Review: Radiant Shadows by Melissa Marr

Book Details:
Radiant Shadows (Wicked Lovely)
By Melissa Marr
Genre: Young Adult
Published 2010, Harper Teen
Hardback, 340 pages
ISBN: 9780061659225


Synopsis:

Hunger for nourishment.
Hunger for touch.
Hunger to belong.
Half-human and half-faery, Ani is driven by her hungers.
Those same appetites also attract powerful enemies and uncertain allies, including Devlin. He was created as an assassin and is brother to the faeries' coolly logical High Queen and to her chaotic twin, the embodiment of War. Devlin wants to keep Ani safe from his sisters, knowing that if he fails, he will be the instrument of Ani's death.
Ani isn't one to be guarded while others fight battles for her, though. She has the courage to protect herself and the ability to alter Devlin's plans—and his life. The two are drawn together, each with reason to fear the other and to fear for one another. But as they grow closer, a larger threat imperils the whole of Faerie. Will saving the faery realm mean losing each other?

This book continued with the theme of each book focusing on different pivotal characters in the world of Faerie by focusing on Devlin and Ani and their respective roles and impact. I loved how different these two were and yet had such a strong connection right from their first meeting. As usual with this series, I could not predict the ending, which makes it all that much more satisfying.
The spectral girl Rae was a very interesting character in that she seems to be an orchestrator of much of Devlin and Ani's relationship, even though she behaves as if she is in love with Devlin. Only once is jealousy even mentioned on her part in the entire book, and it is so brief I almost missed it. This reminds me of the triangle of Niall, Irial, and Leslie, as well as the two triangles that Keenan seems to be a member of. The fact that Marr pulls all of these off so seamlessly marks her as an excellent writer, in my opinion.
The High Queen Sorcha becomes quite a sorry excuse for a queen through most of the book because of her inability to handle all of the new emotions she possesses for her "son" Seth. I find it quite ironic that though she is the creator and controller of Faerie and one of the first two faeries to exist, she is still dependent upon things she can not control in order to continue to exist.
I was very disappointed in the near absence of Aislinn and any information regarding her relationship with Seth. In addition, Keenan seems to have disappeared with no explanation, and apparently very little concern on anyone's part throughout the book. While I never liked the guy, he is kind of important in the world of Faerie.
Another loose thread that really bugged me was the outcome of Irial's injury - one minute he is dying and the next everyone is behaving as if nothing is wrong and he's not going anywhere. So which is it??
The outcome of Devlin and Ani's budding relationship was thoroughly satisfying and exactly what the world of Faerie needed, but now I am wondering what will happen with an odd number of courts. The logical response is that yet another court will be created to restore balance, but Marr rarely sticks to the easy solutions with this series. I can not wait for Darkest Mercy (Wicked Lovely).

The Cover: Just looking at the cover and the title, I knew right away that this book centered on Ani, based on the previous books. I love it when the cover is right on target with the plot.

First Line: "Devlin stood immobile as the spectral girl approached."
Ooooh curious - who is this spectral girl? Of course I must keep reading to know more!
Favorite Quote: "Love makes you foolish. It makes you throw every bit of logic away, do stupid things, dangerous things."

Read For: Speculative Fiction Challenge, Pages Read Challenge, Support Your Local Library Challenge

Review: In Praise of Stay-at-Home Moms by Dr. Laura Schlessinger

Book Details:
In Praise of Stay-at-Home Moms
By Dr. Laura Schlessinger
Genre: Self-Help
Published 2009, HarperCollins
Hardback, 205 pages
ISBN: 9780061690267


Synopsis:

They number in the millions and they are incredibly important to families and to our society, yet they are underappreciated, little respected, and even controversial.
Who are they?
They are the stay-at-home moms.
These are women who know in their hearts that staying home to raise their children is the right choice for the whole family. Some do it from the outset of their marriages, while others make the difficult transition from career-driven women to homemakers. Either way, it is a choice that is incredibly rich and rewarding, not to mention challenging.
Now Dr. Laura, building on principles developed during her long career as a licensed marriage and family therapist, provides a wealth of advice and support, as well as compassion and inspiration, to women as they navigate the wonders and struggles of being stay-at-home moms.
Learn how:
to hold your head high and deal with naysayers;
to see the benefits of being home not only for your children but also for your marriage;
to understand the changes you see in yourself;
to realize that the sacrifices you endure now will make for lasting bonds and a stronger family, in addition to a more cohesive community.
In Praise of Stay-at-Home Moms is a special book, a profound and unique understanding of how important it is for mothers to raise their own children.

As a stay-at-home mom myself, partly by choice and partly by default, I didn't realize how much I needed the lift this book provided until I finished it. While SAHMs are gaining in support, thanks to the wonders of the internet, the effects of the feminist movement are hard to undo, and I still find myself feeling bad for not "running the hamster wheel."
This book is really about praising and uplifting SAHMs in every way, from giving advice on how to transition from working outside the home to becoming a SAHM, how to deal with naysayers, the impact of being a SAHM on the marriage, the children, and the woman herself, and the struggles that a SAHM goes through. Nearly every page features quotes from SAHMs who have contacted Dr. Laura with their opinions, experiences, questions, and wisdom, and these women all have unique living situations to fit any mother's lifestyle, even the ones who have been through a divorce because the husband does not support the idea of the woman becoming a SAHM. Dr. Laura dispels many notions and myths that run rampant about the type of woman that decides to be a SAHM, and what would make her choose such a lifestyle. Many of the women she quotes have college degrees or left great careers to become a SAHM. Others go on to degrees and careers once the children have grown and "fled the nest." Some of the best parts of the book were the stories that SAHMs related about the wonderful perks and unforgettable moments of being a SAHM, such as being able to cook healthy meals from scratch for their family and not missing all of those important milestones with their children.
This book helped me to change my perspective on my role in my family's life, as the heart of the home, to focus on the good things of what I have committed to, and to appreciate my husband and children, not as sandbags on my own personal improvement, but as buoys to lift me up and save me from my own destructive self-involvement.

The Cover: Not much to say about the cover - she sells her books better than just the content or title could do without her name or face.

First Line: "With appropriate apologies to Shakespeare, I come to praise at-home moms, not to bury full-time working moms."
So I don't understand the Shakespeare reference, even after reading the whole book. Otherwise, I like that she makes a point of stating the purpose of the book in the first sentence.

Favorite Quote: "High-fashion shoes and a business suit: $325
Cut, highlights, and manicure: $160
Fifty hours of day care a week: $400
Skipping it all to snuggle on the couch in PJs with your little ones: Priceless"

Read For: Support Your Local Library Challenge, Pages Read Challenge

Teaser Tuesday: Radiant Shadows by Melissa Marr

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read.
2. Open to a random page.
3. Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.
4. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!).
5. Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


My Teaser:

Ani was still shaken hours after she left Bananach -- a situation only made worse by the fact that someone was following her. Perhaps Bananach let me leave only to find out where I'd go? Ani wasn't sure. The Barracuda's windows were tinted so dark that she couldn't see the driver, but she could tell that her stalker was arrogant. To follow someone in such a sweet ride spoke volumes about the driver's personality. In a faery, that sort of surety and egotism wouldn't be surprising, but most faeries don't drive. It wasn't an option with so much steel, and having a custom car made of faery-friendly materials was foolish.
There are a few though. - pg. 136, Radiant Shadows (Wicked Lovely) by Melissa Marr

What are you reading this week?