July has been a super hot month that has left me hanging out in a nice air conditioned apartment, reading many a book. It's been nice to have time to read again and I'm trying to take full advantage of it by reading as much as I can. Here's what I read this month:
by Paul Jenkins & Humberto Ramos
67 Pages
Fairy Quest is set in the world in Fablewood, where all of the stories that have ever been told live side-by-side. But it is a sinister place indeed. Under the watchful eye of the dreaded Mister Grimm and his Think Police, the characters must keep their story straight or risk having their minds wiped inside the Mind Eraser.
Despite this, Red Riding Hood and her Wolf (Red and Mister Woof) have become friends. And they are about to risk everything to try and escape from the clutches of their oppressors and find sanctuary in a mysterious place called the Real World. Red and Woof will undertake a difficult and perilous journey through all of Fablewood, hoping against all odds that they can remain as friends forever.
This was a great comic about fairy tale characters who no longer want to follow their stories, who want to live their own lives. It's a neat idea about taking your story into your own hands. I really enjoyed what they did with the characters and really need to get my hands on the next issue.
by Kate Leth & Jake Myler
27 Pages
The Fraggles’ journey has led them to the mysterious Crystal Caves where creatures of all shapes and sizes await. They’ll need to rely on one another and maybe even sing a song or two if they’re going to make it through to the Everspring!
I wish these were a collection but I can only get it issue by issue, so it's hard to get a real feeling for the story when it's so spread out. This one was about overcoming fears and that it helps to be with friends. It's still always a fun, short read.
by Kendare Blake
120 Pages
Triplet queens born on the island of Fennbirn can be many things: Elementals. Poisoners. Naturalists. If an oracle queen is born, however, one with the gift of sight, she’s immediately drowned, extinguishing her chance at ever taking the throne.
But that’s not how it always was. This cautionary practice started long ago, with Queen Elsabet—the legendary, and last, oracle queen—whose reign was tinged with blood and horror.
Paranoid, ruthless, and utterly mad, Elsabet’s mistrust led to the senseless slaying of three entire houses of innocent people. At least, that’s the unchallenged tale carried down from generation to generation. But what really happened? Discover the true story behind the queen who, though born with the gift of sight, could not foresee her swift and sudden fall from power . . . until it was too late.
Through out this series, they always talk about the Mad Queen, so I was excited to find this short novella about her. Then I was terribly disappointed with how the story revealed itself. I get trying to twist the story, but I really wanted what I thought the actual story. I think it would've been more amazing to see how the Queen actually went mad. I've been very disappointed with these short stories.
by Kate Leth & Matt Cummings
26 Pages
It has been foretold that four noble warriors of incredible strength would be gifted with cosmic abilities at a moment of planetary alignment...which, yeah, something definitely went wrong here. Amie is a disaffected twentysomething with a lot of attitude, Kevin is a washed-up athlete way past his prime, Sandy's a mother of two teenagers, and Silas...is a goldfish. Just a normal goldfish. Are we sure we read that prophecy right?
After reading The Fraggles, I wanted to see what else Kate Leth had done and I came across this fun comic about unlikely superheroes. This is also 1 issue at a time, but it's super cute and I want more and more of it!
by Ryan North, Shelli Paroline, Braden Lamb & Mike Holmes
112 Pages
The all-ages smash hit of the year is back with more algebraic adventures in the Land of Ooo!The all-ages hit of the year is back with a new volume collecting even more algebraic adventures! What happens when Finn the human and Jake the dog get a hold of Princess Bubblegum’s time machine and travel to go to the future? Find out in this second volume!
These are always fun and strange and that's just how I like them. This one dealt with the problems of time travel. That problem is robot revolution apparently, but it's still pretty awesome. I'm really enjoying this series and it holds up to the same fun and crazy as the tv show.
by Marissa Meyer
83 Pages (23:30 Hours)
Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mar her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana.
Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won’t approve of her feelings for her childhood friend–the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn’t as weak as Levana believes her to be and she’s been undermining her stepmother’s wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that’s been raging for far too long.
Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters?
