Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

Book:  Rot & Ruin

Author:  Jonathan Maberry

Date:  available now

Publisher:  Simon and Schuster

Source:  purchased

My grade:  A+

In the zombie-infested, post-apocalyptic America where Benny Imura lives, every teenager must find a job by the time they turn fifteen or get their rations cut in half. Benny doesn't want to apprentice as a zombie hunter with his boring older brother Tom, but he has no choice. He expects a tedious job whacking zoms for cash, but what he gets is a vocation that will teach him what it means to be human. (cover and description from www.goodreads.com)

Initial reaction

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!  I never thought that I would use the words profound, zombie and novel all in the same sentence.  I will never doubt again.

Cover story

Both the title and cover of this book ROCK!  I love the close up zombie face and the fact that it still looks so human is really important.  The title is just gory enough.  This cover and title have massive boy appeal as well.

What’s the Story?

This book has been sitting on my shelf since Decatur Book Festival 2011.  I bought it because it sounded interesting and, more importantly, the author was at the festival, so I could get it autographed.  I certainly intended to read it, but it sort of got pushed to the side with the 2938759082 other books that I have waiting for me.

Then some of the boys from my teen fiction club from last school year kept showing up at my door and demanding that we start meeting again this year.  So I set up a meeting and exactly 3 boys showed up.  Now, obviously, 3 boys are not going to be up for reading the latest Jennifer Armentrout novel, so I had to think of something that they would buy into that I wanted to read also and it needed to be YA.  Enter Rot & Ruin.

They actually started talking about The Walking Dead and World War Z.  Then this book suddenly popped into my head.  I showed it to them and they were sold!  So then I had to read it too.

God, I am soooooo glad I thought of this book!  This book was amazing.

Now, this is not your average zombie book.  If you are looking for tons of blood and gore, this may not be your novel.  But if you want a zombie book that makes you stop and think and that will spark a discussion about just what makes us human and who are the real monsters, then run to pick up this book.

I never dreamed that I would find myself feeling sorry for the zombies that are killed in a book, but this book managed to make me feel just that.  This book is an incredible coming-of-age story in a world that has been completely torn apart and turned upside down.  And just as the world has changed completely, so too did our hero, Benny Imura.  He thinks that he understands the world and the zombies and who is good and who is bad, but then he decides to apprentice with his brother, the zombie killer.  Everything that Benny thought he knew gets turned on its head and Benny has to work through what he believes about everything.  In the process, he changes from a boy to a man.  It is a beautiful tale that takes place in an ugly, ugly world and it made me keep reading in total amazement of how the author had managed to create such a profound story in a novel about the walking dead.

The characters are incredible.  By the end of the novel, I loved and cared for Tom and Benny Imura so, so much.  I also really loved Nix.  And the bad guys?  I hated them so much!!  My feelings were so deep for these characters.

I could sit here and wax poetic about this novel all day, but the best thing I can do is encourage you to experience this one for yourself.  It is a real page-turner that offers so much more than just a zombie story.  I dare you to read this one and not contemplate the meaning of humanity.

The Soundtrack

Living Dead Girl by Rob Zombie

Couldn’t resist this one, sorry.

Bodies by Drowning Pool

100 Years by Five for Fighting

Big Bad World by The Plain White T’s

The Final Grade

My final grade for this one is an A+.  This is one of the best coming of age novels I’ve read in a good while.  I can’t wait to get my hands on the next installment!

Opal Trailer Release

I just can't wait to read this book, but in the meantime, I can just stare at this trailer!!!!!

No one is like Daemon Black.

When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around. Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well... There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on.

But even he can’t protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love.

After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different... And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable of. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.

Together we’re stronger... and they know it.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

USA TODAY Bestselling author, Jennifer L. Armentrout, lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing, she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell, Loki. Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She also writes adult romance under the name J. Lynn.

Find Jennifer on: Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Website | Blog

Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Book:  Onyx

Author:  Jennifer L. Armentrout

Publisher:  Entangled

Source:  purchased

Grade:  A

Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…

Thanks to his alien mojo, Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems.

