The lists begin........

So, I cannot let the end of the year come and go without making a few lists of my own!  I'll be posting various ones over the next couple of days!  Hope you enjoy!

First, I must say that at one point in time, I only read paranormal/supernatural stuff.  Then I had to take Young Adult lit this past summer.  And Dr. Truett (bless her!) made it her personal mission to move me away from the sci fi/fantasy genre.  And surprise!  I found a lot of contemporary realistic books that I liked.  So in honor of that, here's my first list:

The Books That Made Me Love Contemporary Realistic This Year (in no particular order)

 

Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson 

Oh how I loved this book!  I still think about this book!  I made the playlist for this book on my ipod.  Yes, I have been purchasing every song that Roger had on those playlists in the book.  This books owns me.

Stupid Fast by Geoff Herbach

This was a great contemporary that I read for class this summer.  I had to find a sports related book and I remembered seeing this one on someone's blog.  Boy, am I ever glad I remembered it!  This book was amazing!  The way the author captured the awkwardness of a teenaged boy was unbelievable and right on target. 

Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg

Oh, Ms. Eulberg!  You did what I imagined to be impossible!  You made a contemporary version of Pride and Prejudice that was believable, clever and didn't rely on time travel!  As a huge fan of Jane Austen, I am extremely picky when it comes to "updated retellings" of her story.  This one was beautiful!

Playing with Matches by Brian Katcher

Ok, I must admit that I dreaded reading this book.  The cover is terrible and it sounded depressing.  I was FORCED to read it for my YA lit class (Thanks, Dr. Truett! ::waves::)  Thank goodness or I never would have picked this one up!  I loved this story.  It was a sad story, but it's narrated with such a funny voice, that I never felt overwhelmed with the sadness.  Brian Katcher is a teacher and he catches the male adolescent voice splendidly.  This is one of the books that also converted me to a male-author-narrating-a-male-voice fan.

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

I have to admit it.  I thought Sarah Dessen was the bad romance writer of the teen lit world.  I assumed that her books were trite and fluffy little teen girl fantasy romances.  Boy was I wrong!  This book was awesome!  I loved it.  It felt real and it dealt with issues that the teens sitting in my classes deal with and it dealt with them in a superb fashion.  I've been recommending this one over and over.  And I plan to read more Sarah Dessen!

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson

Obviously a class about teen literature must include at least one book by Laurie Halse Anderson, right?  I wanted to read Speak, but the copyright date was too old for the requirements of my class.  I went to browse in our library at school and found this one.  The tagline in the front is what sold me on choosing it:  "Everyone told me to be a man but no one told me how."  However, that tagline in no way prepared me for the powerful story that this book contained.  I laughed, I cried, I got mad -- this book made me feel ALIVE while reading it. 

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

There's a reason that this book was won a gazillion awards.  This book is so wonderful I don't even know where to begin.  The pictures were a fabulous addition to the story.  The voice of the narrator is so funny that I found myself laughing and then catching myself because it should have been sad.  If you don't read this book, you are depriving yourself of one of the best literary experiences of your life.  For reals.  I have recommended this book to more people than any other book I've read.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

First off, I am a French teacher.  So not only did I just have to read this book, but as a person who has visited Paris numerous times and lived in the south of France, I have a very critical eye for books set in France.  Swoon!  Ms. Perkins, you made me feel like I was in Paris!  This book not only captured Paris as a setting, but it captured the feelings of first love so beautifully.  Those awkward moments of having a crush on someone and those heart-racing moments of being with that person for the first time.  This book was light and fluffy, but for an adult, it was also oh-so-bittersweet!  To be young and in love and in Paris!

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

Libba Bray, you are my new favorite person!  I want to be your BFF and hang out every day drinking coffee and talking snarky crap about the world.

I loved this book.  The satire is amazing.  The snarkiness is incredible.  I thought it was clever and well-written and managed to satirize all the ills of American popular culture.  The story is ridiculous and purposefully so.  This is not a book for everyone, but it you are tired of people raving about the geniusness of American Idol and reality TV and you think current politics are a joke, you will love this book.

Sean Griswold’s Head by Lindsey Leavitt

I thought this book was going to be just a fluffy read.  And I was wrong.  This book captures a teen girl's difficulty dealing with a serious diagnosis for her father.  There are also a lot of good, fluffy moments mixed in, but the book does a great job of balancing the serious with the fluff.  I think it captures the teen voice really well also, and it realistically portrays an adolescent reaction to this news.  Most teens are so self-focused that they don't always react the way an adult would and this book portrayed that.  I pulled an all-nighter reading this one because I just couldn't stop.


