Books I Read and Other Assorted Oddities

 I picked this one up with a bunch of others after the Secret Projects campaign, and it's been on my TBR forever. I read this as part of my Sanderson rotation spot. John finds himself in the middle of a forest, at night, with no knowledge of how he got there, who he is, or why he's there. He quickly finds himself over his head, fighting well-armed men with all kinds of physical augments that he doesn't have access to for some reason. The twist? John is in an alternate dimension of Medieval England. He's from the future, but somehow has to blend in with these people of the past. Can he stop the people from his own timeline who are trying to exploit it? I will say... This was not my favorite Sanderson. I didn't not like this book, but it wasn't my favorite. I love the witty title, and the main character was fine. The writing was pretty good as well. But unlike a lot of Brandon's other books, this book was too slow for me. First: the amnesia problem. I don'...

 This one was really popular in YA several years ago. I know... I'm always reading older books. But I was fascinated by the dark cover and spooky vibes. I picked this up as an audiobook and started it a couple of months ago. Lately, I've been really good and listening to books on my way home from work and while cleaning. Three sisters, divided as children. Each with a different power. Kat is a poisoner, capable of mixing power potions designed to bring death upon any enemy. Arsinoe is a naturalist, who can make plants bloom and summon an animal familiar. Mirabella is an elemental with the power to control the weather and fire. Two of the sisters are incredibly weak, and one very strong. After Beltane, comes the Year of Ascension, where two sisters must die, and one will become queen. Who will prove strong enough to survive? I had no expectations going into this book. I had no idea what it was about, or anything. I just knew that it was popular. I was hooked pretty much from the...

I went to an author event hosted in my town where Pearson was promoting this book. I bought it and started reading it, and it's take me quite a while to get through it. Bristol Keats has grown up on the run. Running from what? Her parents have never said, and yet they move frequently, live roughly, and drift from one small town to another. Until Bowskeep. And then, after her mother disappears, and her father dies, Bristol and her sisters are alone, poor, and unsure what to do next. Until Bristol is approached by someone who says they can make a deal with her. She meets the Fae king, Tyghan, and is whisked off on an adventure to save her father and find the truth. In all, this book had some issues... It wasn't terrible, the romance was OK, but some of the tropes were difficult to stomach. In all, though, I did finish it, which is more than I can say for some other novels that fit this genre. Let's start with characters. Bristol was likeable enough. She was fiercely independe...

 I thought the synopsis of this book sounded interesting, and I picked it up on Audible years and years ago. I finally got around to listening to it. It's short, and easy to get through. I realized when I started it that it is geared towards upper elementary/middle school readers. The Golden Orchard  by Flora Ahn follows the story of Maya. Maya's grandmother has come to live with her and her mother. Maya's grandmother has dementia, and struggles to remember where she is, and other details. However, she does remember recipes, and begins teaching Maya traditional Korean recipes. These cooking sessions have a twist: Maya realizes her grandmother can take her back in time to witness her memories. What will Maya learn from her grandmother? In general, I liked this book. I liked the characters, and the plot was sufficiently complex to keep my interest, and the characters were interesting. I liked what the author included and explained about Korean culture and food. I felt that th...

 I feel a little like I read this out of order a bit. I picked up The Hobbit  after I started The Lord of the Rings  trilogy because I didn't realize that it too had been recorded by Andy Serkis. I thoroughly enjoyed his reading of the novel. I had never read The Hobbit . I had only seen the Peter Jackson films. While I loved The Lord of the Rings , I found myself loving The Hobbit  films less. From the community reactions to those films when they came out, I knew that Jackson had embellished the story. I finally dug into the novel to find out how much. Bilbo Baggins is a Hobbit: respectable, normal, and non-adventerous. Gandalf is a wizard who decides to change all of that. After meeting Bilbo in the Shire one morning, Gandalf secretly invites 12 dwarves to come to Bilbo's house. Once there, they discuss plans to reclaim their ancestral home: The Lonely Mountain. The Mountain is now home to Smaug, the dragon, and they need a burgler to help them find the dragon's we...

