Two great reads

I've been taking advantage of my writing break to gorge myself on books. Oh, how I miss the days of doing nothing but reading in my spare time! (Not that I'd give up writing for anything in the world, but still...) I recently read two books that were absolute five star reads for me and I wanted to share them with you (although, neither one of them are recent releases so maybe you've already discovered their genius for yourself!).  

Fire by Kristin Cashore
 
From Kristin's website:

Fire,   Graceling  's stand-alone prequel-ish companion book, takes place across the mountains to the east of the seven kingdoms, in a rocky, war-torn land called the Dells.

Beautiful creatures called monsters live in the Dells. Monsters have the shape of normal animals: mountain lions, dragonflies, horses, fish. But the hair or scales or feathers of monsters are gorgeously colored-- fuchsia, turquoise, sparkly bronze, iridescent green-- and their minds have the power to control the minds of humans. 

Seventeen-year-old Fire is the last remaining human-shaped monster in the Dells. Gorgeously monstrous in body and mind but with a human appreciation of right and wrong, she is hated and mistrusted by just about everyone, and this book is her story.

Man, oh man, did I love this book. I loved every single thing about it. The characters, the prose, the plot, the pacing, the love story--perfect, all of it. I didn't want the book to end and the story is still clinging to my mind and heart. I really liked Graceling and wanted more of Katsa's and Po's story, not someone new, and so was reluctant to read this book. I'm so sorry I waited. It's so excellent. I can only gush about it in an almost nonsensical way. Gush gush gush.

Go! Buy! Love!     B&N | Amazon | Indiebound  (Incidentally, you do not need to read Graceling before you read Fire.)
 

Matched by Ally Condie

From Amazon:
 
For Cassia, nothing is left to chance--not what she will eat, the job she will have, or the man she will marry. In Matched, the Society Officials have determined optimal outcomes for all aspects of daily life, thereby removing the "burden" of choice. When Cassia's best friend is identified as her ideal marriage Match it confirms her belief that Society knows best, until she plugs in her Match microchip and a different boy’s face flashes on the screen. This improbable mistake sets Cassia on a dangerous path to the unthinkable--rebelling against the predetermined life Society has in store for her. As author Ally Condie’s unique dystopian Society takes chilling measures to maintain the status quo, Matched reminds readers that freedom of choice is precious, and not without sacrifice.

I also really loved this book, but in a very different way than Fire. I looooooved the way this book is written. I wished I had written this book. The prose is so lovely and spare--the only words on the page are the exact ones that need to be there to let you into Cassia's mind and heart. And the love story in Matched is beautiful. It unfolds slowly, delicately, savoring each moment. Also, the worldbuilding is really cool. I read the last words, hugged the book to my chest and dove for my computer to order the sequel...only to find I had to wait until November. :( Highly recommended. 

Go! Buy! Love!    B&N | Amazon | Indiebound