkman headphones.  Alone with the hope of rescue, and the dream of Red Sox player, Tom Gordon.

It was okay plot-wise, but it was actually pretty thin (and not just in length).  More psychologically and survival based scares than the classic horror expected from King.  Being alone in the woods for weeks, exposure, starvation, animals, etc.

I just felt like the "villain" wasn't anything to write home about.  If anything, the real villain of this story was the actual state of being lost in the woods.  Of course, there's little mysterious King-isms toward the end of the book.  What's real, and what isn't?  Who knows?

There were some creepy moments.  But definitely less horror/terror, and more about the isolation, and bad decision making.  I had to keep reminding myself that this poor girl is only 9.  And lost all alone in the woods.

Will read and write as soon as I can!

Book Cover Source

Hospital Hill by Katherine Anderson

TITLE:  Hospital Hill

AUTHOR:  Anderson, Katherine
GENRE:  Historical Fiction/Mystery

DATES READ:  8/4/2016 - 8/6/2016

MY RATING:  4/5

There was a book discussion at a local bookstore, and my mom and I procured a signed copy of Hospital Hill from Katherine Anderson!  I also purchased one for my boyfriend's sister.  I think she's going to love it!!

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The book is a mystery based out of the wards of Northampton State Hospital for the Insane.  It involved a soon-to-be retired nurse returning to the old abandoned building, and perhaps discovering more than she bargained for...

This was an excellent read!  I enjoyed all of the twists, turns, and the murder mystery weaved in throughout the history.  What really sold me about this book was the author's passion for the topic at hand.  You can tell the devotion and research that comes through in her writing.

I can't wait to read the next book because I stayed up late finishing this one!  Recommended for history buffs who love a good mystery.

Will read and write as soon as I can!

***Photo by B. Bumble***

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling et al.

TITLE:  Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (HP #8)   <---Debatable

AUTHOR:  Rowling, J.K.; Tiffany, John; Thorne, Jack
GENRE:  Screenplay

DATES READ:  8/3/2016 - 8/4/2016

MY RATING:  4/5

This is the rehearsal screenplay of Harry Potter #8!!!  I got it at the midnight release party at the Bookclub Bookstore & More in Westfield, MA.

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It only took me a day to read this, and I'm a little disheartened by most of the reviews I've been reading online.

It was a screenplay!  I don't think it's comparable to the books, nor should it be.  That's why I put that it's a debatable Harry Potter #8.  This story may follow the previous #7, but it's a script/screenplay.  And a script/screenplay is intended to be a performance on stage, with music and effects.  The plot itself is interesting, and it's truly a breeze to read, even in the different format.  It was nice to see the brief epilogue extended.

I'm all for more Harry Potter, no matter the format, time, flavor, relevance, etc.  I enjoyed reading through the script, and would love to see it performed on stage someday!

Will read and write as soon as I can!

***Photo by B. Bumble***

The Thinking Woman's Guide to Real Magic by Emily Croy Barker

TITLE:  The Thinking Woman's Guide to Real Magic

AUTHOR:  Barker, Emily Croy
GENRE:  Fiction/Fantasy

DATES READ:  7/13/2016 - 8/3/2016

MY RATING:  3/5

I actually picked up this book on vacation in SC with my brother and sister-in-law.  It said it was "mind candy" for people who grew up loving Harry Potter.  Enough said!!!

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Nora Fischer finds herself bored and desperately alone at a friend's wedding.  She wanders into the woods to sit down and read, and enjoy a breath of fresh; and instead finds herself in a magical realm with wizards, magic, and fairy like creatures.

Definitely worth reading, if you like this sort of thing.  I readily devoured it, intrigued by the crass and cranky Aruendiel.  But, at times, I just couldn't get behind this so-called "thinking woman".  Even though she's in graduate school, she seems to lose all of her superior intellect (all critical thinking in general, really) when being inserted in this new world.

That being said... it was an enjoyable read for fantasy lovers, with an interesting fantastical world.  Reminded me more of Uprooted than of Harry Potter or A Discovery of Witches (which is what the reviews say).  Good, whimsical (mostly) fantasy.

Will read and write as soon as I can!

***Photo by B. Bumble***