Em's Bookshelf

Beth Kephart shares her inspiration for The Heart Is Not a Size

2010-03-28T18:13:00.000-07:00

Today, I am delighted to welcome one of my favorite authors, Beth Kephart, to my blog. Beth's new book, The Heart Is Not a Size, will be on bookshelves March 30th and she's here today to share with us the inspiration for the book. Enjoy Beth's post and the pictures that she took in Juarez and please comment below. One lucky commenter will win a copy of The Heart Is Not a Size.

Beth Kephart (words in blue):

My husband is Salvadoran, and I spent 15 years researching his home. I traveled, took photographs, learned the geography. I lived through monsoons, and I picked coffee, and I traveled in the violent aftermath of the guerrilla wars. I wrote a novel about El Salvador then chose to reconstruct it as a memoir and in the midst of that work, I traveled to Spain to begin work on a novel that takes place in Seville. I love, I am trying to say, those parts of the world that are Spanish influenced, and so, when an opportunity came up to travel to Juarez, Mexico, with my husband, son, and two dozen church friends, I said, Yes. Absolutely. I want to be there.

Still, I wasn’t fully prepared for the Juarez that we traveled to in the summer of 2005. I had expected heat and poverty and dust; we were met forcefully by all three. I had expected long lines at border crossings and nights of little sleep. But I had not expected to see children of such substantial beauty emerge from homes that could—and were, while we were there—be blown away by a windstorm.

Juarez to so many of us now is the blaring headlines of drug wars; it is the numbers of children shot dead; it is gang members bursting through hospital doors and killing the doctors who are struggling to save lives. It is the residual of so many young women, gone missing. But to me Juarez will always also be the children who welcomed us with open arms in a squatters’ village—who burst upon dust streets in dresses so rose-red, so violet, so white. Juarez, to me, will be the photographs I took, and it will be this book, The Heart is Not a Size, which means the world to me because there, in Heart, is a world I came to love—a world that taught me something about courage and grace. Juarez is a world that I want to take you to, a world that I want to share.

Miss Em, you have given me so much in my writing career. You have given me, again, a platform—and more than most will ever know. Thank you for inviting me here, to your blog, to tell this story with pictures and words.

Thanks for sharing your story and beautiful pictures with us, Beth!

For more about The Heart Is Not a Size, read my review or visit Beth's blog or become a fan on Facebook. Comment below and one lucky commenter will receive a copy of The Heart Is Not a Size. ♥

The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong Book Review

2010-03-12T17:21:00.000-08:00

The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong
(HarperCollins, Hardcover, April 2010)
Rating:

In this third volume of Kelley Armstrong's Darkest Powers trilogy, Chloe is finally beginning to control her ability to raise the dead. The usual cast of characters—Simon, Derek, and Tori—are with her at a safe house and as they began to unravel the mystery of the Edison Group, Chloe also begins to sort out her feelings for Simon and Derek.

I was hooked on this series after reading the first book, The Summoning. I loved the whole idea of a psychiatric ward for teens being a front for kids with supernatural powers. Over the course of the series, Chloe has gradually become more comfortable with her necromancy skills, scary as they are. While the second book in the series, The Awakening, fell a little flat for me as it served only to get Chloe and her friends from Point A to Point B with little character or plot development, this third volume has a lot to offer. I enjoyed reading about Chloe's developing feelings for Derek and about her growing confidence in her supernatural abilities.

However...and this isn't a flaw at all, just an observation...I felt like there was more to Chloe's story. The ending was satisfying, action packed, and closed a lot of plot lines, but throughout this third book, several clues were dropped that perhaps this won't be the last book in the series. For example, Margaret, one of the adults who takes Chloe and her friends in, looks scared when Chloe mentions that the stone in her protective necklace changed colors, but we never find out what the changing colors means. Also, there are several allusions that the Edison Group isn't the only group that Chloe needs to fear. Finally, Chloe meets a demon at one point and his parting words made me think that it wasn't the last she would see of him. I don't mean to imply that this trilogy doesn't feel finished, just that it would be great to extend it into a four or five book series. One can only wish. :)

Fall Fantasy Flashback...or...Playing Catch-up with Reviews

2010-03-10T15:31:00.000-08:00

This past fall I read a ton of great fantasy books and, sadly, did not have time to review them here. Because I read them so long ago, I can't quite remember all the details of each book so I am going to do mini reviews rather than my normal long review.

The Dark Divine by Bree Despain
(Egmont, Hardcover, December 2009)
In her debut novel, Bree Despain captures the quintessential teen problems—romance, family issues, and faith—all while weaving an exciting fantasy story. The secrets surrounding Grace Divine's childhood friend, Daniel, kept me guessing the whole book and the ending left me waiting for a sequel.

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
(Scholastic, Hardcover, August 2009)
So many good things to say about this one. Stiefvater's mythology was captivating and intriguing and unlike any werewolf story that I've read (granted, I haven't read that many). Because Sam will completely revert to wolf form if it gets too cold outside, the use of temperatures for chapter titles was unique and suspenseful. Shiver is a beautifully written love story and I can't wait to read the sequel, Linger, when it comes out in July.

The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima
(Hyperion, Hardcover, October 2009)

This novel reminded me of some of favorite fantasy writers, such as Hilari Bell and Tamora Pierce. Set in a world of monarchs and magic, two strangers will have to unite to save a kingdom. Han has grown up in poverty, but the magic silver cuffs that he wears suggests a there is more to this reformed thief than meets the eye. Raisa is a princess in a gilded cage but, more than anything, she wants to escape and become a warrior queen. Thoroughly captivating, this is one of the best fantasy books that I read last year and the sequel, The Exiled Queen, is already on my wishlist even though it doesn't come out until September.

Have you read any good fantasy books lately?

The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott Book Review

2010-03-07T11:52:00.000-08:00

The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott
(Simon Pulse, Hardcover, April 2010)
Rating:

Among girlfriends, there is one unwritten rule - do not steal your best friend's boyfriend. When Brianna starts dating Ryan, Sarah is crushed because she's liked Ryan for years. Sarah doesn't intend to steal Ryan from Brianna but as the three begin to hang out more, it's obvious Ryan and Brianna's relationship isn't great. So when Sarah finds out that Ryan likes her back, she kisses him, twice. Can Sarah and Brianna's friendship survive this and is Ryan worth it?

I've been a big fan of Elizabeth Scott's writing ever since her first book, Bloom. Her characters are real and endearingly flawed. In The Unwritten Rule, Sarah is insecure and she feels lucky that Brianna is her best friend. Though Brianna constantly puts Sarah down, Sarah takes it because, without Brianna, she feels lost. And as for Ryan, let's just say that I enjoyed reading a book where the boy wasn't portrayed as this evil person breaking up a friendship. The Unwritten Rule is an absorbing novel about growing up, finding your own way, and the importance of breaking some rules.

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting Book Review

2010-02-28T14:28:00.000-08:00

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting
(HarperTeen, Hardcover, March 2010)
Rating:

Dead bodies seem to call to Violet Ambrose. Ever since she was little and uncovered the body of a teenage girl in the woods, Violet has been able to find dead bodies--mostly, squirrels, mice, cats, and other woodland creatures. Their "imprint" calls to her, through colors, smells, and noises. Violet has learned to deal with her ability, but when a serial killer starts murdering girls in her town, Violet can't escape the horror. Even worse, it looks like the serial killer is targeting Violet.

The Body Finder is one of the most exciting, original fantasy books that I've read in awhile. The novel is full of suspense and descriptive passages. Violet's ability to see/hear/smell imprints comes across as spooky but also beautiful. Here's a passage from the beginning of the novel. Violet and her friends are enjoying a lazy summer afternoon at a lake when Violet feels the pull of something dead and sees what looks like the sheen of an oil spill in the water.

"Multihued light seemed to be radiating up from beneath the water, centered among the reeds, and then diffusing outward as it reached the surface. Violet had never seen anything like it and she knew that the spectrum of light was defying its very nature by behaving in that way. It could only be one thing. There was something dead down there....The vibrant light continued to play off the waves from below, fading into a fine, colorful mist as it broke through the surface of the water and vanished into the air." (pp. 61-62)

The characters in Kimberly Derting's novel are well-written and believable. Violet agonizes over school, family, and her sudden crush on Jay, her best friend. Quite frankly, it was nice to read about a family that was supportive for a change. When confronted with Violet's gift at an early age, Violet's dad believes his daughter instead of shipping her off to a psychiatric ward. He acts like a parent figure and allows Violet to live a relatively normal life. The book also has an incredibly sweet and touching romantic element, for those of you who are romance fans. In the acknowledgments of the book, Kimberly thanks her editor for helping her to "polish The Body Finder into something that sparkles." And sparkle it does. The plot is creative, the characters fully developed, and the writing compelling. And make sure to keep your eyes open for the sequel which will be published in 2011 and titled The Desires of the Dead.

House of Dance Contest at Beth Kephart's Blog

2010-02-18T18:24:00.000-08:00

Beth Kephart is having a contest over at her blog. Tell her your definition of dance and two lucky winners will get a paperback copy of her fabulous book House of Dance.

And speaking of fabulous books, Beth just received some great news about her upcoming book The Heart Is Not a Size. Stay tuned to this blog for some more Heart related posts as we get closer to it's release date on March 30th.

Every Little Thing in the World by Nina de Gramont Book Review

2010-02-14T14:50:00.000-08:00

Every Little Thing in the World by Nina de Gramont
(Atheneum, Hardcover, March 2010)
Rating:

When 16-year-old Sydney finds out that she's pregnant, she has no idea what to do. So she keeps it a secret from everyone but her best friend Natalie. Sydney thinks that she just needs time to decide what to do and how to tell her mom. Then her mom enrolls her in a six-week canoe camp in Canada and Natalie invites herself along. Sydney has to make the biggest decision of her life on this trip and Natalie's opinions aren't helping.

In my review of Nina de Gramont's first novel Gossip of the Starlings, I said that she perfectly captures what is like to be an adolescent on the verge of adulthood. The same holds true for this novel. Sydney is forced to grow up when she finds out that's she is pregnant. The juxtaposition of Sydney's upcoming decision and the carefree world of summer camp illustrate the two worlds that Sydney is straddling. Natalie's desire for Sydney to keep the baby sets up a nice pro-life/pro-choice debate, but it also serves to show how friendships change as we grow up. I thought this novel had great character development, a thought-provoking topic, and a unique setting. I'm excited that de Gramont has ventured into teen literature and I can't wait to see what she writes next.

Cybils Young Adult Fiction Finalists - a Round-up of Reviews

2010-01-10T21:08:00.000-08:00

I'm currently in the process of reading the seven Young Adult Fiction finalists for the Cybils award and am really enjoying them. All of the books that I've read thus far deal with major ISSUES, like alcoholism or suicide or abuse. In order to combat the heaviness, I've been reading light, frothy, non-Cybils books in between. This helps me clear my head before moving on to the next book. Unlike last year when I read over 90 nominated novels as a first-round panelist, this year I only have to read seven so it's nice to be able to take my time and savor each book instead of feeling like I have to rush immediately into the next one.

Enough about my reading style though...I promised to post other bloggers' reviews of the finalists, since I can't actually review any on my blog until after the winner has been announced. Below are reviews that have come to my attention in the last week. If you've reviewed one of these books and you're not on this list, leave me a comment and a link to your review and I'll add it. (p.s. I have no idea if these are positive or negative reviews. I didn't read them before posting because I didn't want other reviews competing with my own thoughts as I read these books.)

Blue Plate Special by Michelle D. Kwasney
Reviewed by:
Sarah at YA Librarian Tales
Sarah at Sarah's Random Musings
Alea at Pop Culture Junkie
Norah at TeenReads

Carter Finally Gets It by Brent Crawford
Reviewed by:

Sally at Reading Junky

Karilee at Not So Closet Geeks
Ed at YA Books Central
Emily at EmilyReads

Cracked Up To Be by Courtney Summers
Reviewed by:
Tirzah at The Compulsive Reader
Sophie at So Many Books
Sarah at Sarah's Random Musings
Jocelyn at Teen Book Review

How To Say Goodbye In Robot by Natalie Standiford

Reviewed by:
Tirzah at The Compulsive Reader
Erin at Forever Young Adult

Sally at Reading Junky
Amanda at A Patchwork of Books

Into the Wild Nerd Yonder by Julie Halpern
Reviewed by:
Sarah at YA Librarian Tales
Sarah at Green Bean Teen Queen
Shelf Elf
The Book Muncher

North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley

Reviewed by:
Tirzah at The Compulsive Reader
Priya at Book Crumbs

Megan at SimplyMegan
Sally at Reading Junky
Miss Erin
Amanda at A Patchwork of Books
Sarah at Sarah's Random Musings

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
Reviewed by:
Tirzah at The Compulsive Reader
Jenny at Forever Young Adult
Priya at Book Crumbs
Megan at SimplyMegan
Sally at Reading Junky
Amanda at A Patchwork of Books

My 2010 Book Wishlist

2010-01-03T13:44:00.000-08:00

A new year means tons of great new books. Here are some that I'm looking forward to reading (and buying) in 2010.

The Heart Is Not a Size by Beth Kephart (already read and loved!), Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan, Every Little Thing In the World by Nina de Gramont (already read and loved!)

The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong, Linger by Maggie Stiefvater, The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting (already read and loved!)

What's on your 2010 book wishlist?

A note about buying books...
Between my job and this blog, I get a ton of books for free, but I also buy a ton of books. I've already read three of the above books in advance reader copy form. However, when those books hit the shelves, I will buy at least one copy of every one. Why? Because I love books and I think it's important to support the authors of my favorite books. As Beth Kephart recently said on her blog, "I believe in books, and I will pay to keep them coming." Of course, this also means that I'm doing a good job of keeping the bookshelf manufacturing companies in business, too. :)

Favorite Books of 2009

2010-01-02T13:20:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things to do in January is to look back at some of the best books from the previous year. Below are some of my favorite reads in 2009...

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak
Blackbringer by Laini Taylor
Going Bovine by Libba Bray
Nothing But Ghosts by Beth Kephart
Fire by Kristin Cashore
The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
Lovestruck Summer by Melissa Walker
Lips Touch by Laini Taylor

Last year, my blog resolution was to read 200 books. For the second year in a row, I am proud to say that I read over 200 books. This year, I am not going to set a reading quota; instead, my goal is to read more diversely. In addition to the young adult books you see reviewed on this blog, my list of 200 books was filled with adult fiction and a handful of non-fiction. In 2010, I want to read more non-fiction and I also want to work towards my goal of reading all the Man Booker Prize winners. Usually I read 2-3 of these a year, although in 2009 I only read 1--The Gathering by Anne Enright, a thoroughly depressing book.

However, when all is said and done, my only real New Year's Resolution is to pet my cat more. ♥
Em's Favorite Books of 2007 and 2008

Well, hello there

2009-12-12T19:45:00.000-08:00

I've been hibernating. This is one of my favorite times of year, plenty of evenings spent reading by the fire, lots of beautiful holiday decorations to admire, and the joy of spending time with family and friends.

Here are a few of my favorite holiday treats that I'd like to share with you...

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
I read this book every year around Christmas. Nothing gets me more in the holiday spirit than the story of little Sarah Crewe and her brave adventures. My copy is from 1987 (cover image shown) and has held up amazingly well. The pages are yellowed and the jacket shows lots of love. Last year, I decided to start collecting copies of this book. Any cover, any condition, any age. But when December rolls around, I always pick up my original copy to read.

Peppermint

Every fall, Ghirardelli makes their delicious Peppermint Bark chocolate. It's got a milk chocolate bottom with a white chocolate topping, chock full of tiny peppermint pieces. Yum! Another holiday favorite is Candy Cane Lane Tea from Celestial Seasonings. Full confession - I scour the grocery stores in November and stock up on this tea so that I have it all year long.

Grand Illumination in Colonial Williamsburg

At least once in your lifetime, I recommend going to Colonial Williamsburg for Grand Illumination, which takes place the first Sunday in December. Not only are you greeted by caroling colonials, hot apple cider, and hundreds of fun shops, there is also a huge fireworks display to celebrate the lighting of candles in the windows of Colonial Williamsburg's buildings, shops, and homes.

What are your favorite holiday traditions?

(images taken from Ghirardelli and Celestial Seasonings and about.com)

Make a Wish: Books about wishes

2009-11-01T20:50:00.000-08:00

In my last post, I reviewed three books that dealt with covert operations. It was fun to review three books at once, so I thought I'd continue with the themed reviews. Now, I turn my attention to two books that I kept getting confused before I read them. Blame it on the titles and the blue covers.

