Ross Poldark

By: Winston Graham

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 393

Published: 1945

Told in: Third Person

Series: Poldark Saga, #1

Compare to:

Persuasion, Jane Austen

Outlander, Diana Gabaldon

Tess of the d'Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy

In a nutshell:

Set in Cornwall, 1783-1787, Ross Poldark returns from fighting in the American Revolution to find that the girl he loves is engaged to his cousin, and that his father has died leaving him a derelict estate. To forget his past love, Ross throws himself into his work. But when he finds and takes in an urchin girl life for Ross begins to change.

What you may enjoy:

This is a social historical fiction; while it mentions world events that were occurring during the period it is centered on average people instead of a war or politics. It reads like a classic without feeling like a heavy book. The characters feel real and relatable, each with their own set of flaws and strengths. If you enjoy British historical fiction about the social middle class, this book is probably a good read for you.

What you may NOT enjoy:

To quote Goodreads reviewer, Ian, this is “a moderately entertaining book about nothing.” At times there is too much detail about mining or minor characters that can simply be skimmed over. It takes more than half of the book for anything to happen. There is no real draw to encourage readers to continue reading.

Warnings:

Violence and Disturbing Images:

Cock fight, killing one rooster; boys beat girl; boys throw rocks at man; man shot in the ankle, mentioned; man’s face cut with a bayonet, mentioned; dog’s tail cut off; two men fist fight; group of men fight; rocks thrown at man; man beats his daughter, mentioned; man hit and killed wife, mentioned; man shot at; man slapped; man punched; man shot in the hand; man shot in the neck; man stabs baby; man stabs woman; man falls from a house and dies

Sex and Nudity:

Woman seduces man; man has sex with a prostitute, mentioned several times; man looks at a girl’s naked body, non-graphic; man accused of being a pedophile; man kisses girl (mentioned at least 6 times); man takes girl’s dress off; girl wakes up in man’s bed after alluded sex; man slaps girl’s bottom

   

Language and Profanity:

Damnably 2xs; damn 7xs; damned 4xs; damme (damn) 9xs; damnation; bitch 2xs; hell 4xs; God 8xs

Drugs and Alcohol Abuse:

Man and woman get drunk regularly; man too drunk to get on his horse; man and woman passed out from drinking; man heavily intoxicated; drinking throughout; people frequently drunk 

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The Soul of an Octopus:

A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness

By: Sy Montgomery

Genre: Non-Fiction

Pages: 241

Published: 2015

Told in: First Person

Compare to:

The Social Lives of Dogs

       -Elizabeth Marshall Thomas

The Botany of Desire: A Plant’s-Eye View of the World

       -Michael Pollan

Bird Sense: What It’s Like to Be a Bird

       -Tim Birkhead

In a nutshell:

Montgomery explores the physical and psychological world of the octopus primarily through her experiences with the New England aquarium. From her studies she shares what she has learned about marine life, octopus personalities, and their connection to mankind.

What you may enjoy:

This is a very casual non-fiction. The book is written chronologically, a story of the author’s increased exposure to octopuses. Not only does the book contain information about octopuses, but it shares tidbits of other marine life. It is informative without being monotonous.

What you may NOT enjoy:

The philosophy of the book is questionable and is often filled more with the author’s opinions than solid fact. If you’re looking for a solid science book, don’t look here. The book is more of Montgomery’s personal journal of her experiences, riddled with similes.

Warnings:

Violence and Disturbing Images:

2 octopuses eat each other, mentioned; octopuses die, mentioned; octopus swarmed by ants; 2 starfish eat octopus corpse; octopus bits a girl; woman electrocuted by an eel; girl drowns herself, mentioned; octopus suffocates another octopus, mentioned; octopus dries out and dies

Sex and Nudity:

Sexual reference; sexual similes; octopuses mate, described and mildly graphic; sea slugs sexual technique vividly described; describes male octopuses equivalent of ejaculation; woman mentions scraping her nipples

Language and Profanity:

B*tch, H*ll

Drugs and Alcohol Abuse:

Dolphins become intoxicated from a toxic fish; fruit flies drink liquor after not being sexually sated 

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The Forgetting

By: Sharon Cameron

Genre: YA Dystopian Fiction

Pages: 403

Published: 2016

Told in: First Person

Compare to:

Divergent, Veronica Roth

The Giver, Lois Lowry

Delirium, Lauren Oliver

In a nutshell:

In the city of Canaan, every twelve years, the people forget everything―everything except what they record in their personal books. But Nadia does not forget. With the next forgetting fast approaching she will do everything she can to keep together those she loves. But there are things in Canaan’s past that even Nadia does not remember.

