BkRv: Wouldn't it be chilly with no skin on?

Book Review / 

SKELETON CREW
by Cameron Haley - @Cameron_Haley


Fantasy | Series Book 2 | Zombies

First Line (eARC) / It was raining when Terrence Cole buried his soldiers.

 








Summary / from the publisher

Bodies are hitting the pavement in L.A. like they always do, but this time they're getting right back up, death be damned. My mobbed-up outfit of magicians may be the strongest in the city, but even they aren't immune to the living dead.

And I've yet to develop a resistance to Adan Rashan.

If I don't team up with the boss's son, we won't just be at each other's throats over control of the outfit. We'll be craving hearts and brains, as well.

Because as long as this nasty spirit from the Between is stopping souls from finding peace, I'm facing the biggest supernatural crisis to ever hit the City of Angels.

Zombies, it's time you feared me.

Review / I picked SKELETON CREW up without realizing zombies played a HUGE role in this sequel to MOB RULES. I know, it's in the summary - but I didn't read it at all since I was already interested in seeing how things played out for Domino. A leap of faith, really, considering my lukewarm reactions to the 1st book.

Is there anything that zombies can't make gold? Actually, I can think of a few reads that didn't work out, but SKELETON CREW really really blew my mind away. In a good way. In the good rock-my-socks-off way. Zombie outbreak never looked more sexy or dangerous or crazy-awesome. Seriously I think Cameron Haley has renewed my zombie addiction ten-fold after being in such a slump last fall!

I do not think reading MOB RULES is necessary to appreciate the sequel to the max. It may help to explain the magic system, the gang and Faerie Court politics, the tension between Domino and Adan, but otherwise I think the story rolled smoothly on its own with it as things start to snowball into an avalanche. There simply wasn't any time to worry about backstory - Domino and company had too much on their plate to handle without wallowing in the past for long.

I loved how SKELETON CREW incorporated South American mythology into the storyline, especially in regards to the zombie infestation. A really unique spin that definitely added some spice to the experience - and I never realized how special Mexican Hairless Dogs are! Who knew that they would play such a significant part here? Or that La Calvera Catrina could be such a deliciously dynamic villain? Who would have dreamed that South American mythology and cultural references + zombies would create such a fascinating story?

The action never let up for a second! Whenever Domino gets even a hint of a break, she gets slammed with another problem to handle - and sometimes they were interconnected. Of course, as her troubles start to culminate and the end of humanity is near, everyone - gangs, Faerie Court, spirits, federal agents - wants to play hero in order to be rewarded with more power that will surely result for their cooperation. Too bad there isn't really enough power to go around...

SKELETON CREW has definitely got me hooked on this series! Cameron Haley has created an amazing world that solidified in this sequel, and I am dying to find out what happens next! Domino and gang may have successfully swept their zombie problems under the rug, but have they enough juice to contained the demons and Faeries from overrunning L.A.?

---Disclaimer / NetGalley
---RELEASED APRIL 2011 BY LUNA BOOKS (HARLEQUIN)
---OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES: MOB RULES

Thursday Thinks #15 - Define YA Contemporary

Hello, all!

So this has been a burning question in my mind and I've been half-afraid to say anything, but I'll bite the bullet and ask:

What do you consider YA Contemporary?

Edgy? Meaningful? Emotional? Dramatic?

Does it include the clique hierarchies?

Everyday worries and concerns?
Life that doesn't involves werewolves, zombies, or ghosties?

I wonder because I usually read the fantasy, paranormal, supernatural, zombies, the works. I do, on occasion, read the "real stuff" and lately I've been really enjoying the normal world. There are some really amazing writers who have captured really amazing moments or issues that both impress and inspire me. Or sometimes they just make me laugh at all those silly high school antics.

But are those silly high school antics considered "contemporary" - or is that label primarily for the serious stuff like domestic abuse, drug addiction, etc.?

What do you consider contemporary?

Is everything else then "YA normal/general/ordinary"? 

Any YA Contemporary recommendations?

BkRv: Waiting is half the battle, but when do you stop?

Book Review / 

what can(t) wait
by Ashley Hope Perez - @ashleyhopeperez


YA | Girls

First Line (eARC) / You'd think by now I'd know how to get out of the house.

 








The What About / from Kirkus Reviews

If only 17-year-old Marisa Morena could figure out her future in her Houston barrio as well as she solves calculus problems. How can she even think of entering the engineering program at UT-Austin with so much going on? She's needed to watch her young niece so her sister (with no insurance) can work a double shift to pay off her husband's hospital bills, she has plenty of shifts of her own every weekend at the grocery store and her illiterate, immigrant father constantly reminds her that "Girls and numbers don't mix." And as if she doesn't have enough "fucking problemas," what with tiptoeing around her stubborn father and trying to please her needy mother while squeezing in secret AP Calculus practice sessions, the teen watches her peers get pregnant and married (in that order) and wonders if staying in Houston can be "good enough."

First-time author Pérez fills a hole in YA lit by giving Marisa an authentic voice that smoothly blends Spanish phrases into dialogue and captures the pressures of both Latina life and being caught between two cultures. With help from a boyfriend with similar desires, a supportive teacher and an unexpected hand from her family, Marisa learns to put her own goals first in a hopeful but never too-tidy ending. Un magnifico debut.

