What's Up Wrap Up - Jan 2011

New year, new resolution to keep this blog afloat after abandoning ship in 2010. I'm trying to keep it a little more low-key and low maintenance, but still providing mostly book reviews since that was my original plan for the{EPIC}rat. Thanks to everyone who are still following me from before, and welcome to any newcomers! I know there are a whole lot of blogs I need to discover and re-discover! :)


How Did January Go
Books Read
29 books devoured - 12 borrowed, 5 bought, 12 sent or swapped
13 eBooks - 5 bought, 8 eARC
11 books that were part of a series
4 YA debuts

Books Reviewed
20 reviews - 8 full reviews, 12 mini-reviews
7 *5* reviews
7 *4* reviews
6 *3* reviews
2 YA 2011 debuts

Blog Maintenance
Review Policyupdated 1/26
Reviews (By Month) revised by yearly and monthly intervals 1/26
Reviews (By Author) revised by alphabetical intervals 1/26
Recently Reviewed List(right sidebar) updated weekly
Book Swap List and Wishlist added to left sidebar 1/22

Other Blog-Related Niceties
New Blog Feature added: Thursday Thinks
- eBooks/eReaders (1/6)
- YA Book Prices (1/13)
- Jacob Phenomenon (1/27)
LibraryThing Library updated 1/18
David Inside Out Blog Tour Participant1/20
Joined 2011 Debut Author Challenge hosted by The Story Siren 1/29

Monday Mini(BkRv) :: 10 - 12

:: 10 ::

Book Review /
Ten Ways To Be Adored When Landing A Lord / Sarah MacLean

Romance | Historical | Series Book 2

First Line / It cannot be denied that there is a veritable epidemic spreading among the young ladies of London - a tragic reality that ends in nothing but the very worst scenario.

We refer, of course, to spinsterhood.

Isabel already has enough trouble running a secret safehouse for runaway females, raising her ten-year-old brother to be the Earl of Reddich, and maintaining their household with virtually no funds. So when the recently-nicknamed "Lord to Land" Nicholas St. John comes knocking on her door in search of a friend's missing sister, Isabel is afraid to let him through the door - will he uncover their secrets and betray them, or can he possibly be the answer to their troubles?

The Review / Is it just me, or does Sarah MacLean get better and better? Her titles may be long, but truly their cuteness really encompass the writing within! Ten Ways definitely delivers sparkling yet sharp wit and head-butting yet heart-fluttering romance that I have come to love! Truly a diamond of the first water - and I cannot wait for Eleven Scandals to come out!

---Disclaimer / Bought / eBook

:: 11 ::

Book Review /
The Parasol Protectorate series / Gail Carriger

Fantasy | Steampunk | Series Books 1-3

First Line / Miss Alexia Tarabotti was not enjoying her evening. Private balls were never more than middling amusements for spinsters, and Miss Tarabotti was not the kind of spinster who could garner even that much pleasure from the event.

In a world of vampires and werewolves, Alexia carries the ability to negate any supernatural mischief with a touch of her hand. Naturally those of the supernatural persuasion would prefer her to be eliminated in a discreet manner, but they did not anticipate that Alexia would take matters into her own hands and find out why anyone would want her dead.

The Review / Is there anything I can say that hasn't already been said 100 times over? Read this series - and if you choose to, make sure you have Book 3 on the ready! Gail Carriger puts the steamy in steampunk, and she leads us through such a delightful romp of a mystery and scandal that all semblance of etiquette goes out the window as one tries to devour each book without properly chewing.

---Disclaimer / Bought

:: 12 ::

Book Review /
Heist Society / Ally Carter

YA | Girls | Series Book 1

Just when Kat thought she finally lived a normal life at a normal boarding school as a normal teenager, her father gets wrongly accused of stealing a priceless art collection of a well-known mobster. He may be a master thief, but he swears it wasn't him. Soon Kat gets pulled back into her old way of life as thief and con artist to clear her father's name.

The Review / A little slow-going at first, but I soon got caught up with the intrigue and plots-within-plots and unexpectedly found myself having far too much fun! A teenaged version of Ocean's Eleven that really surprised me - I think Ally Carter has definitely kicked her writing up a notch, and I am totally loving it!

---Disclaimer / Borrowed

Challenge Accepted - 2011 Debut Authors

I don't do many challenges (read: Next to NADA), but I really have stared at Kristi's DAC Challenge for the last couple of years and now I am going to join the party! (Click button for more info on DAC!)

I don't really have an official list since all these titles sound really amazing, so I'll just accept the challenge for now and add the books I've read/reviewed on this main post.

Thanks to Kristi for hosting this challenge for the 3rd year, and even more congrats to all the debut authors who have made it this far! Happy reading and writing!

Books Read and Reviewed

1. A Touch Mortal
2. Across The Universe
3. Angelfire
4. Darkness Becomes Her (review 2/11)
5. The False Princess (review 1/21)
6. Haven (review 2/18)
7. Here Lies Bridget (review 1/26)
8. Kat, Incorrigible
9. Lost Voices
10. Populazzi
11. Ten Miles Past Normal
12. This Girl Is Off
13. Unearthly
14. Wither

BkRv: Oh, Brother(s)!

