Book Review: Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George

Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George

Publisher: BloomsburyUSA Children's Books

Publish Date: May 25, 2010

Hardcover, 257 pages

My Review:
Princess of Glass is a delightful fairy-tale with a twist from Jessica Day George. It's the second book in what I am guessing is a series (there are a bunch of sisters).

I thoroughly enjoyed Princess of Glass.  Poppy was a very interesting character along with Christian and of course Ellen.  I also enjoyed the secondary character of Marianne who Poppy is staying with and who becomes fast friends with Poppy and Christian.  I especially love Poppy's spirit, she's not the typical princess of the times, she likes to try new things and doesn't back down from how she feels.  She doesn't let her title make her who she is, she makes herself who she is.  She is a great character who shows love and compassion even when it is difficult and I really enjoyed reading about her.

One of the things I really liked about the book is I never did see where it was going.  I knew Ellen was going to play a part and it was a "wicked twist on Cinderella", but I wasn't sure what was going to happen until it did.  And when the plot really gets going it never stops.  I loved reading every word of this book and it reads quickly.   It was intriguing, there is some romance, there is a wicked fairy godmother and several interesting characters.  What more can you ask for in a young adult book?

I will be seeking out Princess of the Midnight Ball now because I want to more more about this family, but I think enough was covered in Princess of Glass so that you don't have to read Princess of the Midnight Ball to read Princess of Glass.  I never felt lost in the book, just intrigued to learn more.  So check Princess of Glass out, it is a thoroughly delightful young adult read for the young and the older alike.


My Rating: 4.75/5.0

About the Book:
The engrossing companion novel to Princess of the Midnight Ball, with a wicked twist on Cinderella.

Hoping to escape the troubles in her kingdom, Princess Poppy reluctantly agrees to take part in a royal exchange program, whereby young princes and princesses travel to each other’s countries in the name of better political alliances—and potential marriages. It’s got the makings of a fairy tale—until a hapless servant named Eleanor is tricked by a vengeful fairy godmother into competing with Poppy for the eligible prince. Ballgowns, cinders, and enchanted glass slippers fly in this romantic and action-packed happily-ever-after quest from an author with a flair for embroidering tales in her own delightful way.

About the Author:
Jessica Day George is the author of Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow, Dragon Slippers, and its sequel, Dragon Flight. Originally from Idaho, she studied at Brigham Young University and lived in Delaware and New Jersey before settling down in Salt Lake City, Utah. She had been a movie store clerk, librarian, bookseller, and school office lady before she got her big break. Jessica lives with her husband, their young son, and a five-pound Maltese named Pippin in a house that needs to be vacuumed much too often.

Her website


FTC Information: I received this book through Traveling ARC Tours for review.  I have Amazon links on my review pages but I do not make any money from these because of NC laws.  I put them solely for people to check out the books on a retail site.

Once Upon a Read-A-Thon Start

So today starts the Once Upon a Read-a-Thon hosted by Pure Imagination, Reading Angel and Candace's Book Blog.  It's today through Wednesday.  Now I can't quite get as much reading done during a weekday readathon, but I am going to try to do as much as I can and have fun.  I'll also be following the #readathon hashtag on twitter.  I'll post daily updates and a final update on Thursday.

I already have 45 minutes in this morning reading while on the Treadmill.  It's easiest to read hard backs on the treadmill so I started The Van Alen Legacy by Melissa de la Cruz and it's great so far.  I'm about 75 pages in.

Some other books I plan on reading are:

Running from the Devil by Jamie Freveletti
Running Dark by Jamie Freveletti
The Island by Elin Hilderbrand
Inner Circle by Kate Brian

     

And really whatever else catches my fancy.  I expect to read 2-3 books during this time.  I'm looking forward to seeing how everyone else does as well!

It's Monday What Are You Reading - July 12

Come post weekly and see what others are reading too just so you can add to your tbr - I always do! For more information see Sheila at One Persons Journey Through a World of Books and join in!

Books Completed Last Week 

• Worst Case by James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge (library)
• Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George (review - ARC Tour) 
• Plan B by Steven Verrier (review) 
• The Everafter by Amy Huntley (library) 
• Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel (review) 
• The Tension of Opposites by Kristina McBride (mine)

Reading Now:

• The Dead Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan (audible at work)
• Cross Bones by Kathy Reichs (audiobook in car)
• The Island by Elin Hildenbrand (review) 
• The Van Alen Legacy by Melissa de la Cruz (library)

Next:

• Next Time I'm Gonna Dance by Linda Rettstatt
• The Passage by Justin Cronin
• Amanda Memories by Joel Gecht

Reviews completed this week (books read before this week):

• Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
• The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
• Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah
  

Summary -
Great reading week again this week, I read some really good books, no duds at all this week.  Working out is still yielding a lot of reading time and that is great - getting exercise and reading together work great for me.

Favorite book of the week:  Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel (review coming towards the end of the month) and The Tension of Opposites was wonderful as well.

Check my sidebar, I'm giving away a copy of The Tension of Opposites by Kristina McBride, this one has been receiving great buzz and I'm enjoying it so far.

Book Review: Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah

Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah

Publisher:St. Martin's Press

Publish Date: February 2, 2010

Hardcover, 394 pages
Audiobook, Brilliance Audio

My Review:
I did not know what to expect when I started listening to this book.  I always enjoy Kristin Hannah's books but sometimes they are a little slow and I wasn't sure I was in the mood for it, but then I decided I had to listen to it.  I am so glad I did.

