Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

[description from goodreads]

Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she'll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters' laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything— including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?

Review:

Nightshade sounds like many YA paranormal books out there: love triangle, mysterious supernatural creatures, et cetera et cetera. However, it's so much better than your average YA paranormal novel.

One reason it's better is that it actually has a romantic triangle (different from a love triangle because Calla's not exactly in love or even "like" with both of them). While both of the male romantic interests could have used a more well-rounded personality, I could understand Calla's conflicting feelings about both boys. I enjoyed seeing both Ren and Shay play a role in the story, because as they became more important to the plot, each of their personalities began to shine through all the drama and I could better understand what would happen if either of them ended up with Calla. Their increased presence also allowed Calla's personality to fully emerge, as they often did things that set her off or caused her to make important decisions.

The book is rather large-- over 400 pages-- and does not really have one concrete story line until the end, and yet the book flies by. Though there are many slower, dialogue-heavy scenes, there are plenty of fights and action scenes to spice things up. However, even the slower scenes are entertaining, especially when Calla and Ren's animated pack mates are present. They provide much needed humor amidst all the drama. Despite the action and pack entertainment, though, I wish there was a bit more of a solid storyline. For the longest time, there is nothing but mystery, which is very intriguing, but because there are so many secrets it was a bit difficult for me to understand what exactly Calla was searching for and finding. But then again, I'm pretty sure I first read this book during finals time earlier this year, so it was easy for my crazy-school-brain to miss things. It was cleared up for me in the end, as much of the mystery is answered, but not so much as to leave no questions behind. There are still plenty of conspiracies and complex issues that need to be discussed, and I can't wait to see where they go in the sequel.

Though it could have used more development in certain areas-- as could most first-books-in-a-series--, Nightshade is an above average YA paranormal, with its fierce heroine and complex mythological world, among other things.

Book details: Philomel/Hardcover/$17.99

Source: sent by publisher for review

5 Holiday Book Wants/Have you read these?/Excuse to discuss Christmas

Because I'm posting my choices for books to buy for Christmas ("holiday gift guide" sounds really weird) later this week (let's hope), I thought I'd first post things 5 books I'm hoping to find this year:

1. Vixen by Jillian Larkin - The summary is so intriguing and the cover is OMGSOPRETTY. (The second cover? EVEN BETTER.)

2. A Visitor's Guide to Mystic Falls anthology - I'm a few episodes behind on The Vampire Diaries but this anthology sounds so lovely and has contributions from all sorts of awesome authors.

3. Harmonic Feedback by Tara Kelly - I don't know why I haven't read this yet because it totally sounds like something I would really like.

4. Harry Potter Film Wizardry by Brian Sibley - I found one of these at B&N that wasn't wrapped in plastic so I began flipping through it, but each page is so detailed that I must own it to fully appreciate all the pretty.

5. When the Stars Go Blue by Caridad Ferrer - My knowledge of the opera Carmen is limited to that one Hey Arnold! episode, but Ari from Reading in Color's review totally made me want this book.

YA Historical Fiction Challenge

I saw this on Sab's blog, YA Bliss, the other day and since I love historical fiction, I thought I'd join the challenge!

For more details on the challenge, check out Sab's post about it.

I think I'm going to attempt Level 2 of the challenge-- reading 10 historical fiction books in 2011. Let's hope I can actually do that, because it would be rather sad if I didn't.

I'm not sure which books I will be reading, so I shall leave a blank list:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

If you have recommendations, I'd love for you to leave them in the comments!

The YA Best Friend

A long, long time ago I wrote a post about the YA family. Now, let's discuss the YA best friend, in the same format as the family post, with you being the main character.

The Boy Best Friend:

If he is your gay boy best friend, he is probably of the sassy variety.

If he is your straight boy best friend, either you like him or he likes you. Probably the latter, but you just don't know it. However, when one of you gets a new boy/girlfriend, you will go through some drama until you finally realize that you like each other. More drama then ensues.

The Girl Best Friend:

Much more common than the Boy Best Friend. There are so many Girl Best Friend traits that I'll have to make a list for this section:

• She is probably your only friend. If you had two, it would be much to hard to develop them into believable characters, so you only have one.
  
• She is way prettier than you, and you feel the need to note this fact constantly. (Because God forbid that you have confidence.)
  
• She may have some not-so-secret desire to be popular, and because she's so pretty, she'll probably get her 15 minutes of fame at some time during the novel. This will cause some tension between you two.
• You've been friends either since you were very young, or since middle school.
  
• But even though you've been BFFs forever, if a boy comes between you two? Uh-oh. Because she is prettier and has more confidence, she'll probably get the guy, but really, he likes you.
• Throughout the course of the book, you guys will argue and fight and neither of you will come out unscathed, but, for the most part, at the end, you'll still be friends, even though everything has changed.

Me? A rant-y mood? Never.

My Favorite Newberries

So I read Jordyn of Ten Cent Notes's recent post about her favorite Newbery Award winning books and loved her post so much that I wanted to play too. I do hope she doesn't mind.

For those of you who need a reminder, the Newbery Award is given to children's literature. You probably had to read one or five in elementary school. You can see a whole list of winners and honorees on wikipedia, because we all know it is so reliable.

Here are 5 of my favorites and my thoughts on how they kind of ~reflect my reading habits today:

1. Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink (won in 1936)

I read this book so many times in elementary school. SO MANY TIMES. And yet I can't remember anything that happens. Though I do vividly remember one of the book's pictures. I also remember reading it over and over and LOVING IT.

