#Review: Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

Jessica Spotswood wielded her magic pen and out came a debut novel she can be proud of. Endangered witches, a sweet romance in a depressive historical setting and some strong female characters to boot is some of the things packed into this novel. 

Sixteen year old Cate rules the Cahill household after her mother died three years ago. A hard enough task on its own, but extremly difficult when Cate and her two younger sisters are all smart young women and witches.

In a socity where women is denied knowledge and power by The Brotherhood the Cahill sisters true nature must remain a secret. If they are discovered then it's Harwood asylum, or worse, next. An additional challenge is coming up for Cate; at seventeen she has to decide on a suitor and get married or she will be forced by The Brotherhood to join The Sisterhood.

Born Wicked was a fast and fun read - a perfect blend of historical fiction, kissing and magic. Jessica Spotswood knows how to entertain and she has done a good job by mixing up an alternative reality with history. I could tell that she had done research on the late Victorian-Era and that the story was influenced by the Salem witch trials.

The setting is perfect, New England in the late 1800' early 1900's, I believe. It is in the same area where the witch trials took place in the 17th century. A place where the supernatural was something they believed in and feared.

What I loved the most about this novel was all the strong female characters in a puritanical world, a world were women were being suppressed. It really upsets me to think about the fact that some places in this world this is not fiction, places where women still is far from being seen as a mans equal still exists.

The main character Cate was a refreshing change from a great deal other YA heroines, they sometimes seems to be lacign a bit in the intelligence department when it comes to making important decisions. And here comes the trait I loved the most about Cate, she asks for help and she confides in people. That is admirable, one cannot tackle every problem out there alone. Admitting that one isn't Superman/women is a character strength, non of us are perfect.

Oh, also, there is a few excellent kissing scenes here to get those butterflies in your stomach fluttering about.

Now I need to hit The Book Depository and order up the next two installments in this trilogy(I am pre-ordering the third one as I am pretty sure it will be worth the read).

Jessica Spotswood

Photo:  Anne Chan

• got caught reading under her desk in fifth grade

• is married and living in Washington DC

• has a cat named Monkey

• is a full-time author

• loves Earl Grey tea and Snow Patrol

Check out Jessica Spotswood's bio for more information.

Have you read Born Wicked? What did you think of it? Feel free to add a link to your review of this novel in the comment section and I'll stop by your blog to read and comment your review.

Haven't read Born Wicked? Is it on your wishlist perhaps or are you considering it after having read my review?

Addictive and annoying: Renegade by Amy Carol Reeves

I enjoy reading Amy Carol Reeves' Ripper novels. I love the setting and the overall gothic feel the author creates from London in the 1880's with a sprinkle of the supernatural. It is also interesting to travel back in time to an era when girls weren't supposed to want anything for themselves, other than a nice home, and certainly not should they ever fancy themselves becoming a physician.

My copy of Renegade was provided by the
publisher via Netgalley for an honest review.

If you missed my review of the first book in the series you can check it out by clicking on this link.

There will be spoilers - continue on at own risk!

"The End Is the Beginning Is the End"

We're picking up almost where the first book ended. One of the members of the cruel and twisted Conclave is still out there somewhere and of course he is after Abbie Sharp and her friend. This time there are cruel murders in London, again, people being resurrected and suspiciously sounding like vamps. However things get lost and Abbie keeps having these visions of a creature that is half woman, half large reptile. Not a good sign! The rest is up to you to find out, I will not reveal the whole caboodle.

Some pet peeves - and start spoilers 

Why does the girl, almost without exception, choose the guy who is an ass over the good guy?! Some bad guys(and girls) are nice and just bad by reputation and if you've tried being with them once and it doesn't really work out that well then why o' why try again?

Old affair out in broad daylight

In this case the love interest confesses as to have had a partner earlier in his life, after Abbie picks up some vibes when she and Mr.Lovely visits this past flame, an older woman, and her husband for dinner. Abbie reacts to this, no wonder really it must feel weird to discover such a thing in that kind of setting and I would think that had made anyone a bit insecure. Also Abbie is no more than seventeen, she is supposed to react to these sort of things with a bit of a hormonal outburst. It will pass, but that was not the issue for me here. My problem was the way the boy/man behaved after the relationship went down the drain after this. He behaved like an ass and turned to the bottle instead of trying to win Abbies trust and be the best man that he could be for her and make her see that the past was the past. Instead he welled in self pity, very charming! How can a girl resist such a behavior? Read with dripping sarcasm on tongue.