So, here they are.  The books that converted me!  And now I have a big pile of contemporary realistic books next to all my paranormal books!  Which totally makes the tagline on my blog incorrect, but who cares?  Expect to see more contemporary realistic reviews here on my paranormal book blog! : )

 

Ditched: A Love Story by Robin Mellom

 Book:  Ditched:  A Love Story

Author:  Robin Mellom

Publisher:  Disney-Hyperion

Date:  January 10, 2012

Source:  Publisher and netgalley

My grade:  A+++

High school senior Justina Griffith was never the girl who dreamed of going to prom. Designer dresses and strappy heels? Not her thing. So she never expected her best friend, Ian Clark, to ask her.

Ian, who always passed her the baseball bat handle first.

Ian, who knew exactly when she needed red licorice.

Ian, who promised her the most amazing night at prom. 

And then ditched her.

Now, as the sun rises over her small town, and with only the help of some opinionated ladies at the 7-Eleven, Justina must piece together — stain by stain on her thrift-store dress — exactly how she ended up dateless. A three-legged Chihuahua was involved. Along with a demolition derby-ready Cadillac. And there was that incident at the tattoo parlor. Plus the flying leap from Brian Sontag's moving car...

But to get the whole story, Justina will have to face the boy who ditched her. And discover if losing out at prom can ultimately lead to true love.

Filled with humor, charm, and romance, Ditched: A Love Story by debut novelist Robin Mellom will have readers dreaming of love on their own prom nights.

My Review

I LOVED this book!  Seriously.  L. O. V. E. D. it!!  This book was like a John Hughes movie put into a book.  And I was a serious John Hughes movie junkie back in the day.  Yes, I saw Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Weird Science and Pretty in Pink all in the movie theatre.  (Yes, that makes me old.  And don’t judge me! )

First, there is the structure of this book.  We start at the end of the night, when poor Justina finds herself in a ditch on the side of the road after prom and we need to figure out how she got there.  A total mystery.  Nothing but a girl in a bad dress with even worse shoes ( and they are dyed to match the dress!!  Total 80’s link there!  Mine were dyed red my junior year.).  Her dress is covered in stains, she has no purse, no phone, nothing but a bunch of stains, a Tinker Bell tattoo and some strange bruises and bite marks.  Yes, bite marks.

So she makes it to the 7-11 down the street and starts telling her story to the store clerk and a sympathetic woman customer.  I loved the way the story was interspersed with the details of what was going on in the convenient store.  And the commentary from the 2 women was laugh out loud funny.

Of course, Justina spins this ridiculously funny yarn of a prom night from hell that just keeps going from bad to worse.  It’s embarrassing, it’s cringe-worthy, it’s sad, it’s infuriating and it’s endearing.  Yes, it’s all of those things.  Sound like Sixteen Candles yet?

Even though it had that John Hughes feel to it, I never felt like the author was ripping off those movies.  Rather, I felt like this was an original plot that captured that awkwardness of the teen years but turned out ok in the end.  Because we all know that Jake Ryan shows up after the wedding to get Samantha, right?

There was no Jake Ryan (swoon!) in this book, but there was Ian Clarke!  He was so wonderful!  Justina keeps referring to him as a Professional Boyfriend and my goodness, is she ever on target!  He is a dream guy!  I just know he’s so cute and so wonderful in that boy next door sort of way.

 (I totally picture David Henrie as Ian Clarke!  A little geeky but totally cute!  And notice the resemblance to Jake Ryan!)

 

There were the pictures in this book as well.  Hysterical pictures!  Each time she explained one of the stains on the dress, or a bruise, there was an accompanying visual of the dress or her hand or shin to give the reader the exact image of what was being discussed.  It was brilliant.

I cannot rave about this book enough!  It was funny, clever, tender and endearing.  It will resonate with teens and those who have ever been teens.  God, I can remember many of those same moments myself and I still witness them in my classroom!  This book captured the craziness of being a teenager and spun a fantastic story that captured the essence of the teen years in one ridiculous prom night.  It was sheer genius!

My grade for this book is an A+.  Do yourself a favor and pre-order this one.  You will not regret it!  And Hollywood is crazy if they don’t pick this one up for a movie adaptation!

Many thanks to Disney-Hyperion and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally

Book:  Catching Jordan

Author:  Miranda Kenneally

Publisher:  Sourcebooks Fire

Date:  December 1^st, 2011

Source:  Publisher via Netgalley

My grade:  B

What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though - she leads them as the captain and quarterback on her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys, and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university. But now there's a new guy in town who threatens her starring position on the team... and has her suddenly wishing to be seen as more than just a teammate.

My Review

I have to admit that I wasn’t sold on this one to begin with.  I mean, a girl who plays football?  And quarterback, no less?  I wasn’t sure, but I decided to give it a try since I’ve been trying to read more diverse genres.

I ended up liking this book.  The story was engaging.  There was a touch of angst and a lot of fluff and it ended up being a happy, feel-good sort of read.  If you’re looking for a light, fun read, this is a good book to fill that request.

