Groosham Grange

Groosham Grange
by Anthony Horowitz

Sent to Groosham Grange as a last resort by his frustrated parents, thirteen-year-old David Eliot quickly discovers that his new boarding school is very peculiar. New pupils are made to sign their names in blood . . . the French teacher cancels classes on days there’s a full moon . . . there are chilling secrets hidden in the assistant headmaster’s office. What’s the meaning of the black rings everyone wears? Where do the other pupils vanish to at night? Suddenly, his biggest problem isn’t staying in school—it’s getting out alive. (description taken from Amazon.com)

Okay, honestly I hated this book. I agreed to read it to "review" it for our Children's Department because we also have a copy in the Teen Department and because I like Horowitz's Alex Rider series. Ugh...I don't think I would have finished this book if I wasn't reporting it to someone.

It's unnecessarily gruesome in my opinion for the intended audience. There are scenes of implied and actual violence throughout the book. David's father abuses both his wife and son, his mother is an open alcoholic that constantly bows to her awful husband, the teachers unapologetically murder someone and then threaten David's life to get him to conform to their wishes.

The final straw for me...that by the end of the book, David does not learn what's really going on and strive to change things. No - he is happily unsure of whether he'll embrace his new powers for good, or heck...just for fun, maybe evil. A sour note to end on.

I will say that I can see why young teen boys might like this book. It's got dismembered hands, a vampire, an uber-creepy headmaster(s), and the potential to get revenge on awful parents. The chapters are also really short and easy to read. I already know this is a popular title... personally, though, I probably won't be recommending it too often.

Anxiously Awaiting...Shut Out

Shut Out
by Kody Keplinger

Publication Date: September 2011

SHUT OUT is a story about Lissa, a senior in high school, who decides to put an end to a decade old rivalry between her school's football and soccer teams after her quarterback boyfriend ditches her a few too many times on behalf of hazing the other team. Her plan is to start a sex strike - gathering the girlfriends of all the players of both teams and agreeing that none of them will hookup with their boyfriends until the rivalry is over. What follows is an all out battle of the sexes as the girls begin to explore issues of teen sexuality and the boys attempt to seduce the girls into breaking their oath. Lissa is determined to win, but she never expects the sexual tension that rises between she and Cash Sterling, a member of the soccer team and leader of the boys' side.

I really ended up liking The DUFF and this one sounds interesting.
Check out Kody's blog for an excerpt!

The Alpha Bet

The Alpha Bet
by Stephanie Hale

Some teenagers use drugs or sex to escape overbearing parents. I used books.

All my life my mother has been hovering over me, afraid to let me experience ANYTHING. So I got really good grades, graduated from high school when I was sixteen, and escaped to a new life—my own life—at college.

To jump-start my social life, I decided to rush the Alphas, the most exclusive sorority on campus. Things started to get complicated when I told one little white lie. (Okay, maybe not so little.) Then one of the sisters invoked the Alpha Bet, a super-secret set of alphabetical tasks we pledges have to complete to prove our loyalty. Now, the Alpha Bet has taken over my life.

Can you spell B-E-T-R-A-Y-A-L? (description taken from Amazon.com)

This is an adorable new favorite! This is exactly the type of realistic fiction that I hope for everytime!! Grace Kelly is a WONDERFUL character. Not only is she cute, lovable, and ultimately relatable...really, who doesn't have that feeling of wanting to get away from their parents when they go to college and then panicking when you realize that you really miss them...but she is also one smart cookie!! As the girl previously known as a dork in a former life, (oh who am I kidding, I'm still a dork, but now I embrace it!!) I loved that not one person gave GK a hard time about being smart and that in fact, she attracts her boyfriend partially by being a science geek! AWESOME.

This book is also full of great secondary characters. An awesome new best friend, a warm and loving set of parents, a fun, respectful boyfriend, and great new "sisters." Hale knows how to write a whole, sweet, lovable package! Defintely a fun read for when you need a little pick-me-up!