If you were given three wishes, what would you wish for?

***

As You Wish by Jackson Pearce
(Hardcover, HarperTeen, September 2009)

When Viola's boyfriend breaks up with her, Viola feels like her whole person is broken. She no longer fits in at school. When she makes a wish to belong, a jinn appears in her room, saying that he will grant her three wishes. But as Viola's wishes dwindle down, she realizes that her main wish is to always be with Jinn. As You Wish is a thoroughly enjoyable look at what really happens when wishes come true. Viola's revelations about friendship and about herself come across as genuine and heartfelt and the ending will leave you wishing that a jinn would come grant you three wishes.

Wish by Alexandra Bullen

(Hardcover, Scholastic Point, January 2010)

Life isn't worth living for Olivia when her twin sister, Violet, dies. Then she comes across a seamstress who makes her magical dresses—dresses that make wishes come true. Olivia wishes for Violet to come back and the next thing she knows, her ghost of a sister is following her around. With Violet back in her life, Olivia doesn't need any more wishes. Touching and heartbreaking, Olivia's story is a glimpse into a family trying to cope after the loss of a child and sister. Wish is filled with the normal teenage drama but it offers a tear-jerking twist and forces the reader to acknowledge that magic can only do so much to make us whole again.

***

Even though these books have similar titles and covers, they each deal with wishes in a different manner. Whereas the magical seamstress in Wish appears sparingly, the jinn in As You Wish is one of the main characters. As You Wish is a lighthearted look at fairy tales, as opposed to Wish which takes on the darker subject of death and how our lives change when we lose someone we love. If you're looking for similarities, interestingly, the main character of As You Wish is named Viola and the dead twin sister in Wish is named Violet. Neither book seemed as if it was the start of a series; although, Wish does have a beautiful epilogue that leaves open the possibility of a sequel.

Spies, Thieves, and Secret Societies

2009-10-31T13:31:00.000-07:00

Don't we all just love a good mystery? I grew up reading Nancy Drew and it's exciting to read new books that bring back that nostalgia for cloak-and-dagger writing. Here are three books coming out in early 2010 that will have you thinking black jumpsuits, Mission Impossible music, and magnifying glasses.

***

Heist Society by Ally Carter
(Hardcover, Disney Hyperion, February 2010)

Ally Carter is well-known for her Gallagher Girls series, featuring junior spy Cammie the Chameleon. In Heist Society, Carter turns her attention away from spies toward thieves. Kat's family have been thieves and con men for generations. When Kat tries to leave the family business and lead a normal teenage life, she finds herself pulled back into the con world when she has to assemble an all-teenage crew and steal a painting to save her dad. Filled with excitement, cross-continental mayhem, and Carter's trademark humor, Heist Society is going to give the Gallagher Girls a run for their money.

The Naughty List by Suzanne Young

(Paperback, Razorbill, February 2010)

Tessa is captain of the cheerleading team, a team that also happens to be a group of spies. Tessa and the other girls work undercover to catch the school's cheaters. Responding to text alerts, the squad investigates all boyfriends suspected of cheating. Even though this sounds silly, the book does a great job of examining fidelity and trust in relationships. The spy squad is a bit over the top at times, but readers will find themselves rooting for Tessa when her own boyfriend makes the list of suspected cheaters. Be prepared for somewhat of a cliffhanger ending though as there is a planned sequel, So Many Boys, due out in Summer 2010.

The Cinderella Society by Kay Cassidy
(Hardcover, Egmont, April 2010)

Jess Parker has always lived on the fringes of high school popularity so when she's invited to join an exclusive club called The Cinderella Society, she doesn't hesitate. She soon learns that this secret society has world-reaching goals, the primary one being to triumph over the Wickeds, an evil group that torments innocent high school girls. The Cinderella Society is an interesting twist on high school cliques and Jess Parker is feisty and likeable. Although I have never been interested in sororities, this book was a fun read.

The Heart is Not a Size by Beth Kephart Book Review

2009-10-19T19:30:00.000-07:00

The Heart Is Not a Size by Beth Kephart
(HarperTeen, Hardcover, March 2010)
Rating:

Georgia and Riley have been best friends for years. So when Georgia sees a flyer for a community building trip to Juarez, she has no trouble enlisting Riley to join her. Both girls convince their parents that this trip is a good idea, a way to build not just a community, but character. However, in Juarez, Georgia finds that not everything can be carefully managed and secrets can't always be kept.

Georgia lets us slowly into her life, revealing little details about herself and about Riley and they secrets they keep from each other. I read The Heart Is Not a Size in one sitting; I couldn't put it down until I knew whether Georgia would overcome her panic attacks or whether Riley would admit she had an eating disorder. I also loved that Georgia and Riley reminded me so much of me and my best friend in high school. One smart and serious, the other beautiful and bubbly. For me, this book is a novel about friendship, about the sacrifices we make for our friends, and about how important it is to have that one person you can count on.

The Heart Is Not a Size is also about a border town called Juarez and Georgia's experiences there. I've never been to Mexico, but it was easy to close my eyes and picture the town. Kephart effortlessly transports the reader to a gritty town inundated with sun and sand. The descriptions of Juarez and it's people are so vivid, and Georgia's desire to help them comes across on every page. The trip is as much an adventure as it is a learning experience for her and for the other teens in her group.

Like all of Beth Kephart's books, The Heart Is Not a Size is a must-read for teens and for anyone working with teens. Kephart isn't afraid to tackle the big issues like parental pressure, anorexia, and death, and she does it all with compassion, honesty, and beautiful writing.

Front and Center by Catherine Gilbert Murdock Book Review

2009-09-09T16:03:00.000-07:00

Front and Center by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
(Houghton Miffling, Hardcover, October 2009)
Rating:

D.J. Schwenk knows what it's like to be stressed. Lately, she's feeling it from all sides. She's been overseeing her brother's physical therapy after a football accident left him nearly paralyzed. She's dating her best friend, yet still harboring feelings for her ex. And she's about to make the biggest decision of her life—whether to accept a basketball scholarship to a small, safe school or to risk everything by going to a big, stadium-packed school to play ball.

This is definitely my favorite D.J. Schwenk novel yet. Whereas Dairy Queen set out to break down stereotypes by having D.J. be the only girl on her high school's football team, Front and Center looks at the pressures that come with high school. D.J. is really good at basketball, but she clams up on the court when the stakes are high. As D.J. learns to be a leader and find her voice, I was rooting for her to go big and accept a scholarship at a top basketball school. Readers will have to pick up this book to find out what choice D.J. makes, though. In Front and Center, Catherine Murdock Gilbert delivers a gripping novel that is completely true to D.J.'s voice and that accurately depicts the college decision-making. I'm only sad that this is the final book in the trilogy...

Announcing Harlequin Teen and 2 Book Reviews

2009-09-07T21:33:00.000-07:00

Earlier this summer, Harlequin announced that they would be starting a teen imprint. I was supremely excited for two reasons. One, Harlequin is one of the only publishers (if not the only publisher) that has been making money in this recession. Clearly, they know what people like and they are savvy about their book deals and book marketing. Two, Harlequin Teen signing on some blockbuster authors, including Gena Showalter, P.C. Cast, Rachel Vincent, and, the author I'm most excited about, Maria V. Snyder. So far, I've been able to read two of Harlequin Teen's books, My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent and Intertwined by Gena Showalter. Both are great additions to the fantasy genre and, since I'd never read anything by either author before this, I'll definitely be checking out their adult titles. See below for my reviews of these two books. The shortened version? I ♥ Harlequin Teen.

My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent
(Harlequin Teen, Paperback, 2009)
Rating:

Kaylee Cavanaugh can sense when people around her are about to die and, when that happens, she starts screaming uncontrollably. Kaylee has tried to keep this hidden her whole life. Then she meets Nash. Nash doesn't seem to care that she's a bit odd and, more importantly, he has an explanation for her screams. My Soul to Take is a fresh, exciting paranormal book where the main character aren't vampires or a werewolves. Instead, Kaylee and Nash are banshee. Rachel Vincent weaves mythology and mystery into a romantic tale. I loved that Kaylee is a powerful banshee, seemingly more so than her male counterpart, although the two must work together to save their friends. Another great character was the grim reaper, Tod. Hello, love triangles and a fantastic new series.

Intertwined by Gena Showalter
(Harlequin Teen, Hardcover, 2009)
Rating:

Imagine having someone inside your head, talking all day. Aden has four souls trapped inside him, constantly telling him what to do. Not that it's all bad. Aden's souls each have special abilities that have helped save his life in the past. But when he meets Mary Ann, he doesn't want to stay away because when she's around, he can't hear the souls inside him. At first, it was hard for me to keep up with who was speaking in Aden's head. After a couple chapters, though, it became easy to differentiate between the multiple personalities and I marveled at how Gena Showalter was able to highlight each soul to show how Aden was feeling overwhelmed. It soon became clear that Aden's task was to set the souls free. Intertwined features a plot line that I can't get out of my mind and characters that I want to read more about.

If you want to learn more about Harlequin Teen, visit their website and their Facebook page.

Brand-New Emily by Ginger Rue Book Review

2009-09-07T15:17:00.000-07:00

Brand-New Emily by Ginger Rue
(Tricycle Press, Hardcover, 2009)
Rating:

Emily Wood's year at a new middle school isn't starting off so hot. Somehow she's already made enemies with the popular clique - The Daisies. Sick of being bullied, Emily decides to make over her image by hiring a top notch public relations firm. Now, she's wearing the hottest clothes, "dating" a movie star, and hanging out with high schoolers. The ruse may be working, but Emily soon finds out that being popular is hard work.

Brand-New Emily is a cute, eye-opening look at teen popularity. It was fascinating to read about the marketing tactics that are used on teens, from how certain clothes become fashionable to how powerful and tricky brand loyalty can be. Emily's transformation to "Em" was well-written and believable. The plot may sound unbelieveable, but Ginger Rue writes it with humor and a down-to-earth tone that makes the book a page-turner from beginning to end. I can easily see this being made into a movie. Add a few years to Emily's age and you have the makings of a modern "Clueless" or "Mean Girls."

The Author Is In...

2009-09-01T19:18:00.000-07:00

Readergirlz, one of my favorite sites, just announced a new program called readergirlz Author In Residence. For four months, readergirlz will host one author as their Author In Residence. Duties include participating in chats, conversing on the readergirlz blog, and serving up some video blogs about the writing life.

Their first Author In Residence is none other than the fabulous Beth Kephart. Beth is the author of several books for teens, including one of my all time favorite novels, Undercover, and the heart-filling book The Heart Is Not a Size (March 2010). If you're not familiar with Beth's books, I recommend visiting her blog. She posts photos, musings, and writing thoughts almost daily. Kudos to readergirlz for picking a wonderful author to kick off the new program! I can't wait to start watching your video blogs, Beth!

Fade to Blue by Sean Beaudoin Book Review

2009-08-30T19:53:00.000-07:00

Fade to Blue by Sean Beaudoin
(Little Brown, Hardcover, 2009)
Rating:

Sophie Blue is a sarcastic goth girl and Kenny Fade is a popular basketball player. The two have nothing in common, except that they both have needle marks on their arms and they are pretty sure they're losing their minds. Sophie is convinced that her condition is tied to her dad's disappearance a year ago. Will the unlikely duo be able to solve the mystery before they disappear, too?

Fade to Blue is a dark, twisty book that is part comic book and part science fiction thriller. A little too twisty for my tastes as I found it to be very confusing at times. I did enjoy the suspense aspect though. It reminded me a lot of the Cathy's Book series in that there is a mystery involving a lab and the main character is an artist. However, Cathy's Book incorporates drawings throughout the book, whereas Fade to Blue only has one small section of comics and a page of drawings at the end, almost as if they were added as an afterthought. While Cathy's Book seems stronger to me, I can see the merits in this book. It will appeal to teens that are interested in comics and computer programming as both of those things feature prominently in this book.

Evermore by Alyson Noel Book Review

2009-08-30T12:33:00.000-07:00

Evermore by Alyson Noel
(Paperback, St. Martin's Griffin, 2009)
Rating:

Ever used to be a normal teenager - cheerleader, one of the most popular girls in school, always showing off her long blonde hair. When an accident killed her parents and almost killed her, Ever started to see people's auras and now she goes out of her way to avoid contact with anyone. High school, for Ever, is just a loud mesh of voices and feelings and it's too much for her to bear. Then she meets Damen, a mysterious, rich boy who makes the world go quiet when he touches her. But who is Damen and he is really good for Ever?

I've been on a supernatural kick this summer and Evermore kept jumping out at me from the bookshelves. The cover is so beautiful that I just couldn't resist. Written in present tense, this novel has a feeling of immediacy that made it hard to put down. Not only is Ever confronted with this new ability to see auras, but she is also surrounded by people with secrets and it's hard for her to know who to trust. Damen seems wonderful. He is the only one who can shut out the sounds around Ever, but he disappears for long periods of time and Ever knows that he's not telling her everything. My favorite character, though, is Riley, Ever's sister who is now a ghost. Riley is spooky and unnerving, yet compelling in an annoying younger sister sort of way. All in all, this was an exciting book and I'm looking forward to reading the sequel, Blue Moon.

Coffehouse Angel by Suzanne Selfors Book Review

2009-08-04T17:21:00.000-07:00

Coffeehouse Angel by Suzanne Selfors
(Walker Books, Hardcover, 2009)
Rating:

Katrina is working hard to save her family's coffee shop, getting up early every morning and working every afternoon and weekend. One morning she spots a homeless guy outside the coffee shop and she leaves some coffee and a pastry for him. Little does she know that her act of kindness was directed at an angel—and that he now must grant her whatever she desires. After a couple of botched wishes, Katrina realizes that all she wants is a certain irresitible angel.

I picked up this book, excited for the unique premise. In the plethora of fairy-tale retellings, I haven't yet come across a book where a girl is granted wishes from an angel. Katrina is a compelling heroine and her battle to save her family's coffee shop was the real strength of this book. Her entrepreneurial flair drove the plot of the book and I turned the pages, waiting to see what her next big idea would be. The romance aspect of the novel, which is billed as the main plot line on the back of the book, fell far short of Katrina's quest to save the business. Malcom, the angel, came across as provincial and two-dimensional. He only had a couple of scenes with Katrina and it wasn't at all apparent that he was attracted to her until the last couple of scenes. I love coffee, teen entreprenuers, and the idea of a wish-granting angel but, in the end, I wasn't really all that infatuated with Coffeehouse Angel.

Lips Touch by Laini Taylor Book Review

2009-08-02T12:20:00.000-07:00

Lips Touch Three Times by Laini Taylor
(Hardcover, Scholastic, October 2009)
Rating:

"Kissing can ruin lives. Lips touch, sometimes teeth clash. New hunger is born with a throb and caution falls away."

Lips Touch offers a trio of fairy-tale-esque stories, centered around the power of a kiss. In "Goblin Fruit," beautifully different Kizzy is tempted by a boy who is not all he seems and whose kiss could mean her ruin. Anamique's voice can kill humans or sway devils in "Spicy Little Curses Such as These." In "Hatchling," Esme's eyes change colors and, all of sudden, she has memories of kissing a fanged hunter.

Reading Lips Touch is like slipping into a dark fantasy, one where the lines between truth and fiction blur and magic taints every breath. Whereas Laini's first novel Blackbringer was for a middle grade audience, this collection is geared towards a teen audience. Temptation, lust, and love seep into each story, and it's easy to imagine yourself as one of the main characters...ordinary girls who are faced with extraordinary circumstances. Each of the three stories are short enough to read in one sitting; although, I would recommend rereading each one because of all the rich details. It's very hard to pick a favorite story of the three. Currently, I'm leaning towards "Spicy Little Curses Such As These" because the mythology of India fascinates me. All three stories could easily be spun into their own novels but I enjoyed the short story form used. It leaves the endings (and even some beginnings) open to the imagination which makes the stories all the more interesting.

p.s. The book that I read is an ARC and doesn't have the final artwork on the inside pages. However, Jim Di Bartolo's sketch art looks amazing and I can't wait to see it in its final color form!

p.s.s. Laini is expecting a baby girl any day now! Go visit her blog to see all her cute baby clothes and toys, and make sure to say hi while you're there!

Playing With the Boys by Liz Tigelaar Book Review

2009-07-25T10:57:00.001-07:00

Playing With the Boys by Liz Tigelaar
(Paperback, Razorbill, $8.99)
Rating:

Lucy Malone is a soccer player. So when she moves to a new town and tries out for her school's team, she's devastated when she doesn't make the cut. Lucy is convinced that soccer was her only chance to make new friends. Then the soccer coach suggests that she try out for place kicker on the boy's football team. With nothing to lose, Lucy tries out...and puts the boys to shame! Now Lucy is battling against the football coach, her teammates, and her dad to keep her spot on the team.