This book totally applies to my ~current reading habits~ because I lovelovelove historical fiction.

2. The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare (won in 1959)

More historical fiction! I think I see a theme emerging.

I have read this book even more times than I have read Caddie Woodlawn, but I have not read it in YEARS. I must reread it soon because all I really remember are random bits and pieces, like something about a trunk, the main character's annoying cousin, the main character being from Barbados (which in my youth I thought was like a made-up country) and the main character's kind-of boyfriend guy. At least, I think I'm remembering the right book. All I know is that I loved it.

3. Number the Stars by Lois Lowry (won in 1990)

MORE HISTORICAL FICTION.

I actually remember much of this book because I had to read it in 6th grade, as well as elementary school, and do a project on it. I remember this being a totally exciting book and yet I had it rated as 3/5 stars on goodreads. What was I thinking? I have since fixed my mistake.

4. Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse (won in 1998)

Oh look, more historical fiction. This book is also written in verse, which I adore.

I don't think I've ever owned this book, and I believe I only read it twice in the times I checked it out from the elementary school library, but I remember very much enjoying it. I remember liking it because it's about a not-often-discussed-in-books event and has the lovely poem format, which kind of ~blew my mind~ at age 9.

5. A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck (won in 2001)

Not exactly historical fiction, but it is set in the the 1930s.

THIS SERIES IS SO AWESOME even though I still have not read book 3. (WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?) This book involves a crazy grandma, so I obviously adore it, due to my love of crazy family books/movies/TV shows. I remember these books being so funny and lovely and I need to reread them SOON.

Actually, I need to reread all of these and make sure that Little Khy had good taste.

Another Thanksgiving post

Happy Thanksgiving to all you US people! I hope you eat plenty of food today and have a lovely time doing so.

I just wanted to send a giant THANK YOU! to all the people who read this blog and comment and such. You guys are awesome and without you I'd be highly unmotivated to do anything blogging-related.

To show my thanks, I encourage you to watch the Thanksgiving episode of Boy Meets World, which I have conveniently embedded for you:



You're welcome.

Waiting on Wednesday: why did it take me so long to hear about this?

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. Descriptions and such from goodreads.

Today's pick: Beauty Queens by Libba Bray (There's a cover up on goodreads but I've never seen it posted anywhere else, so I am unsure of its accuracy.)

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

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

---

I heard of this book a few weeks ago and was so excited. I thought I was going to have to wait until 2012 for a new Libba Bray book, but this one comes out in May (I think), so yay! The summary is so hilarious and wonderful and ridiculous and awesome and I need this book in my life like now.

Matched by Ally Condie

[description from goodreads]

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.

The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

Review:

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a hit on our hands. Matched is likely going to show up on all sorts of lists, both bestselling and award, but at least it is at least a novel halfway worthy of its hype. That isn't to say it's perfect or that I loved it, but it's pretty good.

What kept me from loving Matched was the slow, slow pace. The book is primarily focused on romance and relationships until almost the end, and romance rarely manages to captivate me. And sadly, this book did not contain one of the few romances that can hold my full attention. I was not enamored with Cassia and Ky's budding relationship, as neither of them even managed to be stand-outs on their own. I understand that Ky was supposed to be mysterious because Cassia did not know him well, but he was so secretive that the few facts that came out did not make much of an impression on me. Cassia is a bit more interesting than because she plays a more active role in the Society and must deal with Society workers directly, but her writing style is so calm and pretty, and yet so impersonal that I often didn't realize that I was reading her actual thoughts. However, I did enjoy that Cassia and Ky's relationship actually developed and wasn't all lovey dovey from the get-go, and that, by the end, the two had found their strengths.

Reading the above paragraph, you are probably wondering why I said this book is "pretty good." Two reasons: the world-building and the ending. I loved that Condie subtly included the details of the Society rather than dumping huge amounts of information at once. Throughout the novel, new details about the Society arise so that the world grows more complex over time. These new details constantly make me rethink the Society and its goals, which was fantastic. The ending was fabulous as well. Though it ended in a bit of a cliffhanger, it finally contained some of the action I was waiting for the entire book. No spoiling, but all you need to know is that I loved it.

There's so much hype surrounding Matched that there's no way it won't do well, but I think that the future installments in the series will be the real stars. Now that Matched has laid everything out, the sequels can start with a bang. Still, Matched is an entertaining read because of its fabulous world-building and enticing writing, though it lacks the action I need to be fully interested.

Matched will be released on November 30.

---

*I keep writing "Khy" but then I am like "OH WAIT I AM NOT IN THIS BOOK."

Book details: Dutton/Hardcover/$17.99

Source: sent by publisher for review

Cake, the Society, and Ally Condie

Today I have an interview with the lovely Ally Condie, author of the upcoming dystopian novel Matched. The book will be released next week, on the 30th, and here's the description, straight from goodreads, in case you need it:

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.

The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

You can find out more about Ally, Matched, and the Society in the my interview with her:

1) In Matched, the Society has kept only 100 Poems, Songs, Paintings, etc in order to avoid clutter and whatnot. The book mentions a few of the poems the Society has decided to keep-- how did you decide which ones to include as part of the 100? If you got to choose one book, story, poem, painting, or other form of art to survive in the Society, which would you pick?

I feel like the Society would choose poems that were well-written but not subversive. I also feel that their poem selection wouldn’t reflect much diversity, so I tried to have the poems that I chose for the 100 reflect that. And ooh, this second part is tricky! I think I’d choose the following:

Book: Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner

Story: There Will Come Soft Rains by Ray Bradbury

Poem: The Single Hound by Emily Dickinson

Painting: Anything by my mom, Arlene Braithwaite, particularly her red-rock landscapes. (She is a professional artist.)

