Ms. Martin Teaches Media

Book Review: Iris and the Dragonflies by Rosemary Danielis

2012-01-28T06:54:00.048-06:00

Iris and the Dragonflies
Author: Rosemary Danielis
Publication: CreateSpace (July 26, 2009)

Description: Iris, a feisty, solitary, eleven-year-old girl prefers being down by the creek near her house more than anywhere else in the world. School is nothing but a joyless prison and uninterested in her classmates she spends each day gazing out the window, waiting for the dismissal bell to ring. Her only friends are the dragonflies who flit through the shoulder high bulrushes growing along the creek's banks. Iris discovers the dragonflies are more than they appear to be and that she is the key to resolving an age-old battle between light and dark, good and evil. She has the ability to unleash the power of the Earth to restore the balance that has been lost. This however is not what the Solaris have in mind. They are the world's most powerful Evil and Iris is the only one who can stop them! Will Iris and her friends be able to win this battle? Iris and the Dragonflies is empowering, and a must read for all girls.

My Thoughts: Iris and the Dragonflies was a fun, engaging read that would be good for middle graders. Iris is a social outcast. She is much more interested in hanging out by the stream and observing the wildlife there than spending time in school. The dragonflies talk to her but no one, except maybe her teacher at school believes her. Her mother is supportive but thinks she has too much imagination. Her father is abrupt and dismisses the possibility that Iris is telling the truth. Her older sister is mean and constantly puts Iris down. She has only one friend and Grace is a shy, withdrawn girl herself.

The summer between fifth and sixth grade Iris travels with her family to visit her grandmother in Ireland. There she explores an old castle, learns old stories that might be true from her grandmother and her grandmother's caretaker Cormac, and discovers a hidden dragon tooth. The stories are about dragons and ancient priestesses who protected the Earth from those who would exploit it. Iris comes back home with even more questions than she started with considering that she could see the past when she touched the castle walls.

When sixth grade begins Iris and Grace make new friends - Luciano from Italy, Anming from China, Karishma from India, and Jabulani from Tanzania. They work on a project together to save Iris' Dragonfly Creek from developers who want to destroy it. The kids have to deal with a mayor who seems for sale to the highest bidder, the class bullies - Timmy and Tommy, the evil development company, and the secretive Mr. Fretghar who seems to know more about Iris than she told him.

I thought the characters were well-drawn. They reminded me of a lot of the middle schoolers I work with every day. I liked that Iris was concerned about the earth but was also kid enough to almost throw a tantrum when things didn't go her way. I also liked the way the kids worked together to solve the problem. I thought both the magic and the ecological message were well-integrated into the story. And I really liked that the grown-up characters who were there to help the kids were a teacher and a librarian.

There is enough adventure in this one to satisfy the adventure lover and enough fantasy for the fantasy lover. There are enough real middle grade issues - bullies, first crushes, and school rivalries - to satisfy the realistic fiction fans. And while the story doesn't end on a cliffhanger, there are still unresolved issues that will have kids looking for the next book. I will be looking forward to a sequel to this story myself.

Favorite Quote:

Iris sat at her favorite table by the window, marveling at the books stacked in front of her, like the Tower of Pisa. She breathed in the wonderful smell of paper, enjoying the feeling of knowledge that resonated from this place.

The library had always been an indoor refuge for her, an escape from the noisy, bustling world. Within these four walls, she could think, question and explore whatever she wanted.

I was sent this book by the author in exchange for an honest review. You can buy your copy here. Click the link on the author's name to go to the Iris website.

Book Beginning & Friday 56: Iris and the Dragonflies by Rosemary Danielis

2012-01-27T06:09:00.023-06:00

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.

My book this week is Iris and the Dragonflies by Rosemary Danielis. It is a middle grade fantasy and happens to be the last self-published book I accepted for review before I changed my review policy. Here is the product description:

Iris, a feisty, solitary, eleven-year-old girl prefers being down by the creek near her house more than anywhere else in the world. School is nothing but a joyless prison and uninterested in her classmates she spends each day gazing out the window, waiting for the dismissal bell to ring. Her only friends are the dragonflies who flit through the shoulder high bulrushes growing along the creek's banks. Iris discovers the dragonflies are more than they appear to be and that she is the key to resolving an age-old battle between light and dark, good and evil. She has the ability to unleash the power of the Earth to restore the balance that has been lost. This however is not what the Solaris have in mind. They are the world's most powerful Evil and Iris is the only one who can stop them! Will Iris and her friends be able to win this battle? Iris and the Dragonflies is empowering, and a must read for all girls.

Beginning:

Iris skipped into the Grade Five classroom, her eyes bright with anticipation, her hands carefully cupping a surprise.

Friday 56:

"These people didn't live like we do today, ya' know. If they wanted to eat, they had to go out and hunt, or plant crops and harvest them."

Book Review: Charmfall by Chloe Neill

2012-01-26T06:54:00.028-06:00

Charmfall
Author: Chloe Neill
Publication: NAL Trade; 1 edition (January 3, 2012)

Description: Protecting Chicago from the dark side of life can be an exhausting job, especially when you're in high school. So when the girls of St. Sophia's start gearing up for Sneak, their fall formal, Lily decides to take a break from fighting to get ready for the event. But when a Reaper unexpectedly crashes the party prep and Lily's firespell fails, she realizes that she has a much bigger problem than a full social calendar...

My Thoughts: This was another charming episode in the Dark Elite series. I love that the author manages to combine the magical with the mundane as can be evidenced in the quote I chose. These are high school kids and they behave like them. I really like the friendship between Lily and Scout. And I like the relationships each have with their boyfriends. I like that Lily is worried about having her heart broken and is cautious as she goes into the relationship.

I also like Lily's point of view in this one. She is new to having magic and being an Adept which lets her have some perspective that the other characters don't have. She is able to see the shades of grey while most of her friends in the Adepts are more tuned to seeing black and white. This does create come conflicts with her friends and especially with her boyfriend Jason. But it also makes the story more believable and realistic.

The problem in this one is that both the Adepts and the Dark Elite have lost their magic. The loss was sudden and unexplained. The characters all react differently. Lily is least affected because she has had her magic the shortest amount of time. And the Adepts, unlike the Dark Elite, know that they will be giving up their magic when they get older but the shock of having no magic now is difficult for many of them.

This was an entertaining and engaging story with real kids working through real problems (and some magical ones too.) I recommend the series to lovers of paranormal books.

Favorite Quote:

The situation was dire. We had a trig test, our magic was gone, and we had a party to prep and a secret meeting with a vampire to arrange. I had no parents for parents' night, and no dress for the dance. I also had a worried werewolf and a spellbinding best friend who was now target number one for the city's bad guys.

I bought this one. You can get your copy here too.

WoW: A Wrinkle in Time: 50th Anniversary Commemorative Edition

2012-01-25T06:54:00.002-06:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. She has a linky widget at her site each week for your post and to make it easy to find posts by other people.

The purpose of the meme is to spotlight books that we are eagerly anticipating. It is fun to take a look at what others are waiting for.

I have noticed that it has expanded my wishlist though. Be warned!

I am waiting for A Wrinkle in Time: 50th Anniversary Commemorative Edition by Madeleine L'Engle. I have read this book many times and find it hard to believe that it was published 50 years ago. It is one of the books that began my love for science fiction and for anything Madeleine L'Engle wrote.

While I am excited to get a new hardcover copy of this book, I am equally excited for the bonus materials including an introduction by Katherine Paterson, an afterword by Madeleine L’Engle’s granddaughter Charlotte Jones Voiklis that includes photographs and memorabilia, and the author’s Newbery Medal acceptance speech.

This book will be published on Jan. 31 and I already have my copy pre-ordered.

Teaser Tuesday: Charmfall by Chloe Neill

2012-01-24T06:09:00.023-06:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read

Open to a random page

Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I just went browsing my TBR mountain and grabbed Charmfall by Chloe Neill. This is the third in her Dark Elite series.

Here is the product description:

Protecting Chicago from the dark side of life can be an exhausting job, especially when you're in high school. So when the girls of St. Sophia's start gearing up for Sneak, their fall formal, Lily decides to take a break from fighting to get ready for the event. But when a Reaper unexpectedly crashes the party prep and Lily's firespell fails, she realizes that she has a much bigger problem than a full social calendar...

Here is my teaser:

"Did you ever think your Junior Year would be this exciting?" I asked Scout.

"I was hoping it would involve a discovery that I was secretly a princess with the power to rule the world and make pop stars my minions," she said. "I have not yet become aware of any such discovery."

Win Tempest by Julie Cross

2012-01-23T07:08:00.004-06:00

Thanks to Zeitghost Media and St. Martin's Griffin I have one copy of Tempest by Julie Cross to give away.

Here is the product description for Julie Cross' debut novel:

The year is 2009. Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, has a girlfriend… and he can travel back through time. But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there’s no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun.

That is… until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he’s stuck in 2007 and can’t get back to the future.

Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities.

But it’s not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these “Enemies of Time” will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler. Recruit… or kill him.

Piecing together the clues about his father, the Enemies of Time, and himself, Jackson must decide how far he’s willing to go to save Holly… and possibly the entire world.

If this sounds like your kind of story, fill out the form below to win a copy.

Rules:

Contest is open to US/Canada residents only.
Entries must be received by 6PM CST on Friday, Feb. 3
Winner will be chosen using Random.org
Prize will be sent by St. Martin's Press

Here is the entry form.

Book Review: Torn by Dean Murray

2012-01-23T06:54:00.002-06:00

Torn
Author: Dean Murray
Publication: Fir'shan Publishing (October 17, 2011)

Description: Shape shifter Alec Graves has spent nearly a decade trying to keep his family from being drawn into open warfare with a larger pack. The new girl at school shouldn't matter, but the more he gets to know her, the more mysterious she becomes. Worse, she seems to know things she shouldn't about his shadowy world.

Is she an unfortunate victim or bait designed to draw him into a fatal misstep? If she's a victim, then he's running out of time to save her. If she's bait, then his attraction to her will pull him into a fight that'll cost him everything.

My Thoughts: Reading Torn was like immersing myself in a new world. In fact, it felt like there was a whole complex history that I was just getting hints of because it was so familiar to the characters. This world has rival bands of teenage shape shifters who have remarkable powers and who are in a war for dominance. Into the battlefield comes a young woman named Adriana Paige. She immediately becomes a source of conflict between Alec and his rival Brandon. Alec is very suspicious of her at first because she is unusual. Here is what he says:

She glowed. Not just a faint flow of a normal person or the slightly stronger glow of a wolf. She shone with the light of a powerful moon born hybrid, and she didn't belong to my pack, so she was an intruder.

But intruder or not Alec is fascinated by her. She even starts appearing in his dreams where they begin to get to know each other. After she stands up for Rachel, Alec's human younger sister, Alec determines that the pack will protect her. All of the pack is not in favor of this because it just escalates the rivalry with Brandon's pack. Alec is torn between wanting to get closer to Adri and knowing he shouldn't both for her safety and for his.

