the {EPIC} rat

BkRv :: Light up the darkness

2012-01-27T08:59:00.000-06:00

BOOK REVIEW ::
LEGEND
Marie Lu - @Marie_Lu

YA | Dystopia | Series Book 1

FIRST LINE :: ARC :: [Day:] My mother thinks I’m dead. Obviously I’m not dead, but it’s safer for her to think so.

SUMMARY :: from the B&N website

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

REVIEW ::
In the words of Barney Stinson, this book is LEGEN…wait for it…DARY – and it definitely does not disappoint if you have been anxiously salivating for LEGEND since Kristin Nelson first mentioned it early 2011. Each page will grip you by the shirt and pull you deeper into this strange America where everything seems to function on cleverly-disguised lies. Who to trust, who to believe, who to discard, who to protect, is there anyone who is genuine enough to do the right thing after learning the truth?

THE GOOD BITS
{Reminescent of Ender’s Game and Divergent} There are good books, and there are GREAT books that leave you feeling exhilarated after reading them – and it is always thrilling to discover new books like LEGEND that fall ahead of the curve. ENDER’S GAME is one of my gold standards, and I am more than happily surprised to discover 2 books this year that come close to its greatness. There is something riveting about having child prodigies discover that their adult superiors may be manipulating them and enact in a fit of rebellion.

{Day and June} I loved how well these two main characters played off each other. Although they came from different backgrounds, they both came to the chessboard with equal intelligence and resourcefulness. As much as I love Day, I will have to say that I favor June more. Most likely because she happens to be a girl who can kick butt both physically and mentally, but also because I think that LEGEND turned out to be more about June. Day may have greeted me at page 1 and had some problems of his own, but in my opinion, June did more of the dirty work of avenging her brother’s death, going undercover to sniff out Day’s whereabouts, learning the real truth about the Republic, and deciding whose side she wants to be on.

THE BAD BITS
{Not enough world-building} I had been hoping that LEGEND would go into how exactly North America split into two warring factions. While there is mention of the Republic and the Colonies, it does not come with a whole lot of details attached. LEGEND focuses more on the corruption within the Republic, and while that is all fascinating, how do the Colonies play into this? I am hoping the answers lie within the next book, especially considering Book 1 leaves Day and June on the very edge of new and even bigger chessboard.

THE OVERALL
LEGEND is well worth the wait – whether you read it now or wait until the rest of the series releases. Marie Lu has crafted a new world that stems from the familiar and branches into something wholly innovative. Smart, sensational, and oh-so-sicker-than-slick, LEGEND contains nothing but the best parts – and if a movie is in the making, all I have to say is: GAME ON!

DISCLAIMER :: PUBLISHER :: ARC
RELEASED NOVEMBER 2011 BY G.P. PUTNAM SONS (PENGUIN YOUNG READERS)

OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES :: TBA

Wednesday Wishlist :: 1 - 4

2012-01-25T08:04:00.000-06:00

:: 1 ::

ZERO
Tom Leveen - @tomleveen

DESCRIPTION ::

For aspiring artist Amanda Walsh, who only half-jokingly goes by the nickname Zero, the summer before college was supposed to be fun - plain and simple. Hanging out with her best friend Jenn, going to clubs, painting, and counting down the days until her escape. But when must-have scholarship money doesn't materialize, and she has a falling out with Jenn that can only be described as majorly awkward, and Zero's parents relationship goes from tense to relentless fighting, her prospects start looking as bleak and surreal as a painting by her idol Salvador Dali. Will life truly imitate art? Will her new, unexpected relationship with a punk skater boy who seems too good to be real and support from the unlikeliest of sources show Zero that she's so much more than a name?

RELEASE DATE :: April 24, 2012

NOTES :: Sophomore release of 2010 debut author (PARTY)

WHY AM I DROOLING :: Not only does it have such an eye-catching cover, but the premise sounds beyond amazing! Amanda sounds like a total rockstar of a person, and I want to see how her life will play out because it looks like Tom Leveen has thrown everything plus the kitchen sink into it!

:: 2 ::

BLACK HEART
Holly Black - @hollyblack

DESCRIPTION ::

Cassel Sharpe knows he’s been used as an assassin, but he’s trying to put all that behind him. He’s trying to be good, even though he grew up in a family of con artists and cheating comes as easily as breathing to him. He’s trying to do the right thing, even though the girl he loves is inextricably connected with crime. And he’s trying to convince himself that working for the Feds is smart, even though he’s been raised to believe the government is the enemy.

But with a mother on the lam, the girl he loves about to take her place in the Mob, and new secrets coming to light, the line between what’s right and what’s wrong becomes increasingly blurred. When the Feds ask Cassel to do the one thing he said he would never do again, he needs to sort out what’s a con and what’s truth. In a dangerous game and with his life on the line, Cassel may have to make his biggest gamble yet—this time on love.

RELEASE DATE :: April 3, 2012

NOTES :: Book 3 of the Curse Workers series (WHITE CAT, RED GLOVE)

WHY AM I DROOLING :: Here's a better question: ARE YOU DROOLING YET? This series may be slicker than black ice, but I am definitely NOT going to let any future books escape my notice! This series has all the best sorts of twists and cons, and I cannot wait to see what Cassel, Lila, and company get into next!

:: 3 ::

GRAVE MERCY
Robin LaFevers - @RLLaFevers

DESCRIPTION ::

Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

Ismae's most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

RELEASE DATE :: April 3, 2012

NOTES :: 2012 debut, Book 1 of His Fair Assassin trilogy

WHY AM I DROOLING :: I spotted this treasure of a book at Bloody Bookaholic's Would You Read Me? feature (which rocks, by the way!) and instantly fell in love with story, cover, and everything. While I wait patiently for Throne Of Glass (formerly a.k.a Queen Of Glass) to finally breathe life in published form, GRAVE MERCY comes at a perfect time! This sounds AWESOME!

:: 4 ::

Shadows In Flight
Orson Scott Card - @none_found

DESCRIPTION ::

At the end of Shadow of the Giant, Bean flees to the stars with three of his children - the three who share the engineered genes that gave him both hyper-intelligence and a short, cruel physical life. The time dilation granted by the speed of their travel gives Earth’s scientists generations to seek a cure, to no avail. In time, they are forgotten - a fading ansible signal speaking of events lost to Earth’s history. But the Delphikis are about to make a discovery that will let them save themselves, and perhaps all of humanity in days to come.

For there in space before them lies a derelict Formic colony ship. Aboard it, they will find both death and wonders--the life support that is failing on their own ship, room to grow, and labs in which to explore their own genetic anomaly and the mysterious disease that killed the ship’s colony.

RELEASE DATE :: January 17, 2012

NOTES :: Book 5 in the Ender's Shadow series

WHY AM I DROOLING :: Ender's Game is - by and far - one of my absolute favorites to re-read whenever the itch arises. When Orson Scott Card ventured on the Bean storyline, I followed somewhat reluctantly because a world run by child geniuses seemed like an interesting concept to explore. I am curious to see how OSC begins to wrap up this long-running series.

BkRv :: Gobblin' like a story-hungry goblin

2012-01-17T16:00:00.000-06:00

BOOK REVIEW ::

In The Forests Of The Night
Kersten Hamilton - @KerstenHamilton

YA | fantasy | Series Book 2

FIRST LINE :: ARC :: Tears were spilling down Teagan Wylltson’s cheeks as she went up the stairs.

SUMMARY :: from the B&N website

Teagan, Finn, and Aiden have made it out of Mag Mell alive, but the Dark Man’s forces are hot on their heels. Back in Chicago, Tea’s goblin cousins show up at her school, sure she will come back to Mag Mell, as goblin blood is never passive once awoken. Soon she will belong to Fear Doirich and join them. In the meantime, they are happy to entertain themselves by trying to seduce, kidnap, or kill Tea’s family and friends.

Tea knows she doesn’t have much time left, and she refuses to leave Finn or her family to be tortured and killed. A wild Stormrider, born to rule and reign, is growing stronger inside her. But as long as she can hold on, she’s still Teagan Wylltson, who plans to be a veterinarian and who heals the sick and hurting. The disease that’s destroying her—that’s destroying them all—has a name: Fear Doirich. And Teagan Wylltson is not going to let him win.

REVIEW ::
Tyger, Tyger was an unexpected delight, and it should come as no surprise that Kersten Hamilton continues the tradition with its sequel In The Forests Of The Night. This series rolls around in all the best ingredients to make an unforgettable read – charming, exciting, heart-breaking, game-changing, and all sorts of fun – I will be quite sad when this all ends because it will be like saying goodbye to a group of good friends.

THE GOOD BITS
{Characters} Teagan may be the star player, but she is more than willing to share the spotlight with her family and friends. Kersten Hamilton has developed such a colorful cast of characters who either have stories to tell or provide the comic relief in an otherwise dark book. More to the point, these characters felt so real that I can easily imagine their family dinner conversations and sense how strong their bond to each other was. I loved seeing all the old characters again and meeting the new ones who had enough charm to stand out on their own. It might sound strange, but these characters felt so much like family that I could not help but to love them like my own!

{Teagan + Finn} These two are just too darn cute that I am glad that they don’t ever melt into a sickening gob of love. Instead, they seem perfectly able to function without the other – and they are both stubborn enough to not listen to each other’s protest of wanting to go into Mag Mell alone. I love every moment they teased each other because it demonstrates how sure-footed their relationship is. I don’t think anyone can break them apart, especially after this book where everyone – including Teagan herself – questions their love.

THE BAD BITS
{Waiting for Book 3 now!} Enough said.

THE OVERALL
In The Forests Of The Night definitely showcases Kersten Hamilton’s storytelling abilities. Not only does the story breathes to life a dark and dangerous mythology, it also provides a few moments of charm and comedy that make these characters unforgettable and all too lovable!

DISCLAIMER :: PUBLISHER :: ARC
RELEASED NOVEMBER 2011 BY CLARION BOOKS (HMH CHILDREN'S)

OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES :: TYGER, TYGER

Challenge :: 2012 SRC

2012-01-15T06:11:00.000-06:00

There are quite a few YA | MG authors who will be releasing their sophomore books, especially Book 2 of their series (I don't know if that counts, but I would think so!). 2011 had some spectacular debut authors, and I cannot WAIT to see what they have cooked up for this upcoming year!

The Basics :: 2012 Sophomore Reading Challenge (SRC)

Hosted by shanyn @chick loves lit
Introductory page here
Similar to 2012 DAC but focuses instead of the 2012 sophomore (a.k.a. second) book of an YA | MG author
Main objective :: Read 10 books that meets the criteria
Bonus :: There will be prize packs scattered out throughout the challenge duration!

TOO PSYCHED FOR WORDS :D

BkRv :: Under the spell of friendship

2012-01-13T09:00:00.000-06:00

BOOK REVIEw ::

crush control

Jennifer Jabaley - @JenniferJabaley

YA | Contemporary

FIRST LINE :: Once upon a time there was a boy. His hair was the color of coal, his eyes the color of faded denim.

SUMMARY :: from the B&N website

Willow has spent most of her life as her mother's sidekick in a popular Las Vegas hypnotism show. So when she and her mom move back to their sleepy southern hometown to start over, she thinks she's in for a life of quiet normalcy. Except that her new life turns out to be anything but, when she kinda sorta hypnotizes Quinton, the hottest guy on the football team, to fall madly, deeply, head over heels in love with her. But what started out as an innocent way to make her best friend, Max, jealous soon gets way out of hand, and Willow begins to wonder if the mind - and more importantly, the heart - is something you can really control.

REVIEW ::
crush control is the perfect example of why I try to give authors a second shot of winning me over. I may not have been wowed by lipstick apology, but crush control definitely puts Jennifer Jabaley back on my TBR radar.

THE GOOD BITS
{Cute story concept} crush control reminds me of something, maybe as far as unique parents go. Whereas Elizabeth Scott goes with ex-playboy bunny, Jennifer Jabaley goes with a former Las Vegas hypnotist for Willow’s mom. Bizarre as it sounds, it definitely works for the story! All these YA contemporary books that speak of “mind control” when the mean girls rule the school, but how interesting to introduce actual hypnosis into the high school dynamics!

{Hypnotized or not hypnotized?} I think this was the main question of the story, and Willow had to determine if hypnosis was really the answer to her heart’s desire. Does she have the heart to undo the hypnosis and put her feelings out there to be possibly rejected? Especially when she hypnotized Max to be her BFF before she left for Las Vegas and he now has a super-sweet girlfriend when Willow returns to Georgia. What a dilemma!

THE BAD BITS
{Cute, but not to the power of cuteness} I think crush control could have been taken up another notch to make it beyond the comprehension of cute. The drama potential was there, but it needed a little more fuel to really burn. For instance, I think Max’s all-too-sugary girlfriend could have milked the jealousy factor and given Willow something more to untangle. It definitely would have given more reason for readers to dislike Max’s girlfriend more – or it could have really driven the sympathy card in her favor.

THE OVERALL
crush control may not have rendered me into a babbly mess like Elizabath Scott tends to do, but I feel that it has the potential to – and that gets me interested to see what Jennifer Jabaley brings to the table next!

DISCLAIMER :: BOUGHT

RELEASED JUNE 2011 BY RAZORBILL (PENGUIN)

Waiting On :: One For The Money (FILM)

2012-01-12T13:00:00.000-06:00

I know there are several who think Stephanie Plum series has beaten one too many dead horses as far as storylines and characters go, but I personally appreciate that these characters stay true to form after 18+ books. I know who I can count on to bring some chuckles. Yes, I would like some resolution to the love triangle between Stephanie, Morelli, and Ranger - but anticipation never hurts anyone.

