The Crown of Approval - December 2011

This will mark the very first Crown of approval! Due to a late start in November, there are a grand total of 8 books in this month's selection. I thoroughly enjoyed reading them all but there can be only one winner.

Normally the vote tally would have considerable say in this process, however, the voter turnout was much smaller than expected and so it was not given as much weight in the decision. For next months Crown voting I hope to hear from more of you!

I am very happy to announce this months Crown winner, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern!

This was one of the best books I have ever read. I cannot express my enthusiasm enough to those of you who have yet to read it! it was a twisted and beautiful tale of magic and passion on a level I have not seen in a long time. This is one of my favorite novels of all time and I hope you all get the chance to read it!

The Crown will be reflected on the Wall of Books shortly.

The Wall of Books

Introducing Boow Reviews Wall of Books! The cover of each reviewed book will go up on our wall of books for everyone to see. At the end of each month, the book that wins the coveted Crown of Approval will be stamped with the mark of the crown on our wall of books and as the wall grows you'll be able to find our favorites!
Check out the wall in it's early stages in our links section on the right side of the page!
What do you think?

Book Review - All My Friends are Superheroes

This was one of the most heartwarming books I've read. It was quite short, only 106 pages, but it lacked nothing.
On the night of his wedding, Tom becomes an unfortunate soul when his wife, the Perfectionist, is hypnotized so that he is invisible to her in every way. She cannot see him, cannot hear him and cannot touch him. Six months after Tom disappears from her, she feels like he has abandoned him and decides to leave the city and fly to Vancouver. The Perfectionist's superpower is to make everything around her perfect and Tom knows that once she lands in Vancouver she will make it perfect without him and she will be lost to him forever. He has until the plane touches down.

I really enjoyed all the different everyday superheroes. Chances are you know someone like each of them and they are highly relatable. It is another perspective in looking at everyday life to hit home a point that everyone can agree on. Everyone is unique and different and we are all special in our own way.

Andrew Kaufman writes an endlessly entertaining book that you can read over and over again. I strongly recommend this book to everyone. It was very enjoyable.

Book Review - The Magician King

The land of Fillory is a magical place where the people are carefree and its rulers live lavishly in their palace. All four of them. They have everything they could ask for and more and life is perfect. Almost too perfect.
Quentin is thirsting for an adventure. The very first quest available is going to be all his. There's news and Quentin gets what he asked for.
He's going to collect some taxes.
Okay, so it's not all he hoped for but it's something. To spice it up, he decides to hold a tournament to find the greatest swordsman in all the land! He rejuvenates one of the finest ships the world has ever seen and gathers a crew of many men! With his queen Julia he sets sail on his new prized ship, the Muntjac.
Their adventure leads them to a distant island few have ever visited. But there is a jewel hidden in the rough. There lay in plain sight a golden key. A key that could change everything they've come to know and love. And they want it. This is where Quentin and Julia's adventure truly begins. Basking in the simplicity of their task they never see it coming.

In a thrilling story of magic and fantasy, Lev Grossman gives a shining display of realism and creativity to showcase a world of magic for adults. Compared to Harry Potter with a shot of whiskey, this book takes magic to a whole other level.

This book was delightfully twisted and maddening at the same time. The only criticism I have is that the ending really leaves you hanging in a place you really don't expect. Otherwise, it will take you places you never thought you would go and making you cry out in frustration, it will keep you on your toes. Enter the magical world of Fillory and unleash your imagination.

Next Weeks Review!

This next novel I'm actually pretty excited for. I've had this book on my shelf for about a month now and it's finally time to read it. It's been called Harry Potter with a shot of whiskey, get ready for next weeks novel The Magician King by Lev Grossman!

Book Review - State of Wonder

This was an inspiring journey into the heart of the Amazon. A wonderful experience to read, this novel takes you on a path of discovery to see the hidden mysteries in nature and opens your mind to the secrets it holds.
Marina Singh has just suffered a terrible loss. Her friend and colleague for years is dead in the amazon, thousands of miles away. The only evidence is a short, crude note from the last known person to be in his company. Dr Annick Swenson.
In the employment of a high profile pharmaceutical company, Swenson hasn't left the amazon in a decade. With no means of contacting her, Marina is forced to come to her to discover the circumstances of her friends demise. If that is not enough, the doctor is working on a miraculous new drug and Marina finds herself in the middle of one of the most important medical discoveries of the century. But is it the discovery she thinks it is?