I can't believe I waited so long to read this book! I loved Liz Tigelaar's Pretty Tough about two sisters who try out for the same soccer team. Before I read Pretty Tough, I didn't know much about soccer. Playing With the Boys was pretty much the same experience but insert football as the sport. Luckily, Liz writes about sports in a way that even the most clueless will be able to follow along. Lucy plays football but her story really centers around her new friendships, crushing on the wrong boy, and finding her place at a new school. It's all about girl bonding and girl power. As with her first book, Liz Tigelaar shows that you can be pretty and tough.

Read Little Willow's 2008 interview with Liz.

The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan Book Review

2009-07-12T16:15:00.000-07:00

The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan
(McElderry Books, Hardcover, 2009)
Rating:

Nick and his brother Alan have always relied only on each other. Ever since their dad died at the hands of a magician, the two have taken care of each other and stayed one step ahead of the evil magicians. That changes when Mae and Jamie come to Nick for help. Jamie has been marked by a demon and Nick and Alan are his only hope. Nick is so used to walling himself off from people that he is caught off guard by his feelings for Mae. But more importantly, he needs to protect Alan from the magicians that are seeking them.

Nick's isolated nature comes through the page and, at first, I found it hard to connect with him as a character. He pushes everyone away from him and his attitude towards Jamie and Mae was so frustrating. It was easy to get wrapped up in the setting and the magic of the story and then Nick would say or do something to make me want to shake him. As the story unravels, Nick's dislike of people is explained and my earlier inability to connect with him seemed like pure genius on the part of Sarah Rees Brennan. Alan, Mae, and Jamie are easy to like characters and I want to know the rest of their story. And as for Nick, well, I have a feeling that I'll be able to connect better with him in the sequel. The demons and magic in this story are seductive and dark. It was no stretch of the imagination to believe that the world depended on Nick and Alan's actions. Given the exciting ending, it will definitely be interesting to see where Sarah Rees Brennan takes the story next.

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han Book Review

2009-07-07T17:22:00.000-07:00

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
(Simon & Schuster, Hardcover, 2009)
Rating:

Some of Belly's best memories were made in the summer. Every June, she and her parents head to her mom's best friend's beach house and they stay until August. This summer, though, her dad isn't going and Belly's appearance has changed a lot since last summer. She's afraid that this summer will be different, that the two boys that she's know forever will be different. Jeremiah and Conrad have shared every summer with her but this summer everything changes.

The Summer That I Turned Pretty is filled with the nostalgia of summer and youth. Reading it, you can feel the sand between your toes and the rush of a summer night's kiss. Belly has had a crush on Conrad for most of her life, mostly just a silly little girl's crush on a boy who has been the hero of her summers. Jenny Han captures the innocence of a first love and the encroaching realities of adulthood. The part that I loved the most though was that Belly wasn't shaped by one talent. She plays tennis and she writes stories but neither of those things define her; more importantly, she's a girl in the middle of growing up, faced with tough decisions and the fear that this summer will irrevocably change her life for the worse. This is one of my favorite books of the summer because it so fully evokes the feeling of freedom and possibilities that summer brings. Plus, I wouldn't mind spending summers with Jeremiah and Conrad...

Academy 7 by Anne Osterlund Book Review

2009-07-05T14:00:00.000-07:00

Academy 7 by Anne Osterlund
(Penguin Speak, Paperback, 2009)
Rating:

Aerin and Dane are both captives, Aerin to her past and Dane to his position in society. When the two meet at Academy 7, the attraction is undeniable. At first the two are competitors, vying for the top spot at the prestigious school. But secrets from their parents' time at the school threaten their lives and the two turn to each other in friendship. Set in an indeterminate future, Academy 7 portrays a budding romance between two teens caught in the middle of a political mystery.

Aurelia, Anne Osterlund's first novel, is a fantasy, full of court intrique. Academy 7 has many of the same elements, a friendship between two unlikely people, romance, and an underlying philosophical take on world politics. Normally, I don't like science fiction. However, this book really captured my imagination. The chemistry between Aerin and Dane jumps off the page and I enjoyed the way that they both challenged and comforted each other. As with Aurelia, I want to know more about their world and about their past and I hope that Anne Osterlund writes a sequel. This is definitely a novel that I could see being spun into a series. Don't get me wrong though - the ending was very satisfying! I highly recommend this book even if, like me, science fiction isn't normally your thing.

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen Book Review

2009-07-02T15:50:00.000-07:00

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen
(Viking, Hardcover, 2009)
Rating:

Auden's life up til now has been a serious affair. When her parents were still tumultuously married, she learned early to stay quiet and behave. As a result, she missed out on life, learning how to ride a bike, and the joys of friendship. Auden plans to spend her summer before college with her dad and his new family in the beach town of Colby. What she doesn't expect is to find herself working at a cute boutique, cooing to her new baby sister, and spending sleepless nights with fellow loner, Eli.

Summer just wouldn't be summer without a new Sarah Dessen book to enjoy. Auden joins the rank of Sarah's other real life heroines, someone we could all be and someone whose life we can all understand. That's what I enjoy most about Sarah Dessen's books, the accessibility. All of her characters are dealing with everyday issues. Along for the Ride asks the question, after the sun goes down and the beachgoers head home, what happens during the long summer nights? Auden finds herself unable to sleep at night (some readers may recognize the signs of a girl who carries too much worry and stress) so she walks the town at night and meets Eli, a loner unable to forget a tragic accident. Their nightime friendship teaches Auden that life shouldn't always planned, that sometimes it's better to just go along for the ride. Beautifully written, Along for the Ride is another heartwarming hit from one of my favorite authors.

p.s. Has anyone else noticed that Sarah Dessen's main characters keep getting older and older? Along for the Ride ends with Auden at college. I wonder if Sarah will write a novel about a college student next. Just a thought...

Lovestruck Summer by Melissa Walker Book Review

2009-07-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

Lovestruck Summer by Melissa Walker
(HarperTeen, Paperback, 2009)
Rating:

Summer is here and Quinn is so excited for her internship at indie music label in Austin, TX. Quinn's blue hair and love of indie music make her stand out in North Carolina so she's ready to spend the summer with her cousin and, hopefully, have a summer fling with a cute musician. It all seems to be going perfectly when she meets Sebastian, a dj at a hip club in town. But Quinn can't stop thinking about her cousin's frat boy, country loving neighbor, Russ. Quinn has always hated country music and frat boys and she's determined to ignore him. Nothing is going to ruin her perfect summer.

Melissa Walker won me over with her Violet on the Runway trilogy and I was curious to see how she would handle a novel that wasn't about Violet. I shouldn't have worried. Lovestruck Summer is a wonderful, exciting stand-alone novel and Quinn is just as engaging as Violet, though in a different way. Whereas Violet was shy and unsure of herself, Quinn is all spunk and attitude. She knows what she likes and what she wants and it was fun to see her learn to be flexible and open to new things. This novel breaks down stereotypes as refreshingly as a cool summer breeze. So don't let the bubblegum toned cover fool you—Lovestruck Summer is a top notch novel written by a savvy author who knows her audience.

See more of Melissa Walker at I Heart Daily, a newsletter devoted to all those fabulous things that we just can't get enough of.

Isabelle's Boyfriend by Caroline Hickey Book Review

2009-06-28T14:29:00.000-07:00

Isabelle's Boyfriend by Caroline Hickey
(Roaring Brook Press, Hardcover, 2008)
Rating:

While walking her dog one snowy day, Taryn meets the perfect guy. Epp is cute, he flirts with her, and he even likes her dog. The only problem is that he has a girlfriend. When Taryn's best friend comes up with a plan for her to win over Epp's affections, Taryn uneasily goes along with it. Before she knows it, she's up to her neck in lies, double dates, and misunderstandings. Is Epp really worth all this trouble?

Although this book is set in the winter, it made a great summer afternoon read. It was well written, fast paced and full of drama. Taryn is a likable character, just dipping her feet into crushes and dating. Family and friendship issues make this book a thoughtful read, and Taryn's attitude towards relationships and drinking makes it a clean read as well. Isabelle (Epp's girlfriend) is a three-dimensional character with faults and strengths, and there isn't that annoying scene where, in an overdone and unrealistic way, everyone finds out Taryn has lied. Not to say that Taryn gets off scott free, but the "big reveal" is done in a classy, true to real life way. Kudos to Caroline Hickey for twisting the old love triangle into something new and interesting.

Nothing But Ghosts by Beth Kephart Book Review

2009-06-26T17:01:00.001-07:00

Nothing But Ghosts by Beth Kephart
(Harper Teen, Hardcover, 2009)
Rating:

Katie used to have a perfect life. Then her mother died and ever since then Katie can't seem to fix the whole in her life and in her heart. Her father restores paintings but he can't restore her mother and so the two drift alone in a giant house, unable to talk about the past and unable to look forward. Katie's summer job, however, proves to be just the push that she needs to begin her life again. She spends her summer days working the gardens for an eccentric old lady, a lady that she has never seen and who is so completely shrouded in mystery that Katie can't help but dig into the past for some answers.

I immediately liked Katie. She's got a sassy voice, tinged with a bit of vulnerability. The combination was impossible to resist. As with all of Beth Kephart's books, the writing is lyrical and each sentence is a present in itself. Katie's house and the gardens where she works come alive and I could easily slip into her shoes, even though so much of her life is different from my own. Katie learns that we are all haunted by ghosts but that it doesn't have to define us. Nothing But Ghosts isn't necessarily a book with a lesson, yet it does leave us with the satisfaction of having learned from Katie.

The mystery and the unexpected friendships in this book were what I enjoyed the most. Katie's quest to discover more about Miss Martine is exciting and full of twists and surprises, and includes some help from the oh-so-chic librarian, Ms. McDermott, and Danny, the cute boy who works with her at the gardens. I loved the ending as well. It does what all books should do, provide hope for the character's future while not telling us every single thing that will happen in that future. Katie is a living character in my mind, someone that I might meet on the street or in a library one day. And there are so many other details, so many wonderful layers to this book—the glass bottles, the bird at the window, the paintings—I couldn't possibly write all of them down in this review. Just trust me and get your hands on a copy as soon as you can.

Fire by Kristin Cashore Book Review

2009-06-09T19:38:00.000-07:00

Fire by Kristin Cashore
(Dial, Hardcover, October 2009)
Rating:

In Fire's world, there are monsters...and she is one of them. Breathtakingly beautiful, Fire is able to control people's minds. It's not a power that she embraces, however. Raised by her monster father and made to witness the horrible results of his mind controlling, she denies her heritage and hides her gorgeous red hair and her talents. Until she meets Prince Brigan. Fire cannot access his mind and, despite the fact that Brigan seems to loathe the sight of her, Fire admires his strength and is willing to use her powers if it means saving his life.

Kristin Cashore is the author of one of my favorite books from earlier this year, Graceling. Fire takes place in a neighboring land and once again deals with outcasts, strong women, and political intrigue. Cashore deftly blends heart stopping action with multi-faceted characters and the result is some of the best fantasy being written today. Emotionally abused as a child, Fire must deal with her own past in order to accept her future. Much like Katsa in Graceling, Fire learns that being different--being a monster--is not all bad. And can we all just take a moment to swoon over Cashore's heros?! If you liked Po, Brigan is sure to sweep you off your feet!

Kristin also has a wonderful blog called This Is My Secret. Check it out while you wait for Fire to hit bookshelves in October.

Being Nikki by Meg Cabot Book Review

2009-06-02T20:04:00.001-07:00

Being Nikki by Meg Cabot
(Scholastic Point, Hardcover, May 2009)
Rating:

**Warning: If you haven't read the first book in this trilogy, Airhead, then you may want to read it first. This review contains spoilers for Airhead.**

Em Watts used to be a plain girl, one who preferred playing video games over flirting with boys. Then a horrible accident happened and, suddenly, Em found herself in the body of a supermodel, a girl who had boys falling all over her. The trouble is that Em really isn't supermodel material and her new life is not so wonderful. She can't tell the boy that she likes who she really is, she hardly ever sees her family and, worst of all, she's convinced that the company that transplanted her brain into supermodel Nikki's body will stop at nothing to keep the surgery a secret.

Normally, I stay away from science fiction. It's just not really my thing. I'm more of a real life or fantasy type of girl. But I'll read anything that Meg Cabot writes. Last year, I read (and reviewed!) Airhead, which is the first book in this trilogy, and I was completely hooked. Em Watts is a smart, sarcastic, totally believable heroine who is making the best of a bad situation. There's something so funny about watching her try to navigate the world of a shallow, selfish supermodel. Being Nikki continues Em's story, although now we discover that she has a brother on a mission to find their lost mother. Well, Nikki has a brother but since Em's brain is in Nikki's body, then we'll say that Steven is Em's brother. (I promise it's not at all confusing when you read the book!) Things also heat up between Em and Christopher, with a particular scene that will both frustrate you and make you cheer for Em all at once. Because this book is the second in a planned trilogy, many story lines are left unfinished. However, a major revelation at the end will leave the reader reeling and wishing for a copy of Runaway, the final novel in the series.

Going Bovine by Libba Bray Book Review

2009-05-16T10:58:00.000-07:00

Going Bovine by Libba Bray
(Random House, Hardcover, September 2009)
Rating:

Cameron's main goal in life is to coast through high school. His younger sister is the over-achiever in the family, so Cameron has given up on trying. He has a hard time connecting with his parents, his classmates, and even music, save for one awful sounding band called the Great Tremelo. Then Cameron is diagnosed with mad cow disease and his life really begins. Dulcie, a cute winged punk angel, comes to him and presents him with a quest to save the world. With nothing to lose, Cameron heads out on the ultimate of road trips.

Going Bovine is a weird mix of string theory, classic literary references, and teenage sarcasm that actually works—in fact, it works quite well. Cameron's voice is smart, disillusioned, and priceless; take his thoughts on high school English class, for example:

"These works—groundbreaking, incendiary, timeless—have been pureed by the curriculum monsters into a digestible pabulum of themes and factoids we can spew back on a test." (p.6)

The dilemma that Bray presents is irresistible: the underachieving, yet extremely smart high school boy thinks that he has all the time in the world to experience life, but he doesn't. Cameron's road trip buddies, a hypochondriac dwarf named Gonzo and a Norse God turned yard gnome named Balder, offer tons of fodder for existential musings and crude teenage boy humor. Libba Bray has definitely established herself as a leading voice in contemporary literature. Though this book is nothing like her Gemma Doyle trilogy, I devoured it with the same interest and intensity. And if any booksellers or librarians are reading this review, you are selling this book short if you let the teen label on the back define your audience for it.

You can read this novel in two ways, either Cameron is lying in a hospital bed, hallucinating as the disease eats away at his brain, or Cameron really is battling the forces of good and evil while seriously crushing on a candy-addicted punk angel. Either way you see it, Going Bovine will have you laughing out loud, folding down pages that have some of the best quotes you've read in years, and vowing that, starting today, you will live your live to the fullest. As the old lady in the hospital tells Cameron,

"I don't think you should die before you're ready. Until you've wrung out every last bit of living you can." (p.97)

The Heart Is Not a Size Book Cover

2009-05-15T09:20:00.000-07:00

Beth Kephart has posted the cover for her next book, The Heart Is Not a Size, coming out in March 2010. Isn't it gorgeous? I love the hands in the shape of a heart. And the color scheme is very striking. The picture of the girls makes me think that this book will deal with issues of loneliness and friendship. The heart, though, tells me that this story will most certainly capture my imagination and my heart. I can't wait to read it!

Beth has a beautiful excerpt from the book up on her blog.

Poetry Friday : Nocturne

2009-05-14T21:15:00.000-07:00

Nocturne
by Thomas Bailey Aldrich

Up to her chamber window,
A slight wire trellis goes
And up this Romeo's ladder
Clambers a bold white rose;
I lounge in the ilex shadows,
I see the lady lean
Unclasping her silken girdle,
The curtain folds between.

She smiles on her white rose lover,
She reaches out her hand.
And helps him in at the window,
I see it when I stand,
To her scarlet lips she holds him,
And kisses him many a time.
Ah me! 'twas he that won her
Because he dared to climb.

-----

To learn more about Poetry Friday, visit Big A little a. This week's Poetry Friday round-up is at Kelly Polark.

Undercover Poetry Contest and Paperback Release

2009-05-06T14:11:00.001-07:00

I've been so busy lately that I haven't posted anything, but I couldn't miss out on posting about this...

