My Year in Books

I had a slim book reading year, unless you count Library Science textbooks and the picture books and books to begin on that I read for Kiddie Lit!  But, I did manage to read 26 books while working full-time and going to graduate school, so I guess that's not too shabby!  Here are my reads for 2010:

1. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
2. Once in a Full Moon by Ellen Schreiber
3. Afterlife by Claudia Gray
4. Always a Witch by Carolyn McCullough
5. Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
6. 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan
7. Coraline by Neil Gaiman
8. The Secret Language of Girls by Frances O’Rourk Dowell
9. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
10. Eternal by Cynthia Leitich Smith
11. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
12. Impossible by Nancy Werlin
13. Once a Witch by Carolyn McCullough
14.  Ironside by Holly Black
15. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
16. Need by Carrie Jones
17.  Captivate by Carrie Jones
18. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia
19. Lament:  The Faerie Queen’s Deception by Maggie Stiefvater
20. Hourglass by Claudia Gray
21. Beastly by Alex Flinn
22. The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong
23. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
24.  The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
25. The Dark Divine by Bree Despain
26. Darklight by Lesley Livingston

Later tonight, I"ll post my favorite five from this list.  It's a hard choice, but I think I have narrowed it down to only five!

New Contest

Ramblings of a Teenage Bookworm is holding a great contest to celebrate 1000 followers!  She is giving away 3 2011 books of your choice!  You will be able to order them from the Book Depository, so they can even be shipped internationally.

Check out her contest here.

“Unearthly” by Cynthia Hand

In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . .

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.

Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart. (From www.goodreads.com)

I procrastinated with this book because frankly, the previous galley from Harper Collins that I had reviewed was such a terrible read that I was almost afraid to jump into another new book.

Boy, did I ever make a mistake! I wish that I had read this book immediately after receiving the e-galley from the publisher! Now I’m just anxious that I will have to wait so long for the next book in the series to be published.

I fell in love with this book. Almost immediately, in fact. By the end of the first chapter, I found it hard to put down and by the time I was halfway through the book, not much of anything was going to pull me away from it!

I admit that I have been reluctant to jump on to the angel bandwagon. I have read the Mortal Instruments series, but the Shadowhunters don’t really seem very “angelic” to me. Now I can’t wait to pull out the 2 angel books waiting in my TBR pile!

I really liked Clara. She is a good, solid female lead character. She’s not silly, but she still feels like a normal teenage girl. I think the premise of the story is good and I enjoyed learning a lot more about angel lore.
Clara’s family is fun. Jeffrey is a great character and I’d like to see more of him in the future. I also like Angela a LOT although I still have questions about her that I’m hoping will be answered in the next book.
Christian Prescott was a nice surprise for me as a character. I really liked him. He’s a nice guy, not the snotty, stuck-up jock popular guy that he could be. Which makes everything more difficult later in the book, of course!

But the real winner as far as characters here is Tucker Avery! Talk about a show stealer! He may be a 17 year old high school boy, but I’m totally in love with him! Seriously! He made me want to pack up and move to Wyoming to find my own rugged cowboy! He is so perfect just because he’s not perfect. It was really refreshing to see the dream date be the average human for a change!

It’s hard to review this book without too many spoilers, but I’ll try to just give a few impressions. This story was so much fun because it really had so many twists and turns. Although there were a few hints here and there that made me wonder about some things, I was always surprised by how things turned out. Not in the “wow, that come out of left field” sort of way but in a very organic, revelatory way. After things happened, I could even see some of the groundwork that had been laid before to make the events believable.

With a carefully crafted story and a cast of fabulous characters, “Unearthly” is a book that you will not want to skip! I give this one a solid A+!

Trailer Tuesday!

Ok, I'm about 50 pages from finishing "Unearthly" by Cynthia Hand.  I will probably post a review for it tomorrow but I am so, so excited about this book that I thought I'd give you a sneak peek with the book tour trailer.



This book is amazing! I can't wait to write this review!

If the trailer makes you want to know more, then check out the author's blog here:

Writing Angels

And the book tour includes several very good books (and one that you all know I didn't really care for! Sorry!)

Feature Friday

On this Feature Friday, I'm going to feature a new cover.  This is so exciting!!!  They have just revealed the cover for the 4th Mortal Instruments book, "The City of Fallen Angels"!

Isn't it gorgeous!  On her website, Cassandra Clare said that on each of the new books, they will feature 2 characters instead of 1 like on the first 3 books in the series.

I love these covers.  They are absolutely gorgeous and they made me pick up the books and look at them to begin with.

If the cover isn't enough for you, you can also read an excerpt from the first chapter.  Entertainment Weekly has an exclusive excerpt here on their website.

Once in a Full Moon by Ellen Schreiber

I’m not sure where to even begin a review of this book.  I was really looking forward to reading it.  I have been enjoying some of the werewolf books that seem to abound these days.  Some wonderful examples of  books with werewolves include “Shiver” by Maggie Stiefvater, "Blood and Chocolate" by Annette Curtise Klaus or any of the werewolf books by Kelley Armstrong.

“Once in a Full Moon” was not one of those shining examples.  I hate to be mean, but I think I’ve read fanfiction that was better written than this book.  The main character was shallow and self-centered.  The story was banal and trite.  There is not one character that I really liked in this book, which is unfortunate.  Brandon had some possibility, but the reader never gets to see him much since the main character professes her love for him and then spends all of her time eating hot wings with her popular, athlete ex-boyfriend. 

I honestly never figured out what the purpose of this book was.  There was no resolution and there really was no storyline.  The dialogue and the characters lacked depth.  And I was never convinced that the 2 main characters were in love.  Now, I have heard criticism of “Twilight” and even “Romeo and Juliet” that claims that the characters fell in love too soon.  I am a diehard romantic at heart and I will definitely buy into the whole “love at first sight” thing if it’s done correctly.  In this book, it was NOT done correctly.

I appreciate that the publisher was willing to give me a galley copy of this book to read and I sort of feel bad that I'm posting a review that speaks so poorly of the book.  But honestly, I could not find one redeeming quality in this book.  Some of the lines were absolutely absurd and I couldn't believe that an editor would actually let them be printed. I had to force myself to actually finish the book.  Oh!  Wait a minute!  There is one thing that I liked.  The cover is very nice.

