Library Load: August Book Haul!

It's Citali again with an essential part of every bibliophile or fangirl's blog: Book Haul! In the home stretch of summer, I've been spending a possibly inordinate time at the library and reading a ton. There are just too many to review them all, but they're all great books that I'd like to share and recommend! (Maybe I'll review some later, who knows?)

Bought

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

Take Joy: A Writer's Guide to Loving the Craft by Jane Yolen

101 Fairy Tales by the Brothers Grimm

My library has a lobby book sale where both the two first books come from. One day the ENTIRE HARRY POTTER SERIES both in the old hardcover and the new paperback were on sale for $1 or $2 each book! I would have bought everything in a second if I didn't already own all the books!

From the library (read) 

Dearest by Alethea Kontis (Book 3 in Woodcutter Sisters series)

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen (Book 1 in Ascendance trilogy)

Stolen Magic by Gail Carson Levine (Sequel to A Tale of Two Castles)

Bloodhound by Tamora Pierce (Book 2 in Beka Cooper trilogy)
Pirate Curse by Kai Meyer

Reread

Enchanted by Alethea Kontis (Book 1 in Woodcutter Sisters series)

A Tale of Two Castles by Gail Carson Levine 

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer (Book 2 in The Lunar Chronicles series)

The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder (Book 6 in Little House Books series)

To be read

Mastiff by Tamora Pierce (Book 3 in Beka Cooper trilogy)

The Two Towers by J. R. R. Tolkien (Book 2 in The Lord of the Rings series)

All Fall Down by Ally Carter (Book 1 in Embassy Row series)

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak 

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

Circle of Cranes by Annette LeBox

How many of these have you read? How many have you heard of? What should I read next? 

Happy Reading!

~Citali

Stuff is Infinitely Quotable, Don't You Think?

Hello again, spectacular readers! Willow and Citali here. As you know, both of us are avid fangirls, and we love to quote works of fiction. So, to celebrate a universe of infinitely quotable stuff, we've decided to have a quote war.

It works like this: one person states a quote and the person(s) who said it. The next person states her own quote, trying to rival the awesomeness of the first one. This repeats for five rounds. At the end, whoever stated the more awesome quotes wins!

Let's get started!

Round 1

W: "People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually, from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint, it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly time-y wimey stuff." ~The Tenth Doctor
C: "The future is unpredictable." "Sometimes the kafir likes to say massively obvious things in a really profound voice." ~Colin Singleton and Hassan Harbish

Round 2

W: "I don't know where you get your delusions, laser brain." ~Leia Organa
C: "Why aren't thrones just falling into MY lap, I'd like to know." ~Tsunami

Round 3

W: "I am going to read this terrible book with the boring title that does not contain stormtroopers." ~Augustus Waters
C: "You're lucky you're a feeble old man laid up in bed, or I'd kick your bum up between your ears." "You're both so adorable I feel a hair ball coming up." ~Beka Cooper and Pounce the cat

Round 4

W: "If I get one more owl telling me you've-- you've blown up a toilet or--" "Blown up a toilet? We've never blown up a toilet." "Great idea, though, thanks, Mum." ~Molly, Fred, and George Weasley
C: "This papaya tastes boring. I guess I normally like papaya. But this one is sort of boring all the way through. Like eating water. Boring water." ~Coconut

Round 5

W: "I'm going to need a distraction... and an eyeball." ~Clint Barton
C: "Stop hitting him!" "Just one more time, Master Harry, for luck?" ~Harry Potter and Kreacher

Whose quotes do you think are better? Comment and we'll decide in a later post!

Want to know what we've been reading and watching to find these quotes? These are all amazing quotes from amazing books/movies/episodes that you should totally read/watch!

Round 1: Doctor Who (television series) and An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
Round 2: The Empire Strikes Back (movie) and The Brightest Night by Tui Sutherland
Round 3: The Fault in our Stars by John Green and Bloodhound by Tamora Pierce
Round 4: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling and Moon Rising by Tui Sutherland
Round 5: Marvel's The Avengers (movie) and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling

Happy reading/watching!
~Willow and Citali

Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon and Dean Hale and illustrated by Nathan Hale

"While the witch's castle is straight out of a fairy tale, the nearby mining camps and rugged surrounding countryside are a throwback to the Wild West and make sense in the world that the authors and illustrator have crafted." School Library Journal

"This is the tale as you've never seen it before." Booklist

Citali here with another book review: Rapunzel's Revenge. Another Rapunzel retelling! This time, it's in a whole new wild-west world and in a different format: a graphic novel.

