Tween Tuesday - The Strange Case of Origami Yoda

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda
by Tom Angleberger

In this funny, uncannily wise portrait of the dynamics of a sixth-grade class and of the greatness that sometimes comes in unlikely packages, Dwight, a loser, talks to his classmates via an origami finger puppet of Yoda. If that weren’t strange enough, the puppet is uncannily wise and prescient. Origami Yoda predicts the date of a pop quiz, guesses who stole the classroom Shakespeare bust, and saves a classmate from popularity-crushing embarrassment with some well-timed advice. Dwight’s classmate Tommy wonders how Yoda can be so smart when Dwight himself is so clueless. With contributions from his puzzled classmates, he assembles the case file that forms this novel.
(description taken from Amazon.com)

This was a cute book. I loved how it was set up as a "case file" by Tommy and the other boys. Their individual stories about the Origami Yoda and its advice were all fun, and together they did compile a very interesting story about Dwight himself!

I loved that Dwight and the Origami Yoda were able to help his classmates, though they didn't always understand what the help was right away. It made for an entertaining moment in each story when the reading got an idea of what would happen before the kids did.

The differing fonts, cartoons in the side margins, and the instructions for making your own Origami Yoda in the back make this a great book to give to someone that loves the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" series or "Dear Dumb Diary." It's a fast and fun read for both boy and girl tweens!

In My Mailbox - August 22, 2010

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme, hosted by Kristi at the Story Siren, inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. Every week bloggers can share what they received in the mail or at the bookstore or at the library. The goal is that everyone can be exposed to more books this way!

In the Mail:

It's a Book by Lane Smith

From the Library:

Scumble by Ingrid Law

Keys to the Repository by Melissa De La Cruz

Talk Me Down by Victoria Dahl

Fang by James Patterson

Changeless by Gail Carriger

How did you do this week?

Dead is Just a Rumor

Dead is Just a Rumor
by Marlene Perez
Dead is series, book four

As the creepy little town of Nightshade prepares to celebrate its 200th anniversary - on Halloween, of course - many of its paranormal residents are receiving mysterious blackmail letters. Psychic teen Daisy Giordano and her sisters set out to find out who is behind the threats. But launching an investigation isn't easy for Daisy with her overprotective father watching her every move. Though she's happy to have him back after the years he spent being held captive by an anti-paranormal group called the Scourge, Dad is having a difficult time adjusting to home life - and the fact that his little girl is now a senior in high school. He even disapproves of Daisy's boyfriend, Ryan. Can their relationship take the strain? And Daisy's got even more on her plate: A talented amateur chef, she has won cooking lessons with celebrity chef Circe Silvertongue. After nosing around (with a little help from Circe's pet pig), Daisy begins to suspect the temperamental chef's secrets aren't only in her ingredients...
(description taken from Amazon.com)

I love this series. They are fun, quick to read paranormal mysteries. This newest one involves blackmail, ghostly writings, a pet pig, and an awesome semi-alive jukebox. Not only is each mystery fun in itself, but in every book a little more of the history of Nightshade is revealed. It was really cool to see more come out about the town while they were preparing for the anniversary party.

Daisy is a fun character. She is funny, nice, smart, and yet believable...because she's also somewhat short-tempered and hasn't quite learned to control her temper (and thus her telekenesis) yet. Her best friend, Samantha, her boyfriend, Ryan, and each of her family members are also great characters.

All in all, these are books that I can't wait to get my hands on. When does book five come out??

Full disclosure: egalley received from publisher via netgalley.