I was hoping that I would enjoy this book and then maybe find a reason to pick up the Vampire Kisses series by this author.  This book has convinced me that my first impression of those books is probably spot on.  What is that impression?  That cheese never goes well with monsters.

I did look at some "official" reviews and I noticed that some reviewers felt that the story lacked substance but that "teenage girls will still like it."  I have to say that lines like that make me quite angry.  I think that the teenage girls that I teach would be just as insulted by the banality of this book as I was.  Let's give those teens more credit than that.  Most teens that read a lot are very articulate and have high standards for what they read.  I can't think of any teenage girls that I know that would think highly of this book.

A grade?   Wow……I am always a teacher who has sympathy for kids who try.  I guess I could find a way to give this a D just for the fact that someone tried to write it.  But I would add a comment that says that readers are better off diving for stories on fanfiction.net than spending time and money on this novel.

Theatrical Thursday

Many great YA books are being turned into movies, so I thought it would be cool to spotlight some movie news on Thursdays.

This week, there was a big announcement for fans of Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series.  The casting decision has been made for the character of Clary!!

According to Cassandra Clare's website, Lily Collins has been cast in the role of Clary.  She recently appeared in "The Blind Side" with Sandra Bullock.  I think she's beautiful and looks perfect for the part!

I haven't seen "The Blind Side", but I may have to break down and watch it.  Of course, now everyone is waiting with baited breath to see who will be cast as Jace!  Any ideas on who you would like to see cast?

Wednesday Wish List

So, I've been helping the almost 3 year old think about a wish list for Santa and I realized that I miss making my own wish list!  Of course, my wish list would be mostly books, so I thought that I would go ahead and write one out.  These books would be my top 5 on the wish list.  What would yours be?  Leave them for me in the comments.

1.  Entice by Carrie Jones   

She left the last one on such a cliffhanger that I'm dying to get my hands on this one!

2.  Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

It's YA, it's about France and I'm a high school French teacher studying to be a high school librarian.  Enough said.

3.  The Espressologist by Kristina Springer

Ok, I'll admit that this book looks like total fluff, but the whole premise is just so intriguing to me!

4.  Matched by Ally Condie

The Hunger Games made me want to read tons and tons of dystopian fiction.  This one sounds amazing.

5.  Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

I like werewolf books but the thing I love most about this book is its cover.  Shallow?  Maybe.  But it's so gorgeous and the book has gotten rave reviews, so maybe there is something to be said about judging a book by its cover after all!







I"d love to read other people's wish lists!

Afterlife by Claudia Gray

Yes, this post is sort of like a Christmas miracle!  Now that my children's lit class is finally finished, I'm hoping I'll have time to start blogging again.  

So, I was lucky enough to get an ARC of Afterlife, the newest Claudia Gray novel from the Evernight series. Just a warning that this review might be a little spoiler-y!

How do I feel about this book?  Hmmmmm….it’s hard to sum it all up.  The story was fast-paced and I never lost interest in it.  I constantly wanted to see what was going to happen next.  So, in that sense, the book was fantastic. 

I found myself sympathizing with Team Jacob as I read this book, however.  I never thought that I would say that, but now I know how they all felt when Bella rejected Jacob in favor of Edward.  I am still having a hard time understanding why Bianca always chooses Lucas over Balthazar.  I can’t find one really redeeming quality about him.  And the more I read these books, the less I like Bianca.  I am so very Team Balthazar that it’s hard to say that I “enjoyed” this book.  Don’t get me wrong…..I really did enjoy the read.  The story goes places that I never dreamed and even though there is a sort of happy ending, it’s not one of those sugar-coated sort of endings where everyone lives happily ever after.

I enjoyed being able to learn more about the wraiths, also.  I wasn’t particularly happy when Bianca became a wraith in the 3^rd book, so seeing a little about them and their world was nice.  Also, the whole plot with Ms. Bethany was quite entertaining and engaging.  It was nice to see Black Cross turn out to be just the bad guys that I thought they were.  Also, I think that I love Patrice as a character now.

So, I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book but I’m really glad that the author is writing a series about Balthazar.  I absolutely love him and this book just made me realize even more what an idiot Bianca is for letting him go.  But since she doesn’t want him, then maybe I can have him??

Now, for a grade.......I'm going to say that this book is a solid B+.  It's definitely above average, but whiny Bianca who gives up Balthazar just keeps me from giving it an A.

Always a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough

No, your eyes are not deceiving you.  I am actually posting a review!  I'm almost at the deadline for having this book finished, but I finally got to just read for 2 days and I've finished it!  My grad school classes have been tons of work this semester, leaving me little time to read.  But now, I just have one paper left to write and I'm finished for the semester!  ::does a happy dance::

I have to say that I wish I had just sat down with this book earlier.  At first, I found this book hard to get into.  Or at least harder to get into than the first book.  However, I think that is probably because I was distracted by the classes I teach, the classes I take and running the 12 year old to cheer practice.  This forced me to read in short little spurts instead of being able to just sit down and focus on the read.

I really, really liked this book.  I think I still liked the first one better, but perhaps that is only because the ending of "Always a Witch" is so bittersweet.  Once I was able to sit down and focus on the story, it pulled me in and I found it was hard to put down.  Just like in the first book, you get engrossed in the action and mystery of the story, hoping Tamsin will defeat the "bad guys" and save the day.  I know that sounds corny, but it's really not!

I love the character of Tamsin.  She's smart and courageous and you find yourself always rooting for her.  I love Gabriel also.  In this book, Liam is one of the more interesting characters, but I don't want to divulge any spoilers, so I won't say more than that.

At first, I thought this book was going to be a disappointment, but when I sat down and had time to focus on really reading it, I found that it really lived up to my expectations.  I still think I liked the first book better, but this one was definitely great!  Ms. MacCullough wrapped things up pretty well at the end.  I will admit that I was sort of disappointed that there will probably not be a sequel.  Of course, she didn't close that off entirely, I suppose, but then again, she really did.  I guess I can just keep my fingers crossed.

I have found that I have grown attached to Tamsin and Gabriel as characters and I really would love to know what happens to them next.  Even though the story of the Greene family is fascinating, Tamsin and Gabriel are the ones that readers will want to know more about.  I don't really think that will happen though, since she really has completed the story in quite a satisfactory way.

Just as an aside-- I know that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but I just have to say that this cover is gorgeous!  It's much better than the cover on the first book.  It would definitely make me want to pick up the book.

