Library Book Review > Grave Mercy

By: Robin LaFevers

Published  By:  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Publish Date:  April 3rd 2012

Pages: 549 hardcover

Tags:  Young Adult, Fantasy Fiction, Adventure, Historical Fantasy, Series, Magic
Source:  Community Library

Why did the Mad Scientist read this book? A convent of female assassins working for the God of Death (Mortain) had MS whirling!!!

@madsteampunkery

Truly beyond that MS was unsure of what to expect. Although, once the post went on instagram about my current read several comments were posted about how great the book was. Sweet biscuits. How truly exciting!

Ismae is the daughter of death. Of course, being as such her life was hard starting before even birth. Her father sold into a marriage at a young age to a detestable man who nearly beat to her last breathe. She was whisked away by a priest who worships the old saints to a convent where she was to choose to work and train to become a handmaiden of death or to go to a husband. 

"Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?"

Planet & Book Love <3

After crossing paths with Lord Duval during an assignment to snuff out a traitors life without being caught Ismae finds herself thrust into his company as his mistress. Scoffing at the very idea of being his mistress she was bid to pack and leave the convent immediately. She is to be the eyes and ears at court and to kill those Mortain bids by bearing the Marque of Death.

"When one consorts with assassins, one must expect to dance along the edge of a knife once or twice."

They are both muddled over the forced companionship. Ismae determined not to let another male walk over her or shift her faith. However, she starts to bloom as she questions what her convent requests of her. 

Here is how the Mad Scientist pictures Ismae: 

Duval is unwavering in his loyalty & protectiveness of Duchess Anne, his half sister. He can also wield a sword and hold his own along side one who is trained in death. Plus, this man plays chess. *flutters fan* MS loved how he would visit Ismae's room to give appearance of visiting his mistress into the night. Ismae blustered and bumbled and their friendship developed. 

"I comfort myself with the knowledge that if Duval ever feels smothered by me, it will be because I am holding a pillow over his face."

The political plots of stealing the duchy from little Anne was a foot. The race to find Anne a suitable husband from the many who were promised her hand from her late father proved to be a daunting task. It was getting ever so hard to trust the people around her, including Duval's own mother and brother. Twisting and turning it finally came to the point where one could see the who was behind such dastardly plans. 

Reading Grave Mercy during the holidays was a treat. Retreating into such a world full of horses, dresses, and a castle. Fantasy plus history and MS was loving every page of the this huge tome. 

** Thanks to the Oneida Community Library and Inter-Library Loan! All Mad thoughts are presented in the right mind of a twisted brain of the Mad Scientist!**

Originally Posted at Steampunkery & Book Reviews.

Can hardly wait to pick up Book Two!

Library Book Review > Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

By:  Benjamin Alire Saenz
Published By: Simon & Schuster
Published Date: Feb. 21st 2012
Pages:  359 hardcover
Tags: Young Adult, Coming of Age, Realistic Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Stand Alone, GLBT 

Source:  Community Library (Save A Tree)

Honestly, the Mad Scientist was even more clueless as to what to read when I went to library after being out of the US of A for nearly 6 months. (Explored Thailand, Malaysia & Laos.) What is a Mad Scientist to do?  With having so many literary awards on such a beautiful cover MS just felt like she could not go wrong.  Besides I think everyone of us could us a few secrets of the universe.  Walking out of the library with book in gloved hands MS just did not know what she was getting into with Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe.  

"My mother and father held hands. I wondered what that was like, to hold someone's hand. I bet you could sometimes find all the mysteries of the universe in someone's hand." - page 140

Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is told through a very young angry loner, Aristotle aka Ari. Ari & Dante met when the were 15 during one of those boring summers where you wait for something amazing to happen. It was a friendship they both seemed to bumble and stumble through with such little grace you could not help but wonder and smile at them.  It was a friendship were they spent days & nights laughing at each other, looking at the stars, experiencing sexual struggles & trying to navigate through cultural identity.  Of course, we also had bits and pieces of questioning the universe. 

Now the Mad Scientist is not one to cry over a book.  We wouldn't want to get rusty, now would we?  However, once I finished this particular book... I did.  The romance that I did not see or expect at all just jarred me which in turn made MS cry.  A few perfect tears, the roll down the cheeks kind. The jealous & strong emotions of Ari wanting to protect Dante at any cost had my heart. Dear boy!


Here is how I picture Ari & Dante: 

Source

Truly one of the best GLBT books MS has had the pleasure to read! Even if it was unexpected!

Benjamin Alire Saenz wrote the book in such a way that it is hard for MS to describe it in any other way then being beautiful.  The heavy handed issues about self identity and coming to age were managed with class & great writing that made it beautiful to read.  The writing, the characters, the story, the relationship was just too beautiful. 

"You could smell the rain in the desert even before a drop fell. I closed my eyes. I held my head out and felt the first drops. It was like a kiss. The sky was kissing me." - page 293

The awards were greatly deserved and MS is so happy to have spied this beauty on the shelf. Congratulations Benjamin! It was a great welcome back to the US of A & regular reading.

** Thanks to the Oneida Community Library and Inter-Library Loan! All Mad thoughts are presented in the right mind of a twisted brain of the Mad Scientist!

It was so amazing I kissed & licked every inch of the book!

Originally Posted at Steampunkery & Book Reviews.

Falling Under by Gwen Hayes

Falling Under (Falling Under, #1)
By Gwen Hayes
Publisher: New American Library, 2011
324 pages, paperback
Date Finished: 9/6/2011
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Coming of Age, Romance, Some Adventure

Theia Alderson has always led a sheltered life in the small California town of Serendipity Falls. But when a devastatingly handsome boy appears in the halls of her school, Theia knows she's seen Haden before- not around town, but in her dreams.

