Book Nerds Across America

Book Summary
Most kids would do anything to pass the Iron Trial.
Not Callum Hunt. He wants to fail.
All his life, Call has been warned by his father to stay away from magic. If he succeeds at the Iron Trial and is admitted into the Magisterium, he is sure it can only mean bad things for him.
So he tries his best to do his worst – and fails at failing.
Now the Magisterium awaits him. It’s a place that’s both sensational and sinister, with dark ties to his past and a twisty path to his future.
The Iron Trial is just the beginning, for the biggest test is still to come . . .

Flo's Review
I devoured this book in 2 sittings. I've always loved Cassie's writing and Holly's writing, and this book did not disappoint. It has a very Harry Potter-ish type feel, as the first year students are separated into groups with different masters, and especially with the setting and the food. The underground Magisterium just sounds like Hogwarts to me. And I do love the concept that they get lichen to eat every day, but every day it tastes like something different. Call, Tamara and Aaron remind me so much of Harry, Hermoine and Ron, and I love it so much.

The fact that The Iron Trial reminded me of Harry Potter warmed me up to the story immediately, and almost feels like it was done on purpose. I could see that being the case so that the reader will come to expect certain things to happen and then be completely wrong and surprised with what actually happens. This definitely happened to me several times in the story! The letter on the cover of the ARC actually says, "We wanted to tell a story about a protagonist who had all the markers of a hero: tragedy and secrets in his past, magical power. We wanted people to believe they knew what kind of story they were in for. And then we wanted them to be surprised..." Well they definitely did just that! There are so many characters who you think you know, but as you find out more about them, you realize that their stories run deep and there's more in their past than they are making apparent. And the self discovery for some of these kids is on a whole different level!

The groundwork for a fantastic series has been laid. I can't say too much more without giving away any spoilers, but I've already promised a friend who's read the book that we will talking to soon to discuss our possible theories. It is that kind of book.

Jacque's Review

Flo's Review
I recently read Cecelia Ahern's book Rosie Dunne, which I found out after I started reading it was going to be a movie starring Lily Collins and Sam Claflin. I love both these actors so I was absolutely excited to see this movie.

It was a cute movie, but I think that I would have enjoyed it more had a not read the book, or had I not read the book so recently. The book spams almost the entire lives of Rosie and Alex, so I understand that we could not have a movie that long. So the movie ends up cutting and condensing in interesting ways. For example, one semi-big character was cut and his role in the story was transferred to another character. I remember being concerned when this same thing happened to Madge in The Hunger Games. The explanation I heard was that having multiple minor characters is okay in a book but does not work well for a movie. I can understand that. Also, events in both Rosie's and Alex's stories were cut and/or altered. This did not break the movie for me, but enough changes were made for me to think, "Wait, where's this character?" or "Wait, what happened to the part where?"

What I liked best about this movie: Sam Claflin. I love this man. See?

Me with Sam Claflin at the Mockingjay Part 1 U.S. premiere.

Because I came to know Sam as being Finnick in The Hunger Games, and I love Finnick so much, I thought that I would be watching this movie and think "Finnick!" every time Sam was on screen. But that did not happen at all. Sam did amazing job portraying Alex. His facial expressions captured a lot of the thoughts that we know Alex is having because he writes about them in the book, but that he cannot really just come out and say in the movie because it wouldn't make sense.

Book Summary
Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives.
After their secret romance is exposed, Sydney and Adrian find themselves facing the wrath of both the Alchemists and the Moroi in this electrifying conclusion to Richelle Mead’s New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series. When the life of someone they both love is put on the line, Sydney risks everything to hunt down a deadly former nemesis. Meanwhile, Adrian becomes enmeshed in a puzzle that could hold the key to a shocking secret about spirit magic, a secret that could shake the entire Moroi world.

Flo's Review
I wasn't going to review this one, but how could I not?! I read The Ruby Circle basically in a day, only getting up for essential comforts like moving from the bed to the dining table to the couch and then back to the bed and then back to the couch. What I loved most about this book is that the ending was happy and satisfying. I truly can walk away from this series happy about where we've left everyone. The growth of these characters, especially Sydney and Adrian, is absolutely fantastic and knowing where they were in the first book, Bloodlines, makes me wipe away happy tears for them as I close The Ruby Circle.

"The center will hold...because we are the center." <3

If you haven't yet read Vampire Academy and Bloodlines, I encourage you to go forth and do so! 

Jacque's Review:

This book was selected by my book club, so I decided to give it a try.  I haven't read any of Elizabeth's other books, but I have read several glowing reviews of Eat, Pray, Love.  The Signature of All Things is set in the late 1700's to the late 1800's and tells the story of Henry Whittaker's rise to fortune.  He eventually settles down in Philadelphia with his wife where they are blessed with a daughter named Alma.  The majority of the book is told from Alma's point of view.