Zombies Vs. Unicorns

Zombies Vs. Unicorns
ed. by Holly Black and Justine Larbaleister

It's a question as old as time itself: which is better, the zombie or the unicorn? In this anthology, edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier (unicorn and zombie, respectively), strong arguments are made for both sides in the form of short stories. Half of the stories portray the strengths--for good and evil--of unicorns and half show the good (and really, really bad-ass) side of zombies. Contributors include many bestselling teen authors, including Cassandra Clare, Libba Bray, Maureen Johnson, Meg Cabot, Scott Westerfeld, and Margo Lanagan. This anthology will have everyone asking: Team Zombie or Team Unicorn?
(description from Amazon.com)

I am not generally a short story person. I like more meat...I want more action...I want deeper character studies...I just want...more. This book, however, is a compilation that becomes one giant book. No, I did not read it all in one sitting, but with the running commentary between Holly Black and Justine Larbaleister interspersed between tales, it became one long story battling out the ultimate question.

I was torn! I have been Team Unicorn for as long as I can remember, yet lately I have been strongly drawn to Team Zombie. (see my reviews for The Dead-Tossed Waves and I Kissed a Zombie and I Liked It as examples) I was so drawn into all of these stories that I couldn't really decide which team to ultimately join!

Some of my favorite stories in the book were "Princess Prettypants" by Meg Cabot, "The Care and Feeding of Your Baby Killer Unicorn" by Diana Peterfreund, "Prom Night" by Libba Bray...oh god, they were all good! This one book encompassed stories by so many of my favorite authors. There was tongue in cheek humor, there was chill-inducing realism, there was hope, and there was romance.

This is a book that I would highly recommend to all fantasy readers. Even if you only read one or two of the stories, you would still be guaranteed a great time!

Full disclosure: ARC received to review for SLJ

Hunger Games Party

In honor of next week's stupendously exciting release of Mockingjay, I held a "Hunger Games Party" this afternoon. We had a slightly smaller crowd than I'd hoped for, but the teens that came had a blast!

When the teens entered, we had them put on name tags with their names and the district that they wanted to represent. Most of the kids had not actually read The Hunger Games, so I, as President Snow, explained the history of the Games with much disdain.

Since they would be this year's tributes, "Effie Trinket" and I were going to put them through there paces in the Training Arena. First, we had them do some archery practice. We set up three targets and had them use the Nerf Big Bad Bow for safety reasons. They had a blast shooting things and cheering each other on...until we reminded them that they'd soon be hunting one another.



Secondly, we had the tributes practice defensive tactics, mainly camouflage. We gave them black, white, brown, green and red face paints and let them go at it. There were some interesting faces!



After camouflage techniques, we discussed how the tributes would be dropped into the arena. We set up a mini Cornucopia so that they would get an idea of what they'd be up against the next day and had each teen take turns running in to get survival items.



Teens were able to run in to grab items like a sword, a shield, a hammer, a knife, medicine, anti-venom, a waterbottle, rope, wire, a tarp, a blanket, and more. Each was cautioned to not only think about what they'd need right away, but things they'd need to attack, things they'd need to defend themselves, and things to help them survive if they are in the arena for a long time.



Once they had all their items, we ran them through a Games scenario and gave them points for items that would help them along the way. They had a hoot trying to figure out how to justify getting points for items that weren't really that relevant in the scenarios!

Finally, we drew winners for our two door prizes. We gave away a paperback copy of The Hunger Games and our grand prize winner won a certificate to be redeemed for a hardcover copy of Mockingjay when it comes out next Tuesday!!



Overall a huge success! Before the teens left I also snuck in a dystopia book talk and managed to convince the teens to check out five other titles before they left the party. Even better success!!

It's a Book

It's a Book
by Lane Smith

It's a Book is 32 pages of tongue-in-cheek style humor. Monkey is reading, yes, reading an actual book, when his friend Jackass wants to know what it is. Jackass is using his laptop and wants to know what else the book can do...does it have a mouse, can it blog, can it Tweet?? No. Monkey keeps extolling that it's just a book, until finally Jackass takes the book, begins reading and won't give it up afterwards. Eh. Monkey will just go to the Library to get more books! Problem solved.