The story is filled with intense emotion as Alec struggles to keep his pack safe from Brandon's. The social dynamics in the story are interesting. Both Alec and Brandon are incredibly wealthy but Alec is the one who controls the town of Sanctuary to to point of bribing (or blackmailing) the mayor and the school principal. Alec lost his father in some unexplained but very traumatic incident that escalated the problems that he is facing now. He has been in charge of the pack for years even though he is only seventeen. There is some conflict regarding the larger community of shape shifters because of Alec's heritage. He feels that the Coun'hij - a governing body of the shape shifters - would support Brandon if it was called in because of this heritage. He does know that the Coun'hij would punish both sides of the conflict if it risked any chance of disclosing the existence of shape shifters to the human population.

A lot of the story revolves around the nature of these shape shifters. Brandon has an advantage because he has manifested a special power that Alec can't match. Alec believes that in any face to face fight with Brandon, he will lose. He is always hoping that his power, whatever it might be, will manifest too. Another special power that the shape shifters have is related to their relationships with humans. Their touch is addictive. The human who becomes addicted to a shape shifter's touch can't survive without it. Alec knows this first hand because his mother is human. While she survived his father's death, she is living in the past and constantly cycling through emotions. She doesn't often even recognize that Rachel is her child or, if she does, she treats her badly. She is an object lesson for him about the dangers of loving a human.

This story was told from Alec's point of view and really emphasized his own struggle with his shape shifter nature. He even calls himself a monster and has to keep a tight control over his emotions and his actions. When I found out that Dean Murray had written a companion novel - Broken - which tells the story from Adri's point of view, I knew that I had to read it too to get the rest of the story.

This was an emotional and intense read with lots of fighting and violence. Alec is under tremendous amounts of stress trying to solve all of the problems on his shoulders but through it all he is honorable, protective, and caring to those under his care. I recommend it for older young adults because of the level of violence.

Favorite Quote:

"We're where the legends of succubi originated. Irresistible demons who drain their victims dry, who leave their lovers a hollow shell of what they were before. Do you understand now? My getting closer to you is the ultimate form of self-gratification. It's the worst possible thing I could do to you. If you somehow survive everything that's about to happen, it would leave you forever hungering for another touch, but never able to fulfill that desire."

I was approached by the author to review this book. I bought my copy at Amazon. It is available there or at Smashwords.

In My YA Mailbox (Jan. 22, 2012)

2012-01-22T06:54:00.062-06:00

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.

I have another big mailbox this week with a combination of review books and books to bring to conferences for author's signatures and book discussions. Then there are the books I got because I liked the author or was curious about the book.

Here are my review books:

Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown is from NetGalley. I have to admit that I chose this one for the setting. It takes place in and around Lake Superior. I grew up on the shores of Lake Superior. Who knew there were mermaids there? This is a June release.

Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter is the sequel to The Goddess Test which I read and reviewed. This one is from Harlequin Teen and will be released on March 27. I also got it from NetGalley.

Spellcaster by Cara Lynn Schultz is a sequel to Spellbound which I also read and reviewed. It is another Harlequin Teen title from NetGalley. It also comes out on March 27.

My last review book of the week is Traitor's Son by Hilari Bell. I was approached by the author to read and review this one. It will be published by Houghton Mifflin on March 20. It is the sequel to The Trickster's Girl which I read and reviewed. I liked the combination of Native American myth in a dystopian sort of setting of that one and look forward to reading this one too.

I did receive my first audiobook for review this week. I got Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan from Macmillan Audio. It is one of School Library Journal's Best Fiction Books of 2011 and it's science fiction. I am eager to listen to it.

I will be attending the Spotlight on Books conference at the end of March and bought a couple of books to read before then.

There will be a book discussion of My Name Is Not Easy by Debby Dahl Edwardson one evening. This is a National Book Award finalist.

Margi Preus, author of Heart of a Samurai, will be presenting at the conference. I decided to get that book to have her autograph it. It was a Newbery Honor Book but I didn't have it in my media center collection.

Here are the rest of the books I couldn't live without this week:

Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey is by an author I really enjoy. This one is a young adult paranormal but, unlike her Drake Chronicles, this one explores the world of the Fae.

I also got The Secret Prince by Violet Haberdasher. This is the sequel to Knightly Academy. I have had lots of student requests for this title.

That was my mailbox. What did you get in yours this week?

ARC Review: Daughter of Centaurs by Kate Klimo

2012-01-21T06:54:00.101-06:00

Daughter of Centaurs
Author: Kate Klimo
Publication: Random House Books for Young Readers (January 24, 2012)

Description: Malora knows what she was born to be: a horse wrangler and a hunter, just like her father. But when her people are massacred by batlike monsters called Leatherwings, Malora will need her horse skills just to survive. The last living human, Malora roams the wilderness at the head of a band of magnificent horses, relying only on her own wits, strength, and courage. When she is captured by a group of centaurs and taken to their city, Malora must decide whether the comforts of her new home and family are worth the parts of herself she must sacrifice to keep them.

My Thoughts: I was swept away by the world-building and the characters in this fantasy/dystopia. Malora is one of the few children of the small remaining Settlement of humans. Her mother is the Healer and her father is in charge of the horses and hunting. While it is traditional for girls to take up their mother's role, Malora wants to work with the horses. She knows that working with the horses is her destiny. She does convince her family and learns to care for and train the horses. But when she is twelve years old, the hunters are attacked by Leatherwings who kill them all. The Leatherwings attack the settlement too. Malora's mother sends her off with the horses and tells her never to return.

Malora spends three years on the Plains alone except for the herd of horses she assembles. She gets to know them and even think like them as she assumes the role of lead horse. When her horses are captured by a group of centaurs, her life changes unimaginably. They are as astonished to see her. The centaurs believed that all the humans had been killed. She is taken by the centaurs to their fantastic city. Mount Kheiron is a place of art, beauty, and education and is the home of the Highlanders - the upper class centaurs. She is made a pet of by Orion and Zephele - two of the children of the Apex who is the leader of the centaurs.

Malora is out of her depth. She had never imagined a life like she is living in Mount Kheiron. She learns about how the Highlanders live and about the Flatlanders too. She is convinced that centaurs are Perfect Beings. But gradually she begins to see that there is a lot of imperfection under the glossy picture.

A lot of the story revolves around a horse race to win the Golden Horse. It is an annual contest that happens on Founder's Day. The centaurs were out looking for horses to train for the race when they found Malora and her herd. They wanted to find better horses so that the Highlanders could finally win the trophy. There is great rivalry between the Highlanders and Flatlanders. There is also great disparity in the lives of Highlanders and Flatlanders. The Highlanders have lives of wealth and privilege. They have ample leisure time to pursue art, music, and dance. The Flatlanders are poor and work hard to survive.

The story introduced a number of different creatures. The Leatherwings are man-sized creatures that resemble bats. The Twani who serve the centaurs remind Malora of the old story of Puss in Boots. When she gets to Mount Kheiron she meets Honus who is half goat, half human being who is the pet of the Apex and who is a scholar who is charged with the education of the Apex's children. He is also put in charge of Malora's integration into the centaur society. He is the one who tells her about the distant past when the Scientists created the various creatures that now inhabit the world. He also shares great literature with her from Shakespeare and Stephenie Meyer, among others.

One recurring theme that goes through the book has to do with the visions that Malora has when she smells the various scent concoctions that Orion makes. She smells them and then has visions most of which come true during the course of this story. But some are left tantalizingly incomplete and give us some hints of what might happen in the next books in this series.

I really enjoyed this story. In fact, I stayed up late and got up early in order to keep reading. I can't wait to see what happens in the next books.

Favorite Quote:

"Anything centaurs do with our hands is considered important. Properly mixed and prepared, scents establish the very tone of society. They control emotions and set moods. I've seen them bring about radical transformations. They can make a drowsy soul feel lively and an overly excited one find peace. They can attract mates and repel enemies and bring forth dormant emotions and suppress unwanted ones. They can make for happy, lively, gracious households. A home without scent is a cold cell. I'm proud to have chosen alchemy as my Hand."

I got this one from the Amazon Vine program. You can buy your copy here.

Book Beginning & Friday 56: Daughter of Centaurs by Kate Klimo

2012-01-20T06:09:00.028-06:00

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 got an ARC of Daughter of Centaurs by Kate Klimo from the Amazon Vine program. I chose it because I don't think I have ever read anything about centaurs and it sounded interesting. It is also being compared the The Blue Sword which is one of my favorite fantasy novels.

Here is the description:

Malora knows what she was born to be: a horse wrangler and a hunter, just like her father. But when her people are massacred by batlike monsters called Leatherwings, Malora will need her horse skills just to survive. The last living human, Malora roams the wilderness at the head of a band of magnificent horses, relying only on her own wits, strength, and courage. When she is captured by a group of centaurs and taken to their city, Malora must decide whether the comforts of her new home and family are worth the parts of herself she must sacrifice to keep them.

Beginning:

For as long as she can remember, Malora has dreamed of dancing with horses.

Friday 56:

West throws back his head and screams at the sky, "Flash flood! Head for higher ground!"

Book Review: Dreamland by Alyson Noel

2012-01-19T06:54:00.002-06:00

Dreamland
Author: Alyson Noel
Publication: Square Fish; First Edition edition (September 13, 2011)

Description: Riley’s finding that the afterlife can be a lonely place when all you do is focus on work. So she goes to the place where dreams happen, hoping to find a way to contact her sister, Ever. She meets the director, who tells her about the two ways to send dreams. As a Dream Jumper, a person can jump into a dreamer’s dream, share a message, and participate. As a Dreamweaver, an entire dream can be created in a studio and sent to the dreamer. But Dreamweaving was outlawed decades ago, and the studio was boarded up. Thinking it’s her only way to reach out to her sister, Riley goes in search of the old studio. There she finds a ghost boy, who’s been creating and sending nightmares to people for years. In order to stop him and reach out to Ever, Riley is going to have to confront and overcome her own fears.

My Thoughts: Alyson Noel really hits the right notes in this story. She has the voice of a twelve-year-old, albeit one with a pretty impressive vocabulary, locked in. Riley really shows all the characteristics of the kids I work with - enthusiastic, volatile, dramatic, and more than slightly obsessive. Riley's obsession is with being a teenager. She really wants to be thirteen. Having been there, I don't really get her desire. I wouldn't be thirteen again for all the money in the world. But for Riley that age is a magical one. She really admired her older sister Ever and saw how she changed at thirteen. Riley wants that for herself.

When the story starts, she is meeting with the Council because, while she was very successful at her last mission, it wasn't the success the council sent her for. When she is congratulated, she thinks she will soon be thirteen. But when the Council decides to give her a break, she realizes that she doesn't have anything but her soul catching work. She hasn't any other interests or hobbies. She also feels that the break will stop her progress to being a teenage.

