Top Seven Books of 2016 So Far

So far 2016 has been an amazing year of reading for me!  Not only has the first half of the year flown by, but I read so many good books in the last 6 months that I'm afraid the second half of my year may just go downhill.  Odds are not in my favor.  So here are the best books I've read so far this year!

In no particular order:

Have you read any of these?  What are your favorites so far?

Book Review: Glass Sword

Glass Sword

Victoria Aveyard

Harper Teen, 2016

Genre: fantasy, YA

Source: purchased

Rating: 5 out of 5

~What It's About~

In Glass Sword Mare embraces who she is, trying to save as many Reds that are like her, born with a power that aren't supposed to have. Mare has found the Red Guard and escaped, along with Cal, but are they safe with them?  Maven is always a threat, but there is something about this group that Mare isn't ready to accept.  Are they really what they say they are and how will Mare convince them that Cal is on their side?  With a small band of allies, Mare sets out to gather as many Reds who have been born with similar powers as she can, hoping she can reach them before Maven.  At each turn, she's presented with the question of who she can trust and how will she keep everyone she cares about safe from the evils of Maven.  

~The Good~

I could not stop.  I needed to know and I needed to know immediately what was happening to Mare.  I was angry at her one minute and the next my heart broke for her...mostly it broke for her.  

       "If I am a sword, I am a sword made of glass, and I feel myself beginning to shatter."

I was along with Mare for the ride and every time so he made a heart wrenching decision, I was with her.  I didn't always agree, but I was with her.  And I could feel her shattering.

Her relationship with Cal is completely debilitating. By the end I had a hard time reading those parts because it was just so tormenting.  I felt like it had built up so much that by the end every time they were together it was painful for them, but they also wanted to be there with one another.   I cannot say more about this without spoiling things, even though I want to.  My heart hurts.

I was also anxious throughout most of the book as I waited to see what would happen, because I couldn't tell--not completely.  And I was surprised at the ending of this book, even though there are parts you are sure are coming, you'll still be shocked.  There were plenty of moments where I stopped and thought, "No way is that going to happen."  And then something very similar to it would.  

~The Not-So-Good~

I'm not finding anything negative to say, except that it's way too long until the next one. :)

~Final Thoughts~

Mare has come into her own in this second installment of Red Queen Series.  She is strong and able and determined--and flawed.  In the midst of a world in which people are born with super powers and use them against one another, Victoria Aveyard has still made Mare seem so real and true.  She isn't perfect, even with her spectacular power, and in Glass Sword we are able to see her transformation into a leader.

Book Review: The Red Queen

The Red Queen

Victoria Aveyard
Harper Teen, 2015
Genre: YA, fantasy, dystopian
Source: Purchased
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

~What It's About~

Mare Barrow lives in a world separated by the color of your blood.  The silver bloods rule, with their powers that can crush a Mare in just a moment.  Suddenly, Mare finds herself pulled in the world of the silvers when it is discovered that she has powers of her own.  Now she must discover how to navigate the Silver world as the king and queen have plans to use her to calm the rebellion around her.  She is to marry the younger prince and, when it is time, convince all the Reds that they should remain under the control of the Silvers and not rebel.  Torn between the life she once led and the powers she now possesses, Mare must figure out who to trust and how best to change the world around her.

~The Good~

  Victoria Aveyard has built a world that is terrifying and believable.  Mare has made her way by being a pickpocket in her small town, waiting for the day she'll be sent to the army, where all Reds go unless they have a job--which there aren't many of.  If they come home, it's never good.  The war their country is fighting has been fought by Red soldiers, used by the Silvers.  The Silvers sit up in glass castles and beautiful homes while the Reds fight to get by each day.  Mare has seen all this and resigned to her fate.  Until one day she is given a job in the castle.

The Silvers are terrifying, with powers like controlling metal, having immense strength, reading and controlling minds, controlling fire, and many more.  They learn to battle one another and they will use their powers on Reds when they step out of line.  Mare shouldn't have these powers, but she does.
Now that she has been discovered, she has to pretend that she is a Silver.  If anyone realizes what she is, then she and her family will be killed.

There is also a very weird love triangle of sorts.  Mare's friend from home, Kilorn, isn't presented as a love interest really at first, but she does feel a connection to him because they have grown up together and know one another so well.  Now that she resides in the palace, she has been engaged to the younger prince, Maven, who helps her learn how to fit into her new world and keep her secret safe.  But there is also Maven's older brother and the future king, Cal, to whom she is drawn, but he is engaged to another Silver with strong powers.  Although love triangle is there, it isn't central to the story.  Mare is central to the story and it's her story--not a love story.

~The Not-So-Good~

I really loved this story and am having a difficult time finding a not-so-good.

~Final Thoughts~

I was thoroughly impressed with the world that Victoria Aveyard has built in The Red Queen.  The powers of the Silvers are incredible and diverse and terrifying.  It is a world that I would not enjoy living in, yet I am intrigued by it.  Definitely a good read and one that I would suggest to any fan of the dystopian novel.

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