In My Mailbox (18)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren, where we all share what we got during the week!

I missed the IMM posts last week and am just barely getting it in this week! Needless to say, the last week of May is always a busy one for me---my kids get out of school, and my daughter and son both have birthdays, so we hold our first huge BBQ of the year! We also went to see Wicked this week---my fourth time and still just as awesome as the first time I saw it!

So this is what I got this week! So excited to finally get my hands on copies of Brightly Woven, Guardian of the Dead, and Forget-Her-Nots! All of them are library check-outs this week. I did just put in a Barnes order but they are not here yet, so you'll see what goodies I got next week!
Forget-Her-Nots by Amy Brecount-White
Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken
Guardian of the Dead by Karen Healey
Bird by Rita Murphy
Emily the Strange: Stranger and Stranger by Rob Reger, Jessica Gruner, and Buzz Parker

Last week I also got these through ARC tours!


Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopcus (YA Addict Tours)
see review here!

Forget You by Jennifer Echols (Traveling Arc Tours)
review coming soon!

That's all for me! Hope everyone had a good week. Have a safe and fun Memorial Day!

Waiting on Wednesday - Crescendo

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It lets us all gush about what soon-to-be released books we are jumping-up-and-down excited for.

Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

release date: October 19th 2010

description from goodreads:
Nora should have known her life was far from perfect. Despite starting a relationship with her guardian angel, Patch (who, title aside, can be described anything but angelic), and surviving an attempt on her life, things are not looking up. Patch is starting to pull away and Nora can't figure out if it's for her best interest or if his interest has shifted to her arch-enemy Marcie Millar. Not to mention that Nora is haunted by images of her father and she becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened to him that night he left for Portland and never came home.

The farther Nora delves into the mystery of her father's death, the more she comes to question if her Nephilim blood line has something to do with it as well as why she seems to be in danger more than the average girl. Since Patch isn't answering her questions and seems to be standing in her way, she has to start finding the answers on her own. Relying too heavily on the fact that she has a guardian angel puts Nora at risk again and again. But can she really count on Patch or is he hiding secrets darker than she can even imagine?

Ok, so not a very WoW original pick, I know! But with the release of the sneak peek this past week, it just reminds me how much I am anticipating this book!! Hush, Hush was definitely one of my favorites of last year and I can't wait to read the second installment! Check out the sneak peek HERE!

Review: Shadow Hills

Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopcus

publisher: Egmont USA

release date: July 13th, 2010

edition: ARC from YA Addict ARC Tours

intended audience: Young adult

rating:


description from goodreads:
His love captivated her... his secrets might kill her. Since her sister’s mysterious death, Persephone “Phe” Archer has been plagued by a series of disturbing dreams. Determined to find out what happened to her sister, Phe enrolls at Devenish Prep in Shadow Hills, Massachusetts—the subject of her sister’s final diary entry. After stepping on campus, Phe immediately realizes that there’s something different about this place—an unexplained epidemic that decimated the town in the 1700s, an ancient and creepy cemetery, and gorgeous boy Zach—and somehow she’s connected to it all. But the more questions she asks and the deeper she digs, the more entangled Phe becomes in the haunting past of Shadow Hills. Finding what links her to this town…might cost her her life.

Review: This was such an outstanding debut---thrilling and romantic, with a little who-done-it mystery thrown in! I had read the first chapter on Anastasia Hopcus' website and was already hooked before I even had the actual book in hand. So many great elements: dealing with loss, friendship, romance, feuding families, murder, and lots of spookiness! So intriguing from beginning to end!

I loved that the paranormal aspect of this book was completely unconventional. There were no vampires or werewolves (not that those are bad..not by any means!) but what the author created was unlike anything I'd ever seen before. Something so out there that the idea bordered on Ray Bradbury-style science fiction. I don't want to give it away, but it really sets this story apart from all the others.