Three Quarters Dead

Three Quarters Dead
by Richard Peck

Kerry is chosen by the coolest clique in school and so she thinks life has finally begun. But then it seems all over when her three friends are killed in a shocking car accident. Or are they? Only weeks after the accident, Kerry receives a text from one of the girls: We're all 3 here at my aunt's in the city. Take the 3:50 train. B there.
(description taken from Amazon.com)

This book made me angry. Kerry made me angry. I wanted to reach through my stereo and shake her. The worst part...some of my anger stemmed from the fact that I'm pretty sure I might have behaved just like she did when I was still in high school. For that, I give Peck major kudos. He has tapped into some real feelings, some real clique scenarios from teen life.

I still want to throttle Kerry, though. She is SUCH a pushover. Even in the conclusion of the story, she doesn't really save herself...yes, she stands up for herself (to an extent) but it just wasn't a really satisfying character growth at all. She's like a wet dishrag. Ick.

I was disappointed also with the supernatural segment of this story. Though the concept was sort of cool, it was only introduced very late in the story and not fully explored. There are definitely a LOT of better books available in this genre.

Full disclosure: Audio book sent to review for AudioFile magazine
2011 Zombie Reading Challenge title

Tighter

Tighter
by Adele Griffin

When 17-year-old Jamie arrives on the idyllic New England island of Little Bly to work as a summer au pair, she is stunned to learn of the horror that precedes her. Seeking the truth surrounding a young couple's tragic deaths, Jamie discovers that she herself looks shockingly like the dead girl—and that she has a disturbing ability to sense the two ghosts. Why is Jamie's connection to the couple so intense? What really happened last summer at Little Bly? As the secrets of the house wrap tighter and tighter around her, Jamie must navigate the increasingly blurred divide between the worlds of the living and the dead. (description from Amazon.com)

This was a really well written book. It did not end up being a favorite...I just didn't really like it, but man is it well done. Griffin starts this story as a thrilling ghost story, and as Jaime begins to break down, so does the writing. The story becomes disjointed as Jaime loses time and begins to have trouble distinguishing reality from the world beyond. As the reader, you also become confused... sooo well done.

As I said, though I didn't love the book it is very good. The end is surprising and interesting and heartbreaking. I would definitely recommend this book to readers who like thrillers. I would also caution more conservative readers that there is a LOT of prescription drug abuse and underage drinking.

Full disclosure: ARC received to review for SLJ

Forget You

Forget You
by Jennifer Echols

WHY CAN’T YOU CHOOSE WHAT YOU FORGET . . . AND WHAT YOU REMEMBER?

There’s a lot Zoey would like to forget. Like how her father has knocked up his twenty-four- year old girlfriend. Like Zoey’s fear that the whole town will find out about her mom’s nervous breakdown. Like darkly handsome bad boy Doug taunting her at school. Feeling like her life is about to become a complete mess, Zoey fights back the only way she knows how, using her famous attention to detail to make sure she’s the perfect daughter, the perfect student, and the perfect girlfriend to ultra-popular football player Brandon. But then Zoey is in a car crash, and the next day there’s one thing she can’t remember at all—the entire night before. Did she go parking with Brandon, like she planned? And if so, why does it seem like Brandon is avoiding her? And why is Doug—of all people— suddenly acting as if something significant happened between the two of them? Zoey dimly remembers Doug pulling her from the wreck, but he keeps referring to what happened that night as if it was more, and it terrifies Zoey to admit how much is a blank to her. Controlled, meticulous Zoey is quickly losing her grip on the all-important details of her life—a life that seems strangely empty of Brandon, and strangely full of Doug. (description from Amazon.com)

This book was compelling. Really. The plot hooked me right in from the first sentence and did not let go. It's funny because it's really not the best written book ever...there were parts in the first half where I caught myself saying, "Oh, that sounds awkward," but man, once started reading I could not stop. Two nights in a row, I stayed up TOO late and had to force myself to put in the bookmark and place. the. book. down.

