The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden #1) by Julie Kagawa

This book is extremly good! Is the best post apocalyptic book I've ever read (and I've read a few)

The narrative is excelent, the dialogs are shocking, I want to remember every amazing frase for ever.

My favorite quote in the book is:
"You don't understand now, but you will. There will come a time when the road before you splits, and you must decide your path: Will you choose to become a demon with a human face, or will you fight your demon until the end of time knowing you will forever struggle alone?"

That may sound extreme, pure fantasy and fiction, but how many humans do live with that truth?. To be "good" in real life is very similar to be "human" in this book, it depends a lot (if not completly) on a very unique and personal decision of who to be, and fight against the impulses and desires that goes against the inner paradigm that defines what "to be good" is. For some, the walls and boundaries are formed by religion, morals, values, principles... for others, the darkness is too great to resists, and they become the monsters of our real world.

Here our heroine decides to be "good", to cherish and keep her "humanity", fighting against her instincts and nature, even knowing that all those efforts will never gain her a place amongst those she calls friends, because there is no place for a vampire amongst humans.

You will find the kind of writing that validates the premise "words can change us", and you will be able to experience how one single sentence has the power to change the history of a character, the view of the reader, and the inner perspective of the person holding the book.

It changed my perspective on many topics and subjects... vampires, hunger, surviving, living, existing, being, belonging... it is very unexpected to find this grade of depth in a book about "vampires", but the thing is that this book is not about vampires, it's about people trapped in a world where very few really can "live", where most can only fight to survive, without daring to ask themselves if it's still worth it to exist in a world without future, without hope.

Little by little the story teach that true hope comes from within, not from prospects, facts or plausible possibilities. That the most valuable thing a being can have is the hability to believe that IT is possible DESPITE odds, reality, and common sense.

I recommend this book, it is in the "Must Read" list of for ever.

A Discovery of Witches (All Souls Trilogy #1) by Deborah Harkness

This is my first book about real magic, magic as I've seen it in my dreams since I was a child.

This book brings to life every though and believe about witches and magic the world has evere conceived, and it makes you remember why to dream with magic, power and witches was so fun.

I really enjoyed it, its very well written, the characters are perfectly formed, you care about each and every one of them. Even if they were only present for a few pages, you don't want them to get hurt, you want to know them better. And all that with the first book, for most authors it takes a whole series to get the reader to really care. In my opinion that's the biggest accomplishment an author can have, to create someone that comes to life in the heart of the reader.

A Discovery of Witches has a mysterious plot, that keeps you wondering, thinking, trying (unsuccessfully) to figure out the next event to come, and mean while you enjoy every bit of whats going on, with vivid descriptions that takes you into their world.

If you've ever dreamed about magic, if you like to be intrigued, if you enjoy romance and a good tell about true love, courage, growth, and acceptance of who we really are, and not who we think we should be, you are going to enjoy this book as much as I did...

Lover At Last (Black Dagger Brotherhood #11) by J.R. Ward

I Just loved it.

This is a great book, the plot just gets better and better, I can't wait to know what's gonna happen with Xcor and Layla, Assail, Trez, Throe...

So many great storys in one single book, it's amayzing... normally is outstading to find one or two perfectly constructed characters in a series, those characters you truly love, the ones you just can't get enough of, but with The Black Dagger Brotherhood series, I feel that way with each and every single one of them... from the brothers, to the shellans, to Fritz... the plot and the story line has always been superb, in every book, and with this book the series grows in an effortless way. Not because she wants to write more books, but because she has so much to tell...

In this book of course you'll find good romance, true love, great sex, blood, mistery, just A-Mazing plot, and huge twists! (you have no idea whats coming!) ... the only downside is that I CAN'T wait the next book!!! this one just leave you felling super happy and curious to the bone!!!

Love it *____* a MUST read for sure!

Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices #3) by Cassandra Clare

This book will remain forever dear to my heart. It broke it a million times, with the sweetest words, and the saddest prose. It's so sad, so beautiful... it's perfect.

There's no one thing I would change. It's poetic and enthralling.

Every page is made of true, undiluted, unyielding love.

The truest of loves for a friend, for a brother, for the family you are born with, and the family you have the privilege to choose.

I learned so much about love reading this book, that I feel I will never be the same. As Tessa said "words have the power to change us", and every word said by Will, Jem, Tessa, Sophie, Gabriel, Guideon, Henry, Charlotte and even Mortmein, have changed me forever, in heart and soul... And I'm thankful for that.