The Review / what can(t) wait gave me unexpected delight in how much I could relate with Marisa. Not to the same extremes in terms of parents and pregnancies, but still I shared the same sense of feeling overwhelmed with the need to take care of everyone first before our own.

I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried at certain points of what can(t) wait - particularly the parts where Marisa and her father fought about her future. Her father's thinking absolutely shocked me, especially when he did not seem very supportive of Marisa going to college. Instead he wanted her to work longer to support their family. As someone whose parents were very insistent on school, I could not fathom such a parent!

what can(t) wait seems like such a simple read at first, but as the worries kept piling up, Marisa's struggle between her needs versus her family's seemed like an impossible task. Can she afford to dream big without feeling guilty? Can she work to help out her family without risking her educational goals? Will she fall under the lure of the male persuasion and become part of the teen pregnancy statistic? The weight on Marisa's shoulders is far more than what a teenager should undertake, yet it gives me pause to consider how fortunate I have been to have supportive parents and far less worries.

Fans of Ugly Betty are sure to welcome Marisa and what can(t) wait with open arms, especially those who feel burdened with the pressures of college applications, parents, and other teenaged woes.

---Disclaimer / NetGalley
---RELEASED MARCH 2011 BY CAROLRHODA LAB (LERNER PUBLISHING)

BkRv: As awesome as pie straight from the oven, but twice as hot!

Book Review / 

Eleven Scandals To Start To Win A Duke's Heart
by Sarah MacLean - @sarahmaclean


Romance | Historical | Series Book 3

First Line (eARC) / In retrospect, there were four actions that Miss Juliana Fiori should have reconsidered that evening.

 








The What About / from the author's website

She lives for passion

Bold, impulsive, and a magnet for trouble, Juliana Fiori is no simpering English miss. She refuses to play by society's rules: she speaks her mind, cares nothing for the approval of the ton, and can throw a punch with remarkable accuracy. Her scandalous nature makes her a favorite subject of London's most practiced gossips...and precisely the kind of woman the Duke of Leighton wants far far away from him.

He swears by reputation.

Scandal is the last thing Simon Pearson has room for in his well-ordered world. The Duke of Disdain is too focused on keeping his title untainted and his secrets unknown. But when he discovers Juliana hiding in his carriage late one evening--risking everything he holds dear--he swears to teach the reckless beauty a lesson in propriety.

She has other plans, however; she wants two weeks to prove that even an unflappable duke is not above passion.

The Review / Let it be known that Sarah MacLean is Queen of Romance! Nine Rules was an infatuation and Ten Ways really swept me away, but Eleven Scandals is in a whole other level of LOVE that I'm pretty sure that I'm still floating on Cloud 9 after weeks upon finishing it. I didn't think it was possible for Ms. MacLean's romances to burn any hotter, but holy fried-Twinkie-on-a-stick, the temperature of Eleven Scandals most likely rivaled the Sun's!

I was surprised to see how hard I fell for this new couple since the Duke of Leighton proved himself to be a right bastard by the end of Book 2 and Juliana didn't really have much pagetime in the first 2 books! Simon still was a bit of a pompous jerk at first, but once the spotlight shone on his inner conflict between his upbringing and his desires, he has to be one of my absolute favorite male characters! Watching the Duke carry the weight of reputation and family scandal was fascinating - and he definitely redeems himself after giving us a poor impression in Nine Rules and Ten Ways.

Juliana definitely sparkled in Eleven Scandals - and I have to commend Ms. MacLean for creating a character with such an adorable quirk of not quite mastering English idioms. My favorites include: "He called me a pie!" and "I would like to clean the air." Oy, it was just too cute for words! Juliana has a lot of heart, and I could not help but admire her strength and determination to teach Simon a lesson on passion and what "family" truly means.

The most remarkable thing about Eleven Scandals is how it brought back beloved characters of the previous installments - Callie and Gabriel, Nick and Isabel, Leighton's sister Georgiana. I've read other romance series where prior characters make brief reappearances in the next book, but nothing of much substance. More like "hey, we're still here and together, but we've moved on and so should you." Not so with Eleven Scandals! Sarah MacLean gave her past characters an encore performance to further cement them into our hearts, which definitely makes me want to re-read the whole series again from start to finish.

I definitely recommend that you don't start the series with Eleven Scandals - if anything, at least read Ten Ways first, but I strongly suggest that you read Love By Numbers in numerical order. I guarantee that you'll fall in love with each successive book! Sarah MacLean has written such an amazing series that will keep your heart nice and toasty!

---Disclaimer / NetGalley
---RELEASED APRIL 2011 BY AVON BOOKS (HARPERCOLLINS)
---OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES: NINE RULES TO BREAK WHEN ROMANCING A RAKE, TEN WAYS TO BE ADORED WHEN LANDING A LORD

The 3rd GRaBerversary winner is...

ZombieGirrrl
Crackin' Spines and Takin' Names

Selected prize - ICE by Sarah Beth Durst

What is GRaB
A super-easy giveaway that I run each month. 
Step 1 I review the books
Step 2 You comment on the book reviews for entries (point system here)
Step 3 Entries are tallied up at the end of the month
Step 4 Winner gets randomly selected

*I'm changing it up a little THIS MONTH ONLY because I just realized that it's GRaB's anniversary month and I should celebrate!*
Every week I'm going to randomly select a winner from the book reviews posted so far in April. No crazy point-system for this weekly GRaB. Each comment left = 1 entry.

