Sword of Orion

I love well written science fiction. Sharon Lee and Steven Miller created a believable world in Sword of Orion. The teenage characters of Jerel and Kay were a great combination. The aliens were extraordinary. Only Uncle Orned fell a little flat, but it could be just because he's such a reserved character. I definitely don't want to lose him from this group.

This book grabs you attention the moment you start to read it and doesn't let go until you read the last page. And then you begin searching for the next book. (Which is where, great authors???)  The flow of this book feels like the flow to a movie, and all that is missing is music to confirm the rhythm.

Brown

The Saturdays

This was a cute middle grade book about what one would like to do on a Saturday if they could. The four Melendy children decide to pool their money each week so one of them can have a special adventure. Oh, what adventures they do have, are surprising and not so surprising at the same time.

Brown

Lords of the Fading Lands

Goodreads claims this is a Paranormal Fantasy. My library says it's a Romance. Well, whatever it is I liked it and am looking forward to reading the next in the series, especially after the cliffhanger I was left with.

Meet Ellie and Rain, two people with enormous power who are destined for each other. One is still new in the world and one has a long dark history (And I'm not telling you who is who). Sounds like the same fantasy story, right? Perhaps. But the characters drew me in. Ellie is not some fainting woman. Rain is not some dick. And as one quote suggests, the reader knows the book is a keeper if they fall in love with it... I feel in love. Quite hard. And it made the book impossible for me to put down.

Brown

A Perfect Royal Mistress

A historical fiction about one of the most famous of Charles II mistresses, Nell Gwynne. This was a beautifully written account, putting the reader into the real political situation of the time. At the same time it is a romance between two unlikely individuals and how they can relate to each other. Diane Haeger paints a picture of a woman who ventures forth giving her body to three different men after swearing to never be a whore. The last one, the king, she falls in love with, yet she needs to be realistic about knowing that she won't be the only woman in his life, though she has his love.

Brown

Skip Beat series

This is an ongoing manga series by Yoshiki Nakamura. I like manga because it's easy to read in a short amount of time. It also suits by visual needs (I'm a film major). Who wouldn't love the best of two worlds, story plus pictures?

I've seen this story on the manga sites before, but the plot summary never interested me. However, when Goodreads suggested this to me, I decided to finally try it.

The characters are engaging. They have depth that make us feel for them. They react like many people would. And then you have Kyoko, the main characters vengeful spirits. Awesome! I think I also might like Ren a little too.

Brown