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simplyalexandra's Reviews (890)
4.5 Stars - I recommend if you like Robin Hood, fairy tale re-tellings, or books that are told in first person. And of course, if you have read the other two books first. :)
I started this series a bit by accident, but I absolutely love it, and am so glad that I read it! The stories are gripping, the characters are complex, the time period is interesting, and the villains are just so bad. This is not a sugar coated re-telling (series) but a wonderfully crafted tale. If you are interested I HIGHLY recommend this series.
I started this series a bit by accident, but I absolutely love it, and am so glad that I read it! The stories are gripping, the characters are complex, the time period is interesting, and the villains are just so bad. This is not a sugar coated re-telling (series) but a wonderfully crafted tale. If you are interested I HIGHLY recommend this series.
3 Stars - This was just OK. I would recommend if you are looking for something quick and fluffy.
This book is an older book of Cass's (from 2009) and was re-released recently. I loved the gorgeous cover... and the title The Siren implies mermaids... so I had to buy it...
The story follows Kahlen a woman who is drowning and begs for her life. The Ocean spares her, as long as she agrees to be a siren for the next 100 years. 80 years into her sentence Kahlen is growing weary of taking lives to "feed" the ocean. She's haunted by the faces of her victims, she's restless, she finds herself trying to break rules she's always followed. That's when she meets Akinli, a boy who doesn't seem bothered by her inability to speak. Falling in love with him could be dangerous for everyone's safety, but she can't stay away.
Overall, I liked this book. I read it in two evenings, it was quick as Cass's books always are for me. I liked the spin on siren mythology. They were not mermaids but "human" women who were "feeding" the ocean to spare many more lives. It's always hard to read about a character that is just really depressed... so I felt like I didn't really get a true sense of any of the sirens. There wasn't a ton of personality that was explored. I had a hard time being very attached to any of those characters. I think the ending was a little bit rushed for me, but it wasn't bad. It just seemed like an immediate shift in plot. I felt like I would have liked this book set in the past or future a little bit more.
Initial Thoughts:
Overall the writing was not as consistent as The Selection Series. It had really good potential, but fell a little bit flat. Still an interesting read. Gorgeous cover. Full review to come!
This book is an older book of Cass's (from 2009) and was re-released recently. I loved the gorgeous cover... and the title The Siren implies mermaids... so I had to buy it...
The story follows Kahlen a woman who is drowning and begs for her life. The Ocean spares her, as long as she agrees to be a siren for the next 100 years. 80 years into her sentence Kahlen is growing weary of taking lives to "feed" the ocean. She's haunted by the faces of her victims, she's restless, she finds herself trying to break rules she's always followed. That's when she meets Akinli, a boy who doesn't seem bothered by her inability to speak. Falling in love with him could be dangerous for everyone's safety, but she can't stay away.
Overall, I liked this book. I read it in two evenings, it was quick as Cass's books always are for me. I liked the spin on siren mythology. They were not mermaids but "human" women who were "feeding" the ocean to spare many more lives. It's always hard to read about a character that is just really depressed... so I felt like I didn't really get a true sense of any of the sirens. There wasn't a ton of personality that was explored. I had a hard time being very attached to any of those characters. I think the ending was a little bit rushed for me, but it wasn't bad. It just seemed like an immediate shift in plot. I felt like I would have liked this book set in the past or future a little bit more.
Initial Thoughts:
Overall the writing was not as consistent as The Selection Series. It had really good potential, but fell a little bit flat. Still an interesting read. Gorgeous cover. Full review to come!
4.5-4.75 Stars - I recommend if you like cute YA romances. Or if you just like to be happy. It's not OVERLY sugar coated though. :)
This book follows Anna as she is sent to a boarding school in France for her senior year of high school. She makes friends with a group of people and within that group is someone who she has a big crush on. Sadly, he's taken, so Anna tries her best to ignore it. ... - not the craziest plot around, but I promise it was cute!
I had heard a lot of people sing praises of this book, and I wasn't disappointed by it! It was written in a fun way, and I absolutely was reminded of what it's like to be a teenage girl (difficult, dramatic, ..). I liked that this wasn't overly saccharine, but it wasn't super dark either. It was real enough (minus the boarding school in Paris part...) and quick and fun to read. It was one of those where the couple communication was KILLING ME... but I still liked it. I am excited to read the other books! :)
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4.5 stars. Very cute. Also, absolutely what it's like to be a teenage girl... Full review to come
This book follows Anna as she is sent to a boarding school in France for her senior year of high school. She makes friends with a group of people and within that group is someone who she has a big crush on. Sadly, he's taken, so Anna tries her best to ignore it. ... - not the craziest plot around, but I promise it was cute!