Zoey's life just, well...sucks. Dealing with two messed up parents and the fact that neither one really seems to care at all about how she's doing...ugh. No wonder she bonds (or should I say re-bonds) with Doug...his Dad is seriously F*ed Up! I loved Doug. He was what really kept drawing me back in. He smoldered right off the page. *sigh*

I really liked how Echols gave readers solid hints about occurrences during Zoey's lost time. Just enough so that I constantly tried to convince myself that I knew, but really knew that I had only an inkling. There were some good little twists that got thrown in...

As an adult reader, this book also had just the right amount of heat. It was somewhat graphic without becoming "erotica" and still managed to leave some things to the reader's imagination, but was totally realistic about what types of sexual activity teenagers actually engage in today. I thought that was very well done. I don't think I'd recommend this book to anyone too young, though.

All in all, though not my favorite book ever, I did really enjoy it and would recommend it.

The Book of Spells

The Book of Spells
by Kate Brian
A Private Prequel

The year is 1915 when sixteen-year-old Eliza Williams arrives at the Billings School for Girls in Easton, Connecticut. Her parents expect her to learn the qualites of a graceful, dutiful wife. But Eliza and her housemates have a dangerous secret: They're witches. After finding a dusty, leather bound spell book, the Billings Girls form a secret coven. Bonded in sisterhood, they cast spells--cursing their headmistress with laryngitis, brewing potions to bolster their courage before dances, and conjuring beautiful dresses out of old rags. The girls taste freedom and power for the first time, but what starts out as innocent fun turns sinister when one of the spells has an unexpected-and deadly-consequence. Magic could bring Eliza everything she's ever wanted...but it could also destroy everything she holds dear.
(description taken from Amazon.com)


I am conflicted about this book. Not in the sense that I didn't like it. I did. Honestly, I love Kate Brian's books. My confliction stems from the fact that I adore, really truly LOVE, the Private series. It is one of the few contemporary realistic fiction series that I will run to grab as soon as they come into the library. So, when I heard that Brian was doing a prequel, I was excited. Then I found out it was a supernatural themed book and my heart sank a little...


SO. When I read this book, I did have to acknowledge that it's connected to the rest of the series. There are characters that are related to future Easton Academy attendees and it was fun to see how the Billings School for Girls and the Easton School for Boys combined... However, I honestly tried to read this story completely on its own. I tried to divorce it in mind so that I could just enjoy this book alone...and I did!

I really liked the witchcraft aspect of this book. The girls have to learn to balance their excitement at being able to cast spells and their responsibilities to not take things too far. Brian, as always, has a way of making romance difficult and intriguing...and creates the best frenemies scenarios I have EVER encountered. This book definitely pulled me right in, just like all of Brian's other books have in the past.


Now, I have to read the next Private book, Ominous, and see how this whole supernatural prequel will affect the final two books in the series. As much as I loved it, I really hope it doesn't alter the tone of the series too much. I really loved these books just as they are!


Any one else read this series? Thoughts??

Writing Magic

Writing Magic: Creating Stories That Fly
by Gail Carsen Levine

In Writing Magic, Newbery Honor author Gail Carson Levine shares her secrets of great writing. She shows how you, too, can get terrific ideas for stories, invent great beginnings and endings, write sparkling dialogue, develop memorable characters—and much, much more. She advises you about what to do when you feel stuck—and how to use helpful criticism. Best of all, she offers writing exercises that will set your imagination on fire.
With humor, honesty, and wisdom, Gail Carson Levine shows you that you, too, can make magic with your writing. (description from Amazon.com)

Okay, I know this book is geared towards middle grade readers, but you know what I found it really accessible and helpful! I am really trying to polish my writing so that maybe someday I can get a book published and though there are LOTS of books out there about the writing craft to choose from, I sometimes find them a little...well, overwhelming.

This book is not only easy to read, it gives really valid points, great examples, and GC Levine gives writing exercises at the end of chapter. These were fun and really helped get the point of each chapter across. I really recommend picking this book up, at least to skim through for ideas, if you want to try to improve your writing!