Book Review /
Unveiled / Courtney Milan

Romance | Historical | Series Book 1

The First Line (eARC) / So this was how it felt to be a conquering hero.











The What About / from the publisher

Ash Turner has waited a lifetime to seek revenge on the man who ruined his family—and now the time for justice has arrived. At Parford Manor, he intends to take his place as the rightful heir to the dukedom and settle an old score with the current duke once and for all. But instead he finds himself drawn to a tempting beauty who has the power to undo all his dreams of vengeance…

Lady Margaret knows she should despise the man who's stolen her fortune and her father's legacy—the man she's been ordered to spy on in the guise of a nurse. Yet the more she learns about the new duke, the less she can resist his smoldering appeal. Soon Margaret and Ash find themselves torn between old loyalties—and the tantalizing promise of passion…

The Review / I don't think my heart has ever beat so hard while reading a romance - and certainly I haven't giggled with delight for quite some time at some of the mishaps that happen between the two main characters! Courtney Milan definitely has another heart-thumping winner with her latest release Unveiled!

The great thing about Ms. Milan's romances, I think, is how flawed - and yet how adorably so! - her heroes are - and Ash is certainly cut from the same cloth! I admired his fierce loyalty for his younger brothers and his drive to provide them with everything he believed that they deserved after living an impoverished childhood, even stealing a dukedom through legal channels. He comes across as a powerfully built, fair, charming, and ruthlessly loyal man - but deep down, he is still with insecurities and shameful secrets that he cannot share with anyone, even his brothers.

Margaret is a strong woman - another thing I like about Ms. Milan's romances - who certainly has a sturdy backbone to face the intimidating Ash who basically ruined her life. She too has a deep sense of family commitment - and it is this that prevents Ash and Margaret to embrace their passion for each other. She wants to protect her family, and he his - and at the heart of the matter lies the dukedom and who owns it.

Unveiled was a romance that had great strength, unwavering loyalty, and exuberant romance at its backbone - and I definitely am itching for its sequel Unclaimed in the fall!

---Disclaimer / Publisher / eARC

Thursday Thinks #3 / The Jacob Phenomenon

I don't know if I've just been simply out of the loop, but lately I've been reading sequels upon sequels and noticing a common trend when it comes to couples, especially when the main character is a girl:

Before or after the break-up, another boy gets in the picture.
And then he gets booted out when the first love comes to his senses.

The famous example is Twilight with the Bella/Edward/Jacob triangle. But my more recent and perhaps not-so-well-known encounters include the following:

• The Oracle Rebounds (sequel) where Jared just asks for a little thinking space, but Kayla interprets it as "breakup" and proceeds to move on with an exchange student from France who seems pretty decent
• The Lost Saint (sequel) where Daniel distances himself from Grace, who feels alone as she comes to terms with her "wolf" self and finds solace with another boy similarly cursed
• Love Sucks! (sequel) where AJ comes to terms with her boyfriend becoming her untouchable stepbrother and finds herself attracted to the new vampire trainer
  
• Undead Much? (sequel) where Ethan seems to have abandoned Megan as she faces accusations of raising zombies and she gets inexplicably drawn to a psychic zombie boy
• Beautiful Darkness (sequel) where roles reverse and Ethan gets left behind as Lena reconciles with her dark magic potential, and he finds a kindred spirit in the new Keeper girl

The point? Nothing life-changing but I feel bad for the third wheel in each scenario, who wasn't necessarily an evil villain but actually was pretty likable. Apparently just not likable enough which totally sucks. The funny thing? I - though just a reader looking in on these fictional lives - probably felt the same way! I mean, we spent the first book going through the turmoil between Bella and Edward and suddenly in book 2 we have to re-adjust everything we've come to love and accept Bella and Jacob?!

As far as the original Jacob goes, I didn't particularly root for either Teams. However, there's been a few third wheels whom I really wished were first choice because the current #1 didn't seem so special to begin with.

I guess the Jacob phenomenon is a nice plot-thickener to make readers gasp, bite nails, and rush out to buy the book in full panic that the "perfect" couple might be torn apart. Yet I don't believe I've encountered a book where they're torn apart forever. 200 pages might seem like forever, but at the very last page the happy couple has made peace.

Do you think the Jacob phenomenon is being used a lot in YA? Especially as a "hook" to get you to read the sequel? Does it work?

And has anyone read a book where the Jacob does get to keep the girl?!

BkRv: Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words can cut right through you!

Book Review /
here lies Bridget / Paige Harbison

YA | Girls

First Line (eARC) / I pressed down on the accelerator. It felt good to have power back in my life. Even if it was just power over my car, or power over my fate: dying or living.










