Mistwood by Leah Cypess

genre: young adult fantasy

Isabel is a Shifter, a legendary and powerful being that is bound to whomever sits on the throne in Samorna. She is sworn to protect the king and when Prince Rokan comes to the Mistwood to claim her protection, she cannot deny him. Upon reaching the castle, though, she finds that she cannot change shape the way she used to - and emotions that have never clouded her thinking or reactions before are making her task challenging when it should be effortless. Intrigue within the court and political secrets slowly reveal to Isabel the depth of what she's buried in and she needs to figure out - soon - how to reign in her powers again to protect the prince.

Cypess is a STORYTELLER. The text is lyrical and yet powerful. I could not put this book down because of the intricate and interesting story and because of the complex and engaging characters. Isabel is fascinatingly created - she is so incredibly strong, agile and capable and yet, the "weakness" that she begins to find in herself makes her feel so real. Prince Rokan is subtle and well-rounded and their enemies are hard to get a grip on. The romantic thread is so slight and yet so perfect that I wouldn't change a thing (well, maybe ONE more page :).

Cannot wait to read more from this author.


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XVI by Julia Karr

genre: young adult

In a future Chicago, Nina is nearly 16 - the age of adulthood, where every girl receives her tattoo and is legally old enough to be sexually active. Luckily, her mother taught her that turning sixteen doesn't automatically mean you have to start wanting that - in fact, Nina abhors the idea. She hates how teenagers are pressed into being promiscuous, but it's hard to find other girls that agree. When tragedy strikes and Nina is suddenly unsure of everything she ever knew, it will take good friends, both old and new, to help keep her safe while she uncovers secrets that might bring about some much needed change to her own life and the society she lives in.

So, I'll just be blunt. This book did not do it for me. The writing was scripted and obvious. The characters were flat and everything was TOLD to me. The plot was interesting enough that I didn't just chuck it at the wall but I felt so disappointed in the execution. I think with some better editing and a more creative writing style this could have just been way funner to read. The one positive is that at least Nina wasn't boy-crazy like most of the girls in this book.

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If I Stay by Gayle Forman

genre: young adult

Mia: talented cellist, daughter, friend and girlfriend. Her life is so full of good things that it can't possibly be reality when an accident lands her in the hospital, hovering between life and death. The strangest part is that, she's still THERE. There, in the room, watching her body being worked on frantically by doctors as they try to save her life. All her memories are still with her, in this in-between place, and most of this beautiful story is Mia's sifting through her life and picking out the parts that stand out most.

I like Mia. She's someone I think I'd like to know - and while her parents were almost TOO quirky-fun for me, I loved how much music is a part of their story. I liked the feel of love that just sort of radiated out from all the relationships in this book - sometimes spoken and distinct and sometimes just bobbing there under the surface. Even though every once and a while Mia's narrative felt a bit forced, I liked where this book took me and I'm anxious to read its companion.

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Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Behind Little Women by Harriet Reisen

genre: non-fiction, biography

Talk about someone who lived an amazing life. I'm not usually a biography reader, but something about Louisa and the world she grew up in intrigued me - and rightly so. This very readable book tells Louisa's story from beginning to end, weaving in her writings as well as pertinent historical information that fleshes out the scene of her days.

Growing up with Emerson and Thoreau as surrogate uncles, the Concord and Boston of Louisa's day is the stuff of legend. What I really enjoyed about this book was learning about how her own life experiences made their way into her writing. Her deprived "Utopian" childhood, the Civil War, her slow road to fame - she wrote about it all in both personal journals and in hundreds of sketches, poems and stories.

I also came to appreciate how much family troubles, ill health and other people's choices influenced her decisions - I liked when the author made those connections for me. Clearly, her vigor and "can-do" attitude made her such an asset to those who depended on her and the author does well, I think, at combining Louisa's journals with other sources to help us piece together her whole story - since all was not always happiness and "can-do."

While I did really enjoy it, it was certainly a slower read than usual. The author is thorough and I was always happy to pick it up, but I wouldn't call it a huge page turner. As a portrait of an exceptionally prolific and creative writer, as well as a snapshot of an American Life, I came away from this book with a much greater appreciation for the struggles of early American women and a sense of pleasure at knowing this incredible woman a little better.

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Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare

genre: drama

Knowing nothing about this play when I began, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the plot: shipwrecks, hidden identities, separated twins, love triangles (of course). Not to MENTION the yellow stockings, which had me laughing out loud. It's most certainly a comedy and, with other Shakespeare comedies, I must insist that whomever attempts it for the first time (if you are unfamiliar with Shakespeare) that they read the text along with a production. The comedic elements, especially, are just SO much more enjoyable when you can watch them! I also think that just the acting alone can really make the text so much more accessible.