Of course, the usual month-long GRaB will be in full effect.

What is the prize
Your choice in book from my reviewed pile
That's right, pick any book from any month, any year, and I will send it to you :)

 

Monday Mini(BkRv) :: 46 - 48

:: 46 ::

Book Review / 

Stay
by Deb Caletti - @

YA | Girls

First Line / First off, I've never told this story to anyone. Not the entire thing anyway, and not entire truthfully.

Clara thought love at first sight would be magical and it was at first, but soon it becomes apparent that this oh-so-perfect-love gets bitten by a little green-eyed bug that refuses to let go. She thought nothing could be worse than the physical abuse from her last relationship, but nothing prepared her for the emotional rollercoaster that Christian took her on. When Clara and her father go into hiding at Bishop Rock, she hopes that she can learn to forget Christian and move on with her life.

Review / I am on the fence about Stay - the story seemed real enough, meaningful enough, but I didn't connect well with Clara. She came across as a little too tense, which probably had to do with her desire to protect herself from getting hurt again by people who she thought loved her. It works for her character, but I wish she could have opened herself a little bit more easily with me as a reader. I also wasn't convinced that Clara grew a whole lot in this book, especially when a new (and first healthy) relationship blossoms. Love happens when it happens, but I would have thought there would have been more resistance from Clara before she attempted another relationship. Especially when she was fresh from the previous bad experience.

---Disclaimer / NetGalley
---RELEASED APRIL 2011 BY SIMON PULSE (SIMON & SCHUSTER CHILDREN'S)

:: 47 ::

Book Review / 

CARMEN 
adapted by Walter Dean Myers - @none_found

YA | Theater

First Line / Hey, chicas, I'm looking for a young man to help out around my shop. He's got to be honest. No thieves!

A modern-day telling of the French opera Carmen along the lines of what West Side Story did for Romeo and Juliet. Saucy and vivacious chica del barrio Carmen knows how to wrap guys around her finger, so when she sets her sights on Officer José, he never had a chance to resist. Carmen likes undying devotion in her men, but José gets a little too possessive to her liking. She drops him for the flirty rapper-turned-producer Escamillo which leads into a tragically explosive conclusion.

Review / I had been excited to read a Walter Dean Myers' modernization of Carmen, but I was not prepared for a script whatsoever. I wish I had been more familiar with Carmen and the music because it definitely contributed to my confusion as to what was going on and when the characters were breaking into song. As a cold reading, I couldn't picture what was happening - but I wonder how it would play out as a live performance. I'll have to keep an eye out for the accompanying music that is supposed to be part of this retelling.

---Disclaimer / Publisher
---RELEASED APRIL 2011 BY EGMONT USA

:: 48 ::

Book Review / 

fourth comings & perfect fifths
by Megan McCafferty - @meganmccafferty

YA | Girls | Series Book 4 & 5

First Line /
Book 4: My dear Jessica, I have but one request before you depart for Virginville, Pennsylvania: Don't forget to write.

Book 5 (please highlight): When Jessica Darling blindly collides into Marcus Flutie on this crisp, unclouded January morning, she can't remember the last time she had imagined where she would be - and who he would be - at the moment of their inevitable collision.

In the final 2 books of the Jessica Darling series, our wires-crossed, love-imperfect couple decide if they'll make it or break it for good. While Jessica enters the post-college "real world," Marcus finally decided to go back to organized education in the form of Princeton. Still physically distant in location, Jessica thinks she's too old to re-live the college scene again. Will she wait for Marcus to graduate? Will Marcus dump her for a fresh-faced frosh? Will they find their perfect endings finally together - or finally apart?

Review / Unlike its predecessors, fourth comings chronicles only 1 week of Jessica Darling's life - and yet it packs the most thoughtful and emotional punch of the series. Again, at the end, I find myself in deep contemplation of "forever" and "whatever" that play a role in Jessica and Marcus's romantic entanglements. Then comes along perfect fifths that gives us a whole fourth-wall phenomenon where we dive into third-person present instead of relying solely on Jessica's notebooks. Which means we get a delicious glimpse into the wonder of Marcus Flutie. perfect fifths is simply spot-on as far as reminiscing about the entire series and tying everything into a wonderfully bittersweet conclusion.

---Disclaimer / Borrowed
---RELEASED SEPTEMBER 2008; MARCH 2010 BY THREE RIVERS PRESS (CROWN PUBLISHING)
---OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES: SLOPPY FIRSTS, SECOND HELPINGS, CHARMED THIRDS

BkRv: Let the sun shine down

Book Review / 

Shine
by Lauren Myracle - @laurenmyracle


YA | Suspense

First Line (eARC) / Patrick's house was a ghost.

 








The What About / from the publisher

When her best guy friend falls victim to a vicious hate crime, sixteen-year-old Cat sets out to discover who in her small town did it. Richly atmospheric, this daring mystery mines the secrets of a tightly knit Southern community and examines the strength of will it takes to go against everyone you know in the name of justice.

Against a backdrop of poverty, clannishness, drugs, and intolerance, Myracle has crafted a harrowing coming-of-age tale couched in a deeply intelligent mystery. Smart, fearless, and compassionate, this is an unforgettable work from a beloved author.

