Black Cloud

From Goodreads:    Born in Northern Nevada in 1950, Black Cloud is a black-and-white mustang colt. He loves roaming free with the rest of his herd, playing with the other foals, and learning the ways of wild horses. But when humans intrude on this wandering life, Black Cloud's world is changed forever. Like Black Beauty, this moving novel is told in first person from the horse's own point of view and includes an appendix full of photos and facts about mustangs and the history of the laws protecting them.







My Thoughts:

-    This was a sad and somber story, but it is a story that needs to be told.

-    I like the way this book addressed a tough topic.

-    There is a special place in hell for people who abuse and kill animals!

-    I'm glad there was some kindness and hope at the end of the story. 

Previous Horse Diaries Books:

  
  

Polly and the Pirates, Volume 2: Mystery of the Dragonfish

From Goodreads:    Polly Pringle reunites with her pirate crew at long last Honor-bound to rescue Emperor Norton from his unfair imprisonment, Polly escapes her cozy boarding school and returns to the high seas But Polly and the Emperor have stumbled onto the fiendish plot of a foreign power, which endangers not only their own lives, but everyone in the Americas!












My Thoughts:

-    This wasn't as fun as the first volume. I was really disappointed.

-    The story wasn't as good. It was kinda all over the place.

-    I didn't care about the characters or their goal, so it was hard to keep reading.

Previous Book

The Hunters

Goodreads Synopsis:    It's time for a showdown. Pirates vs Skandians. Bring it on, Herons! 

With Zavac and his ship, the Raven, well ahead of the Heron, Hal has a huge task ahead of him in finding the pirate – and retrieving the precious artefact Zavac stole from the Skandians. The Heron brotherband must undertake a long and dangerous river journey to hunt their prey. But even if they survive the journey, are they ready to confront Zavac in his lair? 

The third book in the New York Times bestselling Brotherband series, from the author of the international phenomenon, Ranger's Apprentice.

My Thoughts:

-    Flanagan has delivered another delightfully adventurous book! I love this series!

-    I have become very attached to the Heron Brotherband, and I loved cheering them on through their journey.

-    The showdown with Zavac and the Raven was everything I hoped it would be. 

-    I love that the Heron left the ocean and took a cruise down the river in this book. It was fun to see the different obstacles a river brings. 

-    The ending was perfect! I laughed so much, and I was grinning for the rest of the day!

Previous book in the Brotherband Chronicles:

 

The Invaders

Goodreads Synopsis:    The adventure continues in the Ranger's Apprentice companion trilogy!

Hal and the Herons have done the impossible. This group of outsiders has beaten out the strongest, most skilled young warriors in all of Skandia to win the Brotherband competition. But their celebration comes to an abrupt end when the Skandians' most sacred artifact, the Andomal, is stolen--and the Herons are to blame.

To find redemption they must track down the thief Zavac and recover the Andomal. But that means traversing stormy seas, surviving a bitter winter, and battling a group of deadly pirates willing to protect their prize at all costs. Even Brotherband training and the help of Skandia's greatest warrior may not be enough to ensure that Hal and his friends return home with the Andomal--or their lives.

My Thoughts:

-    I love this author! He is an amazing storyteller. I get so immersed in his world, and I get so attached to his characters. I'll never get tired of his books. 

-    I loved how each boy grew and overcame their individual weaknesses. I loved seeing them come together stronger team. The trust and friendship are so great!

-    I enjoyed getting to know Thorn better. His story is very intriguing. 

-    I liked the new characters, especially Lydia. She is a formidable character, and I hope she doesn't cause too much trouble in the Brotherband.

-    It was so fun to see Hal put a plan of attack into motion. I loved the battle to take back the town.

-    I can't say enough about this series or the this author. I love it!

Previous book in the Brotherband Chronicles:

The Crown of Embers

Goodreads Synopsis:    She does not know what awaits her at the enemy's gate.

Elisa is a hero.

She led her people to victory over a terrifying, sorcerous army. Her place as the country's ruler should be secure. But it isn't.

Her enemies come at her like ghosts in a dream, from foreign realms and even from within her own court. And her destiny as the chosen one has not yet been fulfilled.

To conquer the power she bears, once and for all, Elisa must follow a trial of long-forgotten—and forbidden—clues, from the deep, hidden catacombs of her own city to the treacherous seas. With her go a one-eyed spy, a traitor, and the man whom—despite everything—she is falling in love with.

If she's lucky, she will return from this journey. But there will be a cost.

