A Dark and Creepy Comparison - Here There Are Monsters vs. Never-Contented Things

How frustrating is it when you go into a book with high expectations and then find yourself utterly disappointed? How amazing is it when you start a book not really hoping to enjoy it and then find yourself immediately sucked in?

I had both of those experiences in the last few months and with two books that were seemingly similar and so I thought it would be fun to compare them.

Never-Contented Things
by Sarah Porter

The first book was Never-Contented Things by Sarah Porter. (Borrowed from my Local Library)

Prince and his fairy courtiers are staggeringly beautiful, unrelentingly cruel, and exhausted by the tedium of the centuries ― until they meet foster-siblings Josh and Ksenia. Drawn in by their vivid emotions, undying love for each other, and passion for life, Prince will stop at nothing to possess them.

First seduced and then entrapped by the fairies, Josh and Ksenia learn that the fairies' otherworldly gifts come at a terrible price ― and they must risk everything in order to reclaim their freedom.

I read this one back in April and marked it as a 2 star read.  I have to admit that I got sucked in by the premise and the stunningly creepy cover. I love dark fae stories so I thought this was going to be right up my alley... and it should have been.  All the elements were there.  Creepy, mean fae.  Humans making sacrifices to save themselves and each other. Walking between the realms.  BUT... although I loved the premise, something about the execution just didn't work for me.  Neither main character was totally likeable (in fact Josh was downright aggravating) but that can work if done well (think The Cruel Prince by Holly Black) and the Fae weren't very well fleshed out.  I was way more interested in the introspective journey Ksenia has to take that is largely self-directed, than the "punishments" or cruelties of the fae. I found myself anxious for the book to just BE OVER about two-thirds of the way through, and I powered through to the end since it was a shorter novel, but I didn't even find the end totally satisfying.  I'd had high hopes for this one and sadly the reality fell very short. 

Here There are Monsters
by Amelinda Berube

Book two was Here There Are Monsters by Amelinda Berube. (ARC received from Sourcebooks after the Book Expo - publishes on August 1, 2019)

I devoured this one last night.  I sat down to read at about 7:30 p.m. and finished it just before 10:30 p.m. A one-sitting read! I gave this book a 4.5 star rating.

Sixteen-year-old Skye is done playing the knight in shining armor for her insufferable younger sister, Deirdre. Moving across the country seems like the perfect chance to start over.

In their isolated new neighborhood, Skye manages to fit in, but Deirdre withdraws from everyone, becoming fixated on the swampy woods behind their house and building monstrous sculptures out of sticks and bones.

Then Deirdre disappears. And when something awful comes scratching at Skye's window in the middle of the night, claiming she's the only one who can save Deirdre, Skye knows she will stop at nothing to bring her sister home.

Now, this, THIS is what I'd been hoping for with the first book! This book held my attention from start to finish. It doled out backstory in dribs and drabs... just enough to keep whetting my appetite to read.  I felt sympathy for both Skye and Deirdre...until I didn't... and even then, I could feel how trapped they both felt.  This book explored their relationship to each other and everyone else in a brilliant way.  And this dark fantasy had the perfect blend of goose-bump inducing setting and creepy creatures that made me shiver.  

There was a gritty realism that I felt was missing in the first book, possibly because this one takes place in our world, while the other skips into a blend of ours and the fae, without truly committing to either.  The resolution of Here There Are Monsters left me slightly heartbroken and perfectly satisfied which was exactly what I'd hoped for as the book went on.  I hadn't been sure what to expect after reading the other book, and this type of slightly "horror" novel isn't my usual fare, but I really, truly enjoyed this book and I know I'll be recommending it to others in the future!! 

2014 ABNA Judging - Update #2

I blogged last week about how I was finishing up my quarterfinal judging for this year's Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award.  Today was our due date. I'm happy to say that I finished everything in time and am happy to probably just watch some bad tv for the next few days.  I DO however, have some excellent books just waiting to be read this weekend... *grins*

So, like last year and the year before and the year before...well, you get the idea... I can't actually tell you what I've read.  I can, however, give you a little teaser for each and then you can all wait with me to see how they do in the next round! 