The What About / from the publisher

Bridget Duke is the uncontested ruler of her school. The meanest girl with the biggest secret insecurities. And when new girl Anna Judge arrives, things start to fall apart for Bridget: friends don't worship as attentively, teachers don't fall for her wide-eyed "who me?" look, expulsion looms ahead and the one boy she's always loved—Liam Ward—can barely even look at her anymore.

When a desperate Bridget drives too fast and crashes her car, she ends up in limbo, facing everyone she's wronged and walking a few uncomfortable miles in their shoes. Now she has only one chance to make a last impression. Though she might end up dead, she has one last shot at redemption and the chance to right the wrongs she's inflicted on the people who mean the most to her.
And Bridget's about to learn that, sometimes, saying you're sorry just isn't enough….

The Review / It seems a little ironic that Bridget has to be the most unlikeable character whom I have ever met in a book (yes, even Parker seems like a marshmallow), and yet I couldn't put down here lies Bridget for the life of me! I think it's similar to watching reality TV (not that I watch any at the moment) and unable to stop, even though the people might disgust you.

So I'll forewarn you all, dear Readers, that you might want to brace yourself when you meet Bridget - she's not going to the nicest kid in town - in fact, you're about to meet her when she absolutely reaches the 9th circle of Hell and I wouldn't be surprised if she throws the Devil for a loop. How she managed to got away with her "spoiled princess" act for so long with both parents, classmates, friends, and teachers - I'll never understand!

What redeems Bridget when she is Evil Incarnate in the beginning - and why I bothered to keep on reading - is that she has her moments of regret and confusion as to why she does the things she does. As if she realizes that she is evil and self-centered, but can't help herself from antagonizing everyone for fear of being seen as weak. While it's nice to know that Bridget has a little goodness inside her, her thoughtless words and selfish actions speak more volumes than her inner turmoil. The consequences of her actions reflected in the devastation on the faces of her friends, stepmom, teachers, etc. simply cannot be erased easily.

Ms. Harbison has created such a conflicted character in Bridget and explored all the dynamic relationships in Bridget's life both before and after the car crash. here lies Bridget will definitely make you pause for thought on how your words and actions may affect other people and therefore tread carefully when you speak before thinking.

---Disclaimer / Publisher / eARC

Monday Mini(BkRv) :: 7 - 9

:: 7 ::

Book Review ::Trial By Desire 
by Courtney Milan

Romance | Historical | Series Book 2

The First Line :: Lady Kathleen Carhart had a secret. Truth be told, she had more than one - but the secret she had in mind as she sat across from her husband at breakfast had arrived only today.

Still smarting after her husband Ned up and left her 3 months into their marriage, Kate has managed to move on and focus on the more important things in life like secretly rescuing women from domestic abuse. When said husband unexpectedly returns and threatens to undo all that she has worked for (including the hard task of forgetting him), will Kate forgive him for abandoning their marriage - or will she succeed in keeping her secrets and the bedroom door closed?

The Review / I loved Trial By Desire well enough, but not as much as I did for Ms. Milan's debut Proof By Seduction. The writing is still full of sharp wit, and the characters definitely tug at your heartstrings, and it is definitely a worthy sequel full of enjoyment - I just didn't fall in love as hard with Ned and Kate. I did, however, LOVE the cover - not every day that you have the male model staring straight out into your soul! :)

Favorite Lines /
(( from page 41

"Our marriage lasted a few months. Once you left, what remained faded faster than the ink on the license. And what's left...well, it could blow away in one tiny puff of wind."

"Well, then." He spoke with an air of certainty. "I'll try not to exhale."

"Don't bother. I stopped holding my breath years before."

(( from page 95

That kiss hung between them, like a thought half spoken. Her whole marriage hung before her like a sentence waiting to be finished.

---Disclaimer / Bought

:: 8 ::

Book Review /
Enchanted Ivy 
by Sarah Beth Durst

YA | Girls | Fantasy

The First Line /

"Almost there," Grandpa said.

Pressing her nose against the car window, Lily frowned at the strip malls, gas stations, and industrial parks as they rolled by. "Really?" she said. She'd expected to see something a bit more picturesque than Wal-Marts and Home Depots en route to her dream school - at least a stately forest or a field with a few photogenic cows. And she should hear trumpets playing, plus a massive choir announcing in verse the approach of her destiny.

May be she'd built up this moment a bit too much.

Lily has been counting down the days until she can finally call Princeton U home and follow in her grandfather's illustrious footsteps. What starts out as a simple campus visit turns into a dream-come-true when her grandfather scores her a top-secret Legacy Test that guarantees admission. Little does Lily know that there is more to Princeton U than meets the eye, and her Test is more than just standardized - it will determine the fate between the mystical and mortal worlds on campus!

The Review / Enchanted Ivy is a rather unique spin on college admission and a girl's desire to follow her family's footsteps to attend an illustrious school. It also brings to life the beauty of the university's campus with its gargoyles and rich legendary stories. I enjoyed Lily's adventures to pass the Legacy Test - although it gets a little strange in the end when the truth comes to light. I wish there was more interaction with the mystical side of things, especially the gargoyles!