Phe (Persephone) and Zach were the main characters. Phe came across as a very real teenage girl, who has made some very real mistakes and had quite an emotional blow with the mysterious death of her older sister, but she is strong and independent, ready to pick up the pieces, move on, and find out the truth. I loved her no-backing-down attitude and she had a good sense of adventure. I like that Zach, while having tons of smokiness and mystery about him, he was not characterized as a "bad boy" that you see so much of in the YA these day. Again, not that I have anything against a good bad boy hottie---Zach's character was just so refreshing.
The whole cast of characters was so well written. I couldn't help feeling that each of the supporting characters, while not the main focus, had their moment to shine, and I loved that. My favorite was Toy, the computer savvy, tiny-statured friend (hmm, tiny,...maybe that was why I related to her!)

I really enjoyed how big a part of the story music was. It led to my discovery of Gogol Bordello! I had no idea if all of the bands mentioned in the book were real bands so I looked this one up. In hindsight, I wish I had written down all the songs and bands mentioned so I could look them all up while I had the book...now I will have wait for the release, but I plan to buy each song and make a read-along sounds track for when I read Shadow Hills again!


Favorite Quote: My face, so similar to Athena's, was just another reminder of what my parents had lost. Like the wisp of smoke hanging in the air after a candle is snuffed out.

Review: A Blue So Dark

A Blue So Dark by Holly Schindler

publisher: Flux

release date: May 1st, 2010

edition: paperback, 288

intended audience: Young adult

source: Traveling Arc Tours

rating:


description from goodreads:
Terrified that her mother, a schizophrenic and an artist, is a mirror that reflects her own future, sixteen-year-old Aura struggles with her overwhelming desires to both chase artistic pursuits and keep madness at bay.

As her mother sinks deeper into the darkness of mental illness, the hunger for a creative outlet keeps drawing Aura toward the depths of her own imagination—the shadows of make-believe that she finds frighteningly similar to her mother’s hallucinations.

Convinced that creative equals crazy, Aura shuns her art, and her life unravels in the process.

Review: This was an incredible story, but so hard to read. I don't mean that in a bad way at all. I mean that reading Aura's story and taking this journey with her was painful and heart-breaking. Everytime I put it down, it lingered with me for awhile after, left me exhausted trying to imagine being fifteen and having to deal with a situation that felt so completely hopeless and uncontrollable as being the soul care-taker of a parent with schizophrenia; to be so creative that your art makes you whole and on the other hand, having to be so terrified that that creativity will turn you into what you fear the most in the world. Her anger and her frustration at what life had dealt her were apparent in her rough attitude and her harsh outlook on all aspects of her life. To those out there that are sensative to foul language, I will warn that the "f-bomb" is dropped quite a few times throughout this one. (It doesn't bother me, but I know I've seen discussions about swearing in YA fiction, so its worth a mention.) She has no one to turn to, as her best friend also has some really tough things to deal with, and her father has completely abandoned the family. It's quite an experience to see how the mother-daughter conventional roles are completely turned topsy-turvy. Schindler's writing was spot on, and really brought this emotional story across beautifully.

Favorite quote:
I really don't know what to do---I guess I'm alittle like a bird who's railed against her cage her whole life, only to cock her head to the side in confusion when somebody finally opens the door.

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It lets us all gush about what soon-to-be released books we are jumping-up-and-down excited for.

Heartless by Anne Elizabeth Stengl

release date: July 1st, 2010

description from goodreads:
Princess Una of Parumvir has come of age and will soon be married. She dreams of a handsome and charming prince, but when the first suitor arrives, she finds him stodgy and boring. Prince Aethelbald from the mysterious land of Farthestshore has traveled far to prove his love--and also to bring hushed warnings of danger. A dragon is rumored to be approaching Parumvir.

Una, smitten instead with a more dashing prince, refuses Aethelbald's offer--and ignores his warnings. Soon the Dragon King himself is in Parumvir, and Una, in giving her heart away unwisely, finds herself in grave danger. Only those courageous enough to risk everything have a hope of fighting off this advancing evil.

This one has been on my wishlist for a while now. Gorgeous cover, princesses, and dragons---yup, I want it.