One For the Money Movie Info

For all you Stephanie Plum fans out there...the movie info is finally out!! My friend, Sharon, over at I Mainline Fiction, managed to scoop this, and then I told her I had to post it, too!!

The movie comes out on July 8, 2011. Katherine Heigl, Jason O'Mara, and Daniel Sunjata are starring. More cast info can be found here. I agree with Sharon...I LOVE this series and I'm just not sure that a movie version, especially this one, can live up to my hopes...

What do you think?

In My Mailbox - February 27, 2011

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!

On My Nook:


Eye Candy by Tera Lynn Childs
Tortall and Other Lands by Tamora Pierce

From The Library:


By These Ten Bones by Clare Dunkle
Ominous by Kate Brian


Pandora Gets Angry by Carolyn Hennessy
Princess for Hire by Lindsey Leavitt

For Review:


Falling for Hamlet by Michelle Ray
Forgotten by Cat Patrick


Huntress by Malinda Lo
Sweetly by Jackson Pearce

*Thank you to Little Brown and SLJ for sending these ARCs after the SLJ Spring Book Buzz Webcast!!!*

Fins are Forever by Tera Lynn Childs

*Thank you, Tera, for sending this copy!!*

Aphrodite the Beauty

Aphrodite the Beauty
by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams
Goddess Girls, book three

Aphrodite delights in helping mortals in love, but she's pretty annoyed at the constant attention she gets from the godboys at Mount Olympus Academy. When she decides to give Athena a makeover, she's a bit unprepared for the result. She didn't count on all the interest Athena's new look would get. And she certainly never thought she'd find herself jealous of one of her best friends! Will she be able to put the jealousy behind her?
(description taken from back jacket copy)

This is such a good, easy to read tween series. This book, the third in the series, features Aphrodite. After giving Athena a makeover, she has to deal with some major feelings of jealousy. Then, when Ares starts to ignore her and Hephaestus begins to pay her a little too much attention, Aphrodite learns to see the beauty within. She and the other goddessgirls also learn to ignore gossip, as it generally never leads to anything good. Though I still think that Persephone's story has been my favorite so far, I really enjoy these books and I look forward to reading Artemis the Brave.

Betrayal

Betrayal

by Lee Nichols

Haunting Emma, book two

Emma Vaile is the most powerful ghostkeeper in centuries. Which is great when she's battling the wraith-master Neos, but terrible when she's flirting with fellow ghostkeeper (and soul mate) Bennett. When ghostkeepers fall in love, the weaker one loses all power, and that's not something Bennett can handle.

Heartbroken and alone, Emma tries to lose herself in school with fellow ghostkeeper, Natalie. When a new team of ghostkeepers arrive-one a snarky teen boy, the other a British scholar-Emma finds solace in training for the battle against Neos. But as the team grows stronger, they are threatened by an unknown force. One they thought was good. (description taken from Amazon.com)

I am officially hooked on this series. I couldn't put the first one down...just finished book two while laying sick in bed...I should have been sleeping! I really had to find out what happened to Emma, though!

*Potential spoilers ahead*

I'm going to assume that you've read book one from here on out, okay? If you haven't...well skim this part! Anyway...Neos is one creepy bad guy. He literally gives me the chills. I was wholeheartedly rooting for Emma all the way through this book as she tries to learn to weild her powers better so that she can take him out.

It broke my heart a couple of times when Neos influenced those close to Emma into betraying her. Throughout the book, I, like Emma, never really knew who she could trust. Nichols takes the poor girl through some wicked twists and turns. In the end, though, Emma realizes that everyone is standing with her and that she is stronger than her predecessors precisely because she has friends and family at her side.

I am fascinated and torn by her relationship with Bennett. Their unresolved issues are a huge draw for me...I can't wait to find out info on the next book of the series. I have to see what's going to happen. Though I like Bennett and feel like he really does love Emma, I have this sinking feeling in my stomach sometimes that he's really not good for her.... I need to read more!!!

