Of Beast and Beauty by Stacey Jay

Of Beast and Beauty by Stacey Jay

I have been blind for most of my life; ever since the fire took my mother. The last thing I remember is Father picking me up; escaping the fire's inferno. Everyone in my father's kingdom mourned the loss of their queen. Father took it especially hard. For my own protection I was placed in a tower. I was burned beyond recognition or so says one of father's advisors. How would my People accept not knowing their own Princess?
~~~~~
I have invaded her castle.  My village on the outside is in need of resources. We took matters into our own hands; went in by force. I was the only one captured. The others had escaped. The princess knows what I am. She begs for my help; asking if my magic can take away her deformity. The only way I can save my people is to lie.

The only thing I can say about this book is to read it. Then you will know how much I enjoyed it.

It's been a while...

It has been a while since I have been on this blog. I'm sorry for my absence. This past year my library was part of a teen reading challenge. When the challenge came to an end I was burnt out by teen books. That doesn't mean I stopped reading. I turned to my favorite genre, World War II. I learned a lot from these three books.  I hope you enjoy them too.
 *summarization from goodreads.com




All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr.
Marie Laure lives with her father in Paris within walking distance of the Museum of Natural History where he works as the master of the locks (there are thousands of locks in the museum). When she is six, she goes blind, and her father builds her a model of their neighborhood, every house, every manhole, so she can memorize it with her fingers and navigate the real streets with her feet and cane. When the Germans occupy Paris, father and daughter flee to Saint-Malo on the Brittany coast, where Marie-Laure's agoraphobic great uncle lives in a tall, narrow house by the sea wall.


A Fierce Radiance by Lauren Belfer
Claire Shipley is a single mother haunted by the death of her young daughter and by her divorce years ago. She is also an ambitious photojournalist, and in the anxious days after Pearl Harbor, the talented Life magazine reporter finds herself on top of one of the nation's most important stories. In the bustling labs of New York City's renowned Rockefeller Institute, some of the country's brightest doctors and researchers are racing to find a cure that will save the lives of thousands of wounded American soldiers and countless others—a miraculous new drug they call penicillin.


The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II  by Denise Kiernan
The Tennessee town of Oak Ridge was created from scratch in 1942. One of the Manhattan Project’s secret cities, it didn’t appear on any maps until 1949, and yet at the height of World War II it was using more electricity than New York City and was home to more than 75,000 people, many of them young women recruited from small towns across the South. Their jobs were shrouded in mystery, but they were buoyed by a sense of shared purpose, close friendships—and a surplus of handsome scientists and Army men!
 

Expiration Day by William Campbell Powell

 

My parents gave me this book to write down my thoughts. I have to say I find it weird writing to myself. It's not like anyone in the future is going to read this. Even if they do, how could they possibly find the book read worthy? I'm getting off subject. Sorry about that. My name is Tania. The year is 2049. I live with my parents. At school I am something of an oddity. I am one of the few human girls left that go to my school. The others are robots. It is so hard to tell between who is real and who is not. After a while you forget that the person is made from machinery. Some days in school the classes are hardly full. Girls have been taken back to "get looked at". Only we never see them again. 

It has been a decade or more since the last human was born. Scientists say it may be pollution in the air. Others say it is something else. 

Great book! Loved it!

Three by Kristen Simmons

All that's left is endurance...

My name is Ember Miller.  Ever since the War happened all of us has lost some family. Now our little group is all we have; each other. We all are holding on to one little thread of hope. We hope that things might get better. We hope to find food. We hope for a future. Chase  Jennings my childhood friend and two people I met along the way -Sean and Rebecca- are the closest thing to family I have. I can't remember the last time Chase got a good night's rest. Every morning I wake he still has circles under his eyes.

We sleep in a mini mart; eat what food we can. The safe house Chase once thought would give us shelter has burned to the ground. Very little was left. Little groups of us search for signs of life - a torn up T-shirt, an open can of soup... nothing. I always look over my shoulder. You can never be too careful.  I am excited as I write this down. There is food in a house we explored. Maybe there is light at the end of the tunnel! 
**
I would like to thank Kristen for sending a copy to me. All I have to say about this book is wow! You just know when you come across a great book. It grabs your attention until the very last page. For dystopian fans, you will not be disappointed. Such a wonderful story. Five stars!

Impostor by Susanne Winnacker

I am the ultimate weapon.

When I was young, teachers told me I could be whoever I wanted to be. I never guessed that it could actually happen. My name is Tessa and I am a Varient. Who ever I touch I can shape shift into. Sounds freaky doesn't it? I've done it so many times through out my life I'm used to it now.

A serial killer has killed three people in Livingston, Oregon. One of the victims is in a coma. While she is in the hospital, I am to impersonate her. After years of training I'm finally ready to go out into the field. I'm a little nervous but I think I'll do ok. All right I am very nervous. I have my doubts. I only hope I will be able to pull this off.
****
The cover was the first thing that attracted my attention. It was the different color eyes. I read this book in one sitting. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Stella Bain by Anita Shreve

What would you do if you lost all your memories?

I don't know where I am. What am I saying? I don't even remember my name. I only woke up a few minutes ago. I don't know what year it is. From what one of the nuns have told me it is 1916. From my accent she can tell I'm American. I'm in a field hospital with my feet bandaged up. She says writing my thoughts down may help gain some of the memories I've lost. It only makes me more confused. I try and help the Sisters. I cut bandages, helping the soldiers write letters home; anything to keep my mind busy. 

I am able to walk again. The intense pain that was once there is gone. Out of the blue two thoughts come to mind: My name is Stella Bain. Before I was injured I drove an ambulance. When the nuns hear the news they quickly put me to work. The job is dangerous. Because of the blackouts, I'm not able to use my head lights. I bring the injured back as fast as I can.  As I go to make my next run I hear the doctors prepping soldiers for surgery. I eat my lunch not far from the tent. The moment I hear one of the soldier's screams something happens. It is a pain so severe that one of the Sisters pulls me aside to sit down. Am I recovering one of my lost memories? Is it something so repressed that nothing will bring it back? Is there hope for me?
**
This is the first book I've read by Anita Shreve. I will tell you one thing, start reading it and you won't be able to stop. The only I didn't like was getting to the last page.

Book Recommendations

Hey All. Sorry I haven't posted anything in such a long time. I promise to post something soon. Here are the books that I read recently. I loved them. I hope you do too.