Alma had a rather lonely childhood growing up at White Acre, which reminds me of the Vanderbilt family's Biltmore Estate.  White Acre is a large mansion set on hundreds of acres of land.  Alma received an extensive education from her mother as well as a tutor and began to study mosses, which becomes her primary form of entertainment as well as her occupation.  The Whitaker family eventually adopts a young girl Alma's age named Prudence, who's mother worked for the family and died unexpectedly.  The two girls are never close, but they carry on as any other siblings would. They befriend a neighbor girl named Retta, who actually helps to bring the sisters closer together.

As a whole, I'm not quite sure what the point of this book really was.  Alma spends much of her time researching and writing books about mosses.  I thought there would be some interesting developments as Prudence and Retta eventually marry and start families, but it simply increased Alma's isolation, which led to more research and little plot development.  When a visitor named Ambrose Pike arrived at White Acre, I thought we might FINALLY be getting to the heart of the story.  While he does become a large focus of the last half of the book, his arrival really didn't hold my attention any further than reading about mosses for page after page.

While the book is very eloquent and well written with dialogue that depicts the time period, I can't really recommend this book.  It seemed like I would never get to the end, so I eventually switched to the audio version so I could listen while I was training for my next half marathon.  (At least I could kill two birds with one stone.)  I thought the narrator did a remarkable job with the various characters' voices.  Her interpretation of the Reverend Welles was by far my favorite.  He was a missionary Alma met in Tahiti while visiting the island.  The time period when Alma was in Tahiti was my favorite part of the book, but even this seemed to drag on longer than was necessary.

I will probably still give Eat, Pray, Love a try, but I will not be rushing into it after completing The Signature of All Things.

Book Summary

• I learned how the story of Gaius Gracchus is similar to the story of the Kennedy brothers.
• I got some background on the infamous "I am Spartacus!" scene in the 1960 movie.
• Did you know that the terms "Kaiser" and "Czar" both originated as translations of "Caesar"?
• There was a man named Vercingetorix. That name though!
• The story behind "Remember, remember the fifth of November"
• Samuel Adams worked as a partner in his father's malt house, but wasn't a very successful brewer.

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Book Summary
With shades of The Hunger Games, Ender’s Game, and Game of Thrones, debut author Pierce Brown’s genre-defying epic Red Rising hit the ground running and wasted no time becoming a sensation.

Golden Son continues the stunning saga of Darrow, a rebel forged by tragedy, battling to lead his oppressed people to freedom from the overlords of a brutal elitist future built on lies. Now fully embedded among the Gold ruling class, Darrow continues his work to bring down Society from within.

A life-or-death tale of vengeance with an unforgettable hero at its heart,Golden Son guarantees Pierce Brown’s continuing status as one of fiction’s most exciting new voices. 

Flo's Review
Wow. What an interesting journey with this book. I literally had quite a roller coaster experience reading it. While I loved the concept of Red Rising, the first book in the trilogy, it took me awhile to get through it. I set it aside for several months, and then only picked it back up when I got Golden Son. 

The beginning of the book held my interest, but then toward the end of Part I, it was losing me again. I once again put a Pierce Brown book down and went on to other things. But I was determined to push through, so I picked it back up and read on. Then two words at the end of Part I had me excited to get to Part II. I was back to being invested in the story for awhile, but then it once again started to lose me. It went to the side again, but once again I came back. By the end of Part III and into Part IV, I was flying. And then there's the end. But we'll get to that in minute.

What I liked most about this book is the themes of trust and redemption that run through it. Darrow, though born a Red, is a natural leader. It is in his blood. But he is a leader because he makes friends, not followers. And his friends will follow him willingly and die for him. Time and time again Darrow opts to trust his friends and give them the benefit of the doubt. And the majority of the time this works. He realizes that the Golds will break because they are rigid and power hungry and always looking out for #1 above all. And the Reds can rise because they believe in brotherhood and community. I jotted down the phrase "high virtue, low color." Darrow's problems come when he goes out on a limb and trusts too much, hoping that all his friends can be human beyond just being Gold. Darrow is also bold in his strategy and that is why is so successful as a leader. He is smart -- he does his homework. He is often able to anticipate traps and what others who seek to harm him may be thinking. He uses that to come into a situation with the upper hand. 