Novel 1 - A college student discovers that she can manipulate the elements.  Now she's being hunted for her powers and if she can't band together with one aggravating/cute boy, she may not survive to get her degree...

Novel 2 - A high fantasy about a man who can travel between worlds.  When a dragon egg is stolen and brought to our world he must return it or risk both worlds falling to ruin...

Novel 3 - A dystopian set in a snow-covered London.  A stranger enters a small, self-sufficient community of survivors and brings danger into their cozy world. 

Novel 4 - A horror story about a serial killer targeting a neighborhood to create an artistic vision that will shock the world...

Novel 5 - A dieselpunk adventure set in an alternate Prohibition-Era Chicago where the gods topple Capone only to bring ruin to the City as they try to grab power for themselves... 

This year, I was pleased that I really enjoyed two of the books! Enough that I would love to read sequels for them both.  I can only hope that someday I can...      

So, until next year, I'm officially done with ABNA... *wipes forehead and grins*

2013 ABNA Update #2

Sorry guys! I thought I would be able to give you more updates through the judging process this year, but I was BUSY!! Let me catch you up to speed: 

I've mentioned before that I am one of the contracted Quarterfinalist judges for Amazon's Breakthrough Novel Award each year. This year, Amazon decided to open things up more and now there are five categories: General Fiction, Mystery and Thriller, Romance, Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror, and finally, Young Adult.  This year I am judging in the Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror category. 

This year, aside from changing categories, I also changed the *way* that I received my manuscripts... in previous years, I received loose leaf paper manuscripts which I physically flipped through to read, take notes, and basically take up space in my house (LOL).  So, this year when the option to receive the manuscripts as Kindle documents was offered, I jumped at the chance.  Now some of you may know that my ereader is actually a Nook...so why on earth did I accept Kindle manuscripts?  Well, because I have a Kindle app on my phone and figured that would be just as easy...and less bulky to carry around. 

And...I was sort of right.  It was GREAT not having to carry around the equivalent of two or three reams worth of paper while reading.  I'm one of those people who can read just fine on an ereader, so having the electronic copies didn't bother me at all.  Being able to highlight in the text and then just check for my highlighted "notes" like bookmarks was amazing...I didn't have to physically flip through an entire manuscript each time to verify info I used in my reviews. BUT... I wasn't able to transfer my manuscripts to the Kindle Cloud app where I could have read them on my computer (which would have made things even easier sometimes!) and I found that trying to read on my phone while laying in bed pretty much sent me straight off to dreamland... 

All in all, though, I think I will do the same thing next year... if I don't enter the ABNA contest myself! (I keep considering that...and I might be ready next year...I don't know...) 

So, what did I read this year? Well, I can't tell you much because we have to wait for the results of the judging, but here's a little teaser for each manuscript: 

Novel 1 - A scifi story with an alien presence that speculates that humans use of genetic manipulation is slowly causing the species to lose its ability to naturally survive...

Novel 2 - A dark fantasy where a grieving girl is taken to another world only to be pursued by a murderous being... 

Novel 3 - A scifi story where a girl strives to outdo her wildly successful, but cold half-brother who is secretly pursuing his own agenda...

Novel 4 - An alternate history following Napoleon's escape from Elba Island in a world where magic influenced the outcome of the war... 

Novel 5 - (My favorite of this year's bunch) A murder mystery set out west, told from the perspective of the ghost who ends up trying to find the murderer in order to save the living girl he's haunting... 

So, this year's quarterfinal judging is officially over today...and as always, I feel both accomplished..and EXHAUSTED, LOL.  I can't wait to find out which manuscripts make it to the next round...and I'll be VERY interested to see what happens in the finals!   Until next year... 

2013 ABNA Update #1

I've mentioned before that I am one of the contracted Quarterfinalist judges for Amazon's Breakthrough Novel Award each year.

This year I'm intrigued to see how things pan out with the new changes to the contest system.  In previous years, there had only been two categories for writers to enter, adult and young adult.  This year, Amazon decided to open things up more and now there are five categories: General Fiction, Mystery and Thriller, Romance, Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror, and finally, Young Adult.  Unlike previous years, I am *not* judging in the young adult category. This year I am judging in the Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror category.