I have not read/seen ANY of those, so now I feel lame. I must fix that.

2) People in the world of Matched are allowed to have one artifact from pre-Society times. What is one artifact you would want to keep if the world of Matched suddenly came to life?

I’d keep my engagement ring. My husband bought it for me when he was absolutely broke (he worked like crazy to earn the money). It would be really, really hard for me to give up that ring.

Aw! That sounds like a pretty good thing to keep.

3) Everyone in Matched is assigned a job-- Cassia is working on maybe becoming a sorter, and her mother works at the Arboretum, for example. What job do you think you'd be given in the Society? Which one would you most want?

I worry that I would be assigned to the nutrition disposal department! But I think the job I’d like most would be Cassia’s mother’s job. She is one of the few people with a job that has a connection to the outdoors.

4) In your author bio, it says that you enjoy eating. SO DO I. Which is why, when I read Matched, I was horrified that they could only eat cake when they were allowed to, which is HARDLY EVER. Obviously I would miss cake if I had to live in the Society-- what food would you miss? And just for fun, what is your favorite kind of cake?

Oh, I am so glad you felt this way too. To me, the food/portion control is one of the most horrifying aspects of the Society! Forget all the other stuff! ;) I would miss anything sweet. Cookies, pie, etc. And my favorite kind of cake is chocolate cake. With chocolate frosting.

You have excellent taste! Chocolate and chocolate cake is THE BEST.

5) I think that's enough Society-related questions, so an unrelated question: what are your favorite things RIGHT NOW? Books, movies, whatever.

Right now I am loving the Flavia de Luce series by Alan Bradley (great murder mysteries with a plucky heroine). I am loving the song Empty by Ray LaMontagne. I am loving fall weather for running, good news for my family about a loved one’s health, and the fun of holiday traditions with my three little kids.

These were VERY fun questions, Khy! Thank you for giving me the chance to visit your very wonderful blog.

---

Thank you, Ally!

Matched will be out next week, but you'll be able to read my review tomorrow.

Find out more about Ally over at her website, and more about Matched over at the TOTALLY AWESOME series website.

2011 Debut Author Challenge

The lovely Kristi of The Story Siren is hosting the 2011 Debut Author Challenge, and I thought I would sign up because debut authors are awesome (and so is Kristi).

The goal is to read 12 novels from debut YA or middle grade authors in 2011. I've picked 12 I want to read, but my list is no way limited to these:

1. Across the Universe by Beth Revis
2. The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney
3. Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton
4. Rival by Sara Bennett Wealer
   
5. Clarity by Kim Harrington
6. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
7. Bad Taste in Boys by Carrie Harris
8. Luminous by Dawn Metcalf
9. Liar Society by Lisa and Laura Roecker
10. The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder
11. Wildefire by Karsten Knight
12. Between Shades of Grey by Ruta Sepetys
    

DEATHLY HALLOWS!

Yesterday I saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One. Here are some thoughts on it. No movie specific spoilers, but there will be book spoilers. But really how many people do not know what happens?

- The lady who played Bathilda Bagshot EXCELLED AT CREEPY.

- RON WEASLEY I LOVE YOU. He was SO AWESOME in this movie.

- Hermione and Ron are SO IN LOVE. Those looks Ron was giving Hermione the whole time? Ahh! They are better than Harry/Ginny by FAR. Harry and Ginny are so awkward.

- DOBBY. ;_;

- Needed more Neville and Dean Thomas (just because) but I was happy for the extra Luna.

- How are people who have never read the book going to understand this movie?

- The animation for The Tale of the Three Brothers was AWESOME.

- The guy who played Mundungus Fletcher was really quite good at being a smarmy creeper.

- The entire Malfoy family was amazing even though they had too few lines.

- THE ENDING AHHHHHH. So cruel.

- Overall opinion: EPIC but I think knowing that Part 2 will be even more epic took away a bit from this one.

Yay or nay?

Recently, I have had an urge to write in my books.

I'm sure that many of you have just cringed in horror.

I don't know why, but I've felt like marking up my books with comments and highlighting. Maybe it's because I have to do that for my English class books, but I've also felt like doing it for books I read outside of school.

I haven't been marking up my books, though, because I don't like to unless I have another, pretty, pristine copy of the book as well. But still, I've been wanting to highlight parts of them and analyze them with my commentary.* It's so very odd because I am definitely the type of person who never lends books out, lest someone tear them or bend them or do other unspeakable things. And yet, I want to write in some of my books? I do not understand my own thinking.

So, my questions for you are: do you write in your books? Highlight in them? Or do you think that is a sin? I would like to know your ~opinion.

---

*If I only had this same motivation and desire with my English class books.

Invisible Things by Jenny Davidson

Invisible Things is the sequel to The Explosionist, which you can read my review of here. I don't believe there are many book one spoilers in this post-- any spoilers are in the summary-- but I thought I'd warn you that this is a sequel just in case.

[description from goodreads]

Sixteen-year-old Sophie knows there is more to the story of her parents' death. And she's on a mission to find the truth. To aid her in solving the decades-old mystery, Sophie has enlisted her best friend, Mikael, whose friendship has turned into something more. It's soon clear that Sophie's future is very much wrapped up in the details of her family's past, and the key lies with information only one man can provide: her parents' former employer, the elusive billionaire Alfred Nobel.