I liked Jordan, the main character and I really enjoyed the boys on the football team.  Like most teenaged boys, they were concerned with football, food and sex.  They were also very funny and reading about Jordan hanging out with all of them was fun.

The relationship with Ty felt a little surface level to me.  I mean, I understand about teen girls and how they might fall in love quickly, but this one gave me whiplash!  And the way these characters just jumped right into a sexual relationship with anyone seemed a little overboard.  Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t think that the average teenager is bed-hopping the way these characters were.  But I plan on discussing that with my students to see if it’s accurate!

The plot was fairly predictable, but in the good sort of way.  I knew who she would end up with and that’s how it went down, but the interesting part of the book was seeing how Jordan’s relationship with her father changed and seeing how she dealt with her dream college and playing college-level football. 

Of course, the book wrapped up a little too nicely for real life, but sometimes, you just have to have a little self-indulgence in reading too.  So think of this book as a literary version of a Hershey’s bar.  You know you shouldn’t, but you sure do enjoy it when you do.  It doesn’t last very long and it’s not very filling or substantial, but does it ever taste good while you’re eating it! : )

My grade for this book is B.  It was a guilty little pleasure read that wasn’t too heavy and made me just feel good.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this

On a Dark Wing by Jordan Dane

Book:  On a Dark Wing

Author:  Jordan Dane

Publisher:  Harlequin Teen

Date:  December 27, 2011

Source:  Publisher and Netgalley

My grade:  A-

The choices I had made led to the moment when fate took over. I would learn a lesson I wasn't prepared for. And Death would be my willing teacher.

Five years ago, Abbey Chandler cheated Death. She survived a horrific car accident, but her "lucky" break came at the expense of her mother's life and changed everything. After she crossed paths with Death—by taking the hand of an ethereal boy made of clouds and sky—she would never be normal again.

Now she's the target of Death's ravens and an innocent boy's life is on the line. When Nate Holden—Abbey's secret crush—starts to climb Alaska's Denali, the Angel of Death stalks him because of her.
And Abbey finds out the hard way that Death never forgets.

My Review

Wow!  What a whirlwind of a read!  I would not have said that if you had asked about this book in the first chapter, but it doesn’t take long before you can’t put the book down.  This book had me biting my nails, waiting to see how it would turn out.  I mean, I was hoping for the best, but the author had me convinced that it might not turn out as I hoped.

The beginning of this book is a little confusing.  It takes a while for all the pieces to start coming together, so if you are reading it and it feels a little disjointed or even disorienting, don’t give up!  All the threads and storylines eventually make sense.

I like the way the author narrated this from so many points of view.  Even though Abbey is the main voice, it was interesting to hear from the other characters as well.  I also like this author’s take on Death as a character.  I mean, we’ve seen plenty of angels, fey, werewolves, vampires and witches, but it’s hard to create a sympathetic character from the Grim Reaper!  But Jordan Dane manages to do that.  In the end, I felt my heartstrings tug for Death!

Another thing I like is how Abbey and Tanner are not the most beautiful, perfect kids.  Tanner is in a wheelchair and Abbey is slightly overweight.  The way the author portrays this, it doesn’t feel as if she’s creating token characters.  It feels real and it was refreshing to see not-so-perfect leading characters. 
I liked watching all the characters grow and change as a result of the story.  Even though there was a huge supernatural twist in the form of Death as a character, the novel still had a very contemporary realistic feel to it.  I found that the guy I was rooting for at the beginning was not the guy I rooted for at the end and just like Abbey, I found myself seeing things differently by the end of the book.  It’s really cool to me when I can get inside a character’s head that way.

There is one thing that I'm not crazy about and that is the cover.  Now, I love buff guys with wings as much as the next person, but this cover is a little too "cheesy bodice-ripper romance" for me.  I don't want a cover that would make me embarrassed in public! : )

My grade for this book is an A-.  I took off points because it IS so disjointed at the beginning.  But I’m glad that I stuck with it and read it through to the end.

Thanks to Harlequin Teen and Netgalley for providing a copy of this book to review.

Crave by Melissa Darnell

Book:  Crave

Author:  Melissa Darnell

Publisher:  Harlequin Teen

Date:  October 25, 2011

Source:  Netgalley

My grade:  B+

Savannah Colbert has never known why she's so hated by the kids of the Clann. Nor can she deny her instinct to get close to Clann golden boy Tristan Coleman. Especially when she recovers from a strange illness and the attraction becomes nearly irresistible. It's as if he's a magnet, pulling her gaze, her thoughts, even her dreams. Her family has warned her to have nothing to do with him, or any members of the Clann. But when Tristan is suddenly everywhere she goes, Savannah fears she's destined to fail.

For years, Tristan has been forbidden to even speak to Savannah Colbert. Then Savannah disappears from school for a week and comes back…different, and suddenly he can't stay away. Boys seem intoxicated just from looking at her. His own family becomes stricter than ever. And Tristan has to fight his own urge to protect her, to be near her no matter the consequences….

