Okay, so I know it's been a while since I updated my blog, but that's only because I haven't really felt passionately about a book since Daughter of Smoke & Bone, but then this little beauty galloped into my life, and I just had to share my feelings about it with the world. I was up until 1:30 last night reading this book (which, if you know me, is pretty unheard of, unless there's a Harry Potter midnight premiere going on). Now that I've finished this book, I can't stop thinking about it. I can't get it out of my head! It's really quite distracting. You know how with some books, you finish it, and you think, "Well that was a jolly good read. Pip pip cheerio" (I don't know why, but you're British in this hypothetical scenario), and then you kind of forget about it within the next twenty-four hours? This book is the total opposite. The more I think about it, the better it is. And I've been thinking about it a lot. This book is like a beautiful stallion: stunning and graceful from afar, but you don't know how much power it's got until you're riding it. But The Scorpio Races isn't just for horse lovers! Nay! (Pun intended.) In fact, I generally don't read horse books at all, but this one changed my mind. It's got a little bit of a Hunger Games vibe to it, with the incredibly dangerous races at the center of things, which both protagonists (dual narrators Kate "Puck" Connolly and Sean Kendrick) participate in. The romance is secondary (or maybe even tertiary) to the action, and both Puck and Sean are likable lead characters. Have I mentioned lately how much I love female protagonists who are strong and independent and preferably a little sassy? Puck totally fits the bill. (For example, when a disgruntled fellow rider condescendingly asks if she needs any help, she responds, "What I need is for your mother to have thought a little harder nine months before your birthday.") On the male side of the narration, Sean is all you could ask for in a dark and mysterious Irishman. Awesome supporting characters include an adorable younger brother, an amusingly candid American businessman who befriends Sean, and, of course, the horses. Basically, this book has wooed me. I never thought I would use the word "woo" in reference to a book (who am I kidding, yes I did), but this one really did it for me. You too should be wooed, so do yourself a favor and read this outstanding book. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go research how much it would cost to buy a pony and a small farmhouse in Ireland.
I love books. A lot. Especially ones about boy wizards. I work at One More Page Books, where my co-dependent relationship with books is considered dedication to my job rather than an unhealthy disconnect with reality. Oh, and this blog used to be called "Diary of an Anomaly" when it was all about the tragecomedy of my college existence.