At the heart of this story is Viola, a twin who believes her brother has drowned at sea. She determines to act the part of a boy so that she can get employment in the house of Count Orsino. Orsino is in love with the lovely Olivia, who has recently lost both her brother and her father, so she is all alone in the possession of a fine fortune. Cue all the funny business of people falling mistakenly in love. There is a subplot involving some of Olivia's other suitors and her manservant that is absolutely hysterical (a la Kenneth Branagh in Much Ado About Nothing).

I enjoyed this one a lot. I'm glad I'll be able to dig deeper into its meaning with my book group this month!


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Wither by Lauren DeStefano

genre: young adult

In Rhine's world, you just know. If you're a girl, you'll die when you're 20. If you're a boy, you'll get until you're 25, but then the virus will get you. No matter what. With the population dying out, girls are kidnapped and sold to the highest bidder in an attempt to create a newer, less vulnerable generation - but it doesn't look good.

Rhine is one of those kidnapped girls. Along with two "sister wives," she lives a life of privileged, but she finds no happiness in the lap of luxury. A bird in a cage, with no desire for a marriage of any kind, all Rhine wants is the freedom to live life as she chooses until she's 20 and the virus takes her too. If she could only get away...

Oh, oh. I read this one in a day. Dystopia, to be sure. Rhine's tough but not particularly snarky or unfeeling. She actually feels things really deeply and I liked watching relationships evolve. It's an intense and fast moving story in an unknown future time, with some rather adult themes (polygamy for the express purpose of making lots of babies, but it's not super graphic). I won't say it's life-changing, but it was a great way to spend some hours. It's the first of a trilogy, so be ready to be left hanging a little bit (in a good way).


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Heir Apparent by Vivian Vande Velde

genre: middle grade

In the not too distant future, Giannine plans to spend an afternoon playing a virtual-reality video game. She puts on the special hat that immerses her into a medieval world, where she knows she needs to be crowned king in order to win. Except, soon after her game begins there's a...glitch. A glitch that makes the stakes of this game higher than she can imagine. If she wants to have the real world back, Giannine has to make all the right choices and get that crown on her head.

The set-up of this book makes it an interesting blend of fantasy/reality, where Giannine's thoughts are modern day but she has to make some pretty intense medieval fantasy type decisions - and death in this game isn't the end. It just starts you over from the beginning - so figuring out how to NOT get yourself killed is only one of the most important decisions she has to make in order to have her brain back. Dragons, barbarians, magicians - Giannine has to make alliances and figure out if she needs to go with her heart or her head. I liked watching her play a "choose your own adventure" game where you constantly can learn from your mistakes and start over.

Intriguing premise. Snarky and sarcastic narrator that keeps things light. A good middle-grade read.



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Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton

genre: adult fiction

Ethan. Dear Ethan. I remembered from my middle school reading that your story was a tragic one. But I did NOT remember that it was a beautiful one, one that dug deep into our choices and the fact that we can't choose our consequences. Your home in western New England absolutely typified the starkness of your relationship with your wife and your hard life made sweet things so hard to come by. I know why Mattie appealed to you, of course. One little ray of light, that's all you needed and it was exactly what you could not have.

It's gorgeous. Writing at its finest. The CHARACTERS. Such contrasts with each other in the most detailed of ways. I found myself understanding Ethan so intimately, wanting so much for his circumstances to be different. I ached for the painful understanding of his plight and the desolation that hung like a curtain over his life. I was anxious for the climax, having a vague memory from my middle-school reading - but it actually took my breath away, since it was NOT what I remembered (funny how that happens). It was better, so carefully crafted. Tragic in a perfectly horrible way. Okay. I'm done gushing. It was wasted on me in 8th grade, but I've earned it now.


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The Twisted Thread by Charlotte Bacon

genre: mystery

A fancy private school. A student murdered. We jump into this mystery through the character of Madeline, a first year teacher at Armitage Academy in New England. Her relationship with the deceased Claire, an aloof senior, was shallow enough that she has no idea of what could've possibly happened - and she's not the only one that's anxious to know how and why a privileged and brilliant girl could end up dead in her dorm room.

I hate having any details of a mystery divulged, so I won't say any more about the plot. I will say that part of what made this book interesting was the setting - a school full of kids who have never had to wish for anything. Suddenly one of the creme de la creme is murdered and the whole academy is turned upside down while the police investigate and speculation runs rampant. As we watch the story evolve through different narrators - Madeline, an art teacher, a janitor and a cop, pieces slowly fit into place in a way that I didn't expect.

Not so gripping I couldn't put it down, but not boring either, A Twisted Thread is worth picking up if you enjoy trying to guess whodunnit and especially if you are intrigued by the lives of the privileged and how even with all their money and power - tragedy can still find them.


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