The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen

Cori, a girl from my online book club, decided to send the ARC she won from Goodreads.com of Sarah Addison Allen's The Girl Who Chased the Moon on tour. Ten people get a week each to read the book before sending it to the next person on the list and I was stop number one. I was pretty stoked to get a chance to participate in this tour because this was my first ARC, as well as the first book by Sarah Addison Allen that I've had the pleasure of reading.

To be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect. I wanted to go into this book blind so I avoided any synopsis and refused to even look at the back of the book. The book follows two girls, Emily Benedict who has come to Mullaby for the first time and Julia Winterson, a woman who has returned to the place she grew up but can't wait to get out of.

After her mom passes away, teenager Emily Benedict moves to Mullaby, North Carolina to live with the grandfather she never knew existed. Being the new girl is never easy, but it seems to be slightly worse for Emily because everyone seems to choose their words very carefully upon meeting her. She gradually finds out more and more about her mom's past, of which she never spoke of to Emily. She soon meets Julia, her next door neighbor who sees a bit of herself in Emily, and a charming and captivating boy named Win Coffey. Soon after arriving in Mullaby, Emily is plunged into a world of strange and wonderous things that seem to surround the Coffey family.

Julia Winterson is woman who returned to town after her dad passed away and is counting down the months until her time in Mullaby is over, so she can once again leave. She's got a troubled past and part of that past is in the form of Sawyer Alexander, who just can't seem to stay away from her.

I really enjoyed reading this book because the picture that Allen painted of the town just seemed so vivid to me and I liked the alternating POV. I became eager to finish reading because I wanted to see where the story went and when I finished, I wanted more.

The downside to this book was that it could have been a little longer, at least another hundred pages or so. The characters were likable but I would have liked to get to know them more and, especially with Julia's story, I would have liked to see that expanded into. I felt kind of let down at the end of her story and I hope there will be a second book to placate me, and other readers who feel the same as me. It was like things were explained a bit too much at the beginning and towards the end it felt like there was a rush to finish the story. There's something special about Win and Emily's story is pretty much oriented around that but when it gets to where he's basically saying "this is me," there's not really an explanation as to how or why.

The Girl Who Chased the Moon is an OK book and although it's a bit predictable at times, it's a light read and I recommend reading it at least once.

The Fiery Cross - Diana Gabaldon

I just finished reading The Fiery Cross and let me tell you, it felt like a task. I started reading this book during my book funk so I don't think that helped any. Finally though, after a few months I have finished.

First of all, I love everything about this series. I love that these books are so long because I love spending all that time with the characters. My love wasn't enough to get me through this book as quickly as I did the others though.

The Fiery Cross started with Jamie, Claire, Brianna, and Roger visiting River Run for Jocasta's wedding to Jamie's friend Duncan. The first half takes place right before, during, and after the wedding and this is the part that seemed to drag for me. There were some interesting happenings going on, and everything was a good setup for future events, but for the most part I was ready for the next portion of this book and I really hoped it picked up. Boy, did it.

Not long after everyone returns to Fraser's Ridge Jamie and Roger must leave to stand with the Milita against the Regulators at Alamance. Once the skirmish is over, Roger is purposefully identified as a Regulator and what happens literally left me open-mouthed.

After leaving Alamance, Jamie, Claire, and family return to Fraser's Ridge where Jamie eventually teaches Roger how to fight and a plan is made to catch and kill Stephen Bonnet. Once put into motion, the plan for Bonnet does not go according to plan and he ends up in the same area as Claire, Brianna, and Marsali, instead of with Jamie and Roger.

The last few chapters of the book we are reunited with Jamie's nephew Ian and he brings along an interesting item along with him for Claire and we find out more about others who have passed through the stones.

Once I got past the wedding and all that ensues with that, the book seemed to get a lot more interesting and there were a lot of varied emotions. I couldn't believe all that Roger and Jamie had gone through and I was beyond excited that Ian was back in the picture. After all this, I'm once again excited about continuing the series and I think my book funk is officially over.

I will leave you with the last few lines of the book.

"When the day shall come, that we do part," he said softly, and turned to look at me, "if my last words are not "I love you"--ye'll ken it was because I didna have time." - Jamie Fraser