Ashleigh's Bookshelf

Stalks of Gold by Celeste Baxendell Aurelia is the humble daughter of the village miller who possesses a certain talent for the spinning wheel. Although she does not know many people, her best friend Sandor has always been there for her. But, Sandor has never told Aurelia his biggest secret. Before he can, the king arrests her, locking her in the tower and ordering her to spin straw into gold. While Sandor races to free her, Aurelia turns to the only other person who has shown her friendship, the mysterious stranger who appeared on her doorstep only days earlier. Can he help her to survive? A wonderful blend of Rumpelstiltskin and Rapunzel, this dual-narrative story is an interesting reinterpretation of the classic fairy tales. I especially appreciated how the main characters were constantly acknowledging their own flaws. While I found the characters well-developed and enjoyed watching them grow, there were a few places where I would have liked to see more....

A Novel Proposal by E. E. Everly Annalise has a problem. She is in love with her boss, but Evan is clueless. Fed up with being in the friend zone, she quits without warning. She doesn't even want to read the edits he made on her novel. But when a friend insists she read the book, she discovers he has made some drastic suggestions. Will reading his changes help Annalise see Evan in a new light? Or has she lost her best friend. This was a very cute story and something I recommend for all romance writers, as we can relate to a lot of the situations within the story. That said, I did have a couple of issues with the book. There were several scenes, specifically the ones involving the ski resort and the hospital, that felt they could have used a little more research. I'm not exactly sure where this story was supposed to take place, but Annalise and Evan's experiences were drastically different than mine and the events, while cute and helped dri...

Year 1: Renegade A supernatural academy book for teens by Tamara Hart Heiner Unlike the teenagers who have just arrived at the Guardian Angel Academy, Jez has not just completed her life on earth. She is a transfer student, wingless and bound by chains. While her instructors think she is trying to learn how to become a Guardian, she is actually on a mission from her master. This book is difficult to review without spoilers, but I will do my best. I really enjoyed watching Jez grow throughout the book. In addition to her book knowledge, she learned about relationships and emotions. The story begins a little slow, with a lot of worldbuilding information, but after the first chapter it really picks up. The book could also have used one more proofreading pass, as I found numerous typographical and grammatical errors. However, most of the time they were not enough to detract from the overall story. This story centers around relationships and I liked watchin...

Let It Snow John Green Maureen Johnson Lauren Myracle This book is a compilation of three intertwined novellas. Though they do all work well together, they can also each be read individually. Story #1: The Jubilee Express It's Christmas Eve and sixteen-year-old Jubilee is looking forward to celebrating her one-year anniversary with Noah. Unfortunately, when her parents get arrested, she is sent to spend the holiday with her grandparents instead. What starts as an irritating inconvenience turns into a major problem when the worst storm in fifty years hits. Determined not to let fourteen rowdy cheerleaders ruin her holiday, Jubilee sets off to make the best of the worst holiday of her life. I really enjoyed this story, though I don't have a lot to say about it. I liked watching Jubilee grow. As the daughter of a Christmas Village collector, I found that storyline riotous (pun intended). I could completely relate to Jubilee's irritation with her parent...

Dahlia's Backstage Pass Ethan Cobalt Dahlia has her entire life planned. In a few weeks, she and her on-again/off-again boyfriend will go to college. She will become a nurse, he a doctor. Together, they'll volunteer for Doctors Without Borders and see the world. Most importantly, she'll be able to leave the trailer park she calls home. But when an old friend calls out of the blue, Dahlia realizes she can't turn down his offer to work with his band. Suddenly, her world is turned upside-down and she must question everything from her career goals to her relationship. I enjoyed this story, although I did spend much of the book wondering if Dahlia stepped out of one manipulative relationship just to enter another one. I think this was ultimately because I didn't really get to know the character very well. I would have liked to have seen him developed a little more. I also would have liked to know Finn better as well. I saw some potentia...

Worth the Effort: Ella's Story by Kai Strand When Ella encounters a homeless teen behind the coffee shop where she works, she struggles to overcome her fear of him. Curious about how he ended up on the streets, she learns more about herself than his story. I found this story very enjoyable. I liked learning about Ayden and watching Ella grow. I would have liked to have learned a little more about Ella's world. Why was she working at the coffee shop. Did she have any close friends? I didn't get the impression she did. Overall, I found this a cute story and look forward to reading Ayden's side. I would rate this story four quills and place it on my middle shelf.