A Jane of All Reads

Pirate Lovin'

2012-01-20T18:43:00.002-06:00

It's no secret that I love trashy historical romance novels. In the past I have tried to hide it but now I'm proud to be branded as a shameless romance book hussy. And why shouldn't I? Have you ever read one? Did you get caught up in the magic and romance and lust and all out joy that only a work of pure escapism can bring? If you haven't you should probably try it or else the cool kids are going to start rumors about you being frigid.

As I've mentioned before, I'm systematically (the system being which ever book I can find for the least expense at the time) working my way through Sarah MacLean's list of must read romances. She hasn't let me down yet. Two of her picks happen to be of the piratical persuasion and take place at sea, aboard a ship that has only just turned semi-respectable, both with captains who have themselves, yet to embrace respectability.

Till Dawn Tames the Night

Author: Meagan McKinney
Publisher: Dell
Date: April 2, 1991
Pages: 467
Genre: Historical Romance

Till Dawn Tames the Night by Megan McKinney, happens as directed above to a prim and proper English school mistress, on a ship bound for Jamaica where she believes she is to take a position as a lady's companion. Little Aurora Dayne has no idea that it's all a ruse brought about by the ship's captain, the quite dastardly and dangerous Vashon. Vashon believes that Aurora is in possession of information that will lead him to a priceless treasure that was spirited away by Aurora's father, an accomplished thief. We have a kidnapping, a tussle and ultimately an unbreakable bound but not before we have a great deal of sexual tension and interpersonal strife.

Gentle Rogue

Author: Johanna Lindsey
Publisher: Avon
Date: December 1, 1990
Pages: 448
Genre: Historical Romance

Gentle Rogue marks my second run in with romance author Johanna Lindsey so I knew a bit of what to expect with this pirate romance. Lindsey's novel is quite tame when compared to Mckinney's. Georgina Anderson, shipping heiress, sister to five brothers and stubborn, naive hot head, has gone to England in search of her long-lost fiancé. When she failed to recieve word from him in over six years, it shouldn't have surprised Georgie that her wayward love had long since forsaken her for another. Interesting times have left George and her friend Mac stranded in England without funds and in great need of getting back to America before Georgie's flight is discovered. It makes perfect sense that she and Mac would hire themselves out to work on a ship in exchange for passage back to America, just as it makes perfect sense for Georgie to disguise herself as a cabin boy to James Malory, a licentious English lord who is on to her from the start.

Of our two "heroes" I'm quite fixedly team Vashon. I couldn't stand Malory's voice and his incessant and boisterous dialogue. James, how can we lust after you if won't stop talking? Don't you know that the hero is just around to brood and look good? Vashon was an absolute slime of a human being which of course I found endearing because one must always root for the bad boy to win. But where James was all talk, Vashon simple carried out his evil plans without a lot of quip.

Aurora was a little mouse of a thing and she never developed any backbone so I could take or leave her. But Georgie was a troublesome, interfering insufferable hell raiser (I guess I can relate) and I supported her antics from the start. Couldn't we have them switch and let Georgina and Vashon get together? That's the primary reason I chose to talk about these two books together. I loved half of each of them SO MUCH that I just want to squish the two together and let the parts I don't like fall out.

Still, they were both great pirate romances and I greatly enjoyed them both. I enjoyed them even though the cover of Gentle Rogue, being one of those covers screams "THIS WOMAN IS READING TRASH! LOOK! RIGHT THERE! TRASH!" Lurve. Yay for pirates.

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

2012-01-17T18:27:00.001-06:00

Under the Never Sky

Author: Veronica Rossi
Publisher: HarperCollins
Date: January 3, 2012
Pages: 384
Genre: YA- Dystopia, Fantasy

I know this is one of those 2012 YA debuts that we're suppose to blindly and unconditionally love but I have to be honest- my heart isn't going pitty-pat in response to this story. Its rhythm is a bit more bradycardic.

In a world (sounds like a movie trailer doesn't it) devastated by storms that scorch and destroy everything they touch, civilizations have sprung up inside well enforced and protected underground settlements. Denied access to the outer world, the Dwellers have created a life based on continuous virtual reality, living through fantasy, inside their own heads. But beneath the storm ravaged sky, people are still struggling to exist. The Outsiders, a primitive people with heightened senses that allow them to be specially attuned to the land, seek to hold on to a rapidly fading way of life. When an accident forces Aria, a Dweller, out into the world of the Outsiders, a flimsy alliance with one of the rumored savages may be her only means of survival.

There are several things I liked about the story. The romance was really quite touching and the chemistry between our lurvers was nearly tangible. The Outsiders extra senses were kind of cool and the run-in with the cannibals was a stellar touch of awesome (those guys were scary). I always appreciate a good bad guy and Consul Hess was a well played evil. But while Peregrine was extremely crush worthy and competent, I couldn't find much to recommend Aria.

From the word go the storyline was choppy and I could have really used a roadmap to help me navigate Rossi's extremely messy world building. Messy, was in fact my initial and over all reaction. Nothing flowed. One scene wouldn't even be completed before an entirely new and sometimes unnecessary concept was introduced (we can't all be super human- it's tedious and boring). I couldn't get a firm handle, feel or picture of this world Rossi wanted me to envision- it was all skinny, gangling limbs, jutting out every which way when what it really needed was some meat on its bones. Less constant, directionless plot twists and more focus on the world and the way your people exist in it- else they're just actors in front of a green screen.

I don't know how I feel about a sequel for I fear it would just be more running around in the same place. In a genre already flooded with trilogies, there are stronger contenders.

Review copy from Amazon Vine

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

2012-01-16T17:25:00.005-06:00

Cinder

Author: Marissa Meyer
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Date: January 3, 2012
Pages: 390
Series: Lunar Chronicles #1
Genre: YA- Science Fiction

I have some very mixed feelings about this book. While not all of them are positive feelings, when you tally them all up there's still more awesome contained in this book than not.

The very first thing I have to mention is the first thing you notice about the book- the cover. And how could you not? It's freakin' fabulous and I can't remember the last time I LOVED a cover this much.

Cinder is a very fanciful and highly imaginative spin on the classic Cinderella tale with some wildly fantastical and unique twists. For starters, this Cinderella isn't all there- physically. Cinder is a cyborg, a creature that was essentially human at one time but whose various body bits have been replaced with mechanical parts. Thanks to the miracles of modern science and better living through chemistry, Cinder was able to survive a horrible accident that left her human body nearly unsalvageable. She was adopted by a kindly gentleman and taken to live with him and his family, a step mother and two step sisters who were less than thrilled to have a machine in the family. After the untimely death of her adopted father, Cinder was forced to accept the only role her step-family was willing to allow her, that of a servant, a machine and the legal property of her 100% human family. But in the market where Cinder works as a mechanic, not everyone is aware that she isn't entirely human. When the Prince Kai, heir to the empire stops by her shop for some impromptu android repair, Cinder quickly finds herself thrown into the midst of a palace scandal that could destroy the entire nation. Kai has no idea that his new confidant isn't all that she appears to be and in fact, she's so very much more than even Cinder herself knows.

All those positives I mentioned early? The majority of them go to Meyer's writing, her powerful story line and excellently founded world. Meyer's city has a tremendous amount of suction and I found myself imagining far beyond the written world, down side streets and behind palace doors, because I simply wasn't able to pull free. I can't fault her story telling.

The few negatives that reared their ugly heads, popped up in various places throughout the story. Without going into what could potentially be seen as spoilers, there were quite a few elements that bordered on absurd. The foot, the car, the "superpower" that was dormant for nearly two decades (really?) and the chiropractic move that brings it out. There was enough actually story line that those little avenues could have gone unexplored and nothing would be missing. But these were personal pet peeves and maybe someone else will see the beauty in them.

At the end of it all, it's still freakin' Sci-Fi Cinderella with Cyborgs and you just about can't top that shit. Solid stuff this. It not only FULLY warrants a sequel but I also have NO doubt that Meyer can pull off an entire series.

Review copy from publisher

Things That Are Awesome: Third Grave Dead Ahead by Darynda Jones

2012-01-06T21:35:00.002-06:00

So yeah, the third book in the Charley Davidson series by Darynda Jones will be out at the end of the month. If you haven't started this series, you need to. Run quick like a bunny and grab a copy of the first book, First Grave on the Right and read it RIGHT NOW. THEN and ONLY THEN, read the sequel Second Grave on the Left and THEN come back here and tell me how awesome I am for telling you to read it.

Third Grave Dead Ahead

Author: Darynda Jones
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Date: January 31st 2012
Pages: 320
Genre: Paranormal Romance/Mystery

From Goodreads: Charley Davidson—grim reaper extraordinaire, private investigator . . . meh—is practicing her profession under the influence, caffeine and copious amounts of it, due to an extreme desire to induce insomnia. Every time she closes her eyes, Reyes Farrow, the part-human, part-supermodel son of Satan, is there. Only thing is, he’s a tad peeved. She did bind for all eternity, so it’s hard blame him. But 13 days without a wink is bound to bring out the crazy in a girl. So, when a man hires her to find his wife, Charley accepts the job with one goal in mind: Put the man behind bars, and not the wet kind. She can sense the guilt waft off him and vows to find the woman’s body and prove he’s a murderer.

In the meantime, Reyes is back in prison and none too happy about it . . . so Charley thinks, until she is carjacked by the dark-haired rake, who swears the very man he went to prison for killing is not only alive, but close by. And he wants Charley to find him.

While a visit to her old friend Rocket sheds no light on Reyes’s situation, Charley finds out the man’s wife is still alive and time is running out. Finding her before she dies would be a miracle, but she has to try. Together with the help of a fashion-impaired receptionist named Cookie, Charley sets out to bring the bad guys to justice. She just hopes Reyes is not one of them. And that she’s not hallucinating from her self-induced bout with insomnia.

The Sandman Vol 1: Preludes & Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman

2012-01-05T13:04:00.007-06:00

The Sandman Vol 1: Preludes & Nocturnes

Author: Neil Gaiman and lots of illustrators
Publisher: DC Comics
Date: 1995 (first published October 21st 1991)

Some time last year I realized, much to my dismay, that I hadn't read a Neil Gaiman book in months. Right on top of that thought came the NEXT one which was this:

There are MANY Neil Gaiman books that I haven’t read AT ALL, not even once.

I knew immediately that this simply would not do. I’m sure you are all aware, as am I, that reading Neil Gaiman’s books will greatly increase your chances of success in the afterlife. This is a fact, children and you can tell your mums and whatnot that Laura said so.

I can’t remember the last time I read a graphic novel (which is really just a hoity-toity name for a fancy comic book- I don’t care WHAT you say). I know there was one I use to read, back in the day, when I was a wee tot but I’m pretty sure it was brightly colored and involved good guys killing bad guys. When I pledged myself (and the safety of my eternal soul) to reading all of Neil’s books, I unwittingly committed to reading his graphic novels, The Sandman series- which are NOT brightly colored but DO involve lots of different kinds of people, killing lots of different kinds of people.

I procured a copy of The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes & Nocturnes, which contains issues 1-8. I didn’t know what to expect from the series, or from a graphic novel in general so I was more than pleasantly surprised when I discovered that I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN. Don’t you just love that feeling when you’re reading something so good that it would take a VERY strong person prying it out of your hand while you're repeatedly beating them over the head with their own leg, to take it away from you? You know you do.

The story- as I explained it to my beloved who is a non-reader but willing to indulge my book talk if I keep it short enough- is about the king of dreams who is accidentally summoned by an evil wizard who was REALLY trying to summon Death (dumbass). Scared stupid, the wizard imprisons Dream for many years and loots his stuff. When Dream finally gets free, he sets off to retrieve the tools of his trade that have since been scattered hither and thither throughout the world(s). This first 8 issues follow him into the dream world, the human world and hell as he reclaims the items that hold his power. This summary, when told, involved the use of lots of BIG hand gestures.

The artwork is absolutely amazing in parts and in others absolutely grotesque- like whenever they did a close up of Stimpy’s boogers. The images and imagery are incredibly dark, powerful and disturbing. 24 Hours (issue #6) was almost more than I could handle. It wasn’t until the last issue in the volume that I really got a Neil feel because it took him a little while to warm up. This being the first volume of the series and largely rumored to be the weakest, I can forgive him his stage fright.

But I’m in, I’m hooked, I’m committed and Vol 2, The Doll’s House, should be here any day now.

Well hello there, 2012...

2012-01-01T13:39:00.000-06:00

You're a sneaky little thing aren't you, New Year? December was an outrageously busy month for me and mine and it's a bit surreal waking up this morning to find that it's time to get crackin' on 2012. But it's here and there's no stopping it so best to just go with it- considering the alternative.

I made a huge reading mistake in 2011 what with the whole read 100 books challenge. At one point I got so focused on reading enough that I completely forgot to blog enough. I ended up reading 106 books last year and reviewing less than half that. Shame on me! Also, toward the end of the year I started viewing my blog as all business and posting ONLY book related stuff, omitting all the fun rambling nonsense that I had engaged in earlier in the year. Also, I seemed to have become far more of a lurker than I have previously been when what I really should have been doing is interacting openly with the blogs I read rather than just reading them.

So, that being said, there are a few things I'd like to accomplish with my blog in 2012:

Review what I read, even if it means reading less.
Get a little more personal. Not airing my dirty laundry personal but simply putting a little more "me" into my blog posts.
Get my ass in gear, take a minute or two and click that comment button. I know just how much reader interaction with one of my reviews means to me and I can bet it means as much to you. I will do better.
Be a little more selective in what I read/buy. I've read some really forgettable shit lately, and paid for it. I've given away almost as many books as I've purchased simply because they weren't worth keeping. I'm really going to try to cut back on reading and buying nonsense.
Schedule more author interviews! I finally participated in ONE and I loved it, so let's do more of that.

Then there's the whole real life thing. Ya know, what we do when we're not reading and blogging. This looks to be a big year for me. For starters, I'm going back to school! Woot. And then, in June, Beloved and I are going to R-U-N-N-O-F-T and get hitched. So there will be lots of things to prattle on about.

So here's to a whole new year of blogging. I'm glad to have you here and I hope your first day of 2012 is a smashing success!

Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

2011-12-30T08:20:00.002-06:00

Every Other Day

Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Date: December 27 2011
Pages: 352
Genre: YA- Paranormal Fantasy

In a world where paranormal creatures are viewed in the same light as exotic pets it's easy to forget how quickly their true natures can turn humans into prey. For twenty-four hours Kali is human- fragile, weak, vulnerable and hunted. But in the next twenty-four hours Kali will become something else entirely- something inhumanly strong, bloodthirsty and insatiable. Every other day Kali is defenseless against creatures that should only exist in nightmares, but for the next twenty-four hours- she's going to kill them.

With nearly every other book in the YA section being of the paranormal persuasion, it's getting a little difficult to continuously revamp the same old subject matter (vampires and werewolves and angels oh my) into something that's still new and appealing. You don't want to stray too far from the norm for fear of loosing those mainstream followers but you won't gain much street cred if you're an unoriginal sellout (you know who are.) So what's a storyteller to do when you're left walking such a fine line- you cross that sucker and drive backwards in the other lane.

Barnes took a big gamble with Every Other Day- she threw in a bit of everything you've read in recent YA, put in a blender and set it on high. Ruthless in her plot twists and torrents, Barnes doesn't allow her readers a lot of time to focus on just what type of story they're reading. She throws demons, psychics, vampires, mythical creatures, possessions and zombies (you know you love zombies) at you so fast there's nothing to do but roll with it and brace yourself for whatever comes next. Totally unpredictable with a pace set at warp speed, the story never settles before she picks it back up and off she goes again. Reserve a couple of uninterrupted hours for this quick read because you can't stop once you get started.

For me, the supporting characters, whose identities and purposes once revealed, totally sold the story. The main character, Kali and I didn't mesh as much as I would have liked simply because I couldn't take her as seriously as she took herself. I'm all for a bit of brooding when it can be readily agreed upon that YOUR life sucks but I tend to start tuning out an inner monologue that only focuses on the "poor me." Kali's got a lot to carry, bless her, but she's also a lot stronger than even she knows. I'm looking forward to the next book where hopefully Kali will embrace her inner badass. A great cast of characters, nonstop action, and a love interest with a very, very unexpected twist- yeah, you have to read it.

Does it warrant a sequel? Absolutely. Barnes set the story up nicely for a second book and I feel there is enough solid material and a strong enough world to carry another book.

Review copy from Amazon Vine

Happy Hogswatch!

2011-12-24T22:54:00.003-06:00

"You need to believe in things that aren't true. How else can they become?"

Everything in the human world has at one point or another, run on pure belief. Once we questioned if the sun would come up again tomorrow as it did today so we decided to believe that it would. We believed in it and into existence popped the spirit of the rising sun, one of many small gods that wait just on the edge of realization for enough belief to give them a purpose.

Many, many years go by and we learn, and we change and we no longer believe that it's our prayers that give us daylight and one small sun god is suddenly without a purpose. So we start to believe in something else. We decide to believe that once a year, a jolly man in a red suit comes down the chimney and gives children toys, and our belief gives that small god a new job. The Hogfather, in his red sleigh, drawn by a team of hogs, visits each house on the Discworld, bringing presents, spreading Hogswatch cheer and bellowing many a "Ho Ho Ho." But one Hogwatch's Eve, there's another change, and people no longer believe there's a Hogfather. The belief isn't replaced, it's just lost and tomorrow, with no Hogfather, no small god, the sun may not rise.

In his great hall of time, Death monitors the hourglasses of each and every life on the Disc. Every living thing has a life that can be measured in grains of sand, even that of immortals. When it becomes apparent that the life of the Hogfather is all but out, Death, false beard on his bare skull, and sack in hand, sets out to visit each and every house in the Discworld in an attempt to drum up enough belief to keep the Hogfather alive. He will break many rules, touch many lives (in a good way) and maybe, just maybe ensure that the sun rises.
---------------------
It's absolutely no secret that my favorite author is Terry Pratchett. He writes what on the surface appears to be fantasy fiction but carefully interwoven into each story is a very important life lesson, a different way to look at the world and the permission that most of us seek that says it is OK to question what we've always been TOLD we believe. Pratchett always wants you thinking. He wants you to remember to feel everything. But above all, he wants you to be fascinated by the things that make us human because we really are, however you believe, quite miraculous.

“All right," said Susan. "I'm not stupid. You're saying humans need... fantasies to make life bearable."

REALLY? AS IF IT WAS SOME KIND OF PINK PILL? NO. HUMANS NEED FANTASY TO BE HUMAN. TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THE FALLING ANGEL MEETS THE RISING APE.

"Tooth fairies? Hogfathers? Little—"

YES. AS PRACTICE. YOU HAVE TO START OUT LEARNING TO BELIEVE THE LITTLE LIES.

"So we can believe the big ones?"

YES. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING.

"They're not the same at all!"

YOU THINK SO? THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET—Death waved a hand. AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME... SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED.

"Yes, but people have got to believe that, or what's the point—"

MY POINT EXACTLY.”

It is Death of course, that speaks in ALL CAPS. It's fitting as his word would be, well, final.

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

2011-12-08T18:50:00.001-06:00

I Am Number Four

Author: Pittacus Lore (James Frey and Jobie Hughes)
Publisher: HarperCollins
Date: August 3rd 2010
Pages: 440
Genre: YA- Paranormal Fantasy, Science Fiction
Source: I purchased with my own hard earned money.

I was scanning through the movies on Vudu the other night and I ran across a preview for I Am Number Four. There wasn’t a trailer available on Vudu (which is a horrid fail, btw) so I googled it, watched it and yeah, it looked pretty good. I was going to rent the movie but it turns out you can’t. You can only buy it and even if it was good, it wouldn’t be the kind of movie I’d spend twenty bucks on. You can already sense the negativity, can’t you?

So I bought the book.

In hindsight it wasn’t worth those ten bucks either.

Daniel John Jacob Jingleheimer Smith, is hot footing it out of town. About ever six months or so, he and his pseudo-father “Henri” load up the truck and move to a new town and change identities. It’s necessary, seriously necessary in fact because there’s an entire race of killer aliens after them. John is one of nine Super High-speed 4G Bluetooth hero children that escaped from the planet of Lorien in the midst of an attack by said killer aliens. As the last of his race, it’s crucial to his people’s survival that he and his kind stay hidden on earth until it’s safe to return to their home planet. The Mogadorians (killer aliens), having raped Loric for all its resources, have set their sights on the planet Earth and must destroy the nine super kids in order to carry out their evil, villainous plans. *Cue music*

The nine can only be killed in sequential order. Meaning, you can’t kill three before killing one or it JUST WILL NOT WORK. See instructions below:

(Sorry. This is just how my brain works.)

Three are dead. John is number four. Get it?

OK, now to get to the root of my pissiness. I liked this story. It was incredibly entertaining in a Saturday morning cartoon sort of way. The plot was great. The action was intense. All the super hero badassedness was badass. All that. I read it in two sittings because I really did care about what happened and I was into it. I was into it despite the fact that the writing was unforgivably atrocious and seemed, for lack of a better way to put it, to be written by a child…in crayon.

It read about like this:

I woke up. I walked to the refrigerator. I opened the refrigerator door. I took a moment to brood about how much it sucked that I might get killed by aliens. I really want to just be human and eat fruit loops. I can’t be human because I’m so badass. MAN AM I BADASS! I’m still going to eat fruit loops.

That was the reenactment. Here's an actual quote:

"I go to the bathroom, enter an empty stall, and latch the door behind me. I open my hands. A slight glow in the right one. I close my eyes and sigh, focus on breathing slowly. A minute later the glow is still there. I shake my head. I didn't think the Legacy would be that sensitive. I stay in the stall."

It brought to mind a traffic jam, with cars lined up for miles and miles behind each other, moving at the speed of one bumper length every fifteen minutes. Stop. Go. Stop. Go. Stop. Go. Short, clipped little sentences written for the ADD afflicted in mind.

Still, all in all, it’s a great story, and I hope it made a better movie. If “Pittacus Lore” would like to send my back my ten bucks, I’ll throw in the other ten and watch it.

Waiting on Wednesday (25) Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

2011-11-30T05:09:00.000-06:00

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine, in which we share the books that we are anxiously waiting to be released.

Under the Never Sky
by Veronica Rossi

Publisher: HarperCollins
Date: January 3rd 2011

From Goodreads:

Aria is a teenager in the enclosed city of Reverie. Like all Dwellers, she spends her time with friends in virtual environments, called Realms, accessed through an eyepiece called a Smarteye. Aria enjoys the Realms and the easy life in Reverie. When she is forced out of the pod for a crime she did not commit, she believes her death is imminent. The outside world is known as The Death Shop, with danger in every direction.

As an Outsider, Perry has always known hunger, vicious predators, and violent energy storms from the swirling electrified atmosphere called the Aether. A bit of an outcast even among his hunting tribe, Perry withstands these daily tests with his exceptional abilities, as he is gifted with powerful senses that enable him to scent danger, food and even human emotions.

They come together reluctantly, for Aria must depend on Perry, whom she considers a barbarian, to help her get back to Reverie, while Perry needs Aria to help unravel the mystery of his beloved nephew’s abduction by the Dwellers. Together they embark on a journey challenged as much by their prejudices as by encounters with cannibals and wolves. But to their surprise, Aria and Perry forge an unlikely love - one that will forever change the fate of all who live UNDER THE NEVER SKY.

Oooooh a little sci-fi/fantasy/dystopian novel with a dash of lurve? Alrighty, sign me up. Don't you just love that cover?

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Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers

2011-11-29T09:00:00.002-06:00

Personal Demons

Author:Lisa Desrochers
Publisher: Tor Teen
Date: September 14, 2010
Pages: 365
Genre: YA- Paranormal
Source: ALA

This one was a little tough for me. I was completely into this story up until the point where I wasn't. Right out of the box, it's fast, suspenseful and oh so sexy. Then it's kind of like, if you divide the book exactly in half, the first half was totally captivating and the last half was, eh, well- it just wasn't.

Riddled with YA cliche, (In insta-love with the new boy who is now her class partner, new boy is smoldering hot, girl is clueless as to why all the guys want her, enter the love triangle, yada yada) this story could have very easily been a disaster. Surprisingly, the aforementioned elements worked in this scenario, again, up until the point where they didn't.

Frannie is a normal high school girl, with average everything- including an average soul. It seems that Heaven and Hell have been playing a rather nasty game of dodge ball, and each side is trying to claim the best players before the other team lands them. Frannie's soul has been firmly on the fence for years. Having lost a brother at a young age, she has some serious issues with the guys upstairs. Her strong Catholic upbringing has kept her on the straight and narrow but with her doubts and one really dark, painful secret she could just as easily tip towards the other side. Heaven and Hell each send their individual ambassadors to entice Frannie toward their side. And of course, Hell sends Luc- that smoldering, wicked looking new guy who just exudes dark hotness. Heaven counters by sending Gabe, a tall handsome blonde who threatens to make Frannie feel the one thing she has sworn off since her brother died- love. The battle over Frannie's soul begins and quickly turns dangerous, and neither side is playing fair.

