Book Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Title: Throne of Glass

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Publication date: August 7, 2012

404 pages


View the full synopsis on Goodreads!

Celaena Sardothien is a teenaged prisoner slaving away in a salt mine. Before that, she was the greatest assassin in all of Erilea. When the crown prince sends for her, it is to give her a chance to prove that she’s still the best. If she manages to defeat the other contenders for the title, she will be granted her freedom after four years of service to the king—the king who allegedly banished magic from the land, and whose thirst for conquest threatens to tear Erilea apart. And while Celaena trains for the trials to be the King’s Champion, another evil is rising, and Celaena may be the only one who can stop it.

This is another one that I wasn’t sure I was going to love, simply because while I love fantasy, it’s a genre that has a remarkable ability to go off the rails really fast, especially when faeries get involved. That said, I REALLY LIKED THIS BOOK A LOT, YOU GUYS. Celaena is not what you’d expect the heroine of a novel like this to be. She’s tough, yeah, but she loves dresses and baths and emotionally terrorizing people in positions of authority. She’s been through so much while still being so young, but she hasn’t let it destroy her. She’s not a stereotypical Tragedy-Hath-Turned-Me-Into-A-Heartless-Ice-Queen, and I really enjoyed her a lot.

The other characters are stellar, too. I love the Captain of the Guard, Chaol, so much. There is clearly a love triangle kind of set up between Celaena, Chaol, and the crown prince, Dorian. However, it’s done surprisingly well and I can see what she likes a lot about both of them (that said, Chaol all the way. Dorian is fine, I guess, but come on). I think my favorite secondary character was the princess Nehemia. She’s subtle and fierce and theirs is a female friendship done right. I would read a million books of the two of them trolling the king’s guard together.

I would talk about Elena, but I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll just say that any time Elena appears my face is basically a giant, gleeful emoticon.

Definitely grade A, and considering that I’m getting the next book in the series put on hold as I type this, you should definitely give it a try.

-Kayla

Want to grab Throne of Glass for yourself? You can find it in the CMRLS catalog!

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Throwback Thursday: Favorite Childhood Books

It's Throwback Thursday! Every other Thursday (possibly every Thursday if we can), we'll showcase a book from our past that we loved and still do. Got a book from your past you want to talk about? Email us at teen@cmrls.lib.ms.us and tell us about it!

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No matter how many times I'm asked what my favorite childhood book was, the first book that always comes to mind is Peter Pan by JM Barrie. I love this book and the play and the movie(s) and everything that has to do with it (I even watch Jake and the Neverland Pirates when I babysit). I have a Peter Pan tattoo. I own at least six different editions of the book. The story reminds me to not take everything seriously, that it's okay to be silly and have fun. I'm reminded to go into new things and new places with childlike wonder. Sometimes it's okay to not act like a grown up.

The next book that comes to mind is The Harry Potter series by JK Rowling. Duh. I grew up with Harry Potter. I was about 10 when the first book came out. I was 17 when the last one came out. I went through my angsty teenage years when Harry WAS YELLING IN ALL CAPS. I love this series. So much. I also have a HP tattoo.

The last book I want to mention is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, which is a beautiful novel of acceptance and love. It was one of those “required” books in school that I am so happy to have had the opportunity to read. I’ve read this one several times since I was supposedly forced to read it and I love it just as much every time. PLUS, Go Set a Watchmen comes out next month!

--Stefani

Want to check out any of these books? Search for them in the CMRLS catalog and find them in a library near you!

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Audiobook Review: Jackaby by William Ritter

Author: William Ritter

Narrators: Nicola Barber

Audiobook length: 7.5 hours

Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction

Publisher: HighBridge Audio (Audiobook); Algonquin Young Readers (book)

Check out the full synopsis on Goodreads.

The book:

Jackaby is described in its summary as “Doctor Who meets Sherlock”. I think this is a pretty apt description – Jackaby is similar to both the Conan Doyle Sherlock and the Benedict Cumberbatch Sherlock with a little bit of Matt Smith thrown in for good measure. Usually I hate when books are compared to other books, TV shows, or movies, but in this case, it wasn’t off the mark. Thankfully, Ritter’s characters are so unique and solidly-done that I was able to completely separate them while reading (er..listening to) the story. The world that Ritter has created is full of seriously cool fantastical creatures and I absolutely loved learning about everyone and everything in it.

My only complaint is probably going to surprise most of you. There is practically no romance in the book, which is actually quite nice to have, but the lengths Ritter went through to emphasize the lack of romance between Abigail and Jackaby is a little ridiculous. Instead of allowing the two leads who would actually make a really great couple because of how well they balance each other, we end up having two secondary characters written in for Abigail and Jackaby and it really just muddles the story. In fact, the romance between Abigail and her police officer often feels forced. Here’s hoping the romance that actually should be happens in Beastly Bones (the sequel to Jackaby).

The audiobook/narrator:

Nicola Barber is a fantastic narrator. She has an amazing ability to do different voices distinctly and with incredible believability. I was able to become fully immersed in the story because each of the characters’ voices were all so unique and easily identified. I’m so glad she narrated this story because it made for a wonderful listening experience. I would highly recommend checking out some of the other books she’s narrated (I also listened to Wild Born by Brandon Mull narrated by her).

The bottom line: Jackaby is a fun, enjoyable novel. Ritter mixes an amazing fantasy world with historical details that make reading Jackaby like being in the world of Sherlock Holmes if it were on a different planet. Nicola Barber’s narration is absolute perfection, and if you are a fan of audiobooks, I’d highly recommend checking this one out in that format.