I had heard a lot of people sing praises of this book, and I wasn't disappointed by it! It was written in a fun way, and I absolutely was reminded of what it's like to be a teenage girl (difficult, dramatic, ..). I liked that this wasn't overly saccharine, but it wasn't super dark either. It was real enough (minus the boarding school in Paris part...) and quick and fun to read. It was one of those where the couple communication was KILLING ME... but I still liked it. I am excited to read the other books! :)
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4.5 stars. Very cute. Also, absolutely what it's like to be a teenage girl... Full review to come
4 Stars - I recommend if you like fantasy novels, beautiful writing, and stories that are not sugar coated. Gaiman is a wonderful writer!
This book follows Tristran Thorne as he journeys from boy to man in search of a fallen star (a gift for his bride-to-be). In order to find it he must cross the wall into the realm of faerie, and weather all that he encounters there. To his surprise the star is not a star, but a woman, and he is not the only one in search of her.
I have been meaning to read this book for a while, I love the movie, (you guys know I don't watch first a lot!) and when my friend Rachel let me borrow it I was really excited. I instantly loved the way Gaiman writes, he painted a gorgeous picture of wall, faerie, and all of the characters. Some of the pieces that were different than the movie I enjoyed, other parts I did not like as much. It was a little more bittersweet or sometimes more brutal than I would have imagined. There's a bit more gruesome violence, mention of prostitutes, etc. which was not in the movie, and was a bit unexpected. That's ok I suppose, and more realistic I guess. We're not talking GOT level or anything, I just hadn't imagined it would exist at all. The last part of the book also felt a bit rushed to me. Where as a lot of the first part across the wall was very drawn out. Some of the differences in plot I liked more, others I liked less. Overall I enjoyed the movie more, but am glad to have read one of his books finally. I look forward to reading more. :)
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A tough one, beautifully written... But more bittersweet than I'd hoped. Still pondering.
This book follows Tristran Thorne as he journeys from boy to man in search of a fallen star (a gift for his bride-to-be). In order to find it he must cross the wall into the realm of faerie, and weather all that he encounters there. To his surprise the star is not a star, but a woman, and he is not the only one in search of her.
I have been meaning to read this book for a while, I love the movie, (you guys know I don't watch first a lot!) and when my friend Rachel let me borrow it I was really excited. I instantly loved the way Gaiman writes, he painted a gorgeous picture of wall, faerie, and all of the characters. Some of the pieces that were different than the movie I enjoyed, other parts I did not like as much. It was a little more bittersweet or sometimes more brutal than I would have imagined. There's a bit more gruesome violence, mention of prostitutes, etc. which was not in the movie, and was a bit unexpected. That's ok I suppose, and more realistic I guess. We're not talking GOT level or anything, I just hadn't imagined it would exist at all. The last part of the book also felt a bit rushed to me. Where as a lot of the first part across the wall was very drawn out. Some of the differences in plot I liked more, others I liked less. Overall I enjoyed the movie more, but am glad to have read one of his books finally. I look forward to reading more. :)
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A tough one, beautifully written... But more bittersweet than I'd hoped. Still pondering.
4 Stars - I recommend this book if you are a sucker for vintage, a lover of Christmas, or interested in the history of Christmas and it's commercialization. This book is both beautiful and a treasure trove of information.
This is a lovely book filled with gorgeous photos of vintage holiday ornaments, details, as well as vintage advertisements, etc. but it is also jam packed with very detailed histories of how people decorated for the holidays and celebrated in the past. I was amazed by how much detail this book went into from the 1660's to the present. It was so interesting to learn how the social and economical issues and changes in the US influenced how Christmas was celebrated and decorated for. For example, during war times many families went without a traditional Christmas tree and celebrated more modest holidays, but after the WWII holiday commercialism was at it's finest. From bubble lights to space age decor, there was a big boom in holiday decorations in post war America. This book really covers every topic related to holiday decor, a historical topic I never would have thought to research. I also appreciate that the author adds in sections on vintage reproductions, finding vintage decor, and words of caution on using it. My favorite section was the one on ideas for giving vintage gifts. I love the practical advice of how to find vintage items, and personalize them! Also the section on vintage holiday vinyl - one of my favorite things to thrift for!
This title was given to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. These reviews are my own opinion, and based on the edition of the book I was given at the time. Thank you Netgalley!