You may be wondering why I had such trouble getting through this book. Through my experiences with sci fi, I can say that I just don't think I'm a sci fi fan. There are exceptions, of course: the Across the Universe trilogy by Beth Revis and These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner are two that come to mind immediately. But with this book, for example, there was a lot going on. Different types of people, different planets...I was often lost in all the detail. Secondly, I appreciate a good battle scene...but not a long one. I'm the same way with movies. (Don't get me started on the final Hobbit movie!) So many scenes in this book are fight scenes. And while I can appreciate that they are well done and that the characters are kicking @$$, I tend to just skim over them after awhile.

And now we can talk about the end. I won't spoil it, but I will say this. Up until then, based on my roller coaster of a journey with this book, I was looking at a 2 or 3 star rating. The ending brought it up to 4. I almost gave it 5 anyway, but I couldn't bring myself to rate it so highly based on my experience. But I almost did. The ending overshadowed everything for me. It was the kind of ending a booknerd lives for -- it's waaay past my bedtime, but I can't bloodydamn put the book down! Then, once I've finished it, I immediately had to seek out a friend to freak out with. The ending made the book for me.

Morning Star is the third and final book in the trilogy and it's not supposed to come out until 2016. How am I supposed to wait?!?!?

I've had the opportunity to go to numerous bookish events over the years, but I have never been to any ALA (American Library Association) ones. Over the years I have heard many good things, so I decided 2015 was my year! So much of the fun of this conference was in the planning. I am a Florida girl, as you may know. ALA Midwinter 2015 took place in Chicago. In January. You have no idea how many times I heard, "You're to Chicago? in January??" But I pulled out my biggest coat and all my winter gear, and I hopped on the plane Friday evening.

I was lucky enough to be sharing the experience with some amazing bloggers -- Ana from Owl Always Be Reading, Leydy from Once Upon a Twilight, and Danielle from Love at First Page.

My beautiful partners in book obsession.

Book Summary
Aspiring chef Cade Maxwell is immediately, viscerally attracted to Winter Jacobson. But it’s not her mouthwatering curves he’s drawn to—it’s the strange emptiness in her eyes. When Cade saves her from a drunken customer with grabby hands, he’s shocked at her response…... 
Winter doesn’t need Cade’s help. After a lifetime of getting by on her own, she’s happy to rely on herself. She’s exactly seventy-six days away from graduating college, and if she can hold it together that long, she’ll finally be able to rise above the crappy hand she was dealt. 
But now, every time she turns around, Cade is there, ready to push her, smile at her, distract her from her plans. Winter knows she can’t afford to open up—especially to a man she’s terrified to actually want….

Flo's Review
I've had a copy of Caged in Winter for awhile now, but hadn't gotten the chance to read it. However, when I learned that Brighton would be at the ALA Midwinter Conference in Chicago, I took the book as my read for the plane in hopes that I could get her to sign it at the show. And Brighton's the sweetest, y'all! But let's talk about this book--

I really enjoyed reading about Cade and Winter. Cade is one of those characters who is not what he appears to be. He has tattoos and piercings and a strong physical presence, but at heart he is loving and self-sacrificing to a fault. Winter goes on the biggest emotional journey in the book, but Cade has one as well. It was nice to see him listen to his friends, family, and Winter and take a look at the life he's been living from another perspective. His sister Tessa and Winter both make him re-evaluate his staunch position. Everything he has done and continues to do is out of love, but the giving needs to wrap back around to himself as well.

Watching Cade break down Winter's barriers was a beautiful thing. I love that it started with a simple walk to the bus stop after work and then grew from there. That's the type of story you tell the grandkids, you know?!? "I walked her from work to the bus stop day after day until she gave me the time of day." Winter was able to put on a front at work, but Cade saw right through that and saw her underneath. *swoons* At times I was like, "C'mon Winter!!!" with her stubbornness and her refusal to let him in, but her hesitation made sense. But when she is finally able to look at her life and her choices in another way, thanks to Cade and Annette, it heartening to see things with her through new eyes.

I need the next book, Tessa Ever After, in my life immediately.

Book Summary
An international sensation, this hilarious, feel-good novel is narrated by an oddly charming and socially challenged genetics professor on an unusual quest: to find out if he is capable of true love.Don Tillman, professor of genetics, has never been on a second date. He is a man who can count all his friends on the fingers of one hand, whose lifelong difficulty with social rituals has convinced him that he is simply not wired for romance. So when an acquaintance informs him that he would make a "wonderful" husband, his first reaction is shock. Yet he must concede to the statistical probability that there is someone for everyone, and he embarks upon The Wife Project. In the orderly, evidence-based manner with which he approaches all things, Don sets out to find the perfect partner. She will be punctual and logical--most definitely not a barmaid, a smoker, a drinker, or a late-arriver.
Yet Rosie Jarman is all these things. She is also beguiling, fiery, intelligent--and on a quest of her own. She is looking for her biological father, a search that a certain DNA expert might be able to help her with. Don's Wife Project takes a back burner to the Father Project and an unlikely relationship blooms, forcing the scientifically minded geneticist to confront the spontaneous whirlwind that is Rosie--and the realization that love is not always what looks good on paper.
"The Rosie Project" is a moving and hilarious novel for anyone who has ever tenaciously gone after life or love in the face of overwhelming challenges.

