Iron King

Details:
Title: Iron King (Iron Fey #1)
Author: Julie Kagawa
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pub Date: February 1, 2010
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: Get this book immediately and begin reading

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny—one she could never have imagined…

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school…or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth—that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face…and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart. -- Goodreads

My Thoughts:
I've been hearing so many good things about this series that I figured I'd better read it. I've only read a few faery novels and have liked them, but wasn't overly impressed with them. But The Iron King was amazing and definitely lived up to all my expectations.  

I think the "I didn't know I was a faery" is a very popular story line right now, but Julie's was so different from the few others I've read. Especially because her story isn't all about the Sealie and Unsealie courts fighting, but about the new Iron Fey. This is far more than the average faery tale.

Meghan, Ash, Puck, and all the rest of the characters are interesting and not overly predictable. Of course, Ash is distant and mysterious since he's Meghan's enemy and love interest, but that's not all he is. There's more going on than just that. I really got into the book because the characters had something a little extra to them, even though they were predictable on the surface.

Julie's writing style is wonderful and I can't wait to read the rest of the books in the series. 

The Book of Tomorrow

Details:

Title: The Book of Tomorrow

Author: Cecelia Ahern

Publisher: HarperCollins

Pub Date: January, 2011

Genre: Realistic Fiction with Fantastical Elements

Rating: Add to the top of your to read pile

The magical new novel from number one bestseller Cecelia Ahern. Tamara Goodwin has always got everything she's ever wanted. Born into a family of wealth, she grew up in a mansion with its own private beach, a wardrobe full of designer clothes and all that a girl could ever wish for. She's always lived in the here and now, never giving a second thought to tomorrow. But then suddenly her dad is gone and life for Tamara and her mother changes forever. Left with a mountain of debt, they have no choice but to sell everything they own and move to the country. Nestled next to Kilsaney Castle, their gatehouse is a world away from Tamara's childhood. With her mother shut away with grief, and her aunt busy tending to her, Tamara is lonely and bored and longs to return to Dublin.When a travelling library passes through Kilsaney Demesne, Tamara is intrigued. Her eyes rest on a mysterious large leather bound tome locked with a gold clasp and padlock. What she discovers within the pages takes her breath away and shakes her world to its core.-- From Goodreads

My Thoughts:

I haven't read many "adult" books recently, but this one sounded really interesting and more YA than Adult fiction to me. This one was certainly a good choice for a slight venture out of YA. 

Cecelia's writing style is wonderful, and even though I couldn't stand Tamara for the first 40-50 pages I kept reading. Tamara is a spoiled brat and I had a hard time relating to her; and being able to relate to the characters is what usually draws me into a book initially. But for some reason I was still attached to her and wanted to read her story. Maybe it was the excellent introduction that gave just enough mystery that you have to keep reading, but not so much that you can already see the whole plot.

Plus she can write some excellent plot twists and I love really good plot twists that change everything up right before the end. The book kept getting more and more interesting as Tamara got closer and closer to figuring out the truth about herself and her family. The numerous plot twists all flowed together and nothing in the book seemed to be there just to keep your interest -- it was all building to the final scenes. 

The book wasn't what I was expecting, but I was totally hooked from the very beginning. 

Bright Young Things

Details:
Title: Bright Young Things
Author: Anna Godbersen
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pub Date: October, 2010
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: Get this book immediately and begin reading

The year is 1929. New York is ruled by the Bright Young Things: flappers and socialites seeking thrills and chasing dreams in the anything-goes era of the Roaring Twenties.

Letty Larkspur and Cordelia Grey escaped their small Midwestern town for New York's glittering metropolis. All Letty wants is to see her name in lights, but she quickly discovers Manhattan is filled with pretty girls who will do anything to be a star…

Cordelia is searching for the father she's never known, a man as infamous for his wild parties as he is for his shadowy schemes. Overnight, she enters a world more thrilling and glamorous than she ever could have imagined—and more dangerous. It's a life anyone would kill for . . . and someone will.

The only person Cordelia can trust is Astrid Donal, a flapper who seems to have it all: money, looks, and the love of Cordelia's brother, Charlie. But Astrid's perfect veneer hides a score of family secrets.

Across the vast lawns of Long Island, in the illicit speakeasies of Manhattan, and on the blindingly lit stages of Broadway, the three girls' fortunes will rise and fall—together and apart.-- From Goodreads

My Thoughts:
When I was a teen I loved historical fiction, but sometime after high school ended I stopped reading it. So when I heard that Anna Godbersen was coming out with a new series set in the 1920s I got really excited and remembered how much I enjoyed historical fiction.

I enjoyed The Luxe (I haven't finished the series yet), but Bright Young Things was amazing. The setting, the characters, the plot -- everything is interesting, well written, and works together perfectly. I especially loved the three main female characters. Letty, Cordelia, and Astrid are all so different making their stories interesting, but they're similar enough that the book isn't disjointed.

Beyond characters and plot, the writing style is what really makes the book feel so 20s. Anna really sucks you in to the 1920s and the way the world was and how the privileged lived, as well as the struggling new comers.

I've already talked about the amazing cover in depth here. And the next book's cover is equally amazing.

I will be eagerly awaiting the next book in the series Beautiful Days.