City of Fallen Angels

Congratulations to Cassandra Clare whose fourth book in the Mortal Instruments series, City of Fallen Angels, hits bookshelves (and millions of mailboxes world-wide, I'm sure) today!

I'm actually being a super person and letting the teen at my library who is absolutely DESPERATE to read this book check it out first, but I'm sure I'll have it by this weekend to read. :)

Not sure you want to read it? Check out the official full length book trailer, exclusive to EW here.

If You Like: Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

"If You Like…” is a feature highlighting blogger recommendations for books, authors, TV shows, movies, and music based on the things you already know and love. This week includes suggestions for some favorite older titles and childhood favorites.

Check out our combined recommendations for Jennifer Donnelly's Revolution.

The Queen Bee of Bridgeton

The Queen Bee of Bridgeton
by Leslie DuBois
Dancing Dream series, book one

When fifteen-year-old Sonya Garrison is accepted into the prestigious Bridgeton Academy, she soon discovers that rich girls are just as dangerous as the thugs in her home of Venton Heights. Maybe more so. After catching the eye of the star, white basketball player and unwittingly becoming the most popular girl in school, she earns the hatred of the three most ruthless and vindictive girls at Bridgeton. Can she defeat the reigning high school royalty? Or will they succeed in ruining her lifelong dream of becoming a world class dancer? (description taken from Amazon.com)

This was the story of a driven, passionate girl who hopes that her dancing can take her out of the ghetto. Sonya is a strong, compassionate, hopeful girl...and a great character to read about. Her motives are always clear and honorable, her passion for dancing is palpable, and her longing to be accepted and loved is heartbreaking.

Sonya begins to dance at age 8 and by the time she is 16, her dream is to attend a prestigious dance school in Rome to help her career as a professional ballerina. The dancing scenes were lovely, full of terminology, but never confusing, and solidly illustrating how devoted Sonya is to her dancing. Even when she begins dating a very intriguing boy, she never truly loses sight of her dancing dreams. Her passion even inspires those around her to become better people.

The juxtaposition of the Bridgeton Academy and Sonya and Sasha's roach-ridden apartment life in Venton Heights perfectly illustrates why both Sonya and Sasha have developed into the girls that they are, both driven to leave the ghetto behind, and why they will never truly be accepted at Bridgeton if anyone learns of where they live. It's sad to realize that race is still an issue and it's good that those feelings, of not being white enough, of not being black enough, are explored in books like this one. It really made me smile when Sonya realized that not everyone would judge her because of where she grew up...that she could be accepted for exactly who she was as a person. :)

I cannot wait to see what happens to Sonya next - where her dancing can truly take her!

Full disclosure: E-book provided by the author for review

In My Mailbox - April 3, 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!

For Review:

Trauma Queen by Barbara Dee *Thanks to the author!
Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt *Thanks to SLJ

Oh. Yeah. and did I mention what I opened in the mail this morning, yet? No? Well...



Supernaturally by Kiersten White
*OMG!! I screamed like a little girl and jumped up and down like an idiot...special thanks to HarperCollins!!!!

From the Library:

Annie's Adventures by Lauren Baratz-Logsted with Greg Logsted and Jackie Logsted
Girl's Best Friend by Leslie Margolia


A Shore Thing by Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi (SHORE for a good laugh)
Steampunkery by Christi Friesen (Gonna make me some awesome steampunk accessories!)

On My Nook:

Dead Witch Walking By Kim Harrison
Straight Stalk by Tera Lynn Childs

*And still working on my five ABNA manuscripts!*

Wither - Blog Tour

Wither by Lauren DeStefano The Chemical Garden Trilogy, book one By age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. She can thank modern science for this genetic time bomb. A botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males with a lifespan of 25 years, and females with a lifespan of 20 years. Geneticists are seeking a miracle antidote to restore the human race, desperate orphans crowd the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and young girls are being kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children. When Rhine is kidnapped and sold as a bride, she vows to do all she can to escape. Her husband, Linden, is hopelessly in love with her, and Rhine can’t bring herself to hate him as much as she’d like to. He opens her to a magical world of wealth and illusion she never thought existed, and it almost makes it possible to ignore the clock ticking away her short life. But Rhine quickly learns that not everything in her new husband’s strange world is what it seems. Her father-in-law, an eccentric doctor bent on finding the antidote, is hoarding corpses in the basement. Her fellow sister wives are to be trusted one day and feared the next, and Rhine is desperate to communicate to her twin brother that she is safe and alive. Will Rhine be able to escape--before her time runs out? (description from Amazon.com) This was a compelling and creepy dystopia. DeStefano's debut is impossible to put down. Though I really enjoyed the characters, the world DeStefano creates is even more of a draw. I never would been able to imagine this society with a very short life expectancy...and how society has managed to cope...or not. The polygamous marriages that become common amongst the wealthy to continue procreation, the Gatherers that kidnap girls to become brides, the orphanages that must exist when most parents are now dying before their children are old enough to care for themselves...unnerving. I just want to creep into the back of Lauren DeStefano's brain to see what else she'll imagine! I really felt for Rhine. She was trapped in sooo many ways. Physically, metaphorically, and mentally - their entire society is pretty much trapped...so sad. The cover (which is absolutely GORGEOUS) really epitomizes the story. They did a phenomenal job designing it. Anyway, I think the thing that really struck me the most - out of all these crazy, shocking ideas was that poor Rowen, Rhine's twin brother, would outlive his sister by five years. They're twins! The closest that two people can really ever be...and there was no way that he could know that she was alive for those years, even if she was all the way across the country...she will die at twenty, no matter what. That broke my heart a little. I am super curious to see what happens in the second book. I don't want to go into spoilers, but I will say I cannot wait to see more of this world. DeStefano was a master at dropping in little bits of information to build the world. Mini-flashbacks, sensory triggered memories, and explainations built into events just kept adding layers into what became a more and more fascinating (and scary) version of our future. An extremely well-done and fascinating debut. Full disclosure: ARC received from Book It Foward ARC Tours 2011 Debut Author Challenge title

Tell Me a Secret

Tell Me a Secret
by Holly Cupala

It's tough living in the shadow of a dead girl. . . .

In the five years since her bad-girl sister Xanda's death, Miranda Mathison has wondered about the secret her sister took to the grave, and what really happened the night she died. Now, just as Miranda is on the cusp of her dreams—a best friend to unlock her sister's world, a ticket to art school, and a boyfriend to fly her away from it all—Miranda has a secret all her own.

When two lines on a pregnancy test confirm her worst fears, Miranda is stripped of her former life. She must make a choice with tremendous consequences and finally face her sister's demons and her own. (description taken from Amazon.com)

First off, can I just say that Jenna Lamia is an AH-MAZING narrator. She took this wonderful book and squeezed even more emotion out of it, so that I spent three days tearing up in the car (okay, okay, full on sobbing sometimes...) on the way to and from work! That does NOT make for a pretty face, but it does make for an excellent listening experience. I highly recommend the audio version of this book!

Onto the book itself - Cupala blew me away. I am not a huge fan of this type of realistic fiction...what's sometimes known as the "problem" book. I didn't even really know that that was what this book was about, really. Sadly, I just downloaded the serialized podcast because I recognized the cover and it was free. (I'm such a sucker for free stuff!!) I am SOOO glad that I did, though.

I feel honestly that though this is a hot cover, it is highly misrepresentational of the book itself. This is a deep book about family, betrayal, redemption, love, teen pregnancy and most of all finding yourself. Romance...yes, I suppose the tiny incident of conception counts, but really this is not a book that needs a steamy cover. Not at all. I had completely different expectations for this book because of the cover.

However, I was beyond pleasantly surprised at the depths of this book. Cupala picked my heart up and squeezed out all the emotional juice in one awesome scene after another. Poor Miranda, sometimes Mandy, wants to be Rand, just has to fight for her right to be herself. She loses all her friends, alienates herself from her family, and finally deals with a huge ordeal almost completely on her own. Though it took bringing her to her lowest point, she is a fighter, and she came out of the depths a new and better person and I was right there cheering every time little step on.

I can't even really say how much I really enjoyed this book other than to say that when my computer refused to cooperate and I couldn't get it to download the second half, I had a full on breakdown and cried until my husband (whom I will love FOREVER) managed to wrangle iTunes into submission so that I could finish it.

Full disclosure: Listened to the free serialized podcast of the audiobook from the book's website - www.tellmeasecretnovel.com

Anxiously Awaiting...