---Disclaimer / Publisher

:: 9 ::

Book Review ::
The Oracle Rebounds  
by Allison Van Diepen

YA | Girls | Series Book 2

The First Line / Happily ever after is meant to last forever, right? Well, my happily ever after lasts five months, three weeks and two days. Then Jared drops a bomb.

Kayla reels from the shock of getting dumped out of the blue. As the Oracle of Dating, you'd think she'd be totally prepared for heartbreak - but she finds herself at a desperate loss and moves on with an uber-hot foreign exchange student. When that backfires along with her blog being sabotaged by a catty blogger, everything seems to suck - so when Jared seems to have a change of heart, Kayla's not sure she can take any more risks in her life...

The Review / The Oracle Rebounds was amazing! Not quite rocked-my-socks-off, but I really was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed it after a lukewarm response to its predecessor. Sure, I thought Kayla totally misinterpreted Jared's need for space and put herself through unnecessary heartbreak - however, Jared let her do so, so the blame still falls on his shoulders! As far as the catty blogger goes, I cannot believe such a thing would happen in the blogosphere - who would accept to host a guest blogger and then tear him or her to pieces? That just seems incredibly unfathomable!

---Disclaimer / Bought / eBook

BkRv: Tangled webs, tangled spells

Book Review /
The False Princess / Eilis O'Neal

YA | Fantasy

First Line (ARC) / The day they came to tell me, I was in one of the gardens with Kiernan, trying to decipher a three-hundred-year-old map of the palace grounds.











The What About / from the publisher

Princess and heir to the throne of Thorvaldor, Nalia's led a privileged life at court. But everything changes when it's revealed, just after her sixteenth birthday, that she is a false princess, a stand-in for the real Nalia, who has been hidden away for her protection. Cast out with little more than the clothes on her back, the girl now called Sinda must leave behind the city of Vivaskari, her best friend, Keirnan, and the only life she's ever known.

Sinda is sent to live with her only surviving relative, an aunt who is a dyer in a distant village. She is a cold, scornful woman with little patience for her newfound niece, and Sinda proves inept at even the simplest tasks. But when Sinda discovers that magic runs through her veins - long-suppressed, dangerous magic that she must learn to control - she realizes that she can never learn to be a simple village girl.

Returning to Vivaskari for answers, Sinda finds her purpose as a wizard scribe, rediscovers the boy who saw her all along, and uncovers a secret that could change the course of Thorvaldor's history, forever.

A dazzling first novel, The False Princess is an engrossing fantasy full of mystery, action, and romance.

The Review / It is greatly comforting to see a pile of books by Robin McKinley, Peter S. Beagle, Lloyd Alexander, and Tamora Pierce decorating an author's website - wish I had known this before finishing The False Princess, but after the fact I can just say that Eilis O'Neal does herself proud with her debut! I had been a little hesitant by the ARC cover - a little antiquated and dull (see right) - but the official published cover is a little teeny-bop delight and I'm not sure if I like it any better. (Sidenote: I find it a little funny that there seems to be 2 covers for The False Princess - could we liken Sinda to the old ARC cover and the "real" princess to the new one?)

Anyhow, needless to say, this is definitely a case where you shouldn't judge a book by its cover! The False Princess is certainly a welcome addition to those of us who loved Ella Enchanted and stories reminiscent of fairy tales. Sinda narrates with an ease that I had no trouble with following, despite her talent of tripping over her feet and causing the fountain water to boil.

After finishing Troubled Waters with a more-than-resilient heroine, it is interesting to note that while Sinda could hardly make a sustainable stew or run a household smoothly, she still was made of stubborn stuff - and once she found her new niche in the world, she probably would do well enough. After living a pampered life as a false princess, who could expect anything more without giving her a little more time?

The False Princess was an unexpected delight with tangles that I found myself happily caught up in! Just when I thought things were settling down for Sinda, the story twisted once more and sent me racing for the next page. The ending left me breathless in a good way, though sad that it had to end at all. I certainly hope Ms. O'Neal has more in store for us in Thorvaldor!

---Disclaimer / Publisher

To L.M. Montgomery

Dear Ms. Montgomery,

I never used to be much of a reader or writer until I met Anne Shirley. Nowadays I don’t write so much, but my appetite for reading has grown to epic proportions that might be classified between passion and addiction. Anne had such vibrancy to her that drew people towards her and made them believe again in love, hopes, dreams, and every good thing that they had forgotten or overlooked. I am really indebted to Anne for shaping me into the person I am now: an die-hard optimist, a hardcore romantic, a dreamer to the nth degree.

My reading tastes have changed since your Green Gables series – not a lot of simple, wholesome, beautifully-worded stories on these shelves nowadays without involving sparkly vampires or cutting-edge teenage angst. But, like Anne, I still search for the next fantastic and/or romantic thrill. If there is a laugh or two (or more), then all the better. Yet I think I can picture Anne devouring all these tales about supernatural and paranormal romances with great glee.

