Quintana of Charyn

The three books in the Lumatere Chronicles.

Dates Read: June 2013
This weekend I read the third and final book in the Lumatere Chronicles, "Quintana of Charyn". First, let me say that I read the first two books a few months ago, so I didn't remember all the details. With that said, this book was still wonderful and outside of a few, minor, insignificant points that I probably didn't connect because I didn't remember what happened in the earlier books, I had no trouble finishing this book and understanding how the story concludes. I'm not sure this book would be good for middle school students (due to some of the sexual references and scenes) but I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend this series to someone who wants a toned down version of a book that's along the lines of Lord of the Rings or something along those lines - with multiple lands, territories within the land, battles, friendships, a kingdom struggling to rebuild, etc. 

Summary: (from amazon.com)

Separated from the girl he loves and has sworn to protect, Froi and his companions travel through Charyn searching for Quintana and building an army that will secure her unborn child’s right to rule. While in the valley between two kingdoms, Quintana of Charyn and Isaboe of Lumatere come face-to-face in a showdown that will result in heartbreak for one and power for the other. The complex tangle of bloodlines, politics, and love introduced in Finnikin of the Rock and Froi of the Exiles coalesce into an engrossing climax in this final volume.

Splendors and Glooms

Dates Read: March 2013
Continuing with my Young Adult reading, I decided to read Splendors and Glooms, a 2013 Newberry Honor winner. I thought the book started a little slow, and it was a little hard to get into the book (in fact, at one point, I almost returned it to the library without finishing it). I'm glad I kept going with the book, though, because the ending was great and was a definitely page-turner. I could see why this book was a Newberry Honor winner - the writing was great, the plot was unique and interesting, and overall it was a great story.

Summary: (from Amazon.com)

The master puppeteer, Gaspare Grisini, is so expert at manipulating his stringed puppets that they appear alive. Clara Wintermute, the only child of a wealthy doctor, is spellbound by Grisini’s act and invites him to entertain at her birthday party. Seeing his chance to make a fortune, Grisini accepts and makes a splendidly gaudy entrance with caravan, puppets, and his two orphaned assistants. 

Lizzie Rose and Parsefall are dazzled by the Wintermute home. Clara seems to have everything they lack — adoring parents, warmth, and plenty to eat. In fact, Clara’s life is shadowed by grief, guilt, and secrets. When Clara vanishes that night, suspicion of kidnapping falls upon the puppeteer and, by association, Lizzie Rose and Parsefall. 

As they seek to puzzle out Clara’s whereabouts, Lizzie and Parse uncover Grisini’s criminal past and wake up to his evil intentions. Fleeing London, they find themselves caught in a trap set by Grisini’s ancient rival, a witch with a deadly inheritance to shed before it’s too late. 

The One and Only Ivan

Dates Read: March 2013
I don't know why, but I'm on a big Young Adult kick right now. I think it's the appeal of having quick, easy, thoughtless books to read that take my mind off of work and allow me to relax. Most of my YA books have come from recommendations from the Everyday Reading blog so when she recommended The One and Only Ivan, a recent Newbery winner, I decided to give it a try. And oh my goodness this book did not disappoint!! I read it in one sitting because I could not put it down! Ivan is wonderful and the story is gripping, and sad, and exciting, and just an overall joy to read!

Summary: (from Amazon.com)

Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all.

Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he’s seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art and how to capture the taste of a mango or the sound of leaves with color and a well-placed line.

Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home—and his own art—through new eyes. When Ruby arrives, change comes with her, and it’s up to Ivan to make it a change for the better.

Katherine Applegate blends humor and poignancy to create Ivan’s unforgettable first-person narration in a story of friendship, art, and hope.

The Secret Prince

Dates Read: February 2013
This is the second book of the Knightley series (I read the first book earlier this month). Although it was the second book, it started a little slow. Once I got to the halfway point (about 200 pages in), I was hooked and couldn't put it down. The first book felt very Harry Potter-like. This one still had a Harry Potter feel, but it started to stand alone and take on its own non-Harry Potter storyline. The nice thing about these books is that they don't have a cliffhanger ending. So although I'm anxiously awaiting Book 3, I don't regret having read the first two books in the meantime. 

