Pirates! by Celia Rees Book Review

Pirates by Celia Rees
(Bloomsbury, Paperback)
Rating:

Nancy Kington has been raised, for the most part, as a proper English lady. But when her dad dies, she is sent to his plantation in the West Indies. There she learns that she is to be married off to a cruel man who owns the neighboring plantation. She and her new-found friend and slave, Minerva, escape aboard a pirate ship. And that is where the adventure begins.

I picked this book up because it was voted a Teen's Top Ten Pick by Amazon. Nancy was a great character to tell this story - her voice is authentic and compelling. I found myself feeling trapped when she was trapped and free when she was sailing the seas. I'm also all about strong secondary characters in books and Pirates! has a lot of great characters, including Graham, the pirate ship's doctor, and Broom, the ship's captain. Celia Rees added some interesting philosophical elements about pirates and the British navy. As Nancy finds out, neither is all good or all bad. It reminded me a lot of Jean Ferris' Into the Wind series, which I read about 20 times while growing up and highly recommend. Nancy is a gritty main character, full of introspection. In the Into the Wind series, Rosie is sheltered and full of curiosity about the world. Similar time period and similar issues, but different plots and main characters.

The Faerie Path by Frewin Jones Book Review

The Faerie Path Trilogy by Frewin Jones
(Eos, 1st in paperback, 2nd & 3rd in Hardcover)
Rating:

On her 16th birthday, after a horrible accident, Anita finds herself transported to another world. This world is the world of faerie and Anita learns that she is Tania, the long lost seventh daughter of the king and queen. Suddenly, Anita finds herself in the middle of six sisters and a 500-year-old prophecy that threatens to destroy both the faerie world and the human world. She also learns that Evan, her boyfriend in the human world is really Edric of the faerie court. Who can she trust and how can she save both of her families?

Overall, this was a interesting series. Although it uses some standard fantasy elements, the plot held my interest through all three books, The Faerie Path, The Lost Queen, and The Sorcerer King. Tania, as she decides to be called, is a strong heroine who isn't afraid to battle evil but is a little afraid that her human parents are going to be mad at her for disappearing. The books are written mostly in the faerie world and Tania's sisters and Edric make for unusual side characters.

Update: There are two other books in this series. The fourth book is called The Immortal Realm and it's available now. The fifth book, Enchanted Quest, is due to come out in January 2010.

I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter Book Review

I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter
(Hyperion, Paperback)
Rating:

Being a Bond Girl has it's advantages (namely, James Bond). But wouldn't it be way cooler to actually be a spy instead of just knowing one? Meet Cammie Morgan, spy-in-training. Cammie goes to the all-girls Gallagher Academy which has been producing spies since Abraham Lincoln's time. The girls at Gallagher learn every language in the world, take PhD physics classes, and learn serious kick-butt maneuvers in gym class. But does Cammie do when she meets a cute boy in town? Exactly what any Gallagher girl would do. She treats it like a Covert Ops mission. She wire taps his house, hacks into his email account, and even steals his trash (although, technically, trash left on the curb is public property).

I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have to Kill You is a thoroughly enjoying read. I couldn't stop laughing at Cammie and her friends. I loved how they turned a normal girl crush into a huge spy mission. The book is full of great spy-girl dialogue, like this scene where Cammie is sneaking out for a date with Josh:

"I pulled the tapestry aside and started to slip in, just as Bex said, 'Knock 'em dead!'. I was already inside when Liz yelled after me, 'But not literally!' "

The sequel, Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy, is as funny and entertaining as the first novel. Cross My Heart is all about what happens when the Gallagher girls have to team up with a bunch of guys from an all-boys spy academy. I just finished the 2nd book last night and thought to myself that it was a satisfying conclusion and the author could either leave it at two books or write another sequel. Then, a little while ago, I read on Ally's blog that she just started Book 3. I can't wait to read it! I only wish that she had just finished it instead of just started it. Check out Ally's website for some cool stuff including an application to attend Gallagher Academy.

