Mom Reads My Books

Review: Time Slice by Kerry Downing

2012-02-24T03:32:00.000-08:00

Title: Time Slice

Author: Kerry Downing

Genre: Adult, ScienceFiction

Publisher: Camel Press

Format: Kindle edition

Release Date: June 10, 2011

*book was provided by publishing company in returnfor an honest review and participation in a blog hop*

Newly retired workaholic Roy Washburn is not ready for a lifeof leisure. On a trip to the mall with his wife, he finds a small metalcylinder with odd markings. One nudge of the cylinder's triangle-shaped pointerand Roy finds himself embarking on an exciting new adventure in the TimeStream. There he meets The Traveler, atall, gangly being who shows Royhow to use the cylinder to visit other civilizations that co-exist on"his" Earth, each occupying a different, thin Time Slice. TheTraveler solicits Roy'shelp in recovering an object invented by his murdered father and beyond his ownreach. Roy ishis last hope. At first it seems that the Traveler's wish might be easilygranted. But after Roy'swife Emily becomes ill and his daughter's long-held resentments rise to thesurface, he can no longer "travel" at a moment's notice. He alsodiscovers the very real physical and mental risks involved in roaming the TimeStream. Despite the dangers, Royis determined to help the Traveler. But he can't do it alone. Fortunately hehas a loving wife and a core group of loyal friends. But first he must convincethem--and his daughter--that he isn't crazy... (Summary courtesy ofAmazon.com).

Time Slice is a timetraveling story with an interesting twist. Our hero is not technicallytraveling through time, but rather slices of time that exist side-by-side. Theexplanation was a little bit over my head, but then again, I have never beenmuch of a science person. I liked how Downing made his time traveling veryunique and gave it an aspect of believability with the explanation. I couldimagine that it might just be possible to slide from time slice to time slice,experiencing entirely new and amazing worlds. Downing’s writing really broughtthose different worlds to life. Not your usual sci-fi story.

Perhaps my favorite aspect of Time Slice was not the science fiction, but rather the story of thedeep love between a husband and a wife. Royand Emily have an intense connection, one that is a pleasure to read about. Thereal core of this story is the relationships between the characters: Roy’s and Emily’s marriage, Roy’s strong circle of friends, his love forhis granddaughter and his struggle to reconnect with his daughter. That is whatmakes this a story worth reading.

The story started to drag a bit in the middle, and there werea few times that I wondered where exactly the story was going. I kept waiting for Roy to help The Traveler with his dilemma. Iwaited quite a while. Then, the ending felt a bit rushed, almost as if Downingwanted to wrap things up as quickly as possible. The resolution to his issues with hisdaughter was definitely too rushed, and felt a bit false because of it. Alittle time spent stretching out the ending or pulling in the middle and expandingon the story at the end would have gone a long way toward making this an “A”story.

All in all, Time Slice was a pretty good book. Not a“knock-my-socks-off” kind of story, but one worth reading. My grade for Time Slice by Kerry Downing:

Feature and Follow Friday #26

2012-02-23T19:19:00.002-08:00

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Rachel atParajunkee’s View and Alison at Alison Can Read. It is a great way for bloggersto make new friends and find new blogs to follow. Go to either blog, follow ALLthe instructions and then add your link to the list. It’s just that easy!

This week’s question:

Activity!!! Take a picture or describe where you love to read the most...

Yay, fun! I love the picture taking questions!

Here is where I do most of my reading:

This is my corner of the couch. Blanket, pillow, light, and the laptop close by. I read here all the time. This is probably the one place I can read in peace. If my husband is snoring, or my kids have taken over my room, I can come here and read. And despite being only about 3 feet from the sub-woofer and a speaker from the surround sound system, I can tune out the TV and read until my heart is content. But, I also read in bed before going to sleep, at the kitchen table, in the car while waiting for my kids and even in line at the grocery store (thank goodness I have a Kindle). I am in an equal-opportunity reader!

Where do you read the most? Leave me a link in the comment section and I will stop by and take a peek!

Tuesday Teaser (February 21)

2012-02-21T05:01:00.000-08:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookishmeme, 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 thatpage

· BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that whatyou share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book forothers!)

· Share the title & author, too, so that other TeaserTuesday participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like yourteaser!

"The fire constricted, concentrating inside that one remaining human organ with a final, unbearable surge. The surge was answered by a deep, hollow-sounding thud. My heart stuttered twice, and then thudded quietly again just once more." page 384 Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

Yes, I am reading Breaking Dawn....again. The Twilight Saga is my favorite series, and sometimes, I just feel the need to re-read it. I was extremely ill last week and needed something familiar and comforting, something I didn't have to think about or critique. And this was it. And I am enjoying it just as much now as I did the very first time I read it.

Please leave a link to your Tuesday Teaser in the comment section and I will stop by and take a look!

Feature and Follow Friday #25

2012-02-16T20:11:00.000-08:00

This week’s question:

I like unique names for characters and am looking forward to coming up with some when I start writing. What's the most unique character name you've come across?

Eeeeek, this is a tough question. I don't know that I have found one specific character name that I found unique. I do think that Suzanne Collins came up with some incredibly unique names in her Hunger Games series. I also like the names of the characters in the Matched series by Ally Condie. Very original and I feel unique.

How about you, what names do you find unique? Leave a link to your Follow Friday in the comments and I will stop by and take a look!

Review: Freshman Year and Other Unnatural Disasters by Meredith Zeitlin

2012-02-14T03:01:00.000-08:00

Title: Freshman Year andOther Unnatural Disasters

Author: Meredith Zeitlin

Genre: Young AdultContemporary

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons

Format: Ebook (provided bypublisher)

Release Date: March 1, 2012

Kelsey Finkelstein is fourteen and FRUSTRATED. Every time shetries to live up to her awesome potential, her plans are foiled – by herimpossible parents, her annoying little sister, and life in general. But withher first day of high school coming up, Kelsey is positive that things aregoing to change. Enlisting the help of her three best friends — sweet and quietEm, theatrical Cass, and wild JoJo — Kelsey gets ready to rebrand herself andmake the kind of mark she knows is her destiny.

Things start out great—her arch-nemesis hasmoved across the country, giving Kelsey the perfect opportunity to stand out onthe soccer team and finally catch the eye of her long-time crush. But soonenough, an evil junior’s thirst for revenge, a mysterious photographer, and aseries of other catastrophes make it clear that just because Kelsey has a planfor greatness… it doesn’t mean the rest of the world is in on it (summary courtesy of Goodreads).

Kelsey just really wants her first year of high school to be the year; the year she shines on thesoccer team, the year her crush finally realizes she’s alive and the year thateverything will change for the better. Sheis determined to make her dreams come true. But first she has to contend withher mom—well-meaning but clueless and constantly embarrassing, a junior whoseems to have put Kelsey at the top of her “people I love to hate” list, anewspaper photographer with a knack for taking the wrong picture and thechanging dynamics of her long-time group of friends. Maneuvering her waythrough the first year of high school may be more difficult than Kelsey everimagined.

Once in a while, a book comes along that makes you smile andleaves you with a good feeling deep in your soul. Freshman Year and Other Unnatural Disasters is that book. I fell inlove with this book almost immediately. Kelsey Finkelstein is the perfectteenager; she is bitingly sarcastic, funny and absolutely convinced thateverything is about her. Zeitlin is able to completely grasp the concept of anawkward teenager making her way in the world and she accurately portraysexactly what a fourteen-year-old high school student is thinking andfeeling. Because of Zeitlin’soutstanding writing, the reader can practically hear what Kelsey’s mom refersto as “Typical Adolescent Behavior” coming through the pages. It’s been awhilesince a book actually made me laugh out loud, but Freshman Year did just that. I am pretty sure the lady in the carnext to me who saw me laughing hysterically while I waited for my son to getout of school thought I had recently escaped the insane asylum. No, that wasjust me enjoying the heck out of this book!

Kelsey Finkelstein just might be my new hero. She spouts someof the best one-liners I’ve ever read. Two of my favorites: “Well, isn’t that the cherry on my sundae” and“Goody gumdrops. Pardon my elbows as I shove to the front of the line for thatchoice opportunity.” Kelsey is perhapsone of the most dynamic characters I’ve read in a long time in a young adultnovel. She actually learns from her mistakes and obviously grows as a personthroughout the course of the novel. She’s not stagnant and unchanging; shemakes mistakes, figures out what she did wrong and tries to make it better. Thedynamic of Kelsey’s group of friends, Em, Cass and JoJo, is also played outvery well. Zeitlin manages to show the reader what a real group of girls inhigh school is like as friends. They argue, they disagree and they sometimes dostupid things to each other, but in the end, the real friendships shinethrough.

Perhaps my favorite thing about this book is that Zeitlindoesn’t pull any punches or try to sugar-coat the high school experience. Guesswhat? Sometimes crappy things happen to good people who have the bestintentions. Sometimes things work out for the best and sometimes they don’t.Life isn’t an episode of iCarly or Victorious, it’s not always fixed in half anhour. Zeitlin gives the reader a chance to see what life is like for a realgirl who is dealing with real problems, and she does it in such a way that weas readers actually forget we are reading the story of a fictional character.Kelsey Finkelstein connects with the reader on a personal level, especiallywith the teenage girl who doesn’t think anything ever goes right in her life.Reading this book will not only make that teenage girl laugh, but it will giveher someone she can relate to as well.

I found Freshman Yearand Other Unnatural Disasters to be a fun, quirky and entertaining read. Itwas extremely funny, yet poignantly realistic. There is some mild language, teendrinking (which, coincidentally never ends well) and minor sexual content(kissing mostly). I recommend this bookfor ages 14 and up. I do have one question, though. Where has Meredith Zeitlinbeen hiding and when can we expect more from her?

My grade for Freshman Year and Other Unnatural Disasters by Meredith Zeitlin:

Review: What's Wrong With Me? by Daree Allen

2012-02-10T04:21:00.000-08:00

Title: What’s Wrong WithMe?: A Girl’s Guide Book of Lessons Learned, Inspiration and Advice

Author: Daree Allen

Genre: Young Adult/Self-Help

Publisher: KharacterDistinction Books

Format: Paperback/Providedby Author

Release Date: February 14, 2012

*book was provided by author in exchange for anhonest review and participation in a blog tour*

“What’s wrong withme?” It’s a question we’ve all askedourselves. Today’s age of everything-goes media messages and in-your-facesexuality has led many teenage girls grappling with self-esteem and self-worth.Author Daree Allen, MS guides girls through their young adulthood by teachinglessons shared from her own experiences in her debut offering, What’s WrongWith Me?: A Girl’s Guide Book of LessonsLearned, Inspiration and Advice. She offers self-empowering building blocksdesigned to strengthen young women’s inner truths in the face of relationshipswith themselves, others, and God. Fundamental to the inner truths are thefoundational blocks that allow them to learn to love the skin they’re in,realize their dreams and make a positive impact on the world (synopsis courtesy of author/publisher).

Ms. Allen haswritten a self-help book intended to show older teens that there is someone outthere who understands what they are going through, sort of a “been there, donethat” handbook for teens. I admire her tenacity and ability to admit themistakes she made in her life in an effort to show young ladies that therereally are people who are able to understand them and their problems. Allen packs this easy-to-read, informativebook with advice about just about everything, from body image, dating and sexto personal finance and discovering one’s life purpose. And she doesn’t pullany punches; she tells it like it is. That was refreshing. What’s Wrong With Me? also has a strong religious message, and usesscripture to help point girls in the right direction.

There were somereally great things in this book. I liked Allen’s “Further Reading” at the endof each chapter. It gives the reader an opportunity to expand on the message ofthat chapter. I also liked the various sidebars contained throughout the book;in particular the advice about taking care of oneself through diet waswell-written. I felt that chapter six was the best chapter in the book, withsome really solid advice about choosing your friends wisely, and letting go oftoxic friendships. My favorite quote inthe book is contained in chapter six: “Don’t underestimate the value of having the right people in your life.Toxic relationships, friendships, and family members drain your energy and—ifyou’re not careful—can make you lose sight of your focus, distorting it. With some people, there comes a time to stoptrying to be their friend and let them go. Toxic people will only bring youdown.” Very well said and verytrue.

There were alsosome things about the book that I felt needed some work. There were a fewinstances in the book in which Allen skimmed over some issues that I feltshould not have been skimmed over. I believesubjects such as anorexia, bulimia and suicide are problems that deserve a bitmore attention than a mention at the end of a chapter (though I appreciated theaddition of hotline numbers for the aforementioned). I also felt that Allentook a rather negative view of marriage. I understand that she was approachingthe subject of marriage from the perspective of a divorced, single mother, butin a self-help book for young woman, other perspectives should be explored.There are marriages that are stable and lasting, not all (or even most) menleave. The other side of the coin should have been shown. Finally, I was a bit put off by the frequentreferences to “White folks,” as was my 17-year-old daughter, who read severalchapters of the book. To quote her: “Teenage girls are pretty much the same, nomatter what our skin color is. We all have a lot of the same problems.”

All in all, What Wrong With Me? is a good book. Itis filled with some really solid advice for dealing with the different problemsthat arise in a lot of teenage girls’ lives. I think this book would be greatfor church youth groups, teen bible studies or girl groups. Having an adultmentor to guide the girls through the book would be very beneficial.

My grade for What's Wrong With Me?:

Feature and Follow Friday #24

2012-02-09T19:45:00.000-08:00

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Rachel at Parajunkee’s View and Alison at Alison Can Read. It is a great way for bloggersto make new friends and find new blogs to follow. Go to either blog, follow ALLthe instructions and then add you link to the list. It’s just that easy!

This week’s question:

What would your prefer: reading your favorite book over and over again until you got sick of it OR reading 100s of mediocre books? And why?

Sadly, as of late, I have read a bunch of mediocre books and some books that I really did NOT enjoy. In fact, earlier today, I was thinking about how I really just want to pick up one of my trusted, often-read books and snuggle up with it. And lose myself. For me, reading is a form of escape. When I read a mediocre book, I don't lose myself and I don't get that escape. I think that is why I read books I love over and over. They allow me to get away from my world for a little while. So, I guess my answer is: read my favorite book over and over again.