This is a lovely book filled with gorgeous photos of vintage holiday ornaments, details, as well as vintage advertisements, etc. but it is also jam packed with very detailed histories of how people decorated for the holidays and celebrated in the past. I was amazed by how much detail this book went into from the 1660's to the present. It was so interesting to learn how the social and economical issues and changes in the US influenced how Christmas was celebrated and decorated for. For example, during war times many families went without a traditional Christmas tree and celebrated more modest holidays, but after the WWII holiday commercialism was at it's finest. From bubble lights to space age decor, there was a big boom in holiday decorations in post war America. This book really covers every topic related to holiday decor, a historical topic I never would have thought to research. I also appreciate that the author adds in sections on vintage reproductions, finding vintage decor, and words of caution on using it. My favorite section was the one on ideas for giving vintage gifts. I love the practical advice of how to find vintage items, and personalize them! Also the section on vintage holiday vinyl - one of my favorite things to thrift for!
This title was given to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. These reviews are my own opinion, and based on the edition of the book I was given at the time. Thank you Netgalley!
4 Stars - I recommend if you like New England or rustic fruit desserts and recipes. I'm such a lover of cobblers, crisps, and pies of all kinds. This book is not limited to desserts though! If unique salads, fruity panini, or fruity barbecued meats are right up your alley, consider checking out these recipes!
This darling book is a collection of New England orchard recipes and orchards around the region, as well and tips and tricks for visiting said orchards. From orchard etiquette to a full directory of orchards mentioned in the book (organized by state) this is quite the resource for anyone who wants to do seasonal picking and cooking. Also, apparently New Englanders eat pie for breakfast. Who wouldn't love that?! We should all be New Englanders, I say! The recipes range from classics like apple pie and cherry cobbler, to things like fresh salads, savory tarts, panini, quesadillas, sangrias, smoothies, and canned goods. I appreciate the wide variety of fruit recipes in this book, it even includes helpful hints on freezing, microwave recipes, and grilling tips. One of my very favorite ways to cook meat is with jams or fruit - so I cannot wait to try many of these recipes!
This title was given to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. These reviews are my own opinion, and based on the edition of the book I was given at the time. Thank you Netgalley!
This darling book is a collection of New England orchard recipes and orchards around the region, as well and tips and tricks for visiting said orchards. From orchard etiquette to a full directory of orchards mentioned in the book (organized by state) this is quite the resource for anyone who wants to do seasonal picking and cooking. Also, apparently New Englanders eat pie for breakfast. Who wouldn't love that?! We should all be New Englanders, I say! The recipes range from classics like apple pie and cherry cobbler, to things like fresh salads, savory tarts, panini, quesadillas, sangrias, smoothies, and canned goods. I appreciate the wide variety of fruit recipes in this book, it even includes helpful hints on freezing, microwave recipes, and grilling tips. One of my very favorite ways to cook meat is with jams or fruit - so I cannot wait to try many of these recipes!
This title was given to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. These reviews are my own opinion, and based on the edition of the book I was given at the time. Thank you Netgalley!
5 Stars - I would recommend if you are a busy person who enjoys the simplicity of one-dish meals. This is a huge number of recipes with something for everyone!
I don't know about you guys, but one pan meals make my life easier. Less clean up, less space being taken by skillets, sauce pans, and other gadgets. They're quick, simple, hearty, and after this book... available en masse. Right off the bat this cookbook has great branding - the cover grabbed me, and opening it up the contents are immediately well organized making things very easy to find! The recipes are divided up by type of meal: Soups and Stews, Skillet and Other Stovetop Suppers, Oven Baked Suppers, and Salad Suppers. Chesman gives a bit of advice on supplies, and maintenance of said supplies, but then dives straight into the recipes. From things like Homemade Broths to Tom Yum Rice Noodle Bowls, and Arroz con Pollo to Chili Mac, and back to Lamb Couscous, this book is filled to the brim with home style American classics to many delicious ethnic options. From Pad Thai to Cajun, Spanish style Paella to Greek Moussaka, and Vietnamese Shrimp and Noodle Salads, this book covers all your bases and won't leave you bored just a few recipes in! I'm already picking out recipes to try on my own, and I hope that many will become one dish family favorites around here!
This title was given to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. These reviews are my own opinion, and based on the edition of the book I was given at the time. Thank you Netgalley!
