Cicely Loves Books

Welcome to week 2 of the TRAITOR ANGELS tour! Anne stopped by to share her top 10 historical figures she would have over for a dinner party! 10. Kate Warne. The first female detective in the United States worked for the Pinkerton private detective agency. She worked on a number of important cases, which included espionage and embezzlement, and managed the Pinkerton D.C. office during the Civil War. Can you imagine the great stories she could share? John Milton 9. John Milton. Today he’s considered one of the most important writers in English history, but during his lifetime he endured imprisonment, blindness, poverty, and widespread ridicule for his four tracts advocating divorce if the partners are incompatible. After losing his sight, he dictated his entire masterpiece, Paradise Lost, to others. There’d be no shortage of dinnertime topics with him around! 8. Olive Adele. My great-grandmother was a world-renowned fortune teller whose clients came from all over the globe. She left m...

STONE FIELD is a beautiful mix of historical, romance, and retelling. I have to admit, I was drawn in by the historical aspect, though. I am a huge fan of historical fiction (but it must be done right) and period dramas.   There's something almost magical about slipping back into a simpler time before technology and engineering took us to a cell-phone-mandatory type of a life. There's an isolation that give a whole new dimension to a story. I can also accept insta-love a lot more in historical settings than I can nowadays. Back then everything seemed to happen so fast - engagements, marriage, children (probably because the life expectancy was much lower), but I feel like reading a historical gives insta-love a pass. It wasn't uncommon to meet someone and decide that week that you were spending forever together. STONE FIELD is a must for anyone who loves historical fiction (a genre I feel is deeply under-repped in YA).  Make sure you check out the rest of the tour: Blog Date...

Title:  Front Lines Author:  Michael Grant Publication Date:  1.26.2016 Series:   Solider Girl #1 Source:   ARC from publisher Purchase:   Amazon Rating:  5 Stars Summary ( from Goodreads ): World War II, 1942. A court decision makes women subject to the draft and eligible for service. The unproven American army is going up against the greatest fighting force ever assembled, the armed forces of Nazi Germany. Three girls sign up to fight. Rio Richlin, Frangie Marr, and Rainy Schulterman are average girls, girls with dreams and aspirations, at the start of their lives, at the start of their loves. Each has her own reasons for volunteering: Rio fights to honor her sister; Frangie needs money for her family; Rainy wants to kill Germans. For the first time they leave behind their homes and families—to go to war. These three daring young women will play their parts in the war to defeat evil and save the human race. As the fate of the world hangs in the bala...

Title:  The Smell of Other People's Houses Author:  Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock Publication Date:  2.23.2016 Series:  N/A Source:   Finished copy from publisher Rating:  4 1/2 Stars Summary ( from Goodreads ): In Alaska, 1970, being a teenager here isn’t like being a teenager anywhere else. This deeply moving and authentic debut is for fans of Rainbow Rowell, Louise Erdrich, Sherman Alexie, and Benjamin Alire Saenz. Intertwining stories of love, tragedy, wild luck, and salvation on the edge of America’s Last Frontier introduce a writer of rare talent.   Ruth has a secret that she can’t hide forever. Dora wonders if she can ever truly escape where she comes from, even when good luck strikes. Alyce is trying to reconcile her desire to dance, with the life she’s always known on her family’s fishing boat. Hank and his brothers decide it’s safer to run away than to stay home—until one of them ends up in terrible danger.   Four very different lives are about t...

Picking up where Sapphire Blue left, Gwyneth is heartbroken after her last encounter with the Count. And when Gideon doesn't deny anything the Count said, she is determined to move on and not be a sad sack. But the Circle is moving closer to being closed and it is becoming apparent that the Count may not have the best intentions when it does. It's up Gwyneth and her best friend Leslie to figure out what will happen when the Circle is closed and put an end to the Count's plans. Upfront let me just say that normally the insta-love thing bothers me. But somehow with Gwen and Gideon it doesn't. That may be because of the time travel thing. It feels like they've spend a lot of time together even though it's only been a few weeks. Still ( spoiler ) I feel like deciding to spend an eternity together is a bold choice from two teenagers that really just met . So I wasn't feeling that part of the ending too much. I also felt like it wrapped up pretty easily and that ...

When Sybella is sent back to the most hellish place on earth, her father's home, by the convent of St. Mortain in order to protect the Duchess and the country of Brittany, she must endure the torment of her family for her country and her god. But a mission to rescue one of the country's heroes brings her closer to the truth of her own feelings about her family and herself.   Sybella is one of the supporting characters in Grave Mercy and not one that was really explored so it was interesting to hear more of her story. I was surprised at the direction her story took but then it made sense in the context of the first book too. Sybella has a lot of dark secrets and the book manages to draw them out without making it unbearable. She manages to grow as a character too without losing any of her vigor or righteousness. I liked her relationship with Beast and thought the Beauty and the Beast connection was kind of cute though this isn't fairy tale related at all. It's just a gl...

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others. Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart? I didn't realize this was a historical novel set in 15th century Brittany, a place I didn't know a lot about so I learned something new. Isamae is an interesting character. Very much abusive by he...

When Miss Penelope Lumley and the children go on a bird watching trip, they are surprised to find an ostrich on the grounds of Ashton Place. This mystery is soon cleared up by the arrival of the Widow Ashton, mother of Lord Ashton, and her companion, Admiral Faucet, the owner of said ostrich. But bigger mysteries are afoot at Ashton Place and Miss Lumley is determined to figure them out and keep the children safe too. I really enjoy these books. Miss Lumley is so awesome and I forget she is actually only 15 years old.  She does such a wonderful job with the Incorrigibles. And I feel like there is one really big mystery to solve but so far we've only gotten little pieces. Like why is Miss Lumley's hair the same color as the children? And where are her parents? And what isn't her old headmistress telling her? Plus there are further mysteries introduced in this book especially involving Lord Ashton's father. I hope the next book starts bringing them together. Katherine Kel...

Tessa and Jem are still engaged to be married and Will is still in love with Tessa but puts his feelings aside for his parabatai. But as Mortmain begins his final assualt against the Shadowhunters, he still needs one thing to complete his plan, Tessa. Will and Jem as well as the rest of the London Institute try to protect her and find Mortmain, but they find opposition from the least likely place. I enjoyed this last installment of The Infernal Devices series. Though it felt like the the Mortmain plot was plot B and the love triangle was plot A. It never really felt like there was a danger from Mortmain but I did like how that plot point was resolved. And overall how the love triangle was solved too. It was nice to see so much growth in these characters from Clockwork Angel to Clockwork Princess . I think I will be moving on to the Mortal Instruments series sometime soon. Daniel Sharman is the narrator and I enjoyed his performance. He was a really good reader for this book and I liked...