Riley decides to visit Dreamland. She wants to visit with her sister Ever and get some advice about being a teenager. Naturally, being twelve, Riley wants instant success. When her practice doesn't lead to that by the time Dreamland closes, she decides to sneak back in and finish up her dream. She meets Satchel who is stuck in Dreamland and who is creating nightmares. He subjects Riley to a number of her fears until she decides to see if she can get him to progress. She learns his sad story and tries to make a connection with him. She thinks she is making progress when the director returns and stops her.

Riley is disappointed not to have succeeded with Satchel. But she is even more disappointed when she realizes that she herself has regressed. Her motives to help him were not the correct ones. She wanted him to progress so that she would gain points. She didn't want him to progress for his own good. Her motivations were selfish.

Noel sneaks a lot of life lessons into Riley's story - lessons about what maturity means, about what community and friendship means. But the lessons don't overpower the story. Young readers will be fans of Riley Bloom on her journey. I look forward to sharing this story with them and sharing the next Riley book - Whisper - with them too.

Favorite Quote:

Everyone is driven by something. No one does stuff just for the heck of it. There's always a reason, some kind of motivation. Peer pressure, revenge, the pursuit of world domination or fame--the motivation's the fuel that sparks the flame--the driving force behind just about everything.

I won this book in a contest. You can buy your copy here.

WoW: Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey

2012-01-18T06:54:00.000-06:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. She has a linky widget at her site each week for your post and to make it easy to find posts by other people.

The purpose of the meme is to spotlight books that we are eagerly anticipating. It is fun to take a look at what others are waiting for.

I have noticed that it has expanded my wishlist though. Be warned!

I am eagerly anticipating the arrival of Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey. I pre-ordered this one. It was released yesterday. I hope it arrives today. I have liked everything I have read by her and hope this one is good too.

Here is the description:

For seventeen years, Eloise Hart had no idea the world of Faery even existed. Now she has been abducted and trapped in the Rath of Lord Strahan, King of Faery. Strahan was only meant to rule for seven years, as Faery tradition dictates, and then give up his crown to another. But he won't comply, and now chaos threatens both worlds.

The only one who can break his stranglehold on the Faery court is his wife. . . Eloise's aunt Antonia. Using Eloise to lure Antonia, Strahan captures his wife, desperate to end the only threat to his reign. Now Eloise must become the rescuer. Together with her best friends Jo and Devin, she must forge alliances with other Fae, including a gorgeous protector named Lucas, and Strahan's mysterious son, Eldric-who may or may not betray them.

Teaser Tuesday: Dreamland by Alyson Noel

2012-01-17T06:09:00.015-06:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read

Open to a random page

Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I won Dreamland by Alyson Noel in early October but, when it arrived, it just got added to the stack until now. I am trying to clear out some of the older items on my review stack. Dreamland is the third book in Noel's middle grade Riley Bloom paranormal series. I enjoyed the first two and know that they have a devoted audience in my middle school

Teaser:

I stood there, palms pressed to my face, my entire body shaking as I choked back the tears. Stealing a moment to give myself a very stern talking-to, reminding myself that fear was for sissies, panic led to no good, and crying was an indulgence I could not afford.

Book Blogger Confessions (Jan. 16, 2012)

2012-01-16T06:09:00.005-06:00

Tiger from Tiger's All Consuming Books and her friend Karen from For What It's Worth Reviews are starting a new meme on Mondays. Here is the explanation from Tiger's blog:

I love book-blogging. Reading, reviewing and discussing books is an absolute rush. It's a solo activity that quickly becomes a social activity when you connect with other book fans, and it can be educational, as well as a whole heaping lot of fun. :-)

But how about when it isn't? My friend Karen at For What It's Worth Reviews and I have had so many "blogger confessions" to each other over the past two years, discussing the hidden, difficult side of book blogging. We'd like to co-host a meme in 2012 as a continuation of these convos. As Karen puts it in her official introduction of the meme at her blog:

"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 twice monthly on the first and third Monday of the month. You can get all the details here and here.

Here is their question for Jan. 16:

Have you ever had reading/blogging slumps? How do you work through them or work around them?

For me, reading/blogging slumps have to do with choosing the wrong book. If I don't find a story engaging or entertaining, I find myself doing all sorts of different activities to avoid reading. Have I checked and answered all my email? Is it time for a new blog design? Is there anything new in my Google Reader? It must be time to catch up on all the Facebook games I play!

In my pre-blogging days, I would simply put the book down and try reading something else. I don't do that so much now because, often, the book I'm reading is one I have committed to review. Or, it is a book that is getting a lot of good press on the blogs I follow and I want to be part of the in-crowd. Peer pressure does play a part!

If the slump is severe, I know that I can get myself out of it by picking up one of my comfort books for a re-read. These are the books that I know I will love with stories that are emotionally satisfying and with characters that I know and love. In prolonged slumps I have been know to re-read entire series.

What this means for my blogs is that sometimes the content is a little sparse or is devoted to reviews (more like "love letters") of books from my keeper shelves. I don't actually think this is a bad thing. Books very seldom "go bad" like over-ripe bananas. I appreciate finding out about older books that I might have missed or being reminded about books that I enjoyed and hope that my followers do too.

What do you think? How do reading/blogging slumps affect you? Link up your responses at Tiger's All-Consuming Books or For What It's Worth so that we can see what you think.

In My YA Mailbox (Jan. 15, 2012)

2012-01-15T06:54:00.043-06:00

My efforts to reduce the size of my TBR mountain were an epic fail this week. I added 15 books to my collection.

I added A Million Suns by Beth Revis this week because I liked Across the Universe and I want to encourage the writing and reading of science fiction.

I won The Roar by Emma Clayton during one of the challenges of the Holiday Break Reading Challenge. This is an ARC of a Jan. 1 release and sounded interesting. It is also a book that I haven't heard very much about.

My Barnes & Noble edition of Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer arrived this week. Now I can put in the signed bookplate I got at her release party and add this one to my TBR stack. I donated the autographed copy I got signed there to my HS media center.

I had a chance to attend a signing for Switched by Amanda Hocking at my local Barnes & Noble. I got a copy of her book autographed. I already had her earlier ebook release of the title on my Kindle but haven't had a chance to read it yet.

I am currently reading Torn by Dean Murray which the author sent me for review. When I discovered that he had written Broken from the girl's point of view, I had to have it. Torn is raising tons of questions in my mind and I hope that Broken will answer the ones Torn does not.

The rest of the books I got this week were from Diane Duane's Young Wizards series. I have all the print books but these are ebooks for my Kindle. Diane Duane recently had her bank account emptied by skimmers and is in a current cash crunch. The bank's fraud department will replace the money eventually but she needs money now. I ordered these books through her estore and got a 20% discount on the order using the code I got from her post. I got all ten books for less than $35 which I consider a win for both Ms. Duane and me.

Only two of these actually got added to my TBR stack - A Wizard of Mars (the print copy was already there) and Not on My Patch. I have read the rest of them already but wanted to read the series again and have it handy on my Kindle.

Those were my additions. What did you get this week?

Book Review: The Worldwide Dessert Contest by Dan Elish

2012-01-14T06:54:00.055-06:00

The Worldwide Dessert Contest: The Enhanced Multimedia Edition
Author: Dan Elish
Publication: Alina Adams Media (September 17, 2011)

Description: What's funnier than a pie in the sky? A pie in the face!

How the pie gets there - along with three other pies flying in V formation during the twelfth annual Worldwide Dessert Contest - is a double scoop of a story.

It begins with John Applefeller, the annual last-place finisher in the celebrated event that every July draws hundreds of international dessert chefs to compete for the coveted Silver Spoon (and to compete against Sylvester S. Sweet, the self-proclaimed King of Dessert, who always wins).

There's something fishy about Sweet's success, but only Josiah Benson, the Worldwide Dessert Contest janitor, seems to know what's up. And who listens to him? Certainly not the four judges, experts on ice cream, sugar, cakes, and dessert history.

Stanley listens, Applefeller's ten year old assistant, who has helped his boss with his newest and most original contest entry - the world's largest apple pancake. If it weren't for Stanley, Applefeller - and you - would never journey in an apple-souffle balloon to the island of Iambia, or meet Captain B. Rollie Ragoon, the dessert-making genius who has his own reasons for suspecting Sweet of sour deeds, or discover how important heart is to winning.

"The Worldwide Dessert Contest: Enhanced Multimedia Edition" features all the text of the 1998 Orchard Books release, as well an original musical score from the play that the book inspired. Read the story, then click on a link to listen to the companion songs in this cutting edge, one of a kind, 21st Century children's fantasy novel from Alina Adams Media!

My Thoughts: This was a story about sticking to your dreams no matter what obstacles might be in your way. John Applefeller had plenty of obstacles. His apple desserts kept turning into other things like apple french toast became knee pads used by the Olympics teams, his apple souffle became a hot air balloon, and his apple pancake became a great trampoline. He has come in last at the Worldwide Dessert Contest ten years in a row. Only his belief in the importance of desserts and the support of his young friend Stanley keep him going. Oh, and he would also like to win the Silver Spoon trophy.

All of the characters were quirky from the judge who invented sugars and could identify the sugars in each dessert with just a taste to the judge who had one of Applefeller's failures - a caramel apple that turned to a glue - stuck to his face (which, by the way, I found really disturbing because of my personal horror at having things stuck to me).

The villain of the piece is Sylvester S. Sweet who had an ego that will not quit and a very shifty nature. He has won the contest ten years in a row with a dessert called double-chocolate-fudge-raspberry-coconut-lime swirl. No one knows that he stole the recipe from Captain B. Rollie Ragoon.

Even Applefeller's supporters were quirky. Josiah Benson, the janitor at the apple festival, used a huge variety of weird metaphors and similes

"Well, cover me with lettuce and throw me to the rabbits!" Benson exclaimed, pulling on his beard with short frantic tugs. "It's beautiful! As beautiful as a flock of skippin' horsetoads!"

Applefeller's other main supporter Captain B. Rollie Ragoon took his dessert making genius to the island of Iambia and now he only speaks in rhyme. The only characters in the book who even approach normal are Applefeller and his young companion Stanley.

This was a over-the-top silly story that reminded me of Roald Dahl at his quirkiest. I had a chance to read this multimedia edition which was enhanced by songs from the musical that the author wrote. The songs were cute and did enhance the experience. I recommend this one for fans of "silly" and for those who like Roald Dahl.

Favorite Quote:

"Thank you for your support, Stanley," Applefeller said, "but it seems I've let you down. Sylvester Sweet is right! I'm a has-been!"

"No, you're not a has-been, sir! You're a not-yet!"

I received this book for review from Alina Adams Media. You can buy your copy here.

Book Beginning & Friday 56: The Worldwide Dessert Contest by Dan Elish

2012-01-13T06:09:00.027-06:00

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.