Legend
by Marie Lu

Publication date: Nov. 2011

The United States is gone, along with its flooded coasts. North America's two warring nations, the western Republic and the eastern Colonies, have reached a breaking point. In the midst of this broken continent and dark new world are two teenagers who will go down in history....

Born into the slums of Los Angeles, fifteen-year old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. A mysterious boy with no recorded image or fingerprints. A boy who should no longer exist. A boy who watches over his family until one evening, when the plague patrols mark his family's door with an X--the sign of plague infection. A death sentence for any family too poor to afford the antidote. Desperate, Day has no choice; he must steal it.

Born to an elite family in Los Angeles' wealthy Ruby sector, fifteen-year old June is the Republic's most promising prodigy. A superintelligent girl destined for great things in the country's highest military circles. Obedient, passionate, and committed to her country--until the day her brother Metias is murdered while on patrol during a break-in at the plague hospital.

Only one person could be responsible.

Day.

And now it's June's mission to hunt him down.

The truth they'll uncover will become legend.

This sounds like it could be EPIC.

The Liar Society

The Liar Society
by Lisa and Laura Roecker

Since when do the dead send emails?

Kate Lowry's best friend Grace died a year ago. So when she gets an email from her, Kate's more than a little confused.

To: KateLowry@pemberlybrown.edu
From: GraceLee@pemberlybrown.edu
Subject: (no subject)
Kate,
I'm here... sort of.
Find Cameron. He knows.
I shouldn't be writing.
Don't tell. They'll hurt you.

Now Kate has no choice but to prove once and for all that Grace's death was more than just a tragic accident. She teams up with a couple of knights-in-(not-so)-shining armor-the dangerously hot bad boy, Liam, and her lovestruck neighbor, Seth. But at their elite private school, there are secrets so big people will do anything to protect them-even if it means getting rid of anyone trying to solve a murder... (description from Amazon.com)

This was one of those books that I finished and I was happy. Just happy. It was fulfilling. I've seen a lot of people online already asking for book 2, but for me, The Liar Society ends at a spot both plot-wise and in Kate's emotional life that I am satisfied with...for me it could be a standalone.

It is a great Veronica Mars like mystery. There's danger, good friends, and snarky attitude. Everything I desired! Kate was a great heroine. Though she was still massively grieving her best friend's death and had no clue what was going on, she was fighting for justice!

My favorite passage from the book is AWESOME and epitomizes everything I loved about Kate:

p. 332 I had to laugh. Something about me running through underground tunnels with a sword was beyond funny, but I took it with me anyway. A girl could never be too careful. Besides, I was ready to start slaying my own damn dragons.

My only complaint - that Kate wasn't wearing an awesome pink wig as she ran through those tunnels with a sword!

Kate's journey is full of twists and turns and mysterious Latin puzzles (that I loved) and her biggest helpers, aside from the romantic lead that was definitely swoon-worthy, were a very hilarious redheaded sidekick who made me think of a cross between Ron Weasley and Agent Fox Mulder and a kick-@ss security guard who I think may honestly have been my favorite character in the whole book. Did I mention how much I loved how much time Kate spent hunting down clues in the Library??

Kate kept me on my toes and Lisa and Laura Roecker are hilarous-ness embodied. If you haven't checked out their blog yet, you must do so immediately! You'll find information about the book, their touring, what they're working on next...oh yeah, and their family stuff, celeb gossip, and did I mention I'm pretty sure this is where Kate got her snarky attitude??

Signing off in true PINK fashion one last time...


Full disclosure: ARC borrowed from the awesome Jen at Yabooknerd.
2011 Debut Author Challenge title

Black Wings

Black Wings
by Christina Henry

As an Agent of Death, Madeline Black is responsible for escorting the souls of the dearly departed to the afterlife. It's a 24/7 job with a lousy benefits package.

Maddy's position may come with magical powers and an impressive wingspan, but it doesn't pay the bills. And then there are her infuriating boss, tenant woes, and a cranky, popcorn-loving gargoyle to contend with.

Things start looking up, though, when tall, dark, and handsome Gabriel Angeloscuro agrees to rent the empty apartment in Maddy's building. It's probably just a coincidence that as soon as he moves in demons appear on the front lawn. But when an unholy monster is unleashed upon the streets of Chicago, Maddy discovers powers she never knew she possessed. Powers linked to a family legacy of tarnished halos.

