Breath of Angel by Karyn Henley

Synopsis: Melaia, a young priestess, witnesses the gruesome murder of an emaciated stranger in the temple courtyard. Just after she discovers wings on the stranger, the murderer arrives at the temple. Having committed the fatal act as a hawk, he now appears as a man. What Melaia has known only through song and story has suddenly been given flesh. Angels. Shape-shifters. Myths and stories…until now.

My Thoughts: In the end this turned out to be a fairly entertaining book although it took me a couple of tries to get into it. You are immediately tossed into Melaia’s world where myth and fantasy are revealed as reality.
There are a lot of characters, perhaps too many, and a substantial amount of series information packed into a relatively small book, which occasionally left me wondering if I had missed something early on. By the end I felt I was getting a grasp on the world of The Angeleon Circle series and I was intrigued enough to wonder what comes next.
I think this book will appeal to many young adults and adults who enjoy books filled with fantasy and shape shifters. An added plus is that this book’s content was not overly violent or sexually suggestive making it an okay read for advanced younger readers intrigued by the whole shape-shifter theme.
I only gave this 3 stars because my rough start with it; but now I’m interested in seeing where this series progresses in the next book.

Song of Susannah (Dark Tower book 6) by Stephen King

Synopsis: Susannah, now pregnant, has yet another taking control of her. The demon-mother, Mia, uses Susannah and Black Thirteen to transport to New York City of 1999. Jake, Oy, and Pere Callahan must rescue Susannah while Eddie and Roland transport to the Maine of 1977. A vacant lot in New York is the prize that must be saved and ties these together.

My Thoughts: I had a tough time getting through Wolves of Calla so I really dragged starting this one. Much to my surprise Song of Susannah was a much easier read. In fact, if life and school hadn’t gotten in the way I’d have been done with the book weeks ago. Admittedly it doesn’t do tons for moving the story along and contains the ultimate act of ego on the part of the author; but it moved and I was entertained which after all is the point of a story.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Synopsis: An epic tale of fathers and sons, of friendship and betrayal, that takes us from the final days of Afghanistan’s monarchy to the atrocities of the present.
The unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father’s servant, The Kite Runner is a beautifully crafted novel set in a country in the process of being destroyed. It is about the power of reading, the price of betrayal, and the possibility of redemption. And it is also about the power of fathers over sons — their love, their sacrifices, their lies.

My Thoughts: I had read good and bad reviews about this book before I started it and was prepared to go either way with it. In the end I really enjoyed the story and the peek into pre-revolution, pre-war, pre-Taliban Afghanistan.
The Kite Runner sucked me in to the story and I felt compelled to rush through to the end. Although there are some graphic and disturbing moments I never felt as though Hosseini was merely trying to shock, these are the realities of life, not just in war torn foreign countries but right here in the U.S. as well. There is a moment when Amir begins to understand the nature of forgiveness and acceptance that really struck a chord with me.
I would caution allowing pre-teens and sensitive teens to read this as it has moments of graphic violence.

Unsinkable: A Young Woman’s Courageous Battle On The High Seas
by Abby Sunderland & Lynn Vincent

Synopsis: Abby Sunderland, a natural born sailor who spent much of her childhood on the water, dreamed of solo circumnavigating the world from age 13. On January 23,

2010, she set sail from Marina del Rey in an attempt to make that dream a reality. Despite the predictions of critics that she would quickly fail, Abby became the youngest person to solo around Cape Horn and successfully crossed the Southern and Atlantic oceans. What happened to Abby in the Indian Ocean would test her endurance, her will to live, and her life forever in ways she could never have imagined.

My Thoughts: I received this book shortly after I finished Between A Rock And A Hard Place by Aron Ralston, and was worried that another survival against the odds book wouldn’t hold my attention. Unsinkable did much more than just hold my attention, I felt compelled to finish it and enjoyed every page along the way. The story, told from three points of view (each change marked by a unique icon), flows smoothly through both back-story and the main plot.

To me Abby’s story is very much a reminder of the fact that some of life’s greatest lessons and opportunities flow from what appears to be the greatest failures. Further, the Sunderland’s belief in their children and support of their dreams challenges us all to dream bigger, do more, and live; not just sit and watch the world go by on our televisions and computers.