Blue Lily, Lily Blue (The Rave Cycle #3)

                Hello happy readers to the first review of 2017.  This will come as no shock I’m still catching up on reviews of books I did read last year.  The first is BlueLily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater the third book in The Raven Cycle.  First I went to start my review of The Raven King and series as a whole when I realized I went straight from book three to the final book and never got to review it.  How this happened is beyond me but still.  I finished the whole series last year and I can’t wait to share my thoughts on the last book and series as a whole but first we have to catch up.  My previous reviews for The Raven Boys and The Dream Thieves.  This will contain spoilers for the first two books in case you’re new to this.  Also I listed to this on audiobook.

Rating:  5 Stars

                Blue has more than she has in most of her life in the form of friends and a place with them where she feels she belongs.  She among her Raven Boys the last place she ever would have expected.  Still even though her mother disappeared on a personal quest, leaving her new assassin boyfriend Mr. Grey with them Blue has much and is scared to lose it.  We have still have Gansey’s fate she saw back in book one and her own curse hanging over her head.  Ronan has this huge ability to dream things into life, and we are still searching for Glendower our Welsh King hoping he will grant a wish. 

                Blue Lily, Lily Blue had so much happen in it yet it still seemed to have a bit of a slower pace and focus more on characters which I enjoyed.  There was so much character work in these and I really enjoyed it because the characters of this story are what really drive it home.  Blue and her Raven Boys.  There is a quote in the book which I have seen many mention as a favorite from the book and for good reason, it just fits.

“But what she didn’t realize about Blue and her boys was that they were all in love with one another.  She was no less obsessed with them than they were with her, or one another, analyzing every conversation and gesture, drawing out every joke into a longer and longer running gag, spending each moment either with one another or thinking about when next they would be with one another.”

                The story is so otherworldly and complex and yet some simple and true that it’s hard to really explain it to anyone.  At least that seems to be how things go with me.  Blue, Gansey, Ronan, and Adam all must go back to school adding a sense of contrast to their summer spending all day and night looking for the sleeping king.  Now they have to focus on mundane tasks like school as well. 

                Blue is still Blue.  She is the character I fell in love with in book one.  She has this quality about her that makes you want to hug her and be her friend.  Even more so now as Mara is missing and she has to deal with many other emotional issues from boys, deaths, evil bad guys, supernatural evils and so much more.  A girl could really use her mom.  Still the rest of the ladies in 300 Fox Way really help balance the story.  Each one is unique and has a personality more than just to help the story along. 

                Gansey is much the same as the guy we got to know.  He has a good heart and soul.  He’s determined to find his sleeping king.  He doesn’t always understand how others take his words but he is never cruel. You grow to love him even more which only breaks your heart.  The romance developing between him and Blue, their moments of togetherness.  They are so sweet and adorable you want nothing more than to have them kiss but you also are terrified of that same thing.  It wrings you heart all up for sure.  Plus with that we also get to see more of Gansey and his panic attacks, more of who he is which is always desired.

                Noah is fading and it breaks your heart to see him sometimes.  Still his presence is always welcome and wanted.

                Ronan is….well he’s Ronan.  I don’t know how else to describe him.  He is who he is and after learning about him in the last book and seeing things from his perspective, seeing him again from others eyes really shows more.  He has so much more to him than being angry and jerk like.  He is there for his friends no matter what and he will take on any punishment or pain to protect those whom he deems friend.  So much depth to him, I mean he has been through so much.

                Adam was a character who in the last book kind of had me wavering on him as he was so quick to anger and his pride was too strong that it hurt him in many cases. But in Blue Lily, Lily Blue he really came back around for me.  He seemed to open up more as a character and grew so much.  He also started to see past some of his issues which I loved him for.  The majority of the scenes he shares with Ronan and the combination of them really works on balancing one another off.

                We also had some other great characters in this we got to see Greenmantle and Piper who were flat out insane.  I wanted to hate them because they were just so down right bad but they were so damn funny about it I kind of wanted to see more of what they would do next.  The back and forth between them was just on point.  Plus Mallory came for a visit with Dog which not only gave a view into the Gansey of the past but gave a more contrast of ideas.  Jessie Dittley and his curse and constant yell speak to Gwenllian whom is crazy and also due to the audiobook why I keep repeating “Blue Lily, Lily Blue” in a sing-song voice.  To all the women at 200 Fox Way.  Cabeswater is a character in and of itself between working through Adam and learning more and more of what it is and what it can do it just draws you in as a real living thing. 