My Review
I really enjoyed this book.  I love vampire books and I have since I was little.  I enjoy seeing each author’s take on the vampire myth.  Yes, even vampires that sparkle!  I realized after reading this that I haven’t really read many vampire books this year because I think that publishers are moving away from them.  That’s too bad.

I have read some scathing reviews of this book, but honestly, I don’t see why.  The main character, Savannah, does make some really dumb decisions, but then again, so do most 15 year old girls.  I hate it when people expect high school students in books to act differently from high school students in real life.  I could definitely see every bit of what happened in this book actually happening.  Well, if there were really vampires and witches. : )

I thought that this book was an easy read and that it moved fairly quickly.  I became very engaged in the budding romance and the way they had to creatively have dates and things.  It was an interesting twist on the standard Romeo and Juliet star-crossed lovers theme.  It was obvious that the author is setting us up for the next book in the series, because there was quite a bit of exposition in the novel.  However, I found the relationship that was developing to be compelling enough to keep me reading.  Also, all of Savannah’s physical “developments” were interesting to watch.  It kept me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what things would manifest themselves next.

My grade for this book is B+.  I enjoyed it.  A little more action would have been nice, but it’s obvious that more is going to happen in the next book.  Ms. Darnell made me care about these characters in this book and that is going to keep me reading the next installment.

Thanks to Harlequin Teen and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Harper Collins Epic Deals for Epic Reads!

Check this out!  Harper Collins is offering all of these books for only $0.99 each!  I bought 7 of them this morning!  And if you have not read Unearthly yet, buy it now at this price.  I LOVED that book.  You can find my review of it here.

One warning.  I did find that the pricing was wrong on B & N for The Poison Diaries.  I just bought it at the Kobo site instead, where it is in epub format, so it's Nook compatible.  You can find out more about this on the Facebook page and you can also enter a sweepstakes to win copies of all the books!  The Facebook page is here.

Treat yourself to a Christmas present.  That's what I did! : )

Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

Book:  Hallowed

Author:  Cynthia Hand

Publisher:  Harper Collins

Date:  January 17, 2012

Source: netgalley

My grade:  A+

For months part-angel Clara Gardner trained to face the raging forest fire from her visions and rescue the alluring and mysterious Christian Prescott from the blaze. But nothing could prepare her for the fateful decisions she would be forced to make that day, or the startling revelation that her purpose—the task she was put on earth to accomplish—is not as straightforward as she thought. Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend, Tucker, Clara struggles to make sense of what she was supposed to do the day of the fire. And, as she is drawn further into the world of part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: Someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning.

Described by Richelle Mead as “utterly captivating,” Unearthly received outstanding reviews, garnered accolades from New York Times bestselling authors, and was named an Indie Next Pick. In this heart-wrenching sequel, Cynthia Hand expertly captures the all-consuming joy of first love—and the agony of loss. This beautifully woven tale will appeal to fans of Lauren Kate, Becca Fitzpatrick, and Aprilynne Pike.

My Review

Oh my goodness!  This book was just as amazing as the first book!  And I have no idea how I am going to review it without including a whole lot of spoilers, so this review may feel a little disjointed.

First, I have to hand it to Cynthia Hand.  Does that woman ever know how to keep throwing in surprises that make perfect sense but you never saw them coming!  It was incredible.  Every time I thought I had something figured out, she would totally shock me with what the reality was!

The plot and the action were just as good as the first book.  There were new characters and old characters seen in a new light.  The story just keeps pulling together in such a way that I can only imagine what the ending will be like.  It’s going to be a thrill ride for sure.

I really can’t say a lot about the plot because there is no way to go into all the details that I loved and hated because it would spoil the story for you and there is no way that I want to spoil it.  I want my readers to experience all those shocking moments first hand! : )

Let me just finish up by saying that if you liked the first book, Unearthly, you are going to like this one as well.  The only thing that could have made this book better would have been more Tucker.  But I can never get enough Tucker!

My grade for this book is A+.  This is one of the best books I’ve read all year!

Huge thanks to Harper Collins and Netgalley for allowing me to read and rev

Passion by Lauren Kate

Book:  Passion
Author:  Lauren Kate
Publisher:  Random House
Date:  June 14, 2011
My grade:  A-

Luce would die for Daniel.


And she has. Over and over again. Throughout time, Luce and Daniel have found each other, only to be painfully torn apart: Luce dead, Daniel left broken and alone. But perhaps it doesn’t need to be that way. . . .


Luce is certain that something—or someone—in a past life can help her in her present one. So she begins the most important journey of this lifetime . . . going back eternities to witness firsthand her romances with Daniel . . . and finally unlock the key to making their love last.