Beth Kephart is having a poetry contest on her blog to celebrate the paperback release of Undercover. Three lucky winners will be selected on May 10th. So, go get your poesy on and submit one of your best poems! Each winner will receive a signed copy of the wonderfully fabulous (and now with bonus material!) Undercover.

Read my review of Undercover.

A little something to look forward to...

2009-04-29T21:55:00.000-07:00

I often read books way in advance of their publication date. Sometimes I review them early and sometimes I like to wait til their release week. (Sometimes the publisher specifically requests that I wait; although, that doesn't happen too often.) Here are 3 books that I loved and will be reviewing more extensively in the coming months.

Nothing But Ghosts
Beth Kephart is easily one of the best teen writers out there today. Her gift is in her description. With brilliantly realized and true-to-life characters, Beth Kephart doesn't talk down to teens. Nothing But Ghosts is another beautifully written, literary novel that touches on grief, love, and the mysteries of life.

Being Nikki
This is Meg Cabot's follow-up to Airhead. Airhead was fun, totally off the wall, and completely enjoyable. The same goes for Being Nikki. I just love how Meg Cabot incorporates science fiction with mystery and romance.

Along for the Ride
I discovered Sarah Dessen about two years ago and immediately flew through all of her books. Along for the Ride was no different. Dessen once again focuses on what she writes best—real life with all of it's friend/sibling/boyfriend/parent complications.

Storm Glass by Maria V. Snyder Book Review

2009-04-28T15:43:00.000-07:00

Storm Glass by Maria V. Snyder
(MIRA, Paperback, April 2009)
Rating:

Opal is a glassmaker who blows magic into her creations. These creations have become famous all over Sitia and are used as messengers for the Council's magicians. Self-doubt plagues Opal though and when she can't produce magic in any other way, she worries that she is a One-Trick-Wonder. When she is sent on a mission to help the Stormdance Clan, Opal learns that her magic does have other manifestations, some of which have horrible consequences and cause her to become the target of an evil magician. With a little help from her friends, Opal must rely on her magic to help her overcome her fears and save Sitia.

Storm Glass contains all the elements that I loved in Maria V. Snyder's Study series—strong heroines, a dash of romance, questionable alliances, exciting magic, and adventure galore. Although she is very different from the Study series' heroine Yelena, Opal shares an insecurity about her magic and a penchant for getting into trouble that made it easy to draw parallels. It was fascinating to learn about glassmaking and Snyder easily breathes magic into that craft. Storm Glass has cameo appearances from some of my favorite Study characters, so fans of Snyder's previous books will enjoy this new series. I will indulge in one spoiler...in my mind, the men in this book don't hold a candle to Valek. (What can I say, he's my literary crush!) Opal's story is riveting though, and this book left me wishing desperately that I could read Sea Glass, the second book in the series. Alas, I'll just have to wait until September when it's published.

Read my reviews of Maria's other books...
Poison Study
Magic Study
Fire Study

Visit Maria's website. She's got some great companion short stories on her website.

Waiting for You by Susane Colasanti Book Review

2009-04-27T19:32:00.000-07:00

Waiting for You by Susane Colasanti
(Viking, Hardcover, July 2009)
Rating:

Marisa has been in love with Derek for a long time now and the only thing stopping her from telling him is the fact that he has a girlfriend. Nash is Marisa's nerdy next door neighbor and he's in love with her, but she doesn't feel the same way...or does she? And then there is the guy who runs a late night radio show. No one knows who he is, yet he knows just how Marisa is feeling about parents, school, and life. Can she be crushing on a guy she's never even met?

Waiting for You is a poignant look at what high school means for one girl. Marisa is battling with anxiety and depression, parents on the verge of divorce, and the ups and downs of a first relationship. What I enjoyed the most about this book is that it captures the various support systems that we all have—parents and friends—and what happens when these support systems collapse or disappear. Most importantly though, this is a novel about taking charge of your own life. Marisa feels as if she has been waiting her whole life, waiting to fit in, waiting for that special someone. Colasanti deftly shows us that waiting is not always the answer. Sometimes we need to let go of our fears and reach out to people in order to find happiness.

Love You Hate You Miss You by Elizabeth Scott Book Review

2009-04-26T22:32:00.000-07:00

Love You Hate You Miss You by Elizabeth Scott
(HarperTeen, Hardcover, May 2009)
Rating:

Seventy-five days ago, Amy's best friend Julia died. Amy knows that she is the reason Julia died and the guilt is eating away at her. Her parents were never interested in her and so Amy turned to Julia and binge drinking. Now just weeks after Julia's death, Amy must face a new school year alone. The only think that connects her to Julia are the letters that she writes in a secret journal.

I was completely blown away by Love You Hate You Miss You. Elizabeth Scott's books are all great (read them if you haven't!), but this one really showcases Scott's writing abilities. At turns dark, witty, and heartbreaking, Love You Hate You Miss You tackles some serious issues in a believable voice. The details surrounding Julia's death are divulged slowly and it becomes easy to see why Amy blames herself. Amy's letters to Julia reveal a girl drowning in self-doubts but still strong at her core. Amy is a sarcastic, unsure heroine and her story is captivating from beginning to end.

Girlfriend Material by Melissa Kantor Book Review

2009-04-25T16:31:00.000-07:00

Girlfriend Material by Melissa Kantor
(Disney, Hardcover, May 2009)
Rating:

Kate's vision of a perfect summer involved hanging out at her home in Utah with her best friend. Instead, her mom drags her along to Cape Cod to stay with family friends. Her parents' marriage is crumbling around her and she is forced to hang out with her mom's friends' daughter who obviously hates her. Kate is convinced that her summer is ruined until Adam starts to notice her.

Girlfriend Material was too full of complications for my taste. First, Kate's parents are fighting. Second, Kate doesn't get along with her sister. Third, she's forced to hang out with a girl who used to be like a best friend but now, for some unknown reason, doesn't like her. Fourth, the boy she likes may just be leading her on. Fifth, she has to teach tennis lessons to an ungrateful girl whose dad yells the entire time Kate's teaching the lessons. I could go on but you get my point. This book is well-written and I really wanted to like Kate. She seems like someone who has always been sure of herself until this summer. Unfortunately, her life got in my way. With that many issues, it was hard to believe a completely happy ending would occur. This book could have been about so much more than a girl wondering if she could ever be girlfriend material, but the serious aspects of the book were played down and, at the end, everything was tied together in a pretty pink bow.

Peace, Love and Baby Ducks by Lauren Myracle Book Review

2009-04-24T22:09:00.000-07:00

Peace, Love and Baby Ducks by Lauren Myracle

(Dutton, Hardcover, May 2009)

Rating:

Carly and her little sister Anna have always been close. They complement each other and, in a world of Southern wealth, they keep each other sane. When Carly comes back from an all-summer outdoor camp, she finds that Anna has changed. Suddenly, Anna is hot and Carly is worried that her down-to-earth sister has disappeared in a flurry of bikinis, short skirts, and crushes. Carly finds herself lost and missing her sister. Will the two find common ground?

Peace, Love and Baby Ducks is a perfect book to take to the beach or to summer camp. It's filled with laughs, boy troubles, peace signs, sisterly foibles, and even a few tears. This book is destined to be passed from friend to friend, from sister to sister. Carly is a lovable heroine whose morals are well-intentioned but may need just a little tweaking. I thoroughly enjoyed watching her and Anna as both grew as women and as sisters. Mixing a lot of laughs with some tough decisions, Lauren Myracle is gifted at bringing humor to serious situations.

stop by, grab a sandwich, fall in love

2009-04-21T20:08:00.000-07:00

During the winter, I watch a lot of movies. There's something so nice about snuggling on the couch when it's cold outside. So when I went to Blockbuster the other day, I found that I'd watched most of the new releases. Lucky for me, Ten Inch Hero was a Blockbuster Exclusive and it caught my eye. This movie is about four friends who work in a hip, surfer town sub shop. The story mostly centers around Piper, an art student who has moved to California to search for the daughter that she was forced to give up for adoption eight years ago. Over the course of the movie, all four friends learn a little about love and a lot about friendship. This is a fun, light-hearted, quirky movie that will capture your heart and your imagination. What I loved the most about this movie is that the characters feel very real. Everything they say is something you can actually picture your friends saying. Each of the actors so totally encompasses their roles that I can't say that I have a favorite; although, keep an eye out for Noah, played by Sean Patrick Flannery (he starred as teenage Indiana Jones in The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones).

Grab some popcorn and curl up with Ten Inch Hero this weekend. And let me know what you think!

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare Book Review

2009-04-20T14:40:00.000-07:00

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
(Simon Pulse, Hardcover, 2009)
Rating:

The rogue Shadowhunter Valentine is still on the loose and very close to obtaining all three Mortal Instruments, an action that will give him uncontested powers. Clary and her friends must travel to the City of Glass to somehow protect the third Mortal Instrument, a mirror that has been lost for hundreds of years. Clary is torn by her love for Jace and her duty as a Shadowhunter. When she meets Sebastian, Clary not only finds a way to help her coma-ridden mother but she also lands herself in the middle of a very tangled web of deceit.

Oh, what a fun series! I read the entire three books basically non-stop for several days, only stopping to work and eat. Cassandra Clare sure knows how to pile on the action and suspense. Simon, Jace, Sebastian...poor Clary and her seemingly endless line of bad boyfriend choices. I don't want to give away any spoilers so I'll just touch on two points about this series that I haven't discussed in my earlier reviews of City of Bones and City of Ashes. First, Valentine and his son are some of the best villains that I've encountered in recent memory. Both are polished and their convincing arguments hide dark jealousies and evil intent. I love that the series ended with a hint that maybe not all of Valentine's evil doing was erased. The second thing that I really appreciated about this series was the relationships. There were so many love triangles, I could write a whole paper about the love triangles in this book. "Teenage angst" is an often bandied about phrase and Cassandra Clare isn't afraid to just pile it upon her characters. Of course, the books have their lighthearted moments and the friendships that are formed are vital to fighting Valentine. I just read that Cassandra Clare is starting a companion series, set in the Victorian era and featuring a young warlock who must rely on a Shadowhunter, the warlocks sworn enemies. Definitely can't wait to read those books. Although, I think I'll have to buy each book and set it on a shelf until I have the whole series. I can't imagine having read City of Bones or City of Ashes without being able to finish the entire trilogy at once. Too many nail-biting cliffhangers!

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare Book Review

2009-04-19T19:38:00.000-07:00

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
(Simon Pulse, Paperback, 2009)
Rating:

Clary's life has gotten awfully complicated. First, she learns that she is the daughter of a famous Shadowhunter and so must learn how to vanquish demons. Then she rescues her mother from the evil Valentine, only to learn that her mother is in a coma. Worst of all, she just found out that the guy whose kisses make her weak in the knees has a very unsettling past. Valentine is not gone for good though and it is up to Clary and her friends to try to stop him as he searches for the second Mortal Instrument, a sword that was made by angels.

The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare continues to amaze me. Clare obviously did her research and convincingly blends Christianity with various other world mythologies to create a unique world view. Her grasp of literature is also amazing. As Clary fights to find her place in this world, she discovers several truths and half truths about angels and demons. Biblical passages are quoted right next to John Milton and William Shakespeare. On the back cover, teensreadstoo.com says that this series is "reminiscent of Harry Potter." I believe I can see where there might be some resemblance. I've read the Harry Potter books many times over and am always finding some new hidden gem of mythology or plot clues. While reading The Mortal Instruments series, I had a similar feeling--I felt as if I could reread it a hundred times and still manage to unearth new meanings and literary references. These books are definitely big on action and suspense, but they also contain that wonderful literary element that is lacking in so many books.

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare Book Review

2009-04-18T20:09:00.000-07:00

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
(Simon Pulse, Paperback, 2007)
Rating:

When Clary witnesses a murder and sees the body disappear before her eyes, she thinks she's going crazy. But then her mom is kidnapping under mysterious circumstances and Clary is suddenly confronted with an entire world that she didn't know existed. A world in which vampires, werewolves, and demons are fighting for dominance. Clary learns that she is the descendent of Shadowhunters, a group of humans that were blessed with angel blood and given the task to rid the world of demons. Will Clary be able to understand and accept her inheritance in time to save her mother?

This book, and the entire series, completely captivated me from beginning to end. Clary is a dynamic heroine, filled with equal parts confident control and shy hesitancy. Despite the fact that she knows nothing of the Shadowhunters and their history, she maintains her strong exterior and is equal to the task of fighting for her mother's life. Jace and Simon are definitely some of my favorite romantic leads. Simon is the happy-go-lucky best friend who sticks by Clary through thick and thin. Jace is the guy who challenges her at every step yet he has an unshakeable confidence in her abilities as a Shadowhunter. The action in this novel was well-balanced, not too much to detract from the interesting story but enough to keep me flipping the pages and guessing who would come out on top. One of the hardest things in writing a series is to conclude one book satisfactorily while leaving enough plot lines open to create the next book. City of Bones definitely delivers this. Clary's struggles weren't quite resolved but I was left feeling like this book had a good ending. Of course, I then immediately picked up the next book...

Stay tuned for my reviews of the next two novels in this series, City of Ashes and City of Glass.

Read to Me : A Poetry Friday Post

2009-04-17T16:11:00.000-07:00

Read To Me
by Jane Yolen

Read to me riddles and read to me rhymes
Read to me stories of magical times
Read to me tales about castles and kings
Read to me stories of fabulous things
Read to me pirates and read to me knights
Read to me dragons and dragon-book fights
Read to me spaceships and cowboys and then
When you are finished- please read them again.

-----
Today's poem is just a fun little poem about reading. Happy weekend, everyone! :)

To learn more about Poetry Friday, visit Big A little a. This week's Poetry Friday round-up is at Becky's Book Reviews.

We interrupt MY reading...

2009-04-15T20:07:00.000-07:00

Oh, BEDA. I'm slightly miffed at you right now. You're seriously cutting into my reading time.

Two down, one more to go...I'm on page 119 of 541 of City of Glass by Cassandra Clare. It's good. Real good. As in, it's a strong possibility that I will stay up til 2am so I can finish it tonight.

p.s. Does this count as a post? I'm counting it...quickly, of course, so I can go back to reading...

Me, My Elf and I by Heather Swain Book Review

2009-04-14T16:10:00.000-07:00

Me, My Elf and I by Heather Swain
(Speak, Paperback, June 2009)
Rating:

New York City is completely different from Zephyr's home. In Averland, Zephyr and her family are free to roam around the countryside and be their magic elfin selves; in New York City, Zephyr must hide her magic and her heritage. It's not so easy to do because magic is second nature to Zephyr and, like all elves, she's tall and gorgeous. With the help of a few friends, Zephyr begins to fit in. But will the jealous queen bee of her high school force Zephyr to show her true self?

Bonus points for a story written about elves...vampires and werewolves are so passé. Zephyr was a likable character, naive but self-assured. The theme of family was a central focus of the book and Swain did a good job showing that Zephyr's confidence was the result of her upbringing. The concept of an elf family in New York City lost a bit of charm for me, however, due to the thinly veiled influence of Gossip Girl. Bella, the most popular girl in school, declares war on Zephyr and she mainly does it through a very public blog. This blog appears throughout the story, being the main source of school gossip and the driving factor behind some of Zephyr's actions. The originality of Zephyr's heritage was dulled by the unoriginal gossip website. Despite this setback, Me, My Elf and I is an enjoyable story and I'd love to read more about Zephyr's world. Heather Swain has a unique set of characters here and I hope that she writes a second book that further develops this world.

The Geek Girl's Guide to Cheerleading by Charity Tahmaseb and Darcy Vance Book Review

2009-04-12T18:11:00.000-07:00

The Geek Girl's Guide to Cheerleading by Charity Tahmaseb and Darcy Vance
(Simon Pulse, Paperback, May 2009)
Rating:

Bethany is content to live her high school live in geekdom. She stays away from "The Guantlet" where the popular crowd hang out and instead spends her time with the NHS crowd. Then Bethany's best friend decides that they need to try out for cheerleading. Bethany thinks it's all a lark until she and Moni actually make the team. Now Bethany is trying to protect her best friend from the school's biggest player and survive the stares and whispers from the popular crowd.