As the threat of war looms in Europe, dangers to Sophie and her loved ones grow. While her determination to solve the mystery doesn't waver, forces beyond her control conspire to keep her from her purpose. Then, news of her great-aunt Tabitha's death sets off a chain of events that leaves Sophie questioning everything.

The more Sophie learns, the more she realizes that nothing—and no one—in her life is what it seems. And coming to terms with the dark secrets she uncovers means imagining a truth that she never dreamed possible. Full of gorgeous settings, thrilling adventure, and romance, Invisible Things is a novel that dares to ask, what if?

Review:

I absolutely adored this book's predecessor, The Explosionist, but must admit that I was, sadly, underwhelmed by this novel. I wanted to love it, but there was so much that didn't work for me that I just couldn't.

My biggest problem was the horribly slow pace at which the events occurred. Sophie spends so much time sitting around, gathering information that it takes a while for any action to happen. The new information she gains is rather intriguing and helped set up a nice mystery, but there was so much build-up that went along with it. Build-up is great, but the build-up in this book didn't work for me. There would be dozens of pages spent on the mystery and intrigue, and at the end of each part of the book something extremely exciting would occur. And then right at the beginning of the next part, it was back to more build-up and no action. I was so frustrated that the most exciting parts were left alone after they occurred.

I was also a bit confused by the character relationships in this book-- the summary promises romance and I thought Mikeal and Sophie were supposed to be love interests, but their relationship seems so unbelievably unromantic that it, and the ending, made no sense to me.

However, there were a few things I did like: the setting and world are fabulous. I love the alternate history universe in which this world it set-- it's original and fascinating. I did enjoy the mystery, though I wish there was more action that accompanied it. I loved seeing Sophie figure things out, as she is such a fun, smart character. I also loved seeing her interact with her cat, Trismegistus, because I think YA fiction needs more cats.

Invisible Things was a decent sequel to the awesome The Explosionist-- the mystery was good but the entire time I couldn't help but wonder when I would get to the real action. I am hesitant to recommend this book, but I can't recommend its predecessor enough.

*This review is part of the Traveling to Teens blog tour. Check out the full tour schedule at the website!

Book details: HarperTeen/Hardcover/$16.99

Source: BEA

Waiting on Wednesday: Ooh la la

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. Descriptions and such from goodreads.

A book with a cover and description that made me go, "ooh. GIMME."

Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma

Chloe’s older sister, Ruby, is the girl everyone looks to and longs for, who can’t be captured or caged. When a night with Ruby’s friends goes horribly wrong and Chloe discovers the dead body of her classmate London Hayes floating in the reservoir, Chloe is sent away from town and away from Ruby.

But Ruby will do anything to get her sister back, and when Chloe returns home two years later, a precarious and deadly balance waits. As Chloe flirts with the truth that Ruby has hidden deeply away, the fragile line between life and death is redrawn by the complex bonds of sisterhood.

Imaginary Girls is a masterfully distorted vision of family reminiscent of Shirley Jackson, laced with twists that beg for their secrets to be kept.

---

WANT, NEED, DESIRE, ETC. For so many reasons, including:

• omg sisters! I never get sick of reading about families.
• Reservoirs! This totally made me think of some old Nickelodeon (?) show where a bunch of kids were like at a camp and had to do challenges to solve a mystery, and the answer to the mystery was that some like secret twin died in a reservoir. At least, I think this was an actual show, because I actually cannot remember the name of it or anything else but the solution. But I am 95% sure that this is not a product of my imagination. Anyone have ANY idea what I'm talking about?
  
• SECRETS!
• THAT COVER! It's so peaceful but is fills with so much sadness and TENSION. I love it.

Released in June 2011.

God is in the Pancakes by Robin Epstein

[description from goodreads]

Fifteen-year-old Grace Manning is a candy striper in a nursing home, and Mr. Sands is the one patient who makes the job bearable. He keeps up with her sarcasm, teaches her to play poker . . . and one day cheerfully asks her to help him die. At first Grace says no way, but as Mr. Sands’s disease progresses, she’s not so sure. Grace tries to avoid the wrenching decision by praying for a miracle, stuffing herself with pancakes, and running away from all feelings, including the new ones she has for her best friend Eric. But Mr. Sands is getting worse, and she can’t avoid him forever.

Robin Epstein has delivered an incredibly engaging, thought-provoking debut YA novel, with all the snappy dialogue and attitude of the movie Juno.

Review:

My feelings on this book are mixed-- I can't figure out whether I liked it, really liked it, or thought it was just ok. I can't really decide what I liked about it, or what I didn't. There's nothing that has made it a standout for me. Still, there's something I just like about this book.

Grace has so much going on that it's often difficult to be bored while reading, even though many of the events in this book are not given the attention I thought they deserved. The main story line, involving Mr. Sands, is a unique concept in YA fiction, so bonus points for that. I thought it was fascinating to read about, as Grace's conflicting feelings on the subject were described so well that I often felt the same as she did. Some of the other, minor story lines were a bit more lackluster, such as Grace relationship with her immediate family. Though the family interacted often, Grace mentions so many issues she has with them that I thought there would be a bit more of the family included.

Character-wise, I didn't feel a particular love or dislike for anyone. I did think Mr. Sands and his wife were adorable and funny, and I liked seeing each of their relationship's with Grace develop and change. Eric, Grace's Potential Boy and best friend, was predictable in his story line, but he was at least realistic and not a psycho like so many other YA fiction boys. Grace was an interesting narrator-- I liked her simple, calm writing style, but sometimes it felt as if she was being overshadowed by the people around her. However, whenever she started to fade, she managed to say something funny and bring me back into the story.

