Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Waiting on Wednesday (June 30)

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This weekly meme shares the upcoming books that I'm most excited about.

Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel

When Lenah Beaudonte, a 500-year-old vampire queen, wakes up a human teenager at an ultra-cliquey prep school, she must choose between embracing the humanity she’s always craved and saving her new friends from her vicious coven. The first in a sizzling new YA series.

Lenah Beaudonte is, in many ways, your average teen: the new girl at Wickham Boarding School, she struggles to fit in enough to survive and stand out enough to catch the eye of the golden-boy lacrosse captain. But Lenah also just happens to be a recovering five-hundred-year-old vampire queen. After centuries of terrorizing Europe, Lenah is able to realize the dream all vampires have -- to be human again. After performing a dangerous ritual to restore her humanity, Lenah entered a century-long hibernation, leaving behind the wicked coven she ruled over and the eternal love who has helped grant her deep-seated wish.

Until, that is, Lenah draws her first natural breath in centuries at Wickham and rediscovers a human life that bears little resemblance to the one she had known. As if suddenly becoming a teenager weren’t stressful enough, each passing hour brings Lenah closer to the moment when her abandoned coven will open the crypt where she should be sleeping and find her gone. As her borrowed days slip by, Lenah resolves to live her newfound life as fully as she can. But, to do so, she must answer ominous questions: Can an ex-vampire survive in an alien time and place? What can Lenah do to protect her new friends from the bloodthirsty menace about to descend upon them? And how is she ever going to pass her biology midterm? (From Goodreads)

Published by St. Martin's Griffin
Release Date: August 3, 2010

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Teaser Tuesday (June 29)

What is Teaser Tuesday?
It's a meme hosted by Should Be Reading and here are the rules:Grab your current read...
Open to a random page
Share two teaser sentences from somewhere on the page
Don't include spoilers

"We were leaving behind the only home I'd ever known, where I had once dreamed a golden life full of promise: dancing at the doge's ball, petal-strewn walks in the garden, even giggling around the ribbon booth over some lad who was making eyes at me. In this city every corner held some memory of my mother: her favorite bakery, sweet with orange rind and cardamom, the river where she'd taken me as a little girl to sail my toy boat, the bustling markets she'd walked through with such grace and style that people thought her a titled lady."

-Fortune's Folly, Page 12, by Deva Fagan

Sunday, June 27, 2010

In My Mailbox (June 27)

In my mailbox was created by Kristi of The Story Siren, who was inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. Here are the books I got this week...

For Review (Part of Traveling to Teens)

The Body at the Tower (The Agency 2) by Y.S. Lee (ARC/Published by Candlewick/Release Date: August 10, 2010)

This is another colourful, action-packed Victorian detective novel about the exploits of agent Mary Quinn. At a young age, Mary Quinn is rescued from the gallows and taken to Miss Scrimshaw's Academy for Girls. The school turns out to be a front for a private detective agency. At age 17, Mary takes on her first case (A Spy in the House). In this, the second book of the series, Mary Quinn sets out to uncover the truth behind a suspicious death at St. Stephen's Tower, better known as the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament. The accident occurred after hours in a highly public part of town and despite the presence of night watchmen. Mary, disguised as Mark Quinn, becomes a builder's assistant to find out the truth about the body at the tower.




I've got a couple others on the way from a sale at Barnes and Noble, but I'll post about those next week. What did you get?

Friday, June 25, 2010

Book Review: Percy Jackson & The Olympians by Rick Riordan

The Series:
The Lightning Thief
The Sea of Monsters
The Titan's Curse
The Battle of the Labyrinth
The Last Olympians

Although I could have written individual reviews for each of the five books in the series, I thought I would do one general review. The series follows Percy Jackson, who, at the age of twelve, finds out that he's the son of a god. The series follows the adventures of Percy, and his friends, as they fight to keep the Olympians from being overthrown.

I'm going to admit that I first read this book after seeing the preview for the movie The Lightning Thief. I'm one of those people that prefers to read the book first. Personally, I enjoy seeing where the book and the movie differ. Of course, it also helped that I love mythology, particularly that of Ancient Greece. After reading the first book, I was hooked.

My love for the series stems, in part, from the mythology. I thought it was fun to see how the Gods had adapted to modernization, and technology. Riordan also included various different minor gods/goddesses (i.e Hestia, goddess of the hearth). I was filled with geek joy about those minor gods, who were only briefly mentioned in my mythology courses.