I look at my bookshelves full of zombies and fantasy and young adult titles, thinking about which books I need to weed out eventually to make room for more. The books that come and go as my reading fervor carries on. But the Green Gables series will always remain on my shelf with their well-read pages with corners bent, waiting for another re-read and reminding me how to dream big and horde books!

Thank you for giving me Anne all these years,
the{EPIC}rat

---
This letter has been brought to you by the Let's Get Beyond Tolerance's blog tour for Lee Bantle | David Inside Out where the main character David and his friend writes to romance authors that they enjoyed.

Go and show your support at the following blog tour stops!
1/17 - Roof Beam Reader
1/20 - The EPIC Rat
1/22 - The Page Flipper
1/27 - Reading Through Life
1/28 - Book Dreaming

BkRv: Like a bridge to AMAZING :)

Book Review /
Troubled Waters / Sharon ShinnFantasy

First Line / Navarr Ardelay's body was laid to rest in a blazing pyre, as befit a sweela man who owed his allegiance to flame.











The What About / from the author's website

Zoe Ardelay is living in an obscure village, mourning her father’s death, when a powerful man named Darien Serlast arrives and informs her she must travel to the royal city and become the king’s fifth bride. Numb with grief, she accompanies him to the city of Chialto, but she is able to slip away from him and hide among the city’s vagrants. She doesn’t want to marry the king, but she doesn’t know what her destiny holds.

Like everyone else in Chialto, Zoe frequently seeks guidance at the temples, pulling “random blessings” from great barrels of stamped coins; each blessing is related to one of the five elemental influences of air, water, fire, wood, and earth. Zoe is coru, a woman of water, and so was her mother and all her mother’s family; her father was sweela, a man of fire. Her brilliant father was exiled by the king at the urging of Zoe’s coru grandmother, and now Zoe wants to know why. But if she uncovers the momentous secrets of her family’s past, will her whole life change? Do her father’s secrets put the king at risk? And could Darien Serlast help her put the puzzle pieces together—if he would?

The Review / Sharon Shinn has again delivered another fantastic read, similar to her Twelve House series and yet so very different and unique. In Twelve Houses, any random person can be born with magic powers which range from shape-shifting to fire-controlling to mind-reading. The magic in Troubled Waters only involves the elementals (elay - air/soul; hunti - wood/bone; sweela - fire/mind; coru - water/blood; torz - earth/flesh). Yet while a commoner can exhibit elemental personalities, the heads of the Five Families wield actual awesome powers such as stopping the flow of the river at will. The rich details of the magic system was really awe-inspiring -and I could only imagine the time that Ms. Shinn spent on creating such an amazing world.

Troubled Waters is a perfect fantasy read that had all the good trimmings of romance and political intrigue. Zoe proves to be a most resourceful, fearless heroine that suddenly finds herself with unknown power and tries to master it while dancing around political intrigue after 10 years of exile. She sifts through the many reasons why her father had been exiled from court to get to the truth, and in that process, finds out that no one is exactly telling her the whole story.

The man that stands in her way most of the time is Darien Serlast who seems to be the power behind the throne - the man who comes to fetch her to marry the king, the man who decides whether the king wants a gold or brass buckle, the man who knows all the secrets. Is he the friend that he claims to be - or is he a foe?

I loved Troubled Waters and am really sad if this is the only venture into this world! I hope that Ms. Shinn will bring us back here, even though it probably will feature different characters whom I may not love as much as Zoe and company!

---Disclaimer / Borrowed

Check This Blog Tour Out!

Hey, all!

Let's Get Beyond Tolerance is hosting a blog tour for Lee Bantle and his book David Inside Out this week, and they need YOUR awesome support in their endeavor!

The really neat thing about this blog tour is that the participating bloggers will be writing letters to their favorite authors - in honor of the the main character David and his friend in David Inside Out who write to romance authors that they enjoy.

Did I mention there's a fun prize pack if you check out all the blog tour stops? Well, there is! :) So don't forget to visit everyone!

1/17 - Roof Beam Reader
1/20 - The EPIC Rat
1/22 - The Page Flipper
1/27 - Reading Through Life
1/28 - Book Dreaming

Monday Mini(BkRv) :: 4 - 6

:: 4 :: 

Book Review ::
The Oracle Of Dating  
by Allison Van Diepen

YA | Girls | Series Book 1

So far, Kayla has been keeping her web persona as the Oracle of Dating a secret to her friends and high school classmates. When her advice causes her best friend to get grounded for dating a boy outside her culture, Kayla feels torn between maintaining her secret identity or coming clean with giving biased advice.

The Review :: A pretty cute book with a pretty neat character who has a pretty cool website going on! When Kayla manages to pull together a speed-dating fundraiser at school, I thought that was pretty awesome! Nothing too deep and forever, but what a fun idea! The only thing that troubled me was when Kayla and her friends went "clubbing" with fake IDs - call me old-fashioned or what-have-you, but I wish there were other healthier and safer things that they could be doing!

