Waiting on Wednesday (March 31)

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

The Fortune of Carmen Navarro by Jen Bryant

Carmen Navarro rings up customers at the Quikmart, bored to tears. It’s a job, and she needs it. But Carmen’s true love is music: she dropped out of high school to sing with the Gypsy Lovers and land a recording contract, someday.

Just a few miles away, Ryan Sweeney hunches over his books, a studious cadet with his eye on West Point. There’s not a single girl at the Valley Forge Military Academy, and that’s fine by him.

But when Ryan, on a day pass from campus, spots Carmen, with her shining black hair and snake tattoo, his pulse quickens. Carmen, who normally rolls her eyes at the stiff Academy soldados, can tell this one is different. She slips him a note: “Come hear my band.” A romance begins, unlikely, passionate . . . and quickly imbalanced. In an enthralling narrative of obsessive love, the novel builds to a stunning close.

Inspired by the novella and opera Carmen, Jen Bryant creates a strong-minded and alluring heroine in this contemporary tale of tragic love. (From Goodreads)

Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers

Release Date: November 9, 2010

Teaser Tuesday (March 30)

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

"One moment he was all the way across the boathouse. The next, the silvery screen of water over the sunken rowboat rippled, and he was right in front of me."

-Betrayals, page 151, by Lili St. Crow

Book Review: The Maze Runner by James Dashner

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.

Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers.

Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind.

I've seen a lot of comparisons between The Maze Runner and both Lord of the Flies, and The Hunger Games. While I agree with some parts of these connections, I think they're all quite different from one another. Yes, they all deal with survival, but The Maze Runner seems to revolve predominantly around the idea of escape, and the importance of memory. I personally thought that the most frightening aspect of this book was that each Glader arrived with no memories of what they were doing there, and why.

The first half of the book allows the reader to learn about the Gladers (The group of male inhabitants), and the daily routine they had created to ensure their survival. We learn that the glade is surrounded by an ever-changing, seemingly unsolvable maze. This maze is the key to their escape, but it holds something sinister as well. The Grievers are extremely dangerous machines that roam the maze. They only have a few run-ins with Thomas, but what we saw of them was pretty chilling.

While reading this book I felt a lot like a Glader. I could only speculate (incorrectly, of course) about why the boys were there. I had to learn their slang, although it was obvious what most of the words were substitutes for. I think that this may be why I enjoy dystopian fiction so much. The reader is always kept guessing about the motives of each character, and what the end of the book will bring.

There were a few things that I thought could have been improved slightly. The first is that I wish we could have seen more of what was happening with Teresa. As the only female in the Glade, I wish I could have experienced more of how she interacted with the boys. I also wish I could have seen more fluid development from Thomas. I expect this to happen in book two, but sometimes it felt like he was extremely angry, and the next paragraph he was suddenly very calm. I chalked it up to dealing with the fact that he couldn't quite reach his memories, and found his surroundings extremely familiar.

In book two, I'm looking forward to seeing what new trials the group will face, what Wicked really wants, and more about the state of the world.

The Maze Runner
By James Dashner
Published by Delacorte press
374 Pages
Rating: B

In My Mailbox (March 28)

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

Did you know you can borrow some Barnes and Noble e-books? I didn't, until one of my friends lent me one:

The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan

When the goddess Artemis goes missing, she is believed to have been kidnapped. And now it's up to Percy and his friends to find out what happened. Who is powerful enough to kidnap a goddess? They must find Artemis before the winter solstice, when her influence on the Olympian Council could swing an important vote on the war with the Titans. Not only that, but first Percy will have to solve the mystery of a rare monster that Artemis was hunting when she disappeared -- a monster rumored to be so powerful it could destroy Olympus forever.



I also got swamped with work this week, hence my lack of posting. I'll make up for it this week, with my reviews for The Maze Runner, and the upcoming book Whisper. What did you get this week?

Waiting on Wednesday (March 24)

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

The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade

After a close encounter with the front end of a school bus, Alona Dare goes from Homecoming Queen to Queen of the Dead. Now she’s stuck here in spirit form with no sign of the big, bright light coming to take her away. To make matters worse, the only person who might be able to help her is Will Killian, a total loser/outcast type who hates the social elite. He alone can see and hear her, but he wants nothing to do with the former mean girl of Groundsboro High.

Can they get over their mutual distrust—and this weird attraction between them—to work together before Alona vanishes for good and Will is locked up for seeing things that don’t exist?