Ann Patchett is a masterful storyteller. In a gripping story that takes you down the amazon river to join the ranks of the Lakashi tribe, you will find yourself consumed in the mysteries held within. I really enjoy the way she brought this story to life. The story left pieces of itself transfixed in my mind. Pieces that will wrench your heart out and play with your emotions. Bravo to one of Ann Patchett's finest.

Next Weeks Review

So it doesn't come as a surprise to anyone which book I'll be reviewing in the weeks to come, I'll be posting the book title a week ahead of time so you guys can follow along with me from now on.

Next weeks book will be State of Wonder by Ann Patchett! I'm very excited for this book I've heard nothing but good things. The review will hopefully be posted by Monday night of next week. Hope to hear from you all =)

Book Review - The Night Circus

The fascinating story of The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

This was an entrancing creation of the imagination. As though you were entering a dream you did not want to wake from. It was simply intoxicating.
Celia Bowen has a gift. Something so special it can only be described as magic. This talent draws her into a game and a pact is made to stage an exhibition of extraordinary talent in the years to come. As she grows older, her abilities become an art,  her power of illusion immaculate. The stage is finally set and Celia enters a world of fantasy. The Circus of Dreams.
Beyond imagination, the world around her is wondrous. But she cannot outrun the past. The game is on. Watching from the outskirts, her opponent watches intently. Their talents are impressive, rivaling her own and mystical creations surround her, things she could never do. But who are they?
Strange things begin happening in the circus. Perhaps it is the circus itself. But perhaps it is the exhibition.
In a game without rules and the power to bend the laws of the world, a winner must be decided.


In a magnificent display of all that is magical, Erin Morgenstern weaves a world of wonder. Drawing you into a world you only wish you could be a part of. It is artful and mysterious, written with class and a touch of wonder. A tale of love and creation and utterly entrancing, it is truly a circus of dreams.
Magic is something we all want to believe in. Strange but fascinating, we yearn to have it at our fingertips. This book makes it real. Creating a world of imagination for you to believe in and a fantasy for you to explore.

Lose yourself in the circus you will never forget.

Our Book Review Crown of Approval!

Introducing Boow Reviews new emblem: the Crown of Approval!

As of today I will be be doing a monthly Crown of Approval Post. Of the books I have reviewed for that month, I will choose my favorite one and give it my stamp of approval!

Readers will be allowed to vote on their favorites and the overall tally will be taken into account before the final decision it made. Please send votes in to me by email, listed in the about me section, or comment below!

Since it is already December, I will take the books reviewed in November and group them with the reviews of this month and the Crown of Approval will be given out at the end of December.

Until then I hope you enjoy my reviews!

Book Review - Perfect People

This review is dedicated to Peter James' Perfect People.

This book is artfully twisted. The hopeful parents of a child lost to a rare and unfortunate genetic disease, Naomi and John Klaesson are dedicated to make a healthy replacement baby. They will go to any length to not endure the fall of another child to a mortifying and untimely death. They found Dr. Dettore. A visionary genius, Dettore vows to give them a perfect child. A child created to be genetically superior to every human being on the planet. The Doctor gives them unfathomable options in the genetic makeup of their son and their excitement elevates as they give him unprecedented advantages in life. Naomi becomes pregnant and they are hopeful.
But something is wrong.  People start to die. 
Ensnared in an earth-altering plot, the Klaesson's are terrified and confused. Moving halfway around the world as their lifelines evaporate, shadows creep in upon them. They're not safe. Never Safe.


In this wonderfully chilling story, boundaries are shattered to the point of disbelief. This was one of the most interesting concepts I've ever read in a book. I found myself thinking about how obsessed we are with becoming perfect. Makes you wonder. How soon will this book become our reality?
In a progressively unsettling story, Peter James gives you a taste of a life with a perfect child...or two?
Would you do it?

Be careful what you wish for...

Book Review - Divergent

This review is for the brilliant novel by Veronica Roth, Divergent.