 I finally finished The Lord of the Rings  trilogy! I listened to this one as an audiobook as well, and loved Andy Serkis as the narrator for this novel. The Return of the King  finishes the story of the One Ring. Frodo and Sam continue their perilous journey to Mordor. Gollum leads them into the lair of Shelob, the ancient, giant spider. There, Sam narrowly escapes, while Frodo is pierced by her venom. Thinking him dead, Sam vows to continue Frodo's mission on his own. He takes some of Frodo's belongings, including the Ring. He watches as Frodo is taken further into Mordor by Orcs who proclaim that he isn't dead. Sam rescues Frodo, and they proceed on through Mordor. They reach the volcano, where the ring is destroyed. Meanwhile, their other friends are defending Middle Earth from the onslaught of Mordor. Minas Tirith is attacked, and Gandalf works to protect it. He is joined by Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli with the army from Rohan. Once the Ring is destroyed and Mordor c...

This review contains massive spoilers for the original trilogy as well as The Lost Metal . Read with caution!  I love Mistborn ; it's one of my favorite Sanderson series. I bought this book as a standalone, but I think it appears in some of Brandon's novella collections as well, maybe Arcaneum Unbound (don't quote me on that). Kelsier died at the hands of the Lord Ruler in a vain attempt to assassinate the god. Or did he? Secret History  follows the story of Kelsier after he was stabbed by the Lord Ruler on that fateful day. Too stubborn to die, Kelsier instead lingers, finally convincing the shard of Perserverence that he should instead survive. The Shard binds him to Ruin's power as well, trapping Kelsier in Ruin's prison until the day that Vin released him. Can Kelsier help Vin? Can he become more than a spirit? This book was amazing. I love Kelsier's story so much, and I always thought that Brandon killed him off too early. Turns out he didn't end up dyi...

 I finally finished Mistborn era 2! I loved this series so much (though I think I love era 1 the most still). This story was an incredible addition to Scadrial's story. In this final installment, we pick up in Elendel at a time of great uncertainty. The outer cities are threatening war, their tentative alliance with the Malwish is falling apart over the Bands of Mourning, and Wax is still in the middle of all of it. Now serving on the senate, Wax is desperately trying to help the Elendel nobles maintain peace while hunting the Set. Unsuccessful thus far at locating his sister, the leader of the Set, Wax is still trying to uncover her plans. Can Wax, Marasi, and Wayne uncover the Set's plans before the invasion of Trell crushes Scadrial? This was a fitting conclusion for Mistborn's second era. I loved the character development we saw in each of the characters: Marasi, Wax, Wayne, and Steris. I love the involvement of some era 1 characters (one who I am not going to spoil), a...

 To continue my reading of The Lord of the Rings , I listened to this one on Audible. I listened to the Andy Serkis recording which was AMAZING! He is such a good narrator and voice actor. I enjoyed his narration thoroughly. The Two Towers  picks up the story of the fellowship of the ring (now divided) practically where it left off. Frodo and Sam are desperately headed toward Mordor to dispose of the One Ring, while Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas pursue the Orc army who took Merry and Pippin toward Isengard. Frodo and Sam meet an unlikely guide, Gollum, the wretched creature who once possessed The Ring. Gollum agrees to lead Frodo to Mordor, and having no one else to guide them or trust, Frodo and Sam follow him through the dangerous lands leading to Mordor. Meanwhile, Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas hunt down the orc army in Rohan, eventually finding that the men of Rohan have already decimated the army for them. Merry and Pippin have escaped, and the trio meets a familiar friend: G...

 This book had so much hype on Bookstagram and the cover is beautiful. I picked it up hoping for a good fantasy read. Fourth Wing  by Rebecca Yarros follows Violet Sorrengail, daughter of the tough commanding general as she enters Basageth to become a dragon rider. Frail and easily injured, Violet must fight for her position in the college each and every day: outwitting the other recruits and surviving her squad leader, the son of the dangerous rebels. Can Violet make it to be paired with a dragon? I honestly got into this book looking for a good fantasy story. I was sorely disappointed. For all of its hype on Instagram, I found this book poorly written. Yarros used the f-word at every opportunity, even when it wasn't appropriate or necessary. This felt lazy to me and unimaginative. I didn't love the story either. It was a bit predictable and the main character bothered me. She acted like a teenager but was supposed to be 21. In fact, when characters started sleeping together,...