For me, God is in the Pancakes needed just a bit more oomph. It was a realistic, original story but needed a bit more razzle dazzle to get my full attention.

Book details: Dial/Hardcover/$16.99

Source: sent by publisher for review

The Monstrumologist Giveaway

Thanks to C at Big Honcho Media, I have 2 sets of The Monstrumologist series by Rick Yancey to give away!

Here's the description of book one, The Monstrumologist, for you:

These are the secrets I have kept. This is the trust I never betrayed. But he is dead now and has been for nearly ninety years, the one who gave me his trust, the one for whom I kept these secrets. The one who saved me . . . and the one who cursed me.

So starts the diary of Will Henry, orphan and assistant to a doctor with a most unusual specialty: monster hunting. In the short time he has lived with the doctor, Will has grown accustomed to his late night callers and dangerous business. But when one visitor comes with the body of a young girl and the monster that was eating her, Will's world is about to change forever. The doctor has discovered a baby Anthropophagus—a headless monster that feeds through a mouth in its chest—and it signals a growing number of Anthropophagi. Now, Will and the doctor must face the horror threatening to overtake and consume our world before it is too late.

---

Chapter one is available at the Simon and Schuster website, if you wish to read it.

---

About book two, The Curse of Wendigo:

While attempting to disprove that Homo vampiris, the vampire, could exist, Dr. Warthrop is asked by his former fiancé to rescue her husband from the Wendigo, a creature that starves even as it gorges itself on human flesh, which has snatched him in the Canadian wilderness. Although Warthrop also considers the Wendigo to be fictitious, he relents and rescues her husband from death and starvation, and then sees the man transform into a Wendigo. Can the doctor and Will Henry hunt down the ultimate predator, who, like the legendary vampire, is neither living nor dead, whose hunger for human flesh is never satisfied? This second book in The Monstrumologist series explores the line between myth and reality, love and hate, genius and madness.

---

Chapter one is also available at the Simon and Schuster website.

About the author: Rick Yancey is the author of The Monstrumologist series (Book #1 of which won the Michael L. Printz Honor Award in 2010) as well as the critically acclaimed series Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp. He has also written several novels for adults including The Highly Effective Detective and A Burning in Homeland. He earned a BA in English from Roosevelt University in Chicago, and worked as a field officer for the Internal Revenue Service before turning to writing full time in 2004. Rick lives in Florida with his wife Sandy, three sons, two dogs and one lizard. Visit him at http://www.rickyancey.com for more info.

You can also find out more at the series website, or you can watch the awesome trailer:




Giveaway details and such are on the form!

In My Mailbox + winner

First, the winner of Between Shades of Gray is Leslie G! Congrats! I will email you hopefully today if you do not email me first.

---

In My Mailbox was started by The Story Siren and inspired by Pop Culture Junkie. (: Descriptions and such from goodreads!

For an upcoming giveaway, I got sample copies of:

The Monstrumologist and the sequel The Curse of Wendigo by Rick Yancey

"A monster-hunting doctor and his apprentice face off against a plague of monsters in the first book of Rick Yancey's new series, The Monstrumologist."

---Sounds like an original series, so I can't wait to read it.

I also am borrowing a copy of Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins, which I am OMG SO EXCITED for since the prequel, Hex Hall, is awesome.

I also got a gift this week: Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler. I love this book SO MUCH and am dying to reread it. (Why are there not more spare minutes in the day for reading time? Sigh.) I also can't wait for all of you to read it because you SO SHOULD. It's not officially out yet but I hear that it's already shipping from Amazon and Barnes and Noble's websites, so GO BUY IT.

I am slow.

A looong time ago I asked your idea for things to talk about, and I realized that I had never talked about most of those things. Oops. So now I shall discuss some of them:

How do you decide what book to read next?

Right now I mostly choose what I read based on what I get for review. I have a huge stack of review books piled up since I haven't been able to read much since school started. So, it's mostly what book is released soon/already released and needs to be reviewed. Unless there's a new David Levithan book out. In that case, I read the David book. Plus, I have to read school stuff, so it's mainly Uncle Tom's Cabin for me at the moment.

Does the length of a book affect your decision to read it?

Sometimes! Really long books are always intimidating since they take so long to get through and even short books take forever for me to read nowadays. I won't NOT read long books, but it will take me a longer time to be motivated to read them since I don't like taking too long to read a single book, because I tend to forget things easily.

How you find out about new books/authors?

As far as new books/authors: the internet! I follow loads of other review blogs that always talk about new books they're excited for. Twitter is also good for finding out what people are excited about.

How do you get all your books for review?

I don't really feel I get that many, but I shall answer this question anyway. Most come from the publisher. Sometimes they come randomly in the mail, because for certain books the publisher sends a copy to like every reviewer so that there will be more hype for the novel. Occasionally I request a book for review from a publicist, but that's only when I am DYING to read something.

Many publishing companies also send out an email when they have a new batch of advanced/final copies to send out to reviewers. Basically the emails say "would you like to review X, it is about blah blah blah."

Other times an author may send me an email saying "hey would you like to review my book? I can forward your info to my publicist."

Basically: people send me emails offering me a review copy and sometimes I accept.

The Scarlet Letter

Gee, I wonder who suggested this. Could it be Erica from The Book Cellar? I will answer you even though I read this book ages ago, Erica.

