Weekend Reads: A Pile of Clean Fantasy (Lauricia)

Greetings all! I hope you are well and keeping warm! Where I live outside of Houston, Texas, the weather is going CRAZY. Last week I literally wore a summer-appropriate dress on Tuesday and a sweater and long-johns yesterday. These weather swings are crazy! Fortunately, no matter what’s going on outside, I can always trust the weather will be relatively stable inside – perfect for reading!

I have desperately been trying to get through the ARC of Emberhawk, Jamie Foley’s upcoming release, so I could have a review ready for you, but my day job is crazy-busy right now. I would rather revel in the book and be able to give you a full review of its awesomeness than skimp because I’m in a hurry, so for today I’m going to leave you with a few other books that I’ve read in the past and haven’t reviewed here yet. If you’re curious about Emberhawk, you should be – it has awesome magic and a crazy cool elemental fox and I’m totally LOVING it. It’s set to release on Valentine’s Day, but you can pre-order it now. Go check it out.

Until its release, though, here are some other books that I highly recommend:

                

The Book of Things to Come and The Blood Sword (Hand of Adonai Series Books 1 and 2)

Aaron D. Gansky

This is a great series about teens who get sucked into a gaming world. However, in these stories, the theme is spun a little differently: two of the teens who wind up in the game world are the game's creators, and they have no idea what's going on. The other teens who get sucked in are semi-innocent bystanders. All of them, though, are there for a reason. The question is, how did they get there and how do they find their way home?

If you enjoy playing role playing games of any kind, you need to check out this series.

 

Mirrors and Pearls: A Retelling of Snow White

by Lea Doue

If you enjoy fairy tale retellings, you need to read this book. Although it’s short for a novel, the plot is fully drawn and fleshed out. Doue’s unique contributions include female dwarves, a hall of mirror prisons, and dragons. This is a version of Snow White that you don’t want to miss.

The City of Ember (Book of Ember #1) by Jeanne DuPrau

Set in a post-apocalyptic society deep under the ground, The City of Ember is a dystopian novel that tells the story of how Lina and her friend, Doon, save their city from a fate of eternal darkness. Originally published in 2004, this story has won several notable awards and has even been made into a movie. Written for about middle school readers, this story is an enjoyable read for all ages.

Whatever the weather in your part of the world, I hope that your weekend promises some time with at least one good book. Let me know what you think of any of the books mentioned here in the comments below, and keep your eye out for the upcoming review of Jamie Foley's Emberhawk.

Cheers and happy reading!