Literati's Literary Library

Tricky Trivia Tuesday (#1)

2012-01-24T12:00:00.000-05:00

Hello and welcome to the very first Tricky Trivia Tuesday!! For the complete list of rules and to find out what exactly this Trivia Tuesday thing is about, click HERE.

Since this is the first one, we'll start with an easy question.

Tricky Trivia Tuesday Question: In Rick Riordan's Heros of Olympus series, what is Percy's sword named?

First person to answer correctly gets their name entered in the BBoB giveaway!!

Tricky Trivia Tuesday

2012-01-24T11:14:00.004-05:00

What's this? A new feature? Why yes it is!

What is Trivia Tuesday?

Each week (or as close to that as I can manage) I will post a new trivia question.

You, my lovely readers, then post a comment with your answer, name, and email.

The first person to get the correct answer then gets their name entered into my Big Box of Books giveaway.

The drawing will be held at the end of June.

What will be in the Big Box of Books? It's a surprise! And by that I mean I have no idea. :-p It will be an eclectic mix of genres, maybe some ARCs, maybe some new releases, maybe some classics... who knows! As I find books to put in the box, I will update the list of books. (There will be some books not listed... what fun is it if you know everything you're getting??)

Rules:
~ US and Canada only.
~ You may guess as many times as you'd like, but you cannot double post or put two of your answers into one comment. In other words, you post one answer per comment, and before you can post another guess, you must wait for someone else to guess.
~ You do not have to participate in every Trivia Tuesday to be entered to win, but the more you play the more chances you have of getting your name in the drawing!
~ No cheating! Googling the answer is cheating. No search engines allowed. You must know the answer off the top of your head, or at least think you do. ;-) Play fair guys!

Big Box of Books current listing:
Real Vampires Have Curves, by Gerry Bartlett
Carolina Moon, by Nora Roberts (used)

Really Ravishing Review (Carolina Moon)

2012-01-18T23:44:00.004-05:00

Title: Carolina Moon
Author: Nora Roberts

Well, I thought Carolina Moon was okay. I picked it up at the Salvation Army for two reasons: 1) It was Nora Roberts and I was in the mood for her work. 2) It was set in South Carolina, and being newly transferred to North Carolina, I thought it would be fun to read a book set near here.

Nora did me well with both her setting and with her mystery-romance. I enjoyed reading Carolina Moon. A few minor things that I was less than enthralled with, but a lot that I enjoyed. Here are the deets...

Abused and beaten by her father throughout her childhood, Tory escapes to NYC and makes a life for herself. But her life in the city is simply a shield from her past, and as she matures she realizes that to truly live for herself, she must go back to Progress, the her childhood home, and face her past. There's a lot more in Progress than memories of her cruel father though. Her girlhood friend, Hope, was raped and murded when the girls were merely eight years old.

Determined to face her past and find peace, Tory returns to Progress to set up a shop and live her life. Complications arise when her father returns to rough her up, and another rape and murder take place in the town. What began has a journey of self-restoration quickly becomes a hunt to find the killer(s) that haunt the town.

Liked: Tory. She was a tough little thing. She was easy to sympathize, empathize, and relate with. If you are in the mood for a "she rises above" story, you'll enjoy reading about Tory. She's strong and stubborn and adorably fierce.

Cade. Okay, who doesn't love a totally capable Southern organic-cotton farmer? Seriously. Smart, forward-thinking, and hello tan and muscled. (Confession: I honestly don't give two hoots about the physical description of these fictional guys. But I know most of you do. So I do these for you. All for you.) Cade is warm and patient and totally unwilling to let Tory back out on everything.

The supporting characters. The other POVs were a nice change of pace and I really loved getting to know Faith.

Didn't like as much: For a little while in the middle I wasn't pleased with the pacing of the romance. It felt too quick, and I had a hard time believing Cade was really THAT smitten with her and would have that much unwavering dedication to unlocking the mystery of Tory.

I had the type of ending pegged from the first quarter of the book. I knew exactly what twists she'd throw in. And she did. Kind of bummed about that. But I didn't know the exact details, so that was a plus.

All told, it was an enjoyable read.

4 out of 5 stars.

My Magnificent Mailbox #32

2012-01-15T09:25:00.001-05:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme put on by The Story Siren.

These past few months I have gotten:

From the Salvation Army:
Carolina Moon, by Nora Roberts

From Sandy over at Scribing Shadows:
Naked City, Anthology

From Andrea over at Aine's Realm:
Trust Me, by Rachel Hawthorne
Elphame's Choice, by P.C. Cast
Stardust, by Neil Gaiman
Changeling, by Delia Sherman
Odd and the Frost Giants, by Neil Gaiman
The Phantom Limb, by William Sleator and Anne Monticone
Whip It, by Shauna Cross
The Selchie's Seed, by Shuliamith Oppenheim
Priscilla the Great, by Sybil Nelson
The Robe of Skulls, by Vivian French
Blood Lite, Anthology

From Wal-Mart:
Clockwork Prince, by Cassandra Clare
Crossed, by Ally Condie
The Son of Neptune, by Rick Riordan
Beautiful Chaos, by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

From Ollie's:
The Spiderwick Chronicles, by Holly Black and Toni DiTerlizzi
Cryer's Cross, by Lisa McMann

From The Recycled Reader Used Bookstore:
Midnight Bayou, by Nora Roberts
Sea Swept, by Nora Roberts
Rising Tides, by Nora Roberts
Inner Harbor, by Nora Roberts
Chesapeake Blue, by Nora Roberts
Postmortem, by Patricia Cornwell
Body of Evidence, by Patricia Cornwell

From Page After Page bookstore:
Invisible Monsters, by Chuck Palahniuk
Lover Avenged, by J.R. Ward

From the library:
Perfect, by Sara Shepard
Saving Francesca, by Melina Marchetta

From Market Street Bookshop:
Uncommon Criminals, by Ally Carter
Shadowspell, by Jenna Black

Expect a much smaller IMM next Sunday. This was a backlog of all the books I've gotten since I left Nantucket. What did you guys get?

Literati's Lacking Loyalty

2012-01-13T15:07:00.004-05:00

HI! I've missed you all!! You may (or may not) be wondering where I've been. Well, I'll tell you. Life has been crazy. So crazy, that I haven't done any blogging of any sort. I've barely kept up on social sites, and I've only been able to Tweet because my phone has Twitter. But I'm baaaack!

What have I been doing?

~ August 2011: Moved off the island of Nantucket. We put all our stuff -furniture, toys, everything we own- into storage, and the boys and I headed off to Ohio. My husband stayed on Cape Cod for Air School. It was a tough time for all of us, but the boys and I enjoyed seeing family folks that we hadn't seen in a long time.

~ December 2011: My husband finished his school early and came to Ohio to spend Christmas with us. Then, on the 28th, we packed up the cars and made our way down to Elizabeth City, North Carolina. We spent a few days getting settled in -which, by the way, doesn't take all that long when all you have is clothes, toys, and a few bare necessities- and exploring before the hubs had to report for his next school. He is currently training to be an Avionics Electronics Engineer.

And that brings us to now. We're in E-City for 6 months, and then we will be stationed somewhere else. (And we'll finally have all our stuff back! My oldest son saw a couch in a store and looked longingly at it, saying, "Ohhh. A COUCH!!" Sad, I know.) I admit I'm very much looking forward to having a dining room table... plates... a couch... a bed... dressers.... It's a little annoying having all our clean clothes folded in stacks on the floor. In the meantime, we're enjoying the adventure. And so far, I love E-City. It's fun and they have everything. The library is sadly lacking, but I just saw a used book store the other day, and I can't wait to go!!

I will do my best to get some reviews and giveaways up soon! It's nice to be back!

Really Ravishing Review (Nevermore)

2011-11-03T11:55:00.000-04:00

Review of Nevermore, by Kelly Creagh.

Quickie: Poe!!! Poe enthusiasts will enjoy this book, simply because of all the Poe references.

Full: I came upon this book because my sister-in-law started talking about it, mentioned it had Poe, and she saw me perk up. She lent it to me, and I dug in.

Positives:
- POE. I adore Poe. The story references, the fun (fictional, I hope) reason for his mysterious death and the whole darn package was just great.

- Varen. Okay, so the moody, reclusive Goth boy got me. I was just as excited to "see" him as Isobel was, and I was totally sucked in to his world and quirks. He had a rich and interesting personality and backstory, and I just couldn't get enough of him. I had some issues with the love story, but that's for the Negatives section. ;-)

- The wickedly awesome paranormal elements, again, tying in with Poe and all of his totally disturbing stories. The Nocs were brilliant, the incorporation of Poe's worlds into the story was brilliant, the creep factor was brilliant... you get the idea.

- The last 200 pages. (You'll see this in the Negatives as well) It was intense. Creagh did a fantastic job at making me just as overwhelmed as Isobel. Seriously. I had to keep taking breaks because I had no idea if we were dreaming or in reality. That was, of course, the point.

Negatives:
- Love story. I did enjoy it, very much. But cheerleader and a Goth paired up in a school project and then they fall in love? Been there, read that. Varen was the saving grace in the whole thing. He made up for Isobel being so boring.

-The last 200 pages. What the flipping bananas was that? Creagh did a nearly too good of job at confusing the reader. It was great, but I had no bloody clue what was going on. You didn't even really know what exactly the problem was until the end. I found it irritating that Isobel got buckets full of cryptic, pointless warnings and absolutely no real information as to what she was supposed to be fighting or doing. If I were her, I probably would have left the world to crumble. Cryptic warnings have their place in the suspense building, but this was overkill.

-The end. I read it three times, trying to see what I missed. It felt a bit rushed, which is saying something since the book is 541 pages. (I have nothing at all against large books, I actually love them) I kept looking at the remaining pages thinking, "How on Earth is she going to wrap this up that fast?!" Well, the answer is, she didn't. I freaked out and went online to discover that there is another book coming. PHEW. So here's hoping that the next one isn't as rushed and gives real information about what Isobel is to do.

All in all, I enjoyed it. Faults for sure, but I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

4 stars out of 5.

My Magnificent Mailbox #31

2011-09-11T09:41:00.000-04:00

Ahoy there! What's this? A post from the elusive Literati? Why, yes it is! It's an IMM post, because I finally have gotten some new (to me) books!

IMM is a weekly meme brought to you by The Story Siren.

This week (or well, these past few weeks) I've gotten:

From a rummage sale:
The Sirens of Titan, by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
Cat's Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
Mother Knight, by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorn
Dancing on the Edge, by Han Nolan
Mrs. Dalloway, by Virginia Woolf
Persuasion, by Jane Austen
The Angel's Promise, by Frederic Lenoir & Violette Cabesos

(all that for $1.40. Can't complain!)

From Wal-Mart:
The Throne of Fire, by Rick Riordan
One Grave at a Time, by Jeaniene Frost

(I'm in Ohio, not on Nantucket, and they have a Wal-Mart here!!)

From my friend and Moon Twin, Andrea, over at Aine's Realm:
Troll Fell, Katherine Langrish
Fragile Things, Neil Gaiman
The Dark Horse, Marcus Sedgwick
Zoe's Tale, John Scalzi

Bad Book Blogger

2011-08-23T09:55:00.002-04:00

Teehee. I'm here!! Really!! I've just been a very bad blogger this summer. There's a beach right by my house... what can I say? I have no excuse. :-p

But my lack of reviews doesn't mean I haven't been reading! I may not be able to blog very well from the beach, but I certainly can read. I've compiled a list of my recent reads, in order of star ratings. And I talk a little bit about some.

5 star reads (AKA stop what you're doing and go get this book!)

Divergent, by Veronica Roth
Divergent was super. I have read a lot of dystopians lately, since that's what the publishers are putting out (thanks to The Hunger Games' success) and I've been satisfied, but not entirely blown away by most. Divergent wasn't a THG copy cat, at least I didn't think so. Of course, everyone is going to compare new dystopians to THG, but this one didn't make me feel the need. It was it's own story.

One of my favorite things about Divergent was the exploration of fear. The "fear-scapes". As fascinating as it was to watch the characters in their own fear scape, it was even more interesting for me to try and figure out what my fear scape might show. In fact, this very concept sparked a good conversation with my friend Em. We even sat down and wrote out lists of our fears.

I thoroughly enjoyed Divergent, and I consider it a success not only in the writing, the characters, and the plot, but in the discussability-factor it has. It's a book that will spark discussion and debate and best of all-- thought. ;-)

Magic Slays, by Ilona Andrews. (book 5 in the Kate Daniels series)
Well of course it was fantastic. Ilona Andrews never has disappointed me. Kate and Curran are back to kick butt, take names, and sic the attack poodle Grendel on all those nasty things in post-apocolyptic Atalanta. Kate also learns a bit more about her past, whether she likes it or not.

4 star reads (Very much enjoyed)

Anna and the French Kiss, by Stephanie Perkins.
Cute. Very cute, very sweet. The setting was possibly my favorite thing about the book. As you may guess, Anna and the French Kiss is set is Paris. Anna is sent to a boarding school in Paris for Americans.

I wasn't nearly as impressed with Anna and the French Kiss as everyone else seemed to be, but it wasn't a bad read. It was what I wanted to read- something light and lovey. The setting definitely made the book for me. I would probably have been bored to tears with the love story if it was set in America. Being in Paris and seeing the sights through Anna's eyes was what kept it fresh and entertaining for me.

The Gathering, by Kelley Armstrong.
A decent first installment to this series, but not quite up to par. The writing was great, the story was fine. I found it pretty predictable though. In fact, quite predictable. I was getting bored waiting for our dear MC to figure out what I'd known from the get-go. And sadly, she doesn't figure it out until nearly the end.

I do love the fact that it's in the same world as the Darkest Powers series. That right there is what kept me interested.

Anyhow, I did enjoy the book, but the predictability was disappointing. Now that the secret has been discovered though, I think next book in the series will be great!

Stolen, by Kelley Armstrong. (book two in the Women of the Otherworld series)
I read this one pretty quickly. It was fast paced and exciting and definitely the kind of book I like.

Dime Store Magic, by Kelley Armstrong.
And here is where the series switches POV's. We get Paige here, which was great. I like her. :) Again, I read this one quickly. Armstrong's books just have to be read, they don't let you put them down for long.

Industrial Magic, by Kelley Armstrong.
Paige again. Loved the glimpse into the Cabals and all those sordid affairs.

Haunted, by Kelley Armstrong. (Women of the Otherworld, book 5)
Finally!! Eve's POV!! I loved getting to see Eve's thoughts and feelings and get an understanding of her. A little creepy, but very good. I had a bit of trouble during the first half, as it was a little slow. But of course, once it picked up it didn't slow down and I loved it.

Unfallen Dead, by Mark Del Franco. (Connor Grey, book 3)
I had forgotten how much I liked this series. Our poor broken druid, Connor Grey, is back at it again. Fighting the taint that was left from the giant magical mishap in Unquiet Dreams. And of course, fighting other things, but I shan't mention them, or else risk spoiling the book. ;-)

The Search for WondLa, by Tony DiTerlizzi.
What an interesting book. A fantastical fairy tale, with monsters and gadgets and a lost little girl. Eva Nine is all alone in a strange and dangerous new world. Well, not so totally alone. She does manage to make a few friends along the way, and her adventures with them are truly spectacular.

It was a bit like a reverse Alice in Wonder Land- Instead of falling down a hole into a new world, she goes up and out a hole into a new world. Everything is different. Things that seem nice aren't, and things that seem terrifying might not be- or they might be even worse than you thought!

I absolutely plan to read this to my kids one day, and you should too. Although it's MG, it still entertained and creeped out this 20-something gal. A fairy tale through and through.

3 star reads (Meh)

Pretty Bad Things, by C. J. Skuse.
Uh, what? Very strange premise, very strange book. Paisley and her brother Beau go off on a crazy road-trip to save their dad- in the car they stole from their evil, money-grubbing Aunt. Sounds kind of interesting, right? I guess... but it was weird. Paisley is nuts. She lights her Aunt's house on fire, she is incredibly destructive and rude and I just couldn't understand or relate to her. She claims to love her little brother, and we see some of that, but she treats him like her little slave. Beau lets his older sister push him around and convince him to steal and mooch and do all kinds of things, all in the name of finding their father. Who, might I add, has been in prison for the past however many years. In some ways it's a nice story... but not really. Paisley is irresponsible to the extreme. When they have some money (from stealing) they buy candy and stupid stuff. They rob candy stores and ice cream stores and the whole point of all of it is to get on TV so their dad will see them and know they're looking for him. Kind of far fetched. Not a great plan. Not a great book.

And that pretty much brings you up to speed on my reading. Lots of Kelley Armstrong this summer, thanks mainly to my friend Andrea, since she's been kind enough to lend me the Women of the Otherworld books.

Wonderfully Wacky Winner!

2011-08-09T15:37:00.000-04:00

We have a winner!

The lucky winner of an ARC of Tiger's Voyage, by Colleen Houck is...

Mary (aka M.A.D)

An email has been sent your way.

Thanks to everyone who entered, re-tweeted, tweeted, or in any way spread the word. You guys rock!

Fabulous Free Fiction

2011-08-01T09:17:00.001-04:00

I've been such a fail blogger lately. My profound apologies. But hey... it's Summer!! I've been enjoying the beaches!! Can't blame me for that one, can you?? ;-)

To help make up for my silence and such.. I'm doing a giveaway!! Hehe. And I promise to resume reviewing soon. I have a few books I feel like reviewing, I just need to sit down long enough to do it!

Anyhow... the giveaway!!

What You Can Win: An ARC of Tiger's Voyage, by Calleen Houck. Release date in November, 2011. The cover image is not yet available, but the Amazon link is here-
Tiger's Voyage (Book 3 in the Tiger's Curse Series)

Just fill out this FORM.

My Magnificent Mailbox #30

2011-06-19T20:42:00.001-04:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme brought to you by the Story Siren.

This week I got:

From Nantucket Bookworks:
ARC of The Fox Inheritance, by Mary E. Pearson (so excited for this one!!)
ARC of Hades, by Alexandra Adornetto
ARC of Rip Tide, by Kat Falls
ARC of Janitors, by Tyler Whitesides (looks hilarious)

From the library:
Black Butler, volume II, by Yana Toboso
Black Butler, volume III, by Yana Toboso
The Gathering, by Kelley Armstrong (can't wait!!)

What did you get this week?

Wonderfully Wacky Winners!

2011-06-17T10:30:00.000-04:00

And the winners are in! Thanks to everyone who entered my Big Bad Blogoversary, became a follower, or spread the word.

And now... the winners!

Tiger's Quest and Tiger's Curse go to: Theresa from Fade Into Fantasy!!

Mercy and My Almost Epic Summer go to: Diana from The Lovely Getaway!!

Mothers & Daughters and Pieta go to: Tanya!!

Congratulations ladies!

My Magnificent Mailbox #29

2011-06-12T09:07:00.001-04:00

Holy chicken butt! I got a lot of books!

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme brought to you by The Story Siren.

This week (or past few weeks) I got:

From Sandy at Scribing Shadows:
The Girl in the Steel Corset, by Kady Cross
The Demon Trapper's Daughter, by Jana Oliver

From Aine at Aine's Realm:
Water: Tales of Elemental Spirits, by Robin McKinley and Peter Dickinson
The Off Season, by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Arthur and The Invisibles, by Luc Besson
The Princess and the Hound, by Mette Ivie Harrison
Dairy Queen, by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Godless, by Pete Hautman
If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince?, by Melissa Kantor
Alice's Adventures Underground, by Lewis Carroll
Aphrodite's Blessings, by Clemence McLaren
Sloppy Firsts, by Megan McCafferty
Bound, Donna Jo Napoli
The Wish, by Gail Carson Levine
Ella Enchanted, by Gail Carson Levine
Holes, by Louis Sachar
What The Dickens, by Gregory Maguire
The Passion, by Donna Boyd
The Promise, by Donna Boyd

From Brookline Booksmith:
Graveminder, by Melissa Marr
Zombie Butts From Uranus, by Andy Griffiths

From the library:
Black Butler, Volume 1, by Yana Toboso
The Night Bookmobile, by Audrey Niffenegger
Guardian of the Gate, by Michelle Zink
Desires of the Dead, by Kimberly Derting
Chime, Franny Billingsley

From Amazon:
Kiss Me Deadly, anthology
Magic Slays, by Ilona Andrews

Really Ravishing Review (The Night Bookmobile)

2011-06-12T08:43:00.000-04:00

Review of The Night Bookmobile, by Audrey Niffenegger.

Quickie: Haunting and beautiful. It sticks with you.

Full: I picked up this graphic novel from the library the other day. It was on display on top of the graphic novel/manga shelves, and it caught my eye. First, the title- The Night Bookmobile? Why would a bookmobile need to run at night? Then the author- Audrey Niffenegger! I love her! Then the cover- Why does she look so sad? Then I picked up the book and looked at the back, where Neil Gaiman has a blurb. If I wasn't already sold, I was then.

This is what the brilliant Neil had to say:
"The Night Bookmobile is a love letter, both elegiac and heartbreaking, to the things we have read, and to the readers that we are. It says that what we read makes us who we are. It's a graphic short story, beautifully drawn and perfectly told, a cautionary fantasia for anyone who has ever loved books, and I hope the story of the library, of Alexandra, finds its place on the shelves of the night bookmobiles of all of us who'd care. It's a treasure." --Neil Gaiman

After that, how could I not check this book out?

The story starts with Alexandra, our MC, wandering the streets of Chicago one night. She notices a Winnebego, all lit up and blaring "I Shot The Sheriff." As she passes by, she she can't help but steal a glance inside, as the door is standing open. There she sees an older man, and he invites her in to "see the collection". He hands her a card that reads:

The Night Bookmobile

The Library

Robert Openshaw, Librarian

Hours: Dusk to Dawn

Once inside, she soon realizes that she's read every book in the bookmobile. Not just that, but it was everything she had ever read in her life. A complete history of her literary life. All there. Alexandra is fascinated, flipping through pages of her childhood story books, her most recently read novels, and even her diary.

Too soon, it's time for her to go. The library is closing. She vows to return the next night and visit the bookmobile again, but alas, it isn't there when she tries to find it. Night after night she returns to the place where she first saw the Winnebego, but it's never there. She starts wandering the streets, searching.

Eventually she does find it again, but this is where my synopsis ends. If I told you any more, it would spoil the story for you.

So what's the haunting part of The Night Bookmobile, you ask? Well, remember the part in Mister Gaiman's blurb that describes it as, "a cautionary tale"? That's the haunting part. And you'll have to read it for yourself to know what that cautionary, haunting element is. It's worth reading, trust me.

When I first finished the book, I sat there and thought, "What?!"But now I get it. And believe it or not, I've already put Audrey's lesson in to practice.

So yes, you should read it. You probably need Audrey's lesson as well. Maybe we all do.

5 out of 5 stars.

Big Bad Blogoversary

2011-06-09T10:24:00.000-04:00

Truth: My blogoversary was May 31st. I'm late.

Another Truth: I don't care, I'm having a giveaway anyway!! (can we say, "fashionably late?")

