Two book reviews - because I am behind...

Hello, all!
I am a little behind - I have been reading like no one's business but I have not been posting!  What is wrong with me??!!  Anywho, I will briefly review two outstanding books that I have read over the last week and L-O-V-E-D.
Book the First:  Here Lies Arthur by P. Reeve

As I was pacing the shelves trying to find something a little action-y in my adventure section, I stumbles upon this tome.  My first thought was, "Oh, man...I put this in the wrong section." Then I began reading.  And I kept reading.  And I continued reading.  Next thing you know I was half way through the book!  This is the story of Gwyn/Gwynna, a girl whose home is detroyed by Arthur and his men.  She is picked up by Myrddin, a bard who spins fantastical tales about the savior of the realm, Arthur.  Arthur does not act or look like the savior of the realm, but thanks to the tales of Myrrdin, people all over have heard of his bravery and general awesomeness.
Myrrdin takes Gwynna under his wing and makes her his page - he also tells her she must act like a boy so that no one is suspicious of her (she becomes Gwyn).  As she gets older, Myrrdin sends her to live with Gwenhwyfar, Arthur's Christian wife, as a Lady in Waiting.  She must learn how to be a girl again and blend in with the "royal" family.
This novel is the story of Arthur through the eyes of  Gwynna/Gwyn.  She sees him not as the hero that Myrddin portrays throughtout the countryside, but as the flawed human who is a great fighter but also an intimidating leader.  It also shows how the myth of Arthur is continued even after bad situations occur, and it justifies why we need the lie of Arthur in the first place.  The flawed hero is one of my favorite types of hero in books, and for this reason I loved the story.  Along the same lines, the folks who love the myth of Arthur might find this book a bit disconcerting - they might not like to see Arthur portrayed as a brute.
This novel was greatly researched and greatly written.  I loved the use of the Welsh names for the people around Arthur - it gave the book a very authentic feel. 

Book the Second:  Divergent by V. Roth

Let me start this review by saying I have not been living under a rock for the past year.  I do know about this book, but I have refrained from reading it because I like to read series when all of the installments are in - this way I can seamlessly work my way through the story.  Once I have finished one book, I simply move to the next one in line without batting an eyelash.  With that said, I thought I would just wait until September when the last installment of this book was published and I could read the whole thing in one week.
I must have a weak will, because I could not take anymore buzz surrounding this book.  I had to read it just to see what all the fuss was about - I made it through Twilight virtually unscathed, so why not this?
Awesomeness, thy name is Roth.  This book is great - great premise, great story, great characters, and lots of awkward teen moments.  Awesome. 
This is the story of a future world where 5 factions live in peace - Abnegation, Erudite, Amity, Dauntless, and Candor.  Each of those factions are in charge of something that helps the city function - I will let you read to see what they all do.  On the day Beatrice must choose which faction she would like to join (based on an aptitude test, among other things) she decides to go into a faction completely different from where she was raised.  As she is training under the new faction, she finds romance, heartbreak, questions herself, questions her leaders - pretty much runs the gamut of teen emotions.  She also discovers that there is a plot to overthrow the government.  She must save the world and get her first kiss at the same time!!  Now THAT, my friends, is what you call good YA lit!!!
I found this book awoke my inner giggly teen, and I cannot wait to read Insurgent, the next book in the series.  I just have to wait for it to come back into the library - it is ALWAYS checked out!