Savor the Moment - Nora Roberts

This saved the series for me. I was rather disappointed with Emma and Jack's story but I really liked Laurel and Del.

Maybe it's because Laurel's more like me. She had to scrape and work to get through school while holding down jobs that paid the bills. As a result, she's forthright and not afraid to go after what she wants. She is a pastry chef and runs that aspect of Vows.

Del may be wealthy (and here is where the comparison between Laurel and me ends) but he's not snobbish. In some ways, Laurel is more stuck up than he is. But it's a reverse sort of discrimination against herself as she doesn't feel worthy of being with him.

I liked Del; he wasn't too overconfident and cocky. He was the right mix of man, boy, adult and child for me. Fun loving but serious when the situation requires it. He helped Laurel unwind a bit and stop being so stuffy.

Overall, good job!

Rising Tides - Nora Roberts

I picked it up on a whim. I think I saw it in Walmart. I think I'm now in love with Ethan, the male lead.

As with all the boys the Quinns adopted, Ethan comes from a troubled past. His mother was an addict and sold both herself and her son for the next fix. He fought his past and his memories for years until the Quinns brought him home. As usual, they helped him heal physically and emotionally.

Along came Grace. She had her own issues but was determined to rise above without leaning on anyone. Married at 19, pregnant and divorced by 20, she recognized that inner core of strength which women seem to have. She determined that she would do better for her little girl and was doing OK. Just OK. So she was killing herself with work. So she was too proud to ask her father for help. It was fine.

Grace and Ethan dance around each other for most of the book. Since it is a Nora Roberts book, the inevitable happens. Again and again ... if you know what I mean. lol

I think what I like about her books is that her women are not weak characters. She realizes that everyone is flawed and isn't afraid to showcase those flaws. Also, her male leads are not perfect specimens which can do no wrong. They're believeable (sp?). Yes, they can act like fools. Yes, they often do. Yes, they make mistakes and learn from them. Yes, they grow as most human beings do.

She understands how people are with each other and really shows the development of relationships fully, if in a microcosm of time.

Identical - Ellen Hopkins

Wow. Just wow. I finished this a couple of days ago in preparation for a buddy readalong that my online book club is doing. I can't wait for my buddy to finish this. My most difficult challenge is to review it without giving anything away. So here goes ...

The narrators are twins, Raeanne and Kaeleigh. Years before the book starts, they are in an accident along with their parents. And that's when all the trouble begins. Not only the car is destroyed. Their family is too.

The twins chronicle their downward spiral into incest, drugs, alcohol, sex, cutting, bulimia, and so much more in a way that breaks your heart. Kaeleigh is looking for some sort of absolution in the relationship with her father. Raeanne feels like an outsider to the family.

There is so much more I can't get into here. This is only scratching the surface but I think that to tell you more will ruin the book. You need to experience it for yourself. It was very well written and is staying with me days after I finished it. That's the mark of a good book in my opinion.

In case you're wondering

I haven't really been reading anything new lately. I've been sticking to some favorites over the last few weeks. They are all books I've reviewed so I don't feel the need to repost them.

Starting Thursday, I should have some more new material to review. I'm going to read Identical by Ellen Hopkins.

I'm also going to read Atonement by Ian McEwan. I'm doing it as part of a buddy readalong on my online book club. We're going to read both books and discuss them during the month of April. I can't wait!

The White Dragon - Anne McCaffrey

This is the third of the Pern series. Typically, Holders do not Impress dragons. Chances at impression are given to others. Jaxom is not your typical Holder though. He is both Lord Holder and Dragonrider, having impressed the white Ruth in the prior book.

They grow together and learn every aspect of each other's personalities. In this book, Jaxom finally comes into his own. He assists in locating a missing dragon egg without drawing attention to himself. He trains to become part of a flying wing. He learns the management side of the Hold from Lytol, who has raised him from the time he was a baby. (Both his parents have died.)

There are challenges along the way but I'm glad I got the chance to see him grow. It was fun.

OK, I know that this is really brief but I couldn't figure out a way to get it down in writing without giving too much away.

The Magicians - Lev Grossman

This is wonderfully, completely unlike what I expected it to be going in to the story. I said this on my online book club and it's really the only way I can think to describe it. Imagine Harry Potter and The Chronicles of Narnia hooking up one drunken night and having a baby. Toss in an ending where all is not happily ever after and you'll get the idea of this book.

It starts out with a world weary teenager named Quentin. (Aren't they all?) He's intelligent, one of the smartest in his class in Brooklyn. What sets Quentin apart from his classmates that he secretly believes in magic and a world called Fillory. It's from a children's set of books that he's read over and over and over. He longs to become part of that world because he thinks it will solve a lot of issues he's had in his short, unremarkable life.

In actuality, he's not a normal teen. He's a magician and soon gets an invitation to attend Brakebills which is a magickal college in the Hudson Valley. He attends and advances quickly through the years there. He falls in love with another student named Alice. Along the way, he grows up, grows into his power, becomes a goose for a while, and learns some good lessons about controlling what you do. What you do eventually creates who you are.

I think that if you liked Harry Potter or ever wished you could find a Narnia of your own, you should read this book.

ok

So I'm slacking. I'm probably not going to get to the reviews on these three books:

The Sea of Monsters
Succubus Blues
Seeking Spirits: The Lost Cases of The Atlantic Paranormal Society

I did read them and I did enjoy them. But I think I've let too much time go in between finishing them and the review.

Up next: The Magicians by Lev Grossman.

Thanks for the shoutout, Lisa!