Cam and the legions of angels and Outcasts are desperate to catch Luce, but none are as frantic as Daniel. He chases Luce through their shared pasts, terrified of what might happen if she rewrites history.


Because their romance for the ages could go up in flames . . . forever.
Sweeping across centuries, PASSION is the third novel in the unforgettably epic FALLEN series.

My Review

I don’t really know what to say about this book. I absolutely loved the story once I was finished with the book. However, the book read at a very slow pace. Or rather, I had to read it at a very slow pace. I think that what has made people give this book some poor reviews is that this is a book that requires a lot of thinking and processing as you read.

I think that going back to see Luce and Daniel in all their past lives was amazing. It was also very necessary to understand where they are now. Just like Luce, the reader is sort of blindly jumping through time and trying desperately to make sense of all the situations and figure a way out of them. Unlike Luce, the reader has the luxury of putting the book down and taking a rest from all the thinking!

I’m having a hard time reviewing without spoilers, so let me just say that Lauren Kate has really created some beautiful descriptions and there were times when Daniel’s anguish literally broke my heart! She also throws in some surprises along the way that were fun.

The history of each life was very well done. It’s obvious that she did some research to make everything authentic and as a reader, I really appreciated that.

The cover is something that I just have to mention.  I know, I know....don't judge a book by it's cover and yadda, yadda, yadda.  But just look at that cover!  This series has got some of the best covers out there, bar none!  I absolutely love them!  They are beautiful, but dark and passionate!  Whoever does these covers......keep doing what you are doing!

My grade for this book is probably A-. In the end, I really did love this book. The minus is just because of the sort of slow nature of the book. The story is fantastic and the book is a beautiful way to set up the last book in the series, Rapture. So Lauren Kate, bring it on! I’m ready for whatever surprises you are going to throw my way!

The 2012 TBR Reading Pile Challenge

This is the challenge of my dreams! I have such a giant TBR pile sitting around and I keep adding to it!

Here's what the challenge is about:

We all have those books. We buy them, win them, they're gifted to us.. Then we put them up on a bookshelf and there they stay, collecting dust, waiting for the time when we'll finally decide to pick them up..

Join us on a quest to dust off your TBR Pile and read all the books you've been telling yourself you'll read next time you'll get a chance.. This is your chance! And we've got PRIZES!!! :D

Check out the details at the Evie Bookish blog here

These are all the blogs that are helping to host the challenge:
Hosts:
Evie from Bookish - http://www.evie-bookish.blogspot.com @SeoEvie
Nicole from All I Ever Read - http://www.nicoleabouttown.com/ @Nicoleabouttown
Bonnie from Hands and Home - http://www.handsandhome.ca/ @HandsHomeBlog
Donna from Book Passion For Life - http://bookpassionforlife.blogspot.com/ @BookPforLife
Caitlin from WatchYA Reading - http://whatchyareading.net @caitlingss
Rie from Mission To Read - http://missiontoread.com/ @missiontoread
Vicky from Books, Biscuits & Tea -http://booksbiscuitsandtea.blogspot.com/ @alouetteuette
Christa from Hooked On Books - http://christashookedonbooks.blogspot.com @ChristasBooks
Jenna from Fans Of Fiction - http://fansoffiction.blogspot.com/ @fansoffiction
Angel from Mermaids Vision - http://mermaidvision.wordpress.com @mermaidvisions

I can't wait to get started on this one! I've got my swiffer duster ready!

The Pledge by Kimberly Derting

Book:  The Pledge

Author:  Kimberly Derting

Publisher:  Simon and Schuster

Date:  November 15, 2011

Source:  Simon and Schuster Galley Grab

My grade: A

In the violent country of Ludania, the classes are strictly divided by the language they speak. The smallest transgression, like looking a member of a higher class in the eye while they are speaking their native tongue, results in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina has always been able to understand the languages of all classes, and she's spent her life trying to hide her secret. The only place she can really be free is the drug-fueled underground clubs where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. It's there that she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy named Max who speaks a language she's never heard before . . . and her secret is almost exposed.

Charlie is intensely attracted to Max, even though she can't be sure where his real loyalties lie. As the emergency drills give way to real crisis and the violence escalates, it becomes clear that Charlie is the key to something much bigger: her country's only chance for freedom from the terrible power of a deadly regime.

My Review

First, let me say that I got to meet the wonderful Kimberly Derting at YallFest the weekend of November 12^th and she is so nice!  I enjoyed meeting her and talking to her about this book.  I also got to buy a copy of it early!  I was actually in the middle of reading it as a galley on my Nook, but of course, I needed to get a hard copy to get signed.

Next, I need to preface this review by saying that I normally don’t like to read books that take place in other worlds.  I am not a high fantasy reader.  I like Harry Potter because it is a world within our own world.  Same with Twilight and all the other paranormal books I read.  I originally didn’t plan on reading this book, but I kept reading reviews that talked about how wonderful it was, so I got curious and decided to request it.