What you can win:

Prize Pack 1-
Tiger's Curse and Tiger's Quest, by Colleen Houck.

Prize Pack 2-
Mercy, by Rebecca Lim and My Almost Epic Summer, by Adele Griffin.

Prize Pack 3-
Mothers & Daughters, by Rae Meadows and Pieta, by William Zink.

Details:
All you have to do is fill out this FORM.
US & Canada only.
Contest runs from June 9th - June 16th, 2011.
Three winners will be chosen shortly after the contest closes and winners will be notified by email.

Good luck and thanks for entering!!

You + YA = YES

2011-06-05T08:30:00.000-04:00

If you're an author or a book blogger or any one following a book lover on Twitter, I'm sure you saw the EXPLOSION of tweets last night concerning the Wall Street Journal's article on darkness in YA literature. If you were living in a cave in a remote part of Neverland, you may not have seen it and you should check it out here.

On to my thoughts.

Originally, I wasn't going to do a blog post. I went to bed last night shaking my head, too annoyed to do much more than fire off a few tweets and retweet about a hundred others. But now, after reading even more tweets, I feel the need to blog. Honestly, my reasons for reading YA cannot be summed up in 140 characters. Here's why.

I didn't have a terrible childhood, not really. It was tough, it was confusing, it was a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions and feeling like a freak. Pretty normal. (now here's where we get to the nitty gritty, and where I sincerely hope my family never finds my blog) My mother is a hoarder. She doesn't clean. Maybe this means nothing to you. But for me, it seriously impacted my emotional life. I couldn't bring friends over to my house. I was ashamed of the filth, of the stacks and stacks of things that had been sitting there, untouched, my entire life. I said she didn't clean, and I'm 100% sure you cannot imagine exactly what that meant. I hated being at home. Everyone hated being at home. I used to use a washcloth and try to scrub the shower while I was taking a shower so that the stains wouldn't be so bad.

It made me feel... dirty. And what's more? Everyone knew. And they all talked. Now, I love my mom. She's my mom. But our kitchen should have been looked at by the health department. People didn't eat the food we'd bring to pot-lucks or parties. I felt shunned. Sure, people were nice enough. But there was always that look people gave each other. "Don't eat that pie... Shannon's mom brought it."

My siblings and I would try to clean, but we weren't allowed to throw anything out. So we'd try in vain, mostly just moving things around and stirring up dust and mold and then we'd get sick. We wanted a livable house. It wasn't something that we could do though. So we all found escapes. Mine was reading.

I could go to my room, open a book, and temporarily leave my house and be in a whole other world. It was bliss.

Recently I read White Cat by Holly Black. Dark YA? You BET. Good YA? GREAT YA. HECK YES. It was the first book I'd ever read that had anything close to what I grew up with. My house was chaotic and messy. (not in a good way) Cassel's house was chaotic and messy. My heart flew from my chest when I read about him moving stacks of things to sit down. He may not be real, but I felt so connected to him. I had an ally.

Now see, you may be thinking, "But she wasn't suicidal, or a drinker or a smoker, she has no right to say YA changed her life." And to that I say, dude. You don't have to have a touching story for YA to change your life. My story is one I don't tell. I'm still ashamed. My parents' house has only gotten worse since the kids have left.

I have many other reasons why YA changed my life. I was sick, I was a scapegoat, I was the forgotten fourth child. I was publicly humiliated by my mother. Called fat, called stupid. I was (am) dyslexic. I was shunned (for lack of a better term) by the church I thought had accepted me. (I committed a crime in having guys as close friends. Clearly, that meant I was a slut and not good enough to date one of their favorite guys in the youth group.) (Too bad for them, I ended up marrying him and multiple families left the church because of it.) I was a cutter. I was depressed. My self-esteem was beyond dismal. When I hit puberty, no one was there for me. No one explained anything at all. I was just... forgotten. I survived it because I read books about girls going through puberty. I used dictionaries, non-fiction and fiction to educate myself about myself. Books saved me in SO many ways.

The point is- My life wasn't great. It wasn't the worst, I know that. There are people with much more touching, much more traumatic tales than I. But if not for YA, I know for a fact that my life would not be as it is now. It would be so much worse.

I often thank authors for their honesty in my reviews. Nobody was honest with me when I was growing up, so I appreciate authors telling it how it is. Dark, it may be. But I'd rather know about the darkness than to walk blindly into it and stumble.

I think by now I'm rambling, so I'll bring this to an end. YA books are exactly what teens and young adults NEED. They need truth. They need honesty. They need to know that they are not alone, and that whatever they are going through, they can survive it and be stronger for it. They need to have a place to escape to when their life is getting to be too much for them. They need understanding and love.

Who, I ask, could take that way?

Passionate Prose Please

2011-06-03T18:04:00.001-04:00

So here's the deal. I'm a little burnt out on reviewing. *shock horror!* I know. I'm a terrible book blogger. I have no commitment, whatever. Truth is, I'm just plain tired of reviewing every book I read. My priorities are my family, my real life, and admining on WickedLovely.com. This book blogging gig is something I started out doing for fun, and with all the other things going on in my life, I've decided to take a small step back and regroup. Don't get me wrong, I love book blogging. But I'm having a hard time getting up the energy to write out thoughtful, organized, and articulate reviews, especially for books I don't have many strong feelings about.

No, I'm not quitting. I'm simply explaining why my reviews-per-month have become a slow and steady drip instead of a constant flow. And I'm letting you know that it's going to continue as a drip. Things are going to change a bit around here. I'm not going to spend lots of time writing reviews I don't have strong feelings about. I think I might do a monthly list of books I read, enjoyed, and had no huge issues with, but didn't feel the need to write a review about.

In a nutshell, you should expect my reviews to be "HOLY FLYING MONKEY BUTTS, THIS WAS AWESOME!!" or "Don't. Read. It. EVER. Because it was so bad I wanted to CRY."With a few "I like it, but..." reviews thrown in when I feel like it. I generally go with the idea that spreading negativity is bad, so I try not to write negative reviews. But let's face it, they're fun to read. (Don't give me that look, you know you like reading them from time to time, especially if it's a book you strongly disliked too)

In my negative reviews I will not bash. That's not reviewing. That's being mean. So please don't expect me to rip apart a book, demean the author, or blatantly insult it. That's not my style. I will tell you what I did like, and what I didn't like. In the end, these are all just my opinions. You don't have to agree. Sometimes my future self and past self don't even agree, so I understand if you and I don't see eye to eye on a book.

Again, I'm not quitting. So please don't think I'm telling you to go away and stop reading my blog. That would be... stupid of me. Heh. I love books, I love talking about books. But lately I've not loved sitting at the computer, forcing myself to write about books I can't seem to feel passionately about. Thus, I'm cutting out the "meh" and sticking to the passion.

Yes, this will mean reviews will come in slower. But I think quality over quantity is really a good idea. :)

Love you all, my dear readers and friends.

Let the Passionate Blogging begin!

Really Ravishing Review (Mercy)

2011-05-20T22:19:00.000-04:00

Review of Mercy, by Rebecca Lim.

Quickie: Delightful. Mercy managed to be fresh, despite it's recently over-used paranormal element. (That's a compliment, by the way)

Note: I read Mercy without a clue as to what it was about. I didn't read the back cover. I went in cold turkey, and I'm glad I did. Sometimes the back cover can really spoil the first half of the book... Anyhow.

Full: Mercy wakes up in a new body. She's disoriented and desperately trying to untangle the clues to her new life. She's only in this life temporarily, or, that's what she seems to remember about this whole experience anyway. Mercy's self-awareness is vague and incomplete, but she's certain that she's not the person this body belongs to, Carmen. But -plop- here she is, in Carmen's body, on a bus headed to a multi-school singing engagement.

With a single touch Mercy discovers that the people she's to be staying with, her host family, are struggling to cope with an impossible grief. Their daughter Lauren has been missing -possibly dead- for nearly two years. Mercy, Carmen, whoever she is, is going to be staying in this missing girl's bedroom. The anguish this causes the family is painfully obvious and made worse by an outburst from Lauren's brother, Ryan. He doesn't believe Lauren is dead. After all, she is his twin. He would know. But his parents feel that it's time to move on, and thus they've begun hosting singers in their home again.

Mercy can't help but feel like maybe Ryan's right. And she can't help feeling like maybe this time, instead of just biding her time until she wakes up as someone else, she can do something. She can make a difference. She can help.

Her resolve is only strengthened when another girl goes missing. The stakes are getting higher and time is running out.

What did I think about Mercy? I was pleasantly surprised. Here's why.

Mercy: At first you get the impression that she's sort of rolling her eyes. "This again. Great. Another body, let's see what I'll have to put up with this time." She's not all that concerned with the body she's in, she just wants to survive it. But then she becomes invested and you see her turn from the eye roller to a caring being who puts others before herself. That was lovely.

Mercy also keeps her cool. I mean, how freaky would it be to keep winding up in a different body, with only glimpses of the reason why? She's weirded out and a little jumbled at first, but goodness. I should hope so. But in spite of the constant body-jacking, she's still with it. She tries her best to get the body she's using through their life all in one piece, without totally destroying their life for them.

The paranormal element: Okay, sure, if you read the back cover or almost any review, you'll know what this mysterious element is... but I'm of the belief that sometimes it's really just best to read the book. Anyhow, I was happy to see such an interesting take on it. It wasn't the typical story, and it wasn't the more recent "How can I make this typical story into a non-typical story... oh! I'll add something paranormal.. and something else paranormal that doesn't normally go together. Aha!" kind of deal. THANK YOU, Rebecca Lim, thank you.

The mystery: There were a couple different mysteries in Mercy, and I liked them both. There was the obvious one- Where is Lauren, who took her, why? and then the less obvious but very interesting- Who is Mercy really? How did she wind up like this? I was a big fan of both.

The singing: Yes. I'm a choir geek. I admit it. In fact, I'm proud of it. So the environment was comforting and familiar to me. It's just not something that shows up in many books I read.

Should you read it? Yeah. I think so.

4 out of 5 stars.

Only One Opinion (City of Fallen Angels)

2011-05-11T10:33:00.000-04:00

Review of City of Fallen Angels, by Cassandra Clare.

Quickie: A money-maker, but not in a good way.

Full: Honestly, I'm not even going to waste the effort typing out a summary. 1) Because there's not much to say and 2) Because I already spent enough time reading it.

I really enjoyed The Mortal Instruments trilogy. This... I don't really know what this was. I was satisfied and pleased with the conclusion of the trilogy. Sure, there were things that weren't completely settled or resolved, but that was just fine. It meant I could imagine the endings and futures myself. It was a good ending to a fun trilogy. And then there's City of Fallen Angels.

The writing was okay, it wasn't off-putting or anything. Standard Cassandra Clare writing. But the plot... I was disappointed in the plot. It's a lot of the same. Jace and Clary are angsting (again). Other things happen too, but the main story seems to be Jace and Clary's relationship. Maybe it was my expectations of the book, but I just didn't want any more of the Jace/Clary back-and-forth. I was expecting Simon's story. I was expecting a fresh problem. Not a re-hash.

The ending was (for me) the best part. Finally things were happening! The evil was big and interesting and worth reading about. Maybe not worth the couple hundred pages I had to read to get to that part, but still good.

In the end, I'm giving City of Fallen Angels...

2 out of 5 stars.

I hope you enjoy(ed) it more than I did. As always, this is only one person's opinion.

My Magnificent Mailbox #28

2011-05-08T10:28:00.000-04:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme brought to you by The Story Siren.

This week I got:

From my friend Aine over at Aine's Realm:

The Iron Daughter, by Julie Kagawa

Siren, by Tricia Rayburn

Halo, by Alexandra Adornetto

Grace, by Elizabeth Scott

Tantalize, by Cynthia Leitich Smith

The Curse of the Wendigo, by Rick Yancy

From Amazon:

Enclave, by Ann Aguirre

Won from Mark Del Franco:

Unperfect Souls, by Mark Del Franco

From Nantucket Bookworks:

ARC of Trapped, by Michael Northrop

ARC of Second Grave on the Left, by Darynda Jones

ARC of Lot's Return to Sodom, by Sandra Brennan

ARC of The Hypnotist, by Lars Kepler

Really Ravishing Review (Darkness Becomes Her)

2011-05-07T13:48:00.001-04:00

Review of Darkness Becomes Her, by Kelly Keaton.

Quickie: I enjoyed it, but it was what I was in the mood for. If I had been in a more cynical mood, I don't think I would have liked it as much. Make sense?? No? Maybe you'll have to read the full review...

Full: From the cover flap: Ari can't help feeling lost and alone. With teal eyes and freakish silver hair that can't be changed or destroyed, ARi has always stood out. And after growing up in foster care, she longs for some understanding of where she came from and who she is.
Her search for answers uncovers just one message from her long-dead mother: Run. Ari can sense that someone, or something, is getting too close. But it's impossible to protect herself when she doesn't know what she's running from or why she is being pursued.
She knows only one thing: She must return to her birthplace of New 2, the lush, rebuilt city of New Orleans. Upon arriving, she discovers that New 2 is very...different. Here, Ari is seemingly normal. But every creature she encounters, no matter how deadly or horrifying, is afraid of her.
Ari won't stop until she knows why. But some truths are too haunting, too terrifying, to ever be revealed.

Okay, so Ari was a pretty cool chick. I liked her toughness, and her ability to hold her own. She was more than a little stupid when she didn't tell her foster parents where she was going though... And plenty irresponsible. She's lucky that it all worked out okay and she didn't end up dead. Entering a dangerous situation and not telling a soul where you're going is just plain stupid, no matter your skills. But she did make up for it later, with guts and gumption and smarts.

The relationship is probably my least favorite aspect of this book. While I liked Sebastian, the relationship went way, way, way too fast. It was more than rushed, it was a time-warp. One day they are introduced, and the next they're in love. I'm being very literal here. I simply couldn't buy into their relationship and I felt it was untrue to the characters. Sebastian was supposed to be the brooding boy, the one that you had to put in that extra effort to get to open up. So how come he's falling in love with a random stranger the second day he knows her and baring his soul and secrets to her?? I just couldn't dig that.

The paranormal and mythological elements were fun and interesting and I had no problem with them. It was an unexpected mash-up of creatures, but that's what made it fun. I definitely didn't expect the Big Villain to be what the Big Villain ended up being, so that was nice. I loved the culture and feel of New 2, it was like the New Orleans of today, but creepier and stripped of all the "normal" people. Totally chaotic and very vibrant. Honestly, I think the setting was my favorite part of the book.

When I finished reading Darkness Becomes Her, I thought "5 stars!". But then I had time to think about it, and in the end I'm going to give it 4. Why? The relationship. It was just too big of an issue for me. But I will be reading the next book in the series.

(Edit) The more I think about it, the more I think this book is really a 3 star. I'm sticking with my 4 star simply because that's how I felt at the end of the book, but if I were to review it right now, it would most likely be a 3. It was my mood at the time of reading it that resulted in a 4. Just something to keep in mind if/when you read it.

Really Ravishing Review (Enclave)

2011-05-05T19:19:00.000-04:00

Review of Enclave, by Anne Aguirre.

Quickie: I suspect this book (and author) will win many awards because this book is a masterpiece. This, my friends, is why I read.

Full: I'm going to skip the synopsis on this one, because I feel it's best read cold-turkey. No spoilers, no pre-concieved notions. Just a book. A fantastic book by an extraordinarily talented author. I will, however, give my thoughts.

Characters: Loved them all.
-Deuce came off as green and desperate to prove herself in the beginning, almost to the point of irritation for me. That was good though, because it made her personal journey, discovery, and growth all the better. She was a fighter, to be sure, but I was glad to see that she wasn't completely pragmatic and heartless. If she would have been, I doubt I could have identified and "bonded" with her. I loved her though, mistakes and flaws included. Her growth as a character was lovely and fulfilling.
-Fade was pure love. What more could we ask for? A tortured boy (man? I feel like he's more man than boy) who has difficulties connecting to those around him. (For good reason) But once you take the time to get to know him, he's pure gold. Sweet, protective, jealous, understanding, and respectful. He's not intimidated by Deuce's Huntress title, nor does he see her as any less feminine. He respects her for who she is.

World: Oh man. This is a terrifying place to live. And yet, so very rich. With a lot of dystopians lately, I have felt like I've got a grasp on the world they have created, but with Enclave, I could see it. I could feel it. I could smell it. It was clearly researched and dwelled upon to a great extent. I am absolutely astounded at how much I loved the world. I would call it dynamic. And frighteningly realistic. I can't wait to go back!!

Cover: Well, covers and book design do not count towards my ratings, but I wanted to mention this one. Here's why: I left it on. Usually when I read a hardcover book, I take the dust jacket off and put it up on top of my bookshelf so that I don't ruin it. But I didn't do that with Enclave. Not because I wanted to ruin it (I didn't!!) but because it creeped me out. No, really. Every time I paused to collect my thoughts I'd close the book and be totally creeped out by those hands and I'd open it right back up again because I had to know what happened next. Maybe that doesn't make sense to you... maybe I'm just crazy, but it mattered to me. I enjoy looking at covers while I'm reading books. With hardbacks I usually make the sacrifice and take it off to make sure I don't rip it or anything else. But this one... I couldn't take it off.

Etc.: Read it. Trust me, the hype about Enclave is well deserved. It started out beautifully and only got better as the page numbers went higher.

5 out of 5 stars.

Really Ravishing Review (Red Glove)

2011-04-26T20:10:00.000-04:00

Review of Red Glove (Curse Workers, book 2), by Holly Black.

Warning: Contains spoilers from White Cat. Please read White Cat before reading this review!! For my review of White Cat, please go here.

Quickie: This series is in my top 5 YA series, no question. A must read.

Full:
From the cover flap: Curses and cons. Magic and the mob. In Cassel Sharpe's world, they go together. Cassel always thought he was an ordinary guy, until he realized his memories were being manipulated by his brothers. Now he knows the truth- he's the most powerful curse worker around. A touch of his hand can transform anything -or anyone- into something else.
That was how Lila, the girl he loved, became a white cat. Cassel was tricked into thinking he killed her, when actually he tried to save her. Now that she's human again, he should be overjoyed. Trouble is, Lila's been cursed to love him, a little gift from his emotion-worker mom. And if Lila's love is as phony as Cassel's made-up memories, the he can't believe anything she says or does.
When Cassel's oldest brother is murdered, the Feds recruit Cassel to help make sense of the only clue- crime scene images of a woman in red gloves. But the mob is after Cassel too- they know how valuable he could be to them. Cassel is going to have to stay one step ahead of both sides just to survive. But where can he turn when he can't trust anyone - least of all himself?
Love is a curse and the con is the only answer in a game too dangerous to lose.

Okay seriously. Does that not sound awesome?? I loved every bit of Red Glove. It was exciting and tense and thoughtful.

I love Cassel and I love reading a male POV that's convincing! He's not the normal female-written-male. He actually thinks like a guy, in a good way. Faults and flaws and normal guy-ish things aren't left out or changed, he feels real. Miz Black, I adore you and I thank you so very, very much for really and honestly being true to Cassel's voice.

(More on Cassel) In most books we read, the tortured boy is the love interest that gets away, or the interesting side character, or the love interest that our female protag has for a while, but things don't work out. Sometimes, the tortured boy is the enemy. He's done bad things. Therefore, he must be inherently bad. We can't like him, no matter what he does to try to redeem himself. Not so in Red Glove. Cassel is tortured and broken and a mess, no doubt about it. He's done terrible things. More than a few times. He's by no means perfect. But despite all that, we are rooting for him the whole time. We love him and adore him and sympathize with him. He's done bad things, but he's good. That is quite possibly my favorite thing about this series.

Another thing that I just loved was reading about a world that is nearly identical to the one I live in, but with one major difference. The whole curse worker thing is fascinating and terrifying and it's interesting to see how this one difference impacts everything and everyone. Just one major change and it branches out and becomes important in some of the most unexpected ways.

Seriously guys, I can't pimp this book enough. I can't say enough wonderful things about it. It's just something you have to read and appreciate for yourself. Please, please, please do yourself a favor and read White Cat and Red Glove!! You'll be hooked.

5 out of 5 stars.

My Magnificent Mailbox #27

2011-04-24T21:04:00.000-04:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme brought to you by The Story Siren.

This week I got:

From Amazon:
Teeth anthology, edited by Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling

From Nantucket Bookworks:
ARC of Mission (un)Popular, by Anna Humphrey
ARC of Sister, by Rosamund Lupton
Twenty Boy Summer, by Sarah Ockler

That's it!! Clearly, I haven't gone to the bookstore nearly enough. :-p

*Sigh* And apparently even though I've been taking pictures of my books... Blogger doesn't want to cooperate with my computer so I can put them up. Maybe next time.

What did you get?

Really Ravishing Review (Delirium)

2011-04-16T18:13:00.000-04:00

Review of Delirium, by Lauren Oliver.

Quickie: Emotional and devastating. Basically, read it.

Full: Lena Haloway is haunted by her mother. She has fond memories of her mother, but she's not entirely sure she's allowed to be thinking of her mother like that- after all, her mother was sick. Very sick. She had the delirium. Those fond memories are chock full of illegal things- singing, dancing, hugs that lasted too long, touching... love. That terrible sickness that kills people. It killed her mother. She was so full of the sickness that she walked right off a cliff and fell into her watery grave.

Lena's adopted her aunt's last name, Tiddle, because it was easier, and it helped to cleanse her family (at least a tiny little bit) from the touch of her mother's illness. An unofficial last name doesn't change the fact that all of Portland already knows the story, and it certainly doesn't help get rid of Lena's nightmares.

All Lena wants is to have the operation. Everybody gets the operation sooner or later, usually on or around their 18th birthday. It's all Lena can think about; being safe from the disease forever. She likes to follow rules and not push people, she likes to keep her nose clean and play it safe. She's seen what happens to people who don't play it safe, and it's no fate she wants.

Things start to change for Lena when her best friend, Hana, convinces her to sneak out and attend an illegal party. There's music the likes of which she could never have imagined. There are people touching without fear. It's all amazing and surreal for Lena. But it's too much. This is wrong.

But if it's so wrong, why did it feel so good? Why did everyone look so happy, so full of life? Why do all the cured people seem so lifeless?

Then there's Alex, a boy who works in the labs where Lena has her evaluation. He's cured, so it's okay to talk to him, and he starts hanging out occasionally (usually out of the public's eye) with Hana and Lena. But Alex has a secret that will change Lena's life forever. In fact, it will change Lena herself forever.

Delirium is one of those books that has a lot of buildup. Not a bad thing, it just means that the world is complex and you have to be familiar with it to truly appreciate the story. My problem wasn't so much with the buildup, but with the slow pace that we saw through most of the book. It took me about a week to read Delirium, which is a pretty long time for me. It wasn't that I was uninterested or that the writing was bad or any of that. But it wasn't hard for me to set down and I wasn't dying to pick it back up.