*Spoilers end*

I wholeheartedly recommend this series to readers looking for romance, mystery, action, thrilling chills, plot twists, loyal friendships...well it goes on and on...Seriously, check it out!! You definitely need to start with the first book, Deception, though.

Full disclosure: ARC received as part of blog tour through Book It Forward ARC Tours

Cover Craving...

Vanish
by Sophie Jordan
Firelight, book two

Publication date: September 6, 2011

SO...this cover is once again GORGEOUS! Whew...love the subtle scales. Absolutely beautifully done.

I just miss Jacinda's fiery red hair...

Get Pink Week for The Liar Society

Everybody's getting PINK this week to help spread the buzz about THE LIAR SOCIETY by Lisa and Laura Roecker...

Have you noticed the trend yet? It's on twitter, it's on facebook, it's on blogs everywhere...and it's on YouTube!!

I decided rather than dye (my already artificially red) hair PINK that I would go and create a pink version of me...Cute, huh? I had fun making my avatar on Lunaii's Dollmaker.

Are you going to get pink?

Movie Review - I Am Number Four

I Am Number Four
based on the book I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore. Book one in The Lorien Chronicles.

I saw this movie yesterday with my Mom and it was great. I have to admit that I haven't read the book. Honestly, after seeing the previews for the movie and reading a bunch of reviews for the book I decided I'd rather just see the movie and skip the book for now. It was written to become a movie...I'm not too sure that I'm missing anything by skipping the book. I'll probably go back and read it someday, but for now...the movie was enough.

The movie is action packed, has cool special effects, aliens that are just the right amount of CGI, etc., and romance. Loved it! It was really cool to see Diana Agron from Glee in it, too! For a fun movie...just fun...check this one out!

The Inside Story

The Inside Story
by Michael Buckley
The Sisters Grimm, book eight

After the shocking ending of The Everafter War, this book picks up with Sabrina, Daphne, and Puck stuck in the Book of Everafter, where all the fairy tales are stored and enchanted characters can change their destinies. The girls (and Puck) must chase the Master through a series of stories, where they’re willing to change what they need in order to save their baby brother. Soon, however, they are confronted by the Editor—the book’s guardian—who, along with an army of tiny monsters known as Revisers, threatens the children with dire consequences if they don’t stick to the stories. As they chase their quarry and dodge the Revisers, they meet Alice, Mowgli, Jack the Giant Killer, Hansel and Gretel, the Headless Horseman, and more. But will they find their brother in time? (description taken from Amazon.com)

This is one of my all-time favorite series. The part of me that has never really grown up revels in the idea that someone else out there...not just me!...imagined a world where fairy tale creatures were real. There is just something purely magical about the world that Sabrina and Daphne inhabit!

Each of the characters is captivating. Sabrina, Daphne, Relda, and yes, even Puck grow and change throughout the series. In this particular volume, Sabrina deals with some severe self-doubts. Surprisingly enough, Puck assists Daphne in talking her around. Puck even makes some surprising discoveries about himself, his relationship within the family, and drops some hints into his own deeper feelings.

I admire Sabrina's sheer determination and fierce family loyalty, Daphne's heart and endless optimism, but most of all I think I love Puck's well "pucktastic"-ness. He is definitely my favorite character in the series.

This is the second to last book in the series and again ends with a nice cliffhanger. I cannot wait to see how everything works out!

Scarlett Fever

Scarlett Fever
by Maureen Johnson
Scarlett Martin series, book two

Ever since Mrs. Amberson, the former-aspiring-actress-turned-agent, entered Scarlett Martin's life, nothing has been the same.

She's still in charge of the Empire Suite in her family's hotel, but she's now also Mrs. Amberson's assistant, running around town for her star client, Chelsea - a Broadway star Scarlett's age with a knack for making her feel insignificant.