Let's just start with the cover art. Cliffs of a canyon, starry night sky, a sidekick on a horse... and an absolutely amazing picture of the heroine, Rapunzel. Immediately you can tell it's Western, and that Rapunzel here is fierce and ready for action. Her braids are her lasso and she's looking off past us at an enemy we can't quite see, but who we know is going to lose this one.

Rapunzel, has grown as a normal girl in the luxurious villa of Mother Gothel, who she believes is her mother. Gothel has growth magic, able to make things grow or wither with ease. When Rapunzel attempts to look at the world outside the villa, she realizes Gothel has imprisoned her true mother in her slave-run mines. When Gothel imprisons 12-year-old Rapunzel in a tree she's grown unnaturally tall with the growth magic, Rapunzel swears to rescue her mother. The unnatural growth magic in the forest and the tower make Rapunzel's hair grow, and out of boredom, Rapunzel braids it and learns to use it as a weapon: a whip and a lasso. Gothel continues to visit the tower and to ask for a deal: if Rapunzel renounces her mother to become Gothel's child, Gothel will forgive her and take her back to the villa. When Rapunzel is 16, Gothel's final offer is refused, and as Gothel leaves, the holes in the tree close: Rapunzel is being trapped. She uses her hair to escape by lassoing a nearby tree and sets off to find her way back to free her mother. She meets Jack, whom she saves in a bar fight and with whom she's made a deal: he leads her through the treacherous land back to the villa, and she and her crimson braids protect him and his property. Rapunzel and Jack are outlaws in Gothel's land for theft, her escape from the tower, and assorted fighting as they run from the witch. Along the way, Rapunzel wields her braids as they escape prisons, steal horses, and tangle with outlaws, "devourers", and wolves, ending up with a party dress and a plan to save the whole land from Gothel's dangerous magic.

While the Wild West and magic and fairy tales might not go together, this book makes them all work, and perfectly! It really is about girl power: Rapunzel's the protector of Jack, not the other way around. Rapunzel gets out of her tower by herself, no prince or even wild boar to help. It's hilarious and adventurous, the quintessential Wild West graphic novel. The good guys are fierce and determined, the bad guys just as much so.

Rapunzel's Revenge is followed by Calamity Jack, featuring Jack, Rapunzel's sidekick. Rapunzel's still a character, and I'm eager to find what other misadventures she gets herself into! The magic of Shannon Hale's worlds continues for Rapunzel here.

Five stars!

Happy reading!
~Citali

Lunartics, FanWings, and... Fowlers?

While we of course adore all the "classic" book nerd fandoms -- Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Narnia, Lord of the Rings -- as well as non-book fandoms -- Sherlock, Doctor Who, Disney, Star Wars -- both Willow and I (Citali) also love a few of the lesser-known book fandoms who deserve their spot on any reading list. Here's an introduction to a few of our personal favorites. (Disclaimer: Any ship names and/or fandom names that we did not know and/or did not exist were completely made up. Feel free to suggest more.)

• Lunartics (The Lunar Chronicles series)

• If you've read our posts, you know that as previously stated (several times), we love this series! 
• Cinder, a cyborg girl living in New Beijing, meets handsome Prince Kai and is swept up in political drama, the discovery of her family and identity, and the plague of letumosis ravaging Earth when he asks her, the best mechanic in the city, to fix an android that holds royal secrets. 
• The series is currently four books, with a fifth coming out: Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, Fairest, and Winter. Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress follow each of the three eponymous heroines through her own adventures and contributions to what will become the dream team to fight the villains in Winter, the series finale coming out November 10, 2015 and starring Winter, the Lunar princess. Fairest was published before Winter but is a prequel, the backstory of Queen Levana. (Disclaimer: If you are younger, maybe under 13-14, and a new Lunartic, be aware that in terms of inappropriateness, Fairest is more inappropriate.) 
• This series also has awesome ship names: Kaider, Wolflet, Cresswell, and Jainter. (not telling you who exactly yet because spoilers! You can tell the first one though.) Each is one of the heroines of the books.
• Why it's awesome and should be better-known:
• Romance and awesome ships without getting (too) gushy
• Perfect worldbuilding of a futuristic Earth and moon (Luna) with new technology, situations, and people -- sci-fi perfection!
• Girl power but not overdone
• Lots of action (they're saving the world!)
• Not quite relevant, but beautiful and fitting cover art
• FanWings (Wings of Fire series)

