Dragons, Magic, & a little Romance...

So I've read 28 books so far this summer...halfway to my goal of 60!  I figured I should probably share some of what I've been reading with you!

One book I read recently is Seraphina, by Rachel Hartman.  This was my first ever book about dragons, which honestly, I avoid, because it seems like it's not really my thing.  However, this book had been on my to-read list for over a year, so I finally got around to giving it a shot, and you know what, I liked it!  In Seraphina, humans have enjoyed a tenuous peace with dragons for the past 40 years.  Dragons take human form and live as part of the human world and everyone mostly gets along, but there are definitely ugly feelings toward one another that have not totally been resolved - think racism, but with dragons vs. humans.  Seraphina has lived a fairly solitary life trying to stay out of the attention of most people, because she has a secret.  She is half-dragon, half-human.  But when Seraphina gets a job as a court musician and her talents put her in the spotlight, she also finds herself in the middle of a plot to overthrow the peace and she has to decide which side she is on and what she is going to do to make a difference.  This book is full of really quirky and likable characters.  Though it was published in 2012, there is going to be a long-awaited sequel, Shadow Scales coming out in March of 2015.  If you read this one and like it, you'll want to be on the lookout for the sequel!

Many of you may remember that last year, I recommended author John Stephens' The Emerald Atlas, which was also one of last year's Truman nominees.  I recently read the second book in the series,  The Fire Chronicle, which continues the journey of siblings Kate, Michael, and Emma in their quest for the three Books of Beginning.  In The Emerald Atlas, they found the first book (the atlas) which was able to transport them to different places and times in the world.  In The Fire Chronicle, the kids go in search of the 2nd book, the Book of Life.  Kate gets separated from Michael and Emma, who have to go on in search of the book without Kate.  As in the first book, there is lots of action and adventure, and ironically enough, also a dragon in this story, though it's not the main focus, as in Seraphina.  If you're looking for a book that is full of action with a little magic and fantasy thrown in, you'll love this series.  The third book, The Black Reckoning, is due out in March of 2015.

Thanks to NetGalley, I was able to preview The Kiss of Deception, the first in Mary E. Pearson's newest series, The Remnant Chronicles.  Pearson is the author of the popular Jenna Fox series, as well.  In this story, Lia is the first daughter of the king and is about to be forced into an arranged marriage with the prince of another country.  Lia is not one to be forced into anything, though, and runs away on the morning of her wedding.  She manages to find her way to a new, simpler life as a maid where she meets two young men, to whom she connects.  Little does she know that one is the prince she was supposed to marry and the other is an assassin, who plans to kill her.  When she realizes that her actions have placed her country in danger, she knows she must return and try to make amends.  Will she make it home, or will more sinister events occur in her life?  The ending is an absolute cliffhanger that will leave you wanting more of Lia's story.  This book hits bookshelves on July 15th and you will not want to miss it!