Cinder! Scarlet! Cress! Winter! Kai! Wolf! Carswell! Jacin! Iko!
What I’m Reading Now: Stars Above by Marissa Meyer
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Rereading Winter by Marissa Meyer
This is it. I don’t want to say that this will be the last time I read Winter or The Lunar Chronicles but I am ready to move on. This was a very lovely series that was just fun to read. So here we go. My last few observations Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, Winter, Kai, Throne, Wolf and Jacin.
- I liked all the romances but Scarlet and Wolf’s is the best. Wolf is torn from his family, forced into the army, his body physically altered and none of this he wanted. He spent the entire series fighting what was done to him so he could have his own choice. That he wasn’t just a monster he was made to be and Scarlet saw him. Maybe from the very beginning when he was just sitting in the tavern, maybe in the fight pit or maybe on the train but she saw HIM and even after everything, that’s all she ever saw. That’s love.
- I do love Throne’s devious plan to prove he’s worthy of Cress’ love. That my friend is a criminal mastermind.
- Winter is adorable. I’m not sure what I think of Jacin. He’s still a jerk but he does have his reasons. If I was raised in the Lunar court I would probably be like that too. I saw that they both truly cared for each other but I wasn’t quite connected with them as a couple as the others. Maybe since I only really got one book with them and they spent most of the book apart from each other.
- Cinder is amazing. After everything that she has been through. She still finds away to be fair to Adri and Peony when they had never been fair to her. A lesson we all can learn. She will make a great leader. I think that best leaders are the ones who don’t want to but do when needed.
- I do hope that she and Kai do stay together
- I’ve said this before but I do love the friendship between Cinder and Throne. He was the first to follow her and to go along with what she wanted and needed. True at first he thought their would be money involved but he was game for everything. I think that is what made he final battle that much more powerful.
- Levana is a terrible person but she also had a terrible upbringing. I read Fairest, the prequel, and we find out that she was never shown love from her parents. Her sister was cruel to her and was responsible for her own burn injuries. She had always felt inferior and really just wanted to be loved. She was the second daughter. The second woman in his husbands life. Well really the third after Winter. She was never anyone’s first until she ascended to the throne and only because she manipulated everyone. I’m not saying any of this excuses her behavior but terrible people are not created in a vacuum.
- Whatever Marissa Meyer will write next. I’m totally going to read it.
What did you all love about The Lunar Chronicles?
Rereading Cress by Marissa Meyer
Now on to Cress. If you have been following along. You can read my thoughts about my second readings on Cinder and Scarlet there and there. Again *Spoilers*
- I think I mentioned this before but I love how our heroines have non-traditional jobs. Cinder is a mechanic, Scarlet is a pilot and farmer and Cress is a computer programmer and hacker. They may be based on fairy tales but doesn’t mean that have be damsels in distress. (though I do love Cress’ line about being a damsel in distress instead of a being a prisoner)
- I do love the friendship between Cinder and Throne. The bickering back and forth between the two is truly delightful. It really sets up for the big ending.
- Cress’ reaction to seeing sand, trees and animals for the first time is just plain adorable. I love the scenes where she is forced to describe their surroundings to Throne who has temporarily lost his eyesight. It’s really cute.
- In Cinder Jacin is described as having a pony tail but is never described with one again. Does he get his haircut?
- Also a lot of characters have blue eyes. Cress, Throne, Jacin and Dr. Erland. Okay that’s only 4 but that is half of them.
- When Jacin says he serves the Princess, did everyone just forget that Winter exits? That might have been a good idea to say, hey how did you know? I know there were a little unsure if they could trust him and for good reason but it probably might have been a good idea to let him in on the Princess Selene angle. Sure, he might have did what he did anyway but maybe not. Communication could have been a little better, that’s all I’m saying.
- Lunars can be real jerks. They manipulate and torture Scarlet and then put her on display in the menagerie. I do hope Cinder gets rid of the families when she takes over.
- I hope they make a movie or TV show because I want to see the scene at the end when Kai is looking for Cinder and sees Wolf sewing up his wound and looks up and says “Your Majesty”. Classic.
- Wolf. sigh
One more book to go. I probably won’t have as many thoughts about Winter since I did just recently finished it but that doesn’t mean I’m any less excited about it.