My Thoughts:

-    It took me a little while to decide, but yes, I liked this one even more than the first book. 

-    I LOVED Elisa's journey and self discovery in this story. I was frustrated with her at moments, but it was all part of her story arc.

-    I loved her growing relationship with Hector, and the tension is delicious.

-    This is one of those stories that stayed with me for several days. I kept thinking about it and everything that happened. 

-    The ending is gut wrenching is awesome! I can't wait for the third and final book!

Previous Book in the Fire and Thorns Trilogy:

The Diviners

Goodreads Synopsis:    Evie O’Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City—and she is pos-i-tute-ly ecstatic. It’s 1926, and New York is filled with speakeasies, Ziegfeld girls, and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is that she has to live with her uncle Will and his unhealthy obsession with the occult.

Evie worries he’ll discover her darkest secret: a supernatural power that has only brought her trouble so far. But when the police find a murdered girl branded with a cryptic symbol and Will is called to the scene, Evie realizes her gift could help catch a serial killer.

As Evie jumps headlong into a dance with a murderer, other stories unfold in the city that never sleeps. A young man named Memphis is caught between two worlds. A chorus girl named Theta is running from her past. A student named Jericho hides a shocking secret. And unknown to all, something dark and evil has awakened.

My Thoughts:

-    This has been on my TBR for years! I even saw Libba when she was on tour for this book. I wish I had read it sooner!

-    The story is so hauntingly creeptastic! It was awesome! I loved all the spooks and legends and everything.

-    The setting was awesome! Libba must have spent forever researching the twenties, because everything felt so genuine and real.

-    I liked all the characters, and I liked that they each had individual stories. I kept wondering about each one, and I want to know more about each one. Evie is her own worst enemy at times, but she knows it. 

-    Wonderful story! I hope the rest of the series is just as good. I think this could have been a stand alone, so I'm curious about how the story will continue. 

A Man Called Ove

Goodreads Synopsis:    A grumpy yet loveable man finds his solitary world turned on its head when a boisterous young family moves in next door.

Meet Ove. He's a curmudgeon, the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him the bitter neighbor from hell, but must Ove be bitter just because he doesn't walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time?

Behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove's mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul. All of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents' association to their very foundations.

My Thoughts:

-    This book surprised me in the best way. I didn't expect to like it as much as I did. 

-    Ove is the most endearing grumpy old man I've ever seen. I couldn't help loving him. I love how fiercely loyal Ove is and how adamantly he will defend what he is loyal to.

-    I laughed out loud so many times throughout the book. There are hilarious moments, situations, and lines. 

-    There is a lot of language throughout the story, just FYI.

-    I feel like Ove was a lot older than 59. He should at least be in his 70s.

-    This was a fun and heart warming story. I highly recommend it. 

Defiance

From Goodreads:    Defiance by C. J. Redwine is rich postapocalyptic YA fantasy perfect for fans of Graceling and Tamora Pierce.

While the other girls in the walled city-state of Baalboden learn to sew and dance, Rachel Adams learns to track and hunt. While they bend like reeds to the will of their male Protectors, she uses hers for sparring practice.

When Rachel's father fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the city's brutal Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector: her father's apprentice, Logan—the boy she declared her love to and who turned her down two years before. Left with nothing but fierce belief in her father's survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself.

As Rachel and Logan battle their way through the Wasteland, stalked by a monster that can't be killed and an army of assassins out for blood, they discover romance, heartbreak, and a truth that will incite a war decades in the making.

My Thoughts:

-    This book was one crazy adventure. Yeesh! The author packed so much into this one book.

-    Terrible things kept happening to the main characters. I felt so bad for them. 

-    I kinda got tired of Logan getting the crap beat out of him though. I really don't think he would have been able to climb trees and fight off people when he had a broken rib and other severe injuries.

-    I got tired of Logan and Rachel ogling each other. Ugh! Just kiss and get if over with!

-    I can't decided if I like the characters or not. The story is really good, but the characters are eh.

Unspoken

From Goodreads:    Kami Glass loves someone she’s never met... a boy she’s talked to in her head ever since she was born. She wasn’t silent about her imaginary friend during her childhood, and is thus a bit of an outsider in her sleepy English town of Sorry-in-the-Vale. Still, Kami hasn’t suffered too much from not fitting in. She has a best friend, runs the school newspaper, and is only occasionally caught talking to herself. Her life is in order, just the way she likes it, despite the voice in her head.

But all that changes when the Lynburns return.

