Heather's Summer Reading List

Hi folks! 

Here's my summer reading list! It's short and sweet! I think I can manage five books, right?

I know five books in two and a half months. No big deal right? Well, it wasn't when I was young and single and had no responsibility! Now I have a husband and two young children who need me. I don't read for personal pleasure near as much as I want to. But I've made a commitment to these five books and I WILL follow through! 

This summer my husband and I are taking a two week trip to England. We have tons to do while we're there, but I'm hoping I can sneak in some reading time ;)

Okay here we go!

The Goldfinch, Donna Tartt
I accidentally bought this book. My thumb hit the one click button and the rest is history. I decided to keep it and read it because it's a Pulitzer Prize winner and it's outside my normal realm of books I like to read.
Theo Decker, a 13-year-old New Yorker, miraculously survives an accident that kills his mother. Abandoned by his father, Theo is taken in by the family of a wealthy friend. Bewildered by his strange new home on Park Avenue, disturbed by schoolmates who don't know how to talk to him, and tormented above all by his longing for his mother, he clings to the one thing that reminds him of her: a small, mysteriously captivating painting that ultimately draws Theo into the underworld of art.
As an adult, Theo moves silkily between the drawing rooms of the rich and the dusty labyrinth of an antiques store where he works. He is alienated and in love--and at the center of a narrowing, ever more dangerous circle.

Maybe Someday, Colleen Hoover
I absolutely love Colleen Hoover's books. I started with Hopeless and I've devoured every single book of hers except Losing Hope and Maybe Someday (her newest release). I've heard great things about it and I don't doubt it. I have the opportunity to meet her this August and I bought all her books in paperback to take with me to have her sign!
At twenty-two years old, Sydney has a great life: She's in college, working a steady job, in love with her wonderful boyfriend, Hunter, and rooming with her best friend, Tori. But everything changes when she discovers Hunter's cheating on her--and she is left trying to decide what to do next.
Sydney becomes captivated by Ridge, her mysterious neighbor. She can't take her eyes off him or stop listening to the passionate way he plays his guitar every evening out on his balcony. And there's something about Sydney that Ridge can't ignore, either. When their inevitable encounter happens, they soon find themselves needing each other in more ways than one...

Insurgent and Allegiant, Veronica Roth
I've read Divergent and loved it! But I've heard some not so good things about the other two that have made me hesitant to finish the series. But I'm going to do it this summer. I rarely leave a book series, and since I loved the first one I feel that I should finish the series and make the decision for myself. 

The Fault in our Stars, John Green
I know, I KNOW! I haven't read this yet. I kind of don't want to. My Sister's Keeper is one of my favorite books and it was ruined in movie form so I'm scared to read/watch it. I know what happens in The Fault in our Stars so it won't be a mystery when I finally do read it.
Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.

Okay, so there's my list! I better get to reading!

Love

Heather

Steele Wolf By Chanda Hahn

Ack! So I've been on vacation for the past week and I haven't been able to do anything except fun vacation things lol.  I was super bummed to find out that Abbi Glines was in LA the day AFTER I was there. I probably would have stalked her.  I also stupidly left my kindle at home (what was I thinking?!)! So I got no reading done. I have the kindle app on my iphone, but it's such a tiny screen that it's hard to read anything.

Anyway, so here's my review of Steele Wolf by Chanda Hahn, I did manage to finish it before I left.

Steele Wolf starts where Iron Butterfly ends.  Thalia is back in her homeland, trying to fit in and pick up where she left off before being taken.  She finds this difficult because she is not the same person she was.  Her father is distant and ignores what happened to Thalia and dismisses her when she tries to tell him.  In an attempt to quell his daughter's new behavior her father sets up a Kreg Aruh (think Merida's situation in Brave), where suitors from all over the land come to fight for Thalia's hand.  Thalia, who doesn't like this, competes for her own hand and may have won if she hadn't been discovered. 

A series of events happen and Thalia is kidnapped and she discovers how she was first taken and who the Raven might be.  We also learn that Joss's sister has been kidnapped so Joss, Thalia, Kael and Hemi make the trek to Joss's home town of Skyfall to search for her. 

 I like that this book has more character information, but I still wish more physical description was used.  We know that Joss is blond, but are all Denai blond?  Thalia has dark hair, but so was Mona and her brother who we discover are evil.  I also kind of got lost in Skyfell. Maybe it was just me, but it could have been described a bit better. 

This series really wants to be good, but more detail need to be written out for the reader to fully comprehend the world this story takes place in.  If you are looking for a fun summer read, this is definitely something to pick up.  I got Iron Butterfly for free (on Amazon!) and I was loaned Steele Wolf by a friend.  I think I will have to buy the third one, but Steele Wolf was about $2, so I don't mind!

I did love that we learned more about Kael and how he's tied to Thalia.  It's kind of sad.  And while Chanda did a good job of explaining everything, we still don't know what he left behind (a wife, kids?).   What will ultimately happen to each of them? I'm assuming this will be answered in book three due out in August of this year (it can't come soon enough!).

 I get to pick up my kindle tomorrow (I forgot yesterday!) so I'll finish On an Edge of Glass and start on the summer reading list Erica posted yesterday.  Last summer was really busy for me, so this year I'm looking forward to laid back days of pool trips, sprinklers, ice cold sun tea, and of course, READING!