Something worse than the Arum has come to town…

The Department of Defense are here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we're linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And there's this new boy in school who’s got a secret of his own. He knows what’s happened to me and he can help, but to do so, I have to lie to Daemon and stay away from him. Like that's possible. Against all common sense, I'm falling for Daemon. Hard.

But then everything changes…

I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?

No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies…

Initial reaction

Oh, JLA!  I will never doubt you again!

Cover story

I love the titles for this series and the fact that all the minerals that are used are significant in the story.  I like the covers, but I’m not crazy about them. Although the model for Daemon is smoking hot! 

What’s the Story?

I flat out loved the first book in this series, Obsidian.  I had never read a Jennifer Armentrout novel until that one and I was so, so hooked!  I could not put it down.

I finally found the time to squeeze in Onyx and I was so excited.  More hot alien!  Hooray!  Then I started reading and saw the book delving into more of the Katy/Daemon back and forth fighting and flirting.  And I thought, “You know, I’ve had enough of this.  If these two don’t figure things out soon, I’m just going to stop reading this because there’s not a whole lot more going on.”

Then JLA laughed in my face and blew my mind!

Don’t worry too much about the bickering if that is getting on your nerves in the beginning.  Because once this book gets going, it has a kick-ass plot that is going to blow you away!  I don’t even know how to describe it, so I’m almost resorting to the descriptive capacity of a 13 year old girl at a Justin Bieber concert.  In other words….

OMG! OMG! OMG!!  SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!  THIS BOOK IS LIKE, TOTALLY AWESOME!

This book had a tight, fast-paced plot once it picked up.  There were some things I suspected and others I didn’t and the whole thing came together in one wicked ride of a novel!

I still love Daemon and Katy and once they stopped the constant bickering from the beginning of the book, I loved them even more.  I also really enjoyed getting to know a little more about the Luxen and their world and culture.  This is such an interesting angle for a book plot with the aliens trying to hide as humans on Earth instead being some big, evil entity trying to end humankind as we know it.  And JLA knows how to work it, people!

This book, of course, left me hungering for more at the end, but it did tie up fairly nicely, especially for the middle book in a series.  There are still a lot more questions and conflict to clear up, so I am anxiously awaiting the days until Opal is available.

The Soundtrack

One More Night by Maroon 5

Keep Me a Secret by Ainslie Henderson

A Night Like This by The Cure

Subterranean Homesick Alien by Radiohead

The Alien Song by Milla Jovovich

Your Guardian Angel by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

The Final Grade

My final grade for this book is an A.  It would have been an A+, but that bickering at the front of the book got on my nerves a bit.  But once this book took off….wow!  It took my breath away!  And now I’m anxiously awaiting the next book, and keeping an eye on the sky for my own hot mess of an alien!

Embers in a Dark Frost by Kelly Keaton

www.KellyKeaton.net

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Easy by Tammara Webber

Book:  Easy

Author:  Tammara Webber

Publisher:  Penguin Group

Date:  May 25, 2012

Source:  Purchased

My grade:  A+

A girl who believes trust can be misplaced, promises are made to be broken, and loyalty is an illusion. A boy who believes truth is relative, lies can mask unbearable pain, and guilt is eternal. Will what they find in each other validate their conclusions, or disprove them all?

When Jacqueline follows her longtime boyfriend to the college of his choice, the last thing she expects is a breakup two months into sophomore year. After two weeks in shock, she wakes up to her new reality: she's single, attending a state university instead of a music conservatory, ignored by her former circle of friends, and failing a class for the first time in her life.

Leaving a party alone, Jacqueline is assaulted by her ex's frat brother. Rescued by a stranger who seems to be in the right place at the right time, she wants nothing more than to forget the attack and that night--but her savior, Lucas, sits on the back row of her econ class, sketching in a notebook and staring at her. Her friends nominate him to be the perfect rebound.