How about you? Leave a link in the comment section and I will stop by and check out your hop.

Review: Halflings by Heather Burch

2012-02-09T04:58:00.000-08:00

Title: Halflings

Author: Heather Burch

Genre: YoungAdult/Paranormal

Publisher: Zondervan

Format: NetGalley/Kindle

Release Date: February 1, 2012

After being inexplicably targeted by an evil intent onharming her at any cost, seventeen-year-old Nikki finds herself under thewatchful guardianship of three mysterious young men who call themselves Halflings.Sworn to defend her, misfits Mace, Raven, and Vine battle to keep Nikki safewhile hiding their deepest secret-and the wings that come with it.

A growing attraction between Nikki and two ofher protectors presents a whole other danger. While she risks a broken heart,Mace and Raven could lose everything, including their souls. As the mysteriesbehind the boys' powers, as well as her role in a scientist's dark plan,unfold, Nikki is faced with choices that will affect the future of an entirerace of heavenly beings, as well as the precarious equilibrium of the earthlyworld (summary courtesy publisher viaNetGalley).

My initial reaction to Halflings:

This book left me scratching my head, for a variety ofreasons. Not one single question put forth in this book was answered atthe end. Usually when a book gives you some type of mystery or question to beexplored and answered, even if sequels are planned, the author will give you some answers. I knew about as much whenI finished the book as I did when I started it. Too many things were leftunexplored and unanswered. Another thingI had a difficult time with was the occasional slip from third person to firstperson. The first couple of times ithappened, I assumed it was because I was reading an ARC and it was simply amistake. But it kept happening. I finally realized about half way through thebook that those occasional slips were actually the characters thinking tothemselves. To me, it just looked like an editing mistake. Quotations marks ora simple “she thought” would have fixed that problem. Sometimes, the story linewas a bit difficult to follow because time didn’t flow consistently throughoutthe story. It would jump forward and back in time, leaving me stumped as towhat exactly was happening. A lot of this could have been solved with editing.

I also found it difficult to connect with any of thecharacters. The boys and their personalities were built solely on their looks.Every time any of them appeared in the story, the reader heard about “musclesunder shirts, muscles flexing, and muscles rippling” or their hair and how itflowed around them. The one character I felt had the most potential to beinteresting was never given any other characterization other than a descriptionof what his long, blond hair was doing while he fought, or walked, or ran. Oh,and he liked candy. After about ten chapters, I was beyond tired of hearing theboys being described. I know what they look like, move on! The main character Nikki, was really hard tofigure out. Sometimes she seemed confident and put-together, other times sheseemed wishy-washy. Other times, she came across as a petulant brat. Burchseemed to put action before characterization, which was disappointing. A little bit of character-building could havegone a long way toward making this a better book.

Unfortunately, I had a bigger issue with this book than someunanswered questions, editing issues and lack of character development. Let’s justsay that I have read this book before. Only that time, its title was Twilight. Maybe this book should havebeen called Twilight 2.0—The AngelVersion. I thought maybe I was just imagining things, but then I decided tojot down the similarities I found between the two. It was definitely not myimagination. Similarities to Twilight(*may contain spoilers*):

· Paranormal boy(s)

· Girl that needs protecting

· Boy breaks the rules to see the girl.

· They are “inexplicably drawn to each other.”

· The boys are gorgeous, often referred to as“Greek Gods.”

· The boys move with unnatural speed,

· One of the boys can “pick up a thought or two.”

· Almost a direct quote from Twilight (and one of the most famous): “…there was a tiny part andshe wasn’t sure how powerful that part was…”

· The boys can drive really fast because theirreflexes are better than a humans.

· The girl feels “a gaping, empty hole” in herchest after a break-up, clutches her chest to keep the pain in.

· The boys have fantastic hearing, can hear thingsothers can’t.

· The boys move faster than the eye can see, theyeven say “You can’t outrun us.”

· One of the boys struggles to achieve goodnessdespite what he is.

· Girl loves both boys.

Do you see what I mean? I’m sure it’s flattering to StephenieMeyer that so many authors copy her, but we as readers want to see somethingnew. Halflings is definitely not thatsomething new.

I tried to enjoy Halflings,I really did. I tried to ignore the factthat it was really just a blatant rip-off of one of my favorite books.Unfortunately, I couldn’t overlook it. Writing a book that follows a formula(Paranormal Hot Guy + Girl Who Needs Protection = Bestseller) is notentertaining or original. As readers, we’ve been there and done that. We wantoriginality, not a re-worked version of a previous bestseller. Sadly, Burch doesn’t give us thatoriginality. I wish she had.

My grade for Halflings by Heather Burch:

Review: New Girl by Paige Harbison

2012-02-08T05:12:00.000-08:00

Title: New Girl

Author: Paige Harbison

Genre: Young Adult

Publisher: HarlequinTeen

Format: NetGalley/Kindle

Release Date: January 31, 2012

New Girl is acontemporary young-adult novel inspired by the classic 1938 romantic suspensebestseller, Rebecca by Daphne duMaurier.

They call her “New Girl”… Ever since she arrived at theexclusive, prestigious Manderly Academy that is what sheis called. The new girl, unknown, but not unnoticed, because of her, Becca Normandy. Her picture iseverywhere. Her name is on everyone’s lips. “New Girl” doesn’t compare. And the only reason she is at Manderly isbecause Becca is missing and a spot opened up. Everyone treats her like it isher fault. Everyone that is except Max Holloway. But everyone thinks of him asBecca’s boyfriend, only she is gone and the new girl is there, replacing her.Except it isn’t that easy. Becca’s life must have been so much better, if youbelieve what everyone tells you. Andmaybe she is still out there, waiting to take it back (Summary adapted from thesummary provided by Harlequin Teen via NetGalley).

New Girl isnarrated by a young lady, who has recently been given admission to aprestigious boarding school, Manderly, in New Hampshire. After she arrives, shediscovers that the only reason she is there is because another student, Becca,has gone missing. Now she must fightagainst the assumption that she is trying to replace Becca, in every wayimaginable. The reader does not find outthe narrator’s name until the very end of the book, so don’t think you justmissed it along the way (like I did at first--*grin*).

New Girl isprobably the least enjoyable novel I have read this year. Granted, it’s earlyin the year, but I have read approximately ten books and this is at the top ofmy “I didn’t like this” list. There were several times as I read that Iliterally felt my mouth hanging open because I couldn’t believe that this was happening in a novel intendedfor the young adult audience (which we all know includes teens). Because of thenature of my job and having teenagers myself, I do read novels with an eyetoward the appropriateness for tweens and teens (after all, the blog is calledMom Reads My Books). This one should NOT be read by anyone under the age of 16and then your teen better be relatively mature. I am a pretty easy-going mom, Idon’t usually censor what my girls read, but I am very hesitant to let my girlsread this book. Harbison glorifieddrinking, drugs and sex throughout the entire book. The most popular girl at school turned out tobe the one who slept around the most and got everyone to start partying. If Harbison is going to continue to write foryoung adults, she needs to keep her audience in mind. Or start marketing herbooks to adults.

While the premise of the story is great, the execution ispoorly done. It is very unrealistic. Noparent in their right mind would ship their straight-A, college-bound,well-behaved daughter off to boarding school during her senior year, especiallybased on the fact that she last expressed interest in attending it when she wasin junior high. Teachers and parents arenot as oblivious as New Girl makesthem seem, or as infrequently seen as Harbison would have her readers believe.Harbison also expects the intelligent reader to believe that an entire schoolfull of people will suddenly become hard-core partiers, despite the insinuationthat most, if not all, of the students were pretty tame prior to Becca arrivingat school. There was only a cursorymention of classes and school work. This was a boarding school that seemed toforget the “school” part. Really, itseemed as if the only thing any of the students at Manderly Academydid was party. And party some more. Basically, I found the entire premise ofthe story difficult to believe.

There is not one character in this book that has anyredeeming qualities. The majority of the girls in the book were vapid, horridgirls who lived to be snotty and rude. The worst character by far was themissing girl, Becca. She was mean, emotionally stunted and selfish. And thosemay have been her best qualities. The young men were no better; their main goalin life seemed to be to have sex. I didn’t have an ounce of sympathy for anyonein this book except for maybe the main character. Who wants to read a book inwhich you are unable to relate to any of the characters?

ReadingNew Girl was like watching a reallybad episode of Gossip Girl or something similar. Every clichéd bad thingteenagers have ever done—or may ever do—was in this book: sex, drugs, drinking, lying, swearing andgeneral overall rule breaking. You nameit; the teens in this book did it. Ifelt like I was driving past a horrific train wreck and I couldn’t look away.

And just a minor point, but I really felt like the maincharacter’s name reveal was very anti-climatic. After devoting so much time toreading this entire book that I really didn’t enjoy, I was hopeful that themain character’s name would be some eye-opening, light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnelmoment that would make the book worth reading. It wasn’t. I actually had to goback and re-read it to make sure I hadn’t missed something, because I reallythought it would have some deeper meaning to tie in with the story. Ummm, yeah,so not the case; it’s just a common, everyday name.

I will not be recommending New Girl to anyone. It isfilled with gratuitous sex, extremely bad language, and even a rape. Itdisturbed me and I am a grown woman who has practically seen it all. I don’t feel that this book is appropriatefor any one under the age of 17 or 18.

My grade for New Girl by Paige Harbison:

Teaser Tuesday--February 7

2012-02-06T20:31:00.000-08:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookishmeme, 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 thatpage

· BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that whatyou share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book forothers!)

Share the title & author, too, so that other Teaser Tuesdayparticipants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teaser!

My teaser this week is from Freshman Year and Other Unnatural Disasters by Meredith Zeitlin:

"And what if I get a part and she doesn't? That would definitely give her a tiny taste of the pain she's caused me this year. Which would totally serve her right.

Oh, petty revenge, don't knock it till you try it." pg. 133

Thanks for stopping by! Leave a link in the comment section to your Tuesday Teaser and I will stop by and check it out!

Hunger Games Chapter 5

2012-02-06T00:00:00.000-08:00

"No one will forget me. Not my look, not my name. Katniss. The girl who was on fire." Katniss Everdeen, Chapter 5, page 70

Chapter 5 of The Hunger Games finds our District 12 tribute, Katniss, going through the humiliating process of being "groomed" for the upcoming introduction of the Tributes. Katniss is plucked, scrubbed clean and has had her nails done. It is in this chapter that we meet Katniss' stylist, Cinna. Cinna is perhaps the most normal person Katniss has met in the Capitol, he is clean-shaven and attractive, without unnatural skin coloring and he doesn't use the affected accent heard by so many residents of the Capitol. She immediately likes him. Cinna prepares Katniss for the Opening Ceremonies and tells her what she will be wearing. It is customary for Tributes to dress to indicate the industry of their District. District 12's industry is coal and Katniss has grown accustomed to seeing the Tributes dressed in coal miner's outfits and this is what she fully expects Cinna to force her to wear. But Cinna has a different idea.

"You're not afraid of fire, are you, Katniss?" Cinna, Chapter 5, page 66.

My answer: "YES!!" Maybe with more exclamation points behind it. But Cinna convinces Katniss (and Portia manages to convince Peeta) to wear the outfits with the synthetic fire. Okkkkaaaaaayyyyyy.... Ummm, yeah, not me. Here's the picture from the movie before they light them on fire (you can see it in Cinna's hand).

This chapter was probably the one in which I started to figure out exactly how Peeta really feels about Katniss. It's just evident in the way he talks to her and the way he acts around her. I also like chapter five because it is the chapter in which Cinna is introduced and he is one of my favorite characters.

Hunger Games Read-Along

2012-02-04T07:31:00.000-08:00

Hunger Games Read-Along

Hello all!

I am participating in a Hunger Games Read-Along hosted by The Howling Turtle this month! I would like to invite you to take a few moments to stop by and check out the various chapters. This is no ordinary read-along; each chapter will be hosted by a different blog and (hopefully) each chapter post will be unique and interesting and give you some new insight into this wonderful book! I will posting on Monday, February 6, I get to give my commentary on Chapter 5! Just click on the link under the button and it will take you directly to the list of chapters and their participating blogs.

Can't wait to see you there!

Feature and Follow Friday (23)

2012-02-02T19:16:00.000-08:00

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Rachel at Parajunkee’s View and Alison at Alison Can Read. It is a great way for bloggers to make new friends and find new blogs to follow. Go to either blog, and check out the featured blog of the week. Follow ALL the instructions and add your link to the list. It’s just that easy!

This week's question:

"Define what characteristics your favorite books share. Do they all have a kickass heroine or is the hot love interest the Alpha Male?"

My favorite books don't really have definitive characteristics. I am an equal-opportunity book lover. There are books that I never in a million years would have thought I would enjoy that have become some of my favorite books (Game of Thrones series, Water for Elephants). I love a story that grabs my attention and holds it and characters that are interesting and dynamic. For me, those two things are an integral part of any story and must be present to even begin to hold my interest. And I don't want a recycled, formulaic story. Give me some originality, please.

This isn't to say that I don't love a gorgeous male character or a strong female lead. But I don't base what I read on those factors. Besides, what I find gorgeous might be ugly to someone else and what I consider strong in a female character might seem wishy-washy to another reader.

So, do your favorite books have certain characteristics in common? Leave a link in the comment section and I will hop by!

Review: Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

2012-02-02T05:39:00.000-08:00

Title: Incarnate (New Soul #1)

Author: Jodi Meadows

Genre: Young Adult

Publisher: HarperCollins

Format: NetGalley/Kindle

Release Date: January 31, 2012

For the last five thousand years, the same one million souls have always been reincarnated into new bodies, retaining their minds, memories, and skill sets of past lifetimes. Always, that is, until once. Eighteen years ago Ana, the newsoul—nosoul, some call her—was born in another’s place.