The Mieradome by Kate Hegarty

published by Kate Hegarty Publishing

release date: July 16th, 2010

description from goodreads:
Mieradome, revolves around a young girl named Amavia, who believes she is a human girl, but slowly comes to find she is a faery in the world of Mieradome. Amavia's mother, Anastasica, had taken her out of the faery realm and hidden her away here in our human realm, so that she may be protected from her parents' past mistakes. But that was not enough, the forces that be found Amavia, and brought her back into the cosmos of the Grandmother Tree. There she meets other faeries, goblins, Telkar dragons, and Utopisols. Slowly who Amavia really was began to unravel to show the truth. The truth, that she just may be the evil they need to destroy. This is where the story begins.

This one sounds like an amazing debut, and I do love a good fairy story!! :) Check out the website for this book---its so pretty! http://www.mieradome.com/

Winner of Knight Angels!!

Congrats to the winner of Knight Angels by Abra Ebner!!
Yan of Books By Their Cover!!

I'll be emailing you, but if you see this first, please email me your address!! :)

Reminder and alittle randomness!

A quick note to say that the contest to win a copy of Knight Angels:Book of Love by Abra Ebner is now closed! I'll be announcing the lucky winner in the next few days!

I came across a really cool contest today!! Over at the Bibliophilic Book Blog, you can enter to win an e-reader! What is really cool is the blog's writer, Monica, has been raising funds and donations to buy e-readers for friends of hers that are deployed overseas. How cool is that!? She raised enough to buy 10 of them! Wow! So head on over and enter to win! I know I will be! :)

Review: Stork

Stork by Wendy Delsol

publisher: Candlewick Press

release date: October 12, 2010

edition: ARC (Book It Forward Tours) , 355 pages

intended audience: Young adult

rating:



Description from goodreads:
After her parents' divorce, Katla and her mother move from Los Angeles to Norse Falls, Minnesota, where Kat immediately alienates two boys at her high school and, improbably, discovers a kinship with a mysterious group of elderly women--the Icelandic Stork Society - who "deliver souls."

Review: This book had me the second the main character, Kat, got excited about a fabric store sale. She's new to the town of Norse Falls, Minnesota, a California girl trying to acclimate to small town life (Gasp! No Starbucks! I was with her on that one!) trying to fit in, while still sticking to her guns and her strong fashion-designing aspirations, which in turn makes her stick out like a sore thumb among her classmates. She has a rocky first few weeks, makes a few bad choices. I really enjoyed Kat as a whole---she was quick-witted and quirky, her inner narrative was so funny at times, and you got to see her grow as a person, recognizing her mistakes and setting them right as the story flows along. She was very real.

Opposite her was Jack. Jack is the all-around well-liked, hometown football playing, good guy. What set him apart from this type of character stereotype was his passion, and this is also where the head-butting with Kat comes in. He was passionate about preserving the town and she has other ideas, and it definitely gets their friendship off to a less than perfect start.

From the very beginning we jump right into the meat of the story, where Kat is inducted in to a mysterious secret and ancient society of women called the Storks, who decide what parents each soul will be placed with. This, and few other Norse and fairy tale legends were so artfully woven into Kat's story of family, friends, and secrets...the whole thing was just entirely enjoyable! Lots of interesting surprises!

There was only one thing that I didn't quite get into. The "sign" that called the Stork Society together was so odd (not to mention, slightly stomach-turning!) and I wasn't quite sure what it had to do with the society itself beyond being something that each member experienced to let them know it was time to meet. Maybe I missed the explanation or it is part of the original legends, but I couldn't help thinking their "call" could have been something a bit less..well, gross! Every time it was described it would set my stomach rolling a little!

BUT, that in no way stopped me from absolutely loving this book. Applause for Wendy Delsol on an awesome debut!!

Favorite quote:
One of Jack's eyebrows raised in a don't-overdo-the-drama arch.

Somebody, clearly, never had a Broadway Barbie.

It was that kind of quirky thoughts of Kat's that had me giggling throughout this book!

In My Mailbox (17) or Holy Booksale, Batman!

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren, where we all share what we got during the week!

So I had a super, fantastic book week!!

