Island of Fire

Book 41 of my 2020 Reading Challenge

read from May 17 - 31

Island of Fire

by Lisa McMann

Book 3 in the Unwanteds series

Summary (via the book jacket)

published 2013

The magical world of Artime is gone. The Unwanteds have no food, no water, and no hope. And everyone is looking to Alex Stowe for answers.

Overwhelmed and feeling totally helpless, Alex knows it's up to him to find a way to restore Artime, rescue his captive friends, and free Meghan from her voice-stealing necklace of thorns - three impossible tasks. But could help lie with the silent, orange-eyed newcomers?

Meanwhile, Alex's twin brother, Aaron, continues to build his army in the stark land of Quill, preparing for the ultimate showdown with the Unwanteds. But a shocking twist reveals that Alex and Aaron share a common enemy more dangerous than either could have imagined...

My Opinion

4 stars

One of my daughters really liked this series and recommended it to me a few years ago.  I read the first 2 books before getting sidetracked but quarantine made me decide to pick them up again.  I reread the first 2 since it had been awhile and this was the first one I was reading for the first time.

The little crushes seemed oddly placed in the context of the serious issues facing Alex and Artime but they were also nice little distractions to make the story a little less heavy.  I'm really glad the author didn't follow the trope of a love triangle; instead, there are a few different pairings that are figuring out if they will be more than friends or not so it gives some human drama without pitting people against each other.

As another note, my son started this series at the same time as I did during this quarantine period (actually he started later since I gave him the first book after I was done with it).  He passed me fairly quickly and I believe he's already on book 7.  As a 15 year old boy he doesn't talk much but he must like them since he continued the series and is seeking them out on his own (our 16 year old daughter owns them so he has to actually go into her room and ask her for them, haha).

The Handmaid's Tale

Book 40 of my 2020 Reading Challenge

read from May 17 - 29

The Handmaid's Tale

by Margaret Atwood

Summary (via the book jacket)

published 1986

Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She may leave the home of the Commander and his wife once a day to walk to food markets whose signs are now pictures instead of words because women are no longer allowed to read. She must lie on her back once a month and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, because in an age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are valued only if their ovaries are viable. Offred can remember the years before, when she lived and made love with her husband, Luke; when she played with a protected her daughter; when she had a job, money of her own, and access to knowledge. But all of that is gone now...

Funny, unexpected, horrifying, and altogether convincing, The Handmaid's Tale is at once scathing satire, dire warning, and tour de force.

My Opinion

5 stars

There is an introduction by the author in my edition of the book, written in 2017 as she reflects on what her thoughts were at the time of publishing and what has happened since.  She states, "Back in 1984, the main premise seemed - even to me - fairly outrageous.  Would I be able to persuade readers that the United States of America had suffered a coup that had transformed and erstwhile liberal democracy into a literal-minded theocratic dictatorship?"  Unfortunately for our society at the moment, the answer to this question is unequivocally yes, it is horrifyingly possible to imagine this happening.

The pages passed so quickly.  I wasn't worried about the conclusion since I'm reading this late enough in the game to know that there is a second book plus the series so I can't speak to if I would've felt frustrated at the open-ended ending if I'd read it before those continuations happened.

The way it ended was an interesting, unique way to wrap things up a little so I'm able to move past the "info dump" aspect and still give it 5 stars for the overall experience of reading it.

A Few Quotes from the Book

"There is more than one type of freedom, said Aunt Lydia. Freedom to and freedom from. In the days of anarchy, it was freedom to. Now you are being given freedom from. Don't underrate it."

"I've learned to do without a lot of things. If you have a lot of things, said Aunt Lydia, you get too attached to this material world and you forget about spiritual values. You must cultivate poverty of spirit. Blessed are the meek. She didn't go on to say anything about inheriting the earth."

Something Deadly This Way Comes

Book 39 of my 2020 Reading Challenge

read from May 11 - 16

Something Deadly This Way Comes

by Kim Harrison

Book 3 of the Madison Avery series

Summary (via Goodreads)

published 2011

When Madison died the night of her prom, she knew her life would never be the same. Now she has a powerful amulet, a team of rogue angels by her side, and the ability to flash forward into the future to see the shape of destiny. And of course, now she's finally with Josh - a perfect boyfriend who doesn't even mind that's dead.
But being dead has its disadvantages, too. Madison feels caught between the light and the dark, and between her real life and her timekeeper status. When Madison has the opportunity to get her body back - to be alive again - she faces her most difficult decision yet. If she claims it, she could return to being a normal girl - and have a chance at a real relationship with Josh. But would having the one thing she wants most in the world also mean giving up everything she's worked so hard for?

My Opinion

4 stars

This is the third book in the series and I have the same advice as I did for the second book - these MUST be read in order.  It jumps right in without much of a recap so I'm also glad I read all 3 in a short timeframe.