Summary: (from Amazon.com)
Knightley Academy is back in session, and Henry Grim is confident that nothing else can prevent him from earning his knighthood. But Henry and his friends quickly discover that their professors have made some troubling changes to the curriculum—and there’s an old classroom filled with forgotten weapons. It is the discovery of this classroom that prompts Henry and Valmont to become the unlikely leaders of a secret battle society. But disaster strikes as Henry, Adam, and Frankie find themselves stuck as Partisan School servants—and something is rotten in Partisan Keep. When Henry is discovered by a secret society of outlaws with a sinister purpose, he must come to terms with a great sacrifice that will take him away from everything he has ever known and wanted. The stakes get higher and tension mounts in the second installment of Violet Haberdasher’s fresh, fast-paced, and always surprising Knightley Academy books.

Knightley Academy

Dates Read: February 2013
After finishing Emma, I decided I wanted a quick and fun read so when I saw this book recommended on a blog, I decided to check it out from the library. It wasn't as good as some of the other YA books I've read lately, and although there are some similarities, it's definitely no Harry Potter, but it was a good, quick, fun read and I've already placed the second book in the series on hold at the library. (Sadly, the third book is not out yet.)

Summary: (from Amazon.com)
Henry Grim is a servant boy at the Midsummer School—until he passes the elite Knightley Academy exam and suddenly finds himself one of the first commoners at the Academy, studying alongside the cleverest and bravest—and most arrogant—young aristocrats in the country. They thwart Henry’s efforts to become a full-fledged Knight of the Realm, but he and two commoner classmates are determined to succeed. In the process, the boys uncover a conspiracy that violates the Hundred Years’ Peace treaty—and could lead to war! Can Henry manage to save his school and country from their enemies—and continue to study at the Academy?

Froi of the Exiles

Dates Read: October 2012
This is the second book of the Lumatere Chronicles. I thought it was better than the first because the story picked up a lot faster and didn't have as many slow parts. I am now anxiously awaiting the third book's release sometime next year.

Summary: (from the amazon)
Three years after the curse on Lumatere was lifted, Froi has found his home . . . or so he believes. Fiercely loyal to the Queen and Finnikin, Froi has been taken roughly and lovingly in hand by the Guard sworn to protect the royal family, and has learned to control his quick temper with a warrior's discipline. But when he is sent on a secretive mission to the kingdom of Charyn, nothing could have prepared him for what he finds in its surreal royal court. Soon he must unravel both the dark bonds of kinship and the mysteries of a half-mad princess in this barren and mysterious place. It is in Charyn that he will discover there is a song sleeping in his blood . . . and though Froi would rather not, the time has come to listen.

Finnikin of the Rock

Dates Read: September 2012
After reading The Unwanteds, I decided to continue procrastinating reading Emma and pick up another Young Adult fantasy novel - one that came highly recommended on a blog I read.  The book started off slow... well, very slow... but I'm glad I pushed through because the last half of the book was a page-turner. 

This book is in the Lumatere Chronicles, but it was also a good stand alone book (though I have already picked up the second book from the library). 

I would say the book is a toned down version of Lord of the Rings - there are a lot of lands and names to remember (don't worry, there's a helpful map in the front of the book) but it's not as intricate as I imagine Lord of the Rings is (though I did consult the map frequently).

Summary: (from the amazon)
Finnikin was only a child during the five days of the unspeakable, when the royal family of Lumatere were brutally murdered, and an imposter seized the throne. Now a curse binds all who remain inside Lumatere’s walls, and those who escaped roam the surrounding lands as exiles, persecuted and despairing, dying by the thousands in fever camps. In a narrative crackling with the tension of an imminent storm, Finnikin, now on the cusp of manhood, is compelled to join forces with an arrogant and enigmatic young novice named Evanjalin, who claims that her dark dreams will lead the exiles to a surviving royal child and a way to pierce the cursed barrier and regain the land of Lumatere. But Evanjalin’s unpredictable behavior suggests that she is not what she seems — and the startling truth will test Finnikin’s faith not only in her, but in all he knows to be true about himself and his destiny.