I have received five anonymous manuscripts that I have to read and review by the beginning of April.  It is such an interesting process to judge for this contest because not only am I reading to see if the premise is intriguing and the characters engaging, etc, but I also have to take tons of notes as I read so that when I go back to do my review, I can cite each piece of information that I use to discuss the work.

While I have a lot of fun reading each new story (it's so fun to just read a book with NO prior knowledge of its content sometimes), the critical skills necessary to reading for this specific contest can become fatiguing.  It's absolutely rewarding at the end, though, like when I found out that one of the books that I read and pushed forward last year (Regina Sirois' On Little Wings) actually went on to WIN the category. I CANNOT wait to see that book resting on my Library's book shelves this summer.

This year I decided to tackle my largest manuscript first and though I cannot tell you about what I'm reading at this point, I will say that it's an interesting story with genetic mutations and an alien presence. Currently I'm speculating about how the main characters will save the world...

I'll try to keep you posted...

Girl of Nightmares

Girl of Nightmares

by Kendare Blake

sequel to Anna Dressed in Blood

 

It's been months since the ghost of Anna Korlov opened a door to Hell in her basement and disappeared into it, but ghost-hunter Cas Lowood can't move on.

His friends remind him that Anna sacrificed herself so that Cas could live—not walk around half dead. He knows they're right, but in Cas's eyes, no living girl he meets can compare to the dead girl he fell in love with.

Now he's seeing Anna everywhere: sometimes when he's asleep and sometimes in waking nightmares. But something is very wrong...these aren't just daydreams. Anna seems tortured, torn apart in new and ever more gruesome ways every time she appears.

Cas doesn't know what happened to Anna when she disappeared into Hell, but he knows she doesn't deserve whatever is happening to her now. Anna saved Cas more than once, and it's time for him to return the favor. (description from Amazon.com)

 



These books induce just the right amount of shivers.  Blake has mastered the art of creating a world inhabited by all the things that go bump in the night, but not leaving you afraid to sleep after reading...

The hell that Anna was trapped in was creepy and there were moments when I was truly afraid for Cas...then knowing that what he might be returning to was not really any better? You know those moments when you have to keep reminding yourself that "It'll work out okay...it's so and so and they can't really die"... Yeah, I was doing that a lot.

As good as the first.

Full disclosure: Audio book received to review for AudioFile Magazine

Anxiously Awaiting...Spirit and Dust!

Spirit and Dust

by Rosemary Clement-Moore

Sequel to Texas Gothic

Publication date: May 13, 2013

Speaking to the dead is no new thing for Daisy Goodnight. The living, on the other hand, can occasionally be a problem. Especially when they knock you out, kidnap you, and force you to be their magical police dog.

Donald Maguire—mob boss, extraordinaire—has a missing daughter and Daisy is his first choice to track her down. But he didn't actually ask her for help. When she woke up in his guest bedroom, she was told. But why her? And who—or what—in the world is the Black Jackal?

I really loved Texas Gothic. It was creepy, it was snarky, and it had romance. <3 Some of my favorite things. I am so excited to know that this sequel is coming out!!

Scary School

Scary School
by Derek the Ghost 

You think your school's scary?


Get a load of these teachers:

Ms. Fang, an 850-year-old vampire
Dr. Dragonbreath, who just might eat you before recess
Mr. Snakeskin—science class is so much more fun when it's taught by someone who's half zombie
Mrs. T—break the rules and spend your detention with a hungry Tyrannosaurus rex!

Plus gargoyles, goblins, and Frankenstein's monster on the loose, the world's most frighteningly delicious school lunch, and the narrator's an eleven-year-old ghost!

Join Charles "New Kid" Nukid as he makes some very Scary friends—including Petunia, Johnny, and Peter the Wolf—and figures out that Scary School can be just as funny as it is spooky! (description from Amazon.com)

What a cute start to a new "scary" but not too scary series. This would be great for kids who are desperate  to read Stine's Goosebumps series, but perhaps aren't quite ready yet. Then this would also segue really well  into these same kids reading Harrison's Monster High series when they got a  little older. 