Incarnate is the story of this one new soul, raised in isolation by a mother who is ashamed of her. On her eighteenth birthday Ana decides to set out alone for Heart, the capital city, to find out why she was born. Ana hopes knowing why will show her what she is supposed to do with the one lifetime she’s been given. Led to believe that nosouls are worthless, she has trouble accepting the kindness of Sam, a 5,000–year–old teenager who rescues her from a frozen lake she jumped in to escape the Sylph, shadow monsters that live in the Range. Sam offers to take her to Heart, where he is assigned as her guardian. They begin to develop feelings for each other, but that is complicated by the fact that Sam is afraid to love someone who, for all they know, will only live once, who will disappear from his world too quickly. But in Heart, Ana is surrounded by people who see her as a danger and an ugly omen for the future—what if nosouls replace more people? The only way Ana can save herself is to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else’s life, and find the answer to the question of whether she will be reborn like Sam and the rest of the inhabitants of Heart (summary courtesy of Harpercollins).

Incarnate is a beautifully woven tale of a world where change is not often seen. While technological advancements do exist, who will invent them is never a mystery. Everyone knows everything about everyone. Diaries are archived in the library for all to access; stories of past lives are lovingly retold time and time again. When Ana arrives, Heart is suddenly faced with something they haven’t seen for 5,000 years—a new person or a new soul. Ana is discriminated against and even hated from the day she is born. Because of her, or so she believes, another soul was not reborn. And that is something many people can’t forget.

Once Ana leaves her house and Li—the mother who hates her—she discovers a world she knew nothing about. A world where pain is not her teacher and people actually care about her and what happens to her. Ana learns so much during her time with Sam, including how to trust and how to love. Ana finds friends in Heart, but she also finds enemies, those who believe she shouldn’t exist and will do anything to make that happen. Hopefully the mystery that is her existence can be solved before her time runs out.

Incarnate is an absolutely amazing novel! It appeals to the reader in so many ways. It has mystery, action, suspense, and romance. Jodi Meadows outdoes herself (and quite frankly, a few others) in this, her debut novel. She knows how to write a novel that is appealing to readers of a variety of genres and she does it flawlessly. The mystery of Ana’s existence keeps the reader guessing from the very beginning—who is she, why is she here, will she come back if she dies? We get action—strange creatures called the Sylph, attacking dragons and heart-stopping chases. But the best part, we get a superbly written romance. Meadows is able to completely capture the hesitant yet urgent sense of new love, the fear of opening oneself so completely to another person, and the wonder of discovering love. The doubt we all have felt when we first fall in love is magnified in Ana because of the horrible treatment she received growing up. Meadows write a love story that is sweet, yet intense, innocent yet passionate and just flat-out good.

The characters in Incarnate are well-developed and dynamic. Despite the fact that every character save Ana has been alive for 5,000 years, they still manage to show growth and development throughout the story. I enjoyed learning about the various characters reincarnations and how they had lived during those reincarnations. Ana is a perfect heroine; despite the horror and the abuse suffered in her early life and the hate that surrounds her, she perseveres. She learns as many skills as she can, she studies as much as possible to discover where she came from and she fights for the person she loves. Ana is a character to be admired.

The mystery of Heart, the temple of Janan and why millions of souls are continually reincarnated is such an intriguing story that it can’t help but keep the reader engrossed in the story. Meadows weaves this mystery throughout the whole book, never letting it fade into the background and giving the reader just enough information to keep them wanting more. And I definitely want more. I am anxiously awaiting my chance to see exactly what the city of Heart holds, not only for readers, but for its inhabitants as well.

I loved this book; I can’t wait for the next in the series. I loved reading a book that wasn’t about vampires, werewolves or angels, something that is becoming all too common in the young adult genre. Also, there is no love triangle, another aspect of young adult novels that is becoming a bit overdone. That is something to be excited about. Meadows is able to write a love story that relies on the tension between the characters for its conflict, rather than pulling in a third person to create conflict. Meadows is to be commended for her choice to stray for the typical young adult paranormal formula.

If you get a chance, I highly recommend picking this book up. You will not be disappointed. I will be recommending this book to both of my daughters, as well as my teacher and librarian friends.

My grade for Incarnate by Jodi Meadows:

Attention Aspiring Authors! Strange Chemistry Open Door 2012

2012-02-01T20:03:00.000-08:00

Strange Chemistry is a global imprint which will launch in September 2012. It is dedicated to the best in modern young adult science fiction, fantasy and all that falls in between. They have recently signed three authors--Kim Curran, Sean Cummings and Gwenda Bond. Please visit them at Strange Chemistry Books.

The most exciting news of all is Strange Chemistry's recently announced Open Door 2012. What exactly does this mean? It means that unagented authors will be able to submit their books for consideration! Now, before you rush off to send in your manuscript, there are certain guidelines that must be met in order to make a submission. All of the details can be found at Strange Chemistry's Open Door 2012. Please stop by and check it out.

Good luck to all the aspiring authors out there!

Review: Everneath by Brodi Ashton

2012-01-31T18:59:00.000-08:00

Title: Everneath

Author: Brodi Ashton

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal

Publisher: HarperCollins

Format: NetGalley/Kindle

Release Date: January 24, 2012

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she’s returned—to her old life, her family, her best friend, her boyfriend—before she’s banished back to the underworld . . . this time forever. She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her; six months for good-byes she can’t find the words for; six months to find redemption, if it even exists.

Nikki longs to spend these precious few months forgetting the Everneath completely and trying to reconnect with her boyfriend, Jack, the person most devastated by her disappearance—and the one person she loves more than anything. But there’s just one problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who enticed her to the Everneath in the first place, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. Cole wants to take over the Everneath’s throne and is convinced Nikki is the key to making it happen. And he’ll do whatever it takes to bring her back, this time as his queen.

As Nikki’s time on the surface draws to a close and all of her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she is forced to make the hardest decision of her life: finding a way to cheat fate and remain on the surface with Jack, or returning to the Everneath and becoming Cole’s queen (summary courtesy of Harpercollins).

Everneath is an interesting mix of mythology and author Brodi Ashton’s vision of what we would call Hell or Hades or the Underworld or the Everneath as she calls it. Ashton takes the stories from mythology that readers are familiar with and gives them a twist and makes them new. It takes a lot of inspiration from the story of Orpheus attempting to rescue Eurydice from Hades, as well as the myth of Hades and Persephone. Ashton even references both several times. The twist on mythology really gives the story an originality not always seen in the young adult genre.

Ashton also explores what I feel is the sensitive topic of young love and how it can affect the teenagers who fall into it and what happens when they lose it. Unfortunately, I didn’t feel that it was dealt with as carefully as it should have been. My impression of the Everneath is that going there is similar to committing suicide—you leave this earth with no chance of return and going there “makes the pain go away.” Nikki flees to the Everneath to escape a death in the family but more so to run from a relationship she fears is in jeopardy. Is any boy worth giving it all up for? That is what it seems Nikki believes, she chooses the Everneath over life. Nikki very quickly makes a choice that in affect ends her life, leaving everyone who loves her behind and lost. Fortunately, Nikki is given the chance to Return to say good-bye. This gives her the opportunity to see how her choice to “make the pain go away” has affected everyone in her life—her father, brother, best friend, friends at school and her boyfriend Jack. It’s a unique perspective on making a choice—should Nikki make the easy one or should she make the right one? Like I said, it’s a sensitive topic and one that must be carefully explored. I thought Ashton was a bit off-handed in her dealings with Nikki leaving, I’m not sure that the impact Nikki made with her choice was fully explored. Because this book is aimed at young adults and teens, this is a topic that should be dealt with very carefully and I didn’t feel that this was the case.

I also felt that the character development was a bit weak. I thought Jack had the potential to be a very complex and intriguing character, but he was not developed well through the course of the story. Nikki’s little brother Tommy was basically a non-entity throughout most of the book. We received only cursory glances of him in small doses. This is also the case with Jules, Nikki’s best friend, and Will, Jack’s brother, as well. We never really get to know these characters that could have been an asset to the plot. Perhaps leaving Tommy out of the story would have left room to develop the other characters more. Everything we know about every character in the book comes to us from Nikki’s point of view, which is very flawed. I would have liked to have seen the perspective of some of the other characters or even a third-person narrator to give a bit more depth to the story.

Despite what appears to be a negative review, I liked Everneath. It was readable. It certainly wasn’t amazing and it didn’t knock my socks off, but it was a good read. I know that sequels are planned and my hope is that the story and characters will grow with the series. I really wanted this book to be amazing, but it just wasn’t. It really had the potential to be fantastic, too. I thought the cover was gorgeous and I had heard really good things about the book. Too bad it didn’t live up to the hype. As far as recommending it to my girls, well, their TBR piles are nearly as big as mine and I truly believe this one can be put on the back burner for awhile. Maybe if they get to a point where they have nothing to read, I will tell them to pick it up and give it a try.

My grade for Everneath by Brodi Ashton:

Review: Tempest by Julie Cross

2012-01-28T18:55:00.000-08:00

Title: Tempest

Author: Julie Cross

Genre: Young Adult

Publisher: MacMillan

Imprint: St. Martin’s Griffin

Format: NetGalley/Kindle

Release Date: January 17, 2012

The year is 2009. Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy; he’s in college, has a girlfriend… and he can travel back through time. But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there are no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun.
That is until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he’s stuck in 2007 and can’t get back to the future.
Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities.
But it’s not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these “Enemies of Time” will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler. Recruit him… or kill him.
Piecing together the clues about his father, the Enemies of Time, and himself, Jackson must decide how far he’s willing to go to save Holly… and possibly the entire world. (Summary courtesy of Macmillan Publishing/Goodreads)

Julie Cross’s debut novel is a fun, fast-paced intriguing tale that keeps the reader turning pages in an effort to keep up with our hero Jackson’s leaps through time. Jumping through time could have been difficult to keep straight, but Cross manages to keep what could have been a convoluted storyline crystal clear and easy to follow. The characters are also very consistent, despite the leaps through time. Jackson is your typical young college male, vulnerable but afraid to admit he is and cocky as all get out, Holly is a lovely, easy-going girl, trying to figure out what Jackson is hiding and Adam is the science geek we all secretly long to have as a friend. In every time strain that Jackson jumps into, the characters are what we expect. This is not to say that there is no growth in the characters, we actually get to see how those characters grow over the course of several years.

I did have a couple of minor issues with the book. Sometimes the flashbacks (not the actual time jumps) were unclear. This could have been easily solved by simply putting an extra space between paragraphs. The other thing I didn’t really care for was the CIA angle. I understand why it was there, I just didn’t care for it. I guess I want my super-secret government agencies to be so secret that the name comes as a surprise to me. These small things were the only issues I had with the book, minor really when you look at the big picture.

Tempest is a fast-paced action movie in book form. So, it’s not surprising that Summit Entertainment, the powerhouse behind the Twilight move franchise, has already optioned it for a film. I think the book will translate well to film. I really enjoyed this book and I look forward to any future sequels.

My grade for Tempest by Julie Cross:

Feature and Follow Friday (22)

2012-01-26T19:55:00.000-08:00

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Rachel at Parajunkee’s View and Alison at Alison Can Read. It is a great way for bloggers to make new friends and find new blogs to follow. Go to either blog, follow ALL the instructions and then add your link to the list. It’s just that easy!

This week’s question:

"Which book genre do you avoid at all costs and why?"

I don't have a genre I "avoid at all costs," but I don't read autobiographies. I pretty much stay away from them. I enjoy non-fiction and I will read occasionally read biographies, but in general I don't read self-aggrandizing works. There is just something about someone writing about themselves that irks me. In my early college years I had to write an autobiography and I didn't even enjoy that.

What genre do you avoid? Leave me a link to your Follow Friday and I will stop by and see what it is!

Review: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

2012-01-25T05:12:00.000-08:00

Title: Clockwork Prince (Infernal Devices #2)

Author: Cassandra Clare

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Format: Hardcover (self-purchased)

Release Date: December 6, 2011

We are once again drawn into the world of the Shadowhunters of Victorian London. Tessa Gray has found refuge with the Shadowhunters of the Institute in London, where she is protected from the Magister and even her brother Nate. But one can never truly hide from pure Evil. While Charlotte struggles to keep her position as head of the Institute, Jem, Will and even Tessa do everything possible to find the Magister and bring him before the Clave. As the deadline for finding him draws closer and closer, Tessa, Will and Jem discover that the Magister’s war against the Shadowhunters is more personal than they ever could have imagined. Their search takes them from the English countryside, to a fancy ballroom filled with enemies and even to the City of Bones. That search even brings them into the halls of the Institute. But finding the Magister is not Tessa’s only worry. She must contend with her growing feelings for Jem and the fact that she is inexplicably drawn to Will. Finding the Magister may be the only thing that frees Tessa from her doubts and worries.

Cassandra Clare does it again with this amazing sequel to Clockwork Angel. Not only does she continue the spellbinding tale of the search for the Magister, but she introduces us to new characters and reacquaints us with our familiar favorites. We get to learn more about the history of the troubled warlock Magnus, and discover the history of the ancestors of some of the more infamous Shadowhunters. Clare does all of this while telling a complicated, engrossing tale rivaled only by her Mortal Instrument series.

I love this series, and I can’t get enough of it. Waiting a year between books is practically torture. Sometimes I wish I hadn’t discovered it until ALL of the books had come out. Then I wouldn’t have to wait. But I do have to wait, though it is definitely worth it. Clare never disappoints. She manages to keep the reader’s interest peaked throughout the entire book, keeping you guessing and on the edge of your seat. I never know what to expect when I am reading one of her books. Just when you think everything is getting better, or at least going okay, Clare throws a monkey wrench in the mix. And surprisingly, I really enjoy those monkey wrenches. Bring ‘em on!