Scarlett's also trying to juggle sophomore year classes, her lab partner who is being just a little TOO nice, and getting over the boy who broke her heart.

In the midst of all this, her parents drop a bombshell that threatens to change her New York life forever . (description taken from Amazon.com)

This family makes me want to pull up roots and check into a shabby-chic Manhattan hotel immediately! The Martins are warm, loving, funny, and I kinda wish they were mine! Johnson absolutely has a winner in this series. I think in terms of funny contemporary realistic fiction the only series out there that beats this one for me is The Georgia Nicholson series by Louise Rennison. They both leave me smiling like a loon!

Scarlett is an amazing character. She is smart, savvy, and sometimes unsure of herself. Just the perfect blend of getting herself into messy situations that she can perfectly maneuver her way out of... lovely. I am already anxiously awaiting the next great (and hopefully romantic) Martin saga!

Full disclosure: Audio book received to review for SLJ

Deception

Deception: A Haunting Emma Novel
by Lee Nichols

When Emma Vaile's parents leave on mysterious business trip, it gives her the perfect excuse to be a rebellious teen. Throw some parties, get a tattoo (or maybe just a piercing), and enjoy the first few weeks of her junior year. Then her best friend stops talking to her, the cops crash her party, and Emma finds herself in the hands of a new guardian—her college-age "knight in J.Crew armor," Bennett Stern—and on a plane to his museum-like mansion in New England.

After enrolling at Thatcher Academy, Emma settles in by making friends with the popular legacy crowd. But she can't shake the strange visions that are haunting her. She has memories of Thatcher she can't explain, as if she's returning home to a place she's never been. Emma doesn't trust anyone anymore—except maybe Bennett. But he's about to reveal a ghostly secret to Emma. One that will explain the visions . . . and make Emma fear for her life. (description taken from Amazon.com)

I can't believe I didn't read this book sooner. I had heard over and over that it was really great, but it sat on my TBR shelf for ages and ages...I just got the second book to review and so finally felt compelled to read Deception.

I am so sorry that it took so long for me to read this. Swimming in a sea of paranormal books, this is a stand out and it's the start of a series! *squee!* The ghostkeepers concept is really well done. Some people can summon ghosts, some can communicate with them, some can compel them, some can dispel them...but only Emma can do it all. Only just learning about her powers and abandoned by her family, Emma is totally freaking out. Now a creepy serial killer ghost is after her and Emma's not sure she can fight him off!

With an awesome creepy vibe and a compelling and potentially rocky romance, I couldn't put Deception down! I read it in one long sitting and loved every minute of it. I'm very much looking forward to reading and reviewing the next book. There are many questions that still have to be answered...

Full disclosure: ARC won from Dark Faerie Tales (...sadly about a year ago! :P)

In My Mailbox- February 20, 2011

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!

From Netgalley:

Dead Is Not An Option by Marlene Perez

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

Die for Me by Amy Plum

Bumped byMegan McCafferty

From the Library:

Dreamdark: Silksinger by Laini Taylor

The Sisters Club by Megan McDonald

Aphrodite the Beauty by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams

The Faceless Ones by Derek Landy

On My Nook:

A Novel Idea by Aimee Friedman

Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith

For Review:

Betrayal: A Haunting Emma Novel by Lee Nichols

*Thank you to Book It Forward ARC Tours*

The Orchid Affair

The Orchid Affair
by Lauren Willig
The Pink Carnation series, book eight

Laura Grey, a veteran governess, joins the Selwick Spy School expecting to find elaborate disguises and thrilling exploits in service to the spy known as the Pink Carnation. She hardly expects her first assignment to be serving as governess for the children of Andre Jaouen, right-hand man to Bonaparte's minister of police. Jaouen and his arch rival, Gaston Delaroche, are investigating a suspected Royalist plot to unseat Bonaparte, and Laura's mission is to report any suspicious findings.