Disclaimer :: Borrowed

:: 5 ::

Book Review ::
Crescendo 
by Becca Fitzpatrick

YA | Girls | Fantasy | Series Book 2

The First Line :: The fingers of the thorn-apple tree clawed at the windowpane behind Harrison Grey, and he dog-eared his page, no longer able to read through the racket.

Nora gets bitten by a green-eyed monster as Patch seems to more concerned about her arch-enemy Marcie to the point where it seems indecent. The more danger Nora faces as she tries to find out the truth of her father's murder, the less Patch seems to care for her welfare. Even if he doesn't love her anymore, the least he could do is protect her like a decent guardian angel - but will he come to Nora's rescue when the danger becomes too great?

The Review :: I'm still not a die-hard fan. Crescendo definitely improved upon hush, hush and had more unpredictability in what happens to Nora and Patch. The angel mythology gets more in-depth, but I don't find myself all that interested for some reason. Yet the ending tugs at my curiosity enough that I might give the next installment a try...

Disclaimer :: Bought / eBook

:: 6 ::

Book Review ::
Undead Much? 
by Stacey Jay

YA | Girls | Zombies! | Series Book 2

The First Line :: Okay, this was it. The BIG moment.

Being a Settler is pretty straightforward, but with Megan it seems everyone should expect the unexpected. Someone is up to the dark magic again, and this time they're raising zombies out of coma patients. All eyes are accusing Megan who is totally innocent! Can Megan clear her name before someone gets hurt? Also, is it normal to feel a little crush on a teenaged zombie psychic even if she is still madly in love with Ethan?

The Review :: I didn't think it was quite as fun as the original, but it still had its perks such as one dreamboat by the name of Ethan and Megan's entertaining narration as crazy events kept piling at her feet. I am a little sad that Razorbill pulled the plug on the series just when it was getting good, but I am totally grateful for Ms. Jay who is graciously providing a self-published Book 3 for her zombie horde of followers :)


Zombie Rating :: To be quite honest, I read this a while back. I thought the concept of zombies from coma patients was pretty unique puzzle, but I don't recall being totally scared brainless.






Disclaimer :: Bought

BkRv: Unquestionably thirsty for answers!

Book Review / drought / Pam Bachorz

YA | Dystopia

First Line (ARC) / I wish it would rain.











The What About / from the back cover (ARC)

Ruby dreams of escaping the Congregation. Escape from slaver Darwin West and his cruel Overseers. Escape from the backbreaking work of gathering Water. Escape from living as if it is still 1812, the year they were all enslaved.

When Ruby meets Ford - an irresistible, kind, forbidden new Overseer - she longs to run away with him to the modern world, where she could live a normal teenage life. Escape with Ford would be so simple.

But if Ruby leaves, her community is condemned to certain death. She, alone, possesses the secret ingredient that makes the Water so special - her blood - and it's the one thing that the Congregation cannot live without.

Drought is the haunting story of one's community's thirst for life, and the dangerous struggle of the only girl who can grant it.

The Review / Pam Bachorz weaves a rich and dark tale about a teenaged girl who is stuck between a rock and a hard place. At times, I had more questions than answers while reading - and even at the end, I think drought leaves the readers wanting to find out what happens next and what had happened before to lead up to Ruby's world as she knew it.

The great thing about drought is, once I let go of what I know, I really got into the flow of Ruby's wretched world. Hers was a simple though horrible life: Collect enough Water to get fed and avoid the whip. A village enslaved. Not necessarily true, but I imagined that they dressed like Pilgrims - don't ask me why - I just did! It was only when Ruby interacts with Ford when I realized how behind-the-times Ruby was, how deeply Ms. Bachorz wove us into the village and hid us from the big, ugly truth. A truth the Overseers obviously knew, and the question that burns through my mind is WHY.

I felt we never got a complete picture of all the characters except Ruby. Granted, we see events unfold through Ruby's eyes - but usually I thought there'd still be a little more insight to the other characters present. Maybe Ruby wasn't too observant - maybe I haven't given drought enough thought yet - but there is not a whole lot about the other characters from my initial impression. Ruby's mom tries to impress upon Ruby and the Congregation that waiting for salvation is their best option and escape in any way is not safe, but how did she reach such a conclusion and what happens when salvation never comes - or escape is possible? What makes Darwin tick - and how does he sleep each night after his monstrous actions? How does Ford get recruited to the Overseers - and is he leading Ruby into a trap by enticing her to escape?

The ending of drought definitely left me both triumphant yet horrified at how things panned out for Ruby, Ford, the Overseers, and the Congregation. Definitely did not see any of it coming! I doubt that there would be a sequel, although one would be most welcome for all the questions that I have!

drought will satisfy any thirst for a new dystopian YA read. Mysterious, shocking, bittersweet - an excellent combination to keep readers thirsting to learn more about the world that Ms. Bachorz has created.