Boy, am I ever glad that I did!  This book was fantastic!

I loved the world that Derting created.  It felt almost like a character itself.  Or maybe the Queen and the country felt like the same person.  I don’t know, but she created a living and breathing setting in this book that sort of sucked me into it.  I found it hard to leave the book and when I had to put it down, my head was in a sort of fog.

It was interesting to see the society that she created.  It was unlike any other dystopian society that I’ve read about.  I also liked that as a reader, I got to see the society through different points of view.

I enjoyed the characters and there were some definite surprises with some of them that I didn’t see coming at all!  Charlie was a likeable heroine and Max was a great leading man.  I totally fell for him and even more so after a certain secret about him is revealed.

The thing that was best about this book, though, was the non-stop plot!  There were so many mysteries and plot twists.  It constantly kept me guessing and then there was always something else that surprised me.  I could not put it down because I couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next. 

About 2/3 of the way through the book, I realized that there was no way this book could really finish in one installment, so I ran to my trusty goodreads to make sure there was a second book.  It was nice that Kimberly Derting did wrap up the book nicely, even though there is obviously more to come.  I’m not satisfied with the ending as the total end, but at least it didn’t cut off right in the middle of an incredibly important scene (clearsthroatCatchingFireclearsthroat)

I highly recommend this book and give it a solid A.  Good characters, great plot and an interesting world.  What more could a girl ask for?  Besides an iPad, of course. : )

OUaT ARC tour: The Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Book:  The Everneath

Author:  Brodi Ashton

Publisher:  Harper Collins

Date:  January 24, 2012

My grade:  A

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's...

My Review

I am thrilled to be part of this blog tour!  Thanks to Yara Santos over at Once Upon a Twilight for allowing me to be a part of it!  Yara, you rock my socks off!  And now for my review…….

First of all, this cover is amazing.  I know, you don’t judge a book by its cover, blah, blah, blah.  But of course we all do.  Publishers of young adult books have finally figured that out and I’m so glad that the gorgeous covers are continuing.  And I must say that this cover of one of the most beautiful ones out there.  This cover on the shelf in the book store coupled with the summary would have definitely made me walk to the checkout counter!

And I would have been very glad that I did!  The cover certainly does warrant the judgment of the book inside.  This book was very good.  I think that Greek mythology re-tellings are starting to become some of my favorites.  They might even replace vampires!  ::Gasp!::  (note to Edward—don’t worry, no one will ever replace you in my heart.  You are like my first love, bookwise, and first loves are always special.)

This book is loosely, loosely based on several Greek myths of the Underworld, including the Persephone myth and the Orpheus/Eurydice myth.  Brodi Ashton does an amazing job of combining elements of these 2 myths and successfully importing them into modern day.  I could see the myths, but they never felt anachronistic.  It was beautiful!

The other thing that I really liked about this book is the way she sequenced the story.  She changed back and forth between present day and past until the two met at the current moment and made the big reveals.  It was brilliant!  I couldn’t wait to see what had led to the current action and I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next.  The structure of the story kept me on the edge of my seat as much as the story itself.

The characters were well-written and compelling.  I found myself able to sympathize with all of them and I liked all of them as well, even Cole, who seems to be a little vilified!  At times, I liked him better than Jack, especially before certain facts about Jack were revealed!

I was totally unprepared for the climax because I honestly didn’t think she would do what she did!  Holy cow, Brodi Ashton!  You have got some nerves, woman!  I ran to my computer to make sure that this was not a stand-alone! 

My grade for this book is an A.  I really, really liked it.  You will too!  

vote for your favorites on Goodreads!

If you are a member of Goodreads, you can vote on your favorite books of 2011!  I just voted in the first category and I'm heading back to see what else is there!  Go check it out on www.goodreads.com or click on the link below.

2011 Goodreads Choice Awards: Favorite Book of 2011 Vote now for your favorite books!

The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

Book:  The Iron Knight

Author:  Julie Kagawa

Date:  October, 2011

Publisher:  Harlequin Teen

Source:  www.netgalley.com

My grade:  A

Ash, former prince of the Winter Court, gave up everything. His title, his home, even his vow of loyalty. All for a girl… and all for nothing.

Unless he can earn a soul.

To cold, emotionless faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.

Then Meghan Chase—a half human, half fey slip of a girl— smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.

With the (unwelcome) company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end— a quest to find a way to honor his solemn vow to stand by Meghan’s side.

To survive in the Iron realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. At least, no one has ever passed to tell the tale.

And then Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that turns reality upside down, challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.

My Review

I don’t know how to review this book.  Don’t get me wrong here—I really, really liked this book.  What I can’t understand is how I seemed to really like it, but I couldn’t just sit and read it.  It took me a long time to finish this book.  I wonder if it is because there was a lot to absorb?  Or maybe the change in narrator threw me off?  I’m not sure.  I know that when I got to the end of the book, I had really enjoyed the ride, but the journey was not easy.