The Review / Let me preface this review with a disclaimer: This is my first Lauren Myracle book, but if this is what I can expect from her, then I may just bring myself to reading her other works although I think I may pass on the Internet Girls series.

Shine is a remarkable read that is sure to be timeless. I am in awe of Lauren Myracle for tackling such a emotionally-charged topic and doing so with great care, respect, and brutal honesty. I don't think I have read anything quite like it. At a time where the paranormal genre runs rampant with angels and unicorns and werewolves, I strongly urge everyone to take a breather and check out Shine. It is definitely worth your while!

There are so many things to digest after reading Shine that I hardly know where to start. Cat makes for a perfect narrator who has to brace herself against the "small town = small minds" of Black Creek in order to find who had left her best friend for dead. Additionally, Cat has to reconcile with her own demons in the form of an older brother who disappointed her at the most critical moment of her life and a classmate who has wronged her in the most unforgivable way. As she digs deeper into the truth, she discovers that the small town has been infiltrated by meth - and among its users are some of her classmates.

The ending of Shine will be sure to grip you in an unexpected manner, and it will force you to take a step back and see everyone involved in a new light. Even villains can have a heart. Even villains can redeem themselves. Then again, even villains can remain villains, no matter how you try hard to save them.



Gritty, dark, disturbingly and sadly real, Shine comes at the right time in our lives where society is still hesitant about homosexuality. This is what happens, and this is what has to stop happening! I love that Shine addresses hate crime, but at the same time I am sad that it has to.

Do yourselves a favor. Go and read Shine.

Then spread the love. Stop the hate.

---Disclaimer / NetGalley
---RELEASED MAY 2011 BY AMULET BOOKS (ABRAMS)

Thursday Thinks #14 - What book do you have and want to read, but don't?

I hope that I'm not alone in this dilemma.

You know, the one where there's this book that you have been dying for its release and dying to read and just about died when you bought yourself a copy upon its release date. Fast forward to about half a year later and Mockingjay is still sitting on my shelf, unread, passed over for other reads that may or may not outshine it. How would I know, though, since I have yet to read it?


I'm not entirely sure why I have waited so long. Perhaps because I know that I must re-read the first 2 books to refresh my memory and mentally prepare myself for the conclusion - and I have to dig out those 2 books from wherever they landed in storage. Perhaps I am afraid to end the series and perhaps not be too impressed with it. It is not due to spoilers since I have avoided them like a plague.


Or perhaps I'm just crazy...


Anyhow, I just find it a little funny that I wait and wait and wait for certain books, then go out and buy them ASAP, and then leave them on my shelf for months without a second glance. I don't do it all the time. I devour recent releases like a good bookworm, but there's books like Mockingjay that I just want to hold onto and am half-afraid to even begin quite yet.


Anyone else have a book that you bought ASAP,
but haven't quite brought yourself to read yet?
Is there a book that you're putting off even though you know you'd probably love it?

BkRv: Blinded by the lightning

Book Review /  
This Girl Is Different

by J.J. Johnson - (@ none found)

YA | Girls

First Line (eARC) / I manage to grab the snake, but not without twisting my foot and falling butt-first into the creek.

 








The What About / from the publisher

Senior year is about to start, and Evie is starting at a mainstream high school for the first time. Until now, Evie has been homeschooled by her counter-culture mother, which gives her a view of the world unlike your average teenager.

High school is a social minefield, and Evie finds herself confronting new problems at every turn, failing to follow or even understand the rules. Mainly, she is disturbed to encounter teachers who abuse their power and discriminate against their own students. That’s when Evie, along with her best friend Jacinda, and boyfriend Rajas, start an anonymous blog to give the students a voice.

Eventually, the three lose control of the blog and a number of students and teachers are attacked through increasingly abusive and anonymous posts. Suddenly, Evie has accidentally gone from providing a forum for free speech to creating a place for online bullying—which is the last thing she wanted to do.

The Review / This Girl Is Different is not for the weak-minded. A sharp contrast from books like The Lipstick Laws and Audrey, Wait!, but not quite as dark and troubled as Ballads Of Suburbia. This Girl Is Different is a quite precocious book that will surely inspire readers to be more aware of social justice, freedom of speech, and bullying.

Not to mention all the interesting quotes that open each chapter spurred me on to see what happens next as Evie critically examines the school system and how it contrasts with the freedom that she enjoyed via home-schooling. She dives into the social circles, thankfully with the help of her new friends Jacinda and Rajas who seem to be in the more popular-but-nicer crowd. She gets frustrated with the unfair cell phone policy that favors students who can afford data plans on their phones, but can't answer your mom's call during the lunch hour when it's not disrupting class!

While I didn't love Evie to death (she gives tough love), I did enjoy the message behind This Girl Is Different and it made me consider the difference between the structure of high school versus the freedom of college/real world. Constantly I can see the reasoning behind the school rules, but still I can see how startling it could be for Evie who was unused to the structure. How limiting it can be for one to express oneself (i.e. defend one's dignity), especially when a teacher oversteps their professional boundaries or goes beyond the definition of strict discipline.