---Disclaimer / Publisher

Thursday Thinks #2 / On YA Book Prices

What always astounds me as I haunt bookstores are the prices of YA books, especially the hardcovers.

How do teens afford these books?!

I know, I know: By getting JOBS - but seriously, shouldn't the money be going towards something more substantial like college educations? At least, that's why I worked in high school. Sure, a book here or there is nice luxury - but I couldn't really indulge my reading addiction to its mountainous heights.

Now, as a hard-working adult, my reading addiction - while not quite rampant - goes to sleep with a book or two in hand. But still I ask: How does one afford these books, and where are the price breaks for YA new releases?! Why is this demographic so overlooked, especially when it seems like this one is so important to please?

Yes, I can wait until the softcover releases. Yes, I can borrow from the library. It takes willpower to wait a little longer. Sometimes the covers are wildly different - for better or worse, but who really knows. If I was really into waiting, I could wait for it to hit the bargain shelves or a book swap site (though what are the chances if it's a super-amazing-awesome book?). There are only so many copies to share around though, and there are so many good books being released at the same time, all the time, all year round!

So, I feel like the book industry is doing YA a huge disservice.

I mean, there are discount programs at bookstores that cater to the adult population. For instance, Barnes & Noble and Borders both give 40% discount off for adult bestsellers. Borders gives 20% off selected hardcovers that may include YA, but so far the only thing I've seen is Mockingjay (don't get me wrong, that's great -but they should really re-evaluate and expand to more YA titles). Barnes & Noble gives 20% ALL other adult hardcovers. Both bookstores give 10% off everything else.

I think B&N should give 20% ALL other hardcovers because, let's face it, YA hardcovers cost nearly as much as an adult hardcover - and I'm fairly certain YA contributes a nice chunk to the book industry. If not, then they would be if the prices were reasonable! I'm also certain that we adults who still love our YA fixings would appreciate the price break as well - I mean, we are seriously being punished for our love for YA reads. Where is the sense in that?

...And now that I check the online bookstores, I see the new YA releases get pretty nice discounted prices there. Again, the waiting though! Call me crazy, but there is something enjoyable about walking through the shelves in an actual bookstore and weighing the book in my hands before I decide to buy. Perhaps that is another topic for another Think...

Anyhow, thoughts? Am I the only bookstore-lover?

BkRv: Love in a Big Bang sort of way

Book Review / The Big Crunch / Pete Hautman
YA

First Line (ARC) / The first time Wes saw June, he thought, she was kind of funny-looking.











The What About / from the publisher

June and Wes do not "meet cute." They do not fall in love at first sight. They do not swoon with scorching desire. They do not believe that they are instant soul mates destined to be together forever.

This is not that kind of love story.

Instead, they just hang around in each other's orbits...until eventually they collide. And even after that happens, they're still not sure where it will go. Especially when June starts to pity-date one of Wes's friends, and Wes makes some choices that he immediately regrets.

From National Book Award winner Pete Hautman, this is a love story for people not particularly biased toward romance. But it is romantic, in the same way that truth can be romantic and uncertainty can be the biggest certainty of all.

The Review / How to describe The Big Crunch? Well, I'd liken it to a rather nice stroll through the park - nothing extraordinary or supernatural, but sometimes normal and sweet is a welcome change from all the vampires and zombies and smoldering eyes. The pacing seemed a little slow, especially at first when Wes and June go about their separate lives in the same high school bubble. They'd brush against each other every so often, but drift apart again without more than a backwards glance. When they finally "crunched" so to speak, it wasn't the usual fare of crazy-in-love-and-now-we-must-breathe-together. It was, yet it wasn't. There wasn't enough time to "crunch" before June had to leave Wes and distance became an obstacle in their newfound relationship.

Not a whole lot of action in The Big Crunch except for one minor car-stealing incident. Even then, it was a big misunderstanding. No, The Big Crunch is a pretty low-key read if you are looking for a book on a normal high school romance between two normal, down-to-earth teens who weren't really searching for each other, but found each other anyway.

What I particularly enjoyed was the personalities of Wes and June, but I think The Big Crunch showed most of Wes's story. Neither of them saw each other, but didn't really think the other was mind-boggling hot. Wes described June as a "sea creature pretending to be a human" in the opening paragraph - if that doesn't scream LOVE, I don't know what does :P

---Disclaimer / Book swap'd :)

Winner of December GRaB

The December GRaB winner is...

Llehn

Selected prize: The Princess And The Hound by Mette Ivie Harrison

What is GRaB?
It is a super-easy giveaway that I run each month.
Step 1: I review books.
Step 2: You comment on the reviews for entries (point system here).
Step 3: I tally up the entries and then randomly select a winner.

What do you win?
Your choice in book from my reviewed pile - which at the moment does not have a lot of the newer releases, but that doesn't necessarily mean a bad thing.

Monday Mini(BkRv) :: 1 - 3

:: 1 ::

Book Review :: 
The Cinderella Society 
by Kay Cassidy

YA | Girls

First Line :: There are moments in life when you know things will never be the same. When you're called to the edge of adventure and given the chance to break free, uninhibited by your past and claim the life you were meant to live. Relax. This was totally not that kind of day.

