Daily Archives: September 30, 2010
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell – Read-along Final
Posted on September 30, 2010
Cross-Bloggination Guest Post – Danielle from There’s a Book!
Posted on September 30, 2010
It’s that time again and thanks to Lydia I have the fantastic opportunity
to share with you my favorite read of this last month, and it could quite possibly be my favorite read
this year. It’s a book that I immediately connected with and also an author I absolutely adore, not
just because of this author’s writing, but she’s just an incredible person as well. So, without further
hesitation on my part, on to the book…
Dangerous Neighbors by Beth Kephart
I was first introduced to Beth’s writing when Amy from My Friend Amy approached me about doing a review for her
new company, Winsome Media Communications, for another of Beth’s books, The Heart is Not a
Size. It was a brilliant book and almost instantaneously I was a huge fan of Beth Kephart’s
writing. She writes in such a way that the words seem to sing off the pages straight into your heart,
beautiful. So, needless to say, when Amy came to me again with Beth’s newest book I couldn’t turn her
down.
Without a doubt Dangerous Neighbors is my favorite read
this month and as I mentioned earlier, it may well be my favorite this year. The story is about a pair of
sisters,Katherine and Anna who were the best of friends, and actually twins. Throughout Katherine’s
life Anna has been a constant driving force, her ever present companion and Katherine, her guardian.
When something more powerful than sisterhood comes between them and Anna’s fate is sealed
Katherine must wade through the mist of the unknown. All the while the celebration of the Philadelphia
Centennial of 1876 is going on and Katherine is struggling to overcome this, the loss of her truest and
most meaningful companion. Dangerous Neighbors is a story of sisterhood, love and hope;
one you will not soon forget.
It’s actually a young adult novel based in historical fiction, which to be
honest is not a genre I typically enjoy. I love history, but for some reason the stories people shape
around it often come off rather dry. Beth Kephart does an incredible job though keeping you engaged
and connected with the story of these two sisters; Katherine especially. Her struggle and loss seemed
so real to me and actually helped me to resolve some personal issues I’d been dealing with on a similar
level.
This was, without a doubt one of my favorite reads ever. I would easily recommend it to readers of young adult fiction as well as historical fiction, both will enjoy it tremendously. About love, trust, friendship and more Dangerous Neighbors and Beth Kephart’s writing easily seeps its way into your heart and doesn’t let go.
For my full review make sure to stop by There’s A
Book and thank you again to Lydia for allowing me to stop by!
Torment by Lauren Kate
Posted on September 30, 2010
Order from:
Reason(s) for Reading:
I also recommend:
Summary from GoodReads:
How many lives do you need to live before you find someone worth dying for? In the aftermath of what happened at Sword & Cross, Luce has been hidden away by her cursed angelic boyfriend, Daniel, in a new school filled with Nephilim, the offspring of fallen angels and humans. Daniel promises she will be safe here, protected from those who would kill her. At the school Luce discovers what the Shadows that have followed her all her life mean – and how to manipulate them to see into her other lives. Yet the more Luce learns about herself, the more she realizes that the past is her only key to unlocking her future…and that Daniel hasn’t told her everything. What if his version of the past isn’t actually the way things happened…what if Luce was really meant to be with someone else?
My Review:
I am so angry right now! Thoroughly disgusted with what was done with Luce in this book. I’m beginning to think that I’m expecting too much by expecting a three-dimensional character that I actually LIKE and want to sympathize with.
Now that I’ve gotten that little rant out of the way I will say this. I enjoyed Torment infinitely better than I did Crescendo, and I 100% credit that to the supporting characters in the book. Without the cast of characters at Luce’s new school (and I do miss the old, Gothic cemetery), this story would have, basically, been exactly the same type of story I read in Crescendo.
Now, if you are wanting to get some answers, be prepared to join the disappointment train with me. There is SO MUCH BACKSTORY I want to know about, Lauren Kate!! Please, flesh it out, give us the story, talk to us about the outcasts and the fallen and the history you’ve created. Luce is not the only girl in the dark here – we need and want to know what’s happening!
That said – I’ll be picking up Book 3 just to find out if we get some answers. Oh, now I’m all frustrated again. There were so many pages and still.. no answers! Okay, I’m done ranting now. The book is interesting but, if you want my advice, wait to dive in until the story has been completed or you too might end up like me right now.
Check out these reviews:
(This book was received from Angela at Dark Faerie Tales in connection with an ARC tour)