That said, I really did like it. Now that the world has been established and the story has gotten interesting, I want to read the next installment. If you had asked me if I planned to read Pandemonium when I was half-way through I would have said, "Meh. Maybe." Now though, it's a resounding "Yes."

Lena's personality and viewpoint was understandable and relatable. Her character development was great; I felt like she really grew as a character and she surprised me with her pluck. It was a bit drawn out at times when she was busy figuring things out and analyzing everything, but overall I liked her and I liked seeing things from her point of view.

Alex and Lena's relationship moved at a believable and natural pace, which I appreciated. I liked that she didn't fall head-over-heels in love with him at first sight. I liked that she was a bit insecure and didn't just assume that she deserved his love. She questioned his motives and her own, and I was glad to see it.

In sum, I liked the book and would recommend it to folks who enjoy dystopian novels that make you think.

4 out of 5 stars.

Mediocre Mable's "Meh" (The Lost Saint)

2011-04-15T18:04:00.001-04:00

Review of The Lost Saint, by Bree Despain. (Please read the first book, The Dark Divine before reading this review as it may contain spoilers!!)

Quickie: An enjoyable book for sure, but not quite as wonderful as I'd hoped.

Full:
From the back cover: "They're coming for you," a muffled voice said over the phone. "You're in danger. You're all in danger. You can't stop them."
"Who is this?" I asked, panic rising with the tension in my muscles.
"You can't trust him." The voice on the line seemed suddenly clearer like the hand covering the receiver had moved out of the way- and the familiarity of it made my heart nearly stop. "Please, Gracie, listen to me this time. You're all in danger. You have to know that--" The voice cut off with a clatter, like the phone had been dropped, and the line went dead.
"Jude!" I shouted.

What I liked: I honestly wasn't quite sure who to trust. Grace's boyfriend Daniel has started keeping things from her, and he knows she knows he's not telling her everything. He's hanging out at shady places with no explanation, he's pulling away from Grace, and he's making obvious lies about his whereabouts when he disappears for days at a time.

Then there's Talbot, Grace's unlikely hero. (Or maybe not at all unlikely, who can say?) Talbot happens to be at a club when Grace's friend April gets roughed up by a man and Talbot rescues them both. Then Grace runs into him again at a community service project her Religion class is doing. They keep bumping into each other and soon an odd relationship is formed. Grace can't help but feel a bit guilty (it's obvious that there could be something between Talbot and Grace) for hanging out with Talbot when she should be hanging out with her boyfriend... but her boyfriend hasn't exactly been around, has he?

Then there's Gabriel. The last of the Saint Moons. He's visiting from one of the big wolf packs and is generally surrounded in mystery. He seems nice, but he keeps warning Grace away from things she's pursuing and she can't tell if he's in all this for good or bad.

I loved trying to figure out who the "him" was that Grace shouldn't trust. There were so many men who it could apply to. Didn't help that all of them were being simultaneously trustworthy and not trustworthy. But hey, I love a good mystery.

I also like the end. Good action that progressed the story at a pace I could get down with. Things finally got really interesting at the end.

What I didn't like: Dude, can we say communication fail?? A lot of Grace's troubles could have been averted had she and Daniel been open about things. I realize this is essential to the plot... but it drives me nuts to see a couple hitting their own self-destruct button in fiction. I just want to smack them both.

I felt like it dragged out. Eeek! Maybe this is just me. It probably is. But I felt that the middle was just too long. Things were happening, sure, but it was mostly the same things. Grace making bad decisions and thinking she's invincible, trying to figure out who to trust.

As I said, I liked the book. It just didn't 'wow' me as much as The Dark Divine. I'll read the next book, but I hope it's a bit better.

3.5 out of 5 stars.

My Magnificent Mailbox #26

2011-04-10T15:08:00.000-04:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme brought to you by The Story Siren.

This week I got:

From my friend Aine, over at Aine's Realm:
Dime Store Magic, by Kelley Armstrong
Industrial Magic, by Kelley Armstrong
Haunted, by Kelley Armstrong
Broken, by Kelley Armstrong
No Humans Involved, by Kelley Armstrong
The Tiger Rising, by Kate DiCamillo
The Tale of Despereaux, by Kate DiCamillo
The Ice Dragon, by George R. R. Martin
The Shadow Thieves, by Anne Ursu
Warcraft: The Sunwell Trilogy- Dragon Hunt, by Richard A. Knaak & Jae-Hwan Kim
Warcraft: The Sunwell Trilogy- Shadows of Ice, by Richard A. Knaak & Jae-Hwan Kim
Warcraft: The Sunwell Trilogy- Ghostlands, by Richard A. Knaak & Jae-Hwan Kim
The Logic of Demons, by H. A. Goodman

From Amazon (late birthday present from hubby; he pre-ordered it for me):
Red Glove, by Holly Black

From Barnes and Noble:
Darkness Becomes Her, by Kelly Keaton
Anna and the French Kiss, by Stephanie Perkins
Paper Towns, by John Green

Really Ravishing Review (Boy Meets Boy)

2011-04-08T23:52:00.000-04:00

Review of Boy Meets Boy, by David Levithan.

Quickie: Absolutely adorable. It will melt your heart.

Full: Noah's a new boy in town. His parents travel all the time and move the family continuously to be closer to their work. This time though, they've promised to stay and settle. It means more traveling for them, less time at home, but Noah and his sister will be able to stay and make friends that they can keep.

Paul has recently been dumped by Kyle. It's all very dramatic; Kyle dated Paul for a while but then decided that he (Kyle) wasn't gay. In fact, his brief stint as a gay boy was all Paul's fault. Kyle dumped Paul and spread all kinds of lovely rumors around the school. Paul's been coasting through life ever since, hanging out with his best friends, Joni and Tony, and just being a regular guy.

But then...

Paul meets Noah. There's a spark. A real spark, the kind that keeps you tingling for days. The kind you can't seem to forget even though your life keeps on going forward, with or without you. Paul is mesmerized by Noah. By his easy smile, his genuinely interesting personality, and of course, there's that spark.

He'd like to talk about it with Joni, but she's started seeing this guy Chuck, who Paul really doesn't approve of or connect with. Tony's parents are super religious and are petrified that Tony (also gay) will go and "be gay" with some boy. They think that his sexuality is like a switch, if you hit the right button you can switch it off. So they're desperately trying to do just that... by sending him to church camps and watching his every move. It's hard for Tony to get out of the house, let alone talk to Paul (a gay boy! *gasp*).

Meanwhile, Kyle (Paul's ex) has started acknowledging Paul in the hallways again, even giving him a smile and a few words. Paul is intrigued, but wary. Is Kyle playing a trick on him? Is Kyle gay, or not? Seeing him making out in the halls with that girl says "not", but if that's the case, then why is he speaking to Paul again? And most importantly, how does he feel about all this? Will this change things?

Confusion abounds, but one thing's for sure: Paul like Noah, and Noah likes Paul....Right?

This book is lovely. David Levithan can write a love story, no doubt about that. It's whimsical and emotional and so very honest. Paul's a sweet kid and I was rooting for him the whole time. He's sure of himself, but awkward. He's insightful, but oblivious. You can't help but love him.

In fact, the whole cast of characters is lovable. Infinite Darlene, the homecoming queen/football quarterback has sass and personality coming out her pores. Joni, the bestie-since-second-grade-turned-mortal-enemy-(maybe). Kyle, the confused but endearing ex-boyfriend who sort of dumped Paul in a very cruel way. Chuck, the lughead. Tony, the boy who knows who he is but has to wear a mask at home and live two very different lives. Noah, the new boy who's sweet, charming, artistic, and all around wonderful. And of course Paul, the one who ties them all together.

The best part about this book for me, is that I knew Paul. Or, I knew a few mixes of Paul, Noah, Tony and Kyle. Chances are, you know one of them too, or maybe a combination. I felt like I was reading the story of my best friend through middle school. He was a lot like Noah, with a few bits of Paul. His room was an amazing place, it was his personality turned decor. He was strong and vulnerable and his energy and enthusiasm was contagious. I saw all of that as I read Boy Meets Boy. I felt like I was seeing though my old best friend's eyes. And it made me love him and all the characters just that much more.

Of all the LGBTQ books I've read, this is my favorite (so far). The honesty and understanding this book gives the reader is simply delightful. What is Boy Meets Boy? It's a love story. And it's not one to miss.

5 out of 5 stars.

Terrific Teaser Tuesday #12

2011-04-05T08:58:00.000-04:00

Teaser Tuesday is brought to you by MizB at Should Be Reading.

This week's teaser is from Boy Meets Boy, by David Levithan.

"I stop painting and watch him for a moment. He is concentrating on the music now, moving his brush in an arc. He is completely in tune with the trumpet solo above the beat. His mood reflects indigo. Is it heartbreak that makes him sad (I remember his sister's comment in the kitchen), or is it something else?"
(Page 49)

Here is how it works:
- Grab your current read
- Open to a random page
- Share two (2 or 3) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
- Remember to show the title & author, too, so that others can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Really Ravishing Review (The Implosion of Aggie Winchester)

2011-04-04T09:30:00.001-04:00

Review of The Implosion of Aggie Winchester, by Lara Zielin. Coming August 2011.

Quickie: If you're a fan of The Duff, or Before I Fall, I highly recommend this. It's a wonderful tale of self-discovery. Loved it.

Full: Aggie Winchester dresses in black, cakes her face in white makeup, and is by all accounts "Goth". Her best friend Sylvia is the only other Goth at school and together they're invincible. As Sylvia says, act tough and nobody will mess with you.

Aggie's still trying to get over her recent break-up with Neil, her ex-boyfriend who suddenly got popular and stopped acknowledging her. The whole thing chafes, but Aggie is still hopeful that Neil will come to his senses and realize that he loves her.

Not only is Aggie Goth, she's the principal's kid. Talk about pressure. A few years back Aggie's ex-bestie started a rumor that Aggie had ratted her out to her principal mother and soon Aggie was about as popular with her peers as a plague, and treated like one as well. (Thus the transition into Goth) It's not easy being the principal's kid.

It gets even harder when a scandal at the school goes down. It's the talk of the town and the town wants to pin the scandal on Aggie's mother. Aggie becomes swept up in trying to uncover the truth, but she has to make some very tough decisions and she might lose her best friend, boyfriend, and parents' trust all at once.

I loved this book. Plain and simple. It was surprisingly complex and thoughtful. Although the plot might seem mundane, I assure you it was not. There were so many different twists and complications that I found myself distressed and imploding right along with Aggie.

If you're anything like me, you might read the back cover and assume this is just another "teen drama" book, but it's really much more than that. It's a tale of self-discovery and self-acceptance. It has a wonderfully positive message, letting teens know that it's okay to be who they are, to enjoy the things that they enjoy. You don't have to like something just because most kids like it. (I'm all about YA having positive messages for teens.)

Aggie was cute and sweet and I could relate to her. She wasn't perfect, but she tried hard and wanted to do what was best. Her story is one you don't want to miss.

I would recommend this book for older teens and up.

4 out of 5 stars.

My Magnificent Mailbox #25

2011-04-03T19:04:00.000-04:00

I really should start doing these regularly again. I'm a slacker, I know. Anyhow, In My Mailbox is a weekly meme brought to you by The Story Siren.

This past few weeks I got:

From Nantucket Bookworks:
ARC of Parents Behaving Badly, by Scott Gummer
ARC of Mercy, by Rebecca Lim
ARC of The Eternal Sea, by Angie Frazier
ARC of Across The Great Barrier, by Patricia C. Wrede
ARC of Pretty Bad Things, by C. J. Skuse
ARC of The Dragon of Cripple Creek, by Troy Howell
ARC of Mothers & Daughters, by Rae Meadows

The Amanda Project, by Amanda Valentino and Melissa Kantor
Stardust, by Neil Gaiman
Dance Upon The Air, by Nora Roberts

From my hubby:
Real Vampires Have Curves, by Gerry Bartlett

What did you get this week?

Really Ravishing Review (Cracked Up To Be)

2011-03-23T14:30:00.000-04:00

Review of Cracked Up To Be, by Courtney Summers.

Reviewed by S.M. Schmidt. Check out her blog here!

The pithy rundown is like sushi, opera or any book with a challenging
topic you’ll either hate it and possibly grow to enjoy it, or you’ll
love it from page one and read it in one sitting.

Back of the book teaser: When “Perfect” Parker Fadley starts drinking
at school and failing her classes, all of St. Peter’s High goes on
alert. How has the cheerleading captain, girlfriend of the most
popular guy in school, consummate teacher’s pet, and future
valedictorian fallen so far from grace? Parker doesn’t want to talk
about it. She’d just like to be left alone, to disappear, to be
ignored. But her parents have placed her on suicide watch and her
counselors are demanding the truth. Worse, there’s a nice guy falling
in love with her and he’s making her feel things again when she’d
really rather not be feeling anything at all. Nobody would have
guessed she’d turn out like this. But nobody knows the truth.
Something horrible has happened, and it just might be her fault.

This is one of those books you kick yourself for waiting to read like
Hunger Games, Harry Potter and Twilight. Except unlike a series that
takes books to reward you for investing your emotions in the
characters, you can begin singing the praises of this standalone when
you reach the end. Debuting in 2008 it caught my attention when the
author announced releasing another book (Fall for Anything) later this
year. I didn’t realize at first how old this book was because the
excellent writing Cracked Up to Be has allows it to hold its own
against newer releases with even darker themes.

Courtney Summers’ writing was the first thing I noticed on page one. I
felt myself yanked right back to high school and didn’t doubt the age
of the narrator, Parker, for a second. Parker is a character that is
pushing everyone, including the reader, away and has the potential for
two things. Either it draws you in more with each little tidbit about
why she’s choosing to spiral into self destruction. Or you will be put
off as other reviewers on goodreads have mentioned. There is mild
profanity but it’s used for portraying the characters realistically
not for gratuitous shock value. Walk around any high school and you’ll
hear characters speaking like Parker, Chris, Jake and Becky.

Flashbacks to the event mentioned in the description give you hints
throughout the novel, but the pacing leaves the final reveal shocking
and lingering long after the book is put down. There is frank
discussion about alcohol, sex and the bizarre world of high school
relationships. Yet it is handled in a way that doesn’t come down as
patronizing nor will it make a teen reader feel awkward if they don’t
engage in such activities. The ending encourages readers, if they find
themselves spiraling like Parker, to seek real help. I applaud
Courtney Summers for realizing school counselors, parents, and friends
are not always the best equipped to help troubled teens. A positive
look on seeking help when ready is an excellent message to remind
teens that it can get better if they want it.

An excellent read for a gripping contemporary young adult debut.

Five out of five stars.

Only One Opinion (Personal Demons)

2011-03-22T14:06:00.001-04:00

Review of Personal Demons, by Lisa Desrochers.

Quickie: Not a bad story, but I felt that it could have been better.

Full: Frannie Cavanaugh is a relatively good girl. She goes to a Catholic school, tries hard, and loves her family. She likes to party now and then, but nothing too crazy. It gets a bit difficult to stay in her current "good girl" position though, when a new boy comes to school. Luc is dark and mysterious and Frannie is immediately drawn to him. He's sweet and sinful and fun- all things that Frannie likes.

But then there's Gabriel. Another new boy in town, Gabriel is as safe as Luc is dangerous. He's warm and comforting and gentle. The best part? He's parent-approved material.

Neither boy is there just by coincidence of course. They each have an agenda involving Frannie- more specifically, her soul. Frannie is blessed (or cursed) with a very rare ability that Heaven and Hell are both desperate to have. Gabe and Luc must fight to try to win Frannie's soul for their respective sides, but ultimately, it's Frannie's choice.

But how can she choose? And what will the repercussions of her choice be?

I'll start by saying that although the angels and demons plot has been used a bit too much lately (in my opinion), this was a fresh take on it. Frannie's special skill was interesting and it was amusing to watch Luc and Gabe try to win her over.

It was a bit difficult for me to really get into the story though, because it was all very obvious to me. I was bored. Luc's sarcasm felt over-done. I got that he was supposed to be the bad boy, but he really just seemed to be all talk. If he said "Oh, this is rich," one more time I was going to scream. I just felt that, for being a very important demon, he wasn't nearly bad enough. In fact, none of the baddies were as bad as a baddie from the literal Hell should be.

The love triangle was another spot where I was bored. About half of the book was love triangle build up, and it was clear from the first few chapters who exactly the love triangle would involve. I had it figured out way, way before it was clear to Frannie. Sometimes that's okay, but this was drawn out too long for my tastes.

Frannie seemed like a sweetheart at the start of the book, but once the boys showed up she kind of lost her zeal. She was all about the physical, not much emotional attraction was evident. This bothers me because she supposedly kept herself aloof and was an observer... it just didn't feel natural for her to be so swept up in the physical aspects. I thought she would be smarter that that.

Another thing that bothered me about Frannie's love story was how she felt that she absolutely deserved both boys unswerving devotion. "La la la, nobody's taken a real interest (save a more-of-a-friend band guy) in me in a long time, but suddenly when these two total knockouts show up, it's perfectly natural for them to be falling all over themselves to get to little old me!" Please. I don't buy it.

Don't get me wrong- This wasn't a bad book. It just didn't work for me. The writing was great, but there were too many things that just didn't mesh for me. I was bored through most of it, true, but once things got going I was a lot more interested. I'm sure most people will love it, so don't decide not to pick it up just because of me.

2 out of 5 stars.

Wonderfully Wacky Winner!

2011-03-21T12:57:00.000-04:00

And the winner of the Lucky Leprechaun Blog Hop Giveaway is... Estella! Congratulations Estella! An email will be coming your way shortly.

Thanks to everyone who entered, I loved reading your comments. I personally would prefer to stay on the human side of the grave. It's knowing that life is finite that truly makes it wonderful, in my opinion. I'm afraid I'd lose my appreciation for life if I had immortality. Plus, drinking blood? Eating flesh? Ew. No thank you!! ;-)

Lucky Leprechaun Loot

2011-03-16T18:35:00.002-04:00

Hello! Welcome to Literati's Literary Library! Thanks for stopping by my blog on the blog hop! And thanks to Inspired Kathy from I Am A Reader Not A Writer for hosting this hop. :)

What you can win:

This Side of the Grave, by Jeaniene Frost. This is book #5 in the Night Huntress series. (Cat & Bones) This series is one of my favorites!

How To Enter:

-Leave a comment on this post

-Tell me which side of the grave you'd rather be on and why; Vampire/ghoul side, or human side.

-Leave your email in the comment so I can contact you if you win.
-Follow this blog. (It's simple and painless, I promise)

US & Canada only. Contest ends at 11:59 PM on March 20th. Winner will be drawn shortly after the contest closes.

(Comment button is at the top of the post, left-hand side. It's a pink box that sticks out and has a number on it.)

Good luck and thanks for entering!! Make sure to check out the other blogs on the hop, they're listed in the linky below!

Only One Opinion (This Side Of The Grave)

2011-03-09T13:51:00.000-05:00

Review of This Side of the Grave, by Jeaniene Frost.

Warning: This review may contain spoilers from the previous four books!! Please read Halfway to the Gave, One Foot in the Grave, At Grave's End, and Destined for an Early Grave before reading this review!

Quickie: Disappointing, especially when compared to the rest of the series. Enjoyed it, but didn't love it.

Full: Half-vampire Cat Crawfield and her vampire husband Bones have fought for their lives, as well as for their relationship. But just when they've triumphed over the latest battle, Cat's new and unexpected abilities threaten to upset a long-standing balance...

With the mysterious disappearance of vampires, rumors abound that a species war is brewing. A zealot is inciting tensions between the vampires and ghouls, and if these two powerful groups clash, innocent mortals could become collateral damage.

Now Cat and Bones are forced to seek help from a dangerous "ally"- the ghoul queen of New Orleans herself. But the price of her assistance may prove more treacherous than even the threat of a supernatural war... to say nothing of the repercussions Cat never imagined.

Well, it sound nice in the back-cover description... but I felt like there was hardly any real action at all. I was so, so excited for this book, I've been dying to get more of Cat and Bones. And I did, I suppose. I'll break it down into the good and the bad.

The Good:
-Cat and Bones book 5, yay!
-Cat's new abilities were pretty cool, and it was interesting to see how they came into play throughout the book.
-Vlad. He's one of my favorites, and I just love having him around to liven things up a bit.
-Post-Eternal Kiss of Darkness Mencheres. Loved seeing him again, and seeing Kira as well.

The Bad:
-Okay we get it, Cat and Bones are in love. And in the honeymoon stage. Which is great for them and gross for us. True, it was cute to see them so happy and all that... but I missed the biting remarks and witty retorts. We glimpsed it, but it was an important part of the Cat and Bones relationship. I was sad to see so little of it.
-The action... or, what action? I'm used to all kinds of great butt-kicking scenes and some getting-butt-kicked scenes, but there were only like...3. Things just didn't seem as intense or important in this book. I felt like the "hunting down the ghoul" part was the plot thread in the background and the "Cat's feelings about everything" plot thread was front and center.
-To continue with Cat's feelings- While it was interesting to see what happened with Cat's new abilities, I was pretty bored of hearing how amazing and freaky she was. Yes, we know, she's being hunted down because she's so weird... now what are you going to do about it?!
-This book felt like a weaker re-play of all the other books. Cat has some new discovery about herself, Cat and Bones have passionate vampy sex, somebody wants Cat (or someone Cat cares about) dead, a bloody battle ensues and Cat makes the bad man dead. That formula worked for the previous four, but it just didn't work in this book.

Now before you go calling me a hater... I still love the series. It's one of my favorites. But this book just didn't deliver, not for me. My suspicion is that my beloved JF has been putting all her efforts into the wicked-awesome World stories, and maybe didn't get to put as much time into This Side of the Grave as it needed.

All that said, I'm still a fan. I love her, I love her work, and I can't wait for the next Cat and Bones book.

3 out of 5 stars.

My Magnificent Mailbox #24

2011-03-06T20:24:00.000-05:00

And again, it's been a while since I've done an IMM post, so I have much to share with you. In My Mailbox is a weekly meme brought to you by The Story Siren.

What I've gotten recently:

From Nantucket Bookworks:
ARC of The Dark and Hollow Places, by Carrie Ryan
ARC of The Implosion of Aggie Winchester, by Lara Zielin
ARC of The Piper's Son, by Melina Marchetta
ARC of The Philosopher's Kiss, by Peter Prange
ARC of Charles Jessold, Considered as a Murderer, by Wesley Stace
ARC of One Nation Under Sex, by Larry Flynt & David Eisenbach, Ph.D.
ARC of Tiger's Quest, by Colleen Houck
ARC of Wishful Thinking, by Alexandra Bullen
The Fallen: Raziel, by Kristina Douglas
This Side of the Grave, by Jeaniene Frost
Delirium, by Lauren Oliver

From Amazon:
The Mermaid's Mirror, by L.K. Madigan
This Side of the Grave, by Jeaniene Frost

From my friend Em:
Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher

For Review:
Legend Destiny, by Nance Bulow-Morgan

Other:
ARC of Graveminder, by Melissa Marr

Pictures forthcoming!! My camera battery died... :(

Really Ravishing Review (Across the Universe))

2011-03-05T23:51:00.000-05:00

Review of Across the Universe, by Beth Revis.

Quickie: Sort of like Lost In Space, but creepy, and with a better love story.

Full: Amy and her parents are being cryogenically frozen. This, in itself, is creepy. They're going to be stored aboard the Godspeed as it makes its way from Earth to a new planet, Centauri Earth. Amy's parents are essential to cultivating the new civilization on Centauri Earth, but Amy... well, Amy is "Nonessential Cargo". Ouch. Cargo?

Fifty years before the Godspeed is set to land, Amy wakes up, still in her cryo-casket (my own wording) and drowning in cryo fluid. This was not how things were supposed to happen! Amy is rescued, luckily, by Elder, the up-and-coming leader of the Godspeed.

Elder is fascinated by Amy, for she's nothing like anything he's ever seen. Really. Every person aboard the ship looks the same, so Amy's red hair and fair skin are akin to magic in Elder's eyes.

But why was she woken up early? Who tried to wake her up? Why didn't they stay and make sure she woke up fully, instead of leaving her to drown? And if they left her on purpose... well that's attempted murder now, isn't it?

As Amy, Elder, and Elder's friend Harley try to discover who is behind Amy's near-drowning, more bodies are pulled out of cryo and left to die. Obviously, the person responsible is still trying to kill off the frozen people, but in spite of the round-the-clock guard that the three have set up, the bodies continue to be unfrozen.

Discovering the identity of the murderer isn't the only problem though- Amy's having a hard time adjusting to her new cage called Godspeed, and she's crushed and horrified that she may never see her parents again... and if she does, she'll be older than them! Elder's got problems too, as he tries to learn all he needs to know to lead the ship, he comes across knowledge and secrets that are truly unsettling, even horrific.

I just want to say outright- I loved this book. It was more than sci-fi (which I love), it was a thriller and a mystery and an adorable love story. It really makes you think. I was alternately fascinated and appalled at the ideas of the Godspeed inhabitants, along with their creations and innovations. I can't even imagine life on board a giant space ship. Spending your entire life in a floating hunk of metal? Knowing your children will have the exact same life that you do? How very... bland and depressing.

The pacing of Across the Universe worked beautifully for me. I never got bored. There are so many secrets to unlock, so many thoughts to explore, there's something new at every turn.

If you don't like sci-fi, you should definitely read it. It's more than sci-fi, it's SciRoMur. That would be Sci-Fi/Romance/Murder Mystery, for those of you who didn't catch that. :-p

4 out of 5 stars.

Really Ravishing Review (Grimspace)

2011-03-03T18:15:00.000-05:00

Review of Grimspace, by Ann Aguirre.

Quickie: Fantastic Sci-Fi! Loved the world, loved the characters.

Full: Sirantha Jax is a jumper. She was born with the J-gene, a genetic anomaly that allows her to "jump" through space, to take entire ships full of people from one place in space to another. She's the Corp's star, their best. But her last jump, a jump to a planet called Matins IV, went terribly wrong. Stuck in the Unit Psych being interrogated endlessly about the events preceding the crash, undergoing "dream therapy", and reliving horrible, confusing memories, Sirantha is about to break.

Her time there is cut short, however, when an unexpected savior breaks in a takes her out of the Unit Psych and off planet. The question she asks herself after a few days with this "hero" is, "Is this really better?". They're on the run and Sirantha doesn't know why. She soon uncovers the mission of the rag-tag crew she's with though; they're out to create an academy to train jumpers and give the almighty Corp some competition. Sirantha is necessary because they need a jumper to take them to all the different planets that the want to gather untapped jumpers from.

Sirantha's past winds up catching up to her, endangering the whole crew, and Sirantha feels (justly) responsible. She must confront her past and save the lives of those she's grown to care about. Without dying in the process, of course. That proves harder and harder as the Corp uses their power to manipulate and corrupt.

This isn't the first book by Ann Aguirre I've read, so I was prepared for the awesomeness. Even so, I was more than a little bit blown away. Sirantha was so very real. She was flawed and funny and had an extensive backstory that I loved getting glimpses of.

She was also a strong person, and I admired her greatly. Maybe this just shows what a girl I am, but I was heartbroken when she had to shave all her hair off. I'm very attached to my own hair, it's long and it's taken ages to get it that way. So the thought of shaving it all off.... AH! Anyhow, she had to lose her hair and although she was sad, she did it anyway. Maybe she just wasn't as fond of her hair as I am of mine... but still. Props to her for being so cool about it.

Writing-wise, there were a few spots where the pacing wasn't quite ideal, but in general I have no complaints. The characters were multi-dimensional and I loved all the sci-fi gadgets, gizmos, and life-forms. In fact, I was delighted by the realistic qualities... It was a future I could envision. It felt like this was a future that could actually happen, and I could understand the timeline. Usually I feel like sci-fi books are just a spot in time and I can't quite place it, even if they give a date. In Grimspace, I felt grounded, I knew how I got there. There's a good chance I'm not articulating this well, but it's difficult to describe.

Anyhow, I loved Grimspace and I can't wait to read the rest of the series. If you enjoy sci-fi, strong female leads, and just the right amount of humor, you should give Grimspace a try. :)

5 out of 5 stars.

Wonderfully Wacky Winner!

2011-02-26T22:40:00.000-05:00

*drumroll please*

....
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......
.......
......
.....
....

The winner of The Secret To Lying, by Todd Mitchell is...

Melo!! Congratulations Melo! Please email your shipping info to redraindrops66(at)yahoo(dot)com. Thanks so much to everyone who entered!

Really Ravishing Review (The Monstrumologist))

2011-02-19T15:09:00.000-05:00

Review of The Monstrumologist, by Rick Yancey.

Quickie: Not for the squeamish, but definitely good.

Full: Where to begin?? I suppose I'll start with the blurb on the front cover, since I think it most adequately describes the book: "A cross between Mary Shelley and Stephen King." - VOYA. That little blurb right there tells you a lot about The Monstrumologist; it's dark, it's creepy, it's gory, and it's more than a little disturbing. But you can't stop reading it.

Will Henry has the unfortunate role of being apprentice to Dr. Warthrop, a man with a sinister calling. Will is a boy of a mere twelve years, orphaned and living with the only man who he's ever really known outside of his parents- the hermit and genius, Doctor Pellinore Warthrop, Monstrumologist. Dr. Warthrop is a seemingly cold, almost cruel man who is brisk and clipped with poor Will, always yelling at him to "Step lively" and get to work. Will is an obedient boy, and he does what the man says, even if it means getting no sleep and no food for days at a time. He does it all though, because the doctor is all he has, all he knows, and he has a inexplicable affection for the man. Not love, no, but something.

One night as the boy is sleeping in his tiny loft, a man comes calling in the night bearing a mysterious something wrapped in burlap in the back of his carriage. The man, Erasmus Gray, is worked up and asks for the doctor. He tells Dr. Warthrop that he has "an abomination" and "a crime" in that burlap, and it's urgent that the doctor take a look. You see, Erasmus Gray is a grave robber, and he's found something that has shocked and appalled even a man with such a morbid career. There's a body of a young girl, but she's not alone. Something is clinging to her... feeding off of her. Its appendages are wrapped about her body in a macabre embrace. Human, it's not, that much is clear. But what is it? A monster of course. Dr. Warthrop's speciality.

This unfortunate find leads Will and Dr. Warthrop on a spine-tingling, stomach-rolling adventure. Monsters are out there, and they must be found. Monsters aren't all that they find though, as the story unfolds, Dr. Warthrop uncovers secrets about his own family, and specifically, his own father. Will, too, discovers a few things about the doctor, and in turn, his own parents.

I don't know what I was expecting when I cracked open The Monstrumologist, but I was pleasantly surprised with what I found. Immediately the tone of the book was set, not by the words, but by the book design. In the edition I have, there are little illustrations of historic medical supplies every few pages. Hooks and forceps and scissors and things I don't even know the names for. Along with the medical supplies were body parts, drawn like they would be in a textbook, with numbers and arrows. Old medicine creeps me out, so the illustrations totally worked for me. I was on edge before even starting. And then I started reading, and my apprehension grew. The prologue sets you up for the 'why' of the story, and then chapter one takes you back in time, to the Spring of 1888, where you meet young Will Henry and his horrific journey begins.

I'm not entirely sure I have anything bad to say about this book. I was sucked in from the start, and I was spit out dazed and a bit disturbed at the end, but pleasantly so. It's not for the overly squeamish, as Yancey doesn't give you rose-colored glasses when the monsters attack, but those who appreciate honesty and can deal with some blood, they'll eat it up.

5 out of 5 stars.

Really Ravishing Review (Beautiful Darkness)

2011-02-19T11:01:00.001-05:00

Review of Beautiful Darkness, by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl.

Quickie: Perfectly dark. It kept me guessing and had my stomach in knots.

Full: Lena's Sixteenth Moon has passed, but she has not yet been Claimed. Terrible things happened at her Sixteenth Moon, things beyond her control and yet they were a result of her actions. Lena is full of guilt, of conflicting emotions, and pain. She's grieving the loss of her Uncle, possibly the only person to truly understand her or be on her side.

Ethan, Lena's boyfriend, is quickly being shut out of Lena's life. He's getting mixed signals that with the flip of a switch turn into plain rejection. Confused and hurt, he tries to let her go, to do her own thing, but finds that he can't. He's been hearing an eerie song, one about the Seventeenth Moon, and he knows that cannot bode well for Lena. She must make a choice, Light or Dark, and no matter what she chooses, people will die. The stress of the impending choice and the overwhelming grief over her beloved uncle are driving Lena to the edge, and only Ethan can save her.

But how do you save someone when they don't even want to see you? When they are forcefully pushing you away, hurting you?

Ethan, Link, and their new found friend, Liv, embark on a mysterious and perilous journey to track down and hopefully rescue Lena- without dying themselves of course.

Beautiful Darkness was better than I expected. There was so much hype, everyone was dying to read it and squeeing over it... so I decided to wait to read it myself. I'm not sure why, I'm just weird I guess. Anyhow, I read it in a day and a half, because I couldn't stop thinking about what might happen next. (I love that)

One of the most charming and endearing aspects of the book for me was the Southern ladies. They cracked me up! They were so funny, so quirky, and so interesting. I loved all the etiquette lessons and interesting tidbits of information because they really helped solidify that good ole' Southern feel. It's rare that I feel so at home in a book setting, but I did in Beautiful Darkness.

It was nice to see the story from Ethan's point of view, since we saw it from Lena's in Beautiful Creatures. I always enjoy getting a different perspective and getting to know other characters on another level.

On the whole, I thought Beautiful Darkness was fabulous. Loved the writing, loved the feel, loved the whole thing. The Caster world is getting more and more interesting as each page is turned, and I can't wait to dive back in.

4 out of 5 stars.

Fabulous Free Fiction

2011-02-18T22:53:00.002-05:00

It's that time again!! It's been a while since I've done a giveaway on my own, not a blog hop, but I'm in the mood. Without further ado...

What You Get:

The Secret To Lying, by Todd Mitchell.

From the back cover of the ARC: James was the guy no one noticed- a fifteen-year-old living in a small town with his repairman father and ex-beauty queen mother. So when he gets into the American Science and Mathematics Academy (or ASMA), a public boarding school, James decides that it's time to leave the past behind. In a student body made up of nerds and geeks, being cool is easy. All it takes is a few harmless lies to invent the new James: rebel, punk, street fighter. Everyone's impressed, except for the beautiful Ellie Frost, whose icy demeanor holds an inexplicable attraction for James, and the mysterious Ghost44, an IM presence who sees right through his new identity.

But James is riding high- playing pranks and hooking up with the luscious Jessica Keen. Things seem perfect until he begins having strange and vivid dreams that pull him into a dark city haunted by demons. As the line between dreams and reality blurs, James begins to wonder, what's the price for being the coolest guy around?

Funny and real, Todd Mitchell's debut YA novel takes readers into a school for the intellectually gifted and socially awkward, as readers discover through James the secret - and consequences- to lying.

How To Enter:

*Comment on this post.

*Leave your email in the post so I can contact you if you win.

*Tell me one of your most memorable lies, good or bad.

*Follow this blog (it's easy, I promise)

*One extra entry for Tweeting about this contest, leave a link please.

Contest is open from Friday, February 18th - midnight on Friday, February 25th, 2011. Winner will be announced shortly after the contest closes and winner will be notified by email.

US & Canada only please.

Good luck, and thanks for entering!

Really Ravishing Review (My Soul To Save)

2011-01-26T11:52:00.001-05:00

Review of My Soul To Save, by Rachel Vincent.

Quickie: Delightful. I had forgotten how much I liked this series.

Full: Kaylee Cavanaugh is a bean sidhe, or banshee as you may know them. Whatever the spelling (and bean sidhe is the correct one, props Rachel) their purpose is the same: to guide the souls of the dead safely to the next world. The other option is for a female bean side to catch the soul as it leaves the body and hold it, allowing a male bean sidhe to return the soul to the body, but only for a price.

Kaylee, her boyfriend Nash, and his undead Reaper brother Tod uncover a nasty deal between the biggest entertainment empire and demons. Rising teen stars are literally selling their souls for fame, fortune, and success. Tod becomes invested in uncovering the identity of the demon making the deals, and Kaylee & Nash can't let him do it alone. Kaylee couldn't live with herself if she allowed those souls to be tortured eternally without even trying to help. And Nash, well, he's in it for Kaylee.

Stopping the trafficking of souls is hard, but it's even harder when your father sets and enforces a strict curfew, sets up mandatory family dinners, and tries to make up for years of lost time all at once. How are you supposed to track down demon scum when your papa takes your keys?

I love Rachel's writing. I've said it before, and I'm saying it again. It rocks my fuzzy socks off. I love how detailed Kaylee's world is, how no question about it goes unanswered. Everything feels very complete.

Kaylee has made some wonderful progress personally, and I was glad to see it. She's taking bean sidhe lessons from Harmony Hudson (I love that name), Nash's mom, to harness her wail and make it work for her, rather than the other way around.

The Netherworld was completely creepy and cool and I loved getting glimpses of it. As nervous as it made me having Kaylee there, I wanted her to stay longer so I could see more of the wonders it held. Okay, yeah, so she almost died.... but maybe later?

All in all, I loved the book. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

4 out of 5 stars.

My Magnificent Mailbox #23

2011-01-23T21:43:00.004-05:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme brought to you by The Story Siren.

Well, this is going to be an annoyingly big post, because I've been completely lazy and haven't done an IMM post since around Christmas. I have a big problem remembering what day of the week it is. Also, my hubby volunteered to display my books for me, but then got all shy when the time came. Make sure you give him some comment love and let him know that he did a good job. (Even if his football game distracted him) ;-)

These past few weeks I've gotten:

From Catie (Thanks Catie!!) over at Book Bound:
Matched, by Ally Condie (signed)
The Lost Saint, by Bree Despain (signed)
The Maze Runner, by James Dashner (signed)
Beautiful Darkness, by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl (signed)
Crescendo, by Becca Fitzpatrick

From Sandy (Thanks Sandy!!) over at Scribing Shadows:
We Hear The Dead, by Dianna K. Salerni

From my hubby for my birthday:
Going Bovine, by Libba Bray

Police Procedure & Invenstigation: A Guide For Writers, by Lee Lofland
Forensics: A Guide For Writers, by D. P. Lyle, M.D.

From my hubby for Christmas:
Last Sacrifice, by Richelle Mead
Matched, by Ally Condie

Won a $10 Amazon Gift Certificate From Angela over at Reading Angel:
The Monstrumologist, by Rick Yancey

From Nantucket Bookworks:
ARC of Dust City, by Robert Paul Weston

ARC of Pushing Past the Night: A Memoir, by Mario Calabresi
ARC of Red Moon Rising, by Peter Moore
ARC of Death Cloud, by Andrew Lane
ARC of After The Golden Age, by Carrie Vaughn
Pieta, by William Zink
ARC of Witches on the Road Tonight, by Sheri Holman
ARC of A Lonely Death, by Charles Todd

For Review (Not pictured because I had them in a separate pile and forgot to have him display them for me):
Kevin's Point of View, by Del Shannon
Zan-Gah, by Allan Richard Shickman
Zan-Gah And The Beautiful Country, by Allan Richard Shickman

What did you get?

Really Ravishing Review (Kevin's Point of View)

2011-01-19T10:03:00.000-05:00

Review of Kevin's Point of View, by Del Shannon. (Awesome last name, by the way)

Quickie: A fun middle grade adventure. Perfect for a boy (or girl) needing an escape from the world for a bit.

Full: Kevin Tobin has lost his father. Kevin is only twelve years old and the loss of his father has left him lost and wandering, trying to make sense of his father's death and life without him. It's too much, too fast for poor Kevin, so he utilizes the only weapon he has- his imagination. He escapes his reality by creating multiple personas, usually a superhero or ship captain or some other very capable person. With these personas he can take on the world. The problem is that sometimes the world doesn't need to be taken on, and this lands him in trouble... or the front lawn when he jumps out of the bathroom window naked. His mother is at a loss and his sister is a typical older sister, involved in her own life and disinterested in her dorky little brother.

Kevin's whole world changes when a strange package arrive at his door, addressed to him- sort of. The address was marred and the original writing isn't complete, but the postman assumed it was meant for Kevin. Inside this mysterious box is something even more mysterious: a remote-like device with blinking lights and "Influxitron" lettered on the side. Being a twelve year old boy with a big imagination, Kevin of course hits one of the buttons... and blows a hole through his bedroom wall. He calls his best friend Tony over and thus starts their adventure.

The boys are intercepted on their way to camp by men in black vans, who apparently have no problem hurting even killing two children if need be. With the help of Kevin's alternate personalities, Tony, and a few extra folks, Kevin must keep the Influxitron out of the hands of the wrong people, discover its purpose, and of course, not die.

What a cute story. Kevin was adorable and funny and I wish I could have seen him when he was being Captain Disaster.

The story of the Influxitron was interesting and sinister and a wonderful element to the story. Kevin was cute, but the mystery of the Influxitron was what kept me reading. I wish I could talk more about the Influxitron itself, but I won't spoil you. It was very cool, and definitely something to think about. Also, very powerful and definitely scary.

The ending has a delightful twist that I highly doubt you will expect. There is a convenient opening for a sequel, and I hope there is one. I wouldn't mind spending more time with the Tobin family and seeing more of the Influxitron and its mysteries.

Lots of action and plenty of adventure, I especially recommend this book to younger readers. Particularly boys, but girls will love it too.

4 out of 5 stars.

Really Ravishing Review (Eternal Kiss of Darkness)

2011-01-17T14:06:00.001-05:00

Review of Eternal Kiss of Darkness, by Jeaniene Frost.

Quickie: Such a sweet, romantic story, even if one of the characters is a creepy old guy.

Full: I've always kind of liked Mencheres. Call me crazy, but he's cool in that creepy-old-dude-with-too-much-power-for-his-own-good kind of way. He's always been one of the most interesting and mysterious characters in the Night Huntress world, and I was really glad to get a insiders look at him.

Mencheres is old. Really, really old. He claims to be older than dirt, and in his case, it's nearly true. He's a Master Vampire and has an unprecedented amount of power. (You learn this in the Cat and Bones books, but you really get a taste for the vastness of his power in Eternal Kiss of Darkness.) Being so old and living through so much has made Mencheres tired. His visions of the future have dried up and all he sees is darkness looming. His centuries-old war with Radjedef, another powerful vamp has been rekindled and Mencheres knows this will be their final battle.

Mencheres has something sinister planned to thwart Radjedef, when in walks Kira, gun drawn. Kira is a human, who chances upon Mencheres and a group of ghouls as they are tearing Mencheres to bits. Kira calls the police, but before they get there, Kira is fatally wounded by the ghouls. Mencheres is touched by her bravery- a human saving his life. He swoops her up and flies her away before the police can see them and takes her back to one of his houses to heal her. He plans to heal her body, erase her memory of him and his kind, and return to normal. But things don't go exactly according to plan.

Suddenly Mencheres and Kira find themselves on the run from Radjedef and his powerful allies, and amidst all the terror and confusion, they might even find love.

I'll say it outright- I love Jeaniene's books. The romances are always slow and passionate but not excessive or obnoxious.

Mencheres has always fascinated me, and I wanted to know his history. I got that wish fulfilled in Eternal Kiss of Darkness. (yay!) Melissa Marr has said that you never really know the full story until you see it from multiple points of view, and that point is proven here. In the Night Huntress novels we see Mencheres as Cat sees him- old, intimidating, and cold. But that's just how one person views him, and it's completely different from how Kira sees him, which is guarded, but gentle and good and loving.

Kira. Loved her! She was smart, funny, and able to kick serious butt without being manly. She was a woman and not afraid to say so. I can't help but love heroines like her!

4 out of 5 stars.

Absolutely Arbitrary Aardvark (The Boys Next Door)

2011-01-14T22:44:00.002-05:00

Review of The Boys Next Door, by Jennifer Echols.

(Confession: This has nothing to do with aardvarks. I was at a loss for an appropriate alliteration. So sue me.) (And thank you Maria for helping me with the Absolutely Arbitrary part.) (Yes, all I came up with was Aardvark.)

Quickie: Cute, light romantic comedy, but too superficial for me.

Full: Lori is trying to break free. She's been a tomboy all of her life, surrounded by her brother's three guy friends, wearing their hand-me-downs, and working with them at the marina. She wakeboards with them, has secret handshakes and knows every little thing about all of them. But to the boys, she's just Lori, McGillicuddy's little sister. (McGillicuddy is Lori and Bill's (her brother) last name. But everyone calls Bill McGillicuddy because it's more fun) She's not a girl, not a real one anyway. Not the kind with voluptuous chests and giggles and mascara.

Lori is tired of being the tag-a-long little sister, she's ready to be noticed as an available female. In particular, she wants Sean to notice her. She chooses tops that best display her cleavage, she attempts impractical shoes and accessories, and even tries out mascara. She giggles and flirts and takes an extra long time chewing her chicken salad sandwich in hopes that Sean will happen by and be swept away by her feminine charms... except it doesn't really work that way.

Adam, Sean's younger brother is Lori's best friend. They grew up together, they're next door neighbors, and he looks almost exactly like Sean. But he's not Sean and he's not what Lori has her sights set on. Besides, Adam has a girlfriend and come on, he's Adam.

Except that one night at a party Adam and Lori discover Sean making out with Adam's girlfriend.... Uh ohhh!! Punches abound and the brothers are pitted against each other.

Lori sees this as a golden opportunity. Adam wants his girlfriend back, right? And Lori wants Sean to see that she's girlfriend material. So what could be more brilliant than making Sean notice Lori and making Adam's girlfriend jealous at the sane time?! Lori convinces Adam to be her fake boyfriend, so they can rub their adoration in Sean and Rachel's (Adam's ex) faces. Ha! Take that!