Powers that place her directly between the light of Heaven and the fires of Hell... (description from Amazon.com)

I really enjoyed this urban fantasy. It's the start of a new series and I'm already looking forward to Black Night, which comes out on July 26th. Christina Henry's writing was fast-paced, funny, engaging, and the world building was very well done.

Maddy was a great heroine. She had strength, she had faults, she made me laugh, and she made me cry. Her bewilderment was not so overwhelming that I felt like strangling her...unlike some other female protagonists *cough, cough...Bella...COUGH* that shall not be brought forth as examples. Her sidekick, the lovable gargoyle, Beezle, is one of my new favorites. His love for popcorn made me snort and all I could think of was what it would be like if my dogs could talk. :)

I will say that I am curious to see how all of the romantic entanglements play out in the next few books of the series. Poor Maddy's in love with one guy, engaged to another, and has another hottie (my personal fave) panting at her heels. I'm anxious to see how this all plays out. What's great about this book, though, is that the romance is important, but it is definitely NOT the only plot-line...in fact, it could even be called a sub-plot. Maddy's discovery of who she truly is, how it endangers her, and how it will affect the rest of her life are the true focus of the book.

I tore through this book! If you like urban fantasy, I urge you to pick this one up soon.

In My Mailbox - March 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!

This is two week's worth because I was at a baby shower in NY last week and didn't get a chance to post!

From the Library:

Library Wars: Love and War vol. 4
Gossip from the Girls' Room by Rose Cooper
Mermaid by Carolyn Turgeon

For Review:

Shimmer by Alyson Noel
Spies of Mississippi by Rick Bowers

*Thank you to Book it Forward ARC Tours for Wither by Lauren DeStefano!!*

*Thank you to Harlequin Teen for The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross to read before I meet the author at our state's library association conference in May!!*

I also got five manuscripts to judge for Amazon's Breakthrough Novel Award's young adult division, but I can't post any info about them. They'll be keeping me busy for the next few weeks. :)

The Dark and Hollow Places - Teaser Trailer

OMG. So excited to finally read this third book in the series! I love Carrie Ryan's zombie books.

Diana Wynne Jones

I am so, soo, sooo sad. I just realized that one of my favorite authors of all time, Diana Wynne Jones, passed away today. I for one will sorely miss her contributions to children's fantasy.

The first Diana Wynne Jones book I ever read was Charmed Life from the Chrestomanci series. I loved this book so much that I, uh, accidentally "stole" it from a great friend in fifth grade...I don't know if she ever realized that I just never returned it!! I went on to read EVERYTHING I could find from Jones. Her books are amazing.

I wanted to live in Cat's world when I was in middle school. A world of magic, mystery, and a place where the quieter people actually have a lot of power. This book and Tamora Pierce's Alanna: The First Adventure still rank as two of my all time favorite books and are what kept me going whenever I wanted to completely retreat from the heinous existence that was middle school!!

I will deeply miss the potential for any more Chrestomanci books. :(

Wildwing

Wildwing
by Emily Whitman

When Addy is swept back in time, she couldn't be happier to leave her miser-able life behind. Now she's mistaken for Lady Matilda, the pampered ward of the king. If Addy can play her part, she'll have glorious gowns, jewels, and something she's always longed for—the respect and admiration of others. But then she meets Will, the falconer's son with sky blue eyes, who unsettles all her plans.

From shipwrecks to castle dungeons, from betrothals to hidden conspiracies, Addy finds herself in a world where she's not the only one with a dangerous secret. When she discovers the truth, Addy must take matters into her own hands. The stakes? Her chance at true love . . . and the life she's meant to live. (description taken from Amazon.com)

This was a great historical fiction read. I really loved how the original setting is 1913, but when Addy time travels she goes back to the Medieval period (which I LOVE). It was sooo interesting to compare the customs, fashion, and morals of each time.

Though Addy and Will's secret relationship is the surface focal point of the book and I really enjoyed their romance, I was much more interested in what I consider to be the true theme of the book...Addy learning to be okay with herself and having the strength to make her life what she chooses.

Born a bastard, Addy's life choices in 1913 are minimal. She wants so desperately to rebel, to escape, and when she gets the chance she takes it. Soon, though, she finds that even a Medieval Lady, with wealth, prestige, and beauty, is trapped within the social structures of her society. She has very few real choices.