The Lynburn family has owned the spectacular and sinister manor that overlooks Sorry-in-the-Vale for centuries. The mysterious twin sisters who abandoned their ancestral home a generation ago are back, along with their teenage sons, Jared and Ash, one of whom is eerily familiar to Kami. Kami is not one to shy away from the unknown—in fact, she’s determined to find answers for all the questions Sorry-in-the-Vale is suddenly posing. Who is responsible for the bloody deeds in the depths of the woods? What is her own mother hiding? And now that her imaginary friend has become a real boy, does she still love him? Does she hate him? Can she trust him?

My Thoughts:

-    This book felt like it lasted forever. I was so glad when I finally finished.

-    I didn't care for any of the characters. They were so two-dimensional. 

-    The story was all over the place. I just wanted it to stick to the main story line.

-    There were a lot of Twlightish things about the book. Ugh! 

-     I was really disappointed. This has been on my TBR list for a long time, and when I finally pick it up, it wasn't all that great. 

Two Truths and a Lie

Goodreads Says:    Sutton Mercer watches from the afterlife as her long-lost twin, Emma Paxton, takes over her identity to solve her murder. But after ruling out her early leads, Emma still hasn’t found Sutton’s killer. A lot of people wanted her dead—but one name keeps popping up: Thayer Vega. When the gorgeous and mysterious Thayer returns to town, Emma has to move fast to figure out whether he’s back for revenge…or if he already got it.











My Thoughts:

-    I liked how Emma was mending fences, but then her sister ruined it by having a fit. Lame!

-    I was curious about Thayer, but it turns out he was just another toy for Sutton, and Emma has to pay the consequences. 

-    I still don't know who the killer is! I'm tired of these books and the drama. I don't want to continue the series, so I'll just Google it and be done with all this! 

Previous Books

 

The Crazy Case of Missing Thunder

Goodreads Description:    Fans of Dav Pilkey's The Adventures of Ook and Glook and Patricia Reilly Giff's ZigZag Kids will flock to this chapter-book mystery series full of slapstick humor and silly situations by the wildly popular Tony Abbott, author of the Secrets of Droon series.

Jeff, Brian, Mara, and Kelly are self-proclaimed goofballs. Since first grade these friends have been solving mystery among their schoolmates etc and now their reputation is expanding.

Rich kid Randall Crandall's horse, Thunder, goes missing and he calls upon the Goofballs to find him. Deciphering the clues that range from a flower delivery truck, a thunderstorm and a horse who's afraid of thunder, leads the Goofballs to recover missing Thunder, the flower-loving horse. In the meantime, they follow a trail of chomped-up flowers, disguise themselves as bushes in a florist shop and spend some time in a house that's bigger than the White House.

My Thoughts:

-    I read this with Gnome, and we had conflicting opinions. I thought the book was fun and quirky, and I would have read more of the series. Gnome didn't like it. She thought it was silly and boring. 

-    For an intermediate book, I think this is a great one to read with the kids. It was quick and entertaining, and there are illustrations throughout. A fun group of kids solve a little mystery. It is something I would have loved doing with my friends when I was 11. 

-    I laughed a couple times, but Gnome didn't as much. It just wasn't for her, but I thought the story was kinda funny and cute. 

Partials

Goodreads Synopsis:    Humanity is all but extinguished after a war with Partials—engineered organic beings identical to humans—has decimated the population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island. But sixteen-year-old Kira is determined to find a solution. As she tries desperately to save what is left of her race, she discovers that that the survival of both humans and Partials rests in her attempts to answer questions about the war's origin that she never knew to ask.

Playing on our curiosity of and fascination with the complete collapse of civilization, Partials is, at its heart, a story of survival, one that explores the individual narratives and complex relationships of those left behind, both humans and Partials alike—and of the way in which the concept of what is right and wrong in this world is greatly dependent on one's own point of view.

My Thoughts:

-    I finally read a Dan Wells book! Yay! It shouldn't have taken me this long.

-    The story is full of action and questions. Questions about human nature and how would I react to things. 

-    I enjoyed the characters. There are a lot of them, and I don't think they are all needed, but it is okay. I love Kira's curious and kind nature. She is also determined and capable to accomplish whatever she sets her mind to. I loved that. 

-    This was a great intro to the series, and I'm excited for the next books. 

Days of Blood & Starlight

From Goodreads:    Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love and dared to imagine a world free of bloodshed and war.

This is not that world.