Rereading Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
Now on to Scarlet. I do love this book too. I love the no nonsense of Scarlet. The almost innocence of Wolf. Captain Thorne cockiness. Cinder’s sarcasm. Kai’s sarcasm and Iko as a ship. Just like I did with my rereading of Cinder, he’s a few observations I may have missed or didn’t think much of the first time around or just things that I love about this story. *Spoilers*
- Seriously, is there a better character as Iko ever. Whether she is a regular android, a ship or an escort droid, she’s the best. I mean that. No way the team can accomplish anything if Iko wasn’t there. She’s very Data like (Star Trek reference!) in her quest to be be and feel more human. She’s a total optimist in the face of the immense odds and gets everyone going when they feel that can’t go on. She’s the best!
- When Kai starts to think that the Lunar’s are spying on him, why doesn’t he have his office swept then? Why wait? The worst thing that could happen is that there are no bugs and he was just paranoid but the best, he could have stopped their spying a little sooner. Of course, who knows what Levana’s reaction would have been then but she was probably going to attack anyway.
- Wolf not knowing what Tomatoes were and saying he was from Paris probably should have been a bigger red flag that he was not actually from Paris. I’m not all that familiar with French food beyond pastries but I’m sure he would have at least seen a tomato before.
- How much time did Dr. Erland spend on building new hand and foot for Cinder? Is that what he was doing when he was hiding from Levana instead of researching the antidote? Or did he have spare cyborg body parts at the ready and once he found her pulled out what he needed once he found her? And if Cinder hadn’t been arrested, when would he have given it to her?
- Anyone else want to talk about how creepy it was that Throne wanted to take an unconscious Emile hostage?
- How cute was Wolf when Scarlet suggested that she was his Alpha female? Love seeing men blush.
- Let’s give props to Michelle Benoit. She keeps the biggest secret the world has ever none for 11 years and still doesn’t give it up under severe torture. Sacrifices herself and her son to do so and still was able to do some serious trash talking before she dies.
I feel like there was more I wanted to say but I can’t remember. I really should write these things done. Next up, Cress.
Cover Reveal: The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater
The final book in Maggie Stiefvater’s The Raven Cycle, The Raven King was supposed to be released later this month. Unfortunately, Maggie said that she needed more time for editing so it has been pushed back until April. Gah! Five more months! What are we going to do? Well for now we are going to have to console ourselves with gazing at the gorgeous cover of The Raven King, revealed yesterday.
Like the covers of the previous books it’s beautiful but doesn’t give much of way of plot or clues besides a deer will somehow play a part in the story. In the meantime, we all can spend time theorizing over what is going to happen. Are Blue and Gansey finally going to kiss and be the doom Gansey? Are Ronan and Adam going to get together? What about Maura and Butterscotch? Will they find Glendower? And what is up with Henry and what role does he have in all of this? Stay Strong. April will be here before we know it.
It’s the first of November, and so today someone will die
Since it’s the November 1 I thought we would take a moment and look at Maggie Stiefvater’s best book, The Scorpio Races. I mean all of her books are good but this one is the best. It’s filled with so much atmospheric goodness that’s it’s just luscious. Every year they race on the sea horses. Some live and some die. Sean is the defending champion. The youngest ever but much older then his years. Puck is the first girl to compete but circumstances make her take the chance. I can’t speak highly of this book and I’m sure that Kate would agree with me. If you are looking for a good book to read by the fire with some warm apple cider then you really can’t do any better then this.
Reasons I love The Diviners by Libba Bray
Let’s try something different in this review. Let’s just talk about what I love about this book and this series (now that I have finished Lair of Dreams!!!)
1. Evie O’Neill is the Elephants Eyebrows, which I assume in 20’s slang for the Bees Knees. She’s joyful, funny, sarcastic, brave and yes a bit spoiled but at her core she wants to help and make difference. If that happens to get her name in the papers so be it.
2. All of the female characters are awesome. Mabel, Evie and Theta are all completely different. I mean seriously, I don’t think you could find different girls. Well, you probably could but as different as they are they compliment each other. Yes, they fight, yes they have their falling outs but when it matters, they are there for each other.
3. The guys are not bad either. Sam, Jericho, Henry and Memphis all have book boyfriend potential. You have bad boy Sam with a heart of gold. Studious Jericho who is more then he appears to be and mysterious Memphis with a poets heart and brother’s loyalty. Henry is the class clown.
4. Libba Bray does a great job of setting a tone of 20’s optimism with darkness and foreboding of something big that is about to happening.
5. You can tell that a lot of research went in to writing of this novel. Everything from the tone, to the slang to the description of clothes and city to the politics and social issues that really brings you into the time and truly makes for a lush reading.
6. I sorta can’t believe that I’ve made it this far without mentioning their super powers! The story revolves around a group of 17-18 years old who start to discover they have strange powers. Like, walking in dreams, reading objects for a person’s past, seeing into the future or healing the sick. It’s like an X-Men origin story!
