These Books Among Us

Hey everyone! Welcome to the new year! This year I am going to try to incorporate themes into my weekly posts for every month. So let's see how well that goes, shall we? To get us started, let's get in the mindset of fairy tales.   If you are like me, you love fairy tales. They were told to you when you were growing up, turned into awesome animated films, and probably taught you lessons about right and wrong, right? Well, same with me. Most people grow up on the Disney versions of these stories. They are often filled with happily ever afters, the villains getting their just desserts (killed-they get killed), and some variant of the animal side kick being embarrassed at the new couple kissing at the end of the film. But the original tales were a lot darker. Most of them had very heavy themes throughout and very graphic violence for being something to share with children. And that was the point, back when these were first circulated. They were to scare children into...

Stars Above by Marissa Meyer (400 pages) Date Read: 10 December 2016 My Rating 4.5 Stars Synopsis: The enchantment continues.... The universe of the Lunar Chronicles holds stories—and secrets—that are wondrous, vicious, and romantic. How did Cinder first arrive in New Beijing? How did the brooding soldier Wolf transform from young man to killer? When did Princess Winter and the palace guard Jacin realize their destinies? With nine stories—five of which have never before been published—and an exclusive never-before-seen excerpt from Marissa Meyer’s upcoming novel, Heartless, about the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, Stars Above is essential for fans of the bestselling and beloved Lunar Chronicles. -- The Little Android: A retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid,” set in the world of The Lunar Chronicles. Glitches: In this prequel to Cinder, we see the results of the plague play out, and the emotional toll it takes on Cinder. Something that ...

Winter by Marissa Meyer (832 pages) Date Read: 9 December 2016 My Rating: 5 Stars Synopsis: Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mar her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana. Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won't approve of her feelings for her childhood friend--the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn't as weak as Levana believes her to be and she's been undermining her stepmother's wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that's been raging for far too long. Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters? Fans will not want to miss this thrilling conclusion to Marissa Meyer's national bestselling Lunar Chronicles series. My Review: There will be spoile...

Fairest by Marissa Meyer (220 pages) My Rating: 3 Stars Date Read: 5 December 2016 Synopsis In this stunning bridge book between  Cress  and  Winter  in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles, Queen Levana’s story is finally told. Mirror, mirror on the wall, Who is the fairest of them all? Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story – a story that has never been told . . . until now.  Marissa Meyer spins yet another unforgettable tale about love and war, deceit and death. This extraordinary book includes full-color art and an excerpt from  Winter , the next book in the Lunar Chronicles series. My Review: As always, there are going to be spoilers in this review, so be warned. As much as I love the Lunar Chronicles series, I did not enjoy reading this book. Yes, we got backstory into Levana...

Cress by Marissa Meyer (582 pages) My Rating: 5 Stars Date Read: 14 November 2016 Synopsis: Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together they're plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army. Their best hope lies with Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker; unfortunately, she's just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice. When a daring rescue goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing stop her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only ones who can.   My Review: There's going to be spoilers in the review, so be warned. Marissa Meyer did it again! I have to say this  series is a lot better than I ...

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer (505 pages) My  Rating: 4.5 Stars Date Read: 28 August 2016 Synopsis: Cinder is back and trying to break out of prison—even though she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive if she does—in this second installment from Marissa Meyer. Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother, or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana. My Review: Okay, so this book gets a 4.5 stars, but, again, I am rounding up for this book because it was honestly close enough to a 5 t...