 I don't even know if I can write a good summary of this one because I read it so long ago and am 100 pages from the end of the next one, so I'm not even going to try. This book was wild is all I can say. The plot is intense once it gets going, and there are so many secrets that are revealed by the end of the novel. Sanderson continues his exploration of Hemalurgy and new powers that are being discovered. I was fascinated with the twists in the book, and the completely unexpected direction this one seemed to take. There are people outside the basin?! The Bands of Mourning make you a Mistborn?! WAX DIES!!!!!???? This book was crazy from start to finish. I rated this one PG-13 ish for violence ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 I read The Fellowship of the Ring  a long long time ago when I was in middle school or junior high. I loved the stories then, and have always loved the movies, but I couldn't remember much of what I'd read from it. So when I found them narrated by Andy Serkis, I HAD to have them and listen to them. Let me tell you... this was a DELIGHTFUL audiobook from start to finish. Frodo Baggins has inherited a ring from his uncle, but unbeknownst to him, it is the ultimate ring of power, forged by the dark lord Sauron. Gandalf urges Frodo to take the ring to Rivendell, where the elves will know what to do with it. Ultimately, it is decided that Frodo must take the ring into the dark land, Mordor, itself. He is to be accompanied by a fellowship of companions: Aragorn, Legolas, Samwise, Pippin, Merry, Boromir, Gimli, and Gandalf. Will Frodo be able to get the ring to Mordor? Without a doubt, Tolkien was more interested in describing Middle Earth than the actual story, which makes some rea...

 Continuing my reading of Wax and Wayne and trying to get to the last one! Shadows of Self  continues the story of Waxillium Ladrian. Picking up only a few months after the conclusion of The Alloy of Law , we find Wax chasing a criminal through Elendel. As the chase goes on, he sees a face he hasn't seen in a long time: the face of the last man he brought in out in the Roughs, the criminal that killed Lessie. This puts him on the trail of a kandra known as Bleeder. The kandra is missing one of her spikes and has gone crazy. She has murdered multiple people, including the brother of the governor. Intent on wreaking havoc on the city, Bleeder is using her unique talents to strain Elendel to the point of breaking. Can Wax, Wayne, and Marasi catch up to her before it's too late? I loved this book a lot. I finished it and immediately picked up the next book. The twists in this book are amazing. I first of all loved that Sanderson brought back the kandra and other pre-Catacendre cre...

 Again, I had this book finished quite some time ago (shortly after finishing The Hero of Ages ) and I just haven't had a lot of time to get to posting my review. I am now about halfway through the next book, and now that the term is over, I'm hoping I will have a little more time to finish that book. The Alloy of Law  by Brandon Sanderson introduces Era 2 in the world of Mistborn . No longer does the world of the Final Empire exist, but it has literally been remade by Harmony, or the character of Sazed and the Hero of Ages that readers might recognize from The Hero of Ages . In this world, Waxillium Ladrian is a lawman in the Roughs. At least he was, until his uncle and sister unexpectedly died, and Wax is forced to assume control of the noble house he is now heir to. He finds the city is no less in need of a lawman than the Roughs, and is soon embroiled in the investigation into The Vanishers. Once his fiancee is kidnapped, and his butler tries to blow him up, Wax is fully i...

 I feel so bad... I've had this book finished for over a month, I just haven't had time to write my review! The world is dying. The thing Vin released at the Well of Ascension, Ruin, is free, and doing what he does best. The Final Empire, now ruled by Emperor Elend Venture, is on the verge of collapse. In an effort to find the last of the Lord Ruler's secret supply caches, Elend and Vin attempt to retake Fadrex City. Spook is in Urteau, facing the tyrannical rule of the Citizen. Sazed has found himself faithless, and Breeze very much in love with Alrianne. In the race against the destruction of the world, will the true Hero of Ages be able to save mankind? I first have to say that I love this book so much. As a conclusion to the original era of the Mistborn  series, it is so fitting. This book is masterfully crafted, and I love the way everything comes crashing down. Sanderson once again shows that he is a master of planning. The smallest details become the most crucial in ...