When I was reading this, I loved it. As I neared the end, I loved it less. The writing was fun and bouncy and definitely how a teen would be thinking. I laughed a lot and enjoyed it. But the story itself was predictable (which is, well, predictable, since it's a romantic comedy) and a bit too shallow for my tastes. I remember the days when I thought that looks really were everything. It's a phase nearly every teen goes through. I thought that if only I had the perfect outfit, the perfect makeup, the perfect hair, the perfect skin, teeth, nails, backpack, and so on that I could be noticed. I identified with Lori and her quest to become the epitome of feminine perfection. But I've got news for you- it's just not possible, nor is it what matters.

Maybe I'm just too old for this book, but the schemes Lori came up with made my stomach flop. I remember girls in my school doing that sort of thing, I probably did it too. But it seems so stupid. Playing games with people's lives and hearts seems like such a dangerous thing to do. Too dangerous.

Her affections for Sean also had me yelling at her in my mind. How could she like him?? What on earth did she see in him? I understand that you're supposed to be rooting for "the other guy" but I thought that Sean should have at least a few good qualities. To me, he was just a bit fat meanie head and Lori was pretty stupid to think he was The One For Her.

I did enjoy the writing and the humor, but the story just wasn't up to par. I wanted something more- some deeper connection between the characters.

I do plan to read more of Echols, I know many readers who enjoy her work. But this particular book wasn't a big splash for me.

3 1/2 stars out of 5.

Really Ravishing Review (Darkest Mercy)

2011-01-13T12:20:00.002-05:00

Review of Darkest Mercy, by Melissa Marr.

Warning: This is a biased review. I adore Melissa and all her books. Also, there are spoilers from the previous 4 books. You've been warned. Please read Wicked Lovely, Ink Exchange, Fragile Eternity and Radiant Shadows before you read this review, unless of course you don't mind being spoiled. In which case... carry on.

Quickie: The ultimate ending. Dark, delicious, heart-wrenching and lovely.

Full: As most all of you know, I'm a huge, huge fan of Melissa's. I had the honor and privilege of reading an ARC of Darkest Mercy and I'm here to review it for you.

I actually read this book months ago, but it's taken me this long to get up the nerve to write about it. It was breath-taking. The title and cover are exquisite and the story is phenomenal. It releases February 22nd, so mark your calendars!!

Excerpt from the top of the ARC: In the thrilling conclusion to Wicked Lovely, love, despair, and betrayal ignite the Faery Courts and engulf Aislinn, Keenan, Seth, Donia, and Niall. In the final conflict, some will win... and some will lose everything.

Bananach has been busy. She's been sticking her talons into everyone's business, directing and manipulating their lives to coincide with her machinations. War is coming. There is no doubt. Keenan is missing and Aislinn has been thrust solo into her rule of the Summer Court. Irial was stabbed by Bananach and infused with poison. He is unresponsive. Niall is a mess, his temper unchecked and spiraling out of control. All of this... and a war is coming. Sides must be chosen, alliances must be formed. But how can they when there is so much unrest and mistrust?

Darkest Mercy was amazing. Truly amazing. Like many endings, it was fraught with sadness, but also with hope. It left me in tears but with a light heart. The romantic issues between Seth, Aislinn, Keenan, and Donia are resolved. Some folks may not love how it was resolved, but I thought it was perfect and I think it's for the best. Honestly, the fact that Melissa stays true to her character's personality is part of the reason I love these books so much. Sometimes they act stupidly, or in unflattering ways. But it's real, it's honest, it's believable and genuine. I love how Melissa challenges the "good person / bad person" storyline. In her books, the people are just people. There are some people who do more bad than good, and vice versa. But other than Bananach -I cannot think of a good deed to her name- everyone is multi-dimensional and partly good, partly not as good. I think it's fantastic. In real life, even the people who are exceptionally "good" still have ugly parts to them. It's just how it is, and I love how Melissa recognizes that.

I hope you read Melissa's books. She's a fantastic author and inspiring person.

5 out of 5 fangirly stars.

Really Ravishing Review (Matched)

2011-01-10T11:34:00.000-05:00

Review of Matched, by Ally Condie.

Quickie: A thoughtful, beautifully written new dystopian.

Full: Cassia is beside herself with excitement; her Match Banquet is tonight! She gets to wear a special gown and eat special food and she'll find out who her Match is. The Society has paired her and her peers off with the perfect person for them each, based on data and numbers and statistics. It's an infallible system. Or is it? A fluke on her microcard filled with information about her match causes her to see people -and her world- in an entirely different light.

Cassia is also upset about her grandfather's impending death. He's reached the age limit for the Society; eighty years old. Studies have shown that quality of life declines after your eightieth birthday, so to spare everyone that misery the Society schedules everyone's life to end on that day.

The Society has ultimate say in every aspect of your life. They give you food that is calculated to be exactly what your body needs to live, no more, no less. You cannot share your food, you must eat it when and where they say. You wear the same clothes as everybody else, you partake in activities only with the Society's permission. Literally everything from your birth to your death is planned out to perfection.

Of all the things that saddened and worried me in Matched, the "Hundreds" were the worst. The Society decided a while back that really people only needed a hundred of everything- a hundred songs, a hundred poems, a hundred histories. If something didn't make it into the cut, it was destroyed. Books, music... entire libraries and collections simply incinerated forever. Lost. I just about cried.

Cassia is content with her world. She's safe, she's happy... but that fluke on her microcard still bothers her. Why was it there? It must be a mistake... right? Through the fluke and her grandfather's death, Cassia's eyes are opened and she's no longer sure that her world is what it seems.

I thoroughly enjoyed Matched. There was a lot of build up and hype about it in the blogging world, and I feel that it was justified. It's one of those books that sticks with you and you find yourself reflecting on it at the oddest moments.

I've heard some people say that the felt the story was slow, or they couldn't get into it until the second half. That wasn't the case for me. The writing pulled me in instantly. It was beautiful and fluid and I was happy to be carried along by it. While it's true that the action didn't really pick up until the second half, the world building and emotional aspect of the first half was important and interesting.

Matched is a perfect candidate for a book club or classroom discussion. In my opinion, it's the closest a dystopian YA has come to what our future really might hold for us. No, I don't believe it will actually go that far, but it's fascinating to look at our culture and lives and see how this sort of world could come about. The really scary thing is that I can see the logic behind it all, I can see the allure. But it's absolutely terrifying.

Kudos, Condie. I thought Matched was great.

4 out of 5 stars.

Only One Opinion (Aeroplane Child)

2011-01-08T13:41:00.000-05:00

Review of the children's book Aeroplane Child, by Larry Don Cornell Sr.

Toddler Reaction: He liked the bright, colorful drawings, but he quickly lost interest in the text. The words didn't make a lot of sense to him and it was obvious he wasn't listening to the story. After his initial exclamation of "Airplane!" when he saw the cover, he got bored and found something else to do.

Mommy Reaction: I was looking forward to reading Aeroplane Child with my son, since he loves to watch his daddy fly RC airplanes. Sadly though, I was not impressed with this book. The marker drawings were cute and bright, but the words were a jumble. A lot of the times it seemed as though the author thought of every rhyming word he could and put them all in one sentence, whether or not they made sense. I had a hard time following any real story line, as the rhyming words overpowered anything else that could have been there. It's also important to me that a children's book have correct spelling, punctuation, and proper grammar, which this book did not. I'm afraid that I can't say I loved this book, but I will post some quotes for you so that you can make up your own mind about it.

"The aeroplane child is precis and it is nice to heist the slice of sky. And by and by you can't get to high. The air thermos takes you to the next levels just like bevels in the gravels in the pebbles to up hovels and revels to get your shovels and travels away for your troubles." Page 29, Aeroplane Child

"As the aeroplane child is perched on a cloud. Looking like the clouds is endowed and proud in their white color. Loud with thunder and shroud with light. That the crowd is all over the child gourd for the rest of the day. Proud and cloud goes up into a loud place." Page 35, Aeroplane Child

"The flying machine that streams to the dreams and reams to the breams that cream the regimes on the team behind the scene gleams to the hems and the airstream by the beams of gravity Weems the air machine back to the dream." Page 37, Aeroplane Child

Really Ravishing Review (Last Sacrifice)

2011-01-03T13:39:00.000-05:00

Review of Last Sacrifice, by Richelle Mead.

WARNING: Spoilers for the Vampire Academy books 1-5!!! Don't read this review unless you've read the first 5 books!

Quickie: Perfect.

Full: Really. It was perfect. Or as perfect as it could be. Last Sacrifice was one of the most satisfying conclusions to a series that I've ever read.

Rose Hathaway is in jail for the murder of Queen Tatiana, the ruler of the entire Moroi world. Rose is set to go to trial soon, and if convicted, she'll be executed. And there is no doubt in anyone's mind that she is guilty. After all, she was openly hostile with the Queen and all the evidence points to her. The only people not cheering for Rose's death are her friends, Lissa, Christian, Adrien, Dimitri, Tasha, her Alchemist friend Sydney, a few guardians she's befriended, and of course her parents. That sounds like a good number... but when you're looking at the entire Moroi population.... the numbers really aren't good.

An opportunity presents itself to Rose, and she soon finds herself on the run... from everyone. Not only is she running from the guardians -who have been instructed to shoot on sight- but from the human police as well. She's had to leave all her friends and her parents behind at Court to try to find new evidence to clear Rose's name, and it's killing her. She's only running, hiding, not helping and doing something active. For a girl like Rose, it's just another form of torture.

Adding to the torture is the fact that her accomplice in this whole escapade is - you guessed it- Dimitri. Her old flame. The man who loved her, the man who made her skin tingle and her heart race. The man who almost killed her when he was turned Strigoi. After he was brought back and healed by Lissa, Dimitri told Rose he didn't want to see her again. Ouch. It's been rocky and strange, but Rose moved on. What else could she do? Dimitri refused to see her. Rose has been with Adrian for some time, but Adrian had to stay back at Court. So the only option for a traveling companion is Dimitri.

Quickly, Rose and Dimitri fall back into their comfortable pattern. When fights break out, they've got each other's back. They know immediately what the other is thinking and what the other will do. They're back in sync. And maybe even... back in love? No. That can't be. Rose is with Adrian, and Dimitri made his feelings clear. He doesn't want Rose.

Armed with a scrap of paper from Tatiana, their wits, and Rose's friend Sydney's special Alchemist knowledge, they must dig up enough evidence to clear Rose's name, solidify Lissa's standing on the Council, and hopefully not die.

Perfect isn't a word I throw around lightly, not for books. I have fierce love for many, many books. But as I closed the cover of Last Sacrifice and mulled over the whole thing, only one word came to mind- Perfect. It was everything I hoped for and more. The clock was ticking and things were happening and I couldn't put it down. I dreamed that I was on the run with Rose and Dimitri. (It was a pretty intense dream, let me tell you!)

The characters that I've grown to love through the series I loved even more as I read Last Sacrifice. It was a pleasure to get to spend more time with them all.

5 out of 5 stars.

Literati's Literary Loves (The Highlights of 2010)

2011-01-01T21:01:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I posted the list of all the books I read in 2010, and a blogger friend of mine, Unfinished Person, asked if I was going to post my favorites. What a good idea! So I've gone through and pulled out my favorites. What were some of your favorites this year? Tell me in a comment!

Glass Houses - Rachel Caine. This was a favorite because it started me on the entire Morganville series. I was pleasantly creeped out and it was just a great read.

The Splendor Falls - Rosemary Clement-Moore. I loved this one. I'm a sucker for mysteries involving history- especially small town-kept under wraps-ghost story history.

Vampire Academy - Richelle Mead. Heh. This is one that I actually put off for quite some time, because I have a bit of a rebellious streak and it seemed like everyone was reading it. Well, as it turns out, there was a reason that everyone was reading it... it was great!

Pride - Rachel Vincent. This book made me so angry! (In a good way) The characters whom I loved were getting such unfair treatment! I was outraged. I had to keep putting it down, but then I had to pick it up almost immediately because I just had to know how things were going to work out.

Skin Game - Ava Gray. This one sticks out because a good friend of mine, Tiger Holland, gave this to me. Ava Gray is a pen name for Anne Aguirre, and this book was fabulous. Thank you to Tiger for getting me started on Ava Gray/Anne Aguirre!!

First Drop of Crimson - Jeaniene Frost. I love Jeaniene's books. Plain and simple.

The Art of Racing in the Rain - Garth Stein. My sister got this for me for my birthday. It made me cry. Such a sweet story. It's told from the dog's point of view, and you see everything that happens to his human and his family through their loyal companion's eyes.

Fire - Kristin Cashore. Do you ever just feel passionate about a book? I felt passionate about Fire. I was blown away by it. It was actually original and so very well written. *happy reader sighs*

The Summoning - Kelley Armstrong. I devoured this book. And all the rest of them. Easy reads, sure, but I love the "secret agency who is up to no good" story, and this didn't disappoint.

Magic Bleeds - Ilona Andrews. All I have to say about this one (and readers will understand) is.... FINALLLY!!

Son of the Shadows - Juliet Marillier. I read the first of this series about 8 years ago and loved it. I've been meaning to read Son of the Shadows ever since, but it always got upstaged by a library book or something. I finally read it though, and it was fantastic. I bough the next one, and I plan to read it this year.

White Cat - Holly Black. This one is memorable not only because it was an outstanding story, but I loved it so much that I named my own white cat Lila. (And I'm absolutely itching to read Red Glove!!!)

Stork ARC - Wendy Delsol. This book is (so far) the only ARC I've actually requested. I was browsing the Candlewick catalogue and the description caught my eye. Loved the story, and loved getting to interview Wendy as well! (Thanks Wendy!)

Prophecy of the Sisters - Michelle Zink. Mmm. Again with the creepy history element that I love. Plus, the evil sister? Totally awesome.

Before I Fall - Lauren Oliver. Ah. Yes, this one. It's one of those books that makes you stop and really think about life, your choices, and the impact of every single choice you make. It was exactly what I needed to read right then.

Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins. How can this not go on the list? It was the hottest topic on the blogosphere for months! I had mine pre-ordered long before it crossed most peoples' minds, and when it arrived at my door I took pictures. (Yep, I'm a geek) I say again, it was the only way it could end, and it was perfect.

Alpha - Rachel Vincent. *Nerd squee* Amazing, amazing, amazing! Talk about an excellent end to an excellent series. I want to write like Rachel!

First Grave on the Right ARC- Darynda Jones. This one makes the list because it was an unexpectedly good find. The humor was right up my alley.

Bayou Moon - Ilona Andrews. Does Ilona Andrews ever not deliver?? Bayou Moon defies words. Just read it.

Darkest Mercy ARC - Melissa Marr. Flibbidyjibber. *speechless* So. Good.

Strings Attached ARC - Judy Blundell. Another unexpectedly good find. Again, I loved the history, the mystery, and the "holy cow what's she going to do next!" feel.

Last Sacrifice - Richelle Mead. Perfect. My full review on this will be posted later this week. But this one absolutely makes the list. It was all I could have asked for.

So, what made your list? What books stood out for you? Looking back over my list, I realize that many great series ended in 2010. And they all went out with a bang. Kudos, authors. You made my reading year a fantastic one. What's in store for 2011? I don't know, but I know it will be good!

Literati's Literary List

2010-12-31T22:35:00.000-05:00

Well. Here it is, New Year's Eve. My reading goal this year was only fifty books, and I exceeded my goal, so that's exciting. Normally my goal is 100 or more, but I made an exception this year because I had my second son, Logan, in April. I knew that 100 books was unrealistic with a new baby. Although I didn't get as much reading done as I normally do, it was a fantastic, memorable year.

Anyhow, this is a list of all the books I read cover-to-cover for the first time in 2010.

1. Definitely Dead - Charlaine Harris (Jan 4th)
2. Glass Houses - Rachel Caine (Jan 7th)
3. Splendor - Anna Godbersen (Jan 10th)
4. Beautiful Creatures - Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl (Jan 13th)
5. The Hollow - Jessica Verday (Jan 18th)
6. The Splendor Falls - Rosemary Clement-Moore (Jan 19th)
7. The Dead Girls' Dance - Rachel Caine (Jan 21)
8. Vampire Academy - Richelle Mead (Jan 22)
9. Frostbite - Richelle Mead (Jan 26)
10. Lover Unbound - J. R. Ward (Jan 30)
11. Rogue - Rachel Vincent (Feb 1)
12. Pride - Rachel Vincent (Feb 5th)
13. Lover Enshrined - J. R. Ward (Feb 7)
14. Fallen - Lauren Kate (Feb 12)
15. Skin Game - Ava Gray (Feb 14)
16. First Drop of Crimson - Jeaniene Frost (Feb 19)
17. Shift - Rachel Vincent (Feb. 21)
18. Midnight Alley - Rachel Caine (Feb 22)
19. As You Wish - Jackson Pearce (Feb 23)
20. Zombie Queen of Newbury High - Amanda Ashby (Feb 24)
21. Angels' Blood - Nalini Singh (March 3)
22. The Dark Divine - Bree Despain (March 5)
23. Anxious Hearts ARC - Tucker Shaw (March 6)
24. The Art of Racing in the Rain - Garth Stein (March 7)
25. Moon Called - Patricia Briggs (March 9)
26. Unshapely Things - Mark Del Franco (March 11)
27. Shadow Kiss - Richelle Mead (March 11)
28. Feast of Fools - Rachel Caine (March 13)
29. Divine By Mistake - P. C. Cast (March 19th)
30. Pleasure Unbound - Larissa Ione (March 21)
31. Blood Oath ARC - Christopher Farnsworth (March 23)
32. Lord of Misrule - Rachel Caine (March 25)
33. Blood Promise - Richelle Mead (March 27)
34. Old Magic - Marianne Curley (March 28)
35. Fire - Kristin Cashore (March 30)
36. Firespell - Chloe Niell (April 2nd)
37. All Together Dead - Charlaine Harris (April 4th)
38. Never Cry Werewolf - Heather Davis (April 4th)
39. The Body Finder - Kimberly Derting (April 21st)
40. Archangel's Kiss - Nalini Singh (May 5th)
41. Blue Diablo - Anne Aguirre (May 9th)
42. The Summoning - Kelley Armstrong (May 11th)
43. Unquiet Dreams - Mark Del Franco (May 15th)
44. The Awakening - Kelley Armstrong (May 17th)
45. Hell Fire - Anne Aguirre (May 19th)
46. The Red Pyramid - Rick Riordan (May 25th)
47. Magic Bleeds - Ilona Andrews (June 1st)
48. Spirit Bound - Richelle Mead (June 5th)
49. Girl Parts ARC - John M. Cusick (June 6th)
50. Glimmerglass - Jenna Black (June 9th)
51. Son of the Shadows - Juliet Marillier (June 13th)
52. You ARC- Charles Benoit (June 19th)
53. The Iron King - Julie Kagawa (June 24th)
54. City of Bones - Cassandra Clare (June 28th)
55. White Cat - Holly Black (June 29th)
56. Dead Beautiful ARC- Yvonne Woon (July 4th)
57. Sisters Red - Jackson Pearce (July 7th)
58. Raised By Wolves - Jennifer Lynn Barnes (July 9th)
59. Perfect Chemistry - Simone Elkeles (July 12th)
60. Gregor the Overlander - Suzanne Collins (July 13th)
61. Bruiser ARC - Neal Shusterman (July 16th)
62. Stork ARC - Wendy Delsol
63. Prophecy of the Sisters - Michelle Zink
64. City of Ashes - Cassandra Clare (July 29th)
65. Before I Fall - Lauren Oliver (August 5th)
66. The Secret to Lying ARC- Todd Mitchell (August 14th)
67. City of Glass - Cassandra Clare (August 23rd)
68. The Duff ARC - Kody Keplinger (August 26th)
69. Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins (September 3rd)
70. Clockwork Angel ARC- Cassandra Clare (September 10th)
71. Firelight ARC- Sophie Jordan (September 12th)
72. Blood Bound - Patricia Briggs (September 24th)
73. The Big Crunch ARC - Pete Hautman (September 26th)
74. Hurricane Mia - Donna Marie Seim (September 30th)
75. Alpha - Rachel Vincent (October 5th)
75. Sea - Heidi R. Kling (October 9th)
76. First Grave on the Right ARC- Darynda Jones (October 14th)
77. The School for Dangerous Girls - Eliot Schrefer (October 23rd)
78. The Reckoning - Kelley Armstrong (October 29th)
79. Carpe Corpus - Rachel Caine (November 13th)
80. Bayou Moon - Ilona Andrews (November 24th)
81. Darkest Mercy ARC - Melissa Marr
82. Strings Attached ARC - Judy Blundell (November 25th)
83. Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters ARC- Natalie Standiford
84. The Unwritten Rule - Elizabeth Scott
85. The Lost Hero - Rick Riordan
86. The Altar of Bones ARC- Philip Carter
87. Last Sacrifice - Richelle Mead

Really Ravishing Review (The Altar of Bones)

2010-12-28T11:06:00.001-05:00

Review of The Altar of Bones, by Philip Carter.

Quickie: A fast-paced new thriller. Loved the conspiracy, it was devilish!

Full: Zoe Dmitroff is on the run. She's got a postcard of riddles, a letter from her recently murdered grandmother, and no idea what she's looking for or running from. She's left her entire life behind- her precious kitties and her career defending abused and neglected wives- to puzzle out her grandmother's cryptic clues and discover her own ancestry.

Ry O'Malley is waiting. He's out for blood, but he must unravel the threads surrounding his priestly brother's murder and follow his father's sordid history back until he uncovers the truth and sets things right.

But what is The Altar of Bones? Nobody really seems to know- but everyone wants it. In fact, they want it so badly they're willing to kill for it. And they do. Could it be just a hidden altar made of bones and that's all? Or is it something more? Is it even an altar? Or is it what some folks believe- a fountain of youth. Ry and Zoe have to find out the secret of the altar before they're both killed and the secret's either lost forever or lands in the wrong hands.

What an interesting book. There is a lot of action- I mean a lot. I really loved most of the suspense and edge-of-your-seat action, but there were a few times when I had to put the book down because I was simply exhausted from it all. One car chase in particular would have been a sight to see on the big-screen, but felt too long in a book. I lost my steam in that one. I actually sighed and thought, "Okay, I get it. You're being chased, can we move on?" Other than that though, I did enjoy the suspense and mystery surrounding the conspiracy. And what a conspiracy! I can't say much without spoiling, but I can say that I never saw that one coming. It was a fascinating choice.

Ry and Zoe are adorable. I loved them both from the start. Their romance was intense and believable, but didn't get in the way of the mystery. It developed naturally and slowly, as it should.

A little predictable at times, but that wasn't necessarily bad. It would be a great movie for sure.

All in all, I enjoyed reading The Altar of Bones.

4 out of 5 stars.

Wonderfully Wintery Winners!

2010-12-24T12:27:00.000-05:00

And we have a winner! Or two, as the case may be.

Adult Winner (The Altar of Bones) - SiNn

YA Winner (Strings Attached) - Jennifer (pinkpeonyblossoms)

Winners will be receiving an email from me momentarily. Prizes will be shipped after Christmas.