What you may enjoy:

This is a dystopian that you can wrap up in one book instead of three. Cameron has developed a fascinating world with interesting, consistent characters. The premise behind the book is fresh and interesting and the plot is full of twists and mysteries that will keep surprising you up until the very end.  

What you may NOT enjoy:

The book starts out slowly with most of the action concentrated at the end of the book―a book that is longer than necessary. The characters are your standard teen dystopian archetypes: angsty and unique heroine; handsome and mysterious love interest; corrupt and controlling villain.

Warnings:

Violence and Disturbing Images:

Girl mentions possibility of being flogged; girl slaps boy twice; boy burns arms; girl tackles man; women raped, implied; woman stabs herself in the arm; man whipped, mentioned; men drag a bloody girl through the street, mentioned; 3 children lay dead in the street, mentioned; man hit over the head with a board; men attack a boy; man holds knife to a girl’s throat; woman stabs a girl with a needle; girl’s wrists bleed from being tied up; boy’s hand burns and blisters from acid poison; girl dies from poison; boy tortured with drops of acid poison, non-graphic; man slaps girl; boy knocks man unconscious; building burns with people locked inside; man walks into a burning building; dead man lays in the road; man’s arm cut by a knife; boy beats man’s head against the road; boy strangles man; woman holds a knife to a girl’s throat; man stabs woman repeatedly, mildly graphic

Sex and Nudity:

Affairs implied; implies sexual relations; two sisters sit naked in a bath; boy and girl hold hands several times; boy and girl kiss passionately in a lake, mildly graphic; boy and girl kiss; girl runs hands over boy’s naked chest; boy takes off his shirt; boy and girl kiss passionately on a bed, non-graphic; man gropes girl; homosexual romantic interest implied

Language and profanity:

A** (in Russian) 4 separate times

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Sandry's Book

By: Tamora Pierce

Genre: YA/Young Reader Fantasy

Pages: 252

Published: 1997

Told in: Third Person

Series: Circle of Magic, #1

In a nutshell:

Sandry, Briar, Daja, and Tris have always been different from other children. When the mage, Niko, finds them and brings them all to the Winding Circle community they begin to form friendships with each other as they learn more about themselves and the magical powers they possess.

Compare to:

Enchanted Forest Chronicles, Patricia Wrede

The Ordinary Princess, M.M Kaye

A Tale of Two Castles, Gail Carson Levine

What you may enjoy:

A unique world with varying cultural customs, this book works to develop characters and set up the series as a whole. This is a story about people and how they grow and mature. The magic system is subtle and simple making it more believable.

What you may NOT enjoy:

This book does not have much of a plot. It focuses more on the growth of the children and their relationships. Not much really happens in the book. The story switches quickly between each child’s point of view, often leaving the reader confused and lost.

Warnings:

Violence and Disturbing Images:

Woman killed by a mob, mentioned several times; girl attacked by a group of kids, mentions kicking; boys get in a fight, kicking and biting mentioned; kids brawl – tripping, punching, biting, kicking mentioned; water cyclone picks up kids and throws them; man and woman found dead and covered in sores; woman lays dead; drunk woman covered in sores, mildly graphic; kids nearly crushed by rocks

Sex and Nudity:

Suggests man may be a pedophile

Language and profanity:

Mild insults

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The Alchemyst

By: Michael Scott

Genre: YA/Young Reader Fantasy

Pages: 390

Published: 2010

Told in: Third Person

Series: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, #1

In a nutshell:

Nicholas Flamel has been the protector of the powerful book, the Codex. When Dr. John Dee steals the book with plans to use its power to destroy the world, teenage twins, Sophie and Josh Newman find themselves in the middle of legends and magic.

What you may enjoy:

This book is similar to the Percy Jackson series. Scott pulls from well know (and some not so well known) myths and legends and combines them in this adventurous book. The series as a whole takes place within just 10 days, so it’s fast paced with lots of action. The magic system in the book is fresh and original while the writing is simple and straight forward.

What you may NOT enjoy:

If you expect the Nicholas Flamel in this book to have any relation to the character in Harry Potter or even to the real life history of Nicholas Flamel, stop now. This book is not for you. The characters are flat and the plot line is chaotic. There is no break between events and too much (action, myth, etc) has been crammed into one book. This book has good potential but tries too hard, making it weak.

Warnings:

Violence and Disturbing Images:

Two men thrown back from magic explosion; two creatures hit by debris; three creatures thrown back from magic explosion; creature explodes; creatures disintegrate; boy tackles man; boy thrown across a room; girl hits a man with a broom; rats swarm; girl fights a creature; creatures sliced by blades, non-graphic; rats sliced by blades, mentioned; crows swarm; car bursts into flames; woman threatens boy; boy knocked down; girl knocked unconscious; creatures battle; creatures burned; creature frozen and shattered; girl fights creatures; woman tackles man; woman dragged away by men; men thrown off their feet; creatures knocked back; creature attacks boy; boy hits a creature; woman frozen and crushed; people fight off the undead; undead predators attack a man; tornadoes kill undead; girl chops up undead; boy runs over a man with a car; building explodes; creature threatens woman.