Chemistry with a capital C

When Dr. Charming makes Abbie's heart beat faster, and the chemistry actually makes my own heart beat a bit faster and the butterflies in my stomach start to dance, she gives it a thought about five seconds and decides no I'll go hook up with "Mr. pity party" over there. Please Mrs. Reeves don't let it end like this, I am begging you!

Historical

I love the historical setting and all the bits and bobs of history that lies hidden in the inky lines. Some historical figures has been written into the story and others are mentioned so I've taken my sweet time with this novel as I wanted to find out more about the real characters(Google, Wikipedia etc). This is not necessary, I am just that kind of curious girl. I have to say that as a bonus I discovered what is thought to be the first modern vampire story; The Vampyre by John William Polidori. It was a short little thing and I will try and review it shortly.

Little clues and pieces of read string are strewn throughout the story making it possible to write some dark and intriguing stories in future novels in this series. I am sticking with it and looking forward to what comes next for Abbie and co.
 

Good, better, best - Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

In out of the Easy Ruta Sepetys have created a wonderful set of characters. The characters never asked to be loved, but still they crawled under my skin, and as a result everyone of them will live on in my heart for years to come. It pains me to face the facts, these memorable characters aren't real. In their own way they feel so real and vibrant, colorful, fun and exiting to spend time with.

Caged? Spread your wings and fly away! I love this cover <3

Another time, another place

Come with me, take my hand and jump aboard my time capsule. We'll travel back in time, to the south, Louisiana, in the "French quarter" in New Orleans. When we are there I'll introduce you to Josie Moraine, she is just seventeen years old, but Josie is wise beyond her years. Growing up in the shadow of a mad woman working on a brothel is no joke. Josie will tell you she is doing fine, in spite of or perhaps because of her difficult childhood she is making a life for herself. She has dreams and she has the fighting spirit to make her dreams turn into something solid.

The Future

If you think that this is all set to be a tragic story about a young girl, then you are on the wrong track. Ruta Sepetys choose to focus  on Josie's future, the hard past is something that is part of Josie but it never takes over her life. Josie is living and fighting for a better future. It seems like everything just might be in Josie's reach when she is involved in a murder case. I will not tell you how it all turns out but I need to let you know that this is a story that will give your warm and fussy feelings. Thinking about Josie, her friends and foes makes me feel thins bubbly sensation of happiness inside and I want to hand out a copy to all my friends and make them read Out of the Easy.

Josie spent most of her childhood and teenage years in a bookstore. Perhaps it was this one?© Flickr/Justin Cozart

Characters

In my intro I mentioned how much I fell for the wonderful characters within the word of Out of the Easy, that is just the way it is when a talented author let the characters live a life that feels true, real, a whole lot more than black ink on white paper. Ruta Sepetys writes characters full of richness and complexity, like real live human beings. There is a whole set of memorable characters here; like Willy the brothel owner(based on Norma Wallace), the taxi driver Cookie, mechanic and florist Jessie and many more. I heart them all.

A lovely fasade in New Orleans. © Flickr/Michael Allen Smith

Do you like reading stories featuring memorable and quirky characters? A story that makes you believe in the good that exists in the human kind? With a sweet romance as the delicious cherry on top(or whatever rocks your boat)? Then Out of the Easy is your next read, you won't regret it.

Listen to author Ruta Sepetys talk about what inspired her to write Out of the Easy.



After reading Out of the Easy I dived a bit further into the history of New Orleans, being Norwegian and all I haven't got all that much in depth knowledge on all the American states. I thought I would share some of my finds with you guys before ending this review:

• Louisiana was named after Louis XIV of France
• In 1719 the French founded Nouvelle-Orléans. Guess what the city is called today? ;)
• "The French Quarter" is the oldest quarter in New Orleans
• Napoleon Bonaparte sold New Orleans to America(with Thomas Jefferson as the man in charge) in the Louisiana purchase in 1803 for 15 million USD.
• Author Truman Capote was from New Orleans. You might very well have read or heard of his most famous work; Breakfast at Tiffany's. I have read, and enjoyed, the book.

Book review: Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

If aliens one day enter my home to empty my bookshelf Code Name Verity is one of the books I will hold on to for dear life. I will fight the aliens with every fiber in my being, that's how much I loved Code Name Verity. This is book will be high on my Top 10 Reads list for 2012, I loved to bits and if you don't pick it up soon then you're in danger of missing out, BIG TIME.