Congrats to the winners, and a big thanks to everyone who entered!

Merry Midwinter Marvels

2010-12-21T00:01:00.004-05:00

Another giveaway hop! Hosted by the lovely Inspired Kathy over at I Am A Reader, Not A Writer.

To Enter:

*Leave a comment on this post.

*Include your email in your comment so I can contact you if you win.

*Include your most treasured winter memory in the comment. (I love reading them!)

*Must be a follower of this blog (it's simple and painless, I promise)

*Must indicate your preferred choice, adult or YA

US & Canada only.

Giveaway runs from 12:01 AM December 21st - 11:59 PM December 22nd.

What you get:

Adult Prize- An ARC of The Altar of Bones, by Philip Carter

YA Prize- An ARC of Strings Attached, by Judy Blundell

My Magnificent Mailbox #22

2010-12-19T18:39:00.001-05:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly Meme brought to you by The Story Siren.

This week I got:

From Nantucket Bookworks:

Kenny & the Dragon, by Toni DiTerlizzi

What I Saw And How I Lied, by Judy Blundell

ARC of Monster Slayers, by Lukas Ritter

ARC of Unveiled, by Courtney Milan

ARC of Tiger's Curse, by Colleen Houck

Really Ravishing Review (The Lost Hero)

2010-12-17T14:58:00.000-05:00

Review of The Lost Hero, by Rick Riordan.

Quickie: Fantastic! A must-read for fans of the Percy Jackson series, to be sure.

Full: I know, I know. There's no Percy. I've heard more than a few people say they weren't sure if the wanted to read this new series since Percy wasn't the main character. To those people I say- Read it! Jason, Leo, and Piper are lovable new characters that I was instantly attached to. Plus... I'm quite sure we will be seeing Percy very soon.

Jason is a student at the Wilderness School, a dumping ground for troublesome kids. He's got a girlfriend, Piper, and a hyper-active best friend named Leo. The problem? He doesn't remember how he got there, how he came to be Piper's boyfriend, or anything else- anything at all. His memory is entirely erased.

All three of them have shady pasts, Leo lost his mother to a fire that he was blamed for, Piper is amazingly good at getting people to hand over their BMW's, and Jason, well, Jason doesn't know exactly what he's done.

On a class field trip to the Grand Canyon, Jason and his friends are attacked by storm spirits, their Coach suddenly sprouts goat legs, and they are swept up into a world entirely new to them- the world of half-bloods, demi-gods and monsters. They are taken to Camp Half-Blood, where they learn about their parents and Jason struggles to uncover his past. While there, they discover that Zeus has locked up Mount Olympus and the gods aren't speaking to anybody, not even their children. This is a big problem though, because even though the Titans were defeated by Percy and his gang, there is an older evil threatening to rise up and demolish the world. Jason and his friends must find this evil, conquer it, and survive... in four days!

As a general rule, I don't like amnesia as a plot. It feels like a cop-out. But in this case, it completely worked, had a purpose, and made the story very interesting. It was also a convenient way to re-introduce the reader to the demi-god world. (Or introduce for the first time, whatever the case may be)

It was so nice to see some of my old favorite characters (Annabeth, Chiron, Clarisse, and others make appearances) in the familiar, comfortable world of Camp Half-Blood. It was fun getting to see it all again from a fresh perspective and to see all the things that changed as a result of Percy and his actions. Very cool.

The Lost Hero's heroes (hehe) are in their mid-teens, which gives it the vibe of a YA, not a mid-grade. Truthfully though, I liked that. I like when a series grows with its' audience. (Harry Potter, for example.) There was more focus on potential romances than in the Percy series, where the romance didn't really come in until the last few books.

I loved the new mythology plot that Riordan added to The Lost Hero. When I first learned that there was going to be a new series set in the same world but with new characters I was stoked. Then I thought about it, and I started wondering if it was really going to be all that good. After all, what more could happen? Would new characters really be all that was needed?? I didn't think so, and I was a little hesitant to read this new series. But lo and behold; a new line of mythology! Yes! That's exactly what was needed to keep things interesting. I really liked how Riordan introduced the Roman mythology. It really was a brilliant way to liven things up and keep the story moving.

The characters were, as I said before, lovable. Piper is Cherokee, and her father is a famous movie-star. Piper loves her father, but hardly gets the time of day from him with his busy schedule and travel. She steals things, or convinces people to give them to her, as a way to get attention (negative attention is still attention) from her father. She is/was Jason's girlfriend, but learns that their whole relationship, all those good memories were just a trick of the Mist. So what's real? Her feelings for him are real. But what are they based on? False memories? Or the present?

Leo is ADHD and is always pulling random bits of junk out of his pockets and fiddling with them. He often feels like the third-wheel to the maybe-possibly-kind-of romance that Piper and Jason have going on. He's spunky, fun, and trying desperately to come to grips with his past.

Jason, of course, doesn't know who he is. Apparently, he has a girlfriend. But what about the life he left behind? Was there a girl in that life? Would he be doing something wrong by liking Piper? And the big question- Why is he here? Who put him here and how?

If you are one of those people who - like me - had some doubts about this new series, I hope you can see that they are unnecessary. The Lost Hero was everything a Percy fan could hope for in a new branch of the same story. Give it a try.

5 out of 5 stars.

Only One Opinion (The Unwritten Rule)

2010-12-13T18:10:00.001-05:00

Review of The Unwritten Rule, by Elizabeth Scott.

Quickie: Not a bad story, wasn't pleased with the babbly-writing though.

Full: Sarah likes Ryan. Brianna is Sarah's best friend. Ryan and Brianna are dating. Ryan likes Sarah back. Ouch.

The plot is a simple one, but it's very real and fraught with emotion and pain. Sarah has liked Ryan since the 8th grade, but somehow her best friend Brianna ended up dating him. If I had to classify Sarah and Brianna's friendship, I'd call it "The Garden" kind of friendship. Sarah is the gardner, never seen, but always there to tend and support The Rose, aka Brianna. Brianna just eats up the attention. What I loathed about their friendship though, is how Brianna is constantly slamming Sarah, and Sarah just takes it. I was pretty mad at both of them through the whole thing. I sided with Sarah, of course, because even though I sympathized with Brianna about her cold-hearted parents, it wasn't an excuse for her to treat Sarah like dirt.

And poor Sarah. She tried so hard to be there and support Brianna, even when she was desperately in love with Brianna's boyfriend. I can't even imagine it. Watching them kiss, being forced to tag along as the third wheel, the whole time wishing he was hers. Brianna treated them both horribly. She was just playing with Ryan, she obviously didn't care a bit about him.

And Ryan, what was the deal with him? He liked Sarah for forever... but went out with Brianna because it was easier? Because Brianna showed an interest? Please. That's a mega-lame excuse. "Oh, well, I've liked you since we first met, but your best friend flirted with me, so I decided to date her and make out with her instead. Sorry for not even trying." Lame!!

Brianna was a horrible, horrible friend all around. She acted like Sarah was her personal assistant, not her best friend. Yeah, I get that they've shared some good times. But telling your friend she "might get a freshman guy"to go out with her because she's not hot and no other guy would notice her- That's so uncool. Her parental situation was awful. I felt for her there and I didn't want her to lose Sarah's friendship, because clearly she really needed somebody to love her. But she went about it in the worst way possible.

Sarah was sweet and supportive and was really torn up about the whole situation. I didn't really see what she saw in Ryan, but hey. That wasn't really the point. He was nice enough, and I liked their conversations, but his weak personality didn't appeal to me at all.

My biggest beef was the rambly writing. In some places it worked, but there were a lot of spots where some clear and concise writing could have really improved it. I understand that it was an emotion-based book, but does the entire thing have to read like a run-on sentence?

I didn't not like it. But it doesn't compare to other books I've given four stars to, so I'm giving it-

3 1/2 stars out of 5.

My Magnificent Mailbox #21

2010-12-12T21:30:00.001-05:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme brought to you by The Story Siren.

This week I got:

From Nantucket Bookworks:
ARC of Armos Daragon, by Bryan Perro
ARC of The Year of Past Things, by M. A. Harper
ARC of Bitter Melon, by Cara Chow
ARC of Pushing Past the Night, by Mario Calabresi
ARC of The Altar of Bones, by Philip Carter

Only One Opinion (Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters)

2010-12-09T21:05:00.000-05:00

Review of Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters, by Natalie Standiford.

Quickie: Interesting idea, but ultimately unsatisfying.

Full: First off, let me say that I found the plot idea fascinating. An old aristocrat grandmother demands confessions from her grandchildren in order to put them back in the will... and nobody knows exactly which confession she's looking for. The Sullivan parents were difficult and amusing to read. Difficult because they really weren't very stellar parents, and amusing for the same reason.

Norrie is the first sister we read of, and she's the oldest girl in the family of six children. I liked Norrie. She tried really hard to be responsible, but love has a way of making itself the sole priority in a girl's life. I was rooting for Norrie and her love the whole time.

Next up is Jane, the firecracker of the group. In Norrie's point of view, I wasn't all that fond of Jane. Her rebellious nature was shocking and annoying at time. But reading from Jane's point of view, I thought she was awesome. A little too crazy for me to want to be her bestie, but fun to read.

Sassy was the sweet, sensitive younger sister. The one who cried the most and internalized everyone else's problems. I had a hard time understanding her confessions, and I just didn't see how she could blame herself for her transgressions. She was a sweetheart though.

My biggest problem, and the reason I give this book 3 stars, was the ending. For so much buildup the ending lacked the climatic peak that I enjoy. It was like a balloon that you puff and puff to blow up, but instead of tying it off you let it go and it just deflates back into a shriveled piece of rubber. Bleh. It had potential, but I didn't feel like it was as good as it could have been.

So, while it was amusing and interesting, I have to give it-

3 out of 5 stars.

Really Ravishing Review (Strings Attached)

2010-11-25T20:54:00.000-05:00

Review of Strings Attached, by Judy Blundell. Hardcover publication March 2011.

Quickie: Strings Attached caught me by surprise. It was a treat to read.

Full: I'll admit, Strings Attached wasn't in my 'priority' pile. But then I saw a Tweet from Literaticat, saying she enjoyed it. My interest was peaked, so I decided to pick it up. I went in cold turkey, which is more fun in my opinion. Wow. What a gem.

Normally I read books with paranormal elements, but it's refreshing to read things that are in the "normal world".

Kit Corrigan is an aspiring actress, singer, and dancer from Providence, Rhode Island. She packs her bags and heads to the city- the only city where her big dreams can come true in the 1950's- New York. She's rooming with an atrocious girl and her atrocious mother, scraping by and working in a no-name show and trying to find her big break.

Opportunity comes knocking in an unlikely form- Kit's ex-boyfriend's father. Billy, the ex, is away in the army. His father Nate is a well-known lawyer in Providence, with clients in New York as well. He finds Kit at her theatre and offers her an apartment, free of charge, if only she'll write a letter to Billy and try to get him to come home for Thanksgiving. You see Billy and his father aren't exactly on speaking terms, and Kit is the only way that Nate has any chance of seeing his boy.

The deal seems harmless enough, and she really does need a better place to stay, so she reluctantly agrees. Quickly, Kit discovers that one little deal can lead to more, bigger, complicated deals that she can't say no to. You can't say no to the man who houses you, dresses you, and gets you one of the best jobs in town now can you? Not without losing it all anyway.

Suddenly Kit finds herself stuck between a rock and a hard place, with Nate's suspicious favors slowly increasing in danger and Kit with no other options. Plot threads cross and join and split and marry in a nail-biting ride. Skeletons come out of many closets, some from Kit's own family and many, many secrets are revealed in this delicious tale of life and troubles in the 1950's.

I loved Kit and her family. They were flawed, but honest and loving. They were all such rich, believable characters. I absolutely loved going back in time to be with them, to observe their lives and share their feelings. It never ceases to fascinate me how much I love reading historical fiction. The past is as much a mystery to me as the future or author created worlds. I've not been there, so it's new and exciting.

At first I thought the title was kind of meh, but after reading the book it made total sense and I thought it was perfect. The cover could be better, in my opinion. It didn't pull me in, or give any indication as to what the book may be like. It's pretty, but not my favorite. (Not criticizing the photographer or designer, just saying it didn't work for me) (Although on my copy you definitely cannot see the blue behind her; I think it's a curtain. If it's on the final copy, I approve. My copy, she just blends into a black background.)

Strings Attached was very well built and the suspense was doled out expertly. I wasn't in agony as to what would happen next, but I couldn't stop thinking about the story, I dreamed about the characters and put myself in the story-dream. I stayed up way too late reading it, and definitely neglected some house chores to sneak off and read. To me, that's the mark of a great book.

I'm well and truly impressed with Judy Blundell's work, and though I haven't read What I Saw And How I Lied, I now plan to.

4 out of 5 stars.

Really Ravishing Review (Bayou Moon)

2010-11-24T23:04:00.000-05:00

Review of Bayou Moon, by Ilona Andrews.

Quickie: Better than On The Edge, in my opinion. (And I loved On The Edge) Brilliant.

Full: I think I may have to make an "Ilona Andrews" label here on the blog, because it's getting harder and harder to fit Andrews' books into genres. Not that I'm complaining, because their books break out of traditional genre cliches and slash and parry into the new. (I say 'their' because the Ilona Andrews pen name is for a married couple; Ilona and Andrew Gordon.)

Bayou Moon is the second book in The Edge series. It's not a "sequel", but "a novel of the Edge". You do see some characters from On The Edge, but it's mostly a brand new story. And it's marvelous.

We start out with William, a poor lost soul who thinks he isn't worth anything. It's an understandable feeling for him, since he's a changeling, and in Adrianglia they abhor and fear changelings. Mothers are permitted to give up their changeling baby, surrender them to the government. They are sent to orphanages until they are old enough to go to Hawk's Academy, where they are taught to kill. Because after all, that's all a changeling could possibly be good for, right? (insert maternal heartache here) He longs for companionship, for friends, for a family, but knows that his reality won't allow for all that. His reality is killing. It's what he was raised to do, and he's darn good at it. The best.

William (I keep wanting to type Squilliam Fancyson. Stinkin' Spongebob!) has been hired by The Mirror - Adrianglia's secret service of sorts- to hunt down a certain important article and kill the man who has it. This leads to even more interesting people, like The Hand. They are referred to as "the freaks", and generally I would dislike that, but for The Hand it's fitting and true. They are modified people, some modified so much that they are no longer human. They have tentacles and cilia and freakish super powers that make them terrifying and unpredictable. The leader of The Hand is Spider, who is of course the man William must hunt and kill.

On the way to Spider, William meets Cerise. Cerise is searching for her parents, who have been traded by her family's rivals, the Sheeriles, to The Hand for the deed to her grandfather's house. She doesn't know why The Hand would have an interest in her parents, but as the leader of the family in her father's absence, she must find them and save them. At the same time of course, the feud between her family and the Sheeriles has rekindled and they must fight for their land and pride.

Cerise lives in the Mire, where exiles have been cast and everyone is poor. It's dangerous land and one wrong move could result in your death. Families are large, and they fight tooth and nail for everything they have.

With their courses twined, Cerise and William share a perilous journey with uncertain consequences. Along the way, a romance buds. I loved, loved, loved the romance in Bayou Moon. It was real. They didn't bat their eyelashes and instantly want to get hitched and live happily ever after. They didn't even get along when they first met. They were suspicious of each other, and they goaded each other and laughed when the other fell. It was awesome. The more they got to know one another, the more they realized that "Hey, this person is really cool. Oh, and hey, I'm really impressed with his/her fighting abilities, magic, and perseverance. And would you look at that, they look quite nice when he/she is fighting... No! Must not think that!! But he/she is really funny, and what did he/she mean by ___??"

I loved it. It wasn't rushed, it wasn't forced, it was awesome.

How was the world, you ask? Divine, I say. With all of Ilona Andrews' books, you have to pay attention and let the world build itself in your head. Once it's there, it's fantastical. No important detail is overlooked, and the world is so very complete. Most books with big new worlds, I get the idea but there are blank spots on my picture. Not so in Bayou Moon. I felt like I could be transported there in real life and already know what I was facing and where to go. That's some massive talent right there.

The Hands freaks might be number one on my awesome list. I could imagine them so well, and they creeped me out utterly. The genius behind all these characters and world ideas... I'm still geeking out over it all.

I feel like I've written a book on this book... so I'll stop now. But if any of you Bayou Moon fans want somebody to geek with, I'm ready and willing!

For those of you who haven't read it and think it sounds like something you might like- GO. Read. Now.

5 of 5 stars.

My Magnificent Mailbox #20

2010-11-14T18:45:00.000-05:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme brought to you by The Story Siren.

This week I got:

From the library:
The Writing Habit, by David Huddle
Writing Romances, by Janet Daily, Jude Deveraux, Kathleen Eagle, Jo Beverly
Reading Like A Writer, by Francine Prose

From Nantucket Bookworks:
ARC of Prelude to a Scandal, by Delilah Marvelle
ARC of Strings Attached, by Judy Blundell
ARC of Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life
ARC of Precious and Fragile Things, by Megan Hart
ARC of Night Road, by Kristin Hannah

Other:
Fish! (A Proven Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results), by Stephen C. Lundin, Ph.D., Harry Paul, and John Christensen

Really Ravishing Review (Carpe Corpus)

2010-11-13T18:29:00.001-05:00

Review of Carpe Corpus, by Rachel Caine. (Morganville Vampires #6)

Spoiler Alert!: This is the 6th book in the series, so spoilers from the previous 5 books are highly likely!!

Quickie: Enjoyed it!

Full: Honestly, this would have been a satisfactory ending to the series for me. The book ended with hope, and I liked that. Bishop has taken control of Morganville, and things aren't pretty. Townsfolk are afraid for their lives, even in broad daylight. Not only are the humans running in fear, the vampires are too. Anyone not completely committed to Bishop will die. Then again, maybe some of them will die too... it's all just a big fun death game, with Bishop calling the shots. Claire and her lovable group of friends are the only people with the knowledge and power to do anything about it... but Clair has been marked by Bishop, forcing her to submit to his every desire. Shane is still in jail with his father, Michael is under Bishop's rule, and Eve is an unprotected human - easy prey. Claire, with the unstable Myrnin and her friends, must upend the new government that Bishop has erected and bring back order. Oh, and they can't get killed while doing it. ;-)

Carpe Corpus was another solid entry into the Morganville series. It wasn't my favorite of the six I've read, but it was good. I'll be interested to see if the next few books make the series feel stretched out, because I felt like this should be the last one. It seemed to tie up all of the plot threads just fine, unless I'm forgetting one.

My favorite character by far in this book was Myrnin. In other books he's been borderline terrifying. He's always been fascinating, but for some reason I really loved him in Carpe Corpus. Maybe it was the outfit... frock coats, Mardi-Gras beads and flip-flops. Love it. His randomness was amusing and endearing.

One thing I really love about all the Morganville books, is the relationship Claire has with her friends. I love the teasing, the loving atmosphere, the care-free friendliness. The zombie-killing games as a stress reliever is so perfect. It's all so real. It makes me want to go over to the Glass House, listen to Michael play his guitar, eat some chili, and play some video-games with them. They are just like the friends I used to have.

Will I read the next in the series? Yeah. But I'm a little afraid. This one ended so perfectly.

4 out of 5 stars.

My Magnificent Mailbox #19

2010-11-07T22:22:00.000-05:00

Before I get into my IMM stuff, I just want to apologize for my lack of posts lately. I have a few reasons for this silence on the blog. 1.) I lost the book I was reading. Ha! I'm almost done with it, so I didn't want to start a new one without finishing it. 2.) NaNoWriMo has sucked me in. I'm behind in my word count, so every spare few minutes I have away from the kids, pets, laundry, husband, etc. I've been giving to my story.

I found my book, but haven't had time to finish it. I'll try to get it done in the next few days so I can at least put up a review!

Okay, on to my IMM! (no picture right now, I can't seem to find my camera. I'm all sorts of lost!)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme, brought to you by The Story Siren.

This week I got:

From Amazon (hubby, you really must stop surprising me with books! Actually, no I'm kidding. Keep surprising me.):
The Grimm Legacy, by Polly Shulman
The Ghost and the Goth, by Stacia Kade
Forgive My Fins, by Tera Lynn Childs

Hand-me-down from my sister:
Bringing Up Boys, by Dr. James Dobson

Completely Cool Cover

2010-11-02T13:42:00.000-04:00

I don't do this often, but I adore this series, so I'm going to do it! Magic Slays, by Ilona Andrews has an official cover! (And yes, she gave permission to post it)

It fits right in with the rest of the series, but somehow, I like it more.

Wonderfully Wacky Winners!

2010-11-01T14:46:00.000-04:00

The Spooktacular Giveaway blog hop has ended, which means I have winners to announce!

Winner of prize pack number 1: April X

Winner of prize pack number 2: throuthehaze

Winner of prize pack number 3: Autumn

Congrats!! Thank you to everyone who entered, I enjoyed reading your favorite Halloween moments tremendously!

And I suppose I should share my favorite Halloween memory, which was just last night. :) We took the boys (ages nearly 3 and 6 months) trick-or-treating around downtown. My oldest was dressed as Buzz Lightyear, and my youngest was a monkey. They had SO much fun.

Really Ravishing Review (The Reckoning)

2010-10-29T17:45:00.002-04:00

Click here to enter the SPOOKTACULAR GIVEAWAY

Review of The Reckoning, by Kelley Armstrong.

Warning: Spoilers for The Summoning and The Awakening! The Reckoning is book three, read the other two first!

Quickie: A wonderful resolution to a fantastic, fast-paced series.

Full: Chloe can raise the dead. Along with a few other teens, she's on the run from The Edison Group- a team of scientists with supernatural abilities attempting a genetic manipulation in other (unknowing) supernaturals. The Edison Group desires to minimize the effects of supernatural's powers and help the subjects have more control over their powers. Trouble is... the experiment went wrong. Instead of minimizing the effects, they maximized them. Now The Edison Group is trying to "fix" their mistakes... with bullets if necessary.

I'm a bit sad that this was the last book in the series, but I liked the way it ended. Kelley's writing is so smooth and easy to read, it's always a pleasure to read her books, and The Reckoning was no exception. I loved the pacing of the book, and the information was never dumped on us; but revealed slowly and with care. All three books kept me turning page after page, biting my nails in anticipation. I love that!

I don't think I had any nitpicks with this book, which is surprising. (heh) The romance was so very real- I'm pretty sure at one time or another I've been in the shoes of each different character. It was completely believable and sweet, I just wanted to hug them all. Chloe does finally decide between Simon and Derek, and I was all for her choice. :) It's a little weird, because normally I can choose my "team" right off the bat, and it seems obvious who the girl will choose in the end, but not so in this series. I hadn't made my choice until about the middle of The Reckoning- probably about the same time Chloe did. I like that. It made it just that much more real to me.

One of my favorite things about this book is how you really, truly don't know who you can trust. It kept my adrenaline pumping the whole stinkin' time.