I don't know about you guys, but one pan meals make my life easier. Less clean up, less space being taken by skillets, sauce pans, and other gadgets. They're quick, simple, hearty, and after this book... available en masse. Right off the bat this cookbook has great branding - the cover grabbed me, and opening it up the contents are immediately well organized making things very easy to find! The recipes are divided up by type of meal: Soups and Stews, Skillet and Other Stovetop Suppers, Oven Baked Suppers, and Salad Suppers. Chesman gives a bit of advice on supplies, and maintenance of said supplies, but then dives straight into the recipes. From things like Homemade Broths to Tom Yum Rice Noodle Bowls, and Arroz con Pollo to Chili Mac, and back to Lamb Couscous, this book is filled to the brim with home style American classics to many delicious ethnic options. From Pad Thai to Cajun, Spanish style Paella to Greek Moussaka, and Vietnamese Shrimp and Noodle Salads, this book covers all your bases and won't leave you bored just a few recipes in! I'm already picking out recipes to try on my own, and I hope that many will become one dish family favorites around here!
This title was given to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. These reviews are my own opinion, and based on the edition of the book I was given at the time. Thank you Netgalley!
4.5 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy historical fiction, wild west adventures, and strong female characters. You'll be rooting for Etta throughout the entire book.
This book follows a young woman who is put into a make-shift witness protection program and sent out West. She is now called Etta and spends time as a Harvey Girl, an outlaw, a friend to Eleanor Roosevelt, a Wild West Show Girl, and "wife" to the Sundance Kid. While much of this book is imagined (no one knew much at the real Etta!), it's very interesting to read and richly imagined.
Overall I didn't know what to expect with this book, but I liked it a lot! :) I thought all of the pieces of the story were very detailed and well researched even if they were fictional. Because I don't read a lot of Westerns, or even a ton of historical fiction I was worried that this book might drag a little bit, but I did not find that to be the case at all. I really liked the way that it was written, broken up into chunks ranging form narrative, to diary entries, newspaper articles or police memos, to letters. This formatting gave the reader different points of view and lots of context for the situations going on in the book. I really enjoyed that! The only thing that was kind of weird for me was that it got a little bit socialist. Some of it made sense, but some of it seemed like a stretch. Overall not enough to hugely detract from the book for me.
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4.5 Solid Stars - really interesting the imagined life of a mystery woman.
This book follows a young woman who is put into a make-shift witness protection program and sent out West. She is now called Etta and spends time as a Harvey Girl, an outlaw, a friend to Eleanor Roosevelt, a Wild West Show Girl, and "wife" to the Sundance Kid. While much of this book is imagined (no one knew much at the real Etta!), it's very interesting to read and richly imagined.
Overall I didn't know what to expect with this book, but I liked it a lot! :) I thought all of the pieces of the story were very detailed and well researched even if they were fictional. Because I don't read a lot of Westerns, or even a ton of historical fiction I was worried that this book might drag a little bit, but I did not find that to be the case at all. I really liked the way that it was written, broken up into chunks ranging form narrative, to diary entries, newspaper articles or police memos, to letters. This formatting gave the reader different points of view and lots of context for the situations going on in the book. I really enjoyed that! The only thing that was kind of weird for me was that it got a little bit socialist. Some of it made sense, but some of it seemed like a stretch. Overall not enough to hugely detract from the book for me.
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4.5 Solid Stars - really interesting the imagined life of a mystery woman.
3.5 Stars - I recommend if you like YA fantasy/romance, plots with flash backs, or that have to do with ancient Egypt.
This book follows Annabeth as she finds a ankh necklace at a flea market, and discovers that touching it reveals memories of her past life in ancient Egypt. When she notices that the boy she is dating is also around in her past, and so is his brother, she starts to question if one of them might be her soulmate. Every time Annabeth uses the ankh to learn her memories, her body is put through serious physical strain like seizures, hypothermia, and extreme bouts of sleepwalking. How will she find out about her past if it's killing her to do so? And who can she really trust?
Overall this book was a very fun, quick read. I thought it was a little young (expected) but had some really entertaining parts to it. All of the parts in ancient Egypt were really detailed, and gave me a lot of insight into the stories and characters. I wanted a little more from Annabeth's background in the present. She sleepwalks before she finds the ankh, but there's very little info on it in the book. I also thought it was a tad unusual that Annabeth just *knows* that's she's been reincarnated. Usually that's something the character would struggle with ahead of the plot really picking up. I also though the ending was a little bit quick for me. It all "resolved" at the last second. I wanted a bit more, but I can see that it's been set up for another book. I would probably read more of this series, just because I enjoy YA plots that have a flashback element. - it reminds me a bit of TVD. :)
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Hmmm 3.5 stars.... Full review to come!
This book follows Annabeth as she finds a ankh necklace at a flea market, and discovers that touching it reveals memories of her past life in ancient Egypt. When she notices that the boy she is dating is also around in her past, and so is his brother, she starts to question if one of them might be her soulmate. Every time Annabeth uses the ankh to learn her memories, her body is put through serious physical strain like seizures, hypothermia, and extreme bouts of sleepwalking. How will she find out about her past if it's killing her to do so? And who can she really trust?
Overall this book was a very fun, quick read. I thought it was a little young (expected) but had some really entertaining parts to it. All of the parts in ancient Egypt were really detailed, and gave me a lot of insight into the stories and characters. I wanted a little more from Annabeth's background in the present. She sleepwalks before she finds the ankh, but there's very little info on it in the book. I also thought it was a tad unusual that Annabeth just *knows* that's she's been reincarnated. Usually that's something the character would struggle with ahead of the plot really picking up. I also though the ending was a little bit quick for me. It all "resolved" at the last second. I wanted a bit more, but I can see that it's been set up for another book. I would probably read more of this series, just because I enjoy YA plots that have a flashback element. - it reminds me a bit of TVD. :)
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Hmmm 3.5 stars.... Full review to come!
3.5 - 4 Stars - I recommend if you are looking for something that's not your typical vampire story, and you can handle some really dark, torture-y scenes. It's not overly graphic, and it's still YA, but that doesn't make it easy to read. Don't be fooled, it's not 50 shades meets Twilight, it's not code for anything kinky, it's actual torture.
This book follows Roseline, a young woman who on her wedding day is killed, tuned immortal, witnesses the death of everyone at her wedding, her town burning, and is then taken to live with her cruel new husband... who did all the destroying. Much of this book focuses on her absolute downfall into her husband's debaucherous society and whims. (It reminded me of GOT a bit, it's just really harsh and cruel, and no one seems to think twice about it.) For about 2/3 the book, you read as Roseline loses all hope of escaping or actually living a life. It's a bit tough to read... The last 1/3 of the book, Roseline finds some purpose, and the book gets significantly more interesting from there.
Overall, this book was kind of a wild ride. I got this from Netgalley and didn't realize that this was actually about vampires before I started it. It's not a typical YA vampire plot. She's repulsed by them, she doesn't want to be one of them, she is a prisoner - but it's not a Stockholm Syndrome type situation. It's obviously very dark and gruesome.... on the one hand, if the "desolation" part had lasted much longer than it did... I don't think I could have kept reading. On the other hand, Miles REALLY hits home, just how bad her situation is, and sets up a LOT of motivation for Roseline's future actions, personality, etc. I read this all in one day... so it was obviously pretty gripping. I would definitely be interested in reading future books in this series (it will be a trilogy)... because I really want to see where she goes after all of that insane pain she was put through. I think it probably makes more and more sense, the more of her story you read. The main reason the rating is not higher, is just that it's tough to read something quite so dark. - last note: this book is part of a prequel trilogy, so you can read about Roseline in the present in Miles' other series, AROTAS.
I was given advance access to by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. These reviews are my own opinion, and based on the edition of the book I was given at the time. Thank you Netgalley!
This book follows Roseline, a young woman who on her wedding day is killed, tuned immortal, witnesses the death of everyone at her wedding, her town burning, and is then taken to live with her cruel new husband... who did all the destroying. Much of this book focuses on her absolute downfall into her husband's debaucherous society and whims. (It reminded me of GOT a bit, it's just really harsh and cruel, and no one seems to think twice about it.) For about 2/3 the book, you read as Roseline loses all hope of escaping or actually living a life. It's a bit tough to read... The last 1/3 of the book, Roseline finds some purpose, and the book gets significantly more interesting from there.
Overall, this book was kind of a wild ride. I got this from Netgalley and didn't realize that this was actually about vampires before I started it. It's not a typical YA vampire plot. She's repulsed by them, she doesn't want to be one of them, she is a prisoner - but it's not a Stockholm Syndrome type situation. It's obviously very dark and gruesome.... on the one hand, if the "desolation" part had lasted much longer than it did... I don't think I could have kept reading. On the other hand, Miles REALLY hits home, just how bad her situation is, and sets up a LOT of motivation for Roseline's future actions, personality, etc. I read this all in one day... so it was obviously pretty gripping. I would definitely be interested in reading future books in this series (it will be a trilogy)... because I really want to see where she goes after all of that insane pain she was put through. I think it probably makes more and more sense, the more of her story you read. The main reason the rating is not higher, is just that it's tough to read something quite so dark. - last note: this book is part of a prequel trilogy, so you can read about Roseline in the present in Miles' other series, AROTAS.
I was given advance access to by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. These reviews are my own opinion, and based on the edition of the book I was given at the time. Thank you Netgalley!