I love this cover, it says so much about the story.

No spoilers

The setting for Code Name Verity is France (and partly England) during WWII. It is a story about female friendship, adventure and women/girls with rather unusual occupations during the war (spy, pilot and mechanic). And that my friend is about all I can tell you about this wonderful story. Why so little you say? Well my dear friend for me to answer that question I need you to answer this question: Have you ever read a book where the whole story will fall apart if you reveal the slightest thing about it? If you have then you know how hard it has been for me to write up this review. There is so much I'm longing to talk about but I cannot  bear the idea of spoiling this amazing story to new readers.

It’s like being in love, discovering your best friend.
A beautiful quote on friendship from Code Name Verity.

Female spies and pilots

Code Name Verity is an epistolary novel(see I learned myself a new word, yaaay), that means the story is being told through letters and diary entries. Our narrator is a young lady imprisoned by the Germans in France. The story changes between being told from a 1st POV and 3rd POV and it works surprisingly.

Our dearest narrator has a bleak future ahead of her, as she is labeled a Night and Fog(Nacht und Nebel)prisoner, that usually means prisoners who disappear into thin air and is never seen or heard from ever again. The narrator is well aware of this and she swaps whatever she can for the chance of a longer life, even if that means turning traitor.

I am no longer afraid of getting old.
Indeed I can't believe I ever said anything so stupid. So childish. So offensive and arrogant.
But mainly, so very, very stupid. I desperately want to grow old.
From Code Name Verity.

A puzzle or a crossword

This book is like a puzzle or a crossword and we all know how freaking annoying it is when you're this close to the solution and someone looks over your shoulder and gives you the correct answer. Author Elizabeth Wein has sprinkled her story with some very nicely hidden hints for the outfall of this story and I couldn't connect the dots at all until she spelled it out for me. Well done you! I love stories that keep me guessing until the very end and when it's revealed I could almost smack myself for not understanding what was going on before my very eyes earlier.

Code Name Verity might all sound very confusing, but I promise you that it is not. On the surface the story is well put together, there is no holes there but there is secrets there that you just cannot see before the author spills it.

This is a story that is perfect for rereading, it is not necessary but I'm willing to bet that I'll discover a whole new story the second time around. The first time I devoured the book, the second time I'll take my sweet time and discover all the little clues that was hidden for me the first time. I'm not much of a rereading kind of gal' but for this one I'm willing to make an exception. 

I am a coward.
I wanted to be heroic and I pretended I was. I have always been good at pretending.
Quote from Code Name Verity.

Credible

The main character is living on borrowed time, as long as she writes, she lives. The MC, I cannot name her, read the book and you'll understand why, does the unthinkable and becomes a traitor. It might seem a bit unrealistic that the soldiers doesn't just torture the information out of our MC spy, but to believe in this story this was just something I had to accept. This situation is made credible due to the fact that author Elizabeth Wein makes all her characters are human and complex, even the enemy has his weak spots . Very few of the characters, if any, is portrayed as just good or just bad.

Book trailer

Code Name Verity is fiction and at first glance one might believe there to be some historical errors in this novel. If you take a closer look at the information that exists in this novel you might be surprised to learn that some of the things that sounds unreal actually was very real. The things that aren't historical correct is being explained in an authors note at the very end(I learned some interesting facts in this note and I recommend that you read it if you ever read the book) and I think she has done a wonderful job writing about things that very well could have happened during WWII.


This story is both beautiful and heartbreaking and I L O V E it DEARLY! The story will appeal to young and old alike, especially women as this is also a story about strong women and friendship.


Did you know?
That 166 female pilots flew for the ATA during WWII?
15 of these 166 women died on the job.
The ATA pilots mission was to transport planes from one place to another and sometimes they also flew passengers.

That the ATA allowed disabled pilots to fly?
It didn't matter if you missed an arm or an eye, ff you could fly safely the ATA needed your help.

That a female pilot needed twice as many pilot lessons as a male pilot before they were allowed to fly on their own?

Well... look at all the lines I managed to use when I could have said it in such a simple way; I loved Code Name Verity. You don't want to miss out on this one.

This cover is just not to my liking at all. Looks more like a book in
the same genre as 50 Shades, which Code Name Verity most definitely is not.

Have you read Code Name Verity, if so did you enjoy it as much as I did? If not is it at least on your wishlist?