I wish there had been a little more good blogging before things spiraled out of control, but this is high school and drama travels explosively fast as Evie soon finds out! Kudos for J.J. Johnson on providing a diversity of authority figures - parents, teachers, principal, etc - who had different expectations for these high-schoolers and acted as both good and bad guys. This is also a story that may inspire educators to take a good look at their teaching attitude - I know that This Girl Is Different would have changed my whole perspective if I had pursued a teaching career!

---Disclaimer / Publisher / eARC
---RELEASED APRIL 2011 BY PEACHTREE PUBLISHERS

BkRv: She is woman, hear her roar

Book Review / 

Eona: The Last Dragoneye
by Alison Goodman - @alisongoodman


YA | Fantasy | Series Book 2

First Line (ARC) / The dragons were crying.

 








The What About / from the publisher

Once she was Eon, a girl disguised as a boy, risking her life for the chance to become a Dragoneye apprentice. Now she is Eona, the Mirror Dragoneye, her country’s savior — but she has an even more dangerous secret.

She cannot control her power.

Each time she tries to bond with her Mirror Dragon, she becomes a conduit for the ten spirit dragons whose Dragoneyes were murdered by Lord Ido. Their anguish floods through her, twisting her ability into a force that destroys the land and its people.

And another force of destruction is on her trail.

Along with Ryko and Lady Dela, Eona is on the run from High Lord Sethon’s army. Sethon has declared himself Emperor. In order to stop him, the renegades must find Kygo, the young Pearl Emperor, who needs Eona’s power if he is to wrest back his throne.

Eona, with its pulse-pounding drama, thrilling fight scenes, sizzling tension - and many surprises - brings to a close an epic story.

The Review / If there is anything I have learned about Alison Goodman, it is that she is an epic-teller and knows how to end with a surprising bang. Stunning, action-packed, love-riddled, and epic, Eona continues the story of the woman who masqueraded as a boy and must now use her femininity to save the Dragons and the Pearl Emperor from impending death.

Watching Eona become Eona was rather interesting, especially since it was more for survival and hiding from the enemy who searched for Lord Eon. She has power as woman and Dragoneye - and it attracts all sorts of men who want to control her and believe they can do so easily since she is female. Nothing is more irksome than a male who thinks being female is a disadvantage! Of course, Eona has her own problems to reconcile: the inability to control her Dragoneye powers; the growing attraction to the wrong man; and the troubling suspicious that her ancestors may have been traitors.

Lord Ido and Emperor Kygo both became important to Eona, but I don't think they truly deserved her. Both blinded by their need for power, their desire to rule the empire - and neither seemed to know how to value Eona for herself until it comes too late in my opinion. They both disappointed me. Compared to George Cooper and his acceptance of Alanna for who she was, I just wished Eona could have had her own Rogue to appreciate her fully and without expectations.

I had to re-read Eon again in order to refresh my memory - and I think that Eon and Eona is truly a packaged deal. Both are roughly the same size, and both require all efforts of concentration to soak in the whole story and revel in it. Eona definitely kicks up the notch in epic, but I felt a little overwhelmed with everything that Eona had to face during such a tumultuous period that seriously defined life-changing. I can't imagine taking away any part of the story - everything and everyone intertwined and created such a breath-taking tapestry that removing anything would unravel Eona.

---Disclaimer / LibraryThing
---RELEASED VIKING (PENGUIN GROUP) BY APRIL 2011
---OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES: EON: DRAGONEYE REBORN

Winner of GRaBerversary Week #2

The 1st GRaBerversary winner is...

Cass
Words on Paper

Selected prize - Wither by Lauren DeStefano

What is GRaB
A super-easy giveaway that I run each month. 
Step 1 I review the books
Step 2 You comment on the book reviews for entries (point system here)
Step 3 Entries are tallied up at the end of the month
Step 4 Winner gets randomly selected

*I'm changing it up a little THIS MONTH ONLY because I just realized that it's GRaB's anniversary month and I should celebrate!*
Every week I'm going to randomly select a winner from the book reviews posted so far in April. No crazy point-system for this weekly GRaB. Each comment left = 1 entry.

Of course, the usual month-long GRaB will be in full effect.

What is the prize
Your choice in book from my reviewed pile
That's right, pick any book from any month, any year, and I will send it to you :)

 

Monday Mini(BkRv) :: 43 - 45

:: 43 ::

Book Review / 

Ballad

by Maggie Stiefvater - @mstiefvater

YA | Fairies

First Line / I was used to being the hunter. If I saw something I wanted, I stalked it, smelled it, made it mine.

James and Dee are still recovering from the aftermath of Lament, and they are now attending the illustrious music school. However, these two inseparable friends have drifted apart in irreparable ways - and James struggles to move on and channels his heartbreak into his music. When the faerie Nuala offers him inspiration in exchange for his life, James has to decide whether holding onto his life is worth the pain and loneliness. As he and Nuala dance about the age-old faerie-human deal, Halloween threatens to invite a more deadly dance about James, Dee, and Nuala.

Review / Ballad is by far one of the best books I have read about unrequited love, especially from a guy's perspective. I wasn't expecting it after reading Lament - but after Ballad, I could hardly remember what was so great about Lament. James was so much more real and raw and heart-breaking than Dee - and he deserved so much more than Dee's half-assed attempts to stay only friends, and it was satisfying to see him get what was due to him. Fans of where she went and perfect fifths will probably enjoy this "His Side Of The Story" sequel. 