This simple story, loudly proclaiming love for the printed book, kept me giggling all the way through. It's similar to the Pigeon series by Mo Willems in feel, with clean illustrations and a nod to adult humor along the way. It's very much like Shrek where kids will find it funny, but even more so adults. This book is a hoot that I plan to share with everyone I know!




Enjoy this book trailer, straight from MacMillan Children's!

For more info, you can also check these websites:
http://www.lanesmithbooks.com/Home.html
http://us.macmillan.com/itsabook

Full Disclosure: Review copy received from publisher

Teaser Tuesday - Zombies Vs. Unicorns ed. by Holly Black and Justine Larbaleister

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


Zombies Vs. Unicorns
ed. by Holly Black and Justine Larbaleister

p. 53

"...Probably he's trying to make himself immortal, which never works, except wizards never listen when you tell them that, and we would really prefer if he got stopped before he cuts off the babies' horns trying."
"Let me guess," Alison said. "Is his name Voldemort?"
"No, what freakish kind of name is Voldemort?"the unicorn said. "His name is Otto, Otto Penzler. He lives downtown."

Anxiously Awaiting...

The Scorch Trials
by James Dashner

This is a companion book to The Maze Runner, which I LOVED. It was one of my favorite books of 2009. This second book comes out on October 12th, 2010!

May the mystery and adventure continue!!

In My Mailbox - August 15, 2010

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme, hosted by Kristi at the Story Siren, inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. Every week bloggers can share what they received in the mail or at the bookstore or at the library. The goal is that everyone can be exposed to more books this way!

In the mail:


Wake Unto Me by Lisa Cach


On My Nook:

Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Infinity: Chronicles of Nick by Sherrilyn Kenyon

From friends:

Pegasus by Robin McKinley

*Thank you, Heather!!!!*

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
*Thanks, Jen (yabooknerd)!!!!!*

How'd everyone else do? Hope you all have a happy book week!

Book Blogger Hop

So, this is my second time participating in the Book Blogger Hop, hosted by Jen over at Crazy For Books. This is a great opportunity to check out some other book blogs and to just have fun finding out what everyone else is doing! It's a great networking tool. I hope you hop today!

This week everyone's reporting how many books they have on their to-be-read shelf. Ugh. This is a tough question for any book blogger, I'm sure. I have not just one pile of to-be-read books...I have about six! Let's see, I have the ARCs waiting to be reviewed (6, currently), my pile of ARCs from BEA (15, I think), ARCs from last year's BEA that I still haven't read...a shame I know! (4), books I purchased that I haven't read yet (around 10), books from the library (around 15), and new books on my Nook (12). That's just what's sitting in my bedroom/living room waiting to-be-read at the moment. Grand total...around 62. Not too shabby, but everytime I read one, I seem to bring home at least 2 more!!

Ahhh, well, I'm not really complaining. I love it!

Sisters Red

Sisters Red

by Jackson Pearce

Scarlett March lives to hunt the Fenris - the werewolves that took her eye when she was defending her sister Rosie from a brutal attack. Armed with a razor-sharp hatchet and blood-red cloak, Scarlett is an expert at luring and slaying the wolves. She's determined to protect other young girls from a grisly death, and her raging heart will not rest until every single wolf is dead.

Rosie March once felt her bond with her sister was unbreakable. Owing Scarlett her life, Rosie hunts fiercely alongside her. Now Rosie dreams of a life beyond the wolves and finds herself drawn to Silas, a young woodsman who is deadly with an ax - but loving him means betraying her sister and has the potential to destroy all they've worked for.

If you are a fan of dark urban fantasy, Sisters Red is a book for you. The Fenris are not your average werewolves; they are darker, fiercer, more sexually predatorial. The way that Scarlett and Rosie lure, nay tempt, the Fenris into pursuing them before they slay them was darkly fascinating. This is a seductive and gritty take on "Little Red Riding Hood."