I purchased the audiobook from Audible. En innbundet utgave er på vei hjem til meg også, jeg må ha en fysisk kopi i bokhyllen.

I HAVE TOLD THE TRUTH! And for those of you who has read this novel already you know what I mean.

Book Review: The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges

St. Petersburg, Russia, 1888. As she attends a whirl of glittering balls, royal debutante Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, tries to hide a dark secret: she can raise the dead. No one knows. Not her family. Not the girls at her finishing school. Not the tsar or anyone in her aristocratic circle. Katerina considers her talent a curse, not a gift. But when she uses her special skill to protect a member of the Imperial Family, she finds herself caught in a web of intrigue.

An evil presence is growing within Europe's royal bloodlines—and those aligned with the darkness threaten to topple the tsar. Suddenly Katerina's strength as a necromancer attracts attention from unwelcome sources . . . including two young men—George Alexandrovich, the tsar's standoffish middle son, who needs Katerina's help to safeguard Russia, even if he's repelled by her secret, and the dashing Prince Danilo, heir to the throne of Montenegro, to whom Katerina feels inexplicably drawn.

The time has come for Katerina to embrace her power, but which side will she choose—and to whom will she give her heart?

My thoughts:

My first impression of The Gathering Storm was a little overwhelming, because there are a lot of names and titles to keep straight. Most of the characters are at different times addressed by their double first name, their nickname, their last name and their title, and this was a little confusing at first. But don't worry, you'll get into it!

I absolutely loved the St. Petersburg setting! The snow and icy winds contrast perfectly to the warm ballrooms, and the descriptions made me feel like I was really there. I am impressed by how accurate all the details seemed (I am no expert on Russian history, but everything was very believable), and I let myself get carried away by all the gallant gentlemen, the sparkling diamonds, the colorful balls and the paranormal aspects that lie beneath it all.

Katerina was a great lead character. She was so strong, always trying to protect everyone around her, yet also questioning herself and her power. She does make some stupid decisions, but only the kind that any teenage girl would have made in her situation. I loved her determination, and felt myself cheering for her to find a way out of the mess she was in. I also liked her relationships with George Alexandrovich and Prince Danilo, two very, very different young men. Let's just say that they both of them have their own secrets, and their own reasons for wanting Katerina.

The Gathering Storm is a very promising debut from Robin Bridges, and a wonderful start to a new series. I am excited to see what comes next!

Cover:

It matches well with the story, even if the girl on the cover looks nothing like what I imagined Katerina to look like. 

My rating of this book:

Want to know more?

Add The Gathering Storm to your Goodreads wish list

Visit Robin Bridges' website
Follow Robin on Twitter

Full disclosure:
ARC received from NetGalley

This book can be purchased from a number of local retailers and online book stores like Amazon and The Book Depository (I'm not an affiliate of either). The latter store has free shipping to about 100 countries.

Book review: The Distant Hours by Kate Morton

A letter arrive 50 years too late and Edie Burchill reads it even though the letter is addressed to her mother. Edie sets out on a journey to Milderhurst Castle, where the Blythe spinsters live. During WW II Edie's mother came to live with the Blythe family. The oldest Blythe sisters, twins, has taken care of their youngest sister Juniper since 1941, Juniper lost her mind when her fiance left her in 1941.

Edie dig's deep down into her mother’s past, a past she has kept hidden all these years. What happened at Milderhurst castle?

My thoughts:

Welcome into Milderhurst castle and this wonderful Gothic inspired tale. I'm sure you do not wish to leave until you've closed the final page, at least I know I didn't. The Distant Hours was a true page-turner(perhaps a bad choice of word since I listened to the audiobook). I've heard incredible things about Kate Morton's books but The Distant Hours was the first one for meg. Kate is an incredible storyteller and she writes beautifully. I would say that this is is a book to save until winter and enjoy when the snow is falling heavily outside your windows. 

Sure The Distant Hours is a brick of a book but it doesn't feel that way when your all caught up in the mystery of the story. When I thought I knew something the story took an unexpected turn. Sometimes the setting was a bit eerie and it felt a bit like I was reading a ghost story thanks to Juniper, she was one scary character.

The Distant Hours is reminiscent of The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield and I feel pretty confident that those who loved TTT will fall for this book as well.

Although this is an adult title older young adults might like this one.


Book trailer:

Cover:
Lovely.