I don't have high expectations of the movie adaptation for Janet Evanovich's One For The Money, but I still think it looks kinda fun to watch these characters come to life, especially Lula and Grandma Mazur!

What say you all about the movie? Or the books?

Monday Mini(BkRv) :: 1 - 2

2012-01-09T09:04:00.000-06:00

:: 1 ::

BOOK REVIEW ::
But I Love Him
Amanda Grace - @mandyhubbard

YA | Contemporary

FIRST LINE :: I lie in pieces on the floor.

SUMMARY :: from the B&N website

Sometimes at night, I wake up and stare at the heart for hours. I think of how I collected each piece from the beach, how I glued it all together into one big sculpture. I wonder if Connor realizes what it means, that he'll always have a piece of me no matter what happens. Each piece of glass is another piece of myself that I gave to him.

It's too bad I didn't keep any pieces for myself.

At the beginning of senior year, Ann was a smiling, straight-A student and track star with friends and a future. Then she met a haunted young man named Connor. Only she can heal his emotional scars; only he could make her feel so loved - and needed. Ann can't recall the pivotal moment it all changed, when she surrendered everything to be with him, but by graduation, her life has become a dangerous high wire act. Just one mistake could trigger Connor's rage, a senseless storm of cruel words and violence damaging everything - and everyone - in its path.

This evocative slideshow of flashbacks reveals a heartbreaking story of love gone terribly wrong.

REVIEW :: But I Love Him breaks my heart. I am left with so much heaviness and uncertainty that it makes me marvel at how much stronger Amanda Grace has become as a writer (compared to her debut Prada & Prejudice). Walking backwards through Ann and Connor’s tumultuous relationship is a stroke of genius – and the question of how these two got to this pivotal moment burns through my mind as I read onward to the very beginning. The warning signs are there, but the troubling and most heart-wrenching thing about them is how much Ann and Connor wanted to their love to counteract all negativity in their lives – and watching them fail. With a bittersweet ending, But I Love Him will be an unforgettable classic that will make you wish that life’s lessons did not always come in hindsight.

DISCLAIMER :: BOUGHT
RELEASED MAY 2011 BY FLUX (LLEWELLYN)

:: 2 ::

BOOK REVIEW ::

The Catastrophic History Of You & Me

Jess Rothenberg - @JessRothenberg

YA

FIRST LINE :: ARC :: There’s always that one guy who gets a hold on you.

SUMMARY :: from the B&N website

Brie's life ends at sixteen: Her boyfriend tells her he doesn't love her, and the news breaks her heart - literally. But now that she's in heaven, Brie is about to discover that love is way more complicated than she ever imagined. Back in Half Moon Bay, her family has begun to unravel. Her best friend knows a secret about Jacob, the boy she loved and lost - and the truth behind his shattering betrayal. And then there's Patrick, Brie's mysterious new guide and resident Lost Soul who's been D&G (dead and gone) much longer than she… and who just might hold the key to her forever after. With Patrick's help, Brie will have to pass through the five stages of grief before she's ready to move on… but how do you begin again, when your heart is still in pieces?

REVIEW :: By title alone, The Catastrophic History Of You & Me sounds like it should be full of drama and heartbreak that brings about the end of the world. I had high hopes after the first few pages, but after a while I started to wonder where the story was really going. While the heartbreak does lead to all of Brie’s misfortunes, I feel like the story had too much sweetness to spend enough time with anything too deep. There were the frequent cutesy nickname-dropping and usual teenage girl idiosyncrasies, but if I take all that away and look more closely at the serious issues of family meltdown and self-destruction, the story seemed to have cookie-cut answers that did not do much for me. I expected something along the lines of before i fall, but this did not impress me as much despite all its fun sparkles.

DISCLAIMER :: LIBRARYTHING :: ARC
RELEASED JANUARY 2012 BY DIAL BOOKS (PENGUIN YOUNG READERS)

Challenge :: 2012 DAC

2012-01-08T07:00:00.000-06:00

I actually attempted this challenge last year and read about 30+ YA debuts. Pretty darn good dent, but I know there were lots more that I want to read. 2012 is no different - and I also want to keep better track of this challenge this year and not lose steam after the first 2 months.

The Basics :: 2012 Debut Author Challenge (DAC)

Hosted by Kristi @The Story Siren
Introductory page here
Focuses on YA|MG debuts of 2012
Main objective :: Read 12 books that meet the criteria
Bonus :: There will be monthly mini-challenges hosted by other bloggers

I started to check out the debuts for this year - and holy smokes, there are LOTS to watch for! They all sound SOOOOO GOOD! :)

Challenge :: 2012 SaRC

2012-01-07T07:14:00.000-06:00

I am actually psyched about this challenge! This past year I have noticed the rising trend of debuts that turn into series. While that can be a good thing, it is also nice to read a book and know that THAT is that and not worry about counting the days to the sequel.

The Basics :: 2012 Standalone Reading Challenge (SaRC)

Hosted by Hafsah @IceyBooks and Britta @I Like These Books
Introductory page here
Similar to 2012 DAC but focuses on any standalone YA book released in 2012 (debut or not)
Main objective :: Read 15 books that meets the criteria
Bonus :: There will be monthly mini-challenges to win a prize pack!

I am not sure what standalone books are out there for this year, but I will definitely be on the lookout!

Giveaway :: Win your choice in 2012 debuts!

2012-01-05T08:58:00.000-06:00

As a kickstart to the oodles of drool-worthy 2012 YA debuts coming out, I am excited to offer my 1st giveaway of the year! :)

Simply fill out the form below and hope that the Randomizer fairy picks your name at the end of January!

There will be 4 winners who get to choose any 3 debuts
(I will pre-order any that will release later on this year, so the sky is the limit)

Open to anyone, anywhere.

Not sure where to start? Check out this GoodReads list
&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Loading...&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

BkRv :: He's fighting and biting and riding on his horse

2012-01-03T09:37:00.000-06:00

BOOK REVIEw ::
The Scorpio Races
Maggie Stiefvater - @mstiefvater

YA | Fantasy

FIRST LINE :: It is the first of November and so, today, someone will die.

SUMMARY :: from B&N website

Some race to win. Others race to survive.

It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line.

Some riders live.

Others die.

At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.

Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn't given her much of a choice. So she enters the competition - the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.

REVIEW ::
One of these days I will pick up the Mercy Falls series, but for now they sit patiently in my TBR pile. I wasn’t aware that Ms. Stiefvater had moved onto greener pastures until I spotted The Scorpio Races on the shelves. The cover was inspirational, and I dreamed of magnificent horse races with a grandiose historical backdrop and a female lead that will do me proud.

Let me just say that The Scorpio Races may not be what my dreams were made of – but holy epic of epics, this book packed so much MORE that I forgave it for my tiny disappointment!

THE GOOD BITS
{Delicious toe-curling romantic tension} The story unfolds with two different narrators, and each have their burdens to bear as they find themselves drawn to each other. Sean knows all too well the allure of the capaill uisce, but he also has had firsthand experience with the vicious and unpredictable deaths these water horses take part in. He does not attend the training sessions for training’s sake, but to make sure the foolhardy participants remain in one piece. Especially this year’s unexpected participant Puck, who signs up for the sake of saving her family from bankruptcy. Both tend to keep to themselves, but they somehow drift together with their intense determination to win the Scorpio Races. What is a little unusual about this romance is that Sean and Puck never really acknowledge that they liked each other – or went about the usual cycle of “does s/he like me? do I like him/her?” They just drifted together, and on the rare occasion that they touched, it was electric.

{A win-win ending} Not that the story is TOO perfect and everyone gets to eat and have their cake, but I could not imagine a better conclusion than the one delivered. By the end of it, readers will find themselves torn between Puck and Sean – and while it would be amazing to have them both come out on top of the pack, the story ends better with the one winner. What I appreciated is the aftermath of that brutal race. Puck and Sean may have thought the Scorpio Races was the end-all of their training efforts, but truthfully the Races gave them a better sense of what they wanted and deserved from life.

{Capaill uisce} I loved how Maggie Stiefvater imagined these mythological horses into something that works for her. They definitely work for me! They were beautifully ferocious - and, even though they might bite me into little pieces at any given moment, I would so trade up to them from a My Little Pony!

THE BAD BITS
{Slow canter toward the Scorpio Races} The prologue seems a little misleading. It starts off in the midst of the Races, drenched in adrenaline, breath held to see what would happen – and when something tragic struck, a certain pace had been set and I expected it to cannonball into Chapter 1. However, the story slows down considerably – and with it the immediate excitement for the Races. The Scorpio Races works as is and builds the momentum up to the inevitable climax, but if you are expecting a fast-paced read, this is not one of those books.

THE OVERALL
The Scorpio Races is made of EPIC – full of awesome and fearsome – and marks Maggie Stiefvater as one to watch because, if this is the direction she wants to take us after werewolves and faeries, then I will gladly follow!

DISCLAIMER :: BOUGHT

RELEASED OCTOBER 2011 BY SCHOLASTIC, INC

Game On, 2012.

2012-01-02T07:32:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year's!

2012-01-01T00:00:00.000-06:00

BkRv :: A little more to-do before the toodle-loo

2011-12-30T08:24:00.000-06:00

BOOK REVIEW
never eighteen
Megan Bostic - @meganbostic

YA | Contemporary

FIRST LINE :: eARC :: I had the dream again. The one where I'm running.

SUMMARY :: from the author website

Austin Parker is never going to see his eighteenth birthday. At the rate he’s going, he probably won’t even see the end of the year. But in the short time he has left there’s one thing he can do: He can try to help the people he loves live—even though he never will.

It’s probably hopeless.

But he has to try.

REVIEW ::
never eighteen hits the ground running – and right from the start, despite waking up from that recurring dream, Austin takes off to accomplish his to-do list of people to see, places to go, truths to voice that makes time feel even shorter and more precious to hold.

I got a little impatient with never eighteen since the reason for Austin’s to-do list does not become clear until the end. It gets a little obvious (and I suppose the summary does hint at it), but it is almost as if everyone was in denial and no one said it outright – including myself. I would have expected Austin to have mentioned it earlier on, especially since he was so bent on seeing everyone before he goes.

I can see how Austin desires closure for himself and everyone in his life, but it is hard to determine whether he makes an impact on everyone he visits. Some of the people seem pretty random – he knows them, but no longer that well, so his interest in their well-being – while compassionate – is taken with a grain of salt. Other people like his separated parents make more sense – and ends on a good note.

Well-written and thoughtful, never eighteen follows a teen who wants to make the most of his life and leave a lasting impression on people he values.

---DISCLAIMER :: NETGALLEY
---RELEASED JANUARY 2012 BY GRAPHIA (HMH CHILDREN'S)

Wednesday Wishlist :: 27 - 30

2011-12-28T06:21:00.000-06:00

:: 27 ::

Everything You Need To Survive The Apocalypse
Lucas Klauss - @lucas_klauss

TAGLINE :: A male perspective on sorting love from loss, faith from fear—brimming with humor and romance.

RELEASE DATE :: January 3, 2012

NOTES :: 2012 debut

WHY I AM DROOLING :: There is something about the cover that I find very appealing - quirky, simple, to the point. There is also something about reading from a "male perspective" because male narrators does not seem to be all too popular, and Phillip sounds like he will be charming, funny, and insightful.

:: 28 ::

The Alchemy Of Forever
Avery Williams - @averyeverywhere

TAGLINE :: Seraphina’s first love made her immortal; her second might get her killed.

RELEASE DATE :: January 3, 2012

NOTES :: 2012 debut

WHY I AM DROOLING :: When I read the synopsis, it reminded me of mercy and Juliet Immortal where the girl takes over a host body and falls for a boy in this new life. I am curious to see how Avery Williams takes on this particular story concept, and hopefully it will stand out on its own.

:: 29 ::

Under The Never Sky
Veronica Rossi - @v_rossibooks

TAGLINE :: A million ways to die. One way to live.

RELEASE DATE :: January 3, 2012

NOTES :: 2012 debut

WHY I AM DROOLING :: Well then, despite all the end-of-world rumor-mongering, 2012 sure promising so many awesome debuts and sequels! This one is no different - and I cannot wait to see how this dystopia plays out! I can see how Aria must depend on Perry for her survival in the strange and awful "real" world, but I am more interested in finding out why Perry may need Aria for his survival. Curiouser and curiouser!

:: 30 ::

Harbinger

Sara Wilson Etienne - @wilsonetienne

TAGLINE :: Girl, Interrupted meets Beautiful Creatures in this fast-paced thriller

RELEASE DATE :: February 2, 2012

NOTES :: 2012 debut

WHY I AM DROOLING :: Oh, back to the private halls of academia - and something strange walks this way! The cover gives me goosebumps, and I am hoping the story will do likewise because I can use a good scare in my life :} - and I have to admit the last name Etienne reminds me of a certain dreamy croissant of a boy ;D

Wednesday Wishlist :: 23 - 26

2011-12-21T09:35:00.000-06:00

:: 23 ::

Angel Fire
L.A. Weatherly - @LA_Weatherly

TAGLINE :: Will their love endure or spell doomsday for the human race?

RELEASE DATE :: January 24, 2012

NOTES :: Sequel to 2011 debut (Angel Burn)

WHY I AM DROOLING :: Angel Burn was an angel book unlike any other, and it definitely ranks high on my recommendations for all things angels. Two love triangles in action? I hope that L.A. Weatherly manages to pull this feat of ambitious proportions off because I would hate for this sequel to not live up to its predecessor!

:: 24 ::

A Touch Morbid
Leah Clifford - @leahclifford

TAGLINE :: It's not just evil that walks in the dark. It's her path, too.

