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Book name and author The Paper Magician by Charlie Holmberg Brief synopsis (no spoilers) Ceony Twill just finished magic school and has been given an apprenticeship with a paper magician, even though she was hoping to work with metal. She's quite bright, has a keen memory, and picks up what she's taught very quickly. Her teacher, Magician Thane, is a good instructor, but very obviously distracted by the illegal actions of those that practice forbidden magic. Why I chose this book I have Amazon Prime and this book became available through Amazon First. It sounded like the best one in the lineup. My personal opinion (the review) I'm a sucker for magic and series, so this drew me in right away. Ceony- I have no idea how to pronounce her name- is a great character, with tons of depth. She "bonds" to paper- committing herself to being a paper magician, even though her hope was to become a metal magician. So there's conflict right away. But she's als...

Book name and author Red Rising, by Pierce Brown Brief synopsis (no spoilers) The people of the Mars colony are divided into classes, represented by colors. Gold governs, Red is the lowest. Darrow is somewhere between. Why I chose this book Library website recommendation, based on loan history My personal opinion (the review) This is the best book I've read all year. The premise is interesting (revenge, social classes, war games), it's set in the future, and the way the main character captures hearts is fascinating. Warnings (language, violence, "adult" situations, death, etc.) Language: mild; euphemisms used of varying degrees of severity Violence: fairly frequent (the main plot involves a minor war, in essence), sometimes graphic Adult situations: mild, nothing detailed Death: many; most not major characters; most not graphic Movie rating equivalent PG-16 (not rated R, but I wouldn't let a 13-year old read it) Protag...

Book name and author My Sister's Keeper, by Jodi Picoult Brief synopsis (no spoilers) "It tells the story of 13-year-old Anna, who litigates her parents for medical emancipation when she is expected to donate a kidney to her sister Kate, who is dying from leukemia." From Wikipedia Why I chose this book My sister recommended it My personal opinion (the review) Full of teenage angst and "no one understands me" drama, but also an incredibly compelling story. No one is shallow, no one is easy to hate, everyone's normal- and messed up. It's a great book, until the end. The end was such a disappointment that I almost don't recommend it. Tell you what, stop right after the court case closes and it'll be a great book. Keep reading if you need a good, cleansing cry. Warnings (language, violence, "adult" situations, death, etc.) Language: scattered, some of it strong, but it's rare enough that it doesn't stic...

Book name and author Digital Fortress, by Dan Brown Brief synopsis (no spoilers) Classic spy vs. spy. NSA intelligence agents and resources, against a brilliant former NSA agent. Also, unbreakable codes and giant computers. Why I chose this book I like Dan Brown books, and my sister had a copy (convenience) My personal opinion (the review) This is a story that should be very boring. It's about cryptography and giant computers and very brainy people. But there's fun and action and romance and psychological conflict and an assassin, so it works. I wish I hadn't wasted my time, though. The language was just too much, but it didn't get bad until the end. I didn't want to put it down by then. One thing I really did like is that not all the characters were what they seemed to be- love that. Hide the bad guy in plain sight, for the win! Warnings (language, violence, "adult" situations, death, etc.) Language: strong Violence: plenti...

Book name and author Resist, by Sarah Crossan Brief synopsis (no spoilers) Continuing from Breathe (previous book), the Resistance members flee to another community outside the Pod, hoping for assistance and to pick up their original plans. But the other community has their own ideas of how things should be done (cue ominous music). Why I chose this book I enjoyed Breathe, and saw tons of possibilities for the story line to continue. Crossan did not disappoint! My personal opinion (the review) This was a harder book to like than Breathe. Breathe had action and romance and even some language, but it was Young Adult Fiction action, romance, and language. This book had all of those in a much stronger, harsher level. I was worried about a love triangle for a few minutes, but it all worked out the fairy tale way. It was really good, but not great. Warnings (language, violence, "adult" situations, death, etc.) Language: medium to strong (no f-bombs, bu...

Book name and author Scan, by Walter Jury Brief synopsis (no spoilers) "Aided only by his girlfriend and his estranged mother, with powerful enemies closing in on all sides, Tate races to puzzle out the secret behind his father's invention and why so many are willing to kill for it." From the library description Why I chose this book The library description sounded interesting. And it's part of a series and I'm a sucker for series. My personal opinion (the review) 3 f-bombs (swear words) in the first chapter. Game over. Warnings (language, violence, "adult" situations, death, etc.) Language. Didn't get far enough to see about any others. Movie rating equivalent R Protagonist description Opening scene is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu match, so he's knowledgeable in martial arts. His father is very critical of him. He has a girlfriend. Point of view of story First Book length Didn't get far enough to ...

Book title and author Breathe, by Sarah Crossan Brief synopsis (no spoilers) The inhabitants of the earth made a huge mistake in the past- they cut down all of the trees to allow for more farmland, and now the oxygen supply in the world is restricted to sealed buildings. The people in charge in the society may not have everyone's best interests in mind, either. Can the rebellion change things, or is the government just too strong? Why I chose this book This was a recommended series for anyone who read Maze Runner by James Dashner My personal opinion (the review) The premise is intriguing- people live in a giant glass bubble called "the Pod". Definitely room for technology-based issues there (leave the Pod, and you die horribly). Class warfare is strong- 3 classes of citizens, living in 3 zones of the city. Definitely room for plenty of tension there. But everyone is mostly happy and nice to each other. There's a love triangle going on, which is ...

Book name and author Mind Games, by Kiersten White Brief synopsis (no spoilers) There are Feelers (women who sense emotions of others), Seers (women who have visions of the future), and Readers (women who can hear the thoughts of others). Annie is blind, but a Seer. Her sister, Fia, is also special, but in a different way. One organization is trying to exploit their abilities to "rule the world". Why I chose this book On the library website, this was recommended based on my loan history My personal opinion (the review) I like the whole "special powers" concept, so I really liked this book. Fia has perfect instincts, Annie is a Seer. Fia is the younger sister, but Annie is blind, so they each have to take care of each other in different situations. Warnings (language, violence, "adult" situations, death, etc.) Language: medium- nothing too strong, but frequency is a little higher than I like Violence: fairly frequent, but not ...