With scary, but funny teachers, a weirdly fascinating and dangerous school, and kid characters that you immediately want to befriend,  this book was a quick and FUN read! Narrator and ghost, Derek, walks  us through the school year, introducing both teachers and classmates.  I  loved that there was a girl named Frank (that's pronounced RACHEL!) and that the school Librarian is a dinosaur and that the gourmet school lunches are cooked up by a giant octopus! One of my favorite scenes was when the half-dead sports coach gives a special anatomy lesson by peeling off his skin so that students can see his internal organs!

With a surprisingly good "moral" about friendship, Scary School begins a series that is sure to find fans among the chapterbook set! Book two,  Monsters on the March also just came out on June 26th.

Full disclosure: Review copy set to me by the author

In My Mailbox - August 28, 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:

Jack Blank and the Secret War by Matt Myklusch
All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin
*Thanks to AudioFile*



Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Nightshade by MaryRose Wood
*Thanks NetGalley!*


Prized by Caragh O'Brien
Liesl and Po by Lauren Oliver
*Thanks NetGalley!*


Paradise Prophecy by Robert Browne
*Thanks to Dutton*
Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
*Thanks to Tor Teen!*

From the Library:

The Seventh Level by Jody Feldman
Edda by Conor Kostick

Shimmer

Shimmer
by Alyson Noel
Riley Bloom series, book two

Having solved the matter of the Radiant Boy, Riley, Buttercup, and Bodhi are enjoying a well-deserved vacation. When Riley comes across a vicious black dog, against Bodhi’s advice, she decides to cross him over. While following the dog, she runs into a young ghost named Rebecca. Despite Rebecca’s sweet appearance, Riley soon learns she’s not at all what she seems. As the daughter of a former plantation owner, she is furious about being murdered during a slave revolt in 1733. Mired in her own anger, Rebecca is lashing out by keeping the ghosts who died along with her trapped in their worst memories. Can Riley help Rebecca forgive and forget without losing herself to her own nightmarish memories? (description from Amazon.com)

Riley's story once again just struck a total chord with me and I found myself tearing up in two really excellent scenes. Though I did really enjoy the books in the Immortals series, I don't think I ever really connected like I do with Riley's books. There is just something so emotionally pulling for me in her afterlife quest to grow more mature, both physically and emotionally.

I LOVED the connection in this book to the real life story of the slave revolts in St. John in 1733. To see the actions from both sides and how the emotional fallout stuck with everyone...that was powerful. When Riley is able to bring the souls to a state of forgiveness...WOW. I cried. I'll admit it. Alyson Noel did a great job not only dreaming up a really cool way to have souls relive horrors of their lives, but also a way to find redemption.

Noel's imagination never fails me. I love how there are layers of complexity in the Here&Now. Every scene adds something to the world. Such a good series! I can't wait for book number three, Dreamland (out in fall 2011).

Full disclosure: Received from publisher for review

The Black

The Black
by D. J. MacHale
Morpheus Road, book two

Cooper Foley always had a knack for finding trouble, but nothing he’s ever experienced could have prepared him for his latest adventure: He has landed square in the middle of a border war between the worlds of the living and the dead.

At the end of The Light, Book One of the Morpheus Road trilogy, Marshall Seaver learned the truth about what happened to his missing best friend, Cooper. Now, the mystery continues to unfold, only this time through Cooper’s eyes.

What did Marshall’s terrifying encounters with Gravedigger have to do with spirits from another existence? Who is Damon, and what role did he play in Cooper’s dilemma? Most importantly, what is the mysterious Morpheus Road? (description taken from the author's website)

When I got The Light to review for SLJ, I was not that excited. Horror isn't normally my thing. I was pleasantly surprised, though, and even though there were some gruesome moments, I ended up really liking it. So, when I got The Black to review, I was happy to be able to continue the story.

I was really excited when I realized that this second book was from Marsh's friend, Cooper's point of view. While the first book took place in our reality, the Light, and Marsh was haunted, the second book takes place in the second stage of the Morpheus Road, the Black.

MacHale has created an interesting new world with different stages of life and the afterlife. The Black is sort of like purgatory and is different for each person. I loved seeing how different spirits' visions of the Black touched and interacted. It was really cool to see how Cooper's relatives and neighbors were able to coexist without generational differences in the Black.

