According to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (the world's only completely accurate book of prophecies, written in 1655, before she exploded), the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. Just before dinner.
So the armies of Good and Evil are amassing, Atlantis is rising, frogs are falling, tempers are flaring. Everything appears to be going according to Divine Plan. Except a somewhat fussy angel and a fast-living demon--both of whom have lived amongst Earth's mortals since The Beginning and have grown rather fond of the lifestyle--are not actually looking forward to the coming Rapture.
And someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist . .

Good Omens was enjoyable from start to finish. It was full of dry, witty humor, and was nothing if not an original twist on Christianity’s part in Armageddon. It was a very easy read, and despite having to start and stop reading it fairly often due to classwork and things, I was always able to figure out what was happening, and the little pop culture references were little bits of fun.
There’s an angel that owns a bookstore, a demon who loves cassette tapes and his vintage Bentley, nuns that never stop chattering, and then the Antichrist isn’t actually interested in destroying the world. Oh, and did I mention that the Devil speaks through Queen tapes? It had me giggling and occasionally cackling at the foolishness that occasionally went on.
I think that my favorite character was probably Aziraphale – he spoke to my love of books, as well as being mostly a great person. Their friendship, actually, was my favorite thing. I never figured that an Angel and a Demon could be particular friends, given the difference in their outlook on life, but I think Crowley figured it out, and described it perfectly with this line near the end of the book, "Just remember I'll have known that, deep down inside, you were just enough of a bastard to be worth liking." I’ve been told that a lot of people ship these characters, but honestly, I just saw a super fantastic bromance. I could see why they shipped them, but I didn’t read it as such.
I think that my favorite idea throughout the book was that the Antichrist had the free will that allowed him to not cause Armaggedon. He was, in the end, human and only wanted
This book is very much in the British style of humor, so if you enjoyed books by either of these authors, or Douglas Adams, you will probably enjoy this one.

Danger and betrayal, secrets and enchantment in the breathtaking conclusion to the Infernal Devices trilogy

Tessa Gray should be happy - aren't all brides happy? Yet as she prepares for her wedding, a net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute. A new demon appears, one linked by blood and secrecy to Mortmain, the man who plans to use his army of pitiless automatons, the Infernal Devices, to destroy the Shadowhunters. Mortmain needs only one last item to complete his plan. He needs Tessa. And Jem and Will, the boys who lay equal claim to Tessa's heart, will do anything to save her.

So I enjoyed this book maybe a little more than the other two in the trilogy. It felt more developed to me, and the circular ending was fabulous. I think what made me love this book the most was probably the epilogue. If you’ve read it, feel free to message me about it, because I loved it. I refuse to talk about it in this review, because its something you need to read and cry over yourself.
Also the way both Will and Tessa each grew as characters really made me like them even though I generally dislike the dark angsty boy character type. In this book, Will’s love for Tessa made him grow as a person, and made him open up as a person. His poetry really was terrible, though. For a man who loved his words so much, he was not much of a poet. And poor, tortured Jem. I’m glad he finally got some closure, as well as a somewhat happy ending. He was very magnanimous, though, given the circumstances.
One of the things that bothered me about this book, as well as the other two, was the fact that there is never a chance to relax at all. No one ever had a chance to sit down and take a breather, even Henry. (I should probably mention that I absolutely adore Henry and his constant bewilderment with everything, but still managing to be amazing at everything.)
I kind of felt like this book tried to hard to give everyone as happy an ending as they could, though that’s not necessarily a bad thing? I don’t know how I feel about it, but yeah. And why isn’t Tessa aging?
I’m not the biggest fan of Cassandra Clare’s writing, but I did enjoy this series, despite not getting into her Mortal Instruments series at all. I’m giving it a 3.5 star rating.

Read the full review here!

In this masterful debut, an award-winning writer and first-rate storyteller explores the tenuous bonds of family—fathers and sons, husbands and wives—as they are tested by the sometimes brutal power of love. In each of the stories in this remarkable collection, David James Poissant delivers a moving portrayal of a relationship in turmoil. His strikingly true-to-life characters have reached a precipice, chased there by troubles of their own making. Some stand frightened, some ready to fight. Some seek atonement, others the atonement that is owed them. But, brought to the brink, each must make a choice: Leap, or look away? Lee Martin writes that Poissant forces us “to face the people we are when we’re alone in the dark,” and, from the two men racing to save the life of a sick alligator in “Lizard Man” to the girl helping her boyfriend face his greatest fears in “The End of Aaron,” from a son grieving his father in “100% Cotton” as he stalks death on an Atlanta street corner to a brother’s surprise at the surreal, improbable beauty of a late night encounter with a wolf, Poissant’s invented worlds shine with honesty and dark complexity, but also with a profound compassion. These are stories hell-bent on hope. Fresh, smart, lively—and often wickedly funny—The Heaven of Animals is breathtakingly original and compulsively readable.
The Heaven of Animals was a very good collection of short stories, and I enjoyed Poissant’s easy to read style. I hadn’t realized that this was a collection of stories when I requested it, but it was definitely an interesting read. I loved that each story had a small something to do with animals or revolved around animals. The animal factor was what tied all of the stories together.