This is the book that sold me on Team Ash.  The Iron Queen made me like him a lot, but after this book, I love him.  He is just right for Megan.  And he is swoon-worthy!  The way he loves her just leaves me speechless and wishing that real men were more like faery men!  I am still solid Team Puck for myself, because I love Puck also.  He’s not the dark, brooding type either and of course, everyone knows of my ginger love!  But this book sealed the deal for me with Ash.

I loved the quest and all the things that happened on the journey.  In fact, I stand in awe of Julie Kagawa.  I’m not sure how a human mind can create this type of rich world and journey.  It was unbelievable.  Her imagination exceeds anything I’ve ever seen.

There were quite a few surprises in this book, things that I never saw coming, but things that made sense.  Of course, there were some tried and true elements as well.  Grim, for example, was his usual catty self and I adore him for that.

So, I have to figure out what grade to give this book.  I’m still not sure.  I’m going to go ahead and give it an A.  Normally, that grade means that I tore through the book at breakneck speed, reading at the most inappropriate times possible because I could not stand to put it down.  That was not this book for me.  But, when I arrived at the end, I felt complete satisfaction with the series, I still loved Puck and Grim, I finally loved Ash and all felt right in the world.  I suppose that really is worth an A, isn’t it?

Thanks to Harlequin Teen and netgalley for the review copy.

Devilish by Maureen Johnson

Book:  Devilish

Author:  Maureen Johnson

Publisher:  Razorbill

Date:  2006

My grade:  A

The only thing that makes St. Teresa's Preparatory School for Girls bearable for Jane is her best friend Ally. But when Ally changes into a whole different person literally overnight the fall of their senior year, Jane's suddenly alone—and very confused.

Turns out, Ally has sold her soul in exchange for popularity—to a devil masquerading as a sophomore at St. Teresa's! Now it's up to Jane to put it all on the line to save her friend from this ponytail-wearing, cupcakenibbling demon . . . without losing her own soul in the process.

This YA take on Faust in a Catholic girls' high school is clever, fun, and full of tasty surprises.

My Review
I really enjoyed this book.  It was paranormal but very light-hearted.  I wasn’t sure how this book would turn out, but it was a really fun read.  Maureen Johnson did a fabulous job of taking a story that could have been very serious and making it humorous and spirited.  It was exactly the type of book I needed right now.  Not too heavy or serious, but a great plot with lots of spunk!


It was actually nice to read a book that wasn’t full of steaming hot boys and a swooning heroine.  I know some of you are saying “Tammy!  Seriously, who can be tired of steaming hot boys?”  I’m not suggesting that I don’t love the hot guys in other books.  It’s just that it seems to be in every book now and this book didn’t really have that.  There was Owen, and I do have a soft spot for gingers, but he wasn’t one of these male characters that takes over the narrative and makes the pages of the book steam because he’s so smoking hot. : )

Another thing that I liked about this book was its unpredictability.  There were lots of twists and turns that were great surprises.  None of them seemed out of place, but they were surprises nonetheless.  

One more thing that I loved?  This book is not part of a series!!!  Now, she left the ending so that she could add more to the story if desired, but there was no terrible cliffhanger that has me biting my nails and flipping through my calendar to see the release date for book 2.  That was so refreshing!  I wouldn’t be opposed to another book in the series, but it’s not a necessity and I found that made me happy.

My grade for this one is an A.  Overall, it’s a fun, enjoyable read.  Much like the cupcake that graces the front cover, it’s a sweet little treat that you will want to gobble up and find that you’re satisfied at the end, even if you could eat another.

YallFest 2011

I'm so excited!  I'm going to YallFest this weekend!  It is going to be epic!  All of the books that I need to get signed are on their way in the mail and I can't wait!  The author line up is fabulous and I've never been to YallFest before, so it should be a lot of fun.  Just check out the authors that will be there:

Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

David Levithan
Melissa de la Cruz

Heather Brewer

Kaleb Nation

Ellen Hopkins

Andrea Cremer
Beth Revis
Carrie Ryan

Isaac Marion
Sarah Rees Brennan
Kimberly Derting

Adele Griffin
Lisa Brown

Victoria Schwab

Michelle Hodkin

Kwame Alexander

Saundra Mitchell

Diana Peterfreund

Caitlin Kittredge

Pseudonymous Bosch

Katie Crouch

Holly Goldberg Sloan

Eliot Schrefer

Natalie Standiford

If any of you will be there, let me know!

Interview with Kersten Hamilton

I'm so excited!  Kersten Hamilton, the author of the wonderful Goblin Wars trilogy, stopped by to talk to me here at Into the Mystic!  Kersten has written "Tyger, Tyger" which just released in paperback and the soon to be released "In the Forests of the Night".  You can find my reviews of these books here and here.

