Fuse by Julianna Baggott

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Title: Fuse

Author: Julianna Baggott
Series: Pure Trilogy (Book #2)

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction

Length: 463 pages

Published: 2013

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) We want our son returned. This girl is proof that we can save you all. If you ignore our plea, we will kill our hostages one at a time. 

To be a Pure is to be perfect, untouched by Detonations that scarred the earth and sheltered inside the paradise that is the Dome. But Partridge escaped to the outside world, where Wretches struggle to survive amid smoke and ash. Now, at the command of Partridge’s father, the Dome is unleashing nightmare after nightmare upon the Wretches in an effort to get him back.

At Partridge’s side is a small band of those united against the Dome: Lyda, the warrior; Bradwell, the revolutionary; El Capitan, the guard; and Pressia, the young woman whose mysterious past ties her to Partridge in way she never could have imagined. Long ago a plan was hatched that could mean the earth’s ultimate doom. Now only Partridge and Pressia can set things right.

To save millions of innocent lives, Partridge must risk his own by returning to the Dome and facing his most terrifying challenge. And Pressia, armed only with a mysterious Black Box, containing a set of cryptic clues, must travel to the very ends of the earth, to a place where no map can guide her. If they succeed, the world will be saved. But should they fail, humankind will pay a terrible price...

My Review:

I give this book a 4 out of 5. 

This one was just as fast-paced as the first book in the trilogy, but in some ways it just didn't feel as exciting. It was still a good follow up, but I spent the whole book thinking how much our six heroes (Bradwell, El Capitan, Helmud, Lyda, Partridge, and Pressia) do not know and how much they are fumbling through everything. I can't hold that against the trilogy or the author, as most YA dystopian storylines are really a series of events where the protagonists stumble on the facts, or what is presented to them as fact by the antagonists. I read these books for fun, so I try not to nitpick over things like this.

I did enjoy seeing that other people have survived in other places (Ireland, for example). Either the Irish had a much better plan in place before the Detonations or they were just plain less crippled by the Detonations. As Pressia and the others hadn't managed to leave Ireland before the end of the book, I'm hoping to see more of the Irish in the final book and learn some more things about what happened there. Maybe they'll gain some additional allies in their quest to take down the Dome and destroy Partridge's father. 

I'm anxiously awaiting a copy of Burn from the library so as soon as I have it, I'll be starting in on it. I can't wait!

You can purchase Fuse through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read Fuse? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

Monthly Update - April 2014

Wow. There goes March. Why does time seem to fly by so quickly? So many books to read, so little time. sigh

I finished Fuse, Book 2 in the Pure Trilogy, yesterday and that review will post tomorrow. I started The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood prior to getting my copy of Burn from the library, so once I'm finished with Robin Hood, I'll finish off the Pure Trilogy and move on to The Swiss Family Robinson. I'm hoping to finish Lord of Chaos this week and get started with A Crown of Swords. 

When I was picking up The Swiss Family Robinson from the library, I spotted a book called The Monstrumologist. The title intrigued me, so I snagged it. When I looked it up later, I found that it's the first in a quadrilogy. So I'm squeezing those in before I read Doctor Zhivago. Once I have those books finished, I'm going to spend some time concentrating on Wheel of Time, as I'm starting to get really anxious to finish the series. It doesn't help that I've been popping onto the Wheel of Time wiki to check a few things and have read some spoilers from the last book. I need to block that site or something. 

Currently Reading: 

• The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle
• Lord of Chaos (WoT #6) by Robert Jordan
• America's Hidden History: Untold Tales of the First Pilgrims, Fighting Women, and Forgotten Founders Who Shaped a Nation by Kenneth C. Davis 

Coming Up:

• Burn (Book #3) by Julianna Baggott
• The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss
• The Monstrumologist (Book #1) by Rick Yancey
• The Curse of the Wendigo (Book #2) by Rick Yancey
• The Isle of Blood (Book #3) by Rick Yancey
• The Final Descent (Book #4) by Rick Yancey
• Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak
• A Crown of Swords (WoT #7) by Robert Jordan
• The Path of Daggers (WoT #8) by Robert Jordan
• Winter's Heart (WoT #9) by Robert Jordan
• Crossroads of Twilight (WoT #10) by Robert Jordan
• Knife of Dreams (WoT #11) by Robert Jordan
• The Gathering Storm (WoT #12) by Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson
• Towers of Midnight (WoT #13) by Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson
• A Memory of Light (WoT #14) by Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson 