As always, Clare has given her readers a book that is extremely well-written. One of my favorite things about Clare as a writer is that she doesn’t talk down to her readers, she actually writes like we are intelligent people. That being said, I did have to keep my dictionary handy. Because Clockwork Prince is set in
Victorian London, Clare frequently uses language we don’t often see in modern times. I like that she does this, because I feel like I am actually learning something.

In case you can’t tell, I really enjoyed Clockwork Prince and I can’t wait for the sequel. My daughter Tiana has read the Infernal Devices series as well, and watching her read them when I know what is going to happen is always fun. She is very expressive and emotional. She must have slammed the book down about ten times and screamed “I hate this book!” I even got a text message at work one day about how crazy the book was making her. She didn’t really hate the book though, like I said, she is just very expressive. Tiana loved the book, too. So, the consensus in our house is two thumbs up and we can’t wait for the next book!

My grade for Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare:

Teaser Tuesday (January 24)

2012-01-23T19:04:00.000-08:00

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 Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teaser!

My teaser this week is from Everneath by Brodi Ashton:

"He uses music to stir the emotions and circulate the life force of the audience, just before he eats. It's like an actual heart; the center of the circulatory system." Kindle ebook from NetGalley (quote subject to change) at 91%

What are you reading this week? Leave me a link to your teaser in the comment section and I will stop by and check it out.

Review: Anew The Archers of Avalon by Chelsea Fine

2012-01-22T12:48:00.000-08:00

Title: Anew: The Archers of Avalon

Author: Chelsea Fine

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal

Publisher: Acacia Publishing

Format: Kindle

Release Date: December 7, 2011

Two years ago, Scarlet Jacobs woke up in the forest of Avalon, Georgia with no memory of anything regarding her past. All she knows is her name. She has spent the last two years lost and confused, until she meets Gabriel Archer. Gabriel’s voice is familiar to Scarlet, and she is inexplicably drawn to him. She believes he may be able to help her unlock some of the memories that are hidden deep inside her. Even though Scarlet and Gabriel become nearly inseparable, there are still mysteries regarding Gabriel that Scarlet can’t seem to discover. One of those mysteries is Gabriel’s brother, Tristan. After meeting Tristan, Scarlet becomes even more confused. While she is drawn to Gabriel, Tristan makes her feel whole and complete. Now, Scarlet must put together the pieces of her past—but that past will affect any future she has. If she has a future at all.

Anew is the first book in a planned trilogy from author Chelsea Fine. I can’t give away too much of what exactly Anew is about, or I will give away a lot of the plotline. I can tell you this: after waking in the forest with amnesia, Scarlet tries to live a normal life. At least it’s moderately normal—as normal as the life of an amnesiac can get—until Gabriel Archer and his brother come to town. Gabriel and Tristan know something, and Scarlet is determined to discover just what it is they know about her. But while she is trying to learn about her past, her feelings for the brothers may tear her apart.

There is a lot going on, pretty much right from the beginning. I can tell you that this book is chock full of things to love—mystery, witches, curses and especially gorgeous boys. Who doesn’t love a gorgeous boy? Fine’s writing is crisp and clean, and well-done. She weaves a story that is compelling and entertaining. It keeps you turning pages right up until the end. And then, it ends and leaves us wanting more. Literally. The last sentence of the book could not possibly be more of a cliffhanger. I sat there holding my book saying, “Really? Really? That’s it?” Kind of made me want to yell. It definitely makes you anxious for the next book. And I give Fine kudos for knowing how to pull the reader in, how to tease us with just a little bit of information and just when and how to leave the story so we are dying to read the next book (Awry is expected this summer).

Anew isn’t like anything I’ve read before. In a genre of “been there, done that” Anew is an original. While we’ve all seen the love triangle played out in countless books, Fine manages to give her love triangle an unexpected twist. Her take on the paranormal is also refreshing and interesting. She also drops subtle hints that we may get a lot more in future books and I for one cannot wait to see what she comes up with. I like the characters as well. Nate is entertaining and a typical guy—man cave and all. Heather, Scarlet’s best friend, is your everyday teenager, obsessed with clothes, hair and make-up. It’s like Ms. Fine has an inside track on the inner workings of a teenage girl’s brain. A couple of times, I could hear my daughter’s voice when Heather spoke (b-t-dubs…). But she is a good friend who always has Scarlet’s best interest in mind. The brothers, Gabriel and Tristan, sound absolutely delicious. One brother is an open-book and one brother is a locked box that allows you to peek into the cracks, but will not open completely—which just makes you want to open it all that much more. I like them both; I definitely cannot choose which brother is my favorite. They both believe what they are doing is the right thing, whether it really is or not. That makes them easy to love; they are utterly convinced that they are doing the right thing. Scarlet is a great heroine—she’s tough, smart, scrappy and just a little bit vulnerable. She’s not afraid to fight for what she believes in. And she is an amazing friend. What’s not to love?

Anew is a great book, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s appropriate for teenagers and perhaps the more mature tween (junior-high age), and I think adults will enjoy it as well. Like Ms. Fine’s first book, Sophie and Carter, it is an easy read, but it definitely doesn’t talk down to you. Fine just knows how to write a book that appeals to everyone. If you are looking for something new and different, give this one a try. I think you’ll like it!

My grade for Anew: The Archers of Avalon by Chelsea Fine:

As an added-bonus I am including the link to Chelsea’s playlist for Anew and the Amazon link for purchasing the book.

Feature and Follow Friday (21)

2012-01-19T20:29:00.000-08:00

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Rachel at Parajunkee’s View and Alison at Alison Can Read. It is a great way for bloggers to make new friends and find new blogs to follow. Go to either blog, follow ALL the instructions and then add you link to the list. It’s just that easy!

This week’s question:

"What's the craziest thing you've ever done to get your hands on any particular book?"

My answer is boring, sorry. I've never really done anything crazy in order to get a book. I've never had to sleep outside of a bookstore overnight or wait in some super-long line. I live in a big city (Phoenix area) and I can drive in about a 15 mile radius and hit about 3 large bookstores, an independent bookstore and a bajillion Walmarts. I usually don't have a trouble getting a book. And now that I have become technologically savvy, I can get any book, any time I want with my Kindle. Love that.

How about you? Anything crazy? Leave me a comment and I will stop by!

Review: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

2012-01-18T19:02:00.000-08:00

Title: Under the Never Sky

Author: Veronica Rossi

Genre: Young Adult/Dystopian

Publisher: HarperCollins

Format: NetGalley/Kindle

Release Date: January 3, 2012

Like everyone else in Reverie, Aria spends her time in the Realms, virtual environments accessed through her Smarteye. For Dwellers like Aria, life in Reverie is simple. When Aria is accused of a vicious crime and thrown out of the pod and the only life she knows, she knows she will die. That’s why the outside is called the Death Shop; danger is every where.

Perry has lived all his life on the Outside, fighting hunger, predators and strange energy storms generated by the Aether, the strange electrified atmosphere that has replaced the once-blue sky. Even in a world of Outsiders, Perry is special. He has powerful gifts, allowing him to sense danger, prey and even human emotion.

Unexpectedly forced together, Aria and Perry form a reluctant alliance. Aria needs his help to return to Reverie and Perry needs Aria to help him find his nephew, who was abducted by Dwellers. Not only will they battle cannibals, wolves and the Aether, but they must battle their prejudices against each other or neither will find what they need. Aria and Perry forge a bond, a bond that may change the lives of everyone—Dwellers and Outsiders alike.

Under the Never Sky is a young adult book set in a dystopian future. Lately we’ve seen a lot of books with a dystopian theme (Matched, Wither, Divergent). The question is: can Veronica Rossi create a story in a genre that is rapidly becoming overloaded? The answer to that question is yes she can. Not only that, but she does it very well.

Under the Never Sky has a fresh, inventive plot, a distinctive writing style and well-written dynamic characters. It was refreshing to read a dystopian story with such originality. I haven’t enjoyed a book of this genre so much since I read Divergent by Veronica Roth. The plot is well-paced and entertaining. Rossi has a fantastic writing style; she knows just what to do to keep her reader interested. The point of view switches between Aria and Perry, but she manages to make it a seamless transition. Perhaps using third person limited point of view is what eases the transition (unlike Crossed by Ally Condie which uses first person point of view and confuses her readers). Rossi’s characters are also very dynamic characters, obviously growing and changing as the book progresses. I loved the growth seen in the main characters, Aria and Perry. They both learn so much about not only themselves, but also each other.

In case you can’t tell, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is by far my favorite of the year thus far. I have already recommended it to several teachers I work with, as well as both of my daughters. I don’t know if Ms. Rossi is planning a sequel (and honestly, she ended the book in a way that would allow for a sequel, but not in a way that demands a sequel), but if she is, I can’t wait to read it.

My grade for Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi:

Teaser Tuesday (January 17)

2012-01-16T21:30:00.000-08:00

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 Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teaser!

My teaser this week is from Anew: The Archers of Avalon by Chelsea Fine:

"Nobody had attempted to break into Scarlet's house since the night Tristan and Gabriel had killed the weird ash guy. Which was good news.

The fact that crazy ash people existed and were running around in the trees behind her house? Super creepy." Kindle edition at 89%

I am loving this book! Now, leave me a link in the comment section to your Tuesday Teaser and I will hop by and check it out!

Review: Katerina Trilogy Vol. 1 The Gathering Storm**

2012-01-16T14:32:00.000-08:00

Title: The Katerina Trilogy Vol. 1: The Gathering Storm

Author: Robin Bridges

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal/Historical Fiction

Publisher: Random House Children’s Books

Imprint: Delacorte BFYR

Format: NetGalley/Kindle

Release Date: January 10, 2012
**Debut Author Challenge Book**

The year is 1888. The place is St. Petersburg, Russia. While Katerina Alexandrovna, the Duchess of Oldenburg, attends the winter season’s balls, operas and ballets, she must try to hide the deepest, darkest secret any person could have: her ability to raise the dead. It is a secret she hides from her family, her friends at the Smolny boarding school and especially the tsar and the aristocratic circles to which her family belongs. But when Katerina is forced to use her special gift to protect a member of the Imperial family, she finds herself drawn into a world of intrigue she is not able to escape.

Evil surrounds all those within the royal bloodlines of Europe. Lines are being drawn—light and dark are choosing sides. Katerina finds herself being drawn to two different men—the tsar’s middle son, George Alexandrovich and Danilo, the prince of Montenegro. But which one will she, or should she, trust? Katerina must embrace her powers and choose—light or dark?

The Gathering Storm has something for everyone. It mixes historical fiction, Russian fairy tales, paranormalcy, romance and suspense all in one book. I hate to use the words “new twist on the same old thing” because I think that statement can be overused, but that is exactly what this book is. We get witches, vampires, the undead and werewolves all in one book. First and foremost, this book is a paranormal story though, so it is important to keep that in mind if you don’t care for the paranormal genre. I enjoyed the various paranormal creatures and Bridges take on those creatures a great deal. Bridges debut novel is extremely well-written, entertaining and fascinating.

Katerina Alexandrovna is a very strong female lead character. Even though she is growing up in Russia in 1888, she doesn’t conform to what one would expect of a young lady during that time. Katerina (or Katiya as her family calls her) is strong-minded, willful, independent and smart. She wants to be a doctor, something practically unheard of in Russia at that time. She is very protective of her family, in particular her overdramatic mother. And she must learn to rein in her powers, if she isn’t attempting to outright hide them. Katerina isn’t wishy-washy, whiny or overly sensitive. She accepts what is happening to her, but she is willing to take risks to set things right. Bridges creates a character every girl can look up to.

While reading The Gathering Storm, I did find it a bit difficult to keep track of the various houses and families, the light court and the dark court, and the numerous ties everyone seems to have to each other. Sometimes it got a bit confusing. Also, Bridges uses quite a few Russian words in the book, but learning the meanings of those words was actually kind of interesting. Fortunately neither of these things distracted me too much from the story. I found the book to be a very enjoyable read. It was definitely worth muddling through the various families and houses and deciphering Russian to read this book.

This book is appropriate for both tweens and teens. Because of the chaste time Katerina is living in, there are not a lot of heavy sexual themes and the paranormal creatures and actions are not too overwhelming or scary. I really enjoyed The Gathering Storm and I am looking forward to the next book in the trilogy.

My grade for The Katerina Trilogy Vol. 1: The Gathering Storm:

In My Mailbox (January 15)

2012-01-15T19:48:00.000-08:00

In My Mailbox (IMM) was started over at the The Story Siren by Kristie and has evolved to over 300 participating blogs. It is a way for bloggers to network and socialize and to show everyone the various books that they have received. Postings may vary by blog, some bloggers post weekly, bi-weekly and so forth.

This week was a good week. I was approved for 3 books on Netgalley I had nearly forgotten I had even asked for, I had one publisher request to review a book and I received a book I won from Eve's Fan Garden. And now on to the goodies!

From Netgalley:

The Princesses of Iowa by M. Molly Backes (Goodreads)

Halflings by Heather Burch (Goodreads)

Another Jekyll, Another Hyde by Daniel & Dina Nayeri (Goodreads)

Publisher's Request to Review:

Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters by Meredith Zeitlin

(Goodreads)

Won from Eve's Fan Garden:

dancergirl by Carol M. Tanzman (Goodreads)

That was my week. I am very excited to read these books! What was in your mailbox this week?

Save it for Saturday

2012-01-14T14:04:00.000-08:00

Word to the wise: don't chaperone a band lock-in with 86 teenagers unless you are ready to be totally exhausted ALL day!

I had big plans for today's "Save it for Saturday." But extreme lack of sleep kept me from getting my post ready and now the day is more than half over. So, today's "Save it for Saturday" will be very brief.

I'm not ready to give up on this weekly feature, life just got in the way this week. Not to mention I have read 4 books this week and I have been trying to get my reviews ready. Those reviews will be posted this next week. Some really great books.

I hope everyone had a great week!

Follow Friday (21)

2012-01-12T20:35:00.000-08:00

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Rachel at Parajunkee’s View and Alison at Alison Can Read. It is a great way for bloggers to make new friends and find new blogs to follow. Go to either blog, follow ALL the instructions and then add you link to the list. It’s just that easy!

