Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Review: The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

The Retribution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer, #3)

After reading the first two books in the series, this was one of my absolute favorite YA series.  We had to wait over two years between the release of the second and third books, so I was beyond anxious for the release.  Perhaps my expectations were unrealistic, but this book didn't quite live up to my expectations.

Michelle inserted chapters throughout the book which told the story of Mara's ancestors.  This provided a history of the "superpowers" Mara and her friends possess.  We also come to understand the motivations behind the research that is being conducted at Horizons, which shed some light on not only the characters' pasts and onset of their conditions, but also their future.

We eventually learn if Jude is "real or not real" and how he is connected to Horizons and Dr. Kells.  I wish there could have been a way for Michelle to tell this story without using quite so much graphic violence.  I read a lot of adult murder mysteries, so I am not opposed to violence as a whole.  I just didn't think it was fitting for this series and specifically not when it was associated with Mara.  It didn't bother me in the least when Mara "punished" a character with her powers, but it was a completely different story when she had to defend herself by traditional means.

The biggest disappointment had to be the lack of Noah throughout the story.  I don't want to give away any spoilers, but he did not have nearly the presence that he had in the first two books.  He is one of my favorite YA characters and is probably the sole reason I loved the first two books as much as I did.  Without his presence, it felt like something was missing.

Overall, I felt like the story tied everything together and provided a satisfying ending.  While it didn't live up to my 5 star hopes, it was still an entertaining story and a nice conclusion to the series.  The last 100 pages was the saving grace for me. It probably doesn't take a rocket scientist to determine what must have occurred around this point, but I flew through the last 100 pages. If only the entire book could have been like that I would have given it 5 stars like the previous two.
   

Monday, January 26, 2015

Marathon Monday: NHL All-Star 5K


I am not usually a fan of running in the cold, but as soon as I heard there was going to be an NHL All-Star 5K, I immediately signed up.  Living in Columbus, OH the weather could have been sub zero with a foot of snow this time of year, but we were very fortunate.  It was in the upper 20's with no snow on the course.

The Blue Jackets national anthem singer, Leo Welsh, was there to sing both the Canadian and U.S. national anthems.  Jody Shelley, a former Blue Jacket player and currently one of their TV broadcasters, was also there to support the event and start the race.

Here is a picture of my son and I in front of the arena with the All-Star banner.


Several of the NHL Mascots were there.  My son is a Penguins fan, so he was really excited to see Iceburgh.


Toronto Maple Leafs mascot - Carlton 


The Finish Line


The Entrance to Winter Park with my finishers medal!!


They had an All-Star Zamboni out at Winter Park along with an outdoor skating rink for fans.  There was an under 18 All-Star game going on during the race to help entertain the spectators who were waiting for runners to finish.


I certainly didn't achieve a personal record during this race, but it was a lot of fun.  There were almost 4,000 runners in the second ever NHL All-Star 5K.  Before the start of the race they announced there were only 300 runners in North Carolina for the first ever All-Star 5K a few years ago.  It is a great show of support for this event that over 13 times as many runners were willing to register and run in the cold and potential snow in Columbus, OH when a warmer weather state such as North Carolina couldn't generate a fraction of the support.    


Monday, January 12, 2015

Review: Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater

Blue Lily, Lily Blue (The Raven Cycle, #3)

Blue Lily, Lily Blue is the third book in The Raven Cycle series.  When I was at BEA last year, I asked Maggie how many books she is planning on writing in this series.  Her response was four, so we should have the conclusion to this series sometime next fall.

The primary focus of this book is not only on finding Glendower, but also Blue's mother who left at the end of the last book.  Ronan and Adam develop a stronger relationship as they combine their skills to strengthen the ley line.  We also discover why Ronan is working so hard to restore the "power" to his family farm.  

There are a few additional characters that appear throughout this book.  Malory, the older gentleman Gansey worked with in England while researching their ley line, came to stay with the Raven Boys for a while.  He added some insight into what Gansey was like several years ago as well as assisting with the search for Glendower.  Colin Greenmantle is not only the new Latin teacher at Aglionby Academy, but he has a connection with the Gray Man and ultimately to the Raven Boys.  Greenmantle's wife, Piper, becomes a major character towards the end of this story as well.    

One character dies in this book, which was completely unexpected.  This rattled the remaining characters and is forcing them to continue their quest to find Glendower at an even more rapid pace.  If death can come so suddenly and without ceremony, it could happen to anyone.  With the foretold death of a certain character in the first book in this series, it is even more important to those with this knowledge to find Glendower and receive a favor.  

I've thoroughly enjoyed this entire series so far and can't wait to see how it will conclude.  I am confident Blue and Gansey's relationship will continue to develop and they will find Glendower, so they can live happily ever after.  Authors never make it quite that easy for us, but that is what I will be hoping for until the release of the final book next October.

Monday, January 5, 2015

Marathon Monday: First Run - Burlington, VT


My husband, his twin, and my nine year old son (Preston)  had a healthy start to the new year.  They ran in the Burlington, Vermont First Run on New Years day.  It was a 5K fun run, so it didn't have chip time, but Preston's time was 30 minutes flat according to when he crossed the finish line.  He didn't start at the beginning of the pack, so his official time would have been in the 29 minute range.  That is a pretty impressive run for a little guy.  
One of my favorite quotes from the day came from an older gentleman my husband overheard telling.  He was telling someone how got passed by "a kid in elf pajamas".  (There was a costume contest, so Preston insisted on wearing his new Christmas pajamas and his Keep Vermont Weird hat.  It was a great costume, but unfortunately he didn't win the contest.  

First Run - Burlington, VT
Getting ready to start the race.

Here is a video of Preston crossing the finish line.

The three finishers