Next on the review stack is The Worldwide Dessert Contest by Dan Elish. I was sent the enhanced mulitmedia edition of this book even though I am not sure what makes it enhanced or multimedia. Hopefully it will become clear as I read it. Here is the product description:

What's funnier than a pie in the sky? A pie in the face!

How the pie gets there - along with three other pies flying in V formation during the twelfth annual Worldwide Dessert Contest - is a double scoop of a story.

It begins with John Applefeller, the annual last-place finisher in the celebrated event that every July draws hundreds of international dessert chefs to compete for the coveted Silver Spoon (and to compete against Sylvester S. Sweet, the self-proclaimed King of Dessert, who always wins).

There's something fishy about Sweet's success, but only Josiah Benson, the Worldwide Dessert Contest janitor, seems to know what's up. And who listens to him? Certainly not the four judges, experts on ice cream, sugar, cakes, and dessert history.

Stanley listens, Applefeller's ten year old assistant, who has helped his boss with his newest and most original contest entry - the world's largest apple pancake. If it weren't for Stanley, Applefeller - and you - would never journey in an apple-souffle balloon to the island of Iambia, or meet Captain B. Rollie Ragoon, the dessert-making genius who has his own reasons for suspecting Sweet of sour deeds, or discover how important heart is to winning.

"The Worldwide Dessert Contest: Enhanced Multimedia Edition" features all the text of the 1998 Orchard Books release, as well an original musical score from the play that the book inspired. Read the story, then click on a link to listen to the companion songs in this cutting edge, one of a kind, 21st Century children's fantasy novel from Alina Adams Media!

Beginning:

John Applefeller of Appleton loved desserts.

Especially apple desserts.

Friday 56 (taken from the 42% mark on my Kindle):

"Hoppin' hogwater. It's good to see you!" Josiah exclaimed. The two men embraced and then shook hands warmly.

Book Trailer: Tempest by Julie Cross

2012-01-12T09:42:00.000-06:00

Have you been seeing all the blog posts about Tempest by Julie Cross? I know I have and I have been intrigued.

Here is the product description:

The year is 2009. Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, has a girlfriend… and he can travel back through time. But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there’s no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun.

That is… until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he’s stuck in 2007 and can’t get back to the future.

Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities.

Doesn't this sound good? The film rights have already been sold to Summit Entertainment - the studio that made Twilight. Watch the trailer and be looking for this book on Jan. 17.

You can find out even more information here:

THE TEMPEST SERIES FACEBOOK FAN PAGE:

Read the first 4 chapters of TEMPEST by Julie Cross now at http://on.fb.me/AoQyaQ

Book Review: Drink Slay Love by Sarah Beth Durst

2012-01-12T06:54:00.003-06:00

Drink Slay Love
Author: Sarah Beth Durst
Publication: Margaret K. McElderry Books (September 13, 2011)

Description: Pearl is a sixteen-year-old vampire . . . fond of blood, allergic to sunlight, and mostly evil . . . until the night a sparkly unicorn stabs her through the heart with his horn. Oops.

Her family thinks she was attacked by a vampire hunter (because, obviously, unicorns don’t exist), and they’re shocked she survived. They’re even more shocked when Pearl discovers she can now withstand the sun. But they quickly find a way to make use of her new talent. The Vampire King of New England has chosen Pearl’s family to host his feast. If Pearl enrolls in high school, she can make lots of human friends and lure them to the King’s feast—as the entrees.

The only problem? Pearl’s starting to feel the twinges of a conscience. How can she serve up her new friends—especially the cute guy who makes her fangs ache—to be slaughtered? Then again, she’s definitely dead if she lets down her family. What’s a sunlight-loving vamp to do?

My Thoughts: What a fun take on the vampire story! This one adds unicorns too. Pearl is your typical teenage vampire - beautiful and completely amoral. She and her boyfriend/rival Jadrien are out taking in the night when she decides she wants a final pre-dawn dessert and decides to snack on the boy who scoops ice cream at the Dairy Hut. Things don't quite go according to plan when she finds herself staked by the horn of a gorgeous, mythical unicorn. Next thing she knows she finds herself back home and unable to explain how she got there. Her family refuses to believe that she was staked by a unicorn. After all, they are mythical - unlike vampires.

Everyone at home is excited by the up-coming Fealty Ceremony and the visit of the King of New England. Pearl gets involved in the planning too. But Pearl finds out that she is changing. She discovers that she no longer has to fear daylight. She loves the sunshine and the light through the stained glass windows of the Public Library.

The morning she discovers that sunlight doesn't cause her to burst into flame is the same morning that she meets Evan who, by his own description, has a Good Samaritan hero-complex issue and a bit of OCD. He is the one who takes her to the library and who attempts to befriend her much to her bafflement. He is also handsome, kind, and very eager to befriend Pearl. While Evan seems like the typical - but hotter - teenage boy, he has secrets too.

Pearl's parents decide to use her new ability to be active in the daylight to solve a problem relating to the up-coming visit of the King. They need to provide a feast and send Pearl to enroll in the local high school to find suitable entrees for the party. At first Pearl is uncomfortable consorting with the animals but gradually she develops a conscience, some empathy, and starts to make friends. Evan is there along with his friend Bethany and they help her adjust.

I loved the character of Pearl. She was such a snarky character and she had quite a way with words. As she tries to convince her family that she was staked by a unicorn, she uses phrases like a "My Little Pony refugee" and says it looked like "it had jumped off a poster from the bedroom of an eight-year-old girl." When speaking to the unicorn, she suggests it go off and "poop rainbows." The writing in this one is excellent. It is filled with images that are both apt and amusing. While Pearl has a number of great lines, the other characters get their share too.

This was the sort of book that I couldn't put down. I was enthralled by the characters and the story. I recommend it to readers who like their vampire stories with a bit of humor and who like watching a main character grow and change. Pearl does grow and change a lot in this book and she really isn't happy about it.

Favorite Quote:

The unicorn stood between the dumpsters. At first she thought she was mistaken. Unicorns didn't exist, which made his presence here unlikely at best. But there was no chance that he was simply a white horse (which, she quickly realized, would have been an odd addition to the parking lot too). Despite the thick shadows by the dumpsters, he sparkled like a horse-shaped disco ball. His traditional spiral horn beamed like a toy light saber.

I was sent a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review. You can buy your copy here.

WoW: A Million Suns by Beth Revis

2012-01-11T06:09:00.000-06:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. She has a linky widget at her site each week for your post and to make it easy to find posts by other people.

The purpose of the meme is to spotlight books that we are eagerly anticipating. It is fun to take a look at what others are waiting for.

I have noticed that it has expanded my wishlist and TBR mountain though. Be warned!

I am eager to get and read A Million Suns by Beth Revis. I am a fan of science fiction and don't think that there is enough of it written for young adults.

Here is the product description:

Godspeed was fueled by lies. Now it is ruled by chaos.

It's been three months since Amy was unplugged. The life she always knew is over. And everywhere she looks, she sees the walls of the spaceship Godspeed. But there may just be hope: Elder has assumed leadership of the ship. He's finally free to enact his vision - no more Phydus, no more lies.

But when Elder discovers shocking news about the ship, he and Amy race to discover the truth behind life on Godspeed. They must work together to unlock a puzzle that was set in motion hundreds of years earlier, unable to fight the romance that's growing between them and the chaos that threatens to tear them apart.

In book two of the Across the Universe trilogy, New York Times bestselling author Beth Revis mesmerizes us again with a brilliantly crafted mystery filled with action, suspense, romance, and deep philosophical questions. And this time it all builds to one mind-bending conclusion: They have to get off this ship.

Teaser Tuesday: Drink Slay Love by Sarah Beth Durst

2012-01-10T06:09:00.022-06:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read

Open to a random page

Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I pulled one off the review stack for this week's Teaser Tuesday. It has been sitting there since Sept. 19. The start of school and other books with deadlines kept me from choosing it until now. Now, I finally have a chance to read Drink Slay Love by Sarah Beth Durst.

Here is the product description:

Pearl is a sixteen-year-old vampire . . . fond of blood, allergic to sunlight, and mostly evil . . . until the night a sparkly unicorn stabs her through the heart with his horn. Oops.

Her family thinks she was attacked by a vampire hunter (because, obviously, unicorns don’t exist), and they’re shocked she survived. They’re even more shocked when Pearl discovers she can now withstand the sun. But they quickly find a way to make use of her new talent. The Vampire King of New England has chosen Pearl’s family to host his feast. If Pearl enrolls in high school, she can make lots of human friends and lure them to the King’s feast—as the entrees.

The only problem? Pearl’s starting to feel the twinges of a conscience. How can she serve up her new friends—especially the cute guy who makes her fangs ache—to be slaughtered? Then again, she’s definitely dead if she lets down her family. What’s a sunlight-loving vamp to do?

Teaser:

A girl in a baggy sweater and a redhead danced on a railing. A scene or two later, they were crawling through ceiling ducts. "This can't be an accurate portrayal of the human education system."

Cinder Is An Audiobook Too! Listen and Win!

2012-01-09T06:49:00.028-06:00

If you saw my recent review, you know that I really enjoyed Cinder by Marissa Meyer. I loved the combination of fairy tale and science fiction. I thought the characters were well-done and the world Marissa Meyer created fascinating.

So I was really excited to be contacted by Esther from Macmillan Audio to let me know that Cinder was also available as an audiobook. You can listen to a clip here:

She has also given me permission to give away one copy of the audiobook to one of my followers. If you are as excited as I am, you will be eager to get this great story.

Rules:

US Addresses only
Fill out the form completely
Enter by noon, Jan. 15.

Fill out this form to enter.

Good luck!

In My YA Mailbox (Jan. 8, 2012)

2012-01-08T06:54:00.045-06:00

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 is two weeks worth of books. I hope this is my last large mailbox for a while because I have declared 2012 as the Year of the TBR and really want to read the books I already own and that are threatening to take over my whole house.

These are the books I got for review:

Daughter of Centaurs by Kate Klimo was one of my Amazon Vine picks this month. I liked the sound of this fantasy.

Iris and the Dragonflies by Rosemary Daniella is a middle grade fantasy. This one is self-published and just slid in before my Jan. 1 deadline. I liked the fact that she has her book professionally edited. (Poor editing being one of the main reasons I am not accepting self-published books anymore.)

Griffin's Fire by Darby Karchut is a PDF I received from the author. I really liked the first book in this series and am eager to see what happens next for Griffin.

Charmfall by Chloe Neill is a book I have been waiting for. I love her Dark Elite series and really need to keep up.

Never to Sleep by Rachel Vincent is a ebook. It is a novella that fits into her Soul Screamers series.

Catching Jordan by Miranda Kinneally has been getting such good reviews on the blogs I follow that I had to add a copy to my Kindle. I will also be adding the print version to my next High School Media Center order.

I couldn't pass up these free books for my Kindle this week. I have already read Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey and donated it to my Media Center. Now, I will have a copy of my own.