Something that pleased me as a reader was the way that the stories improved as the series went on. The books begin when Percy is twelve, and as he aged, so did the stories. What I mean is that during The Lightning Thief, everything is black and white. The heroes are the "good guys", and the "bad guys" are completely evil. As the books go on, and Percy gets older, the reader sees the gray area. We learn the histories of many characters, and see Percy and his friends struggling with some of their decisions.

Many of you already know what a hit this series is. In fact, Riordan is planning another book in the Percy Jackson world, involving different characters. I'll certainly be picking it up. Overall, it was an enjoyable, funny, and extremely entertaining series.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians
By Rick Riordan
Series Published by Hyperion
Series Rating: B+/A-

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Waiting on Wednesday (June 23)

This was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. Waiting on Wednesday shares the upcoming books that I'm most excited about.

Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters by Natalie Standiford

The Sullivan sisters have a big problem. On Christmas Day their rich and imperious grandmother gathers the family and announces that she will soon die . . .and has cut the entire family out of her will. Since she is the source of almost all their income, this means they will soon be penniless.

Someone in the family has offended her deeply. If that person comes forward with a confession of her (or his) crime, submitted in writing to her lawyer by New Year's Day, she will reinstate the family in her will. Or at least consider it.

And so the confessions begin....

Published by Scholastic
Release Date: September 1, 2010

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Teaser Tuesday (June 22)

What is Teaser Tuesday?
It's a meme hosted by Should Be Reading and here are the rules:Grab your current read...
Open to a random page
Share two teaser sentences from somewhere on the page
Don't include spoilers

"Hurrying past the kitchen and down the hall, I glanced around the narrow pathways we'd carved in the piles of newspapers and garbage over the years. It had gotten easier to get around since I'd grown tall enough to see over the top of a lot of it."

-Dirty Little Secrets, page 16, by C.J. Omololu

Sunday, June 20, 2010

In My Mailbox (June 20)

In my mailbox was created by Kristi of The Story Siren, who was inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. Here are the books I got this week...


Purchased: 


The Accidental Werewolf by Dakota Cassidy


When Marty Andrews gets bitten by a mangy mutt while walking her teacup poodle, her blond hair darkens, the hair on her legs starts growing at an alarming rate, and her mood swings put her dream job as a sales rep for Bobbie-Sue Cosmetics in serious jeopardy.

Then a drool-worthy man shows up at her door claiming that he accidentally bit Marty. And since he's a werewolf, she is now, too. Thinking Keegan Flaherty is clearly insane, Marty refuses to believe a word until a kidnapping makes her realize there's more at stake than just her highlights. And she must put her out-of-control life in the hands of the man who makes her blood run wild in more ways than one... (From Goodreads)






Mary, Bloody Mary by Carolyn Meyer


The story of Mary Tudor's childhood is a classic fairy tale: A princess who is to
inherit the throne of England is separated from her mother; abused by an evil
stepmother who has enchanted her father; stripped of her title; and forced to
care for her baby stepsister, who inherits Mary's rights to the throne. Believe it
or not, it's all true.
Told in the voice of the young Mary, this novel explores the history and intrigue
of the dramatic rule of Henry VIII, his outrageous affair with and marriage to the
bewitching Anne Boleyn, and the consequences of that relationship for his
firstborn daughter. Carolyn Meyer has written a compassionate historical novel about love and loss, jealousy and fear--and a girl's struggle with forces far
beyond her control. (From Publisher)

Friday, June 18, 2010

Do You Catalog Your Books?

During Bloggiesta I came to the important realization that I have an insane amount of books. They are stashed all over the house, stored in boxes, and it's because of my lack of organizational skills that I usually forget what I have. So, I went on a mission to figure out how to list them all on my computer. I'm a mac-user, and a good friend suggested I use the program BookPedia. She's a fellow bookaholic, so I thought I'd try the demo version (it can list 25 books).

Basically, all I have to do is hold the book's barcode up to my built in camera, and it scans everything in. It searches Amazon, and puts everything into an iTunes-eque library (see the small, blurry photo to the right). At first I had a hard time scanning things in, and found that the DVDPedia (the DVD version of Bookpedia) was easier to scan with. Still, it's made my life a bit easier.