I originally checked out the first book at the library where I teach as part of the stacks that I take home over the summer.  I am so glad that I did and I will definitely tell the librarian that we need to order "Always a Wtich" to go with it.  Unless I am the librarian next year--then I'll order it myself! : )

So, the grading period has ended and it's time to see how this book scored.  It's definitely above others, but it fell just a little short of the first book. However, since it is still an EXCELLENT read,  I would give this book an A-.

39 Clues Book One: The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan

39 Clues Book One:  The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan

I enjoyed this book.  I didn't love it the way I loved Harry Potter or Percy Jackson, but it was a good read.  I can really see the appeal for 10-11 year old boys!  My literature circle for evaluation of children's literature chose this book for the whole group to read.  I was a little skeptical at first.  However, it does have some pretty novel concepts for a book series.

Here's the setup:  There are 10 books.  Each book comes with trading cards.  There is also a website for the series.  You have to use the trading cards, the website and the books in order to find all of the clues.  See the 5th grade boy appeal?  I have to admit that I did NOT go to the website......yet.  I want to go there now because I'm intrigued by the ending of the book.  Like any good mystery, it ends with a doozy of a cliffhanger, so I may be forced to read the next book.

The story is good.  It is told at a rapid pace and the clues are fun to try to figure out.  I really felt for the characters right from the beginning.  You can easily sympathize with both Amy and Dan and it's also fun trying to figure out if anyone else can be trusted.  Also, I ended up really liking the babysitter, Nellie.  I didn't think that I would, be she really started to grow on me and I found that I had warmed up to her by the end of the book. 

Rick Riordan is, of course, a wonderful writer and he knows how to write for kids without writing down to them.  The pacing is perfect.  The kids find the clues and follow them without getting the reader lost or bored.  I also loved the concept that all of the world's most influential people come from the same family! : )

I would definitely recommend this book to the 9-12 age group.  It has received starred reviews from Publisher's Weekly and School Library Journal and I'm putting my stars right there with it.

My grade?  A solid A!

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney


I am taking critical evaluation of children's literature this semester and this is one of the books that I had to read.  My daughter read this book when it first came out and just loved it.  I glanced at it when she read it and noticed all the pictures and was just glad that she had finally found something that she liked.  It's very, very popular, so I figured there must be something good about it.

I don't get it.  Why is this book popular?  I think that kids must like the novelty of the pictures in the book.  The story holds a lot of promise.  The main character is an average kid in middle school. Not the geekiest, but he is certainly not a popular jock.  The book tells about his typical life and how  he tries to get noticed by girls and become more popular at school.

This is a familiar story to everyone, right?  The problem is that I didn't really like the main character at all.  He's not a nice guy.  He makes fun of his best friend, let's him become the fall guy every time they get in trouble and is, for all practical purposes, a big jerk.  It's no wonder that no one likes him.

The voice of the book is good.  The author has a sort of tongue-in-cheek voice that works well for upper elementary school kids.  I just wish that the main character was a better person.  I don't like thinking that my daughter was enthralled with a book where the main character gets in trouble, discovers that he's been mistaken for his best friend, let's the best friend get in trouble for what happened and then tells his mom that he did the right thing and gets taken out for ice cream.  Really?  Is that the best you can do, Jeff Kinney?


My grade?  C at best, and that's being generous.

**EDIT**  I've changed my mind.  This book is most defintely a D-!!  After reading 2 other children's novels and started a 3rd, this novel is trash by comparison.  There are so many other good books out there for children to read, there's no point in wasting time on this garbage.

Giveaway at Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf

Lauren is a giveaway angel!  She's got 3 books up for grabs this !time!  Check out her blog here for a chance to win one of these great books!

Secondhand Charm by Julie Berry

Where the Truth Lies by Jessica Warman










Cate of the Lost Colony by Lisa Klein

MORE GIVEAWAYS!!

I love giveaways!  Isn't it great when you actually win one and get something cool in the mail??  Anyway, over at Pure Imagination, they are having several giveaways!

1.  She's giving away a copy of "Crescendo" by Becca Fitzpatrick!!

2.  She's also doing a pre-holiday pre-order giveaway for "Anna and the French Kiss" by Stephanie Perkins and "The Lost Saint" by Bree Despain!  Check out the link here.

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: Jem, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa.

As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all. (taken from www.goodreads.com)

I don't even know where to begin my review of this book.  I would have to say that this book ranks right up there with "Mockingjay" as far as books that I've loved this year.

 

Now, you have to understand that I loved Cassie's Mortal Instrument series.  Really loved it.  I think I almost fell in love with Jace myself.  I love the non-stop action and the world of the Shadowhunters and the way she could make all of it happen plausibly in modern New York City.  I didn't think she could top it.  Honestly, I was a little worried when I picked this book up.

I should not have been!  This book was also non-stop action.  Even though it was set in Victorian England, nothing seemed out of place.  The characters were believable for the time and everything seemed to blend together magnificently.  Once again, she has created larger than life characters, both hero and villain.  The nice thing is that her books are never predictable!  There was a huge twist near the end that I never saw coming, yet, when it happened, I saw how it had all been there right under my nose the whole time!

 

It was nice to see names that I recognized from the Mortal Instruments series.  It helped to create a real sense of history for the Shadowhunters and made them seem that much more real.  Also, I enjoyed being able to see a Victorian Magnus Bane.  And without glitter!

Tessa is a beautiful character.  I adored her.  She is strong, but not so strong that she is unbelievable for the time period.  Of course, Will and Jem were both wonderful and I found myself in much of a conundrum about who I liked best.  These two are more evenly matched than Simon and Jace, in my opinion.  Of course, I think I ended up being just a little more Team Will! (Who am I kidding?  I went and downloaded Will wallpaper for my laptop!)

Of course, she then did what Cassie does best.  She left the book with a whopper of a cliff hanger!  I am chomping at the bit to get the next one!

This is a book that I only put down because I absolutely had to.  If it had been summer, I really would have plopped my kids on the sofa to watch too many hours of TV so that I could read it.  Go get this book today if you don't already have it.

Grade:  A+  summa cum laude

Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters ...more

Forever by Maggie Stiefvater

The new cover for the final book in the Linger trilogy was revealed today!  Hooray!!!!!  It is a beautiful cover too.....just check it out!

 

But WAIT!!!!  That's not the best news!  You can actually pre-order an autographed copy of the book from Fountain Bookstore in Richmond VA!  They also have autographed copies of Shiver and Linger available.  So what are you waiting for? 