Published by Hyperion

Release Date: July 6, 2010

Teaser Tuesday (March 23)

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

This week I'm posting a teaser from a non-YA book.

"If there was one thing Sandra needed, it was for her life to change. It almost didn't matter what the change was, she just needed a break from the routine she was stuck in before it devoured her."

-Shoe Addicts Anonymous, Page 86, by Beth Harbison

In My Mailbox (March 21)

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

For Review:

Plus by Veronica Chambers (Published by Razorbill/Release Date: August 5, 2010)

This is the unbelievable story of how I went to college, gained twenty-five pounds, got dumped by my boyfriend, failed physics and became a worldfamous supermodel.”

So begins the Cinderella story of Beatrice Wilson, whose life changes overnight when she’s discovered by a scout for the oldest, most prestigious modeling agency in America—for their plus-sized division.

Now she must find the confidence to vanquish skinny rivals, fend off sleazy photographers, and banish scheming frenemies in her rise to superstardom, all while trying to get her ex-boyfriend back. But Bea learns that to win prince charming, you first have to find a way to love yourself.

I'm pretty excited about this one! What did you get?

Book Review: Soulless by Gail Carriger

Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.

Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire -- and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.

With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?

Over the past few months I've read some amazing reviews for Soulless (here's one from Book Reviews by Jess). Plus, almost 500 people on Goodreads have given it a 5 star review. So, I moved the book to the top of my TBR list, and started it. I'll admit that I'm not sure exactly how to write this review. There's a lot to say, and I'm sure many of you have heard some of this before. Nevertheless, here's why I enjoyed it:

It's fun! Carriger was able to create a world that was filled with the supernatural, romance, and a tiny bit of steampunk (a topic I'm still learning about). This is a feat in itself, but the language, and concentration on societal status, throughout the book felt Austen-eque.

Alexia herself was a big part of what made the book so appealing. She's a bit stubborn in her ways, but she's got a lot of sass. She was the heroine of the book, and was able to save herself (although, that was after getting herself into some sticky situations). Plus, she carried her parasol everywhere. Honestly, I might have to start carrying one.

Typically when I read books that are really hyped about, I'm let down. I let my expectations get the best of me, and then the book never reaches my expectations (i.e Evernight, which was loved by a lot of people I know). Luckily that didn't happen this time, because it was able to meet my high expectations, and keep me entertained.

Soulless
By Gail Carriger
Published by Orbit
Pages 357
Rating: A

The sequel, Changeless, is due to be released on March 30, 2010

Fairy Dessert Arc Contest

Lisa Mantchev is hosting a contest to find a Fairy-irresistible dessert. In doing so, you're entered to win an arc of Perchance to Dream (Théâtre Illuminata Book 2). Click here for the rules of the contest.


So, when trying to think of a dessert I tried to think of what I would love if I were a fairy. Here's what I came up with:


Cupcakes decorated like Starry Night! It's got lots of frosting for throwing, you can make it out of mini-cupcakes (perfect fairy size), and they taste delicious.

The recipe for these cupcakes, directions on how to make Starry Night, and a lot of other fun cupcake decorations can be found in the book Hello, Cupcake by Karen Tack & Alan Richardson. I saw a demo they did, and they make it look so easy! I, on the other hand, have just barely learned how to frost plain cupcakes.

You can pre-order Perchance to Dream at Indiebound here

Waiting on Wednesday (March 17)

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

My Double Life by Janette Rallison

Her whole life, Alexia Garcia has been told that she looks just like pop star Kari Kingsley, and one day when Alexia’s photo filters through the Internet, she’s offered a job to be Kari’s double. This would seem like the opportunity of a lifetime, but Alexia’s mother has always warned her against celebrities.

Rebelliously, Alexia flies off to L.A. and gets immersed in a celebrity life. Not only does she have to get used to getting anything she wants, she romances the hottest lead singer on the charts, and finds out that her own father is a singing legend. Through it all, Alexia must stay true to herself, which is hard to do when you are pretending to be somebody else!

Published by Putnam Juvenile

Release Date: May 13, 2010

Teaser Tuesday (March 16)

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

"Had the board of trustees dramatized my background in order to accept me at St. Sophia's? Or had my parents been lying to me?"

Page 69, Firespell, by Chloe Neill

In My Mailbox (March 14)

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

I'm back from Seattle, and it was a great trip! Since I was busy this week, I didn't get any new books. I did, however, get a chance to catch up on my reading on my flights.

Coming this week: I'll be posting my review of Soulless by Gail Carriger.

What did you get?