If you are one of those people who need every plot thread capped off, then you might be frustrated with The Reckoning. There were some open ends, but nothing dire. In my opinion, it ended with a satisfying amount of hope.

4 out of 5 stars.

Splendid Spooky Swap

2010-10-28T22:46:00.004-04:00

I signed up for the Spooky Swap, hosted by Travis over at Inked Books and Jessica from A Fanatic's Book Blog. What was the Spooky Swap? It was a special little thing for bloggers, kind of like Secret Santa, but for Halloween! Anyhow, it was great fun, and as part of the swap, I'm posting what I got in my package. :)

-A big Pumpkin Spice candle (which, as you can tell, I'm loving) (and yeah, the glass cracked, but it's still perfectly fine. :))
-Vampire Academy (which I love! And it's perfect because I love the book, but didn't own it.)
-A bag of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (Not shown.. because they're already gone. Things like that don't last long in my house.)

Thanks so much to my secret Spook! ;-)

And for more spooky fun, don't miss out on my SPOOKTACULAR GIVEAWAY!

Super Spooktacular Stuff

2010-10-25T00:01:00.033-04:00

I'm participating in the Spooktacular Book Blog Giveaway Hop, along with 87 other blogs! Make sure you check them all out! (They're in a Linky at the bottom of the post)

The Spooktacular 1st Prize Pack:

An ARC of First Grave on the Right, by Darynda Jones
The School for Dangerous Girls, by Eliot Schrefer
Anxious Hearts, by Tucker Shaw

The Spooktacular 2nd Prize Pack:
An ARC of Teenie, by Christopher Grant
The School for Dangerous Girls, by Eliot Schrefer
An ARC of The Big Crunch, by Pete Hautman

The Spooktacular 3rd Prize Pack:
Misty Gordon and the Mystery of the Ghost Pirates, by Kim Kennedy
The Princess Trap, by Kirsten Boie
Hurricane Mia: A Caribbean Adventure, by Donna Marie Seim

To Enter:
*Leave a comment on this post with your email address.
*You must be a follower of this blog (It's simple and painless, I promise)
*In your comment, please tell me one of your favorite Halloween memories. :)

Three winners will be drawn from the entries. Prize packs will be given in the order the entries are drawn.

US & Canada only please. Contest ends at 11:59 PM EST, October 31st. Winners will be announced the following week.

Don't forget to check out these other Spooktacular Giveaways!

My Magnificent Mailbox #18

2010-10-24T10:40:00.001-04:00

~~Fail! It's Monday again, and I thought it was only Sunday. *shakes head in shame* So here is my IMM post... late, as usual.~~ Wow. It IS Sunday. I can't believe that I thought it was Monday. *shakes head in more shame than before* Uhm, so here's my apparently right-on-time IMM.....

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme showcasing this week's book loot, brought to you by The Story Siren.

This week I got:

From Amazon (thank you hubby!!):

Beautiful Darkness, by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
The Lost Hero, by Rick Riordan
Extraordinary, by Nancy Werlin
Personal Demons, by Lisa Desrochers
Paranormalcy, by Kiersten White
The Iron Daughter, by Julie Kagawa
The Search for WondLa, by Tony DiTerlizzi
Bright Young Things, by Anna Godbersen
Shadow Hills, by Anastasia Hopcus

From the Spooky Swap:
Vampire Academy, by Richelle Mead

Yard-Sale:
Iona Moon, by Melanie Rae Thon
My Name Is Will, by Jess Winfield

Not a bad haul!!

What did you get? Have you read any of these?

Really Ravishing Review (The School for Dangerous Girls)

2010-10-23T15:59:00.000-04:00

Review of The School for Dangerous Girls, by Eliot Schrefer.

Quickie: Surprisingly suspenseful, and completely infuriating. (In a good way)

Full: Angela has been deemed a "dangerous" girl. Her parents are done putting up with her, so they send her off to Hidden Oak, a reform institution in Middle-of-Nowhere, Colorado. Immediately it becomes clear that this is no ordinary school- it's more like a prison. A prison with a dictatorship and terrible mind games. Angela and the other new students have to go through a month-long "orientation" period, during which they discover video cameras throughout the school and that they get locked into their dorm rooms every night. The more Angela discovers, the clearer it is that she must escape.

The School for Dangerous Girls really took me by surprise. A little slow to get started, but only because things needed to be set up. Once the foundation was laid, however, the story took off. Angela is an interesting character... but she doesn't hold a candle to some of the other "dangerous girls". They're creepy and cruel and some are downright evil. I'm glad Angela wasn't one of those types because I would have had a tougher time understanding her.

As it was, I pretty much liked her. I didn't feel like she really deserved to be in such a crazy-messed-up place, and I really hated how they continuously said that this school was the very last chance any of the girls would get in life. They're young! They can always change. Humph. I hated the "they're hopeless" attitude that a lot of the faculty had. And whoa, nothing the staff did was legal. I was pleasantly infuriated multiple times. The unfairness and heavy-handedness was just horrible. (By pleasantly, I mean as much as I was upset, I was glad to be feeling something for the characters and wanting to help them)

I was honestly surprised how much I enjoyed the book. It was more suspenseful and creepy than I had anticipated. I was afraid it wouldn't end well, since there were only a few pages left and big things were still happening, but Schrefer somehow managed it. Overall, The School for Dangerous Girls was very entertaining.

4 out of 5 stars.

My Magnificent Mailbox #17

2010-10-18T07:19:00.000-04:00

Oops. I realize it's Monday, and IMM posts are supposed to happen on Sunday... so let's just pretend I can remember what day of the week it is and call today Sunday, okay? Okay!

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme brought to you by The Story Siren.

This week I got:

From Nantucket Bookworks:
Hold Me Closer, Necromancer, by Lish McBride
ARC of Recovery Road, by Blake Nelson
ARC of One Rough Man, by Brad Taylor

That's it!

What did you get?

Really Ravishing Review (First Grave on the Right)

2010-10-14T12:45:00.001-04:00

Review of First Grave on the Right, by Darynda Jones. (Out Feb. 1st, 2011)

Quickie: A marvelous debut- I can't wait for more from Darynda Jones!

Full: Meet Charley Davidson, Private Investigator, 27 year old single woman, resident of Albuquerque, Grim Reaper. Yes, that's right. Charley ferries souls to "the other side". She also has a knack for knowing exactly where missing bodies are, where key evidence is, and who-done-it. She works as a consultant for her Uncle Bob, a member of the APD and is the secret to his success. When the spirits of three dead lawyers from the same firm come to her and ask her to find their killer, Charley is pulled into a scheme much larger and more dangerous than she imagined.

Sounds pretty good right? It gets better. There's another supernatural entity; a very, very yummy man, and he keeps, shall we say, visiting Charley in her dreams. She is not opposed to these visits, but she soon discovers there is a lot more to it than just a fun dream... there are lives at stake and whole wealth of information undiscovered about herself. That might not make sense now, but it will when you read the book.

First Grave on the Right was exactly the kind of book I love to read. Jones' humor was spot-on, I was laughing non-stop. I particularly enjoyed the names she gives to her feminine parts. I had to put the book down I was laughing so hard. Charley has the kind of attitude and snark that makes this genre of book so fun to read. She's tough but still feminine and doesn't take crap from anybody. Love it!

The only complaint I had was that I thought the ending needed a bit more struggle. I'm used to the conflict taking more of a toll on the characters I think. Not that the ending wasn't good, it was, I just wanted more meat to it.

A resounding success, First Grave on the Right is the first of three books in the Charley Davidson series. We can look forward to Second Grave on the Left, and Third Grave Dead Ahead.

I'm officially declaring myself a fan of Darynda Jones and the Charley Davidson series. If you're still not convinced of this book's awesomeness, maybe all the blurbs on the back cover will do the trick-

"The best debut novel I've read in years! Hilarious and heartfelt, sexy and surprising... I'm begging for the next one!!" -- J. R. Ward. #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of Lover Avenged

"I am furiously envious of Darynda Jones and rue the day she came up with this concept, damn her eyes. First Grave on the Right...kidnapped me from the first paragraph, and didn't let go until the exceedingly yummy conclusion." -- Maryjanice Davidson, New York Times Bestselling Author of Undead and Unwelcome

"First Grave on the Right is smart, sharp, and wickedly entertaining. Grab this one." -- Jayne Ann Krentz, New York Times Bestselling Author of Fired Up

"First Grave on the Right is witty, darkly thrilling, and oh, so sexy!" -- Gena Showalter, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Darkest Whisper

"First Grave on the Right is a phenomenal debut! This series opener has it all - rollicking humor, sizzling sexual tension, and a spine-tingling mystery. I'm eagerly awaiting the next Charley Davidson tale!" -- Kresley Cole, New York Times Bestselling Author of Pleasure of a Dark Prince

4 out of 5 stars

An Author Answers (Donna Marie Seim)

2010-10-11T21:07:00.004-04:00

I had the opportunity recently to read and review Hurricane Mia: A Caribbean Adventure, by Donna Marie Seim. You can find my review here. Donna agreed to do a little Q and A for you all, and without further ado, I give you The Interview!

Literati: First, I'd like to get this out of the way- Go Bucks!! I had to. I'm an Ohio native, and I see that you're a graduate of Ohio State University.

Donna: Yay! Go- Bucks! Shannon, where in Ohio did you grow up? I was born and grew up in Cleveland!

(L: Donna, I was born in Mansfield and raised in Mount Vernon, just about an hour North of Columbus.)

L: What inspired you to write Hurricane Mia? Was there anything specific?

D:I love the Turks and Caicos Islands! I have been traveling there for many years and have visited all of the inhabited islands and many of the uninhabited Cays. The turquoise waters, the wild donkeys, the people and the culture, along with bush medicine, all inspired me to write Hurricane Mia. Once I had decided to write a story about the islands, I then set about composing my main characters and soon had the idea for the core story, a search for the tea that cures everything. I accomplished most of this while walking on the very beaches I wrote about. My goal was to write a story that would bring two cultures together, the strength of the story relies on the relationship between the two girls, Mia and Neisha, beginning from the very moment they meet in front of the Green Flash Cafe.

L: I've heard some authors say that they like to write because they can live vicariously through their characters, do you agree?

D: I am afraid that it is the opposite with me. My characters live through my experience and research. I love to make them come alive and I do want to share them and their foibles with my readers. But, no I cannot say I live through them. I must also admit that as I develop my characters they begin to take on their own traits and actions. I have to keep them in check so one doesn't overcome the other! It is one of the most fascinating parts of writing a novel!

L: I read in your bio that you spend time in the Caribbean. What sort of things do you do down there?

D: Yes, I spend a great deal of time in the Caribbean. My husband and I have renovated a small house and we live there on a part time basis. We enjoy taking eco tours and small boating trips to the undeveloped islands and exploring the uninhabited ones. We enjoy the people and the music, we have fed the stingrays, swam with barracudas, and visited the wild donkeys in the shelter. I love to walk the beach collecting shells and sea glass. I really enjoy all the birds, wild horses, goats and chickens running free in the streets. We love to 'lime', just sitting and talking with friends and listening to their stories. Islanders always have stories, and they are more than willing to share them!

L: Any favorite stories of your times spent there?

D: My favorite story is the time when we took an eco tour to meet with a real bush doctor and possibly a granny or two. We had to fly to one island and then take a ferry to another, followed by a long drive in a truck through mud at times nearly three feet high. It was a wild drive, I held on for dear life hoping we would not end up sinking in the mud! We did accomplish our goal and to my delight met with a bush doctor. He had a sign hanging out front, hand painted, that read, The Doctor is in! The back of it read, The Doctor is out. He was a walking encyclopedia of information about all the different types of plants and what healing qualities they possessed. He also pointed out some bad ones, so you need to know your plants! We were also very pleased to make the acquaintance of many of the local folk, among them a granny. Auntie Cecilia is partially based on this granny. By the way, a granny is a midwife, and it is out of respect that elders are called Auntie or Uncle with their first names.

L: I love to know the little details that seep through from the author's life into their writing. I noticed one- that you have a dog named Rags and Mia has both a stuffed dog and a real dog named Rags. Are there any other things from your own life that appeared in Hurricane Mia?

D: Yes, I have a dog named Rags and it was fun to put him in the story. Also the name, Dragonfly, came from our boat. Susan, the illustrator, used our boat for the drawing for the cover. Most of my knowledge of boats is based on our own boat, so I decided to name the boat in the story Dragonfly! Also, many of the descriptions of the islands are as I know them and have experienced them. For instance, I have witnessed a water spout, and it is truly a terrifying thing to see. I saw one as we were preparing to leave our house to board a puddle jumper to fly to another island. I could only imagine how scary it would be to be on the sea in a small boat with one coming toward you. It was bad enough in the air. I made a point to file that thought, hmmm, good fuel for a story!

L: Which character in Hurricane Mia was your favorite to write?

D: I have to admit, I loved them all. Each one is a composite of different people I have met and a hearty mixture of my own imagination. Mia came first, and being the protagonist, she was my favorite. I had to check myself, as I wrote and developed the characters of Neisha and Jack, that I didn't let them take the stage away from Mia. They become stronger as the story progresses, Neisha, with all her strengths and fears, and Jack, as a lovable and humorous character. Auntie Cecilia is special, and I have to say, developing her was a true pleasure, she is a favorite too.

L: Which was the most difficult?

D: Without a doubt Gram was the most difficult! She is presented as rigid and ungiving and judgmental. Without Gram and Mia' s conflict, the story wouldn't have been able to move forward. I felt bad for Gram, because grandmothers are generalized as loving and caring, and not as demanding as the parents. But, that is not always the case, as is this situation. I had to concentrate on the conflict between Mia and Gram having it grow until Mia blows up and loses her temper. She says awful things to Gram and ends up regretting it, but neither of them are able to resolve the conflict between them. That is the reason Mia goes on with her plan and does not ask for help, believing her grandmother would never condone a trip to find something as silly as bush medicine.

L: Quick! Yankees or Red Sox?! (It's mandatory that I ask you that. Well, not really, but I'm asking anyway.)

Red Sox! Of course!

L: Any advice to young writers and aspiring authors?

D: The best advice I can give to young writers is to keep a journal. Even everyday incidents can be used later on for a good story. The more your pen flows, the more you write, the more you will master the art of writing. Writers should also read, read, read! I think the more you read the better you write, it helps to expand your scope and learn how others create a storyline, conflict, tension and resolution. I often feel I write the best after I have read an author that has truly inspired me.

Some say, write what you know, but I say, don't only write what you know, use your imagination and expand your horizons! Do some research to fill in the gaps! I also like to write as I travel or experience something new, or meet someone who has just told me an interesting, head turning story. Writing is a process, it is always continuing and growing, you will find that your revisions of your work make it better, just like the elbow grease needed to polish silver until it shines!

L: Anything that you want to mention, but I didn't ask about?

Shannon, thanks so much for the interview! I enjoyed answering your questions, they were great! I love having the opportunity to express my thoughts and feelings about the characters, conflicts and all the ingredients that went into the making of Hurricane Mia! It was quite an adventure!

My very best,

Donna Seim

Donna's Bio:

The love of children and children's literature has played an integral role in Donna Seim's life. In her first book, Fifty Cents an Hour, Donna tells her hilarious childhood stories from growing up in a large Irish Catholic family.

Donna's first picture book, Where is Simon, Sandy?, set in the Caribbean, is an award winning story of a little donkey that wouldn't quit.

Hurricane Mia, a Caribbean Adventure, is Donna's first novel. And, coming soon, is Charley!, the story of an orphaned city boy from Boston who sings his way into a dairy farming family in the heartland of rural Maine.

When Donna is not in the Caribbean, she lives in Newbury, Massachusetts, with her husband and her dog, Rags.

Donna is a graduate of Ohio State University, and holds a master's degree in Special Education from Lesley University.

Want to know more about Donna? Visit her webpage- www.donnaseim.com. You can also join Hurricane Mia on Facebook and follow her on Twitter! (@hurricanemia)

Only One Opinion (Sea)

2010-10-09T16:16:00.002-04:00

Review of Sea, by Heidi R. Kling.

Quickie: Not at all what I expected, but lovely.

Full: I went in to Sea cold turkey. I had absolutely no idea what the book was about. Even so, I was surprised. I think the title and the cover made me think "mermaids" or "beach vacation love story" or something along those lines. Boy was I wrong! Sea was a story of love, yes, but also a story of personal growth and overcoming personal obstacles. No mermaids, though. ;-)

Sienna Jones (Sea, to her friends) lost her mother in a plane crash over the Indian Ocean. Sienna's parents would go for two weeks every year and use their training in psychology to help people suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. On one such trip, Sienna's mother boarded a flight and never was seen again. Sienna lost her mother, but she lost so much more. She lost her sense of self, she lost her way in life. Sienna became terrified of flying, and of the ocean. She stopped doing the things she loved, like body boarding, with her friends and lost touch with those she cared about.

Her fifteenth birthday rolls around and her dad surprises her with tickets... to Indonesia. She's furious that he could be so insensitive- he knows how she feels about planes and the ocean! But after some thinking she decides to go through with it.

Off she goes to Indonesia, headed to an orphanage full of tsunami survivors from Aceh. There she sees horrors beyond anything she thought possible, and befriends an adorable little girl who lost her whole family to the tsunami. She also meets a boy, Deni. He's mysterious and warm, friendly and charming. He's different from anyone else she's ever met. They bond over their mutual loss of family members and Sienna feels as if Deni can understand her like no one else can.

That's not all, of course, but if you want to know what happens, you'll just have to read the book. :-p

What did I think? Well, I'd say the general consensus was that I liked it. I wasn't completely blown out of the water (hehe) by it, but it was a nice story. I'm honestly having a hard time figuring out what to say, I don't have any super strong feelings about it.

I did enjoy seeing another country in Sea. It was a nice change of pace to be someplace other than modern day America. It was heartbreaking to read about the devastation of the tsunami and the lives lost and affected. Sea was set in the aftermath of the very real, very tragic 2004 tsunami in Indonesia.

Other than the tragic-factor, the setting was very interesting and detailed. Kling must have done quite a lot of research for Sea, so props to her. To be totally honest, I don't have much else to say about Sea. It was a solid, decent book. It gave me nothing to complain about, but also nothing to squee over. The characters were all... good. I didn't adore any of them really, and I didn't loath any either. Sienna made some really stupid and irresponsible choices, but without them the story wouldn't have been nearly as interesting. (Plus, she's a teenager. Having been a stupid and irresponsible teenager myself, I can follow her logic.)

Aside from the general lack of strong emotions about the book, I did enjoy it. The love story was sweet, and I was happy for Sienna when she found herself again and was able to move on with her life.

I give Sea 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Have a Happy Hop! #5

2010-10-08T11:06:00.001-04:00

This week's question: What's your favorite beverage while reading or blogging, if any? Is it tea, coffee, water, a glass of wine, or something else?

My answer: Depending on the weather, time of day, and my mood: Milk, hot chocolate, ice water, or Mountain Dew. (Milk with cookies/other chocolate, hot chocolate with breakfast or late night snack, ice water if it's hot, and Mountain Dew with lunch.)

For all you other hoppers out there, leave me a link to your blog and I'll make sure to stop by. :) Comments and follows are very welcome, but please don't feel obligated. I just like meeting you all and talking with you.

Have a happy hop!

Really Ravishing Review (Alpha)

2010-10-05T12:42:00.001-04:00

Review of Alpha, by Rachel Vincent.

Quickie: The perfect ending to the Shifters series. I couldn't be more satisfied.

Warning: This is an extremely biased and fangirly review. :-p No spoilers though.

Full: First off, if you haven't had the pleasure of reading Rachel's Shifters series -Stray, Rogue, Pride, Prey, Shift, and now Alpha- then you're seriously missing out. It's one of my all-time favorite series of books.

From the back cover of Alpha: You've got to have Faythe... The unscrupulous new Council Chair has charged Jace, Marc, and me with trespassing, kidnapping, murder and treason. Yeah, we've been busy. But now it's time to take justice into our own hands. We must avenge my brother's death and carve out the rot at the heart of the Council.

It's not going to be easy, and loss seems unavoidable, but I have promised to protect my Pride, no matter what. With a target on my back and Marc at my side, I'm heading for a final showdown that can -that will- change everything forever. A showdown I'm not sure I'm ready for.

But life never waits until you're ready.

Yeehaw! What a fantastic book! I devoured the first 3/4 of it, then I purposefully slowed down. I didn't want it to end!! Ever! All those plot threads come to a head in Alpha, and Faythe makes loads of crazy-important and amazingly difficult decisions. As usual, there were times when I had a gut feeling that she wasn't being very smart, but guess what?! She's learning from her mistakes! If you compare the Faythe from Stray, to the Faythe in Alpha, you can't help but be amazed by her personal growth and the leaps and bounds her maturity has made. She really starts to figure out that the world isn't all about her, and that her decisions have consequences that affect lives. Not just her own life, but the lives of everyone she cares about.

Oh, and yes, she finally makes her decision regarding Marc vs. Jace. I think you'll be satisfied with it. I was. I was having just as hard a time as Faythe making the choice. I've been in a position nearly identical (minus the werecat aspect) and I know how hard it is to choose. How impossible it is. For a terrible comparison, it's like asking somebody if they'd rather have cookies or cake for the rest of their lives. (I want both, forever, but for different reasons) Granted, it's a terrible comparison, but you know what I mean. Choosing between two things you love dearly... is pure pain.

Alpha made me laugh out loud. It made me cry. It made me so stinkin' mad that I slammed the book down (poor book, I'm sorry!) and stomped off. Books rarely get me so worked up and emotionally invested, but each and every Shifter book has done so. To me, that speaks volumes about Rachel's writing and amazing storytelling ability.

Please, if you enjoy stories about shifters, do yourself a favor pick up Rachel's books.

5 out of 5 fangirly stars.

My Magnificent Mailbox #16

2010-10-03T19:54:00.000-04:00

Sunday again, already? This week has gone by quickly and strangely. My schedule is all off because my hubby's work schedule got switched around. Anyhow, In My Mailbox is a weekly meme brought to you by The Story Siren. And a big thanks to my son's Elmo chair for showcasing my books for me. ;-)

This week I got:

From Nantucket Bookworks:
ARC of Subway Girl, by P. J. Converse
ARC of First Grave on the Right, by Darynda Jones
2 copies of The School for Dangerous Girls, by Eliot Schrefer
Cockroach, by Rawi Hage

From the library:
Sea, by Heidi R. Kling

From Amazon:
Iron Kissed, by Patricia Briggs
Alpha, by Rachel Vincent
Bayou Moon, by Ilona Andrews

For Review:
Sugar Tower, by Jessica Dee Rohm

Really Ravishing Review (Hurricane Mia)

2010-09-30T13:28:00.000-04:00

Review of Hurricane Mia: A Caribbean Adventure, by Donna Marie Seim.
Quickie: Cute story, perfect for the age range it's aimed at.