Pure by Julianna Baggott

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Title: Pure

Author: Julianna Baggott
Series: Pure Trilogy (Book #1)

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction

Length: 431 pages

Published: 2012

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) We know you are here, our brothers and sisters . . . Pressia barely remembers the Detonations or much about life during the Before. In her sleeping cabinet behind the rubble of an old barbershop where she lives with her grandfather, she thinks about what is lost-how the world went from amusement parks, movie theaters, birthday parties, fathers and mothers . . . to ash and dust, scars, permanent burns, and fused, damaged bodies. And now, at an age when everyone is required to turn themselves over to the militia to either be trained as a soldier or, if they are too damaged and weak, to be used as live targets, Pressia can no longer pretend to be small. Pressia is on the run.

Burn a Pure and Breathe the Ash . . . 

There are those who escaped the apocalypse unmarked. Pures. They are tucked safely inside the Dome that protects their healthy, superior bodies. Yet Partridge, whose father is one of the most influential men in the Dome, feels isolated and lonely. Different. He thinks about loss-maybe just because his family is broken; his father is emotionally distant; his brother killed himself; and his mother never made it inside their shelter. Or maybe it's his claustrophobia: his feeling that this Dome has become a swaddling of intensely rigid order. So when a slipped phrase suggests his mother might still be alive, Partridge risks his life to leave the Dome to find her. 

When Pressia meets Partridge, their worlds shatter all over again.

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

The Young Adult genre is one of those genres where you know you can pick up a book and have it done within a day or two, because they're generally fast reads - even at 400+ pages. I especially enjoy the dystopian future sub-genre because it touches on things that could seriously go wrong with our own society. This is one of those type of trilogies. 

Ten years ago, a series of bombs went off - what survivors call the Detonations. Most of the world's population died and those that did not became twisted creatures, fusing with objects that were near them at the time of the Detonations. In Pressia's case, her hand fused with her beloved doll. Her grandfather's throat became fused with a handheld fan. Others were fused with glass, pavement, metal, animals. Yes, animals. Some fused with the earth itself or rock. These are called Dusts and they have lost most semblance of humanity. Some are called Beasts as they have lost all humanity and have been taken over by the animals side of them. 

However, some people survived in what is known as the Dome. They are called Pures. Everything about their lives is controlled: what they eat (pills formulated for optimum nutrition), what they learn in school, etc. Some day they will leave the Dome (when the world outside is safe again) and they will have the entire world at their disposal. They will rebuild. The boys who live in the Dome are sent for coding to improve their skills - speed, strength, etc. Some are picked out for Special Forces and not seen again. The girls are not coded, as they must be able to reproduce eventually and coding is not safe for them.

But what will happen to the "wretches" - those who were managing to survive in the outside? 

This first book in the trilogy doesn't completely answer that question, but, then again, that's why it's the first book in a trilogy. There are hints at what is believed to be the motive of those in the Dome. Pressia and Partridge (a Pure, who is the son of the most influential leader of the Dome) are placed in the middle between the Dome and those who oppose the Dome. Along with Bradwell, El Capitan and his brother Helmud (who are fused together), and a female Pure named Lyda, they must figure out how to stop Partridge's father and to keep themselves alive in the process. 

I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to start in on Fuse, which is book two of the trilogy.

You can purchase Pure through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read Pure? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir

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Title: Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir

Author: Jenny Lawson

Genre: Memoir

Length: 318 pages

Published: 2012

Publisher: Amy Einhorn: Putnam

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) For fans of Tina Fey and David Sedaris—Internet star Jenny Lawson, aka The Bloggess, makes her literary debut. 