~I did buy two books this week, but they were both paperbacks so just 8.99 each, not too bad. Plus, I have to give a shout out to Barnes and Noble. I am SOOO impressed with their online service. Members get free express shipping,..I put in an order on Thursday and got them on Friday morning. WOW. I've been a member for years, I highly recommend it if you buy alot of books. You get your discount all the time and not just collecting points that can only be used one time of year like some bookstores..cough, Borders, cough, cough. Plus if you are like me and a bonafide Starbucks addict, you can even use your member discount at their in-store cafe. (Note: I'm not an employee or an affiliate of Barnes..just love the store!)

~Oh and...Hello, my name is Becky, and I am officially addicted to library book sales. Or maybe I've just gotten lucky at the two that I've been to in the last few weeks, but I am smitten. The books I got this week at the Sacramento FoL book sale were in excellent condition and once I took the plastic and barcodes off, the covers were like new. Yay!

So, here we go...

Bought:
We Hear the Dead by Dianne Salerni
Prophecy of Days by Christy Raedeke

Passed on to me: (thanks, Amy!)
Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

For Review:
Stork by Wendy Delsol (read it already, it's fantastic, review to come soon!)
A Blue So Dark by Holly Schindler

Library Book Sale Loot!
Vacation from Hell by Libba Bray, Cassandra Clare, Claudia Gray, et al.
The Pretty One by Cheryl Klam
The Wish House by Celia Rees
Dance with a Vampire by Ellen Schreiber
Garden Spells by Sarah Allen Addison (not YA, but I recommend this author to anyone!)
Second Fiddle, or How to Tell a Blackbird from a Sausage by Siobhan Parkinson
The Book of Dead Days by Marcus Sedgewick
The Realm of Possibility by David Levithan
The Garden by Elsie V. Aidinoff

Gathering Blue by Lois Lowery
Gifts by Ursula K. LeGuin
Magic or Madness by Justine Larbalestier
The Wright 3 by Blue Balliet
Tithe by Holly Black (this one had a bent and worn cover, but I've been wanting to read it!)

Library Check-Outs:
Forget-Her-Nots by Amy Brecount White
Will Grayson, Will Grayson by David Levithan and John Green

Phew! Well that's all for me! What did you get in your mailbox?? :)

Waiting on Wednesday : When Rose Wakes

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It lets us all gush about what soon-to-be released books we are jumping-up-and-down excited for.


When Rose Wakes
by Christopher Golden

release date: September 28, 2010

Description from Goodreads:An enchanting tale by Christoper Golden about a teenager who wakes from a coma and slowly comes to realize that she is Sleeping Beauty of fairy tales.

And a little bit about it from the authors blog:...present day New York, Rose wakes from a coma with no memory, and only her two aunts to care for her. But how long has she REALLY been asleep, and what secret past are her aunts hiding from her? :)

Ok, so not much as been released about it, but what little has (and that gorgeous cover!!) has got me SOLD on this one!

In My Mailbox (16)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren, where we all share what we got during the week!

I am so late getting this posted this week! I was out enjoying my day---hope everyone had a great Mother's Day! Mine was lovely, baked cookies (the kind I already featured here, so that is why no Sunday Sweeties post this week!) and we all went to Barnes & Noble. :) I had fun looking through the YA section with my 15 year old daughter, usually she is in school when my hubby and I head off to the nearest bookstore, so it was fun to see what she picked up. She got such a kick out of the "Nightlight" parody of Twilight. She is a huge Twilight fan, has probably read each book 3 times.
So, here's what I got this week! I've been meaning to read The Hunger Games forever! Finally got a hold of a copy and also the audio book so I can read it when I'm home and listen when I'm at work or driving. Its SO good so far---I'm only a little ways into it and I've already almost cried twice. Powerful stuff.
I've been eyeing Falling in for months now and finally bought it today. It sounds like such a cute story and that cover is just outstanding!! It's glittery, too! Knightly Academy sounded a little Harry Potter-esque, which of course, sounds awesome! :) I actually checked this one out for hubby, and I will read it if I can fit it in! And I just have to add: the author has THE COOLEST name!!