At first the job is as lively as Latin textbooks and knitting, but Laura begins to notice strange behavior from Jaouen-secret meetings and odd comings and goings. As Laura edges herself closer to her employer, she makes a shocking discovery and is surprised to learn that she has far more in common with Jaouen than she originally thought...

As their plots begin to unravel, Laura and Jaouen are forced on the run with the children, and with the help of the Pink Carnation they escape to the countryside, traveling as husband and wife. But Delaroche will stop at nothing to take down his nemesis. With his men hot on their trail, can Laura and Jaouen seal the fate of Europe before it's too late?
(description taken from Amazon.com)

Another great addition to the Pink Carnation series. This series really has it all...romance, intrigue, danger, loyalty, humor...I love it. Though this is not my favorite in the series, I think it's going to be hard to top The Mischief of the Mistletoe for me...I just love Turnip!, this book had a lot of great things to offer.

Laura was an interesting character. I loved the juxtaposition between her artistic, loose upbringing and her many years as a staid governess. It made her uniquely qualified to become a successful secret agent...the Silver Orchid. It was fun reading about her first mission - seeing her get her feet wet, so to speak.

I really loved how Willig ties in real events to her historical fiction. Her research is meticulous. The fall of the French Monarchy and the French Revolutionary period have always fascinated me and the way that this book delves into the turbulent period was compelling. I really enjoyed getting to see Andre and other characters within the governmental structure, as well as actually getting to see the Pink Carnation, herself, in action again.

My favorite bits, though, were definitely Eloise and Colin. In each book we get to delve just a little deeper into their relationship and I always come out smiling...a love pig...I mean how can you not love that? I love getting to read these chapters interspersed into whatever spy intrigue is currently going on in history.

I will definitely be on the lookout for book nine of the series!

Full disclosure: Review copy provided by publisher

Unearthly

Unearthly
by Cynthia Hand

In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . .

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.

Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny? (description taken from Amazon.com)

I have to be honest and say that I reviewed this as an audio book and it was not my favorite - in that format. This was an audio book that if I had picked it out myself, I probably would have stopped listening several chapters in and grabbed the physical book to read instead. I don't recommend the recorded version.

That being said, I really loved the storyline! Hand presents a well-researched new mythos for Nephilim, or as they are known here, Angelbloods. Clara is a Quartarius, or quarter angel, and has wings, can speak any language, and has a purpose. She also just wants to experience life as a normal girl sometimes. Balancing her angelic duties and her everyday life becomes a problem when what her heart and her head tell her conflicts. Clara suddenly has to wonder what will happen if she can't or doesn't fulfill her purpose.

I really liked Clara's family. Her mother and her brother, Jeremy, were both interesting characters with good relationships with Clara...and after the choices they all make at the end of this book, I am anxious to see what happens in Hallowed, which comes out next year.

It was also really cool that Clara got to meet another Angelblood. Someone that she could talk to, someone to compare notes with...there are a lot of books where the poor main character is just left floundering in the breeze...all alone, the sole one of their kind...I liked that she had a friend who knew exactly what she was going through.

I also have to tell you...no lie. I think I lurve Tucker Avery...just a little. I don't want to give you all the details, but there is one scene in there that plays out almost word for word, action for action like a date my husband and I had over 10 years ago when we first started dating. I teared up a little bit and my heart skipped more than one beat. *grin* I will always love Cynthia Hand for that moment. :)

Full disclosure: Audio book received to review for AudioFile magazine
2011 Shifter Challenge title

The Big Splash

The Big Splash
by Jack Ferraiolo

The treacherous, hormone-soaked hallways of Franklin Middle School are the setting for this sharp, funny noir novel about tough guys and even tougher girls. "The Frank" is in the clutches of a crime syndicate run by seventh-grader Vinny "Mr. Biggs" Biggio, who deals in forged hall passes and blackmarket candy. Double-cross him and your number is punched by one of his deadly water gun-toting assassins. One hit in the pants and you are in "the Outs" forever. Matt Stevens is a proud loner with his own code of justice. He's avoided being pulled into Vinny's organization until now: Mr. Biggs has offered him a job he can't resist, even if it means bringing down one of his oldest friends. (description taken from Amazon.com)

What a fun, sharp mystery! It is..."The Sopranos" meets middle school. I loved it.