Let me point out, that even with all the heaven and hell goings on, this is not some underhanded attempt by an author to sneak a little God into your reading. In fact, given the elements, it was delightfully surprising to find not one ounce of religion in this book. So don't run screaming.

My issues where never with the plot, because well, a demon and an angel fighting over your soul- that's just hot. Where Desrochers drops the ball is in her attempt to balance the players in her love triangle. Gabe seems to have been randomly thrown in without ceremony and almost written as an after thought. He has very little dialogue or presence and Frannie's feelings for him just have to be assumed because Frannie said so. Her constant struggle against her feelings for Luc was where the real action was. The front cover asks the question:

"If you had to choose between Heaven and Hell, which would it be? Are you sure about that?

which would lead you to believe that you're in for some serious friction. Nope. Frannie never even made it a choice- Luc does, because he's awesome like that. So I got a bit turned off in the second half of the book when the only chemistry was between Frannie and Luc but Gabe was still considered to be a contender and we're suppose to believe that Frannie still doesn't know which one to choose. Why didn't Gabe get any chapters from his point of view? That would have made me feel a bit more connected to him.

Frannie annoyed the hell out of me. If she said "Whatever" one more time, we were going to have words. I can think of a lot of people more deserving of a hot demon lurver (pick me! pick me). But don't get me wrong, I didn't dislike this book, the actual story was amazing and I was hooked on the heat from page one, she just lost me in the second half when everyone was so decidedly vague- which should be near impossible to pull off.

Will I read the sequel? Yeah. I will.

Thoughts?

Monday Mini (9): White Cat by Holly Black

2011-11-28T09:24:00.000-06:00

It's Monday morning, the alarm clock just went off and everything is rush rush rush to get ready for the work week. Unfortunately there's limited time for book talk, and even less for blogging, but we still MUST share some book thoughts before we dive into the day. A Monday Mini is a quick little review typed with one hand, while coffee is made, makeup is applied and car keys are found with the other. Have a great Monday morning!

White Cat

Author: Holly Black
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Date: May 4th 2010
Pages: 310
Genre: YA- Paranormal
Source: Purchased

From Goodreads:

Cassel comes from a family of curse workers — people who have the power to change your emotions, your memories, your luck, by the slightest touch of their hands. And since curse work is illegal, they're all mobsters, or con artists. Except for Cassel. He hasn't got the magic touch, so he's an outsider, the straight kid in a crooked family. You just have to ignore one small detail — he killed his best friend, Lila, three years ago.

Ever since, Cassel has carefully built up a façade of normalcy, blending into the crowd. But his façade starts crumbling when he starts sleepwalking, propelled into the night by terrifying dreams about a white cat that wants to tell him something. He's noticing other disturbing things, too, including the strange behavior of his two brothers. They are keeping secrets from him, caught up in a mysterious plot. As Cassel begins to suspect he's part of a huge con game, he also wonders what really happened to Lila. Could she still be alive? To find that out, Cassel will have to out-con the conmen.

This book has been sitting on my shelf for a while now but for some reason I had yet to pick it up. Maybe it's the seriously creepy cover. Those gloves alone are enough to send me running. It wasn't until recently that I've gotten in to darker YA so I guess it was just time to read this one. I'm so glad I did because it's positively fabulous!

This is my first Holly Black book and I had no idea how awesome she is. White Cat was fierce. Even with its dark, nasty magic performed by wicked evil doers I was immediately rooting for the bad guys. Curse workers have formed a sort of magical mafia where they're still busting knee caps in an old school way only in Black's world they do it with their minds. I loved Cassel from page one. Believing that he lacks the powers that the rest of his family has, he still engages in the same manipulation and subterfuge that his twisted kinsmen do but with his wits alone. Oh and then, THEN there's the part where he turns out to be the biggest badass.

I'm liking YA books from male points of view. They're rare enough to make them a real treat whenever they're stumbled upon. The sequel, Red Glove, was released this past April and I need to get my grubby little hands on it.

(Damnit, Janet.) Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich

2011-11-25T12:15:00.003-06:00

Explosive Eighteen

Author: Janet Evanovich
Publisher: Bantam
Date: November 22nd 2011
Pages: 320
Genre: Fiction- Mystery
Source: Purchased and I want my effing money back

**This rant (this is in no way a review) contains spoilers, pissiness and general hate and discontent.**

Stephanie, Janet, and I have been friends for eighteen books now so I've earned the right to say whatever the hell I want to about this series. I have YEARS vested with the Plum company and well, frankly I'm pissed that its stock value has plummeted most drastically

Stephanie Plum, laid-off lingerie buyer turned bounty hunter has a habit of getting herself caught in the stickiest situations. She's been threatened, kidnapped, assaulted, and car bombed more times than she can count and usually in the most humiliating of ways. She's well, not very good at her job and relies heavily on luck to catch her skips and make the rent money. While her job has frequently placed her in a less than ideal position (usually the dangerous kind) it's her personal life that really scares the hell out of her. Stephanie is in love (or lust) with two men- two men that can be equally as difficult to deal with as the bad guys she plays at tracking down. Joe and Ranger have an unspoken pact to not acknowledge Stephanie's romantic attachment to the both of them, but they readily agree that it takes two of them to keep her safe. But when the time comes for Stephanie to finally decide if she's playing for Team Cupcake or Team Babe, Joe and Ranger may have both decided to give their bounty hunter the slip.

When I first heard that we were getting another Plum novel right on the heels of Smokin' Seventeen I was a little perplexed. We get one Plum book a year right? THAT IS THE WAY THE WORLD WORKS. So why is Janet throwing a curve ball and giving us Explosive Eighteen a few short months later? When we left Stephanie in June she was boarding a plan for Hawaii and she knew exactly who she was going to take with her. Did she take Joe? Did she take Ranger? So maybe we're getting Eighteen so soon afterwards because SOMETHING HAPPENED IN HAWAII!

Wrong. I don't know what their reason was for pushing Eighteen so soon after the last one but it wasn't to showcase what happened in Hawaii. It wasn't so that Stephanie could finally choose between Joe or Ranger. It wasn't so that after 17 books of her screwing both of them she could finally commit to only screwing one of them. It wasn't to finally show Stephanie as adept at her job. It was published so soon so that:

Something could get blown up.
Someone could break into Stephanie's apartment
Stephanie could take Grandma Mazur to a viewing at the funeral home.
Stephanie's parents could hang their heads in shame and embarrassment at the dinner table and Stephanie could brown bag leftovers.
Stephanie and Lula could eat at Cluck-in-a-Bucket.
Stephanie and Lula could make several unsuccessful attempts to capture a skip and be thwarted over and over again in the most humiliating ways.
Stephanie could toss Rex a few hamster crunchies and have him scurry out, shove them in his cheeks and go back into his soup can.
Stephanie can shamelessly sleep with both Joe AND Ranger all the while saying that she's not going to sleep with either of them.

You know, the same thing that happened in Seventeen....and Sixteen...and Fifteen....and Fourteen...shall I keep going or do you get the picture? Here's what happened in Eighteen: NOTHING. NOTHING NEW HAPPENED. No decisions were made, no changes in plot line or formatting, it was just copy/paste the last seventeen books and changing the type of excrement that Stephanie gets covered in. She doesn't "pick" anyone and the ending was left just as ambiguous as it has been for 17 books. I could possibly, if I wanted to, draw some inkling that a point was scored for Team "_____" but it would be mostly wishful thinking.

Where Sizzlin' Seventeen was hysterically funny to the point of convulsions, Eighteen was dry, dry. I actually marked the three (only three) pages that made me laugh, and only one of those was loud enough to draw attention- of course that one came from Grandma Mazur.

     "It got better after you left," she said. "Melvin Shupe came through the line and cut the cheese right when he got up to the casket. He said he was sorry, but the widow made a big fuss over it. And then the funeral director came with air freshener, and when he sprayed it around, Louisa Belman got a asthma attack and they had to cart her out the back door to get some air. Earl Krizinski was sitting behind me, and he said he saw Louisa's underpants when they picked her up, and he said he got a stiffy."
     "Louisa Belman is ninety-three years old."
     "Well, I guess to Earl underpants are underpants."

So what the hell Janet? Seriously? If you want to continue to rake in the dough with your cash cow by reproducing the same book over and over again, I AM OK WITH THAT. I DO LOVE THE SERIES. But come on! Nothing? Nothing!? Sorry if that's a spoiler but truth is truth.

Janet Evanovich, author of eighteen Stephanie Plum novels who I still love with all my heart but currently want to throw things at:

Waiting on Wednesday (25) Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler

2011-11-23T05:08:00.001-06:00

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine, in which we share the books that we are anxiously waiting to be released.

Bittersweet
by Sarah Ockler

Publisher: Simon Pulse
Date: Janurary 3rd 2012

From Goodreads:

Once upon a time, Hudson knew exactly what her future looked like. Then a betrayal changed her life, and knocked her dreams to the ground. Now she’s a girl who doesn’t believe in second chances... a girl who stays under the radar by baking cupcakes at her mom’s diner and obsessing over what might have been.

So when things start looking up and she has another shot at her dreams, Hudson is equal parts hopeful and terrified. Of course, this is also the moment a cute, sweet guy walks into her life...and starts serving up some seriously mixed signals. She’s got a lot on her plate, and for a girl who’s been burned before, risking it all is easier said than done.

It’s time for Hudson to ask herself what she really wants, and how much she’s willing to sacrifice to get it. Because in a place where opportunities are fleeting, she knows this chance may very well be her last....

Sarah Ockler is the awesome that brought us Twenty Boy Summer and now she's gifting us with this! I love love love this cover and I predict greatness!

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Happy Book Birthday to The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff!!

2011-11-15T07:42:00.000-06:00

The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff

Publisher: Razorbill (Penguin)
Date: November 15th 2011

From Goodreads:

Everything is made of steel, even the flowers. How can you love anything in a place like this?

Daphne is the half-demon, half-fallen angel daughter of Lucifer and Lilith. Life for her is an endless expanse of time, until her brother Obie is kidnapped - and Daphne realizes she may be partially responsible. Determined to find him, Daphne travels from her home in Pandemonium to the vast streets of Earth, where everything is colder and more terrifying. With the help of the human boy she believes was the last person to see her brother alive, Daphne glimpses into his dreams, discovering clues to Obie's whereabouts. As she delves deeper into her demonic powers, she must navigate the jealousies and alliances of the violent archangels who stand in her way. But she also discovers, unexpectedly, what it means to love and be human in a world where human is the hardest thing to be.

This second novel by rising star Brenna Yovanoff is a story of identity, discovery, and a troubled love between two people struggling to find their place both in our world and theirs.

Want, want, want, want.....going to get it this morning and will have, have, have, have. So excited you're finally here! I loved her writing in The Replacement and this book will undoubtedly contain equal amounts of awesome.

Interview & Giveaway with Anna Carey author of Eve!

2011-11-14T09:00:00.004-06:00

Today we're chatting (and doodling) with Anna Carey, author of the new YA dystopian novel Eve. Anna was nice enough to answer a few questions about her novel, share a bit of gossip (pssst, it's about the sequel) and donate a priceless work of art.

     Some of the events in your book touch on some really scary subjects, particularly what happens to the girls after they graduate. Did you find some of the more extreme aspects of their society difficult to write?

Parts of the book are very sad, and I found myself tearing up while writing those moments. It was hard to write the scene where Eve leaves the dugout, or the times when she's thinking about her mother's death. I was really on edge while writing many of the scenes that happen while she's being chased on the road (and the one you mention--where she sees the graduates). In some ways, writing in first person made the whole experience more intense.

     I can see the influence of The Handmaid’s Tale in your story, but there’s also a little loooooove happening in the book as well. Is there a romance novel or a novel with a little romance in it that inspired you?

I haven't read many romance novels, but I'm a lover of love stories. Anna Karenina and Romeo and Juliet both captured me (they're actually part of the curriculum at Eve's School). Love in the Time of Cholera and The History of Love are two of my other favorites.

     Can you tell us a bit about the sequel? That information won't leave this blog. Promise.

The sequel is primarily set in the City of Sand--a restored city in the middle of the desert. Soon after Eve is brought there she meets the King and discovers her role in the New America. I better leave it at that--I've already said too much!

     I hear there's talk of a T.V. show based on Eve. I'm sure you were ecstatic when you heard the news. Now be honest. When no one was looking...you did a really ridiculously embarrassing happy dance, didn't you? By all means, feel free to recreate it in a stick figure drawing.

I did indeed! See stick figure reenactment below (I'm known for my very long arms).

A large chunk of YA readers are not actually young adults. We fibbed a little bit, flashed a fake id and now we get to hang out in the teen section of the bookstore. What do you think makes YA books so appealing to ahem...those of us who are a bit more advanced in years than the age group these books are actually aimed at? I'm not referring to myself, mind you because I'm only 21. The same age I was last year.

There's something inherently compelling about "firsts". First love, the first time you get into a fight with a friend, the first time you experience rejection or recognize just how cruel people can be. The first time someone close to you dies. These things can feel like the end of the world. It can feel like you can't possibly survive beyond that moment. Though I no desire to return to high school, I sometimes miss the excitement and terror of it, and I wonder if other adults do too. The character's in YA fiction are in the throes of their 'firsts', oftentimes with life or death consequences. We all remember what that feels like--how can you forget?. Maybe some of us want to go back.

Finally (because it really is the most important thing), what is your favorite Jane Austen novel?

I wish I was more out of the box on this one, but I have to go with Pride and Prejudice (Fitzwilliam Darcy, be still my heart).

You can follow Anna on Twitter, like Eve on Facebook or visit her blog!

Eve by Anna Carey

Eighteen-year-old Eve has grown up isolated from boys, and has been taught to fear them. It isn’t until the night before the graduation from her all-girls school that she discovers what really happens to new graduates. To avoid the terrifying fate that awaits her, Eve flees the only home she’s ever known, searching for a place she can survive. Along the way she encounters Caleb, a rebellious young man living in the wild. Eve knows she shouldn’t trust him, but Caleb slowly wins her confidence and heart. He promises to protect her, but when soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between life and love.

Contest Rules

Must be 13 years of age or older
Open to US only
Contest ends November 28th
One entry per person please
Fill out the form below

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*Special thanks to Alloy Entertainment for providing the prize!

Retro Friday Review: Miss Suzy by Miriam Young

2011-11-11T09:05:00.001-06:00

Miss Suzy

Author: Miriam Young
Publisher: Parent Magazine Press
Date: June 1964
Pages: 44
Genre: Children's, Picture Book
Source: Muh heart

Retro Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Angie @ Angieville and focuses on reviewing books from the past. This can be an old favorite, an under-the-radar book you think deserves more attention, something woefully out of print, etc.

I don't know why, but I've been thinking about this book a lot lately. Maybe it's because it's almost the end of the year or Christmas is around the corner and I'm getting nostalgic or maybe I've just gotten old. This was -MY- children's book when I was a wee one and I've never forgotten it.

It's the story of a little squirrel who lives a very simple, happy life in the top of an oak tree. She takes care of her house, all content and satisfied in her domestication and leads what is almost an ideal little life.

"I love my house, oh, yes-sir-ee,
My own little house in my own oak tree."

One day Miss Suzy is driven from her oak tree by a group of troublesome red squirrels. They smash her acorn cups and break her little twig broom and cause general hate and discontent. Miss Suzy runs away and seeks shelter in the attic of an old house, where she finds a beautiful dollhouse. This dollhouse is very dirty so what does our very domestic minded house-squirrel do? She cleans it!

"My, what a lovely house!" thought Miss Suzy. "It is fit for a queen. But it needs a good housekeeper, so it is just the place for me."

The next day, Miss Suzy is exploring her new domicile when she comes across a box of toy soldiers. Lonely in her big new house, Miss Suzy invites the soldiers to stay with her. Our little Donna Reed squirrel was all too happy to cook and clean for the soldiers and care for them like a good little mother squirrel. But though her new house was very beautiful and her new friends very good company, Miss Suzy missed her little house in her oak tree. So that night, the soldiers set out to reclaim Miss Suzy's tree.

Late that night the captain woke his men and gave them their orders. There were only five of them, but the were very brave, and their hearts were full of love.

The soldiers find the red squirrels still in residence at Miss Suzy's house, fighting and breaking things as troublesome red squirrels are wont to do. The soldiers wave their swords and vow vengeance for Miss Suzy and the squirrels go a runnin'. Miss Suzy is able to return to her little tree house, which is understandably a mess, and she cleans it! Of course she does! And she makes the soldiers promise to come to dinner once a week. All is blissful once again at the top of the oak tree. She makes a new twig broom and new acorn cups, all the while singing as she works.

At night Miss Suzy climbed into her bed and looked through the topmost branches at the sky. She saw a million stars. And the wind blew gently and rocked her to sleep. It was very peaceful.

Now I'm older and in a house of my own. On particularly bad days I say to myself "This will be over soon, and then I can go home to Tara." in an exaggerated southern accent (not difficult for this southerner at all) but most days, just the normal, tired ones, I go home to "my own little house in my own oak tree."

Dear Santa Claus: A Christmas Wishlist

2011-11-10T10:09:00.003-06:00

Dear Santa,

I know it's only the 10th of November and this letter might seem a bit premature but I want so very many books that I knew you would need extra time to round them all up- especially since some of them don't really even exist yet. It is OK to send some of these early as I can imagine if you carried all of them at once they would be much too heavy. I ask for these books for a several reasons:

1. They are pretty and shiny and I like pretty, shiny things.
2. I'm very much addicted to stories and these sound like remarkable ones to add to my collection.
3. The zombie apocalypse IS COMING and I need to strengthen the walls of my book fort.

I can assure you that I have been a very good girl this year and can provide references if needed. I'm well aware that I made the same claim last year and I heard a rumor that you nearly choked on a cookie when you got the message and I'm sorry if this caused your airway any undue stress. I pinky-swear that I am not guilty of doing any of the things I did last year- not that I admit to being guilty of them last year either. If you could please bring me the books on the enclosed list (I'm attaching it as a zip file due to size) it would make me very happy indeed. I know I'm asking a lot but I'm also not asking for anything other than books for Christmas and I think that should count for something.

Most Sincerely,
Laura

P.S. Clicking on the titles will take you to Goodreads where you can add them to your wishlist too.

Away by Teri Hall
By Royal Decree by Kate Emerson
Destined by P.C. Cast (Wishing for this book probably qualifies me for the "bad" list but can't you overlook it just this once Santa?)
Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake (THIS WILL BE EPIC, SANTA. EPIC.)
Folly by Marthe Jocelyn
Endlessly by Kiersten White (Please bring a box of tissues with this one because I fear it is the last in the series.)
Frost by Marianna Baer
Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn
~~Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver~~
For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund (Jane Austen wants me to have this book and you mustn't disappoint Jane.)
~~My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent~~
Noah Barleywater Runs Away by John Boyne
Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore (I want all of the books listed but if you can only bring me one, please make it this one.)
The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa (Just touching a Kagawa book infuses you with awesome, Santa.)
The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Spellbound by Rachel Hawkins
A Rogue by Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean (I love her so.)
Fever by Lauren DeStefano
The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen
The Shifter by Janice Hardy
Six Impossible Things by Fiona Wood
Snuff by Terry Pratchett (I will probably go ahead and get this one, Santa but feel free to bring me an autographed copy to love.)
Song of the Sparrow by Lisa Ann Sandell
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (You should just bring everyone a copy of this. Just FYI.)
At the King's Pleasure by Kate Emerson
Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin
Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer
~~Cinder by Marissa Meyer~~ (Not to be confused with anyone else with the last name Meyer.)
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith
Hallowed by Cynthia Hand (I know I never sat down and reviewed Unearthly but it was an absolutely freakin' fabulous book.)
Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins (These books could very easy bring world peace so feel free to pass them out to everyone.)
Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins (Because who doesn't like book titles that conjure up Billy Idol songs.)
Shadows by Ilsa J. Bick (And could you bring one to my friend Donna as well?)
~~Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich~~ (I like to think that you are Team Morelli too, Santa.)
~~The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff~~ (Another one that I'll probably get before hand but please go ahead and bring me one that is signed if you can.)
Little, Big by John Crowley
A Spy in the House by Y.S. Lee
Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu
The Selection by Kiera Cass (I know she and I got off to a rocky start with her first book but LOOK AT THAT COVER, SANTA! LOOK AT IT!)
Grave Mercy by R.L. LeFevers
Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler
When the Sea is Rising Red by Cat Hellisen
The Other Life by Susanne Winnacker
Every Book Ever Written by Neil Gaiman (I'm fairly certain that you can't get into heaven without reading them. Oh but I don't need The Graveyard Book, Anansi Boys, Stardust, Coraline or The Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes. But I need EVERYTHING ELSE.)
The Vampire Diaries by L.J. Smith (I know they differ from the show but bring them to me anyway- if for no other reason than seeing Damon's name written over and over again.)

Waiting on Wednesday (24) Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich

2011-11-09T05:00:00.000-06:00

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine, in which we share the books that we are anxiously waiting to be released.

Explosive Eighteen
by Janet Evanovich

Publisher: Bantam
Date: November 22th 2011

From Goodreads:

Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum’s life is set to blow sky high when international murder hits dangerously close to home, in this dynamite novel by Janet Evanovich.

Before Stephanie can even step foot off Flight 127 Hawaii to Newark, she’s knee deep in trouble. Her dream vacation turned into a nightmare, and she’s flying back to New Jersey solo. Worse still, her seatmate never returned to the plane after the L.A. layover. Now he’s dead, in a garbage can, waiting for curbside pickup. His killer could be anyone. And a ragtag collection of thugs and psychos, not to mention the FBI, are all looking for a photograph the dead man was supposed to be carrying.

Only one other person has seen the missing photo—Stephanie Plum. Now she’s the target, and she doesn’t intend to end up in a garbage can. With the help of an FBI sketch artist Stephanie re-creates the person in the photo. Unfortunately the first sketch turns out to look like Tom Cruise, and the second sketch like Ashton Kutcher. Until Stephanie can improve her descriptive skills, she’ll need to watch her back.

Over at the bail bonds agency things are going from bad to worse. The bonds bus serving as Vinnie’s temporary HQ goes up in smoke. Stephanie’s wheelman, Lula, falls in love with their largest skip yet. Lifetime arch nemesis Joyce Barnhardt moves into Stephanie’s apartment. And everyone wants to know what happened in Hawaii?

Morelli, Trenton’s hottest cop, isn’t talking about Hawaii. Ranger, the man of mystery, isn’t talking about Hawaii. And all Stephanie is willing to say about her Hawaiian vacation is . . . It’s complicated.

Damnit, Janet. She's caused quite a bit of a stir, giving us two Plum books in one year. I just hope it doesn't mean that we'll be short one next year. Or maybe this book following so closely on the heels of #17 means that something VERY BIG AND IMPORTANT is going to happen.

I have one question for you Steph- who's the daddy?

TEAM MORELLI!!!

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The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

2011-11-08T08:00:00.000-06:00

The Scorpio Races

Author:Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Scholastic
Date: October 18th 2011
Pages: 404
Genre: YA- Fantasy
Source: Purchased

It's very easy to talk about a book you didn't like, or one you only had lukewarm feelings for. It's easy because there's no attachment to the story so you don't feel compelled to try and recapture and recreate any feelings you had for it. It's the opposite when the book is one you like and it's next to impossible when it's one you really, really love. I really, really loved this book so you'll forgive me if I ramble about with little direction here and know that my heart isn't in this little book thought because it's quite fixedly locked in the story.

The autumn waters usher in the capaill uisce to the island, the waves crashing relentlessly upon the shore, revealing these majestic water horses with each break. It marks the beginning of the week of festivities and challenges that will end with the much anticipated Scorpio Races. It is a long standing tradition and one that must be upheld. The races are as deadly as the horses that run in them. Only one person can win, but many will die trying. The capaill uisce openly despise their captors, these would be jockeys that seek fame and fortune on their backs, denying the freedom that returning to the water would bring. Men will die trying to catch a water horse, torn limb from limb or their bodies broken in the powerful jaws of these flesh eaters. Men will die racing them, the horses making no distinction among humans, all men are captors and all men can die. The races happen once a year and the winner, if he's lucky enough to survive the race will receive a handsome reward for his bravery. Since the beginning of the races it has been men who catch the horses, men who ride the horses and men who enter the races. Puck Connolly isn't a man and her horse is not one of the capaill uisce but she's determined to race. She's determined to win.

     Every so often, I can see the head of a capall uisce in the water, far out from shore, driven toward the sand by the November current. The ones we have caught struggle against us in bridles hung with bells and red ribbons, iron and holly leaves, daisies and prayers. The water horses are hungry and wicked, vicious and beautiful, hating us and loving us.
     It is time for the Scorpio Races.
     I am so, so alive.