Jenny Lawson realized that the most mortifying moments of our lives—the ones we’d like to pretend never happened—are in fact the ones that define us. In the #1 New York Times bestseller,Let’s Pretend This Never Happened, Lawson takes readers on a hilarious journey recalling her bizarre upbringing in rural Texas, her devastatingly awkward high school years, and her relationship with her long-suffering husband, Victor. Chapters include: “Stanley the Magical, Talking Squirrel”; “A Series of Angry Post-It Notes to My Husband”; “My Vagina Is Fine. Thanks for Asking”; “And Then I Snuck a Dead Cuban Alligator on an Airplane.” Pictures with captions (no one would believe these things without proof) accompany the text.

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

This was HILARIOUS. There were several times where I literally ended up in tears because of some of the random things that happened to her and how she presents them. The book was a little disjointed though because she'd go off on some random tangent before getting back to the main part of the story, but I actually think I liked it that way. It showed how her mind works and I can definitely relate to her to some extent. Fans of her blog will definitely want to read this!

You can purchase Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston & Mario Spezi

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Title: The Monster of Florence

Author: Douglas Preston & Mario Spezi

Genre: True Crime

Length: 322 pages

Published: 2008

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) In the nonfiction tradition of John Berendt ("Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil") and Erik Larson ("The Devil in the White City"), New York Times bestselling author Douglas Preston presents a gripping account of crime and punishment in the lush hills surrounding Florence, Italy.

In 2000, Douglas Preston fulfilled a dream to move his family to Italy. Then he discovered that the olive grove in front of their 14th century farmhouse had been the scene of the most infamous double-murders in Italian history, committed by a serial killer known as the Monster of Florence. Preston, intrigued, meets Italian investigative journalist Mario Spezi to learn more. This is the true story of their search for--and identification of--the man they believe committed the crimes, and their chilling interview with him. And then, in a strange twist of fate, Preston and Spezi themselves become targets of the police investigation. Preston has his phone tapped, is interrogated, and told to leave the country. Spezi fares worse: he is thrown into Italy's grim Capanne prison, accused of being the Monster of Florence himself. Like one of Preston's thrillers, The Monster Of Florence, tells a remarkable and harrowing story involving murder, mutilation, and suicide-and at the center of it, Preston and Spezi, caught in a bizarre prosecutorial vendetta.

My Review:

I give this book a 4 out of 5. 

I love true crime books. I've always been fascinated about what causes people to murder others. So this book was right up my alley. 

The first part of this book tells the history of the "Monster of Florence", along with several of the theories behind who could be responsible. It also shows some of the blunders that were made (for example, not securing the crime scenes) early on in the investigation before it was determined that they had a serial killer on their hands. There were some parts of this that were kind of dull and some parts that were hard to follow and I had to constantly refer to the beginning of the book where there was a list of people involved and who they were. 

The second part of the book follows Douglas Preston as he moves to Italy with his family. Eventually he meets Mario Spezi, the reporter who had been following the case of the Monster from the beginning. Together they come up with their own theory of who the Monster was. However, through politics, the people in charge of the investigation had changed a few times and the investigation went its own way. Eventually both Spezi and Preston are targeted by the police and Preston has to leave the country or risk arrest. Spezi is arrested eventually, so Preston does whatever he can to try to get him freed. 

It seems that nobody will ever know the truth of who the Monster of Florence was, but the authors outline all of the theories in great detail, leaving the reader to determine which is the most likely scenario. (I know which way I'm leaning!) Fans of true crime books will enjoy this. The writing is engaging, unlike some non-fiction books where I find myself bored because the writing is just not engaging enough.

You can purchase The Monster of Florence through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read The Monster of Florence? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

Happy Accidents by Jane Lynch

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Title: Happy Accidents

Author: Jane Lynch

Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir

Length: 304 pages

Published: 2011

Publisher: Hyperion

Brief Synopsis: In the summer of 1974, a fourteen-year-old girl in Dolton, Illinois, had a dream. A dream to become an actress, like her idols Ron Howard and Vicki Lawrence. But it was a long way from the South Side of Chicago to Hollywood, and it didn't help that she'd recently dropped out of the school play, The Ugly Duckling. Or that the Hollywood casting directors she wrote to replied that "professional training was a requirement."