CELEBRATE BANNED BOOKS WEEK!!!

This week is a very important week. We celebrate our freedom to read what we choose!!!!

Of course, there have been a lot of sad news stories recently in which people want to burn, destroy or ban books. In my humble opinion, that is not only closed-minded, it's un-American! So celebrate this week by reading a banned book!

Before I highlight the first banned book of the week, I need to link you to an article about the book. In Missouri, a local business professor is attempting to get several books removed from schools, called them "filthy" and "soft porn".  Here's the link.

So, in honor of you, Professor Scroggins, the first book for Banned Books Week is:

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson(

Melinda Sordino busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops. Now her old friends won't talk to her, and people she doesn't even know hate her from a distance. The safest place to be is alone, inside her own head. But even that's not safe. Because there's something she's trying not to think about, something about the night of the party that, if she let it in, would blow her carefully constructed disguise to smithereens. And then she would have to speak the truth. (from the description on GoodReads.com)






I am ashamed to say that I have not read this book yet, and it doesn't look like I'll be reading it in the near future.  It's ironic that going to library school is preventing me from reading for pleasure!  However, all the reviews on this book agree that the book is amazing and that it deals with some fairly heavy teen subjects.  So run out and read it just for Professor Scroggins!  If you do read it, or you have read it, leave a note in the comments!

GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!

Who doesn't love free books?  This is a fabulous giveaway being sponsored by Good Choice Reading.  They are sponsoring the "Welcoming Fall Giveaway".  If you visit their blog, they have a giveaway AND a linky list to over 50 other blogs that are sponsoring giveaways!  Whoa!

Feature Friday

Ok, since I've been so fail lately about posting and I missed Waiting on Wednesday this week, I thought I might try something new. On Feature Friday, I will just put up some books. They might look interesting. They might be something I've read but it's been a while, so I don't feel comfortable writing a full review. Or, like in the case of today, I'm going to talk about a book I'm waiting for and the book that came before it.

This summer,I read and absolutely loved "Once a Witch" by Carolyn MacCullough. This book was amazing! It was a mystery, a romance and witch-coming-of-age story all rolled into one! I loved Tamsin, the main character. I really felt invested in her story. So, when I finished the book, I was soooooo frustrated because it sort of ends on a cliffhanger. Not a "Catching Fire" type cliffhanger, but it was still one nonetheless.

Of course, I immediately started searching for a sequel and, lo and behold, I found it! The book is entitled "Always a Witch" and it is supposed to be released in January, 2011 according to Goodreads. But they still haven't released a cover and I can't find anything else about it on any of the author's official sites. So I'm sitting here hoping that it really is going to arrive in January.

If you haven't read this book, you need to go grab it right away!  The author also has a fabulous website to go along with the book that traces the history of witchcraft and how witches have been persecuted throughout time.  You can check it out at www.onceawitch.com. 

If you read it, leave me a comment.  I'd love to know what people think of it!

Halloween Fun!

I seriously love Halloween.  To the point that I decorate my house with black chiffon curtains and everything!  So when I saw this even hosted by WORD for Teens, I was so excited!  Who doesn't love Halloween?



I'll have the button in my sidebar so that you can find it when you want!

Giveaway at Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf

Lauren over at Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf is hosting a contest to win a copy of "I Now Pronounce You Someone Else" by Erin McCahen.  Check out her blog and her review here.

I have to say that after reading her review, I am really curious about this book now.  It will definitely move up in my TBR pile.  My only hesitation is the whole marriage thing.  If the main character is 17, why on earth would she get engaged?  Of course, Lauren's review talks about how the author doesn't rush the relationship, so maybe the book spans a period of years?  I don't know.  So I guess I'll have to read it to find out, right? : )

Eternal by Cynthia Leitich Smith

At last, Miranda is the life of the party: all she had to do was die. Elevated and adopted by none other than the reigning King of the Mantle of Dracul, Miranda goes from high-school theater wannabe to glamorous royal fiend overnight. Meanwhile, her reckless and adoring guardian angel, Zachary, demoted to human guise as the princess's personal assistant, has his work cut out for him trying to save his girl's soul and plan the Master's fast-approaching Death Day gala. In alternating points of view, Miranda and Zachary navigate a cut-throat eternal aristocracy as they play out a dangerous and darkly hilarious love story for the ages. (from Goodreads)

I just finished reading "Eternal" last night.  It took me a while to sort out how I felt about it.  It was intriguing in many ways, but I didn't really love it.  The beginning was very good, full of mystery and foreboding, but as the story progressed, I found that I couldn't relate to Miranda's voice any longer.  I suppose that is what the author was trying to do, but I found it hard to remain interested at first.  I did like the way that the POV changed back and forth and I eventually became comfortable with Miranda's voice and found myself becoming totally engaged in the story.  The story was quite thrilling, actually.  So, I suppose the thing that I really didn't like and the thing that kept me from loving the book is the ending.  I was extremely disappointed in the turn of events at the end of the book.  Everything that took place leading up to the ending was fabulous, but the decision made by Zachary and Miranda at the end just seemed too dark and too depressing for me.  I just can't agree with their decision and, for that reason, I can't love the book.  I really enjoyed the story, but those last few pages just ruined it for me.

My grade:  B-
Based on the ending alone, it would probably be a C-, but the book up until that point was a solid B or B+.

BLOGFEST 2010!!!!

What is BlogFest, you ask?  Only one of the best ways for you to check out new blogs AND possibly win some amazing books and swag!  It's sponsored by A Journey of Books.  Basically, you start at their blog, log into the tracking site and it will pull up the entire list of blogs that are participating.  Then,  you can just start visiting blogs!  You can check off each blog as you visit it and then easily move to the next!  Each participating blog will be offering a giveaway, which is great, and you might find new book blogs that you want to read, which is even better!!!  Click here or on the link above to get started!

"Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins

Words escape me when it comes to describing how much I loved this book. Now, I know that many people found it unsatisfying, but in my humble opinion, this was the ending that worked for these characters.

I am really glad that Katniss did not jump up and grab the revolution flag and become a super supporter of the revolution, like Gale. Why, you ask? Because that would have gone completely against her character. For Katniss, what is and what always has been important is her family and those she loves. She went to the Hunger Games to save her sister. She defied the capital to save Peeta. She joins the revolution, not out of some sense of a higher cause, but because it will save the people she cares for the most.

