Lament by Maggie Stiefvater

IMM/Book Haul

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer -- they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one wonderful and terrible summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along.

This is another book I've had in my pile for a while. I decided to pick it up recently because the snow has melted, the weather has been getting warmer, and I was in the mood for a romantic, summery read. Something light and sweet that would put me in the mood for some summer love. I couldn't have made a better choice!

The Summer I Turned Pretty starts out with Belly on her way to the beach house with her mom and brother, and through the progression of the story we learn of her history with Jeremiah and Conrad through current events and memories of summers past. At first I had a little trouble following what period of time we were actually in, but I soon caught on and followed the flow of the book very easily. I really liked the way we were with Belly at the beach house and feeling the excitement that this summer was going to be different from all the rest, and were able to travel back to earlier times through her memories and see just how this summer was unique.

Not only does this novel tell us a heart warming love story, it also touches upon issues of family, friendship and what it means to grow up and come into one's own. The history between their parents makes the characters of Belly, Jeremiah, and Conrad feel richer and allows the reader to understand a little more of who they are while providing a more complex storyline.

The only negative thing I would really say about this book is that I felt like I really didn't know Jeremiah. To me, Belly's feelings toward Conrad were much more obvious. I really really liked what I did see of Jeremiah, but I wanted so much more. He was sweet and adorable but it felt like I met this great guy and then really didn't get a chance to talk to him or learn anything about him. Maybe I'll get more of him in the next book, It's Not Summer Without You.

Overall I thought The Summer I Turned Pretty was a very enjoyable read. I read it in one day and it left me feeling happy, and with dreams of the ocean and the fresh summer air. I'll definitely be picking up the sequel when it's released on April 27th.

Happy Reading!

In My Mailbox/Book Haul

Ice by Sarah Beth Durst

When Cassie was a little girl, her grandmother told her a fairy tale about her mother, who made a deal with the Polar Bear King and was swept away to the ends of the earth. Now that Cassie is older, she knows the story was a nice way of saying her mother had died. Cassie lives with her father at an Arctic research station, is determined to become a scientist, and has no time for make-believe.

Then, on her eighteenth birthday, Cassie comes face-to-face with a polar bear who speaks to her. He tells her that her mother is alive, imprisoned at the ends of the earth. And he can bring her back -- if Cassie will agree to be his bride.

That is the beginning of Cassie''s own real-life fairy tale, one that sends her on an unbelievable journey across the brutal Arctic, through the Canadian boreal forest, and on the back of the North Wind to the land east of the sun and west of the moon. Before it is over, the world she knows will be swept away, and everything she holds dear will be taken from her -- until she discovers the true meaning of love and family in the magical realm of Ice.

What a captivating, magical tale! I loved it! Ice was a truly unique story that was vastly different from anything I've read in a very long time. It was a perfect 'bed time' story, full of adventure, romance, and wonderfully unusual characters. In fact, the novel starts out with a story that Cassie's grandmother tells her each night, a story of her mother and the polar bear king. What she believes is only a fairy tale meant to comfort her becomes more real than she could have ever imagined.

The adventure is fast paced, with something happening on every page. The reader travels along with Cassie through the Arctic and Durst's gift for description allows you to feel her exhaustion and frustration. I read this book wrapped in a blanket, because I swear sometimes I could actually feel the biting cold!

I was unsure of how the author was going to pull off a romantic storyline between Cassie and the polar bear king, but I fell for it hook, line, and sinker. Their fondness for one another was believable, and sweet. In the end, I was sad to see them go. I wanted more from their story.

I give this novel two thumbs up, and recommend it to anyone who enjoys an epic adventure with a touch of sweet romance.

In My Mailbox/Book Haul

My Book Shelves

Had to organize my bookshelves to make room for new books that I have coming in the mail. Thought I'd take a few pictures of my collection. Not displayed attractively, but I just needed to get them all in there!