Books I would recommend to anyone no matter what

I made a list of books at my other blog.
I'm asked for recommendations at work all the time, so I thought I would come up with a list of reccomendations on my own :)

http://crystallizedheart.blogspot.com/2013/10/books-that-i-would-recommend-to-anyone.html

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

This book was a recommendation from a friend at work, so I picked it up and couldn't put it down.

The country of Ravka is torn by the Shadow Fold, an army of monsters made of darkness. As the growing army deterioates the great nation, the people are desperate to find a way to save Ravka. Alina and Mal, two orphans raised under the indifferent eye of a wealthy duke are observed by the Grisha, an order of magical people. Once they come of age, Alina discovers that she has a unique power, and both Alina and Mal are thrown into the conflict of Ravka and the Shadow Fold. As the Darkling offers Alina a world of magic and luxury, Alina must decide how to use the power she was born with. Could she be the key to the Shadow Fold's undoing? Who and what can she believe in?

This book was literally a captivating read. I admired the author's ability to build a world, and explore the myths and legends around it. Alina is a powerful, but unsure character, her decisions effect her future and the hope of Ravka. The Darkling himself is a mysterious and confusing character with a story of his own. Mal is the spirited and loyal friend with weaknesses of his own. Each character is fascinating and, in a way, relatable. The world was wonderfully detailed, and combined symbolism with myth and lore. 

This is not your typical fantasy story, and it's not the stereotypical fantasy world. Ravka brings elements of its own into the tale, and shrouds the plot in mystery. Through the little history that Alina knows of Ravka, her dicoveries are the key points to the tale. 

I can't wait to find out what happens next, and I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the elements of magic, mystery, adventure, romance and even horror. Shadow and Bone is a unique and exciting read!

Ever After High: The Storybook of Legends by Shannon Hale

Ever After High: The Storybook of Legends by Shannon Hale

What would you do if you were forced to live a specific destiny? Raven Queen, daughter of the Evil Queen in the fairy tale Snow White, doesn't want to be the villian of a fairy tale. Unlike her mother, Raven has more good character traits, which may have come from her father, the Good King. 

Raven's tale begins at Ever After High, a highschool for the sons and daughters of the original fairytales. This year, Raven's task is to attend the ceremony of Legacy Day, where her story will be presented to her, and she will vow to follow this story to retell the original. But Raven wants to write her own story and choose her destiny for herself. 

On the other hand Apple White, daughter of Snow White is perfectly happy reliving her mother's tale, and she believes that she rightly deserves her happily ever after. 

Milton Grimm, the head master of the school keeps a close eye on both Apple White and Raven Queen to make sure they don't wander off the path of their story. 

With everyone expecting Raven to be evil and cruel, Raven has a lot of choices to make when it comes to her role in the fairy tale world. Will she find a better destiny? Or will she cease to exist, as Master Grimm warned, if she doesn't vow to continue her mother's evil plans? 

This book was a very fun read. I love all the modern day refrences disguised in fairytale jargon. The characters are interesting, and while some relate to their parents, others seem very different. The idea of freedom and choice is a constant theme in this book, which makes the story and characters relatable to anyone. 

In some cases we want to belive in fate and destiny, but in others we want the freedom to choose what to do and who to be. Raven Queen and Apple White are two different characters that make very big decisions. While Apple wants to be the perfect princess and one day queen, Raven wants to be a good person and not a villian. Their choices define their future and reveal imporatnt aspects of their characters. 

Another fun element in this book was how it played with the idea of the narrator and their communication to both the reader and the characters. The story plays with the fourth wall without breaking it, and one character can even hear the narrator, which influences their actions. 

I recommend this book to anyone who loves fairy tales, and who loves to play with the sterotypes and the elements of stories.

House of Hades by Rick Riordan

House of Hades by Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson is back! After a year. 

As a fan of Percy Jackson and mythology in general,  I love the combination of humor and the accuracy of the myths and legends of Greece and Rome. 

Like most Demigod supporters, I was very angry about the cliff hanger in the Mark of Athena. Annabeth had to face the ultimate enemy of Athena, and then we were left hanging as the heroes disapeared into the abyss of the underworld. 

This book never has a dull moment. With Percy and Annabeth struggling in the underworld and facing many past enemies that were sent to Tarturus, this is an intense journey that threatens both Percy and Annabeth's belief in themselves and each other. But they aren't the only demigods with a difficult task ahead of them. Piper, Frank, Hazel, Jason, Leo and Nico must find a way to reach the gate of the underworld, and pray that Percy and Annabeth will survive the depths of Tarturus. 

With the prophecy hanging over their heads, and challenge after challenge that Gaea forces them to face, the demigods have much to accomplish in a short and limited time.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wasn't satisfied with Mark of Athena's cliffhanger. I also recommend this and the Percy Jackson series to anyone who loves adventure, myth, satire and epics!

Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult & Samantha Van Leer

Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer

This book intrigued me when it first came out in hard cover, but I only just got around to reading it now. First of all, I love that it's a mother daughter novel. It's always neat when family writes together and can create a story. The story itself is very fun, and I could even picture this as a movie. The idea of a world within a book was first introduced to me in Inkheart by Cornelia Funke. This story focuses on a book worm who falls in love with a character, and doesn't want to deal with the awkwardness and trauma of High school bullies and a mother concerned about her social life. I could easily relate to Delilah, the main character and I also empathized with Oliver, a character trapped in a story who wants to see the world. The book is told in three ways:  third person fairytale narrative, first person in Delilah's voice and first person in Oliver's voice. This made the book a little confusing, but it was still fun and a book lover's dream come true. I recommend this book to fairy tale fans and YA fans. The snarky voice of Delilah and the clever voice of Oliver make this story an interesting novel. 

More than a provincial day: A Disney Designer experience

Because this blog is called ModernDayBelle, I thought I'd share my Belle and Beast Designer Doll experience. 

More details here: http://crystallizedheart.blogspot.com/2013/10/more-than-provincial-day.html