So, I was wondering whether anyone else had cataloged their books?

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Author Interview with Lee Nichols and a Deception Giveaway

Today I'm happy to host an interview with the author Lee Nichols. She has written five novels for adults, and her first YA novel, Deception (Haunting Emma #1), was released on June 8.

1. What inspired you to write Deception?
I really wanted to write a contemporary Gothic novel with a kick-butt heroine and this is what came out.

2. What kinds of research, if any, went into writing the paranormal aspect of Deception?
No particular research, I just didn't want it to be another ghost story about the heroine helping ghosts fulfill their desires so they can finally rest. So, I came up with something completely different.

3. I loved the way that the New England setting enhanced the story. Why did you choose New England?
Because I love the cold weather, picturesque villages, history, and old houses that look like they could be filled with ghosts.

4. If you were a ghostkeeper, what would your ability be?
Hmm. I think I'd be pretty freaked out and would want the ability to dispel them. Just get rid of them.

5. Are you currently working on any projects?
I just finished the second HAUNTING EMMA book, BETRAYAL, which will be published in March 2010, and have starting writing the third, POSSESSION, which will be out late 2010.

6. What's the most recent book that you've read and enjoyed?
THE MOSTS, by Melissa Senate. Mean Girls, the movie, meets Dairy Queen the book. It's just a really sweet, romantic read for younger teens.

7. Any fun facts about yourself you'd like to share?
No, I am an incredibly dull person. Much less fun than the characters in my books.

You can find her website here: http://www.leenicholsbooks.com/

I'm also happy to be giving away two copies of the ARC edition of Deception. One will be my gently used ARC, and the second will be coming from the publisher. If you are a resident of the US of Canada, and would like to enter, simply leave a comment below with your email address. This contest will run until 6/30

CONTEST CLOSED

Waiting on Wednesday (June 16)

This was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. Waiting on Wednesday shares the upcoming books that I'm most excited about.
 
 Vixen (Flappers #1) by Lila Fine

Set in Jazz Age Chicago, the first book, Vixen, follows 17-year-old socialite Gloria Carmody, who longs to be a flapper and is caught between her conservative fiancé and a sexy jazz musician. (From Goodreads)

Published by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Release Date: December 14, 2010


 
 

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Book Review: Deception by Lee Nichols

When Emma Vaile’s parents go missing while away on a mysterious business trip, she’s left all alone in her creepy old house. But her brother’s very cute best friend, Bennett Stern—Emma’s knight in J. Crew armor—arrives unexpectedly to whisk her away to New England. There, Emma settles into his family’s museum-like mansion and enrolls at an old-fashioned private school. She quickly finds friends in the popular legacy crowd at Thatcher and spends her free time crushing on Bennett. But the eerie visions she’s been hiding from everyone have gotten worse. Emma has memories of Thatcher that she can’t explain—it’s as if she’s returning home to a place she’s never been. Finally, Emma confides in Bennett and learns she is a ghostkeeper, a person who can communicate with ghosts. Bennett brought Emma to Thatcher to protect her, but now he needs her help tracking an other-worldly murderer.

A rich New England setting filled with mystery, tradition, and prep-school intrigue make Deception the perfect choice for fans of series like Kate Brian’s Private, as well as all those paranormal fans. The shocking ending will leave readers desperate for book two. (From Goodreads)

When I first heard about Deception, it was described as Private meets Beautiful Creatures. As I enjoyed both of those books, I couldn't wait to pick up a copy. After reading Deception, however, I'd say that it's unfair to compare it to anything else. Nichols has managed to write a paranormal novel that contains mystery, suspense, romance, and is utterly unique.

One of the things that makes Deception such an uncommon story is the way that Nichols dealt with the paranormal. The idea of ghostkeepers, people who have an ability that allows them to interact with ghosts, was, for lack of a better word, really cool. I particularly liked that different ghostkeepers had different abilities. Some were able to summon ghosts, others to dispel them, and some even had the power to compel ghost to do things for them. I also loved that there was Latin incorporated into the story. I took Latin in high school, and college, so I geeked out a bit when I was able to read it.

As for Emma, I felt a little bit of pity for her. Her family has disappeared, her best friend isn't talking to her, and her new friend has just stabbed her in the back. She's also worryied about her sanity for half of the book. I really liked the way that Nichols portrayed this in the book. I thought this was a fairly accurate description of what might happen if a person were really able to see ghosts. They would probably try to deny it, and try to justify their experiences. Despite all of the negative things happening to her, Emma was still a fun character. She was smart, sassy, and funny (especially when speaking in Latin).