THIS BOOK. It wasn't BAD, but oh my gosh the NATURE. I never knew that nature could be described in so many monotonous ways. Paragraphs and paragraphs of nothing but NATURE. I don't need to read 100 pages of nature before I figure out it's a symbol and blah blah blah. Everything in this book is a symbol, which is both annoying and good. Annoying because there is only so much nature I can handle. Good because I had plenty to analyze in the paper I had to write on it.

Kiss Me Deadly Anthology (Part Three)

Finally

[description from goodreads]

If you can possibly thirst for more mysterious metaphysical accounts of love, Trisha Telep has organized some of the greatest and most thrilling tales of paranormal paramours since The Eternal Kiss. She presents the acclaimed literary talent of thirteen unique authors, creating a collection of stories that will undoubtedly capture the imagination of every soul who dares to read them. Werewolves, ghosts, zombies, vampires, and fallen angels drive the plot of these riveting romances.Kiss Me Deadly includes the exceptional writings of several authors, including:

• Sarah Rees Brennan (faeries)
  
• Becca Fitzpatrick (angels)
  
• Caitlin Kittredge (witches)
  
• Karen Mahoney (vampires: sequel to story from The Eternal Kiss)
  
• Daniel Marks (ghost kids)
  
• Justine Musk (sorcerers)
  
• Diana Peterfreund (unicorns)
  
• Michelle Rowen (demons)
  
• Carrie Ryan (zombies)
  
• Maggie Stiefvater (werewolves)
  
• Rachel Vincent (banshees)
  
• Daniel Waters (zombies)
  
• Michelle Zink (gothic ghosts)

Review:

Part One is here, part two here.

Fearless by Rachel Vincent - One of my favorites so far. I would love to read a whole book with this concept-- I'm hoping it shows up later in Rachel's My Soul To Take series, because some of the same characters appear in the first book and this story. A wonderfully original concept with a fierce main character.

Vermillion by Daniel Marks - This was the type of story that starts immediately, without any exposition. Because of that, I found it difficult to follow. I was never really sure what was going on, so I can't really pass judgment on this one.

The Hounds of Ulster by Maggie Stiefvater - This story almost seemed like a summary of an entire novel. It happens very quickly, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I wish that it expanded on some elements, but it's a short story, so. I liked how it wasn't explicitly about the paranormal elements, like some of the other stories, but more about the effects they had on the "real world" people.

Many Happy Returns (a Generation Dead story) by Daniel Waters - This story started out talking about a body count, so it obviously had my attention. This story managed to have a plot and controversy without being overwhelming or underdeveloped. I probably would have understood it a bit more if I had read the Generation Dead series, but I liked a lot it nonetheless.

As for the book as a whole, I think I would most recommend it for those who are a fan of one or more of the contributing authors or those who are avid fans of paranormal romance. Probably not best for those who don't count paranormal among their favorite genres of fiction.

GO FORTH AND ENTER

Usually I don't like posting about contests others are holding and whatnot, but today I am because I totally think you should buy Brightly Woven. You should also check out the site where the contest is being held.

GO ENTER:

http://brightlywovenfan.com/the-buy-brightly-woven-contest/

Green Books Campaign: Freaksville by Kitty Keswick

This review is part of the Green Books campaign. Today, 200 bloggers take a stand to support books printed in an eco-friendly manner by simultaneously publishing reviews of 200 books printed on recycled or FSC-certified paper. By turning a spotlight on books printed using eco- friendly paper, we hope to raise the awareness of book buyers and encourage everyone to take the environment into consideration when purchasing books.

The campaign is organized for the second time by Eco-Libris, a green company working to make reading more sustainable. We invite you to join the discussion on "green" books and support books printed in an eco-friendly manner! A full list of participating blogs and links to their reviews is available on Eco-Libris website.

Freaksville is printed on FSC-certified paper.

[description from goodreads]

High school is hard enough when you’re normal. There’s peer pressure, book reports, the in crowd and the enormous zit that has a life of its own. Having a family whose skeletons in the closet lean toward the paranormal is not a topper on anyone’s list. Sophomore Kasey Maxwell is busy juggling the typical teen angst. Add visions, ghosts and hairy four-legged monsters into the mix and you get FREAKSVILLE. It’s a wonder Kasey has survived.

Every woman in the Maxwell family has the gift of sight. A talent sixteen-year-old Kasey would gladly give up. All she wants is a normal life. Shopping and talking about boys with her best friend and long-time sidekick Gillie Godshall consume her days. Until Kasey has a vision about Josh Johnstone, the foreign exchange student from England. The vision leads her into new waters, a lead in a play, a haunted theater…and into the arms of the Josh. Yet, both Kasey and Josh have secrets lurking in dark corners. Can Kasey’s new romance survive FREAKSVILLE?

Review:

I chose this book as my Green Books Campaign book mainly because I'm intrigued by and usually a fan of books written in blog format. However, the blog format of this book actually distracted me the entire time because there really wasn't a point to it. There were comments at the end of each chapter, but Kasey never acknowledged them and they served no real purpose. The entire time I was reading I also could not help but thinking "who shares THIS much on a BLOG?". I'm sure that won't annoy non-blogging people, but I could not get past it. I didn't see why it needed to be in blog format if the chapters were written like a normal book anyway. /minirant

Once I got past the blog thing, I was able to better enjoy Freaksville, though not enjoy it entirely. I was never sure what kind of paranormal elements Freaksville was supposed to be about-- Kasey has the gift of sight, and yet she barely mentions it. There are ghosts, and even though they are quite interesting and mysterious, they kind of come and go until the end of the book. There are also some other spoiler-y things that didn't come into play until the end. It was all a bit confusing to keep track of. However, despite my paranormal confusion, I did enjoy the action, especially near the end. Even though most of the exciting stuff took a while to occur, there were some action-packed events throughout the book that kept me reading.