Sixteen-year-old Jess Parker is surprised to get selected to join a secret sisterhood at her new school - a group that dedicates itself to promoting positive self-esteem and protecting others from bullying.

The Review :: The message behind The Cinderella Society is a positive one that should be shared with all girls. It encourages self-esteem, character, love for self and others, and hard work with a promise of a happily-ever-after (boyfriend not included). While the concept for The Cinderella Society is attractive and undeniably wonderful, the characters and story left me wanting. I thought there was too much emphasis in the details of the Cinderella Society and not enough time spent on interactions between the characters to move the story along. I hope that the sequel will flesh out Jess and the other characters since the stage has been set.

Disclaimer :: Bought

:: 2 ::

Book Review :: 
The Stephanie Plum series 
by Janet Evanovich

Mystery | Series Book 1 - 16

Born and bred in the Jersey 'burg and desperate for a job, Stephanie Plum finds herself working for her sleazy cousin's bail bond office as a bounty hunter in order to make rent. More Lucy Ricardo than a femme fatale, she somehow manages to get her man at the end of the day...or week.

The Review :: Hilarious! I definitely went through the series like candy - and Stephanie's two love interests are smokin' hot. Somehow Ms. Evanovich keeps the temperature at just the right boiling point throughout the books to keep me coming back for more of Stephanie hijinks! Outrageous crew of characters, unbelievable car wreckages, sizzling romantic tension, Stephanie Plum will tug at your heartstrings and leave your sides hurting from laughing so much!

Disclaimer :: Borrowed some & Bought some

:: 3 ::

Book Review
GONE 
by Lisa McMann 

YA | Girls | Suspense | Series Book 3

First Line :: It's like she can't breathe anymore, no matter what she does.

As the final chapter of the WAKE trilogy, Janie must come to terms with her dream-catching abilities and what that means in regards to her future. She finds out that her long-forgotten father also shares these abilities, but it is too late to ask him for any answers since he is in a coma with no hope of recovering. As Janie continues to grow significantly weaker and blinder, she struggles with questions of how she can take care of her alcoholic mother and if her relationship with Cabel is worth the effort.

The Review :: While GONE brings the series to a bittersweet end, like FADE, the final book still did not wow me as much as the first book WAKE had done. GONE seemed a little too abstract and hard to grasp, and quite honestly I just didn't want to understand. I wanted more of Janie using her dream-catching abilities to catch the bad guys. GONE didn't have that element - it focused more on the nature of dream-catching and its effect on Janie's future. Cabel's reactions were mentioned a few times, but not as much as in past books.

Disclaimer :: Bought

BkRv: Love hurts, but sometimes it's a good hurt

Book Review / Love Sucks! / Melissa Francis
YA | Girls | Vampires | Series Book 2

First Line / My mother's baby shower. Okay, this is horrifying news on many levels. First of all, I'm eighteen. (Okay, I've only been eighteen for a week, but that means I'm no longer seventeen and therefore technically I'm an adult.) I know how she got pregnant. There is no way I want to think about that, yet it seems to be all I can think about. And let me just say - ew. Seriously, ew.











The What About / from the publisher

AJ Ashe may have gotten rid of her vampire stalker and her evil ex-teacher, but things are hardly back to normal. For one thing, she still has to maintain a strict look-but-don't-touch policy with Ryan, her hot ex-boyfriend-turned-stepbrother. For another, she has to learn to control her vampire superpowers—which means more than a few dates with Lex, mind-reading professional vampire trainer and too-sexy-for-his-own-good bad boy. And as if that's not enough, she happens to be the key to her father's plans to take over the world . . . and he'll stop at nothing to get what he wants.

All this and she's still got to plan the prom. Being a teenager is tough, but being a teenage vampire just flat out sucks!

The Review / Love Sucks! picks up where Bite Me! left off, and does it ever kick the story up a notch! AJ is in a much better place as far as her feelings for Ryan goes - though the love will always be there, her heart has come to terms with Ryan being her stepbrother and not her boyfriend anymore. They both have committed to putting family first and protecting everyone including their sibling-to-be from any harm.

I think Ms. Francis hit the ground running with Love Sucks! which is to be expected since the stage has been neatly set already. She throws in a delightful mix of new characters - and I admit that Lex was pretty dreamy snack and totally man enough to heal AJ's broken and lonely heart. I approved wholeheartedly, even though Ryan was pretty upset with this new development and suspected Lex of being evil. With due cause, but is there any hard evidence? You'll have to read and find out! :}

Love Sucks! is perfect if you're looking for a light, fluffy vampire read. It falls along the same fun-loving vein as Kimberly Pauley's Mina Hamilton series that I also enjoyed. The story gets a little dark and edgy to keep the suspense up, but all in all, a delectable treat if you need something to snack on!

---Disclaimer / Bought / eBook