27 September 2012

Bloggiesta Tomorrow!



Bloggiesta starts tomorrow!  Here's my to-do list for the weekend:

  • Post reviews in the review links section
  • Post reviews on Goodreads
  • Post reviews on Librarything
  • Catch up on Reviews
  • Order my TBR pile
  • Write a few months' worth of Waiting on Wednesdays
  • Do 10 gallery pages on dramaticthreads.com
  • Write a month's worth of Thursday posts on dramaticthreads.com

Artemis Fowl (Book 8): The Last Guardian by Eoin Colfer


Seemingly nothing in this world daunts the young criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl. In the fairy world, however, there is a small thing that has gotten under his skin on more than one occasion: Opal Koboi. In The Last Guardian, the evil pixie is wreaking havoc yet again. This time his arch rival has somehow reanimated dead fairy warriors who were buried in the grounds of Fowl Manor. Their spirits have possessed Artemis’s little brothers, making his siblings even more annoying than usual. The warriors don’t seem to realize that the battle they were fighting when they died—a battle against Artemis—is long over. Artemis has until sunrise to get the spirits to vacate his brothers and go back into the earth where they belong. Can he count on a certain LEPrecon fairy to join him in what could well be his last stand?

New York Times best-selling author and comic genius Eoin Colfer will leave Artemis Fowl fans gasping up to the very end of this thrilling finale to the blockbuster series.

And finally, Artemis Fowl is back!  I know I was pretty harsh on the last few books in this series, but this last book has everyone back in grand form and working like classic Fowl.  The plot is tight, the humor is thick, and the characters are back to normal and Opal is back and being her regular batcrazy self.  Artemis, on the other hand, has his depth and his layers back, making somewhat dubious decisions and yet still acting the hero.  There are also some great new characters, including Foaly's wife who joins the ranks of great Colfer female characters.  And then there is the ending.  Although I can't say much without spoilers, I will say that the ending is an amazing conclusion to the series and it will pull on all your emotions in an expertly crafted climax.  If you cared for the Artemis Fowl series at all then you should really read this book.

26 September 2012

Waiting on Wednesday: Son by Lois Lowry





 
 
This is Breaking the Spine's Waiting for Wednesday, where bloggers post about a book they just can't wait to get their hands on! 
 
 



 




  Son by Lois Lowry

October 2nd 2012


Told in three separate story lines, Lois Lowry’s Son combines elements from the first three novels in her Giver Quartet — The Giver (1994 Newbery Medal winner), Gathering Blue, and Messenger — into a breathtaking, thought-provoking narrative that wrestles with ideas of human freedom. Thrust again into the dark, claustrophobic world of The Giver, readers will meet an intriguing new heroine, fourteen-year-old Claire. Jonas from The Giver is here too, and Kira, the heroine of Gathering Blue. In a final clash between good and evil, a new hero emerges.
I know that I've already done a Waiting on Wednesday on this book, but I couldn't help but feature it again because I'm looking forward to it so much!  The Giver, Gathering Blue, and The Messenger were such good books that this one has to be excellent as well.  I love how they're short, but they make you think a long time.  Be sure and grab a copy!

25 September 2012

Books n' Nails


Almost sheer pink, but it's got a nice sparkly shine :D

In other news, I have a cold.  Posts may be delayed for the next few days.

24 September 2012

Fathomless by Jackson Pearce

Celia Reynolds is the youngest in a set of triplets and the one with the least valuable power. Anne can see the future, and Jane can see the present, but all Celia can see is the past. And the past seems so insignificant -- until Celia meets Lo.

Lo doesn't know who she is. Or who she was. Once a human, she is now almost entirely a creature of the sea -- a nymph, an ocean girl, a mermaid -- all terms too pretty for the soulless monster she knows she's becoming. Lo clings to shreds of her former self, fighting to remember her past, even as she's tempted to embrace her dark immortality.

When a handsome boy named Jude falls off a pier and into the ocean, Celia and Lo work together to rescue him from the waves. The two form a friendship, but soon they find themselves competing for Jude's affection. Lo wants more than that, though. According to the ocean girls, there's only one way for Lo to earn back her humanity. She must persuade a mortal to love her . . . and steal his soul.

I think Jackson Pearce has really found her talent.  Like her previous books this is a fairy tale retelling that kinda-sorta links in with the others but also works really well as a stand-alone.  It also really shines in comparison to the other two.  The characters in this are really crisp and have real depth.  I loved the dichotomy in Lo/Naida as the same person and also as two separate people.  Celia is also a great character and I like how she is similar to but different than her triplet sisters.  The plot is heavily character driven and really focuses on the emotional turmoil of Lo, Naida, Celia, and Jude which makes you feel their pain and gives the book a depth that absorbs the reader into the story.  If I had to find a fault I would say that the ending seemed a bit abrupt unless you had read Sweetly and Sisters Red and for its switch to action as a plot driver instead of characters, but Pearce does a good job of making things flow as smoothly as possible.  In all I thought it was a shining addition to Pearce's fairytale series and absolutely worth reading.