the eclectic authoress recommends...

50. Unspoken, by Sarah Rees Brennan

Unspoken is the first in the Lynburn Legacy trilogy, followed by Untold and Unmade. It's about the secrets of a sleepy English town, the tropes of Gothic novels, a teen investigative reporter, and two people who can talk to each other in their heads. The characters are funny and fully developed, and I fell in love with each and every one of them (except for the one or two I hate). The relationship between Kami, the protagonist, and Jared, the boy in her head, is agonizing and beautiful. I would recommend Unspoken to anyone, anywhere, without hesitated-- it is storytelling as its finest, with themes pulled from long-ago novels slipping naturally into the present time.                                                

the eclectic authoress recommends...

49. Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater

Dead Welsh kings, raven boys, school crests, Latin classes, a house full of psychics, a 1973 Camaro, street racing, caves, a magical forest that moves, missing mothers, friendly hit men, and a girl who makes "energy" stronger-- this is Maggie Stiefvater's series. Blue Lily, Lily Blue is the third book, preceded by The Raven Boys and The Dream Thieves, both of which are stunning. Delve into the world of fast cars and sleeping kings for a few hours--it will most definitely be worth it.

have I become a library?

Now that summer has finally arrived, I've been able to do a lot more reading. Books are some of my favorite things, and (of course) I love to talk about them. Here are a few my most recent reads, and my recommendations.

We Were Liars, by E. Lockhart

Saying too much about We Were Liars would be devastating- this is really one of those novels that is best to go into without presuppositions. The plot is something that needs to be realizes as it's read. There is a rich, rich family, a group of four friends, a summer island, and a secret. I was on the edge of my metaphorical seat throughout my reading of it. (Also, there might have been tears.) We Were Liars is a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful book- I recommend it to absolutely everyone.

A Voice in the Wind, by Francine Rivers

This novel certainly exceeded my expectations. It is part of a series, but this is (so far) the only novel of three I have finished reading. A Voice in the Wind is set in long-ago Rome, when the empire has practically destroyed Jerusalem and the gladiator games are the peak of societal outings. The novel follows a large cast of characters, including the Jewish slave Hadassah, who is trying to hide her Christian faith in Rome, Marcus, her master's ill behaved son, Julia, his little sister- quickly following in his footsteps, and Atretes, a German warrior turned gladiator. Incredibly interesting and unexpectedly developed, Rivers certainly weaves a wonderful story.

13 Little Blue Envelopes, by Maureen Johnson

This Young Adult novel gives wanderlust a new name. Ginny (our protagonist) has an artist aunt who's always doing unexpected things- like a few years ago, when she practically disappeared. Or, rather, Ginny had an aunt; Peg passed away while living in London. All Ginny has left of Peg is a series of letters, held in- as the title illustrates- thirteen blue envelopes. These letters send Ginny all over the world, to Paris, to Rome, to Amsterdam, and always to a new adventure. The absolute best part of this novel is the places- reading about backpacking in Europe creates a definite want to travel.

the realms of your imagination

I have recently discovered a new book series, and so devoured it in three days (one per book). This particular series is written by Libba Bray, and follows our heroine through the late nineteenth century. Yes, this is the "Gemma Doyle" trilogy, headed by A Great and Terrible Beauty. It made the New York Times bestseller list, but I did not discover it complexities until a few days ago. Since then, I have become completely enamored. The series follows Gemma Doyle, whose life changes drastically after her mother dies of "cholera". (It isn't cholera.) She moves from India to a strict English boarding school, where she begins to discover that the strange visions she experiences are not her going crazy after all. With the historical element, humor, great drama, and a particular nice looking boy, Libba Bray's trilogy certainly has everything one could wish for. Once you add the spectacular writing style she most definitely has, the series becomes perfect. These are books you will live in for days after you finish them, and they will be swimming around your head and your heart for months to come.

A One-Sitting Read

I am always looking for new books to read, and so, being that it's right after Christmas (though really, I don't need and excuse), I decided to head to "Barnes & Nobles". And, while I was perusing the shelves, I found this absolute gem of a novel: Code Name Verity, by Elizabeth Wein.

Now, I have known of the existence of Code Name Verity for many months. I've seen in publicized on writing websites and reviewed on blogs. Though I never looked very closely, all of these sources seemed to have loved the book. I, however, started to read Anna Karenina- which, as Tolstoy lovers know, is a process. But a few days ago, I set out to the bookstore, armed with a gift card, and saw Code Name Verity on the shelf. I remembered the blogs and websites that had recommended it, and decided to give it a chance.

I began reading this afternoon, and finished in one sitting.

To begin, Code Name Verity is historical fiction. This is always a huge plus for me, as I so admire authors who put in such time and effort to meticulously reconstruct another time or setting. Also, Wein weaves the history and fiction together beautifully; she does not throw the history in the readers face, saying, "Look! I researched this! This is the exact type of shoe twenty year old working women would wear in the 1940s!" Instead, she weaves the two topics seamlessly together, recreating the World War II setting she has chosen.

But though Wein is writing about World War II, she does not focus on the evils of Germany at the time; instead, she chooses individual people to be her villains. Also, this is not a war book; it is not All Quiet on the Western Front. It is a book about people who are in a war. There is a war on. And there are spies, and airplanes, and secrets. But there are also best friends, and making the hard choices.

Code Name Verity is, in short, the best book I have read in quite a long time. It is heartfelt and emotional. It is well written, with wonderful narrative voice for each of its characters. It's plot is complex and intriguing, twisting and turning down beautifully foreshadowed alleys.

Wein has created a new world between two paper covers.

Colors Will Not Fade.... Or....

Has anyone tuned in to this delicious love triangle yet? Comment if you're just as entwined in the series as I am...