In fact, Suzanne Collins stayed so true to the characters in this book that I really couldn’t see any other choices that she could make. The ending is superb and, given the circumstances and what the characters have survived, is surprisingly happy. At least for these books. If she had written a book in which everyone got everything ::clears throatBreakingDawnclears throat:: it would have felt unrealistic. This is not a rainbows and unicorns sort of book.

It is, however, a gritty and sometimes gruesome tale of survival and love under the most horrible conditions. It celebrates humanity’s ability to keep going against all odds and make the best of the worst situations. The scary part? I could see all of this happening in real life. And THAT is what a writer is supposed to do—make the story feel real.

So, how do I rate what might possibly be the best book I’ve ever read?

Grade: A+ 4.0 GPA summa cum laude valedictorian! : )

Teaser Tuesday

I know, I've been lame about updating the blog lately!  The beginning of the school year is always so busy!  Anywho, I'm hopefully back on track with my days and I should be posting 2 reviews this week plus a post about my adventures at the Decatur Book Festival!  Hooray!  Now, on to today's event....

Teaser Tuesday is a meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. You open up the book you're currently reading to a random page. Choose 2 sentences and share them. They should not contain spoilers!

I'm currently reading "Eternal" by Cynthia Leitich Smith. 

p. 208...
"Angels?"  It's an odd question.  I know Clarence from "It's a Wonderful Life", and the Bible is chock-full of winged guys who start sentences with "lo."

Happy Tuesday and happy reading!

Waiting on Wednesday

                                                                                  





Waiting on Wednesday is a fabulous event sponsored by Jill at Breaking the Spine Here, I will highlight a book that will be coming out that I'm really looking forward to reading.

This week's book is Wuthering Bites by Sarah Gray.  At first, I thought this was another one of those monster mash-up books.  But it's not!  The author obviously uses the characters and situations from "Wuthering Heights", but has re-written it to include, of course, vampires!!!!  I think this is going to be very interesting because the idea of Heathcliff as a vampire is not really that much of a stretch, if you think about it.  So, I was happy when I saw this book and immediately added it to my TBR pile (which is now so large that I will probably die before it is ever finished!).

I will try to post 2 book reviews later today!  In the meantime, happy reading!

Sorry I've been MIA!!!

Ok, so I've been away from the blog for a little bit.  I'm so sorry!  I'm a teacher and of course, school started back, so that's taken up a lot of my time.  And I started back with my grad school classes. Oh!  And there was this little book called "Mockingjay" that I had to read! : )  I hope that everyone else is enjoying it as much as I did!  I'll post a review later today or tomorrow!

I just wanted to give you a heads up on a fabulous contest that I found!  It is over at Sarah's Random Musings and she is giving away 5 books---yes, 5!!!!  You can find the link here.  Good luck!  And I'll be adding later with 2 reviews and a sneak peek at my trip this weekend to the Decatur Book Festival!

Another Contest!

I love these contests!  I keep hoping that someday I'll win one!

To celebrate her one year blogoversary, Choco over at "In Which a Girl Reads" is sponsoring an amazing contest!

She has 25 books to choose from!  The first winner will get to choose 3 books, the 2nd winner will choose 2 and the 3rd winner will choose 1.  And the books are amazing!!!

Check out her contest here......and wish her a happy blogoversary while you're there!

Friday Fun!

So, this Friday really isn't fun for me because school started back for teachers yesterday. ::sobs inconsolably::  So I thought that today I would remind myself of some fun things that I have planned in the near future.

I am very, very excited about attending the Decatur Book Festival with my sister!  I'm going to have to buy about a gazillion books before I go and I'm going to have to cart them around in a rolling book bag with me, but I get to listen to all sorts of cool YA paranormal authors and get my books autographed!  Hooray!!!  ::does a happy dance::

I am sooooooo excited that I get to meet CASSANDRA CLARE!!!!!  I just can't wait!  The thought of this should get me through the next couple of weeks somehow!

Here's the link to check out the festival.  Hope to see some of you there!

http://www.decaturbookfestival.com/2010/index.php

Waiting on Wednesday

                                                                                  


Waiting on Wednesday is a fabulous event sponsored by Jill at Breaking the Spine Here, I will highlight a book that will be coming out that I'm really looking forward to reading.

I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the Darkest Powers trilogy from Kelley Armstrong.  So when I found out that she was going to write a second  YA trilogy that takes place in the same world, I might have squealed like a fangirl at a Justin Bieber concert.  And she is apparently going to bring in the characters from the DP trilogy in the last book.  How could I not be excited about more Chloe and Derek???

So the book that I am waiting on this week is The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong.  It will release in April 2011.

"Maya lives in a small medical-research town on Vancouver Island. How small? You can’t find it on the map. It has less than two-hundred people, and her school has only sixty-eight students—for every grade from kindergarten to twelve.

Now, strange things are happening in this claustrophobic town, and Maya's determined to get to the bottom of them. First, the captain of the swim team drowns mysteriously in the middle of a calm lake. A year later, mountain lions start appearing around Maya's home, and they won’t go away. Her best friend, Daniel, starts getting negative vibes from certain people and things. It doesn't help that the new bad boy in town, Rafe, has a dangerous secret—and he's interested in one special part of Maya's anatomy: Her paw-print birthmark."
(from Goodreads)

And if you haven't read the Darkest Powers trilogy, run to your nearest bookstore or library as fast as you possibly can!

Teaser Tuesday and philosophical rambling.....

So, before I post my teaser from the book I'm reading, I have to wax philosophical for a moment.

I received my textbook today for the class that I start next week on Children's literature. I wondered just how a $114 textbook would look! (I must admit that I wept inside as I paid for it on Amazon, thinking of all the "real" books I could buy with that much money!)

So I opened it immediately and being the bibliophile that I am, I had to crack it open and start looking. Of course, I turned to the section on fantasy books for children. The beginning of the chapter had a quote that I just loved:

"We call our individual fantasies dreams, but when we dream as a society, or
as a human race, it becomes the sum total of all our hopes. Fantasy touches
our deepest feelings and in so doing, it speaks to the best and most hopeful
parts of ourselves. it can help us learn the most fundamental skill of all--
how to be human.
(Lloyd Alexander as quoted in Charlotte Huck's Children's Literature
by Barbara Z. Kiefer)

Ok, so now on to the real business of the day.....a teaser!