Knightly Academy by Violet Haberdasher
Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Falling In by Frances O'Roark Dowell

Review: Whisper

Whisper by Phoebe Kitanidis

publisher: Balzer & Bray (HarperCollins)

release date: April 27th, 2010

edition: hardcover, 281 pages

intended audience: Young adult

rating:


description from bn.com:

I’d love a cup of coffee. I wish she knew how pretty she was. I wish I could drop this kid in the dryer sometimes. I just want her to be happy. I hope she didn’t find out what Ben said about her. I wish I knew how many calories were in a bite of muffin…
Joy is used to hearing Whispers. She’s used to walking down the street and instantly knowing people’s deepest, darkest desires. She uses this talent for good, to make people happy and give them what they want. But for her older sister, Jessica, the family gift is a curse, and she uses it to make people’s lives—especially Joy’s—miserable. Still, when Joy Hears a frightening whisper from Jessica's own mind, she knows she has to save her sister, even if it means deserting her friends, stealing a car and running away with a boy she barely knows—a boy who may have a dark secret of his own.

Review: This a fun, fast read(literally...I read it in a day and a half). And at times very touching. The main character, Joy, has fallen into a pattern of using her ability to hear these "whispers" to please people---to give her friends around her exactly what they want. She's always considered it a wonderful gift, contrary to what her older sister tries to get her to believe. It gets you thinking, what would it be like to have to hear everyone's thoughts and wishes? Could you handle hearing even the bad things, including the thoughts that pertained to yourself? And what would you do with such a power? I really enjoyed watching how Joy grew as a daughter, a sister, a friend---as a whole person. The story moved along smoothly and built up to great satisfying ending. Definitely pick this one up if you have the chance!

Waiting on Wednesday : Shadow Hills and Forgive my Fins

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It lets us all gush about what soon-to-be released books we are jumping-up-and-down excited for.
I chose two this week, couldn't decide which one to post about. :)

Shadow Hills
by Anastasia Hopcus
(link goes to amazon to preorder!)

release date: July 13th, 2010

description from goodreads:
His love captivated her... his secrets might kill her.

Since her sister’s mysterious death, Persephone “Phe” Archer has been plagued by a series of disturbing dreams. Determined to find out what happened to her sister, Phe enrolls at Devenish Prep in Shadow Hills, Massachusetts—the subject of her sister’s final diary entry.

After stepping on campus, Phe immediately realizes that there’s something different about this place—an unexplained epidemic that decimated the town in the 1700s, an ancient and creepy cemetery, and gorgeous boy Zach—and somehow she’s connected to it all.

But the more questions she asks and the deeper she digs, the more entangled Phe becomes in the haunting past of Shadow Hills. Finding what links her to this town…might cost her her life.

This one looks fantastic! You can read the first chapter HERE, but fair warning! It has me even more impatient for this one to release!!


Forgive My Fins
by Tera Lynn Childs

(link goes to amazon again!)

release date: June 1st, 2010 (less than a month away!!)

description from goodreads:
Lily Sanderson has a secret, and it’s not that she has a huge crush on gorgeous swimming god Brody Bennett, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast. Unrequited love is hard enough when you’re a normal teenage girl, but when you’re half human, half mermaid like Lily, there’s no such thing as a simple crush.

Lily’s mermaid identity is a secret that can’t get out, since she’s not just any mermaid – she’s a Thalassinian princess. When Lily found out three years ago that her mother was actually a human, she finally realized why she didn’t feel quite at home in Thalassinia, and she’s been living on land and going to Seaview high school ever since, hoping to find where she truly belongs. Sure, land has its problems – like her obnoxious, biker boy neighbor Quince Fletcher – but it has that one major perk – Brody. The problem is, mermaids aren’t really the casual dating type – when they “bond,” it’s for life.

When Lily’s attempt to win Brody’s love leads to a tsunami-sized case of mistaken identity, she is in for a tidal wave of relationship drama, and she finds out, quick as a tailfin flick, that happily-ever-after never sails quite as smoothly as you planned.

All I can say is I've been a sucker for a good "mermaid in the real world" story since Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah were in the movie "Splash"!! This one sounds like suck a quirky fun story!!