Into the Wild by Erin Hunter is a part of her Warriors series. I have many devoted fans in my middle school but have never read any of them myself. This was my opportunity to have one at my fingertips (or on my Kindle anyway).

Then last, I attended Andrea Cremer's book release party at The Red Balloon Bookstore in St. Paul on Friday night and came home with some signed copies.

I have already read Nightshade and Wolfsbane but donated my copies to my High School Media Center. Now I have autographed copies for my keeper shelf.

I also bought Treachery: A Nightshade Novella for my Kindle this week. I bought Bloodrose and took it to the signing and had it autographed for my students. I had a bookplate signed because I bought myself a copy of Bloodrose from Barnes & Noble. I couldn't pass up the "exclusive content" that edition. Of course, I haven't received it yet. Hence the bookplate.

That was my last couple of week's additions to my TBR mountain. What did you get?

Book Review: Human Blend by Lori Pescatore

2012-01-07T06:54:00.054-06:00

Human Blend
Author: Lori Pescatore
Publication: CreateSpace (June 10, 2010)

Description: Escaping from them had been difficult enough, now Laney needs to keep hidden. All she wanted was to be on her own. Laney is not like other girls... she has very special abilities that set her apart from others. How or why she came about these abilities is a mystery she has yet to unfold. Haunted by memories and flashbacks of the suffering she endured at the hands of her captors, she changes her appearance and hides out in a small town. Ignoring her own warnings, she begins a relationship with a local boy. The relationship turns dangerous when the boy begins developing similar abilities. This development does not fall under the radar of the men who are trying to recapture her. A young doctor's interest is piqued when he witnesses her mysteriously curing a young child's illness. He befriends her due to his growing fascination with uncovering the true nature of her abilities, but not without harboring secrets of his own. Laney's new life falls apart when she meets a young intern that seems to have all the answers to her questions. The information sends her into a tail spin. Thoughts of going on the run once again are thwarted as those whom she was running from find her.

My Thoughts: This was an exciting and engaging story about a young woman on the run. She had been taken from her father when she was very young and raised by criminals because of her unusual powers. You see, Laney can heal by touch and she can see numbers - lottery numbers, safe combinations, the next number on the roulette wheel, etc. Seeing numbers makes her captors rich. They will do anything to keep control of her including killing anyone she befriends - horribly and right in front of her. Luke is her main captor and a more scary, sociopath would be hard to imagine. We get to see way too much of him for our comfort both in Julie's memories and in the exciting events of this story.

I don't know where she gets the courage to run. But when we meet Laney she is on the run. She reinvents herself as Julie Miller and tries to find a place in a small Eastern town. She looks no more than sixteen and she is beautiful. She is going to say that she is eighteen so that she can be considered an adult though she is actually older than that. Almost the first person she meets in the town is Austin. He is eighteen. They fall for each other - Laney (Julie) reluctantly; Austin wholeheartedly. He introduces her to his friends and they go on a series of dates that are all new experiences for Julie.

Julie also gets a job as a volunteer at a local hospital where she can use her healing gift. There she meets Dr. Eli Elsworth who has secrets of his own. He quickly recognizes that Julie is different and special and he is attracted to her too. Julie is also hit on by a couple of Austin's friends - Mark and his brother Neil. You see one other thing Julie does is cast out some sort of psychic Lure that draws men to her. She doesn't even know she is doing it.

When a new intern - Marcus - comes to town, he recognizes her as another like him. They are Human Blends which are aliens from another planet who are made by combining their DNA with human DNA. Marcus knows so many of the things Julie has been wondering about all her life but he is an extremely annoying character. He is thoughtless, cocky, rude, and abrupt.

Things really come to a head and excitement peaks when the men Julie is on the run from find her again. So many secrets are revealed and so many questions are answered. But so many questions remain. I hope they are answered in the second book of this series - Earth Blend.

At first I thought that Julie was too good to be true - beautiful, able to heal, could be rich without work. But I soon came to like her. She has a good heart and good instincts but she is definitely damaged by the mistreatment of her captors. Both Austin and Eli are interesting male characters and I can see Julie's conflict in choosing between them.

I recommend this story to readers who like paranormal romances and adventure. This one was packed with excitement. It also had a number of unusual characters not usually seen in YA paranormal fiction.

Favorite Quote:

"Me, you, Austin, we're all cousins, but not in the related by blood way that humans use. We just use the term loosely. We all come from the same planet," Marcus said.

Julie blinked. "Planet? Like...you mean...outer space, like...planet? she asked.

I received a ebook copy of this one from the author in exchange for an honest review. You can buy your copy here.

Book Beginning & Friday 56: Human Blend by Lori Pescatore

2012-01-06T06:09:00.021-06:00

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 received Human Blend by Lori Pescatore a while ago from the author for review. It has finally made its way to the top of the TBR mountain. Here is the product description:

Escaping from them had been difficult enough, now Laney needs to keep hidden. All she wanted was to be on her own. Laney is not like other girls... she has very special abilities that set her apart from others. How or why she came about these abilities is a mystery she has yet to unfold. Haunted by memories and flashbacks of the suffering she endured at the hands of her captors, she changes her appearance and hides out in a small town. Ignoring her own warnings, she begins a relationship with a local boy. The relationship turns dangerous when the boy begins developing similar abilities. This development does not fall under the radar of the men who are trying to recapture her. A young doctor's interest is piqued when he witnesses her mysteriously curing a young child's illness. He befriends her due to his growing fascination with uncovering the true nature of her abilities, but not without harboring secrets of his own. Laney's new life falls apart when she meets a young intern that seems to have all the answers to her questions. The information sends her into a tail spin. Thoughts of going on the run once again are thwarted as those whom she was running from find her.

Beginning:

She vowed to be more careful this time.

Friday 56:

"Neal, go sit somewhere else. Your're gonna scare her off before she even starts," Joy said, sitting down with her breakfast.

This sounds like an interesting paranormal to me. What do you think?

ARC Review: Jessica Rules the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

2012-01-05T06:54:00.041-06:00

Jessica Rules the Dark Side
Author: Beth Fantaskey
Publication: Harcourt Children's Books; 1 edition (January 10, 2012)

Description: The highly anticipated sequel to Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side.

It’s one thing to find out you’re a vampire princess. It’s a whole other thing to actually rule. Newly married Jessica Packwood is having a hard enough time feeling regal with her husband, Lucius, at her side. But when evidence in the murder of a powerful elder points to Lucius, sending him into solitary confinement, Jessica is suddenly on her own. Determined to clear her husband’s name, Jessica launches into a full-scale investigation, but hallucinations and nightmares of betrayal keep getting in her way. Jessica knows that with no blood to drink, Lucius’s time is running out. Can she figure out who the real killer is—and whom she can trust—before it’s too late?

My Thoughts: What a suspenseful and engaging sequel to Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side. Jessica has married her vampire prince and is now known as Antanasia. She is adjusting slowly to life as a vampire princess. While she is committed to Lucius, she is less committed to being queen of the vampires. It isn't until a rival of Lucius's is killed apparently with Lucius's stake that Antanasia finally commits and begins really assuming her role as vampire queen.

Lucius is imprisoned leaving Antanasia to try to find out what happened along with her best friend Mindy and his best friend Raniero. Mindy is a great friend but isn't interested in much beyond fashion and hair styling. However, she brings a lot of knowledge of interpersonal relationships with her. She knows about jealousy and envy.

Mindy and Raniero met at the wedding of Lucius and Antanasia and had a relationship but broke up because Mindy couldn't deal with his lifestyle. After being condemned, Raniero has been living as a beach bum peacnik with no ambition. Raniero is reluctant to come back to Romania because he is blestmata - condemned - because he killed wantonly. Lucius got him spared but Raniero is afraid that he might lose control of the violence again. He despises that part of himself.

Antanasia has some new friends too. Her cousin Ylenia and her Uncle Dorin Dragomir have befriended her in her new life. But Lucius doesn't like them and even Antanasia can see that they are cowardly. Mindy takes an immediate dislike to Ylenia too.

The story is filled with twists and turns but one constant is Antanasia coming into her own as a strong, confident woman who will make an excellent queen.

The story is told from multiple viewpoints. We hear from Antanasia, Mindy, and Lucius. The voices of all narrators are so distinct that the name of the narrator wouldn't have been needed at the start of each chapter. We get Mindy's self-deprecation and common sense. We get Lucius's viewpoint through the letters he writes to Raniero. And we get a lot of the story from Antanasia's viewpoint as she struggles to learn her way around a culture that is completely new to her and completely opposed to the way she was raised.

This was a very enjoyable story. I was swept away in the intrigue even though I had a pretty strong suspicion of who the villain would turn out to be shortly after they were introduced. I recommend it to readers who enjoyed the first book and readers who like mystery and intrigue in their paranormals.

Favorite Quote:

"Antanasia," he said softly but firmly. "I know that it is difficult for you to face this place today. And I don't pretend to be wiser than you. But I know something of suffering, and I learned a long time ago--both by experiencing violence and by anticipating it--that fear is the worst kind of grave, because it buries one alive. I beg you, as your husband, don't place yourself in a tomb prematurely, for as all her would attest if they could, the time for that comes soon enough."

I received this ARC through the Amazon Vine program. You can buy your copy here.

WoW: Charmfall by Chloe Neill

2012-01-04T06:09:00.003-06:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. She has a linky widget at her site each week for your post and to make it easy to find posts by other people.

The purpose of the meme is to spotlight books that we are eagerly anticipating. It is fun to take a look at what others are waiting for.

I have noticed that it has expanded my wishlist and TBR mountain though. Be warned!

I am waiting for Charmfall by Chloe Neill which is the third in her young adult Dark Elite series. I enjoy Neill's style and her characters. I am also a sucker for a good boarding school story. Add magic and a battle between good and evil and you have me every time.

Here is an interview and a trailer which just makes me more excited for this story.

Cinder is Out Today!

2012-01-03T18:32:00.000-06:00

Marissa Meyer's debut novel Cinder: Book One in the Lunar Chronicles is being published today.

Even in the future, the story begins with Once Upon a Time…. Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth's fate hinges on one girl. . . . Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She's a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world's future.

Have you seen the trailer yet? Here it is:

I read and reviewed this one recently and loved it. Here is my review.

You can find out more about Marissa here:

Marissa Meyer's Blog:

http://marissameyer.livejournal.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/MarissaMeyerAuthor

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/marissa_meyer

Marissa Meyer has also kicked off an extensive author tour in the US; you can access all her dates on her blog. http://marissameyer.livejournal.com/ You can also find the dates for her blog tour there too. Are you going to take part in any of them? I just wish she were coming to Minnesota. But I will be checking out the blog tour.

Teaser Tuesday: Jessica Rules the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

2012-01-03T06:09:00.013-06:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read

Open to a random page

Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Next up on my TBR mountain is Jessica Rules the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey. I received this book from the Amazon Vine program. I chose it because I read and enjoyed Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side. This one sounds like another entertaining paranormal.