Teaser Tuesday is a meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. You open up the book you're currently reading to a random page. Choose 2 sentences and share them. They should not contain spoilers!

"Even in my state of acute anxiety, I was astonished at the number of vampire books and vampire posters that Nefley Irving had managed to accumulate. (No Bloodstone Chronicles, though; as I said before, I'm not exactly Stephenie Meyer.)

from p. 263 of The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Cathy Jinks.

Leave a teaser from your current read in the comments!

Beautiful Moon Contest

The folks over at Page Turners blog are doing a fabulous giveaway! The winner will get not one, but TWO ARCs!! One is Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl (insert squeal here!) and the other is Low Red Moon by Ivy Devlin. I've not heard of the second book, but the summary sounds great. Plus I love the name Ivy! : )

Head over to Page Turners to check it out. You can also click on their button under the "Blogs That I Follow" in the sidebar!

The "Meet Us at the Crossroads" blog tour

From October 17-31, 16 YA authors will be at 16 different blogs. Follow the blogs and check out the authors' websites. All the details can be found by clicking on the button!

Impossible by Nancy Werlin

Wow! My mind is still reeling from reading this book. It's a little hard to wrap my head around everything that took place. In fact, it's amazing that Ms. Werlin was able to cram so much.....stuff......into a book this size!

I have to admit, that I was skeptical about this book and not certain that I would even want to finish it. The main character gets raped near the beginning of the book. It's not a graphic description or anything, but it made me uncomfortable. I still think it's a point of contention for me but I can also see why the author would have made that choice now that I'm at the end. So be forewarned! If you are easily upset by even mild descriptions of rape, you need to avoid this book.

I have been trying to read a bit here and there for the last few days, but tonight I was finally able to just sit down and focus on reading. And it's a good thing! The book really picked up steam and it's now 2 a.m. because I simply could not put it down!

This book is like a good mystery with a supernatural twist. And a dash of romance. There are clues to be followed and the way the author weaves together an old folk song with modern technology tools is just amazing. I don't want to give too much away, but I really enjoyed trying to figure out how to solve the puzzle with the characters. I loved Lucy, the female protagonist. She is very strong and confident, but always knows when to rely on others. And I absolutely fell in love with Zach Greenfield. He really is like a modern-day knight in shining armor.

My final thoughts? If you love mysteries and you love ancient folklore with a healthy dose of the supernatural, you will love this book.

In fact, it might be impossible for you to not love it. : )

My grade: A-
(the minus for me is because of the rape in the plot)

Contest News

Here's another contest that I ran across and it's a GREAT one!

Looksie Lovitz over at Books and Wits. She is giving away an ARC of Nightshade by Andrea Cremer and an AUTOGRAPHED copy of Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl!!!

To enter, you need to be a follower of her blog and leave your email address in the comments. You can get extra entries by posting the contest on your own blog or in a group or on twitter!

Don't wait!

Good news Sunday

Well, Sunday seems like a good day to share some good news! Cassandra Clare shared some really big news last week! In addition to writing The Infernal Devices, she is going to write 3 more books in The Mortal Instruments series!! She had always planned to write a 4th book, called City of Fallen Angels that was going to focus more on Simon. Well, apparently that book has morphed into 3 books (squeals!) and they will include ALL the characters.

According to her website, this is what her publishing schedule looks like now:


August 31, 2010: The Clockwork Angel
April 5, 2011: City of Fallen Angels
September 2011: The Clockwork Prince
May 2012: City of Lost Souls
December 2012: The Clockwork Princess
September 2013: City of Heavenly Fire

Since I love reading her stuff, this is very good news indeed! You can read all about the new books and lots of other stuff on her website at

HAPPY READING!

Saturday Picture Show

I can remember my mom always talking about going to the movie, or picture show, on Saturday when she was little. She would always tell us how a quarter could get her into the movie and get popcorn and a drink!

So in honor of my mom, I thought I would start hosting "Saturday Picture Show". I'd like to showcase trailers for some of my favorite books. I might occasionally put up some movie trailers for books that have become movies too. We'll have to see how this evolves!

Well, this week, I'm going to put up 2 movie trailers. One is for my favorite read for the summer. Teachers head back to school this Thursday, so my summer will be officially over. : (

Now, my favorite read this summer is a book that I just reviewed this week, Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough. In case you aren't guessing it, I really, really like this book! But, since I just reviewed it, I'll give you a bonus trailer as well, ok?

Go get your popcorn and you don't even need a quarter!



In celebration of the third installment of The Hunger Games trilogy finally releasing on August 24th, I bring you the trailer for the first book in that series. If you haven't read this book, run, don't walk, to your nearest library or book shop to get it! Go now! There's no time to waste!

FRIDAY THE 13TH!

Since it's Friday the 13th, I thought I would highlight a couple of books on my to-be-read list that include the number 13!

13 to Life by Shannon Delaney

Here's the trailer:


Something strange is stalking the small town of Junction…

When junior Jess Gillmansen gets called out of class by Guidance, she can only presume it’s for one of two reasons. Either they’ve finally figured out who wrote the scathing anti-jock editorial in the school newspaper or they’re hosting yet another intervention for her about her mom. Although far from expecting it, she’s relieved to discover Guidance just wants her to show a new student around—but he comes with issues of his own including a police escort.

The newest member of Junction High, Pietr Rusakova has secrets to hide--secrets that will bring big trouble to the small town of Junction—secrets including dramatic changes he’s undergoing that will surely end his life early. (from Shannon Delaney's website)

This book came out in June and I'm dying to read it! Unfortunately, I've been reading graduate school textbooks all summer, but this one is on my list of books to read as soon as I get some free time!

The second book featuring the number thirteen is:

The Thirteenth Chime by Emma Michaels

The trailer



No one knew of its existence until it was removed from the attic upstairs.

In a beautiful house that overlooks the sea, an antique clock has the power to change the course of their lives.

The power the clock resonates will not only force Destiny and ex-boyfriend David on a journey into the depths of one man's mind long dead, but into the mind of a man filled with hatred and bent on revenge.

With the only clues to the nature of the clock having disappeared into the sea, Destiny and David must retrace the steps the man had taken into the darkness, before they fall prey to the trap he had set in motion over half a century ago.

Hatred never dies. (from Emma Michaels' website)

This book, appropriately, releases today!

Hope you enjoyed this tribute to thirteen and that you have a great Friday the thirteenth!!

Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough

First of all......DEAR GOD, WILL THERE BE A SEQUEL???

All I can say is "holy cliffhanger, Batman!" I hope she's not going to leave the whole thing where it ended.  I mean, the story sort of wrapped up, but she hinted at some pretty important stuff to come in the future!!

This book was incredible.  I'm so lucky that I actually got to sit down and read for an uninterrupted period of time, otherwise, I think I would have been going crazy! With no kids today, I was able to just throw myself into this witch world that the author created.  And it was amazing!  I loved the little hints and clues that she dropped along the way without giving away too much.  I felt like I had an idea of what was going on but I still never really saw how it would end until I was reading the end. 

This is a very difficult book to review without giving spoilers.  How do I want to say this?  I love the way I was taken by surprise with Tamsin and her life.  Again, the author dropped a clue, but I wasn't sure exactly where it led. I just had a vague idea.

I found that I really liked the characters in this book, with the exception of the evil one, of course!  I like Gabriel from the moment he appears.  Even though I feel a little resentful of Tamsin's family at times, I don't really find a lot to dislike them. I think that I was feeling exactly the way Tamsin felt toward them.  And as the plotline unfolded, I started to understand things about them much better.  It was also very amusing to read about the family gatherings where the witches use their Talents to entertain the kids!

I don't really want to say much more for fear of giving too much away.  I am really happy that I picked this book up.  If you like witch stories and mysteries, you will love this book.

My grade:  A

Waiting on Wednesday

                                                                                  


Waiting on Wednesday is a fabulous event sponsored by Jill at Breaking the Spine Here, I will highlight a book that will be coming out that I'm really looking forward to reading.



Fallen Angel by Heather Terrell       

"The first book in a dark, edgy new angel series tells the dramatic love story between two fallen angels and a battle between good and evil that may divide them.

Hush, Hush meets Evermore in Heather Terrell’s electrifying teen debut. With gorgeous, immortal, and otherworldly heartthrobs and the added appeal of a rich backstory involving fallen celestial beings, Fallen Angel has all the ingredients of a captivating, original paranormal romance.

When Ellie Faneuil first sees Michael Chase, she feels an instant connection. They soon learn that they share more than a powerful attraction: They have powers that are otherworldly. Together they go in search of what they are...and find themselves center stage in an ancient conflict. But will they choose the same side?

Heather Terrell spins a gripping tale of soul mates, supernatural powers, and the battle between good and evil."
(from Harper Collins)

I am really excited about this book because in the description on GoodReads, it seems that they actually may be forced to choose sides or one another. I think that sort of conflict makes for a really good read. I love paranormal books, of course, but when love comes together against all odds, it's even better!

What books are you waiting on?

Teaser Tuesday!

Teaser Tuesday is a meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. You open up the book you're currently reading to a random page. Choose 2 sentences and share them. They should not contain spoilers!

So here is mine, from "Once a Witch" by Carolyn MacCullough:

p. 148

- "Nooooooooo!" Rowena screams, pounding the seat next to her in fury.
I think I've never heard anything so sweet.

You can play along as well! Just open up your current read and post 2 sentences in the comments. Make sure you give the title and author as well!

Ironside by Holly Black

So, I finished this book tonight....while sitting with my daughter at a Justin Bieber concert! I"m so glad that I read this. I plan on going back to pick up Tithe as soon as I get through the rather huge pile of books at the bottom of my bed. In fact, I may read Tithe and then go through Valiant and Ironside again, so that I can read them in proper order.

SPOILER ALERT!!!! (not real spoilers, but spoiler-ish)



I really liked the twists and turns in this book. And the whole part with the duel and the way Kaye figured out the quest! WOW! Those were so clever and I do love clever. I also like the way Holly ended the book. There was closure but there is room for more books if she chooses to write them. And it wasn't a rainbows and unicorns sort of ending, but it was satisfying. And real.

I recommend these books to people who are not afraid of gritty and realistic mixed in with their supernatural. These are not your garden variety fairy books. You won't find Tinker Bell here! Of course, I would also suggest that you read them in order, unlike myself!!


If I were grading this book, it would be a B+.

Contests!

There are so many great contests out there for books!  I just wanted to highlight a few:



Angela at the Reading Angel is hosting 2 contests. One is the 500 Followers Giveaway and the other is the Lazy Hazy Days of Summer Giveaway. Check out her blog to enter both of those.

She is hosting Lazy Hazy Days of Summer with Lori at Pure Imagination


and with Candace at Candace's Book blog


Check out all of their blogs!

new books!

so, I've been reading "Ironside" by Holly Black, since I'm going to go meet her on Monday!  I am thoroughly enjoying it and I'm really glad I gave her another chance.  I had checked it out a few weeks ago from the library and picked it up as soon as I finished "The Forest of Hands and Teeth".  Now, I had read "Valiant" a year or two ago, but it just didn't leave me wanting for more.  I can't exactly pinpoint why that is, but it just seemed......lacking.

However, this book is NOT lacking!  I am loving it!  If only I weren't swamped down in school work and having to read about Reference materials (yuck!), I would be unable to tear myself away from it, I think.

I bought 2 new books this weekend to prepare for the book signing on Monday.  I bought Holly Black's new book, "White Cat" which is getting great reviews and I bought "The Dead-Tossed Waves" by Carrie Ryan.  I was shocked though, when I realized it wasn't going to pick up where "The Forest of Hands and Teeth" left off.  I'm not sure how I feel about that.  But I loved the first book so, so much that I'm going to give this one a shot!  And it will be autographed when I get to sit down and read it.  ::does a happy dance around the room::

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

It is 4:16 a.m. and I just finished this book.  I really, really liked this book.  There's a lot of substance to the story.  The characters were wonderful and I found that I really started to care a lot for them and really feel for their whole situation.  Having said that, I really did NOT like Mary, the main character.  I felt that she was selfish and brought about a lot of unnecessary hardships for the rest of the characters in the book.

Which brings me to the point that I"m at right now.  I may have to write again about this book because there is a lot to "digest" in this story.  So many things to think about.  I find myself pondering the meaning of dreams and life and love and contentment.  What makes us happy?  What should we pursue in life?  Do we pursue our own dreams to the detriment of others?  Is it better to go after the big dreams or to be content with life's small happinesses?  What role should religion play in our lives?  Should we question it or should we simply accept it because that is easier?

