The Caller

The Caller by Juliet Marillier | 480 pages | 2014

Just one year ago, Neryn had nothing but a canny skill she barely understood and a faint dream that the legendary rebel base of Shadowfell might be real. Now she is the rebels’ secret weapon, and their greatest hope for survival, in the fast-approaching ambush of King Keldec at Summerfort.

The fate of Alban itself is in her hands. But to be ready for the bloody battle that lies ahead, Neryn must first seek out two more fey Guardians to receive their tutelage. Meanwhile, her beloved, Flint, has been pushed to his breaking point as a spy in the king’s court—and is arousing suspicion in all the wrong quarters.

At stake lies freedom for the people of Alban, a life free from hiding for the Good Folk—and a chance for Flint and Neryn to finally be together.

(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

This series overall was creative and immersive. I love a fantasy world that involves traditional faeries - the kind that come in all shapes and sizes from the humanoid to the bizarre. Marillier doesn't write a fast-paced book, but you truly love her characters and feel their struggles. These are classic fairy tales, where the hero overcomes adversity and justice overcomes evil, and in the end I'm left with a sense of deep satisfaction.

Vengeance by Megan Miranda

Vengeance by Megan Miranda -- 352 pages

Nobody really believes in a curse. Until you know the people who disappear. Too much coincidence, you look for reason. Too much death, you grasp for something to blame. Carson pulled Delaney out and he died on the side of the road with her mouth pressed to his. Her air in his body. Troy. She told the cops it was suicide. Didn't matter. The lake released her and grabbed another. But when Decker's father dies in a pool of spilled water on their kitchen floor, all Decker can feel is a slow burning rage. Because he knows that Delaney knew that his dad was going to die. She knew and backed out of his house and never said a word. Falcon Lake still has a hold on them both, and Decker can't forgive Delaney until he knows why.

Fracture by Megan Miranda

Fracture by Megan Miranda -- 262 pages

By the time Delaney Maxwell was pulled from a Maine lake's icy waters by her best friend, her heart had stopped beating.

But somehow Delaney survived - despite the brain scans that show irreparable damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be fine, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney now finds herself drawn to the dying, and when she meets Troy Varga, a boy who recently emerged from a coma with the same abilities, she is relieved to share this strange new existence. Unsure if her altered brain is predicting death or causing it, Delaney must figure out if their gift is a miracle, a freak of nature - or something else much more frightening...

Geography of You And Me by Jennifer Smith

Geography of You and Me by Jennifer Smith, 337 pages

Lucy and Owen are teens fated together by a blackout in New York City that send them in to a quick romance.  Then, just as quick as they meet, they are separated by geography.  Lucy moves overseas and Owen moves out west.  But, the two continue their relationship through postcards and phone calls and somehow, make it back together.

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

A Court of Thorns and Roses
by Sarah J. Maas
Book 1
419 pages









Feyre's survival rests upon her ability to hunt and kill. The forest where she lives is a cold, bleak place in the long winter months. So when she spots a deer in the forest being pursued by a wolf, she cannot resist fighting it. But to do so, she must kill the predator and killing something so precious comes at a price ...

Dragged to a magical kingdom for the murder of a faerie, Feyre discovers that her captor, his face obscured by a jewelled mask, is hiding far more than his piercing green eyes would suggest. Feyre's presence at the court is closely guarded, and as she begins to learn why, her feelings for him turn from hostility to passion and the faerie lands become an even more dangerous place. Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse, or she will lose him forever.


Contains mature content. Not suitable for younger readers.

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart-345 pages

I enjoyed reading this novel. I read We Were Liars by Lockhart and heard this one was good. I actually liked this better. The Disreputable history is about a teenage girl who goes to a prep boarding school. Her freshman year, she is a geek. Her sophomore year she is no longer a geek and a senior boy named Matthew Livingston, who happens to be co-leader of the Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds (which is a secret all-boys society), becomes her boyfriend. She infiltrates the Basset Hounds and causes them to do her bidding (various pranks and such). She ends up ruining her relationship with Matthew and the rest of the Basset Hounds and is on probation for the spring semester because she is turned in by Matthew, but is okay with it.

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell -- 328 pages 

Park had his own seat on the bus. He liked it that way. He kept his headphones in and kept away from conversation as much as possible. Then a new girl needed a seat. Crazy red hair, outlandish clothes, a not-so-small body....she was the last person Park wanted sitting next to him. So why did he offer his seat?

Eleanor sat there because there was no where else for her to sit, and the people in the back looked like they were about to maul her.

He kept his headphones in and comic books in his lap, she kept her gaze diverted.

Until she started reading his comic books. He started turning the pages slower. They finally said hello to each other.

This is a pretty sweet love story. I really felt for Eleanor because of her home life, and I fell in love with Park's home life.

There are no sex scenes but a few almost-sex scenes. I'd be careful about giving it to children.

