Hazzardous Universe by Julie Wright
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I remember trying to find this book a year ago but didn’t have much luck with it (I was going off what I remembered the title was).

In any case, when I had a chance to buy it (and the sequel) from Julie at a convention, I made sure to do so.

It has been worth the wait.

The characters and situations were fun and interesting to read about.

It is a YA book, but I think adults would like it too.

Of course, I’m a little biased because I love magic and wish I would have written this story 🙂

Setting: The story starts in an American small town, but quickly moves into various places throughout the universe when Hap and Tara get abducted by aliens. They get to go to some interesting (and dangerous) places and meet interesting (and dangerous) people.

Characters: Hap is a fun, albeit slightly immature, boy. But he is basically a good kid and so is a great protagonist. Tara is a good foil for him and in keeping him from too much trouble. The rest of the main characters have some interesting relationships, but I grew to love each of them in turn because of their care for Hap and Tara. And an alien mob boss – who wouldn’t love that?

Conflict: There is the general conflict of wanting to get home, but then the overall conflict of needing to save earth and the universe drives the story forward.

Plot: Hap and Tara are trying to get home while still trying to save the universe from the Dark Ones by finding a hidden book (of power) before the Dark Ones do.

Text: Fun and easy reading. The graphics also help to bring the characters to life.

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“But for a small moment” by Neal A. Maxwell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book took me a long time to get through – but not because it was boring.

It was just very dense and I liked to think a lot about the things that Maxwell was writing.

I had never thought to look at the revelations in the context of what was happening to Joseph Smith at the time he received them. It turns out to be very interesting and illuminating!

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My Not-So-Fairy-Tale Life by Julie Wright
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh wow! I had bought this for my daughter a couple years ago but never got around to reading it myself. I have been missing out!

This is a must-read for any teenager (especially LDS ones) who feels like they don’t fit in or who find themselves feeling alone and in a dark place. It is equally important of a read for the parents of said youth.

It has been awhile since a book has affected me this much. And it has more to do with things I needed to hear for me than with “understanding” a teenager.

Setting: The first part of the book takes place somewhere on the East Coast (if it was said, I don’t remember). But the majority of the time is spend in Utah. The culture shock alone is a great conflict for the protagonist. Not much time is spent on actually describing the scenery, but I think it works well with Suzanna’s state of mind and her “world” of self. Gradually, as the book progresses, more and more of the setting comes into focus – a nice touch by the author to highlight the changes for the character.

Plot: Suzanna is a troubled 22 year old girl who finds out she is pregnant. With no job, no real friends, and no parent support, she has to decide what to do with her life and the life of her baby. She decides to head to her newly-married brother’s house in Utah where she has to deal with a critical sister-in-law and with having to go to a strange church.

Conflict: Her family situation is full of conflict – from an abusive and selfish parent to a brother who expects more from her than she wants from herself. There is conflict about religion, and about love. There is conflict about abortion and about life choices.

Characters: Suzanna is a great character. She makes some poor choices and acts out, but when seen against the backdrop of her childhood, we give her lots of sympathy. This is the brilliance of a first person narrative. It allows the reader to give her room to develop and grow instead of giving condemnation and judgment. I love the conflict in her interaction with her parents and with her brother and his wife. The relationship between her and the love interest is also quite sweet.

Text: The first-person point of view is perfect for this story and the writing was excellent.

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Glamour in Glass by Mary Robinette Kowal
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I don’t usually review subsequent books in a series (I used to, then I tried to do it in the Wheel of Time series). But there is so much new and interesting in this second book in Mary’s series that I will anyway.

Setting: This novel mostly takes place in France, in the dangerous time right after Napoleon is deposed. The descriptions of the French (and Belgium) countrysides really make the book come alive and reminded me of my time in Europe.

Plot: Jane and Vincent are on their honeymoon, but trouble erupts and Jane has to save Vincent from jail. I loved the interplay between the personal and the main plots. The turmoil felt very real. The way that Jane devises to save Vincent is simply ingenious!