RELEASE DATE :: February 28, 2012

NOTES :: Sequel to 2011 debut (A Touch Mortal)

WHY I AM DROOLING :: I was not too over-the-moon with A Touch Mortal in general, but the ending left things in such a state that I would like to find out what direction the characters are moving. Oh, and this cover is slick - love the green in her hair and her purple lipstick!

:: 25 ::

A Million Suns
Beth Revis - @bethrevis

TAGLINE :: Godspeed was fueled by lies. Now it is ruled by chaos.

RELEASE DATE :: January 10, 2012

NOTES :: Sequel to 2011 debut (Across The Universe)

WHY I AM DROOLING :: I might have been late to join the fanfare for Across The Universe, but I would be absolutely delusional to NOT read the sequel after such a blackhole of an ending! Is there an end in sight? Is there hope for Amy and Elder? I think the questions far outnumber the stars, and those on Godspeed have a long ways to go before they come close to getting all the right answers...

:: 26 ::

Allegiance
Cayla Kluver - @caylaKL

TAGLINE :: An eighteen-year-old queen in love with the enemy as their countries pass the point of no return...

RELEASE DATE :: February 28, 2012

NOTES :: Sequel to 2011 debut (Legacy)

WHY I AM DROOLING :: Legacy left at a most inopportune time as Alera's life changes for the worse, and I definitely want to see what happens next in this world that Cayla Kluver has envisioned. I am a little hesitant since the characters did not wow me in Book 1, but I am hoping that they have grown a lot in the sequel to make the story a worthwhile read.

Wednesday Wishlist :: 19 - 22

2011-12-14T06:49:00.000-06:00

:: 19 ::

Ditched
Robin Mellom - @RobinMellom

TAGLINE :: [T]o get the whole story, Justina will have to face the boy who ditched her. And discover if losing out at prom can ultimately lead to true love.

RELEASE DATE :: January 10, 2012

NOTES :: 2012 debut

WHY I AM DROOLING :: Ahhhh, the cuteness! It sounds so cute that I cannot resist wanting to revel in its charm - and I am a total sucker for crazy schemes and giggling fits. :) Especially if I need a pick-me-up! Also, the cover is adorable - and I can see the appeal to an everyday girl who dreams of a magical prom where dreams will come true.

:: 20 ::

Graffiti Moon
Cath Crowley - @CathCrowley

TAGLINE :: An artist, a dreamer; a long, mean night...

RELEASE DATE :: February 14, 2012

NOTES :: Hails from Australia

WHY I AM DROOLING :: Basically, the cover caught my attention - and am I sure glad that it did because I absolutely loved it (thanks, NetGalley!). The story may sound all too simple - a boy who paints his heart on the walls, a girl in search for said boy - but the artistic execution will sweep you away!

:: 21 ::

The Disenchantments

Nina LaCour - @nina_lacour

TAGLINE :: Morris Award-finalist Nina LaCour draws together the beauty and influences of music and art to brilliantly capture a group of friends on the brink of the rest of their lives.

RELEASE DATE :: February 16, 2012

NOTES :: Sophomore release of 2009 debut author (Hold Still)

WHY I AM DROOLING :: First of all, most awesome cover! Second, consider me an instant groupie if there is any hint of music-playing to be done. After being hooked on I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone and Five Flavors Of Dumb, can you blame a girl?

:: 22 ::

Double
Jenny Valentine - @none found

TAGLINE :: After all, you can’t just steal a life and expect to get away with it.

RELEASE DATE :: February 21, 2012

NOTES :: Hails from UK

WHY I AM DROOLING :: This sounds like it could be a nice fix before the Holly Black's next installment of the Curse Workers series. Mistaken identity? Who can sniff out the imposter and, even more telling, who will keep mum about it and why? Even more importantly, who wants to read about it? I DO! :)

BkRv :: Turn those hard-thrown lemons into lemonade!

2011-12-07T09:21:00.000-06:00

BOOK REVIEW
The Probability Of Miracles
Wendy Wunder - @WendyWunder

YA | Contemporary

FIRST LINE :: ARC :: When Campbell’s father died, he left her $1,262.56 – as much as he’d been able to sock away during his twenty-year gig as a fire dancer for the “Spirit of Aloha” show at Disney’s Polynesian Hotel.

SUMMARY :: from the B&N webiste

Dry, sarcastic, sixteen-year-old Cam Cooper has spent the last seven years in and out hospitals. The last thing she wants to do in the short life she has left is move 1,500 miles away to Promise, Maine - a place known for the miraculous events that occur there. But it's undeniable that strange things happen in Promise: everlasting sunsets; purple dandelions; flamingoes in the frigid Atlantic; an elusive boy named Asher; and finally, a mysterious envelope containing a list of things for Cam to do before she dies. As Cam checks each item off the list, she finally learns to believe - in love, in herself, and even in miracles.

A debut novel from an immensely talented new writer, The Probability of Miracles crackles with wit, romance and humor and will leave readers laughing and crying with each turn of the page.

REVIEW ::
Dandelions, flamingoes, and a town named Promise? Everything about The Probability Of Miracles sounds too good to be true. Improbably so. And yet… somehow Wendy Wunder pulls you into this story with main character whose doubts outnumber her dreams and leaves you wanting to believe that wishes can come true.

THE GOOD BITS
{Cam’s humor with the perfect dash of sarcasm.} Without a doubt, this story would be way different if there had been any less snark – or if there had been too much. Maybe more melancholy, maybe more tragic, but definitely a lot less enjoyable. Cam and I share the same sort of humor – the same reflex to crack a joke, even during the worst of times – the same need to guard ourselves from heartbreak and disappointment, even when happiness seems possible. Which made it a lot easier for me to sink into The Probability Of Miracles and follow Cam as her shields start to melt.

{The bucket list.} What an ambitious to-do list! Delectably realistic that ranges from the simple to silly to emotionally-fragile. Life is all about risks, and living is all about taking them – or choosing not to. Cam makes a list of experiences that she considers “normal” for a teenager which involves breaking both hearts and rules. I loved how you never quite knew how certain items would play out.

{Little sister Perry.} I loved this little cupcake of a girl! Not too young to fade into the background, not too old to make the drama into a catfight. She provided some comic relief when Cam turned into a regular Grumpy. I also have to admire Perry’s cheerful-but-tough exterior. She reminds me a little of Scrappy Doo: tiny, adorable, and wise beyond her years.

THE BAD BITS
{Almost too perfect?} I honestly cannot complain too much about The Probability Of Miracles being too perfect – because I wouldn’t want it any other way. Wendy Wunder dished out the right balance between good and bad news, and while sometimes the good news felt too good to be true, I think it reflects how life can sometimes hand you lemonade when hope seems like a big joke.

THE OVERALL
If I learned anything from The Probability Of Miracles, it is that hope can be persistent, especially when you have loved ones. Quirky, unexpected, sarcastic, bittersweet, and altogether full of life, this story will steal your breath away – from laughing, from crying, and from sheer wonder when Promise, Maine, lives up to its name.

---DISCLAIMER :: LIBRARYTHING
---RELEASED DECEMBER 2011 BY RAZORBILL (PENGUIN GROUP)

Wednesday Wishlist :: 15 - 18

2011-12-07T07:20:00.000-06:00

:: 15 ::

Wings Of The Wicked
Courtney Allison Moulton - @CAMoulton

TAGLINE :: Life as the Preliator is harder than Ellie ever imagined.

RELEASE DATE :: February 14, 2012

NOTES :: Sequel to Angelfire

WHY I AM DROOLING :: Forget that, WHY AM I *SQUEE*ing ALL OVER THIS SEQUEL TO AN AMAZING DEBUT? Because of a green-eyed boy and a Buffy-esque girl with some wicked blades and - did I mention - killer cliffhanger? Because I sooooo want to know what happens next!

:: 16 ::

Dead To You
Lisa McMann - @lisa_mcmann

TAGLINE :: If only Ethan could remember something, anything, about his life before, he'd be able to put the pieces back together.

RELEASE DATE :: February 7, 2012

NOTES :: --

WHY I AM DROOLING :: After Cryer's Cross, I feel like Lisa McMann sure knows how to raise the goosebumps! This one sounds equally as creepy - and I just cannot seem to NOT want to torture myself. I'll be sure to double-check and triple-check the batteries in my flashlight! I am also curious to watch this unfold...

:: 17 ::

The Fault In Our Stars
John Green - @realjohngreen

TAGLINE :: Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning author John Green’s most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.

RELEASE DATE :: January 10, 2012

NOTES :: willallpreorderedcopiesofthefaultinourstarsbesigned.com

WHY I AM DROOLING :: John Green writes from his awesome, beautiful, and giant soul - and I am freakin' excited to read his latest work! 'nough said. Listen to Chapter 1 | Chapter 2.

:: 18 ::

Fracture
Megan Miranda - @MeganLMiranda

TAGLINE :: A lot can happen in eleven minutes.

RELEASE DATE :: January 17, 2011

NOTES :: 2012 debut

WHY I AM DROOLING :: Miraculous recovery from death? Mysterious clairovoyant powers that comes with an equally mysterious boy? Okay, I cannot help but follow my curiosity because this sounds too interesting not to read it!

BkRv :: Sit down and keep this book open!

2011-12-02T06:41:00.000-06:00

BOOK REVIEW

SHUT OUT

Kody Keplinger - @kody_keplinger

YA | Contemporary

FIRST LINE :: There is nothing more humiliating than being topless in the backseat of your boyfriend’s car when someone decides to throw an egg at the windshield.

SUMMARY :: from the B&N website

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

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

REVIEW :: I devoured THE DUFF like a cream puff, and naturally I pounced on Kody Keplinger’s sophomore release SHUT OUT with glee. The cover may remind me of those beauty makeover books or facial wash commercials, but I definitely would welcome SHUT OUT to make itself a home on my bookshelf because I adored it!

THE GOOD BITS
{Cash + Lissa sitting in a tree…} With a more-than-dreamy library scene that made this bookworm sigh contentedly, Lissa and Cash totally aced their chemistry test in the romance department! I loved how Kody Keplinger strung the reader along with tasty flashback tidbits that never fully revealed what Cash was thinking. These two were awfully adorable – and they may possibly have earned a spot on my all-time favorite YA couples.

{Girls just wanna have fun.} This book was pure fun – and I loved all the different girl personalities that joined forces against the boys. I could relate to their complaints about being overlooked by the boys. Who has not been in a similar situation – passed over for a football game, video game marathon, etc? SHUT OUT had an interesting premise, and while the topic of teenagers having sex may be taboo, I think Kody Keplinger makes some excellent points that perhaps someone needs to be talking about it. The girls had varying levels of experience, but all had doubts and questions that felt too embarrassing to share. However, the “battle” brought them together in a way that they had honest discussions.

THE BAD BITS
{Delayed battle.} The battle of the sexes started off mostly one-sided with the boys in the dark about the girls’ intentions and, once they found out, did not really believe the girls would pull it off. When the football and soccer boys get their act together in the second half of the book, there were a few skirmishes – but nothing to write home about. I guess I expected more head-butting and cheek-slapping, but overall the story was still pretty enjoyable.

THE OVERALL
Irreverent, funny, honest, and a shout-out to all library-lovers and star-gazers out there, SHUT OUT is definitely a rock-my-socks favorite! Once again, the main character is one tough Twinkie, and the love interest has the same insufferable adorability as Logan Echols (altough a hundred times more good-hearted). I suggest, dear Readers, to clear your sleep schedule because SHUT OUT will be worth the all-nighter!

---DISCLAIMER :: BOUGHT
---RELEASED SEPTEMBER 2011 BY POPPY

BkRv :: Sealed with a kiss

2011-12-01T08:42:00.000-06:00

BOOK REVIEW

Lipstick Apology

Jennifer Jabaley - @JenniferJabaley

YA | Contemporary

FIRST LINE :: Steve McCaffity just undressed me with his eyes.

SUMMARY :: from the B&N website

Sometimes a good-bye is just the beginning...

When Emily Carson's parents die in a plane crash, she's left with nothing but her mother's last words scrawled in lipstick on a tray table: "Emily, please forgive me."

Now it's fall and Emily moves to New York City - where she attracts the attention of two very different boys: the cute, popular Owen, and her quirky chemistry partner, Anthony. With the help of some surprising new friends, Emily must choose between the boy who helps her forget and the one who encourages her to remember, and ultimately heal.

REVIEW :: I have been staring at this book forever whenever I stop inside bookstores, but I finally decided to grab it a while back – and then proceeded to stare at it within the comforts of my own home. I am not sure why I put off reading Lipstick Apology for so long, but since I have been on a YA contemporary kick, I decided to give it a go.

THE GOOD BITS
{Life must go on...} Lipstick Apology is a story about a girl trying to move forward after an unspeakable grief. Her parents died in a plane crash – should Emily be worrying about clothes and boys and other teenaged drama? Yes, she is still grieving, but her life must go on in because the world does not truly stop for anyone. I liked the presence of Aunt Jolie who takes on the parental role and virtually becomes a single mother. She is in over her head, but she tries the best she can to do right with her niece and adjusts her living arrangements. Grieving is a work in progress, and I felt that Emily and Aunt Jolie gave their best efforts to deal with the major life changes.

{Believable characters} If I had to describe Lipstick Apology, I would probably say that it seemed honest-to-goodness real. The diversity of teenagers seemed spot-on, and I could relate to all their flaws and vulnerabilities. Or at least picture their real-life counterparts. Yes, even the immature boys who think use their irresistible hotness for evil purposes (such as humiliate a terribly sweet girl with the unfortunate happenstance of crushing on said boy). Nothing too exciting or fantastic, but a slice of life that paints a sincere and realistic portrayal of a girl whose world will never be quite the same again.