 This is one of Brandon Sanderson's "secret projects" that he wrote during the lockdowns in 2020. I've been really excited to read it! Tress of the Emerald Sea  is the story of Tress who lives on a planet made up of tiny islands and seas made from falling spores from the 12 moons. Tress lives on the Rock, a small island where they have to force people to stay. Tress loves her island, her cups (which she collects), and the duke's son: Charlie. Once the duke finds out about their relationship, he marches Charlie from the Rock and takes him to find a wife. Charlie swears to Tress that he'll resist, and sends a cup and letter at each stop. Then suddenly, the packages stop. It's announced that the duke is returning with his son and new daughter in law. When the ship arrives, the heartbroken Tress realizes that the duke's son is not Charlie. Indeed, the crew of the ship confirms that Charlie was sent to the evil Sorceress in the Midnight Sea and replaced wit...

As Elantris  is probably my favorite Sanderson book of all time, I was excited to see this novella that takes place in the same world. I listened to this on Audible, and it went really quickly (I think it's about 3 hours total). The Emperor's Soul  follows the story of Shei, a Forger, who has been arrested for Forging a copy of a painting in the Emperor's palace. Unbeknownst to Shei, the Emperor was injured in an assassination attempt, and his mind was broken. Knowing her great skill, the bureaucrats in charge of the Empire offer her a trade: her life, for a forgery of the Emperor's soul. This feat is nearly impossible, and Shei knows this, but she accepts the chance at freedom. Will Shei actually be able to recreate the Emperor? This novella was beautifully written. I loved Shei's personality, and the conflicts she had with the Empire. I found it fascinating to learn more about her, and her attempts to thwart being manipulated. I thought her story was fascinating i...

 I know I posted about this book a couple of years ago, but I just wanted to take a second and highlight it again. I just finished this for another time through (probably my fourth or fifth time reading it). I can't say it enough: I LOVE this book. It gets me every time I finish it (even like four times later). I convinced my mom to read it, at a time when we're watching her parents struggling with illnesses and conditions we know aren't treatable. And it's hard. And we're so far away. And it just sucks. I hadn't even thought about them, when I suggested it, because I just wanted my mom to read it. She came back to me and told me how much she loved it. She finished it in one day, and her reaction was, "It allows you to feel however you feel about death and terminal illness. It shows that whatever you feel is ok and if you are honest with yourself you can be ok too." And as I said in my last review: Losing loved ones is a universal experience of being h...

 I picked this book up on Audible because it was one that I'd heard a lot about. I've had a couple of students read it over the years, and it sounded really interesting. Nora Seed wanted to die. Her life was utterly hopeless: her brother hated her, she had no friends, she lost her job, her cat died, she'd turned down every opportunity that had ever come her way. After attempting suicide, Nora finds herself in a giant library, accompanied by her grade school librarian Mrs. Elm. Mrs. Elm explains to Nora that the books in this library contain every possible life she could ever have possibly lived in, and invites her to undo all of her regrets. Once she found the one that she was most content in, Mrs. Elm explained, she would simply stay there forever. Can Nora overcome her desire to die and find the perfect life? I loved the overall message of this book: that the life you have is a life worth living. This is what Nora finds after all of the lives she chooses to experience. Th...

 This book is a kind of sequel to The Paper Magician series, taking place after the events of The Master Magician . My mom really enjoyed this series (and I did too, overall), and the book, so I bought it on Audible and listened to it. Alvie Brechenmacher travels from the United States to London to study polymaking - the art of using plastic in spells, under the legendary Marion Praff. Unnaturally gifted, Alvie progresses quickly. Praff requires her to volunteer, and she spends those hours in a hospital. There, Alvie meets Ethel Cooper, a young woman who lost part of her arm in a horrible accident. Alvie befriends Ethel and is determined to help her out. She and Praff come up with the idea to create a prosthetic arm using their powers. Can they finish the prototype before the grand Convention? And can they protect their research from someone determined to steal it? Overall, I did love this series. I found it rather cozy, and I loved the way it was written. This book, however, felt ...