My rating of this book:

Want a second opinion? Check out these reviews written by some of my book blogging friends:
The Book Nerd Club
Confessions of A Book Addict
Beyond Books

Want to know more?

Add The Distant Hours to your Goodreads wish list.

Visit Kate Morton's homepage 

Read Kate's blog 

Check out Kate's fanpage on Facebook 

The Distant Hours by Kate Morton

Published: 2010
Pages(hardcover): 674
Publisher: Mantle
ISBN: 0230748325 (ISBN13: 9780230748323)
Full disclosure: I purchased the audiobook version of this novel from Audible

This book can be purchased from a number of local retailers and on-line book stores such as Amazon or The Book Depository (I'm not an affiliate of either). The latter store does by the way have free shipping to about 100 countries.

Book Review: Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

Paris, July 1942: Sarah, a ten year-old girl, is brutally arrested with her family by the French police in the Vel’ d’Hiv’ roundup, but not before she locks her younger brother in a cupboard in the family's apartment, thinking that she will be back within a few hours.

Paris, May 2002: On Vel’ d’Hiv’s 60th anniversary, journalist Julia Jarmond is asked to write an article about this black day in France's past. Through her contemporary investigation, she stumbles onto a trail of long-hidden family secrets that connect her to Sarah. Julia finds herself compelled to retrace the girl's ordeal, from that terrible term in the Vel d'Hiv', to the camps, and beyond. As she probes into Sarah's past, she begins to question her own place in France, and to reevaluate her marriage and her life.

My thoughts:

I have had Sarah’s Key recommended to me by several friends, and so I actually went to a bookstore to buy a copy. (This is not something I do often, I'm usually a library kind of girl.) For some reason it ended up sitting in my bookshelf for a couple of months, but then yesterday I was finally out of library books and brought Sarah’s Key to work with me. Luckily the kids decided that yesterday was a good day for a 3,5 hour long nap; perfect for reading.

I love that Sarah’s Key tells a little known story from the Holocaust, of how the French police and authorities arrested over 13 000 jews during two nights in a raid code named “Operation Spring Breeze”. Out of these 13 000, 5800 were women and over 4000 were children, and they were all eventually sent to Auschwitz for execution. The youngest child sent to Auschwitz was only 18 months old. For decades after World War II the French government tried to pretend this never happened, until Jacques Chirac in 1995 finally gave a public speech acknowledging it, fifty-three years after the roundup.

Sarah’s Key is incredibly well written, and I was completely lost in the story from the first chapter. The language is simple and on the spot, and especially the chapters about Sarah have such a raw feeling to them that I found myself crying more than once. There were times when I was very annoyed with Julia; why did she have to keep digging in things better left forgotten? But by the end it all came together, and it was really the only way it could have ended.

The cover:

It's pretty, but I don't love it. I know this is picking at details here, but I wish the children on the cover had been ten and four years-old like Sarah and her brother, instead of looking so close in age. But that's just me being picky.

My rating of this book:

Want a second opinion? Check out these reviews from some of my book blogging friends:

Amused by Books
Mrs. Q: Book Addict

Want to know more?

Add Sarah's Key to your Goodreads wishlist

Visit Tatiana de Rosnay's website

Follow Tatiana on Twitter

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

Published: September 30 2008

Pages (paperback): 293

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

ISBN: 0312370849 (ISBN13: 9780312370848

Full disclosure: Purchased at my local indie bookstore

This book can be purchased from a number of local retailers and online book stores such as Amazon or The Book Depository (I am not an affiliate of either). The latter store has free shipping to about 100 countries.

Book review: The Betrayal of Maggie Blair by Elizabeth Laird

My summary:

The story of Maggie takes place in Scotland during the 17th century. The times are turbulent and one must be careful and keep ones tongue in check or one might be accused of doing spells and being a witch.

Maggie lives with her grumpy old grandmother in a small cottage. The grandmother is the towns "medicine woman", she helps people with minor health problems and helps deliver babies. Grandmothers only problem is her foul temper and that gets the two women in deep. Maggie barely escapes hanging..

My thoughts:

This historical novel takes place in a period that in Scottish history is referred to as The Killing Time. It's not difficult to understand that these were cruel times, many innocent people lost there lives. The Presbyterian Covenanter's fought the kings men for their right to practice Christianity in their own way, they didn't want anything to do with the king's bishops. Sadly religion has been used as an excuse to exercise power, cruelty and war, and it is still so in some parts of our world to this day.