The relationship that Scarlett and her sister, Rosie, share is also fascinating. Joking that they shared a womb, though were born years apart, and thus are really two halves of one heart, the love triangle in this book is not so much about the guy. In a non-sexual way, Scarlett loves her sister to the point of obsession. Rosie is all she has left. Rosie is the only one she can count on to love her.

When Silas returns and he and Rosie start to fall in love, they both feel guilty. They both love Scarlett. Yet, they can't deny their feelings for each other. Yet, Rosie also feels tied to Scarlett...it devastates her when she believes the bond is broken. Silas also loves Scarlett, but not as he loves Rosie.

Balancing this enthralling set of relationships with the hunting and slaying of slathering creatures, Pearce has written an impressively modern fairy tale. It is realistic, yet still brims with the elements that drew me to fairy tales as a child. Absolutely, more Grimm than Disney. Just the way I like my fairy tales...cautionary!

Full disclosure: ARC received at BEA 2010

Before I Fall

Before I Fall
by Lauren Oliver

What if you only had one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all: the world's most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High - from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life.

It turns out to be her last.

Then she gets a second chance. Seven chances, in fact. Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death - and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.
(description from Amazon.com)


Okay, I don't usually give an extra rating on my reviews here, but this is a MUST READ book. Now saying that, I know that I'm actually behind and most of you have already read this, but if not...OMG. Go read it now...right now!

This is earning a gold star from me. It is an amazing debut and I cannot wait to read Oliver's next book, Delirium when it comes out.

Oliver has a true way with words. Her descriptions were lush and evocative. I caught myself getting caught up just in the scenery, the "feeling" of each moment, let alone dealing with the action and emotions of the story. As Sam relived her day over and over and over, it was like watching someone go through the stages of grief. Each day had a different feeling to it, anger, frustration, hopelessness, joy, acceptance. It was beautiful and thought-provoking to experience with Sam.

I actually listened to this as an audiobook and it was expertly done. The narrator was fantastic. All the emotions came across clearly and truthfully. I cried at times. I laughed. I cringed. My only complaint...the only one...was that the epilogue had music layered over it that swelled just a little too much and I had some trouble hearing the end of the narration. Other than that I consider both this book and its audio counterpart to be MUST HAVES for libraries.

Full disclosure: Audiobook received to review for School Library Journal

Manifest

Manifest
by Artist Arthur
Mystyx, book one

Krystal just met the perfect boy. Trouble is, he's dead.

When fifteen-year-old Krystal Bentley moves to Lincoln, Connecticut, her mom's hometown, she assumes her biggest drama will be adjusting to the burbs after living in New York City.

But Lincoln is nothing like Krystal imagined. The weirdness begins when Ricky Watson starts confiding in her. He's cute, he's funny, a good listener - and everything she'd ever want - except that he was killed nearly a year ago. Krystal's ghost-whispering talents soon lead other "freaks" to her door - Sasha, a rich girl who can literally disappear, and Jake, who moves objects with his mind. All three share a distinctive birthmark in the shape of an M and fittingly, call themselves the Mystyx. They set out to learn what really happened to Ricky, only to realize that they aren't the only ones with mysterious powers. But if Krystal succeeds in finding out the truth about Ricky's death, will she lose him for good?
(description from back jacket copy)

This book did not really grab me. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't really compelling for me either. There were things I really liked and things that really bothered me, but overall, I felt this was just an average addition to the paranormal genre.

Things I liked:
*The way that Krystal finds out what really happened to her parents relationship and how it helps to repair her relationship with her mother.
*The way that Krystal, Sasha, and Jake discovered their powers and came to learn that they shared some kind of larger "power."
*The way that Krystal, Sasha, and Jake hang out together even though they come from different economic classes.
*The cliffhanger that the book ended on - now I really want to know more about the "power" and its origins...