I did not fare too well with the characters either, as I vastly preferred Kasey's best friend Gillie to Kasey. Gillie was smarter and more enjoyable to read about, even though her name always sounds weird in my head. Kasey was a bit annoying, especially when she was talking about Josh. I got the feeling that I was supposed to think Josh was hot because he is British and all, but I honestly don't think any British person talks as cheesily as he does. Their relationship occurred at an abnormally fast pace-- they seem to have skipped the "getting to know each other" phase and jumped right into "lurve."

Freaksville is not the best book out there, but nor is it the worst. I didn't dislike reading it, but I didn't particularly like it either. It is probably more suited for the younger YA/upper middle grade crowd, who may not mind Josh and Kasey's insanely fast relationship that dominates much of the book.

Book details: Leap Books/Paperback/$16.99

Source: sent by publisher for Green Books Campaign

In which I talk about one of my favorite things

New(ish) covers!

The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder (description etc)

This girl looks she is STARING INTO MY SOUL. It's kind of creepy but mostly awesome. It was odd to see such a big departure from Lisa's other covers (which you can see at the above link) but I like this one!

Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer (about the series etc)

I'm extremely glad that the publisher did not stray too much from the cover of the first book in the series, Nightshade. I hate when series covers change completely in the middle of a series. I am a fan of the green but am a bit confused as to why the girl's skin is gray/blueish. It's kind of creepy. I hope it looks normal on the actual book. O_O

Small Town Sinners by Melissa Walker (about etc)

It was a bit obvious to go with an apple, but this cover is so pretty that I don't care. These nature-y covers are very nice-- I hope there will be more of them instead of those red/black/white "moody" covers that are so popular.

Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

[description from goodreads]

"I’ve left some clues for you. If you want them, turn the page. If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.”

So begins the latest whirlwind romance from the New York Times bestselling authors of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?

Rachel Cohn and David Levithan have written a love story that will have readers perusing bookstore shelves, looking and longing for a love (and a red notebook) of their own.

Review:

I know that, in theory, reviews are supposed to be a bit unbiased, but that's not happening today. This is a 1/2 David Levithan book we're talking about-- I am obligated to go a little crazy because David Levithan is only my favorite author ever. I also adore the Rachel Cohn books that I've read (I need to read more!) so obviously this book and I are a match made in heaven.

This book is one of the most fun, most original, most festive, most awesome I have read in a while. Such a fun premise deserves excellent execution, and this book delivers just that. Nearly everything about the plot is fabulous-- the scavenger hunt clues were hilarious, but the routes the clues send the characters on are even better. Dash and Lily encounter so many crazy people and situations throughout the novel that it's impossible not to laugh at at least a few of their adventures. Though their escapades get a bit unrealistic and happen awfully fast near the end, there's nonstop action and fun.

Although the plot is extremely festive, the characters are what make this book as fabulous as it is. Both Dash and Lily come alive in their narration-- even though, at times, Lily can be so overwhelming optimistic and Dash the opposite, they are both extremely realistic (I would like them both to be my friends!). Their personalities often clashed, but through these clashes came some fabulous passages, revelations, and a realistic relationship that ended perfectly. The supporting characters were just as lovely-- Lily's entire family was adorable, especially her brother and his boyfriend, and Dash's friends were quirky bit not annoyingly so. Even the Santa Claus that makes an appearance was awesome, even though he caused some nausea as well.

In short: I'm in love. Dash and Lily's Book of Dares is the perfect holiday read, and the perfect read for any time of year.

Book details: Knopf/Hardcover/$16.99

Source: bought

In My Mailbox

First, thanks to those who suggested books on this post! I've been checking out all your recommendations. :D

In My Mailbox was started by The Story Siren and inspired by Pop Culture Junkie. (: Descriptions and such from goodreads!

From Teen Voices:

Storyteller by Patricia Reilly Giff

While staying with her aunt, Elizabeth finds something remarkable: a drawing. It hangs on the wall, a portrait of her ancestor, Eliza, known as Zee. She looks like Elizabeth.

The girls’ lives intertwine as Elizabeth’s present-day story alternates with Zee’s, which takes place during the American Revolution. Zee is dreamy, and hopeful for the future—until the Revolution tears apart her family and her community in upstate New York. Left on her own, she struggles to survive and to follow her father and brother into battle.

Zee’s story has been waiting to be rediscovered by the right person. As Elizabeth learns about Zee, and walks where Zee once walked and battles raged, the past becomes as vivid and real as the present.

In this beautifully crafted, affecting novel from beloved author Patricia Reilly Giff, the lives of two girls reflect one another as each finds her own inner strengths.

---I've seen this sort of premise a lot recently and am interested to see how it turns out!

For review:

Inconvenient by Margie Gelbwasser

Welcome to Glenfair, New Jersey’s Little Moscow, where fifteen-year-old Alyssa Bondar lives with her Russian-born, Jewish parents. In their culture, drinking is as traditional as blinchiki and piroshkis. So when her mom starts having bad days, it seems like Alyssa’s the only one who notices-or cares.

Alyssa would love to focus on regular stuff like her first kiss with Keith, her cute track team partner-or simply come home without dread of what she might find. But someone has to clean up her mom’s mess. Her dad is steeped in work, the evening news, and denial. Her best friend Lana is busy-shamelessly vying for a place with the popular crowd who ridicule their Russian heritage.