When her attacker turns stalker, Jacqueline has a choice: crumple in defeat or learn to fight back. Lucas remains protective, but he's hiding secrets of his own. Suddenly appearances are everything, and knowing who to trust is anything but easy.

Initial reaction

NOW, I see what all the fuss is about.  I will never judge a book by its cover again.

Cover Story

I hate the title and cover for this book.  For reals.  Hate them.  I would never want to be seen out in public reading this book.  Which is too bad, because after reading it, I think everyone should read it.  I would just have to put another book jacket on it.  I hate covers that show people about to kiss.  Why do publishers do that?  It’s as bad as the shirtless guys in kilts on the front of romance novels.  I think I could deal with the title if there wasn’t this picture on front.  With that picture, it makes the book seem like it’s about some skanky ho who is……easy.

What’s the Story?

I had never planned to read this book.  Then, I started seeing show up on my goodreads feed all the time.  It was being reviewed by lots of blogs and getting rave reviews.  So, I bought it.  Then, it just sat there in my Nook for at least a few weeks.  Finally, I decided I would read it because it seemed like a good follow up to my absolute love of Meant to Be.

I am such an idiot for not reading this sooner.

This book is amazing, people!  There is a reason it has over 25,000 reviews on goodreads and a cumulative review score of 4.34.  Yes, it is that good.  This book is not the skanky sex-fest I imagined it to be after looking at that cover.  No, this book has SUBSTANCE!  This book deals with some super serious issues.  This book has the balls to strip open those issues and face them head-on.  This book deals with rape, friendship, relationships, teacher/student relations, psychological damage, sexism, and the Greek system.  Yes, it really does cover that much ground and it does it magnificently.

I think this book was not originally a Penguin book, but I can see why Penguin picked this one up!  Once I started reading, I could not put it down.  I about had a panic attack yesterday when I got to school and realized that my Nook had a low battery.  I read until I just couldn’t read any longer.  (Here I should put a giant thank you to my student teacher who is doing all the work which is what allowed me to read during class.  Joy, you’re awesome!)

If you are uncomfortable with discussion of rape or scenes of almost rape are triggers for you, you need to stay away from this one.  There is not graphic detail of the attack, but there’s enough that it is definitely disturbing.  However, if you want to see a book readily handle some serious issues while giving you a fabulous story and characters that you will feel deeply about, then you need to go pick this book up RIGHT NOW!!!

This book is part of a new “genre” if you will of new adult.  Basically, that means that it takes place in college.  I really liked this genre.  It has fewer restrictions and I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy the smexy times.  : )  It was hot, but it wasn’t 50 Shades of Graphic, so it shouldn’t really be very offensive. 

I seriously cannot explain just how engaging and incredible this book is.  You will have to experience it for yourself.

Soundtrack

23 by Jimmy Eats World

The Only Exception by Paramore

The Last Night by Skillet

Cry by James Blunt

Goodbye to You by Michelle Branch

This song seems like it was written just for Jacqueline!

Only You by Sinead O’Connor

Don’t like my soundtrack?  Check out the one that Tammara Webber has posted on her website!  You can find it here.

The Final Grade

My final grade for this book is an A+.  This book had everything--deep issues, steamy sexual tension and super hot bad boy.  Do yourself a favor and go buy this book today.

Wraith by Angel Lawson

Book:  Wraith

Author:  Angel Lawson

Publisher:  Self-published

Date:  February 6, 2012

Source:  Author

My grade:  A+!!

Freak. Weird. Crazy. These are the names tossed around seventeen-year old Jane Watts by her fellow classmates. But things aren’t always as they seem. Sometimes there’s a reason for talking to yourself in the hallway at school.

Adjusting to her new home and school after an abrupt move, Jane just wants to be like everyone else at school. Although she does manage to make one friend, Evan — sixteen, charming and protective. Evan is everything a girl could want in a best friend, with one minor caveat: He’s dead.