Things I disliked:
*The way this town seemed so hung up on economic differences, to the point of violence...it seemed unrealistic to me.
*Krystal's unacceptance to face her issues and admit that she was upset in the beginning of the book.
*The wrap-up of the Ricky/Trina storyline I felt was too fast. There was no explanation about how the bad guy was doing the stalking he was doing.
*I needed more information about the Mystyx...this book felt like mostly just a setup for the rest of the series.

Overall, not my favorite new series, but not a terrible book.

In My Mailbox - August 8, 2010

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme, hosted by Kristi at the Story Siren, inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. Every week bloggers can share what they received in the mail or at the bookstore or at the library. The goal is that everyone can be exposed to more books this way!

In the mail:

Fire Study by Maria V. Snyder

Now I finally own the whole Study trilogy!

From the Library:

Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots by Abby McDonald

The Strange Case of Origami Yoga by Tom Angleberger

Dark Life by Kat Falls

The Wide-Awake Princess by E. D. Baker

For Review:

Zombies Versus Unicorns by Holly Black and Justine Larbaleister

Hope you all have a great book week!!

Winner! "Girls Who Could Definitely Kick My Butt" ARC Giveaway

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Using a random generator (random.org), the official winner of the "Girls Who Could Definitely Kick My Butt" ARC giveaway was determined to be...

Christina!!

Congrats again! I have emailed you directly, so as soon as you get back to me with an address I will get all three awesome ARCs into the mail on their way to you!

The 2010 Debut Author Challenge

What is the 2010 Debut Author Challenge?

Having looked at the amazing list of debut books being published in 2010 and realizing that I really want to read a lot of them, I decided to join The Story Siren's 2010 Debut Author Challenge.

The objective is to read a set number of YA (Young Adult) or MG (Middle Grade) novels from debut authors published this year. Anyone can join, you don’t need a blog to participate. If you don’t have a blog you can always share your views by posting a review on Amazon.com/BarnesandNoble.com/GoodReads/Shelfari, or any other bookish site. The challenge will run from January 1, 2010- December 31, 2010. You can join at anytime!

I am challenging myself to read at least 12 debut books this year, including the following books. Once I read a book, I will link to its review.

1. Manifest by Artist Arthur
2. Matched by Ally Condie
3. The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting
4. Knightley Academy by Violet Haberdasher
5. Tyger Tyger by Kersten Hamilton
6. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
7. Firelight by Sophie Jordan
8. Forget-Her-Nots by Amy Brecount White
9. Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler
10. Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel
11. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
12. Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
13. Firespell by Chloe Neill
14. Voices of Dragons by Carrie Vaughn
15. A Spy in the House by Y. S. Lee
16. Dark Life by Kat Falls
17. I Now Pronounce You Someone Else by Erin McCahan
18. Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
19. Jane by April Lindner
20. Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves
21. Mistwood by Leah Cypess
22. The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff
23. Infinity: Chronicles of Nick by Sherrilyn Kenyon
24. The Karma Club by Jessica Brody
25. Deception by Lee Nichols
26. The Unidentified by Rae Mariz
27. Bloodthirsty by Flynn Meany

Tween Tuesday - The Goose Girl

The Goose Girl
by Shannon Hale
Books of Bayern, book one

On her way to marry a prince she has never met, Princess Anidori is betrayed by her guards and lady-in-waiting and must become a goose girl to survive until she can reveal her true identity and reclaim the crown that is rightfully hers.

*sigh* When I finished this beautifully written tale, all I could do was sigh...and then immediately plan when I could read book two, Enna Burning. Shannon Hale is a Master when it comes to fairytale based storytelling. Her books are phenomenal and The Goose Girl is the best I've read yet.

Hale took a little known Grimm tale and fleshed it out in a heartwarming and compelling way. Princess Anidori, Ani, who later becomes Isi, is a girl that immediately pulled on my heartstrings. She doesn't want the spotlight of being Crown Princess, yet when her birthright is denied her, she learns who she truly is, and finds that that is a much stronger person than she'd ever thought.