                The story continues to draw you into the world.  You want to keep on the search for the sleeping king but motivations and desires change at every turn.  Why you searched in the start and why you still search.  So many subplots all working together for a much larger picture.  The audiobook was amazing for me in that it allowed me to simply close my eyes, when I wasn’t driving that is, and just envision it.  Let Stiefvater’s words flow over and into me in that magical way like I was there with Blue and the Raven Boys.  So many things happened throughout and the deaths and twists came as a shock and brought a tear to my eye even while I felt conflicted by some.  I was eager to dive right into book four when I finished and that is just what I did.  I highly recommend. 

                Until next time…

The Selection (The Selection #1)

                Hello happy readers!  First let me say sorry for being a bad blogger the last week as I fell off schedule and such.  I had a couple of trips out of town and transitioned from night shift to day shift and it just left me all sorts of confused as to what day it was.  Plus while driving I can audiobook it but I can’t write reviews very well.  Just shows I need to get ahead in my reviews but I find myself wanting to keep reading over taking the time to type.  Anywho I’m somewhat adjusting to my new shift, though I don’t like day shift as it’s much too early for me, and should be on track again now.  That said on my trips I managed to finish a couple of audiobooks, the first of which I’m reviewing today, The Selection (The Selection #1) by Kiera Cass.  Also side note there are currently 13 hours left (ends 5/12/16 @ midnight) in my open giveaway for a SIGNED copy of The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi and you can enter here.

Rating:  4.5 Stars

                The Selection is a story of thirty-five girls who are picked to be part of the Selection.  They will try to win the heart of the Prince, Maxon while living in the palace surrounded by the best of everything.  America didn’t want to be in the Selection, she entered at the request of others never expecting to be picked because she was in love with her secret boyfriend Aspen.  Secret because of the caste system they live in and him being below her.  Having her own ideas about what Maxon would be like she is thrown off guard when she meets him and all of her pre-conceived notions fall away.  While she questions her feelings for everything, Maxon, Aspen, the idea of the crown, and her world she must play the game and survive the politics, other girls, and the rebel attacks.

                This series has been out for a little while and I’ve had them on my shelf since 2014 at pre-YALLfest but had not picked them up yet.  I wanted to read the series this year for many reasons, one that they were waiting for me and I wanted to knock them out and two because the follow up was coming out so it seemed like a good time before I got spoiled.  If I’m honest one of the things that always made me pick up another book/series is that I’ve seen the MC America Singer on pretty much all of the lists for either annoying MC or some other such list and it made me nervous.  I have some issues with her through the books, as you have with almost any MC not doing what you think they should do but I didn’t get annoyed with her any more than any other character from other books.  So I would say go in without prejudices and just enjoy the story.

                That said I really liked it.  I don’t watch any of the dating shows currently but I did watch the first two or three seasons of the Bachelor.  This was described as a dystopian royal version of the Bachelor and I totally see it in some aspects.  There are thirty-five girls there in the hopes of being the chosen one, princess.  Our bachelor is Prince Maxon who has one chance to find a girl he will be spending the rest of his life both in marriage and ruling the country so it’s rather daunting.  I really liked him and his attitude towards the whole thing, he knows it’s unorthodox but he doesn’t have many options otherwise and this is how things are so he is making the best of it.  He also has good intentions which were endearing.  Wanting someone to love and someone to love him rather than his crown.  Oh and I knew early on I was Team Maxon, just saying.  Not finished with the series yet but I usually stick to my ships.

                America was also rather sweet.  She is in love and happy with things, content making the best of what she has.  I liked that.  Then when her heart is broken she is honest about it and wants to help everyone still.  Now as things go on she has some less than honest moments to say the least but I understand her confusion and mixed up emotions.  As I read I could understand how she would be confused about her feelings developing for Maxon.  She’s competing with several girls for his attention and affection, she didn’t plan on it being an issue because she didn’t think she would ever really be in the game so to find you have feelings for him and are in it not for your family but for him it could be hard to reconcile.  She makes plenty of mistakes but overall I enjoyed her character and how she looked after others from her family to her maids and fellow girls.  Side note one of my favorites is Marley! 