THE BAD BITS
{Lack of romance?} There were two contenders for Emily’s heart, but I did not feel that either gave their best efforts. (Spoiler :: The ever-popular Owen seemed nice enough, but I did not feel the wattage of killer green eyes that Emily did. He felt a little flat for me. On the other hand, Anthony had great potential, but he did not have enough pagetime with Emily for me to commit to their relationship.) Which I can see as a positive thing because romance – while great and comforting – may not be the best solution to a grieving heart. I guess I expected more of that romantic tension since the book summary alludes to the boys’ importance.

{Questionable ending?} Naturally I wanted to figure out what Emily’s mother meant with her cryptic EMILY PLEASE FORGIVE ME message. Emily does find out the truth eventually – but again I expected more from the truth than what Lipstick Apology delivered. I do not think Emily gave enough time to digest her mother’s actions, and while the ending may be beautifully wrapped in forgiveness, I have to admit that I am a little put out by it. I can understand and appreciate the end-result, but I feel that Emily rushed into that decision without really talking to anyone about it. If I had been in Emily’s shoes, I think I would have discussed the truth to death with Aunt Jolie at least.

THE OVERALL
Lipstick Apology is a quiet book, and I cannot say that it rocked my world in the same manner as Stephanie Kuehnert or Elizabeth Scott. This book puzzles me. It felt almost too realistic where no one really knows their purpose in life and everyone wonders around semi-confused. The different story elements - Emily's grief versus normal teenage drama versus the mysterious farewell message - did not seem to connect with each other to form a bigger and more satisfying puzzle.

---DISCLAIMER :: BOUGHT
---RELEASED AUGUST 2009 BY RAZORBILL

Wednesday Wishlist :: 11 - 14

2011-11-30T08:34:00.000-06:00

:: 11 ::

A Beautiful Evil
Kelly Keaton - @KellyKeaton

TAGLINE :: The darkness within her is the most desire.

RELEASE DATE :: February 21, 2012

NOTES :: Sequel to Darkness Becomes Her

WHY I AM DROOLING :: Plain and simple, I LOVED Darkness Becomes Her last year - and if the sequel continues to lay on the excitement and snarky and mythological surprises like a thick and creamy peanut butter spread, then I cannot wait to take a bite out of this chunky sandwich! In fact, I am tempted to munch on Book 1 in the meantime...

:: 12 ::

Forgiven
Jana Oliver - @crazyauthorgirl

TAGLINE :: Caught between her bargain with Heaven and her promise to Lucifer, Riley fears the final war is coming—and it may be closer than anyone thinks…

RELEASE DATE :: February 28, 2012

NOTES :: Book 3 of the Demon Trappers series

WHY I AM DROOLING :: Wait a minute! I haven't even read Book1 yet - and when did Book 2 come out?! What rock have I been living under? Of course I must remedy this since I have heard nothing but good things about the first book! On the flipside, at least I don't have to wait too long to find out what happens next :D

:: 13 ::

Scarlet
A.C. Gaughen - @acgaughen

TAGLINE :: Many readers know the tale of Robin Hood, but they will be swept away by this new version full of action, secrets, and romance.

RELEASE DATE :: February 14, 2012

NOTES :: 2012 debut

WHY I AM DROOLING :: Oo-de-lally! I want this SO bad - there are not enough Robin Hood stories out there to enjoy! I loved The Outlaws Of Sherwood by Robin McKinley and The Forestwife by Teresa Tomlinson, so tickle me green when I say that I am looking forward to this debut! The only thing I am worried about is looking past my devotion to Maid Marian - but I am sure if Scarlet has that special snarky spunkiness, I may be able to get on board with this romance :)

:: 14 ::

The Butterfly Clues
Kate Ellison - @none found

TAGLINE :: Sometimes the things we need most are the deadliest.

RELEASE DATE :: February 14, 2012

NOTES :: 2012 debut

WHY I AM DROOLING :: Not only is the cover beautiful in a jarring sort of way, the story will surely grab the attention of anyone with a healthy curiosity. I have to admit that I have cheated a teensy bit and got a chance to read this debut early thanks to NetGalley, but let me say that if your curiosity ever got the best of you, then you are going to die and dance up to seventh heaven once you pick up The Butterfly Clues!

Wednesday Wishlist :: 7 - 10

2011-11-23T08:27:00.000-06:00

:: 7 ::

Lovetorn
Kavita Daswani - @not_found

TAGLINE :: In Lovetorn, Shalini discovers that your heart ultimately makes its own choices, even when it seems as if your destiny has already been chosen.

RELEASE DATE :: January 17, 2012

NOTES ::

WHY AM I DROOLING :: Arranged marriage? Clash of the cultures? Holy smokes, I can already feel the delicious tension curling around my heart! I know that I may take things for granted, but it is books like Lovetorn that remind me of how lucky I am to be who I am and where I am.

:: 8 ::

Everneath
Brodi Ashton - @brodiashton

TAGLINE :: EVER is a long time. Love lasts even longer. Only true love can survive.

RELEASE DATE :: January 24, 2012

NOTES :: 2012 debut; Book 1 of anticipated trilogy

WHY AM I DROOLING :: This book has been making its round on the blogs, but seriously can you really blame it? The cover is beyond, beyond, BEYOND GORGEOUS. And Persephone myth re-invention? Enough said - SIGN ME UP!

:: 9 ::

Cinder
Marissa Meyer - @marissa_meyer

TAGLINE :: Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.

RELEASE DATE :: January 3, 2012

NOTES :: 2012 debut; Book 1 of series

WHY AM I DROOLING :: HAPPY NEW YEAR's to us :D The cover is stunning - and the ageless Cinderella storyline gets twisted in a wholy imaginative way that makes me hopping with excitement. Science fiction meet fairy tale - I think we all know that this will be a match made in the heavens!

:: 10 ::

Unraveling Isobel
Eileen Cook - @Eileenwriter

TAGLINE :: Goodbye, best friend. Goodbye, social life. Hello, icky new stepfather, crunchy granola town, and unbelievably good-looking, officially off-limits stepbrother.

RELEASE DATE :: January 3, 2012

NOTES ::

WHY AM I DROOLING :: I am not 100% certain what Unraveling Isobel is about, but it seems to be dripping with mystery and gothic and everything goosebumps. Curiosity always seems to get the best of me :)

Wednesday Wishlist :: 4 - 6

2011-11-16T08:30:00.000-06:00

:: 4 ::

There Is No Dog
Meg Rosoff - @megrosoff

Tagline :: What if God were a teenaged boy?

Release Date :: January 24, 2012

Notes ::

Why I am drooling :: I love the sound of this book! It sounds funny, irreverent, but altogether meaningful in a way that will probably be unforgettable. I haven't read any of the author's previous works, but I think I just might check it out in the meantime :)

:: 5 ::

The Way We Fall
Megan Crewe - @megancrewe

Tagline :: Megan Crewe crafts a powerful and gripping exploration of self-preservation, first love, and hope. Poignant and dizzying, this heart-wrenching story of one girl’s bravery and unbeatable spirit will leave readers fervently awaiting the next book in this standout new series.

Release Date :: January 24, 2011

Notes :: Sophomore release of a 2009 debut author (Give Up The Ghost); Book 1 of a three-book series

Why I am drooling :: I want to know what happens! Mysterious viral outbreak, quarantine of an entire island, survival of the fittest and smartest? This sounds INTENSE.

:: 6 ::

Try Not To Breathe
Jennifer R. Hubbard - @JennRHubbard

Tagline :: In the summer after his suicide attempt, sixteen-year-old Ryan struggles with guilty secrets and befriends a girl who’s visiting psychics to try to reach her dead father.

Release Date :: January 19, 2012

Notes :: Sophomore release of 2010 debut author (The Secret Year)

Why I am drooling :: This past year I recently fell under the YA Contemporary spell, and I have to admit that I have not regretted it one bit! Try Not To Breathe sounds dark, but it also hints at the possibility of hope. I am more than looking forward to seeing how this author takes on this tricky subject matter.

Monday Mini(BkRv) :: 82 - 83

2011-11-14T07:40:00.000-06:00

:: 82 ::

BOOK REVIEW
Deliciously Sinful
Lilli Feisty - @LilliFeisty

Romance | Contemporary

FIRST LINE :: ARC :: When Phoebe Mayle touched her forehead, it was sticky with blood.

Phoebe cannot cook for the life of her, so imagine her dismay when she inherits her aunt and uncle’s small award-winning café after their deaths. In lieu of her culinary shortcomings, she makes the executive decision to hire Nick Avalon to rescue the café from failure. Phoebe braces herself for arguing with the hotshot LA chef on menu offerings, but she fails to shield her heart against the absolute hotness of her latest employee. Will Phoebe be able to endure the sizzle of Nick’s eyes, or will she burn to a crisp with no hope of saving this dish?

REVIEW :: Lately I have been finding books that start at one point and then go a very different direction that sometimes does not make sense. In this case, we begin with the first line – and it braces me for a possible “foul play” storyline. SO not the case! Why does it start here? I think the story would still work out fine without this beginning. Did Deliciously Sinful satisfy this reader’s appetite? Well… it does okay as a snack, but it is far from being a full-course meal. I expected more actual resistance, but it seemed that Phoebe bent to Nick's bad boy charms way too easily. If Phoebe and Nick had resisted each other a little bit longer and added more kindling to the fire, the story may have reached the necessary heat to bring my tea to a boil.

---DISCLAIMER :: PUBLISHER
---RELEASED NOVEMBER 2011 BY FOREVER (GRAND CENTRAL PUBLISHING)

:: 82 ::

BOOK REVIEW
Too Wicked To Wed

Cara Elliott - @CaraElliott_1

Romance | Historical | Series Book 1

FIRST LINE :: ARC :: “So this is what a brothel looks like. It is not at all what I expected.”

Many ladies dream of receiving their first kiss – stolen in a moonlit garden, seduced during a waltz, somewhere definitely romantic. The least romantic would be inside a notorious brothel, yet that is exactly where Lady Alexa gives up her first kiss to the Wolfhound in exchange for the whereabouts of her brother. A harmless bargain really that should not have mattered one bit to the Wolfhound, but little did Connor Linsley know that the kiss would bind him to this unconventional lady. Which is most unfortunate since someone seems to be on the hunt to destroying all that Connor holds dear – and an ill-timed melting of his heart does not bode well for survival for both him and Alexa.

REVIEW :: Too Wicked To Wed seemed very promising in the beginning. Alexa had so much potential – country-bred, outspoken, determined, and altogether curious about things no genteel lady should ever think about – and I wanted to like her. I do like her, but I just didn’t love her to bits and pieces. I typically gauge a romance by how well I can feel the steam rising from the pages, especially during the out-of-bed moments. I look forward to the chase, the denials, the fights, the heartbreaks, the declaration of love. Alexa and Connor may have had those moments, but I found myself not invested in their relationship. Even when they nearly died at the end! Others may find that magical spark hidden within these pages, but for me, Too Wicked To Wed did not give me a decent cup of tea.

---DISCLAIMER :: PUBLISHER

---RELEASED NOVEMBER 2011 BY FOREVER (GRAND CENTRAL PUBLISHING)

---OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES :: TOO TEMPTING TO RESIST

Wednesday Wishlist :: 1 - 3

2011-11-09T06:58:00.000-06:00

For some reason, I feel alarmed that my wishlist of January 2012 titles already outnumber the 2011 list. But it seems that these titles, covers, stories keep sounding better and better - and I am PSYCHED! :)

:: 1 ::

Jessica Rules The Dark Side
Beth Fantaskey - @bethfantaskey

Tagline :: It's one thing to find out you're a vampire princess. It's a whole other thing to actually rule.

Release Date :: January 10, 2012

Note :: Sequel to Jessica's Guide To Dating On The Dark Side

Why I am drooling :: I enjoyed the love/hate intensity between Jessica and Lucius from Book 1, and if the sequel channels their delicious tension and brings it in spades, then sign me up! I am a teensy bit worried that this Jessica may have grown up since Book 1 - especially considering how serene the girl on the cover looks in her regal purple dress.

:: 2 ::

New Girl
Paige Harbison - @paigeharbison

Tagline :: What if nobody knew your name?

Release Date :: January 31, 2012

Note :: Sophomore release of a 2011 debut author (Here Lies Bridget)

Why I am drooling :: I was seriously impressed with Paige Harbison's debut where the love-to-hate main character gets a chance to reflect on her flaws and ultimately redeems herself in the reader's mind. Naturally I would jump at the chance to read her next book! New Girl looks completely different from her debut, and it sounds like a promising suspense of a read!

:: 3 ::

The Storyteller
Antonia Michaelis - @not found

Tagline :: Award-winning author Antonia Michaelis moves in a bold new direction with her latest novel: a dark, haunting, contemporary story that is part mystery, part romance, and part melodrama.

Release Date :: January 1, 2012

Note :: Translated from German

Why I am drooling :: I have not read anything by this author, but it seriously seems to combine all the necessary ingredients to make an unforgettable read!

Monday Mini(BkRv) :: 80 - 81

2011-11-07T08:59:00.000-06:00

:: 80 ::

BOOK REVIEW
The Taker
Alma Katsu - @almakatsu

Fiction

FIRST LINE :: Goddamned freezing cold. Luke Findley’s breath hangs in the air, nearly a solid thing shaped like a frozen wasp’s nest, wrung of all its oxygen.

Dr. Luke Findley thought he knew the difference between life and death, and he was getting tired of this black-and-white life. When he watches murder suspect Lanny McIlvrae heal instantly before him, suddenly Luke’s life takes a walk on the gray side. Before he stops to consider the consequences, Luke helps this mysterious young woman escape from the authorities and inexplicably tags along. While on the run, Lanny reveals her story which dates back to the early 1800s. It revolves around an unfortunate and unrequited love that leads to a life of immortality with an evil man and ends with Lanny left alone in the world, unloved but unable to die.