Her relationships with the people around her are real, fully imagined, and totally believable. The fact that others can see her goodness and true royalty when even she can't, brought tears to my eyes in a few places. The bad guys are truly bad and the good Prince is well worth loving.

*sigh* I LOVED IT. I can't say much more....

Versatile Blogger Award

Hey! I got a super cool award from The Book Bee today!! This is my first Blog Award and I just wanted to say thank you so much for the honor. I'm beyond surprised and pleased.

Here's how the award works:
1) Thank and link back to the person who gave you the award.
2) Share 7 things about yourself.
3) Pass the award along to 15 bloggers who you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic for whatever reason (in no particular order)
4) Contact the bloggers you have picked and let them know about the award!

7 things about Me
1. I am obsessed with dystopia books
2. I love every shade of blue you could possibly imagine
3. I got a black belt in Kempo Karate when I was in high school
4. I am an amateur writer
5. I am allergic to mangoes (bummer...)
6. I have two doggies that I absolutely adore
7. I have a personalized, first edition of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins that I lovingly take out and stroke once in a while :P

The Bloggers I would like to pass this award to are:

GreanBeanTeenQueen
I Was a Teenage Book Geek
Stories and Sweeties
Steph Su Reads
21 Pages
A Book Dork
Book Love: Teen
I'm a Reading Fool
Librarian by Day
Number One Novels
Rebecca's Book Blog
The Page Flipper
The Story Siren
The Undercover Book Lover
YABookNerd

Thank you all for being my inspiration in different ways!

Teaser Tuesday - Manifest by Artist Arthur

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


Manifest
by Artist Arthur
Mystyx, book one

p. 59

You don't know them. It's not that easy to walk away once you're in. Besides, where else would he go if he does get out?

The Last Song

The Last Song
by Nicholas Sparks

Seventeen year old Veronica "Ronnie" Miller's life was turned upside-down when her parents divorced and her father moved from New York City to Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. Three years later, she remains angry and alienated from her parents, especially her father...until her mother decides it would be in everyone's best interest if she spent the summer in Wilmington with him. Ronnie's father, a former concert pianist and teacher, is living a quiet life in a beach town, immersed in creating a work of art that will become the centerpiece of a local church.
(description from Amazon.com)

I have never actually read any of Nicholas Sparks' books before...*gasp*...I know! I've seen the movies A Walk to Remember and The Notebook, but I'd never actually picked up one of his books. So...when I kept seeing the previews for The Last Song and Dear John, I decided I needed to actually read one of the books.

The premise of Dear John seemed a little too set up for total heartbreak for me, so I decided to go for The Last Song. It was good. I didn't love it, but it wasn't terrible. Ronnie is a character that was relatable and interesting. I really liked the relationships that she had with both her parents. They were realistic...not easy, and her relationship with her brother was sweet, too. The stages that Ronnie goes through in healing through all of her relationships, especially her father, were very realistic and made the whole storyline much more believable.

I don't know if I've become a little jaded or not, but the romantic depths that Ronnie develops for Will seemed to come too fast, too soon. I guess I don't really believe in instant true love. I feel like, yes, you can really care for someone, but you need time to really know anyone. That being said, though, I was very gratified when I got to the epilogue and found the ending I was looking for...

One of the most interesting and compelling relationships in this book for me was the side romance of Marcus and Blaze. Her need for him, his abusiveness...that story drew me more than Ronnie and Will's.

All in all, I was glad when I finished this book, but I'm not racing to pick up another anytime soon. Maybe down the road, I'll try another one...