This was a great final book. I really enjoyed how everything came together, yet there where still so many twists and turns that I wasn't expecting. I loved all the character story arcs and would continue to read this story forever. This is the perfect example of what I want in retellings of fairy tales and I want MORE.
by Jen Wang
288 Pages
Paris, at the dawn of the modern age:
Prince Sebastian is looking for a bride―or rather, his parents are looking for one for him. Sebastian is too busy hiding his secret life from everyone. At night he puts on daring dresses and takes Paris by storm as the fabulous Lady Crystallia―the hottest fashion icon in the world capital of fashion!
Sebastian’s secret weapon (and best friend) is the brilliant dressmaker Frances―one of only two people who know the truth: sometimes this boy wears dresses. But Frances dreams of greatness, and being someone’s secret weapon means being a secret. Forever. How long can Frances defer her dreams to protect a friend? Jen Wang weaves an exuberantly romantic tale of identity, young love, art, and family. A fairy tale for any age, The Prince and the Dressmaker will steal your heart.
this was a sweet story about a boy who loved to wear dresses and the woman who loved and believed in him. I really, really enjoyed it and wish there were more stories like these. so much heart and desire and acceptance.
by Sue Monk Kidd
368 Pages
Inside the abbey of a Benedictine monastery on tiny Egret Island, just off the coast of South Carolina, resides a beautiful and mysterious chair ornately carved with mermaids and dedicated to a saint who, legend claims, was a mermaid before her conversion.
Jessie Sullivan's conventional life has been "molded to the smallest space possible." So when she is called home to cope with her mother's startling and enigmatic act of violence, Jessie finds herself relieved to be apart from her husband, Hugh. Jessie loves Hugh, but on Egret Island-amid the gorgeous marshlands and tidal creeks-she becomes drawn to Brother Thomas, a monk who is mere months from taking his final vows.
What transpires will unlock the roots of her mother's tormented past, but most of all, as Jessie grapples with the tension of desire and the struggle to deny it, she will find a freedom that feels overwhelmingly right.
What inspires the yearning for a soul mate? Few writers have explored, as Kidd does, the lush, unknown region of the feminine soul where the thin line between the spiritual and the erotic exists.
The Mermaid Chair is a vividly imagined novel about the passions of the spirit and the ecstasies of the body; one that illuminates a woman's self-awakening with the brilliance and power that only a writer of Kidd's ability could conjure.
I love Sue Monk Kidd and I've always wanted to read this book, but could never find a copy of it. Turns out my mom had a copy of it and gave it to me. This was a lovely story that I wasn't expecting. I shouldn't be surprised, since I've love every other book of hers that I've read. Although the story is about a woman who falls in love with a Monk, but the story of her finding and freeing herself from who she use to be is the one that I really love. I just fall into her writing and don't ever want to come back out.
by M.J. Scott
352 Pages
She fled to save her life, but surviving what comes next might destroy everything she believes in…
The royal witches of Anglion have always been bound to serve their country. But Lady Sophia Mackenzie, whose unbound magic and near claim to the crown made her a target, was forced to flee Anglion, leaving behind a dead assassin and shattered loyalties. Now she finds herself in Illvya, where the magic is everything she’s been taught to fear and the only person she can trust is her new husband, Cameron.
Sophia and Cameron must navigate a strange world of illicit temptations, dangerous threats and political intrigue, where as a royal witch Sophia is both prized and reviled.
As she begins to master her powers, the factions seeking to control Sophia close in, and her magical and emotional bonds with Cameron are pushed to the limit. To survive long enough to claim the future she seeks, she may have to choose between love and loyalty, and hope the price of her choice is one she can bear.
I read the first book in this series years ago and only found out that it had a sequel recently, and only on ebook. Although I barely remember the first book, I got into the second one with only a little difficulty. I was worried that it was going to turn into another magical school book, but I'm glad that it didn't. It actually got pretty interesting and I was frustrated when I found out that there was going to be another book, but with no publishing date or info on it. I may never know how it turns out.
by Victoria Aveyard
208 Pages (6:26 Hours)
Discover the truth of Norta’s bloody past in these two revealing prequels to #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestseller RED QUEEN.
Queen Song
Queen Coriane, first wife of King Tiberias, keeps a secret diary—how else can she ensure that no one at the palace will use her thoughts against her? Coriane recounts her heady courtship with the crown prince, the birth of a new prince, Cal, and the potentially deadly challenges that lie ahead for her in royal life.
