I got this idea from Nevillegirl from Musings From Neville's Navel, where she would occasionally post mini book reviews. And I thought I would join along as well. Except, I'm going to do it every month and quickly review the books I read in that month. Occasionally, there might be a full book review.
One Hundred Years of Solitude
by Gabriel García Márquez
One Hundred Years of Solitude tells the story of the rise and fall, birth and death of the mythical town of Macondo through the history of the Buendía family. Inventive, amusing, magnetic, sad, and alive with unforgettable men and women--brimming with truth, compassion, and a lyrical magic that strikes the soul--this novel is a masterpiece in the art of fiction.My thoughts: I love the magic that is found in this book. And I like how no one questions it. I love Úrsula Iguarán and how she is a strong leader who is still a mother with feelings. I also like how some of the women are not so inclined to make really stupid decisions. Unlike most of the men of this novel.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Why We Broke Up
by Daniel Handler, Maira Kalman
I'm telling you why we broke up, Ed. I'm writing it in this letter, the whole truth of why it happened.Min Green and Ed Slaterton are breaking up, so Min is writing Ed a letter and giving him a box. Inside the box is why they broke up. Two bottle caps, a movie ticket, a folded note, a box of matches, a protractor, books, a toy truck, a pair of ugly earrings, a comb from a motel room, and every other item collected over the course of a giddy, intimate, heartbreaking relationship. Item after item is illustrated and accounted for, and then the box, like a girlfriend, will be dumped.
My thoughts: A light read that is therapeutic to a certain extent. It was very amusing to read some of the breakup stories from other authors in the end.
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
City of Heavenly Fire
by Cassandra Clare
In this dazzling and long-awaited conclusion to the acclaimed Mortal Instruments series, Clary and her friends fight the greatest evil they have ever faced: Clary's own brother.My thoughts: This book gave me a lot of feels. And it made me realize that Jem is definitely one of my favorite male characters of all time.
Sebastian Morgenstern is on the move, systematically turning Shadowhunter against Shadowhunter. Bearing the Infernal Cup, he transforms Shadowhunters into creatures out of nightmare, tearing apart families and lovers as the ranks of his Endarkened army swell.
The embattled Shadowhunters withdraw to Idris - but not even the famed demon towers of Alicante can keep Sebastian at bay. And with the Nephilim trapped in Idris, who will guard the world against demons?
When one of the greatest betrayals the Nephilim have ever known is revealed, Clary, Jace, Isabelle, Simon, and Alec must flee - even if their journey takes them deep into the demon realms, where no Shadowhunter has set foot before, and from which no human being has ever returned...
Love will be sacrificed and lives lost in the terrible battle for the fate of the word in the thrilling final installment of the classic urban fantasy series The Mortal Instruments!
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Cress
by Marissa Meyer
In this third book in the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, now with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.
Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl imprisoned on a satellite since childhood who's only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker. Unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.
When a daring rescue of Cress goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has.
My thoughts: I like how this book followed the original fairy tale, a bit better than the last two novels. Complete with the hair getting cut off and the love interest going blind. However, there is a Disney’s Tangled twist to it. Instead of a prince, Cress got a thief. This book also made me realize how much I love Kai and Cinder being together.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Glitches
by Marissa Meyer
Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. In Glitches, a short prequel story to Cinder, we see the results of that illness play out, and the emotional toll that takes on Cinder. Something that may, or may not, be a glitch…My thoughts: It made me feel bad for Cinder. I just want to hug her.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
The Little Android
by Marissa Meyer
The Little Android is a retelling of The Little Mermaid, set in the world of The Lunar Chronicles by New York Times-bestselling author Marissa Meyer.
When android Mech6.0 saves the life of a handsome hardware engineer, her body is destroyed and her mechanics discover a glitch in her programming. Androids aren’t meant to develop impractical reasoning or near-emotional responses…let alone fall in love.
My thoughts: I like how it follows the original fairy tale. However, there are still a few twists and turns.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
The Queen's Army
by Marissa Meyer
It is time. The boy must leave his family to serve in the Queen's army. To be chosen is an honor. To decline is impossible. The boy is modified. He is trained for several years, and learns to fight to the death. He proves to the Queen—and to himself—that he is capable of evil. He is just the kind of soldier the Queen wants: the alpha of his pack.
My thoughts: Very well written. A couple of the scenes made my stomach turn quite a bit.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Carswell's Guide to Being Lucky
by Marissa Meyer
A story about Carswell Thorne and Kate Fallow.
My thoughts: Carswell Thorne reminds me of Nikolai Lantsov from The Grisha series by Leigh Bardugo. Except Nikolai actually has power but Carswell doesn’t have that much. I also like his littler self better than his older self, for some weird reason.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Seraphina: The Audition
by Rachel Hartman
The Audition is a free prequel to Seraphina available online. It takes place a few weeks prior to Seraphina, covering Seraphina Dombegh's audition to become Viridius's assistant and thus Glisselda's music tutor.My thoughts: I like how Glisselda is smarter than what she lets on.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
The Tailor
by Leigh Bardugo
New scene from Shadow and Bone told from Genya's point of view.
My thoughts: This story made me feel bad for Genya. And at the same time make me dislike her quite a bit for what she does at the end. Even though, I kind of get why she does it.
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
The Witch of Duva
by Leigh Bardugo
There was a time when the woods near Duva ate girls...or so the story goes. But it’s just possible that the danger may be a little bit closer to home. This story is a companion folk tale to Leigh Bardugo’s debut novel, Shadow and Bone.My thoughts: I like the plot twist. I also like how it shows some women as evil, but they have a good reason to be. And Magda turned out to be my favorite character, because she’s kind.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
The Too-Clever Fox
by Leigh Bardugo
In Ravka, just because you avoid one trap, it doesn't mean you'll escape the next. This story is a companion folk tale to Leigh Bardugo’s upcoming novel, Siege and Storm, the second book in the Grisha Trilogy.
My thoughts: I like how it doesn’t follow the typical gender roles. And I like how Leigh Bardugo uses loneliness as a weapon. Like what she did for the Darkling’s story, “The Demon in the Wood”.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Little Knife
by Leigh Bardugo
In this third Ravkan folk tale from Leigh Bardugo, a beautiful girl finds that what her father wants for her and what she wants for herself are two different things.My thoughts: Yeva reminds me of Remedios the Beauty from One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez. However, no one dies from Yeva’s beauty, as far as I know of. I like the plot twist, and how no one falls in love. Like the other two tales, “The Witch of Duva” and “The Too-Clever Fox”. In fact, for all three of these tales, I like how it isn’t sexist like the original fairy tales. And I like how the women are smarter than the men, and aren’t as greedy or arrogant.
It is a companion story to the third book of the Grisha Trilogy, Ruin and Rising, and the stories “The Witch of Duva” and “The Too-Clever Fox.”
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Brimstone and Marmalade
by Aaron Corwin
Just in time for Halloween, we have a funny, sweet, and slightly skewed short story by Aaron Corwin, an up-and-coming writer from Seattle.
All Mathilde wanted for her birthday was a pony. Instead, she got a demon. Sometimes growing up means learning that what you think you want is not always what you need.
My thoughts: I thought the demon, Ix’thor quite funny. And it made me a bit sad in the end.
~ Stacy N.
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