Skip Beat! by Yoshiki Nakamura

Skip Beat! by Yoshiki Nakamura  -- 4512 pages
v. 1  184 pages           v. 7  200 pages    v. 12  200 pages
v. 2  208 pages              v. 8  200 pages    v.  13  208 pages
v. 3   208 pages          v. 9  200pages    v. 14 200 pages
v. 4  208 pages              v. 10 200pages    v. 15 - 22 - 1888 pages
v. 5    208 pages          v 11  200 pages

Instead of wallowing in despair when her famous boyfriend (Shotaro) dumps her after using her to make it big, Kyoko goes to work for the rival showbiz company to become even more famous than Sho. Unfortunately, Kyoko doesn't know the first thing about acting and bumbles her way through by sheer luck. The chemistry and romance builds with each new volume. The illustrations are great and tell the story as well as the words. This is a very light, easy read sure to please many.

Shifting by Bethany Wiggins

Shifting by Bethany Wiggins, 353 pages

18 year old Magdalene Mae has found herself tossed, once again, out of the current foster home she was in and placed in the care of her Social Worker's mother. Her long lists of arrests for nudity follow in her wake, but how does Magdalene explain it's because of her shifting during a full moon. Lately, though, her gift has been unpredictable and she is finding herself starting to change in the most inopportune moments. (Like during track practice.)
However, she finds her newest foster home in the tiny town of Silver City, New Mexico quite welcoming and a fresh new start -- if not for the school where she is bullied endlessly. She has landed her first job and now that she's on the cusp of adulthood, she is hoping that everything goes her way. Unfortunately, things start heading for the worse just as they started getting better. To complicate everything is the unwavering attention from high school popular rich kid - Bridger O'Connell. Bridger has a few secrets hiding as well and some could very well spell the end of Magdalene's life.

Library Wars by Kirro Yumi

Library Wars by Kirro Yumi, 2176 total pages
book 1 - 200pgs, bk 2 - 192, bk 3 - 200pgs, bk 4 - 200pgs, bk 5 - 200pgs, bk 6 - 200pgs, bk 7 - 200pgs, bk 8 -200 pgs, bk 9 - 192 pgs, bk 10 - 200 pgs, bk 11 - 192pgs

The federal government has taken censorship to an all new level. Any book, magazine or publication that has anything the government has deemed "unacceptable" is promptly banned and, if attained, destroyed. Society became complacent and allowed the extreme censorship to take place. Now, to protect the collections of libraries, the Library Force has been created. When Iku Kasahara is rescued by a Library Force member during a government raid at the bookstore, she is quick to fall for her mystery hero and wants to be just like him. When she is old enough, she enrolls in the Library Force and learns the ins and outs of protecting the freedoms of libraries and museums. Each volume takes you through her training, her attraction to her instructor and each team member she interacts with as she brings justice to the libraries. The books quickly got addicting. They are fast paced, well scripted and perfectly illustrated. The story is on-going so you can't just pick up anywhere in the series and know what's going on. Each book builds on the next. Content is appropriate for older teens as there is violence and social issues mentioned that might be a bit much for younger readers. The treatment of women in the stories is definitely questionable. They are often placed in stereotypical roles and usually lower than men. 

Perfect Lies by Kiersten White

Perfect Lies by Kiersten White, 232 pages
Book 2 in "Mind Games" series

The Keane Foundation had used and abused Fia and Annie's abilities for their own evil purposes for years. Fia has perfect instincts and Annie can see the future. To save her sister, Fia faked Annie's murder and returned to James Keane's arms to help bring down his father's wicked foundation from the inside. Meanwhile Annie is with a new organization also intent on freeing the trapped girls and destroying the Keane Foundation. Strangely enough, the sisters are finding their powers aren't as strong or reliable when they are apart. They will do whatever it takes to reunite and put the past firmly behind them. This book, like the first in the series, jumps around in time and from different perspectives. You feel almost as if you have a split personality. The chaos of the chapters adds to the intrigue of the story.

Faerie Winter by Jannie Lee Simner

Faerie Winter by Jannie Lee Simner, 270 pages
Book 2 of the series

Liza is a summoner. In the first part of the series, she discovers this about herself and embarks on a journey to find her mother. This series picks up where the last left off. Liza's mom is recovering from her time in Faerie. The earth is going back to normal with trees, plants, etc. no longer seeking human blood and bone like they used to, but winter lingers and a famine is setting in. Fighting a famine is bad enough, but Liza then has to deal with a stranger in the village whose gift is fire. An accident sends Matthew, Liza's skinwalker friend, off to find Kaylen, who is a faerie and a healer. Liza's visions teach her more about the relationship between Kaylen and her mother ... and hints that their love sparked the original fight between man and faerie.

Elemental by Anthony John

Elemental by Anthony John, 326 pages
Book 1 of series

The population of Earth suffered a huge blow in the form of a rat borne plague. Cities have been replaced by colonies and modern technology no longer exits. Thomas has always been an outsider in his colony because he possesses no elemental gift unlike every other resident of the island... or so he's been told. The island is buried in secrets and Thomas knows none of them until one fateful night when truths began to reveal themselves one by one. Thomas, his deaf/lame brother Griffin, and other children born in the colony, will have to use their gifts to outsmart pirates, live through a hurricane and protect their home and family.

Palace of Spies by Sara Zettel

Palace of Spies by Sarah Zettel, 368 pages

When she refuses to marry the second son of an aristocrat (after he accosts her), 16 year old Peggy finds herself tossed out of her uncle's home into the streets. With no place to go as an orphan, Peggy ventures to the home of a mysterious friend of her deceased mother who offered her a most unusual position - a court spy. She is to replace a girl who she resembles remarkably. Not just any girl, Lady Francesca - a lady in waiting to Princess Caroline. The real Lady Francesca took severely ill and died in secret. Thankfully Peggy is a well-bred young lady versed in court etiquette and languages - thus sliding into her new role well. Unfortunately for Peggy, she soon finds that Francesca kept many secrets ... and one of them may have very well gotten her murdered. With the help of an artist's assistant and her cousin, Peggy discovers there is more than meets the eye when you are a palace spy. .

To Be Perfectly Honest: A Novel Based On An Untrue Story by Sonya Sones

To Be Perfectly Honest: A Novel Based On An Untrue Story by Sonya Sones, 480 pages

I love Sonya Sones' books.  Her books are written in prose form.  Sonya captivates your interest with her characters.   Her books read more like nonfiction than fiction. This book is written entirely from the prospective of 15 year old Colette.  Colette is a compulsive liar who meets her match in a motorcycle riding young man named Connor. Colette is stuck spending her summer in a hotel in San Luis Obispo, CA babysitting her younger brother, Will while her famous mother, Marissa Shawn, films a movie. Colette's world is turned upside down when she meets and falls for Connor.  This is a roller coaster of a story.  It was a delightful, quick fun read!

A Breath of Frost by Alyxandra Harvey

A Breath of Frost by Alyxandra Harvey, 482 pages
The Lovegrove Legacy Series book 1

Lady Emma Day's life has been one boring ball after another until one debutante ends up dead with only Emma as witness. When Lord Cormac Fairfax enlightens Emma about her lineage being filled with powerful witches, Emma's life is turned upside down -- especially with the deaths of more debutantes and Emma being the one to find the bodies. With the help of her two cousins, Emma must discover who is behind the murders of girls before a witch hunt ensues with her at the center. In the meantime, she must learn how to master her powers before they master her. It's all in a day's life for a debutante - witch -  heiress.

Vampire High by Douglas Rees

Vampire High by Douglas Rees, 226 pages

Freshman Cody Elliot is trying his best to convince his family to move back to sunny California - including purposefully failing all his classes. Frustrated, his dad enrolls him at an elite charter school - Vlad Dracul. The students there are a little weird and Cody soon discovers the reason is they are vampires. The principal and teachers are even more so strange -- they don't care about Cody's attendance or his school work. All Cody has to do to pass all his classes with straight As, receive a full college scholarship and be guaranteed a lucrative job is play on the water polo team. Cody's teammates are a bit odd, no one really plays water polo and that's just fine with the students and staff of Vlad Dracul. It's difficult to get humans to attend the school as everyone in Massachusetts know it's really a school for vampires. When Cody starts to try to earn his grades and really play the game, things start to happen.

Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas

Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas, 449 pages (plus notes)

Boring would be the best word to describe this book. It has a promising storyline but maybe it's just that it has been done too many times. Prince Titus is told by his seer mother that he will die for an elemental mage that will take down the Bane and Atlantis (ruling tyranny). He is to guard said mage and protect them at all times so they can become what they were destined to be. The mage comes in the form of a young teen girl, Iolanthe, who has been raised by her guardian flitting from place to place as he loses job after job. He cautions her to not use her magic so freely but she doesn't heed his words. She draws lightning from the sky which in turn calls the attention of the prince and the inquisitor of Atlantis. Prince Titus rescues Iolanthe and, as he has already created a fictitious persona, "Fairfax" for her at his school, forces her to dress and behave as a boy and attend school with him. From that point on it is a slow dance as everyone at the school believes they know "Fairfax", who has been gone from school for 3 months to recover from an injury. Toss in games of cricket, reliving fairytales inside a book to develop Iolanthe/Fairfax's magic, and the constant threat of Atlantis discovering who Fairfax really is... and you pretty much have the whole book. Very slow moving and no satisfying end. I did enjoy the notes at the end of the book, however. I guess that's something.

The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa

The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa- 358 pgs.

Meghan Chase thought she left the world of the fey behind her.  After rescuing the Scepter of Seasons, Meghan and Ash were banished to from the Nevernever to live in the mortal world.  But a force is becoming stronger and is tearing the Nevernever apart.  Only Meghan can save the people and creatures from the approaching storm of the Iron Fey.  There is no turning back now and it will change her life forever.

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo, 358
Book 1 of series

Alina and Mal grew up as orphans together in the care of a Duke. Together they joined the army - Mal as a tracker and Alina as a cartographer's apprentice. One day a glimpse of Alina's hidden power is revealed and her life is forever changed. The Darkling has seen her and wants her for his own. Alina's life changes from lowly orphan to one of the elite. Her training begins with her learning to fight and to use her power. Will she be the hoped for salvation of her people/world or will she be their destruction. The book was well written with many twists and turns. If you looked deep enough, you'd easily see what direction the story was taking -- predictable but still well done.