---Disclaimer / Bought

---RELEASED BY

---OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES: LAMENT

:: 44 ::

Book Review / 

charmed thirds

by Megan McCafferty - @meganmccafferty

YA | Girls | Series Book 3

First Line / Dear Hope, Whoever said that you can't go home again was wrong. You can go home again. Just don't be surprised when it totally sucks.

Whoever said "Third time is the charm" must not have cleared it with Jessica Darling. She starts college off on the right foot, wildly in love with Marcus Flutie, dreamily living in NYC, and playing nice with her roommates. Yet this third book is rife with uncharming uncertainties that begin with Jessica sabotaging her relationship with Marcus with a drunken one-night whatever. With Marcus disappearing from her life as easily as he entered it, Jessica stumbles through the rest of college, chasing doomed relationship after doomed relationship in search for something better.

Review / I admit that I'm biased against this book - still snarky and likeable, but I was disappointed with the break-up! Jessica and Marcus seemed so short-lived, and as a person who is currently in a long-distance relationship, I seriously expected better of Jessica! charmed thirds is another chapter of Jessica's life that may or may not turn readers off with the break-up with Marcus - but I think the ending will make up for it - if not, the remaining 2 books! Marcus, though primarily absent from the pages, continues to frustrate Jessica and charm readers with his unique form of courtship.

---Disclaimer / Borrowed

---RELEASED APRIL 2007 BY THREE RIVERS PRESS (CROWN PUBLISHING)

---OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES: SLOPPY FIRSTS, SECOND HELPINGS, FOURTH COMINGS, PERFECT FIFTHS

:: 45 ::

Book Review / 

The Cellar
by A.J. Whitten - @ajwhitten


YA | Zombies

First Line (eARC) / "Some days, Meredith, I just...I just wish it was me who died," my sister said that Tuesday morning in early September.

Meredith has been struggling to bring her family back to normal after her sister's horrible car accident that led to their father's death, not to mention trying to sort through reality and hallucinations that are partly due to her strange eye condition. When the spooky house next door gets sold to an even spookier mother-and-son couple, Meredith can't shake the feeling that something is not right with the too-good-to-true dreamboat son Adrien (especially when he wears shades at all hours of the day). But when he brings sunshine back into her sister's life, should Meredith look too closely at the gift horse's mouth?

Review / The Cellar will definitely appeal to those of us who enjoy a decent scare (i.e. all of us who choose willingly to watch scary movies like SAW). I had a little trouble with the different perspectives as the story gets passed from Meredith to her sister Heather to Adrien. It felt a little distracting, and I wonder if it would have been a lot more scarier if Adrien's story was kept in the dark. 


   Zombie Rating / Not a whole lot of zombies running around, but the ones that were definitely weren't safe for the weaker stomachs.




---Disclaimer / NetGalley
---RELEASED MAY 2011 BY HOUGHTON MIFFLIN HARCOURT

Get the Scoop on... Eileen Dreyer (Part Two)

The|EPIC|rat is delighted to have romance writer Eileen Dreyer (@eileendreyer) visit today as part of the blog tour for the release of Never A Gentleman, Book 2 of the Drake's Rakes series. I had to break the Q&A into 2 posts - so in case you didn't catch the Part One, go and check it out!

ALSO: Be sure to visit her website! She is giving away a copy of Never A Gentleman every other day until April 20 - and the grand prize is a gorgeous bracelet from India!

5. WHAT ARE SOME COOL THINGS YOU'VE LEARNED IN YOUR TRAVELS, AND HAVE THEY PLAYED A ROLE IN YOUR BOOKS?

The most precious gift I've brought back from my traveling is the people I've met. I can't tell you how generous, open, helpful, interesting, charming, compelling the people of the world are. They love to meet new people and are delighted to share their information with you.

One lesson I learned was actually in the tiny town of Dillingham, Alaska, where I went on a special program that brought authors in to talk to kids in mostly inaccessible villages. I met with several classes of middle-schoolers, and asked them each to write one page for me about their lives.

"Us?" one kid demanded, looking amazed. "Why? Nothing happens in Dillingham."

"All right," I asked. "Who here has shot a moose?" Every hand went up.

I nodded. "Who's faced a bear in the woods?"

This time the kids were grinning.

"I may be from the lower 48," I said. "But the closest I've come to a moose is watching his butt head the other way. I've never gone to my family's fishing camp in the summer or made Eskimo ice cream or had the privilege of learning dances my people have handed down for thousands of years."

In the end, I learned so much from those kids, not just day to day living, the good and the bad, but the local lore, geography, wildlife, customs. Everywhere you go has something to offer like this. Everyone, no matter who they are, has a story to share. All you have to do is ask and people are glad to tell you. I never go anywhere without having a book in the back of my mind. What story would fit here? Who would walk these streets?

And if I'm really lucky, like with NEVER A GENTLEMAN, I know the story before I set out on my trip. We got to go to India for a friend's wedding. Since chances were slim we were going to get back there soon, I convinced my husband to extend the trip so we could travel around for ten days. I immersed myself in the sights, sounds and smells of India: the lilt of the language, the fluid grace of the people, the teeming streets and colorful, noisy markets. I rode an elephant and left some ashes from my dear friend Dave in the Ganges where the Indian people go to leave their dead. And I got to walk the Lohagarh Fort in Bharatpur, which I discovered the British had unsuccessfully laid siege to in 1804. So when I got back, I made sure my heroine--then fourteen--was inside that fort when it was attacked.