Caught somewhere between life and death, Evan is tied to Jane and the living world, unable to complete the journey to the other side. She thinks he’s here to be her friend, to take care of her, and that’s why no one else can see or hear him.

That is, until a new boy shows up at school after a rumored stretch in juvie. Connor can see Evan and is not convinced that the ghost is completely honest. Past experience taught him how ghosts tend to need something from the humans they connect to and Evan, despite his arguments, isn’t any different.

Jane is resentful of Connor’s intrusion but soon realizes that her ghostly friend has secrets about his past. And now Evan's family, still reeling from his tragic death, is in danger. Jane must face her fears and battle Evan’s human demons to free both of them.

Initial reaction

This book is crazy good!  Why is everyone not reading this book??!!??

Cover story

I liked the cover and title before reading the book.  It doesn’t look like some of those really cheesy self-pubs that make me cringe.  This one is very professional.  Then, after reading it, the cover was even better because it made perfect sense with the story.  Very nicely done, Ms. Lawson!

What’s the Story?

I accepted this book from the author because the premise sounded interesting.  Some of you know about my hesitation with self-pubs, but this one seemed like something I would really like.  However, in finishing up graduate school and trying to get caught up with other books that I needed to review, this one sort of got pushed to the side.  I am currently kicking myself for not reading this one sooner.

Seriously, people, if you shy away from self-published authors like I do, run get this book!  You will not be sorry!  This book is better written than many books I’ve read from major publishers!  In fact, I’m sort of angry that this one has not been picked up by a major publisher!  I mean, they’ll publish 50 Shades of Craptastic, but they haven’t published this fabulous novel?  It makes me question lots of things about the publishing industry.

This book sucked me in from the first chapter and I became so engrossed in Jane’s story and subsequently in Connor’s story.  I did not want to put it down.  I even read it during the hockey game we went to see on Sunday, much to my husband’s chagrin.  I stayed up until 1:30 on a school night when I had to get up at 5:15 in order to finish reading this.  Then I just sat there thinking about how wonderful the book was and how I wished that there would be another book telling another story about Jane and Connor and the ghosts.

This story was really intense.  I felt so sorry for Jane and Connor and I also felt sorry for Evan, the ghost.  There were so many harrowing situations in this novel.  I found myself compulsively turning the pages, trying to get to the next thing that would happen.

It was amazing how the author was able to take this incredible story and still add a romantic element into it that didn’t seem forced or out of place.  Even in the midst of all the struggling with the situation, Jane and Connor were able to find strength and support in one another.  Watching their relationship bloom even under the stress of the events taking place was wonderful and it was beautifully written and very believable.

I could just wax poetic all day about how wonderful and amazing this book is, but really, you need to just go read it and experience it for yourself.  This book may have single-handedly changed my view about self-published works.

The Soundtrack

Fly Me Away by Little and Ashley

Secret Heart by Feist

Ghost by Ingrid Michaelson

The lyrics to this one are not really like the story, but I thought it was cool to have a song named Ghost on the soundtrack for a book called Wraith. : )

Haunted by Evanescence

Somewhere I Belong by Linkin Park

The Walk by Imogen Heap

The Final Grade

My final grade for this book is A+.  I am so blown away by the epic greatness of this book that I wish I could read it again but have it be all brand new.  I’m so jealous of all you people out there who will get to experience Wraith for the first time!  Just don’t wait around forever like I did.  Go get it now, ok?

Thanks to the author, Angel Lawson, for providing me a copy of this book.  I received no compensation for my honest review, not even a hot mess of a bad boy who can see ghosts.  (darn it!)

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.  This week's topic is a freebie, so since I missed last week, I'll just do it this week!  So here are my:

Top Ten Favorite Kick-Ass Heroines

I was going to put Katniss Everdeen on this list, but I figured she was an obvious choice, so I went for some others instead.

Isabelle Lightwood from The Mortal Instruments series

I know that Clary is the actual girl protagonist in this series, but Isabelle is a total tough girl!  I love her black leather, her stiletto boots and her demon-killing whip!  She rocks!