Normally, this book and I would never have found one another, but it's been sitting on my shelf and the GEEK in the title was just begging me to read it. I thoroughly enjoyed this story about a geeky girl who is thrust into the popular crowd, mostly unwillingly. Bethany will do pretty much anything her best friend Moni wants her to do. Not that Bethany is weak, she just understands that friends have to stick together. Each chapter of the book starts with a snippet from the Prairie Stone High Varsity Cheerleading Guide, offering advice on team spirit, sportsmanship, and school pride. I usually find this sort of thing a little gimmicky but, in the case of this book, it was fun. Each exerpt added to the story and flowed well with the chapters' events. Additionally, the minor characters added a lot of flavor and suspense to the story. There's Todd, the ultimate geek who claims that Bethany is his muse and is determined to use her newfound popularity as his route to Student Body President. Moni is priceless. She's got the cutest, geek guy totally in love with her but she's swept off her feet by Prairie Stone High's biggest player. And then there's Jack. Jack is one of the best athletes at Prairie Stone High and Bethany finds herself drawn to his strong, silent character. All in all, this book does a great job of breaking down stereotypes and social groups. In the end, you'll find yourself asking, what's not to like about a geek girl cheerleader?

Fire Study by Maria V. Snyder Book Review

2009-04-10T16:19:00.000-07:00

Fire Study by Maria V. Snyder
(Mira, Paperback, 2008)
Rating:

Yelena is finally beginning to understand her magic and she is no longer in danger of spinning out of control. Her magic is strong, though, and people are whispering that she is a Soulstealer. There hasn't been a Soulstealer for hundreds of years but the last ones were evil men who killed thousands with their magic. Yelena fears her magic and tries to ignore it. On top of everything, she is still banned from Ixia and now the magicians at the Citadel have turned her out. Yelena struggles to accept her magic and find a place in the world.

Maria V. Snyder can certainly maintain the excitement and suspense of a multi-book series! I love that each book in Yelena's series has a satisfying ending, yet leaves open a few things so as to start the next book. Fire Study explores Yelena's magic in greater detail and the conclusions are mind blowing and unsuspected. All of my favorite characters returned for this third (and supposedly last) book in the series...Valek, Ari, Janco, and Yelena's brother, Leif. There were times when it felt as if my heart stopped because of the gut wrenching plot twists. I normally don't like to know the outcome of a book, but I just had to beg my friend to tell me what happened to Valek at one point. I was so caught up in the characters and their futures that it was impossible for me to keep reading without knowing. It's not very often that a book captures me that wholly. If you haven't read this series yet, do so. Maria V. Snyder is a master of fantasy writing.

I'm super excited about Maria's next book, Storm Glass, which is available later this month. Storm Glass tells the story of Opal who was a minor character in the Study series. Tirzah at The Compulsive Reader received an early review copy and, lucky for us, she gave it a great review.

Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder Book Review

2009-04-09T16:30:00.000-07:00

Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder
(Mira, Paperback, 2006)
Rating:

Having discovered that she has magical powers, Yelena is no longer welcome in Ixia. She sets off to Sitia to find her family and to enroll at the Citadel, an academy for magicians. Yelena's homecoming is not exactly welcoming, though. Her brother suspects her of being an Ixian spy and the teachers at the Citadel believe that Yelena will spin out of control before she is able to master her magic. As Yelena struggles to find her place, she is caught up in the evil machinations of a rogue magician.

In Poison Study, we learned a little of Yelena's magical abilities but it wasn't fully explained to us. Magic Study offers more insight into Yelena's abilities and the history of magic in Ixia and Sitia. Maria V. Snyder has again written an intriguing and totally captivating story. Yelena is a survivor, accustomed to solving her own problems, so it is interesting to see her have to work with her family and teachers. The first time I read this book, I was disappointed at how little Valek pictured in the novel; however, when I reread it, it seemed as if he was in it much more than I remembered. Suffice it to say, he is really the ultimate romantic interest--he swoops in whenever Yelena needs help and yet he offers her the independence to find her own way. Ari and Janco also have hilarious cameo appearances in Magic Study. I always wished that I had older brothers to watch out for me and teach me things, and I imagine Ari and Janco would be the perfect older brothers. My favorite aspect of this novel was the fantasy element. Yelena's magic is strange and frightening to those around her and it was exciting to read about her adventures. This was another wonderful book by Maria V. Snyder and a satisfying addition to Yelena's story.

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder Book Review

2009-04-08T16:00:00.000-07:00

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
(Mira, Paperback, 2005)
Rating:

Yelena is in prison about to be executed for the crime of murder when she is offered the position of food taster for the commander of Ixia. Despite the risks of the job, Yelena is willing to take the chance if it means that she will live another day. Being food taster puts her in the path of Valek, the commander's chief of security. Valek is a hard man who will do anything to ensure that the commander stays in power. Yelena must prove that she is a survivor as she battles her growing affection for Valek and her growing ability to do magic which is forbidden in the country of Ixia.

About two years ago, I discovered Maria V. Snyder. I was reading a ton of fantasy books at the time and Poison Study just blew me away. This book is by far the most unique, exciting, well-written story that I've read in a long time. Yelena is an underdog--a scrawny, malnourished girl whose reputation is stained by her murder of a truly evil man. The circumstances surrounding the murder are slowly revealed throughout the novel but, right from the beginning, you understand that Yelena is a tough, likable heroine. And Valek, wow, he's probably one of my favorite literary crushes. He's tough, strong, has high morals, and can sneak into any room unnoticed. The most wonderful part of Poison Study is the well developed minor characters. Ari and Janco, two guardsmen that teach Yelena how to fight, are priceless. Their banter certainly lightens up Valek's seriousness. I was also thoroughly intrigued by Yelena's duty as food taster and her training in poisons. There's no doubt about it, Maria V. Snyder knows how to tell a good tale, one that will keep you furiously flipping through the pages and yet hoping that it never ends. Poison Study is the first book in Yelena's story. Magic Study and Fire Study follow it. For those of you who don't like major cliffhangers, it is important to note that each of these books have a plot line that is resolved in the book and can be read as stand-alones; however, the story is enhanced if you read them in order.

Visit Maria's website for more information about her books.

Revenge of the Homecoming Queen by Stephanie Hale Book Review

2009-04-07T16:21:00.000-07:00

Revenge of the Homecoming Queen by Stephanie Hale
(Berkley JAM, Paperback, 2007)
Rating:

Aspen Brooks was born to be homecoming queen. So when she doesn't win, Aspen is understandably upset. Mega-geek Rand is the new king and, strangely, it sounds as if Aspen's boyfriend, Lucas, is trying to set her up with Rand. To top it off, the reigning queen, Angel, suspects that Aspen set this all up to make Angel look like a fool. With Angel vowing revenge and Lucas acting all weird, it's up to Aspen to sort things out and possibly solve a kidnapping while she's at it.

This book kind of surprised me. I normally don't like superficial main characters, but Aspen was endearing. Underneath her fashionable clothes and desire to be homecoming queen, Aspen is a nice, thoughtful girl. A bit of a dumb blonde, she doesn't quite get what Rand sees in her so it's quite funny to watch the two of them fall in love. The best, and slightly over-the-top, part of the book is the kidnapping mystery. Aspen takes matters into her own hands when she pieces together clues about the kidnapper's identity. She definitely has grit, I have to say that. Stephanie Hale also adds a little seriousness to this light, fluffy book with the character of Aspen's mom. Beauty isn't only skin deep and it's worth the read to watch Aspen and her mom realize this. I just added the other two books in this series to my BookMooch wishlist and am looking forward to reading them.

Read about Stephanie Hale's cover stories at Melissa Walker's blog.

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld Book Review

2009-04-04T18:33:00.000-07:00

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
(Simon Pulse, Paperback, 2005)
Rating:

In Tally's world, everyone gets to be supermodel gorgeous on their 16th birthday. They undergo a huge surgery and leave their Ugly faces and bodies behind. Once a Pretty, their life is one big party and they never have to worry about anything again. But right before her 16th birthday, Tally meets Shay. Shay doesn't want to be turned into a Pretty and has a plan to run away to live with other people who have refused the surgery. This rogue society is hiding from the government though and Tally isn't sure she's ready to risk her almost prettiness for her new friend.

Yikes, this book is scary. Of course, all dystopian novels are scary to me, so maybe you won't find it so scary. Westerfeld takes the premise that we all prefer symmetrical faces and completely twists it into a very believable alternate future. You see, the Pretty surgery has actually advanced society. There are no more biases based on looks when people apply for jobs, there is no more making fun of the ugly kid in school because everyone is Ugly, and eating disorders are a thing of the past because it is programmed into Pretties bodies that they won't be too skinny or too fat. When I first read the back of the book, I expected Tally to change her view points overnight, but she refreshingly sticks by her desire to become a Pretty. This novel definitely makes you think about our societal views of beauty and how harmful they can be. I highly recommend this book for discussion groups, young and old.

O Me! O Life! : A Poetry Friday Post

2009-04-03T09:00:00.000-07:00

O Me! O Life!
by Walt Whitman

O Me! O life!... of the questions of these recurring;
Of the endless trains of the faithless—of cities fill’d with the foolish;
Of myself forever reproaching myself, (for who more foolish than I, and who more faithless?)
Of eyes that vainly crave the light—of the objects mean—of the struggle ever renew’d;
Of the poor results of all—of the plodding and sordid crowds I see around me;
Of the empty and useless years of the rest—with the rest me intertwined;
The question, O me! so sad, recurring—What good amid these, O me, O life?

Answer.

That you are here—that life exists, and identity;
That the powerful play goes on, and you will contribute a verse.

-----
I like the thought that I am contributing a verse to a larger song. Leaves me feeling quite creative and accomplished, even though the poem started with desperation.

To learn more about Poetry Friday, visit Big A little a. This week's Poetry Friday round-up is at ayuddha.net.

The Pursuit of Happiness by Tara Altebrando Book Review

2009-04-02T17:44:00.000-07:00

The Pursuit of Happiness by Tara Altebrando
(MTV Books, Paperback, 2006)
Rating:

Betsy is all set to commit social suicide by working at a colonial village this summer. She only took the job because her dad is a history professor. When her mom dies though, she starts to see the colonial village as a welcome escape. She becomes friends with weird Liza and cute James. Her relationship with James, though, is complicated and she learns that nothing is predictable when it comes to loving someone.

I think I had extremely high hopes for this book due to the colonial village aspect. As a kid, I was always fascinated by history and in college, I spent a lot of time near a colonial village. Betsy's colonial village sounded, well, boring. I had a hard time picturing Betsy at her job, much less wanting to visit her there. The other characters in the novel were a bit more interesting. Liza was a perfect minor character. She was fun, quirky, and lent just the right amount of support to Betsy throughout the novel. James was definitely a murky character. His relationship with Betsy is, to quote the back of the book, "a million shades of gray." One moment, he's there and the next, he's gone. By the end of the book, I knew I liked his character but I had a hard time agreeing that he was good enough for Betsy. Why is it that my expectations for literary men are so much higher than for real life men? :)

In Your Room by Jordana Fraiberg Book Review

2009-03-30T21:27:00.000-07:00

In Your Room by Jordana Fraiberg
(Razorbill, Paperback, 2008)
Rating:

Charlie and Molly have their perfect summers all planned out. Until their parents decide to swap houses, that is. Molly lives a perfect city life in Los Angeles, filled with shopping, hanging out with her friends, and designing clothes. Charlie has a laid-back life in Boulder, filled with mountain biking, sunny meadows, and backyard barbecues. Now they are living in each other's rooms for 3 whole months and their email correspondence may be the only thing that saves the summer.

Can you describe a book as being cute? Because In Your Room is definitely cute. Not in a condescending way but, rather, in a warm and fuzzy post-reading feeling. Fraiberg deftly handles the heartache and pitfalls of growing up and utterly connects her characters to their two settings. Having been to Los Angeles and Boulder in the last year, I could see that Fraiberg did her research. The two locations could almost be considered characters of the book if you were studying it from a literary standpoint. Boulder was my favorite place of the two because it was fun to see Molly relax and embrace a new side of herself while there. Despite the fact that Molly and Charlie are in two separate cities for the summer, it was no stretch of the imagination to see them falling in love. When I first read the back of the book, I was skeptical. However, the emails and IMs between Molly and Charlie are filled with little details and with feelings about their lives. I can always tell how good a book is by the amount that I can remember as time passes. I read this book in October and it's still fresh in my mind. Jordana Fraiberg is definitely an author to watch out for.

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles Book Review

2009-03-29T15:27:00.000-07:00

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
(Walker & Co, Paperback, 2009)
Rating:

Brittany Ellis and Alex Fuentes are as different as two high schoolers can possibly be. Brittany is the captain of the cheerleading squad and Alex is part of a violent gang. When the two get thrown together as chemistry partners, the sparks fly. Perhaps Brittany is more than Miss Popular and Alex is smarter than he lets on. But Alex's gang involvement threatens any change they may have at happiness.

I have to give props to this Romeo & Juliet meets West Side Story plot line. I feel like this is popular in a lot of movies but isn't a common theme in books. (Leave me a comment if you can think of other examples.) The author builds up a lot of tension between Brittany and Alex, and not just romantic tension. Family, friends, gang members, and social status all act to build layers to the characters and complicate their growing relationship. Simone Elkeles had me convinced that Brittany and Alex were good for each other. The Spanish that was sprinkled throughout the novel threw me off a little because I don't speak Spanish. However, it did add a lot of authenticity to the story and it was easy enough to look up the Spanish words. One thing that really struck me is that there was a lot of sass to the novel. Mostly from Alex, which I found to be very funny and endearing. Although Perfect Chemistry is a bit more gritty than Stephenie Meyer's books, I would recommend this to Twilight fans because of the science lab partners bit and because of the romance.

Kissing Booth by Lexie Hill Book Review

2009-03-29T15:22:00.000-07:00

Kissing Booth by Lexie Hill
(Scholastic Point, Paperback, 2009)
Rating:

Lisi is cursed. In elementary school, she ran screaming from a boy who tried to kiss her and ever since then, she's has a solid NBK status. Never Been Kissed. This year, though, Lisi is determined to kiss senior football star Brett Jacobson. Her school throws a spring carnival every year to raise money and Lisi has convinced her friends that their table should be a kissing booth. As the date of the carnival gets closer, Lisi starts to realize that maybe Brett was a jerk and her first kiss crush might have been beside her all along.

Even though the plot line is a bit cliche, this book was fun to read. After all, we have cliches for a reason. Many books are centered around a wallflower girl with her sights set on the popular guy. In the case of this book, it works because of the kissing booth element. Organizing the kissing booth provides Lisi with the opportunity to evaluate her feelings for Brett and to appreciate her true friends. Despite the fun, flirty tone of the book, I was thoroughly disappointed by the big reveal at the end. Lisi comes to her senses when Brett tries to kiss her at the booth and she stands up and announces to her whole school that's she never been kissed and that she lied to everyone and...well, you get the idea. I physically cringed when I got to that part. No one does that in real life. It was so out of character that the ending fell a little flat. If the scene has been done differently, the ending would have been much more enjoyable.

Don't Judge a Girl By Her Cover by Ally Carter Book Review

2009-03-23T19:45:00.000-07:00

Don't Judge a Girl By Her Cover by Ally Carter
(Disney, Hardcover, June 2009)
Rating:

Cammie's junior year hasn't even started and already she's been involved in a kidnapping plot. Macey, Cammie's Gallagher Academy friend, is the daughter of the vice presidential candidate and the target of the kidnapping. When it's time for school to start, Cammie can't concentrate on her studies and Macey is haunted by what happened. To make matters worse, it appears as if Macey is still being threatened so Cammie, Bex, and Liz join the campaign trail to help protect her. Can Cammie "The Chameleon" figure out who is behind the kidnapping in time to save her friend or are there some things too big for even a Gallagher Girl to handle?

I've always been a fan of spy movies and it's quite refreshing to see a series based around girl spies. Cammie is a sidewalk artist--she can blend in with any surrounding, hence the nickname "The Chameleon." Each of her friends have their own special talents and it's fun to what type of situation they will get into next. In this new novel in the series, we really see Cammie growing up, and the book starts to hint at more serious plots to come. Don't Judge a Girl By Her Cover is particularly relevant this year since we just had a presidential election. Ally Carter shows us a different side of the political process, one that is fraught with threats and espionage. Filled with as much humor, friendship, romance, and Gallagher Academy lore as the previous books, Don't Judge a Girl By Her Cover is sure to delight Gallagher Girl fans. Ally offers up classic Gallagher Girl humor and style in this latest installment.

Don't Judge a Girl By Her Cover is the perfect book to bring on summer vacation since it releases in June. In the meantime, check out the first two books in the series, I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You and Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy. Visit Ally's blog to learn more about Cammie and her friends. Aren't the covers and titles for this series so much fun? I seriously want to be a Gallagher Girl.