While the first book was super creepy, partially since Marsh made such a great victim, this second book delved more deeply into the actual world and even though it had creepy moments, it was more thoughtprovoking and definitely sets things up for a grand finale in the third book.

The thing that really cemented for me how much I loved this book was Cooper's voice. He's a really snarky, anti-authority kind of guy, but he's also loyal and caring to a fault. As things heat up for Cooper, he buckles down and does exactly what he thinks is right, even if no one else agrees. I think that the final book goes back to Marsh's voice and I will miss Cooper. (Plus Nick Podehl narrated and though I think it's funny that every D. J. MacHale book I've ever listened to has been narrated by him, he does a great job. He was REALLY good as Cooper)

Full disclosure: Audio book received to review for SLJ

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.

The Curse of the Wendigo

The Curse of the Wendigo
by Rick Yancey
The Monstrumologist, book two

While attempting to disprove that Homo vampiris, the vampire, could exist, Dr. Warthrop is asked by his former fiance to rescue her husband from the Wendigo, a creature that starves even as it gorges itself on human flesh, which has snatched him in the Canadian wilderness. Although Warthrop also considers the Wendigo to be fictitious, he relents and rescues her husband from death and starvation, and then sees the man transform into a Wendigo. Can the doctor and Will Henry hunt down the ultimate predator, who, like the legendary vampire, is neither living nor dead, whose hunger for human flesh is never satisfied? (description taken from Amazon.com)

I have to say that I was really pleasantly surprised by this book. When I accepted it for review I didn't realize it was the sequel to The Monstrumologist. I had really wanted to read that when it came out, but kept hearing how gruesome it was, so decided to skip it. When I then realized that I was going to listen to the sequel, I have to admit that I was really nervous that I would not be able to get all the way through it.

I was amazed, though, as I started listening, at how much I love the style that Yancey writes for this series. It is written as if he is investigating the events in Will Henry's journals to prove that they really happened. He reports whole portions of the journals and these are done in the vernacular of 1800s New England. What a wealth of vocabulary!! I love words. I pride myself on not only knowing a lot of words, but of being able to understand the meanings of many words I do not know from the context in which they are used.... Yancey not only gave me a plethora of new words, but also reminded me of words I had not used recently! I loved it.

I think that this step away from today's common language, along with a very matter-of-fact delivery in the narration of the book, allowed me to get through some parts that were very gruesome. In fact, a lot of the visceral action happened so fast that my brain couldn't really process the disgust before we were moving on.

I am not normally a horror fan, almost at all. I tend to avoid this genre, but I have to say that I was absolutely compelled to finish this book. I did not at all regret reading it, and I may even go back and read the first in the series. Very well done!

Full disclosure: Audio book sent for AudioFile review

Author Event - Ghost and Graves Tour: Jessica Verday and Michelle Zink

I was lucky enough to attend the "Ghosts and Grave Tour" stop at the Otis Library in Norwich, CT today. As some of you know, I am friends with their YA Librarian, Jen, also known as Yabooknerd. As soon as she let me know that both Michelle Zink and Jessica Verday were coming to her Library, I worked my schedule so that I could go be a little fangirl!

Both Jessica (left) and Michelle (right) read from their books. It was awesome to hear the authors read their own work. They also answered lots of questions and explained why they were touring together - answer: they both write what could be termed "YA horror" books, though Jessica's are contemporary supernatural and Michelle's are historical gothic.

I was beyond excited to meet Michelle Zink. I adored her book, Prophecy of the Sisters (see my glowing review here), and am beyond excited now to read my shiny new signed copy of its sequel, Guardian of the Gate.



As you can see I'm very happy with my signed copies of the books! I also got some really, really great bookmarks and a perfectly book sized bag, that said "Prophecy of the Sisters" on the side to take my books home in... *squee!



I also got to meet Jessica Verday, who was wearing the chicest outfit ever, btw., and found out that we actually have the same name! Verday is a "pen name" based on her middle name, but her real name is also Jessica Miller. :) OMG - I think she may be my way cooler, author alter-ego. Awesome!

I took home a signed copy of her first book, The Hollow, and will get its sequel The Haunted on my Nook eventually. I didn't have enough money to get it tonight... :( Oh well. As Jen's unofficial, semi VIP guest (*squee, again!), Jessica also gave me an awesome t-shirt, that I'm trying to figure out how I can incorporate into my work wardrobe.