This week’s question:

Question of the Week: Many readers/bloggers are also big music fans. Tell us about a few of your favorite bands/singers that we should listen to in 2012.

I absolutely love Florence and the Machine. I think her voice is utterly amazing and listening to it gives me chills. And while I may be a bit late to the game, I have recently discovered Adele and I can't get enough of her sultry, gorgeous voice. I have very eclectic tastes, and I listen to a lot of different music. I have a future music manager living in this house and she is always listening to new music and getting me to listen to it. I love having teenagers with great taste in music!

So who or what do you like to listen to? Leave me a comment and I will stop by and check out your music preferences.

Review: The Dig by Audrey Hart

2012-01-11T05:50:00.000-08:00

Title: The Dig (Zoe and Zeus Trilogy #1)

Author: Audrey Hart

Genre: Young Adult

Publisher: Backlit Fiction

Format: Ebook

Release Date: November 7, 2011

Zoe is an outsider. She’s not interested in the same boring, lame stuff all of the girls at her boarding school are interested in—things like constantly updating her Facebook, watching Teen Mom or talking about boys. She would rather discuss ancient history or spend her summers digging up ancient relics with her aunt and uncle. It is on one of these archeological digs that Zoe’s life changes forever. While investigating an ancient temple in Crete, Zoe is inexplicably transported back in time to ancient

Greece

. She soon discovers that the Gods are real, living, breathing humans and for some reason, she is just as powerful as they are. But they refuse to accept Zoe. In fact, Zoe has thrown the balance of nature completely out of whack and the Gods will stop at nothing to set it right. Only the gorgeous, winged god Zeus will risk everything to save her.

The Dig is a fun romp through ancient Greece, with a bit of Greek mythology thrown in for good measure. Zoe is a smart, funny and completely relatable character. At the beginning of the book, she is a good role model for young teens, especially those who travel a bit off the beaten path (I said “at the beginning of the book” because Zoe’s attitude changes a bit—more on that later). The Dig is a simple, quick read, perfect for those reluctant readers who hate picking up a lengthy book and plowing through it. There are a lot of pop culture references also, which made for some interesting conversations with Zoe attempting to explain Kim Kardashian or Facebook to someone in ancient Greece. I also liked Hart’s twist on the Olympian Gods; it gave The Dig a bit of Mean Girls nastiness and snark. Hart doesn’t seem to take herself too seriously, which definitely shows through in her writing and the plot of The Dig. She gives it her all and holds nothing back. I commend her for not being afraid to tell her story the way she wants to tell it.

My biggest issue with this book was Zoe’s very rushed relationship with Zeus. She literally falls for him after spending just a few hours with him. And I felt that she became the type of girl she seemed to look down on at the beginning of the book. Her entire world became all about Zeus and how she could stay with him. Because this is a trilogy, maybe the love story between Zoe and Zeus could have been stretched out a bit. This is the primary reason I felt that Zoe was a good role model at the book’s beginning, but she seemed to lose that quality a bit as the book progressed.

Also, I do feel that The Dig is a bit simplistic. I am not sure older, more mature teens will appreciate the humor and laid-back attitude present in the story. I know my girls would not enjoy it. And the pop culture references will be obsolete in about ten years, making this a book with questionable longevity issues. I do think it is a great story for middle-grade readers, like sixth, seventh or eighth graders, especially those looking for a good, quick story. I would definitely recommend it to my students at the junior-high level. If you are looking for a funny, quick read, this is the book for you.

My grade for The Dig by Audrey Hart:

Teaser Tuesday (January 10)

2012-01-09T18:25:00.000-08:00

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 Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teaser!

"I wished there were a textbook of undead creatures. Or a field guide. It would make my life so much easier." The Gathering Storm (Katerina Alexandrovna #1) Kindle e-galley--42%

Review: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

2012-01-09T08:01:00.000-08:00

Title: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Author: Seth Grahame-Smith and Jane Austen

Genre: Adult

Publisher: Quirk Classics

Format: Kindle e-book (self-purchased)

Release Date: May 2009

The peaceful English village of Meryton, home of Elizabeth Bennet and family, is facing a zombie menace of epic proportions. But that is a menace Elizabeth has been trained to overcome. Until the supposedly haughty and arrogant Mr. Darcy arrives and distracts her from her duties as a protector of her beloved England. What follows is a hilarious tongue-in-cheek retelling of a beloved classic.

I enjoyed Pride and Prejudice and Zombies; it was a fun and interesting read. The one word that comes to mind when describing this book is quirky. It is definitely much racier than the original book. I finally had to pull my copy of Pride and Prejudice out, dust it off and use is it for comparison. For instance in chapter 17, Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth are discussing balls—the dancing kind. Which you would never guess from was the topic of conversation: “On the contrary, I find that balls are much more enjoyable when they cease to remain private.” Like I said, racier than the original. It’s funny how dropping just one little word like “an” can completely change the meaning of a sentence. Trust me, it does.

Overall, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is a good read, especially if you can handle the gory descriptions of zombies eating brains and cannibalizing dead bodies. That was a little gross for me, so I usually just skimmed through those parts. I liked the absurdity of the book, in particular Elizabeth Bennet’s visit to Charlotte and Mr. Collins, definitely kept me giggling. It takes a classic to a whole new level, a funny, quirky new level.

My grade for Pride and Prejudice and Zombies:

In My Mailbox (January 8)

2012-01-08T08:53:00.000-08:00

I haven't participated in In My Mailbox in well over a month. The holiday season was keeping me hopping (unfortunately, not always through blogs)! I thought about going back and listing every book I received since the last time I participated, but that was too much. I am only listing the books I received during the last week, especially since I am very excited about them. I might feature the other books during a week when I didn't receive any other books.

Without further adieu, here are the books I received this week!

I am very, very excited about the following books! All of these books I received from NetGalley for review. I am including a link to Goodreads so you can check them out for yourselves.

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi--Goodreads Link

Slide by Jill Hathaway--Goodreads Link

Incarnate by Jodi Meadows--Goodreads Link

Everneath by Brodi Ashton--Goodreads Link

And finally, I have been waiting for this book for what seems like forever!

Anew: The Archers of Avalon by Chelsea Fine--Goodreads Link

That is my week in a nutshell. Please leave a link to your IMM in the comment section and I will stop by and check it out.

Save it for Saturday

2012-01-07T07:16:00.000-08:00

I have decided to start a weekly blog post entitled “Save it for Saturday.” While it is true that Mom Reads My Books is a book blog, every now and then I feel the urge to discuss something else, whether it is movies, television or music. Sometimes I find interesting articles I would like to share with my readers and sometimes my extremely opinionated nature comes out and I feel the need to share my thoughts and feelings about some aspect of my life or such (never politics, though, that is too volatile of a subject). This is also helping me in my attempt to blog more consistently—reviews, memes or interesting articles. So I have decided that these discussions will be “saved for Saturday” and a weekly post made on that day.

I have several ideas on paper, and a least one interesting guest post coming up concerning technology and where it is taking the reader. I figure more ideas will come to me as time passes and I am willing to take input from my readers as well.

I hope my readers find this new venture interesting. Please leave a comment in the comment section to let me know what you think.

Follow Friday (20)

2012-01-05T19:41:00.000-08:00

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Rachel at Parajunkee’s View and Alison at Alison Can Read. It is a great way for bloggers to make new friends and find new blogs to follow. Go to either blog, follow ALL the instructions and then add you link to the list. It’s just that easy!

This week’s question:

Question of the Week: Go count the number of unread books sitting on your shelf. How many?

I opted to count not only my physical books, but my Kindle books as well. Since getting my Kindle over the summer, I have been getting books like crazy! So, I have 36 on my Kindle, plus about 25 on my shelves (under the bed, stacked on the floor, on my coffee table), which makes my total 61 unread books. Phew, that is way more than I thought! I really need to work my through my TBR pile this year. I'm actually scared to look at my "to-read" list on Goodreads (ok, I looked, it's 178 books, ugh)!

How many books do you have waiting to be read? Leave a link to your Follow Friday post in the comment section and I will check it out.

Teaser Tuesday (January 3)

2012-01-03T06:49:00.000-08:00

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 Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teaser!

My teaser this week comes from The Gathering Storm (Katrina Alexandrovna #1) by Robin Bridges:

"Our family tree has roots and branches reaching all across Europe, from France to Russia, from Denmark to Greece, and in several transient and minute kingdoms and principalities in between. This tree is tangled with all the rest of Europe's royalty, and like many in that forest, my family tree is poisoned with a dark evil." NetGalley e-book ARC--1st paragraph of 1st page (quote may be subject to change)

Please leave a link to your Tuesday Teaser in the comment section below and I will stop by and check it out! Happy New Year all!

Follow Friday (19)

2011-12-30T05:59:00.000-08:00

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Rachel at Parajunkee’s View and Alison at Alison Can Read. It is a great way for bloggers to make new friends and find new blogs to follow. Go to either blog, follow ALL the instructions and then add you link to the list. It’s just that easy!

This week’s question:

"The New Year is here -- and everyone wants to know your New Years Blogging Resolution! What are you going to try to revise, revamp and redo for 2012 on your blog?"

Just say no: When I first started getting author requests to review a their book, I was so excited that someone noticed my little blog, that I agreed to read every one I got. That is not always a good idea. So, for 2012, I am going to be a little bit more picky about what I agree to review.
Blog, blog, blog: I am pretty proud of how I've done so far this year, but I want to keep up what I'm doing. I like having a blog, I really enjoy it. I don't want to let it fade into oblivion. So, I just want to make sure I continue to blog in 2012.
Utilize social media: It's the future (actually, the present) and I need to use my Facebook and Twitter accounts more than I do now. I want to try to tweet everyday and utilize my Mom Reads My Books Facebook more.
Redecorate: At some point during 2012, I would like to redecorate my blog. New button, new header, new look, etc. This is my freshman attempt at making a blog and it's ok, but I'd like to get it done by someone who knows what they are doing.

Your turn! What are your resolutions for your blog? Leave a link in the comment section and I will stop by your blog. I hope you and yours have a very Happy New Year and an a wonderful 2012!

Teaser Tuesday (December 27)

2011-12-27T06:09:00.000-08:00

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 Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teaser!

"Tessa had to admit there was something rather beautiful about it, the way they circled each other, blades singing through the air, a blur of black and silver. The ringing sound of metal on metal, they way they moved, so fast her vision could barely follow."--pg. 55 of Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare.

Please leave a link to your tease in the comment section and I will stop by and take a look!

Crossed (Match #2) by Ally Condie

2011-12-26T19:33:00.000-08:00

Title: Crossed (Matched #2)

Author: Ally Condie

Genre: Young Adult/Dystopian

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile

Format: Hardback

Release Date: November 1, 2011

Cassia’s search for Ky, and a new future with him, has taken her to the Outer Provinces, where death and danger are commonplace. But Ky is not there and now Cassia must follow a series of clues left by him, across a land she is completely unfamiliar with. Cassia’s journey not only leads her toward Ky, but it leads her to question everything she believed. Along the way, she faces betrayal, a chance to join the rebellion and an unexpected visit from Xander—who may still hold more than a piece of her heart. Now Cassia has a new path to follow, filled with crossings and double-crossings and no way of knowing what to expect out on the edge of the Society.

Oh, where to start? I absolutely loved Matched, the first book in Ally Condie’s planned Match trilogy. It had a great story, it was filled with fascinating, interesting characters and ideas, it was well-thought out and absolutely engrossing. I could not wait to read its sequel, Crossed. But I did wait, drawing out my anticipation as I plowed through my to-be-read pile until I got to it. Unfortunately, the anticipation of reading Crossed turned out to be more exciting than the actual book. *Insert sad face here* I was sorely disappointed in this much-anticipated sequel.

Crossed was vastly different from its predecessor. It was a mixture of poetic waxing and soul-searching babble, with a very small touch of interesting thrown in. I was bored, literally bored, throughout the majority of this book. About halfway through, I seriously considering not finishing and just giving it up to read one of my cookbooks. At least that might have kept me awake. But, I kept reading, in the hopes that maybe it would get better. I kept reading and hoping, hoping and reading. Interesting never happened. I also spent a lot of time confused while reading, thanks to Condie’s choice to switch back and forth between Ky and Cassia as narrator. There were times I read 3-4 pages in a chapter, only to discover that I wasn’t reading Ky’s point of view, but I was instead reading Cassia’s point of view. I kept having to go back and check to see who the narrator of the chapter was. That was extremely annoying. Just one more thing to add to my list of reasons not to reread this book. Ever.

When I read a book with the intention of writing a review for it, I do not read the reviews of others (such as those posted on Goodreads, LibraryThing or Amazon) because I do not want to be prejudiced or influenced in any way by what others have to say. In the case of Crossed, I wish I had checked out the reviews of others before I chose to read this book.

My grade for Crossed by Ally Condie:

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T14:50:00.000-08:00

May all of my wonderful readers and fellow bloggers have a fabulous holiday!

Drowning Instinct by Ilsa J. Bick

2011-12-23T07:17:00.000-08:00

Title: The Drowning Instinct

Author: Ilsa J. Bick

Genre: Young Adult

Publisher: Lerner Publishing

Format: Kindle/NetGalley

Release Date: February 1, 2012

Jenna Lord’s life has been difficult to say the least. Her mother is a drunk and her father is cruel and pretty much a jerk. The only bright spot in her life was her older brother, but then he went to Iraq. And let’s not forget her near death in a fire when she was younger. Jenna’s move to a new school is supposed to make things better. And things really start to look up when she meets Mitch Anderson—teacher and coach, extremely kind and understanding and of course, gorgeous. Oh, and married. This is certainly not your typical boy-meets-girl fairytale. It’s more like a fairytale with teeth.