Teaser:

"It wasn't that terrible," Dorin insisted. But he was wringing his plump hands and hovering around my desk. "I've seen worse incidents at meetings of the Elders!"

What Book Started Your Year?

2012-01-02T12:39:00.000-06:00

I have been seeing a fair number of blog posts lately about choosing the first book of the year. (Yes, Sheila and Marce, I'm talking about you!) I will have to confess that I have never given the first book of the year a thought. Of course, I'm really bad about traditions and even knowing what day it is.

Sheila's choice was Divergent by Veronica Roth. I have this one on my TBR mountain and I keep meaning to read it next. But, so far, I have been getting sidetracked by other books. Sheila's praise is really tempting me to move this one up.

Marce decided to read The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder because she was in the mood for a novel in verse. I have never read anything by Lisa Schroeder and haven't read a novel in verse for quite a while. I am going to have to check out what Marce has to say about it. I think, however, that this will be one that goes on the order for my high school media center rather than my Amazon order for me.

For myself, I started the year by finishing a book I began on New Year's Eve. I finished Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble by H. P. Mallory. I won this in a contest last fall and hadn't picked it up. But, since I got Witchful Thinking from Amazon Vine, I thought I had better get myself up to speed on the series. I wasn't really too impressed with this one but did see some positives that will keep me reading the series. I have book 2 on my Kindle to read before I get to my Vine book.

The book that I started and finished on Jan. 1, 2012 was Dreamland by Alyson Noel. This one has also been sitting on my TBR mountain for a while. I won it last fall too. This is the third in the Riley Bloom series which is Noel's middle grade paranormal series. I liked this story and thought the messages were both positive and woven into the story almost seamlessly. I look forward to sharing this books with my middle schoolers.

So, what did you start out the year with? Did you plan for it or was it an impulse read?

It's My Bloggy Birthday

2011-12-31T10:01:00.000-06:00

I began this blog on Dec. 30, 2009 with modest goals. I just wanted to talk about the good books I was reading. I had no idea if anyone would ever find my blog and care about what I had to say.

I had been blogging at Inside of a Dog since Jan. 24, 2008. I began that blog as part of a project to learn to use Web 2.0 tools. After the project, the blog sort of languished until I decided that it would make a good forum for talking about the books I was reading. I began writing my thoughts about the adult and young adult books I read and discovered the whole community of book bloggers.

In December 2009, I decided to spin off the young adult books into a blog of their own. Some of the adult books I was reading were not necessarily appropriate for my middle grade and younger young adult readers. I didn't want to confuse any students who stumbled on to my blog. Also I wanted to connect more with young adult bloggers and didn't want to confuse them either.

Since December 2009 I have gathered 1163 followers, done 227 book reviews and published 656 blog posts. I have also gotten on some people's lists and have begun to receive books for review from publishers and independent authors - 78 of them have been reviewed already. Not bad for two years!

I am not planning any big changes for 2012. I still want to read and talk about the books I enjoy. I have quite a stack ready to read this coming year. Twenty young adult or middle grade review books are on my TBR mountain for the coming year. And LibraryThing says I have 192 unread young adult books around the house (or on my Kindle).

Now, it is time to pick up my latest book and get reading!

ARC Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

2011-12-31T06:54:00.000-06:00

Cinder
Author: Marissa Meyer
Publication: Feiwel & Friends (January 3, 2012)

Description: Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

My Thoughts: I have just finished my favorite book of the year. Cinder is a re-imagining of the Cinderella story told in a future Earth where a terrible disease is running rampant and the Earth is under threat from the residents of the moon who happen to be able to use mind control.

Cinder is a cyborg as a result of a childhood accident. She was adopted by a scientist who then died and left her to the less than tender mercies of a stepmother who despises cyborgs and who uses her as an unappreciated servant. Cinder herself is a gifted mechanic but is also ashamed to be a cyborg. When Prince Kai, heir to the throne of the Eastern Commonwealth, comes to her to repair a broken android, they form a friendship. Though Cinder tries to put him off when he wants her to attend his ball. She knows her stepmother would never allow it and society would not allow a cyborg to attend.

When one of Cinder's stepsisters and only friend comes down with the plague, Cinder's stepmother donates Cinder to the cause of medical research. The head doctor has been trying to find a cure and using cyborgs to try out the various serums. He is stepping up his research because the Emperor has come down with the disease. When he sees Cinder he knows that she is someone he has been searching for. He determines that Cinder is immune to the plague and is a lunar herself.

The queen of the Lunars wants to marry young Kai and offers to provide a cure to the disease as incentive. It is her first step to conquering the Earth. She is a ruthless woman who is rumored to have killed her sister and her sister's heirs in order to take the throne herself. There has been a long-standing rumor that the former queen's daughter, Princess Selene, did not die but was taken off to Earth. Many people are looking for her in the hopes that she can defeat the evil Queen Levana. Queen Levana would like to find her too.

This was a great story filled with action and intrigue. It is also peopled with fascinating characters. Cinder and Kai are both people who seem to live beyond the pages of this book. The world is well-drawn too. I look forward to reading the rest of this trilogy to see what happens. I recommend this story to science fiction fans and adventure fans. They won't be disappointed.

Favorite Quote:

Kai set his jaw and fixed his gaze on Torin, the man who had been his father's adviser since before Kai was born. Even now, standing in the same room with Torin made him feel like a child, gave a peculiar urge to be unruly. He wondered if he would ever get over that.

I received this copy for review from Macmillan. You can buy your copy here.

Book Beginning & Friday 56: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

2011-12-30T06:54:00.001-06:00

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 had heard great things about Cinder by Marissa Meyer and was so glad to be able to get an ARC of the book from Feiwel and Friends. I finally had a chance to read it and I was blown away by the great story. It combines some things I really like including fairy tale retellings and science fiction. This is the best book I have read in 2011.

Beginning:

The screw through Cinder's ankle had rusted, the engraved cross marks worn to a mangled circle.

Friday 56:

She wondered how long it would take for it to finish the scan and determine that she was a carrier, confirming that she was at fault. For everything.

ARC Review: Winterling by Sarah Prineas

2011-12-29T06:54:00.001-06:00

Winterling
Author: Sarah Prineas
Publication: HarperCollins (January 3, 2012)

Description: “We live here, my girl, because it is close to the Way, and echoes of its magic are felt in our world. The Way is a path leading to another place, where the people are governed by different rules. Magic runs through them and their land.”

With her boundless curiosity and wild spirit, Fer has always felt that she doesn’t belong. Not when the forest is calling to her, when the rush of wind through branches feels more real than school or the quiet farms near her house. Then she saves an injured creature—he looks like a boy, but he’s really something else. He knows who Fer truly is, and invites her through the Way, a passage to a strange, dangerous land.

Fer feels an instant attachment to this realm, where magic is real and oaths forge bonds stronger than iron. But a powerful huntress named the MÓr rules here, and Fer can sense that the land is perilously out of balance. Fer must unlock the secrets about the parents she never knew and claim her true place before the worlds on both sides of the Way descend into endless winter.

Sarah Prineas captivates in this fantasy-adventure about a girl who must find within herself the power to set right a terrible evil.

My Thoughts: This was another delightful fantasy from Sarah Prineas. This one features a strong female heroine. Fer is a middle schooler being raised by her grandmother after her mother and father "had gone from this world." Fer always thought that this was a metaphor for dying. At least she thought so until she rescued a dog that turned into a boy and then followed him home through a pond into a strange, sick world where it was always winter.

The Mor is ruling this land and wants to convince Fer to be her follower and ally. Fer gets sucked into her glamorie and at first is dazzled by her. But she soon comes to believe that the Lady is the cause of the sickness in the world. She is the one who killed her parents to usurp her mother's power as the true Lady of the land. It is somehow up to Fer to defeat the Lady and restore the land.

I loved the wonderful creatures in this one. The boy Fer rescues is a Puck who is able to turn into a dog or a horse and who is bound to the Lady by oaths to serve her. The Lady is surrounded by other wonderful creatures who are losing their grip on their human forms and reverting to their wilding forms. Fer begins by healing some of them using the skills she was taught by her grandmother.

This was a great story about a determined heroine who feels a responsibility for the land and a responsibility for the people who live in it. I thought it was excellent. I think this one will be well-received by my middle grade fantasy lovers and I can't wait to share it with them.

Favorite Quote:

She told her grandma about the wildings and how she cured them with spells and herbs, and after Grand-Jane had asked questions about which herbs and which spells, and approved what she'd done, Fer told about the bloody hunt that was supposed to bring the spring, and her guess that something the Lady had done was behind everything that was wrong.

I received this book for review through the Amazon Vine program. You can buy your copy here.

Midwinter's Eve Giveaway Hop Winners

2011-12-28T08:23:00.004-06:00

I was pleased to take part in the Midwinter's Eve Giveaway Hop sponsored by Inspired Kathy from I Am a Reader, Not a Writer and Jessie from Oasis for YA and The Daily Harrell. I had two prizes to offer.

For my US followers, I had a surprise box of ARCs and other books I had received for review. I had 99 entrants. The winner chosen by Random.org is entrant #45:

Jennifer M. from California

The International winner gets a book of their choice (up to $15 US) from The Book Depository. I had 76 entrants. The winner chosen by Random.org is entrant #29:

Ana from Brazil

The winners have been notified. Thanks to everyone for participating in this hop.

2012 - Year of the TBR

2011-12-28T06:29:00.004-06:00

I was planning to go challenge free this year and concentrate on reading my TBR mountain which has reached the overwhelming height of 1210 books. Only (if you can say "only" when talking about a number in triple digits) 189 of them are YA books.

Here is what the top of my entertainment center looked like on Dec. 22, 2011. Please note that these are mostly books that arrived after Aug. 31 with just a few holdovers that I didn't get to this past summer.

Unread books that are older than that have been moved to crates in my office or have been donated to my High School Media Center. Of course, donated books are no longer on my TBR mountain which is sort of cheating because I bought them and never got them read.

But Rose City Reader alerted me to two challenges that I just can't pass up.

My Reader's Block is hosting the Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2012. Check her blog for all the details. Here are the Challenge Levels:

Pike's Peak: Read 12 books from your TBR pile/s
Mt. Vancouver: Read 25 books from your TBR pile/s
Mt. Ararat: Read 40 books from your TBR piles/s
Mt. Kilimanjaro: Read 50 books from your TBR pile/s
El Toro: Read 75 books from your TBR pile/s
Mt. Everest: Read 100+ books from your TBR pile/s

Not to overstretch myself, I am just signing up for the Mt. Vancouver level but am hoping to upgrade as the year goes on.

The second challenge I am signing up for is the Off the Shelf 2012 challenge hosted by Bookish Ardour. You can get all the details here.