Steel Scars
Captain Farley was raised to be strong, but being tasked with planting the seeds of rebellion in Norta is a tougher job than expected. As she travels the land recruiting black market traders, smugglers, and extremists for her first attempt at an attack on the capital, she stumbles upon a connection that may prove to be the key to the entire operation—Mare Barrow.
This was 2 books in 1 and both were vastly different. The first story was amazing and I really loved following Queen Coriane and her real/imagined downward spiral. It gave a lot of depth as a background story. The second story on the other hand, was vastly different. Farley's story is annoying and filled with missives back and forth with all the credentials and classifieds and blah blah blah over and over again as they pass messages. It was hard to listen to over and over for very small messages. It made me want to switch over to another book. But I didn't and the story was okay.
by Kate Leth & Jake Myler
27 Pages
Deep in the Crystal Cave the Fraggles find...Doozers?! Gobo, Red, and the rest of the gang meet a whole new, never-before-seen colony of Doozers with a bit more artistic flare than they’re used to. But will they be able to help the Fraggles get water back to Fraggle Rock?
I love the new Doozers in this issue. I think they are super cute and I love all the machines that they've made.
by Marissa Meyer & Douglas Holgate
238 Pages
When rogue packs of wolf-hybrid soldiers threaten the tenuous peace alliance between Earth and Luna, Iko takes it upon herself to hunt down the soldiers' leader. She is soon working with a handsome royal guard who forces her to question everything she knows about love, loyalty, and her own humanity. With appearances by Cinder and the rest of the Rampion crew, this is a must-have for fans of the series.
I was so excited to learn that the story wasn't completely over yet and that it was taking the time to give Iko her own plot line. Reading it in a comic style was nice after both reading and listening to this story. I'm interested in seeing where this story goes now.
by Kate Leth & Matt Cummings
27 Pages
A traffic jam turns into a battlefield as Amie, Sandy, Kevin, and Silas fight together as a team for the first time!
Although short, this was a fun introduction to the rest of the characters of this series. And I LOVE Kevin's outfit sooo much!
by Mato
162 Pages
The highly anticipated second volume of the popular Twitter hit is brimming with more pages! After naming the emperor penguin she found in her refrigerator “Emperor,” high school girl Kaho is living a charming life with her new pet. Now that it’s summer, will Kaho be able to pull off the bold stunt of taking Emperor to the beach?!
This comic continues to bring me a lot of joy and fills my dreams of having my own penguin pet. I love that she takes him to the beach and how much joy there is in those pages.
by Catherynne M. Valente
154 Pages
A New York Times bestselling author offers a brilliant reinvention of one of the best-known fairy tales of all time with Snow White as a gunslinger in the mythical Wild West.
Forget the dark, enchanted forest. Picture instead a masterfully evoked Old West where you are more likely to find coyotes as the seven dwarves. Insert into this scene a plain-spoken, appealing narrator who relates the history of our heroine’s parents—a Nevada silver baron who forced the Crow people to give up one of their most beautiful daughters, Gun That Sings, in marriage to him.
Although her mother’s life ended as hers began, so begins a remarkable tale: equal parts heartbreak and strength. This girl has been born into a world with no place for a half-native, half-white child. After being hidden for years, a very wicked stepmother finally gifts her with the name Snow White, referring to the pale skin she will never have.
Filled with fascinating glimpses through the fabled looking glass and a close-up look at hard living in the gritty gun-slinging West, this is an utterly enchanting story . . . at once familiar and entirely new.
This was a great retelling of Snow White. I was expecting it to be a little immature, but it wasn't at all. In fact, I would say it dealt with some really heavy concepts. I enjoyed that the 7 dwarves were actually 7 strong women who wanted to be left alone by the rest of the world. The ending was really strange and abrupt, but the rest was really good.
by Erin Morgenstern
387 Pages (13:40 Hours)
The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.
But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway - a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love - a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.
True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus performers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.
I really wanted to enjoy this book, but I really didn't, which was too bad. This book could've been really good and there were parts that were, but the story was so spread out and the years jumped around so much that it was hard to follow or to ever really get a feeling for anyone's character.
Books that I am currently reading
by Sally Armstrong
127 of 377
by Jane Austen
53 of 279 Pages
by Jon Messenger
45 of 300 Pages
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