7.The big bad is truly terrifying but nothing is truly terrifying to me then someone who truly believes that what they are doing is for good even though it is bat shit crazy!
8.Speakeasies, night clubs, Follies and so much more of the Roaring 20’s.
9.For all the optimism of the 20’s, Bray is not afraid to touch on the less happy things from the era, like racism, the Chinese immigration laws, religious fervor and eugenics movement.
10. The diversity of characters. Memphis is black and Henry is gay. Not to mention it’s filled with characters from all spectrums of life in smaller roles as well and more of those characters to come in the sequel.
Dear Stackologist: Life is Full of Tough Choices
Dear Stackologist,
I am married. I thought I would be happy to be married to my husband. He is exactly the type of man I should be married to as we come from the same background and status but he isn’t my true love. That belongs to my father’s ward. He would be unsuitable to marry, I know but we are kindred spirits. We used to run all over the moors together. I think what makes me the most unhappy is that my love has ran off with my husband’s sister and married her. I think I was much happier when he was mine and mine alone. Am I wrong to be so down? I just might die if I can’t have him.
Dear Moors,
First of all, I feel like you got married for the wrong reasons. While it might be important to please your family, this is your life and not theirs so if you are not happy with your husband then maybe it’s time for a divorce. Chances are, if you are not happy neither is he. As for your other issue, I’m not sure you really love him but want to possess him. That’s not exactly healthy. If he has gotten married, you should respect his decision but again I do worry about his reasons for marriage too but that’s for another letter. Also I’m a little worried about you saying you will die without him. No man is worth dying for. Life is full disappointments and you must learn to live with them. Nor can you expect someone to stay single just because you want them too. You moved on, you have to allow that they will move on, too.
Sincerely,
Stackologist
Dear Stackologist,
I really like this guy but we sort of met under unusual situation. He’s funny, and charming and also an addict. He traded in doing drugs and alcohol for another vice, so to speak, but he still partakes in self destructive behavior. I couldn’t take it. I could not stay and watch him destroy himself. So, I left. I moved to California with my Mom. I have my own problems to deal with like my brother’s death and my parent marital problems (they’re divorcing). I don’t need to his on top of that. I thought I was getting over him when one day he showed up at my job. Now all the feelings I had for him are back but I’m not sure I can trust him. He says he is no longer doing what he was doing but I just don’t know. I’m not sure I can let him back into my life.
Ugh. I can’t believe I’m one of those letter-writing girls
Dear Letter-Writer,
I think it’s brave that you saw that you were in a bad situation and you took yourself out of it. It’s not easy, especially when it involves someone that you care about. It sounds like you are going through a difficult time right now and by taking him out of the equation you are on the right path. I think this is one of those cases where the only person that can truly help them is them. It’s obviously difficult now that he is back in your life. You want to believe he is better and maybe he is but more importantly, how are you? Who is supporting you? Who is helping you cope with your brother’s death and your parents’ separation? I think you need to deal with you first before him. If he cares for you, then he will wait for to get yourself back together.
-Stackologist
Review: The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon
On Tuesday, the second book in the Bone Season series, The Mime Order comes out. If you have read the other posts you know that Kate and I loved the first book, The Bone Season and a certain character, Warden. So we both were anxiously waiting the sequel. I already had a chance to read The Mime Order. There are a few perks of being a bookseller. Having the opportunity to read books before they are officially released is just one of them. The problem with reading books before the release is that when I’m done, I can’t talk about them because no one else had read them. I know, I know. I’m probably not getting much sympathy out there so I’ll stop complaining. I am very happy that it will finally get to be released so Kate and our cousin Sarah, who suggested The Bone Season to us can finally read about it so we can discuss it. Finally!
So without giving too much away, The Mime Order is a worthy sequel. It opens up, exactly where The Bone Season ends. Paige and the other voyants have escaped Schoel 1. . Knowing what she now knows on who really runs Scion, she can’t just go back to living her life like nothing happened, can she? That’s exactly what Jaxon wants her to do. Soon after she comes back there is a big shake up in the Syndicate and Paige sees this as an opportunity to push for change against Rephaim.
Admittedly, it starts off slow. I feel like as a reader you just have to expect that from a sequel. Paige’s indecision on what to do next and how to motivate the Syndicate against the Rephaim sort of bogs down the pacing but once she formulates a plan and yes Warden finally returns, the book really starts to pick up. A lot and I mean a lot happens in this book and the ending that made me scream for it not to end there! I can not wait for the next book.
2 Women, So Many Books 