There was only one problem that I had with the story, and that was the character Jared. At the beginning of the story, Jared is Emma's crush. In fact, she goes so far as to call him her fixation. Once Bennett appears, though, Jared is practically forgotten. After reading the book, I realized that there are really only one or two other scenes where Jared is briefly mentioned. I didn't really think he was a necessary character, and wouldn't have missed him had he been taken out of the book completely. If he had been removed, I think that I would have been able to truly appreciate the feelings that Emma had developed for Bennett two years prior to the start of the story.

Deception is a great start to the Haunting Emma series. It's suspenseful, spring-tingling, and I couldn't put it down. I can't wait for more from Nichols!

Deception
By Lee Nichols
Published by Bloomsbury USA
310 Pages
Rating: B+

Thanks to Kate at Bloomsbury for giving me the chance to read this one!

Check back tomorrow for an interview with the author, and a giveaway

Teaser Tuesday (June 15)

Currently ReadingWhat is Teaser Tuesday?
It's a meme hosted by Should Be Reading and here are the rules:Grab your current read...
Open to a random page
Share two teaser sentences from somewhere on the page
Don't include spoilers

 "Miss Hisselpenny nattered on about her impending marriage and its companion apparel, invitation list, and comestibles for the entirety of the two-hour ride into London. Now much was said, however, about the prospective groom." 
-Changeless, Page 39, by Gail Carriger

Monday, June 14, 2010

Bloggiesta Finish Line



I had a lot of fun this weekend participating in bloggiesta. Of course, last night I was so tired that I didn't write my finish line post. Overall, I spent about 24 hours participating. I accomplished quite a few things that I hadn't planned to do, and took part in a few mini-challenges. All of that info can be found on my bloggiesta update post here.

1.Write some upcoming reviews.
2. Clean up my blog, add links to my reviews/interviews
3. Edit my google reader!
4. Clean up my tags
5. Add some of my social networking links
6. Edit my 'About Me', Review, and Contest Policy pages
7. Post my reviews on my BN/Amazon/Goodreads Accounts
8. Add a copyright notice at the bottom of the site
9. Backup my Blog
10. Register for BBAW. I'm not entering my blog to be voted on, but I am interested in finding new book blogs!
11. Add blog to directories 

I managed to get almost all of my list done. I'm still working on editing a review policy page, as well as a page for my contest policy. I'm still impressed with how much I got done. I'll definitely be participating again in January.

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Bloggiesta Update

Here's my list (updated to show new goals)
1.Write some upcoming reviews.
2. Clean up my blog, add links to my reviews/interviews
3. Edit my google reader!
4. Clean up my tags
5. Add some of my social networking links
6. Edit my 'About Me', Review, and Contest Policy pages
7. Post my reviews on my BN/Amazon/Goodreads Accounts
8. Add a copyright notice at the bottom of the site 
9. Backup my Blog
10. Register for BBAW. I'm not entering my blog to be voted on, but I am interested in finding new book blogs! 
11. Add blog to directories

Mini-Challenges:

Hosted by the 2010 Blog Improvement Project: Write Your Blogging To-Do List

Evaluated my blog, and set a short-term, and long-term goal. My Short-Term Goal is to keep up on my list of reviews, author interviews, and tags. It took me three hours today to remove some useless tags, and I never want to go through that again.

My long-term goal is to visit more blogs, and comment more often.

Hosted by Maw Books Blog: The Surprise Mini-Challenge

Hosted by Bonjour, Cass!: The Embracing Community Mini-Challenge
I commented on some blogs that were new to me, and responded to the people who had posted on my Bloggiesta posts. I don't always comment when I read a post (shame on me, that's part of my long-term goal from an earlier mini-challenge), so this was a great reason to do so.

I still have quite a bit left to do, but I think I can get through it.

Saturday, June 12, 2010

In My Mailbox (June 13)

In my mailbox was created by Kristi of The Story Siren, who was inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. Here are the books I got this week...