For the reader of my review:
If you want to read a true love story, showing love as it is and should be, without jealousy, selfishness, judgement, or holding back, I'm sure you will fall in love with Jem, Will and Tessa as much as I have.

For me, this book goes in the shelves with the best of romances... And it has the big plus of being spiced by a story full of good vs. evil (always entertaining!), great storyline, superb characters, decent plot, interesting narrative, and the most beautiful dialogues... Enjoy!

Dead Ever After (Sookie Stackhouse #13) by Charlaine Harris

I enjoyed this book very much... I was reluctant to read it because I didn't want the story to be over, but in the end I couldn't help myself.

In truth the book is less thant perfect, I know... I'm not going to write about what was wrong in it because WE ALL KNOW IT (lame sex, lame love story...) but who cares!

What I really care about is that Sookie got closure, I got closure, and once more I got to enjoy the life story of a brave, smart, loving, and good woman...

In this book once again Charlaine delivers the best heroin ever... many books and series have great plots, good characters, decent narrative and blah blah blah... Yeah, I know, I've read them... but there's no one like Sookie...

In this series Charlaine gave us plenty of adventure, crazy plots (some good, some bad), great characters to love and care for, she gave us ERIC NORTHMAN!!! ... but I think the real gift was the role model Sookie can be to every woman.

To me she tought me to be brave, no matter what, even if I'm scared to death, to know WHO I am no matter what other people think or believe of me, to fully ENJOY every single beautiful little thing in life, to find happyness in each one, to be and to live alone, to appreciate man, and to love freely without feer of getting hurt, and to know that no matter what happen, I will survive and move on...

This book is more of that in the best way possible, another big chunk of Sookie, the last piece of a sweet pie... It wasn't perfect... but it was perfect for me, for my heart...

I will love you forever Sookie! you will always be in my heart as a my dear friend and role model... I'll miss you deeply, but I know I can re-read every adventure of yours a million times (book 4!!! *____*), it's not the same as sharing a new one with you, but I guess it'll have to do.

As I read in another review, I wouldn't recomend this book because is not that good, but if you've read all 12! finish it! ... And if you have never read a Sookie book, but you like female heroines, good humor, (great) sex, amayzing men (Eric! *___*) I'm sure you'll enjoy the series, with all the good and bad in it...

Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James

I resisted and resisted and resisted... but in the end I succumbed to peer pressure and read this book...

This books has SO many things exactly the same as the Twilight saga! characters's characteristics, dialogs, situations ... soooo much!

It was hard for me to connect with this book, VERY hard... I stayed on the third chapter for weeks, the first half is super lame ... but then Grey develops a personality and the book gets entertaining...

I really enjoyed the second half of the book. And now I understand why every woman I know love it... it's because Grey is EXACTLY what (almost) EVERY straight woman deeply and SECRETLY want: and alpha male that takes charge... it's biology, and the popularity of this book to me proves that no matter the year we live in, biology trumps it all!

This book, is most definitly NOT the best erotic/romance book out there, BELIEVE me!!! but if you survive the first half, you might enjoy it!

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

I wasn't expecting to like this book, but I do.

Is honest, is real, is plausible.

The plot is weird, and after a few pages, you start thinking they might be right, it could be a sickness that eats you from the inside out, and is the deadly of all because it feels good, maybe the cure is better, stoping all feeling might be better.

But the question this book presents (against all reason) is: are you alive if you can't feel?, can you be happy without pain? ...

As Lena figures out "the cure is not about pursuing happiness, is about running away from pain"

Against all odds and my better judgement, I liked this book... maybe you will too

The Wind Through the Keyhole (The Dark Tower #4.5) by Stephen King

What feels like a long time ago, I read the Dark Tower series... To make it short, it wasn't my kind of series at first, I managed to go beyond the first book by sheer virtue and discipline of "finishing what I started". I was hooked head over heals by Wizard and Glass

But despite things I didn't quite loved, without argument, the plot, the series in itself, and specially The Gunslinger: Roland Deschain, are a master piece. The kind of work that make a book (or in this case, many) timeless, genreless, and the author becomes a God of his creations.

I read this book because I miss Roland, as I think we always miss those characters that took form, flesh and heart beat with each written word, so a chance to get a few moments with them is always a good one.

I'm happy I finally read this book (it was on my to-read list for a while), for me it was BETTER in every way than the previous 7 books. In this book you get 3 amazing stories for the price of one, the best plot-and-narrative thread ever written (because each story is inside the previous one), and a closer look into the keyhole of Roland's heart.