Breathing by Cheryl Renee Herbsman Book Review

2009-03-22T17:04:00.000-07:00

Breathing by Cheryl Renee Herbsman
(Viking, Hardcover, April 2009)
Rating:

Savannah is expecting her summer to be boring. Her two best friends are away and her mom wants her to help look after her younger brother. Then Savannah meets Jackson, a cute surfer boy who is staying with his cousins, and her whole summer changes. Suddenly, she is sneaking around, trying to see Jackson as much as possible. Then Jackson gets in trouble and is sent back home. Savannah feels as if she can't live without him. In fact, she's pretty sure that he is the only reason her asthma hasn't been as severe this summer and she's desperate for him to come back. Was it just a summer fling or is Jackson her one and only?

There were several things that I really enjoyed about this book. I enjoyed the fact that the author didn't shy away from the question of whether teenage love can last. It's a question that Savannah faces and I don't want to give away any plot details but I quite liked the outcome of Savannah's story. It wasn't overdone and Savannah really comes into her own by the end of the novel. Savannah's asthma also becomes a critical part of the story and I felt that Cheryl Renee Herbsman did a good job of using Savannah's coping as a metaphor for growing up.

Although I did think that the message of the book was important and well-written, it was Savannah's voice that ultimately made me give this novel only 2 stars. I'm from the South so I appreciated the work that went into creating her voice. She lives in a small Southern beach town and she talks like a hick. Not an easy thing to keep up for an entire novel. However, Savannah's voice was incongruous with her character. She is supposedly one of the smartest kids in her class, taking AP classes, dreaming of college, and reading voraciously. So, how can someone so gifted have such horrible grammar? Here's a quote from when Savannah is talking about applying for a semester-long college experience:

"I ain't getting my hopes up....But even if I was lucky enough for that to happen, we couldn't never afford it." (pp. 12-13)

Savannah narrates the entire novel so the poor grammar was hard for me to get over. Perhaps if she hadn't been portrayed as such a stellar student it wouldn't have bothered me. Even the age difference between Jackson (18) and Savannah (15) seemed like a minor flaw compared to Savannah's grammar.

Aurelia by Anne Osterlund Review

2009-03-22T14:45:00.000-07:00

Aurelia by Anne Osterlund
(Speak, Paperback, 2008)
Rating:

Aurelia is the crown princess of Tyralt and lately there have been several assassination attempts on her life. Robert is her friend from childhood and the son of the king's last spymaster. As everyone in the royal court tries to hide the assassination attempts from Aurelia, Robert steps in and informs Aurelia of the danger. And he vows to protect her. Aurelia is headstrong, however, and Roberts seems to be chasing her as much as helping her.

Aurelia is a fun, old-fashioned court novel filled with romance and danger. I enjoyed reading about the fiesty heroine and her former classmate. In a world where it's impossible to trust anyone, Robert was a loyal and swoon-worthy hero. The thing that intrigued me most about the novel, though, was the kingdom of Tyralt. Tyralt seemed to have bits and pieces of the whole world rolled together - the African desert, the English court, and the wild American west. The novel takes place at court, so we don't see any of Robert's homeland or the desert where Robert's horse is rumored to be descenced. The whole time I was reading, I was hoping that Anne Osterlund would write another novel set in Tyralt so that I could see more of the country. Aurelia is a solid historical romance set in a semi-fantasy world and I hope to read more by the author.

Literary Kitty

2009-03-15T15:05:00.000-07:00

I was planning on spending the afternoon writing book reviews. (Eek, I'm a little behind in that...I have a whole stack of books to review.) But then some friends called, and it's a beautiful day, and it's always fun to hang out with friends. There may be some reviews later, but I thought, as a consolation prize, I'd share a funny picture of my cat. We were playing Scrabble and she decided to lay down in the middle of the board. So we played on top of her!

Isn't she cute? Her name is Desi, short for Desdemona, and she loves to lay down on top of board games. Her favorite game to play is Carcassonne because she bats the little men off the board. And she's just so adorable that we usually don't stop her. I think I'll send this picture to the always entertaining website Stuff on My Cat ...

Revelations by Melissa de la Cruz Book Review

2009-03-08T12:28:00.000-07:00

Revelations by Melissa de la Cruz
(Hyperion, Hardcover, 2009)
Rating:

Schuyler Van Alen has always been different. She's pretty but not popular. She's a vampire, but not a full-blood vampire. Even her relationship with fellow vampire Jack must be kept a secret because Jack is promised to another vampire. Underlying all of the social drama is a threat to all vampires--Lucifer and his army of Silver Bloods. In this third book of the Blue Bloods series, friendships are cemented and enemies are revealed.

Melissa de la Cruz's world of vampires is somewhat familiar, yet dazzlingly creative all at the same time. Schuyler's world is privileged, rich and seeped in New York history. But this isn't just a Gossip Girl novel with a few vampires. Intermixed in the story are letters from the original Plymouth colony, telling of the colonists' mysterious connections to Lucifer's fall from Heaven and the race of vampires. Being a history nerd, I loved how Schuyler's story was tangled up in the Plymouth colony. The history twist and the plot flow from book to book in the series feels well thought out and I'm curious to see what happens in the next book of the series, The Van Alen Legacy (Sept 2009). The idea of twins was also intriguing although the Mimi, Jack, and Schuyler triangle is a bit sickening. It was very incestuous in the first book and, thankfully, it seems to tone down a bit as the series goes on. I recommend this book for fans of vampire tales as well as alternative history.

I Am In Need of Music : A Poetry Friday Post

2009-03-06T05:12:00.000-08:00

I Am In Need of Music
by Elizabeth Bishop

I am in need of music that would flow
Over my fretful, feeling fingertips,
Over my bitter-tainted, trembling lips,
With melody, deep, clear, and liquid-slow.
Oh, for the healing swaying, old and low,
Of some song sung to rest the tired dead,
A song to fall like water on my head,
And over quivering limbs, dream flushed to glow!

There is a magic made by melody:
A spell of rest, and quiet breath, and cool
Heart, that sinks through fading colors deep
To the subaqueous stillness of the sea,
And floats forever in a moon-green pool,
Held in the arms of rhythm and of sleep.

-----
I discovered Elizabeth Bishop while reading Undercover by Beth Kephart . If you haven't already read Undercover, I highly recommend it. It's a fabulous book about a girl named Elisa who ghost writes love notes for guys, yet she never has the courage to write one to a guy. Instead, she composes them in her head. Elisa is lucky enough to have an English teacher who assigns her students poems by Elizabeth Bishop and who encourages Elisa to find her voice. We all have a hidden voice just waiting to break free and, for me, Undercover opened up so many voices and worlds. So, Beth, I offer up this poem to you as a thanks for sharing your voice and in the hopes that your spring is full of the magic of music.

To learn more about Poetry Friday, visit Big A little a . This week's Poetry Friday round-up is at Picture Book of the Day.

Something, Maybe by Elizabeth Scott Book Review

2009-03-04T17:52:00.000-08:00

Something, Maybe by Elizabeth Scott
(Simon Pulse, Hardcover, 2009)
Rating:

Hannah's parents have always sort-of been the bane of her existence. Her dad is super famous for having a mansion full of girlfriends (think Hugh Hefner) and, to make matters worse, his whole life is filmed as a reality tv show. Hannah's mom used to be one of those girlfriends, but then she got pregnant and kicked out of the mansion. So now, she does live chats while modeling lingerie. Needless to say, Hannah pretty much tries to be invisible. She's succeeding until her crush starts paying attention to her, her dad wants her to come visit the mansion, and she suddenly can't stop thinking about Finn who is so not her crush.

Like so many of you, I became a fan of Elizabeth Scott when I read bloom. Her books are a nice mix of real life issues and odd scenarios. In Something, Maybe, Hannah wants what most of us want at some point in our lives - to not be noticed. I sympathized with her attempts at invisibility (big, baggy clothes and no make-up) and I laughed over her secret fear that she might turn into her parents and suddenly want to rip a guy's clothes off. Family issues are also often at the heart of Scott's books. No family is perfect, especially Hannah's, but we all have to reconcile how we fit into our family's tapestry. (Feel free to read that as a reference to Harry Potter...) Hannah's discoveries are heartfelt and poignant. Something, Maybe is perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen.

Want to learn more about Elizabeth and her books?
Read my interview with Elizabeth from a year ago.
Read my review of Perfect You.
Read my review of Stealing Heaven.

Oh, and this cover totally makes me think of Blake Lively. I think it's the way that the cover model is pursing her lips. What do you think?

Faeries of Dreamdark: Blackbringer by Laini Taylor Book Review

2009-02-28T19:57:00.000-08:00

Faeries of Dreamdark: Blackbringer by Laini Taylor
(Putnam, Hardcover, 2008)
Rating:

Magpie Windwitch is an unusual faery. She flies around the world, catching devils. Something that hasn't been done since the Djinn's champion, Bellatrix, disappeared thousands of years ago. When her latest adventure leads her back to Dreamdark, the place of her birth, Magpie is reunited with her old friends Poppy Merryweather and Snoshti. As Magpie tries to catch Blackbringer, the devil that is wreaking havoc on Dreamdark, she is confronted by a forgotten past and a task that will determine the future of the faeries.

I have to say that this is one of the best fantasy stories that I've ever read (and I'm not just saying that because Laini was on the Cybils panel with me!). This is the type of book that I would have carried around with me everywhere at the age of 10. I would have dog eared the pages and written spin-off stories of Dreamdark. Magpie's story is drenched in magic - the characters, the setting, the spells, it's all so carefully crafted and fantastically wrought. Magpie herself is just the type of spunky character that I love. She's brave, modest, and full of heart. In addition to the wonderful Magpie, this story is brimming with many fascinating side characters. From Talon, the warrior prince who can't fly, to the band of crows that Magpie flies with to the scavenger imp that sticks his toes in his nose for safekeeping, each character was fully realized and added much to Magpie's tale.

Another wonderful aspect of the book was the drawings. Blackbringer is illustrated by Laini's husband, Jim Di Bartolo . (How do you have enough creative control to pick your illustrator? I want to know!) The illustrations are so detailed and perfect for the book, I just wished there were more. Every time I came to an illustration in the book, I would think, Wow, wouldn't it be awesome to have a framed print of this? Jim is also doing the illustrations for the sequel, Silksinger, which will be out this fall. The picture at the top is of the hardcover version of Blackbringer and the picture down below is of the paperback version. Both are really cool and I especially love the title drawing on the paperback version.

In short, add this book to your collection now! And put Silksinger on your wishlist. While you wait for Silksinger, take a look at Laini's blog . It's full of fun posts about writing and life.

Ten Cents a Dance by Christine Fletcher Book Review

2009-02-28T17:18:00.000-08:00

Ten Cents a Dance by Christine Fletcher
(Bloomsbury, Hardcover, 2008)
Rating:

Ruby's family used to be pretty well off until her father died. Then her mother worked long hours in the factory to make ends meet. When Ruby's mother can no longer work in the factory, Ruby must quit school and start earning money for the family. Factory work is not the future that Ruby envisioned for herself, so when bad boy Paulie Suelze suggests that Ruby work as a taxi dancer, she jumps at the chance. Pretty soon, she's working at the Starlight Dance Academy, teaching boys the Lindy Hop for ten cents a dance and lying to her mom about her job.

There are certain books that just sweep you away in the language and feeling of a time period and Ten Cents a Dance is one of those books. Set on the brink of World War II in a Chicago that was teeming with jazz music, this novel is like opening a door into a forgotten time period. One in which gangsters ruled the streets, swing music spilled out of every corner club, and respectable women didn't dance in those clubs. Ruby is tenacious, proud, and attracted to bad boys. Basically, she's like a lot of us today. I had never heard of taxi dancers before reading this book, so it was interesting to hear about a bit of American history that isn't taught in classrooms. Ruby's story isn't necessarily a happy story; it is powerful, though, and I highly recommend it to fans of historical fiction and gutsy heroines.

Fade by Lisa McMann Book Review

2009-02-22T20:18:00.000-08:00

Fade by Lisa McMann
(Simon Pulse, Hardcover, 2009)

Janie's ability to slip into other people's dreams continues but she finally has a name for her "talent" - dream catcher. Along with a name, Janie also has a job with the local police department. She and her boyfriend Caleb are undercover agents at Fieldridge High. Their new assignment is to catch a sexual predator posing as a teacher. Janie isn't safe from the predator or from her dream catching.

I devoured the first novel in this series, Wake, and Fade was no exception. Again, the present tense storytelling really caught my attention. Janie's story is so much more immediate in the present tense. This book is obviously a little darker than the first book since it focuses on a sexual predator. Heightening that darkness and urgency is a series of diaries written by Martha Stubin, Janie's dream catcher teacher. The diaries reveal more about Janie's abilities and the fate that awaits her. This was definitely a haunting novel and it sets the scene perfectly for Book 3, without leaving too much of a cliffhanger. Cabel's character continued to thrill me. He's just so dark and tortured - I really hope that Book 3 explores his character a little more. Also, I just can't help but hope that Janie's abilities prove to be stronger than Martha Stubin's.

Rating:

My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison Book Review

2009-02-18T20:59:00.000-08:00

My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison
(Hardcover, January 2009)
Rating:

Savannah used to have a pretty perfect life...until her smarty pants sister stole her cute, intelligent boyfriend. Now Savannah has a fair godmother trying to fix her problems. Why not a fairy godmother? Well, Chrissy, the godmother, didn't exactly excel in Fairy Godmother school. In fact, her grades were merely fair. So Savannah is stuck in the Middle Ages, caught somewhere between Snow White, Cinderella, and the dashing young storyteller, Tristan, who Chrissy also transported to the Middle Ages.

"It's all part of the deluxe prom package Savannah ordered."

Fairy tale retellings are some of my favorite stories. It's so fascinating to see how different authors twist the age old tales into something new. Normally, there's some new lesson to be learned, some new moral to be pondered over. In My Fair Godmother, there is a new moral. It's just buried under Chrissy's poor attempts at fairy godmotherhood. Savannah's three wishes aren't very well thought out and it was hilarious seeing how Chrissy interpreted them. I read this book on a plane and the guy next to me kept giving me weird looks because I was constantly laughing out loud. My Fair Godmother is an irreverent, playful take on the godmother myth and my only complaint is that I want to know more about Chrissy and her Fairy Godmother School. So, Ms. Rallison, please won't you write another fair godmother book?

The ABC's of Kissing Boys by Tina Ferraro Book Review

2009-02-15T16:07:00.000-08:00

The ABC's of Kissing Boys by Tina Ferraro
(Delacorte Press, Paperback, 2009)

Parker will do just about anything to make the varsity soccer team. So when her older brother and his best friend come up with a scheme involving a kissing booth, Parker is all in. There's only one small problem...Parker has to make the kiss look convincing and, even though she's a junior in high school, she's never really kissed a guy before. So she enlists the help of her next door neighbor, Tristan, even though he's only a freshman.

My favorite part about this book was the chapter headings. Each chapter title is devoted to one letter of the alphabet and gives a short lesson on kissing. For example, "Quixotic: Take the lead from Don Quixote: when it comes to a kiss, there's no such thing as too romantic." The book takes its cue from these light-hearted lessons and is a fun, upbeat read. Some of the plot elements were a little far-fetched (we all know that it is social suicide to date someone two grades younger than you). As long as you're willing to excuse a little creative plotting, you'll enjoy this hilarious, romantic novel. My favorite addition was the Romeo & Juliet side plot - who knew feuding neighbors could take their lawn care so seriously?

One last chapter heading to give you an idea of this book's playfulness...most reviewers have mentioned this one as their favorite: "Graduation: For many girls, great kissing is a diploma in itself; for many guys, it's a prerequisite to a bigger course of study." Ahh, so true. :-)

Rating:

He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven: A Poetry Friday Post

2009-02-13T15:42:00.000-08:00

He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven
by W.B. Yeats

Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half-light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.

Aww, I'm a sucker for sweet love poems. Happy Valentine's Day! ;-)

To learn more about Poetry Friday and to see this week's Poetry Friday round-up, visit Big A little a .

Meet the Panelists : Laini from Grow Wings

2009-02-13T08:02:00.000-08:00

Only 1 day until the Cybils Awards are announced! To get you excited, I'm featuring a Fantasy & Science Fiction panelist (or two) every day until the awards are announced. Our last installment of Meet the Panelist spotlights Laini from Grow Wings. Laini is the author of the fabulous Faeries of Dreamdark: Blackbringer and she brought lots of great input on writing to our discussons. I visited her blog for the first time in October when I found out that she was on the panel. Now it's one of my favorite blogs to read!

When did you start blogging and why?