This is a story of what life might have been in those days for a sixteen year old girl, Maggie, trying to find her way in life. It all feels very real, except for the freedom she has, I would imagine girls having very little to say over their own life in those days. It mightn't be so weird that it all feels real since a large part of the story is based on the true experiences of one of the characters in this novel, Henry Blair, a distant relative of the author. A handful of the characters in this novel were actually people living and dying in The Killing Times. I just love the fact that this is the true story, with a lot of fiction mixed, of people living at that time. It gives them new life in a way.

The grandmother in this story is mean on the outside, I do believe she acts like she does to take care of her little family. Sadly no ones told her that scaring people and telling them off isn't really such a good idea, it'll make people turn on you one day. 

The cover:

Stunning and wonderfully linked with the story.

My rating of this book:

3.75 stars out of 5

Want a second opinion? Check out these reviews written by some of my book blogging friends:

Never Gonna Grow Up!

Want to know more?
Add The Betrayal of Maggie Blair to your Goodreads wishlist.
Visit Elizabeth Laird's homepage 
Read Elizabeth's blog 

The Betrayal of Maggie Blair  by Elizabeth Laird

Published: April 18th 2011(first time in 2009)
Pages(hardcover): 435
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children 
ISBN: 0547341261 (ISBN13: 9780547341262)
Full disclosure: Received for honest review from publisher via Netgalley. 

This book can be purchased from a number of local retailers and on-line book stores such as Amazon or The Book Depository (I'm not an affiliate of either). The latter store does by the way have free shipping to about 100 countries.  

Book review: The Last Full Measure by Ann Rinaldi

My summary:
Fourteen-year-old Tacy Stryker lives in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania during the period of the American Civil War and she is present when the Battle of Gettysburg commence in July 1863.Tacy's father is involved in the war as a doctor, trying to save lives on both sides, and her two of her brothers, Brandon and Joel, are off fighting while Tacy is at home with her Ma and her disabled brother, David. David is so bitter for having to stay at home doing "nothing", he wanted to be a soldier as well but he was turned down due to his bad leg. Still David one day has his chance to give the last full measure.

My thoughts:
This was absolutely an amazing historical read, it was the first book I've ever read by Ann Rinaldi but I'm sure that it won't be the last. The Last Full Measure isn't a YA historical fiction that will give the reader loads of information about the Battle of Gettysburg. This is the story of the people of Gettysburg and their families and the drama many the people there experienced during the battle. This is also the story of the 200-400 free black Americans living in Gettysburg at the time of the battle, according to the author this is the first work of fiction that have addressed important piece of fact.

This story is told from a fourteen-year-old girl, Tacy's, point of view and for me she was a credible main character. Tacy isn't some kind of heroine fighting alongside with the men in the war, she is a girl trying to get by. Tacy grows as a character throughout the novel, from being a child towards becoming a young woman. During these days of hardness I believe Tacy learns a lot about humans in general and herself. There are several other characters in this story but I didn't feel like there were too many characters to keep track of. Every character brought something unique to the story.

The shortest little scenes could bring tears to my eye. That's how good Rinaldi writes about encounters that might have happened during this war (or any war really) perhaps not identical to the ones in the novel but similar enough. It reminded me of stories my great grandmother, she's almost a 100(!) years old, have told me about her experiences from the Second World War here in Norway. I'll save those stories for another day but my point is that even though the Civil War was a very different era of course but in many ways a war is a war. I feel that The Last Full Measure was realistic and historical accurate. It was at times very sad, I cried, but that's how it is in times of war.

Several of the characters in this novel actually lived at the time in Gettysburg and I think it is wonderful of Rinaldi to bring them to life again. It is something that I find very touching and I loved reading the authors note where several additional facts about the characters where included.

I want to read more of Ann Rinaldi's novels now so I would appreciate suggestions on Rinaldi novels that I should read in the comment form below.

The cover:
It's quite boring I must say and wouldn't have intrigued me to pick the book of the shelf in a store.

My rating of this book:

4.5 stars out of 5

Want a second opinion? Check out these reviews written by some of my book blogging friends:
J'adorehappyendings
Becky's Book Reviews
The Mod Podge Bookshelf
Rebecca's Book Blog

Want to know more?
Add The Last Full Measure to your Goodreads wish list.
Visit Ann Rinaldi's homepage 

The Last Full Measure by Ann Rinaldi

Published: November 2010
Pages(hardcover): 224
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books
ISBN: 0547389809 (ISBN13: 9780547389806)
Full disclosure: Review copy from the publisher via NetGalley. For honest review. 