When Jenna is given the chance to tell her story, she decides honesty should be the best policy. And so begins her tale of a severely dysfunctional childhood, survival through cutting and a budding relationship with a forbidden friend. Jenna knows her friendship with her chemistry teacher Mitch Anderson is a road she shouldn’t go down, but since her brother was sent to Iraq, he is the only person who “gets” her. As their bond grows, Jenna has to choose between what is right and what is wrong, even if what is wrong is the only safety net she has.

In Drowning Instinct, Ilsa J. Bick weaves an intricate and emotionally charged tale of love and vulnerability. She takes the reader on a journey of discovery, but lets us be the ones to make the discovery. Bick never tells us what to think, she just shows us what happens and lets us decide how it makes us feel. And believe me; those feelings will take you by surprise.

I honestly can not describe accurately how this book made me feel. It was a rollercoaster ride of a book. I went through a host of emotions while reading Drowning Instinct. When I read a book, I take little notes—things that I want to remember or struck me as interesting, emotions I might have felt. I could have filled a notebook with this one. And once I got to the end, nearly every note I took had taken on a new, deeper meaning. With that being said, I truly believe that this is one of those rare books that will affect each reader differently. I doubt everyone will feel the same way about it that I did. Some people may hate it, while others will love it. But give it a chance, it is truly an experience you don’t want to miss.

Drowning Instinct is a young adult book, but I strongly recommend that this book be read by older, more mature teenagers. There are sexual themes throughout the book, most of which might be difficult for a younger junior-high aged child to deal with. I will be letting my 15- and 17-year-old read it, though. In fact, I may force them to read it. I don’t want them to miss out on such an amazing book.

My grade for Drowning Instinct:

Please check out Ms. Bick's website at http://www.ilsajbick.com/. She is truly one of the best authors I have ever had the pleasure of reading.

Follow Friday (18)

2011-12-22T20:11:00.000-08:00

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Rachel at Parajunkee’s View and Alison at Alison Can Read. It is a great way for bloggers to make new friends and find new blogs to follow. Go to either blog, follow ALL the instructions and then add you link to the list. It’s just that easy!

This week’s question:

Question of the Week: If you had to spend eternity inside the pages of a book which book would you choose and why?

There are a lot of books I would love to spend eternity in, but I think my top three are: any of the Black Dagger Brotherhood Books (preferably as Rhage's shellan), the Mortal Instruments books with Jace or the Twilight books as a vampire living with the Cullens. Funny, every book I picked is a series!

What book would you want to spend eternity in? Leave a comment with the link in the comment section and I will stop by and have a look.

11/22/63 by Stephen King

2011-12-16T19:05:00.000-08:00

Title: 11/22/63

Author: Stephen King

Genre: Thriller/Horror

Publisher: Scribner

Format: Hardback

Release Date: November 8, 2011

What if you could go back in time and change one significant event in world history—Hitler’s rise to power, Kennedy’s assassination, or even 9/11? Would you do it? Jake Epping, a thirty-five year old English teacher who teaches GED classes in his spare time, is going to find out. It all begins with an essay Jake assigns his GED class to write: tell him about a moment that changed their lives. One student, Harry Dunning, writes about the night his father killed his entire family—mother, brothers and sister—in a drunken rage. His entire life changed forever because of that event. Jake realizes that life turns on a dime, and anything, literally anything, could change the future. Not long after that, Jake’s friend Al tells him a secret; his storage room is really a portal to go back in time, back to one particular day in 1958. Once Jake’s shock wears off, Al asks for his help; he wants Jake to take over his plan to stop Kennedy’s assassination. Jake agrees and takes on a new persona, that of George Amberson. His journey takes him across the country, from Lisbon Falls, Maine to Jodie, Texas (where he finds love) until he finally lands in Dallas, Texas. Now George has to change our history, giving us a new future. But will it be the one we hoped for? And how willing is the past to change?

Stephen King manages to do it again in this heart-stopping read. It has all the elements we’ve come to expect from a King book—it’s long (849 pages long), it contains its fair share of cryptic characters and our protagonist has to go up against unbelievable odds to succeed in the end. One thing missing from this book was the typical Stephen King gore and gross-out factors. That was actually a refreshing change. King’s writing is so powerful that you can practically smell the unpolluted air of the 1950s. He painted an idyllic portrait of a world that no longer exists and now, I wish I could live in it. As usual, King finds a way to bring former places and stories into the current book. Whether it’s a brief mention or a full-out correlation, King has a knack for reminding his readers of stories maybe long forgotten. This time, King a found an interesting way to bring two of the characters from his book It into the story. I really loved this, because It is one of my favorites (yes, the one with the creepy clown). 11/22/63 did drag a bit in the middle, though at more than 800 pages, I would have been surprised if it hadn’t. Finally, 11/22/63 turned out to be a rather poignant love story, which took me by surprise. King doesn’t always write effective love stories, but this one snuck up on me and shocked me. I even shed tears as I read the book (I’d like to say a few tears, but it was actually s lot of tears).

If you are a King fan, this is a must-read. It has everything we, his fans—King’s Constant Readers—love about a Stephen King story. And quite frankly, if you aren’t a King fan, you might want to give this one a shot. It’s not scary, unless changing the past to change the future terrifies you. This might be just the book to ease someone into the strange world of Stephen King. And once you are in, it’s pretty hard to get out.

My grade for 11/22/63:

Follow Friday (17)

2011-12-15T19:34:00.000-08:00

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Rachel at Parajunkee’s View and Alison at Alison Can Read. It is a great way for bloggers to make new friends and find new blogs to follow. Go to either blog, follow ALL the instructions and then add you link to the list. It’s just that easy!

This week’s question:

"When you've read a book, what do you do with it ? (Keep it, give it away, donate it, swap it, sell it...)

It depends on the book. I buy most if not all of my books. I am not patient enough to wait for the library to have a copy available for me to check out. And I don't like being on a time-limit to read my books, which usually happens with new releases. It makes the rebellious teenager in me come out and I swear, I read slower! So, I tend to buy books rather than borrow them. Once I read it, if I liked it, it gets passed on to one of my daughters, and when she is done with it, she passes it on to the other daughter. If I didn't like a book, I usually take it to the local Half-Price Books and sell it for credit to buy more books. They take all of my books, whether they buy them or not, and they donate what they don't buy. One stop. I will usually keep books anywhere from six months to a year before I decide whether or not to get rid of it. I always keep books I loved, because I know I will read them again. Needless to say, my bookshelves are overflowing.

Leave a link in the comment section to your Follow Friday and I will stop by!

Teaser Tuesday (December 13)

2011-12-12T19:06:00.000-08:00

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!

My teaser this week comes from page 120 of Crossed by Ally Condie (finally!):

"They also served another purpose for the Society. Many of the people in the Outer Provinces were too afraid to try to escape to the Carving because the Society started spreading rumors about how savage the farmers are."

I am so excited to finally read this book! I have been waiting forever--or at least it feels that way--for it to come out!

Now, leave a link to your Teaser Tuesday in the comments section and I will stop by and check it out.

5 Reasons to Leave a Lover-A Novella and Other Short Stories by Carolyn Moncel

2011-12-11T04:56:00.000-08:00

Title: 5 Reasons to Leave A Lover—A Novella and Other Short Stories

Author: Carolyn Moncel

Genre: Adult

Publisher: Self-Published

Format: Kindle

*author request to review

While there are most certainly many ways to leave a lover—as Paul McCartney told us in song—there are only a few reasons to leave a lover. Moncel explores these reasons in her collection 5 Reasons to Leave a Lover. Moncel’s characters bring to life the heartache experienced when a relationship fractures apart, no matter the reason.

Carolyn Moncel’s 5 Reasons to Leave a Lover—A Novella and Other Short Stories is a quick read exploring the various reasons that relationships end. In the novella, she brings back characters introduced in the book Encounters in Paris, and shows the reader life after the discovery of an affair. Moncel explores the various sides of the story found in any love triangle. Every point of view is different. Moncel very effectively captures the pain, desperation and heartache of a betrayed woman through Ellery. Katrine shows us the anguish and confusion felt by a mistress, while Julien personifies the cheating husband. I thought this tale was very well-told. The two short stories that follow explore the point of view of an interested party during the break-up of a marriage and the loss of love after many, many years.

5 Reasons to Leave a Lover is a very easy read, I finished it in just a couple of days (I was reading multiple books at the time and I kept switching back and forth). It’s not your typical chick-lit, instead it explores love and loss in very touching stories. Despite not having read Encounters in Paris, I was able to follow Ellery’s and Julien’s story easily. I especially enjoyed the little twist in the short story Or Maybe Just Leave, Steve. Overall, this collection of short stories is an enjoyable read, especially if you are looking to fill a quiet, rainy afternoon.

My grade for 5 Reasons:

Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1) by Marissa Meyer

2011-12-10T19:28:00.000-08:00

Title: Cinder (Book One in the Lunar Chronicles)

Author: Marissa Meyer

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy/Science Fiction

Publisher: Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group

Format/Pages: Kindle/NetGalley

Release Date: January 3, 2012

The streets are crowded with not only humans, but androids as well. The world’s population is succumbing to a deadly plague while the Lunars watch and wait to swoop in. And one unknown, lonely girl could hold the fate of the entire world in her hands.

Cinder is just nobody. Her talent as a mechanic is overshadowed by the fact that she is a cyborg. She is a second-class citizen who knows nothing about her past. Not only does her stepmother hate her, but when her stepsister, Peony becomes a victim of the plague, Cinder is blamed. After Cinder meets Prince Kai, who she is strangely attracted to, she becomes embroiled in a struggle for intergalactic supremacy. She now has to try to discover the past that has been kept secret from her so she can save a world that shuns her.

If you can’t tell from the title, Cinder is a twist on the fairy tale, Cinderella. It even has quotes from the original tale interspersed throughout the book. There are some similarities: handsome prince, wicked stepmother, evil stepsisters (well, one of them is evil), and a put-upon heroine. This version of Cinderella has a pretty cool twist though; it is set in the extremely far away future. Cinder is a cyborg, a group of people who are shunned by every one in society. She works as a mechanic, supporting her adoptive family. She remembers nothing about her former life. As luck would have it, the future emperor, Prince Kai wanders into her shop trying to get one of his android fixed. And that is when Cinder’s life changes forever. Now she must contend with plagues, doctors and the scariest of all, the queen of the Lunars, a race of “humans” hell-bent on making Earth their own.

I’m sure I’ve mentioned in the past that I am not a huge science fiction fan—aliens, spaceships and the like are usually not my thing. I literally started and stopped this book three times before I finally just decided to read it. And it wasn’t a lack of quality in the book, it was me. Those three times I never got past page one. I was a little worried that I wouldn’t like it because of the science fiction aspect of the story. When I finally decided to read it, it grabbed me and held on to me. Meyer has created such an intriguing world that I found myself completely engrossed in this book. I really want to know more about it. A prequel would make me very happy; I am so curious about what has happened in the world before we even meet Cinder. But the sequels will make me even happier! I loved the characters in this story. Cinder is a fantastic heroine—smart, gutsy and ready to take on the world. Prince Kai doesn’t even realize he is the most gorgeous man in the kingdom or what a fantastic leader he will be. He is unassuming, vulnerable yet strong and darn it, my heart melts every time he doubts himself. You just want to give him a hug and tell him everything will be ok. And the Lunars, well, let’s just say they are definitely not a race of people you want to mess with. Reading the things they have done literally made me cringe. They are truly a horrid group of people. Meyer’s storytelling is amazing and the emotional rollercoaster she takes the reader on in this book is well worth the ride. I highly recommend Cinder. It is a great story.

My grade for Cinder:

Follow Friday (16)

2011-12-08T20:05:00.000-08:00

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Rachel at Parajunkee’sView and Alison at Alison Can Read. It is great way for bloggers to make new friends and find new blogs to follow. Go to either blog, follow ALL the instructions and then add your link to the list. It's just that easy!

This week's question:

"Keeping with the Spirit of Giving this season, what book do you think EVERYONE should read and if you could, you would buy it for all your family and friends?

Tough question. There are so many books I absolutely love. I tried to think of the last book I read that I literally could not put down, the book that kept me up half the night because I just had to know what happened. I narrowed it down to three, two young adult novels and one adult novel that has been out for awhile, but I just recently read it.

The first YA novel I chose is Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick. I absolutely loved this book. It was unbelievably well-written, with an amazing story. This is one of my favorite books of the year.

The second YA novel I have chosen is Divergent by Veronica Roth. In the extremely cluttered genre of YA dystopian novels, this one stands out. A lot. Fantastic book.

And finally, I chose Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. This book blew my mind. It was so realistic, that I felt like I was actually at the circus in the 1920s. Any author that can suspend my disbelief like that should have her books read by everyone.

Now for the follow fun. Leave a link to your Follow Friday in the comment section and I will stop by and check it out. I am excited to see what books everyone thinks should be the go-to gift this year.

On A Dark Wing

2011-12-07T18:55:00.000-08:00

Title: On A Dark Wing

Author: Jordan Dane

Genre: Young Adult

Publisher: Harlequin/Harlequin Teen

Format: NetGalley/Kindle

Release Date: December 27, 2011

After surviving a horrific car accident that claimed her mother’s life, Abbey Chandler believes she will never be normal. Touching the hand of a beautiful boy—one made up of the clouds and sky—changed her life forever. Now the Angel of Death is using Abbey’s secret crush, Nate, to get to her. And Nate will pay the price.

On A Dark Wing begins with a car accident and a death, shown to the reader in a flashback. Abbey Chandler survived a terrifying car accident at age ten, an accident that claimed the life of her mother. Abbey has carried that guilt for five years, and it has changed her life. Her relationship with her father is practically non-existent and very strained. She is an oddball at school; her only friend is the wheelchair bond Tanner Lange and her secret crush, Nate Holden, doesn’t even know she exists. Things only get worse when Tanner discovers awful pictures of Abbey posted on a website. Abbey decides to escape town, and possible humiliation, by accompanying her father on his yearly trek to their cabin. Meanwhile, Nate, his father and his best friend set out to climb Denali, an intimidating mountain towering above the skies of Alaska. It is there, on that mountain, that events are set in motion that will change everyone’s life forever. Death’s fascination with Abbey will bring Nate to the brink of death and beyond.

