Iron House by John Hart

Iron House
John Hart
Published July 12th, 2011 by St. Martin's Press
Source: Won

HE WOULD GO TO HELL
At the Iron Mountain Home for Boys, there was nothing but time. Time to burn and time to kill, time for two young orphans to learn that life isn’t won without a fight. Julian survives only because his older brother, Michael, is fearless and fiercely protective. When tensions boil over and a boy is brutally killed, there is only one sacrifice left for Michael to make: He flees the orphanage and takes the blame with him.


TO KEEP HER SAFE
For two decades, Michael has been an enforcer in New York’s world of organized crime, a prince of the streets so widely feared he rarely has to kill anymore. But the life he’s fought to build unravels when he meets Elena, a beautiful innocent who teaches him the meaning and power of love. He wants a fresh start with her, the chance to start a family like the one he and Julian never had. But someone else is holding the strings. And escape is not that easy. . . .


GO TO HELL, AND COME BACK BURNING
The mob boss who gave Michael his blessing to begin anew is dying, and his son is intent on making Michael pay for his betrayal. Determined to protect the ones he loves, Michael spirits Elena—who knows nothing of his past crimes, or the peril he’s laid at her door— back to North Carolina, to the place he was born and the brother he lost so long ago. There, he will encounter a whole new level of danger, a thicket of deceit and violence that leads inexorably to the one place he’s been running from his whole life: Iron House. -Goodreads

Iron House by John Hart is an extroidinary thriller. If you plan on reading this book, make sure all your chores are taken care of because you aren't going to want to take a break from reading. Be prepared to remind yourself to eat and sleep because you will likely forget such trivial things while you are so utterly engrossed in this book.

So what did I enjoy most about Iron House? Where do I even begin? The characters are great. Even though their circumstances are abnormal, they still felt relatable and complete (except I felt like I did want to know more about Jessup and maybe Steven). The landscape and scenery described by Hart was detailed without being overly stylized. His description of the locales in the N. Carolina mountains felt like they were isolated from everything which gave the story an even heavier, eerie feeling. No where to run to.

Michael and Julian were brothers abandoned when they were small babies, and were raised in Iron Mountain Home for Boys. They had a rough time of it, Julian always being picked on for being frail, until one day he broke completely and killed another boy that was hurting him. Michael took the blame and the murder weapon and fled from the home. That is where their lives split until twenty-three years later, when Michael, once again, fears for Julian's safety.

The mob, crooked politicians, murder, schizophrenia; this book has all that and more. Of course there are twists and turns that make these books all the more gut wrenching, so you have to read it to find out.

The First Days by Rhiannon Frater

The First Days
Rhiannon Frater
Published July 5th, 2011 by Tor
Source: Swapped

The morning that the world ends, Katie is getting ready for court and housewife Jenni is taking care of her family. Less than two hours later, they are fleeing for their lives from a zombie horde.

Thrown together by circumstance, Jenni and Katie become a powerful zombie-killing partnership, mowing down zombies as they rescue Jenni's stepson, Jason, from an infected campground.

They find sanctuary in a tiny, roughly fortified Texas town. There Jenni and Katie find they are both attracted to Travis, leader of the survivors; and the refugees must slaughter people they know, who have returned in zombie form.

The First Days is like an awesome zombie movie times ten. I was originally worried that the zombie genre wouldn't translate well into book form for me as I am a huge fan of pretty much all zombie movies. However, this book was all that I was expecting and then some.

It's not really a new idea for a zombie book, as it is pretty straight-forward zombie killing and surviving, but I feel that Rhiannon Frater really made it her own. One of the greatest aspects of this book is that the protagonists are two women. It is a wonderful thing to read about two strong women doing what they must to survive and battling back zombie hordes on their own. These two ladies, Jenni and Katie, are lucky to make it through the first wave of the zombocolypse. After living under the thumb of a domineering and abusive husband, Jenni has difficulty standing on her own two feet. She clings to the safety and strength that Katie provides for her as they travel across Texas looking for a safe haven away from the big cities. While Jenni is determined to rescue her stepson, Jason, to make up for the loss of her other two sons (which she witnessed being eaten by her former husband), Katie is dealing with the regret that she harbors over losing her beloved wife Lydia that same morning. These two women quickly form a bond that is insurmountable by anything going on around them. They are their new family now and will take care of each other no matter the cost.

Once they get to the refugee town of Ashley Oaks, the reader is introduced to a whole new cast of characters. Every one of them is so distinct in their personality. The group tries to form a new life as best they can in the fortified town, but as time goes on, there is a distinct personality shift in both Jenni and Katie. While Jenni turns into female Rambo, wanting to kill everything in sight and ask questions later, Katie becomes extremely depressed once she actually has time to breather and realize that she has lost her one true love.