The Journal of Curious Letters

The Journal of Curious Letters
by James Dashner
The 13th Reality, book one

What if every time you made a choice that had a significant consequence, a new, alternate reality was created - the life that would've been had you made the other choice? What if those new realities were in danger? What if it fell to you to save all the realities? Atticus Higginbottom, a.k.a. Tick, is an average thirteen-year-old boy until the day a strange letter arrives in his mailbox. Postmarked from Alaska and cryptically signed with the initials "M.G.," the letter informs Tick that dangerous - perhaps even deadly - events have been set in motion that could result in the destruction of reality itself. M.G. promises to send Tick twelve riddles that will reveal on a certain day, at a certain time, at a certain place, something extraordinary will happen. Will Tick have the courage to follow the twelve clues M.G. sends to him? Will he be able to solve the riddles in time? Will Tick discover the life he was meant to live?
(description from Amazon.com)

Honestly, I almost didn't finish this book. I loved The Maze Runner, Dashner's YA dystopia out last year, and so when I got the chance to meet him at BEA this year in New York, I leapt at the chance. I had hoped that James Dashner would be signing The Scorch Trials, but instead he was signing the third book in The Thirteenth Reality series, The Blade of Shattered Hope.
Since I now own a signed copy, I really wanted to read the whole series.

However, when I started this book, it really dragged for me in the beginning. I had trouble with Tick's name, first off, and the setup for the 13 realities took too long for me. BUT...since I own the third book now, I was determined to keep going and get through it. In the end, I was glad that I kept reading. The second half of the book really picked up and there was lots of action, danger, and mystery.

The baddie is a really mean, weird, crazy baddie. Mistress Jane gave me chills at one point. Her minions (think kind of like the Wizard of Oz flying monkeys) were very inventive. The method of traveling between realities is cool and the different realities sound intriguing and fun.

Now that the world setup is done in the first book, I am way more excited to read the second book. I look forward to The Hunt for Dark Infinity.

Never Let Me Go

Never Let Me Go
by Kazuo Ishiguro

As children, Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy were students at Hailsham, an exclusive boarding school secluded in the English countryside. It was a place of mercurial cliques and mysterious rules where teachers were constantly reminding their charges how special they were.

Now, years later, Kathy is a young woman. Ruth and Tommy have reentered her life. And for the first time she is beginning to look back at their shared past and understand just what it is that makes them special - and how that gift will shape the rest of their time together.
(description taken from Amazon.com)

This is a beautifully written and haunting novel. It's what I consider a YA/Adult crossover. Older high school students will find this interesting as well as adults. Kathy begins the story narrating her youth from a newfound 31 year old perspective. Through artfully inserted flashbacks, Kathy relates the time when Hailsham, an exclusive boarding school still existed.

Hailsham students were protected, revered, and...feared. Within their own small circle, students like Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy had no idea why they really existed in a place like Hailsham. Readers have no idea either. Ishiguro is a master at revealing information to both Kathy and readers in such a way that the story unfolds like the petals of a delicate rose, creating a full bloom, touching the reader at the heart.

Kathy's journey into adulthood takes readers through loss, betrayal, revelation, heartbreak, love and friendship. It is a story that will make readers subconsiously think, while totally captivating the conscious mind. There were times I held my breath. There were times I cried. There were times I found myself just gently crying. It was truly beautiful.

PS - The reason I picked this book up in the first place was that I saw a movie trailer for it online and it looked very intriguing. Kiera Knightley is playing one of the girls. If you like the book, you'll have to see the movie!

In My Mailbox - August 1, 2010

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme, hosted by Kristi at the Story Siren, inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. Every week bloggers can share what they received in the mail or at the bookstore or at the library. The goal is that everyone can be exposed to more books this way!

This is my first time participating. Not too many new books, but... I did get a Nook this week from my fantastic hubby. A very early (almost two months) birthday present! *squee*

In addition to my awesome new Nook, which I'm still learning to navigate, I also received two books this week. Poison by Sara Poole, a great sounding historical fiction about a girl who looks to avenge her mudered father through poisonous means, and Karma Bites by Stacy Kramer and Valerie Thomas, a middle grade novel about a girl who uses magic only to find out it can have unexpected consequences.

Royals Fantasy Reading Challenge 2010 - Completed!