The subplot when Addy begins training in falconry was fascinating, not just because I really love birds of prey, but also because of the symbolism that ran rampant. Addy was longing for the freedom to leave her jesses behind...and yet, for the right man, she could be whistled happily home.

This is another well-written and compelling book from Emily Whitman, who is fast becoming one of my new favorite authors. I loved her debut, Radiant Darkness, a retelling of the Persephone myth.

A Tale Dark and Grimm

A Tale Dark and Grimm
by Adam Gidwitz

In this mischievous and utterly original debut, Hansel and Gretel walk out of their own story and into eight other classic Grimm-inspired tales. As readers follow the siblings through a forest brimming with menacing foes, they learn the true story behind (and beyond) the bread crumbs, edible houses, and outwitted witches.

Fairy tales have never been more irreverent or subversive as Hansel and Gretel learn to take charge of their destinies and become the clever architects of their own happily ever after. (description taken from Amazon.com)

I am amazed that this is Gidwitz's debut novel. His nod to the Grimm brothers is clearly evident in the gruesome traditional stylings of the fairy tales found here, but the clever melding of one into another to make one long, harrowing journey for Hansel and Gretel is so well done and original.

Though this is not my favorite fairy tale retelling, partially because I just am not as fond of the traditional Hansel and Gretel tale as some others, the tone of the book is amazing. The narrator repeatedly cautions readers to take small children out of the room, taunts readers with "The End...sort of..." over and over, and generally adds a witty humor to the dark, creepy, bloody tales.

For anyone who enjoys a good, cautionary tale this would be the next book to check out!

Red Riding Hood - Movie Review

Red Riding Hood
starring Amanda Seyfried

I saw Red Riding Hood last night with two friends from work. I enjoyed it. (Ironically, I think I liked the previews for "Suckerpunch" more, but the steampunky, live-action anime style of that movie has me BEYOND excited!!)
Anyway... I thought Amanda Seyfried was really good in this role. She can play sultry (much better than Kristen Stewart - to whom comparisons in this role can definitely be made), she can play strong, she can play vulnerable...she really showed range. The two male romantic leads were also very good...I especially enjoyed watching the scenes with Peter, the woodcutter. *wipes sweat off brow*

I thought that the family relationships were complex and interesting. The introduction of the church as almost vengeful, Templar like warrior figures was really well done, too. I thought the werewolf lore was awesome, and NO. I am not going to ruin it for you and tell you who the werewolf was...I'll just say that I was actually surprised. I had thought I knew what the big surprise was, but nope, they threw me for a loop. Well done!

Overall, I really enjoyed it and will probably watch this one again several times.

OMG!! It's finally coming out!!!

Announced today!!!
Christopher Paolini's fourth book in the Inheritance Cycle, aptly named Inheritance will be coming out on November 8, 2011...Finally!
It IS the final book in the series.

Invincible - Book Trailer

Happy release day to Sherrilyn Kenyon!
Today, Invincible , Chronicles of Nick, book two hits the bookshelves.

"Nick Gautier's day just keeps getting better and better. Yeah, he survived the zombie attacks, only to wake up and find himself enslaved to a world of shapeshifters and demons out to claim his soul.

His new principal thinks he's even more of a hoodlum than the last one, his coach is trying to recruit him to things he can't even mention and the girl he's not seeing, but is, has secrets that terrify him.

But more than that, he's being groomed by the darkest of powers and if he doesn't learn how to raise the dead by the end of the week, he will become one of them..."




For more information, you can check out Sherrilyn Kenyon's website for an excerpt!!

I love the Dark Hunters series that Nick's character originally comes from...don't forget to check those out too!!

Sweetly - Blog Tour

Sweetly
by Jackson Pearce
companion book to Sisters Red

Publication date: Aug. 23, 2011

As a child, Gretchen's twin sister was taken by a witch in the woods. Ever since, Gretchen and her brother, Ansel, have felt the long branches of the witch's forest threatening to make them disappear, too.

Years later, when their stepmother casts Gretchen and Ansel out, they find themselves in sleepy Live Oak, South Carolina. They're invited to stay with Sophia Kelly, a beautiful candy maker who molds sugary magic: coveted treats that create confidence, bravery, and passion.