Full: Mia has big plans for her summer- a trip to Maine with her bestie Sam, going camping, horseback riding, wakeboarding- but all her hopes and plans are shattered when her parents tell her she is being flown down to stay with her grandparents. Her little brother Jack is going too... perfect. Mia is bitter about the dramatic change in plans, and it's made worse by her grandmother's rules and rigid personality. Mia becomes envious of Jack when Gramps continuously chooses him to do things with, and not Mia.

Her outlook brightens a bit when she meets a girl her age on the island, Neisha, and they become fast friends. Together they learn of a lady on a neighboring island, Aunt Cecilia, who is considered a "wise woman" and practices bush medicine. To Mia, this is wonderful news, because her mother has leukemia and she's very, very sick. Aunt Cecilia is rumored to make a tea that can cure everything. Mia has got to get some to her mother so she can get better and everything can go back to normal.

The problem with that idea though, is that Mia has no way to get to the island Aunt Cecilia lives on. She and Neisha hatch a few plans, but none of them seem viable- until Mia lets Jack in on her plan. Suddenly they have the means to get to the island... even though it involves lying, "borrowing", and putting all of them in possible danger. That's not going to stop Mia though!

Hurricane Mia was a charming tale of love and friendship- perfect for a mid-grade reader. Mia sort of annoyed me with her attitude sometimes, but I'm an adult and she's a kid who feels like her life is ruined, so I think we both had normal reactions. ;-) There were a few hilarious scenes, my favorite possibly being when the donkeys got into the courtyard. Of course Mia felt horrible, since it was her fault, but Jack running around trying to lasso the donkeys was just too funny.

My only complaint is that I wanted to know if the tea ended up helping her mother or not. But that's just my obnoxious mind. I always want to know everything!

4 out of 5 stars.

Wonderfully Wacky Winner!

2010-09-30T09:35:00.000-04:00

And we have a winner! The ARC of Another Pan, by Daniel and Dina Nayeri goes to: Caitlin! Congratulations Caitlin!

Thanks to everyone who entered, tweeted, and followed. :)

Stay tuned for the next giveaway- The School for Dangerous Girls!

My Magnificent Mailbox #15

2010-09-26T16:29:00.001-04:00

In My Mailbox is brought to you by The Story Siren.

I was a good girl this week and didn't buy anything, but I did manage to win two books during Blog Fest.

From Rayment's Readings, Rants and Ramblings:
Happy Hour at Casa Dracula, by Marta Acosta
and
Midnight Brunch, by Marta Acosta

Thank you Jennifer!!

What did you get?

Only One Opinion (The Big Crunch)

2010-09-26T13:15:00.001-04:00

Review of The Big Crunch, by Pete Hautman. On sale January 2011.

Quickie: Cute love story, but where was the ending?

Full: I chose this book because I wanted to read something light, something happy. The Big Crunch delivered... I think.

June's family moves every few months due to her father's job, and she has learned not to attach to people. She's learned which social circle to hang out with because they're semi-interesting -but not so interesting as to make her miss them. She's not looking for love, but doesn't refuse when Jerry, the shy-ish awkward guy running for class president asks her out. Jerry is safe. Jerry isn't complicated and he doesn't make her heart go pitter-patter.

One day as she listens to Jerry talk about his friend Wes (who, by the way, sort of-kind of slammed him into a locker that day) and all the terrible things he's done to Jerry, she decides that Jerry just sounds wimpy and whiny.

Meanwhile, Wes and June keep bumping into one another. Sometimes literally. They collide in a convenience store and Wes accidentally gives June a black eye. Lots of awkward exchanges happen between the two of them, and some are really cute.

As you probably have guessed, Wes and June start to fall for each other. This is all well and good, until June's family has to move again. Wes and June talk on the phone, they text, they think about one another. But it's just not the same as being together. You can't dance with your man if he's in another state.

They try their best to fix that problem, and I'm semi-sure they succeed. The end didn't have much in the way of a conclusion. It was more like somebody hit the pause button and said, "The end!". I was taken completely by surprise when I realized I was on the last page.

Overall, the book was written in what I call, "Tunnel-Of-Love Vision". As in, they're in love, so nothing else is of any importance at all. The whole book was purely about the love story. Definitely an "emotion based" book, not an action-packed adventure. That was fine with me, it's what I was looking for. But I wouldn't have minded a bit more substance to the story.

It wasn't a bad book, not at all, I enjoyed it. I just wish there would have been more of an ending.

3.5 out of 5 stars.

Really Ravishing Review (Blood Bound)

2010-09-25T20:46:00.001-04:00

Review of Blood Bound, by Patricia Briggs.

Quickie: Exactly what I was looking for- suspense, kick-butt heroine, and the perfect dose of the paranormal.

Full: Blood Bound was a lovely second book in the Mercy Thompson series. Truthfully, I sort of think that I'd be something like Mercy if I'd chosen not to get married. (And you know, if I was a shape-shifting coyote) She's gutsy and strong, and she stands up for herself and what she believes in. I love that.

In Blood Bound, we get to see a bit more of the possible and budding love interests. That was nice, because I really didn't feel like we got an adequate dose of information in the first book. At least, not enough to make any sort of choice from. I still don't know who I'm rooting for, but I can't wait to see who she chooses.

What's Mercy up to in this book? Glad you asked! A terrible evil (of course) has come to Kennewick and people are dying left and right. Tempers are flaring and the Mistress of the vampires has asked Mercy to locate and get rid of this evil. Why? This evil brings out the "wolf" in the werewolves and can control the vampires, putting them at its mercy (ha!). Only Mercy has a shot at ridding the Tri-Cities of the murderous lunatic on the loose.

Not bad, right? I certainly didn't think so. I loved every minute of Blood Bound, and I can't wait to get my hands on Iron Kissed!

4 out of 5 stars.

Really Ravishing Review (Alphabet Woof!)

2010-09-24T12:16:00.001-04:00

Review of the children's book, Alphabet Woof!, written by Sherrie A. Madia, illustrated by Patrick Carlson.

Toddler's Reaction: Well, I'd say he loved it. He had me read it to him three times before bed. That's really saying something, because his attention span isn't very long, and Alphabet Woof! isn't short. He loved the illustrations, and he had lots of fun pointing out the dog Moxy on each page.

Mommy Reaction: A very cute story. Alphabet Woof! is about a dog, Moxy, and his family. One day Aunt Mable makes alphabet soup and it gets spilled all over the floor. Moxy cleans it up and suddenly is able to speak real words. He is delighted by his new ability and entertains the family with all sorts of interesting tales and things he's been thinking about. Word spreads, as it tends to do, and Moxy becomes a bit of a celebrity. He even gets his very own talk show! Everyone is excited, and they move to L.A. where they live in a mansion with wealth and fame. This is all very nice, but Moxy decides he misses home- where Moxy just talks to the people he loves, because that's what makes talking fun for him.

Aside from a few punctuation mistakes, I liked the story. It was cute and easy to follow. As much as I enjoyed the story, I loved the illustrations. They really made the book. They're bright, colorful, and happily cartoonish.

A reason to buy it- A portion of the proceeds benefits the SPCA International, advancing the safety and well-bring of animals.

Bring On Banned Books

2010-09-20T14:09:00.021-04:00

As a lot of you book-folk know, Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson is being challenged. It could become a "Banned Book". This has sparked a whole uproar about censorship and banning books. I was just writing up a little something for a friend, and it got my passionate side all worked up. I'm going to continue my thoughts here.

The concept of "banning" books baffles me. As a woman, as a knowledge seeker, a Christian, and a human. What is the purpose for banning books? Well, in my opinion, it's a small-minded way to prohibit discovery. There are books that I consider inappropriate. There are books that I've closed and never opened again due to graphic content, horrifying acts, etc. But do I have any right to ban other people from reading them? No. Do I have any right to say, "You shouldn't read this book because I was uncomfortable with it"? No. I can say what I think about a book, and I do, but it's not my right to make that choice for YOU.

I believe it is a parent's responsibility to monitor their child's reading. Boundaries and limits are perfectly good in that situation. I don't think that means that parents should forbid their child from reading a book with "controversial" topics. Rather, I believe it's the parent's duty to discuss that book with their child. A book is the perfect way to open up an honest conversation with your child about tough issues. Read what your kid reads. Talk about it with them. Help them to understand right and wrong and fact from fiction. Talk about the "gray areas".

As the great Atticus Finch says (in a banned book, no less) - "There's a lot of ugly things in this world, son. I wish I could keep 'em all away from you. That's never possible."

There ARE a lot of ugly things in this world. And as a parent, I completely understand wanting to shield your child, protect them. But that's not possible. So what do you do instead? Well. My answer is to educate them. You can't hide, ban, or demolish the evil in the world. But you can prepare you child for it, teach them how to respond. And a good way to start that is by doing it yourself. Educate yourself.

On a different track, I have an issue with Christians being the ones to "ban" books. Just wait a second. Isn't forbidding some other person from reading a book you disagree with a whole lot like Christians being persecuted way back when for believing something that others didn't? Newsflash: There will always be somebody who doesn't agree with you. It seems awfully two-faced to be telling people that they can't read something or believe something because you don't like it. Also? Read the Bible. What other book has more promiscuity, blood, deceit, etc. than the Bible? Should we ban the Bible too? I mean, it does talk about prophets, witches, dream interpretation, prostitution, seeing the future, and people doing bad, bad things. But if you get right down to it, it's telling a story. It's telling a story that has a lesson. Many lessons, in the case of the Bible. Many lessons, in the case of To Kill a Mockingbird.

In my opinion, what you read, what you watch, what you believe, and what you do... they are all choices that you, yourself have to make. And because I love it so much, another quote from Mr. Finch: "The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience."

To return to the inspiration for this post, Speak, you should read it. I am proud to say I own this book. Please take the time to read the synopsis here if you haven't read Speak yet.

I ask you, why would you want to ban this book? It seems to me that this is a book that a victim could use in their own recovery. At the very least, it can spread awareness of abuse, the victims, and how a victim might react.

Speak is being challenged because it is "soft porn". Let me clarify something for you- Rape Is Not Pornography. Speak certainly didn't glorify rape. And I will be so bold as to say I think you're stupid if you really think that a victim's tale of rape is the same thing as porn. How anybody could interpret a heart-breaking tale of sexual abuse as porn.. I will never know. Way to make victims feel even worse.To any victims out there, you are not alone, and it's not your fault. You are not a bad person, you are not "dirty" or "used goods". A woman should never be seen or treated as a sexual object. You are a victim and a survivor.

From Laurie's Twitter: @halseanderson I've spoken to more than half a million students about SPEAK. In EVERY school, there was a kid who came up to me in tears. #speakloudly

I am not the only blogger blogging about this today. (Or this week, month, etc.) If you are one of those folks joining me in the Speak Loudly campaign, please leave the link to your post in a comment.

Comments and opinions are always welcome. Thank you for reading my thoughts.

Speak Loudly Posts by other authors and bloggers:
Mindi Scott
Andrea Cremer
The Pirate's Bounty
Rachel Bateman
Kate Edwards
Random Ramblings
Mindful Musings
Michelle Hodkin
Jeaniene Frost
Read Between The Lines Book Club
Aine's Realm -- powerful statistics!
Novel Thoughts
Read What You Know

My Magnificent Mailbox #14

2010-09-19T22:20:00.001-04:00

In My Mailbox is brought to you by The Story Siren.

This week I got:

From Nantucket Bookworks:
Murder on the Orient Express, by Agatha Christie
ARC of Four Seasons, by Jane Breskin Zalben
ARC of Prom & Prejudice, by Elizabeth Eurlberg
The Tale of the Scorpian and the Caterpillar, by Jinny Toucan

From Amazon:
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
The Other Side of the Island, by Allegra Goodman

What did you get?

Fabulous Free Fiction #5

2010-09-15T15:35:00.000-04:00

Giveaway time!! In one of my boxes of ARCs I have, sits an ARC I will probably not get to for a long time. I haven't read the first book... and this ARC is the second in the series. I hate to have it sit on my shelf for who knows how long, when somebody out there could be reading it and enjoying it. Thus- giveaway!

I'm giving away an ARC of Another Pan, by Daniel & Dina Nayeri. It will be released October 26th, 2010.

Back cover: A darkness continues to haunt the Marlowe School, and this time, someone is plotting payback. Wendy Darling, a headstrong junior, and her brother, John, a thirteen year old genius with a chip on his shoulder , struggle with being from the poorest family at the posh New York academy, where their father is a professor of ancient civilizations. Wendy's new boyfriend, socialite golden-boy Connor Wirth, offers a solid step up in popularity, yet ambitious Wendy and Johns still find themselves longing for something more. When the Book of Gates, a mysterious tome of fabled origins, appears at Marlow along with Peter, a dashing new resident adviser with a murky past, the Darlings are swept into a captivating world of "Lost Boys", age-old secrets, and forbidden places. The book opens the door to a hidden labyrinthine underworld where Egyptian myths long thought impossible become frighteningly real. Suddenly, Peter, Wendy, and John find themselves captive in the lair of an age-old darkness, trying to escape the clutches of an ancient and beautiful child-thief who refuses to let go.

How to enter:
*You must leave a comment on this post telling me something you are looking forward to.
*You must leave an email address in your comment so I can contact you if you win.
+1 for following this blog
+1 for following me on Twitter (@literati_rain66)
+1 for tweeting about this contest (leave link please)

Contest is open to US and Canada only. Ends at midnight EST, September 29th.

Good luck!

True Treasure Trove

2010-09-14T10:24:00.001-04:00

That's right people! It's Book Blogger Appreciation Week! I had the honor and privilege of meeting and interviewing the man behind http://unfinishedperson.com. Here is my interview with him, I hope you enjoy!

What sort of books do you like to read and review?

Mostly mysteries and crime thrillers. I've tried to read others, but keep coming back to my "core" of mysteries, for example, Agatha Christie. If you look at the books I've read and reviewed over the last few years, you'll see most of them are mysteries and crime thrillers.

Speaking of Agatha Christie, I'm also involved in the Agatha Christie Reading Challenge, which this month is having a blog tour to celebrate what would have been Christie's 120th birthday this month.

How long have you been blogging?

Too damned long.

Oh, I mean, five years this October.

What made you decide to start your blog?

Well, this blog that I have now (unfinishedperson.com) was started to be "a portal into one unfinished person’s life, especially through three elements of not only who he is, but who we all are: body, mind and soul."

You’re the "Unfinished Person" and “Unfinished Rambler”. What made you choose that name?

Unfinished Person was easy, because I feel I am an Unfinished Person. As for Unfinished Rambler, it was just a natural extension, and because I like to ramble.

Describe your blog for us in 6 words. (Any 6 words, sentence not required.)

Supercalifragilistic without the extraneous expialidocious stuff.

Book Related:

What two fictional characters would you want to meet the most?

Owen Meany and Hercule Poirot.

If you had a $1,000 gift card to your favorite book store and only half an hour to spend it, which section of the store would you head to first?

Poetry.

Any new book or author discoveries that you’re particularly excited to share?

Within the last couple of years, I've discovered Donald E. Westlake and he is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. As for new books, I try to steer clear of them for the most part, but when I do veer toward them, it's usually toward those penned by independent authors such as Rob Kroese, author of Mercury Falls, or Ron Cooper, author of the soon-to-be-published Purple Jesus. I'm also reading the latter as part of a read-along with J.C. Montgomery of The Biblio Blogazine.

Random:

What’s your favorite activity, other than reading?

At this time of year, fantasy football.

What city would you absolutely love to live in?

The Emerald City but minus the munchkins.

At the end of a long, hard day, what do you do to de-stress?

Play Bejeweled Blitz.

Is there anything you want the readers of your blog to know about you that you have not yet revealed?

Nope.

A Bit More:
Posts dealing with books mostly are penned by Unfinished Person and can be found under several categories including most prominently The Sunday Salon and Midweek Review.

Want to read the interview Unfinished Person had with me? Check it out here!

Only One Opinion (Firelight)

2010-09-12T22:32:00.000-04:00

Review of Firelight, by Sophie Jordan.

Quickie: Good story idea, but I had too many issues with it to be able to enjoy it fully.

Full: I loved the concept of Firelight. Jacinda is a draki (a human that can turn into a dragon) and she is an exceptional one at that- she is the only fire-breather in existence. Pretty spiffy, right? Not if you're wanted as breeding stock by your pride's alpha, and not if everyone else controls your life for you.

Feeling suffocated by the rules and expectations of her pride, Jacinda and her friend sneak out one morning to fly. This is, of course, strictly forbidden. Draki aren't allowed to fly during daylight hours for risk of exposing themselves and being hunted for their blood, skin, and the nest of gems all Draki families have. But of course, she ignores all that and flies in the daytime. And of course, hunters see her and she ends up trapped in a cave. Luckily, this particular hunter isn't full of bloodlust and rage... instead he mutters, "Beautiful" and leaves her be.

Unluckily, her pride knows what happened and they have a terrible fate planned out for her (this comes up in a dramatic exchange later... but it felt like the wrong place to me). Her mother decides that they must pack up and leave that night. I found this to be a bit dramatic, since you have absolutely no idea what this terrible fate is, and they really only mention it one time. It seemed like a huge overreaction for no reason. Anyhow, they sneak off in the darkness and Jacinda, her mother, and Jacinda's twin sister Tamra find themselves in a desert town with the name of Chaparrel. Quickly, Jacinda realizes that her mother intends to kill the draki part of her for "her own safety".

So far, so good. But here is where my issues starting coming forth.
-Jacinda's draki is dying. Okay, valid complaint. But goodness, must you complain for 1/3 of the book, without doing anything about it? You complain about the rules of the pride... but once you leave them, suddenly you are desperate to return to them. You complain about living in the desert, but you do nothing about it. Neither life is perfect, so she rejects them both. Newsflash- you can't have it all!!
-The dramatic sentences at the end of nearly every scene change and chapter. I get it. You like dramatic declarations. They didn't work for me. Less is more in this case.
- Jacinda makes a dramatic (I'm sensing a pattern...) vow about every two pages near the middle... and then breaks it. This was the hardest for me to read, I kept wanting to grab her by the shoulders and shake her. Make a vow, then keep it, you dummy. It was frustrating to try to follow along with her every-two-pages-I-change-my-mind thing. Especially when it's the same stinking vow!! "I vow to never even look at him again." "I vow to let him into my life, he sustains me." "I vow to never even think of him! He's bad for me!" "I vow to keep him close to me, he's saving my draki!" "I vow to get rid of him, he's bad for my family!!" on and on.
- As much as I felt for her- it can't be fun knowing your life is planned out for you and you are going to have to make little fire-breathing babies - I was upset with her selfish attitude. Her sister came off as totally self-absorbed as well, but she kind of had a right to be. Neither of them is very respectful to their mother, who, by the way, lost her husband and has been living a life she hated while raising her daughters by herself. A few times I felt that Jacinda really was being treated unfairly, but even so. Respect.

I'll admit, I really wanted to like this book. I loved the idea behind it, and the draki are fascinating. My friend Catie loaned me this book, and when somebody loans or recommends a book to me, I generally want to love it. But I can't honestly say that I loved it. I plan to read the sequel, because I really did love the draki and the whole story. Sadly though, it's a "meh" book for me.

3 out of 5 stars.

My Magnificent Mailbox #13

2010-09-12T10:52:00.001-04:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme brought to you by The Story Siren.

From the lovely Aine over at Aine's Realm:
Ebook of Of Course I Try, by Seleste deLaney

From Nantucket Bookworks:
Battle Royale, by Koushun Takami
I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone, by Stephanie Kuehnert
ARC of Prayers and Lies, by Sherri Wood Emmons
ARC of The Big Crunch, by Pete Hautman

And I forgot to mention, I received two ebooks for review from Haunted Computer Books a few weeks ago.
Speed Dating with the Dead, by Scott Nicholson
and
Drummer Boy, by Scott Nicholson

What did you get?

Really Ravishing Review (Clockwork Angel)

2010-09-10T21:21:00.000-04:00

Review of Clockwork Angel, by Cassandra Clare.

Quickie: Fantastic. A very difficult endeavor, and it was carried out beautifully.

Full: Tessa's dear Aunt Harriet has recently died, leaving Tessa alone in New York. Tessa receives a steamer ticket and letter from her brother asking her to join him in London. Tessa is overjoyed, since she hasn't seen her brother in ages, and is truly the only family she has left.

Although, upon arrival in London, her brother isn't there. Instead he has sent two ladies to pick her up for him, and Tessa can't help but be disappointed. The woman take her into their "care" and along with housing her, they teach her to use a power she had no idea she possessed- the power to change into any person, living or dead, simply by holding a personal object of theirs and concentrating.

Then the real problem. The ladies, also known as the Dark Sisters, tell Tessa that she is ready to be sent to The Magister. What on earth could this mystery man want? To marry her of course! Eek!

Thus starts a truly amazing adventure, as Tessa is joined by a fantastically real set of characters and face seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

Now, you may be thinking- How could a prequel to an already established series possibly be fresh and interesting? Well, I have no idea. But it was. :-p There was a wonderful twining of old and new. I loved seeing how things I already knew existed came to be, and seeing people I'd already met as they were back in Victorian Era London.

The whole book was purely awesome. I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. The whole concept of the clockwork automatons completely freaked me out and pulled me in. It was the perfect balance of scary and fascinating.

Will, one of the possible heart-throbs, drove me bonkers. If ever there was a candidate for a Male PMS poster boy... Will would be it. Holy monkeys. Hot, cold, nice, mean, stand-offish, obviously attracted... good grief! I'm honestly wondering if it wasn't Will that Katy Perry was singing about in "Hot and Cold". As much as I was irritated at him, I loved him. Who doesn't love a man with a few terrible secrets? (Fictional men. I like my real men to be honest and open!) I can't wait to see what Will is running from, and why he is so "man on the verge".

Should you read it? I think so, yeah. Even if you haven't read The Mortal Instruments series, you can read Clockwork Angel. It is a prequel, after all. And a lovely one at that.

5 out of 5 stars.

Terrific Teaser Tuesday #11

2010-09-07T23:38:00.000-04:00

Teaser Tuesday is brought to you by MizB at Should Be Reading.

Okay, I admit. I keep losing track of what day it is. :-p My Sunday posts keep happening on Monday.. and I'm barely making this one on Tuesday. Oh well! Better really, really, late then never... right?

This week's teaser is from Clockwork Angel, by Cassandra Clare.

""The Pandemonium Club is not for everyone. Traveling widely as I have, I heard stories of similar organizations in many cities, groups of men who know of the Shadow World and wish to share their knowledge and advantages, but one pays the heavy price of secrecy for membership."
"One pays a heavier price than that."" (page 144)

Here is how it works:
- Grab your current read
- Open to a random page
- Share two (2 or 3) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
- Remember to show the title & author, too, so that others can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Magnificent Mailbox #12

2010-09-06T12:27:00.001-04:00

In My Mailbox is brought to you by The Story Siren.

This week I only got two books- but that's good. I've been trying to cut back a little, since I have so many already that I need to read.

Anyhow, this week I got:

From Amazon:
Eternal Kiss of Darkness, by Jeaniene Frost
and
The Boys Next Door, by Jennifer Echols.

What did you get?