As the Haden of both the night and the day beckons her closer one moment and pushes her away the next, the only thing Theia knows for sure is that the incredible pull she feels towards him is stronger than her fear.

And when she discovers what Haden truly is, Theia's not sure if she wants to resist him, even if the cost is her soul.
~from goodreads.com~

~First Line: "Everything changed the night I saw the burning man fall from the sky."
~Last Line: "And together we fell under."

Review: When I started reading Falling Under, I was automatically  pulled in (like I was with all the other books being featured this week; LOL). Again, this was a completely new concept for me, but I really loved it.

As I met Theia and learned more about her past and her family and friends, I was pulled in even more! The way Theia was raised after her mother died, not being able to go anywhere or barely do anything -- I think it's all sort of ridiculous. But I guess when I reached the end of the book, it made sense as to why he was so protective.

The supernatural beings in this one were demons. Nope, no angels. That's what I loved about this one (among about a thousand other things) -- even though there were demons, there weren't angels trying to fight them back or anything. It was very nice anything :).

On to the male of the book: Haden. Half-demon, half-human. I love it! All he's ever wanted was to be completely human; it was pretty cool that he and Theia met every night in the demon world of Under. It was crazy cool, but so mysterious! Although I believe when she actually traveled to Under is was even better. For, you know, traveling purposes, of course :D.

Simple: Get. This. Book. No questions should be forming in your head. The book is amazing. Get it!

Quotes from the book:

"So he was a sweet-talking, cross-dressing, fortune-telling . . . surfer?"

"My makeup was an altogether different experience. Shellacked and powdered, I protested her heavy hand, but my objections were dismissed. As were my protests about the red halter shirt she put me in, claiming it was a dress. If my future included a street corner and a pimp named Ice Money, I'd be ready."

" 'Donny, it would be like opening a barn door during a stampede and expecting only the brown cow with the blue collar to enter. You can't control a stampede.' "

ARC Book Review ---> The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

     (Mara Dyer #1)  

By:  Michelle Hodkin

Published By:   Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Published Date:  November 2011

Pages:   Hardcover 450

Read:  August 2011

Book Cover Rating:  5

Tags:  Young Adult, Fantasy Fiction, Paranormal Romance, Suspense, Contemporary, Supernatural, Mystery  
Why the Mad Scientist read this book:  Picked up an ARC from BEA 2011.  I set this one aside because I had no real interest in it.  I was wrong. 

First Lines:   My mother thinks I'm dead.

Concoction of a Review:

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer was just a utterly beautiful read.  I do believe it rivals my blood red silver tipped parasol and that is something!

I admit that it is going to be rather hard to review this twisted tale without revealing too much of the goodness.  I LOVED the book so I have to gush about it.  Just a tad.

The best thing about this book...  It is full of Crazy!!

Mara is a dark haired beauty who has hallucinations, hears voices of her dead friends, and unexpected things are happening to her.  *sips tea*l Mara?  What can the Mad Scientist say?  She is just a little on the psychotic side.  Why?  Her best friend, boyfriend, and a friend all went to the great beyond when the abandoned asylum collapsed on them while they were searching for paranormal activity.  

What!?!

How did the building just collapse?  What if she is the only one who knows what happened?  What if she cannot remember what really happened?

Would you want to remember?

Mara's family move to Florida to get away from what happened.  Attempting at normal life did not work out so well for her.  She becomes the new target for the snotty prep queen of the school, Anna.  *Grr...* Leave Mara alone!  Psychotic episodes start to happen.  She does not know what is real or not.  Neither did I!!  I LOVED it!!

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and all that jazz.  Anna used to be the abstinence poster girl, but post-Shaw, you could write a comic book about the many adventures of her vagina.  It could wear a cape." 
 -- Page 41

Time to swoon!!  *Fans Self* Yes, even deeply troubled girls deserve some European tousled hair hunk to look at.  Noah Shaw is just the lad for this!!  He is an arrogant ASS who happens to just be about the most sexy thing described lately.  He is a rumpled sight who just rolls out of bed.  Gorgeous tousled messy hair.  His contemptuous presumptuous ASS did not turn me away.
  

Here is how I picture Noah Shaw:  As William Moseley...

Lucky for the reader there is No love at first sight!  The romance builds up very slowly.  The sexual tension even had me on edge!  I loved how Mara brushed him off like he was NOT a swoonworthy mess!!  I must say... it is strong of her to be cautious instead of flouncing to his side like a ninny.

"How is it that you have friends, Noah?"

 "I ask myself that daily."  He chomped down on the plastic straw.

 "Seriously.  Inquiring minds want to know."
 -- Page 192

**Side Note:  The Mad Scientist   has a secret crush on High King Peter!  I watched the Chronicles of Narnia just to stare at him!  I'd love to mess up that hair!**

*Swoon*

"Your're distracting," I said truthfully.  

"I won't be.  I promise,"  Noah said.  "I'll get some crayons and draw quietly.  Alone.  In a corner."

Michelle Hodkin's story had the Mad Scientist at every page.  What an amazing debut and I am trying not to be torn because I want book two now!!  The story had me sending mental hugs to Mara and dreaming of dear Noah.  Plus all of the other characters were so well developed that I truly enjoyed them all.  Even her overprotective brother.  The story was sprinkled with Mara's snark which broke up the seriousness of the suspense novel. 


Overall, it is safe to say that The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is easily going to be my favorite read of the year.



Best Suspense Novel of 2011!! 

*Just an after thought... but when I seen this picture I though this is Mara and Noah! 


Anna Popplewell would make a beautiful Mara. 


What do you think?  Would these two work for this epic story? *

5 Blasts

This book is out now.  Go buy it because the Mad Scientist could sum them book up with three letters.  WOW!!