The Unwanteds

Dates Read: July 2012
I can't believe it has been so long since I last finished a book! The reason is that I've been busy with life and I'm struggling to get through Emma. On July 3rd, I read a book review on a blog and was instantly intrigued.  The book? The Unwanteds. The review said it was a mid-teen age fantasy book and it sounded like just the quick, light-hearted read I need for the holiday while taking a break from Emma. I picked it up from the library on the way home and finished it approximately 24 hours later!

It was a great book! The cover says it's a mix between Hunger Games and Harry Potter. I think that it's like HG in that it's a quick read meant for pre-teens, but, like HP, this book has more than one plotline - meaning clues are introduced in one chapter and you have to ponder and wonder for a few chapters before the answers are discovered. Definitely better than the singular plotline of HG!

This book will be the first in a series (Book 2 is due out in September - can't wait!). It left the door open for a sequel, but it also came to a nice conclusion so I'm not mad that I have to wait until September to read the next one - but I am excited to read it (and hopefully Emma will be done by that time).

Summary: (from the author's website)
Every year in Quill, thirteen-year-olds are sorted into categories: the strong, intelligent Wanteds go to university, and the artistic Unwanteds are sent to their graves.

On the day of the Purge, identical twins Alex and Aaron Stowe await their fate. While Aaron is hopeful of becoming a Wanted, Alex knows his chances are slim. He's been caught drawing with a stick in the dirt-and in the stark gray land of Quill, being creative is a death sentence.

But when Alex and the other Unwanteds face the Eliminators, they discover an eccentric magician named Mr. Today and his hidden world that exists to save the condemned children. Artimé is a colorful place of talking statues, uncommon creatures, and artistic magic, where creativity is considered a gift... and a weapon.  

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series

Dates Read: December 2011

Bobby saw the Percy Jackson movie so when we were thinking of a series to read (after we finished The October's) we decided to buy the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. This series, is an easier and faster read than the Harry Potter series (written at an easier reading level), but it has a lot of the same themes as HP. There are good guys, bad guys, people who change sides, mortal enemies, and exciting adventures. The series is the hero quests of Percy Jackson, a demigod (one parent is a Greek mythology god and another is a mortal), and his friends. I never studied Greek mythology so I was not familiar with all the characters, but it was still a fun and interesting read. The series ended with an opening for a new series, Heroes of Olympus, and I look forward to reading those books, too!

Summaries: (from Wikipedia.com)
The Lightning Thief (book one):  Percy and his friends go on a quest to prevent a war between the Greek gods Zeus, Poseidon and Hades.


The Sea of Monsters (book two): This book chronicles the adventures of thirteen-year-old demigod Percy Jackson as he and his friends rescue his satyr friend Grover from the Cyclops Polyphemus and save the camp from a Titan's attack by bringing the Golden Fleece to cure Thalia's poisoned pine tree.

The Titan's Curse (book three):This book charts the adventures of the fourteen-year-old demigod Percy Jackson as he and his friends go on a dangerous quest to rescue his friend Annabeth Chase and the Greek goddess Artemis, who have both been kidnapped.

The Battle of the Labyrinth (book four): Fictional demigod Percy Jackson, who is fifteen years old by the end of the book, tries to stop Luke Castellan and his army from invading Camp Half-Blood through Daedalus's labyrinth by trying to find Daedalus and convince him not to give Luke Ariadne's string, which would help Luke through the Labyrinth.

The Last Olympian (book five):  The Last Olympian revolves around the demigod Perseus Jackson as he leads his friends in a last stand to protect Mount Olympus.