Life seems idyllic and Gretchen and Ansel gradually forget their haunted past-- until Gretchen meets handsome local outcast Samuel. He tells her the witch isn't gone-- it's lurking in the forest, preying on girls every year after Live Oak's infamous chocolate festival, and looking to make Gretchen it's next victim. Gretchen is determined to stop running and start fighting back. Yet the further she investigates the mystery of what the witch is and how it chooses its victims, the more she wonders who the real monster is.

Gretchen is certain of only one thing: a monster is coming, and it will never go away hungry.
(description taken from Amazon.com)

I really enjoyed this companion to Sisters Red. Jackson Pearce has a great way of retelling fairy tales in the original vein that they were meant to be utilized, as cautionary, slightly gruesome tales. They are eerily reminiscent of the original Grimm's Fairy Tales, and I love them!

Pearce did a great job taking the original Hansel and Gretel (here Ansel and Gretchen) tale and merging it with a world where werewolves, or Fenris, as they are called in both books, hunt young girls for prey. The way that she incorporated the witch and her gingerbread house was pure genius! ...and I was starving for a piece of chocolate through most of this chocolatier centered story...

The relationship that Ansel and Gretchen has is deep and layered. Their lives are so wholly wrapped around one another that it took being kicked out of their own home and having to venture for a new one in order for the two to be able to begin to heal and become their own individual personas. The introduction of a love interest for each was really well done. The fact that Ansel's girlfriend and Gretchen's boyfriend each have their own deep secrets and gray shades of morality adds tension and depth to their relationships and their becoming a larger family.

What I loved most about this story, similar to what I loved most in Sisters Red, was the fact that the main character, Gretchen, absolutely refused to play the victim. She fights to the end, trying to save not only herself, but also her brother, her love, her friends, and those who don't know that there are things that should scare them in the night.

Another gritty, fierce, and wonderful "fairy tale" from Jackson Pearce!

Full disclosure: ARC received from Little, Brown for review, ARC received from Book It Forward Blog Tours

Ominous

Ominous
by Kate Brian
Private series, book fourteen

After the shocking revelations made in the Private prequel, The Book of Spells, Noelle and Reed know they are descendants of the original Billings Girls and their legacy includes a mysterious coven of witches. But it's nothing compared to what happens next.

One by one, Billings Girls go missing from campus.

The entire community bands together to find the lost girls, hoping they are still alive. Reed can't believe tragedy has struck Easton again, and she begins to wonder if the Billings Girls are cursed. But when the first body shows up containing a message just for her, she fears her friends are worse than cursed: they're doomed. (description taken from Amazon.com)

I am so sad that this series is almost done. This is the second to last book. The final one, Vengeance, will be coming out August 30th and I have bittersweet feelings about reading it and finishing the series.

I was glad to see Brian managed to tie in the supernatural prequel, The Book of Spells in a way that did not feel contrived. As much as I was dreading adding a supernatural element to my favorite realistic fiction series, it's done well and it's coming at the end of the series so it's not changing the overall feel. (I not-so-secretly revel in the whole soap-opera feel!!)

I have been fascinated with Reed and Noelle's relationship for the entire series. At the end of Vanished, their relationship changes in a very dramatic way and I loved the new light that is cast upon Reed's family. It plays neatly into the information found out in The Book of Spells about the Billings founding families, as well!

At this point, I can't really speculate how Brian can possibly wrap up the entire series in one final book, but I am sure looking forward to reading it.

If You Like: Retro Edition

If You Like…” is a feature highlighting blogger recommendations for books, authors, TV shows, movies, and music based on the things you already know and love. This week includes suggestions for some favorite older titles and childhood favorites.

I just started contributing to this feature at The Reclusive Bibliophile's blog. Check out the Retro Edition here for some great recs!

Eona - Blog Tour

Eona: The Last Dragoneye
by Alison Goodman

Publication Date: April 19, 2011

Eon has been revealed as Eona, the first female Dragoneye in hundreds of years. Along with fellow rebels Ryko and Lady Dela, she is on the run from High Lord Sethon's army. The renegades are on a quest for the black folio, stolen by the drug-riddled Dillon; they must also find Kygo, the young Pearl Emperor, who needs Eona's power and the black folio if he is to wrest back his throne from the selfstyled "Emperor" Sethon. Through it all, Eona must come to terms with her new Dragoneye identity and power-and learn to bear the anguish of the ten dragons whose Dragoneyes were murdered. As they focus their power through her, she becomes a dangerous conduit for their plans. . . . (description taken from Amazon.com)

At almost 650 pages, this conclusion to Eona's story is epic. I received this ARC as part of a tour where you only have seven days to read the book before you pass it on and honestly, I felt really rushed trying to squeeze this book into such a short time frame. I absolutely want to go back and read this one again as soon as it comes out. There are portions I'd like to linger over, to sink into, to really immerse myself in again.