The front of the t-shirt says, "R.U.H2?" The back says, " Haunted by the Hollow - www.JessicaVerday.com" So cool!


*Update - Look I managed to rock my free t-shirt at work, paired with a skirt and swingy cardigan!*

As part of their tour, the ladies both gave out door prizes. Jessica gave out samples of the perfumes from her books, a copy of The Haunted, and a CD that helped inspire the books. Michelle gave out a copy of The Prophecy of the Sisters, a CD that her son originally composed that is inspired by the books (which I won, OMG!), and together they gave out an Ipod Shuffle.



Jessica and Michelle were super sweet and gracious enough to pose for pictures for Jen and I. I can't tell you how awesome it was to meet them both and we even got hugs goodbye!! (pictured above, Jessica Verday, Jen, Me, and Michelle Zink)

I want to give a huge shout-out and thank you to my friend, Jen, who was an amazing hostess (and even made awesome gravestone shaped cookies)!!

I Kissed a Zombie and I Liked It

I Kissed a Zombie and I Liked It
by Adam Selzer

Eighteen-year-old Algonquin "Alley" Rhodes lives in a town where post-humans have officially "come out of the coffin" and are now participating in normal society. Alley isn't into the whole post-human thing, thinking all vampires are just brooding, self-absorbed jerks, until the night she goes to the Cage to review a local band and falls for the "real goth" guest vocalist. For the first time ever, pale skin and black clothing are exactly what Alley finds hot!

When she and Doug start dating, Alley falls so hard she misses some key signs that there may be more going on with Doug than just an emo trend. He doesn't seem to change clothes, he smells a little funny, and he can't hold lengthy conversations. Finally, she gets clued in...Doug is the real deal...not just goth, he's a ZOMBIE!!

Alley knows that she needs to break up with Doug, but just can't seem to do it. Even with his "quirks," Doug is the most interesting guy Alley's been with...ever. Unfortunately, the vampire counselor at Alley's school thinks that if she's going to date Doug she's gonna have to go all the way and convert. Is Alley willing to die for her date?

This is a funny little gem of a book! It is full of snarky human, societal commentary, romance, teenage horomones, and yes, even zombie horror. What I loved most about this book was the realism amidst the paranormal horror. Alley is told she'll have to "convert" (a.k.a. die!) to continue seeing Doug and she goes online to do research. Finding sites and chat rooms devoted to people in human/post-human relationships, Alley uses first hand accounts and plans for their futures to help her decide what she should do. It was eerie how close Selzer was able to make some of those conversations sound like ones that teens have about other topics...

I don't want to ruin anything because I want people to read this book!! It's only 177 pages, so it took me about 2 hours to read, and I laughed A LOT! I think it ends very realistically...Selzer did a great job.

Monthly Roundup - January 2010

Here's what I read in January 2010:

Why I Let My Hair Grow Out - Maryanne Wood
And Another Thing - Eoin Colfer
What I Was - Meg Rosoff
Another Faust - Daniel and Dina Nayeri
Gilda Joyce: The Dead Drop - Jennifer Allison
Divine Misdemeanors - Laurell K. Hamilton
The Vampire Just Isn't That Into You - Vlad Melich
Chasing the Bear - Robert B. Parker
Knocked Out By My Nunga-Nungas - Louise Rennison
Splendor - Anna Godbersen
Front and Center - Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Secret Society - Tom Dolby
Merrie - Vivian Schurfranz
The Giver - Lois Lowry
The Sleepaway Girls - Jen Calonita
Cat Among Pigeons - Julia Golding
How to Ditch Your Fairy - Justine Larbeleister
Girl in the Arena - Lise Hines
Lily Dale:Discovering - Wendy Corsi Staub
The Pilgrims of Rayne - D.J. MacHale

Total: 20 books

January 2010 Favorites:

Front and Center - An excellent end to the trilogy. D.J. just kept getting better in every book!
How To Ditch Your Fairy - Fairies, moral lessons, romance, humor...I loved it!
The Sleepaway Girls - I just want to go back to camp now! A great summer read.