                This is romance heavy but there are also larger issues at play from the rebel attacks to everything happening within the palace and country itself.  There is a love triangle aspect to it which I know for some is an instant turn off but for me, the way it was put forth I can understand it.  Now as to the audiobook it was pretty much the perfect length to finish during my trip and the narrator was pleasing to listen to.  I’m still kind of new to audiobooks so maybe I’ll be pickier over time but I enjoyed it.  So much so I’ve already finished book two and 40% into book three so look for reviews from them to follow.  That’s all for today but I’d love to hear your thoughts and feels on this book/series.  Is anyone else only just now reading them too?  Which ship are you?

                Until next time…

The Thousand Dollar Tan Line: Veronica Mars in book form need I say more

                I was planning to post this quick review yesterday and not on the 4^th of July but I wasn’t in that big of a mood for cheerful things after waking up to news that a good friend of my family and my mom’s best friend had passed away then having to go to the dentist on top of that.  My heart goes out to her family but until there is something more I can do than send good wishes I will do what I know brings me joy, reading and sharing books with you. 

                I was debating on doing a review of this book when I first read, or really listened, but decided to go ahead and do it.  This is my first audiobook experience and that is The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line by Rob Thomas.  Basically for those of you who don’t know it’s a book series that is taking up where the much beloved Veronica Mars show ended several years ago but then fans brought it back for a movie just last year after a ten year break.  Yes it was a movie on kickstarter with the core cast and some all coming in and it was just beautiful.  I reviewed it here.  The book series takes place just following the events in the movie.  It could be read without having seen them it gives you what you need but I don’t know if it would be as good without it as that is what connected me to it.

                We basically follow Veronica on her journey in Neptune as Keith is still recovering and she is adjusting to her life change.  Neptune has taken a hard hit over the years and has some serious corruption going on.  Veronica is struggling to keep Mars Investigations afloat by catching the available cases until she is able to score a big one.  Now with it being spring break season and the town being flooded with college students looking for a good time for a week of crazy fun.  When one girl disappears from a party Veronica is called in to investigate.  Only this is no simple missing persons case.  The house the victim was last seen in has some secrets held inside and soon Veronica is in way too deep.  Things hit closer to home as new developments make it personal for Veronica.

                I listened to this on audiobook rather reading it because I found out that Kristen Bell, who was Veronica Mars herself, was the one narrating it.  How could I pass that up?  Finding that out worked perfect with my UtopYA trip and an 8 hr drive both ways.  I love tunes but only so much before I want something different.  So I listed to half there and half back alternating with music.  For fans of the show and movie, the show had it’s voice-overs at times from Veronica and hearing her read the book put me right back in front of the TV.  I could visualize everything and she had Veronica’s voice down, because she lived it so long and KNOWS the character as well as the others.

                 I was captivated and so sad when I had to stop it at times.  I find driving to music is easier areas where my GPS is going to be talking to me, I can lower music and hear over but for the audiobook I didn’t want to miss anything.  Overall I can’t go into detail because it’s a PI story and that would ruin it.  But I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVED it!  It was list watching the show again and it stayed true to the show and everything us Marshmallows love about it.  I do wish there was a bit more Logan in it but I hear there is more of him in the next book, Mr. Kiss and Tell.  I also hear the next book is even better than the first and this is hard to believe.

                However, this is where I am stuck in a bit of a conundrum.  I loved the first one so much and a huge part of that was listing to it and actually hearing Veronica.  The second book is out which I was thrilled about but it is not narrated by Kristen Bell but another female.  I’m sure she is a great narrator and I’ve heard she does other audio books and I have nothing against her but…I want Veronica.  I was spoiled with her and I can’t imagine anyone else doing it.  With this I’m unsure I’ll be able to listen to the audiobook and not spend the whole time wishing it was Kristen Bell doing it.  So my other option is to do as you do with any book and read.  I think I was spoiled with the first audiobook though as I’m so conflicted about it.  I guess I’ll just have to figure it out the old fashioned way, marathon the 3 seasons on DVD and the movie to procrastinate and then figure out what to do.  That’s all for now Marshmallows.  Have a safe and happy 4^th of July.

Rating: 5 Marshmallows 

And because it's awesome: