Graceling by Kristin Cashore

[Sheri, Bookworm]

Starting this Monday!

[Sheri, Bookworm]

As for chapters...How about 6? This book is almost 500 pages so it will probably take a bit longer. There are 39 chapters total.

[Tammy]

Oh man, I loved Graceling!!

[Sheri, Bookworm]

Good :) I'm looking forward to it!

[Laura]

This is an AMAZING book. READ IT READ IT!!!! :D :D

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

Maybe we will have more participation :)
I am looking forward to this.

[Sheri, Bookworm]

I downloaded it yesterday. Looking forward to it :)

[David]

So good!!! Enjoy everyone :) I can't wait to read the other two books!

[Sheri, Bookworm]

Have you read EVERYTHING David?!? I'm jealous!

[David]

Lol!! When we were in Hawaii I was getting a lot of time to read in between writing sessions on the beach so I was knocking out a book every three days for a while ;) Now I'm struggling to read a book a week as I've been finishing writing the third book in The Dwellers Saga. But I just finished the first draft today (93,000 words) so I'm going to have some free time to read more again coming up soon! There are still so many books I need to read :)

[Sheri, Bookworm]

What do you think so far Leigh? I'm just starting now, so I'll post later :)

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

It is a little confusing at first getting acquainted with the dialogue. I still don't quite get what is a graceling? Katsa is a kicka** heroine. Her characater reminds me of Jennifer Garner's character on Alias except Katsa has a sword. She accidentally kills someone when she was young because she felt threaten. Almost everyone shuns her because of her eyes and they are afraid of what she can do. Her uncle is the only one who supposedly cares for her but he is really just using her as his assassin.

[Sheri, Bookworm]

This is through chapter 8

This is one of the strangest audios I've heard…with the music, different voices, and thoughts sounding like echoes. It's neat, but different.

I agree…the first few chapters are confusing. The kingdoms and their workings seem really complex.

The gracelings people who are born or "graced" with special skills. As far as I can tell so far there is no way to tell if a person will be a graceling until after they are born...then their eyes change color, but they won't know what their grace is until it comes out in some way.

I like Katsa. She's definitely going to make the book fun. She is basically doing her uncle's muscle work and getting absolutely no respect for it. I like that she's taken the initiative and started the council to use her grace to help people.

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

Sherry, I like the audio, too. It is almost like a play you can only hear.

[Sheri, Bookworm]

Like a play...I hadn't thought about that. I like it :)

[Sheri, Bookworm]

Your daughter's wedding pictures are beautiful!

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

Thank you, Sherry. It was a wonderful night!!! I am still recovering from last week.

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

I listened to Ch. 18. At first, I didn't know what to think of Po. I'm glad that Katsa finally has someone that she can feel confortable with. I like that even though Katsa was trained as a killer she tries not to kill.

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

Does each Grace have it's own eye color?

[Sheri, Bookworm]

I don't know. I'm not sure if it says. I don't think so because Po and Katsa are fighers and they have different colors, hers blue and green, his silver and gold. That would be a creepy combination to see.

I'm at chapter 12 right now but listening as I type :) Do you think Po can read minds? What do you think of Gidon(sp) being in love with Katsa?

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

I didn't remember it talking about it. Why people don't want to look at Katsa? Is it because of the eyes or her reputation? The color combination would be creepy. Po has some ablility. As far as Gidon is concerned, is he really in love with her or does he want to use her like her uncle?

[Sheri, Bookworm]

Ok, I'm all caught up to 18. I like Po :)

[Mary]

I loved this series

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

I like Po, too. I'm glad Kasta finally accepts Po's Grace. He can't help it anymore than she can.

[Sheri, Bookworm]

I haven't finished today's yet (I think I'm on 22)...but what do you think about how his Grace is growing and getting stronger? And the fact that he thinks her Grace isn't just about fighting. Hers must be more about survival rather than just fighting.

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

I still don't quite get the Grace? How does it work? Is it that the more they work it that it grows stronger? I could see that coming that it was more about survival. I'm on Ch 23.

[Sheri, Bookworm]

I'm on 23 now too. Have to work for a while though. I don't think the Grace is supposed to be evolving. Maybe his is just more than mindreading and he didn't realize it before?

[Rachel]

At first I had this thought that the reason Po's grace is getting stronger is because they are entering a different region and it had something to do with the nearness to something, but maybe it has more to do with practice. Katsa's learning to block out Po, and I have a feeling that this will become important when she finnaly meets this King . . . um,Leck.