It’s up to Alyssa to save her mom-and her family. But who will be there to catch Alyssa when her mom’s next fall off the wagon drags her down, too?

---This book sounds so good! I love when cultural stuff is included in books.

Between Shades of Gray Giveaway

I was cleaning up my room last night and realized that I had an extra advanced copy of Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys. I've heard it's amazing and I think it's going to be a hit when it comes out in March, so I thought I'd give my extra copy away.

Here's the description, from goodreads:

In 1941, fifteen-year-old Lina, her mother, and brother are pulled from their Lithuanian home by Soviet guards and sent to Siberia, where her father is sentenced to death in a prison camp while she fights for her life, vowing to honor her family and the thousands like hers by burying her story in a jar on Lithuanian soil. Based on the author’s family, includes a historical note.

---

Fill out the form to enter!

Goals!

It's never a bad time to make goals. I decided to make some blogging related ones and I thought I'd post them so people could yell and me if I didn't works toward them.

1. I will post every day. I do that already, but I am going to keep doing it because I feel very productive when I do.

2. I will post actual good stuff every day. I haven't had much time to read lately because of school, but I am determined to make something good happen every day. I am often too tired to write posts during the week, but I shall make it happen! Writing posts is kind of nice, really, because they're a lovely break from school. I like being able to write about things I ENJOY, instead of writing about enzymes and cellular respiration and a bunch of other things I don't care about. School comes first, obviously, unfortunately, but reading/blogging is a lovely escape.

3. I will answer emails in a timely manner. Yeah, this one will be hard.

4. I will talk about whatever I want. I always feel a bit odd posting about things like covers because whenever new covers are revealed my google reader is flooded with posts about them, but I want to play too. I like talking about covers.

5. I will make it work.

Hey, you!

Can you think of any books that involve:

1. Spies
2. American history
3. Robots
4. Crazy families
   
5. Secret societies

?

I am in the mood to read one of the above but the only books I can think of that fit the categories I have already read. DO YOU KNOW OF ANY? If so I would love you forever (not that I don't already).

Waiting on Wednesday: SO EXCITE

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. Descriptions and such from goodreads.

Today's pick is not out for a while, but I need it already! It's Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins, author of the AMAZING Anna and the French Kiss.

All Stephanie said in her blog post about the sale of the book is that it's set in Paris, like Anna, and that it will be out in 2012. Even though I don't know what it's about or anything, I WANT IT SO BAD! Anna and the French Kiss was so phenomenal that Stephanie's books are now on my must-buy-always list.

I really just wanted to share my excitement about the novel's announcement with you. xD

Mostly Good Girls by Leila Sales

[description from goodreads]

The higher you aim, the farther you fall….

It’s Violet’s junior year at the Westfield School. She thought she’d be focusing on getting straight As, editing the lit mag, and making Scott Walsh fall in love with her. Instead, she’s just trying to hold it together in the face of cutthroat academics, Scott Walsh’s new girlfriend, and the sense that things are going irreversibly wrong with her best friend, Katie.

When Katie starts making choices that Violet can’t even begin to fathom, Violet has no idea how to set things right between them. Westfield girls are trained for success—but how can Violet keep her junior year from being one huge epic fail?

Review:

Violet, welcome to my Ace Gang. You're funny, you're smart, you're in the same Junior Year Hell as me. You'll fit in to the gang nicely.

Mostly Good Girls is so scarily realistic that I often had the impression that Leila Sales took some of Violet's thoughts directly from my brain (I'm still not totally convinced that she didn't). Violet's thoughts on the stupid-smart people at her school, the emo poetry received for the literary magazine, the pressures of competitive classes, and everything else were so similar to things I have thought before and so honest that I couldn't help but think "A-FREAKING-MEN." It also didn't hurt that Violet was hilarious-- her humor was more of the witty type, rather than the "OH LOOK AT ME I AM SO FUNNY HAHAHA" type. It was smart humor that matched her intelligence, and that's my favorite type of funny.

Mostly Good Girls does not have a definite plot until the middle and is mostly made up of short little snippets that look into the lives of Violet, Katie, and their prep school peers. I'm not really of fan of this vignette format, but because Violet is so funny and real, I didn't really mind. I also didn't mind because through these little snippets, I was able to see the relationship between Violet and Katie in its ~natural habitat. There were no crazy, out-of-the-blue dramatic things thrown at them to mess up, so their relationship seemed much more realistic. This friendship introduction also helped set up the rest of the book, but I'll not go into detail about that because of ~spoilers.

Mostly Good Girls is one of the funniest and most realistic books I've read this year-- perhaps I've read ever. Loved it.

Book details: Simon Pulse/Hardcover/$16.99

Source: BEA

NaNo!

Today is the start of National Novel Writing Month, in which people all over the world attempt to write a 50,000 word novel in the month of November.

Though I have participated and won the last three years, I am not participating this year, because I am not a masochist.* I barely have time to read nowadays, and I would much rather read than write, I've realized. I used to want to write, but I was never good at it and I never had the motivation to go back and edit. I can barely manage to edit a 5 page paper, let alone a 50,000 word novel. So, I've decided to stick to reading and blogging, since blog posts usually end up at a length I can handle. Plus, blogging is more fun and I like to think I am better at it than I am at writing fiction.

It is very odd, however, not to be doing NaNo this year, since I've done it the last three years. I will probably be stalking Twitter and other people's blogs to live vicariously through them, because it feels too weird not to be going crazy along with everyone else.

Good luck to those of you doing NaNo! I will be cheering you on.

*Even though the fact that I am taking AP Bio would lead you to believe otherwise.