Spring Cleaning Giveaway Hop

It's time for some Spring Cleaning! Inspired Kathy of I Am a Reader, Not a Writer asks these very good questions:

• Do you have books sitting on your bookshelves that you've read but will never read again?
• How about books you've started but just couldn't get through?
• Review copies you've accepted but have never read? 

My answer is "yes" and I want you to help me out. Since I also save the boxes that I get from Amazon I have a number of their A1 boxes to fill.

Box #1

• The Dark City (ARC) by Catherine Fisher
• Winterling (ARC) by Sarah Prineas
• Jessica Rules the Dark Side (ARC) by Beth Fantaskey

Box #2

• The Dark City (ARC) by Catherine Fisher
• All the Things I've Done (ARC) by Gabrielle Zevin
• Squish Super Amoeba (ARC) by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm
• When the Sea Is Rising Red (ARC) by Cat Hellisen

Super Box #3 - This will be a mystery box and will combine ARCs and finished copies of YA books. It is an Amazon 1A1 box which should let me put in about six books. *eleven books here including early Morganville Vampires series

Because I will be shipping actual books, this contest is limited to people who live in the US or have a mailing address there.

Please fill out the form completely for a chance to win. Winners will be chosen on March 26 using Random.org and the packages will be shipped Media Mail as soon as possible thereafter.

Check out more participating sites here:

Book Blogger Confessions (March 19, 2012)

Book Blogger Confessions is a new Monday meme started by Tiger at Tiger's All-Consuming Books and Karen at For What It's Worth. The purpose of the meme is best stated by Karen here:

"Tiger and I thought it might be time to start a meme to discuss some of the frustrations that are unique to book bloggers. What happens when the hobby you love becomes more of a chore?

This meme will appear on the first and third Mondays of the month. Tiger or Karen will give us a question to respond to and a linky for sharing our responses and developing community.


This week's question is: Everyone LOVES that book! Why don't I? How do you handle being the one reviewer who doesn't like a book that's taking the blogosphere by storm? Do you write a review? Pretend you didn't read the book?


This has happened to me a few times. I read great things about a book. Every review is glowing. I am eager for the book. I buy the book. I settle down to read it. And I am underwhelmed. Sometimes I actively dislike the book and set it aside to never be finished. Luckily those books can find a place in my High School Media Center where they might find an audience among my book happy adolescents. 


In one case, at least, in my blogging history I actively disliked a book and attempted to soldier on through and read it but did not succeed. I had real problems with Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. I couldn't stand the style of the story which bordered on stream of consciousness. I hated the main character. Because I had heard so many glowing things about the book, I persisted. I set it down an picked it up again numerous times. I think I finally gave up on page 186. I was going to link to the review I wrote but I can't find it now. I am sure I wrote something after attempting it.


I know that every book isn't for every reader. We all bring our own needs and expectations to a book. I like a story with engaging characters who have strengths and flaws but are basically good people. I want a plot that is relatively straightforward. I want conversations. I want necessary description. I want some humor. I want some romance. I want a story that engages me.


I don't like books that are filled with lush description and meandering plots. I don't like unlikable characters being the protagonists of the stories I read. I don't like books that play around with English grammar. Books that are written in a stream of consciousness style with limited punctuation don't interest me. Stories that attempt to set time and place with massive amounts of made-up or archaic vocabulary aren't worth the work it takes me to read them. And I hate dialect. I have been assigned to read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn at least four times in my years in school. I haven't read it yet. The dialect defeated me. Bumped by Megan McCafferty almost reached my slang limit but I did finish that one. The interesting story line was enough to let me finish it.


I sometimes write reviews for books that I dislike but I seldom write a review for a book I don't finish. I do try to find some positives when I write that kind of review. Just because I don't see the wonder of the story doesn't mean that someone else won't adore it. It is more often the case for me that I will read a book that is getting rave reviews and think that the book was OK but not exceptional.

I have read lots of books. At an estimated 200 books a year for almost 50 years, I have really read lots of books. It takes something pretty extraordinary for me to rave about it. Less experienced (maybe less jaded) readers will have a different response than mine. Also, I am not a young adult. Some days I barely remember being a young adult even though I see and work with them every day. Books targeted to young adults can't always be expected to resonate with me as much as they do with their target audience.

I can't bring anything else to the party except what I am. When I write about a book, whatever I say is filtered through my reading experiences and my life experiences. How can it be any other way?

In My YA Mailbox (March 18, 2012)

The weekly In My Mailbox post is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. It is fun to see what everyone else gets in their mailboxes, shopping bags, and library visits. Click on the link to The Story Siren's site to see the rules and join in the fun.
 
I guarantee that your TBR pile will grow when you see all the wonderful books everyone gets. You will discover lots of great blogs and lots of books that you won't be able to live without.