Flo's Review
Aww, so much love for this book! So. Much. Love. This is a book that I finished reading 15 minutes ago,but I still have a big smile on my face because I feel all happy inside after reading it. This book is for the underdog; this book is the for the social outcast; this book is for anyone who feels like they are being laughed at. 

It was surprisingly very easy to get inside Don's head -- probably because he's so rational about everything. But even though he doesn't do well with physical contact, you want to hug him throughout the book. Simsion does a great job of being in Don's head and bringing the reader there, too. Even though I may understand a social norm or a social nuance, I see it through Don's mind and understand why he doesn't understand it. 

I loved the fact that Rosie found his quirkiness endearing. I was cheering for her to fall for him because of it and she did not let me down. I loved seeing Don come to realize things after he has taken himself (and the reader) through his steps of logic. I even love the bright yellow cover of the paperback! 

Again, on a personal note that I've shared in my reviews of The Reason I Jump and Isla and the Happily Ever After -- I have a nephew with autism and it will never fail to warm my heart seeing someone on the spectrum have a life full of friends, love and purpose. Don cares about people and they care about him -- Claudia, Gene, Daphne. He is fulfilled by work and extracurriculars. This is the life I want for my nephew. 

I have to take a minute to recognize the narrator of the audiobook. I listened to a lot of this one and he was perfect! His accent and more especially his way of saying certain words and his intonations are exactly how I think Don would have said or thought them.

At times I found myself laughing and then feeling bad, like I was laughing at Don? But that's not it. Like Rosie, I think he would be fun to hang out with. I would learn a lot and every so often he would bust out with a little joke. He's a fast learner of basically everything, and we could drink wine all the time. He's so endearing -- that's a good word for Don -- endearing. This is definitely a definition of a "feel good" book! I definitely recommend this one!

Thanks so much to Simon & Schuster for providing me a copy for review.

Book Summary
Alexa Holland’s father was her hero—until her shocking discovery that she and her mother weren’t his only family. Ever since, Alexa has worked to turn her life in a different direction and forge her own identity outside of his terrible secrets,. But when she meets a man who’s as damaged by her father’s mistakes as she is, Alexa must help him. Caine Carraway wants nothing to do with Alexa’s efforts at redemption, but it’s not so easy to push her away. Determined to make her hate him, he brings her to the edge of her patience and waits for her to walk away. But his actions only draw them together and, despite the odds, they begin an intense and explosive affair. Only Caine knows he can never be the white knight that Alexa has always longed for. And when they’re on the precipice of danger, he finds he’ll do anything to protect either one of them from being hurt again… 

Flo's Review
This was actually my first Samantha Young book. I've heard lots of good things and seen lots of good reviews for some of her other books, so I may have to give them a try.

When I started reading Hero I was in love with it. The story kept a good pace and smart alec Alexa was fun to read when she was putting Caine in his place. I was really into it...until the end. 

In the beginning, I questioned why Alexa felt she HAD to get through to Caine. She was seemingly irrationally driven to show him how similar they both were, and I know a lot of it was guilt for what her father did and loneliness because of how her life turned out. So I went with it. But by the end? I understand, too, why Caine turned out the way he did. But NO ONE should get a free pass to be a jerk. He was a jerk to Alexa REPEATEDLY and she kept taking it because she was going to get through to him dagnabbit! People are emotional and get hurt and make mistakes. I understand that. And I understand second chances. And maaaaybe third and fourth chances, based on the situation. But this was like 57 chances. (I made up that number, but you know what I mean.) I don't care anymore that his family life was bad. Use that, rise above it, be better. I know that's a tall order and not everyone can do it. I guess I'm just saying that I, personally, could not have kept giving Caine chance and chance and chance again to be a jerk to me and break my heart. I don't care who he is.

I do want to take the folks at Penguin/NAL for sending me this ARC. Hero comes out today and I'm curious to hear your thoughts on it. If you read it, let me know how you liked it!

You think this is harsh? Here's my review of 50 Shades of Grey: http://www.booknerdsacrossamerica.com/2012/06/50-shades-of-venting-50-shades-of-grey.html