Hey, you wanna have a rousing discussion about truth,honor, patriotism?*

January = 4

February = 1

March = 1

April = 7

May = 5

Total = 18

So in April I did a pretty decent job of writing up reviews after I read the book.  Not so much in May.  So as a reprieve for last month's reviews being so long - this one will be short.

Ashes, Ashes by Jo Treggiari

This book is about the end of the world (as are the last two books in this review).  A virus has taken out 99% of the population and sixteen year old Lucy survived without any vaccinations (the only known person to do this).  This is book 1 of who knows how many and I suppose I would be interested in discovering if the other books answer some questions - like, "Why did she survive when others who were not vaccinated, including her family, died?"  Overall it was a good story, but there were plot holes - which like I said, will hopefully be resolved in the next books....just not 100% sure I'll get to them.

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
This book drew me in almost instantly.  Blue is the youngest in a family of female psychics.  She was told from a very young age that her first love would die, so she has resolved never to fall in love.  Blue doesn't possess the gift, however she can enhance everyone else's.  So every year she is taken to a church for St. Mark's Eve where the spirits of those who will die in the next twelve months can be seen.  Blue has never seen one, until the one time she does.  Her aunt tells her that the only reason a non-seer would see the soon to be dead is either because they would kill that person or they are you're true love.  In Blue's case, she feels it would be both.  I thought this book was well thought out and kept me interested.  However, it is part of a trilogy and the second book didn't captivate me the same way.  Warning for parents - if I have anyone who reads this that has kids old enough to read these books, there is a bit of a language problem here, but its worse in the second book (lots of f-bombs in the beginning of the second book - a few in the first).  Just in case that is something you want to avoid.  Maybe one day I'll finish their story.

Act in Doctrine by David Bednar

This is an interactive book.  There is designated space for your thoughts throughout the chapters and then prompts at the end of each chapter on how you can apply it to your life.  It discusses the Atonement, the difference between testimony and conversion and why moral agency is central to the plan of salvation.  Elder Bednar is definitely about each person discovering the value of learning things for yourself rather than just being handed the answers.   My recommendation - take the time to read a chapter at a time.  It's not a book to squeeze in here and there (like I did).  I think you'll get more out of it if you have enough time to read a chapter together and then write out your thoughts.

Fragments by Dan Wells
Love. Love. Love. Repeat this overview for the final book Ruins.  Dan Wells does a great job of creating post apocalyptic America.  He has details in there that I admire as a writer because I wouldn't have even thought of it.  One is the fact that there are tons of plants/factories unmanned but left running and what they do to the surrounding environment when they start to blow up.  In this book Kira Walker travels across the wastelands - a.k.a. the mid-west.  To keep the story going there is the underlying "mission" of finding the members of The Trust, those individuals responsible for the current state of the world.  An interesting read that kept me going (and unlock some trilogies I've "started" left me wanting more).

Ruins by Dan Wells
I love how the book rounds out.  I have issues with the last paragraph, but other than that I love the character development and I appreciate the way that Wells finished up with the old world to begin a new one where Partials and Humans could coexist.  I'd recommend this series to anyone.