Throwback Thursday

Hey all! I wanted to do a little Throwback Thursday post this week to highlight the book I was reading this time last year.

Author: Julie Kagawa
Goodreads Rating: 3.79
Pages: 449
Original Review

Long ago, dragons were hunted to near extinction by the Order of St. George, a legendary society of dragon slayers. Hiding in human form and growing their numbers in secret, the dragons of Talon have become strong and cunning, and they're positioned to take over the world with humans none the wiser.

Ember and Dante Hill are the only sister and brother known to dragonkind. Trained to infiltrate society, Ember wants to live the teen experience and enjoy a summer of freedom before taking her destined place in Talon. But destiny is a matter of perspective, and a rogue dragon will soon challenge everything Ember has been taught. As Ember struggles to accept her future, she and her brother are hunted by the Order of St. George.

Soldier Garret Xavier Sebastian has a mission to seek and destroy all dragons, and Talon's newest recruits in particular. But he cannot kill unless he is certain he has found his prey: and nothing is certain about Ember Hill. Faced with Ember's bravery, confidence and all-too-human desires, Garret begins to question everything that the Order has ingrained in him: and what he might be willing to give up to find the truth about dragons.

Oh Julie Kagawa! I remember getting this book at BEA one year and my face being like....

It doesn't seem like it's been a year since I read this fabulous book by this equally fabulous author. Since Talon's release, she has come out with the sequel, Rogue, and has a third installment set to grace us in 2016. 

 (oh yea... I'm excited!)

I re-read my review for it, along with other friend's reviews of it, and find myself wanting to read it over again (I most definitely will before reading Rogue anyway). This was in a time period of review for myself where I wrote the review immediately after finishing the book. Now, I like to let the book stew for a day or so and then review notes that I make throughout reading the book to make sure my reviews cover all the emotions, feelings and such that I had while reading. My review with Talon I think should be changed slightly.

This isn't a bad thing at all though!! I still have fond memories and it's still probably one of my favorite books to read. I do remember there being more of a romancey side to the book that I wasn't overly thrilled about. The main character, Ember, I remember being just overly-gullible and naive (I remember often yelling at her for not seeing things that were blatantly in front of her face) I found myself doing this....

I attributed her gullible nature to her just being secluded her whole life but.... sometimes she really needed to follow her instincts. The ending I remember absolutely loving though, hence my overzealous review.

I gave the book 5/5 stars before and looking back, if I had stopped to absorb the book as a whole, it probably would get 4.5 stars from me.

HOWEVER!!! I am now beyond excited to re-read Talon to see if my re-thinking holds true and to pick up Rogue!

So Tell Us!!! What's your Throwback Thursday book??

Throwback Thursday Reviews #2

And, I'm back with some Throwback Thursday Mini Reviews. 

You ready for this?

The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson: Most of you have heard of this one, I'm sure. If not, drop what you're doing and get this book immediately. Clear a few hours for yourself to devour Mary Pearson's work because if you don't, I guarantee you'll miss some appointments or be late. I almost missed my train stop. A few times. KOD is pretty much my dream novel. Magic, friendship, plot-twists, princesses…the list goes on. The writing, characters and setting are superb. Pearson, who you might recognize from the Jenna Fox series, is so versatile. When you're done, you'll be begging for the next one. Good thing it comes out soon…ish. From my Teenreads review: "The wording was so evocative and the tone so gentle that at times, I felt like the characters were sitting around me and whispering their stories. Yes, it was that good."

One Past Midnight by Jessica Shirvington: Full disclosure for this review: I worked at Bloomsbury as an intern while this was being published. So I'm a bit partial to it. HOWEVER, that didn't affect my review at all. I kind of expected to hate it a bit. And at first, I wondered if I would DNF. But I'm so glad I kept reading. It's such a different story and Shirvington shares such wonderful (Ethan) characters with readers so that we're enamored with the book just on principal. I loved the idea of our main character living too completely separate lives. I especially loved that this novel wasn't completely contemporary or completely science fiction. Sabine was a regular girl who had an extraordinary gift, the ability to live two parallel lives one after the other. At times heartbreaking and stunningly real, I definitely recommend this book to just about anyone willing to try something different. From my Teenreads Review: "I love that [Sabine’s] she’s not just a privileged character or a down-trodden one. She’s both of those things, and the combination of that makes her really fascinating."

Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Kenneally: This novel was so beautiful and inspiring. It not only made me want to do something uplifting for myself but after reading it I considered running! That's how wonderful this book was. I really cannot say more about it except that I found it very realistic and powerful. A seriously gorgeous book. At first I was a little put off by the subject matter (it's pretty tough) but I found it to be quite inspiring. Annie is a great character to follow around on her journey and I'm so glad I did.  From my Teenreads Review: "I was inspired by Annie’s story. It honestly made me consider starting to jog or at least working toward some sort of similar goal.I was inspired by Annie’s story. It honestly made me consider starting to jog or at least working toward some sort of similar goal."

Throwback Thursday Reviews

For those of you who don't know, I review books at Teenreads. It's a wonderful outlet and one that I've been following since I was a little bookworm, scouring the Ultimate Reading List to find my next read. But reviewing for Teenreads kind of puts me in a tough position with blogging. How do I decide which books I review for Teenreads and which books I review for the blog? And because I have to give TR a list of five books, I often have no choice in the matter, books are just chosen for me by my supervisor. And because I read so slow (25 pages per hour?)…I end up devoting a lot of my time to Teenreads rather than Paperback Princess.

It's not a bad gig. I love it a lot. But it means that I've neglected blogging when I really didn't want to.
So I thought I would round up the reviews that I posted at Teenreads on the blog, that way I can share my thoughts more widely and also feel that I'm contributing more to the blog. Win-Win, right?

Do any of you write for more than one outlet? How do you choose what to review and how do you keep up with it? I'm curious!

Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman: Not going to lie, I was extremely wary about this one. It's not that I don't enjoy historical fiction, it's just that I wasn't sure I was going to be able to read through Nazi Propaganda, no matter how fictionalized. I was presently surprised by it. The unfolding intrigue and mystery was enough to keep me turning pages and I really loved the character development. Gretchen goes from being a disillusioned sycophant to a strong young woman, capable of standing up to the monsters she grew up with. I could also tell that Anne Blankman had done her fair share of research and was impressed by the way she chose to use it. I would totally recommend this to readers who are looking for something different but also for those who love historical fiction. From my Teenreads review: "PRISONER OF NIGHT AND FOG gave me chills…due in part to its complexities and unforgettable main characters, I will be thinking about this novel for a long time."

The End or Something Like That

by Ann Dee Ellis: This book was a total surprise. It wasn't on my radar at all and I probably would have never read it if not for Teenreads. That being said, I have a hard time explaining this book. I can tell you that it's one of my favorites. But it's also a mixture of heartbreaking black humor and a bit of magical realism. The End Or Something Like That reminded me a lot of Going Bovine. Very speculative. And very amazing. Like Going Bovine, this book navigates death with a quirky sense of humor. Before she dies, Emmy's best friend Kim plans out exactly how they're going to communicate when she finally dies. But instead of Kim, Emmy is visited by a a host of other ghosts that she never wanted to see. But what follows allows not only the ghosts that keep appearing to move on but Emmy as well. From my Teenreads Review: "Emmy is impossible not to fall in love with --- her perspective and voice draw you in and you can’t help but feel for her."

Guy In Real Life by Steve Brezenoff: I am so conflicted about how I feel with this book. I really enjoyed it and I thought it was very true to teenage experience, especially in light of our real and online lives. However, I felt like it was too real. Like a kick in the face. Every description, every piece of dialogue pulled you in so effortlessly that I felt like I was in high school again and hanging out with our main characters. But sometimes I wish I could have pulled away a little bit more. I like stories to turn out well. I like my happy endings and swoon worthy heroes. Sometimes being confronted by reality is tough, especially in a book about online avatars, roleplaying games and generally pretending to be someone you are not. This book was definitely well written and different. I recommend it a lot. I could have done without the roleplaying interludes but I understood why we needed them. I want to recommend this wholeheartedly but I do so with caution. It will make you think but maybe you're better off. From my Teenreads Review: "The writing is so spot-on that I feel like I have an understanding of every character, even if I only was treated to the point of views of two."

Throwback Thursday Review: Where The Stars Still Shine

Author: Trish Doller
Goodreads Rating: 3.5
Pages: 352 Pages
Format: Finished Copy

Stolen as a child from her large and loving family, and on the run with her mom for more than ten years, Callie has only the barest idea of what normal life might be like. She's never had a home, never gone to school, and has gotten most of her meals from laundromat vending machines. Her dreams are haunted by memories she'd like to forget completely. But when Callie's mom is finally arrested for kidnapping her, and Callie's real dad whisks her back to what would have been her life, in a small town in Florida, Callie must find a way to leave the past behind. She must learn to be part of a family. And she must believe that love--even with someone who seems an improbable choice--is more than just a possibility.