Book of the Week: Shadow and Bone

I read Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo over the summer, soon after it came out. I read it again this past week, and oh my, I love it. So, without further ado:

SHADOW AND BONE by Leigh Bardugo

What's it about?

Alina Starkov lives in Ravka, a nation torn in two by the Shadow Fold, an area of pure and utter darkness, home to winged monsters who feast on human flesh. Alina has never fit in anywhere or been anyone extraordinary.

But when she and an army regiment that includes her dearest friend, Mal, are attacked by monsters while trying to cross the Fold, a power awakens inside of her: a power that sets her apart from everyone else. A power that, if cultivated in the proper way, could be the key to destroying the Fold and saving Ravka.

Why is it amazing?

First of all, the setting. Leigh has created a stunningly beautiful world inspired by Russian culture. The food, the outfits, the magic...it's wonderful.

Second, Alina. She's the perfect heroine, a girl who knows her faults but not to the extent that she is ever annoying. She's stubborn and strong. She's not the kind of girl who expects to be saved.

Third, the Darkling. The Darkling is the head of the order of the Grisha, the magical kind of Ravka who take Alina in as their own. He is also the villain. But he has enough human qualities that it's difficult to hate him. He has his reasons for his desires, and some of them don't seem half-bad.

Really, please, just read this book. It's the magic of Harry Potter mixed with the stunning world of Russia. You will love it.

Buy it at your local bookstore, or purchase it online:

IndieBound
Barnes and Noble
Amazon

Book of the Week: Shatter Me

Rating: 4 out of 5

From the first page, the writing of this book hooked me. Shatter Me is the story of Juliette, a girl who has been locked up for 264 days because her touch is lethal. Her thoughts are tangled beautiful dripping with emotion crossed out in places. That is the way she deals with her isolation and the years of her life she's spent unable to touch anyone without hurting them.

One day, she is given a companion in her cell. A boy with eyes that are too familiar not like any she's ever seen before.

And everything changes.

Learn more about Shatter Me on Goodreads. The amazingly awesome author Tahereh Mafi blogs here and tweets here.

Book of the Week: The Knife of Never Letting Go

Rating: 4 out of 5

The first in a trilogy by Patrick Ness, this book is one of my loves. The writing style takes some getting used to, at first, but once you get used to it, you'll love it.

The narrator, Todd Hewitt, is a boy who wants to become a man. He is the last boy in Prentisstown, a town where there are no women. A town where everyone's thoughts spew into the open air in a never-ending stream of Noise.

When Todd finds a strange spot of silence, he learns that everything he thought he knew might not be true. The town has a secret so terrible, Todd and his (adorable) dog Manchee run from it.

It's hard to escape when everyone can hear their thoughts.

Interested yet? Add it to your "to-read" list on Goodreads! Order it on Amazon or at your local bookstore!

Book of the Week: Delirium

Rating: 4 out of 5

Oh my, I've been reading so many amazing books recently. This one kept me going for five hours straight to see how it would end. Definitely check it out if you get a chance. Here's the blurb, courtesy of Goodreads:


Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.