First, let me openly admit that I have not, up until now, been a Stiefvater fan. I read Shiver with no desire to finish it, follow up on the series or dive into a Stiefvater book again. I felt completely detached from her writing and that was that. When I read the synopsis for The Scorpio Races, something clicked. Something in me knew that despite my dislike for the only Stiefvater novel I'd read, this book was mine. It is perhaps one of the most moving stories I've ever read, beautifully written, and so very much more than I ever could have anticipated. It is a harsh story, set in a harsh climate in a world that is all at once our own and yet not. I was cold while reading it, craving a warmth denied me by the story until the very end- where I cried like a freakin' baby. I cried great big giant crocodile tears, the kind where you gulp and hiccup afterwards. I wanted that ending but I didn't see it coming and when it did, after all the story puts you through, it's the greatest gift. BIG GIANT SLOBBERING SNOT FEST.

My beloved is a real find. He's grown accustom to my book induced crazies and doesn't even flinch when I lose it over a book. I throw books, I yell at books, I dance with books, I cry over books and still he takes me back to the bookstore for more. I was a happy-sad mess over this book and the good book hangover lasted for days. I know everyone always says, the day after a good hard drunk, that they will never ever do it again but I'll drink myself into a stupor with this book many, many times over. Even if Maggie and I never cross paths again, this one book means so much to me that I'll never be able to praise her enough.

Taking a cue from Angie once again (I'm kind of a groupie), I attempted to make November Cakes using Maggie's recipe. November Cakes were a kind of sticky bun enjoyed during festivities that proceeded the races. They were wonderful but be warned, they are very, very, very sweet.

**Capaill uisce is apparently water horses in Gaelic, where as capall uisce is water horse. Stiefvater covers this in the book but I just found it neat to google because I'm a big dork like that.

Northlander by Meg Burden

2011-11-07T08:00:00.000-06:00

Northlander

Author:Meg Burden
Publisher: Brown Barn Books
Date: October 24th 2007
Series: Tales of the Borderlands #1
Pages: 280
Genre: YA- Fantasy
Source: Purchased

This little gem of a book was actually mentioned, and if I recall, only in passing, by Angie @ Angieville in a post about various goodies that she read last year. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. I'm old and forgetful. Anyway, I found a copy and for some reason I stuck it away on the shelf and forgot about it. It wasn't until I was craving a bit of traditional fantasy fiction that I went looking for it again. I'm oh so glad that I did.

Ellin and her father find themselves in the precarious position of healers to the king of the Northlands. Normally, being in the employ of a king would be a position of some honor but not if you are from the Southlands. It is a crime for a Southlander to lay hands on the king, let alone use their much feared magic to heal him. When the deed is done and the king has recovered, Ellin and her father are arrested, for the king fears their magic more than he appreciates what they sacrificed to save him. With the help of the most unlikely accomplices, Ellin will have to learn to harness the magic that evokes such fear in Northlanders. Ellin is powerful, much more powerful than anyone imagines, powerful enough to be feared by her own people as well.

I fell instantly instantly in love with little Ellin. She's headstrong, stubborn and at times a bit reckless- just the traits I look for in a heroine. Rather than feel compassion for her plight, Ellin's strength did not allow for any pity. You want to cheer for her, not caution her. When the story began, Ellin had no idea about her powers, or that such a talent even existed. A nice, tidy set up for a good fantasy. I like to grow with my characters, especially the ones that encounter things that are in sharp contrast to reality. Rather than being thrown in the middle of a story where the fantastical was already underway, discovering the magic along with Ellin allowed for better understanding of her world and more importantly, how it viewed her powers.

This is a relatively short little novel, and a quick read but that doesn't mean that it hasn't been nicely detailed. Burden fully develops each and every character that comes on the page making the supporting cast just as alive as Ellin. I loved, loved, loved the king's sons. They were all so very unique and likeable. I caught of hint of Alaric maybe becoming troublesome in the future but I'm going to hold out hope that he pulls through. And though it might be a little premature- I'm Team Finn.

I have the sequel The King Commands sitting right here next to me, begging to be read. It has the most awful cover perhaps in existence but I'm already in love with the story so I'm not deterred.

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

2011-11-03T05:00:00.005-05:00

An Abundance of Katherines

Author:John Green
Publisher: Dutton
Date: September 9th 2006
Pages: 227
Genre: YA- Contemporary
Source: Purchased

Colin Singleton is struggling with his lack of genius. As a child prodigy rapidly approaching adulthood, he's in danger of outliving what has always made him special. So many child prodigies spark early and then fade away into normalcy never having accomplished anything remarkable enough to earn the title of genius. The only thing special he can lay claim to is having been dumped. Being dumped is something Colin is extremely proficient at, in fact, he just got dumped again. Colin has been dumped nineteen times by girls named Katherine.

"But monotony doesn't make for painlessness. In the first century CE, Roman authorities punished St. Appollonia by crushing her teeth one by one with pliers. Colin often thought about this in relationship to the monotony of dumping: we have thirty two teeth. After a while, having each tooth individually destroyed probably gets repetitive, even dull. But it never stops hurting."

True to John Green form, this story is dripping with wit, originality, nonsense and a lot of stone cold reality. It's beautiful enough to make you appreciate math. Yes, math. Using his nineteen failed relationships with Katherines, Colin has come up with a mathematical formula to determine the end of a relationship. He thinks that quite possibly, his formula could be a stroke of pure genius. More importantly, it's a great distraction from the fact that he's pretty much heartbroken. Colin, and the story are both instantly likeable. I loved every silly word of it.

“The problem exactly is that she dumped me. That I'm alone. Oh my God, I'm alone again. And not only that, but I'm a total failure in case you haven't noticed. I'm washed up. I'm former. Formerly the boyfriend of Katherine XIX. Formerly a prodigy. Formerly full of potential. Currently full of shit.”

That's pretty much becoming the norm with me and John Green. He writes something and I fall madly in love with it. Looking for Alaska, Will Grayson, Will Grayson- both were everything I could every want out of a story in entirely different ways. Where my last two Green reads were clearly tackling serious issues (and expertly done mind you) An Abundance of Katherines was a purely for fun read.

I feel confident claiming that this is one of those wonderful YA books that truly makes it impossible to not love YA. All the paranormal crap and silly vampire nonsense, it's just mindless entertainment that means absolutely nothing, but John Green's writing is a reminder of why I love YA stories, and stories in general. The way an author can manipulate language, twist words and recreate an already established world in such a new and exciting way, never ceases to amaze me. With YA you have the added element of possibility, of a completely open and limitless future that has even an old fart like me believing that the whole world is still out there waiting for me and it is going to be a great adventure. I'll read this book over and over again until it finally sinks in that I shouldn't try to grow up so fast.

Waiting on Wednesday (23) The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges

2011-11-02T08:15:00.000-05:00

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine, in which we share the books that we are anxiously waiting to be released.

The Gathering Storm
by Robin Bridges

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Date: Janurary 10th 2012

From Goodreads:

St. Petersburg, Russia, 1888. As she attends a whirl of glittering balls, royal debutante Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, tries to hide a dark secret: she can raise the dead. No one knows. Not her family. Not the girls at her finishing school. Not the tsar or anyone in her aristocratic circle. Katerina considers her talent a curse, not a gift. But when she uses her special skill to protect a member of the Imperial Family, she finds herself caught in a web of intrigue.

An evil presence is growing within Europe's royal bloodlines—and those aligned with the darkness threaten to topple the tsar. Suddenly Katerina's strength as a necromancer attracts attention from unwelcome sources . . . including two young men—George Alexandrovich, the tsar's standoffish middle son, who needs Katerina's help to safeguard Russia, even if he's repelled by her secret, and the dashing Prince Danilo, heir to the throne of Montenegro, to whom Katerina feels inexplicably drawn.
The time has come for Katerina to embrace her power, but which side will she choose—and to whom will she give her heart?

I heard about this little gem from Emily @ Lemuria Books when she happened to mention it on Twitter. Robin Bridges is, get this, a new YA author from the MS Gulf Coast, just down the street and around the corner from HOME and, AND, she is a NURSE. Yes. I'm so very excited about her upcoming series and can't wait for The Gathering Storm to be released!

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Prized by Caragh M. O'Brien

2011-11-01T05:00:00.001-05:00

Prized

Author:Caragh M. O'Brien
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Date: November 8th 2011
Series: Birthmarked #2
Pages: 368
Genre: YA- Dystopia
Source: Provided by publisher (ALA)

**Hi there. If you haven't read the first book in this series then this review will spoil it for you and you won't be able to have any pie. None for you!**

Gaia has fled the Enclave after discovering the horrible truth about the elite society she has been serving her whole life. With her parents gone and the entire Enclave searching for her, Gaia has no choice but to leave the city. She must escape for her own protection and for that of her newborn sister, a baby she delivered with her own hands as she watched their mother die. Guided by the belief that her grandmother is still alive somewhere beyond the reach of the Enclave, Gaia discovers an entire community of people. While a new city could mean a new life and safety for Gaia, she only trades one form of servitude for another. In Sylum, women have nearly ceased to give birth to females and their entire community is in danger of dying out. A female child is a rare and much sought after gift and Gaia's little sister is immediately taken away from her. Forced once again to serve as a midwife, Gaia struggles to obey her new captives in hopes that she can get her sister back.

So I really liked Birthmarked, the first book in this series. It was different, edgy and I liked Gaia because she wasn't the run of the mill, gifted beautiful leading lady that everyone fell instantly in love with. But where I found Birthmarked uniquely gritty and disturbing, I struggled with the sequel's predictability. I really, really felt as if I'd read this story before- only I can't remember where. So much of what was included seemed irrational, even for a dystopian story where anything can go. I seriously doubt that nearly 2000 men would let a handful of women completely control them, even if they do have bows and arrows and the proverbial "thing that all men want." I just couldn't wrap my mind around it. I mean, a community of mostly men and a blind pregnant woman is in charge? I mean it sounds ideal, I'll give you that, but not very realistic because even in a fictional future- men are still men.

Gaia is the new girl in town, she's unattached, possibly fertile and one of the few remaining females, so of course her milkshake is bringin' all the boys to the yard. I liked that O'Brien could see the silliness in her "love square" and even acknowledged it through Gaia. Still, there were some very sweet, romantic moments, though not with the initial love interest from the first book- he's still just a flaky as he was before (and now he apparently has like ten different personalities). I'm Team Peter all the way.

"I have wanted to hold you my whole life," he said.
She closed her eyes against his shoulder, breathing in the smell of sunlight in his shirt... "You've only known me since yesterday."
"That's my whole life."

I'm still on board for the next book. O'Brien puts a lot of detail into her world and it's an extremely interesting place to visit. Just please, please do something with Leon as he is so very unlikeable.

*Quote taken from an ARC of Prized and may differ in the finished copy.

When Beauty Tamed the Beast by Eloisa James

2011-10-31T05:00:00.001-05:00

When Beauty Tamed the Beast

Author:Eloisa James
Publisher: Avon
Date: February 1st 2011
Series: Happily Ever Afters #2
Pages: 372
Genre: Historical Romance
Source:Purchased

Linnet Thrynne has just thoroughly botched up her debut first season. What started as a harmless flirtation with a prince has ended in her being the talk of the ton. Of course she knew that a prince could never marry the daughter of a lowly viscount but it was just a bit of kissing- a bit of kissing witnessed by the Duchess, mind you and now Linnet is ruined. Ruined, thanks to the kiss, the refusal of the prince and well, a ball gown that had far too many ruffles around the middle for people to believe that it was just a kiss. Now she's to be bundled off to Wales, rumored royal bun-in-the-oven and all, and given in marriage to a Duke's son. This would seem like a fortunate turn of events if it wasn't for the fact that the only reason the Duke desires the match is because his son is incapable of siring a child and he wants an heir with a tinge of royal blood. But there's no baby, and soon Linnet will have to break the news to her new fiancé, a man everyone refers to as The Beast.

I fell in love with Eloisa James when I read the first book in this series, A Kiss at Midnight. It was so witty and funny and wildly romantic that I ran out and picked up a few more of her books. Her writing is gorgeous and she writes the most adorable characters! She makes even the bad guys loveable.

This little story was so much more than I expected. With all the Beauty and the Beast overtones, I was expecting something much more predictable than I got. I adored Piers, The Beast, instantly. He's a remarkably gifted doctor with the very worst bedside manner and where one would expect that he'd fall face first under the spell of his new Beauty, it's quite the opposite in fact. He openly mocks her coquettish behavior and refuses to be another of her ballroom conquests and why shouldn't he? After all, he is completely unaffected by her, having suffered a debilitating injury that has left him, ahem, immune to her charms. Linnet is forced for the very first time to rely on something other than her beauty to get her out of her most unfortunate situation. I laughed and laughed at this story, until I started crying like a big burbling idiot towards the end where it takes a most unexpected turn.

I plan on reading each and everyone one of Miz Eloisa's books because I just love her characters and her excellently crafted little worlds. If you are a fan of happy romances, regency ones at that, you'll fall just in much in love with this book as I did.

I have a whole stack of her books right here and you can't have them. They're all mine. :)

The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

2011-10-19T19:25:00.002-05:00

When we last left our heroes...LOTS OF THINGS HAPPENED THAT WILL SPOIL THE FIRST THREE BOOKS IF YOU DON’T TURN AROUND AND STOP READING THIS NOW...Megan had become the queen of The Iron Fey and Ash, her prince, lurver and champion was unable to join her in the Iron Realm. Ash being a fairy and inherently allergic to iron sets out to find a Benadryl strong enough to combat the death rash and the anaphylactic shock caused by exposure to the metal that dominates his beloved’s queendom. If Ash wants to be with his Megan (and he really, really does) he must change the part of him that cannot survive the Iron realms. He must give up his immortality and find a soul. Ash must sacrifice his strength, his magic, his life and become mortal.

I have absolutely loved this series and thoroughly enjoyed it, even the parts of it I didn’t like- which would include this book. Now wait, wait, wait. I didn’t say I hated it. I didn’t say it was awful and I really don’t even have a bunch of reasons to support why I didn’t like it. I have just one- Ash. The story, setting and world were in typical Kagawa fashion- made out of win and covered in awesome. Her imagination astounds and I love living in her world, but Ash…dear Ash was a huge disappointment. He was so very indecisive, wavering, wishy-washy and other words for flake that I found myself drifting whenever he’d start his “questioning” again. I know that what he was doing was a major decision and I could almost understand his constant reflection, but Ash, my Ash- that headstrong, daring, valiant and devoted Unseelie Prince, would never hem and haw his adoring fan into disbelief. I wanted him to SHUT UP because I couldn’t stand the sound of his inner monologue one second more.

Looking back, I think one of the story’s greatest powers has always been Megan’s voice. Megan was Kagawa’s character and she really knew her. Ash, leading man that he is and all, was still merely a supporting character in Megan’s story. When it came down to him flying solo as the star of his own spin off show, it was almost as if Kagawa had no idea who he was. The story was there, and it was lovely, but Ash had absolutely no substance.

“Do not be deceived by the politeness of the fey. Fey are almost always polite. This does not mean they will not happily remove your head.”

Maybe I’m wrong. But what I’m not wrong about is the fact that even with my mild dislike of this last book, this series is absolutely phenomenal and I’m going to miss it with all of my heart. I'm quite fixedly a Kagawa fan and I eagerly await whatever she comes up with next. (Vampires? I haven't had a sensible and respectable relationship with a vampire in awhile. Oh and little Ethan? All growed up?)

Matched by Ally Condie

2011-10-14T06:15:00.001-05:00

Matched

Author:Ally Condie
Publisher: Speak
Date: September 20th, 2011 (first published November 30th 2010)
Series: Matched #1
Pages: 400
Genre: YA- Dystopian
Source:Purchased

From Goodreads:

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

So I read this, rather quickly, with interest and I liked it enough but it was lacking something. Something was missing and I can't quite put my finger on it. I couldn't tell you why Cassia's world was like it was, nor could I say that it didn't draw me in. Cassia was both a weakling and a warrior, defying the system as her belief in it started to dissolve yet never doing much of anything. I honestly liked both of the love interests but it was a typical love triangle with one of them being the bigger man about it and well, it was sweet but boring. I just don't know why I wasn't crazy about it. The writing was decent and the concept was enticing but the story didn't make me feel anything. Maybe that's the kicker right there. I read the story, but I couldn't get involved with it.

Some of the rules and regulations of Cassia's society are the stuff of nightmares. In this future, the government has decided that having too many cultural options breeds discontent. They take the same view on choices and education. For instance, they decided that 100 books, 100 poems, 100 paintings, 100 songs and so forth were all that was needed in their world and they BURNED the rest. Yes, they burned everything except the agreed upon 100. Can you even imagine? Members of this society are placed in the position that they will most likely be in for life. They are taught to do one thing, and one thing only, so that one person could never take it upon his or herself to do it all on their own. Scary stuff this and not all that far-fetched. I can see this version of the world happening and I liked reading scared.

I also couldn't get excited about the ending which ended just the way I thought it would and left me with little to hope for in a second book. The sequel, Crossed, is set to be published November 1st and while I'm not on the edge of my seat about it, I know a lot of people are and I hope it blows you all away.

On a final note, I LOVE LOVE these book covers they are 100% dead on in terms of the story and I hope it means Cassia will be breaking out and busting some ass in the second book. If this happens let me know and I'll read it.

Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

2011-10-11T05:01:00.000-05:00

Daughter of Smoke & Bone

Author:Laini Taylor
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
Date: September 27th, 2011
Series: Daughter of Smoke & Bone #1
Pages: 420
Genre: YA- Fantasy, Romance
Source: Provided by publisher (ALA)

From Goodreads:
Around the world, black hand prints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherworldly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

Karou had a most unusual upbringing. Unbeknownst to the human world in which she lives, she is the foster daughter of a fantastical family of creatures known as the Chimera. Since she was a little girl, she has spent a large portion of her life in the Chimera's workshop, a place that exists just between their world and our own. It is in this worship, with its jars and shelves filled with teeth from just about any animal imaginable (yes, even that one) that all of Karou's wishes come true. Literally. Frequently the Chimera call on their foster daughter to perform duties within the human world that are beyond their reach and they pay her in wishes. Mostly small, harmless little wishes, as big wishes cost more than most can humanly afford, but wishes none the less. And while a wish can take a girl far in the mundane world, they can't give Karou everything. They can't tell her who she is, or give her back her past.

This story and I have had a rather rocky romance. It was love at first sight and perfection for most of the first half of the book. Then it was as if the three month grace period was over and the book started to scratch its butt in public and do other things that had me believing that it wasn't as wonderful as I first thought it was. The transition from Karou's present to her past was the hardest thing for me to get through. There were some cliche YA elements at work that made me groan as I thought the approach was beneath Taylor's ability as a storyteller (it's a bit of a spoiler so I won't go into detail...email me and we can chat.) But it was love that brought me that far and it was love that got me through it and I'm so happy that I did because the story as a whole turned out to be absolutely remarkable. So much imagination! So much wonder! Oh to spend a day inside Miz Taylor's brain and see in a world what she see can. I was so firmly entangled in Karou and Madrigal's worlds that the story was over before I was ready to give it up.

The story goes in so many directions, and while I wasn't a fan of some of them, the overall effect was unreal. What she created with Madrigal and Akiva, the chimera's world, the workshop that deals in teeth, it's all so unbelievably fantastic and for the reader, very much alive. I'm truly and utterly amazed.

The detail! I mean, Taylor paints her world on each page with bold, vibrant colors, heavy and thick with textures you just want to run your fingers over so that you can feel the story. I can forgive the plot faux pas and I'll just blame it on the genre. I feel confident that Taylor could write anything she wanted to and I'm looking forward to seeing her break out of the box.

This is another one of those books that has more bent corners than straight ones. I've marked whole passages, page after page of awesome so that I can go back and visit my favorite parts. Rumor is we'll get an as yet untitled sequel sometime next year. If anyone has any gossip about the sequel you can tell me....I can keep a secret. Promise.

Oh plus five hundred million points for using the word "susurrous."

     Unearthly, the wail rose, wavering and violent, to break like a wave and become language--susurrous, without hard consonants. The modulations suggested words, but the language was alien even to Karou, who had more than twenty in her collection. She turned, seeing as she did that the people around her were turning, too, craning their necks, and that their expressions of alarm were turning to horror when they perceived the source of the sound.
     The she saw it, too.
     The thing on Izil's back was invisible no more.

*Quote taken from an ARC of Daughter of Smoke & Bone and may differ in the finished copy.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

2011-10-10T00:21:00.001-05:00

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

Author:Michelle Hodkin
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Date: September 27th, 2011
Series: Mara Dyer #1
Pages: 452
Genre: YA- Paranormal, Romance
Source: Provided by publisher (ALA)

From Goodreads:

Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.

She's wrong.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't expect to fall head first into this book because I did. You've heard all the hype. It's got you psyched. You can't wait to read it because everyone says "It's sooooo good!" and yeah, it was. So when I came up for air 452 pages later, it was no surprise that I loved it as much as I did. I just knew about this one. Hodkin pulls out all the stops in this very dark, mind-twister of a story and I'm ready for more.

Mara wakes up from a terrible accident that claimed the lives of three of her friends. She has no memory of what happened, nor does she remember why or how she even came to be at the scene. In an effort to distance her from the horrible event, Mara's parents move away in hopes that a new location may mean a new life for Mara. She's damaged both emotionally and mentally. She's also more than a little unstable and well, things are happening. Somehow, the things Mara envisions come true and everything Mara sees is dark and deadly.

Mara has, shall we say, talents. Scary ones. But as powerful as her abilities seem, there's still the possibility that none of it actually happened. This story has your brain working overtime; nothing is real- except for everything. Are these things really happening to Mara or are they hallucinations? I couldn't get a handle on what was fact and what was potentially fiction and I absolutely loved that. Even at the end of the story, when we are given the biggest blow to the psyche- did it really happen?

While there is a strong romantic element, the story stands out more to me as a psychological thriller than as a romance. But what romance there is, well it's the kind you want- a hot playboy with an English accent who has ruined more reputations than a supermarket tabloid.

Does it warrant a series? Absolutely. There's a solid setup for a sequel and Hodkin gives you the very worst kind of cliffhanger there is- and that's a good thing.

In My Mailbox (35)

2011-10-08T06:29:00.000-05:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren in which we share the books we received for the week.

I think these covers sold me even more than the synopsis. Is it odd that I get ridiculously overexcited by a stack of really pretty hard back books? I just like to sit and look at them.

Eve by Anna Carey

From Goodreads: The year is 2032, sixteen years after a deadly virus—and the vaccine intended to protect against it—wiped out most of the earth’s population. The night before eighteen-year-old Eve’s graduation from her all-girls school she discovers what really happens to new graduates, and the horrifying fate that awaits her.

Fleeing the only home she’s ever known, Eve sets off on a long, treacherous journey, searching for a place she can survive. Along the way she encounters Caleb, a rough, rebellious boy living in the wild. Separated from men her whole life, Eve has been taught to fear them, but Caleb slowly wins her trust...and her heart. He promises to protect her, but when soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between true love and her life.

The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge

From Goodreads: In the city of Lovecraft, the Proctors rule and a great Engine turns below the streets, grinding any resistance to their order to dust. The necrovirus is blamed for Lovecraft's epidemic of madness, for the strange and eldritch creatures that roam the streets after dark, and for everything that the city leaders deem Heretical—born of the belief in magic and witchcraft. And for Aoife Grayson, her time is growing shorter by the day.

Aoife Grayson's family is unique, in the worst way—every one of them, including her mother and her elder brother Conrad, has gone mad on their 16th birthday. And now, a ward of the state, and one of the only female students at the School of Engines, she is trying to pretend that her fate can be different.

Fury by Elizabeth Miles

From Goodreads: It’s winter break in Ascension, Maine. The snow is falling and everything looks pristine and peaceful. But not all is as it seems...

Between cozy traditions and parties with her friends, Emily loves the holidays. And this year’s even better--the guy she’s been into for months is finally noticing her. But Em knows if she starts things with him, there’s no turning back. Because his girlfriend is Em’s best friend.

On the other side of town, Chase is having problems of his own. The stress of his home life is starting to take its toll, and his social life is unraveling. But that’s nothing compared to what’s really haunting him. Chase has done something cruel...something the perfect guy he pretends to be would never do. And it’s only a matter of time before he’s exposed.

In Ascension, mistakes can be deadly. And three girls—three beautiful, mysterious girls—are here to choose who will pay.

Em and Chase have been chosen.

What lovelies found their way to you this week?