• It was actually Citali who introduced me to this series, and since then we've both become huge fans.
• 5 young dragonets (Clay, Tsunami, Glory, Starflight, and Sunny) have spent their whole lives stuck in a cave under a mountain, training to fulfill an ominous prophecy and end the great war between the dragon tribes. When they escape from their "prison" and set off to save the world their own way, adventures ensue.
• The series is technically seven books (as of now), but personally I (Citali) consider it two series, five books from the first prophecy and dragonets and two books and counting from the second. This series also has spinnoffs, The first five are The Dragonet Prophecy, The Lost Heir, The Hidden Kingdom, The Dark Secret, and The Brightest Night. The next series has two books out, Moon Rising and Winter Turning, with Escaping Peril set to come out January 6, 2016. The author has also written Prisoners, a spinoff ebook set in the same world and starring one of the dragonets' siblings. 
• The main characters of the series are all really lovable and relatable: the clutzy, good-natured goofball; the bossy, ambitious one; the one who's been put down all her life and secretly needs to prove herself; the by-the-books scholar who's braver than you'd expect; the sweet little optimist; the shy, nervous one; and the haughty but good-hearted one. 
• Why it's awesome and should be better known:
• Dragons. Need we say more? 
• Worldbuilding of Pyrrhia: a whole new world with tons of different dragon elements and powers, plus a beautiful map, guide, and prophecy at the beginning of every book. Huzzah!
• Ship names! Well, the ship names are iffy, but the ships are cute. WinterMoon, StarSpeaker, GloryBringer, etc. In fact, awesome character names, for all the dragons and scavengers.
• Each book is from the point of view of a different character, so it's interesting to see how they view the world.
• Fowlers (Artemis Fowl series

• Willow introduced me (Citali) to this one. I've only recently finished. Eoin Colfer is a master at the art of combining humor, action, language, and diverse characters into some of the best books ever!
• Artemis Fowl the Second is a child genius. He's on a stakeout in Vietnam, tracking down fairies -- but not for magic. What ruthless Artemis wants is gold. And he's going to get it the genius way: hoodwink a fairy, swipe the fairies' sacred Book to glean their secrets, and start a ransom attempt. 
• The series is 8 books plus a few spinoffs (guides, graphic novels, and sequels/prequels/in-between-book episodes): Artemis Fowl, The Arctic Incident, The Eternity Code, The Opal Deception, The Lost Colony, The Time Paradox, The Atlantis Complex, and The Last Guardian. These are the entire series (this is a definite end, with no more books to come except more spinoffs). These should definitely be read in order. While sometimes a lead or a plot line will be dropped after one book, it may be picked up or referenced later, so it's a lot easier in terms of plot, inside jokes, and character development to just read these in order. 
• Awesome characters: ruthless, mature, mysterious child genius; no-nonsense, anger-management-challenged commander; amazing, tough soldier pixie who saves the world several times over; grumpy tech-genius nervous centaur; and of course the best character of all, the flatulent fugitive dwarf. 
• Sadly, the character names are terrible when shipped together. The best attempt (my favorite) is probably "Fort Showl". 
• Why it's awesome and should be better known:
• Humor. Tons of puns as well as some bad singing, impossible escapes, and... well... there's a flatulent fugitive dwarf. Enough said. 
• Characters who are diverse (did you read it above?) and lovable and shippable (debatably)
• A genius character makes the books pleasantly intellectual
• Lots of action (more world-saving)
• A cool mash of tech and magic -- a whole new world anyone will love
• Lots of books so you can read on! The inside jokes and references are hilarious, the villains nefarious as ever, the plots always unexpected.
• One of the best finales ever, with all the characters wrapped up and with perfect destinies for everyone

• Lemoncello Librarians (Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library)
  