REVIEW :: The Taker is fantastic love story that is full of tragedy, and Alma Katsu captures the fragile beauty of Lanny’s emotions and injects it with a dose of Faustian bargrain-making. The narration is absolutely mesmerizing that the pages turned by themselves, and I got lost within the mysterious and terrifying events that surround Lanny’s past. I did not quite understand the role of Luke. He mostly served as Lanny’s listening board, but I wished he had more of an impact to how Lanny’s story ended. Of course, one can argue he DID impact it at the very end – but then again, I also wished the ending had played out differently. It felt a little too tidy and too perfect – and I wanted a little mess beforehand – a dramatic struggle or something – because it felt that Lanny’s story is not quite over yet.

---DISCLAIMER :: PUBLISHER
---RELEASED SEPTEMBER 2011 BY GALLERY BOOKS (SIMON & SCHUSTER)

:: 81 ::

BOOK REVIEW
Juliet Immortal
Stacey Jay - @Stacey_Jay

YA | Paranormal

FIRST LINE :: Tonight, he could have come through the door – the castello is quiet, even the servants asleep in their beds, and Nurse would have let him in – but he chooses the window, climbing through the tangle of night flowers, carrying petals in on his clothes.

SUMMARY :: from the B&N website

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

REVIEW :: Juliet Immortal takes on this iconic romantic couple and pits them against each other in a wholly imaginative way. Juliet is not the naïve, lovesick girl of years past and instead proves herself a force that I want on my side of a fight. There were times when I had trouble with the storyline, especially in regards to Romeo’s intentions. Every once in a while, Romeo gets his own pagetime – and it is both disturbing and confusing. It seems obvious that much larger forces were influencing Juliet and Romeo, but it was hard to discern who pulled the strings and why. A sequel would be nice to figure this out, but I doubt it will come since the ending for Juliet was more than perfect and conclusive. On the other hand, Romeo does excel in doing the unexpected. Juliet Immortal definitely felt a lot darker and more serious than Stacey Jay’s UNDEAD series. This book may appeal to those who enjoyed mercy or RIPPLE.

---DISCLAIMER :: BOUGHT
---RELEASED AUGUST 2011 BY DELACORTE PRESS (RANDOM HOUSE CHILDREN'S)

BkRv :: Love lifts us up where we belong

2011-11-04T07:43:00.000-05:00

BOOK REVIEW
The Unwritten Rule
Elizabeth Scott - @escottwrites

YA | Contemporary

FIRST LINE :: (Chapter One) ::
I liked him first, but that doesn't matter.
I still like him.
That doesn't matter either.
Or at least, it's not supposed to.

SUMMARY :: from the back cover

Everyone knows the unwritten rule: You don’t like your best friend’s boyfriend.

Sarah has had a crush on Ryan for years. He’s easy to talk to, supersmart, and totally gets her. Lately it even seems like he’s paying extra attention to her. Everything would be perfect except for two tiny details: Ryan is Brianna’s boyfriend, and Brianna is Sarah’s best friend.

Sarah forces herself to avoid Ryan and tries to convince herself not to like him. She feels so guilty for wanting him, and the last thing she wants to do is hurt her best friend. But when she is thrown together with Ryan one night, something happens between them. It’s wonderful…and awful. Sarah is torn apart by guilt, but what she feels is nothing short of addiction, and she can’t stop herself from wanting more…

REVIEW ::
There is no question that I adore Elizabeth Scott, and I haven’t met a book of hers that I have not enjoyed or left without feeling those warm fuzzies (except maybe living dead girl, but I am sure that warm fuzzies was the main goal). The Unwritten Rule contains all the good things that one would expect from a YA contemporary romance. It is full of unexpected quirks and delightful teenage heartaches that I have come expect from Elizabeth Scott.

THE GOOD BITS
{Think YA version of SOMETHING BORROWED} You may recall that something borrowed had left me with a troubled heart where I wanted to root for the main character to get the man, but not at the expense of her best friend’s engagement with him. For me, being engaged is serious commitment, and having him hesitate to break it off did not sit well with me. In The Unwritten Rule, I had no similar qualms – and I believe it is because the characters were so much younger and most likely not at the point where marriage is the hot topic. Brianna and Ryan have not committed the rest of their lives together, and while the whole matter of cheating is still a no-no, I did not judge these younger individuals too harshly.

{The characters are always believable} How does Elizabeth Scott do it? I felt for Sarah as she struggled with the choice of her own happiness or her best friend’s. I felt for Ryan as he somehow got wrapped around Brianna’s finger instead of the girl he actually wanted. I felt for Brianna who wanted someone to love her, but did not know how to let her shields down. I loved the supporting cast of characters, especially Sarah’s parents. There is nothing more charming than the parents that Elizabeth Scott dreams up, and this set was exceptionally funny and strange and supportive and oh-so-lovable.

THE BAD BITS
{Whatever happens to Brianna?} I don’t feel too bad about spoiling the story because I am positive that a happy ending is expected by all. The only thing I am sad about is the burning of the friendship bridge. Surely no one can expect best friends to kiss and make up in the blink of an eye after one of them steals the other’s boyfriend. While Sarah and Ryan may have end up where they wanted to be, Brianna has been abandoned (although one may argue that she made her own bed in the matter). I want to know what happens to her now. I am sad to think that Elizabeth Scott may not pull a something blue-like sequel, but it would provide a more of a closure for Brianna who doesn’t seem to deserve the ending she was dealt.

THE OVERALL
If Elizabeth Scott tops your sundaes with some whipped cream and a cherry in the past, then The Unwritten Rule will carry on with this lovely tradition! It is tough to write a story where all three participants of the love triangle earns sympathy points, but Elizabeth Scott rises up to the challenge and delivers characters who definitely tug at the heartstrings. For anyone who has not read Elizabeth Scott and needs a little warm fuzzy for the winter months, you won’t go wrong by cuddling up with The Unwritten Rule!

---DISCLAIMER :: BOUGHT

---RELEASED MARCH 2010 BY SIMON PULSE (SIMON & SCHUSTER CHILDREN'S)

BkRv :: Splish, splash will never be the same

2011-11-02T08:54:00.000-05:00

BOOK REVIEW
envy
Gregg Olson - @ none found

YA | Suspense | Series Book 1

FIRST LINE :: Water gushed out of the corroded faucet into the chipped, porcelain tub, pooling at the bottom with a few tangled strands of long, brown hair.

SUMMARY :: from the publisher

Murder is such a dirty word…

In Port Gamble (aka “Empty Coffin”), Washington, truth is about as hard to come by as a sunny day. One minute Katelyn is a depressed teen with a loser life. The next, she’s lying on a stainless steel slab, eyes glassy, skin frosted over, and very, very dead.

Down the street from Katelyn, twins Hayley and Taylor Ryan can’t escape the encroaching winter darkness. As they recover from the shock of Katelyn’s death, they realize how entwined they already are in the evil circulating Empty Coffin. And while they can’t explain it, an unknown force pushes them to uncover the truth. Is Katelyn Port Gamble’s first and only victim?

REVIEW ::
I believe envy may not be the first in YA suspense – but it reminds me more strongly of its adult version (similar to how The Season takes the historical romance genre and makes it more youthful). It reminds me of cryer's cross with a similar creepy factor to it. Yet I feel that the difference between them is that cryer's cross had a more supernatural ending and envy simply relies on more realistic events that can actually happen to anyone.

THE GOOD BITS
{YA version of adult suspense.} I don’t read much suspense, especially after a few all-nighters with Patricia Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta vs serial killers. Nothing defines the suspense genre better than the reader’s growing sense of dread as the pages turn, and envy definitely channels this necessary reaction! With creepy interludes of an unknown villain, I braced myself for a horror that defies imagination that reveals whose sick mind was behind Katelyn’s death.

{Inspired by real tragedies relating to cyber-bullying.} Gregg Olson incorporates cyber-bullying into envy – and the result of it simply horrifies me to no end. The Internet has such a wonderful function, but when used for evil intentions, it can be a powerful weapon for bullying. envy makes me wonder how exactly we can stop such violence when it isn’t even very tangible – how does one de-program the tech-savvy bullies and make them feel the consequences of their actions?

{Unexpected twist with unpredictable ending.} The ending of envy took me completely by surprise – and it definitely will leave readers wondering just where Gregg Olson wants to take this series. Katelyn’s death seemed so straightforward at first in the beginning, but the Ryan twins suspect foul play with their uncanny sixth sense. As more players enter the field to look into Katelyn’s death whether to uncover the truth or reap the benefits of bad news, I was not even close to piecing the whodunit together.

THE BAD BITS
{Too many characters in the kitchen.} Throwing different people into the mix helps to keep the suspense building. I wonder who will finally discover the truth, who will hinder the investigation, who was behind the crime., who suffers, who simply doesn’t care – and it keeps me on my toes. However, I thought some of the characters were a little distracting as they served not the immediate story of Katelyn’s death, but existed for the overall series storyline. It works for TV series like LOST or VERONICA MARS where each episode was a mini-mystery with hints of the finale, but in envy I found it a little distracting.

{Misleading cover?} Is it just me, or does the cover remind anyone else of the girl from THE RING? Very creepy – too creepy in fact for a book with no ghostlies or other bumps in the night. I don’t think I would have picked envy up if I had realized it was suspense.

{Twin “specialness” not fully developed. } I suspect that the Ryan twins will be the stars of the EMPTY COFFIN SERIES, and envy is merely the tip of the iceberg as to what exactly these twins can or cannot do. I am not entirely convinced that this “specialness” works for the series yet. I wish also that the twins stood out from each other more because they are still “Hay-Tay” to me and not as individual as say Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield.

THE OVERALL
While the EMPTY COFFIN SERIES may promise to be different from current YA books, I cannot say that envy left me with a definite sense of “AHA! This is what YA is missing from its shelves!” It was a decent suspense, but nothing that blew my socks off. It will be interesting to see if Book 2 will deliver a more potent reaction…

---DISCLAIMER :: LIBRARYTHING
---RELEASED SEPTEMBER 2011 BY SPLINTER
---OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES :: BETRAYAL

Monday Mini(BkRv) :: 78 - 79

2011-10-31T08:04:00.001-05:00

:: 78 ::

BOOK REVIEW

Becoming Marie Antoinette

Juliet Grey - @none found

Historical | Series Book 1

FIRST LINE :: My mother liked to boast that her numerous daughters were “sacrifices to politics.” I never dared admit to Maman, who was Empress of the Holy Roman Empire, that the phrase terrified me more than she could know. Every time she said it, my imagination painted a violent tableau of Abraham and Isaac.

SUMMARY :: from the book cover

This enthralling confection of a novel, the first in a new trilogy, follows the transformation of a coddled Austrian archduchess into the reckless, powerful, beautiful queen Marie Antoinette.

REVIEW :: Becoming Marie Antoinette starts at the beginning where Marie Antoinette is still balancing her courtly lessons with her desire to chase after butterflies. She hardly seems ready to reign and dance through the political webs of French court, especially with a husband equally ill-prepared. Juliet Grey brings this young woman to life and captures her voice so vividly that one cannot help but to love her. I especially enjoyed the moments when Marie tries to capture Louis’s attention – their relationship seems so beautiful in its awkwardness. The only downside that I noticed was the ending. Granted, Becoming Marie Antoinette is simply Book 1 in a series, but I had wished it had continued a little bit longer just when the story starts to take off.

---DISCLAIMER :: PUBLISHER
---RELEASED AUGUST 2011 BY BALLANTINE BOOKS (RANDOM HOUSE)
---OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES :: DAYS OF SPLENDOR, DAYS OF SORROW

:: 79 ::

BOOK REVIEW
LIE
Caroline Bock - @cabockwrites

YA | Contemporary

FIRST LINE :: ARC :: I should be in calculus, reviewing for the final, not at the police station. Or I should be in the school parking lot, deciding on whether to cut class and go to the beach with the other seniors. Or at the diner with Lisa Marie. Or even home. I should be anywhere but here.

To lie or to come clean… Skylar Thompson has to decide whether to free her boyfriend Jimmy by keeping silent or speak the truth and face its consequences. To love or to let go… Jimmy helped Skylar come to terms with her mother’s death and makes her feel loved, but how can this Jimmy be the same one who brutally assaulted a couple of immigrants? To make things right or to leave it wrong… When Skylar finally makes a decision, will anyone be there to support her?

REVIEW :: LIE is laid out a little differently from other books in that it weaves the story from multiple perspectives. Everyone has different reactions and mixed thoughts about what happened, and I think it was interesting to note that Jimmy was the only one who stayed silent except through other viewpoints. I can see why LIE had been told via different characters, but I feel that there were too many cooks in the kitchen – and no one seems to stand out enough from each other. For me, it is obvious that hate crime is unacceptable – but I am not sure if LIE truly a undeniably strong message of how wrong it is. It shows a few teens and adults who want to make things right, but it also shows other teens and adults who see no big problems with what happened. After I finished reading this book, I was still left wondering if LIE will make any difference – if it will change the minds of those who see no problems with bullying and targeting those who are different.

---DISCLAIMER :: LIBRARYTHING
---RELEASED SEPTEMBER 2011 BY ST. MARTIN'S GRIFFIN

BkRv :: What would I give if I could live out of these waters?

2011-10-28T09:49:00.000-05:00

BOOK REVIEW
RIPPLE
Mandy Hubbard - @mandyhubbard

YA | Mermaids

FIRST LINE :: The first boy I ever loved, Steven Goode, was really into cars.