Giveaway: Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan (Audiobook)

2011-10-06T06:16:00.002-05:00

Author:Amy Kathleen Ryan
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Date: September 13th, 2011
Series: Skychasers #1
Pages: 307
Genre: YA- Dystopian, Romance
Review:My Review

The fabulous people at Macmillian Audio were gracious enough to offer up a copy of the audiobook of Glow for one very lucky person. This is a sensational story that I just know you're going to enjoy. Who doesn't like having someone read to them?

Rules

Must be at least 13 years of age
Open to US only
Contest ends October 15th
One entry per person please
Fill out the form below

Waiting on Wednesday (22) Destined HoN #9 by Team Cast

2011-10-05T00:01:00.001-05:00

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine, in which we share the books that we are anxiously waiting to be released.

Destined (House of Night #9)
by P.C. Cast, Kristin Cast

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Date: October 25th 2011

From Goodreads:

In Destined, the forces of Light and Dark collide as their epic struggle focuses on Tulsa's House of Night. Zoey is home where she belongs, safe with her Guardian Warrior, Stark, by her side and preparing to face off against Neferet. Kalona has released his hold on Rephaim, and, through Nyx's gift of a human form, he and Stevie Rae are finally able to be together if Rephaim can truly walk the path of the Goddess and stay free of his father's shadow.

But is Zoey really safe? Does she truly know those who are closest to her? And will love win when it is tested by the very soul of Darkness? Find out what s destined in the next thrilling chapter of the House of Night series.

It's time, once again, to get ridiculously overexcited about the 1 millionth book in the absolute worst vampire series of all time- and my personal favorite. I have the most intense love/hate relationship with this series. I have everything both good and bad to say about it and I freely admit that I CAN'T WAIT FOR THIS BOOK.

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Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

2011-10-04T08:46:00.000-05:00

Anna Dressed in Blood

Author:Kendare Blake
Publisher: Tor Teen
Date: August 30th, 2011
Series: Anna Dressed in Blood #1
Pages: 316
Genre: YA- Paranormal Romance, Horror
Source: Purchased @ Lemuria Books

From Goodreads:

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything outside of the ordinary: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

But she, for whatever reason, spares Cas's life.

I've had ridiculously good fortune in reading here lately. I haven't read a single thing I didn't like and pretty much everything I've read I've sorta loved. In fact, it's the slew of good books that I've happened upon that has taken me away from the blog. I've been reading like mad and I haven't wanted to stop long enough to talk about it. But I just HAVE to tell you about Anna.

I've been looking forward to this book for a good while. It's a YA, ghost/lurve story about a murderous dead girl and the ghostbuster who falls for her. Add a male main character to that mix and you have a whole handful of win. Take that all you sappy Romeo and Juliet wanna be star-crossed love stories! Cas is in love with a dead girl who kills people! And, AND it's dark, twisted, a little graphic and kind of (wee bit) scary. You're hooked already. I can see it.

Theseus Cassio Lowood is a ghost hunter. Urban legends, the kind told by giggling girls at slumber parts to see who cries first, had to have gotten started somewhere and if you trace the rumors back far enough you might find that they held more truth than you would ever be comfortable knowing. That's what Cas does. He tracks down the hook-handed ghost that supposedly got those silly horny teenagers who were making out in that abandoned barn, and kills it. The restless dead never know that they've died. They just keep repeating the events that lead up to their own untimely deaths by carrying them out on unsuspecting victims. Cas has followed in his father's footsteps and travels the world murdering the dead. When a lead brings him to Thunder Bay and an old abandoned house that has claimed an unknown number of victims, he meets an angry, powerful phantom that knows that she's dead....and she kicks his ass.

Isn't it romantic? No not really, but it's going to be and you'll be Team Dead Bloody Ghost Love before you know it.

I started this book one evening and spent the whole of the next day answering questions at work with "I want to go home and read my book." How are you today, Laura? "I want to go home and read my book." Is that patient breathing, Laura? "I want to go home and read my book." Nothing mattered but getting back to this book. There are so many cool, wonderful and horrible things that happen in this story that I couldn't stand to be away from it for a second. Blake is a unique, bold new voice in YA, who's not afraid to dirty paranormal romance up a bit. The story is twisted but never sick. I didn't lay awake dreading things that go bump in the night but after I got to know Anna, I kind of wished they did.

Sequel? Why yes, there will be one. Girl of Nightmares sometime in 2012. Want. Need.

Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan

2011-09-30T11:36:00.002-05:00

Glow

Author:Amy Kathleen Ryan
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Date: September 13th, 2011
Series: Skychasers #1
Pages: 307
Genre: YA- Dystopian, Romance
Source: Provided by publisher (ALA)

This was an extremely interesting little story. Simply put, the Earth is in its final days with most of its resources spent and its life quickly running out. Two ships depart the dying planet and begin the long journey to New Earth, a distant planet that holds the promise of a new life. The ships carry with them a miniaturized version of the departed civilization, complete with the technology and resources to reestablish life as they have known it on this alien planet. It is expected, and indeed vital to their mission for the ship's people to procreate; these future generations necessary to keep their little world alive as the ship crosses unfathomable miles on a journey that will take more years than a lifetime to complete.

Two ships set out. One ship is alive with children, it's women fertile and the future of their people secured. The other ship houses a dying people, their women barren and unable to replenish the now aging population. Half way to New Earth, the second ship, their situation now dire, calls for a rendezvous with its sister ship...who refuses. In the midst of a distant nebula, its celestial whirlings rendering it undetectable and completely cut off from all other life, the barren ship lies in wait for the sister who refused to help...

I tried, unsuccessfully to read Across the Universe. I couldn't get into it and dropped it about a quarter of the way in. So when I started reading Glow, and the storyline was oddly familiar I got out the tissues just in case we were on the verge of some seriously unhappy bunny tears but I am happy to report that not one bitter bunny tear was shed.

We have several elements working in this story's favor. We have a sci-fi dystopia with breeder undertones thrown in for shock value- something you can never go wrong with. We have a strong, intelligent female lead, a male driven mutiny (that for some reason kept bringing to mind Ender's Game), and a nice little romance to tie them both together. An excellent mix and cast of characters- people to love and people to hate and an existence the likes of which one can only hope never comes to pass. While the hint of a love triangle tinges the romantic air in the story, it's not blatantly advertised in glowing, flashing neon. Ryan is giving us room to sweat and wonder. Good girl.

Now, the biggest shocker for me wasn't the religious undertones, because they were so apparent that they could hardly be considered to be hidden, nor were they so over the top that they smothered the story, but rather, and this is very hard for me to say- that they added to the story in ways that it would have been lacking without. If you've been with me for awhile you'll know that I DO NOT appreciate religion in my fantasy fiction, and yet, I saw the need in regards to this story. I enjoyed the inclusion. It made everything all the more vital, their cause all the more righteous and it opened the door for some vastly refreshing and unique heroes and villains.

I approve of this being a series (not all books warrant one) and I can't wait for the next book. Things are going to happen, not to mention the bigger picture- discovering a new planet and I'm ready for it. When might we have it Miz Amy?

Waiting on Wednesday (21) A Rogue By Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean

2011-09-28T07:08:00.002-05:00

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine, in which we share the books that we are anxiously waiting to be released.

A Rogue By Any Other Name
by Sarah MacLean

Publisher: Avon
Date: February 28th 2012

From Goodreads:
What a scoundrel wants, a scoundrel gets . . .

A decade ago, the Marquess of Bourne was cast from society with nothing but his title. Now a partner in London’s most exclusive gaming hell, the cold, ruthless Bourne will do whatever it takes to regain his inheritance—including marrying perfect, proper Lady Penelope Marbury.

A broken engagement and years of disappointing courtships have left Penelope with little interest in a quiet, comfortable marriage, and a longing for something more. How lucky that her new husband has access to such unexplored pleasures.

Bourne may be a prince of London’s underworld, but he vows to keep Penelope untouched by its wickedness—a challenge indeed as the lady discovers her own desires, and her willingness to wager anything for them . . . even her heart.

I have turned into the most shameless romance book hussy and I'm powerless to resist when it comes to a MacLean novel. It's her fault, after all, and the fault of her little book Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake that I am in such a state.

This book marks the beginning of a new romance series and I WANT IT. February? Really? Seriously? Life is too cruel.

Like A Jane of All Reads on Facebook!

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

2011-09-22T19:48:00.000-05:00

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
by Ransom Riggs

Published June 7th 2011 by Quirk Publishing
More at:
Goodreads
Website

Like most storybook grandpas, Jacob’s grandfather was always good for a story or two and he was particularly good at spinning tales. His grandfather told him stories of the orphanage he grew up in and whose inhabitants had the most unusual traits. He told of a girl who could levitate and an invisible boy and of the bird who watched over them. He had pictures to go along with his stories; pictures of these magical children. Jacob’s grandfather even told him about the monsters.

But it was only kid’s stuff and as kids grow up, they stop believing.

Year later, the stories all but forgotten and the addled brained grandfather who spun the tales in a state of decline, Jacob sees his first monster. It’s the monster from his grandfather’s stories, and it’s every bit as real as his grandfather said it was. The stories are as real now as they were when he was six. The pictures, the orphanage- all of it has suddenly returned to him and it's made all the more believable by a letter from an odd little girl he forget he believed existed.

From the very moment that I saw the title of this book, I knew it was meant for me. How can you possibly resist a title like that? I love the world peculiar. It’s a magical word, with a quirky ring to it and one must tilt their head ever so slightly to the side in order to say it properly. It’s one of those words that makes being unusual and unique an admirable thing instead of a fault and it’s a perfect word for this little book. This book, with page after page of other glorious words, an unforgettable story and the most unusual use of photographs, is absolutely remarkable. That’s right, it is a picture book. Riggs doesn’t just tell you what his world and characters look like- he shows you. I'm in awe of everything about it. With all its different elements- mystery, fantasy, history, time travel, romance, it spans many genres.

Have you ever loved a story so much that you wish you hadn’t ever read it just so that you could experience the joy of the first reading again? I long for that with this book.

I can shamelessly admit that I dog-ear pages to mark particular passages in a book. If I get through a book without any little corner flips, it doesn’t mean that the story was any less remarkable but with nothing I want to remember, the writing was. This book, however, is riddled with creases. Corner after corner turned down in a polite curtsy in acknowledgement of the author’s superior storytelling. I want to remember every word.

Stars, too, were time travelers. How many of those ancient points of light were the last echoes of suns now dead? How many had been born but their light not yet come this far? If all the suns but ours collapsed tonight, how many lifetimes would it take us to realize that we were alone? I had always known the sky was full of mysteries—but not until now had I realized how full of them the earth was.

Waiting on Wednesday (20) The Statistical Probability of Love at First Site by Jennifer E. Smith

2011-09-21T05:33:00.001-05:00

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine, in which we share the books that we are anxiously waiting to be released.

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
by Jennifer E. Smith

Publisher: Poppy
Date: January 2nd, 2012

From Goodreads:
Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18B. Hadley's in 18A.

Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

This just popped up on my Goodreads recommendations and now I'm in a permanent state of wait and want!

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan

2011-09-16T19:28:00.000-05:00

Will Grayson, Will Grayson
by John Green & David Levithan

Published April 5th 2011 by Speak
More at:
Goodreads
Website
Website

From Goodreads:
One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two teens—both named Will Grayson—are about to cross paths. As their worlds collide and intertwine, the Will Graysons find their lives going in new and unexpected directions, building toward romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history’s most fabulous high school musical.

Will Grayson is not gay but Tiny Cooper, his best friend since 5th grade, is most demonstrably so. Will tries to live his life by two simple rules: 1)Don't care too much and 2) Shut up. But being friends with someone who's bigger than life (quite literally, he's huge) has Will constantly struggling to follow his own rules.

Tiny Cooper is not the world's gayest person, and he is not the world's largest person, but I believe he may be the world's largest person who is really, really gay, and also the world's gayest person who is really, really large.

But Will Grayson is gay. His "best" friend, Maura, a thorn in his side and bane of his existence is not.

it's like those people who become friends in prison even though they would never really talk to each other if they weren't in prison. that's what maura and i are like, i think.

He doesn't have any set rules, because he's never really cared enough to adhere to any. He's never really cared much about anything until he meets Tiny Cooper.

Two very different Will Graysons who have nothing in common save their name and ultimately the force known as Tiny Cooper. Tiny has written a musical about his life, and Tiny's life is all about loooooovvvvveeeee. He has a pile of exes nearly as big as Tiny himself and he's constantly looking for the next "The One." His musical, aptly titled "Tiny Dancer" will pull the two Will Graysons so far out of each of their comfort zones that they'll never be able to go back. Nor would they want to.

I love, with all the love my heart can hold, this book. I love it so much I could read it again right now. I love it so much I would read it to you. How often do you stumble upon a gem of a book in which you adore nearly every character? I say nearly because I would have liked to tar and feather Maura. It was instant love between Will Grayson and I and a slow to kindle love that ended up blazing between myself and the other Will.

Unbelievably funny, overflowing with personality, all the while being completely real without hitting you with too much reality to ruin the story. Top it off with an ending to rival the perfection of any John Hughes 80's movie and you have LOVE.

If I had a magic bag that when anyone asked me, "Have you read any good books lately?" I could reach into it and pull out unlimited copies of this book, I'd give one out to everyone I know.

September 24-October 1 is the American Library Association's Banned Books Week and it's BAN THIS all month long over at Bites. John Green is the Author of Looking for Alaska, a wholly remarkable story that has forced bored soccer moms around the country to pretend to care about what their children read. Will Grayson, Will Grayson is a story of acceptance, both of oneself and of others. I've heard some flack about one of the scenes in this book, a very tame, nondescript and perfectly normal display of affection between two teenagers but I fear for the safety of this story since the teens in question are two males. I can only hope that anyone who would create a problem for this wonderful book would trip over their own stupidity and pray the fall shakes loose some sense.

From I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett

2011-09-14T06:41:00.000-05:00

     "I make it my business. I’m a witch. It’s what we do. When it’s nobody else’s business, it’s my business," Tiffany said quickly.
     "Yes, but we all thought it was going to be about whizzing around on brooms and suchlike, not cutting old ladies' toenails for them."
     "But people don’t understand what’s needed," said Tiffany. "It’s not that they are bad; it’s just that they don’t think. Take old Mrs. Stocking, who’s got nothing in the world except her cat and a whole lot of arthritis. People were getting her a bite to eat often enough, that is true, but no one was noticing that her toenails were so long they were tangling up inside her boots and so she’d not been able to take them off for a year! People around here are okay when it comes to food and the occasional bunch of flowers, but they are not around when things get a little on the messy side. Witches notice these things. Oh, there’s a certain amount of whizzing about, that’s true enough, but mostly it’s only to get quickly to somewhere there is a mess."
     Her father shook his head. "And you like doing this?"
     "Yes."
     "Why?"
     Tiffany had to think about this, her father’s eyes never leaving her face. "Well, Dad, you know how Granny Aching always used to say, 'Feed them as is hungry, clothe them as is naked, and speak up for them as has no voices'? Well, I reckon there is room in there for 'Grasp for them as can’t bend, reach for them as can’t stretch, wipe for them as can’t twist,' don’t you? And because sometimes you get a good day, that makes up for all the bad days and, just for a moment, you hear the world turning," said Tiffany. "I can’t put it any other way."

BBAW Community: In which I say nice things about people.....for a change.

2011-09-12T21:41:00.006-05:00

It's Book Blogger Appreciation Week, kind of like our own private bookish Thanksgiving. Today's topic is on Community:

Today you are encouraged to highlight a couple of bloggers that have made book blogging a unique experience for you. They can be your mentors, a blogger that encouraged you to try a different kind of book, opened your eyes to a new issue, made you laugh when you needed it, or left the first comment you ever got on your blog. Stay positive and give back to the people who make the community work for you!

Ok, so I'm late doing this and to be honest I had no idea of its existence until all the posts showed up in my blog feed. I thought I'd jump in because

I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY

And I will say it with my own personal blend of eloquence, randomness and piss. As expected.

Being a part of this awesome community of bloggers is a wonderful privilege and I'm very grateful for it. I can say with all honesty that the blogs I visit everyday have time and time again, put me through a whole range of emotions- elations and rages alike, and I thank you for it. The stories were already out there, but you made me feel them.

Melissa @ Book Nut- Did you know that The Book Nut is what made me start my blog? Well it is. I'm amazed at the quantity and diversity of books she's read and reading. Somehow Melissa has managed to read everything I've ever loved? How is that? I love that she gets Pratchett. The wisdom and honesty conveyed in her reviews are the marks of a good witch. I wish her a very nice hat.

Sandy @ Pirate Penguin Reads- Is infinitely more fun than an entire roll of bubble wrap. I like our book chats and the fact that we can both have an "OMG!WOW!SQUEAL!SWOON!CRY!" fan-girl moment together over a book and still look cool. She's been an excellent book-bloggy mentor too btw. I appreciate her answering my (constant) "do you think I could get away with doing this (random thing here)?" questions and not having me committed.

Angie @ Angieville- Every new and wonderful book that has made its way permanently into my heart over the past two years has been because of Angie. I don't think anyone can love a book like she can. Books should consider it a great honor. I know it's just a book review, but she can make them glow. I also blame her for almost my entire TBR shelf and my love for Richard Armitage that will leave me forever wanting.

Donna @ Bites- When I am old and gray, and sitting in my rocking chair on my front porch, throwing bad books at the neighborhood brats who dare to come into my yard, I feel confident that Donna will be right there with me, or at the very least across the street and we will throw books at each other. If ever I feel myself caving under the pressure to write a nicey-nice, kiss-ass, I-want-every-one-to-like-me review, I stop and think WWDD? Well, she'd tell them all to piss off, so I say screw it and write what I feel. Donna can be inspiring in that way. She's fearless.

You're wonderful book peeps :)

"You're brave. You are the bravest person I know, and you are my friend. I don't care if you are imaginary."
— Neil Gaiman (The Graveyard Book)

Monday Mini (8): Chime by Franny Billingsley

2011-09-12T00:01:00.001-05:00

Chime
by Franny Billingsley

Published March 17th 2011 by Dial
More at:
Goodreads
Website

From Goodreads:
Before Briony's stepmother died, she made sure Briony blamed herself for all the family's hardships. Now Briony has worn her guilt for so long it's become a second skin. She often escapes to the swamp, where she tells stories to the Old Ones, the spirits who haunt the marshes. But only witches can see the Old Ones, and in her village, witches are sentenced to death. Briony lives in fear her secret will be found out, even as she believes she deserves the worst kind of punishment.

Then Eldric comes along with his golden lion eyes and mane of tawny hair. He's as natural as the sun, and treats her as if she's extraordinary. And everything starts to change. As many secrets as Briony has been holding, there are secrets even she doesn't know.

Very interesting little read here but ultimately I was a bit underwhelmed.

I loved the language of the story (and I do mean loved), the sing-song way the characters spoke. Everyone spoke that way; humans as well as fae(-ish) and it made the mundane seem just as exciting as the magical. The main character Briony and I never really meshed what with her constant protests of just how wicked she was and yet nothing ever really happening. I wished it hadn't taken until the last few pages of the book to let on to what was going on. The ending seemed very "And all of a sudden..." to me.

Adorable hero, Eldric- loved him instantly for his great sense of fun and willing to embrace the ridiculous. Briony's sister Rose, quirky little thing that she was, would have made for a much more interesting story and I was disappointed whenever a scene was without her.

Eh.

Thoughts?

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

2011-09-08T07:54:00.001-05:00

Lola and the Boy Next Door
by Stephanie Perkins

September 29th 2011 by Dutton
More at:
Goodreads
Website

From Goodreads:

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

Happy sighs, twirls and twinkle lights. Loved, loved, loved this book. Loved it far more than it's predecessor, Anna and the French Kiss. Perkins writes amazing leading ladies, but Lola outshines Anna like a supernova does a light bulb.

Lola is 17 and in a relationship with Max, a 22 year old bad boy in a band. He's everything your mother wants you to stay away from...sounds delicious doesn't he? Her parents were far more tolerable than most would have been. She likes him for his, edginess, the rawness that comes across in his music. He likes her because she's a young thing dressed as a strawberry. Get your shotguns, dads.

But Max isn't her first love. A few years before she fell pink-wigged-head over platform-combat-boot-heels for Cricket Bell, the very tall, very odd, boy next door, you know, that boy, the one who broke her heart. Cricket and his family would pop in and out of the house next door; his sister's ice-skating career moving them frequently to different places around the country. It's been two years since the Bells have inhabited the lavender Victorian and despite the many wishes Lola has made that they never return- they've moved back in. And you know what they say about your first love...you never get over it.

Lola is such a quirky, unique character, with her flamboyant costumes and her life covered in glitter. Lola never plays at being whoever or whatever it is she's dressed as. She revels in the clothes themselves, her attire serving only to accent Lola. I grew insanely jealous as I read each and every outfit change, and her reasons behind what she wore. I'd love the freedom to randomly show up somewhere in a tutu, to rock a raincoat on a sunny day simply because I liked the color. She was so creative and imaginative. I missed her for days once the book was over.

Now, I have to be perfectly honest. Both Anna and Lola are terrific books. I'm so glad I read them because I know now I would have been missing something if I had not. And I LOVE LOVE LOVE her main characters. They are so vibrant and alive that I find myself wishing that I could call them up for a chat. But....and here it is: She's 0-for-2 with me on leading men. I would NEVER have let Etienne (in Anna) dick me around like Anna did and I would have kneed Cricket in what he clearly DIDN'T have and told him to grow a pair. Even with that in the back of my mind, it didn't alter my love for the story one bit. I can't wait for Isla and the Happily Ever After !

All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin + Giveaway!

2011-09-02T14:52:00.002-05:00

All These Things I've Done
by Gabrielle Zevin

Published September 6th 2011 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Goodreads
Website
From Goodreads:

In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty. And yet, for Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city's most notorious (and dead) crime boss, life is fairly routine. It consists of going to school, taking care of her siblings and her dying grandmother, trying to avoid falling in love with the new assistant D.A.'s son, and avoiding her loser ex-boyfriend. That is until her ex is accidentally poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures and the police think she's to blame. Suddenly, Anya finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight--at school, in the news, and most importantly, within her mafia family

Hrmmmmm.

Having read several fine and not so fine specimens of the Dystopian YA genre, I'm a bit at a loss for what category to classify this book in. So many people like to speak to the validity of a good dystopia being dependent on the world-building fashioned by the author. Granted, logistics is something I tend to ignore and generally base a book's worth on how it made me feel. However, a strange thing happened to me in my reading of this book in that I got distracted by the poorly formed world loosely portrayed in the story but I had a very strong attachment to the book's characters. There in lies the problem.

The very choppy, sketchy, vague setting that is Zevin's 2083 post-whatever-awful-thing-happened world left me with so many what-ifs, buts and questions that it took every ounce of willpower I possess to keep myself in the story. My flighty little magpie attention span can present a real challenge for an author to completely suck me in. In a world with such sketchy outlines, with very little shading, my imagination didn't have much to run with, so I'd get bored, see something shiny and off my brain would go.

What kept me coming back was the main character, Anya Balanchine, a tough as nails, spitfire who would take on the world to save her family. Hers was a very isolated, lonely life. A life that finds her, at the age of only sixteen, the acting head of her household, and the heiress to a rather large, rather dangerous and very illegal family business. Chocolate is one of the few pointless, insignificant and ridiculous things that is outlawed in this dystopia, and the Balanchine's have made a fortune out of the illegal sale of it. She has a variety of things to contend with and none of them pleasant. For starters, she is raising her older brother and her younger sister; their legal guardian being a frail and failing grandmother who lives in a sort of make-shift home ICU and is kept alive on life support.

For the most part I was pleased with Anya's relationship with Win who is so charming and adorable that I'd forgive him for just about anything. I was also surprised to find myself 100% on his father's side. He is the very ambitious, driven new district attorney and he doesn't want his son dating the daughter of a notorious crime lord. He's also extremely likeable so it will be interesting to see how he turns out in the next book.

And yes, I'm on board for the sequel. I'm in it for Anya.

I meant to do this much earlier but life somehow caught up with me. A book fairy sent me an extra ARC of this book in the mail. I wanted to get it out to you sooner so someone would have the chance to enjoy it before the release (which is Tuesday) but better late than never! We'll make this a short one to make up for it:

ARC Giveaway Rules:

Must be 13 or older

Must reside in the US or Cananda

Ends Friday September 9th at Midnight CST

Fill out this here FORM

Ilsa J. Bick Author of Ashes @ Lemuria September 8!

2011-09-02T08:40:00.000-05:00

Ashes
by Ilsa J. Bick

From Goodreads:

It could happen tomorrow...

A cataclysmic event. An army of "The Changed."
Can one teen really survive on her own?

An electromagnetic pulse sweeps through the sky, destroying every electronic device and killing billions. For those spared, it's a question of who can be trusted and who is no longer human...

Desperate to find out what happened and to avoid the Changed, Alex meets up with Tom---a young army veteran---and Ellie, a young girl whose grandfather was killed by the electromagnetic pulse.