Tris Prior from the Divergent series

This girl has got it going on!  She left her safe and happy little home in Abnegation and joined up with Dauntless faction.  She found herself jumping on and off of moving trains even!  I would so want to be her.

Ismae Rienne from Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin #1)

Ismae not only got herself out of an arranged marriage that would have been horrible, but she also joined up with a group of assassin nuns and learned how to fight and use weapons and poison people.  Hello!  If that's not kick-ass, then I don't know what is!

Alina Starkov from Shadow and Bone:  The Grisha series #1

Alina joined the army and then found a dormant power to save her best friend, Mal.  I love it when the girls save the boys!!!
 
  

Chloe Saunders  from The Summoning

Don't let that cover fool you!  Chloe Saunders is one tough chick!  She deals with horrible visions of dead people, one moody werewolf and a bunch of supernatural mean girls without losing her cool!  Kelley Armstrong is the queen of writing kick-ass women characters and this book proved that she could do that in YA as well.

Rachel Adams from Defiance

Rachel lives in a world where women are held to the whims of men and must be escorted everywhere and stay in their "place".  So what does she do?  She learns how to fight with weapons and starts a search for her missing father even when she knows there is a terrible beast outside the city walls!

 

Blue Sargent from The Raven Boys

This is a girl who hangs out once in a year in the cemetery with her mom to watch the shades of dead people walk by.  Not much phases this girl and she holds her own on this quest with a whole group of boys!  Ha!

 
Ari from Gods and Monsters series

Kelly Keaton is another writer of bad-ass urban fantasy heroines and she transferred that into her YA series.  Ari is an orphan who has learned the repossession business from her adoptive parents.  She also battles all manner of supernatural creatures without batting an eye.  And picks up a hot guy while she's doing it!

 

Helen Hamilton from Starcrossed series

Helen is not only a beauty, she kicks the butts of boys descended from great Greek warriors!  And to top it all off, she confronts the Furies head on and descends into the Underworld to battle!  

 

Quincie P. Morris from the Tantalize series

Quincie handles a werewolf boyfriend, a vampire uncle and suitor and then faces down Satan himself!  All without breaking a sweat!  



So, these are my kick-ass heroines from modern-day novels, but I have a couple of shout outs to some homegirls from classic works.....
 

Beatrice from Much Ado about Nothing

Oh, how I love Beatrice!  This is a woman who had no qualms about putting a man in his place even when she lived during a time that women were to be seen and not heard.  She laments openly about how she can't do more than what she does also, crying out "Oh, that I were a man!"  But she definitely does not fit the mold of her gender for her times and it's a good thing she found a man like Benedick because other men would be too wimpy to handle her.

 
Lizzie Bennet from Pride and Prejudice

Lizzie is the Regency England version of a kick-ass heroine.  She is not simpering and sweet.  She is feisty and she doesn't let Mr. Darcy get by with acting like a royal ass.  She puts him right in his place and does it with grace and manners!  She also lets Wickham know exactly what is what and she doesn't take any crap off of Lady Catherine either!  Go Lizzie!


Are any of my kick-ass heroines the same as yours?  Who did I miss?

 

Monday Recommend a......

Recommend A...... is sponsored by Chick Loves Lit .  Every Monday, I just recommend one book that meets the weekly criteria! Hooray!


This week's prompt is:  recommend a

Book that lived up to your expectations

The Mephisto Kiss by Trinity Faegen 

I absolutely loved the first book in this series, The Mephisto Covenant.  So I was hoping and praying that this book would be just as good and it was!!  In fact, in some ways it was better!  I cannot wait to see what happens in the 3rd installment.  I hope these books just keep on getting better and better.

I need to also add here that the following books really lived up to the hype for me as well:  Mockingjay, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and Twilight.  I also thought that Anna and the French Kiss was just as good as everyone said and Looking for Alaska makes me want to read every John Green book ever published.  

Now that I've given you a library, what book can you tell me about that lived up to your expectations?