This week's mailbox should be called the NetGalley edition. All but one of the books I got this week are eARCs from NetGalley. It could also be called the Kindle edition because, again, all but one of the books are now living on my Kindle (and the final one is an Adoble Digital Editions copy on my computer). Clicking on the titles takes you to Amazon for the descriptions and purchasing information for these.

Here is what I got from NetGalley:

The Girl in the Clockwork Collar by Kady Cross is from Harlequin TEEN and will be published May 22.

Secret Letters by Leah Scheier is from Disney-Hyperion and will be published on June 26.

Dead of Night by Lynn Viehl is from Flux and will be published on July 8.

Innocent Darkness by Suzanne Lazear is also from Flux and will be published on August 8.

The City's Son by Tom Pollock - This one is published by Flux and will come out on Sept. 8.

Breaking Beautiful by Jennifer Shaw Wolf is published by Walker Books for Young Readers and comes out on April 24.

The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda will be published by St. Martin's Griffin on May 8. This one is an Adobe Digital Edition on my computer.

Angel Eyes by Shannon Dittemore will be published by Thomas Nelson on May 29.

The one lone non-review book is Goy Crazy by Melissa Schorr which was free for my Kindle earlier this week. I note that it is back up in price to $2.99 when I am preparing this post.

What did you get in your mailbox?

ARC Review: Loss (Riders of the Apocalypse) by Jackie Morse Kessler

Loss (Riders of the Apocalypse)
Author: Jackie Morse Kessler
Publication: Graphia; Original edition (March 20, 2012)

Description: Fifteen-year-old Billy Ballard is the kid that everyone picks on. But things change drastically when Death tells Billy he must stand in as Pestilence, the White Rider of the Apocalypse. Now armed with a Bow that allows him to strike with disease from a distance, Billy lashes out at his tormentors...and accidentally causes an outbreak of meningitis. Horrified by his actions, Billy begs Death to take back the Bow. For that to happen, says Death, Billy must track down the real White Rider, and stop him from unleashing something awful on humanity—something that could make the Black Plague look like a summer cold. Does one bullied teenager have the strength to stand his ground—and the courage to save the world?

My Thoughts: I think this was my favorite of all of the Riders of the Apocalypse books that I have read. Billy Ballard is the victim of persistent and sustained bullying and just wants to get through the day. When Death comes calling and says he has to stand in as Pestilence, Billy feels totally unqualified and out of his depth. But he made a promise when he was five-years-old to a man who has haunted his nightmares ever since and he is stuck with the job. The job is made even more difficult by the fact that Pestilence is insane. 


We see the history of Pestilence who began life as King Mita of Phrygia and who took up the crown of Pestilence upon the death of his beloved young daughter. This Pestilence has served for thousands of years and the horrors he has seen and caused have made him insane. He is determined to end the world once and for all. Billy has to dive into Pestilence's memories and face his own fears before the world can be saved.


I love the language in this story. The descriptions made me feel like I was there with Billy which was not exactly a good thing when he was being tormented by the bullies at his school. The only downside that I could find for this story was that Death didn't make enough appearances. There was less of the quirky humor that Death brought to the earlier books in the series. 


This book deals with real life issues like bullying and like caring for a grandparent with Alzheimer's. I thought Billy's feelings about his grandfather were very realistic as he switched between remembering the grandfather who was such a central part of his childhood and resenting the responsibility for caring for this sometimes violent stranger his grandfather had become. I agreed with him when he felt that he had too much irresponsibility for a fifteen-year-old. I also really resented the mother who didn't see that her son was being bullied and the school system that didn't see it either. 


This was an excellent story about a young man who doesn't let an impossible situation defeat him and who struggles with both grace and courage. I thought that the ending was realistic and not a typical "they all lived happily ever after." I recommend this story to all young adults.

Favorite Quote:

Billy took a deep breath and started to get dressed, telling himself that nothing too bad would happen today.

Liar, whispered a small voice in his head.

That was okay; Billy was used to being called names, even when he was the one doing it to himself.

I received the ARC through the Amazon Vine Program in exchange for an honest review. You can buy your copy here.

Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop

It is time for the second annual Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop hosted by Inspired Kathy at I Am a Reader, Not a Writer, Books Complete Me, and Author Cindy Thomas. I am joining to celebrate my Irish heritage (only 1/8 but Irish still!).

The winner of this contest may choose a book of their choice from The Book Depository. Please keep the cost under $15 US though. This will give you a chance to get one of those books from your wishlist. Are you eager for a new release or do you want something that has been out for a while? You decide.

Enter by filling out this form.

Contest Entry Form

Following my blog is appreciated but not required for this contest. Entries will close at midnight on March 22nd. The winner will be chosen using Random.org and then contacted by email to get the book choice and shipping information.