The Last Apprentice - Halloween Read

Imagine that you are the only thing that stands between civilization and the things that go bump in the night. You alone must protect friends, family, and strangers from evil spirits such as witches, banes, and boggarts. Thomas Ward is the Spook's Apprentice and his job is to help the Spook defeat these creatures. Not only is Thomas the Spook's Apprentice, but he is also The Last Apprentice. For years, Old Gregory has protected the County from evil, but his time is passing and he needs to find the next Spook. Twenty-nine apprentices have tried and failed. Thomas is the last hope.

This is a great series to read for Halloween. Though written for middle readers, these books make delightfully scary reads for older audiences as well. The first in this series by Joseph Delaney is Revenge of the Witch, followed by Curse of the Bane and Night of the Soul Stealer. Delaney has quite a following in the UK but this series is still fairly new to the U.S. Another really cool thing about these books is the beautiful chapter art. Each chapter is decorated with a wood-cut type drawing. The page is black with a white outline depicting a spooky scene. I also found this great review of the series over at Bookmoot.

Happy Halloween!

Starred Review and A CONTEST to win Undercover by Beth Kephart!!

A few months ago, I reviewed a new book called Undercover by Beth Kephart. I am ecstatic to announce that it recently received a starred review in Publishers Weekly magazine (Oct 1st issue)! Here's some highlights from the review:

Neatly balancing action and contemplation, Kephart offers a plethora of images, ideas about literature and even some well-known poems along with a plot that will speak to many teens.

In honor of this rave review, I'm holding a contest for a copy of Undercover. I've never held a contest before so I'm super excited about this. In fact, I'm so excited that I'm also throwing in a mini "word journal" from Paperblanks. (See my earlier review of Undercover for an explanation of the word journal.)
Just leave me a comment or send an email to emsbookshelf (at) gmail (dot) com, and you'll be entered to win. I'll draw a name from a hat on October 30th. Think of it as a Halloween present!

Happy Reading!
-Em

p.s. Beth recently started her own blog and she's been filling it with wonderful poems, pictures, and thoughts about the writing process. Make sure to check it out!

Take a Book to the Movies

Lately, it seems like there are tons of movies in theaters that are based on books. (If you haven't seen Stardust, you should go this weekend - it's great). But have you ever thought about the books that are displayed in the movie? The books on the shelf in a character's bedroom? Or the book that the main character is reading on the subway? I've been reading a lot lately about books in movies and am sad to say that I've never really noticed which books show up in movies! Now I'll have to start paying attention.
Superfast Reader recently posted about some books in movies and TV shows. She also had this really cool job where she got to pick out a library for a movie set! Please, sign me up for that job! :-) She also mentions this fun article from the New Yorker Magazine. It's hard enough picking out books for myself - imagine picking out books for hundreds of actors!
Oh, and speaking of movies based on books, here's a hilarious video that Alyssa over at The Shady Glade made...it's the movie we've all been waiting for, Harry Potter meets Pride & Prejudice.
Happy Reading!
-Em

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher Book Review

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
(Razorbill, Hardcover)
Rating:

This book isn't out until October 18th but I just had to post on it right away. Why? Because this is absolutely my favorite book of the year. Put it on your wishlist now and when you get it, be prepared to sit down and read it cover to cover. Here's the premise...Clay Jensen returns home from school one day and finds a package of 13 tapes on his front door step. Only, the tapes are from a girl in his class that committed suicide.

Here's a short excerpt to show you what a great writer Jay is (and I'm paraphrasing)...
"Hello, boys and girls. Hannah Baker here. Live and in stereo. I hope you're ready, because I'm about to tell you the story of my life. More specifically, why my life ended. And if you're listening to these tapes, you're one of the reasons why. I'm not saying which tape brings you into the story. But fear not, if you received this lovely little box, your name will pop up...I promise. Now, why would a dead girl lie?"

Each of the 13 tapes tells the story of one person and how they contributed to Hannah's suicidal state of mind. This is a story of Hannah, but also of Clay who is the narrator. This book sat on my bookshelf for months and I kept thinking, oh, I don't want to read a depressing book right now. But I promise, this book isn't the average dying-teen book. It's so much more. It's the story of how one boy copes with the death of a girl he liked. And it's the story of how each action affects someone else. And it's the story of how brutal high school can be. And it's the story of the importance of connections, how tenuous they can be and how strong they can be. I haven't read a book that was so riveting and thought-provoking in years. I know you can't judge a book by it's cover, but in this case, it really captures the tone of the novel.