This improvised family will have to use every ounce of courage they have just to survive.

Lemuria Books in Jackson, MS, a place steeped in awesome, will be one of Miz Bick's stops on her Ashes tour! At 4pm on Thursday, September 8th I will be there trying desperately to contain my inner fangirl and NOT scream "I LOVE YOUR BOOK!" and faint. Hopefully I'll also be able to pick up a copy of her book Draw the Dark because Donna @ Bites says I must.

You simply MUST add Ashes to your TBR, camp outside of the nearest bookstore and pounce the moment it opens on September 6th.

Happy Book Birthday The Fox Inheritance!

2011-08-30T05:23:00.000-05:00

The Fox Inheritance
by Mary E. Pearson

August 30th 2011 by Henry Holt and Co.
More at:
Goodreads
Website

From Goodreads:
Once there were three. Three friends who loved each other— Jenna, Locke, and Kara. And after a terrible accident destroyed their bodies, their three minds were kept alive, spinning in a digital netherworld. Even in that disembodied nightmare, they were still together. At least at first. When Jenna disappeared, Locke and Kara had to go on without her. Decades passed, and then centuries.

Two-hundred-and-sixty years later, they have been released at last. Given new, perfect bodies, Locke and Kara awaken to a world they know nothing about, where everyone they once knew and loved is long dead.

Everyone except Jenna Fox.

As if any of us ever needed an actual reason to just run out to the bookstore but this release should make you wait outside before the store even opens!

If you haven't read The Adoration of Jenna Fox, you're missing something wonderful, I promise. It's a great story that you won't forget any time soon. This is its much anticipated and much loved sequel. Read them both!

My reviews:
The Adoration of Jenna Fox
The Fox Inheritance

Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick

2011-08-29T10:02:00.001-05:00

Ashes
by Ilsa J. Bick

From Goodreads:

It could happen tomorrow...

A cataclysmic event. An army of "The Changed."
Can one teen really survive on her own?

An electromagnetic pulse sweeps through the sky, destroying every electronic device and killing billions. For those spared, it's a question of who can be trusted and who is no longer human...

Desperate to find out what happened and to avoid the Changed, Alex meets up with Tom---a young army veteran---and Ellie, a young girl whose grandfather was killed by the electromagnetic pulse.

This improvised family will have to use every ounce of courage they have just to survive.

Published: September 6th 2011 by EgmontUSA
Goodreads
Website

Let's start with my absolute gut reaction: This book scared the shit out of me. I read the first half of the book late at night and actually had some trouble falling asleep. I'm not big on scary stories, being a wuss and all, and I'm a bit too crazy with far too much imagination to be up alone, listening for things in the dark. All manner of nasties inhabit the dark that comes when you put down a scary book and turn off the light. It's the kind of dark that not even turning the light back on can scare off. The next morning I carried the book smack out into the noon day sun and read it where everything around me was well illuminated. So that's my advice to you: Read it outside, midday, in a big open space, and bring a shovel.

It's a fact universally acknowledged that nothing can protect you from a zombie attack like a really sharp shovel.

Now, why was this so scary? Well, think about all the dystopian you've been reading here lately...what have they all had in common? For the most part, they are all stories of drastic changes in the world and how society has changed because of them. They take place in the future and usually involve elements that wouldn't quit figure into our everyday lives as they are now. You can say "Oh dearie me, I do so hope the world doesn't end up like that!" and go about your day safe in the knowledge that no Capitol exists to throw you into an arena, no laws are in place forcing women to breed, people are still marginally human with only a few of us being Borg, water isn't overly rationed, and the ability to love hasn't been surgically removed from your brain. Yet...

But weapons of mass destruction, melting nuclear reactors, and the electromagnetic pulse that is generated by the explosion of a nuclear bomb are all very real and the apocalypse that they could bring, could happen at any time.

I was absolutely terrified both for and with Alex. After the explosion only the very young or the elderly appear to have been wholly spared from the effects of The Change, a condition that resulted from the explosion that left the majority of the world's population either dead or crazy, wild and hungry for animal flesh. Any animal flesh.

Alex falls smack dab in the midst of the age group that was most affected by The Change and yet she, and a few others like her were spared. Alex's brain doesn't function the way most do...Alex has a growing, inoperable brain tumor. Talk about insult to injury. When the event happens, Alex, who has decided that she doesn't want to go through another round of cancer treatments, has gone on an extended hike into the mountains to tie up a few loose ends. Alone, she carries with her one secret thing that she holds most dear, a task that needs to be completed, and her father's gun. You can almost argue that the explosion that ended the known world, and having to save a stranded eight year old girl from blood thirsty flesh eaters- saved her life.

So now we have a realistic, catastrophic event, a post-apocalyptic, dystopian world, and just when you think it can't get any worse, when one would like to believe in the strength of humanity, that our morals and beliefs and sense of justice would prevail when the very worst has happened- it turns out the only thing you can count on is man's instinct to survive at any cost and the lengths we would go to save ourselves.

I've never enjoyed being scared stupid so much in my life. Bick is a marvelous story teller- the action never once eases off and when you turn the last page you're absolutely exhausted both physically and emotionally. The details and the research put into this novel alone deserves major props. It's unlike any YA dystopian novel out there and your brain is going to be forced to work while you read it. And you want to read it.

Plus five points for Zombies. God I love zombies.

I said buh bye to a few book babies and hullo to a few more...

2011-08-28T07:58:00.000-05:00

Some progress and some extra shelf space! Woot! Some of these books went at a garage sale (horrible experience) and all the YAs made it to a local high school library!

You've most likely noticed a change or two around these parts but I'm not ready to talk about them yet. :)

Here is the updated list:

~~The Foretelling by Alice Hoffman~~
The Fairy Godmother by Mercedes Lackey
The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood
Mistress of the Revolution by Catherine Delors
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
~~Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner~~
I Elizabeth by Rosalind Miles
Eleanor of Aquitaine by Alison Weir
Girl With A Pearl Earring by Tracey Chevalier
The Virgin Blue by Tracey Chevalier
Falling Angels by Tracey Chevalier
~~Audrey Wait by Robin Benway~~
Inheritance by Lan Samantha Chang
~~My Soul to Save by Rachel Vincent ARC~~
The King's Mistress by Emma Campion ARC
~~Breaking Dawn by Stephanie T. Meyer (makes a good door stop)~~
~~Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer~~
~~New Moon by Stephanie Meyer~~
Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver
Covet by J.R. Ward
~~As You Wish by Jackson Pearce~~
~~Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines~~
~~Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev (I have two? How?)~~
~~Evermore by Alyson Noel~~
~~The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor~~
~~The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson~~
~~Across the Universe by Beth Revis~~
~~Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner~~
~~The Guy Not Taken by Jennifer Weiner~~
Wicked by Gregory Maguire
Confession of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire
Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig (Again, two?)
Nightlight by The Harvard Lampoon
Mercury Falls by Robert Kroese ARC
~~The Enemy by Charlie Higson ARC~~
~~Halo by Alexandria Adornetto ARC~~
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
~~Girl Stolen by April Henry ARC~~
~~Wings by Aprillynne Pike~~
~~Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey~~
Love Signs by Linda Goodman (astrology stuff)
The Saucy Sister's Guide to Wine Nowack & Wichman (I have no idea)
Nightshade by Andrea Cremer ARC
Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer
~~Restoring Harmony by Joelle Anthony~~
~~Harmonic Feedback by Tara Kelly~~

Goodbye my darlings! I wish you well as you journey forth to new and exciting places!

As for what showed up this week? Well it was a wonderful combination of YA and historical smut! My favorite!

The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

Wicked Nights With a Lover by Sophie Jordan

Sins of A Wicked Duke by Sophie Jordan

Once Upon a Wedding Night by Sophie Jordan

Waiting on Wednesday (19) The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

2011-08-24T05:01:00.000-05:00

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine, in which we share the books that we are anxiously waiting to be released.

The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

Publisher: Harlequin
Date: October 25th 2011

From Goodreads:

Ash, former prince of the Winter Court, gave up everything. His title, his home, even his vow of loyalty. All for a girl… and all for nothing.

Unless he can earn a soul.

To cold, emotionless faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.

Then Meghan Chase—a half human, half fey slip of a girl— smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.

With the (unwelcome) company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end— a quest to find a way to honor his solemn vow to stand by Meghan’s side.

To survive in the Iron realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. At least, no one has ever passed to tell the tale.

And then Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that turns reality upside down, challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice

Pause a moment to bask in the blinding, nuclear, hell it-out-shines-the-sun awesome that is The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa. Then take a deep breath, realize that this book is about Ash, fan girl scream your lungs out and collapse in a gooey pool of want. I feel exactly the same way. Must. Have. Book.

Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones

2011-08-23T20:47:00.003-05:00

Second Grave on the Left
by Darynda Jones

Published August 16th 2011 by St. Martin's Press
Goodreads
Website

"I scooted through the basement window on my stomach and dropped into a somersault landing on my feet on the cement slab of the basement.‘Cause that’s how I roll.
The times I’d tried that same maneuver only to land on my ass with dirt and cobwebs coating my hair didn’t count."

***Hi. This here is a review of a sequel, you know, the book after the first. If you read this before you've read the first book then you're doing things the wrong way. Duh.**

For private investigator Charley Davidson, solving crimes and finding missing persons is hard enough as it is, but when you're also The Grim Reaper (yes THAT Grim Reaper) tracking down missing persons of a less corporeal nature makes for a long work day.

Reyes has gone missing, deliberately, the jerk and he's done it just to annoy her. He has hidden his physical form and forbidden Charley to find him. He said something about it meaning the end of the world and giving evil a gateway into heaven, blah blah blah- as if a direct order from a general of the legions of hell is really anything to take seriously. It's a toss up really as to what she should do. On one hand, if she finds him, something really bad will happen and on the other hand, if she doesn't find him, something really bad will happen. It's a lose-lose situation so why not go for the option that she knows will piss him off the most? It's her way of flirting.

In the land of the living, Cookie's friend Mimi has also suddenly skipped town, her disappearance close on the heels of the untimely death of several of her old classmates. The one time buds shared a dark secret that no one wanted to come out, especially not when one of them is running for the senate. Charley isn't sure exactly what Mimi has herself mixed up in but several rather severe gentlemen in suits have suggested that she not try to find out- at gun point actually. But if she doesn't find her soon, Mimi's probably a goner. It's a lose-lose situation, so again, why not go for the option that will piss everybody off the most?

If you haven't read First Grave on the Right, then you've been missing out on one hell of a good time. Charley is a bad ass. She's smart, funny, good at her job and can rock a killer pair of high heeled boots- all the while ushering the souls of the departed through the portal into heaven (And what did YOU do today, huh?). Her relationship with Reyes is unbelievably steamy considering the fact that he's never physically there. He's always either in jail, or he's in a coma, or he's being held prisoner by demons- the guy keeps pretty busy. Plus, as an added bonus, she's a really good detective and I found myself getting into the whole mystery element as I watched Charley work a case- and I'm not big on mysteries.

Ya know, I never once worried that Miz Jones wouldn't be able to pull off a stellar sequel. First Grave was so wondrously entertaining and funny that I knew she had more in her and she did a great job with the second book. Very pleased, very happy, and apparently I have a crush on the Son of Satan. Think my mom will like him?

Oh and watch the blog, I'll post a giveaway of the audio book later this week!

Good Morning, Saturday! Camelot, Merlin and The Mists of Avalon

2011-08-20T07:33:00.004-05:00

Saturday and Sunday mornings are very special to me, like I'm sure they are to a vast majority of you. On these days, I celebrate by drinking different coffee. Drastic and shocking I know, but that one little change helps me relax and get into the spirit of the weekend. So with coffee in mind, you might want to grab a cup because I intend to ramble on for a good errrrr...six minutes or so.

So my bloggy followers are no doubt aware of my Netflix addiction. I have in fact, turned off the cable because I haven't watched anything live in almost a year now. Thanks to Netflix I've discovered so many great shows and because of these great shows I've discovered even more.

Someone left a comment for me to try out the BBC's (have you noticed that everything the BBC does is made of win?) Merlin. I got completely hooked by episode three and I've watched the first two seasons. I haven't watched the third because it's not up on Netflix yet- a fact that makes me want to throw things at ponies. Regardless of the fact that it's a pretty tame family show, the production and sets are AWESOME and I'm madly in love with Merlin and his giant ears. The whole thing centers around Merlin, you know the famous wizard out of Authorian legend, who posing as Arthur's lackey and saves the young prince's arrogant ass from a wide variety of trouble. Magic is forbidden in Camelot, all of the sorcerers having been hunted down and killed by King Uther Pendragon, Arthur's father. Uther is a major asshat, with absolutely no redeeming qualities and I want so very much to be able to reach through the screen and throttle him.

So Merlin goes around doing GREAT FEATS OF MAGIC (imagine those letters all in flames) and saves the day. I love that on the surface he appears to be a bumbling idiot but when he performs magic he is ridiculously, baddassedly powerful (Badassedly is a LAJ word and not be used without my express permission).

So that's Merlin. While I wait for Season 3 to pop up in my Netflix instant queue, I'm watching season one (and maybe it's the only season. Hell if I know.) of Starz's Camelot, starring some long haired scrawny Orlando Bloom wannabe and.....*deep inhale in* Joseph I'veLovedYouSinceShakespeareinLoveandthinkyourbaldheadissexy Fiennes. Annnnnnd exhale.

I'm on episode 6 of 10 and I want Igraine and Merlin to do it :) I don't ask for a whole lot but Merlin is so dark and brooding and self-loathing that I feel he deserves to boink Uther's widow. I'm loving the show. Everything in it is very BIG. The sets are Big, the costumes are BIG, the plot is BIG and it's pretty graphic, violent and raunchy. I think it's suppose to be their answer to Showtime's The Tudors, which I haven't really gotten into but maybe I should.

So all these stories about King Arthur, blahblahblah, since I was what? Fifteen? Sixteen maybe? The only acceptable truth in Arthurian legend, for me, has been Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mists of Avalon. It's probably the first giant brick of a book I read and I've read it about four times now. It's focuses mainly on the women of Camelot (and there abouts) and paints the whole thing in a much darker light. I can't think of the story of King Arthur in any other way.

It follows Morgaine, who goes off to the island of Avalon to become a pagan priestess. Lots of goddess worship and magic that had me wanting to paint a blue crescent moon on my forehead long before the vampires of The House of Night did. Anyway, the point is, anytime I watch or read something else about King Arthur I throw my hands up and exclaim "THAT IS NOT HOW BRADLEY SAID IT HAPPENED!"

Pick it up if you have strong arms and can hold it for long lengths of time. You'll love it. It will make you want to read everything she's written. For instance, The Firebrand her version of the Trojan War has also become THE TRUTH for me and nothing will ever make me believe otherwise. Hmph.

Anyway. I tried to watch the series, Legend of the Seeker but after struggling through two very boring, poorly acted episodes I found I'd much rather stare dumbly at a blank wall and drool.

And that's it. Drink up!

Oh, and like Life After Jane on Facebook

In Scandal They Wed by Sophie Jordan

2011-08-18T00:01:00.001-05:00

In Scandal They Wed by Sophie Jordan

Published April 1st 2010 by Avon
Goodreads
Website

I've been reading a lot of gloom and doom here lately. About, you know, the thing we all fear the most- the zombie apocalypse. Good stuff that. Great even, and we'll talk about those books in the days to come but I wanted, needed, a break from it and I wanted the break to be trashy.

Tastefully trashy mind you- as only a historical romance novel can be. Ladies overly protective of their virtue. Dashing, overbearing, scoundrels turned heroes accosting said virtue- those of us in possession of ridiculously overly romantic sensibilities like to refer to it as love. So I tippy toed over to the bookshelf, with my skirts bunched in hand, and with pinky finger ever so delicately extended, selected In Scandal They Wed by one Miz Sophie Jordan and sat down to read.

Three hours later, four screams of "SHUT UP! I'M TRYING TO READ THIS", and no less than fifteen squeals of delight, I finished this little book and added Sophie Jordan to the list of romance authors that I must become better acquainted with.

Evie Cross, newly evicted from The Penwich School for Virtuous Girls, returns home to discover a case of the aforementioned compromised virtue. Not hers, mind you, but that of her well loved sister, Linnie who foolishly found herself in the bed of a man she thought she loved and subsequently got herself pregnant. Linnie was her parents last hope of weaseling their way into better society and if her condition is discovered, all of their nefarious scheming has been for nothing.

Having been out of the country for long enough not to rouse suspicious, Evie takes Linnie's child to raise as her own, masquerading as a widow to protect Linnie's reputation and more importantly, her child.

Years later, her sister having died and any potential scandal along with her, Evie has established a safe, quiet, albeit poverty stricken life for herself and her adopted son. Out of the blue, a man arrives asking after Nicholas. Spencer Lockhart, Lord Winters, is the cousin of Nick's father, who died on the battlefield but not before securing Spencer's promise to look after Nicholas and Linnie. For years Spencer has lived with the dream of Linnie, visions of her loveliness planted in his mind by his cousin's stories of her. Now he has returned and means to protect both Linnie and her son with his name by making the woman of his dreams his wife. Fearing that the truth could mean Spencer taking Nicholas from her, Evie plays along with his assumptions that she is her sister and agrees to marry him, hoping that he doesn't discover that his bride to be isn't exactly the woman of his dreams.

Loved this story. I had no idea what kind of man ol' Spence would ultimately turn out to be so I had no idea what would happen to Evie or her son. you don't go around duping influential members of the nobility and expect to get off light. He might turn out to be a real asshole. All in all, a great little story. No instant fairytale love, but some marvelous instant sexual tension. Evie, you go girl.

I've ordered five more of Miz Jordan's books. She has even written a YA novel that I'd love to get my greedy little hands on.

Waiting on Wednesday (18) Eve by Anna Carey

2011-08-17T06:39:00.000-05:00

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine, in which we share the books that we are anxiously waiting to be released.

Eve by Anna Carey

Publisher: HarperCollins
Date: October 4th 2011

From Goodreads:

Where do you go when nowhere is safe?

Sixteen years after a deadly virus wiped out most of Earth’s population, the world is a perilous place. Eighteen-year-old Eve has never been beyond the heavily guarded perimeter of her school, where she and two hundred other orphaned girls have been promised a future as the teachers and artists of the New America. But the night before graduation, Eve learns the shocking truth about her school’s real purpose—and the horrifying fate that awaits her.

Fleeing the only home she’s ever known, Eve sets off on a long, treacherous journey, searching for a place she can survive. Along the way she encounters Arden, her former rival from school, and Caleb, a rough, rebellious boy living in the wild. Separated from men her whole life, Eve has been taught to fear them, but Caleb slowly wins her trust . . . and her heart. He promises to protect her, but when soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between true love and her life.

In this epic new series, Anna Carey imagines a future that is both beautiful and terrifying. Readers will revel in Eve’s timeless story of forbidden love and extraordinary adventure.

I think I could read only dystopian YA and be happy for the rest of my life. Well, dystopian YA...... and regency era historical smut- if we're being honest.

The Fox Inheritance by Mary E. Pearson

2011-08-15T00:01:00.002-05:00

     The Fox Inheritance by Mary E. Pearson

     August 30th 2011 by Henry Holt and Co.

     More at:
     Goodreads
     Website

     From Goodreads: Once there were three. Three friends who loved each other— Jenna, Locke, and Kara. And after a terrible accident destroyed their bodies, their three minds were kept alive, spinning in a digital netherworld. Even in that disembodied nightmare, they were still together. At least at first. When Jenna disappeared, Locke and Kara had to go on without her. Decades passed, and then centuries.

Two-hundred-and-sixty years later, they have been released at last. Given new, perfect bodies, Locke and Kara awaken to a world they know nothing about, where everyone they once knew and loved is long dead.

Everyone except Jenna Fox.

I absolutely loved the battle between science and morality that was presented in The Adoration of Jenna Fox. Without giving too much away (in case you haven't read it YET), Jenna Fox and her friends were in a horrible accident. At that time, technology had advanced so much that an entire human body could be replicated- not just cloned, but regrown, with everything it had before. But, the catch was, you could only reproduce up to a certain amount. For Jenna to live, an illegal amount of replication was necessary which left her father, the scientist who invented the technology, the tough choice of breaking the law, or letting his child die. Jenna lived.

It's a remarkable story of self acceptance and adaptation and a damn fine dystopian novel. The Fox Inheritance is the sequel.

Jenna was not the only one involved in the accident. Her two best friends were involved as well but their bodies were so far gone that even the Biogel technology could not save them. Before their bodies expired, Jenna's father uploaded the data from Kara and Locke's brains. Whether he had hoped to replicate them at that time or not, he did it just in case. When Jenna discovered that the essence of her two best friends were trapped inside a holding device inevitably, she did the kindest thing she could think to do and had the boxes containing what was left of Kara and Locke destroyed.

But every good technician makes backups, and a rogue scientist at the Biogel lab made copies of Kara and Locke, and what remained of them, their brains, sat trapped in those boxes, forgotten for 260 years. And they can remember every excruciating, horrible day of it.

So it's not a stretch to believe that when they are given new bodies and a second chance at life, they harbor much resentment. They endured an unthinkable hell and they blamed Jenna, because she got to live. Irrational? Yes, but it was the only thing they had to hold on to. Jenna is still alive, 260 years later and they feel she needs to answer for abandoning them. I struggled with this concept perhaps the most throughout this story and tried to feel things from Locke and Kara's point of view. Jenna was blameless. She couldn't do anything about the situation and their 260 year old vendetta wasn't realistic to me. I would have thought they'd go after the lab, or the government that wouldn't let them be reproduced. Jenna's my girl, and if it came down to it, I'd want Kara and Locke eliminated to save her.

This is where I leave you on the story line. Kara and Locke are on the run from their creator, and hell bent of finding Jenna. You'll just have to read it to find out what they do to her.

The world created in The Adoration was already riddled with scientific discoveries that are unfathomable in this day and age, but 260 years later the world has evolved into the most brilliant sci-fi setting. Fierce security regulations, everything automated and computerized, robots replacing people, humanity's ever slipping hold on itself. Good stuff, and yet, outside of the system, a much more primitive normality can be found, where life goes on day to day just as it always has. I loved that. I like the fear that a good dystopian evokes in me, but I love love when even in the worst of imaginable conditions, there is enough hope to drive people to hold on to the simple things that matter. We see a lot of that when we get to visit with Jenna again.

I love Pearson's story telling. It's smooth and fast-paced. She gives you everything you want but layers it with enough emotion to make you work for it. And she gives you Officer Dot Jefferson- we should all be so lucky as to have a Dot.

"Customer Locke, I may not have everything you do, but I have more than you think and much more than I ever dreamed of. I told you, Bots dream. At least some of us do. Whether we are supposed to or not, whether it was ever planned or not, we dream. Some of us think beyond our cabs, we imagine where our customers go and what things they see. When they jump into our cabs, we imagine where they have been, and how it has changed them. Their worlds become our secret worlds, and sometimes we share those places with other likes us and sometimes we even dare to dream that those worlds could be ours one day. We don't know if that could ever be true for us, but we hear stories. And now...I am one of those stories. Escape is not about moving from one place to another. It's about becoming more.

*Quote taken from an ARC of The Fox Inheritance and may differ in the finished copy.

In My Mailbox (34)

2011-08-14T10:37:00.000-05:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren in which we share the books we received for the week.

So I agreed to go bowling with Beloved in exchange for a trip to Jackson to visit Lemuria Books. I haven't been able to get up that way for months and if you've ever been there you'll understand just what a treat getting to go is. They have this awesome Wall O' YA....it's two giant floor to ceiling bookcases CRAMMED with just about every YA title you can imagine. I really need to get a picture of it so you can bask in its awesome. It's one of those places where you climb up on ladders to play with the books. Not only is the selection awesome but the YA/Children's manager, Emily, knows just about everything there is to know about the titles because she's READ THEM.

Ilsa Bick, the author of the YA dystopian novel, Ashes will be at Lemuria on September 8th for a signing. I'll be there with bells on.

Chime by Franny Billingsley

From Goodreads: Before Briony's stepmother died, she made sure Briony blamed herself for all the family's hardships. Now Briony has worn her guilt for so long it's become a second skin. She often escapes to the swamp, where she tells stories to the Old Ones, the spirits who haunt the marshes. But only witches can see the Old Ones, and in her village, witches are sentenced to death. Briony lives in fear her secret will be found out, even as she believes she deserves the worst kind of punishment.

Then Eldric comes along with his golden lion eyes and mane of tawny hair. He's as natural as the sun, and treats her as if she's extraordinary. And everything starts to change. As many secrets as Briony has been holding, there are secrets even she doesn't know.

Kristin Cashore, the author of Graceling, one of my favorite books, recently blogged about how great this book was. She said it, so it is.

Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta

From Goodreads: Finnikin was only a child during the five days of the unspeakable, when the royal family of Lumatere were brutally murdered, and an imposter seized the throne. Now a curse binds all who remain inside Lumatere’s walls, and those who escaped roam the surrounding lands as exiles, persecuted and despairing, dying by the thousands in fever camps. In a narrative crackling with the tension of an imminent storm, Finnikin, now on the cusp of manhood, is compelled to join forces with an arrogant and enigmatic young novice named Evanjalin, who claims that her dark dreams will lead the exiles to a surviving royal child and a way to pierce the cursed barrier and regain the land of Lumatere. But Evanjalin’s unpredictable behavior suggests that she is not what she seems — and the startling truth will test Finnikin’s faith not only in her, but in all he knows to be true about himself and his destiny.

Author of another one of my favorites, Jellicoe Road. I've heard wonderful things about this book.

Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky

From Goodreads: Maddie lives in a world where everything is done on the computer. Whether it’s to go to school or on a date, people don’t venture out of their home. There’s really no need. For the most part, Maddie’s okay with the solitary, digital life—until she meets Justin. Justin likes being with people. He enjoys the physical closeness of face-to-face interactions. People aren’t meant to be alone, he tells her.

Suddenly, Maddie feels something awakening inside her—a feeling that maybe there is a different, better way to live. But with society and her parents telling her otherwise, Maddie is going to have to learn to stand up for herself if she wants to change the path her life is taking.

In this not-so-brave new world, two young people struggle to carve out their own space.

Dystopian. All I needed to know.

And then, from a very special book fairy:

All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

From Goodreads: In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty. And yet, for Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city's most notorious (and dead) crime boss, life is fairly routine. It consists of going to school, taking care of her siblings and her dying grandmother, trying to avoid falling in love with the new assistant D.A.'s son, and avoiding her loser ex-boyfriend. That is until her ex is accidentally poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures and the police think she's to blame. Suddenly, Anya finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight--at school, in the news, and most importantly, within her mafia family.

Ok, I could live without chocolate...but coffee? I can't even walk upright in the morning without it.

What lovelies found their way to you this week?

Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer

2011-08-12T10:11:00.000-05:00

Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer

Published July 26th 2011 by Penguin Young Readers Group
Goodreads
Website

From Goodreads:

When Calla Tor wakes up in the lair of the Searchers, her sworn enemies, she’s certain her days are numbered. But then the Searchers make her an offer—one that gives her the chance to destroy her former masters and save the pack—and the man—she left behind. Is Ren worth the price of her freedom? And will Shay stand by her side no matter what? Now in control of her own destiny, Calla must decide which battles are worth fighting and how many trials true love can endure and still survive..

I'll make this really quick and easy. I didn't like this book. While it didn't necessary qualify as something so awful it made bunnies cry, I could still hear the telltale whimper of a bunny who is on the verge of tears.

For starters, I was bored stupid for the first 2/3 of the book. Seriously, nothing happened other than Calla's rampant personality disorder, moping around the Searcher's hideout threatening to attack everybody one minute (not that she did by the way, she just threatened and glowered...ohhhhh you're so bad ass), loving Shay, loving Ren, being a shameless cock tease and then spending the rest of the time WHINING. OH DEAR LORD IN HEAVEN MAKE HER STOP. Poor thing she was just SO torn over EVERYTHING that she was virtually ineffective at anything.

OK, I know that was harsh, but I'm allowed. I loved Nightshade, mainly because of the strength of the main character. In the sequel she was just so very weak. And not the kind of weak from which one learns and ultimately becomes more confident and assertive, just the plain ol' wussy kind.

It got better towards the end, and by better I mean more action packed, a little bit of a twist and there was an unexpected turncoat in their midst. Oh and one perfectly well executed lurve scene.

Not happy at all but I'm still on board for the next book. I'll give my girl one more chance, for the sake of our budding friendship in Nightshade.

Hate the new covers btw.

Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay

2011-08-08T05:01:00.004-05:00

Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay

Published August 9th 2011 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Goodreads
Website

From Goodreads:

"These violent delights have violent ends And in their triumph die, like fire and powder,
Which as they kiss consume."
—Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

The most tragic love story in history . . .

Juliet Capulet didn't take her own life. She was murdered by the person she trusted most, her new husband, Romeo Montague, a sacrifice made to ensure his own immortality. But what Romeo didn't anticipate was that Juliet would be granted eternity, as well, and would become an agent for the Ambassadors of Light. For 700 years, she's fought Romeo for the souls of true lovers, struggling to preserve romantic love and the lives of the innocent. Until the day she meets someone she's forbidden to love, and Romeo, oh Romeo, will do everything in his power to destroy that love.

For never was a story of more woe
Than this of... Ariel and her... Ben?

The synopsis was probably all it took to get you hooked and aching for this book. A retelling of Romeo and Juliet with a wicked paranormal twist? I was sold. Ambassadors of light? OK. I can admit I anticipated a little bit of cheese there and honestly didn't know what to expect out of the story. I read the first sentence and knew instantly that Jay's writing wasn't going to be anything to smirk at. It took one sentence for me to be addicted and one chapter for me to abandon every thing else I had planned for the day and devour this book.

My inner fan-girl is OMGing at that first chapter. It's a beautiful, beautiful love scene between Romeo and Juliet that draws you right back into the classic story that so tugged at your heart, followed by Jay's unique twist that breaks it far more than the original death scene did.

Juliet hates Romeo. He traded his soul mate for immortality, became a sick, murderous agent of evil and spends the next 700 years trying to rip true love pairs apart.

The Dread Pirate Roberts said "Death can not stop true love. All it can do is delay it for a while." No Wesley, death can give you a 700 year opportunity to kick the shit out of it.

Every so often, a true soul mate pairing will occur and with it, an agent of each faction. Juliet, of the Light, attempts to fully unite the pair, securing true love and win a point for the good side. Once her task is complete she fades away until the next pair appears. Romeo, an agent of the dark, also appears with each soul mate pair. His job is to convince one of the lovers to kill their lover in exchange for immortality. Accomplishing this wins a point for the bad guys and Romeo gets to stay on Earth, inhabiting a body until it's time for the next assignment. There's poor Juliet, pretty much dead until she's useful again, and Assholeo gets to play for Team Zombie (can I get a woot for anything Zombie!). Juliet enters the body of a girl named Ariel who has just deliberately crashed her date's (Dylan) car, almost killing him and leaving Ariel in limbo until Juliet leaves her body. It usually takes a day or two for Romeo to show up, giving Juliet time to settle into the life of the person she is inhabiting, but as Dylan begins to come to, there is something in his eyes that has Juliet instantly afraid.

     No. It can't be. We've never- He's never-
     "Did you miss me, love?" he kisses me on the cheek, a rough, playful kiss that leaves a bit of wet behind.
     Dylan has died after all. And Romeo has found a corpse. It's my last thought before his hands are around my throat.

Enter hero stage right: We meet a young man named Ben who, for reasons unknown, is startlingly familiar to Juliet. There's something reassuring about his presence- something that makes her feel safe with him. Something that makes her want him. It is not Juliet's place to feel an attraction to a mortal. She is not Juliet, she is Ariel and must preserve Ariel's life as best she can while fulfilling her duty to unite two destined lovers. It's been so very long since Juliet felt anything for anyone,other than the hate she has for Romeo, that this new emotion is something she craves more of. But she isn't really alive and she can never have him.

Are you squealing yet? Yes, it is over the top schmaltzy romance and I could smell a love triangle coming but I DIDN'T CARE. Jay's writing is gorgeous and the story is so wild and intense that I loved it, loved it! A highly imaginative twist on one of the most memorable and powerful love stories. It will have you running away screaming when you hear the name Romeo and yet, somehow it still manages to preserve the intense hope that true love can really exist.

*Quote taken from an ARC of Juliet Immortal and may differ in the finished copy.

Cut Giveaway Winner

2011-08-07T07:07:00.002-05:00

Cut by Patricia McCormick

Briana @ BAM Book Reviews! You won the giveaway for Cut! Congrats!

Waiting On Wednesday (17) All These Things I've Done by Garbielle Zevin

2011-07-27T05:30:00.000-05:00

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine, in which we share the books that we are anxiously waiting to be released.

All These Things I've Done by by Gabrielle Zevin

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Date: September 6th 2011

From Goodreads:

In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty. And yet, for Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city's most notorious (and dead) crime boss, life is fairly routine. It consists of going to school, taking care of her siblings and her dying grandmother, trying to avoid falling in love with the new assistant D.A.'s son, and avoiding her loser ex-boyfriend. That is until her ex is accidentally poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures and the police think she's to blame. Suddenly, Anya finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight—at school, in the news, and most importantly, within her mafia family.

Dystopian YA. I don't need anymore incentive than that. How about you?

The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa

2011-07-25T21:51:00.002-05:00

The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa

Published January 25th 2011 by Harlequin Teen
Goodreads
Website

From Goodreads: My name is Meghan Chase.

I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who's sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it.

This time, there will be no turning back.

**HEY, this is the third book in the series. If you read this review before reading the other books you will quite possibly spoil it, thereby ruining any chance you had to dwell however briefly, on the plane of extreme awesome.**

Get ready for it, because I'm gonna act like a complete dork over this book. Here we go:

So I love this series, right? It's been very good so far. But this book? THIS BOOK?! I have found the font from which all awesome springs forth.

It's so awesome that I need a visual aid to help you really grasp the extent of its awesome. Count the number of times I use awesome in this post, and multiply it by cake and you have the sum total of the awesome that is this book.

Here is the everyday, normal level of awesome that exists in the world:

And here is the awesome that resides in Julie Kagawa's The Iron Queen:

The war between the Iron Fey and the Summer and Winter courts has just begun, and already the old fey are falling, helpless against this new breed of faery that has the ability to harness the power of iron. Iron is the one thing the old fey fear most; the one thing they are helpless against. Now the false Iron King and his army are sweeping a path of destruction across the Nevernever, killing the land and all faery life in its path. The powers of both courts, Summer and Winter, even when combined, are no match against this new enemy. Time is quickly running out and in desperation Oberon calls Meghan out of her exile in the human world. As a half faery princess, Meghan possess the glamour of the Summer court. But as the one who slayed the true Iron King, she also holds all the power of the Iron fey. She is the only one who can enter the Iron realm unscathed, and the only one who can save the Nevernever.

A swollen crimson moon hovered over the camp that night, rust-red and ominous, bathing everything in an eerie, bloody tint. Snow flecks drifted from a nearly clear sky, rusty flakes dancing on the wind, like the moon itself was tainted and corroding away.

Meghan is unstoppable in this book! She is so determined and in charge. I loved it. She has never been cowardly- how could she be with all she's been through, but in this book, she really comes into her own. Things learn to both fear, and respect Meghan Chase and it's awesome to watch her work.

Thus far, we've spent very little time in the Iron realm, most of the stories taking place in the human world or in the Summer and Winter courts. This book is so much darker than the previous two because the place our heroes are in borders on nightmarish. As technology and man's dependence on it have increased, the Iron Fey have grown. Their world is one of twisted metal, acid, mutation and the discarded cast-off gadgets of the human world. It's wonderfully creepy, and yet so very sad. This place is awful, but a type of Fey do live there and to them it is home. I absolutely loved Kagawa's worlds. She truly captures everything that is both beautiful and grotesque about the faery world, always reminding us that these beautiful, mythical creatures that we like to pretend lurk just beyond our perception- really just want to eat us.

This book, the third in the series, is by far the best, and by far one of the best adventures I've been on this year. I can't wait to see what the boys get into in The Iron Knight and I would be willing to make a binding bargain with the fey in order to get my hands on it NOW.

I haven't been Team Ash. Far from it. The whole "I will kill you, but wait I love you, but I'll still kill you, but stay away from me, come here, I will kill you but wait I love you" thing really made my ass twitch in the beginning. He had way too many red flags. But.....The Iron Queen, which we have already established, holds the bulk of the world's allotment of awesome, changed me. Ash is such a strong character in this book, so devoted to Meghan and all Daniel Day Lewis "STAY ALIVE! No matter what happens! I will find you!" that it's unbelievably hot (and it's ok for me to lust after the boy since he's countless centuries old). I can now proudly wave my giant foam finger with the rest of you: TEAM ASH.

Supernaturally by Kiersten White and a GIVEAWAY

2011-07-24T08:25:00.002-05:00

     Supernaturally by Kiersten White

     July 26th 2011 by HarperTeen

     More at:
     Goodreads
     Website

     From Goodreads: Evie finally has the normal life she’s
     always longed for. But she’s shocked to discover that      being ordinary can be . . . kind of boring. Just when Evie starts to long for her days at the International Paranormal Containment Agency, she’s given a chance to work for them again. Desperate for a break from all the normalcy, she agrees.

But as one disastrous mission leads to another, Evie starts to wonder if she made the right choice. And when Evie’s faerie ex-boyfriend Reth appears with devastating revelations about her past, she discovers that there’s a battle brewing between the faerie courts that could throw the whole supernatural world into chaos. The prize in question? Evie herself.

So much for normal.

If you haven't read Paranormalcy, the first book in the series, stop NOW and go and do so or you will be the most ungrateful wicked person and the angels will weep for you.

You would think that after single-handedly saving the paranormal world from destruction everything else would pretty much be cake. For Evie, life hasn't exactly been normal. Nowhere near normal- not even in the same dimension as normal (the world of the fae can really suck you in). So when she left her job at the International Paranormal Containment Agency to try her hand at "normal" life, high school sounded like a welcome retreat. Who knows, it might have been if it wasn't for the fae suspiciously lurking about and a freaky human boy with the ability to create faery pathways randomly popping up in the girls locker room. The IPCA desperately needs Evie's help and with the increase in local paranormal activity she couldn't help but agree. Now she's juggling fighting evil, her after school waitress job, her full time relationship with Lend oh and constantly trying to suppress the urge to suck out the occasional paranormal soul, and it's still impossible to weasel out of gym class?? Bleep.

First, how awesome is Evie? I mean seriously? How many times have you thrown up your hands and begged the YA gods to give you a strong, competent, kick-ass, "Homey don't play that", can-and-will-take-on-the-whole-bleeping-world, lead female character? So many appear that way at first but then you get to a point in the book or the series where for some stupid reason the author decides that her character needs to be "saved". Not our Evie. She gets helped along the way, sure, but you never once forget just who is in charge. She can kick anything's ass and is still smart enough to know that even she is no match for the power of shoes. That's my girl.

As a sequel, Supernaturally is a very good extension of the story. I liked that she didn't leave the first book behind, and there were no drastic changes in storyline or in Evie's world. It was a nice continuation of the original story, and you weren't beat down with recaps meant to bring you up to speed if you hadn't read or have forgotten what happened in the last book (I hate when sequels do that).

Evie goes back to work for Raquel at the IPCA, thank goodness. I don't know if I would have liked it as much if the story was just about a paranormal girl trying to make it in a normal world (boring). Evie's "bag and tag" assignments with the IPCA are what's fun and what I wanted more of in the sequel. Thankfully, White delivered. It's really interesting how her relationship with Lend is playing out. He's such a nice guy and you know as well as I do that there aren't that many of those, especially in YA.

A large chunk of Evie's time is spent either in the faery realms or in the passages between them. Jack is a human boy, who having been raised by faeries, has learned the secret of opening their doorways. Raquel has sent Jack to drive Evie around so to speak, making it quicker for her to get to her assignments. He also makes it quicker for her to get into trouble- a whole other world of it. You'll like Jack- even when you don't like him.

We get a lot of questions answered in this book, but only enough that I'm already itching for the third book. Exactly who and what is Evie, and what, if any, are the extents of her powers?

Oh....and.....maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I'm just sick and twisted. Maybe I just have a thing for bad boys. But I'll say this and you can grab your pitchforks and come after me if you must: Team Reth.

After a frustrating half hour, I finally caught sight of the glamoured corpse head in the middle of a crowd waiting for the Ferris wheel. He had his arm around a pretty young thing in an incredibly weather-inappropriate outfit that showed off her very slender, very blood-filled neck. She stared at him in that vapid, intoxicated way employed only by women under a vamp's control. Or the way I sometimes got when faced with cupcakes.
Mmm. Cupcakes.

Want my ARC? You can have it!

In the story, Evie jokingly mentions that only a faerie apocalypse could keep her from doing something. Now we all FEAR THE FORTHCOMING ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE (the end is nigh) but just what would the Faerie Apocalypse entail?

Use this handy-dandy form to tell me: FILL OUT THE FORM

Open to peeps 13 or older, living in the US of A or Canada. Ends August 9th at midnight CST. You don't have to be a blogger or a follower but you do have to answer the question. I'll randomly select a winner but you still have to describe the end of the world, faerie style.

*Quote taken from an ARC of Supernaturally and may differ in the finished copy.

In My Mailbox (33)

2011-07-17T07:03:00.001-05:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren in which we share the books we received for the week.

I'm still on a mini-hiatus while I finish up my summer classes, but I wanted to post something so that my blog didn't collect too much dust during my absence. Here are the lovelies that I have neglected to share with you over the past few weeks. Enjoy and let me know what lovelies found their way to your mailbox!

Divergent by Veronica Roth

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Charmed Thirds by Megan McCafferty

Things are looking up for Jessica Darling. She has finally left her New Jersey hometown/hellhole for Columbia University in New York City; she's more into her boyfriend, Marcus Flutie, than ever (so what if he's at a Buddhist college in California?); and she's making new friends who just might qualify as stand-ins for her beloved best friend, Hope.
But Jessica soon realizes that her bliss might not last. She lands an internship at a snarky Brooklyn-based magazine, but will she fit in with the überhip staff (and will she even want to)?
As she and Marcus hit the rocks, will she end up falling for her GOPunk, neoconservative RA...or the hot (and married!) Spanish grad student she's assisting on a summer project...or the oh-so-sensitive emo boy down the hall? Will she even make it through college now that her parents have cut her off financially? And what do the cryptic one-word postcards from Marcus really mean?
With hilarious insight, the hyperobservant Jessica Darling struggles through her college years - and the summers in between - while maintaining her usual mix of wit, cynicism, and candor.

A Kiss at Midnight by Eloise James

Miss Kate Daltry doesn't believe in fairy tales . . . or happily ever after.

Forced by her stepmother to attend a ball, Kate meets a prince . . . and decides he's anything but charming. A clash of wits and wills ensues, but they both know their irresistible attraction will lead nowhere. For Gabriel is promised to another woman—a princess whose hand in marriage will fulfill his ruthless ambitions.

Gabriel likes his fiancée, which is a welcome turn of events, but he doesn't love her. Obviously, he should be wooing his bride-to-be, not the witty, impoverished beauty who refuses to fawn over him.

Godmothers and glass slippers notwithstanding, this is one fairy tale in which destiny conspires to destroy any chance that Kate and Gabriel might have a happily ever after.

Unless a prince throws away everything that makes him noble . . .

Unless a dowry of an unruly heart trumps a fortune . . .

Unless one kiss at the stroke of midnight changes everything.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. And a strange collection of very curious photographs. It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children who once lived here—one of whom was his own grandfather—were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a desolate island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

Graveminder by Melissa Marr

Melissa Marr is known to young adult readers as the author of the popular faery series Wicked Lovely. Her debut leap into adult fiction lands her in the small community of Claysville, a town where the dead walk free unless there their graves are not properly tended. Into this eerie maelstrom, Rebekkah Barrow descends as she returns to a place that she once believed she knew. Kelley Armstrong justly described Graveminder as "a deliciously creepy tale that is as skillfully wrought as it is spellbindingly imagined." A new genre author to watch.

This was my most awesome birthday present from my most awesome book friend Sandy @ Pirate Penguin Reads! It's autographed by the lovely Miz Marr! Thank you sweet girl!

Forgotten by Cat Patrick

Each night when 16 year-old London Lane goes to sleep, her whole world disappears. In the morning, all that's left is a note telling her about a day she can't remember. The whole scenario doesn't exactly make high school or dating that hot guy whose name she can't seem to recall any easier. But when London starts experiencing disturbing visions she can't make sense of, she realizes it's time to learn a little more about the past she keeps forgetting-before it destroys her future.

Part psychological drama, part romance, and part mystery, this thought-provoking novel will inspire readers to consider the what-if's in their own lives and recognize the power they have to control their destinies.

I won this lovely from A Tapestry of Words. Thank you so much Danya!

Follow Friday (4)

2011-07-08T04:56:00.002-05:00

This is a fun little feature hosted by Miz Parajunkee that promotes bookbloggy togetherness. One of those is probably not a word.

This week's question:

Q. Let's step away from besties...What is the worst book that you've ever read and actually finished?

Like anyone who reads my blog can't see this one coming:

For a long time it was She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb, but then Stephanie Meyer wrote Breaking Dawn and introduced me to a whole new level of suck.

Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to follow this week's FF featured blog, Read Breathe Relax!

Stalk me:
twitter/lifeafterjane
facebook/lifeafterjane

Cut by Patricia McCormick & A Giveaway...

2011-07-06T00:01:00.003-05:00

     Cut by Patricia McCormick

     Published May 1st 2011 by Push (first published October 30th 2000)

     More at:
     Goodreads
     Website

     From Goodreads: "A tingle arced across my scalp. The floor tipped up at me and
     my body spiraled away. Then I was on the ceiling looking down, waiting to see
     what would happen next."

Callie cuts herself. Never too deep, never enough to die. But enough to feel the pain. Enough to feel the scream inside.

Now she's at Sea Pines, a "residential treatment facility" filled with girls struggling with problems of their own. Callie doesn't want to have anything to do with them. She doesn't want to have anything to do with anyone. She won't even speak.

But Callie can only stay silent for so long....

I didn't know what to expect going into this book. I had a brief encounter with the phenomenon of cutting in Laurie Halse Anderson's Wintergirls and I was surprised at the lack of compassion I felt then. I thought it was perfectly vile, selfish and fell under the blanket concept of "things that are done to get attention." I think the difference in perspective in the two books made all the difference for me. I did not like Lia in Wintergirls, and I just adored little Callie. Silly though it may seem, I was willing to try to understand Callie, because I felt she deserved it. Callie, however twisted it may seem, had a very sound reason for her self-inflected violence. It made perfect sense in her mind, even if it didn't to others. I cared so deeply for Callie that I was willing to set aside my prejudice and listen to her. Which is the very point of the story. I can admit now that McCormick's smack down smarted and made me feel a little ashamed. Kudos. I deserved it.

Callie's place within her family has taken on an almost wraith-like form. A little brother with chronic asthma, a very, very, very (add a few more verys) weak mother and a cowardly father make up what Callie knows as family. Her parents are so engrossed in their own self pity that they fail to notice that their daughter is fading, blending into the background so that maybe no one will notice that she carries a secret- she feels it is all her fault. Everything. And since she goes unnoticed, no one bothers to ask, so Callie never tells.

We all continually beat ourselves up over a certain amount of self made guilt that we harbor, believing that something is our fault, regardless of the truth. It would shock us to discover that were we to voice our account of our supposed wrongs, we would be the only one pointing the finger at ourselves. So much of what we perceive is imagined. I guess the balance lies in knowing when we've shouldered enough, and simply need to tell someone to relieve the pressure. For Callie, there was no one to listen, and the pressure grew until it was either explode or find an outlet that could release some steam. For her it was a simple cut, nothing major, just enough, to release the tension. My heart ached for her, not for what she was doing, but because she did what she did and no one so much as batted an eye.

This was such a tough story for me because, well, I'm a tough chick with the possibly equally self destructive ability of being able to tell the world to go to hell. I could never hurt me and I have a hard time understanding others who would willingly hurt themselves. I've felt helpless only a handful of times in my life. But I've always known what Callie did not, and that's if you scream loud enough, people are forced to listen. Callie didn't know that it was OK to scream because no one ever taught her to use her voice to defend herself and her own sanity. I blame her selfish, pathetic little snit of a mother who lacked the strength to care for both of her children at once and sacrificed the emotional health of one for the physical well being of another. To me that's almost a form of abuse.

I was grateful for the fairytale tie in that became the ending. Something good that came from outside Callie needed to happen. As great as it was that she made the breakthrough that she did, I would have felt a bit cheated if the story had ended with her still feeling detached from her family.

I'd like to pass my copy on as a sort of penance for being a narrow minded asshole. There are good lessons in this book and maybe I'm not the only one who needs to learn them.

Open to book bloggers, over the age of 13, living in the US. Closes July 27th at midnight.

FILL OUT THIS FORM

Teaser Tuesday (12) Supernaturally by Kiersten White

2011-07-05T05:20:00.000-05:00

"Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!"

A figure, taller than Jack and more beautiful by far than anyone else I knew stepped out of the door.
"Now really," he said, his voice liquid gold, "that's hardly the welcome I expected, my love."

*Quote taken from an ARC of the book and may differ in the finished copy.

Cleaning house.....