This book can be purchased from a number of local retailers and on-line book stores such as Amazon or The Book Depository (I'm not an affiliate of either). The latter store does by the way have free shipping to about 100 countries.

Book review: The Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell

My summary:

Karana and her tribe live on The Island of the Blue Dolphins, after a tragic incident they decide they want to move to another island. One man sets out to find another island and one day a ship comes to get the rest of the tribe. All tribe members are on board and the ships sets sail, then Karana notices that someone from the tribe is standing alone on the shore. Karana won’t leave the person behind and dives into the water, this proves to be the start of a long and lonely period in Karana’s life.

My thoughts:

To be honest I found the novel to be a bit boring when starting out, but as soon as I adjusted to the pace of the novel (all books cannot be fast paced with a lot of action and romance) I was sucked into the story.

Karana’s story is a story of loneliness and survival and our main character is a strong girl. I wondered how Karana would manage to stay sane, find food and shelter and make it through the year. Karana had to trust her instincts and forget about the way of life for the tribe and their old myths, like the one saying that women couldn’t make weapon because if they did the weapon would let them down in a time of need.

Karana befriends some of the animals on the island in her loneliness and her friendship with the dog called Rontu will touch your heart.

I did not know that The Island of the Blue Dolphins was loosely based on a true story. In fact I didn't find out until I read the author notes at the very back of the book. That broke my heart and made the story even more touching.

The cover:

Very fitting to the story and the dolphins now represent hope to me just as it did to Karana.

My rating of this book:

4 stars out of 5\

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Add The Island of the Blue Dolphins to your Goodreads wish list.
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The Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell

Published originally: 1960
Pages(paperback): 184
Publisher: Yearling
ISBN: 0440439884 (ISBN13: 9780440439882)
Full disclosure: Mooched  

This book can be purchased from a number of local retailers and on-line book stores such as Amazon or The Book Depository (I'm not an affiliate of either). The latter store does by the way have free shipping to about 100 countries.  

Book review: Butterfly Swords by Jeannie Lin

My summary:
Butterfly Swords is set in the Tang dynasti in the 8th century, 758 AD. Ai Li is the daughter of an Emperor and she is promised to a warlord, Li Tao. Ai Li has been warned that Li Tao is plotting against her family and escapes when she is on her way to her own wedding. Unfortunately Ai Li and her protectors have been set up and she is saved in the nick of time by a ghost man named Ryam. Now Ai Li needs to get back to her family and warn them of the danger they're in but the journey there is long and dangerous.

My thoughts:
I was very exited to read a historical novel set in China, I must admit that I did not know all that much about the Tang dynasty before reading this historical novel. It seems to me that Jeannie Lin has done her homework and knows quite a bit about this period of time in China.

I liked Ai Li, our heroine, she is a girl who knows how to wield her sword(better than a lot of men) and she gives it all for the causes she believes in. She sometimes seems a bit young for her age but she has led a protected life so that's probably why. Ai Li can be punished for what she has done, disgraced her family in one of the worst possible ways by not showing up at her wedding.

The western barbarian Ryam is the hero of the day(watch out you might get burned) and it is hard not to fall for his character. He is young but he has lived a hard life as a soldier for many years already. Ai Li needs his protection to get safely home but it means terrible danger to Ryam if he offers to go with her to her father, the emperor.

The antagonist, Li Tao, is an awful, cold man and it seems like he has eyes and ears everywhere, making it difficult to escape his soldiers.

At times I felt like some parts of the story, or some of the characters behavior, was a tad bit unrealistic but it didn't bother me all that much. If you enjoy an adult historical novel with romance, sword fighting and adventure then Butterfly Swords is a novel for you to check out!

My rating of this book:
3.8 stars out of 5 - wonderful historical romance. Looking forward to the next one The Dragon and the Pearl.


Want to know more?
Visit Jeannie Lin's homepage
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Add Butterfly Swords to you Goodread shelf.


Full disclosure:
Review copy from Harlequin Historical via Netgalley. 

Book published:
October 2010

This book can be purchased from a number of local retailers and on-line book stores such as Amazon or The Book Depository(I'm not an affiliate of either). The latter store does by the way have free shipping to about 100 countries.