I wasn't liking this as much as the others but I ended up rounding up to 4 because it's very readable and unpredictable even if I was rolling my eyes at some of the teen drama.

There don't appear to be any further books and it ended well enough if the series is over.  However, there's also room to continue and I would read more if the author put them out.

Beloved

Book 38 of my 2020 Reading Challenge

read from April 25 - May 16

Beloved

by Toni Morrison

Summary (via the book jacket)

published 1987

Sethe. Proud and beautiful, she escaped from slavery but is haunted by its heritage. She must deal with this haunted life on every level from the fires of the flesh to the heartbreaking challenges to the spirit.

Set in rural Ohio several years after the Civil War, this profoundly affecting chronicle of slavery and its aftermath is Toni Morrison's greatest novel, a dazzling achievement and the most spellbinding reading experience of the decade.

My Opinion

4 stars

I don't have much to say because this is one of those books that is about the experience and feelings while reading it.  I took zero notes while reading which doesn't happen very often and means I was just in the story and not thinking about anything else.

Since I'm reading for pleasure and not for a class, I have the luxury of just saying I liked it and leaving it at that.

Island of Silence

Book 37 of my 2020 Reading Challenge

read from May 3 - 10

Island of Silence

by Lisa McMann

Book 2 of the Unwanteds series

Summary (via Goodreads)

published 2012

The battle is over. The magical barrier between the dreary land of Quill and the fantastical world of Artimé is gone. Now residents of both places are free to mingle, but tensions are high. The artistic warriors of Artimé struggle to forgive those in Quill who condemned them to death, while the Quillens attempt to recover from the shock of Artime’s existence, the loss of their leader, and the total collapse of their safe, orderly world.
14-year-old Alex Stowe has recovered from his physical wounds since his death-defying role in Artime’s victory, but his confidence is shattered. He battles self-doubt after Artimé’s beloved mage, Mr. Today, makes a stunning request, which is further complicated by the mysterious arrival of two silent, orange-eyed teenagers.
Meanwhile in Quill, Aaron is devastated by his fall from grace and seething with anger toward his twin brother Alex. Spurred by rage, Aaron recruits a team of Restorers and devises a masterful plan of revenge that will return him to power… if no one gets in his way. 

My Opinion

Re-read 2020: 
I decided to read it again since it had been so long and I want to continue the series. I'm letting my original review stand as is and am only adding this so it counts for my yearly total.

Original review 2016:
I loved the first book in this series so much because of the creative concept and the author's writing. Second books are always difficult for me because their sole purpose seems to be to introduce more conflicts and move the story along without getting resolution yet. That's the case here so even though it's necessary for plot, I didn't like this book as much as the first one and I look forward to moving on to the next book soon.

I will be incredibly sad if one of the characters really is gone and doesn't appear throughout the series. I'm not ready for him to be done yet.

A Few Quotes from the Book

"Using his well-trained mind and all the effort he had in him, he willed his sorrow to turn into bitterness, knowing that his bitterness would soon grow into a most unhealthy desire for revenge. And revenge was necessary now. After all that had happened in recent weeks, Aaron knew the truth: Revenge was the only thing that would keep him alive."

"These items make up my existence, Alex. Much of my life was spent alone, and these things are witnesses to it. The library tells my story, the mastodon my mistakes, the ship my discoveries and my abilities to make old things new without magic, and the whale...my limitations, I suppose."

"There will always be times we struggle, make bad decisions, even fail. What's important is not that we fail, but that we learn and grow. And that we know that there is always someone out there who believes in us."

55 Slightly Sinister Stories

Book 36 of my 2020 Reading Challenge

read from May 4 - 8

Note: I read an ARC provided by NetGalley (full disclaimer in my review)

55 Slightly Sinister Stories

by Racha Mourtada

Summary (excerpted from Goodreads)
published 2020

55 stories. 55 words. No more. No less. Enjoy this collection of flash fiction with a sinister twist.

My Opinion

4 stars

**I received an electronic copy of this book via NetGalley and would like to thank the author and/or publisher for the opportunity to read and honestly review this book**

The author's note at the beginning said this book came about from a New Year's resolution to write one 55 word story a day until May 5 (5/5).  She also recommends reading two or three stories a day and while I did force myself not to read them all in one sitting, I definitely exceeded that recommendation.

This was just a little treat.  I really like microfiction as a concept and have read a few books of six-word memoirs.  The sinister twists show you don't need a long buildup to still get a little shiver at the end and the illustrations were a nice touch.  I read multiple ones aloud to my family as well.

I saw there is an audio version and I know I'm biased since I don't use audiobooks at all but this is the kind of book, between the illustrations and sometimes needing to read it more than once to see what you missed, that I think is better suited for print.