I started blogging three years ago, when I'd sold my first novel, Blackbringer, but the pub date was still many months away. I've found an amazing community and so many kindred spirits who care about the same things I do. Blogging makes it possible for people to find their *tribe* in a way we're not all so lucky to do in our *real lives.*

What are some of your favorite posts that you did?

I'm fond of this post, about my first talk as an "author" at ALA (it's about fantasy).
I also post very short pieces of fiction on my blog, of which this is a favorite.

What was your favorite part about being a Cybils panelist?

The avalanche of books in the mail was great, of course, and the couple of live chats at the very end were so much fun! I was really glad to experience the awards process from the inside -- it was fascinating to see how opinions of a book could differ so dramatically.

Any advice for future panelists?

Clear your schedule. It's a huge time commitment! Don't fool yourself.

What books are you looking forward to this year?

I can't wait to read Catching Fire, the sequel to The Hunger Games, as well as Wise Man's Fear, the sequel to The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss, which is adult fantasy and an incredible book. Of course, I'm *most* excited about the release of my own two new books, Dreamdark: Silksinger (middle-grade), and Lips Touch (YA).

Why do you blog about teen books?

My blog isn't specifically a book blog; I blog about writing and art and life, but I like to take the opportunity to try to win over readers to YA who might not already be reading it. I only really found my own voice as a writer after I let go of my college-workshop expectations about "adult literary fiction" and embraced the kinds of books I really love, which are mostly fantasy, and quite often YA. When a fantasy or YA title hits big, like Harry Potter or Twilight, it excites me that people might dip into those sections at the bookstore or library and discover most wonderful books. Sadly, in my experience, too many readers don't do that -- they reread Harry Potter and Twilight instead!! It's really frustrating.

If you were a Cybils judge, which category would you like to judge?

I think our category is the best -- I don't know if I'd want to judge any other categories!

Where is your favorite place to read?

I don't have a magical reading nook, though some time in my life I shall create one. A tower room with a comfy daybed covered in patchwork quilts, maybe. Or a perfect armchair on a porch facing the sea. A drifting rowboat in a small lake. A witch's cottage in the woods.

Having read so many science fiction and fantasy books, do you have any suggestions for authors in those genres?

The books that stand out when I think about what I want to read AGAIN are the ones set in unique, fully imagined fantasy worlds: D.M. Cornish's Monster Blood Tattoo series (I LOVED Lamplighter) and James Kennedy's The Order of Odd-Fish, which I'm sad did not make the short-list. A lot of fantasy worlds are so "been there, read that," and I love to discover a writer who brings something new to the table. When you read a lot of genre books at a time, so many of them melt together and don't stand out.

Thanks so much for answering my questions, Laini. And congratulations!!

Meet the Panelists : Amanda from Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

2009-02-12T19:50:00.001-08:00

Only 2 days until the Cybils Awards are announced! To get you excited, I'm featuring a Fantasy & Science Fiction panelist (or two) every day until the awards are announced. Today's Meet the Panelist is Amanda from Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs . Amanda was a great addition to our panel because she reads all over the kidlit map. She was also a good indicator of what books were waiting in the mail for us since she always seemed to get the boxes first!

When did you start blogging and why?

I kept a handy dandy notebook of what I read for years, but sometimes it wasn't with me when I wanted it and I thought a blog would always be online for when I was traveling or away from notebook (notebooks really - I have 5 thick full ones in the archive). My blog is just a glorified reading log. When I discovered the kidlitosphere of bloggers, I was blown away by some of blogs out there.

What are some of your favorite posts?

I like giving myself challenges and the blog is a good way to stay accountable. For 8 months or so I read an animal fiction chapter each month featuring a different kind of animal - gerbils, ducks, bears, foxes, bats. I had a lot of fun looking for a different kind of critter starring in an appealing chapter book. I was going to do this challenge for a year, but then there was a looooooong list of Cybils nominees to read and I fell off the animal fiction wagon.

What was your favorite part about being a Cybils panelist?

A ready made reading list and a whole bunch of cool book junkies to discuss it with. . . what's not to love?

Any advice for future panelists?

Start reading as soon as you can and read as much as you can! There's never enough time to read it all (unless you read like the wind - still in awe of Charlotte's total books read for the panel - WOW!)

Why do you blog about teen books?

Teen years have all that heightened emotion and angst which is fun. Plus, I swear some of the BEST writers out there are writing YA these days. I just love these books.

If you were a Cybils judge, which category would you like to judge?

Fantasy/Sci-Fi is probably a perfect fit for me. I love reading speculative fiction, dystopia, supernatural romance, and high fantasy.

Where is your favorite place to read?

On trains and buses. . . you get to go somewhere with the author of your book while getting somewhere in the real world.

Thanks for stopping by and sharing your experiences with us, Amanda!

Meet the Panelists : Charlotte from Charlotte's Library

2009-02-12T07:43:00.000-08:00

Only 2 days until the Cybils Awards are announced! To get you excited, I'm featuring a Fantasy & Science Fiction panelist (or two) every day until the awards are announced. Up next in our Meet the Panelists series is Charlotte from Charlotte's Library. I like to think of her as Charlotte the Speed Reader. Out of the 161 books nominated in our category, Charlotte read a whopping 124 of them! (For comparison, I was only able to read about 80 books during our alloted reading period.) When we discussed books that we'd read, I almost always found myself agreeing with Charlotte, so now I peruse her blog for books to add to my reading list. Enjoy this insight into Charlotte the Super Reader's world and be sure to scroll down to the end of the interview for Charlotte's Cybils Fantasy/Sci-Fi awards predictions!

When did you start blogging and why?

I started blogging about two years ago. I had been spending a fair amount of time reading other people's blogs, looking for books to read (being a fast reader, this has been a problem for most of my life), and decided that I wanted to be part of the fun myself. It has worked--I now always have at least five books waiting to be read, a long wish list, and a comforting feeling of book safety.

What was your favorite part about being a Cybils panelist?

I am rather, um, competitive, and so although I absolutely loved the camaraderie of being part of a truly great panel, and felt bereft when our work was over, and although I loved getting lots of books in the mail (I use my work address, in case of rain, and it made going to work everyday more Hopeful), one thing I really liked was looking at the stats of number of books read, and fiercely trying to read more.

Any advice for future panelists?

If you want to be on the science fiction/fantasy or ya panel, start reading now. Start putting library holds in the moment nominations start coming in--you will be getting lots from the publishers, but don't waste a moment of reading time while waiting for that to happen. It was rather sad that a book I had been looking forward to didn't come from the library until after we had made our final decisions.

What books are you looking forward to this year?

I have a couple of posts up about this, including a list of science fiction/fantasy books by debut authors--lots of neat looking stuff.

One of the great thing about all my Cybils reading is that I met a host of new authors, many of whom have more books on the way! Up next in my pile is The Farwalker's Quest, by Jodi Sensel (who wrote the Cybils nominated Humming of Numbers), which just arrived today!

Here are the links:

Books I am looking forward to, Part I
Books I am looking forward to, Part II
Science Fiction/Fantasy coming from debut authors in 2009

Why do you blog about teen books?

Because I like teen books better than grown up ones. I like books that lift me out of the quotidian world, with unexpected twists and turns and a bit of romance and not too much Politics or Violence or boring grown up stuff, that aren't too long. I have better luck with YA then elsewhere. Although I think I am going to make an effort to read the books shortlisted for the Nebula, to see what I'm missing.

I also like blogging about middle grade books, and whatever has struck the fancy of my children...

If you were a Cybils judge, which category would you like to judge?

Last year, I was a young adult panelist, and although I enjoyed it, I found science fiction/fantasy much more varied, and fun, and interesting. So that's the category I'd stick to.

Where is your favorite place to read?

I have always made sure that everywhere I lived, if possible, there would be one comfortable chair that got morning light coming in from behind me and one comfortable chair that got afternoon light. I even arranged my doll house so as to make sure the dolls would be able to read comfortably. Writing this, I realize that the two least happy years of my life were spent without access to comfy chairs.

I am looking forward to finding out who the winners are. Here are my bets: Graveyard Book in middle grade, and Hunger Games in YA.

And I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank all the fabulous folks who don't get the packages of the books in the mail, but without whom there would be no Cybils--Anne, and Kelly, and Sarah, and Sheila.

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions, Charlotte! And we'll have to check back in on Saturday and see if your predications were right!

Meet the Panelists : Nettle from The Puck in the Midden

2009-02-11T19:17:00.001-08:00

Only 3 days until the Cybils Awards are announced! To get you excited, I'm featuring a Fantasy & Science Fiction panelist (or two) every day until the awards are announced. For our third installment of Meet the Panelists, I'd like you to meet Nettle from The Puck in the Midden . Nettle was so much fun to work with because she always brought tons of insight and liveliness to our email exchanges. To give a nod to her blog's namesake, the world of Cybils paneling (is paneling a word??) would have been a very gray place without her.

When did you start blogging and why?

I've been blogging for nearly eight years now (I seriously can't believe it's been that long) but most of that time has been a much more personal sort of blog. I've been book blogging for about two years, though. I started because I read so much that I wanted a way to keep track of what I read and how I felt about it--and it became a really interesting conversation about YA and kidlit and what makes a good book.

What was your favorite part about being a Cybils panelist?

I'd be lying if I didn't say the free books are wonderful :D. But seriously, my real favorite part was getting to discuss the books that I was reading and loving in real time with my fellow panelists. I really lucked out with a group of six other interesting, opinionated and fun book bloggers--my favorite days were the ones where we were having animated email conversations back and forth, discussing the books that got us the most excited. Especially when we disagreed.

I also really loved discovering some books that I probably never would have read otherwise. Rachel Neumeier's The City in the Lake, Lauren Mechling's Dream Girl, Ellen Booraem's The Unnameables--just a few of the books that surprised and delighted me. There were all sorts of books that I discovered because of the Cybils.

Any advice for future panelists?

Be sure you can devote lots and lots and lots of time to reading before signing up for this. In the past, I have done NaNoWriMo every year, and I was still planning on doing it this year--up until the second days of November when I realized that I was trying to do two insane projects in one month: write 50,000 words of a novel AND read as many of 160 books as I could in two months. It was literally keeping me up at night worrying about how I could manage both (not to mention my job and real life, and little things like that!) So I made the decision to put my beloved NaNo aside for this year and to devote my energies to reading as much as I can.

I don't regret that decision for a second. But I would have been better off if I had planned it a little better going in.

What books are you looking forward to this year?

One of the books I was most looking forward to--Bones of Faerie by Janni Lee Simner--just hit the shelves, and it totally lived up to my expectations. The other book I'm excited for is Carrie Ryan's The Forest of Hands and Teeth. (Are you noticing a theme? I'm a sucker for any kind of post-apocalyptic or dystopic fiction.) I am also hugely psyched for Sarah Beth Durst's new book Ice, based on the East of the Sun, West of the Moon fairy tale, and the sequel to Patrick Ness's heartbreaking Knife of Never Letting Go. And of course, Catching Fire, the second book in the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

Why do you blog about teen books?

The majority of my reading material is teen and middle-grade fiction, so of course that's what I write about. I find that these days especially are the golden age of YA fiction. There's so much available right now, so much that's stellar and well-written and just really original and groundbreaking. I'm really enjoying watching talented writers stretch and expand the boundaries of the genre.

If you were a Cybils judge, which category would you like to judge?

This is an easy one for me. Fantasy and Science Fiction for sure. I'd be more than happy to judge YA Fiction or Middle Grade Fiction too, but FSF has always been my first love, and two and a half months reading nothing but has only proven to me that this genre is my first home.

Where is your favorite place to read?

On the train! I have an hour commute to and from work every day, and that's prime reading time for me.

Having read so many science fiction and fantasy books, do you have any suggestions for authors in those genres?

Less advice and more request: more post-apocalyptic fiction, please! I love books that destroy the world, and books that take place in the aftermath of the destruction, and books that try to rebuild the world. Oh, and zombies. I think there will always be room for more excellent, original works of fiction with zombies.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and Cybils wisdom with us, Nettle!

Meet the Panelists : Alyssa from The Shady Glade

2009-02-11T08:32:00.000-08:00

Only 3 days until the Cybils Awards are announced! To get you excited, I'm featuring a Fantasy & Science Fiction panelist (or two) every day until the awards are announced. For Part 2 of my Meet the Panelists feature, I'd like to introduce you to Alyssa from The Shady Glade. Alyssa's blog is one of the first blogs I read when I started blogging. She's currently in college (how in the world did you have time to read all of the books on our list, Alyssa??!) and she worked at Walt Disney World last summer. So without further ado, here is the ultra cool Alyssa...

When did you start blogging and why?

I'd been doing reviews for a Young Adult website for about 8 months before I started my own blog. Through the forums of that site I had become friends with Jocelyn over at Teen Book Review. She had posted one day that she started a blog, and I went "Hey, I can do that!" So here I am, almost 3 years (and a whole lot less free time) later.

What are some of your favorite posts that you did?

I've done several that I've enjoyed. One was a discussion on headless covers that generated a few interesting comments. I also hosted a writing challenge in the Summer of 2007 that was lots of fun. Of course, right now I think my favorites are my regular Contest Monday posts and my Waiting on Wednesday features.

What was your favorite part about being a Cybils panelist?

Free books! Ha ha, okay I'm just kidding. I already have books coming out of my ears. I love the opportunity to network with other book bloggers. We spend about 3 short months getting to know each other, but by the time the shortlists come out I feel like I'm saying goodbye to family.

Any advice for future panelists?

Mostly I'd mention the time commitment. A lot of people think it's an easy job, but it really does take up a lot of time to search out and read all these books. The Cybils is growing more and more each year, and those nomination lists get longer every year. Oh, and make sure your library has a good interlibrary loan system.

Why do you blog about teen books?

Mostly because that's what I read! When I started blogging, I was in my third semester of college, and I still had refused to "graduate" to adult books. Now I read some adult as well, but YA is still the age group I enjoy the most.

If you were a Cybils judge, which category would you like to judge?

That's a hard decision! For me, I've always enjoyed both Sci Fi/Fantasy and Graphic Novels. I'm not sure I could choose between the two...

Where is your favorite place to read?

On my bed! I'm so busy lately that before bed is the only time I have to read. Plus, my cat sometimes curls up on my feet, which is always a bonus in my book. I sometimes wish I had a big, comfy, oversized reading chair, but I suppose that will have to wait until I get my own house. Right now my roommates are upset enough about my four bookshelves!

Thanks for taking the time to answer all my questions, Alyssa!

Meet the Panelists : Tirzah from The Compulsive Reader

2009-02-10T19:42:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things about being a panelist for the Cybils was getting to know my fellow panelists. We bonded over plot likes and dislikes, cover critiques, and the joy of coming home to boxes of books. In anticipation of the Cybils Awards announcement on February 14th, I thought you might like to get an inside look at the panel. I'll be featuring one or two panelists a day through Saturday in a feature that I'm calling Meet the Panelists.

First up, I'd like to introduce you to Tirzah from The Compulsive Reader. Tirzah was a fun addition to our group. She's currently a student and she collects fairy tale retellings (as she put it, "even if they are the old, weird, no-one-has-ever-heard-them-before kind).

When did you start blogging and why?

I started blogging about 5 years ago on Xanga, but I didn't get serious about it until a year and a half ago when I switched to Blogger. At first, it was something mainly for my own amusement and a great way to hone my writing skills, but as my blog grew in popularity, I was able to get more serious about it and start working with authors and putting together features.

What are some of your favorite posts that you did?

Last July, I decided on a whim to devote the whole month to "Books That Suck "...vampire books! It was great fun, and I was surprised that I could get 30+ YA books about vampires. That month I also got a record amount of site traffic. It was tons of fun, but after Breaking Dawn came out, I was through with vamps for quite a while...

What was your favorite part about being a Cybils panelist?

Reading books I normally wouldn't have picked up. There was a TON of great books I either hadn't heard of, or hadn't been motivated to read that I got to experience, and it really made me broaden my horizons.

What books are you looking forward to this year?

There's a LOT, but here are a few that come to mind: Crazy Beautiful by Lauren Baratz-Logsted, The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting, The Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink, The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Why do you blog about teen books?

First, because they were what I knew, and now I keep doing it because it's such a diverse and fun community to be a part of. The books are fantstic, and the authors are all amazing.

If you were a Cybils judge, which category would you like to judge?

Hm, probably either YA or Sci-Fi/Fantasy, as they are my favorite genres, and their shortlists are always fantastic!

Any advice for future panelists?

Um, use the database...I was totally that one person who hadn't updated her page, which made for some frustrating moments when we went back to determine the final shortlist. Other than that, don't worry about getting to absolutely every single book, because it may be impossible. Just get in as many as possible and be smart about organizing your time and reading list.

