Clips from Disney/Pixar's BRAVE

I had the amazing opportunity to see an advanced screening of Disney/Pixar's new movie BRAVE on Thursday night.  While I can't say anything about the movie just yet, I can share some clips and other goodies to get you excited for BRAVE, which hits theaters on June 22!


First, a trailer:

 


And a clip from the movie:





My review will be coming the week the film gets released...I can't wait to share my thoughts with you all!

What I'm Reading: Mastiff by Tamora Pierce

This week, I'm reading Mastiff by Tamora Pierce.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

The Legend of Beka Cooper gives Tamora Pierce's fans exactly what they want—a smart and savvy heroine making a name for herself on the mean streets of Tortall's Lower City—while offering plenty of appeal for new readers as well.

Beka and her friends will face their greatest and most important challenge ever when the young heir to the kingdom vanishes. They will be sent out of Corus on a trail that appears and disappears, following a twisting road throughout Tortall. It will be her greatest Hunt—if she can survive the very powerful people who do not want her to succeed in her goal.

I started reading Tamora Pierce's books way back in middle school (almost 10 years ago, wow!).  I started with Alanna, and have read every Tamora Pierce book since then.  I figured that by college, I would move past her books and find new authors to read, but the stories are so captivating, and Mastiff is no different.

My favorite part of Tamora Pierce's books overall, but in particular Mastiff is the character development.  Even though the story is told in a first person voice (Beka, the main character, is keeping a journal, which is what we are reading), all of the main characters- humans and animals alike- have distinct personalities, interactions with other characters, and their own quirks.  I won't reveal too much of the plot, but like in most Tamora Pierce novels, the characters in Mastiff find themselves in a number of extremely stressful and dangerous situations.  As a result, the characters must react and make spontaneous decisions.  Each character reacts in their own way, and then must deal with the consequences of their decisions with the other characters.  Their interactions seem genuine and real.  I love that even though I am reading a fantasy novel, I can relate to the characters and believe what they are doing.

In addition to the characters we know and love from the previous books in the Beka Cooper series, Tamora Pierce introduces some new characters in Mastiff who are just as deep as the returning cast.  My favorite new character is Farmer, a mage who joins Beka and Tunstall early on in their Hunt.  He has so many levels to his personality, and I just want to keep reading to find out more about him.  In addition, I love his flirty side... ;-)

It's been years since the last book in the Beka Cooper series came out, I know, but if you loved Tamora Pierce in the past, I highly recommend picking up Mastiff and diving right back in to the series!

In My Mailbox: January 15, 2012

In My Mailbox (IMM) is a meme hosted weekly by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Here's what I got this week!

From the library,  I got Across the Universe by Beth Revis, Unison Spark by Andy Marino, Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins, and Legend by Marie Lu.

From the bookstore, I bought The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (an autographed copy!) and A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin.

From Net Galley, for review, I got Caught in Crystal by Patricia C. Wrede and Invasion by Jon S. Lewis.

From Pulse It, for review, I got Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler.

Since I haven't even read most of the books that I got last week, I have plenty of books to keep me busy for a while!  What's in your mailbox this week?  Leave me a comment and I'll stop by your blog!

In My Mailbox: January 8, 2012

In My Mailbox (IMM) is a meme hosted weekly by Kristi at The Story Siren.

This week, I purchased Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi and Prized (Birthmarked, #2) by Caragh M. O'Brien.

I have been waiting for Prized since I finished Birthmarked, the first book in the trilogy, last year.  I picked up Shatter Me because I've read rave reviews of it and decided I just had to read it myself!

My public library allows you to check out books for the Kindle, and this week I found out that a lot of books I've been wanting to read are available that way!  I borrowed Mastiff (The Legend of Beka Cooper, #3) by Tamora Pierce, The Declaration by Gemma Malley, Across the Universe by Beth Revis, and The Time Paradox (Artemis Fowl, #6) by Eoin Colfer.

Free from Amazon for the Kindle, I got Tortured:  A bridge story between Birthmarked and Prized by Caragh M. O'Brien.

From NetGalley, for review, I received Quest for the Scorpion's Jewel by Amy Green, Endworlds by Nicholas Read, Neurogastronomy by Gordon Shepherd, and The Kitchen as Laboratory edited by Cesar Vega, Job Ubbink, and Erik van der Linden.


I have a ton to read now!  Reviews are forthcoming (in the near- or, not so near, future) for most of these titles.

BOOK REVIEW: Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Okay, I usually review a book first before I give my recommendation on it, but not this time.  Graceling was amazing.  The moment I finished the book, I logged on to Twitter and wrote "Kristin Cashore's GRACELING is one of the best books I've ever read. Quite possibly *the* best. Wow."  And that just about summarizes how much I loved reading Graceling.

Graceling takes readers inside the world of Katsa, a warrior-girl in her late teens with one blue eye and one green eye. This gives her haunting beauty, but also marks her as a Graceling. Gracelings are beings with special talents—swimming, storytelling, dancing. Katsa's Grace is considered more useful: her ability to fight (and kill, if she wanted to) is unequaled in the seven kingdoms. Forced to act as a henchman for a manipulative king, Katsa channels her guilt by forming a secret council of like-minded citizens who carry out secret missions to promote justice over cruelty and abuses of power.

Warning:  Spoilers may follow.

For a fantasy novel, I was pleasantly surprised that Graceling was so character-driven.  Katsa is such a strong main character, and her personality is clearly expressed.  It is her actions, primarily, which drive the story.  She is a well-rounded character, with definitive likes and dislikes, ideas, and her own unique way of interacting with those around her.  From the very first page of the book, the reader is exposed to Katsa's unique and strong personality.  Of course, like anyone, Katsa has her flaws.  She is young, and still learning how to control her powers, so at times she is very impulsive.  However, these flaws just add to her depth as a main character, and provides for the reader just one of many reasons to want to keep reading Graceling.  Will Katsa overcome these fatal flaws in order to save the kingdom?  Or will they get the best of her and cause her ultimate downfall?


Another huge character component of the book is the relationship between Katsa and Po.  Unlike many relationships found in YA fiction novels, theirs seemed very real.  It was definitely not love at first sight for the two of them!  Throughout the entire novel, both characters must work to learn how to trust each other.  This is really the crux of their entire relationship.  At different times in the book, Katsa and Po learn new things about each other, and each time, one or the other of them must decide how this new information will affect their relationship.  Katsa and Po's relationship is, in fact, the overarching plot line that stretches from the very first page of Graceling to the last, and in its own way, affects every other plot point of the book.


I am not going to go in to too much more detail about Graceling here- if you want to know more, you'll just have to read the book yourself!  While it is fairly long, Graceling is not a difficult book to read and it is absolutely worth your time.


Book summary (inside dashed box) courtesy of Amazon.com.