But the funny thing is, it all came true. Through a series of Happy Accidents, Jane Lynch created an improbable and hilarious path to success. In those early years, despite her dreams, she was also consumed with anxiety, feeling out of place in both her body and her family. To deal with her worries about her sexuality, she escaped in positive ways such as joining a high school chorus not unlike the one in Glee but also found destructive outlets. She started drinking almost every night her freshman year of high school and developed a mean and judgmental streak that turned her into a real- life Sue Sylvester.

Then, at thirty-one, she started to get her life together. She was finally able to embrace her sexuality, come out to her parents, and quit drinking for good. Soon after, a Frosted Flakes commercial and a chance meeting in a coffee shop led to a role in the Christopher Guest movie Best in Show, which helped her get cast in The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Similar coincidences and chance meetings led to roles in movies starring Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, and even Meryl Streep in 2009's Julie & Julia. Then, of course, came the two lucky accidents that truly changed her life. Getting lost in a hotel led to an introduction to her future wife, Lara. Then, a series she'd signed up for abruptly got canceled, making it possible for her to take the role of Sue Sylvester in Glee, which made her a megastar.

Today, Jane Lynch has finally found the contentment she thought she'd never have. Part comic memoir and part inspirational narrative, this is a book equally for the rabid Glee fan and for anyone who needs a new perspective on life, love, and success.

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

There were moments in this memoir where I laughed, and many moments where I actually cried. I do admit that I expected it to be wittier, but I got over the 'let down' rather quickly once I got into the story a bit. I told myself "Just because she's a comedian doesn't mean that her life story is going to be filled with hilarious witticisms", and found myself really enjoying it. It was a quick read and shed some light on one of my favorite comedic actresses and how she came to be who she is today. Definitely recommend this for fans of Jane Lynch who have even a remote interest in learning more about her. 

You can purchase Happy Accidents through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read Happy Accidents? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

The Fires of Heaven by Robert Jordan

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Title: The Fires of Heaven

Author: Robert Jordan
Series: Wheel of Time (Book #5)

Genre: Epic Fantasy

Length: 704 pages

Published: 1993

Publisher: Tor Books

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) In this sequel to the phenomenal New York Times bestseller The Shadow Rising, Robert Jordan again plunges us into his extraordinarily rich, totally unforgettable world:

...Into the forbidden city of Rhuidean, where Rand al'Thor, now the Dragon Reborn, must conceal his present endeavor from all about him, even Egwene and Moiraine.

...Into the Amyrlin's study in the White Tower, where the Amyrlin, Elaida do Avriny a'Roihan, is weaving new plans.

...Into the luxurious hidden chamber where the Forsaken Rahvin is meeting with three of his fellows to ensure their ultimate victory over the Dragon.

...Into the Queen's court in Caemlyn, where Morgase is curiously in thrall to the handsome Lord Gaebril.

For once the dragon walks the land, the fires of heaven fall where they will, until all men's lives are ablaze.

And in Shayol Ghul, the Dark One stirs...

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

Rand strives to be harder than stone as he moves the Aiel into Cairhien. He allows Moiraine to guide him after she vows to do as he says. She has her own secrets, things learned in Rhuidean, and she knows her time to help Rand is running short. 

Meanwhile Elayne and Nynaeve spend their days running from Tanchico and Moghedien, hiding out in a menagerie when they learn the White Tower seeks Elayne and that Elaida is now Amyrlin. Finally they seek Salidar but what they find there is not exactly what they were expecting. And they both know that they need to keep some secrets extremely close once in Salidar, because otherwise they could be severely punished. 

Min rides with Siuan, Leane, and Logain to the gathering of Blue sisters in Salidar. Only it's more than the Blues gathering there. Because of Siuan, Gareth Bryne ends up following them to Salidar and gets drafted by the Aes Sedai.

A lot happens in this installment, and every last bit of it is important. 

Next up in the series: Lord of Chaos.

You can purchase The Fires of Heaven through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read The Fires of Heaven? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.