His soul is naked in this book. If you've read the series you know he is smart, cold, a killer, and despite his instincts, mostly a good man. But his shell is a large calibre, so most of the time is too thick to see beyond it. Here, the "storm" in the book tears the shell away, and let you see what is beneath... and it is spectacular, incandescent, undiluted truth.

This book is about growth, loss, love, acceptance, forgiveness and "Ka"... And it shows how even in despair, failure and sorrow, it's always worth it, and it's always beautiful.

Many books are like fresh air, but this book is something more. It's a powerful fragance, that destroys time bringing the past to the fore of the senses... like those smells that when pass you by, suddenly reminds you of a feeling, of a moment in the time that has ceased to exist, that it's now gone in the wind through the keyhole.

Crucible of Gold (Temeraire, #7) by Naomi Novik

I'm ashamed to say I've been extremly unfair to this book, to Ms. Novik and to my dear Temeraire for a long time.

I had this book on my to read list since it was published, and I hadn't read it because I didn't quite enjoy the previous book in the series, for me the plot quality had a very sour taste, compared to the begining of the series.

But after reading this extraordinary piece of written art, I've learned my lesson, I shall never again judge a book by it's predecesor, every book in a series (no matter how long) deserves a chance to stand on it's own, and earn it's stars.

Actually the whole Temeraire series taught me that any plot properly written and carried out with mastery can be outstanding, and proof of this is finding such quality and superiority in books about the Napoleonics wars plus dragons.

For me, Crucible of Gold should have more than 5 stars! I'm amazed at it's greatness, I was not expecting it at all. I'm extremly glad to say it surpass every expectation or hope I had.

Temeraire as always is intriguing, smart, real, and above all a source of "food for thought", without question one of the best characters I have ever read about. He is perfect in every way, and this book is full of it, of his innocence, his sense of fairness, justice, loyalty, love, and honor.

In each book of this series we get to see the world trough the eyes of someone so alien to society, but still a part of it.

Always between a rock and a hard place: duty and justice, war for an unclear cause, blurry lines of what is right and what is better, and the courage to do things differently, always trying to accomplish what is right despite of ones peril. It is a wonder, a gift, a good read.

This book is full of new dragons, each unique, with views of the world that have broadened my own perspectives about slavery, property, and the very unreal sense of freedom.

It's a gush of fresh air to experience a rewritten history of the world in such an accurate way. I believe that each of Ms. Novik's views about the event's developments (regarding Africa and South America specially) would have been exactly in the fashion she described if dragons had been involved. It is an interesting and very new plausible reality (probably in another dimension it's happening right now!)

Also you get enough adventure, danger, unexpected twists of events, intriguing plot, and interesting characters to last you a life time! The perfect excitement created by every battle and flight warmly reminded me of another author who wrote stories about a boy with a thunderbolt scar.

With this book (if you dare to read it) you will have the pleasure to meet or reconnect with each spectacular character(all of them are always front and central), to go back in time and change history (probably for the better), see the world as it was, learn about what really matters in life, about how freedom is a very pretty word as real as dragons to most people, and to grow as a human to a better version of yourself, if you are wise enough to learn from a dragon.

Why to read?

When you have had the pleasure of reading many books, and many books from the same author, you know what to expect, you can feel and "predict" how the plot is going to unfold... surely you can tell "the heroe will not die like this", "he will reach his goal", "they will find eachother again"...

With all logic, sense and sensibility, you know... So it is a huge prowess when despite that knowledge born from experience, the authors writing still inspire those wretched and marvelous feelings of worry, stress, longing, sadness, despair... It is quite an accomplishment, because it divides the mind from the heart: the mind knows, but despite that, the heart feels.

And in the end, when good, luck and fortune prevails, those wretched feelings morph into the deepest joy and hapiness... And in most cases, for many readers (if not for all) it is the only way to experience such bliss, because the feeling resultant from escaping death, finding true love, rescuing someone you love, saving the world, and defeating evil, are not part of our every day lifes.

That moment when you feel you can't breath one more time without knowing what is going to happen next, and you think there are just too many words in one single page, you want to put the book down, but you can't, so you read faster, and faster until there! absolution! redemption! undiluted bliss...

That is what a good book can accomplish: to divide mind from heart, feed the soul, and to take you on a journey beyond time, situation, and reality. It is a gift anyone can have, one is never too old to dream, too old to love a story... Not as long the heart is beating and the yearning to broaden the horizon of dreams has survived adulthood.