Review of Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer's Between the Lines

Delilah is a bit of a loner who prefers spending her time in the school library with her head in a book—one book in particular. Between the Lines may be a fairy tale, but it feels real. Prince Oliver is brave, adventurous, and loving. He really speaks to Delilah.
And then one day Oliver actually speaks to her. Turns out, Oliver is more than a one-dimensional storybook prince. He’s a restless teen who feels trapped by his literary existence and hates that his entire life is predetermined. He’s sure there’s more for him out there in the real world, and Delilah might just be his key to freedom.

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Wow what a great premise and something all us book nerds have always dreamed about. I'm sure that all of you reading this right now have at least one book on your shelves where you wished that you could speak to one of the characters inside. This book is fun, heartwarming and funny and is a must read before picking up Beyond the Page, which has gotten a lot of buzz in the BookTube community. Picking this book before Beyond the Page you get a better understanding of the main characters and I find that it helped me to get through some bits of Beyond the Page, I'll write more on that when I write my review on Beyond the Page. I give this book 4.5/5 diamonds

August Wrap up

This month I was able to read a total of 5 books. This month for some reason I read a variety of different genres. I started the month with the companion novel to Between the Lines. I really liked this book but not as much as I liked Between the Lines, as will be explaining all my thoughts for this book and all the other books in my wrap up via book review on this blog really soon. Stay tune every Thursdays for a new blog post. 

 

The next book I read was another Janni Lee Simner novel. I like this book like I liked her Faery bones series. This is a stand alone that takes it influences from Icelandic myths.

  

 The next book I pick up was Ann Brashares book My name is Memory. Wow all the feels gets from this book. Wow that's all I can say for now. 

The next two books I decided to pick up since I was feeling like reading about faeries or fey as they are referred to in Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey saga. Good book however the number of times I just wanted to smack the main female character for her plain stupidity was legendary.

Review of The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

After the grisly murder of his entire family, a toddler wanders into a graveyard where the ghosts and other supernatural residents agree to raise him as one of their own.

Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a normal boy. He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a sprawling graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead. There are dangers and adventures in the graveyard for a boy. But if Bod leaves the graveyard, then he will come under attack from the man Jack—who has already killed Bod's family . . . 

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This is a great coming of age book and a baby whose family is brutally killed. A very fast paced book, quick read. Even though the main character goes through amazing character growth, this growth is not extended to the secondary characters. It leaves you wanting to know more especially about Nobody's guardian and his first family. 

Once you get to the end, you realize the trick that has been played on you. Well I don't know if it's a trick or merely a realization in regards to cause and effect. I know my words a little confusing you'll just have to take my word for it this is a really good book. It's a story that will make you think especially at the end. 

4.5/5 diamonds 

The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro

"You've long set your heart against it, Axl, I know. But it's time now to think on it anew. There's a journey we must go on, and no more delay..."

The Buried Giant begins as a couple set off across a troubled land of mist and rain in the hope of finding a son they have not seen in years.

Sometimes savage, often intensely moving, Kazuo Ishiguro's first novel in nearly a decade is about lost memories, love, revenge, and war. 

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This is a very interesting book at first you would think that it's a fantasy novel but you would be wrong. The fantasy elements in this novel are the beliefs of the people of the time, who believe the simplest thing to be the work of demons and spirits and if someone from today were to look at the same item they would be able to explain it simply and scientifically. This book is on the same lines as the Alchemist by Paulo Coelho and is about a couple on a journey and the many things they discover about the world and about themselves 5/5 diamonds

Review of Janni Lee Simner's Faerie After

After a devastating war between humanity and Faerie, Liza’s world was forever changed. Plants and trees became aggressive, seeking to root in living flesh and bone, and newborn children were discovered to have magic powers. Liza was one of these children, and with her abilities she brought her mother back from the ruined Faerie realm and restored the seasons to her own.

Now there are signs of a new sickness in the forest. Piles of ash are found where living creatures once stood. Liza investigates and discovers the Faerie realm has continued to deteriorate, slowly turning to dust, and that its fate is inexorably linked to that of the human realm. To find a solution, Liza must risk crossing over, putting herself and all she cares about at risk. Will Liza be forced to sacrifice her life and the lives of her friends in order to save both worlds?

Here is the exciting conclusion to the Bones of Faerie trilogy, for fans of dark fantasy and dystopian adventure entranced by Janni Lee Simner’s unique vision of a magic-infused postapocalyptic world.

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The last book in the Bones of Faeries Trilogy and what an ending. The events and choices that Liza has to face without spoiling it for those who haven't read it yet are just wonderful. Just like the other two books the characters in this trilogy have to face tough choices and don't know if they're making the right choices. This is an excellent series without the insta love and the love triangles. Liza is a strong female character that makes tough choices and get things done. If you haven't read this book you should definitely go and pick it up   5/5 diamonds  

Review of Janni Lee Simner's Faerie winter

Liza is a summoner. She can draw life to herself, even from beyond the grave. And because magic works both ways, she can drive life away. Months ago, she used her powers to banish her dangerous father and to rescue her mother, lost in dreams, from the ruined land of Faerie.

Born in the wake of the war between humanity and Faerie, Liza lived in a world where green things never slept, where trees sought to root in living flesh and bone. But now the forests have fallen silent. Even the evergreens' branches are bare. Winter crops won't grow, and the threat of starvation looms. And deep in the forest a dark, malevolent will is at work. To face it, Liza will have to find within herself something more powerful than magic alone.

Here at last is the sequel to Bones of Faerie, for all those fans of dark fantasy and dystopian adventure who thrilled to Janni Lee Simner's unique vision of a postapocalyptic world infused with magic.

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In Janni Simner's second book without giving any spoilers this is really fast paced book the character's face a lot of difficult choices and the consequences of those choices are harsh. Just like in the first book there's no real clear good against evil. Just a bunch of people trying to do what they think is the right thing for themselves and their people I gave this book 5/5 diamonds 

July Wrap up

My July Wrap Up

This month I was able to read 7 books which is pretty good given my present schedule the books I read are the Faeries Bones Trilogy which include Faerie Bones, Faerie Winter and Faerie After by Janni Lee Simner a really great dystopian/fantasy series with none of the insta love or love triangles that you get in most ya books. My review for the first book in the series is up on my blog the rest will be up soon. 

    

Next I read The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro a great book about a journey taken by an elderly couple my review for this will also be up soon. 

 

Next I read the Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman another great coming of age book of a boy being raised by a graveyard.

 

 Right after that I read Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult and her daughter Samantha Van Leer. 

 

 Lastly I read The Ice Dragon by George R.R. Martin a beautifully illustrated book 

                                        


 My review of all these books will be up shortly.