As for the wedding, the customs are brilliant, noisy, joyous, sacred and funny. I did use information I learned about the wedding sari. It is always red or orange, the color of luck. It weighs about thirty pounds, because it is lushly hand-embroidered with at least 22K gold and silver beads and thread. This sari and all of the jewelry the bride wears at her wedding are hers to keep. That way if she loses her husband, she can simply unravel the gold thread and beads and use them for currency to support herself and her children. The sari is exquisite, and so heavy a couple of people have to help the bride around(okay, I fudged on that in NEVER A GENTLEMAN. But the description is correct). One thing I didn't get to use yet, which I hope to in a future book, is that the people in the hotter areas of India dye their hair with henna, because it's a natural cooling agent for the tops of their heads. Who knew?

A big THANK YOU to Eileen Dreyer for stopping by! She is definitely an author I will be adding to my must-read list - go and check out Never A Gentleman now!

Get the Scoop on... Eileen Dreyer (Part One)

The|EPIC|rat is delighted to have romance writer Eileen Dreyer (@eileendreyer) visit today as part of the blog tour for the release of Never A Gentleman, Book 2 of the Drake's Rakes series. I had to break the Q&A into 2 posts - so be sure to stop by again around 5PM to find out what cool travel stories Ms. Dreyer has to share with us!

ALSO: Be sure to visit her website! She is giving away a copy of Never A Gentleman every other day until April 20 - and the grand prize is a gorgeous bracelet from India!

1. HAVE YOU ALWAYS PLANNED ON BECOMING A ROMANCE AUTHOR? (I.E. CHILDHOOD DREAM) 

Heavens, no. This was a huge surprise to me. I was going to go into theater, most especially musical theater. Sadly, my mother refused to pay for my training. She suggested I be a nurse instead, so I could actually make a living. I wrote stories for myself from the time I was ten years old. It was only when I turned thirty and my mom died still waiting to do what she'd dreamed of her whole life, that I had a bit of a midlife crisis. I was standing out on the parking lot of the ER where I worked with another friend saying things like, "There has to be something better than this." I knew it was a bit late for Broadway, and the hours of a lounge singer simply wouldn't jive with a husband who was an engineer and two kids in school. It was my friend who suggested writing. She was the romance reader. She gave me the first romance book I enjoyed, and the rest (after several false starts and a lot of work and angst) is history.

2. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST ROMANCE NOVEL READ, AND AT WHAT AGE?

One of the reasons romance was a surprise to me is because I came up what I call the mystery path from childhood. Nancy Drew, Mary Stewart, Helen McInness. I had tried romances early on, but they were romances written by European authors, in which the hero was older and sardonic, and the heroine was fifteen, virginal and marginally literate(okay, I might be exaggerating here). So I went back to mysteries. It was when I was standing out on that parking lot with my friend Katie that she suggested I try romance again. I was 30. The first book I read was Bitterleaf by Lisa Gregory. It completely changed my mind about romance. The heroine was strong, sympathetic, and could have survived just fine without the hero. But oh, my the chemistry. 

3. FAVORITE AUTHORS/BOOKS? 

Oh, so many. I read everything. So--Dick Francis, Orson Scott Card, Melanie Rawn, Molly Cochran, Tami Hoag, Elizabeth George, Robert Ludlum, Jan Burke, Carl Haaiesen. Julia London, Teresa Medeiros, Connie Brockway, Christine Ridgeway, Carla Kelly, Barbara Metzger, Eloisa James, Kristin Hannah....you get the idea.

4. IF THE WORLD CAUGHT ON FIRE AND ALL BOOKS BUT ONE WOULD BE LOST FOREVER AND ONLY YOU GET TO CHOOSE WHICH ONE TO SAVE, WHICH ONE WOULD YOU RESCUE AND WHY?

I'd burn to a crisp trying to make up my mind. Of course I want to say the Bible, if for no other reason than, if there is a world to go on, it's the best basis for forming it. I think, though, I might grab Princess Bride so that in the new bleaker world(don't you think it would have to be?) you could be assured that humans could laugh and understand the language of love. Are there any three words better than, "As you wish?"

TO BE CONTINUED LATER TODAY - come back at 5PM and read about some of Ms. Dreyer's cool travel stories!

BkRv: Never say never

Book Review / 

Never A Gentleman
by Eileen Dreyer - @eileendreyer


Romance | Historical | Series Book 2

First Line / The room stank of whiskey, sweat, and despair.

 








The What About / from the publisher

SHE HIDES HER TRUE SELF...

Miss Grace Fairchild is under no illusions about her charms. Painfully plain, she is a soldier's daughter who has spent her life being useful, not learning the treacherous ways of the ton. She may have been caught in a scandal with society's favorite rogue, but how can she marry him when it means losing herself?

WHILE HE HIDES HIS TRUE COLORS...

Diccan Hilliard doesn't know which of his enemies drugged him and dumped him in Grace's bed, but he does know the outcome. He and Grace must marry. To his surprise, a wild, heady passion flares between them. Yet Diccan is trapped in a deadly game of intrigue Grace knows nothing about. Will his lies destroy Grace just as he realizes how desperately he needs her? And how can he hope for a future with her, when an old enemy has set his murderous sights on them both?