Conflict: There are conflicts between Jane and Vincent, Jane and her expectations of parents, Jane and Vincent’s captors, Jane and her maid, and France and Napoleon. Plus there is a conflict between glamour and war (the ethics of “technology”).

Character: I love Jane’s self-effacing attitude and yet her strong character and opinions contrast so nicely with it.

Text: The writing was lovely and reminded me so much or reading an Austen novel.

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Air Keep by J. Scott Savage
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have been waiting and waiting to read this book and am so glad that I finally have been able to do so now that my life has calmed down a bit.

J. Scott Savage keeps getting better and better as a writer. This book is for kids, but he has managed to incorporate adult themes of accountability, destiny, and love in ways that make this book (or the entire series) something that everyone should read.

Setting: Most of the action happens in Far World, but there is a little bit spent in rural Utah (yay, Utah!) and in a never-never land of past, present, or future. The Air Keep is very different from the other places that Marcus and Kyja have been, and is a “fun” little place with bad puns (yes, I felt right at home).

Plot: They have to find the Air Keep people and enlist their aid before evil destroys the world. To complicate things, Marcus has to fight against what he sees as his and Kyja’s destiny in order to keep her safe.

Characters: Marcus and Kyja are growing up nicely – I’d love to have had these two as my friends when I was a kid. They are funny and smart and adventurous. We even get to see more of Mr. Z and he brings along his incredible racing snail!

Text: The writing is easy to access for even middle-grade readers.

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Allied Zombies for Peace by Craig Nybo
My rating: 0 of 5 stars

This was an interesting and wacky book. Craig is a funny guy and it comes through in this book.

There was some good tension and character development, even for several zombies.

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Schlock Mercenary: The Sharp End of the Stick by Howard Tayler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another brilliant installment of Schlock.

This one features Elf, Kevyn, Schlock, Brad, Nick, and Pronto.

They find themselves in a primitive world with only sticks (sharp ones, though) to defend themselves with.

The rest of the story of how they got there and how Kevyn dies and then subsequently survives several times is told through flashback and with Howard’s usual wit and fast-paced four-panel action.

I’m looking forward to eventually catching up to where I started reading the comic online (yes, I know I can catch up by going to the archives. I like the experience of reading the whole thing and having it nicely packaged. And, having Howard draw a sketch of Elf in the back is also a big plus).

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Secrets of New Forest Academy by Tyler Whitesides
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the second book in the series, and it did not disappoint.

The timeframe for this book is only about a week, but a lot happens in these pages.

I was pulled into this one from the start, and continued reading for several hours until I finished the book.

The action starts soon after the events of the first book (I’m not exactly sure how much time has elapsed). Spencer is threatened by the BEM once again and goes into hiding at the New Forest Academy.

While there, he has to deal with bullies and a spy who is trying to find out what he knows about something his dad mailed him. Only, he never received a package from his dad. But, the spy does not believe him.

It is not all bad there though. He gets to be with Daisy and is the object of a crush by one of the other students. He also gets closer to finding out why his dad left and why he keeps having visions of being other people.

We have some new and fun Glopified items that make the story even more fun and entertaining.

I also liked the complexity of the plot and how Tyler kept twisting things to keep up guessing about what was happening or would happen.

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A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Finally, the end of the series! 14 books is a lot – especially considering how thick they are. But, it has been fun to explore Jordan’s world and to see the story come to completion. I am happy where it ended and how it ended. I probably should have read the entire series again immediately before reading this book so that I remembered more of what was going on and such – I’m sure I would have gotten even more out of it if I had – but even so, the prologue really helped to spark my memory and to set up the book.

I thought Brandon Sanderson did a fantastic job with keeping the story moving and making it feel like Jordan’s world (even though he didn’t try to imitate Jordan’s style – which would have seemed very strange, I’m sure).

For those who stopped reading the series after a couple books, I recommend reading synopses of the ones you missed (if you don’t want to read the books themselves) and then picking up volumes 12, 13, and 14 – you’ll be amazed at the complexity and detail of Jordan’s world, mythos, and plots.

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