Challenge Levels

Tempted– Choose 5 books to read
Trying – Choose 15 books to read
Making A Dint – Choose 30 books to read
On A Roll – Choose 50 books to read
Flying Off – Choose 75 books to read
Hoarder – Choose between 76-135 books to read
Buried – Choose between 136-200 books to read

Again, I am going to start small at the Make a Dint level (Shouldn't that be "dent"?) and hope to upgrade as the year goes on.

That is it for me. No more challenges! What challenges are your planning on taking on in 2012?

Midwinter's Eve Giveaway Hop

2011-12-27T23:01:00.001-06:00

It's time for the second annual Mid-winter's Eve Giveaway Hop. Dates for this year's hop are Dec. 21st to 27th. This hop is hosted by Inspired Kathy from I Am a Reader, Not a Writer and Jessie Harrell from Oasis For YA & The Daily Harrell.

I have two prizes for this hop.

For my US followers, I have a box of ARCs that I have recently received and reviewed. They have been gently read. There are six YA or Middle Grade titles in the box. The exact contents are a surprise.

For my followers outside of the US, I am offering one book of their choice (up to $15 US) from the Book Depository. You must live in a country shipped to by the Book Depository to enter this one.

Here are the rules:

1. You must be a follower of this blog (New followers welcome!)

2. You must completely fill out the appropriate form.

3. You must enter before midnight Dec. 27.

Here are the forms:

US residents (box of ARCs)

Non-US Residents (Book from Book Depository)

Good luck, everyone! Check out the other sites participating in this hop here.

Teaser Tuesday: Winterling by Sarah Prineas

2011-12-27T06:09:00.013-06:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read

Open to a random page

Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The ARC of Winterling by Sarah Prineas just reached to top of my TBR mountain. I got this one from Amazon Vine. The book releases on Jan. 3. This is a middle grade fantasy in a new series. I am a big fan of her Magic Thief series and hope this one is as good.

Teaser:

The same thing every single day, except on the weekends when it was just house, house, house, because she and her grandma never went anywhere. She had to get out under the sky or she got so twitchy, she felt like she might twitch out of her own skin.

I feel like those two sentences really tell be a lot about Fer who is the main character of this story.

HBRC Day 11 - 26th page 26th line

2011-12-26T10:32:00.000-06:00

Here is the easy challenge for the 11th day of the Holiday Break Reading Challenge. Since it is Dec. 26 our task is to look at the book we are currently reading and write down the 26th line on the 26th page.

I am currently reading an adult romance - Future Perfect by Suzanne Brockmann. Here is my line:

"...brandy in her glass, heating it with the warmth of her..."

What's on the Review Stack?

2011-12-26T06:49:00.003-06:00

Since it is the end of the year and time for new beginnings and resolutions, I thought that I would take a look at the bunch of books that I have received for review. Here are the print books:

Once upon a time they were neatly in order by the date the book was going to be published. They soon will be again. Not pictured above are the 5 review books in my bag to take with me on my Christmas Break to read at home. Here are the ones in my bag:

Then there are the ebooks on my Kindle. Right now, that is another eleven books.

I don't think that it will come as a surprise that I am feeling just a little overwhelmed. Consequently, I have reluctantly decided to change my review policy. I will no longer be accepting self-published books. I just can't keep up with all the requests.

In My YA Mailbox (Dec. 25, 2011)

2011-12-25T06:09:00.024-06:00

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.

Here are the books that arrived even before Santa did this week. I got one review book, two by an author I want to explore, and 3 holiday deals.

Dark Eyes by William Richter was received as part of the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program. It will be released on March 15. Here is the product description:

Wally was adopted from a Russian orphanage as a child and grew up in a wealthy New York City family. At fifteen, her obsessive need to rebel led her to life on the streets.

Now the sixteen-year-old is beautiful and hardened, and she's just stumbled across the possibility of discovering who she really is. She'll stop at nothing to find her birth mother before Klesko - her darkeyed father - finds her. Because Klesko will stop at nothing to reclaim the fortune Wally's mother stole from him long ago. Even if that means murdering his own blood. But Wally's had her own killer training, and she's hungry for justice.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo for teens, this debut thriller introduces our next big series heroine!

These are the two I bought for my Kindle because I have been curious about this author for a while. I have also read many good reviews of these books.

Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout sounds like a great young adult paranormal.

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout got me at the idea of an alien living next door.

Finally, I couldn't pass up the $.99 sale for these popular young adult titles. I picked these three as the ones I most wanted to read. I had read quite a few of the others already.

The Unidentified by Rae Mariz

The Poison Diaries by Maryrose Wood

Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have) by Sarah Mlynowski - I don't read very many contemporaries but couldn't pass this one up at the price.

What did you get this week? Anything good from Santa?

HBRC Day 9 - Book with a Christmas Theme or Setting

2011-12-24T09:24:00.000-06:00

My favorite has to be Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle. It remains the only book I have read by any of those three popular young adult authors. I really enjoyed it and thought it hit all the right notes as a romance and as a Christmas story.

The weather outside is frightful, but these stories are delightful! When a huge blizzard (that doesn't show signs of stopping) hits, Gracetown is completely snowed in. But even though it's cold outside, things are heating up inside, proving that the holiday season is magical when it comes to love. In three wonderfully (and hilariously!) interconnected tales, YA stars John Green, Lauren Myracle, and Maureen Johnson create a must-have collection that captures all the spirit of the holiday season.

I don't read very many Christmas theme books but this one was fun for a snow filled winter night's reading. I read it last year on Christmas Eve.

Book Review: 8 by Michael Mullin

2011-12-24T06:49:00.001-06:00

8
Author: Michael Mullin
Publication: Gemiknight STudios, LLC (November 9, 2010)

Description: This is the previously untold story of the previously unknown 8th dwarf, named Creepy. He was banished to the basement for being different and, well, weird. Yet he played a vital - and of course previously unknown - role in the popular tale of Snow White (whose title character is an intruder Creepy refers to as "the Maid").

My Thoughts: This was a quick read of only seven pages. It posits a previously unknown eighth dwarf who was banished to the cellar for being unlike the other seven dwarfs. This one - named Creepy - watches through cracks in the floor from the cellar as Snow White visits and is tricked three times by the evil Queen. She is only saved by the quick thinking of Creepy who ends up being her unknown and unappreciated savior.

The verse was amusing but with a couple of rhymes that felt a little forced. I liked the story and think that it could inspire other young writers to do their own takes on familiar fairy tales told by previously unknown or unused narrators.

Favorite Quote:

The Maid (not the sharpest knife in the drawer),
Fell in almost exactly the same spot as before.
Creepy sighed, shook his head, then got his stool quick.
But only reached the poison comb with the aid of a stick.

I received this one for review. You can get a copy here.

Book Beginning & Friday 56: 8 by Michael Mullin

2011-12-23T06:09:00.001-06:00

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 just started 8 by Michael Mullin. This is a book for review on my Kindle and is a short novel in verse that tells the story of the 8th Dwarf. Snow White will never be the same after we all find out the truth.

Beginning:

The stories we pass down from parent to childWere once filled with darkness, but somehow turned mild.

Friday 56 (19% mark on my Kindle):

The next morning the seven went back to the grind.Not one looked back as they left him behind.

Book Review: Kaptain Vamp by Joanne Lecuyer

2011-12-22T06:49:00.000-06:00

Kaptain Vamp
Author: Joanne Lecuyer
Publication: Digi-Tall Media via Topsy Books (October 11, 2011)

Description: Humans have long been afraid and distrustful of vampires. A young vampire named Allistaire, who is also part human, wants to change that. His family has been living among humans for hundreds of years and they have always used their abilities for good. One day, while reading his favorite super-hero comic, Allistaire decides that he’s going to do everything he can to help humans. He enlists the aid of his best friend to help him become Kaptain Vamp.

My Thoughts: This was a short novel with profuse illustrations. Allistaire is a young vampire with a human best friend. Allistaire wants to convince people that vampires can be helpful. To do that, he and Rich create an alter ego - Kaptain Vamp - and the two go around doing good deeds.

Allistaire's first good deed involves helping a young boy who has fallen down a cliff and broken his arm. Fortunately, his mother is a doctor and had taught all the kids first aid skills. Of course, he also has his super strength and jumping ability to help him with the rescue. The problems the kids solve are real life ones including stopping the school bullies from preying on younger kids.

The illustrations add to the story too. I liked the various full-color illustrations that decorated the book. I also liked the additional touch of magic that the necklace from Allistaire's grandfather gave him. It lets him wish himself into and out of his Kaptain Vamp costume when he needs to be Kaptain Vamp.

The story was a good one about friendship and the satisfaction that comes from doing good deeds. I think this would appeal to upper elementary students who are interested in vampires but aren't ready for anything scary.

Favorite Quote:

Allistaire and his friends giggled. Allistaire believed that science was important and he was determined to someday find a way to use it to help humans.

I received this book from the author for review. You can buy a copy here.

Book Review: Ties to the Blood Moon by Robin P. Waldrop

2011-12-21T06:49:00.001-06:00

Ties to the Blood Moon
Author: Robin P. Waldrop
Publication: Amazon Digital Services, Nov. 9, 2011

Description: Genevieve is a teenage girl who moves in with her aunt in Alaska after the death of her mother. Soon after her arrival she learns the things she was raised to believe only existed in fairytales are in fact a big part of her history. When it gets to be too much she seeks refuge in the arms of her new boyfriend, William, only to find out he's not who she thought he was either.

My Thoughts: I really tried but I couldn't finish this book. I lasted to the 42% mark and the start of Chapter 24 before abandoning it. I found that I didn't like any of the characters.

I was especially unhappy with the main character who kept insisting that she was adult and should be able to do what she wanted but continually acted like a five-year-old throwing a tantrum. Also, I never understood her. She seemed to go from tears to laughter within the same page. And she fainted all the time. She fainted when she met the boy of her dreams - William. What seemed really strange to me is that this seemed to attract him to her.

Another problem I was having with the book was the way the other characters treated our main character. You know that joke about the mushroom - keep them in the dark and feed them bs? Well, that is how the characters were treating our heroine. It seemed like she was the only one, other than the reader, who had no idea what was going on.

The book did have some strengths. The setting in Alaska was interesting and the possible new mythology about werewolves and vampires had potential. The writing was OK and the copy-editing of this self-published book was acceptable.

When I spent a whole week picking it up, reading a bit, and setting it down again, I knew that I just had to abandon this one and move on to something I would enjoy more.

Representative Quote:

When I glanced at her, she had this look on her face, like she'd been brainwashed. Kind of like Stepford wives only way crazier. At least with that movie it was more believable because a lot of scientists had found evidence leading to the possibility that aliens existed. This was just stupid crazy. Everyone in their right mind knows werewolves and vampires are fiction monsters created to scare people.

I received this on from the author for review. You can buy your copy here.