I love, absolutely love the Eastern flavor of Eona's story. One reason that I felt Eon: Dragoneye Reborn was so amazing when I first read it was because it really introduced a whole different cultural feel to epic fantasy...at least for me. I love the connections to the Chinese Zodiac, the clothing styles, the swords, the political structure...in this second book, I loved the descriptions of the fishing villages, then the contrast with the pleasure gardens...I have never really been interested in traveling all the way to Asia and yet, Alison Goodman makes me want to find a way to travel back in time to an earlier Asian era, though I'd be sorely disappointed without the accompanying dragons.

I really enjoyed how Goodman can steep Eona's story with the horrors and terrifying uncertainty of a country on the brink of war and yet counterbalance all of those negative images with small moments of positive personal interactions. Moments of passion, friendship, even just decency and kindness. Eona learns to come into herself as a woman, not just a warrior in this book. She also learns what truly constitutes family - both the blood kind and the chosen.

I must read this book again. The ending is very well done. The spiritual completion of Eona's journey was great and I really want to read it over again slowly to really fully catch all of the nuances. This is not a book to skim. Though I am happy with this book as the sequel to the first, I am sad that there is not a planned third. It's not that I feel anything was left out of Eona's story...I just really love her world and would love to go back!

Well worth the read.

Full disclosure: ARC received from Book It Forward ARC Tours

Shimmer - Book Trailer

Check out the book trailer for Alyson Noel's Shimmer. This is the sequel to Radiance book one in the Riley series, the spin-off from the super popular Immortals series. Honestly, I actually like Riley's series better. Here's my review of the first book, Radiance.

Katniss has officially been cast!

Jennifer Lawrence has officially been cast as Katniss Everdeen in the upcoming movie version of "The Hunger Games."

Here's a link if you want to check it out.

Burlesque - Movie Review

Burlesque

starring Cher and Christina Aguilera

I saw Burleque the night before last on DVD and loved it. It's one of those movies that made me want to get up and dance. It also made me want to admit out loud that yes, though I am at least not tone deaf, no, I really can't sing. Man, both Cher and Christina Aguilera were PHENOMENAL. Those ladies both have "awesome sets of pipes," as my husband likes to say.

I loved the supporting cast, as well. This was Stanley Tucci in my favorite type of role for him! Very similar to the part he played in "The Devil Wears Prada." Also, Kristen Bell was one of the dancers...a real Biatch...and I loved it. I have adored Kristen Bell since "Veronica Mars" hit the air. Eric Dane from "Grey's Anatomy" a.k.a. McSteamy fame played a major role and Alan Cummings from "Center Stage" even had a small role. OH. Did I mention my new favorite guy crush? Not yet? Well...

This is Cam Gigandet. It's so funny, I didn't even remember seeing him before until I looked him up and realized he was in "Twilight." Duh. Now I can totally connect it. He shines, and uh...is totally droolworthy...in this role. I believe I'll be checking out whatever movies he's in during the next few years. Yeah.

Anyway, *Wipes drool off face, embarassed* for a really great singing, dancing, romantic, dramatic movie, check out "Burlesque!"

Beauty Queens - Blog Tour

Beauty Queens
by Libba Bray

Publication date: May 24, 2011

Survival of the Fittest!

The fifty contestants in the Miss Teen Dream Pageant thought this was going to be a fun trip to the beach, where they could parade in their state-appropriate costumes and compete in front of the cameras. But sadly, their airplane had another idea, crashing on a desert island and leaving the survivors stranded with little food, little water, and practically no eyeliner.

What's a beauty queen to do? Continue to practice for the talent portion of the program - or wrestle snakes to the ground? Get a perfect tan - or learn to run wild? And what should happen when the sexy pirates show up? (ARC jacket copy)

It is hard to believe, but it is only the middle of March and I think I just read my favorite book of this year. I think I may have just read my new favorite book...period. This book is...pure genius. Libba Bray is amazing. I am absolutely giving this book a gold star...plus some sparkles...plus, well it deserves a tiara for goodness sakes!!