ItM:Where did you get the idea for The Goblin Wars trilogy? What made you want to set an ancient Irish legend into modern day? 

 

The seed of the series was actually planted by a goblin named Lina from George MacDonald’s book The Princess and the Goblin. I read the book when I was a about ten.
Lina was a dog–like creature with green eyes lit by amber fire, and a huge mouth with icicle–like teeth. Curdie, the hero of the story, could feel the real hand of any creature inside its flesh glove, and when Lina put her paw in his hand: “a shudder, as of terrified delight, ran through him…instead of the paw of a dog, such as it seemed to his eyes, he clasped in his great mining fist the soft, neat little hand of a child! The green eyes stared at him with their yellow light, and the mouth was turned up toward him with its constant half grin; but here was the child’s hand!”
When I read those lines I felt it. I felt the child’s hand, and I knew I wanted to pull a child out of a goblin one day. That was the moment the story that became Tyger Tyger started growing inside me.

ItM:  You write a lot of children’s picture books. How does your writing process for picture books compare to the writing process for a YA novel? 

 

Believe it or not, writing YA is much easier than writing picture books, even though YA takes longer and is more absorbing. Many people think that picture books are ‘easy’ because they are short. That’s not true. In a picture book you must have all of the same elements of story and character, but you only have a few hundred words (at most!) to work with. Picture book readers have less life experience to bring to the book with them and that makes writing more difficult as well.

ItM:  What were your favorite parts in the books?

 

I like every part of these books: the snappy dialogue when the whole group is gathered and tossing ideas about literature, history and love; the suspense of being stalked by evil; the moments when the characters fight for their lives and for each other; the awkwardness of awakening love. Kissing scenes make me blush, though.

ItM:  Is there any chance that these books will be made into movies?

 

Not the remotest. They don’t have the requisite love triangle or sufficient explosions to attract Hollywood. But…that’s all right with me. The books are my art—they belong to me and my readers. The movies would belong to someone else. I’m not sure I want to give them away.

ItM:  If there were a movie for The Goblin Wars, who would be your dream cast? (Ok, really, how do you picture Finn, right?) 

 

I can’t imagine trying to fold Teagan, Mamieo, Abby into the bodies of an existing actress. They are too much themselves. Now, it is possible that Johnny Depp could play all of the parts. That might work. Okay, I’ll fold a little here. I did have a picture similar to this when I wrote Finn. Only slightly younger, of course:

http://www.wallpapers3000.com/wallpapers...

ItM:  Can you share a secret from “In the Forests of the Night”? 

 

Hmmm. How about: Someone (or some creature) is more than you expect or have been led to believe.

ItM:  You have a cool contest going for the release of the 2nd book and also the release of “Tyger, Tyger” in paperback. What can you tell us about the contest?

Yes! I am holding a book trailer contest! Create a book trailer for In the Forests of the Night and you can win $1,000 for your library:

http://home.comcast.net/~kerstenhamilton...

ItM:  Anything you’d like to share about book 3?

 

It is going to be longer, unless this ends up as a four book series. My excellent editor has assured me of enough time and space to finish the story as it needs to be finished—whether that is accomplished in one book or two, the readers will not be left hanging. Which makes me very happy.

ItM:  What are some good books that you have read recently that you would recommend?

I have very eclectic reading tastes, to say the least. Here are some of the books I have read in the last weeks that I can recommend:

Save the Cat! is a book about screen writing by Blake Snyder; Grand Sophie, which is a Regency Romance by Georgette Heyer; Alec Forbes of Howglen by George MacDonald. I am on a historical binge.

I’m reading several other books as well, but they would not be to everyone’s taste, such as Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler. I want to understand that he was a human—and how a human could accept such evil, even convincing himself that it was good. It feels strange and sad, touching Hitler's mind through a book.

ItM:  Finally, can I have Finn? I would trade you my husband for him.

Of course! But you will have to settle for a timeshare. I already have 356 husbands, a standard poodle, one red Maserati, a castle in Monaco and a diamond ring that have been traded for a share of Finn. Finn doesn’t know this yet. I’m not too worried about that—but Teagan doesn’t know either. This does worry me. I may have to go into the author’s equivalent of witness protection when she finds out.  

Thank you so much for stopping by, Kersten!  If you have not yet read "Tyger, Tyger", run get a copy before the release of "In the Forests of the Night!"  You will be able to purchase book 2 on November 22, 2011!

Dreamless Cover Reveal!

The cover for the sequel to Starcrossed has finally been revealed!

Dreamless is the next book in Josephine Angelini's fabulous series.  I loved the first book so, so, so, so much!  And check out how beautiful this cover is!  I can't wait to see what happens next for Helen and Lucas!

If you have not yet read Starcrossed, what on earth are you waiting for??