Review to come!

When Dr. Cyrus Mills returned home after inheriting his estranged father's veterinary practice, The Bedside Manor for Sick Animals, the last thing he wanted was to stay in Eden Falls, Vermont, a moment longer than absolutely necessary. However, the previously reclusive veterinarian pathologist quickly found that he actually enjoyed treating animals and getting to know the eccentric residents of the tiny provincial town-especially an alluring waitress named Amy.
So Cyrus is now determined to make Bedside Manor thrive. Not an easy goal, given that Healthy Paws, the national veterinary chain across town, will stop at nothing to crush its mom-and-pop competitor. And the rival vet practice isn't Cyrus's only competition; a handsome stranger shows up out of nowhere who clearly has a mysterious past with Amy. To top it off, Cyrus finds himself both the guardian of a very unique orphaned dog and smack in the middle of serious small town drama.
This charming sequel to The Patron Saint of Lost Dogs is a wild and delightful ride through one jam- packed week, where Cyrus must figure out how to outsmart the evil veterinary conglomerate, win back Amy's heart, solve several tricky veterinary cases, find a home for an orphaned dog, and detangle himself from an absurd case of mistaken identity. DOG GONE, BACK SOON brims with Nick Trout's trademark humor, charm, and captivating animal stories, and is proof that all dogs, lost or not, on four feet or two, deserve a second chance.
I got this ebook as an Advanced Reader’s Copy from Netgalley, but I should start this review out by saying that I have not read The Patron Saint of Lost Dogs, not realizing that it was a sequel until after I read the book. Even without reading the previous novel, this book stood up well on its own, and I enjoyed its charming story of the newly arrived small town veterinarian.
There was enough character background for Cyrus for him to be able to stand up on his own, though I’d wanted more for Amy’s character – I’m assuming we get more of her in the first novel.
I enjoyed many of the minor characters, especially Charlie and Gabe. I loved that they each had their own changes throughout the novel, and that Charlie and her mom’s relationship had its own growth – I especially like that they didn’t abuse Gabe’s skills any more than was forced upon Cyrus.
I gotta say, though, if things don’t work out between Cyrus and Amy, I really think that Dr. Honey and Cyrus would rock as a couple. That’s if she could forgive him for lying to her on the dates that he was set up on.
Stash the dog was great, although I’m not sure I approve of Cyrus keeping him from soldiers that probably need him.
I loved the resolution of the problem, which I won’t spoil for you, but I definitely recommend this book to animal lovers and those who enjoy small town life.

Beka Cooper is no longer a Puppy. She's a Dog now - a full-fledged member of the Provost's Guard, which keeps the peace in Corus's streets. Beka's natural skills of observation and tenacity are augmented by her unusual magical talents, which allow her to gather information both from pigeons are from the eddies of dirt and dust that swirl on street corners. But even her magic isn't very useful when unrest comes to Tortall's capital in the form of counterfeit coins, which turn up in shops all over the city. Merchants raise prices to cover their losses, and with winter coming on, hikes in food and fuel costs could spell disaster - most of all for the city's poor.

The Dogs discover that gamblers are bringing the counterfeits from Port Caynn - and that the Port Caynn Dogs don't seem to be doing anything about it. Beka and her mentor, Clary Goodwin, are chosen to go undercover in Port Caynn and find out what they can. And wherever Beka goes, so do some of her animals. Departing from Corus with her are the scent hound Achoo, who has been newly assigned to Beka, and the pigeon Slapper, who carries the voices of the dead.

In Port Caynn, Beka and Goodwin delve deep into the gambling world. There Beka meets a charming bank courier, who may be involved in the counterfeiting ring. Things come to a head just as Goodwin returns home to report in Corus. It won't be enough to Beka to be her usual "terrier" self. She'll have to learn from Achoo to sniff out the criminals - to be a bloodhound.

I adored this book, loved learning about Port Caynn, seeing how other Rogue’s operate. I really got into the diary-like aspect of this one, though it pained me deeply to have to hear about Tunstall’s suffering in breaking both of his legs. I loved that Beka had a visible relationship with Dale, as it added an extra dimension to her character. It also really made it obvious why Beka would never be able to have a relationship with Rosto, not to mention it made Beka happy while it lasted.

Once again, I loved Pierce’s secondary characters. Nestor and Okha were a great pair, and it was what I thought was a fairly good handling of a trans character, although I wanted Beka to refer to Okha by the feminine pronouns once she realized that Okha identified as a woman, as would be polite, though Okha did live as a man in general, so I can see why she didn’t. I really liked Dale, though his dislike of long distance relationships (for himself) kind of bothered me. I loved how crazy Pearl was, and yet she still showed her humanity in her love and care for animals. It’s one of those touches that has me coming back for every Tamora Pierce book, even though I’m well out of the range for her books.