Two-fer Review: Eyes Like Stars & Perchance to Dream

Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev

publisher: Feiwel & Friends

release date: July 7th, 2009

edition: Hardcover, 368 pages
intended audience: Young adult

rating:


description from amazon.com:
All her world's a stage. Beatrice Shakespeare Smith is not an actress, yet she lives in a theater. She is not an orphan, but she has no parents. She knows every part, but has no lines of her own. Until now. Welcome to the Théâtre Illuminata, where the characters of every place ever written can be found behind the curtain. They were born to play their parts, and are bound to the Théâtre by The Book—an ancient and magical tome of scripts. Bertie is not one of them, but they are her family—and she is about to lose them all and the only home she has ever known.

Review: The first book in the Théâtre Illuminata series is fantastic! In this magical theater, all of the characters from every play ever written exist to be called into action on cue. They magically appear for their curtain calls. Enter Beatrice Shakespeare Smith, a girl with a tendency to anger the stage manager and dye her hair wild colors...and she is the only one in the theater that doesn't either come from a play or have a real purpose there, and no one really knows how she got there. I absolutely loved how imaginative this whole premise was. It's definitely one the most creative stories I've ever read. I loved Bertie's spunk and her constant companions, the fairies from Midsummer Nights Dream, were hilarious. When she is called out by the stage manager to either prove her worth to the theater or leave forever, the adventure begins and doesn't stop until the very end and beyond!

***WARNING!! SPOILERS AHEAD: IF YOU HAVE NOT READ BOOK 1, STOP HERE!***

Perchance to Dream by Lisa Mantchev
publisher: Feiwel & Friends

release date: May 25th, 2010

edition: ARC, 333 pages

intended audience: Young adult

rating:



Description from

We are such stuff as dreams are made on.

Act Two, Scene One

Growing up in the enchanted Thèâtre Illuminata, Beatrice Shakespeare Smith learned everything about every play ever written. She knew the Players and their parts, but she didn’t know that she, too, had magic. Now, she is the Mistress of Revels, the Teller of Tales, and determined to follow her stars. She is ready for the outside world.

Enter BERTIE AND COMPANY

But the outside world soon proves more topsy-turvy than any stage production. Bertie can make things happen by writing them, but outside the protective walls of the Thèâtre, nothing goes as planned. And her magic cannot help her make a decision between—

Nate: Her suave and swashbuckling pirate, now in mortal peril.

Ariel: A brooding, yet seductive, air spirit whose true motives remain unclear.

When Nate is kidnapped and taken prisoner by the Sea Goddess, only Bertie can free him. She and her fairy sidekicks embark on a journey aboard the Thèâtre’s caravan, using Bertie’s word magic to guide them. Along the way, they collect a sneak-thief, who has in his possession something most valuable, and meet The Mysterious Stranger, Bertie’s father—and the creator of the scrimshaw medallion. Bertie’s dreams are haunted by Nate, whose love for Bertie is keeping him alive, but in the daytime, it’s Ariel who is tantalizingly close, and the one she is falling for. Who does Bertie love the most? And will her magic be powerful enough to save her once she enters the Sea Goddess’s lair?

Review: In the second installment of this series, we find Bertie and company traveling the countryside to save her pirate boyfriend Nate from Sedna, the Sea Goddess, who has taken him prisoner. Like the first book, this is a wonderful face-paced adventure, absolutely overflowing with creativity. Lisa Mantchev's writing springs to mind visual candy like no other. New characters are intoduced and the complex love story really gets into full swing. Bertie is just as strong and gutsy as ever. I did find, in this one, that at times, things were happening so quickly and the adventure rolling along so fast-paced that I would get a little lost and have to flip back a few pages and reread. Still, a wonderful story and great continuation of the series!

Excited to see what the third installment will bring!

In My Mailbox (15)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren, where we all share what we got during the week!