The plot is amazing.  In the beginning I did not understand Meredith and Nina's mother at all, I saw her as cold and unfeeling and wondered what her problem could be.  Then there was Meredith and Nina themselves.  Meredith who stayed behind and helped with her father's orchard and gave up her dreams, she married young, had children who are now in college and now feels more distant from her husband than she ever thought possible.  Nina is following her dreams wherever they take her, searching for the perfect photograph and running from love.  When their father's health problem brings them together after being a part things begin to change.

I love all the self-discovery in this book and I love the way it is written with the telling of the fairy-tale as the center piece.  I learned a lot about WWII Russia, things I never knew about this area and the hardships the people went through.  The story is ultimately a story of never giving up, going for your dreams and being true to yourself.  All three women grow so much during this story and it is beautiful to watch it unfold before you.  The characterization is beautifully done, the plot moves along at a great pace and there are numerous surprises I never saw coming.  You will probably need some tissues for this one, but you won't mind.  If you enjoy Kristin Hannah's novels then I highly recommend this one.

As an audio book - this one is amazing.  The reader does a terrific job with all of the voices and her Russian accent makes the book even better - it really came to life as I listened.  So I highly recommend it in either form you like - written or audio.

My Rating:  4.5/5.0

About the Book:
Meredith and Nina Whitson are as different as sisters can be. One stayed at home to raise her children and manage the family business; the other followed a dream and traveled the world to become a famous photojournalist. But when their beloved father falls ill, these two estranged sisters will find themselves together again, standing alongside their disapproving mother, Anya, who even now offers no comfort to her daughters. On his deathbed, their father extracts a promise: Anya will tell her daughters a story; it is one she began years ago and never finished. This time she will tell it all the way to the end.

The tale their mother tells them is unlike anything they’ve heard before—a captivating, mysterious love story that spans more than sixty years and moves from frozen, war-torn Leningrad to modern-day Alaska. Nina’s obsession to uncover the truth will send them all on an unexpected journey into their mother’s past, where they will discover a secret so shocking, it shakes the foundation of their family and changes who they believe they are.

Mesmerizing from beginning to end, Winter Garden is that rarest of novels — at once an epic love story and an intimate portrait of women poised at the crossroads of their lives. Evocative, lyrically written, and ultimately uplifting, it will haunt the listener long after the last word is spoken.

About the Author:
Kristin Hannah is the New York Times bestselling author of sixteen novels, including Firefly Lane and the blockbuster On Mystic Lake. She is a former lawyer turned writer and is the mother of one son. She lives in the Pacific Northwest and Hawaii with her husband.

Kristin Hannah's webpage
Her Blog



Other Reviews of Winter Garden:
Beck's Book Picks

If you have a book review up of this book let me know and I will link to it.

FTC Information: I checked out this audiobook from my local library for my listening enjoyment.  I have Amazon links on my review pages but I do not make any money from these because of NC laws.  I put them solely for people to check out the books on a retail site.

 

Book Blogger Hop: July 9-12

To check out other answers and join the hop go and check out Crazy-For_Books.com for the Mr. Linky for the Blog Hop. 

This week's question:  Tell us about some of your favorite authors and why they are your favorites!

My go to author is Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb - I always enjoy her books.  I also enjoy Nicholas Sparks since he is a local author and writes about the area I live in.  Other favorites are J.P. O'Donnell - I love his Gallagher series, Simone Elkeles is my new favorite YA author, I always read James Patterson and enjoy Susan Mallery's romance books.  I think I could go on and on, but that is a pretty good representation of some of my favorites.

I can't wait to hop around this weekend and see everyone else's answers.

Winners

It's time for more winners - I have three giveaways to announce this week and more starting up.  Thanks so much to all of you for commenting and to Danielle Jackson at Sourcebooks for providing the copies of I Love This Bar by Carolyn Brown and Strange Neighbors by Ashlyn Chase.

The Two Winners are:

misskallie2000

Andrea

The Two Winners are:

Cheryl F

Chey

The Winner is:

allisonrocks

I have emailed the winners and as soon as I get the addresses for Strange Neighbors and I Love This Bar I will forward them to the publisher.  If you have not received an email from me - please email your address to crystalfulcher(at)ec(dot)rr(dot)com. 

I will be mailing out Infinite Days early next week - I'm over halfway through this and plan on finishing it over the weekend.  It's wonderful and I hope Allison enjoys it.

Thanks again to everyone who entered.  I currently am giving away The Tension of Opposites so check the side bar and enter.  I also plan on adding another couple of giveaways in the next few days.

Giveaway: The Tension of Opposites by Kristina McBride

This week isn't an ARC giveaway but it is a recently released YA book that has generated a lot of buzz.  I luckily won a copy and want to read it now so the only way I can do that is to plan to give it away.

This week's giveaway is The Tension of Opposites by Kristina McBride.  It released at the end of May from EgmontUSA and I have a nice hardcover copy, gently read but still in wonderful condition. Haven't heard of the book yet?  Here is some more information:

When Tessa's best friend Noelle disappears right before the start of eighth grade, Tessa's life changes completely--she shies away from her other friends and stops eating in the cafeteria. Now, two years later, Noelle has escaped her captivity and is coming home, in one piece but not exactly intact, and definitely different. Tessa's life is about to change again as she tries to revive the best-friendship the two girls had shared before Noelle--now Elle--was kidnapped; puts up a futile resistance to the charming new guy at school; pursues her passion for photography while trying to build the bravado to show her photos to the public; and tries to balance her desire to protect and shelter Elle with the necessity to live her own life and put herself first.

Rules for the giveaway:  Simple, just comment and leave an email address where to contact you.  Nothing more.  No additional entries, just keeping this one completely simple.  Open to the US/Canada only.  Ends 7/16/2010.