A little something to look forward to...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!