Review of My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories

My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories by Stephanie Perkins, Holly Black, Ally Carter, Matt de la Pena, Gayle Forman, Jenny Han, David Levithan, Kelly Link, Myra McEntire, Rainbow Rowell, Laini Taylor, and Kiersten White
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Pub. Date: October 14th 2014 
Pages: 320

Short Sweet Synopsis: Twelve holiday love stories by twelve spectacular young adult authors.

My True Love Gave to Me is filled with enchanting holiday stories that I couldn't put down. It is a mix of genres, so if you aren't a fan of fantasy or paranormal then you probably will not like all the stories; same goes if you don't like realistic fiction. Luckily for me I'm an eclectic reader and My True Love Gave to Me featured many of my favorite authors. As the title indicates, these are all love stories; if you aren't looking for cozy holiday romance stories then this is not the book for you. Not all of the stories are light, some of them are pretty dark featuring some big issues, but all of the stories leave you with that warm holiday feeling. Yes, that sounds like complete Cheez Whiz, but it is the best way I know how to describe how I felt after reading My True Love Gave to Me.

I started My True Love Gave to Me because I wanted more Rainbow Rowell, she is my new favorite author, and kept reading because each story hooked me immediately. That is what blew me away most about this collection, I have a hard time picking a favorite story. Instead of there being only a few standout stories, every mini world felt special. I fell in love with all of them and was sad to move on so soon.

My True Love Gave to Me is a must listen for audiobook fans as it is performed by some of my favorite narrators. The audiobook had a particularly special meaning for me because reading holiday stories out loud used to be a family tradition. 

My True Love Gave to Me was one of my favorite books I read in 2014. I was going to post a different review today, but I wanted to make sure I shared this book that is so special to me. I loved this book so much that I purchased it for my permanent collection. I can't wait to read My True Love Game to Me again next year!

Review of "Daughter of Smoke and Bone"

 "Daughter of Smoke and Bone"

by Laini Taylor

My Rating:

 Pub. Date: September 27, 2011

Pages: 432

Publisher: Little, Brown & Company

Source: Borrowed From Library

Edition: Hardcover

Synopsis: Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

In case you didn't see all the hearts, I LOVED "Daughter of Smoke and Bone".  Laini Taylor is a beautiful storyteller; she was able to combine the beauty of Prague with paranormal romance to create an epic fantasy novel.

The characters are one of a kind.  Brimstone is a monster that sells wishes for teeth.  Yes, you read it correctly, TEETH!  At the same time, he is part of the only family that Karou has ever known.  Karou herself is wonderfully mysterious.  She has tattoos and "naturally" blue hair, is extremely artistic, runs dangerous errands, was raised by monsters, and has no idea who she is.  Karou is a strong female character searching for her identity, but nothing can prepare her for the truth.

The way Laini Taylor described Prague transported me back to this beautiful, historic city.  Prague is a fantastic city and is the perfect setting for this book.  It is so romantic with great old-world charm that I could totally picture there being secret doors that lead beyond our world.

On top of characters, plot, and beautiful storytelling, there is this huge war that has taken over two civilizations for hundreds of years and Karou is getting sucked in.  I know this probably doesn't make a lot of sense, but you will just have to read the book to find out how all these pieces fit together.

"Daughter of Smoke and Bone" is filled with so many mysteries that it hooks you from the first page until the last.  And let me just say that the last page will blow your mind hole!  How can Karou be family with monsters?  Why does Brimstone collect Teeth?  Who is Karou?  Honestly, just go buy "The Daughter of Smoke and Bone.  It is awesome and one of the best books that was released in 2011.