You also got to see more of Beka’s compassion for everyone, even outside of her beloved city of Corus. Seeing Beka thrown off balance in Port Caynn because she wasn’t sure what she was allowed to do as well as being somewhere where not everyone knew who she was was really interesting to read through.

Seeing Goodwin play a loose cop was confusing for me, and had to have been confusing for Beka. Her backstory is good, though, and makes sense. The ending made sense for her as well – She wasn’t happy on street Hunts anymore, not to mention she missed her man. I can’t help but hope that we do get to see Goodwin again, as she’s my favorite ‘major secondary’ character.

Anthony Doerr’s “All The Light We Cannot See” tells the story of a blind French girl and a German boy during World War II in what is described as a “stunningly ambitious and beautiful novel” by the Goodreads summary of the novel.
The full summary states, “Marie Laure lives with her father in Paris within walking distance of the Museum of Natural History where he works as the master of the locks (there are thousands of locks in the museum). When she is six, she goes blind, and her father builds her a model of their neighborhood, every house, every manhole, so she can memorize it with her fingers and navigate the real streets with her feet and cane. When the Germans occupy Paris, father and daughter flee to Saint-Malo on the Brittany coast, where Marie-Laure’s agoraphobic great uncle lives in a tall, narrow house by the sea wall.
“In another world in Germany, an orphan boy, Werner, grows up with his younger sister, Jutta, both enchanted by a crude radio Werner finds. He becomes a master at building and fixing radios, a talent that wins him a place at an elite and brutal military academy and, ultimately, makes him a highly specialized tracker of the Resistance. Werner travels through the heart of Hitler Youth to the far-flung outskirts of Russia, and finally into Saint-Malo, where his path converges with Marie-Laure.”
Having read the novel, I have to agree with Goodreads’ descriptor. Both Marie-Laure and Werner were interesting protagonists with very different viewpoints, and throughout the book, I couldn’t wait for their paths to cross throughout the novel because their lives and viewpoints were so very different.
Marie-Laurie Leblanc is in love with books, knowledge and learning about snails, while orphaned Werner Pfennig was motivated by questions, technology and science.
“All the Light We Cannot See” makes for a captivating coming-of-age story for these two characters, but all of the characters in the story grew alongside them.
The mark of a good novel is that even the less important characters have some character change. My favorite side character was Etienne, Marie-Laure’s great-uncle. Ettiene was incredibly flawed after his experiences in the first World War and the death of his brother, but his radio was what ended up bringing Marie-Laure and Werner together.
Etienne’s radio broadcasted a children’s program that he and his brother had worked on before the war, which Werner and his sister had listened to in far away Germany.Marie-Laure’s grandfather. Werner eventually finds Marie-Laure via her radio broadcast of Jules Verne’s “Twenty-Thousand Leagues Under the Sea” after the Germans overtake Saint-Malo.
Because of Marie-Laure’s blindness, Doerr takes his time writing as much detail into each and every scene, and he even puts in little details that wouldn’t be necessary otherwise, and I loved it. I could easily see this being adapted into a tv series or feature film and being done well.
The only thing I wasn’t in love with about the novel was the diamond subplot. It felt like it had been slid in there without real purpose to me, but it didn’t do very much harm to the story, so I won’t complain about it too much.
This book is long, sitting at about 530 pages, but in my opinion, it is well worth the time I spent reading it, and I rated it four out of five stars.
As Doerr’s first published full-length novel, I will definitely be on the lookout for more from him.

Review to come.

Before. Miles "Pudge" Halter's whole existence has been one big nonevent, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave the "Great Perhaps" (François Rabelais, poet) even more. Then he heads off to the sometimes crazy, possibly unstable, and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed-up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young, who is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart.
After. Nothing is ever the same.
This book, like all of John Green’s other books, was quirky and amazingly written. However, having read all of his other books first, it was fairly obvious that this was his first novel.
I felt like most of his characters in this novel were a little overly quirky, and as such they were hard for me to relate to, though that might also have been their tendency towards drunkenness and their constant smoking. Those are never particularly warming behaviors of mine.
The structuring of this was very interesting. It had its chapter system as a countdown showing us what was before the event and what was after. I was entertained through most of the before part, though I kind of lost patience with Alaska and her melodramatic approach to everything. And the after… well, let’s just say I was trying really hard not to cry in front of my entire family over this book. I won’t spoil anyone by telling you what the divide was, though I thought that the character’s reaction to the event were spot on. And I really loved the Speaker Day prank, it was hilarious and perfect for Alaska.
Overall, it was a very good book, and I’d recommend it to plenty of my friends and family, though probably more so to those of my friends who are still in high school and middle school more than my adult friends.
The final question for readers is “How will we ever get out of this labyrinth of suffering?