The Review / Never A Gentleman is an absolutely scrumptious read that blew me away with how fun, emotional, and different it was. My heart wept, broke, raced, and leapt for joy as the pages turned and the main characters struggled to be honest with each other. Delicious, delicious, oh my goodness, DELICIOUS!

I loved Grace and her strength to put others' wants and needs before her own. Even though she finally had the chance to break free from society's obligations and sink into her little slice of country paradise with all her exotic treasures from traveling abroad. No more mockery of her limp, no more snide comments about how plain she looked or dressed, no more Diccan who seems to blow more cold than hot and threatens to shatter everything Grace holds dear - including her spirit.

While Diccan does the inexcusable when it comes to flaunting his affair in Grace's face, the reason behind it softens the blow. Too bad no one really knows that he is simply trying to protect Grace by sleeping with the enemy. Yeah... I sorta feel bad for Diccan, but he sorta dug his own grave really. When Diccan comes clean with all his despicable truth, it was a relief for all involved - most especially Diccan himself. It does bring to question as to how far Diccan should have taken his assignment and how honest he should have been with Grace in the very beginning.

I know that Never A Gentleman may not be for everyone. It is not your delicate or pretty romance - no, not by a long shot - but there is great heart within this story that will appeal to those who enjoy well-developed characters. Grace and Diccan each had a vulnerability that made me want to hug and slap them at the same time.

The intrigue storyline was all right, I suppose. Can't really say too much since I jumped in the middle of it. I will be reading Book 1 (already bought!) and will keep an eye out for Book 3 to come out before I make any final judgment. I don't think this plays a major role in the romance arc except for giving Diccan reason to be so horrible to Grace. If anything, I think the romance itself stands on its own quite nicely - and the intrigue is just bonus thrills.

And one last thing - I totally loved their wedding scene! It was so unique and colorful and cultural - and so totally them - that it has be to the cutest wedding ever written! :)

---Disclaimer / Publisher / Blog Tour
---RELEASED APRIL 2011 BY FOREVER ROMANCE (HACHETTE)
---OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES: BARELY A LADY, ALWAYS A TEMPTRESS

BkRv: Oh, Elizabeth, your justice would freeze beer!

Book Review / 

The Betrayal Of Maggie Blair
by Elizabeth Laird - (@none found)

YA | Historical

First Line (eARC) / I was the first one to see the dead whale lying on the sand at Scalpsie Bay.

 








The What About / from the publisher

In seventeenth-century Scotland, saying the wrong thing can lead to banishment—or worse. Accused of being a witch, sixteen-year-old Maggie Blair is sentenced to be hanged. She escapes, but instead of finding shelter with her principled, patriotic uncle, she brings disaster to his door.

Betrayed by one of her own accusers, Maggie must try to save her uncle and his family from the king’s men, even if she has to risk her own life in the process.

Originally published in the UK, this book has a powerful blend of heart-stopping action and thought-provoking themes.

The Review / What a remarkable historical piece! The Betrayal Of Maggie Blair weaves an incredible story, rich in history and characters, sure to enchant you to turn the pages faster to find the hard truths of witchcraft and heresy.

At first, I could not make head or tails of Maggie Blair. Did I like her? Did I find her too naive and easily swayed by charismatic preachers? Will she be hanged or burnt on the false accusations of witchcraft? As these questions churned in my head, I followed Maggie's plight and found myself slowly falling in love with this book! Elizabeth Laird really throws everything plus the kitchen sink into Maggie's story and gives us insights into what it might have been liked back then when religion played a big part in people's lives - and witchcraft and heresy were starting to cause panic.

All the characters in The Betrayal Of Maggie Blair gave the story much flavor. The villains, the heroes, the romantics, the devout, the liars, the betrayed, the power-hungry - it was hard to let everyone go at the end. Each had a role to play in this drama, and they played it extremely well. No one was a cookie-cutter character, having both qualities to redeem and damn them. Even the villains tugged at my sympathies, although they certainly deserved their unfortunate end as time went on.

If you enjoyed The Witch Of Blackbird Pond, The Crucible, or falling into the time period where they chased after witches, I trust you will find The Betrayal Of Maggie Blair just as magical!

---Disclaimer / Publisher / eARC
---RELEASED APRIL 2011 BY HOUGHTON MIFFLIN HARCOURT

Winner of GRaBerversary Week #1

The 1st GRaBerversary winner is...

Llehn

Selected prize - Delirium by Lauren Oliver

What is GRaB
A super-easy giveaway that I run each month. 
Step 1 I review the books
Step 2 You comment on the book reviews for entries (point system here)
Step 3 Entries are tallied up at the end of the month
Step 4 Winner gets randomly selected

*I'm changing it up a little THIS MONTH ONLY because I just realized that it's GRaB's anniversary month and I should celebrate!*
Every week I'm going to randomly select a winner from the book reviews posted so far in April. No crazy point-system for this weekly GRaB. Each comment left = 1 entry.

Of course, the usual month-long GRaB will be in full effect.

What is the prize
Your choice in book from my reviewed pile
That's right, pick any book from any month, any year, and I will send it to you :)