2011-07-03T17:28:00.000-05:00

So I've been on vacation for the past week in Orlando, FL.

Now Orlando is home to many many fabulous things...but one thing stands out above all the rest. It is perhaps the most fabulous thing in the whole of central Florida....

The Ikea Store

Dear Lord in heaven. Forget Disney. Who gives a crap about a talking mouse- but a multi-football field sized warehouse of innovative storage solutions and shiny, stream lined odds and ends? I would have waited in an hour long line for THAT.

It's a marvelous fairytale place boys and girls and I can't wait to go back. They sell easy to put together, inexpensive, GIANT WALLS OF BOOKSHELVES. AND I want one SO bad I might JUST DIE. But I have some bookcases and unless I got rid of them (and they're lovely) there isn't another place in the house that it would seem reasonable to put more. So alas, a wall of books isn't in my immediate future but some day...oh yes...it will be mine.

But that's not the point. The point is. I just need to get rid of some books so that the cases I do have look all nice and neat and ikea-ish. Truthfully, I own a lot of books that I'll never read again and the selfless thing to do would be to find those particular books a new home where they can get some long over due attention and book lovin'.

I just this morning separated a large chunk of the book fort into the to-go pile when I ran across THIS POST over at Pop Culture Junkie. The challenge is simple: it's basically to get rid of as much as you can in whatever way you can. And well, I need to.

Here is the list of what needs to go to start:

The Foretelling by Alice Hoffman
The Fairy Godmother by Mercedes Lackey
The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood
Mistress of the Revolution by Cahterine Delors
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner
I Elizabeth by Rosalind Miles
Eleanor of Aquitaine by Alison Weir
Girl With A Pearl Earring by Tracey Chevalier
The Virgin Blue by Tracey Chevalier
Falling Angels by Tracey Chevalier
Audrey Wait by Robin Benway
Inheritance by Lan Samantha Chang
My Soul to Save by Rachel Vincent ARC
The King's Mistress by Emma Campion ARC
Breaking Dawn by Stephanie T. Meyer (makes a good door stop)
Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer
New Moon by Stephanie Meyer
Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver
Covet by J.R. Ward
As You Wish by Jackson Pearce
Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines
Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev (I have two? How?)
Evermore by Alyson Noel
The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor
The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson
Across the Universe by Beth Revis
Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner
The Guy Not Taken by Jennifer Weiner
Wicked by Gregory Maguire
Confession of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire
Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig (Again, two?)
Nightlight by The Harvard Lampoon
Mercury Falls by Robert Kroese ARC
The Enemy by Charlie Higson ARC
Halo by Alexandria Adornetto ARC
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Girl Stolen by April Henry ARC
Wings by Aprillynne Pike
Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey
Love Signs by Linda Goodman (astrology stuff)
The Saucy Sister's Guide to Wine Nowack & Wichman (I have no idea)

The plan is to give these away as creatively as possible. I'll give what I don't find homes for to a library (my local branch does not add donations to the collection. I have no idea why.) It's a big step for me and will no doubt leave me more vulnerable to an attack when the Zombie Apocalypse begins but I know that my time with these books has come to an end. Goodbye my darlings! I wish you well as you journey forth to new and exciting places!

Smokin' Seventeen by Janet Evanovich

2011-07-01T19:43:00.001-05:00

     Smokin' Seventeen by Janet Evanovich

     Published June 21st 2011 by Bantam

     More at:
     Goodreads
     Website

     From Goodreads: Where there's smoke there's fire, and no one knows this better
     than New Jersey bounty hunter, Stephanie Plum. The bail bonds office has burned
     to the ground, and bodies are turning up in the empty construction lot. To make matters worse, Stephanie is working out of a motor home she shares with a dancing bear, and Joe Morelli's old world grandmother has declared a vendetta against her. And just when Stephanie decides it might be time to choose between the two men in her life, Morelli and Ranger, a third man from Stephanie's past moves back to Trenton...

When we left Stephanie in book sixteen, the bonds office had been blown up, and many many senseless acts of vehicular abuse had been committed. Now, they've finally broken ground on a new bonds office but a dead body gets discovered on the empty lot, half buried beneath the backhoe. While a dead body in Trenton isn't usually something to hold up progress, a second body turning up on the bail bonds lot, brings everything to a stand still. Income has dwindled and necessity dictates that Stephanie get back out there and bring it what skips she can. This week brings the FTA of a nude, Viagra dependent burglar, a Lexus driving housewife with a ex-husband speed bump problem and an 82 year old vampire with fanged dentures. Never say life is dull.

Stephanie's mother is on the prowl as well. Having a daughter who's marital status is FTA has become a source of shame and she guilts Stephanie into a fix up with Dave Brewer who at first glance "seems like such a nice young man." Famous last words. Men are something that Stephanie doesn't need more of. Her on again off again relationship with Morelli, and her status, whatever it is, with Ranger is about all that she can handle. Up until now she's done a pretty good job holding them both at bay but then Joe's Grandma Bella, a crazy Italian lady who hates Stephanie puts the "Vordo" on her (a slut curse) and Stephanie has urges that not even granny panties can squelch. The cure all for passion comes in the form of another dead body turning up on the bonds lot this time with a note that reads "For Stephanie." Not that having someone want to kill her is anything new, but they've never come gift wrapped before. And she thought juggling men was trouble...

     "I didn't see any fangs when he answered the door," I told Grandma.
     "Well, it's day time so maybe he was fixing to go to sleep, and he had his dentures in a cup." Grandma said. "I don't wear my dentures when I sleep."
     Lula leaned back in her chair. "Hold the phone. This guy has fake fangs?"
     "They use to be real," Grandma said, "but a couple of years ago Joe's granny Bella, gave Ziggy the eye, and all his teeth fell out. So Ziggy went to Horace Worly- a dentist on Hamilton Avenue just down from the hospital. Anyways, Horace made Ziggy some new choppers that look just like his old ones."

Damnit, Janet. You did it again. You sucked me back in and I'm once more a die-hard Plum fan and I'm itching for a sequel.

I went into this book, the seventeenth in the Stephanie Plum series, with the mindset that I was just about finished with the series. Nothing new ever happens. We never make any progress and the series never evolves. It's like a screenplay for a sitcom that's in its sixth season and it really just keeps getting renewed because there's nothing else good on television.

Did anything new happen in this book? Not really, unless you count lots and lots of sex. And since the two men in this book with which one can have sex are such fine male specimens as Morelli and Ranger, then yes, we do in fact, count the lots and lots of sex. Once again, Evanovich didn't give an inch with her formula, and we're about in the same place we were when all this started but this was, hands down, her funniest one yet.

I forget that this series is a mystery because I always say I don't read mysteries so it always comes as quite a shock to me when I get halfway through a Plum novel and I find myself caught up in the "who done it." This one is steeped in it and it's coming from all sides. She did a really good job dragging this one out because nothing that happened pointed to the killer.

This was Lula's book, word for word and Lula was given all the best lines. I took this book on vacation with me and read it aloud to my mother, so I had the added benefit of reading Lula's lines as Lula would say them. It was all I could do to get through it without peeing on myself. I don't think I've laughed that hard since, well, I hate to admit it, book sixteen. I guess I need to give in and give up. I love this series. I want her to marry Morelli and I want to see it have a happy ending but at the same time, I hope we never get there. It's been a hell of a ride and I'll keep buying tickets and standing in line even when it makes me throw up.

Book eighteen is set to be published in November? What gives? We never get two Plum books in a year?

I bet she's pregnant. Taking bets in comments.

ALA in NOLA Wrap-up and Show & Tell

2011-06-28T20:15:00.002-05:00

I was fortunate enough to get to attend the American Library Association's annual convention in New Orleans. While I only got to go for one day, I'm so grateful for the opportunity to mingle with so many like minded book people.

This was a fabulous event. There were publishers, authors and yes, lots and lots of books.

My adventure began when I got in my car and drove MYSELF TO AND THROUGH the city of New Orleans. I think I might even be more proud of that than the actual convention. Driving in New Orleans = Scary for this country girl. But I made it and meet up with Rachel aka Parajunkee and Patti aka Book Addict who turned out to be two of the MOST AWESOME people in existence. I swear, those two just made the whole event that much better. I was also fortunate enough to meet up with Autumn from From the TBR pile, Jamie from Bookmarked and Christie from The Fiction Enthusiast plus several other bloggers.

Each publisher had their new and upcoming titles on display. I was pretty apprehensive about being just a measly little book blogger at a library convention but I was so surprised at just how well bloggers were received. I walked right up to publishers, introduced myself, told them I was a YA blogger and it was like BAM "Let me tell you about what we've got coming up/show you this book!" I met with so many wonderful bookish people who were very interested in getting to know YA book bloggers. That made me feel pretty awesome for all of us.

I think the award for the publishing rep with the most awesome went to HarperTeen. Hands down. She was so excited about each and every one of their books, wanted to know what I was into and introduced me to new titles that she swore I would love.

I caught several book signings. Ellen Hopkins (so nice), Julie Kagawa (absolute sweetheart), Ilsa Bick (very very cool), Mette Ivie Harrison (very nice) and Brenna Freakin' Yovanoff who exists on her own separate plane of AWESOME. Here is a picture of me and Miz Yovanoff. That's me grinning like an idiot because I just adore her.

So yeah, I carried what felt like 23234098298 lbs of books and I still haven't recovered full sensation in my shoulders. It was worth it because here is what I was lucky enough to find:

Starting at the top left corner:

Open Wounds by Joseph Lunievicz
The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff
Triangles by Ellen Hopkins
Ashfall by Mike Mullin
The Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon
Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima
Supernaturally by Kiersten White
Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber
The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe
Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers
When She Woke by Hillary Jordan
His Mistress by Crhistmas Victoria Alexander
Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan
Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay
The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
Legend by Marie Lu
Prized by Carah O'Brien
The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter
Tris & Izzie by Mette Ivie Harrison
Ashes by Ilsa Bick
Blood Wounds by Susan Beth Pfeffer
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
Dark Passages by M.J. Putney
The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross
Cut by Patricia McCormick
The Fox Inheritance by Mary Pearson
Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

This was an amazing experience. Loved loved loved it.

Today I Turn 21......

2011-06-21T06:49:00.002-05:00

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Or rather I turned 21 on this day _____ years ago.

Things are busy busy around here what with that satanic Chemistry class and turning older and getting ready for ALA and packing for a week long trip to Florida and that satanic Chemistry class (it counts twice). I only have enough time to post that sentence and a picture of Shimmy, my special dog.

Waiting on Wednesday (16) Away by Teri Hall, The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff

2011-06-15T05:15:00.002-05:00

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine, in which we share the books that we are anxiously waiting to be released.

Away by Teri Hall

Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers
Date: September 15th 2011

From Goodreads:

After crossing the Line, Rachel finds herself in a world where survival is never guaranteed - a world where bizarre creatures roam the woods and people have strange abilities. Everything has gone to ruin Away and the survivors have banded into warring clans. Rachel finds her father being held prisoner by a tribe of Others, and she and her new friends set out to rescue him. But when they cross back over the Line, Rachel and Pathik make a foolish decision, bringing them into further danger that can only be resolved with an unthinkable sacrifice.

An adventure filled with life-and-death choices, dark conspiracies, and heart-poundingly suspenseful moments, this sequel delivers.

The Line was very good and I'm really looking forward to this one. Dystopian goodness right here.

The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff

Publisher: Razorbill (Penguin)
Date: November 15th 2011

From Goodreads:

Everything is made of steel, even the flowers. How can you love anything in a place like this?

Daphne is the half-demon, half-fallen angel daughter of Lucifer and Lilith. Life for her is an endless expanse of time, until her brother Obie is kidnapped - and Daphne realizes she may be partially responsible. Determined to find him, Daphne travels from her home in Pandemonium to the vast streets of Earth, where everything is colder and more terrifying. With the help of the human boy she believes was the last person to see her brother alive, Daphne glimpses into his dreams, discovering clues to Obie's whereabouts. As she delves deeper into her demonic powers, she must navigate the jealousies and alliances of the violent archangels who stand in her way. But she also discovers, unexpectedly, what it means to love and be human in a world where human is the hardest thing to be.

This second novel by rising star Brenna Yovanoff is a story of identity, discovery, and a troubled love between two people struggling to find their place both in our world and theirs.

YESSSSSSS! The Replacement was EXCELLENT. Yovanoff's writing is phenomenal. I hope this one is just as creepy as the last one.

In My Mailbox (32)

2011-06-12T00:01:00.001-05:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren in which we share the books we received for the week.

Sea Change by Aimee Friedman
From Goodreads:
Sixteen-year-old Miranda Merchant is great at science. . .and not so great with boys. After major drama with her boyfriend and (now ex) best friend, she's happy to spend the summer on small, mysterious Selkie Island, helping her mother sort out her late grandmother's estate.
There, Miranda finds new friends and an island with a mysterious, mystical history, presenting her with facts her logical, scientific mind can't make sense of. She also meets Leo, who challenges everything she thought she knew about boys, friendship. . .and reality.

Is Leo hiding something? Or is he something that she never could have imagined?

The Education of Bet by Lauren Baratz-Logsted
From Goodreads:
When Will and Bet were four, tragic circumstances brought them to the same house, to be raised by a wealthy gentleman as brother and sister. Now sixteen, they’ve both enjoyed a privileged upbringing thus far. But not all is well in their household. Because she’s a girl, Bet’s world is contained within the walls of their grand home, her education limited to the rudiments of reading, writing, arithmetic, and sewing. Will’s world is much larger. He is allowed—forced, in his case—to go to school. Neither is happy.

So Bet comes up with a plan and persuades Will to give it a try: They’ll switch places. She’ll go to school as Will. Will can live as he chooses. But once Bet gets to school, she soon realizes living as a boy is going to be much more difficult than she imagined.

In Scandal They Wed by Sophie Jordan
From Goodreads:
What kind of woman would marry a man she only just met?

The kind with nothing to lose.

Long ago, Evelyn Cross sacrificed her good name, her freedom, and any hope for love. Now, in the remote English countryside, she struggles to survive and avoid the scandal threatening to destroy all she holds dear . . . until a sinfully handsome viscount arrives on her doorstep, offering marriage, salvation, and tempting her with so much more . . .

What kind of man would marry a woman he only just met?

The kind bound by duty.

Fresh from war, Spencer Lockhart returns home to claim his title and right the wrong his cousin perpetrated upon Evelyn Cross. In need of a wife, his marrying her is a small price to pay for duty. But when he meets her, the fiery chit is not what he expects to find in a ruined lady. As desire flares hotly between them, honor is the last thing on his mind . . .

What kind of man and woman would marry when they've only just met?

The kind who could ignite a scandal with just one touch.

What lovelies came your way this week?

Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines

2011-06-11T22:29:00.001-05:00

Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines
Published October 13th 2009 by Bloomsbury
Goodreads
Website

From Goodreads: It’s a fight to the death—on live TV—when a gladiator’s daughter steps into the arena.

Lyn is a neo-gladiator’s daughter, through and through. Her mother has made a career out of marrying into the high-profile world of televised blood sport, and the rules of the Gladiator Sports Association are second nature to their family. Always lend ineffable confidence to the gladiator. Remind him constantly of his victories. And most importantly: Never leave the stadium when your father is dying. The rules help the family survive, but rules—and the GSA—can also turn against you. When a gifted young fighter kills Lyn’s seventh father, he also captures Lyn’s dowry bracelet, which means she must marry him...

I've been wanting to read this one. It looked to have an interesting premise- not quite dystopian, rather set in modern times with a few twists. Gladiator competitions have become a major sport, just like football or hockey, only in Gladiator sports, the opponents in the arena fight to the death. Not really all that far fetched. We are a vile, violent race on the whole and I can think of a handful of people, just of my acquaintance who would happily put on their beer guzzling helmets and wave their giant foam fingers while two people hack each other to bits in the name of entertainment. If you look at it like that it's only slightly less civilized than football, and perhaps a bit more so than hockey :)

I'd like to clear up that even though, when one sees the title, one could speculate that this is merely a Hunger Games wannabe, but it's not. There are countless differences and very few similarities. I think perhaps the biggest difference (and perhaps the biggest plus for this novel) is that Lyn's story is entirely believable. A big multimillion dollar entertainment corporation owns and operates a sports association, profiting from all the publicity, advertising and merchandising that goes along with it. The fight to the death- not so unbelievable. It's happened in the past, and it happens today in other less demonstrative forms. I liked that. Lyn and her family lived in the suburbs, owned lots of needlessly high-tech, futuristic gadgets (just as we do and will), she went to high school and so on. I could really get into the story because for the most part, it's stuff I've seen first hand and could picture it. Except for the killing part.

I got a kick out of all the Gladiator culture, with its idiotic rules and regulations, and its people who believe in it wholeheartedly. It reminded me a lot of a religious cult and it was just as ridiculous.

I wasn't sold on the writing; it was rather flat. When I read I like to mark (yes by dogearing the bottom corner of the page) specific passages where the writing stands out to me, or if there's a quote that I know I want to share. I didn't find any memorable examples in this book and I was less than impressed by the fact that it took over 3/4 of the book to get to the point. When it finally did arrive at the "big event", it was rather anticlimactic. I was really hoping for a good fight.

Kudos for shamelessly writing some really gross stuff- dismemberment and suicide and humans trampling humans. And even though I shouldn't have been, I was very much team Uber.

The Raven Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt

2011-06-10T19:54:00.003-05:00

The Raven Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt

Published November 1st 2006 by Warner Forever
Goodreads
Website

From Goodreads: There comes a time in a woman's life when she must do the unthinkable - and find employment. For the widowed Anna Wren, that means taking a job as female secretary for the Earl of Swartingham. Secretaries are always male - never female - as Anna well knows but the real downfall of her career is the realization that she is falling in love with Edward de Raaf - the Earl. But when she realizes that he is going to visit a brothel in London to take care of his 'manly' desires, Anna sees red - and decides to take advantage of the opportunity to also take care of her 'womanly' desires - with the Earl as her unknowing lover. But the Earl has another reason for going to London. He is formalising his betrothal and trying (with little success) to forget about a secretary that has no right being female. Unhandsome, he knows that no woman wants him. Except for the mysterious lady with whom he spent two unforgettable nights at Aphrodite's Grotto, the most scandalous brothel in London. But when Anna's plan is revealed, a bit of blackmail is thrown into the mix, a proposal is rejected and even the Earl himself will be unprepared for the intrigues that ensnare them.

**This book contains Naughty Bits and you view it at...your own level of comfort. Tell your mom it's not my fault.**

First, this is another one of those romances that is on Miz Sarah MacLean's favorites list, a list you all know I see as gospel and since she hasn't steered me wrong yet, I'll keep on chugging until I finish the list.

And this is where I lose any remaining cool points (as many as a grown woman reading YA and smut can have) and emphatically proclaim: I LOVED THIS BOOK. NO, YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND, I LOVED IT.

I still don't think you get it. First I loved the main character. Anna is an impoverished widow who still has to find a way to feed her household. A lady simple does not work. Selling the odd bit of stitching and lace is acceptable but pounding the pavement in search of waged employment just isn't done. She inspires an understandably fair amount of gossip when she goes to work as the Earl's secretary. In those days, secretarial jobs (like most all jobs) were reserved for men! I loved how she slapped expectations and societal norms in the face and went to work. Being a lady is all well and good, but a lady still has to eat. She's practical, sensible and I applaud her for getting the hell up and doing what she had to do to feed her family. The fact that she's a woman in a man's job was really only an issue to the gossips. Edward, the Earl of Swartingham's expectations weren't very high- have neat handwriting and finish the work on time. Plus he pretty much wanted to do her from the get go (I would have told her to use this opportunity to ask for a raise).

What was unexpected was my affection for the Earl. He's painted as a very coarse, foul tempered, unpleasant sort of man and the references to his marked ugliness are numerous. His main appeal was his treating Anna as an equal and his desperate desire to be loved. And not just loved, but wanted. Rather a reversal of roles here- usually it's our heroine seeking emotional gratification whilst all our heros are rakes. Made my heart go pitty-pat.

Now for the naughty bits- When their mutual desire for each other becomes a bit more than either can handle, the Earl takes off to London to visit his favorite brothel in hopes that the ahem, distraction, will make him stop thinking about Anna. Anna, widowed several years now, from a husband who was an ass while he was alive, has long since believed herself to be immune to desire but she can't deny that she wants Edward. So, and here's were we all squeal because it's just TOO much, she does something a lady would never do (or would never admit to) and follows Edward to London where once disguised, she presents herself as his lady of negotiable affection.

While the story is told, Anna is reading from a little book that she found in the Earl's library called The Raven Prince. It was his little sister's book and it is a fairytale about a princess that marries a raven to fulfill her father's debt to him. During the day he is a bird but at night he comes to the princess as a man but she has no idea that her lover is in fact her husband. Curious as to who her lover is, she lights a candle to reveal him and breaks the enchantment. Having been discovered, he is forced by the spell he is under to remain a raven and flies away, leaving her...

Anna is a lady, but a poor one. Edward is an Earl and as such his future wife must be able to fulfill certain social and financial obligations. But none of this matters when his Anna comes to him disguised at night but we know what happened in the fairytale....

Beautiful story, imaginative, and wonderfully written. I didn't put it down until it was finished....then I ran out and bought the sequels, The Leopard Prince and The Serpent Prince.

Follow Friday (3)

2011-06-10T07:01:00.001-05:00

This is a fun little feature hosted by Miz Parajunkee that promotes bookbloggy togetherness. One of those is probably not a word.

This week's question IS AN EASY ONE:

Q. The magic book fairy pops out of your cereal box and says "you and your favorite character (from a book of course) can switch places!" Who are you going to switch with?

That's simple. I am now Miss Cassandra Mortmain and I live in a perfectly lovely, yet mostly crumbling, elderly castle and I am writing to you from the kitchen sink...

"That is, my feet are in it; the rest of me is on the draining-board, which I have padded with our dog's blanket and the tea-cosy. I can't say that I am really comfortable, and there is a depressing smell of carbolic soap, but this is the only part of the kitchen where there is any daylight left. And I have found that sitting in a place where you have never sat before can be inspiring- I wrote my very pest poem while sitting on the hen-house. Though even that isn't a very good poem. I have decided my poetry is so bad that I mustn't write any more of it." - I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

Stalk me:
twitter/lifeafterjane
facebook/lifeafterjane

Waiting on Wednesday (15) Second Grave on the Left, Anna Dressed in Blood

2011-06-08T05:09:00.001-05:00

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine, in which we share the books that we are anxiously waiting to be released.

Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones

Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Date: August 16, 2011

From Goodreads:

Charley Davidson, Grim Reaper Extraordinaire, is back in this sexy, suspenseful novel of supernatural shenanigans

When Charley is rudely awakened in the middle of the night by her best friend who tells her to get dressed quickly and tosses clothes out of the closet at her, she can’t help but wonder what Cookie’s up to. Leather scrunch boots with a floral miniskirt? Together? Seriously? Cookie explains that a friend of hers named Mimi disappeared five days earlier and that she just got a text from her setting up a meet at a coffee shop downtown. They show up at the coffee shop, but no Mimi. But Charley finds a message on the bathroom wall. Mimi left a clue, a woman’s name. Mimi’s husband explains that his wife had been acting strange since she found out an old friend of hers from high school had been found murdered a couple weeks prior. The same woman Mimi had named in her message.

Meanwhile, Reyes Alexander Farrow (otherwise known as the Son of Satan. Yes. Literally) has left his corporeal body and is haunting Charley. He’s left his body because he’s being tortured by demons who want to lure Charley closer. But Reyes can’t let that happen. Because if the demons get to Charley, they’ll have a portal to heaven. And if they have a portal to heaven…well, let’s just say it wouldn’t be pretty. Can Charley handle hot nights with Reyes and even hotter days tracking down a missing woman? Will Cookie ever get a true fashion sense? And is there enough coffee and chocolate in the world to fuel them as they do?

If you read the first book, First Grave on the Right you'll understand why time needs to speed up so that August 16th is NOW.

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Publisher: Tor Teen
Date: August 30, 2011

From Goodreads:

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything outside of the ordinary: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

But she, for whatever reason, spares Cas's life.

How about something entirely new and different? I saw this about a month back and I've decided I WANT IT. Love the cover.

Stay by Deb Caletti

2011-06-08T00:01:00.004-05:00

     Stay by Deb Caletti

     Published April 5th 2011 by Simon Pulse

     More at:
     Goodreads
     Website

     First Line: First off, I've never told this story to anyone.