This book reads like a noir movie...a private eye, the mob guy, the assassins, the femme fatales...ahhh...so good. There's a gritty realism here amongst the laugh out loud setting.
Matt is very much the hard-boiled detective, taking on "routine" cases...until the school's top assassin gets taken out. Now, hired by several sources, each for their own distinct reasons, this private eye must crack the case...and without getting "whacked!"

With competing leading ladies, an ex-best friend now turned mobster, and half the school out to get him, figuring out who done it might be a little harder than Matt expected. An excellent read.

OMG! Cover Craving...

Supernaturally
by Kiersten White
Paranormalcy, book two

Publication Date: Aug 30, 2011

Ummmm...OMG. This cover is GORGEOUS! *drool, drool, drool*



Love the fact that it wraps around, too!!

Cover Craving...

The Girl in the Steel Corset
by Kady Cross
The Steampunk Chronicles, book one

Publication Date: May 24, 2011

Ummm...OMG. LOVE this cover! The story sounds amazing too.

Tempestuous

Tempestuous
by Lesley Livingston
Wondrous Strange, book three

"I don't love Sonny Flannery."

That's the lie Kelley Winslow told to protect the boy she loves from a power he doesn't know he possesses. Devastated, Sonny retreats—to a haven for Lost Fae that's hidden deep underneath New York City.

But Kelley's not about to let things end in heartbreak. To get Sonny back, she's got to find out who's after his magick—and how to use her own. She's got to uncover who's recruiting Janus Guards to murderously hunt innocent Faerie. She's got to help rebuild the shattered theater company she called family. And she's got to do it all without getting dangerously distracted by the Fennrys Wolf, whose legendary heart of stone seems to melt whenever he's around Kelley. (description taken from Amazon.com)

What a great ending to the series. Besides having breathtaking covers (all three of them...I could just drool over them all day...), I love the complexities of the characters, the multilayered twists and turns of the plot, and the multitude of Shakespearean references!

It's been awhile since I read Darklight - probably the day it came out - and I had worried that I would have some issues remembering all that had happened, but Livingston does an excellent job bringing readers up to speed in a very lighthanded way. In fact, she sets up the plot so well that I was a little worried that the plot would not wrap up to my satisfaction before the end of the book and I knew that this was the end...

Livingston not only wrapped everything up...she did it well, with style, and even though I am totally satisfied as a reader, I would most definitely pick up another Wondrous Strange book if ever one appeared on the shelves!!

I don't want to give any spoilers away so I won't give too many details, but the persons who released the gates between the realms, allowing the Fae to enter the mortal world, are revealed. Their dastardly plot seems to be impossible to foil, but Kelley, Sonny, Fenn and their friends all find out exactly what they are made of and what sacrifices they are willing to make for each other and the world. Interesting, heartbreaking, and loyal decisions are made...friendships are forged and broken...love is lost, mended, and born.

Loved it!

Anxiously Awaiting...

Strings Attached
by Judy Blundell

Publication date: March 1, 2011

This book sounds so good and I love the trailer...

Sweet Venom Cover Reveal!!!

I am so excited to be participating in Tera Lynn Child's cover reveal for her newest book, Sweet Venom!!

Isn't this cover just ABSOLUTELY gorgeous?! Beyond the premise - Three teenage descendants of Medusa, the once-beautiful gorgon maligned by myth, must reunite and embrace their fates in a world where monsters lurk in plain sight - having seen the cover that goes with the awesome story...I am now officially drooling in anticipation.

I think it just might kill me to have to wait until October to get my hands on this one! Until then, though, you can check out more info...details about the characters and collages that represent each of the sisters on Tera's website, check out the Sweet Venom Facebook page, or you can add Sweet Venom to your Goodreads TBR list.