Book: Valley

 Book: Valley

Author: Stacey McEwan

Pages: 400

This is my 83rd read for the year

What Amazon says:

At the bottom of the Chasm, Dawsyn and her followers traipse through the darkness to find their long-awaited home.  But there are whispers all around them and safety is never guaranteed.  With her powers much depleted, and food supplies running low, will they even survive the journey?  Above, the Queen and the new King of Glaca still bay for Dawsyn's blood, and they will not stop in their quest to destory her.  And with the help of someone Dawsyn thought her friend, they creep ever closer.  Long buried secrets will be revealed, hearts will be broken and a new day will dawn.  Who will reign in this climactic conclusion to the epic Glacian Trilogy?

This was a good wrap up to this trilogy.  The last book was awhile ago, but I didn't have trouble jumping back into the the world.  McEwan is a great writer.  The story flowed well, and there is good character development.  Dawsyn continues to be a powerful character.  The love story with she and Ryon did not distract from the overall mission she and the folks from the Ledge were trying to accomplish.  We get to learn Ryon's backstory.  There are some twists and turns and it has a satisfying ending.  She wrapped up the story well.

Stars: 4

Book: Anastasia

 Book: Anastasia

Author: Sophie Lark

Pages: 686

This is my 82nd read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Anastasia is the princess no one needs: the fourth daughter born to an emperor without a son, and the only royal lacking a magical gift.  Until she collides with a young Cossack rebel, changing both their lives forever.  Damien is taken from everything he knows and raised as a ward of the Romanovs.  Anastasia develops a strange king of magic shared only by the Black Monk Rasputin.  While her power grows in secret, boosted by forbidden contact with Damien, Anastasia makes a mistake with terrible consequences.  Fate grants her a single chance to set it right - but saving what she lost may cost everything she loves.

This was a very interesting book.  It is a different take on the Romanov family story mixed with magic and it kept me interested for the entire book.  There is good character development and a large battle I did not see coming.  The story flowed well for the first 3/4 of the book and I was anxious to see where it was going.  Then for a part of the book - the romance took over to the point that I found myself wanting to skip ahead to see if we got back to the original story.  And it did.  I am not a big romance fan, so in my opinion it took over more than necessary.  However, the underlying story mixed with Fantasy made up for it.

Stars: 4

Book: The Horse Dancer

 Book: The Horse Dancer

Author: Jojo Moyes

Pages: 464

This is my 81st book of the year

What Amazon says:

When Sarah's grandfather gives her a beautiful horse named Boo - hoping that one day she'll follow in his footsteps to join an elite French riding school, away from their gritty London neighborhood - she quietly trains in city's parts and alleys.  But then her grandfather falls ill, and Sarah must juggle horsemanship with school and hospital visits.  Natasha, a young lawyer, is reeling after her failed marriage: her professional judgment is being questined, her new boyfriend is a let-down, and she's forced to share her house with her charismatic ex-husband.  Yet when the willful fourteen-year-old Sarah lands in her path, Natasha decides to take the girl under her wing.  But Sarah is keeping a secret - a secret that will change the lives of everyone involved forever.

This was a decent book.  Not one of my favorite Moyes books.  Felt it was a bit unbelievable since one of the main characters was a 14 year old girl.  She was incredibly self centered and selfish and that kind of character drives me crazy in books.  It didn't capture my attention like her past books have.  

Stars: 3

Book: The Party Crasher

 Book: The Party Crasher

Author: Sophie Kinsella

Pages: 368

This is my 80th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

It's been almost 2 years since Effie's beloved parents got divorced, destroying the image of the happy, loving childhood she thought she had.  Since then, she's become estranged from her father and embarked on a feud with his hot (and much younger) girlfriend, Krista.  And now, more earth-shattering news: They've sold Greenoaks, the rambling Victorian country house Effie has always called home.  When Krista decides to throw a grand "house-cooling" party.  Effie is originally left off the guest list - and then receives a last-minute "anti-invitation" (maybe it's because she called Krista a gold-digger, but Krista TOTALLY deserved it, and it was mostly a joke anyway).  Effie declines, but then remembers a beloved childhood treasure is still hidden in the house.  Her only chance to retrieve it is to break into Greenoaks while everyone is busy celebrating.  As Effie sneaks around the house, hiding under tables and peeping into Greenoaks while trapdoors, she realizes the secrets Greenoaks holds aren't just in the dusy passageways and hidden attics she grew up exploring.  Watching how her sister, brother, and dad behave when they think no one is looking, Effie overhears coversations, makes discoveries, and begins to see her family in a new light.  Then she runs into Joe - the love of her life, who long ago broke her heart, and who's still as handsome and funny as ever - and even more truths emerge.  But will Effie act on these revelations?  Will she stay hidden or step out into the party and take her place with her family?  And truthfully, what did she really come back to Greenoaks for?  Over the course of one blowout party, Effie realizes that she must be honest with herself and confront her past before she'll ever be able to face her future.