I am kind of on the fence about this book. It had an interesting plot, original and thought-provoking. I felt like it had a lot of potential, but it really didn’t grab my interest like I had hoped. There were some aspects I liked. On A Dark Wing is told from varying points of view. The primary point of view is Abbey’s, told in first person. Other aspects of the story are told from a third-person viewpoint—Nate, Tanner, and Nate’s mother and father. My initial reaction was that this might be confusing, but it worked surprisingly well, giving us a part of the story that Abbey would not have known or been able to tell. I liked the Dane’s message as well: the reality of a crush. I also enjoyed Tanner, he was a very refreshing character. Unfortunately, I felt like the other characters were cardboard caricatures, stock and uninteresting. Nate was the typical popular pretty boy, every girl’s dream, Brittany (I think that is her name) was the typical mean girl and Abbey was the typical misunderstood weirdo. I couldn’t find enough about Abbey to fascinate me or compel me to care a great deal about her. Also, this book had a “never-ending” ending. Every time I thought it was over, well, it wasn’t. It just went on way too long. Let’s just say I was disappointed with the majority of this story.

So, to sum it up, I really didn’t enjoy this book as much as I had hoped I would. It had amazing potential, but unfortunately it didn’t live up to it.

My grade for On A Dark Wing:

Follow Friday (15)

2011-12-01T19:35:00.000-08:00

This week's question:

Question: What is your biggest pet peeve when it comes to books? Maybe you don't like love triangles or thin plots? Tell us about it!

Wow, where to start?

A plot I can walk through: I cannot handle an unbelievable plot. Now, I'm not saying I don't like science fiction, paranormal, dystopian books or such. What I don't like is the forced, "please-believe-that-I-am-plausible" plots that are practically begging you to believe in them. The ones that give you so much back story you could wallpaper a large room with it, because the author figures if they drown you in information, you will digest any swill they put in front of you. But the plot is still unbelievable. There are no amount of words that can change that. A wet-paper bag plot is still a wet paper-bag plot.

The blatant rip-off books: You know the ones I am talking about. The ones that took Twilight or Hunger Games and changed a few key things (like the setting or the character names) and then tried to pass it off as an original book. Ummm, yeah, I already read that book, thank you very much. Guess what? Your readers are more intelligent than you are giving them credit for and they know a rip-off when they see it.

Punctuation and editing issues: I have no problem with these in an ARC, but I do have an issue with it in a book put out in the marketplace. There is a popular author I read whose books often have multiple editing errors and she very rarely puts question marks at the end of her questions. And it is sooo noticeable! It drives me nuts! First time I noticed it, I waved it off. But after the fifteenth or twentieth time I noticed it, I realized it was her writing style. But a question is a question. And sometimes the English teacher in me can't help but notice it.

Lack of follow-through in a story: I think probably my biggest pet peeve is the author that begins a story line in a book, pulls the reader in with it and then drops it, leaving the reader wanting more. This is most often seen in books with multiple plot lines flowing at one time. I understand that sometimes stories drift from their original intent, but I hate to be left hanging.

I bet I could think of a hundred more (sometimes I can be unforgiving) but these are probably my biggest pet peeves. What are yours? Leave a link to your Follow Friday post in the comments and I will hope by and check it out!

Teaser Tuesdays (Nov. 29)

2011-11-29T05:45:00.000-08:00

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!

My teaser is from the new Stephen King book, 11/22/63:

"I took another step forward and went down another step. My eyes still told me I was standing on the floor in the pantry of Al's Diner, but I was standing straight and the top of my head no longer scraped the roof of the pantry. Which was of course impossible. My stomach lurched unhappily in response to my sensory confusion, and I could feel the egg salad sandwich and the piece of apple pie I'd eaten for lunch preparing to push the ejector button," (pg. 29)

Leave a comment with the link to your Teaser Tuesday and I will stop by and check it out!

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

2011-11-27T19:18:00.000-08:00

Title: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

Author: Michelle Hodkin

Genre: Young Adult

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing

Format: ARC/Paperback

Release Date: September 27, 2011

Moving on after the death of your best friend is hard. Wondering if there is more to her death than what you’ve been told is harder. Not being able to remember anything about the accident that caused her death and only you survived is the hardest. Until falling in love adds itself to the equation. Life as Mara Dyer is nearly impossible. It gets even harder once Mara starts to remember. Or is she just losing her mind?

This book is hard to summarize. I don’t want to give away too much in my description, so I am stating the bare minimum. The story is definitely engrossing, and it grabs your attention on the first page. The story begins with Mara waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there or what happened. She discovers that she was in an accident; an accident that killed three of her friends, including her best friend since childhood. Mara’s world spins out of control, so her family sacrifices everything to move and start over. It is at her new school that Mara meets Noah, a bad-boy she is inexplicably attracted to, despite the warnings of her new friend, Jamie. But Mara is still dealing with the aftermath of the accident and getting close to someone is something she is not sure she can do.

I really expected a lot from this book, so many people have given it phenomenal reviews. It was definitely good, but in my opinion, not “5-star” good. So, I’d like to address a couple of the obvious things I noticed. Best friend who is always there for her (Jamie) versus the bad boy loner no one really knows (Noah). Hmmmm? I was sure Mara was going to give us a love triangle reminiscent of the Edward/Bella/Jacob love triangle. It was similar, though not exactly the same. And Noah, well, his description reminds me of a certain handsome, scruffy-faced, bed-headed British actor who plays my favorite vampire. Every time Hodkins described him that is who I pictured. Seems a little coincidental to me. There were some confusing time jumps also, due to the problems Mara was having. While I understand they may have been necessary to the story, the confusion they caused might have been too much. A little explanation goes a long way. That being said, it was a good story, very original. Despite (or maybe because of) the similarities I noted, I really liked Noah. He was adorable, vulnerable, misunderstood and broken. You just want to fix him. And I also liked Mara’s family, especially her older brother. I liked this book, though I didn’t really like the ending. Was that a cliffhanger? Is there a sequel? So many questions left unanswered.

Overall, this is a very readable book. I would recommend it to high-school-aged teens, I think the language is a bit strong for the junior high set.

My grade for The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer:

Follow Friday (14)

2011-11-24T20:08:00.000-08:00

This week's question:

Question: It's Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. so we want to know what you are Thankful for - blogging related of course! Who has helped you out along the way? What books are you thankful for reading?

There are a lot of bloggers who have helped, probably inadvertently. Definitely Kristi at The Story Siren, her blog help articles have been extremely helpful. Also, all the blogs with weekly memes that have helped me increase my followers and spread the word about my blog: Alison Can Read, Parajunkee, Should Be Reading and The Story Siren.

Books I am thankful for:

The Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer (the YA books that pulled me in and didn't let me go)

Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick

Divergent by Veronica Roth

And really, all the books I have ever read. I am such a bibliophile that books have literally become my life. That started when I was a kid, and has never stopped.

So, what are you thankful for? Leave a link in the comment section and I will hop by your blog and check it out!

Teaser Tuesdays (Nov. 22)

2011-11-22T04:53:00.000-08:00

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!

My teaser today is from The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin"

"For a second, I could not think. It was as if all feeling beneath my elbow had been cut off. Like the rest of my arm never existed. Then the scalding pain clawed at my skin, my bones, inside out, outside in." (pg. 147)

Please leave a link in the comment section and I will stop by and check out your Teaser Tuesday!

Twilight The Graphic Novel Volume 2

2011-11-19T19:47:00.000-08:00

Title: Twilight The Graphic Novel Volume 2
Author: Stephenie Meyer, Art and Adaption by Young Kim
Publisher: Yen Press
Genre: Young Adult Graphic Novel
Edition: Hardcover

Now that Bella knows exactly what Edward is--a vampire--she must reconcile that fact with the love she feels for him. While Edward is concerned about the constant danger he is to her, a greater danger lurks in the woods of Forks. A danger that Bella may not be able to escape.

Twilight The Graphic Novel Volume 2 is a beautiful addition to the Twilight family. Just like its predecessor, Volume 1, it takes the love story between vampire Edward and mortal Bella to a new level for fans of the books. I strongly believe it is truly meant to be an addition to anyone's Twilight collection, rather than a stand-alone book.

Normally, I am not a graphic novel/manga fan. I have nothing against the genre, it has just never been something that appealed to me. I bought the first novel merely because I saw it as a re-imagining of the original book and I'm a sucker for Twilight memorabilia. I wanted to put it on my shelf and look at its pretty cover. As a matter of fact, I had it for quite awhile before I even read it. But once I cracked it open and read it, I was very pleased. I felt like Young Kim stepped into my head and saw the characters and their surroundings like I saw them in my head. My favorite lines of dialogue were there as well. Volume 2 has done exactly the same thing for me. Kim's artwork is amazing and beautiful, and those one-liners I memorized in the book are still there. My only complaint with Volume 2 is how little color there is. While this is the case in the first book as well, I felt like there were several places in the book where a splash of color would have added to the beauty of the art. There is a lot of color added near the end, I just wanted to see it sooner. Other than that small detail, I wouldn't change a thing. Edward is gorgeous, Bella is stunning and the Cullens look amazing. Absolutely breathtaking!

I do NOT see these graphic novels as a replacement for my beloved book, but instead something I can turn to when I want a quick "refresher." And the covers do look pretty on my bookshelf alongside my other books. As a matter of fact, I am hopeful that Young Kim will add to the graphic novel collection by completing the other novels in the Saga.

My grade for Twilight The Graphic Novel Volume 2:

Follow Friday (13)

2011-11-18T03:47:00.000-08:00

Didn't get this posted yesterday, because I was at Breaking Dawn!!! My daughters and I had a great time, we got into an earlier showing, but I was exhausted when I got home. I am going back to see it again today and taking my mom!

Anyway, Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Rachel at Parajunkee’sView and Alison at AlisonCan Read. It is great way for bloggers to make new friends and find new blogs to follow. Go to either blog, follow ALL the instructions and then add your link to the list. It's just that easy!

This week's question:

"Letter to Santa: Tell Santa what books you want for Christmas."

I would like:

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

Lost in Time by Melissa de la Cruz

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Lover Unleashed by J.R. Ward

That's all I can think of right now.

On another note: HAPPY 100TH POST TO ME!! I am very happy to have reached what, for me, is a milestone. I never thought I would keep up with this blog and I certainly didn't think it would become what it has! Thank you to all my wonderful followers for being nice enough to read what I write! You guys really are the best!

Please leave your link in the comments section and I will stop by your blog!

2012 Debut Author Challenge

2011-11-14T16:00:00.000-08:00

I have decided to participate in the 2012 Debut Author Challenge hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. I am very excited to participate in this challenge. I will be creating a page here on the blog dedicated to it, where I will keep my readers updated as to how I am doing, as well as including links to the reviews I post. For more information, or to join in, check out The Story Siren.

Hushed by Kelley York

2011-11-13T08:29:00.000-08:00

Title: Hushed

Author: Kelley York

Genre: Young Adult Thriller

Publisher: Entangled Publishing

Format/Pages: NetGalley/Kindle

Release Date: December 6, 2011

Archer and Vivian have been friends forever. But when Archer couldn’t protect Vivian from being hurt when they were kids, he does whatever it takes to protect her from everything else as they get older. So while Vivian hops from bad relationship to bad relationship, Archer waits in the wings—always there, always forgotten. Then Evan shows up. Evan is the first person to ever care about Archer with no strings attached. The closer Archer gets to Evan, the more he realizes just how messed up Vivian is. But Archer can’t break free of Vivian, and after she discovers just what Archer has done to protect her, she threatens to turn him in, unless she gets what she wants. And what she wants is Evan gone and Archer at her beck and call. But will Archer give up his last chance at redemption to save Vivian one last time or will he realize what he really needs?

Hushed is a very intense, very disturbing novel about the dark and twisted things love can make you do. How would you feel if you spent your entire life being there for someone and they couldn’t see what was right in front of them? This is Archer’s life; always there for Vivian, doing anything and everything she wants, protecting her from anything and everything that might hurt her, even killing for her. Archer’s entire world begins and ends with Vivian. Needless to say, Viv doesn’t feel the same way about Archer. She only needs him when her latest relationship goes south or she needs a shoulder to cry on. Not exactly what Archer is looking for. Then Evan comes along. He accepts Archer for who, and what, he is. No questions, no strings. And that doesn’t make Vivian happy. From the very beginning, this book gives you a sense that nothing is going to end well for anyone. Despite what Archer has done, you can’t help but like him. He longs to be loved, heck, even liked. And then there is Vivian. I honestly can’t say anything nice about her. At first I wanted to blame life’s circumstances on her flaws and her behavior. But Evan put it very well: “…no one can turn you into a bad person, just like no one can turn you into a good one. We’re all dealt our hands in life, and how we choose to react is entirely up to us. That’s free will.” I love Evan! He is understanding and calming; he lets Archer be himself and he is so good for Archer. Their relationship is sweet and innocent and quite frankly, perfect. I cheered for those two the entire book. I wanted something in Archer’s life to go well, and I wanted that something to be Evan.

Hushed is an amazing book. York writes the flawed protagonist better than any author I have recently read. In one breath, you are horrified by what Archer is doing, but in the next breath, you are cheering for Archer. York pulls your emotions in so many directions at once that your head starts to spin. But it’s a good spin. It’s the subtle nuances of the story that really play with your emotions and pull you into the story—the character’s expressions, the unexpressed feelings, Vivian’s descent into madness, Evan’s feelings for Archer. These things build as the story progresses and they build well. It’s great to read an author who knows what she is doing and does it oh-so-well.

Hushed is a book that needs to be read, it would be a shame to put it aside and let it gather dust. Grab it off of the shelf and give it your full attention. But, it is a dark and disturbing novel. It is not for the ultra-sensitive, like those who might be offended by a relationship between two males, those offended by the use of the f-word or those offended by descriptions of murder. I would recommend this book for older teens or very mature teens. I will recommend it to my daughters; I think they would like it.