Waiting on Wednesday (March 10)

This was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. Basically, these books haven't been released yet, but I'm eagerly anticipating them.

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she’s made it out of the bloody arena alive, she’s still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what’s worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss’s family, not her friends, not the people of District 12. Powerful and haunting, this thrilling final installment of Suzanne Collins’s groundbreaking The Hunger Games trilogy promises to be one of the most talked about books of the year.

Published by Scholastic

Release Date: August 26, 2010

I have no words to describe how excited I am about this book!

Teaser Tuesday (March 9)

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

"His sweater was beginning to unravel along the edge and his kilt had a few grass stains. I expected someone who slept in an alley to reek, but a nice scent drifted off him, flowery but not familiar."
-Coffeehouse Angel, Page 27, by Suzanne Selfors

In My Mailbox (March 7)

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

Borrowed:

Seeking Spirits by Jason Hawes, Grant Wilson, and Micheal Friedman

For the first time ever, Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson, founders of The Atlantic Paranormal Society (T.A.P.S.), share their most memorable and spine-tingling early cases — none of which has ever appeared on television. Beginning with the previously untold experiences that sparked their passion for ghost hunting, Jason and Grant's bone-chilling investigations uncover:

• A Connecticut woman who seems to exist in two places at once

• A little girl whose invisible playmate retaliates
against her father's punishments

• A man overcome by an evil entity as Jason and Grant survey his home

• A distraught woman who dreams of paranormal events
before she experiences them...and much more!

Jason and Grant didn't always have the fancy scientific equipment and experienced team that fans now watch on their smash-hit television show. As they share their hair-raising first experiences, they offer essential tips for budding paranormal investigators — including how to use an electromagnetic field (EMF) meter and an infrared camera, determine if a supernatural phenomenon is good or evil, and deal with spirits. Whether you're a skeptic or a believer, these fascinating and frightening true stories will keep you up at night!

I'm also going to be in Seattle for the week. I've scheduled some posts, but I won't be commenting for a few days

Book Review: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

There were no surprises in Gatlin County.
We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.
At least, that's what I thought.
Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.
There was a curse.
There was a girl.
And in the end, there was a grave.

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

By the time I actually picked this one up, I'd read numerous reviews. Luckily, none of those reviews contained spoilers, because the book kept me guessing from the edge of my seat.

First, I'll say that it was nice to read from a male character's point of view. In my opinion, that's pretty rare in the YA genre. It's unfortunate, because the books I've read recently from a male POV have been excellent (The Maze Runner, Candor). I also really liked Ethan's character. He couldn't wait to escape his tiny town, and for good reason. Gatlin is a place where everyone knows everyone else, and gossip spreads quickly. Coming from a fairly small town, I can definitely relate to feeling trapped. Things get shaken up for Ethan when Lena arrives. She's mysterious, her uncle is the town recluse, and soon she becomes the school outcast. Ethan doesn't seem to mind, though. He's drawn to her, and stands by her even when the whole town is against them.

On to the action! The book started off slowly, but it didn't drag so much that I felt the need to set it down and come back to it. Once the action started, however, I wouldn't have been able to set the book down if I had tried. It's rare that I read a book where I'm held in suspense, and I don't guess the ending. So, I give a lot of credit to Garcia and Stohl for keeping the reader guessing about various plot points, the motives of characters, and how the past played a role in the relationship between Ethan and Lena. The other thing that I loved about this book was the writing. It was co-authored, and the writing flowed throughout the story. I've occasionally found that in books by multiple authors, you can pick up on the different writing styles of each author throughout the book. That wasn't true for Beautiful Creatures. I really enjoyed this, and can't wait for more.

Don't let the length of this one scare you. You'll pick it up, and when you set it down again you'll be surprised at how fast those 500 pages went by.

Beautiful Creatures
By Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
563 Pages
Rating: B

Waiting on Wednesday (March 3)

This was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. Basically, these books haven't been released yet, but I'm eagerly anticipating them.

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?

Once again, LISA MANTCHEV has spun a tale like no other—full of romance, magic, adventure, and fairies, too—that readers won’t want to put down, even after the curtain has closed.

Published by Feiwel & Friends

Release Date: May 25, 2010

I loved Eyes Like Stars, so I can't wait to get my hands on this one! Plus, the cover art is amazing.

Teaser Tuesday (March 2)

Happy March!

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

"I just hated the thought of letting people down. I mean, imagine you had to know about it every single time you failed someone."

-Whisper, Page 7, by Phoebe Kitanidis