Review - Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

This one is also very late in coming.

the longing.
Once Grace and Sam have found each other, they know they must fight to stay together. For Sam, this means a reckoning with his werewolf past. For Grace, it means facing a future that is less and less certain.

the loss.
Into their world comes a new wolf named Cole, whose past is full of hurt and danger. He is wrestling with his own demons, embracing the life of a wolf while denying the ties of being human.

the linger.
For Grace, Sam, and Cole, life is a constant struggle between two forces -- wolf and human -- with love bearing its two sides as well. It is harrowing and euphoric, freeing and entrapping, enticing and alarming. As their world falls apart, love is what lingers. But will it be enough?

In Shiver, Sam struggles to stay Sam. Grace fights to keep him human and with her.

Maggie Stiefvater's Linger introduces us to Cole St. Clair, a new (and wild) addition to the pack, chosen specifically by Beck to lead and take care of the wolves when he couldn't anymore. Because Beck hadn't know Sam would find a way to keep his humanity.

Cole ruffles some some feathers when he bulldozes his way in to Isabel's life... completely naked. As days go by, Isabel can't help but feel drawn to him. A feeling that she tries to squash pretty unsuccessfully.

Grace, who'd been bitten many years before feels something sitrring inside of her that hadn't been there until recently. Something she never thought would show itself. Something that terrifies her.

This time, Sam fights to hold on to Grace. But can he do it?

*

I think Cole was a wonderful addition to the story of the wolves. I loved him, even in all of his arrogance. Isabel is more likeable now than before despite the hard outer shell she wants to keep up. Sam is kind of lost with everything that's going on with Grace, so some of the romance from the first book is lost. But the ending more than makes up for it.

I love the twists and turns in Linger. The new characters are a great. And some of the old ones not mentioned much before make a re-appearance. Not a happy one. In fact, Tom Culpeper gets downright mean and dirty when he makes a surprise visit to Sam over at Beck's house.

The writing is amazing. It made me love the characters I was supposed to love and it made me hate the characters I was supposed to want to slap in the face.

I will honestly read anything and everything Maggie ever publishes. She's such a great author and I love her books!

Review - Forever by Maggie Stiefvater

There are two books that have ever made me cry. Maggie Stiefvater has written both of them. Shiver being the first one. Forever being number two.

In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. In Linger, they fought to be together. Now, in Forever, the stakes are even higher than before. Wolves are being hunted. Lives are being threatened. And love is harder and harder to hold on to as death comes closing in.

I've waited so long to be able to read this book. It was totally and completely worth the wait.

Grace is fighting to stay human, and almost fails at simply staying alive. Sam is fighting to save her. Cole is fighting to do the impossible. And Isabel is fighting her own inner demons.

Cole was my hero in this one. I absolutely adore him as a character and I can't imagine having read this series without him. When I first "met" him in this series, I thought he was cocky and arrogant and a TOTAL jerk. By the end, he was still all those things, but he has the hugest heart. Even if he doesn't realize it or want to admit it. And you've got to hand it to him for his determination and way of figuring out the impossible.

I love Sam and Grace and Isabel. They all are completely different than they were when the series started, and yet... they're the same. Isabel's icy shell gets chipped away and you see the broken person she is with a heart of gold she doesn't want anyone to see. And won't admit she has. Sam is tired of letting fear rule his life and so he faces it head on and prevails. All the while never waivering in his love and loyalty for Grace. And Grace, just as steadfast and strong as ever. Even in her weaknesses.

But Cole... Cole was my favorite. And not just because when I was reading his parts I was reading them with Dan Bittner's voice ::sigh::, but because he was just amazing.

This is now one of my favorite series of all time. Without a doubt. If you haven't read any of The Wolves of Mercy Falls books, you should. Maggie is an amazing author and I'm so glad to have read the series. I can not tell you how much I loved this book.

Loved it.

Shiver vs Linger Audio Books

A while ago I wrote a post about audio books. Graceling and Shiver in particular.

I wasn't too fond at first of the guy they chose to narrate Sam's part. He sounded really nasally and creepy because you could tell that he was just so much older than the role he was supposed to be portraying. About halfway through the book though, he got much better. I enjoyed listening to him. I really did.

Once I was finished with Shiver I put Linger in the CD player. Different Sam. This one is more the age I thought Sam should sound, and at first I almost liked him better. But the more I listen the more it irritates me. He reads every sentence like it's a question. And it SOUNDS like he's reading. His narration is not as effortless as Jenna Lamia. It sounds like he's trying too hard. Honestly I think they should have stuck with David Ledoux.

I love Isabel and Cole though. I think they picked perfect people for those parts. Cole's voice is soft and could almost put me to sleep. It's just... melodic. I guess that's a good thing to sound like since Cole is a rock star. I'm not really sure what to say about Isabel. I can't pinpoint exactly what it is about the person who reads Isabel. I just love her voice.

I definitely recommend listening to both books on CD. No matter how much it bothers me that every sentence Sam says in book 2 sounds like he's asking someone something.

I Love My Library

Yesterday was kind of my IMM 11.5. I went to the library to print something off for my mom and decided to pick up a book on photography. I snagged a HUGE one full of National Geographic photos from the start of Nat Geo through the last few years. It's amazing to look at all those photos. The black and white ones are amazing. I grabbed a book about King Tut for my Alanna because she's all about Ancient Egypt right now which is awesome.

And then...

As I was walking out...

I saw them. The audio books. And I love audio books. I got it in my mind to look for Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater on audio CD. As I was walking to the audio books to look for it I passed a table that had Graceling by Kristin Cashore. So obviously I had to have it. Then I found, not only Shiver but Linger as well! And then I had 3 books on CD. I decided to get one for my mom too. I told her she could listen to Graceling if she wanted, but, I got her The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas specifically for her. I loved the book. And I love the movie even more (solely because of Jim Caviezel).

I made out like a bandit.

Oh, I also put Spells by Aprilynne Pike on hold too.

I know I've got tons of books downstairs that I still haven't read, but I can't resist getting stuff from the library. I'm bad. Maybe I should hide my library card from myself or something. I don't know.

Anyone else get any good reads (or books on CD) from the library this week?

Maggie Stiefvater

Back in January I had the pleasure of meeting author Maggie Stiefvater at a signing in Borders in my city. I was super excited to go to this one because EVERY OTHER SIGNING in this city was on days when I WOULDNT be in the state.

It was great. She talked about the questions people frequently asked her and answered whatever questions we had. Told the story of how one fan mailed her a SOCK and she signed it and sent it back (you can see the video for that on her blog somewhere, lol). And about her Bulgarian bagpipes. Hehe. Then she got to the actual signing part. And because I just so happened to be sitting in the front row (Maggie even had a short conversation with my Lydia about her My Little Pony coloring book), I was first to the table with my books.

Now, because I just happened to be first at the table, Maggie did something really awesome and signed and GAVE me the UK edition of Lament, which I had been looking for (not the UK edition, but the US one) and my bookstore did not have. I was super excited and read it in just a few days. Was dying to read Ballad, but even as of today, the bookstore has not gotten it in stock. In fact, Borders is closing. So I'm Sad.

Must find it elsewhere.

P.S. The little people with Maggie in the first picture happen to be my kiddos. Lydia who's 3. And Alanna who's 8. I'm not putting my picture up... lol. I look awful.