Wednesday Reads (and reads and reads...)

I have to say… I absolutely LOVED binge reading! Here’s what I read this week (and it’s a longer list than last week!):

Aug 12: “The Golden Lily” by Richelle Mead, second book in the Bloodlines series, a young adult paranormal/urban fantasy at 417 pages. Blurb from book: Sydney would love to go to college, but instead she’s been sent into hiding at a posh boarding school in Palm Springs, California—tasked with protecting Moroi princess Jill Dragomir from assassins who want to throw the Moroi court into civil war. Formerly in disgrace, Sydney is now praised for her loyalty and obedience, and held up as the model of an exemplary Alchemist. But the closer she grows to Jill, Eddie, and especially Adrian, the more she finds herself questioning her age-old Alchemist beliefs, her idea of family, and the sense of what it means to truly belong. Her world becomes even more complicated when magical experiments show Sydney may hold the key to prevent becoming Strigoi—the fiercest vampires, the one who don’t die. But it’s her fear of being just that—special, magical, powerful—that scares her more than anything. Equally daunting is her new romance with Brayden, a cute, brainy guy who seems to be her match in every way. Yet, as perfect as he seems, Sydney finds herself being drawn to someone else—someone forbidden to her. When a shocking secret threatens to tear the vampire world apart, Sydney’s loyalties are suddenly tested more than ever before. She wonders how she’s supposed to strike a balance between the principles and dogmas she’s been taught, and what her instincts are now telling her. Should she trust the Alchemist—or her heart? Still enjoying the series. Adrian cracks me up.

Aug 13: “The Indigo Spell” by Richelle Mead, third book in the Bloodlines series, a young adult paranormal/urban fantasy at 401 pages. Blurb from book: In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she struggles to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she finally tracks down the elusive, enigmatic Marcus Finch—a former Alchemist who the organization denies exists, and who lives in shadows, on the run. With Marcus’s help, Sydney realizes that the group she’s been loyal to her whole life has been hiding the truth from her. Is it possible that her golden lily tattoo might have more power over her than she thinks? As she struggles to come to terms with what that might mean, Sydney is compelled to use her growing magical powers to track down an evil magic user who is targeting power young witches. Using magic goes against everything she always thought she believed, but she realizes that her only hope is to embrace her special blood—or else she might be next. Forging her own way is harder than Sydney ever dreamed. Maybe by turning off her brain—and following her heart—she’ll be able to finally figure out where she belongs. Just when you think everything is going their way… What an ending. And THIS is why I didn’t read these when they first came out. I must know what’s going to happen next…and I can! Still don’t like those cliff hangers, though.

Aug 14: “The Fiery Heart” by Richelle Mead, fourth book in the Bloodlines series, a young adult paranormal/urban fantasy at 420 pages Blurb from book: In The Indigo Spell, Sydney was torn between the Alchemist way of life and what her heart and gut were telling her to do. And in one breathtaking moment that Richelle Mead fans will never forget, she made a decision that shocked even her… But the struggle isn’t over for Sydney. As she navigates the aftermath of her life-changing decision, she still finds herself pulled in too many directions at once. Her sister Zoe has arrived, and while Sydney longs to grow closer to her, there’s still so much she must keep secret. Working with Marcus has changed the way she views the Alchemists, and Sydney must tread a careful path as she harnesses her profound magical ability to undermine the way of life she was raised to defend. Consumed by passion and vengeance, Sydney struggles to keep her secret life under wraps as the threat of exposure—and re-education—looms larger than ever. This book has Adrian's point of view--YAY! And another stupid cliff hanger--BOO! But I am loving this series. I'm sooooo hooked. However, I'm sooooo glad I decided to wait until all the books were out and treat this series as one humongous book. I don't have to wait to find out what's going to happen next. I can’t believe there are two more books, though. How much more can happen???

Aug 16: “Silver Shadows” by Richelle Mead, fifth book in the Bloodlines series, a young adult paranormal/urban fantasy at 380 pages. Blurb from book: In the Fiery Heart, Sydney risked everything to follow her guy, walking a dangerous line to keep her feelings hidden from the Alchemists. Now in the aftermath of an event that ripped their world apart, Sydney an Adrian struggle to pick up the pieces and find their way back to each other. But first, they have to survive. For Sydney, trapped and surrounded by adversaries, life becomes a daily struggle to hold on to her identity and the memories of those she loves. Meanwhile, Adrian clings to hope in the face of those who tell him Sydney is a lost cause, but the battle proves daunting as old demons and new temptations begin to seize hold of him…Their worst fears now a chilling reality, Sydney and Adrian face their darkest hour. I’m sure you’re not reading the blurbs, but I put them there anyway. And by the fifth book, I don’t want to spoil anything, either (in case you’re interested in reading this – and why wouldn’t you? This is a great series). However, this book WAS a bit slower than the others (at least in the beginning). I just wanted it to move on already! I wanted to kick Adrian’s ass!! Once he got his sh*t together, it started moving along quickly. All setting up for the big finale. No big cliffhanger in this one (at least not one making me scream Arrrgh!). Can’t wait to see how it all ends!

Aug 17: “The Ruby Circle” by Richelle Mead, sixth (and final) book in the Bloodlines series, a young adult paranormal/urban fantasy at 348 pages. Blurb from book: Their forbidden romance exposed, Sydney and Adrian find themselves facing the wrath of both the Alchemists and the Moroi in this electrifying conclusion. When the life of someone they both love is put on the line, Sydney risks everything to hunt down a deadly former nemesis. Meanwhile, she and Adrian become enmeshed in a puzzle that could hold the key to a shocking secret about spirit magic, a secret that could shake the entire Moroi world and alter their lives forever. Ahhh… this was such a good series. If I weren’t planning on binge reading, I would have seriously had trouble putting these books down. Glad I didn’t have that conflict! But now I’m sad it’s all over.

It really is kind of a let down once you finish reading a series. I miss those characters! They’re like friends. Ah, but now it’s time to get back to writing. Let’s see how fast I can get this novella written!

So… Have you ever read a book (or a series of books) where the characters felt real? Like they were your friends? Were you sad when it ended? Don’t you just love those kinds of books, though? I do!

Happy Reading!

Stacy