This book is not just great. It is astounding. Thoughtful, tongue-in-cheek, laugh out loud funny...I mean, there is a girl who spends the entirety of the book with a plastic airplane tray sticking out of her forehead! Who else but Libba Bray could pull that off!?!

No, really. I think that EVERY woman, most men, heck everyone should read this book! Go out and get it as soon as it comes out. It will blow your mind. IT.WILL.BLOW.YOUR.MIND. There are beauty queens who learn to become not just real women, but real kick-ass women. There are sexy, sometimes stupid, reality tv pirates, an angry dictator with a taxidermied advisor, a secret laboratory/lair underneath a volcano, and subtextual references to current culture galore.

Besides the obvious, yet subtly disguised references to actual people (David Levithan, for one!) and products (Bratz dolls, Barbie, tons of makeup, etc.), Libba Bray also gave a shout-out to librarians!
p. 379 - Some in the crowd tossed copies of Ladybird's book into the fire while a librarian pleaded with them not to do that and grabbed a fire extinguisher.*
*(footnote) Really, being a librarian is a much more dangerous job than you realize.

OMG. Yes! This caused me to bounce up and down on the couch, laughing until I cried, and finally spluttered out what I was reading to my husband, who then said, "Oh, has she been following you around at work lately?" and I died again.

I cannot sincerely recommend this book enough. Yes, it is full of subcontext. It brings up a lot of morality issues, political issues, questions about feminism, sexuality...it covers a lot. What makes it a great book is that while everything is right out there in the open, it's not preachy. It's laugh out loud funny! Then when you're done, you sit back and think. Really think. Again...read this book. Read it as soon as you can. You won't regret it.

Full disclosure: ARC received as part of Book It Forward ARC Tour

In My Mailbox - March 13, 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 the Library:


The Candidates by Inara Scott


For Review:


Scorpia Rising by Anthony Horowitz
*Thanks to the publisher, Philomel, for sending this book!*


Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
Eona by Alison Goodman
*Thank you SOOO much to Angela at Book It Forward ARC Tours for sending these!!*


Luminous by Dawn Metcalf
*Thanks to SLJ for this one.*

What an AWESOME book week! Did you guys get anything great this week?

Wake Unto Me

Wake Unto Me
by Lisa Cach

Caitlyn Monahan knows she belongs somewhere else. It's what her dead mother's note suggested, and it's what her recurring nightmares allude to.

Desperate to flee these terrifying dreams--and her small town--she accepts a spot at a boarding school in France. Only, when she arrives, her nightmares get worse.

But then there are her amazing dreams, so vivid and so real, with visits from an alluring, mysterious, and gorgeous Italian boy from the 1500s. Caitlyn knows they are soul mates, but how can she be in love with someone who exists only in her dreams?

Then, as her reality and dream world collide, Caitlyn searches for the real reason why she was brought to this school. And what she discovers will change her life forever. (description taken from Amazon.com)

I really enjoyed this book. The description was intriguing and it fulfilled everything that was promised. First, let me say that I LOVED the setting. The descriptions of the castle that the Fortune School is housed within made me want to jump right onto a plane to head for some of Europe's famous castles. Each stained glass window, each weather-beaten stone stair, each hidden statue just fed more and more into my love of historic buildings. *so good*

Then, even though I couldn't buy at first quite how Caitlyn didn't question her good fortune to win a scholarship to this amazing school, I got wrapped up in everything that was going on in her life and I began to understand exactly how that could happen. Caitlyn's mother's passing, her not fitting in at school, her nightmares...all combined to make one unhappy home life. Of course she jumped at the chance to potentially, irrevocably change her life forever!

However, things never go as easily as they should and Cach did a great job at bringing all of Caitlyn's past right with her to a new setting and then intensifying it. She really ramped it up a notch. Soon poor Caitlyn's so confused about what's real and not that she's spinning in circles and failing her classes.

There are layers upon layers built here of ghosts, prophetic dreams, prophecies, time travel, and dangerous plots. Cach masterfully wove all of these elements together. Though the romantic element was wrapped up a little neatly for me at the end, the other things all falling into place was very satisfying. A great debut.

Full disclosure: ARC copy sent by author for review

2011 Debut Author Challenge title