Lots of fun stuff this week! My library had our quarterly book sale this week and I was pleasantly surprised to see some cool YA books there! Oh, and I did purchase one this week---Whisper!! I have been eagerly awaiting this one. I've decided preorder is the way to go for my most anticipated books...for one you usually get an even better price and for another thing, it takes away the temptation of me walking into a bookstore, seeing it at full price and absolutely NEEDING to buy it right then and there at full price!! (The word "need" used subjectively here!)

purchased:
Whisper by Phoebe Kitanidis

library check-outs:
Shadow Mirror by Richie Tankersley Cusick
Lament by Maggie Steifvater
Wish by Alexandra Bullen
Aries Rising by Bonnie Hearn Hill

Library book sale!:
The Further You Run by Davida Wills Hurwin
The White Darkness by Geraldine McCaughrean
The Named by Marianne Hurley
Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

What was most exciting about the library book sale stuff is that when I bought them, I almost passed them up because they had all the library sticker and things blacked out and I hate having yucky looking books on my shelves. BUT I took them in to work with me the next day and with the magic of all my mending stuff, was able to make every single one of them look BRAND new. Well, except for the library stamp on the inside, but still. Love that!

Show me what you got!!

Review: Fallen by Lauren Kate

Fallen by Lauren Kate

publisher: Delacorte Press

released: December 2009

hardcover, 452 pages
intended audience: Young adult

rating:


Description for bn.com:
Seventeen-Year-Old Luce is a new student at Sword & Cross, an unwelcoming boarding/reform school in Savannah, Georgia. Luce’s boyfriend died under suspicious circumstances, and now she carries the guilt over his death with her as she navigates the unfriendly halls at Sword & Cross, where every student seems to have an unpleasant—even evil—history. It’s only when she sees Daniel, a gorgeous fellow student, that Luce feels there’s a reason to be here—though she doesn’t know what it is. And Daniel’s frosty cold demeanor toward her? It’s really a protective device that he’s used again . . . and again. For Daniel is a fallen angel, doomed to fall in love with the same girl every 17 years . . . and watch her die. And Luce is a fellow immortal, cursed to be reincarnated again and again as a mortal girl who has no idea of who she really is.

Review: I really liked this one. It was darkly romantic and incredibly edgy, fast-paced and mysterious. In the prologue you meet Daniel and Lucinda for the first time in the past, and it's definitely important because it explains that his cold demeanor toward her when they meet in the present is put on just to keep her safely away from him, otherwise you might think it's not at all romantic, he's just being an ass! (That's not a spoiler! It even says this right there in the book description!) The story gets alot of cool edginess from being set in a reform school rather than just a regular boarding school. With that fact, you get alot of characters with sordid pasts and clashing attitudes, makes for lots of interesting conflicts. My favorite was Penn (Pennyweather Van-Sykle Lockwood..I love it!) and Arriane, who definitely keeps you guessing about her loyalties through the whole book. As a matter of fact, this can really be said about quite a few of the characters, and I love a story that keeps you guessing! Still, while I know this is going to be a series and alot of juicy details have yet to be revealed, I would have like to have a few things explained in this first book---like why the"thing" that happens to Luce and Daniel happens if they end up together. (Sorry for the vagueness--trying not to spoil anything!!) And I will say, the Epilogue left me wondering what the heck is going on???

On a side note: I listened to most of this story on audio book and read the last third of it. I found it a little hard to absorb as much with the audio book. I can't say I particularly like the voice it was read in, especially for this story. The reader's voice seemed a bit unsuited to this story at times. And I haven't listened to many audio books, but I'm finding that it bothers me when a female reader puts on a deeper voice when she's reading the male dialogue. It was also read a smidge on the slow side, which was slightly frustrating. I actually ended up playing it at a higher speed which I thought would annoy me at first, like being read to by one of the Chipettes...but it turned out sounding a little more like the actress Kristen Chenoweth, who I love! So that worked out better and it still is incredibly convenient to be able to listen while driving and while doing my book mending at work. :) So, lesson learned, it the future I will have to be a bit more picky about my audio books. I would hate to think less of an awesome book because I am distracted by the performer!

Anyhow, with all that said and done..I can't wait to read the second book! Torment hits shelves on September 28th, 2010!!