The First Days is an action-packed, no frills, zombie novel. I think that if you are a fan of zombie movies, than you will most certainly love this book. It is disturbing and gory at times, but what can I say, that's what I love about it. It isn't afraid to be real, and I can't help but feel that when the zombocolypse does come, this is how its going to go down. I am happy to have this book right next to Zombie Survival Guide on my shelf, and I absolutely cannot wait until the next in the series comes out to find out what happens to the people I feel like I've been through this entire ordeal with. I applaud Ms. Frater for never giving up and her original fans for getting the word out on this amazing internet sensation.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Graceling
Kristin Cashore
Published October 1, 2008 by Harcourt Children's Books
Source: Purchased

Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug.
When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change. She never expects to become Po’s friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace—or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone. - Goodreads

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I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE this book. Is that enough of a review? No? Ok, I guess I will have to tell you why then. I am first and foremost, a fantasy lover. It has, and probably always will be my favorite genre. Kristin Cashore takes all the elements that one would find in an epic fantasy tale, and craft it into a stunningly well-written young adult novel. The world-building is simplified yet satisfying. It even includes a map at the beginning (which I absolutely adore!). The well-developed characters are not overwhelming in number, a common occurrence in adult fantasy. I think this is a great title for someone to pick up if they are perhaps transition from young adult to fantasy or vice versa.

In a land where being a Graceling is feared and avoided, there are non more formidable than Katsa. Her grace is the ability to kill with ease. Her name and the stories of the acts she was forced to commit on behalf of her king (and uncle) have reached all Seven Kingdoms. Her tell-tale one blue, one green eye is the last thing anyone wants to see on their doorstep. Katsa didn't choose this life. She doesn't want to commit these despicable acts just because she can. Doing something good with her Grace was the only way to combat the feelings of hatred for what she is welling up inside of her. Katsa creates The Council where she, basically, punishes evil men of the kingdoms and rights the wrongs. A medieval, female, Batman if you will. So on one of these missiones, Katsa meets another Graceling fighter, the Lienid prince, Po. She makes quick work of him with her ninja skills, and succinctly drops him to the ground to carry on her missive.

But Po is not done with Katsa. Of course, there has got to be a bit of romance going on in this book. And, as you might be able to surmise, it is not a damsel in distress, hero on horseback type romance. Katsa and Po find their connection through their unique yet frightening graces. Their long and treacherous journey across the Seven Kingdoms on the quest to find out the truth behind a kidnapping, bring them together in a way that is deep and soulful. Even though this book has some dark themes and events, it is not without its humor. The following is a humorous passage about Katsa trying to hide her true feelings from Po:

"She glanced up at him, and in that moment he pulled his wet shirt over his head. She forced her mind blank. Blank as a new sheet of paper, blank as a starless sky. He came to the fire and crouched before it. He rubbed the water from his bare arms and flicked it into the flames. She stared at the goose and sliced his drumstick carefully and thought of the blankest expression on the blankest face she could possibly imagine." - pg 192

The relationship between Katsa and Po is so wonderful. It isn't the typical immediate affection or constant musings that is prevalent in other books, it is a romance built on a true connection and likeness of mind and convictions.  Plus Po is such a charmer I think he's going to be my new book boyfriend.

Technically, Graceling is a standalone novel, but there is a companion book out there that has one main character in common with the characters in Graceling. And while, I'm disappointed it isn't going to continue the story of Katsa and Po, I did read the prologue and I cannot wait to pick up a copy of Fire.

★★★★★

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

Title: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
Author: Alan Bradley
Publisher: Delacorte Press (April 28, 2009)
Description: 
It is the summer of 1950–and at the once-grand mansion of Buckshaw, young Flavia de Luce, an aspiring chemist with a passion for poison, is intrigued by a series of inexplicable events: A dead bird is found on the doorstep, a postage stamp bizarrely pinned to its beak. Then, hours later, Flavia finds a man lying in the cucumber patch and watches him as he takes his dying breath.

For Flavia, who is both appalled and delighted, life begins in earnest when murder comes to Buckshaw. “I wish I could say I was afraid, but I wasn’t. Quite the contrary. This was by far the most interesting thing that had ever happened to me in my entire life.”

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Flavia de Luce is a precocious eleven-year old living in jolly old England in the 1950's. She loves chemistry and most of all, the fabrication of poisons (which none of the surrounding adults tend to give a second thought). I was almost afraid the dear girl would truly poison someone! Well, even though she did put poison ivy extract in her sister's lipstick and face cream, that shouldn't really count.  So when this murdered man is found in a cucumber patch by none other than our lovely Flavia, she takes it upon herself to solve this case right under the Inspector's nose.

