Shiver - Maggie Stiefvater

Synopsis for Shiver:

"For years, Grace has been fascinated by the yellow-eyed wolf that saved her from its pack when she was a child. Sam, bitten by a wolf as a boy, is that wolf. Long obsessed with each other at a distance, they finally meet after a wolf hunt (inspired by the apparent death of a local teen) sends a wounded and temporarily human Sam into Grace's arms. Their young love is facilitated by Grace's hands-off parents but threatened by two linked crises: the fact that Sam will soon lose the ability to become human and the instability of a new werewolf."

Jenn: Ok, I'll be honest. I LOVED this book. The feeling I got when reading it reminded me a lot of how I felt after reading the Twilight series - which I love. (Yes, I'm one of those people, and proud of it.) The story is really good, with things that seem inconsequential at first popping back up and becoming fairly important. The love story is wonderfully written, since the book switches the narrative between Sam and Grace, and you really understand how much they love each other. The ending was really good, although it ends just as I'm wanting more. But I'll forgive that this time, because there was closure and a sequel is coming in July - a sequel I am deeply anticipating. I definitely recommend this book.

*The series is called The Wolves of Mercy Falls and will consist of 3 books - Shiver (out now), Linger (coming out in July), and an as yet unnamed third book. It has also just had the rights sold to make Shiver into a movie. (Insert girlish squeal here!)

The Queen's Fool - Phillippa Gregory

Synopsis for The Queen's Fool:

"It is winter, 1553. Pursued by the Inquisition, Hannah Green, a fourteen-year-old Jewish girl, is forced to flee Spain with her father. But Hannah is no ordinary refugee. Her gift of "Sight," the ability to foresee the future, is priceless in the troubled times of the Tudor court. Hannah is adopted by the glamorous Robert Dudley, the charismatic son of King Edward's protector, who brings her to court as a "holy fool" for Queen Mary and, ultimately, Queen Elizabeth. Hired as a fool but working as a spy; promised in wedlock but in love with her master; endangered by the laws against heresy, treason, and witchcraft, Hannah must choose between the safe life of a commoner and the dangerous intrigues of the royal family that are inextricably bound up in her own yearnings and desires."

Jenn: This book, unlike her others, is narrated by a fictional character put into historical events, but it didn't really detract from the story. It was still very well done, like all her other books. You truly felt for Queen Mary, and the irony of her life is unbelievable. You end up with a love/hate relationship for Elizabeth because she's incredibly selfish, but her determination has to be admired at least a little bit. And the story of the make believe herione is just as interesting, and you have to admire her for wanting to stand up for herself in a time period when that just wasn't allowed. You see her grow and mature and the ending, while left a bit unfinished in terms of the historical characters, is satisfying for the fictional ones. A very good read.

The White Queen - Phillippa Gregory

Synopsis for The White Queen:

"Brother turns on brother to win the ultimate prize, the throne of England, in this dazzling account of the wars of the Plantagenets. They are the claimants and kings who ruled England before the Tudors, and now Philippa Gregory brings them to life through the dramatic and intimate stories of the secret players: the indomitable women, starting with Elizabeth Woodville, the White Queen.

The White Queen tells the story of a woman of extraordinary beauty and ambition who, catching the eye of the newly crowned boy king, marries him in secret and ascends to royalty. While Elizabeth rises to the demands of her exalted position and fights for the success of her family, her two sons become central figures in a mystery that has confounded historians for centuries: the missing princes in the Tower of London whose fate is still unknown."

Jenn: This book was interesting, because unlike her other books, there was enough fiction to it that at points I'm not sure what is and isn't fact. It was a good story and it's intriguing to read about the history of the royals of England, but the herione who starts out fairly sweet ends up being a bit power hungry at the end, which was a little sad - although probably true. There was a lot of magic woven through this book, since both the herione and her mother were accused of being witches at one point or another. The only problem I had was that it just kind of ended, which I hate. It's going to be a series, so there will be a sequel, but I hate when there's no real resolution until the next installment. But still, overall it was a good read.

The Constant Princess - Phillippa Gregory

Synopsis for The Constant Princess:

"As youngest daughter to the Spanish monarchs and crusaders King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, Catalina, princess of Wales and of Spain, was promised to the English Prince Arthur when she was three. She leaves Spain at 15 to fulfill her destiny as queen of England, where she finds true love with Arthur (after some initial sourness) as they plot the future of their kingdom together. Arthur dies young, however, leaving Catalina a widow and ineligible for the throne. Before his death, he extracts a promise from his wife to marry his younger brother Henry in order to become queen anyway, have children and rule as they had planned, a situation that can only be if Catalina denies that Arthur was ever her lover."

Jenn: I have to admit I have a fascination with the Tudor court and this book enlightened me on the original Queen to Henry - Katharine of Aragon. Her story is incredibly interesting and intensely heartbreaking. (The things women had to go through!) I have to admit that after reading about her, I can't help but think that Henry was an idiot. She was an amazing woman - especially knowing her later history during the whole Anne Boleyn time period. Like all of Phillippa Gregory's novels, there's a fair amount of speculation - which is why it's historical fiction - but her research comes through so that you can still tell what's fact and what's not. A great read, and one to start with if wanting to dive into that era.

The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins

Synopsis for Hunger Games


In a not-too-distant future, the United States of America has collapsed, weakened by drought, fire, famine, and war, to be replaced by Panem, a country divided into the Capitol and 12 districts. Each year, two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games. Part entertainment, part brutal intimidation of the subjugated districts, the televised games are broadcasted throughout Panem as the 24 participants are forced to eliminate their competitors, literally, with all citizens required to watch. When 16-year-old Katniss' young sister, Prim, is selected as the mining district's female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart, Peeta, the son of the town baker who seems to have all the fighting skills of a lump of bread dough, will be pitted against bigger, stronger representatives who have trained for this their whole lives.

Jenn: I am a HUGE fan of these books. It's so different but it's incredibly well written. As far as a distopian society goes, this one is one of the worst I've read. The things that the Capitol does - and it's reasoning behind them - is incredibly warped. The herione is strong and fairly logical, although she has her moments of weakness like all good heroines do. The Hunger Games, and it's sequel, Catching Fire, were fast paced without being confusing and dark without going too far. The plot twists always took me by surprise, but always fit with the story. It really made me think about society's obsession with reality television, and just exactly how far we would go for "exciting television". The third and final book comes out in August and I can hardly wait to see how it concludes. I will definitely be in line to buy it when it comes out!

*The Hunger Games trilogy consists The Hunger Games, Catching Fire - which are both available now - and Mockingjay - which will be released August 24, 2010.