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Lu

Lu (Sugar & Snark)

Currently reading

Inferno
Dan Brown
Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters
Jane Austen
The Double Jinx Mystery
Carolyn Keene
Smallville: Guardian part 3 (Season 11 #3)
Bryan Q. Miller
The Sea of Tranquility - Katja Millay What an emotional and heart-wrenching novel that I did not see coming! Sure I saw the great reviews of fellow bloggers, but I don’t think I was emotionally ready for such an intense story. Nastya doesn’t speak anymore, she stopped shortly after something terrible happened to her. She wears outfits that shock, because why not? She feels as if her life is already over, so why be the perfect girl. Josh goes through life very lonely, and has to live with the hand he has been dealt. So yea both characters have tons of baggage and both have so much to work through, and when they get thrown together, things get interesting!What I loved so much about this novel:(1) the mystery about what really happened to Nastya(2) no insta love of any kind(3) the story didn’t feel rushed at all(4) I was hooked from the beginning and enjoyed every line(5) fantastic supporting characters(6) the book will stay with me for a long long timeThis was definitely one of those once in a lifetime books, that took me through a range of emotions that I don’t often have for fictional characters. I think it is because the author took such care to develop the story and wrote it beautifully. Read this!

The Oathbreaker's Shadow

The Oathbreaker's Shadow - Amy McCulloch What if there was a way that all your promises could be kept, that if anyone broke a promise they made to you, you would know? What if the person that betrays your trust would be haunted by your ‘haunt’ for the rest of their lives and even get an ugly scar in the process? Would you do it? Would you be ok with them being exiled out of the community? If yes, then let me ask you this: What if you made a promise you couldn’t remember and at anytime you could break it? Would you want to live in a world like this?This is the fantasy world of Raim, a trained fighter and best friend of the prince Khareh. When things go horribly wrong, Raim has to accept the cards he has been dealt and try to survive while keeping his most sacred promise – protect Khareh at all costs and not break his trust.The Oathbreaker’s Shadow turns out to be one hell of a fantasy thrill ride, with a very believable world. Not once did I roll my eyes, it all made sense and it all felt very real. The world is so richly described that at times I wished that I could be in it. Sure there were a few critters and people that I would not like to encounter, but they just made this story that much more interesting.Raim was a character I could sympathize with and I enjoyed his morals and the growth of his character. Khareh intrigues me, I have so many questions about this character and I can’t wait to find out what the story behind the story is. Then there are a whole host of other characters that I thought were interesting and introduced well throughout the novel.The cover and the title are very fitting and they definitely drew me to the novel and this is a series that I would follow and an author I would keep an eye on. So if you love a great fantasy novel, I suggest checking this one out!
Marilyn: Norma Jeane - Gloria Steinem Biographies are always hard to rate and review, but I'll do my best. This was a bit different from any other biography I have read, and I can't decide if it was good or bad.Marilyn Monroe had a very interesting life, that I don't think 182 pages could do justice. Gloria Steinem focused a lot on the later part of Marilyn's life, only mentioning and referring to her past a few times. It read more like a summary of Marilyn's life with touches of conspiracy theories. I think this is what bothered me the most about this biography - there were no references or sources. This wouldn't normally bother me, but when you state something that nobody could possibly know, I would like to know how you got to the conclusion. There are a lot of things about Marilyn's life (i.e. The Kennedy family's involvement) that have always been debated and theorized and I think these things should be treated as such, and not as facts.What I really enjoyed was the focus on things that happened after Marilyn's death, it is not something I have read about often. Gloria Steinem also tackles some physiological issues and goes a bit deeper into who Marilyn was. And I enjoyed how this biography made you think about the deeper things that were happening in Marilyn's life. Thus read more like a physiological analysis than a biography.PS: There are some beautiful photographs at the back of this book.All in all if you like short biographies, then this is the one for you. If you like more in depth biographies then maybe another one would be best.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Volume 1: Long Way Home

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Long Way Home - Joss Whedon, Georges Jeanty, Paul Lee, Andy Owens, Dave Stewart, Richard Starkings I just finished Buffy season 7 and jumped right into the comics, and I was not disappointed! Buffy is leading a ton (in the thousands) of slayers in the fight against demons and vampires. Willow comes back from a secret jaunt somewhere, Dawn is a giant (literally), Xander is the commander of the whole operation and a few old and forgotten characters are back. General chaos ensues and I was drawn right back into this great series!Not sure if you should read it? Well take a look at this:Curious? I bet you are! :)Illustrations: 4 starsStory: 5++ starsOverall: 5 stars

Green Arrow: Year One

Green Arrow: Rok Pierwszy #1 - Andy Diggle I really enjoyed this take on a rich and privileged boy having to fend for himself in the wild, and ultimately become the man he always wanted to be. Oliver gets fooled by someone he trusts and he lands on an island in the middle of nowhere. But the island hold some secrets...This was a great intro to Green Arrow and it definitely makes me want to read more about Oliver Queen! And I can't wait to see some more ass kicking!Illustrations: 4 starsStory: 4 starsOverall: 4 stars

The Shining Girls

The Shining Girls - Kirby is a determined young woman searching for the man who took everything from her. She starts her search by getting a job at a newspaper and befriends Dan, a sports journalist who covered her attack a few years before. Together they find answers neither of them ever dreamed off! There was something about Kirby that felt startlingly real, and reading the killers thoughts was enlightening and creepy at the same time. You don't get to read from the killer's perspective often, and I must say this mix really worked well.There were a few things that I would have liked to have happened, but nothing ground-breaking and I cannot wait for the TV series! (yip read about it here). I love mysteries and thrillers, but add a sci-fi element and a fantastic plot, and you have me for life! I will read every mystery/thriller novel Lauren Beukes decides to write!The title and the various covers are amazing and really suite this novel well. The cover I chose to put at the top is my favorite, as it gives the essence of the story - a view from different times and places all mashed together, to give you The Shining Girls!
Heartless - Gail Carriger 9/10Gail Carriger did it again! And I think it is safe to say that the Parasol Protectorate is one of my favorite series ever. Every time I read one of these books I get a strange craving for tea and my inner thoughts have a slight British tinge to it. I also get this goofy grin on my face when a favorite character does something that is… oh so them, and I think it is safe to say that guilty pleasure describes these books great.Heartless was fantastic! Chaos is in full swing as always, lots of tea is consumed and the boundaries between what is proper and what is practical is pushed. It might be my favorite of the series so far, because the action and humor were always in good supply. Alexia makes it all up as she goes, whether is is plans to save the world/queen/pack or making up excuses for her snooping. I also enjoy how even though everyone is always trying to kill her she doesn’t hold grudges and understand the assailants reasoning.If I can’t have Hogwarts, can I please live in this steampunk world and have Lord Akeldama as my bestie?
Doctor Who: The Forgotten (Doctor Who (IDW)) - Tony Lee, Pia Guerra, Stefano Martino, Kelly Yates This was really enjoyable! Especially nr 1-5. I found nr 6 a bit too much tho, I'm not sure why. The Doctor is stuck in a Museum with objects of his past, but he can't remember any of it. With the help from a beloved companion he relives stories from the past that are connected to certain objects and slowly makes it through all the doctors and companions this way. While being attacked of course!Doctor Who fans will certainly enjoy this, I know I did! It has the right amount of weirdness, Doctor antics and danger.Illustrations: 3.5 starsStory: 3.5 starsOverall: 3.5 stars

House of Night: Legacy

House of Night: Legacy - P.C. Cast, Kristin Cast, Joëlle Jones, Kent Dalian This was surprisingly fun! 1-5 went to so fast and I LOVED the vampyre lore and history, it was fascinating!The Goddess Nyx sets out to teach Zoey 5 lessons so that she can become a better leader to The Dark Daughters and by doing so we learn about the history of vampyres.It worked out perfectly for me, cause it seems the events took place after the first book (which I read). I don't think it should spoil much for a first time reader of the series tho, and to be honest I think this series is a much better graphic novel! Illustrations: 4 starsStory: 4 starsOverall: 4 stars

Batman HC Vol 01 The Court Of Owls (Batman (DC Comics Hardcover))

Batman, Vol. 1: The Court of Owls - Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion I was a little sceptically about the New 52 comics, but wow was I wrong! Batman was fantastic! Maybe even my new favorite comic series! The Court of Owls is the villain in this one, and let me tell you, they not only creep me out, but they were also really fascinating!Batman's character goes through so much in this one, and it was depicted so well in the art. Truly fantastic! Illustrations: 5 starsStory: 5 starsOverall: 5 stars

Batman Volume 2: The City of Owls HC (The New 52)

Batman, Vol. 2: The City of Owls - Becky Cloonan, Andy Clarke, Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion, Sandu Florea, Rafael Albuquerque, Scott Snyder, Jason Fabok, James Tynion After I finished volume 1, I immediately started volume 2 to see what happens. And I was not disappointed! In this volume we find out a little more to the mystery, and it is something that not only surprised me, but also left me with more to wonder about.Also more is revealed about the Pennyworth family, and i found it really interesting!This new series just keeps on being awesome and I will definitely read the next one!Illustrations: 5 starsStory: 5 starsOverall: 5 stars
Blameless - Gail Carriger They get better and better!!!Review to follow.
Batman #0 - Scott Snyder,  Greg Capullo This was a great intro to this new series. We learn about Bruce Wayne's new brownstone and get to see The Red Hood Gang, Gordon and the Robin's!Next up Batman, Vol. 1: The Court of Owls

Bloodlines the Indigo Spell (Bloodlines (Mead - Hardcover))

The Indigo Spell - Richelle Mead 4.5 starsLoved it! Review to follow :)
Pandora Hearts, Vol. 01  - Tomo Kimura, Jun Mochizuki 3.5 starsI really enjoyed the premises of Pandora Hearts - An Alice in Wonderland feel mixed with mystery and intrigue! The characters were interesting and I want to know more about Alice!At some points however I felt a bit lost...I'll check out volume 2 just to see where this story goes, and hopefully I am less confused.Illustrations: 3 starsStory: 4 stars Overall: 3.5 stars

Batman: Year One

Batman: Year One - I was really surprised at how much I enjoyed this! From the first page I was hooked. This is the story of Bruce Wayne's first year of crime fighting in Gotham as well as James Gordon's first year in Gotham. The drawings and the story fit together and it flowed seamlessly!I want more Batman, now!Illustrations: 4 starsStory: 5 stars Overall: 4.5 stars