Where is your favorite place to read?

In the summer, I love to read out on my back deck--it's very sunny and peaceful.

Having read so many science fiction and fantasy books, do you have any suggestions for authors in those genres?

The more different, or odd, or weird, the better. Really. There are many standard sci-fi and fantasy books out there, but if you can create a completely weird or unique world/situation, and still manage to make it realistic to the reader, then you've done your job. Don't settle for a watered down version of someone else's world.

Thanks for chatting with us, Tirzah!

Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead Book Review

2009-01-27T20:54:00.000-08:00

Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead
(Paperback, Razorbill, 2009)
Rating:

Rose Hathaway is busy learning to be a guardian at St. Vladimir's Academy. She is a dhampir, part human and part vampire, which means she has a super strength and agility that enables her to protect the Moroi (full vampires). Fresh off her first Strigoi (bad vampire) kill, Rose is battling feelings of anger and guilt. To top it off, she's seeing the ghost of one of her dead friends. Rose's teachers and friends believe that she is suffering from stress. Dimitri, her mentor and the secret love of her life, is the only person she can turn to with her problems. But evil is threatening the Academy and Rose must focus on protecting her friends.

I read Frostbite as a panelist for the Cybils Award in Fantasy and Science Fiction late last year. I hadn't read the first book in the series, Vampire Academy, but I decided to dive into Frostbite anyway. Immediately, I was hooked. The combination of 'good' vampires, evil vampires, half-vampires, and magic was utterly fascinating. Shadow Kiss picks up three weeks after Frostbite left off, with Rose still reeling from losing a friend. Rose's character is gritty and strong, and she has enough of a mouth to make her spunky. I love when heroines don't blindly accept the rules and judgments of their superiors. Richelle Mead plays with this idea by having Dimitri be Rose's mentor and her friend. It's fun to watch him battle his conflicting duty to curb her unruliness and his desire to let her rebelliousness break free. One of my favorite things about the series is watching Rose's friend Lissa learn how to control her magic. Lissa's magic is rare and so we learn about it as Lissa does, in little increments throughout the books. Rose's spunk and wit, combined with Mead's intricate world, make this a great series for any fantasy fan. Fair warning though...the ending of this book will leave you begging for Book 4, Blood Promise, which is due out in July 2009.

Read The Compulsive Reader's review . She and I recently swapped our theories about the upcoming book.

My 2009 Book Wishlist

2009-01-25T19:43:00.000-08:00

Last year, I posted about the books that I was most looking forward to reading in 2008. I read all of those and thoroughly enjoyed them, so I'm posting a new list for this year. I'm sure I've left some books off, but here goes...

I've already read (and loved!) Don't Judge a Girl By Her Cover by Ally Carter and Nothing But Ghosts by Beth Kephart. Sarah Dessen is one of my favorite authors and I can't wait to devour Along for the Ride.

My next three wishlist books are ones that I like to think of as my Cybils wishlist. These are authors that I discovered this year when I was a panelist for the Cybils Fantasy and Science Fiction category . I read either the first or second book in each series and am now hooked.

I've actually already read Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead and am anxiously awaiting the release of Book 4 in the series, Blood Promise. Wake was one of the finalists for the Cybils Fantasy and Science Fiction category and Fade promises to be just as exciting. I was also totally into the interesting concept and plot of The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong and am very much looking forward to adding The Awakening to my bookshelf.

What's on your 2009 wishlist?

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak Book Review

2009-01-21T20:50:00.000-08:00

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
(Paperback, Knopf)
Rating:

Liesel Meminger's life is turned upside down when her younger brother dies. Not only is her family torn apart forever but she also steals her first book. Set in Nazi Germany during World War II, Liesel's penchant for stealing books will affect her life and the lives of everyone she knows. Liesel's foster father teaches her to read, little by little each night. When the family hides a Jew in the basement, Liesel realizes that the world is not so black and white, and that words have power beyond anything she could have imagined.

Wow. That pretty much sums up how I feel about this book. It's a bit hard to get into at first, but it's impossible to put down once you get into it. After I finished the book, I asked myself why it was so hard to get into the story. I think that it is because the book is narrated by Death. Death gives us little snippets of things to come as the book progresses. Nothing is ever rushed and nothing is ever a complete surprise. Which makes sense because we all know that our lives will end with death. Death is the antithesis of suspense and Zusak does a good job of creating a story with that in mind. Despite the fact that you know how some characters' lives will end, the book is still a page turner because it doesn't completely reveal everything. Liesel's story is powerful. Not only does it portray average German citizens in a sympathetic light, but it touches on the power of words and books in our lives. I'm not doing the book justice in my description here, but, believe me, if you love books, and I'm sure you do if found your way to my blog, then this book will resonate with you. There are only a handful of books that have made me cry and I was practically sobbing during the last 50 pages of this one. Plus, Death is hands down the best narrator that I've ever read.

In Zusak's words,

"It's just a small story really, about, among other things:
*A girl
*Some words
*An accordionist
*Some fanatical Germans
*A Jewish fist fighter
*And quite a lot of thievery" (p. 5)

In my words,

It's a must-read story about, and so much more than:
*A book lover
*Some small town Germans
*A boy with lemon colored hair
*Some words written in a basement
*A book burning
*And quite a lot of souls

My words about this book are horribly inadequate, so I'll leave you with this vlog from Beth Kephart about The Book Thief.

Cathy's Book and Cathy's Key Book Reviews

2009-01-18T16:03:00.000-08:00

Cathy's Book & Cathy's Key by Sean Stewart, Jordan Weisman, and Cathy Brigg
(Paperback, Running Press)
Rating:

In Cathy's Book, Cathy is just about to finish high school. She's an artist with a mysterious older boyfriend. Her best friend Emma is a super-smart girl with big entrepreneurial ideas. When Cathy wakes up with a needle mark on her skin and her boyfriend is the prime suspect in a murder case, Cathy & Emma have to do some hard core detective work. Cathy's Key continues Cathy's story. She's now graduated and is grappling with the idea that her boyfriend is an immortal. To top things off, his immortal dad is stalking her and her own dad may not have died years ago.

Both of these books were fun, quick reads. Written in diary form and containing a multitude of doodlings in the margins, the books sound like something a teenage girl would write. Cathy is sarcastic, witty, and only slightly self-absorbed. There are also websites and phone numbers in the book that teens can actually visit and call. The idea is that these books are a multi-media experience. I didn't actually visit the websites or call the numbers as I was reading, mainly because I was too interested in the story to stop reading. I visited a few of the websites after I finished the books and I wasn't that impressed, but they probably mean more if you visit them as they are mentioned in the books. What I enjoyed most about the books were the drawings. I thought the diary form made the perfect backdrop for the drawings. Cathy draws random pictures associated with her story, sometimes people, sometimes bits and pieces of the setting, and sometimes just scribbles. My favorite were her self portraits. Overall, these were an entertaining twist on the usual detective fare and I'll be checking out the third book in the series, Cathy's Ring, when it comes out in May.

My Pity Party Was Thwarted...by Ally Carter!

2009-01-12T20:45:00.000-08:00

So I was having a royally awful day yesterday. For one, I couldn't participate in In My Mailbox because I didn't get a single book in the mail last week. I was so psyched because I was finally going to participate (having finally remembered about it...), and then I realized that I got nada, zip, zero books. Secondly, I hurt my knee playing soccer. Nothing serious but I did have to ice it and it still hurts a little when I walk. So, I was all ready to feel sorry for myself for the rest of the evening.

Then, I picked up Don't Judge a Girl By Her Cover by Ally Carter. I got an ARC awhile back and I had put it aside for a rainy day. And the book was soooooo good that I couldn't stay in a bad mood. Within 5 minutes, I was laughing and smiling and excitedly reading about Cammie and her amazing spy school. I'll post a more complete review later this week. All I have to say now is, gosh darn, Ally Carter, you ruined my pity party! :)

In the meantime, I'll leave you with Miss Erin's review of Don't Judge a Girl By Her Cover and this ugly picture of my bruised knee, which looks like Bex has been practicing the Axley Manuever on it.

Wake by Lisa McMann Book Review

2009-01-12T20:18:00.000-08:00

Wake by Lisa McMann
(Hardcover, Simon Pulse)
Rating:

Janie hasn't been to a sleepover in years. She makes excuses to leave the classroom when a fellow student falls asleep. Whenever possible, she avoids public transportation and libraries. Why? Because when people fall asleep and dream, Janie is uncontrollably sucked into their dreams. Normally, it's just the typical falling dream or standing-naked-in-front-of-a-crowd dream. Then, one day Janie is sucked into a violent nightmare and she's no longer just an observer--she's an active participant.

This book was like a drug. I picked it up and immediately could NOT put it down. Wake is written in present tense which gives the story a feeling of urgency. I immediately liked Janie, even though she was a bit moodier than my usual type of heroine. Of course, that would be understandable if you kept slipping into other people's dreams. Perhaps most compelling is that Wake feels original. It stands out from the current trend of vampire/zombie books. Slipping into dreams sounds like a fun thing to do, but McMann makes it a threatening, offensive part of Janie's life. Janie witnesses a horrible act when she slips into a classmate's dream. When Janie starts to fall for that classmate, Cabel, she treads a fine line between trusting her instincts and behaving recklessly. I just had to read straight to the end to see if Janie's instincts were right. Janie's story continues in the follow-up book, Fade, due out on bookshelves in February.

Eon: Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman Book Review

2009-01-08T18:00:00.000-08:00

Eon: Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman
(Hardcover, Viking)
Rating:

Eon has been training to take the Dragoneye Apprentice test. Her master discovered her when she was very young and took her under his wing because Eon can do what no apprentice has been able to do--Eon can see all 12 dragons. Normally, a dragon only makes itself visible to its Dragoneye and his apprentice. Girls aren't allowed to take the test, though, so Eon has disguised herself a boy. But Eon is a cripple and the test is physically demanding. Will she be able to call the Dragons and, if she does, will she be able to continue to hide the fact that she is a girl?

This book, at least to me, is a clear example of why you should never judge a book by its cover. Eon sat on my shelf for two months before I picked it up. I'm not sure what I thought it was about...maybe dragons that could talk, or some sort of prehistoric tale, or strange one-eyed monsters. I definitely didn't think it was a teen-centered tale about a sword-wielding girl who could call dragons to her and who would save a kingdom. Eon (or "Eona" when she's admitting that she's a girl) is a fierce heroine, afraid of revealing her true sex and intent on succeeding so she can restore the riches of her master. The story is set in an alternate history that could be feudal China or Japan. I thought that this setting was particularly exciting because it brought in some of the mythology from that area. It actually reminded me a lot of Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn, although I enjoyed Eon quite a bit more. I was never compelled to finish the series by Lian Hearn, whereas I am very excited to read the sequel to Eon. And the best thing about the Eon series is that it's a duology so I only have to wait for Book 2 to come out.

Sidenote: In Australia, where it was originally published, the title is Two Pearls of Wisdom and here is what the Australian cover looks like. I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts on the cover. Which one do you like better? If you haven't read the book, what impressions does the US cover give you? If you have read the book, how do you feel about the covers in comparison?

Favorite Books of 2008

2009-01-05T17:00:00.000-08:00

I just love reading everyone's best-of-2008 lists and enjoyed posting my favorites last year, so I wanted to continue the tradition. I read over 200 books this year, definitely the most books that I've read in one year in a long time. This year, I want to read 200 more.

Em's Fav Teen Books of 2008 (in no particular order)

The Opposite of Invisible by Liz Gallagher
Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway
Sweethearts by Sara Zarr
How Not To Be Popular by Jennifer Ziegler
How To Be Bad by Lauren Myracle, E. Lockhart, and Maureen Johnson
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn
House of Dance by Beth Kephart
Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen
Looking for Alaska by John Green
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

I read so many good books this year that it was hard to narrow them down. My favorite part about blogging is talking to other bloggers about their favorite books. So many of the books I read this year were recommended to me by other bloggers. Thanks for recommending such great books and thanks for reading my blog!

The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner Book Review

2009-01-05T10:00:00.000-08:00

The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner
(Hardcover, Dial Press, 2008)
Rating:

Yann is a gypsy boy whose special talents earned him a spot in a traveling magic show. Yann can read people's minds and pitch his voice. His surrogate father Tetu can levitate and move objects. When Yann and Tetu perform at the house of a Marquis, they run into an evil Count and a lonely little girl. Both people will change Yann's life forever.

The Red Necklace is wonderful in so many ways. First off, the novel is set in France during the 1790s, just as France was on the cusp of a revolution. The darkness and madness of the time show in the novel's tone and characters. Count Kalliovski is a truly evil character and the tension builds with every page. The magic in this novel is important but not over developed. Yann and Tetu are gypsies and, thus, we infer that the magic exists because of their heritage. Gypsies have always held a fascination with me (hello, Johnny Depp in Chocolat!), so I was completely enthralled with Yann. I expected this novel to be about the girl, Sido, but it was mostly told from Yann's point of view. Given that and the book's depth, I was severely disappointed in the cover after I finished the book. I know that girls in elaborate dresses are all the rage on teen book covers, but this cover couldn't be more wrong for the book! No boy in their right mind would be caught reading this book in public, which is sad because I think this is a book that a lot of boys would really appreciate. Despite the cover, this book is well worth buying and putting on your bookshelf. (But if you want to share it with a guy friend, I recommend taking off the cover jacket before passing it on to him.)

Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr Book Review

2009-01-04T16:16:00.000-08:00

Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr

(Hardcover, HarperCollins)
Rating:

Fragile Eternity picks up the story of Aislinn and Seth that was started in Wicked Lovely. Aislinn is now the Summer Queen, bound to Keenan who is the Summer King, and she's still in love with Seth. Normal, un-fairy, loveable Seth. Seth has been a rock for her these past couple of months as she learned to navigate the fairy world and take her place as a ruler. As the summer solstice draws nearer, Aislinn is uncontrollably drawn to Keenan. Seth knows that Aislinn can't help it but he's determined to keep her in his life.

In a fairy tale land, we would have been happy with the ending of Wicked Lovely. We would just assume that Aislinn and Seth live happily ever after. But Melissa Marr's world is not a world of happily-ever-afters. Marr's tales of fairie are dark, disturbing, and utterly fascinating. So we meet Seth and Aislinn as they begin to question their relationship, as Seth pushes against the role of Keenan in Aislinn's life and as Aislinn wonders what will happen when Seth dies and she still has an eternity to live. In Fragile Eternity, we get inside Seth's head a little bit more. I liked that he was vulnerable, uncertain, and a bit jealous. It made his life-altering decision later in the novel seem so much more understandable. This book was definitely a cliff-hanger, though, in a way that Wicked Lovely wasn't. I was glad to read on Teen Book Review's review of Fragile Eternity that there will be another book in this trilogy (scroll down to Melissa Marr's comment for more details on that).

The best thing about Melissa Marr's books? I find myself rearranging characters and loyalties to make everything end up happy. It would tie it all up nice and neatly, but Marr doesn't do that. She isn't afraid to make the world difficult for her characters and her books are so much better and longer-lasting for it.

A word of advice. Read Wicked Lovely, then read Ink Exchange, and then read Fragile Eternity. Although Ink Exchange is a stand-alone novel, the ending of it is revealed in Fragile Eternity. Plus, you'll love Niall's character in Fragile Eternity so much more.

Heartbreak River by Tricia Mills Book Review

2009-01-04T10:24:00.000-08:00

Heartbreak River by Tricia Mills
(Paperback, Razorbill)

Rating:

Alex is expecting a nice, relaxing summer in which she'll think about nothing more strenuous than booking rafting trips for her family's whitewater rafting company. When Sean comes back into town, Alex realizes that she still has feelings for him. But things ended so badly last summer when Alex's dad died. How can she and Sean ever become friends again?

Heartbreak River gives us a different spin on some difficult issues--the death of a parent, the war in Iraq, and the importance of friendship. Alex has shut herself off from most people ever since her dad died, with the exception of her best friend and cousin Mala. I liked that this novel stressed the importance of family and the importance of dealing with your problems. Mala has always been there for Alex and I think alot of Alex's character development revolved around her needing to understand that Mala has problems, too. The one major thing that bothered me is that the details surrounding Alex's dad's death were hinted at but never fully revealed until later in the novel. In fact, there was so much hinting that it almost felt like a sequel to me. However, I was really into the rafting aspect of the book so I think that if you like water sports or outdoor themed novels, you'll enjoy Heartbreak River. I was waffling between 2 stars and 3 stars, and I've decided to give it 3 stars mainly because I enjoyed the setting, a whitewater rafting company, and it's incorporation into the novel.