• Just one book, not a series. However, one of the best ones a book lover could hope for. 
• Kyle and his classmates all enter a writing contest to win a spot in a lock-in at the newly opening library of Alexandriaville, funded by the millionaire gamemaker Mr. Lemoncello. But their one night turns into a game where they must use the library... to escape the library. Described as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Hunger Games, and Nancy Drew all rolled into one. What's not to love?
• Just one book, sadly.
• Diverse characters, all of which take their turn to narrate: a game-loving leader, a smart sidekick, the popular airhead girl (or is she?), the book nerd, the rich jerk, the jealous geek. 
• Why it's awesome and should be better known: 
• Well, I kind of lied. This is a very well-known book now, with some real enthusiasts, but also quite a few haters...
• Interesting characters. While they are stereotyped, they all have diverse personalities when working together. Everyone has a favorite: who's yours? (Citali: I am definitely on Team Sierra. Though Akimi and Kyle are runners-up. Willow: Yay Team Sierra!)
• The world-building is absolutely perfect. A library where holograms, robots, video games, and stories all come together? A game that challenges kids to adventure in the library? Awesome!
• Book references and library lore galore
• Puzzles and games, even one for you, the reader, to figure out! 
• Rangers (Ranger's Apprentice series)

• I've (Willow) been a Ranger for a while, and I've only just gotten Citali to read the first book. She likes it too, *glares* don't you?
• Will, a young orphan with no real idea of where he came from, is chosen to be apprenticed to one of the mysterious Rangers, with no real idea of what he's in for. As he trains, he must face bullies, enemies of the kingdom, and more. 
• The original series has 12 books: The Ruins of Gorlan, The Burning Bridge, The Icebound Land, The Battle for Skandia, The Sorcerer of the North, The Siege of Macindaw, Erak's Ransom, The Kings of Clonmel, Halt's Peril, The Emperor of Nihon-Ja, The Lost Stories, and The Royal Ranger. It has a spinoff series called The Brotherband Chronicles, set in the same world and featuring many of the same characters. A prequel spinoff, The Tournament at Gorlan, is set to come out soon.
• You could read it in order, but the timeline's a bit mixed up. In chronological order, the series is book 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.
• Ranger's Apprentice has quite a diverse and relatable set of characters, from the orphan who needs to prove himself to the reformed bully to the surprisingly down-to-earth princess. And let's not forget everyone's favorite: Halt, Will's snarky, gray-bearded mentor who goes from teacher to father figure. 
• Ship names? Meh. They're overrated. The relationships in this series are all incredibly sweet, though, so we'll do our best. Some of the ships include Willyss, Horassandra, and Hauline. 
• Why it's awesome and should be better known:
• This series actually is decently popular, but not that well-known.
• The characters are realistic and quirky, and they all have wonderful senses of humor.
• The kingdom of Araluen is a brilliantly executed world; the books, which take place in a medieval setting, feel almost like historical fiction.

• Dragon Riders (Inheritance Cycle)

• What? We like dragons. Fine, I like dragons. (That was Willow. I like dragons too!)
• Young farmboy Eragon finds a mysterious blue stone in the forest, unaware that it is in fact a stolen dragon egg that is being hunted by the oppressive Empire. When his uncle is killed in an attempt to reclaim it, the young boy is forced to go into hiding with old Brom, the storyteller. While on the run he meets the mysterious Murtagh, the beautiful yet deadly Arya, the friendly dwarf Orik, and more. Eventually, he and his dragon Saphira decide to join the Varden, a rebel group, and help them take down the Empire once and for all.
• The Cycle consists of four books: Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr, and Inheritance. 
• Eragon, the main character, is a Luke Skywalker-type figure: an innocent idealist whose world has been shattered, faced with impossible odds that he somehow must defeat.
• Why it's awesome and should be better known:
• The world of Alagaesia is brilliantly detailed. Everything from the scenery to the different cultures has been outlined with Tolkien-esque thoroughness.
• The tone is wonderfully medieval without getting boring.
• The characters are all diverse and interesting, from the mysterious, enigmatic elf princess Arya to the tortured, enslaved Murtagh to the practical, no-nonsense Garrow.
• All four books in the saga contain rich detail and history, wonderfully executed plots, and characters that are full of depth and personality.

That's all for now. Happy reading and fangirling!

~Willow and Citali