Want to check out Jackaby? Find it here (in audiobook and physical format) on the CMRLS catalog!
[This review was originally posted on Stefani's blog, Caught Read Handed]

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Music Monday: Bonnaroo edition

It’s Music Monday! What does that mean? The Central Mississippi Regional Library System has a ridiculous amount of FREE to you resources available for patrons. One of those is Freegal, a free and legal service that allows patrons to download three songs each week for FREE (notice the emphasis on free). Every Monday we’ll be picking three songs that we love that are available on Freegal for you to download.

In honor of all of the people that just got home from the land of Bonnaroo, I decided I would mention three different songs from artists that were featured on this year's lineup at the farm. I myself did not have the chance to attend this year, so I am slightly jealous of the people that did go. I do hope you all had an amazing time, but of course you did because let's get real... It's Bonnaroo, the most magical place on earth.

1. Shake It Out by Florence + the Machine
If you're into catchy empowering pop anthems, this song is for you. This is the main single from Florence Welch's newest album Ceremonials. Personal tip: sing this song at the top of your lungs.

2. Selkies (The Endless Obsession) by Between the Buried and Me
This is for all of the progressive metal lovers out there. Selkies has always been one of BTBAM's most notable songs, and I have always thought it deserves that recognition. It's a long thinking man's song with a well-blended composition of heavy and melodic.

3. IV. Sweatpants by Childish Gambino ft. Problem 
If you ever experience people raining on your parade, this song for you. I didn't get into Childish Gambino until fairly recently, and because the internet is definitely my favorite album so far. Sweatpants is just one of the songs, and Freegal has the entire album!

4. BONUS! Bright Lights by Gary Clark, Jr.
For any fans of bluesy rock, this is a great song for you. This guy reminds me a lot of The Black Keys, so if you like them you'll most like dig this song, too. 

If any of these songs sound like something you might be interested in, head over to Freegal and download them, or you can simply browse for other songs! All you have to do is log in with your library card number and pin (if you don’t know this, check with your local librarian!) and search for the aforementioned artists. Enjoy!

That's all today, kids.

-Anna

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Book Review: The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak by Brian Katcher

                

Title: The Improbably Theory of Ana and Zak

Author: Brian Katcher

Publication date: May 19, 2015

336 pages

View the full synopsis on Goodreads!

Ana Watson is well-behaved, a brilliant archer, a quiz bowl champ, and all-around perfect. She has to be, or her parents will make her regret it.  Zak Duquette? Not so much. A huge geek and spectacular slacker, Zak messes around so much he gets stuck on a quiz bowl trip with Ana and her brother Clayton to keep from failing his class. Zak raves about the sci-fi convention he’s missing, Washingcon, to anyone who will listen.  Clayton decides that the best way to spend the night before quiz bowl semifinals is to ditch Ana and go to Washingcon himself. Now Ana and Zak have to team up to find him before everyone else—including Ana’s mom—finds out.
               

This was a pleasant surprise, and I found myself enjoying it way more than I thought I would. The book moves at a break-neck pace and is a wild ride from start to finish. The best part for me was the convention itself. Katcher captures the nerdy enthusiasm of a con without being condescending, which I super appreciated. I also loved Ana’s reaction to it all, because while she’s confused and taken aback by the sheer strangeness (and angry Vikings), she’s not rude or judgmental, and manages to loosen up and have fun.

Both Ana and Zak are actually way more real and nuanced than their initial descriptions would imply. Zak manages to be goofy and utterly charming at the same time (even when he puts his foot in his mouth, which is often), and while his parental issues are a little less panic attack inducing than Ana’s, they’re still very real and present. Ana’s looming anxiety is palpable the longer the search for Clayton goes, but she adapts in hilarious ways to the brand new atmosphere of the sci-fi convention. Zak and Ana’s romance is adorable. The reader can see it all coming from a mile away, but they’re both so endearing that it’s still satisfying to watch unfold.

Overall, I give it a B. Read it and tell me what you think!

-Kayla

Want to place a hold on The Improbably Theory of Ana and Zak? Check it out on the CMRLS catalog!

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Music Monday - AWOLNATION

It’s Music Monday! What does that mean? The Central Mississippi Regional Library System has a ridiculous amount of FREE to you resources available for patrons. One of those is Freegal, a free and legal service that allows patrons to download three songs each week for FREE (notice the emphasis on free). Every Monday we’ll be picking three songs that we love that are available on Freegal for you to download.

As I’m going to see AWOLNATION tomorrow for the second time, I wanted to feature them for our first Music Monday! They are one of my absolute favorite bands and practically ALL of their music is available through Freegal – so if you like the three songs I’m featuring today, definitely use your downloads next week for more from them. :) My three suggested AWOLNATION downloads this week (aka three of my favorite songs):

1. Burn It Down – an upbeat, attack of a song that will have you pumping your fists and headbanging. This song will shake you up.

2. Windows – My absolute favorite off of AWOLNATION’S new album Run. It’s intense and I CANNOT wait to see it live. I love bouncing around to this song.

3. Run – The perfect introduction to the album of the same name, Run feels like a dream that you don’t really want to wake up from. It builds and builds until finally reaching a wall that you crash into as you start the rest of the album. I love it.

4. BONUS: I suppose you can’t really do a post introducing people to AWOLNATION without mentioning their most well-known single, Sail. I love this song just like the others, so I had to mention it.

5. Yeah, I’m not good at this. Other favorites include: Jump On My Shoulders, ThisKidsNotAlright, Hollow Moon, Kookseverywhere!!!, Jailbreak, and Guilty Filthy Soul.

If any of these songs sound like something you might be interested in, head over to Freegal and download them! All you have to do is log in with your library card number and pin (if you don’t know this, check with your local librarian!) and search for AWOLNATION. Enjoy!

- Stefani

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