SUMMARY :: from the book jacket

Lexi is cursed with a dark secret. The water calls to her, draws her in, forces her to sing her deadly song to unsuspecting victims. If she succumbs, she kills. If she doesn’t, the pain is unbearable. To keep herself and those she cares about safe, she shuts herself off, refusing to make friends or fall in love – again. Because the last time she fell in love with a boy, he ended up dead.

Then Lexi finds herself torn. Against her better judgment, she’s opening up again, falling in love with someone new when she knows she shouldn’t. But when she’s offered the chance to finally live a normal life, she learns that the price she must pay to be free of her curse is giving him up.

Mandy Hubbard spins a sea-ravaged tale of melancholy beauty, and the choices one girl makes between land and waves, love and freedom, her future – and her heart.

REVIEW ::
I am not a major fan of Prada & Prejudice or you wish – they were cute and bubbly, but nothing great – and you may wonder why I continue to look out for the next Mandy Hubbard book. It is because of her blog, specifically her “road to publication” entries, and I appreciate her honesty and hard work – and it is truly inspirational to see where the wind will blow her because it seems to be everywhere! But back on topic…

THE GOOD BITS
{The story was deliciously darker than previous works!} I may not have been knocked over by her first 2 books, but RIPPLE finally gives me something that I can sink my teeth into! The main character felt more serious, more relatable, and more believable – well, as believable for a girl who has been cursed to swim every night or suffer the consequences the next morning. I could feel Lexi’s turmoils – her desire to have a normal life, her longing to feel safe to love someone, her inability to resist the need to swim every day.

{A depth-defying storyline.} Hook, line, and sinker – Mandy Hubbard delivers quite a story that blends past, present, and possible future in perfect, tantalizing proportions. It reminds me a little of some girls are or Twenty Boy Summer where the past bleeds into the present as the present tries to move into a survivable future. Beautifully crafted to take your breath away, Lexi’s plight definitely will tug at your heartstrings as she tries to figure out which boy can save her.

THE BAD BITS
{Cole.} I wished, however, that we had known more about Cole and why he suddenly wanted to draw Lexi back into the high school crowd she has avoided since Steven’s death. Especially considering he had been Steven’s best friend with a history of going through girls like a box of chocolates. He was present, but I did not feel that he came alive enough for me to care about him – or have a secret crush on him as other fictional boys.

THE OVERALL
RIPPLE shows that Mandy Hubbard can definitely dish out the dark as expertly as she can the sparkle. I am more than excited to see what new direction this author will take us because it seems that her next ideas are always better, bolder, and on the cutting edge of creative!

---DISCLAIMER :: BOUGHT
---RELEASED JULY 2011 BY RAZORBILL

BkRv :: Circle, circle, dot, dot, see the death in this inkblot

2011-10-26T06:01:00.000-05:00

BOOK REVIEW

inkBLOT

Johnson Naigle - @inkBLOTtheNovel

YA | Suspense

FIRST LINE :: Ronnie’s mind juggled the images on the screen and the faces of those two dead girls.

SUMMARY :: from the Amazon website

Eighteen-year-old web entrepreneur Ronnie Wright owns the virally popular website, inkBLOT. Determined to sweep local newspaper reporter, Chelsea Pressman, off her feet, he tries to wow her with his internet success.

Chelsea has one goal, making it big as a reporter. Unfortunately the editor isn’t tossing any good stories her way. But her luck changes and she is first in line to cover a string of bizarre crimes. The notoriety she’s gaining from the front-page stories is addictive.

The police finally trace the crimes to a common link – inkBLOT.

Now, Ronnie has to clear his name as the number one suspect in Chelsea’s headline crimes.

REVIEW ::
The cover may not be much to talk about, but I cannot imagine how they could dress up the inkblot to make it more eye-catching. Which is ironic since Ronnie makes the interpretation of inkblots as a form of marketable social media. inkBLOT may not look like much, but holy cow, turning pages as quickly as possible has never been this addictive!

THE GOOD BITS
{Just the right amount of suspense to die for!} A good suspense is worth its weight in gold – and I love it when I stumble across one! inkBLOT may seem simple and straightforward, but I never quite knew what would happen next. Each character had their own quirks that raised suspicions, but their alibis seemed airtight and indestructible. The genius about inkBLOT is that the writing is so easy-going that it sucks you into the suspense before you can even think about stopping.

THE BAD BITS
{Not enough inkblots!} I was a little disappointed that inkblots did not play as big of a role in inkBLOT as expected. It might have been cool to have seen sample inkblots – even as an bonus feature. Ronnie seemed to have created such an awesome app that I want to check it out, although it is a little scary that how telling inkblots are!

{The predictable villain.} The suspense was great up until the ending started drawing near – and it seemed inevitable as to whose twisted mind was behind the murders. Predicability ruins the fun – and I like to be kept in the dark until the final AHA! moment. However, the fact that I got a personal backseat with each character involved without knowing at first who may be the bad guy still gives me a shiver when I got the end.

THE OVERALL
There were times when inkBLOT tries too hard to be modern-day cool and tech-savvy and comes across as a little over-the-top, but overall I think the story had enough suspense to carry the day. I can see inkBLOT as a nice introductory for those want a little suspense in their reading pile – and it may appeal to younger readers of the Facebook generation and give caution as to what we reveal about ourselves online.

---DISCLAIMER :: PUBLISHER
---RELEASED JULY 2011 BY CROSSROADS PUBLISHING HOUSE

Monday Mini(BkRv) :: 75 - 77

2011-10-24T08:07:00.001-05:00

:: 75 ::

BOOK REVIEW
Spellbound
Cara Lynn Shultz - @CaraLynnShultz

YA | Series Book 1

FIRST LINE :: eARC :: It’s always embarassing to have someone take you to school. Your dad, your mom, anyone with her hair in rollers.

We all know the doomed story about Romeo & Juliet, but did these young lovers know how hopeless their star-crossed romance would be? When Emma gets to start fresh at an exclusive prep school after some family tragedies, finding a Romeo was bottom on her to-do list. So, why does the resident hottie Brendan draw her unwilling eye – and why does their dance feel like a tale as old as time? The answer is rather grim: True love, if what they have is true, will end in a curse called death if they are unable to resist each other. Will Emma and Brendan find each other worth the risk?

REVIEW :: I know the story of Spellbound seems familiar – Romeo & Juliet, new girl & hot-but-oh-so-elusive boy, true love headed down the track of destruction – and you must wonder if this book is worth a gander. My verdict? Spellbound has such an enchanting voice that will make the classic story pop and sparkle like nobody’s business. Fun and charming with enough dash of mystery, sizzle, and snark that will keep the pages turning. I tend to find something magical in a romance-gone-cursed – and watching Brendan and Emma try to decide between being together or staying apart is heart-wrenching. I am curious to see where the series goes from here.

---DISCLAIMER :: NETGALLEY
---RELEASED JUNE 2011 BY HARLEQUIN TEEN
---OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES :: TBD

:: 76 ::

BOOK REVIEW
Cinder and Ella
Melissa Lemon - @Melissa_Lemon

Fairy Tale

FIRST LINE :: eARC :: If you drink water and breathe air, then you have heard the story of Cinderella. And, if you drink water and breathe air, you have heard it…wrong.

Cinderella has been retold in numerous of ways – Disney, historical, musical, pop culture, ninja, assassin, ugly sister’s perspective, masculine – but here is one that claims she is actually 2 sisters named Cinder and Ella who each have their burdens to bear. Cinder has been the Atlas of the family, waiting on her sisters and mother hand and foot without complaint, while Ella has a harder time with being as patient. When Cinder leaves the family to be a castle servant, Ella tries to pick up the slack but it is obvious that her family would rather have Cinder. However, something wicked resides in the castle by the name of a supposed Prince Charming – and it is up to Ella to get to the bottom of it and rescue her sister.

REVIEW :: The Cinderella fairy tale retellings seems to be gaining popularity lately – and I can’t seem to resist them as I patiently wait for Apocalypsie debut Queen Of Glass. I had a difficult time with diving into Cinder and Ella. I know that this was not supposed to have any bibbidies or bobbidies, but the story didn’t draw me in very well. I thought it was about both Cinder and Ella – but Cinder becomes more of an afterthought as Ella takes the stage. I thought there’d be more to how they became “Cinderella” but it hardly mattered. The opening line promised a “corrected” version – but as the story slowly proceeded, it seemed like a completely unrelated story that had no bearing on this age-old fairy tale.

---DISCLAIMER :: NETGALLEY
---RELEASED NOVEMBER 2011 BY CEDAR FORT

:: 77 ::

BOOK REVIEW

BLUEFISH

Pat Schmatz - @NONE FOUND

YA

FIRST LINE :: eARC :: Travis stood in front of locker number 78.

Travis has spent his high school years with his head down and staying off everyone's radar. When he moves to a new school in a somewhat small town, it seems that he attracts attention like a flame does for a moth. The town bullies see a new threat; the basketball players see a new ally; the rejects see a possible savior; the girls think he's cute but dumb; and the English teacher see a boy who somehow got left behind. Travis succeeds in keeping everyone away except for the colorful Velveeta who refuses to leave him alone until she discovers what makes him tick.

REVIEW :: I found BLUEFISH a rather nice read that will pair well with a lazy, summer day in the park if you need a break from those intense paranormal or moving contemporary reads. The two main characters - Travis and Velveeta - were a little hard to befriend at first. They seemed closed-off, and they each had quite the backstory that unfolded chapter by chapter. Primarily BLUEFISH was Travis's story, but Velveeta sneaks herself in at the end of each chapter with a journal entry - and honestly I fell more in love with Velveeta's quirky voice and wished I had seen more of it! As far as illiteracy goes, I was intrigued with how the English teacher tried to motivate Travis to learn - which, in turn, makes me want to read The Book Thief which got mentioned quite a few times.

---DISCLAIMER :: NETGALLEY
---RELEASED SEPTEMBER 2011 BY CANDLEWICK PRESS

BkRv :: Sugar, oh, zombie, zombie, You are my zombie girl, and you got me wanting you

2011-10-19T09:04:00.000-05:00

BOOK REVIEW
Bad Taste In Boys
Carrie Harris - @carrharr

YA | Zombies | Series Book 1

FIRST LINE :: “You’re one of those genius types,” said Coach, nudging me with a beefy elbow. “Make yourself useful for once. Say something inspirational.”

SUMMARY :: from the book jacket

Someone’s been a very bad zombie.

Super-smartie Kate Grable gets to play doctor, helping out her high school football team. Not only will the experience look good on her college apps, she gets to be thisclose to her quarterback crush, Aaron. Then something disturbing happens. Kate finds out that the coach has given the team steroids. Except… the vials she finds doesn’t exactly contain steroids. Whatever’s in them is turning hot gridiron hunks into mindless, flesh-eating…zombies.

Unless she finds an antidote, no one is safe. Not Aaron, not Kate’s brother, not her best friend…not even Kate.

It’s scary. It’s twisted. It’s sick. It’s high school.

REVIEW ::
I’ve been waiting for this debut since last year when I first stumbled upon Carrie Harris’s Monster Mash of a blog that celebrates zombies like it’s the new Britney Spears. Sometimes I heart an author blog, but don’t find the same sparkly in their books. So I must admit that I had some concerns about liking Bad Taste In Boys. I mean, how can this book even hope to topbacon rose bouquets,lucky werewolf heels,sparkly vampires and merpires, andPrincess Sparkles the Third?

THE GOOD BITS
{The blog is a tough act to follow – but BAD TASTE IN BOYS pulls it off!} The best way I can describe this book is a teenaged zombie movie with just the perfect balance of humor, action, and zombies. Kate is awesome – she comes across as incredibly wise beyond her years when it comes to all things scientific, but her humor and mine just coincide so well, especially in drastic situations! She was just so brainy that I don’t blame the zombies for wanting a bite of her!

{For a book with not so many pages, BAD TASTE IN BOYS sure packs a lot of excitement!} Carrie Harris introduces us to the mysterious zombie outbreak right from the start, and the story will seize you and never let go until the very end when all things go chomp. Some might complain about the inconsistencies between the various characters who turn zombies, but I actually think it created a new level of panic and confusion. Considering it is a science experiment gone wrong, why wouldn’t there be different levels of progress? Why must we assume the same rapid rate of deterioration for all peoples?

{When the zombie outbreak starts to become more widespread, I loved the various reactions and precautions that the characters had.} Most notably Kate’s younger brother – he was pretty adorable and awesome! By now, I think everyone knows the basic zombie survival tactics – and I get a kick when the characters apply them to their real-life situation :) Sometimes it goes haywire, and sometimes it goes very, very right…

THE BAD BITS
{A little too happy of an ending and easy on the explanation?} Who can fault an author who ties up loose ends so neatly? I enjoy a well-contained story, but I wished there had been more explanation as to how we reached the zombie happily-ever-after. Kate sure seems awfully lucky in the scheme of things – and the ending seems too simple to believe. However, I didn’t mind too much because I was cracking up too much :D

THE OVERALL
Bad Taste In Boys is a bite of zombie goodness, and I definitely recommend it for those of us who have been itching for a fun zombie YA read since Stacey Jay’s Undead series. I think the sequel won’t be as zombified, but I am definitey looking forward to seeing how Kate faces off the next paranormal problem!

---DISCLAIMER :: BOUGHT
---RELEASED JULY 2011 BY DELACORTE PRESS (RANDOM HOUSE)
---OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES :: BAD HAIR DAY

BkRv :: To Heir is human, To forgive Divine

2011-10-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

BOOK REVIEW

Heiress

Susan May Warren - @susanmaywarren

Historical | Christian Fiction | Series Book 1

FIRST LINE :: With the wrong smile, her sister could destroy Jinx’s world.