This book was everything I had hoped for and more. I enjoyed Flavia de Luce as a narrator. She is clever, witty, and fearless. It isn't difficult to forget that she is only eleven. The peripheral characters were fun as well. Especially, Mrs. Mullet and Dogger (the housekeeper and gardener, respectively) who seem to almost be more of a family to Flavia than her two sisters and somewhat distracted father.

The writing was superb. It was fast paced and kept me interested all the while. Never really a dull moment in the life of Flavia de Luce. I look forward to next installment The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag.

★★★★★

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

Title: The Language of Flowers
Author: Vanessa Diffenbaugh
Publisher: Ballantine Books (August 23, 2011)
My Rating: ★★★★★


Victoria Jones, abandoned by her birth mother at only 3 weeks old, has been tossed around from foster home to foster home. She wasn't born an angry child, but she could not catch a break so she began to act out. Then, at the age of nine, she is placed with Elizabeth, a vineyard owner who desperately wants a child. It is with her that Victoria learns the almost extinct language of flowers, in which every flower has a distinct meaning. In the Victorian era, people would use the language of flowers to send secret messages to one another. Unfortunately, things don't turn out the way Victoria wanted them to with Elizabeth and now she has burned all her bridges. She is sent back to finish her childhood in a group home until she is tossed out at 18 to live on the streets in San Francisco. The only thing she has is her language of flowers, but is that enough to survive?

There is so much that happens in this book. It is all so beautifully written that I didn't want to put it down. This will easily be in my top ten of 2011 list. I loved learning the meanings of flowers (and the inclusion of Victoria's Dictionary in the back of the book) and I can really understand the joy that Victoria got from the work she does with flowers. All of the characters were extremely well-developed and likable. The romance is believable instead of feeling forced. I can't stress that point enough. An actual realistic type of relationship is a breath of fresh air. Victoria Jones is a character that stole my heart from page one and would not let go until I finished her story.

★★★★★

Bossypants by Tina Fey

I had high expectations of this book. And in no way was I disappointed. I picked up this book early in the afternoon and finished in the evening. I laughed out loud multiple times at Tina Fey's hilarity. If you are a fan of hers, then you will most definitely enjoy this book. I thoroughly enjoyed the behind the scenes look at SNLand 30 Rock (which was a majority of the book), but the best part was learning about Tina Fey growing up in Pennsylvania; to living in Chicago and working in improv; and then finally her big break in NYC writing for SNL. Tina really embraces who she is and how she became the boss in a man's world. It is a must read for any Tina Fey fan just to find out all the funny things she has to say (and to learn the story of her meeting Sarah Palin).

From when Tina was doing a photo shoot:

"Do I worry about overly retouched photos giving women unrealistic expectations and body image issues? I do. I think that we will soon see a rise in anorexia in women over seventy. Because only people over seventy are fooled by Photoshop."

"I feel about Photoshop the way some people feel about abortion. It is appalling and a tragic reflection on the moral decay of our society…unless I need it, in which case, everybody be cool."

The quote that pretty much sums up most of the book:

"By the way, when Oprah Winfrey is suggesting you may have overextended yourself, you need to examine your fucking life."

Rating: 5/5

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Title: Across the Universe
Author: Beth Revis
Publisher: Razorbill
Rating: ★★★★★

I loved this book. Sure, some parts were flawed and the writing was rather amateurish in some instances, but at its core this book was fully entertaining. Granted, I haven't read too much dystopian books except for The Hunger Games trilogy and The Sparrow, and it is unfair to compare it to either of them. Across the Universe really had that extra special something that I find lacking in other pieces of young adult literature. Imagination.

The first chapter paints a picture of a future where, apparently, people are choosing to become cryogenically frozen for 300 years aboard a space vessel headed towards a new planet. Amy's parents are very important to the terraforming of the new planet so they must go, but they allow Amy to make her own choice. It puts her in a difficult situation of having to choose between her parents and everything else she has ever known. The reader is immediately drawn to Amy's emotionally turmoil and makes a connection with her. The scenes described of the freezing process is somewhat disturbing, yet amazingly vivid and really sets the reader up for a crazy ride.

Cut to an indeterminate number of years later. Elder, a sixteen year old boy, who has grown up only on the ship Godspeed, is destined to become the next leader of the people of the ship. He is being taught by Eldest, the current leader, but Elder feels that he is being deceived. He finds maps withe parts of the ship he has never seen before, and the fact that Eldest is hiding the "stars" from him makes him question Eldest's motives. Elder is unaware of the frozen bodies in a secret section of the ship, but when he finds his way there using an old map, someone is mysteriously unfreezing these people. Killing them one by one unless they can be saved in time. What is the killer's motives? And who is the beautiful redheaded girl that was unfrozen first?

This is one of the few YA books I have read lately that wasn't the same old pathetic characters. Amy and Elder really are people who stand for something bigger than themselves.

★★★★★