One choice can transform you. One choice determines your loyalties forever. In this world, at the age of 16, each and every person decides their fate with a single choice. They must devote their lives to one of five factions, each serving a specific virtue: honesty, selflessness, intelligence, peacefulness and bravery.
Tris has made her choice. Sealed with a drop of blood, she leaves everything she knows behind. But was it the right one?  Choosing a new identity is the start of a new life for her presenting new challenges, new values and new friends. But she can never forget who she was.
In a flawless display of writing prowess, Veronica Roth leads you into an exhilarating world of intrigue and wonder as Tris struggles to overcome fear itself. Fighting for a limited space in her new faction, she must succeed or risk a life of misery and solitude as a member of the factionless, there are no second chances. But she doesn't belong anywhere. She is unique. She is divergent.
Everywhere she turns it is dangerous to be in her shoes. If anybody were to find out what she really was she may go to sleep and never wake up.
Something is awry with her faction and as she crosses the line between truth and fiction she is thrown into the epicenter of something terrifying. All the simulated fears she has worked to overcome, she must now face for real.

I really enjoyed the idea of choosing your own faction. I found myself wondering constantly; what faction would I choose? The idea of a single choice having such an impact was so powerful that I could never decide. Your life and your personality would change to reflect your choice and new set of values dramatically. I found it wonderfully thought provoking.
A unique and entrancing view into a virtuous dystopian realm,  Divergent is a marvelously refreshing outlook on personal choices and individuality.
In a world divided, nothing is perfect. Not even a virtue.

Book Review - Shatter Me

This week we have the new YA novel By author Tahereh Mafi, Shatter Me. 

This book is a descriptive wonderland. Everything is so fantastically described you could almost visualize yourself walking through this post apocalyptic dystopia. The story follows Juliette, a confused teen with unusual powers lost in an abyss of loneliness.
Juliette has it rough. Locked up in an institution indefinitely, she suffers from what can only be described as a genetic mutation that causes excruciating pain and eventual death upon the slightest touch of her skin. She almost immediately becomes reacquainted with Adam, her perfect man and silent defender from the past as he is paired as her cellmate for good behavior. 
An intensely graphic and thrilling romance, the characters are electric and passionate. A pure representation of a first-time love, raw and powerful feelings erupt through the seams of a world turned upside down.
My favorite part about this novel is that it feels like you just picked up somebody's notebook and started reading. Tahereh Mafi gives such an impressive display of realism that you feel as though you can follow Juliette's train of thought. The clashes in her mind are just as exciting as her fight for acceptance in reality. You're not only limited to what she thinks, but you also get to see what she doesn't want to think. It is her thoughts and feelings written down on a page and a constant battle within her of what she wants and what she thinks is right.  
An incredible representation of what a YA novel should be, Shatter Me should find it's way on to your bookshelf and into your mind.

Book Review - Before I Go to Sleep

So over the last few weeks, I kept hearing people talking about this new book Before I Go to Sleep. Finally, after a recommendation from Harper Collins, I went straight down to to Indigo and picked up a copy.

First, let me say that this is not the typical book that I like to read. That being said, this one one of the most captivating books I have ever set my eyes on. I read it all in one sitting, I just could not put it down!

The book starts off in a total state of confusion for both the reader and the main character, Christine. Everything is described as unfamiliar and frightening and we start to feel her confusion. After a few pages we find out that she is seeing a doctor and she has started keeping a journal. She has a rare disease that causes her to lose all her memories of the day when she goes to sleep and this journal is a tool to try an help her restore them.
I thought this was a brilliant ploy by author S.J. Watson to pull you into Christine's world and makes you see the world through her eyes. You find yourself relying on her journal for information just as much as she does and as the novel progresses you begin to feel just how important it is to her and what would happen to her life if it were to disappear.As you read on, Christine starts to collect fragments of her past and slowly pieces them together. But at the same time, you are following along with her trying to piece it together on your own.
This book is full of surprises and just when you think you've got it figured out, everything gets turned around on you! This is S.J. Watson's debut novel and it is phenomenal! I strongly recommend this book to anyone and everyone. It's a great read for both men and women and it will keep you guessing right up to the end.
Enjoy!