SUMMARY :: from the author's website

They can buy anything they want – fame, power, beauty, even loyalty.

But they can’t buy love.

The beautiful and wealthy heiress daughters of August Price can buy everything their hearts desire. But what if their desire is to be loved, without an enormous price tag attached? When one sister betrays another for the sake of love, will she find happiness? And what happens when the other sets out across the still untamed frontier to find it – will she discover she’s left it behind in the glamorous world of the New York gilded society? What price will each woman pay for being an heiress?

Set in the opulent world of the Gilded Age, two women discover that being an heiress just might cost them everything they love.

REVIEW ::

Ever since Gossip Girl came to life on television, I have been hooked on all things New York and its ritzy upper-crust families. Glamour, scandals, glitter and gold – when I heard Susan May Warren was tackling this world with a historical twist, call me hopelessly hooked but I was more than ready to jump into this adventure.

THE GOOD BITS
{The difference of chasing dreams versus living them.} Heiress takes place in a world where women did not have a lot of options – their main objective is to secure the right sort of marriage. Some women live for this, but others dream bigger for independence and perhaps a career. Esme dreams to be a journalist instead of marrying the man that her parents picked out, but is she prepared to leave the glittery world behind and get her hands dirty in the real world? That is the real trial by fire, and Susan May Warren allows this character to both fail and succeed.

{Jinx’s knotty romance.} Granted I wouldn’t wish anyone to go through what Jinx went through in the romance department, but it was so deliciously twisted that I flew through the pages to find out how it would all unravel. A heartbreaking nightmare of a love triangle, but when things were good, they were happy-good. The beauty of this particular storyline is how tragic and real it felt – how many women have been trapped like Jinx? How many had to let go of an impossible love to survive? It was riveting. It was raw. It was real – and I ate up every word of it!

THE BAD BITS
{Combination of 2 storylines.} It works for certain books. I don’t think it was a major issue for Heiress, but when I got invested in one sister, I wanted to see her story through to the very end without any interruptions from the other sister. Susan May Warren gives us nice chunks of time with each sister, but I wished the story did not have to alternate – and perhaps each sister would get their own individual book.

{Just a smidge of Christian fiction?} I expected a more obvious Christian message somewhere within these pages, but I could not put a finger to it for the life of me. Granted, a good way to describe Heiress is a more wholesome Gossip Girl. Scandal and unfaithful husbands are still running around, but how does a Christian woman survive in such a society? Can she hold onto her faith when society kicks her to the curb? The problem that I have is that I did not really see Esme or Jinx struggling with their faith as much as the simple fact that life is unfair to women.

THE OVERALL
I think Susan May Warren is onto something with this latest series, and I admit some curiosity as to how the sisters will fare in the future after the ending. Heiress is quite enjoyable – not too historical, not too scandalous – just the right amount of both. More of a quiet and thoughtful piece on the trials for women living on the cusp of independence.

---DISCLAIMER :: PUBLISHER
---RELEASED JULY 2011 BY SUMMERSIDE PRESS
---OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES :: BARONESS

Monday Mini(BkRv) :: 73 - 74

2011-10-17T09:49:00.001-05:00

:: 73 ::

BOOK REVIEW
Notorious
Nicola Cornick - @NicolaCornick

Romance | Historical | Series Book 4

FIRST LINE :: eARC :: James Devlin was twenty-seven years old and he had everything that he had ever wanted.

Epic romance tends to guard its deepest, darkest secrets closest to the heart rather than wear them on its sleeve, so pardon James Devlin if he fails to acknowledge his perfect-in-every-way fiancée when he spots his dead wife across the ballroom. No, not zombified, but very much alive and currently seducing a gentleman away from Devlin’s sister!

Susanna Burney had learned long ago that love is not invincible and has found a lucratrive job in helping disapproving mamas and papas of the ton to break up an unwanted courtship. This was supposed to have been an easy come-hither-and-dash deal, but Susanna did not count on running into her past in the form of a husband she had discarded long ago.

REVIEW :: Egads – I just realized James Devlin and I are the same age (27) as of a few months ago, and I can hardly say that I have everything I have ever wanted. Back on subject, though, Notorious was a scrumptious feast for this reader who practically inhaled it up her nose! The tension tightly bound like a corset, the love-hate bubbling to a delicious boil, the secrets as decadent as dark chocolate, Nicola Cornick nailed the emotional rollercoaster on the nail and I cried my eyes out. There were some awkward moments in Notorious that felt a little too melodramatic, but these were mostly side-plots that snuck in for a few seconds of pagetime. Otherwise, I loved how Susanna was a match-breaker – I don’t think I’ve run across such a concept before and thought it awfully smart!

---DISCLAIMER :: NETGALLEY
---RELEASED JULY 2011 BY HARLEQUIN
---OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES :: WHISPER OF SCANDAL, ONE WICKED SIN, MISTRESS BY MIDNIGHT, DESIRED

:: 74 ::

BOOK REVIEW
The Taming Of The Rake
Kasey Michaels - @none found

Romance | Historical | Series Book 1

FIRST LINE :: eARC :: Oliver Le Beau Blackthorn was young and in love, which made him a candidate for less than intelligent behavior on two counts.

Surely Lady Chelsea is the epitome of sound reasoning as she determines that her odious brother cannot force her in an unwanted marriage with a sleazy reverend if she beats him to the punch first by marrying the last man that her brother would ever approve. Which is why Oliver Blackthorn finds himself unexpectedly on his way to Gretna Green with his enemy’s sister. Beau had dreamed of bringing shame to Chelsea’s brother as payback for a past humiliation, but when his conscience starts bleeding into his heart, will revenge prove to be just as sweet as a possible romance?

REVIEW :: One of my favorite aspects of a historical romance is the witticisms that gets sprinkled within its pages, most notably the very first sentence to kick off the story. The Taming Of The Rakestarts off on the right foot as we see how peacock-brained Beau had been – and how horribly Chelsea’s brother scoffed at his lowly rank. However, fast-forward a few years, as everyone races to Gretna Green, I start to lose momentum on the main characters – and instead wished that the steries had started off with the other Blackthorn brothers who seem more colorful than Beau. The romance between Chelsea and Beau seemed a tad too rushed, and while that can work in a story, in this one, I would have liked them to slow it down a notch and had more time to get to know each other.

---DISCLAIMER :: NETGALLEY
---RELEASED JULY 2011 BY HARLEQUIN

---OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES :: TBD

September Zombies Giveaway results

2011-10-16T10:43:00.000-05:00

In honor of September Zombies

(mastermind: Velvet @ vvb32 reads)

I celebrated by spreading some zombie love!

WINNERS
Pabkins :: Pabkins' Attention Deficit Crafting
1 set of Rot & Ruin and Dust & Decay

Lex :: What Books Have Taught Me
1 copy of Rot & Ruin

Sullivan McPig :: Pearls Cast Before A McPig
1 surprise zombie swag bag (here's a hint)

thank you to all who participated! :)

Winner of August & September GRaB

2011-10-16T10:37:00.000-05:00

The winner of August GRaB is...

Rebel

Selected prize - ULTRAVIOLET

The winner of September GRaB is...

Krysykat :: Because I Said So!

Selected prize - THE FIRST DAYS

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

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

September Zombie Giveaway

2011-09-27T08:10:00.000-05:00

In honor of September Zombies

(mastermind: Velvet @ vvb32 reads)

I will celebrating by spreading some zombie love!

HOW TO ENTER

Visit at least one other zombocalypse update (schedule here)

BkRv: Zombies were people, too!

2011-09-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

BOOK REVIEW -- Rot & Ruin
by Jonathan Maberry - @JonathanMaberry

YA | Zombies | Series Book 1

FIRST LINE -- Benny Imura couldn’t hold a job, so he took to killing.

SUMMARY -- from the B&N website

In the zombie-infested, post-apocalyptic America where Benny Imura lives, every teenager must find a job by the time they turn fifteen or get their rations cut in half. Benny doesn't want to apprentice as a zombie hunter with his boring older brother Tom, but he has no choice. He expects a tedious job whacking zoms for cash, but what he gets is a vocation that will teach him what it means to be human.

REVIEW --
OMZ, Jonathan Maberry, you have truly outdone yourself – and while I wasn’t in love with Patient Zero last year, I am tempted to camp out on your doorstep and beg you for more tales of the Imura brothers, the Lost Girl, and ye olde world of Rot & Ruin. I cannot believe I did not pick it up until now! This book is a MUST-READ. It reminds me of THE FIRST DAYS with a little touch of ZOMBIELAND and dash of The Forest Of Hands And Teeth. It was almost like Jonathan Maberry threw all the best things zombie and cooked up such a rich and brainy story to sink our teeth into. Delicious! f(0_o)f

THE GOOD BITS

{A dynamic love-hate relationship between brothers who lost their parents on the First Night.} Rot & Ruin chronicles the post-zombocalyptic world through Benny Imura’s eyes as he reaches the age of “adulthood” (15). He blames his older brother for leaving their parents to die, and he has a blind hatred for zombies. When Benny is forced to shadow Tom to learn what happens in the Ruin, he has to face the possibility that all that he has been taught and heard may not be true – or humane.

{Tom Imura.} I wish there had been a little more about him because his story would definitely be phenomenal. He is a zombie samurai who has a lot of honor and heart. As an older sibling myself, I could relate to Tom and all his burdens/responsibilities. Not to mention living with a brother who makes no effort to hide his disdain for your very existence.

{Parts 3 and 4.} Holy fried brainz on a stick! LOVE LOVE LOVE. Action-packed, horror-filled, tear-jerked, surprise-ended, zombie-loaded :D Well worth the journey!

THE BAD BITS

{Misleading Zombie Trading Cards.} I don’t know if the paperback version will have the awesome Zombie Trading Cards illustrations on the inside front and back cover, but I was looking forward to an encounter with “The Bride Of Coldwater Spring.” She sounded delightful – and by delightful, I mean downright frightful! However, because of the cards, I had prepared myself for a completely different zombie story. Like Benny, I had imagined the glory days of zombie bounty hunters – taking down zombies like nobody’s business! On the flipside, I am more than satisfied with the actual Rot & Ruin story!

{The deaths of certain characters} ...whom I shall not name here, but dearly wished that they had not gone the zombie way. However, I think that this also drove home what Jonathon Maberry wanted to get across. Yes, we all love our zombies getting blown to smithereens, but have we gone a little kill-kill-kill-crazy? Let’s stop and remember that zombies had family who might still be human.

{The book ended.} Granted, I thought the ending was the most beautifully-crafted piece of work, but I was seriously distraught that the story ended there. So many questions, so many ties left undone, and so much more revolutionary changes to make! Thank goodness that DUST & DECAY has already come out because I don’t think I can wait much longer to find out what happens next!

THE OVERALL
Absolutely a stunning piece of storytelling that shines a whole new light on zombies! I loved the way that Jonathan Maberry envisioned them and how that idea served as a way to bring brothers together after a tragedy that seems hard to forget and forgive. This would make an excellent movie with all the right sort of tension, excitement, romance, and humor! For a title like Rot & Ruin , this book has built such a strong, flavorful world where the sky is the limit.

ZOMBIE RATING --
The zombies may be scary as usual, but beneath all that decaying exterior lies something human - and that is something we tend to forget or deny. Thank you, Jonathan Maberry, for reminding us what the true definition of monster is - and sometimes man can be more montrous than the hungriest of zombies.

---DISCLAIMER -- Bought
---RELEASED SEPTEMBER 2010 BY SIMON & SCHUSTER BFYR
---OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES: DUST & DECAY

BkRv: Heart, stars, and horseshoes, clovers and blue moons

2011-08-31T06:18:00.004-05:00

Book Review /

Ultraviolet
by R.J. Anderson - @rj_anderson

YA | Supernatural

First Line / Once upon a time there was a girl who was special. Her hair flowed like honey and her eyes were blue as music.

Summary / from the author website

Sixteen-year-old Alison has been sectioned in a mental institute for teens, having murdered the most perfect and popular girl at school. But the case is a mystery: no body has been found, and Alison's condition is proving difficult to diagnose. Alison herself can't explain what happened: one minute she was fighting with Tori -- the next she disintegrated. Into nothing. But that's impossible. Right?

Review / I have not read R.J. Anderson’s Faery series yet, but if it is anything like Ultraviolet, I may finally get around to it sooner than later because Ultraviolet really blew my mind away and I desperately need more!

The start of Ultraviolet reminds me of The Summoning with a set-up where the main character ends up psych institute that may not have her best interests in mind. However, there are no ghosts or werewolves or witchery – only real people with real mental conditions with a dash of the extraordinary. Right from the start, readers get immersed in Alison’s story and follow her as she tries to piece together what happened and understand why no one can see and taste colors like she can.

I love how the chapters got labeled like in a special spectrum that pertained to Alison’s progress – and it heightened my anticipation for what happened next.

Everyone in Ultraviolet had a secret or two, and just when you thought you had people figured out and characters you just can’t live without, R.J. Anderson pulls the rug from under you and throws you in a few loops! She does it in such an way that, even though certain characters may have fallen out of favor, these same characters still have redeeming qualities. Alison may not trust them any longer, but she knows that they mean well – just stay far away from her!

By the time I reached the ultimate truth about Tori’s disappearance, R.J. Anderson had me so invested in the story that I was able to suspend reality and believe anything she dished out – no matter how far-fetched! This may sound rather vague, but trust me – Ultraviolet may seem nothing out of the ordinary at first, but it will sneak its way into your brain and throw all your beliefs to the stars!

Amazing. Flavorful. Colorful. Like a bag of Skittles, Ultraviolet will taste like a rainbow.