Teaser Tuesday: Kaptain Vamp by Joanne Lecuyer

2011-12-20T06:09:00.023-06:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read

Open to a random page

Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I received this cute, middle grade story from the author a while ago. But now, Kaptain Vamp by Joanne Lecuyer has finally made it to the top of my review stack.

Here is the product description:

Humans have long been afraid and distrustful of vampires. A young vampire named Allistaire, who is also part human, wants to change that. His family has been living among humans for hundreds of years and they have always used their abilities for good. One day, while reading his favorite super-hero comic, Allistaire decides that he’s going to do everything he can to help humans. He enlists the aid of his best friend to help him become Kaptain Vamp.

Teaser:

"Sweet!" Rich kept saying, his face showing he was really impressed. "It's so cool to have a vampire as my closest friend."

Seizure by Kathy Reichs

2011-12-19T06:49:00.001-06:00

I discovered this nice video today about one of the books on my TBR mountain. I bought Seizure by Kathy Reichs because I liked the first book in the series - Virals. I haven't had a chance to read it yet but this video has made me very tempted to move this book closer to the top of my TBR mountain.

Pirates? I think that this adventure will appeal to both boys and girls. I just wish I had time to read all the books I want to read RIGHT NOW!

What do you think? Does a video about the book make you more likely to pick up a book?

In My YA Mailbox (Dec. 18, 2011)

2011-12-18T06:09:00.031-06:00

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.

I added five books to my stack this week. Here are the ones I bought:

I saw Twilight: The Graphic Novel Volume 2 at the Scholastic Book Fair at our school this week but just couldn't face the $20 price tag. I bought my copy at Amazon for $9.99 though I see it is back to $11.20 today. I am not a huge fan of graphic novels but I do have volume 1 and felt I needed volume 2 to make my collection complete.

I also bought The Inquisitor's Apprentice by Chris Moriarty this week. I have heard such good things about this one that I just had to add it to my mountain of unread books. I like the idea of this alternate history novel of a New York with magic.

I also bought Pride's Run by Cat Kalen for my Kindle this week. It was the werewolves that convinced me. Cat Kalen also writes romances under two pen names (though I don't know what they are). That is what made me feel like taking a chance with this self-published novel.

I also got a couple of books for my Kindle from the free bunch this week. I chose:

Portal by Imogen Rose is a time travel romance and it is also the first book in a series. I liked the concept and thought I would add this to my "read someday" pile.

Indigo Blues by Danielle Joseph is a contemporary with an interesting concept. Indigo met and then dumped Adam. Only he was in a band and wrote a song about her. The song became a hit and now Indigo has lost her privacy.

Those are the ones I liked enough to add to my endless TBR stack What did you add to yours?

Teaser Tuesday: Ties to the Blood Moon by Robin P. Waldrop

2011-12-13T06:09:00.019-06:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read

Open to a random page

Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I just started Ties to the Blood Moon by Robin P. Waldrop. Here is the product description;

Genevieve is a teenage girl who moves in with her aunt in Alaska after the death of her mother. Soon after her arrival she learns the things she was raised to believe only existed in fairytales are in fact a big part of her history. When it gets to be too much she seeks refuge in the arms of her new boyfriend, William, only to find out he's not who she thought he was either.

This one is on my Kindle so I chose the 2% mark for my teaser:

She didn't look like the mental image of an Eskimo I'd always had. I pictured them with animal skin jackets, matching boots, ice hanging off their faces, and living in little igloos.

Book Review: Ignite by Kaitlynn Davis

2011-12-12T06:49:00.015-06:00

Ignite (Midnight Fire Series Book One)
Author: Kaitlynn Davis
Publication: Kaitlyn Davis (October 9, 2011)

Description: "With one last look, one final search of the lines of his face for some sign, Kira turned and ran away from the sound of the man she loved laughing in the face of her death."

When Kira Dawson moves to South Carolina, she meets Luke, a blond goofball who quickly becomes her best friend, and Tristan, a mysterious bad boy who sends shivers down her spine. Kira knows they're keeping secrets, but when she discovers Tristan's lust for blood and her own dormant mystical powers, Kira is forced to fight for her life and make the heartbreaking decision between the familiar comfort of friendship and the fiery passion of love.

My Thoughts: What we have here is a different kind of love triangle. Kira comes to South Carolina to live with her family after years at a boarding school in New York. She has to fit in at a new school and make new friends in a place where she has only spent summers. She is quickly integrated into the group of other newcomers meeting Luke, Emma, Dave and Miles. They become friends but she is also fascinated by a group that her new friends call the Misfits. The Misfits seem equally fascinated by her and begin staring at her whenever they are around. She is especially fascinated with Tristan. According to her, he has that rebel without a cause, bad boy look going along with a killer bod, black hair, and icy blue eyes.

Her new friend Luke and Tristan are enemies but neither will explain why. After a few interesting events, including a near drowning while surfing and being saved by Tristan, Kira's crush deepens. She seems to keep running into Tristan although he does try to stay away from her. It isn't until she is attacked by the Misfits and exhibits strange powers that things start to come clear.

Kira is a conduit. Conduits are the only ones who can kill vampires which is what the Misfits are. But there are two kinds of conduits - Protectors and Punishers - and Kira is the forbidden child of a Punisher father and a Protector mother. Her parents were killed when she was little and she has been raised by her aunt and uncle not knowing they weren't her parents. Luke has been sent by the Protectors to guard and train her. They become good friends as he teaches her about conduits and she learns what she can do. Apparently being the child of both a Punisher and Protector has given Kira some unique powers too. She is able to use her powers to heal which Luke is reluctant to share with the Council that sent him to guard her.

Luke becomes her best friend but Tristan is the one she loves despite all Luke can do to convince her that all vampires are evil. She sees something special in Tristan. They get to know each other and secretly date. His companions and hers are both opposed to the relationship. She is convinced that he is not evil and that he won't hurt her. This was a nice romance and had some exciting parts for the action lover. It is also a story of a girl who learns that she has a hidden history.

I liked the story but felt it could have done with some copy-editing. There were a few wrong words and a number of grammatical things that were sort of jarring. I have a personal phobia about misusing "loose" and "lose" and the author was guilty of this. Also there were a quite a few instances when "her" was used when "she" would have been more correct. Here is example of the wrong word choice:

"Your foe confidence is amusing," Diana said and grabbed hold of Kira's chin.

I had to read that one a couple of times before I realized that the author meant "faux." None of these things hurt the flow or excitement in the story but they were a bit distracting.

I recommend this story for young adults who want to read one more story about vampires and the girls who love them. The concept of conduits who are able to kill vampires was a nice touch. And, naturally, the author has a sequel in the works.

Favorite Quote:

Kira needed to understand whatever was going on. The frustration of not knowing was driving her crazy. Luke didn't want her spending time with Tristan, and even Tristan didn't want her spending time with Tristan, so she decided there was only one thing to do, spend more time around Tristan.

I received this ebook for review from the author. You can buy a copy here.

In My YA Mailbox (Dec. 11, 2011)

2011-12-11T06:09:00.067-06:00

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 I bought two books and received a whopping nine for review. I got a big package from Macmillan with May, June, July and August ARCS.

These are the ones I bought:

Shattered Dreams by Ellie James showed up on a lot of blogs I look at. Because I found it interesting and the bloggers liked it, I added it to my endless TBR mountain.

Winging It by Deborah Cooke ended up on the stack because I like her writing style, I like dragons, and I read the first book in the series.

Here are the Macmillan bunch:

The Magician's Apprentice by Kate Banks and illustrated by Peter Sis is an August 7 release by Farrar Straus Giroux. It is a middle grade fantasy novel.

Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama is an August 21 release also by Farrar Straus Giroux. You can check out the description at Amazon but I will tell you that there are mermaids, romance, and a curse.

Struck by Jennifer Bosworth is a May 8 release by Farrar Straus Giroux. The cover and the description grabbed me for this one. It is a contemporary paranormal for young adults.

Of Poseidon by Anna Banks is a May 22 release from Feiwel & Friends. Again, I was seduced by a lovely cover and mermaids and romance.

Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne is a June 5 release by Feiwel & Friends. This is a dystopia about a group of kids who take refuge in a Superstore when the world outside suffers a series of natural disasters. This is a novel by a 2012 debut author too.

Before You Go by James Preller is a July 17 release by Feiwel & Friends. This is Preller's YA debut. Here is the bit from the catalog that made me choose it:

Acclaimed author James Preller explores life, death, love, faith, and resilience in a story that will grip readers from the book’s dramatic first few pages to its emotional end.

The last book in the Macmillan bag of awesome was Bridge of Time by Lewis Buzbee. This is a May 22 release by Feiwel & Friends. This one is a middle grade time travel story where two kids travel to the past and the future with Mark Twain.

But that wasn't enough. I also chose to accept for review two books pitched to me by their authors.

Dragon's Pupils: The Peaks by Martin Chu Shi is a contemporary fantasy and is the sequel to Dragon's Pupils: The Sword Guest which I read and reviewed a while ago.

I also got Torn by Dean Murray. This one is a shapeshifter romance.

As you can see, my review calendar for 2012 is filling up nicely. What did you get in your mailbox this week?

Book Beginning & Friday 56: Ties to the Blood Moon by Robin P. Waldrop

2011-12-09T06:09:00.023-06:00

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.

The next YA book on my review stack is Ties to the Blood Moon by Robin P. Waldrop. I received this ebook from the author for review. This book is available for purchase now.

Here is the product description:

Genevieve is a teenage girl who moves in with her aunt in Alaska after the death of her mother. Soon after her arrival she learns the things she was raised to believe only existed in fairytales are in fact a big part of her history. When it gets to be too much she seeks refuge in the arms of her new boyfriend, William, only to find out he's not who she thought he was either.

Beginning:

Aunt Bev kept telling me it wasn't my fault.

Friday 56:

"I'll wait so you can follow me," she said loud enough for everyone to hear. I cringed, balling my fists before I saw Luna trotting toward me.

Holiday Break Reading Challenge

2011-12-07T06:11:00.001-06:00

Are you looking for a fun, low-pressure Holiday Reading Challenge? I mean, really, who needs more stress at the Holidays? Join Karin and Julie at Edifying & Edgy for this challenge. Here is all about it in Karin's words:

For 17 days (usually during the Christmas break for most schools) Julie and I will be posting an book related activity every day. You can choose to participate everyday or once or twice during the entire challenge. It is totally up to you. The Holiday Break Reading Challenge is meant to be fun and low pressure.

There are prizes every day. There will be a Simply Linked at the bottom of every post so you can share your activity entry. We will use Random.org to choose a winner each day.

Some of the activities take longer than others. Some of the activities require you to be more creative than others. But, remember, you don't have to participate in all of them. Just pick and choose.

This year the Holiday Break Reading Challenge will start on December 16th, 2011 and end on January 1st, 2012.

Prizes and winners will be listed on this website. https://sites.google.com/site/hbrcprizes/

Here is the link to join. Come and have some fun with me.