[Sheri, Bookworm]

Rachel wrote: "At first I had this thought that the reason Po's grace is getting stronger is because they are entering a different region and it had something to do with the nearness to something..."

I hadn't thought about that. Good idea :)

[Sheri, Bookworm]

I really like this book. I like how Katsa's character is growing. At first she seemed so young and innocent almost, even though she was basically a killer, but now she's seeing herself differently and realizing she does not have to be that person. Even though not much has been happening (traveling through the forest), the author does a pretty good job of keeping the story interesting. I like her writing style. It seems very simple and straightforward, but it works for the setting and the characters.

I already know I want to read the next two in the trilogy.

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

I see buddy read in our future. You want to see if we can get the next in the series? I like it, too. I like the progression of Katsa and Po's characters. I really don't like this Lex's character. He is worse than Katsa's uncle. I want to find out more about his Grace. It is definitely a persuasion Grace. I think?

[Laura]

(As a head's up, "Fire" is a companion and more like a prequel. Bitterblue is the sequel to Graceling, but I would read "Fire" after "Graceling" and then "Bitterblue" if I were you.

[Sheri, Bookworm]

Leigh wrote: "I see buddy read in our future. You want to see if we can get the next in the series? I like it, too. I like the progression of Katsa and Po's characters. I really don't like this Lex's character. ..."

Lol! I already checked with my library. I can get Fire on audio, but I'll have to read Bitterblue.

[Sheri, Bookworm]

Laura wrote: "(As a head's up, "Fire" is a companion and more like a prequel. Bitterblue is the sequel to Graceling, but I would read "Fire" after "Graceling" and then "Bitterblue" if I were you."

Thanks. I noticed when I read the descriptions that they weren't exactly sequals with continuation of characters. Too bad, I like Katsa and Po :)

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

So do we do Fire or Bitterblue?

[Sheri, Bookworm]

Fire is #2 even though it doesn't seem to have the same characters and Bitterblue is #3, so I say we do Fire.

[David]

Ooh I want to read them both!! Gotta find a copy first though :)

[Sheri, Bookworm]

Yay David!

We still have to finish Graceling, so it won't be until next week.

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

Yay, David!!! I will request it from the library. We can start Monday?

[Christy]

I really disliked this book. The sentences are all fragments. I thought that the writing style took away from the flow of the story :(

[Sheri, Bookworm]

Christy wrote: "I really disliked this book. The sentences are all fragments. I thought that the writing style took away from the flow of the story :("

We're listening to the audio book instead of actually reading it. The audio is very smooth. Interesting the difference it can make whether you're reading or hearing it.

[Christy]

Sheri wrote: "Christy wrote: "I really disliked this book. The sentences are all fragments. I thought that the writing style took away from the flow of the story :("

We're listening to the audio book instead of..."

Hmmmm...that is interesting. I ought to listen to it and see if it makes a difference!

[Sheri, Bookworm]

I like how they do the audio. Each character has a different voice instead of the same narrator throughout. It's different.

[Sheri, Bookworm]

Leigh wrote: "Yay, David!!! I will request it from the library. We can start Monday?"

Monday should be okay. I'm on the waiting list for it but am in the #1 position so I should have it by then :)

[Lauryn]

Christy wrote: "I really disliked this book. The sentences are all fragments. I thought that the writing style took away from the flow of the story :("

I noticed this here and there as well though it didn't distract me too much.

I just finished reading this and am a little unsure of how I feel about it.

I really liked the beginning - really, I loved the first half of it, but the second half got slow and drawn out to me. I also felt like it was a little heavy with feminist themes.

[David]

Leigh wrote: "Yay, David!!! I will request it from the library. We can start Monday?"

Aww thanks! I'm not sure ill get it in time though as I'm reading 3 books right now, including The Uglies, which is awesome :)

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

Christy wrote: "Sheri wrote: "Christy wrote: "I really disliked this book. The sentences are all fragments. I thought that the writing style took away from the flow of the story :("

We're listening to the audio b..."

Give the audio a try. It is like listening to a play.

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

I checked out Fire so when you are ready we can start. My library doesn't have Bitterblue.

[Sheri, Bookworm]

Leigh wrote: "I checked out Fire so when you are ready we can start. My library doesn't have Bitterblue."

Mine does but not the audio.

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

Sheri wrote: "Leigh wrote: "I checked out Fire so when you are ready we can start. My library doesn't have Bitterblue."

Mine does but not the audio."

I will check out the other library or see if they have the paperback.