Art student and monster's apprentice Karou finally has the answers she has always sought. She knows who she is—and what she is. But with this knowledge comes another truth she would give anything to undo: She loved the enemy and he betrayed her, and a world suffered for it.

In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed Daughter of Smoke & Bone, Karou must decide how far she'll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, secrets and impossible choices, Days of Blood & Starlight finds Karou and Akiva on opposing sides as an age-old war stirs back to life.

While Karou and her allies build a monstrous army in a land of dust and starlight, Akiva wages a different sort of battle: a battle for redemption. For hope.

But can any hope be salvaged from the ashes of their broken dream?

My Thoughts:

-    I have mixed feelings about this one, but they are mostly negative. 

-    I loved the world building. The Angels and Chimaera are awesome.

-    The writing is good and kept me interested, but the story is pretty slow. It wasn't too bad, but it still felt slow.

-    I would say this book is for older teens and adults. There are some graphic and brutal scenes, and there are a lot of dark themes. 

-    There are too many characters, and a lot of them aren't needed. The two deer girls were really useless. Why do we care about these characters? Do they have a future role to play? Do we really need Zuzana and Nick?

-    I'm still not on board with Akiva and Karou's relationship. I've grown more against it. Akiva is a boob. He needs to man up. I'm so sick of him crying. Karou needs a swift kick in the butt.

-    When I finished the book, I felt sad and depressed, and not in a good way. I'm not super excited for the last book. I felt awful, and I needed something happy and fluffy after this read.

Previous Book

(covers are linked)

Trigun Maximus Omnibus Volumes 1-2

Goodreads

My Thoughts:

-    Trigun is my favorite anime, and I've always wanted to try the manga. Sadly, I was really disappointed.

-    The action is really hard to follow. It was hard to figure out what was happening. There was too much on the page.

-    The short interruptions from the author were a mess and super annoying.

-    Even though I knew the story, it was hard to follow. I couldn't tell what speech bubble went to which character at times. There was too much stuff on the page. It needed to be cleaned up.

-    I love that Wolfwood was introduced right away. I can't get enough of him. He is my #1 favorite anime character! 

-    The anime is WAY better. I won't be continuing the manga, so I'll just go watch my DVDs.

Hallowed

Goodreads Synopsis:    For months Clara Gardner trained to face the fire from her visions, but she wasn't prepared for the choice she had to make that day. And in the aftermath, she discovered that nothing about being part angel is as straightforward as she thought.

Now, torn between her love for Tucker and her complicated feelings about the roles she and Christian seem destined to play in a world that is both dangerous and beautiful, Clara struggles with a shocking revelation: Someone she loves will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning.

In this compelling sequel to Unearthly, Cynthia Hand captures the joy of first love, the anguish of loss, and the confusion of becoming who you are.

My Thoughts:

-    The love-triangle really takes over the story in this book. Ugh! I'm so done with Tucker and Christian! Clara is starting to annoy me as well.

-    The relationship between Clara and her mom is frustrating. They are supposed to be close, but Clara's mom doesn't want to tell her anything about what she is! I don't understand why she hides so much.

-    I want more about the "purposes" in the story. I wish the book focused more on that. It seems like the visions that Clara gets are more fortune telling than an idea of what direction to go in life. 

-    The ending is sad, but the reader is prepared for it.

-    I liked meeting all the new characters, especially Clara's dad. I want to know more about him.

-    I'm debating on whether I want to finish the series or not. The romance is getting tiresome. I think I'll finish the last book though.

Previous Book in the Series:

(cover is linked)

The Earth Shall Teach Thee: The Lifework of an Amateur Artist

From Goodreads:    This book features paintings, drawings, and wood carvings representing a lifetime of work. As an avid lover of nature, Boyd K. Packer has carefully studied the appearance and habits of birds and animals and used them as his primary subjects. Above all, his art expresses reverence for life. Through artwork he has shared the lessons of life with his family and church members. President Packer wrote, "During those hours working with my hands, I pondered on the marvels of creations, and inspiration would flow. As I carved wood, I carved out talks."--Publisher summary. 

My Thoughts:

-    This book pleasantly surprised me. I thought it would just be a documentary on Elder Packer's artwork, but the whole book is like a short autobiography. It was very enjoyable to read and get to know Elder Packer better. I learned a lot about him. He was a great man.

-    He touched on a lot of subjects like music, math, art, teaching, etc. He found joy in learning about any subject, and he often found art in a lot of the topics he researched.

-    Always the teacher, the book is full of small lessons and information for the reader.