This was an okay book.  It was cute and had some good funny lines.  Joe is a great character.  And Effie's sister is so sweet.  But I didn't care for Effie.  She was so immature.  Those kind of characters that are adults make me crazy in books.  I don't find it endearing or cute.  She is so stubborn and silly.  There are a few fun moments between she and Joe but otherwise, just an okay story.  It made a good audiobook.

Stars: 3

Book: Peach Blossom Spring

Book: Peach Blossom Spring

Author: Melissa Fu

Pages: 400

This is my 79th read for the year

What Amazon says:

China, 1938, Meilin and her 4 year old son, Renshu, flee their burning city as Japanese forces advance.  On the perilous journey that follows, across a China transformed by war, they find comfort and wisdom in their most treasured possession, a beautifully illustrated hand scroll filled with ancient fables.  Years later, Renshu has settled in America has Henry Dao.  Though his daughter, Lily, is desperate to understand her heritage, he refuses to talk about his childhood in China.  How can he tell his story when he's left so much behind? Spanning continents and generations, Peach Blossom Spring is a bold and moving story about the haunting power of our past, the sacrifices we make to protet our children, and one family's search for a place to call home.

This was a great book.  I enjoyed the generational story and the move from China to the US for Henry, and the other half of the story with Meilin who stays behind in China.  We learn a lot of history of China and the war with Japan.  Interwoven in the history and Meilin's hope to get Renshu/Henry out of the China while she can is the stories she tells him from a special family scroll.  Overall the book is well written and the story well told.  Henry's character gets a little harsh mid/late book, but it evens out as the story progresses.

Stars: 4

Book: Insomnia

 Book: Insomnia

Author: Stephen King

Pages: 912

This is my 78th read for the year

What Amazon says:

Since his wife died, Ralph Roberts has been having trouble sleeping.  Each night he wakes up a bit earlier, until he's barely sleeping at all.  During his late night walks, he observes some strange things going on in Derry, Maine.  He sees colored ribbons streaming from people's heads, two strange little mn wandering around town after dark, and more, H begins to suspect that these visions are something more than hallucinations brought on by lack of sleep.  There's a definite mean streak running through this small New England city; underneath its ordinary surface awesome and terrifying forces are at work.  The dying has been gnig on in Derry for a long, long time.  Now Ralph is part of it - and lack of sleep is the least of his worries.  Returning to the same Maine town where IT took place, a town that has haunted Stephen King for decades, Insomnia blends King's trademark bone-chilling realism with supernatural terror to create yet another masterpiece of suspense.

This was an interesting book.  It is very long.  I saved it to listen to on a very long car trip and got it finished in a few days.  It is an interesting concept and has some interesting characters.  There is supernatural (shocking) elements throughout.  I liked the beginning where we are eased into the main character's life.  It just was way too long, and I started to wish he would wrap it up.  Overall a solid read, but could have been about 200 pages shorter.

Stars: 4

Book: The Inheritance Games

 Book: The Inheritence Games

Author: Jennifer Lynne Barnes

Pages: 400

This is my 77th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Avery Grambs has a plan for  better future: survive high school, win a scholarship, and get out.  But her fortunes change in an instant when billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves Avery virtually his enitre fortune.  The catch?  Avery has no idea why - or even who Tobias Hawthorne is.  To receive her inheritance, Avery must move into sprawling, secret passage-filled Hawthorne House, where every room bears the old man's touch - and his love of puzzles, riddles, and codes.  Unfortunately for Avery, Hawthorne House is also occupied by the family that Tobias Hawthorne just dispossessed.  This includes the one day, they would inherit billions.  Heir apparent Grayson Hawthorne is convinced that Avery must be a conwoman, and he's determined to take her down.  His brother, Jameson, views her as their grandfather's last hurrah: a twisted riddle, a puzzle to be solved.  Caughter in a world of wealth and privilege with danger around every turn, Avery will have to play the game herself just to survive.

This book was terrific.  I found it fun, well written, and I loved the mystery.  The house and the puzzles were fantastic.  Even the Hawthorne family grew on me. There is a good twist at the ending I actually didn't see coming that leads into the next book.  There is good character development and it was well plotted.  I really surprsied myself that I liked this book since it is definitely YA.  This was a win.

Stars: 5