Here is a list of the blogs participating in this hop:

Good Luck! In fact, the Luck of the Irish to you!

Book Beginning & Friday 56: Loss by Jackie Morse Kessler

Happy Friday everybody!!

Book Beginnings

Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Katy at A Few More Pages.  

Anyone can participate; just share the opening sentence of your current read, making sure that you include the title and author so others know what you're reading. 

If you like, share with everyone why you do, or do not, like the sentence.

The Friday 56

Rules:

• Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
• Turn to page 56.
• Find the fifth sentence.
• Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of Freda's Voice
• Post a link along with your post back to Freda's Voice

Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

I recently received Loss (Riders of the Apocalypse) by Jackie Morse Kessler from the Amazon Vine program which prompted me to read Hunger and Rage first. I really liked both of those books and look forward to reading this one as well. It will be released on March 20.


Here is the description:

Fifteen-year-old Billy Ballard is the kid that everyone picks on. But things change drastically when Death tells Billy he must stand in as Pestilence, the White Rider of the Apocalypse. Now armed with a Bow that allows him to strike with disease from a distance, Billy lashes out at his tormentors...and accidentally causes an outbreak of meningitis. Horrified by his actions, Billy begs Death to take back the Bow. For that to happen, says Death, Billy must track down the real White Rider, and stop him from unleashing something awful on humanity—something that could make the Black Plague look like a summer cold. Does one bullied teenager have the strength to stand his ground—and the courage to save the world?

Beginning:

The day before Death came for Billy Ballard...Billy was on the ground, getting the snot pounded out of him. Again.

Friday 56:

The boy slowly turned away from the door and saw the steed. His eyes widened, and as the boy stared mutely, the horse caught a whiff of moonlight and bedbugs: the scent of the White Rider.

ARC Review: Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter

Goddess Interrupted
Author: Aimee Carter
Publication: Harlequin Teen; Original edition (March 27, 2012)


Description: Kate Winters has won immortality. But if she wants a life with Henry in the Underworld, she'll have to fight for it.

Becoming immortal wasn't supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she's as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he's becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kate's coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans.

As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person who is the greatest threat to her future.

Henry's first wife, Persephone.

My Thoughts: This second story about Kate Winters was filled with angst. Kate has won immortality and has married Henry (Hades) but she is not certain of him or of her future. Almost immediately after she married him she was sent away for her six months on Earth. She spent the time hoping to see Henry but, as far as she knew, he stayed away. This only bolsters Kate's sense of inferiority and insecurity.


When she returns to the Underworld, she finds that Henry is distant and preoccupied. He isn't very emotionally demonstrative in the first place and is withdrawn even for him. Kate needs his reassurance that he loves her and wants her as his Queen but doesn't get it. She already feels that she is second best to his first wife Persephone who also happens to be her previously unknown older sister. Kate feels not only second best to Henry but second best to her mother too. She feels she was born just to be a second chance.


Besides her relationship angst which does consume a major part of this book, Kate's enemy Calliope has schemed to free Cronos from the captivity that has held him ever since the six gods managed to capture and imprison him. The gods are getting ready to battle Cronos and not at all certain of their ability to succeed now that Calliope has joined the other side. 


When the gods are captured it is up to Kate along with Ava and James to find a way to rescue them. Unfortunately the best hope for doing so lies with Persephone who gave up Henry and her immortality to marry Adonis. They need to track her down in the Underworld and convince her to help them free the gods. This leads to Kate getting to know Persephone and leads to some major jealousy too. 


The story revolves around issues of jealousy. Calliope is jealous of Kate. Kate is jealous of Persephone. And it deals with the incestuous seeming relationships among the gods. I will admit that I got a little tired of Kate's lack of self-assurance and her neediness in her relationship with Henry. But I still liked her stubbornness and willingness to fight for what she wanted through her self-doubts.


I recommend this story to those who enjoyed The Goddess Test and to those who love stories filled with emotional drama or those who love mythology brought into the modern world. The story will be continued in The Goddess Inheritance which will be going on my wishlist.

Favorite Quote:

I hesitated. Did he love me? Was he still in love with Persephone? Did he even want me to be crowned his queen, or was I simply a stand-in for my sister? Why hadn't he come to see me while I'd been in Greece with James?

But the courage it took for me to ask those questions had disappeared. I dug deep, trying to find some remnants of it as I imagined the inevitable six months of tension and loneliness if I didn't, but I came up empty. Every piece of me was drenched in sick fear that Henry didn't want me here after all, that he'd only gone along with it because my mother and the rest of the council had forced him to. That I would be to Henry what he had been to Persephone: nothing but an obligation. So I copped out.

I got the eARC from Harlequin Teen via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. You can buy your copy here.