"Eon" and "Eona" by Alison Goodman

I had seen these books around bookstores for quite some time and was always curious about them. However, I never hear anyone talk about them and overall there is no hype surrounding this two-book fantasy series. I finally picked up Eon - the first book in the duology - last month, and literally flew through it.

The book follows a young girl who is pretending to be a boy and is being trained to become a dragoneye apprentice. Dragoneyes are the select few who are able to commune with energy dragons and use the dragon power to control weather patterns and natural disasters. The world in this book is based on Chinese and Japanese cultures which I really loved to read about. Goodman includes vivid descriptions of smells, sounds and textures that really transport the reader into the fantasy land she created. The plot is full of twists and turns, court intrigues, power plays and sword fights.

My only issue with Eon was the pacing of the narrative. Some sections were written almost in slow motion, where literally several pages described actions or a conversation that only took a few seconds. Some of the detailed descriptions I thought were unnecessary, especially in a book that is over 500 pages. After thinking about this some more I decided that perhaps Goodman was just trying to show how overwhelmed this young girl is when she is thrown into a palace life. She continues to move at a slower pace of a commoner even though events swirl and rush on around her.

Eona on the other hand was fast-paced from start to finish. In this book, the main character is much more in tune with her position of power. There is still a lot she needs to learn but the difference between her in this book and the previous one is undeniable. This book also has a bit of romance in it. At first I did not like the love triangle, if you can call it that. It was more about trying to seduce her with power and keep her from fulfilling her destiny and doing what is right. It was also pretty clear who Eona would choose in the end. The plot has endless twists and the second half of the book is filled with lies and betrayals that keep readers on their toes.

To sum up, I really enjoyed the first book, but the sequel was even better. I am glad I finally read this duology and I highly recommend it to all fantasy lovers.

"Bridget Jones: Mad about the Boy" by Helen Fielding

I really enjoyed this third installment of Bridget Jones' diaries. Although not as funny as the first two, this story of the middle-aged and newly widowed Bridget is heartwarming and entertaining.

We follow her around as five years after her husband's untimely death, Bridget still learns how to cope with grief, raise two little children, have a semblance of a career, and finally dares to dream about falling in love again. Readers who enjoyed the first two installments of "The Diaries" will undoubtedly connect with the themes in this third book as well. Fielding with her signature humor examines the pressures of parenting, aging, dating much younger men, and modern women's ridiculous pursuit of being a perfect and independent mother/daughter/lover/career woman/friend and more. I thoroughly enjoyed this book: it made me laugh, cry, and everything in between. I could really connect with the main character and understand her thinking. 

"Since You've Been Gone" by Morgan Matson

I had heard a lot of great things about Morgan Matson's writing. Her books are very popular, and Since You've Been Gone in particular has received a lot of hype. This is the only Morgan Matson book I've read so far. Since You've Been Gone is a contemporary young adult novel. It focuses on the issues which are close to any teenager's heart: friendship, growing up, falling in love, learning more about yourself and making first steps into the big adult world.

The main character - Emily - lives in the shadow of her gorgeous, risk-taking, outgoing and popular best friend Sloane. The school year has ended and Emily is looking forward to spending a great summer with her best friend. However, Sloane and her family mysteriously move away and Emily has no idea whether the move is permanent and has no way of reaching her friend. She then gets a letter in the mail which contains a list of thirteen tasks that Sloane is asking Emily to do. Some of them are completely bazaar sounding (e.g. "hug a Jamie") and others are definitely way outside of Emily's comfort zone ("kiss a stranger"). Emily decides to take up the challenge and complete all the tasks in the hopes that doing all these things will somehow bring her to Sloane. As she works her way down the list, she makes new friends, falls in love and discovers the thrill of finding courage to try new things. I think for the first time, Emily feels like she is living rather than following someone else's lead. She misses Sloane terribly, but I think she is also learning that sometimes being totally dependent on another person is unhealthy. She is discovering how to be independent, what to fill her days with when no one is planning her activities, and in the process learns new things about herself.

I really enjoyed this book. It started out a bit slow, but once I got into it I could not put it down. This will make a great weekend or vacation read. It is sweet with a bit of romance, an ultimate feel-good book.