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

Monday Mini(BkRv) :: 71 - 72

2011-08-22T07:56:00.001-05:00

:: 71 ::

Book Review / Legacy
by Cayla Kluver - @CaylaKL

YA | Fantasy | Series Book 1

First Line (eARC) / The first boy disappeared on the day of his birth, on a night when the pale yellow moon that ruled the sky turned red and bathed the heavens in the ghastly color of blood, the same night the Empire of Cokyri abruptly ceased its merciless attack.

Princess Alera is too young to recall a time when her kingdom had not been at peace, but when a Cokyrian breaches the castle grounds with questionable motives, she gets a quick history lesson about the horrific war 16 years ago that ended with the death of newborns. No sooner was the Cokyrian captured, however, did the enemy manage to escape! Alera wants to find more about it, but her father feels that she should focus her pretty, little head on deciding which suitor to marry and leave all the war concerns to him. Too bad all the suitors are either boring or full of themselves – and the only boy that Alera finds remotely interesting is the Narian who had been kidnapped by the Cokyrians during the war and recently escaped from their clutches.

Review / I have mixed feelings on Legacy – on the one hand, the story has much potential and piqued my curiosity for the world that Carla Kluver created; on the other hand, I did not particularly care for the characters themselves. Told from Princess Alera’s perspective, I did not connect with her and she came across as a little immature to expect herself able to run a kingdom, despite her father’s misgivings. If she had demonstrated more efforts to prove her worth as a ruler instead of simply resisting her father’s approved suitor, I would have seen more reason to her reluctance. I wish that we had more of Narian - the enemy who challenges Alera to fight against the norm of thinking women as the weaker sex. The ending is quite abrupt – I thought it was a rather awkward point of the story to end on - just when Alera's heart begins to break! I hope the characters kick it up a notch or two in time for the sequel because, if not, I don’t know if the story will be enough for me to continue on.

---Disclaimer / NetGalley
---RELEASED JUNE 2011 BY HARLEQUIN TEEN (HARLEQUIN)
---OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES: ALLEGIANCE, SACRIFICE

:: 72 ::

Book Review / Pies & Prejudice
by Heather Vogel Frederick - @none found

MG | Series Book 4

First Line / Jess stares at me in disbelief. “What do you mean, you’re moving to England?”

The mother-daughter book club goes international with one of its duo goes across the pond for a year. What better book to discuss than Pride & Prejudice – and what better way to hold weekly discussion than webcams? In the States, Jess, Cassidy, and Megan must face freshman year with a pining heart, figure skates instead of hockey sticks, and an anonymous Austen-esque fashion blog, respectively. The 2 British boys who replace their friend are NOT making high school any easier. Emma, on the other hand, is making the best of her last-minute move to England, but the queen bee Annabelle is set on making it memorable in the worst possible way. Will the book club survive the distance – or will they crumble like pies topped with shaving cream?

Review / Pies & Prejudice sounds cute and it IS cute, but if you are expected a modern-day P&P this is not that sort of book. It is actually a 4th book in a series, although I felt that it could stand on its own merits. Previous books would simply serve to build relationships with these girls and their family. What threw me off was the story was told in 4 different voices. They didn’t seem very distinctive from each other, so I had to go back to the chapter heading to double-check the narrator every once in a while. I also found myself favoring certain storylines over others, which doesn’t allow for a smooth reading in case you are wondering. Pies & Prejudice definitely works to stimulate discussion between mothers and young daughters, especially in a book club, and I think this series is a neat idea!

---Disclaimer / Bought
---RELEASED SEPTEMBER 2010 BY SIMON & SCHUSTER'S CHILDREN

---OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES: THE MOTHER-DAUGHTER BOOK CLUB, MUCH ADO ABOUT ANNE, DEAR PEN PAL

BkRv: Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go unscrew my smile!

2011-08-19T09:36:00.000-05:00

Book Review / Beauty Queens
by Libba Bray - @libbabray

YA | Girls

First Line / This book begins with a plane crash. We do not want you to worry about this.

Summary / from the B&N website

From bestselling, Printz Award-winning author Libba Bray, the story of a plane of beauty pageant contestants that crashes on a desert island.

Teen beauty queens. A "Lost"-like island. Mysteries and dangers. No access to emall. And the spirit of fierce, feral competition that lives underground in girls, a savage brutality that can only be revealed by a journey into the heart of non-exfoliated darkness. Oh, the horror, the horror! Only funnier. With evening gowns. And a body count.

Review / Wow. I may not have been a crazy stalker fan of Libba Bray beforehand (the Gemma Doyle series didn’t do anything for me – yes, you may duct-tape me now), but I think Beauty Queens has me wondering what crazy schemes this author will cook up next because I’m pretty sure that I will be in that serving line! Even if it is chicken-tasting grub from some random island.

I realize that this book may not be for everyone – I wasn’t even 1% sure if Beauty Queens would be my cup of tea. Yes, I was that uncertain of it. I kept glancing at the book in the bookstores, admiring the lipstick bullet belt concept, but unsure if I was ready for a leap of faith. So I borrowed it from the library and took the book out for a spin…

And holy smokes! Did Beauty Queens grab my attention from the get-go and shook me silly in a similar fashion that Miss Congeniality did? Except 200% more to the power of infinity and whatever goes beyond that? I think flying toasters might be involved in the beyond.

As far-fetched as Beauty Queens may sound, Libba Bray really applies her witty parody quite liberally like sunscreen – and I loved all her shout-outs and snark-outs that celebrated (or eulogized) all things pop culture. Everything was outrageous – everything, that is, except the message that it is okay to be yourself, even if that includes a little crazy or ugly or random. I cannot imagine how much FUN Ms. Bray had with re-inventing the world of pop culture because they are truly quite clever!

What really impressed me with Beauty Queens is how the girls were introduced to the readers via pageant bios and then the next chapter focused on digging deep into what makes them tick, even though everything was told in third-person. It really gave me enough time to connect with each girl and then gradually tie them as one large group into the main story arc. With so many characters to juggle around and decide who gets centerstage for certain moments, I give props to Libba Bray for managing to find a way to make it easy for the readers to befriend the characters. It almost felt like 4 years of high school with a class of 200+ individuals – you start off as strangers, but leave as one big family.

I think Libba Bray may very well be the next Douglas Adams or Joseph Heller in my book. Not a whole lot of authors can serve such a ridiculous dish of random that makes me clutch my stomach from laughing too hard and yet I couldn’t stop from devouring the pages!

And for your reading pleasure (in truth, this is for my own because I probably inhaled a pepperoni up my nose when I read this snippet), bar none my favoritest quote from the book because the delivery is GOLDEN:

”I count the time like my hemorrhoids.”
”TMI, MoMo.”
”TMI to you, too, my darling.”

Please excuse me while I ROFL with pepperoni up my nose. (Dear Readers, you may just want to go out and try this random slice of paradise.)

---Disclaimer / Library - but SO going to buy my own copy - and maybe a spare :D

---RELEASED MAY 2011 BY SCHOLASTIC PRESS (SCHOLASTIC)

BkRv: The most powerful force in the universe is gossip

2011-08-17T07:31:00.000-05:00

Book Review / The Babysitter Murders
by Janet Ruth Young - @JanetRuthYoung

YA | Contemporary

First Line (eARC - from Chapter 2; Chapter 1 is MyFace profile) / Dani Solomon babysits for a boy named Alex Draper three times a week.

Summary / from the Publishers Weekly

In this provocative exploration of a community's response to the mere possibility of a horrific crime, Young employs elements from her first book, The Opposite of Music: the present-tense narrative; the Hawthorne, Mass., setting; and the reassuring presence of Gordy Abt, who appears as the boyfriend of 17-year-old Dani Solomon, who is worried because she has TMI—Too Much Imagination. It comes out in daydreams about mocking (and harming) her mother, outing her best friend, and even killing the little boy she babysits. Dani both wants reassurance that she's not a murderer at heart and to escape these frightening, persistent thoughts, but she can't find the words to explain how she's feeling to the people closest to her. When her secret does finally emerge, the repercussions change many lives, even those of people Dani has never known. Young's writing style is assured, and the tension stays high throughout, as local reaction escalates, complete with tabloid headlines, a cesspool of Internet commentary, and the threat of vigilantism. It's a realistic and disturbing look at our cultural response to mental illness.

Review / I have to be honest and say that I was a little nervous about reading The Babysitter Murders – the title alone makes one come to an abrupt stop when browsing the bookshelves. What a daring and startling story that Janet Ruth Young has written! To be sure, The Babysitter Murders still continues to linger in my mind and has changed how I read or watch the news – for the better.

The story concept is unquestionably disturbing as readers get a look inside Dani’s head, but it is obvious that Dani also finds her thoughts unsettling and prefers to not have them in the first place. This slows readers down from casting Dani into a villain’s role and wonder what exactly is going on. The constant debate of whether Dani will be innocent or guilty keeps the pages turning – and the curiosity nearly explodes as Dani tries to figure out how to avoid the inevitable temptation.

I cannot go into too much detail without destroying the carefully-knotted story, but when Dani finally faces the point of no return, what happens next makes me sick to my stomach. Oh, how quickly the media pounces, how swiftly the cry for justice sounds, how wildly the panic spreads, how prematurely Chicken Little runs about before the sky actually falls… If there had been any hope for Dani to get help for this sickness, assuredly it has been crushed by the bloodthirsty public who wants her head on a platter.

In her defense, Dani does attemp to reach out to those closest to her for help – which is incredibly brave on her part – although she does not spell her concerns out explicitly. The Babysitter Murders makes me wonder how I would react if Dani had told me what was going on. What happens if my best friend confides in me about thoughts on wanting to murder someone – seriously – and needs my help to stop her from doing so? I am ashamed to say that I would probably back away slowly and hightail it to somewhere safe. How else does one react? How does a PARENT react when their child approaches them? Obviously I am out of my depths, but if someone I loved had this issue, I should be able to acknowledge their cry for help as a GOOD sign and not ditch them.

The Babysitter Murders reminds me a little of shine where a singular news event affects the entire town and the truth is not as black-and-white as the typeface on the paper wants you to believe. It definitely cautions readers from jumping to conclusions and reminding them that even the worst stories have two sides to them.

---Disclaimer / GalleyGrab

---RELEASED JULY 2011 BY SIMON & SCHUSTER BFYR

Monday Mini(BkRv) :: 69 - 70

2011-08-15T07:37:00.001-05:00

:: 69 ::

Book Review / crazy beautiful
by Lauren Baratz-Logsted - @LaurenBaratzL

YA | Contemporary

First Line /
[LUCIUS] My arms rises toward my face and the pincer touch of cold steel rubs against my jaw.
I chose hooks because they were cheaper.
I chose hooks because I wouldn’t outgrow them so quickly.
I chose hooks so that everyone would know I was different, so I would scare even myself.

Sophomore year should be a piece of cake –not quite the upperclassmen, but no longer the underdogs – but for new boy Lucius, the cake may very well end up on his face. His parents thought a new school would give him a fresh start, but if his hooks don’t scare his classmates away, Lucius expects his closed-mouth personality would do the job. On the other hand, he cannot help but envy new girl Aurora who seems to be getting cake served on a platter. She is like a Disney princess with bluebirds singing and silverware dancing, and what’s more is that Lucius wants to be her Prince Charming for no other reason except that deep down he knows her even though they’ve never crossed paths before. The only problem with the whole thing is: Will he ever get sha-la-la-la close enough to kiss the girl before she runs away screaming at the sight of him?

Review / I remember when crazy beautiful was first making the rounds through the blogosphere (has it really been 2 years?!) and falling in love with the cover – but after reading it now, I have a small wish that the hooks had been included somehow. They symbolize so much for Lucius – the boy he had been, the anger, the turmoil, the reminder of all he has to live with and come to terms with – shouldn’t that be cover-worthy? The dual perspectives worked for the story. It was mostly Lucius’s story – but I think that Aurora’s interjections softened up the story, and it helped to make her more relatable and less “vision of perfection.” crazy beautiful was crazy-short, crazy-sweet, and crazy-simple – but it totally works and makes me want to cuddle with it for a while longer!

---Disclaimer / Library
---RELEASED SEPTEMBER 2009 BY HOUGHTON MIFFLIN (HMH)

:: 70 ::

Book Review / By His Majesty's Grace
by Jennifer Blake - @jenniferblake01

Romance | Historical | Series Book 1

First Line (eARC) / Braesford was finally sighted in late afternoon.

Those who court any of the 3 Grace sisters also court Death, so goes the rumored family curse. Lady Isabel thought herself safe from unwanted suitors until King Henry VII gives her away to Earl Rand Braesford as a reward for his loyalty. Blessings seem to be raining upon Rand it seems – the king’s high favor, a well-dowried marriage, and a most beautiful wife. As the couple start to warm up to each other, they are torn apart again as Rand gets arrested for murder and thrown into the Tower. Will Isabel and Rand’s love manage to conquer the curse – or will Death win this round?

Review / By His Majesty's Grace spent more time on historical than romance, or so it seemed to me, like a historical fiction with sexy times sprinkled throughout – instead of the other way around. I had glimpsed at the connection between Isabel and Rand when they first meet each other, but lost sight of their passion and personality as the story became immersed in court intrigue. I am used to reading Regency romance, so I was curious to see how things heated up during the Tudor era. A little awkward at times when it came to passion (a few creative "strutted" descriptions that I had to pause and wonder about). I did find it rather cute to learn how the color of clothing can be used to indicate one’s affection.

---Disclaimer / NetGalley
---RELEASED JULY 2011 BY MIRA BOOKS
---OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES: BY GRACE POSSESSED, SEDUCED BY GRACE