Purchased:

Deception (Haunting Emma #1) by Lee Nichols

When Emma Vaile’s parents go missing while away on a mysterious business trip, she’s left all alone in her creepy old house. But her brother’s very cute best friend, Bennett Stern—Emma’s knight in J. Crew armor—arrives unexpectedly to whisk her away to New England. There, Emma settles into his family’s museum-like mansion and enrolls at an old-fashioned private school. She quickly finds friends in the popular legacy crowd at Thatcher and spends her free time crushing on Bennett. But the eerie visions she’s been hiding from everyone have gotten worse. Emma has memories of Thatcher that she can’t explain—it’s as if she’s returning home to a place she’s never been. Finally, Emma confides in Bennett and learns she is a ghostkeeper, a person who can communicate with ghosts. Bennett brought Emma to Thatcher to protect her, but now he needs her help tracking an other-worldly murderer.

A rich New England setting filled with mystery, tradition, and prep-school intrigue make Deception the perfect choice for fans of series like Kate Brian’s Private, as well as all those paranormal fans. The shocking ending will leave readers desperate for book two. (From Goodreads)

The Library

The Uninvited by Tim Wynne-Jones

Mimi Shapiro had a disturbing freshman year at NYU, thanks to a foolish affair with a professor who still haunts her caller ID. So when her artist father, Marc, offers the use of his remote Canadian cottage, she’s glad to hop in her Mini Cooper and drive up north. The house is fairy-tale quaint, and the key is hidden right where her dad said it would be, so she’s shocked to fi nd someone already living there — Jay, a young musician, who is equally startled to meet Mimi and immediately accuses her of leaving strange and threatening tokens inside: a dead bird, a snakeskin, a cricket sound track embedded in his latest composition. But Mimi has just arrived, so who is responsible? And more alarmingly, what does the intruder want? Part gripping thriller, part family drama, this fast-paced novel plays out in alternating viewpoints, in a pastoral setting that is evocative and eerie — a mysterious character in its own right. (From Goodreads)

Bloggiesta Start Line


Well, Bloggiesta actually started yesterday. I was pretty much booked from 11 until 11 (dentist, work, etc), so I'm starting bright and early this morning, I've already got a bit done (woo), and will update later today to share the mini-challenges I'm participating in, and what I've gotten done. I'm actually going to let myself buy some books later today if I get a few specific things accomplished.

Here's my list (updated to show new goals)
1.Write some upcoming reviews. I have a whole list on my computer of books that I've read that I plan to review (more than 10, but less than 100).
2. Clean up my blog, add links to my reviews/interviews
3. Edit my google reader!
4. Clean up my tags
5. Add some of my social networking links
6. Edit my 'About Me', Review, and Contest Policy pages
7. Post my reviews on my BN/Amazon/Goodreads Accounts
8. Add a copyright notice at the bottom of the site

Good luck to everyone participating!

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Book Review: The Agency: A Spy in the House by Y.S. Lee

Introducing an exciting new series! Steeped in Victorian atmosphere and intrigue, this diverting mystery trails a feisty heroine as she takes on a precarious secret assignment.

Rescued from the gallows in 1850s London, young orphan (and thief) Mary Quinn is surprised to be offered a singular education, instruction in fine manners — and an unusual vocation. Miss Scrimshaw’s Academy for Girls is a cover for an all-female investigative unit called The Agency, and at seventeen, Mary is about to put her training to the test. Assuming the guise of a lady’s companion, she must infiltrate a rich merchant’s home in hopes of tracing his missing cargo ships. But the household is full of dangerous deceptions, and there is no one to trust — or is there? Packed with action and suspense, banter and romance, and evoking the gritty backstreets of Victorian London, this breezy mystery debuts a daring young detective who lives by her wits while uncovering secrets — including those of her own past. (From Goodreads)

In A Spy in the House, Lee tells a story filled with mystery, intrigue, and romance. Mary, a girl who was saved from a death sentence, has been educated at Miss Scrimshaw's Academy for Girls. At the school she's given the education of a wealthy girl, and is encouraged to work in a field she enjoys. The idea of a school that educated girls regardless of their social class, or connections, was an aspect I enjoyed. Not only that, but the school existed to give the women some independence. In a time when the role of women was primarily in the home, it was refreshing to read about a group of women who acknowledged that they deserved more options than being a wife/mistress/governess. It also made me appreciate the educational opportunities that I've been given.

The writing was another big part of why I enjoyed this book. In my opinion, a good mystery needs an interesting setting, strong characters, and should make you question the motives of those characters. A Spy in the House contained all of these characteristics, and more. The description of Victorian London, made me feel as though I was there, stuck in warm weather made worse by the smell of the polluted Thames. Throughout the book, I also questioned the motives of each character. Each time a new piece of information was discovered by Mary, I attempted to figure out how the story would end. Of course, I was completely wrong.

I really enjoyed reading about Mary. In the early chapters of the book, the reader finds out why Mary was sentenced to death by hanging. We also see how Mary's education has helped her to grow, and become stronger, and more sure of herself. I particularly liked that she was looking for a work that she found fulfilling. She had attempted many of the jobs that were acceptable for women, but she wanted something more from her work. It takes a lot of courage to go from a job that you know, to something that's completely foreign. Mary was also kind to her young maid, Cass. This was a characteristic that was uncommon in the wealthy women in the book. Cass reminded me a lot of Mary at the start of the book. Cass was a bit unsure of herself, and given the right opportunities, had the potential to be very clever, much like Mary had been.

There were a few times when I thought that the plot could have moved a bit faster, but aside from that I really enjoyed this book. It's another great 2010 debut, and I look forward to the sequel, The Body at the Tower, which is being released this August.

A Spy in the House (The Agency 1)
By Y.S. Lee
Published by Candlewick
335 Pages
Rating: B+

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Waiting on Wednesday (June 9)

This was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. Waiting on Wednesday shares the upcoming books that I'm most excited about.


Wildthorn by Jane Eagland

They strip her naked, of everything—undo her whalebone corset, hook by hook. Locked away in Wildthorn Hall—a madhouse—they take her identity. She is now called Lucy Childs. She has no one; she has nothing. But, she is still seventeen—still Louisa Cosgrove, isn't she? Who has done this unthinkable deed? Louisa must free herself, in more ways than one, and muster up the courage to be her true self, all the while solving her own twisted mystery and falling into an unconventional love . . .

Published by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
US Release Date: September 6th 2010

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Teaser Tuesday (June 8)

What is Teaser Tuesday?
It's a meme hosted by Should Be Reading and here are the rules:
Grab your current read...
Open to a random page
Share two teaser sentences from somewhere on the page
Don't include spoilers

"Gabe Webber--the secret love of my life since third grade when I'd twisted my ankle during field day and he'd put his arm around me an helped me all the way to the nurse's office. How could I not fall for a guy who rescued me?"

-A Match Made in High School, Page 5, by Kristin Walker

Sunday, June 6, 2010

In My Mailbox (June 6)

In my mailbox was created by Kristi of The Story Siren, who was inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. Here are the books I got this week...

Well, only one book again for me this week. I'm on a self-imposed book-buying ban. I've been waiting for Perchance to Dream for quite some time, however, so I let myself go pick up a copy.

Purchased:

Perchance to Dream (Théâtre Illuminata, #2) by Lisa Mantchev

The stuff that dreams are made on.

Act Two, Scene One

Growing up in the enchanted Thèâtre Illuminata, Beatrice Shakespeare Smith learned everything about every play ever written. She knew the Players and their parts, but she didn’t know that she, too, had magic. Now, she is the Mistress of Revels, the Teller of Tales, and determined to follow her stars. She is ready for the outside world.

Enter BERTIE AND COMPANY

But the outside world soon proves more topsy-turvy than any stage production. Bertie can make things happen by writing them, but outside the protective walls of the Thèâtre, nothing goes as planned. And her magic cannot help her make a decision between—

Nate: Her suave and swashbuckling pirate, now in mortal peril.

Ariel: A brooding, yet seductive, air spirit whose true motives remain unclear.

When Nate is kidnapped and taken prisoner by the Sea Goddess, only Bertie can free him. She and her fairy sidekicks embark on a journey aboard the Thèâtre’s caravan, using Bertie’s word magic to guide them. Along the way, they collect a sneak-thief, who has in his possession something most valuable, and meet The Mysterious Stranger, Bertie’s father—and the creator of the scrimshaw medallion. Bertie’s dreams are haunted by Nate, whose love for Bertie is keeping him alive, but in the daytime, it’s Ariel who is tantalizingly close, and the one she is falling for. Who does Bertie love the most? And will her magic be powerful enough to save her once she enters the Sea Goddess’s lair? (From Goodreads)

What did you get this week?

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Bloggiesta is June 11-13!


It's time again for the Bloggiesta! It's taking place this summer from June 11-13, and is hosted once again by Natasha at Maw Books Blog. This will be the first time I'm participating, because I'll actually have a good part of the weekend to dedicated to it. Honestly, I need to take some time to catch up on all the reading/review/organizing that I've been putting off.

My Goals:
1.Write some upcoming reviews. I have a whole list on my computer of books that I've read that I plan to review (more than 10, but less than 100).
2. Clean up my blog, add links to my reviews/interviews
3. Edit my google reader!
4. Clean up my tags
5. Add some of my social networking links
6. Edit my 'About Me', Review, and Contest Policy pages
7. Post my reviews on my BN/Amazon/Goodreads Accounts

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Book Review: The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan

Gabry lives a quiet life. As safe a life as is possible in a town trapped between a forest and the ocean, in a world teeming with the dead, who constantly hunger for those still living. She’s content on her side of the Barrier, happy to let her friends dream of the Dark City up the coast while she watches from the top of her lighthouse. But there are threats the Barrier cannot hold back. Threats like the secrets Gabry’s mother thought she left behind when she escaped from the Sisterhood and the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Like the cult of religious zealots who worship the dead. Like the stranger from the forest who seems to know Gabry. And suddenly, everything is changing. One reckless moment, and half of Gabry’s generation is dead, the other half imprisoned. Now Gabry only knows one thing: she must face the forest of her mother’s past in order to save herself and the one she loves. (From Goodreads)

I'm not a zombie fan. In fact, I tend to dislike zombie stories/movies/etc, because they scare the heck out of me. Honestly, after I saw the movie 28 Days Later, I had horrible nightmares. Still, I picked up Ryan's first book, The Forest of Hands and Teeth, and enjoyed it. So, I grabbed the companion, knowing that I'd enjoy it. I also knew, however, that I'd probably experience a lot of anxiety, and have to read it in one sitting.

I really enjoyed meeting the new characters in The Dead-Tossed Waves. I loved Gabry, Catcher, and Elias, but was particularly fascinated by the Soulers. They were an extremist religious group, who had a completely different opinion on what it means to be a Mudo (known as the Unconsecrated in The Forest of Hands and Teeth). Without giving too much away, I was mystified, and a bit disgusted with their actions. I really felt what Gabry was feeling as she watched them. I also enjoyed seeing some stories that were carried over from The Forest of Hands and Teeth. I'm sure that many people are dying to know what became of Mary.

I think that Ryan's storytelling is what really draws me to her books. From the start, I'm anxious about what's going to happen, because you know something will. So for the first few chapters, I waited for the bomb to drop, so to speak. Throughout the rest of the book I experienced a lot of anxiety about what was going to happen to the characters (in a good way). Once again, Ryan was able to make me want to read a book involving my greatest fear, zombies. Now, I just have to suffer through the year until the third book is released!

The Dead-Tossed Waves
By Carrie Ryan
Published by Delacorte Books
407 Pages
Rating: B+

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Waiting on Wednesday (June 2)

This was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. Waiting on Wednesday shares the upcoming books that I'm most excited about.

Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small Southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along. A Gatlin that harbored ancient secrets beneath its moss-covered oaks and cracked sidewalks. A Gatlin where a curse has marked Lena's family of powerful supernaturals for generations. A Gatlin where impossible, magical, life-altering events happen.

Sometimes life-ending.

Together they can face anything Gatlin throws at them, but after suffering a tragic loss, Lena starts to pull away, keeping secrets that test their relationship. And now that Ethan's eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there's no going back. Haunted by strange visions only he can see, Ethan is pulled deeper into his town's tangled history and finds himself caught up in the dangerous network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, where nothing is as it seems. (From Goodreads)

Published by Little, Brown Books
Release Date: October 12, 2010

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Teaser Tuesday (June 1)

What is Teaser Tuesday?
It's a meme hosted by Should Be Reading and here are the rules:
Grab your current read...
Open to a random page
Share two teaser sentences from somewhere on the page
Don't include spoilers

"A stench rose, of rotting food and mildewed mud. His bone-white teeth glinted as he pulled a gleaming blade from his pocket and swiped at me."

-Deception, Page 69, by Lee Nichols

*Note that this quote is based on page numbers in the arc edition, and is subject to change


Happy June everyone!

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