My grade for Hushed:

Follow Friday (12)

2011-11-10T20:55:00.000-08:00

Follow Friday is hosted by Rachel at Parajunkee’sView and Alison at AlisonCan Read. It is another way for bloggers to make new friends and find new blogs to follow. Go to either blog, follow ALL the instructions and then add your link to the list. It's just that easy!

This week's question:

"In light of Veteran's Day tomorrow--11/11/11--tell us about your favorite soldier and how he or she is saving the world. Fictional or real life."

Well, my favorite real-life soldier is every single one of the brave men and women who are fighting for the United States anywhere in the world or serving here at home. Also, any soldier that has ever fought in any capacity for our nation. They are an amazing group of people who are willing to sacrifice their lives for our country.

As far as my favorite fictional soldier, that one is tough. I've been sitting her for 15 minutes trying to think of someone and nothing is coming to mind! I'll have to edit if I think of one. Hmmmm..... **Edited: I got one! Actually several of them. Any of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. They are definitely soldiers in the war against the Lessers. And they're hot. Like, steaming hot. Especially Rhage....

So, leave a link to your post and I will stop by! Happy Friday!

In My Mailbox (12)

2011-11-06T17:09:00.000-08:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristie at The Story Siren and inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. Because it is difficult if not impossible to feature a review for every book received by a book blogger, this meme allows book bloggers to feature the books they receive that they may not have time to review. It is also a great way to network and meet other bloggers.

I love In My Mailbox, because occasionally I do get books that I have already read and will not be reviewing, but would like to brag about getting. Which is usually just bragging for my sake anyway!

This week my "brag books" are two books I bought at Sam's Club:

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (paperback). I needed to get this before Clockwork Prince comes out and at less than $7, well, I couldn't resist! I've read it, but it was borrowed from my daughter's friend. I read their books, too!

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer (this is the small-sized paperback). I needed this to "complete" my collection (or because I'm crazy obsessed according to my husband). And it was less than $5.

I received four author requests for review this week and all four books caught my interest. I will be reading them in late December and posting my reviews soon after (that's how far behind I am).

Chain Gang Elementary by Jonathan Grant

Feyland by Anthea Sharp

The Moon Coin by Richard Due (this one has gorgeous illustrations!)

The final book I received for review is called The Dig by Audrey Hart. I do not currently have a cover image available for this book. When I post the review, I will request cover art from the author. It looks really cool though! (This book will be reviewed before December as it comes out later this week and I want to get my review ready for the author.)

Ok, that's my week! Leave a comment with a link back to your IMM and I will definitely check it out! Have a great week everyone!

Follow Friday (11)

2011-11-03T21:36:00.000-07:00

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Rachel at Parajunkee's View and Alison at Alison Can Read. It is a great way for bloggers to meet new bloggers and find new blogs to follow. If you would like to join in, just go to either blog, follow ALL the instructions and add your link to the list. It's just that easy.

This week's question:

Today's question is actually an ACTIVITY! We want to see what you look like! Take a picture of you and your current read! Too shy? Booooo! Well, then just post a fun pic you want to share!

So here I am. My current read is Hushed and it's on my Kindle, so that's me with my Kindle. And look how Edward managed to sneak into this week's question by hanging out on my shirt! Edited to add: Since this is one of the best pictures I've taken in about a year or more, I changed it to my profile picture. Good pictures are few and far between!

Now, let's see what YOU look like! Post a link to your Follow Friday in the comment section and I will stop by! Happy Friday everyone!

Birthday Trilogy by Brian Rowe

2011-11-02T21:55:00.000-07:00

I was sent this book, along with its sequel, Happy Birthday to Me, Again by the author Brian Rowe with a request to review the sequel. I felt like I couldn’t review a sequel without reading the first book in the series, so I read both books and I chose to review both of them. Please note, the review for the second book may contain some spoilers for the first book.

Title: Happy Birthday to Me (Birthday Trilogy)

Author: Brian Rowe

Genre: Young Adult

Format/Pages: Kindle

Release Date: April 72011

Cameron Martin’s life couldn’t be anymore perfect. He’s popular, dating the hottest girl in school and he’s the star of his high school basketball team. Too bad it is going to end soon, much sooner than he ever thought possible. Inexplicably, Cameron is aging an entire year with each passing day and there doesn’t seem to be anything that can stop it. Cameron just wants everything to go back to the way it was; he wants to go to prom, graduation and help his team win the state championship. But there doesn’t seem to be anything anyone can do to help him, not even Reno’s best doctors. When a mysterious young lady captures Cameron’s heart, he finds himself having to trust the one person who may have caused his problem.

I really liked the idea behind this story—it had a great concept and I liked the originality of the plot. It was well organized and obviously well-thought out. Brian Rowe is a very talented writer, quite adept at creating a world and convincing you the events in that world are really happening. He definitely puts a great deal of time and effort into writing a worthwhile novel.

That being said, I did have some issues with this book. I felt like too much time passed before we as readers were given the reason behind Cameron’s mysterious aging illness. I was approximately 80% done with the book on my Kindle before there was any type of explanation given (though I had figured it out prior to this). Consequently, this made the ending feel quite rushed. It was as if Rowe knew he needed to wrap things up and he sped up the plotline to do just that. There was also a severe over-use of the word “shout” in all of its verb forms (shout, shouting, shouted). This in combination with capital letters EVERYTIME SOMEONE WAS UPSET made me feel like I was being screamed at through the whole book. I also took issue to the constant references to vomiting. Every time Cameron was upset about something disturbing he was experiencing in the aging process or other unpleasant experiences, he vomited or nearly vomited or thought about vomiting. And it was always vividly described. I felt nauseous from the constant references to being sick. I feel this was really overused.

This book is labeled as young adult, but I would label it older young adult. I feel that it would best be read by high school students, perhaps sophomore year and up. There are far too many references to sex and male body parts to consider recommending it to younger teens.

My grade for Happy Birthday to Me:

Title: Happy Birthday to Me, Again (Birthday Trilogy)

Author: Brian Rowe

Genre: Young Adult

Format/Pages: Kindle

Release Date: September 2011

Cameron Martin thought his luck had finally changed. He was going to marry his beloved girlfriend Liesel and hopefully live happily ever after. But when Cameron gets cold feet and tries to cancel the wedding, Liesel lashes out at him with another life-altering curse. Except this time, Cameron is aging backwards—one year every day. Even worse, Liesel has disappeared and Cameron can’t do anything but sit back, watch himself shrink into nothing and hope Liesel shows up in time to save him, again.

This book follows the same story line as the original, albeit with a twist. This time, Cameron is getting younger. The same characters appear as in the original, though this time they are a bit more likable. We as readers are introduced to a couple of new characters and fortunately, we get to know Kimber, Cameron’s sister, a bit better in this book. I really enjoyed this, as she was probably my favorite character from both books—she was definitely the most likeable. Rowe utilizes the same techniques as in the first book—great concept, original story, as well as a well-organized and well-thought-out plot.

Unfortunately, the flaws I pointed out in the first book are present in this book as well. Shout was still the most overused verb in the book, capital letters to indicate a loud volume or being upset were still there and vomiting took center stage in nearly every chapter. For instance, I don’t think it is necessary to have Kimber shout “Yes. Twice” at her mother when calmly asked if the dog pooped while on a walk. Every time I turned a page, the capital letters jumped out at me, to the point that I started to unconsciously keep track of how often they appeared in the book (I lost count). And again, vomiting was discussed so frequently that you could pretty much count on it appearing at least once per chapter. I sometimes felt as if I was reading a book written by a male teenager, rather than written from the viewpoint of a male teenager. And believe me, there is a difference.

I do think this book could be read by older junior high school students and up, as there was less discussion of sex and male body parts this time around.

My grade for Happy Birthday to Me, Again:

Bout of Books 2.0 Read-a-thon

2011-10-31T09:19:00.000-07:00

I will be participating in the Bout of Books 2.0 Read-a-thon hosted by On A Book Bender. I will update this post as the week progresses! If you would like to participate, go here.

Time Devoted to Reading:

I am committed to reading at least 1 hour per day. Hopefully as the week progresses, I can read more, particularly on the weekend.

My Goals:

I would like to read 3 books this week. My ultimate goal would 5 books.
I will post at least 1 review this week.
I will continue to participate in the weekly memes I normally participate in.

Books to Read:

finish Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Happy Birthday to Me by Brian Rowe
Happy Birthday to Me Again by Brian Rowe (to review)
Tempest by Julie Cross
Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Updates:

I will be posting my updates here in this post. I am going to "sticky" this post to keep it at the top of the page for those wishing to follow my updates. I will also be tweeting about it!

10/24

Number of books/pages I've read today: finished Cinder! Yay!

Total number of books I've read: 1

Books: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Today in #insixwords: Finished Cinder by Marissa Meyer!

10/25

Number of books/pages I've read today: 7% of Happy Birthday to Me by Brian Rowe

Total number of books I've read: 1

Books: Cinder by Marissa Meyer, Happy Birthday to Me by Brian Rowe

Today in #insixwords: No reading--sick all day--headache.

10/26

Number of books/pages I've read today: almost 40% done with Happy Birthday to Me

Total number of books I've read: 1

Books: same as above

Today in #insixwords: Making good progress on second book!

10/27

Number of books/pages I've read today: finished Happy Birthday to Me, started Happy Birthday to Me, Again

Total number of books I've read: 2

Books: Cinder and Happy Birthday to Me

Today in #insixwords: Need motivation to finish this book!

10/28

Number of books/pages I've read today: Completed 24% of Happy Birthday to Me, Again

Total number of books I've read: 2

Books: Cinder, Happy Birthday to Me and Happy Birthday to Me, Again

Today in #insixwords:-------

10/29

Number of books/pages I've read today: 20% of HBDTMA

Total number of books I've read: 2

Books: See above

Today in #insixwords:

10/30

Number of books/pages I've read today: Unfortunately, none

Total number of books I've read: 2

Books: See above

Today in #insixwords:

Have a great week! And read, a lot!

Update 10/31/2011: Well, I totally lost steam as the week progressed. I think it was the book. Sadly, I just couldn't get into it. Not enough to want to keep picking it up and reading it, all the time. It was my third and final book and every time I picked it up, it felt like work. That is not why I read! I read because I love it, not because I have to. Oh well, I am still glad I participated!

In My Mailbox (11)

2011-10-30T19:30:00.000-07:00

In My Mailbox (IMM) was started over at the The Story Siren by Kristie and has evolved to over 300 participating blogs. It is a way for bloggers to network and socialize and to show everyone the various books that they have received. It is also a great way to showcase books you receive that you may not have a chance to review. Postings may vary by blog, some bloggers post weekly, bi-weekly and so forth.

This week I received approval for eight books through NetGalley. I was given automatic approval status for a couple of publishers and I am very excited! A lot of these books do not come out until 2012, and per publisher request, I will not be posting the reviews until approximately one month prior to the release of the book. I can't wait to read them! Hopefully you can be patient waiting for my reviews!

The Girl in the Park by Mariah Fredericks
Red Heart Tattoo by Lurlene McDaniels
On a Dark Wing by Jordan Dane
The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman

Cross My Heart by Sasha Gould

Drowning Instinct by Ilsa J. Bick

Hushed by Kelley York

The Katrina Trilogy Vol. 1, The Gathering Storm

Now, please leave a link in the comment section to your In My Mailbox post and I will stop by and check it out!

Forbidden Mind by Kimberly Kinrade

2011-10-29T06:45:00.000-07:00

Title: Forbidden Mind

Author: Kimberly Kinrade

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Thriller

Publisher: Evolved Publishing

Format/Pages: Kindle

Sam is sure that college, as well as a normal life, is within her reach. After years of being “rented” out to the rich—and greedy—for her paranormal abilities, Sam can almost taste freedom. She can finally leave Rent-a-Kid on her eighteenth birthday. But when her mind-reading ability allows her to connect with Drake, who has been kidnapped and held against his will by the people at Rent-a-Kid, Sam begins to realize that her life is one big lie. And her dreams—college, freedom, and normalcy—are not going to happen. Now Sam must join forces with Drake, whose paranormal abilities are even more powerful than hers, to save their lives.

I adopted this book for Adopt-an-Indie month. I simply perused the book lists until I found one that looked interesting and I adopted it. I am extremely glad that I did. This book was great! It had interesting characters and an original and well-thought out plot. While this is a paranormal book, you will not find any vampires, werewolves, angels or zombies in this story. Instead, it is chock full of kids with amazing abilities, the kind you usually only see in an X-Men movie. The children of Rent-a-Kid live a seemingly idealistic life: a terrific school, a beautiful campus with all the amenities and the chance to go anywhere they want for college. Occasionally, the kids are “rented” out to the rich and powerful to help them become richer and more powerful. They don’t know their parents, believing they were abandoned by them because of their special powers. All they have to look forward to is the day they turn eighteen; the day they gain their freedom and leave Rent-a-Kid forever. That is where we find Sam, weeks away from her birthday. She is ready to leave, until she catches a glimpse of a boy, strapped down and begging for help. That one glance changes everything for Sam. Suddenly, she begins to learn the truth about the people who have raised her and things begin to…..change. Now Sam must escape the nightmare she suddenly finds herself in. And the only person she can trust is someone she has never even met—technically.

I absolutely loved the originality of this story. Kinrade was able to create characters that you care about and want to cheer for. I found myself completely engaged in this book and anxious to find out what was going to happen next. The twists and turns in the story are perfectly timed, which adds to the suspense. The characters are believable; they actually act like real teenagers and speak like real teenagers. Kinrade’s writing is well-thought out and convincing. All in all, this is a very good story with an interesting plot and great characters. This a great read and I highly recommend it! The next two books in the series, Forbidden Fire and Forbidden Life will be available in November and December, as well. Yay! You can get them on Smashwords.

My grade for Forbidden Mind by Kimberly Kinrade: