Mammoth

I adored this book from start to finish. I really identified with Natalie. She's a teen-aged fashionista and paleo geek. She's also plus size and SUPER aware of it. She makes and assembles her wardrobe like it's her armor. She has to feign her confidence even if she doesn't feel it, because she refuses to go back to being the "frumpy fat girl."Natalie is about to have the summer of her dreams. She won a scholarship to be part of a prestigious paleontology internship in Texas and she can't stop geeking out. Paleontology and fashion are her life, it's all she's posting about on her "fossilita" blog. When she arrives in Texas, she is a little self conscious but beyond excited. There are even some cute guys in her internship. She quickly learns though, that in a field so dominated by men, she will have to do whatever it takes to stand out. In the process, she'll finally stand up for herself. Charming and well written. I loved this book and I loved Natalie, whose sass and earnestness will win over readers!

Hocus Pocus and the All New Sequel

I had higher hopes for this, but it wasn't the worst. I know that's not much of a selling point, but it's hard to follow up the movie. The movie is just so perfect that any follow up will fall under intense scrutiny. The first half of this book was completely redundant, it's rehashing of the movie, frame by frame. Skip ahead to part two where the story actually begins. Poppy is Max and Allison's daughter. Her whole life she's heard about the horror of the Sanderson sisters and the evils of Halloween but she's never really believed her family. Would you? It's just too insane. So on Halloween she and her two good friends (one of which she has a HUGE crush on)  decide to get into some mischief and break into the Sanderson house. It's not like magic is real, it's just a bunch of hocus pocus! What could go wrong on the blood moon, twenty five years after her parent's killed the witches? The answer is a lot.

Paid For

A hard read about a hard, unimaginable lifestyle of prostitution. Rachel Moran holds nothing back when she delves into her past as a prostituted woman in Dublin. Paid For is far more than a memoir though, it's an in depth, scholarly look at the history of prostitution, implications of working the sex trade and so much more. It's narrative non-fiction at its best and Rachel Moran has the authority and no-nonsense attitude to tackle it head on. She easily breaks down myths and rumors that surround the sex industry and pulls from research to help back up her personal experiences. I've read other prostitution memoirs and books written by sex works, but this one really got to me. It may not be an easy read, but I'd very much recommend it!

Uprooted

Naomi Novik is quickly approaching favorite author status. She writes fantasy as it's MEANT to be written. It flows right off the page and into the reader's imagination that you can't help believe or wish it all to be true. Uprooted tells the story of a young village girl who is sent to live in a sorcerer's tower for a decade. Agnieszka, never thought much beyond her village and her dangerous, yet well loved forest, so when she is chosen as tribute, it comes as a complete shock. What can he see in her?!? Well magic, that's what he sees, unbeknownst to her, there is a vein of magic running through her and with a little nourishment and training she may surpass the sorcerer himself. It's very auspicious timing really, because the wood is angry. It's been lobbying attacks for years, but now the wood is on a mission and the sorcerer can barely keep it at bay. Can Agniescka help keep the wooded monsters in check? Beautifully written, it's like a song. I adored this book and can't wait for more from this author!!!

Collision

I thought this collection of macabre short stories would be very fitting for Halloween so I was very pumped to try this author out. I'll admit I wasn't a fan of every story in the collection and I thought some were much stronger than others. I was however a huge fan of the afterword following each short story, which outlined the author's inspiration for each tale. It made me appreciate the stories a little more, even if I didn't love them all. From amputees to aliens to ghostly dogs and vile, monstrous acts; this collection really is all over the place. The writing is unique, lush, and dark; very fitting for all the stories. These aren't tales with happy endings where everything gets wrapped up neatly with a bow at the end. The final and longest story, was definitely my favorite. It felt the most complete and visceral for me; and I could absolutely see it being a movie or season of American Horror Story. It was very chilling and very well written. J.S. Breukelaar is definitely an author to watch out for!

Sadie

While this one wasn't the strongest of the three books in the Amish Fairy Tale trilogy, it was still an enjoyable read. Sadie is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty with an Amish twist. Sadie tries hard to be the perfect daughter and a trustworthy friend. It can be very trying though with her stepmother, whose vanity, desperate attempts to get pregnant, and moodiness are constantly trying Sadie's patience. Everything appears to be looking up though when a charming young man stumbles across Sadie singing in the woods, he starts to drive her home after youth gatherings and Sadie thinks their might be more than a friendship developing. All her hopes are dashed though when her stepmother keeps making her cook and clean for a widow with nine children. Is there something more dastardly afoot? Is she trying to marry Sadie off so she can selfishly have her father all to her self? The ending was a bit much, even for me. But I still enjoyed it. I hope there are more Amish fairy tale retellings coming!!

Clan of the Cave Bear

I enjoyed this book much more than I anticipated. I thought cave men would be a boring read, but hell, I was sucked right in. Jean M. Auel did an insanely impressive job immersing the reader into a highly complex and intricate world in which survival is not guaranteed. Ayla may not have been born into the clan tribe (she clearly looks different, she's lean, tall, and has blond hair), but she begrudgingly gets their acceptance after she is taken in as a child by the clan's medicine women. Ayla learns to communicate with them using movement, not sounds, and learns the clan hierarchy and tools for survival. It's a coming of age story set in the ice age and it is way more engrossing then I ever thought. I'm honestly tempted to continue on with the series! The ending was a bit of a shock!