Throwback Thursday #3: Trickster's Choice by Tamora Pierce

Okay, you've guessed it by now: Throwback Thursday is just an excuse for me to mini-review my favorite books. And by review I mean rave about. For example, today's throwback is one of my all-time favorite books.

Trickster's Choice 
By Tamora Pierce
Publication date: September 17, 2004
Scholastic Press
453 pages

Mini review:
The Daughter of the Lionness series is my favorite series by Tamora Pierce (and I've read them all). The main character Aly is, simply put, a total badass. She's incredibly intelligent, sneaky, kicks ass in a fight, and did I mention her razor-sharp wits? In this book, Aly literally builds herself from the ground up, going from slave to - well, I won't give it away, but let's just say that I was obsessed with being like Aly for years. Hell, thinking about TC is making me want to reread TC for the billionth time, just to read about Aly of Pirate's Sweep, and okay, maybe a little bit to read about Nawat, who is possibly the hottest male interest ever written in YA. Not only is he actually supposed to be pretty hot, but he is also totally guileless, which provides a nice contrast to the very guile-ful heroine. And of course, one of the best things about this book is that it's set in the fantasy realm of Tortall, which is the setting for several other series by Tamora Pierce (all fantastic and highly recommended by this blogger.) My only warning is that if you are very sensitive about issues of race, this may not be the fantasy for you, as it does talk about it a lot.

Definitely recommend TC to lovers of other Tamora Pierce books, Garth Nix's The Old Kingdom (Abhorsen) series, or C.S. Lewis's classic The Chronicles of Narnia.

Do you have a favorite Tamora Pierce series?

As always, feel free to join in on Throwback Thursday in the comments below or on your own blogs. And don't forget to leave a link here so I can go check it out!

Throwback Thursday is a chance to showcase great books read a long time ago, but remembered as clearly as if they were still on the nightstand with a bookmark between the pages. Write a short and sweet review and post it on your blog or on the comments to join in. Because sometimes the oldies deserve the spotlight too.

Throwback Thursday #2: The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud

Welcome to a second round of Throwback Thursday! I'm so excited about inviting other bloggers to join me, I'm thinking about making a special linky button logo thingy. You know the kind.

In case you weren't around for last week's post, my Throwback Thursday is a chance to showcase great books I read a long time ago, but remember as clearly as if they were still on my nightstand with a bookmark between the pages, with a short and sweet review. Because sometimes the oldies deserve the spotlight too.

Today's throwback is:

The Amulet of Samarkand
By Jonathan Stroud
Publication date: January 1, 2003
Disney-Hyperion
463 pages

The review:

I absolutely love this book. There's nothing more charming than having two peculiar antiheroes as protagonists. Nathaniel is a spoiled, unlikable main character. Bartimaeus is a witty, yet incredibly likable demon. Set in the best parallel reality since Harry Potter, this fantasy book's quirky characters are sure to win you over. This book also has a pretty unique feature, at least in the world of novels: footnotes. If you're thinking about stuffy old academic papers written by squinty bearded men, and forced on millions of students every year - don't! Witty and incredibly funny, these footnotes are basically my favorite part of The Bartimaeus Trilogy. Definitely recommend this book to lovers of Harry Potter, The Golden Compass, or the show Supernatural.


That's it. Short, sweet, to the point. If you like the idea of Throwback Thursday, feel free to join in by posting on the comments below or on your own blog. Just make sure you leave a link in the comments so I can check out what past read you've been thinking about lately :)

Throwback Thursday #1: Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

There are a lot of definitions of "Throwback Thursday" in the book blogging world, so I'm just coming up with my own: a chance to showcase books I read a long time ago, but remember as clearly as if they were still on my nightstand with a bookmark between the pages, with a short and sweet review. Because sometimes oldies deserve the spotlight too.

Today's throwback is: 

Daughter of Smoke & Bone 

By Laini Taylor

Publication date: September 27, 2011

Little, Brown 

418 pages

The review:

A truly original, beautifully written fantasy. The magic is in the quirky details. And I mean, really quirky. A main character with blue hair, a secret past, and a shady second life. A father figure who collects teeth, grants wishes, and oh, isn't exactly human. One of the hottest antagonists ever to be found in books.

Yep, definitely a must-read for YA Fantasy lovers.  

That's it! Short and sweet. If you like the idea, feel free to join in on Throwback Thursday in the comments below or on your own blog. Just make sure you leave a link back in the comments so I can check out what past read you've been thinking about lately :)