Woot!

I signed up for the Fantasy Reading Challenge 2010 at Royal Reviews (now located at Queen of Happy Endings) in January, challenging myself to prove Obsessed by reading 20 fantasy books this year. I was confident that this would be an easy challenge for me, as fantasy is generally my favorite genre.

I officially finished the challenge!

Here are the 20 books that I read:

1. Another Faust by Daniel and Dina Nayeri

2. Shiver by Maggie Stievater

3. Firespell by Chloe Neill

4. Mistwood by Leah Cypess

5. Darklight by Lesley Livingston

6. Dragon Games by P.W. Catanese

7. Hourglass by Claudia Gray

8. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

9. Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs

10. Lord Sunday by Garth Nix

11. Kiss of Death by Rachel Caine

12. The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan

13. Demon Princess:Reign or Shine by Michelle Rowan

14. Shadow of the Moon by Rachel Hawthorne

15. Fallen by Lauren Kate

16. The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan

17. Burned by P.C. and Kristin Cast

18. Knightley Academy by Violet Haberdasher

19. Radiant Shadows by Melissa Marr

20. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer

also, Paranormalcy by Kiersten White, Twice Bitten by Chloe Neill, Forget-Her-Nots by Amy Brecount White, Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough and more...

I love fantasy!! You can click on any of the above titles to read my review.

Ascendant
by Diana Peterfreund

Publication date: September 28, 2010
Received ARC signed by Diana Peterfreund at BEA 2010

Astrid Llewelyn is now a fully trained unicorn hunter, but she's learning that she can't solve all her problems with a bow and arrow. So when she's given the opportunity to leave the Cloisters and go to France to put her skills to use discovering the Remedy, Astrid leaps at the chance. Finally, she can have exactly what she wants - or can she? Soon Astrid begins to question everything she thought she believed: her love for Giovanni, her loyalty to the Cloisters, and - most of all - her duty as a hunter. Should Astrid be saving the world from killer unicorns, or saving the unicorns from the world?

After being blown away last year by Rampant, this was the one and only book that I was desperate, repeat desperate, to get an ARC of at BEA this year. I waited all day in long lines, with tired arms and pained feet, to stand in line with a huge grin on my face to get this book and to meet Diana Peterfreund. It was awesome!

When I sat down to read this, I had a moment's hestitation, afraid that it would not measure up to its predecessor. Rampant not only featured a great new heroine, but a fascinating new world...I mean, come on, killer unicorns? How could you not astound the YA lit world with rampaging killer unicorns??

Thankfully, my hesitation was short-lived. Ascendant not only lived up to Rampant, but I think surpassed its awesomeness. Astrid, now an acknowledged unicorn hunter, has to decide if she will continue to do her duty as a hunter, protecting humans around the globe, or if she'll go into private security to work in a quieter community and get the chance to go to school, work in a lab, and yes, be a little...well, safer.

Astrid faces challenges in both love and life in this book. She finds her moral code challenged, her ideas on family challenged, her heart divided, and well, pretty much everything in her life just falls apart. New, shockingly horrific revelations are made and Astrid must make some really tough decisions.

Astrid is achingly real in this book. She's torn between wanting to be safe and feeling as if she must do her duty as a hunter. She never gives up trying to do the right thing, ever. Astrid is what I consider a true heroine and has officially sealed her position as one of my top favorite characters of all time.

An astounding continuation in the series.

Book Blogger Hop

So, I'm trying something new and participating in the Book Blogger Hop today, hosted by Jen over at Crazy For Books. This is a great opportunity to check out some other book blogs and to just have fun finding out what everyone else is doing!

This week everyone's mentioning their favorite new-to-me author. Hmmm...for debuts this year, I have to say I was absolutely stunned by two. Mistwood by Leah Cypess (review here) and Paranormalcy by Kiersten White (review here). If you haven't read these two books yet...you must go this weekend to get them...really!