I don't know the answers to any of those questions, but I like it that this book could make me think about those things.  Even though this is set in a dystopian world, it felt real.  I could empathize with the characters and feel what they were feeling:  their fear, their happiness, their discontent, their despair.

I have read reviews where people said that they didn't like this book.  It is definitely not a book that leaves you with a warm, fuzzy feeling at the end.  I"m not all gaga over a Bella/Edward type romance here.  It's gritty and philosophical and in many ways, in your face.  But I like that.  I like thinking at the end and not really knowing how I felt about the main character or what happened.  I don't know if she made any of the right choices.

So I can't wait to get my hands on the next book, The Dead Tossed Waves.  Maybe all my questions will be answered there, but I highly doubt that will be the case.

And that is a very good thing.

I get to go to a book signing with Holly Black and Carrie Ryan!!!

I am seriously squealing like a fan girl at a Justin Bieber concert!  OK, probably not nearly as high-pitched and irritating as that, but you get the picture.

I was messing around on Facebook, because I was actually avoiding the horrible readings in my References textbook.  I saw that one of my friends had a post about a book signing that was just a line or two and then she had a link.  I clicked on the link and lo and behold!  It was an announcement of two surprise book signings from Holly Black!  And the one in Spartanburg, SC includes Carrie Ryan!!!!

Am I ever glad that I have just started reading The Forest of Hands and Teeth!!!!   And I am definitely going to go immediately and get a copy of Holly Black's new book, which was on my TBR list anyway, but which just got moved to the top.

So, I suppose I should at least go read some good fiction now.  It gives me another excuse to avoid that heinous textbook.  If I ever write a college textbook, I'm going to write it like an epic story.  My heroine will wake up one day to find that she secretly comes from a long line of special librarians and she has to attend a special librarian school.  Each year will bring more and more peril as she navigates the murky waters of librarianship, learning all about collection development, good reference materials, technology and ::gasps:: cataloging in the Dewey Decimal system!!!  I think I will create a year of school for each important area.  It will be amazing!  But I suppose I need to actually finish this MLS degree before I am qualified to write any textbooks.  Oh well.......

yes, I bought more books, even though I don't have time to read them!

So, even though my professor for this class on Reference Materials gave me enough homework this week to make Albert Einstein sob, I couldn't resist new books!

So, I did go buy Linger by Maggie Stiefvater.  I cannot WAIT to start this book.  I need to finish  
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan first.  Only because it's checked out from the library.

So, while I was in the bookstore, I decided to also pick up a copy of Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey.  I have to say, I was skeptical about this book.  But I kept reading recommendations for it.  I was still not 100% sold.

Now, last semester, I had a class in Collection Development.  And in that class, we couldn't select books until we had read at least 2 positive reviews from publications like School Library Journal, Publisher's Weekly, Booklist, etc.  So I did what any good librarian would do.  I looked up the professional reviews on the book.  And I found that they agreed with the recommendations of my GoodReads friends!

So I bought it this weekend.  I"m actually looking forward to reading it.  Which means I"d better get to work on all the heinous assignments on Reference Materials.  BOO!!!  Who wants to worry about Reference Materials when there are books to be read!

NEW BOOK RELEASE!

Hooray!  This book just came out on Monday.  I am going to try and go get it at the bookstore this week.  I have to run my oldest daughter to her math tutor's house at 10:00, so maybe I'll take the 2 year old and run to get it before we pick up the 12 year old!  Of course, I won't have much time to read it with another graduate school class on Wednesday night.  ::sighs::  I really want to be a librarian, but these classes are seriously cutting into my reading time! : )

If you haven't read the first book in this series, Shiver, run to your nearest book store or library and find a copy as quickly as you can!  Ms. Stiefvater has a very interesting take on the werewolf legend.  You will love Sam.  He is a wonderful character who has stolen my heart.  I also love the way she introduces each chapter with the current temperature.  That will make sense as you move along in the story.  She also has a very particular style of writing.  Some people don't care for it very much, but I really enjoyed it.  I would probably give the first book a 4-4 1/2 stars out of 5, so I can't wait to see how the second book progresses.  Barnes and Noble, here I come!

will i ever finish this book?

So, I am still trying to read "Captivate".  It's not because it's slow that it's taking so long.  To the contrary, the book is quite engaging and I am constantly thinking about it.  While I do laundry, dishes, let the dog in and out, fix 3945879213759127 meals for my children.  Oh!  And while I had to go on the 400 mile long nature trail hike that my husband insisted we do yesterday. ::sighs:: My husband just does not appreciate how much better a good book can be than a hike.  In the heat.  With mosquitoes.  And the dog.

So, I have to say that I am at a place where something has happened and I'm afraid to read more.  It's like when Edward leaves Bella in New Moon, and you're afraid that he's never going to come back.  Remember that part?  Well, a character has just died.  Technically, we the readers don't see this character die, but it is assumed that the character is dead.  And I'm really upset about that.  So, I"m a little afraid to keep reading, because I just don't want this character to be dead.  Of course, I didn't want Dumbledore to be dead either, and it all worked out in the end, but it was still really painful.  And I'm worried that it's going to be like this in "Captivate". 

Dishes are calling my name, so I'm going to go clean them up and wipe the mystery crud off the floor in my living room. Then, perhaps I can start reading again tonight.  After I make that Gandalf costume that is sitting on my dining room table.....

I'm doing what???

yes, i cannot believe that i am starting a personal blog.  i have been blogging for my graduate classes last semester and a little this summer.  those blogs were class assignments.  this blog is not!  i decided that i kind of liked being able to throw a little piece of my brain out into cyberspace and maybe find other like-minded book lovers who are slightly insane and 40 years old!

So, on this blog, I'm going to talk about my classes some and the books I read a lot.

First, I love to read supernatural fiction.  I will delve into sci fi or historical, but fantasy/horror is what I prefer.  I also love to read YA fiction.  Which is good since I want to be a high school librarian.  I am already a high school teacher, but moving to the library is going to make sense for me.

Right now, I'm trying desperately to read Captivate by Carrie Jones.  Of course, my classes keep getting in the way. ::shakes fist at Managing the School Library textbook::  So far, I like it, but not as well as I liked the first one, Need.  Of course, it's early in the book.  And I am definitely intrigued by it, it's certainly not boring!

 So, I'm off on my journey to talk about books.  I sort of like throwing a little piece of my brain out into cyberspace just to see where it goes.  If you want to take this crazy trip inside my mind, then welcome!