-    Elder Packer was an amazing artist! I loved seeing all his work, and I'm sad that I didn't know about this artistic side of him until he passed away. 

-    I felt very uplifted reading about Packer's art and his inspiration. His love for nature was touching, and I appreciate birds and plants a little more now. 

Feedback

Goodreads Synopsis:    Benson Fisher escaped from Maxfield Academy’s deadly rules and brutal gangs.

Or so he thought.

But now Benson is trapped in a different kind of prison: a town filled with hauntingly familiar faces. People from Maxfield he saw die. Friends he was afraid he had killed.

They are all pawns in the school’s twisted experiment, held captive and controlled by an unseen force. As he searches for answers, Benson discovers that Maxfield Academy’s plans are more sinister than anything he imagined—and they may be impossible to stop.

My Thoughts:

-    I was SO disappointed in this sequel! Ugh! It was very underwhelming. 

-    The story starts exactly where Variant left off, and I really liked that.

-    Nothing really happens to progress the story until the very very end, and even then I don't think the story concluded or progressed much. The characters mostly stand around and talk about escape, and Benson just worries about what he should be doing. It was slow and aggravating.

-    The ending is SO anti-climactic! I'm not even sure what the crap or who the crap was behind all the experiments. I need more answers!

-    Benson really annoyed me in this story. His character never got any better.

-    I felt like Benson and Becky were constantly being beat up and re-injuring themselves. It was annoying!

-    The whole story seemed very underdeveloped, and so were the characters. I wish there had been more on exactly what Maxfield was and who was behind it all. I also want to know why? Why were they testing androids? What was the point of all this?

Previous Variant Book

(linked to my thoughts)

Vampire Knight: Volumes 16 - 19

From Goodreads:    The Night Class is back in session, but Yuki finds herself quickly becoming second fiddle to Sara Shirabuki. With Kaname gone, Yuki is now desperate for blood, so Zero offers her his own. Will she break her promise to Kaname and drink from Zero?











My Thoughts:

-    Yuki and Zero are slowly beginning to work together again! Hooray! Zero says he will kill Yuki, but I suspect he still has feelings for her.

-    Sara is evil! She needs to go down!

-    What is going on with Kaname? I don't understand, not even a little bit.


Goodreads Says:    The #1 hit series from Shojo Beat—a tale of vampire romance. Cross Academy is attended by two groups of students: the Day Class and the Night Class. At twilight, when the students of the Day Class return to their dorm, they cross paths with the Night Class on their way to school. Yuki Cross and Zero Kiryu are the Guardians of the school, protecting the Day Class from the Academy's dark secret: the Night Class is full of vampires!








My Thoughts:

-    This is the most confusing manga I've ever read!

-    Kaname is crazy! Everyone is crazy!

-    The grumpy baker story is SO random.


Goodreads Synopsis:    Cross Academy is attended by two groups of students: the Day Class and the Night Class. At twilight, when the students of the Day Class return to their dorm, they cross paths with the Night Class on their way to school. Yuki Cross and Zero Kiryu are the Guardians of the school, protecting the Day Class from the Academy’s dark secret: the Night Class is full of vampires!

Yukio and Zero team up to go after Kaname. Yuki and Kaname fight each other in the headquarters of the Hunter Society while Sara tries to control Zero through her blood. The female progenitor’s origin metal intervenes, and Yuki realizes there is only one way to stop Kaname…

My Thoughts:

-    Things are going from bad to worse!

-    I still have no idea what is going on.

From Goodreads:    Cross Academy is attended by two groups of students: the Day Class and the Night Class. At twilight, when the students of the Day Class return to their dorm, they cross paths with the Night Class on their way to school. Yuki Cross and Zero Kiryu are the Guardians of the school, protecting the Day Class from the Academy's dark secret: the Night Class is full of vampires!

Kaname vows to sacrifice himself. Yuki vows to sacrifice herself to stop him.

Zero takes a weapon in hand to protect what is dear to him.

Whether parted for eternity or close enough to touch, they each will always desire their beloved…

My Thoughts:

-    WTF!?!?!?

-    You make me go through all this craziness and expect it to all be okay now? NO! I don't think this puts a band aid on everything Kaname has done! This is stupid!

-    Kaname and Yuki. . .EW!

-    What just happened!? This is really how the series is ending? LAME!

-    I am not okay with how this ended. I love how the series started out, but I don't like where it went. During the second half, I was confused and I the characters really digressed. Ugh!