     It's true that very little, if anything, can compare to your first love. It's exhilarating- that sudden onslaught of a new emotion so intense you marvel at your heart's new found ability to feel something so exquisite. How is it possible to feel this way when you never even knew you could? You revel in it, drink it in, savoring every taste until you're drunk with it. For a time, nothing else exists but the insatiable need for this other person. You want more. You've never been so greedy.
     When Clara meets Christian, suddenly there are only two people left on earth. Neither can get their fill of the other. Hasty promises are made that they will love each other forever and for all she knew, when she said it, Clara truly meant she would never leave him.
     But Christian's ardent attention soon turns into jealousy. Every male is a threat to his relationship with Clara. Her friends exist only to keep him from her. In angry, hurt tones he accuses her of cheating and begins to scrutinize her every word and move, watchful for even a hint of deception. Soon, this love that Clara couldn't get enough of becomes suffocating. She wants out, even though Christian made her promise never to leave him, and he's not going to let her forget it.

"It's strange, isn't it, how the idea of belonging to someone can sound so great? It can be comforting, the way it makes things decided. We like the thought of being held, until it's too tight. We like that certainty, until it means there's no way out. And we like being his, until we realize we're not ours anymore."

Contemporary YA and I are only just becoming friends. I've long preferred things with a magical air and I dove head first into all the fantasy and paranormal YA floating around out there. Pure escapism, easy reads, for the most part, with very little emotional investment. It wasn't until I read Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher that I discovered what I was really missing. Since then, I've become rather infatuated with these contemporary, ahem, darker, depictions of young life. And though I'm much too old for the majority of them to relate, I can appreciate the lessons and wish I had learned them much earlier on.

Stay has a lesson for you. Love, even with all the goodness and wonder it brings, can be the most dangerous of emotions. It's sneaky about it too- its evil silently piggybacking its way in with the bliss that you're all too eager to invite into your life. You bask in it, never knowing what love has hidden behind its back.

"I've heard that people stay in bad situations because a relationship like that gets turned up by degrees. It is said that a frog will jump out of a pot of boiling water. But place him in a pot and turn it up a little at a time, and he will stay until he is boiled to death. Us frogs understand this."

     Clara found herself in a controlling relationship that had just begun to skirt the edges of violent when she finally decided to get out. Her father takes her away for the summer, telling no one where they've gone. Over the summer, away from Christian's incessant pleas for her to take him back, she's finally able to come to terms with what happened. And what almost happened. She's once again free to say what she likes, dress how she likes, and see who she likes without the constant threat that any wrong move could trigger an emotionally violent reaction.
     It's wonderful how she helps with her own healing. Clara has once again found herself, or rather, a battle weary but wiser version of herself. She knows now that someone who loves you, doesn't treat you like that, and she understands that Christian's illness was not her doing. She accepts what has happened and makes every attempt to move on.
     The writing is absolutely phenomenal. I got caught up in Clara's expressions and insights, some of which can just simply gut you. The story is told in both the past and the present, you see Clara's relationship with Christian first hand and you experience each moment of her recovery along side her. She makes new friends, and yes, even finds a new love and then next page you're right back in the past with Christian as his actions become more and more disturbing. You also, turn every single page dreading that on the next page, he finds her.
     I wonder, are all Caletti's books this intense? Can she portray this much realistic emotion and reaction in every book? I reread the last few paragraphs of this book again and again because I just couldn't get over how good Caletti's writing was. It was days before I could shake off the good-book-hangover brought on by her words.

I picked up Honey, Baby, Sweetheart because I'm anxious to see if this is the norm for her. I hope so.

Teaser Tuesday (11) Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines

2011-06-07T06:41:00.002-05:00

"Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!"

Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines

No man is allowed to hold your dowry bracelet, except your father. If a man holds your dowry bracelet he's required, according to the GSA law, to marry you, Bylaw 87.

I'm suppose to post something today

2011-06-05T21:47:00.002-05:00

I'm suppose to post something everday or I'll have to answer to Jillian, but even with the stack of books sitting beside me screaming "TALK ABOUT ME!" I really don't have anything to say.

We could talk about the book I started reading today. It's called Chemistry: The Central Science and it's about boredom and contains math. Now I do not speak math, and I say this with pride because really, who the hell cares what x equals? I'm also taking statistics, which is also about...math. That's two of the most boring books on the face of the earth right there. I'm submitting myself to this ridiculous torture because some part of me feels I need to further my nursing degree.

So I read about thirty pages of this equals this over this cubed divided by horse shit and now I've called it a night.

But I still have to post something. So I wrote you some academic hiaku:

i hate chemistry
it doth sucketh major balls
but i don't burn books

the only good thing
about this chemistry class
is blowing shit up

i do not speak math
because i possess a soul
math makes bunnies cry

if i leave my books
on the dining room table
ra might puke on them

In My Mailbox (31) WOW

2011-06-04T22:19:00.000-05:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren in which we share the books we received for the week.

So, I had really planned to go to BEA this year. I mean really. But life happened last minute and that was that. Anyway, I was understandably bummed about missing the chance to breathe all that beautiful book air. But then, I came home from work on Tuesday and there was this box:

(Ra was very surprised as well...not that it's anything new. Everything surprises Ra. I call him Big Stupid. Most of the time he just stares into space and the other half he spends lying on his back in the middle of the floor watching the fan turn. He doesn't even know he's a cat. This week he thinks he's either a beach towel or a golf ball. Next week he might think he's the toaster or a bowl of petunias.)

So there was THAT THERE BOX and I opened it up and....

THIS WAS WHAT WAS IN IT! I went absolutely batshit BritBrit crazy. It was from a very nice book fairy and well...I just can't say thank you enough. I PLAYED with the stuff in that box for like two hours- like literally, this book talked to another book and then I made the bookmarks dance and then I lined everything up in order of size just to satisfy my OCD. I cherish each silly little bit of paper- even the ones that I have no idea what they are.

Beloved will not let me hang the romance calendar. He's a poop. But here are the books:

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

From Goodreads: Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages—not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers—beautiful, haunted Akiva—fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa

From Goodreads: My name is Meghan Chase.

I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who's sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it.

This time, there will be no turning back.

Shut Out by Kody Keplinger

From Goodreads: Most high school sports teams have rivalries with other schools. At Hamilton High, it's a civil war: the football team versus the soccer team. And for her part,Lissa is sick of it. Her quarterback boyfriend, Randy, is always ditching her to go pick a fight with the soccer team or to prank their locker room. And on three separate occasions Randy's car has been egged while he and Lissa were inside, making out. She is done competing with a bunch of sweaty boys for her own boyfriend's attention

Then Lissa decides to end the rivalry once and for all: She and the other players' girlfriends go on a hookup strike. The boys won't get any action from them until the football and soccer teams make peace. What they don't count on is a new sort of rivalry: an impossible girls-against-boys showdown that hinges on who will cave to their libidos first. But what Lissa never sees coming is her own sexual tension with the leader of the boys, Cash Sterling...

Angel Burn by L.A. Weatherly

From Goodreads: Willow knows she’s different from other girls, and not just because she loves tinkering with cars. Willow has a gift. She can look into the future and know people’s dreams and hopes, their sorrows and regrets, just by touching them. She has no idea where this power comes from. But the assassin, Alex, does. Gorgeous, mysterious Alex knows more about Willow than Willow herself. He knows that her powers link to dark and dangerous forces, and that he’s one of the few humans left who can fight them. When Alex finds himself falling in love with his sworn enemy, he discovers that nothing is as it seems, least of all good and evil. In the first book in an action-packed, romantic trilogy, L..A. Weatherly sends readers on a thrill-ride of a road trip - and depicts the human race at the brink of a future as catastrophic as it is deceptively beautiful.
They’re out for your soul . . . and they don’t have heaven in mind.

I gave Ra the box. He stared at it.

ALA Conference and Exhibit 2011 in NOLA

2011-06-03T21:56:00.001-05:00

So yesterday, quite out of the blue, I found out that the American Library Association's annual conference is going to be this month in New Orleans. Well I'm about an hour and thirty minutes from there so I'm going to go!

The closest thing I've come to an exhibit is the ones I was forced to go to in nursing school where they passed out all the pens. I never wanted for a writing utensil after that convention.

I'm more than a little bit excited at the prospect of getting another pen and breathing all that book air.

I love pens.

Anyone else planning to go?

The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa

2011-06-02T00:01:00.007-05:00

The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa

Published August 1st 2010 by Harlequin Teen
Goodreads
Website

From Goodreads: Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey— ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.

Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

****Don't you dare read this if you haven't read the first book, The Iron King, it'll spoil your dinner and then you won't get any pie!****

Every girl wants to be a princess and for Meghan Chase her dreams came true on her sixteenth birthday. Turns out, she's the half faery daughter of the king of the Seelie court! She's a faery princess! She's...she's wrestling a snarling changeling who tries to eat her face when she realizes that her baby brother has been snatched by the Fae? Wait, what? This isn't a Disney movie where the faery princess gets everything she wants and lives happily ever after. This is the realm of the Summer and Winter faery courts, where the Fae behave just as they're meant to- viciously. She finds herself smack dab in the middle of an age old feud between the two faery courts, neither of which is happy to have a half human in their realms. Then there's the other court, the Iron Fey, a new bred of faeries with mechanical parts of iron, a metal that's deadly to the other Fae. And Prince Charming? Well when he pulled her into his arms at the ball and twirled her around the dance floor...he told her he was going to kill her.

Who the hell wants to be a faery princess.

When we last left Meghan, she had fallen madly in love with an assho- I mean Ash, a prince of the rival Winter court. She'd bested the Iron King, the one that was holding her baby brother captive. She even survived an attack by zombies. But perhaps the most reckless thing the daughter of Oberon, King of the Summer Court, did was to obligate herself to a Fae of the Winter Court. One does not make idle promises in the land of the Fae. Every pledge is a binding contract, and she has no choice but to go with Ash to the Winter Queen's court- where that rat bastard drops her off at his momma's house, then runs off to distance himself from Meghan "for her own good." He leaves. She's freezing. His mother's a witch. His brother's an evil asshat and any minute now Meghan is going to either get eaten or turned into an ice sculpture. And still she loves him.

My dear girl. A word of advice. When a man, (even one who's a devastatingly handsome prince who helped rescue your brother) leaves you "for your own good," you burn any of his crap he's left behind and date his best friend. You don't race across a frozen garden screaming "I LOVE YOU!" whilst surrounded by his relatives who all want to kill you. I'm trying to help you here Meghan. I'm trying to be understanding about your Ash fixation but it just keeps getting more and more hopeless. Ash saves her, leaves her, then almost kills her at least forty times in this book.

We have the reemergence of the Iron Fae, who break into the Winter court and steal the Scepter of the Seasons, a faery relic that is passed between the two courts to usher in the change of the seasons. Without it, spring can not give way to winter and vice-versa and it affects everything, even the human realm. Queen Mab declares war on Oberon, naming him as the thief and the two fairy courts prepare for battle. No one believes Meghan's claim that the Iron Fae stole the scepter, no one has ever seen them and neither of the monarchs want to believe in the existence of these deadly Fae. To stop the impending war, and clear her father's name, Meghan sets out to find the scepter and the new Iron King.

We meet so many interesting characters in this book. Leanansidhe was my favorite new addition. She's a powerful Fae who was banished by Queen Titania and now lives in the human world. She's so charmingly evil and surprisingly one of the only helpful fae that Meghan has encountered. IRONHORSE IS BACK. AND HE TALKS IN ALL CAPS. Love him. And Meghan runs into an enchanted human man living as a "pet" in Leanansidhe's house, and something about him bothers her- almost as if she should remember him but the memory is...missing. *BIG GRIN* That there was a teaser.

I freakin' love this series. I really do. Kagawa's world will not let you leave and you won't want to once you start reading it. So it's probably a bit confusing when I say, that as much as I'm loving this series, I really didn't get this book. It had SO MUCH going on and it felt packed and busy at times. We had everyone and everything from the last book as well as a slew of new somebodies and somethings. And I liked them, but the story line ran just on the edge of too much. It had too many notes.

"Your work is ingenious. It's quality work. And there are simply too many notes, that's all."

Bring on book three!

Especially in the month of June

2011-06-01T00:01:00.005-05:00

Here are the lovelies that I'm looking forward to this month!

Tuesday June 7, 2011

Nyx in the House of Night: Mythology, Folklore and Religion in the P.C. and Kristin Cast Vampyre Series (House of Night) by P.C. Cast- Goodreads

Is this totally pointless? Yes. But I wantz it anyway.

Forgotten by Cat Patrick- Goodreads

She can only remember the future? Oh yeah. I'm in.

Hereafter by Tara Hudson- Goodreads

This is Miz Hudson's first novel. Ghosts! Visit her website and show some love- Tara Hudson

Displacement Thalia Chaltas- Goodreads

If you've read Because I Am Furniture then you already know how powerful her writing is. I'm really looking forward to this one, regardless of the fact that I know it will be an emotional roller coaster.

Tuesday June 14, 2011

Hourglass by Myra MacEntire- Goodreads

Again...GHOSTS!

The Bad Queen: Rules and Instructions for Marie-Antoinette by Carolyn Meyer- Goodreads

Not a new release, just the PB and a reminder to myself that I really want to read this book. I find this time in history immensely fascinating. So much scandal. Lurve.

The Lost Crown by Sarah Miller- Goodreads

A novel about Anastasia and the Romanov family.

Ordinary Beauty by Laura Weiss- Goodreads

From the author of Such a Pretty Girl. Absolutely amazing writer.

Tuesday June 21, 2011

Smokin Seventeen by Janet Evanovich - Goodreads

Miz Janet releases every Stephanie Plum book right around my birthday, every single year. Sometimes it even comes out on my birthday. This is one of those times. She wrote this book for ME ALONE. I'm actually really excited because something different is suppose to happen...a third man is going to show up in Stephanie's life. Time for Morelli or Ranger (TEAM MORELLI) to either shit or get off the pot, so to speak.

The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin- Goodreads

I read a review somewhere that said this is a great book to read if you are suffering from Downton Abbey withdrawal, which I am.

Tuesday June 28, 2011

Silk Is For Seduction by Loretta Chase - Goodreads

A dressmaker and a Duke. Well, uh, yeah. Duh. I hope there's some smooching.

Just One Season in London by Leigh Michaels - Goodreads

In this book someone will "sell herself to the highest bidder..." I bet there's smooching...and naughty bits.

The Last Letter from Your Lover by Jojo Moyes

2011-05-31T00:01:00.003-05:00

The Last Letter from Your Lover by Jojo Moyes

Expected publication: July 7th 2011 by Penguin Group (USA), first published July 8th 2010
Goodreads
Website

Synposis from cover: It is 1960. When Jennifer Stirling wakes up in the hospital, she can remember nothing-not the tragic car accident that put her there, not her husband, not even who she is. She feels like a stranger in her own life until she stumbles upon an impassioned letter, signed simply "B," asking her for forgiveness.

Years later, in 2003, a journalist named Ellie discovers the same enigmatic letter, also signed "B," in a forgotten file in her newspaper's archives. In this one, the writer asks his beloved to meet him on Platform 4, Paddington- to leave her husband and run away together. Ellie becomes obsessed by the story and hopeful that it can resurrect her faltering career. Perhaps if these lovers had a happy ending she will find one to her own complicated love life, too. Ellie's search will rewrite history and help her see the truth about her own modern romance.

I'm so very much in love with this book. I knew I would be. I've been waiting for it for over a year ever since I saw it in an IMM post at Bookalicous Ramblings. It's previously been published in the UK but the US publication is finally coming this July and a book fairy was kind enough to send a copy my way.

And oh oh oh. What a beautiful book.

Jennifer Stirling is the ideal wife for a well-to-do business man in the 1960s. She's beautiful, charming, unassuming and docile, the perfect little trophy to accent her husband Larry's picture perfect life. Only she doesn't remember any of it since the car accident. She knows who she's suppose to be, and the role she's suppose to play in her life but she can't remember what it felt like to belong in it. Maybe it's because she never did. As she recovers and steps back into a life she can't even recollect, she begins to search for some shred of evidence that she was once a part of it.

Jennifer finds a letter folded between the pages of a book that hints of a secret life and a passion that clearly doesn't exist inside her marriage. The letter, signed only "B" was the first of several she finds hidden amongst her things. Each fervent, ardent proclamation of love finds Jennifer recapturing the sense of self that she hasn't been able to find inside her cookie cutter life, because it was never there. Who she really is exists only in her wildly romantic affair with the mysterious "B".

This book will make you crazy. In a good way. The story, which spans forty-three years has the torturous element of switching to a past or future moment just when...just when you finally think something wonderful is about to happen. Moyes makes you live each day with Jennifer, both past and future before she gives you the happy ending that by this point, you simply must have to find peace and fulfillment in your own life. You want this story to turn out perfect. I can imagine that it would even be difficult for a non-romantic to not feel the amazing pull this story has on the heart. It's that powerful. And if you're lacking a little faith in love at the moment, it can heal you. Books can = medicine. (This is not an endorsement to stop taking your crazy pills and live solely on book-love, you nut. :) Merely suggested as an adjunct.)

My adoration of the main character built slowly. From the start, which for her was when she woke up from the accident, she was unaccepting of her place in life. She knew it didn't fit; that she wasn't so two dimensional. Her unwavering belief that she simply could not be the person her life expected her to be earned my respect. In her social class and situation, at that time, one did not simply leave a secure home, family and friends to run off with a lover. The fact that she did it anyway, despite the ostracism it earned her made me cheer for her. I couldn't have been a "kept" wife, smiled, be well-coiffed and never have an opinion on anything. There's one instance in the book where Jenny and Larry are at a dinner party and Jenny attempts to join in a conversation concerning French politics and her husband basically tells her to shut up and not talk about things she knows nothing about. I would have smacked him- but well before that I would have already been branded a loud, wild, shameless hussy.

In the very middle of our story, just to make you squirm, Moyes jumps to 2003, where a struggling journalist named Ellie finds B's letters. She herself is involved, rather unsuccessfully, with a married man and Jenny's story sheds some new light on her own. She learns that while frantically trying to hold on to a deteriorating love, she's denying herself the opportunity to feel a bit of what Jenny felt for B. Sometimes it's not too late to fix the stupid in our lives.

I'm telling you about this book over a month early so that you can have time to long for it, as I did. You want this and you want this book. Put it on your to-read list. Wait for it. Think about it often. When it finally arrives, give it a big hug hello because you're going to be the very best of friends.

I'll leave you with the first of "B's" letters that Jennifer found...to torture you:

Dearest,
     I couldn't make you listen, when you left in such a hurry, but I was not rejecting you. You were so far from the truth I can hardly bear it.
     Here is the truth: you are not the first married woman I have made love to. You know my personal circumstances, and to be frank, these relationships, such as they are, have suited me. I did not want to be close to anyone. When we first met, I chose to think you would be no different.
     But when you arrived at my room on Saturday, you looked so wonderful in your dress. And then you asked me to unfasten that button at your neck. And as my fingers met your skin I realized in that moment that to make love to you would be a disaster for both of us. You, dearest girl, have no idea of how you would feel to be so duplicitous. You are an honest, delightful creature. Even if you do not feel it now, there is pleasure to be had from being a decent person. I do not want to be the man responsible for making you someone less than that.
     And me? I knew in the moment you looked up at me that if we did this I would be lost. I would not be able to put you aside, as I had with the others. I would not be able to nod agreeably to Laurence as we passed each other in some restaurant. I would never be satisfied with just a part of you. I had been fooling myself to think otherwise. It was for that reason, darling girl, that I redid that wretched button at your neck. And for that reason I have lain awake for the last two nights, hating myself for the one decent thing I have ever done.
Forgive me,

B

*Hint: If you just can't bare the wait you can always order the UK edition, but I like this cover.

*Quote taking from an ARC of the book and may differ in the finished copy.

Monday Mini (7): Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'Brien

2011-05-30T05:00:00.003-05:00

Birthmarked by Caragh O'Brien

Published March 30th 2010 by Roaring Brook Press
Goodreads
Website

From Goodreads: After climate change, on the north shore of Unlake Superior, a dystopian world is divided between those who live inside the wall, and those, like sixteen-year-old midwife Gaia Stone, who live outside. It’s Gaia’s job to “advance” a quota of infants from poverty into the walled Enclave, until the night one agonized mother objects, and Gaia’s parents are arrested.
Badly scarred since childhood, Gaia is a strong, resourceful loner who begins to question her society. As Gaia’s efforts to save her parents take her within the wall, she herself is arrested and imprisoned.
Fraught with difficult moral choices and rich with intricate layers of codes, Birthmarked explores a colorful, cruel, eerily familiar world where one girl can make all the difference, and a real hero makes her own moral code.

Another great dystopian world in which women are merely breeders trying to save the human race. If I didn't absolutely LOVE this kind of story, I'd be highly offended. Or flattered- since apparently only women will be able to save mankind in the future. Go us.

The people inside the Enclave are dying. Diseases they thought long gone have begun to claim the lives of their children. Years of inbreeding have rendered their offspring nearly nonviable and the need for babies from outside the wall is growing at an alarming rate. Gaia must "advance" the first three infants she delivers every month. To "advance" an infant is to take it immediately from its mother after its birth and turn it over to the orphanage inside the Enclave where it will live in safety and luxury, free of want for the rest of its life. Or at least that is what the people forced to live outside the walls, in poverty, are made to believe. To them, the Enclave is a paradise that they will never be fortunate enough to enter. The Enclave controls everything. The limited food and water left after the world's climate changed resides within its walls and the commoners outside are given rations. When a child is advanced, the mother is given extra food and water for her troubles. Oh boy. They take your baby and give you lab created fungus curd and rain water. SIGN ME UP.

Gaia is a great, strong female lead who fears absolutely nothing and will stop at nothing to get what she wants. Her single minded determination to save her parents who are being held inside the Enclave was most admirable. Then I got to thinking about it. If your job was to take a newborn out of the arms of its protesting mother and turn it over to an organization that would let all your people die if it weren't for their offspring- you'd have to be pretty tough.

Didn't like the love interest. He was a wishy-washy sap. No use for him.

Another fabulous, harsh, gritty Dystopian read where one person is able to hold on to a tiny spark of hope in a world that no longer has any. Love love love the world O'Brien has created and looking forward to the sequel this fall.

Newness and Nonsense

2011-05-28T21:16:00.003-05:00

I'm prepared for the zombie apocalypse. Bring it.

Thoughts?

In My Mailbox (30)

2011-05-22T07:45:00.000-05:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren in which we share the books we received for the week.

The Last Letter from Your Lover by Jojo Moyes
From Goodreads:
A sophisticated, page-turning double love story spanning forty years-an unforgettable Brief Encounter for our times.

It is 1960. When Jennifer Stirling wakes up in the hospital, she can remember nothing-not the tragic car accident that put her there, not her husband, not even who she is. She feels like a stranger in her own life until she stumbles upon an impassioned letter, signed simply "B", asking her to leave her husband.

Years later, in 2003, a journalist named Ellie discovers the same enigmatic letter in a forgotten file in her newspaper's archives. She becomes obsessed by the story and hopeful that it can resurrect her faltering career. Perhaps if these lovers had a happy ending she will find one to her own complicated love life, too. Ellie's search will rewrite history and help her see the truth about her own modern romance.

I have been waiting for this book for OVER A YEAR. I've been waiting for the US publication which is set for July 7th. I devoured it and it's everything I hoped it would be. Review to come. It's WONDERFUL.

Stay by Deb Caletti
From Goodreads:
Clara's relationship with Christian is intense from the start, and like nothing she’s ever experienced before. But what starts as devotion quickly becomes obsession, and it's almost too late before Clara realizes how far gone Christian is—and what he's willing to do to make her stay.

Now Clara has left the city—and Christian—behind. No one back home has any idea where she is, but she still struggles to shake off her fear. She knows Christian won't let her go that easily, and that no matter how far she runs, it may not be far enough....

Another one that showed up this week and was read immediately. I'm still stuck in it. Are all of Miz Caletti's books this intense??

The Exiled Queen by Cinda Willimas Chima
From Goodreads:
You can't always run from danger...

Haunted by the loss of his mother and sister, Han Alister journeys south to begin his schooling at Mystwerk House in Oden’s Ford. But leaving the Fells doesn’t mean danger isn’t far behind. Han is hunted every step of the way by the Bayars, a powerful wizarding family set on reclaiming the amulet Han stole from them. And Mystwerk House has dangers of its own. There, Han meets Crow, a mysterious wizard who agrees to tutor Han in the darker parts of sorcery—but the bargain they make is one Han may regret.

Meanwhile, Princess Raisa ana’Marianna runs from a forced marriage in the Fells, accompanied by her friend Amon and his triple of cadets. Now, the safest place for Raisa is Wein House, the military academy at Oden's Ford. If Raisa can pass as a regular student, Wein House will offer both sanctuary and the education Raisa needs to succeed as the next Gray Wolf queen.

The Exiled Queen is an epic tale of uncertain friendships, cut-throat politics, and the irresistible power of attraction.

I so want to dive right into this one. The first book, The Demon King was amazing but the third one doesn't come out until the fall. I'm afraid if I read this one I'll be miserable with book longing.

What goodies did you get this week?