Sex and Nudity:

None

Language and profanity:

G*d

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The False Princess

By: Eilis O’Neal

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pages: 319

Published: 2011

Told in: First Person

In a nutshell:

Soon after her 16^th birthday Princess Nalia is told that she is only a stand in for the real princess who has been in hiding. She is sent away from the palace after being told she is an orphan named Sinda. As she tries to find her new place in the world, Sinda discovers she possesses magic and that everything she has been told about the real princess is not as it seems.

What you may enjoy:

This is an enjoyable read for people who like authors such as Gail Carson Levine or Shannon Hale. It reads like a fairy tale with a good use of magic, budding romance, and courtly intrigue. 

What you may NOT enjoy:

Good, not great is the common consensus for this book. At times the story is slow and boring and there is a good amount of typos throughout it.

Warnings:

Violence and Disturbing Images:

Decaying body described, mildly graphic; man knocked unconscious; window shatters cutting up a boy and girl; man stabbed by a dagger; girl forcefully imprisoned; girl knocks down two men; fire burns down a stable; woman knocked unconscious; man dies, mentioned; woman beaten, mentioned; man stabbed in the arm; two girls pursued by thugs; woman stabbed through the heart, mildly graphic; girl hit by spell and killed.

Sex and Nudity:

Boy and girl kiss; boy speaks of trying to have sex with a girl; boy talks about a girl’s breasts; boy and girl kiss; passionate kissing mentioned.

Language and profanity:

G*d

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The Eye of the World

By: Robert Jordan

Genre: Epic Fantasy

Pages: 657

Published: 1990

Told in: Third Person

Series: Wheel of Time, #1 (of 13)

In a nutshell:

Raised in a quiet village, Rand, Mat, and Perrin never expected to see the horrible monsters, Trollocs, or the powerful women, Aes Sedai, but the Dark One has singled them out for a reason nobody knows. Now the three boys must learn to trust the Aes Sedai, Moraine as they run from Trollocs, Fades, and the Dark One himself.

What you may enjoy:

Fans of Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, and other intricate epics are likely to love the Wheel of Time series. Jordan not only gives us a story, he gives us a world filled with a rich and involved history. The details are intricate and all connect―not just in this book but with the others in the series. The world and people have been given so much detail it’s difficult to believe it’s not real.

What you may NOT enjoy:

The book―not to mention the series―is long. And it’s dense. Full of seemingly pointless history and past people. The writing gets confusing and occasionally leaves gaping holes. For an epic fantasy, this book needs a lot of brain power with so many characters, big words, and endless details. At points the story drags and you find that there are some characters you simply do not like.

Warnings:

Violence and Disturbing Images:

Dead bodies strewn on the floor, non-graphic and graphic; blood on the floors and walls; man kills his family and entire household, mentioned; man stabs creature; creatures dead bodies lay on the floor; creature tackles man; man stabs creature through, graphic; creatures hunt for man; creatures chase after a group of people; village raided and burned; people injured; raft sunk in a whirlpool; a rat’s spine is twisted and broken, mildly graphic; man and creature battle; creatures are burned; creatures try to catch men in nooses; woman starts an earthquake; woman creates a wall of fire; giant man tries to grab and crush several men; men are watched by unseen evil beings; woman kills husband and self, mentioned; creatures disappear leaving blood stained armor, mentioned; people trapped in a killing fog; creatures are ensnared and killed by fog, mildly graphic; creature tries to stab man with spear, man falls off a cliff into a river; ravens attack, mutilate, and kill animals, graphic; wolves attack men; wolf kills a man, mildly graphic;   lightning kills men; lightning nearly blinds man; dead body described, graphic; man stabs finger; woman attacks men with a poisoned knife; man holds knife to woman’s throat; man is kicked and beaten; man attacks woman with a knife; people attacked by trees; people chased by evil wind; evil wind attacks, mildly graphic; people attacked by creatures; creatures shot with arrows; man covered in blood; battle between men and creatures; man thrown against a building; woman strangled; creature burned and killed; man disintegrates; man creates earthquake; man creates walls of fire; woman stripped and tortured; man stabbed; man dragged and tortured; man driven mad; men driven mad.

Sex and Nudity:

Implied attraction between boy and girl, implied that a girl will try to seduce a boy

Language and profanity:

Curses that are unique to the world (i.e. “blood and ashes” or “Light”)

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