The Last Romantics (Barnes & Noble Book Club Edition) by Tara Conklin

I will admit that had I just seen this book on the shelf I wouldn't have been attracted it, I would have more likely than not passed it by and not read it. But for two things I had to, I have read, and will read, each Barnes and Noble Book Club Book AND I am leading the discussion for this book. So I read it. And I liked it. I mean I liked it way more than I thought I would by reading the blurb inside the jacket so I am glad I was "forced" to read it.

The Last Romantics is the story of a family like many families, there are good times and bad, struggles and victories, falling out and coming together, love and loss, after all those are the things that make families right? So it is about ordinary life, with all of the things that make it far from ordinary. I guess that doesn't sound all the gripping but it was. Maybe it was the flashback fashion of the telling, maybe it was the naked realness of the lives of the Skinners, or maybe it is the poetic flow of Conklin's writing. What ever it is, IT works.

Fiona is our guide through the story of her family. She is at the start of our journey, a 102 year old published, famous, poet and is telling us a story that starts in 1981 and spans many years. And I mean many, because she is telling the story from 2079. Don't roll your eyes, this works. She is talking to an auditorium full of people and begins to tell the story of her and her siblings after a young lady asks her a question about her most famous poem.

At it's most basic The Last Romantics isn't about romance but it is about love. The ugliness, the sweetness, the beauty and joy, and the pain.

I am looking forward to talking about this story with the group on Tuesday March 7!!

(Finished February 28, 2019)

Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass #7) by Sarah J. Maas

As this series has progressed it has gotten harder to write a review without spoilers. And here I am at the end. And it is the hardest post to write yet. 

So I will just be as vague as possible as I gush about this series. 

I haven't feel this strong sense of sadness and longing at the ending of a series since the Harry Potter series ended. I already miss Yrene, Nesryn, Dorian, Manon, Rowan, Elide, Lorcan, Fenrys, Gavriel, Aelin, Aedion, Lysandra, Evangeline, and The Thirteen. Oh and I can't leave out Abraxos!!!

This was a long book, 980 pages, and at times the tension as I waited for the strings to all come together, the characters who had been separated and their journey back to each other, it became overwhelming. But not in a bad way, just in a please stop pulling my heart apart and let's get everyone safely to the end. I won't tell you who does and doesn't make it but be prepared to have your heart ache many times over. 

There are some epic scenes of battle, so well written I could smell the blood and smoke and sweat. And of course there is a show down with the big bads of the story. It plays out very creatively and I enjoyed it even as I became so anxious I thought I would cry. At times I did cry!! I wasn't at all disappointed with the end point of the journey, only that it had to end. 

Thanks to my friends who suggested I read this series.  

(Finished February 24, 2019)

My thoughts on other books in the series:
Throne of Glass
Crown of Midnight
The Assassin's Blade
Heir of Fire
Queen of Shadows
Tower of Dawn
Empire of Storms

Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5)

The build up to the finale and what a build up it was. I need to now jump in and see what the hell happens to Dorian, Manon, Lysandra, Aedion, Elide, Lorcan, Gavriel, Fenrys, and of course Rowan and Aelin. I need to see how Chaol, Nesryn, Yrene, and Sartaq come back to the fold and what difference it makes. I need to know if Aelin lives, if Manon claims her birthright, if Lorcan has been changed, if the vile Maeve gets what she deserves slowly and painfully, and dammit I need to know if my wish for Dorrian and Manon, and Aedion and Lysandra is granted.

Ok and I have to say Ann was right about the shift in read order. If I had to stop now to read Tower of Dawn I would be so annoyed that I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much as I did. Because this is a hell of a cliff hanger.

The reveal about the keys and lock was something and not what I was expecting. All these threads that didn't seem connected are coming together. All in all I'm really hooked and enjoying the series. I just wish they were not so long (the final book comes in just under 1000 pages) but then again I am glad they are, because there is so much to soak in.

The build up has been something, I really have enjoyed the world building and story telling. And the main character isn't even my favorite but that's ok, there are so many things to love here.

My thoughts on other books in the series:
Throne of Glass
Crown of Midnight
The Assassin's Blade
Heir of Fire
Queen of Shadows
Tower of Dawn


(Finished February 14, 2019)

Tower of Dawn (Throne of Glass #6) by Sarah J. Maas

At the suggestion of my bestie Ann I altered the order I am reading these from their natural order. Her advice was to read this one then go back and read Empire of Storms and then the finale Kingdom of Ash. Her reasoning being that when I read Empire I am going to want to go right into the finale and see how it all comes out and this one runs parallel to Empire, is happening at the same time. So that's what I did. There really weren't any spoilers to Empire in it, just a little bit of mentioning of what may or may not be going on with those with Aelin and her court.

Another friend, Rachel and I were talking about this one and this series and she too didn't really like Chaol and found she couldn't do this book and ended up skipping it. I can understand that. However, my feelings about him changed a little, but for me he isn't even the star of this book. I totally love Yrene. I really, really like Nesryn too. And their stories make this well worth the read. I am glad I did it this way too, because now I can march on to the ending without stopping so as usual Ann is right!!

I enjoy Sarah's writing style and the bits of snark and wit that compliment the adventure and fantasy.

I hope to see more of The Thirteen in Empire of Storms. I am taking in to the reading of it a bit of information I wouldn't have if I had read the series in the natural order and that I am pretty sure the characters I am rejoining don't know and that is a kind of interesting place to be.

I liked this part of the series a lot more than I expected to and a lot more than I did even when I started it. Some where in I just found myself really liking it.


My thoughts on other books in the series:
Throne of Glass
Crown of Midnight
The Assassin's Blade
Heir of Fire
Queen of Shadows