Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Teaser Tuesdays - Hunger

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along!






"Sam raked his flamethrower up and down the pillar, aiming anywhere he saw movement. In places where he lingered, the dirt grew so hot, it glowed and formed flying droplets of magma."


p. 198 Hunger - Michael Grant

The Real Deal: Unscripted

Claire has an opportunity to do a reality TV show about her big break into Broadway, but she learns that life on the stage and life on the screen are hard work and can create a lot of problems. Adding to this is her new relationship with her long-lost sister and her attraction to her co-star.

I read this as my random book for the Take a Chance Challenge. I had originally picked the 1st bay, 2nd shelf, 8th book, but those turned out to be all Meg Cabot books so I moved over bays and this was it. Normally I wouldn't have picked it up since it looks like a little "throwaway" paperback (and it is), but I committed so I read it. I enjoyed it for the most part. It turned out to be a sequel, but you didn't need to read the 1st book to know what was going on. It would have provided a little character background though. Clarie is a relateable teenager and she experiences her new TV show and Broadway show with the kind of excitement that seem real enough. The romance with her co-star is cute and predictable as is a lot of the plot. But it was fun and quick and a good summer read.

Monday, June 29, 2009

Reading this Week

This past week I finished The Luxe, The Giver (audio), and The Forest of Hands and Teeth plus I just finished The Real Deal: Unscripted last night (for the Take a Chance Challenge), So it was a productive week this week.
This week I'm going to read Hunger: A Gone Novel (Grant) and Kissing Kate (Myracle), my first book for the GLBT Challenge.
I'm still listening to Lireal (Nix) since I took a detour to listen to The Giver in the car. We were on a car trip and the husband decided he wanted to listen to a book and I had that one. He only listened to half and keep asking me what was happening so I got him the book to read. Anyway, I finished it up and went back to Lireal afterwards. I'm also still working on An Abundance of Katherines (Green) at work.

Check out J.Kaye's Book Blog for what others are reading.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

The Forest of Hands and Teeth

Mary lives in a village in the midst of The Forest of Hands and Teeth where the Unconsecrated live hungering for the flesh of the living. When her mother chooses to become a zombie after losing her husband to the forest, Mary is sent to live with the Sisters who hold the knowledge of the Return and the Unconsecrated. But Mary longs for ocean which she learned of from her mother's stories and wants to find a way out of the Forest and to a different life.




Normally I'm not about zombie stories. I don't usually watch zombie movies or read books about them. But I heard a lot about this book and good things at that. I was briefly reminded of the movie The Village but soon those comparison were gone as we started running away from the zombies. Mary was a little tedious for me as she kept lusting after Travis through the whole book and wouldn't shut up about the damn ocean. But it was the thing that kept her going so whatever works I guess. The ending was fine, but I wished there would have been more background. Like how the village ended up in the middle of the forest, why there was a zombie infection in the first place, how other people survived, etc? I have a lot of unanswered questions. I wish there would be a prequel or something. I enjoyed it and read it really fast, but I'm a somewhat disturbed by it.

Saturday, June 27, 2009

The Giver

Jonas lives in his own Community, where people are assigned everything in their lives from wives to house to jobs, where emotions are dampened by a pill and food is always available, where everything is orderly and rules are to be obeyed without question. At the onset of the book, it seems like an ideal world and Jonas does not question it. Until at his 12th ceremony, he is named the new Receiver of Memories. Once he meets the old man, the Giver, he starts to learn of how things were before the Communities and how even a perfect world contains its own horrors.


Amazingly I had never read this Newbery Award winner before. I genuinely liked it. There were parts that I found especially disturbing, like when Jonas finds out what it means to be "released" and the pills they start taking at the onset of puberty. Lowry creates a world here that shows that a "perfect" society comes at a price. I know this is an oft challenged/banned book but I don't think that I would have really understood certain things when I was younger. I think this is one of those books that you see differently as you grow up.

I actually listened to this one and Ron Rifkin, the narrator, does an excellent job. He gives Jonas the perfect voice and creates tension when needed. The only thing about the audiobook was the little music accompaniments to the memories. I found those distracting.

*Read for the Take a Chance Challenge - Public Spying book
*Also counts for Audio Book Challenge

The Luxe

Elizabeth Holland is society's sweetheart in this Gossip Girl-like novel set during the turn of the 19th century. She is thought to be the perfect debutante, sweet, proper, yielding. But Elizabeth has secrets and passion of her own. She is compelled to do the right things, however, and marry Henry Schoonmaker, a rich playboy, who has his sights set on someone else. Elizabeth's sister, Diana, as well as her friend, Penelope, have stakes set into who marries Henry Schoonmaker and Penelope is not going to let him marry Elizabeth without a fight.

Let me say that I'm a fan of the Gossip Girl books. Some of them are tedious and, frankly, there are too many of them, but they are a good read and fun and easy. So I went into this book knowing it was suppose to be Gossip Girl, only historical. And it was. Elizabeth was much like Sabrina, only better and Penelope was much like Blair, only slier. Henry was a Nate character, but less stoned and more aware and Diana was a Jenny. What made this different was the society and the history involved. Also Elizabeth was much more caged in by what she could do or who she should love. The ending was not unexpected but was a nice turn-around and I'm looking forward to the next book.

Friday, June 26, 2009

From the Library 6/26


This week was a slow week for me. I didn't check out that much since we were on vacation for a couple of days. I did manage to finish a book though. But, anyway, I only got a couple of things.






The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart (author); Tanya Eby (narrator)(audio) (So far I've liked everything by E. Lockhart)

Frankie Landau-Banks at age 14: Debate Club. Her father's "Bunny Rabbit." A mildly geeky girl attending a highly competitive boarding school. Frankie Landau-Banks at age 15: A knockout figure. A sharp tongue. A chip on her shoulder. And a gorgeous new senior boyfriend: the supremely goofy, word-obsessed Matthew Livingston. Frankie Laundau-Banks. No longer the kind of girl to take "no" for an answer. Especially when "no" means she's excluded from her boyfriend's all-male secret society. Not when her ex boyfriend shows up in the strangest of places. Not when she knows she's smarter than any of them. When she knows Matthew is lying to her. And when there are so many, many pranks to be done. Frankie Landau-Banks, at age 16: Possibly a criminal mastermind. This is the story of how she got that way.



Fade by Lisa McMann (2nd in the Dreamcatcher series which I will probably read back to back)

For Janie and Cabel, real life is getting tougher than the dreams. They're just trying to carve out a little (secret) time together, but no such luck. Disturbing things are happening at Fieldridge High, yet nobody's talking. When Janie taps into a classmate's violent nightmares, the case finally breaks open -- but nothing goes as planned. Not even close. Janie's in way over her head, and Cabe's shocking behavior has grave consequences for them both. Worse yet, Janie learns the truth about herself and her ability -- and it's bleak. Seriously, brutally bleak. Not only is her fate as a dream catcher sealed, but what's to come is way darker than she'd feared....


*descriptions and book covers taken from GoodReads

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Teaser Tuesdays - The Luxe

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along!







"She was unable to smile at this. She was too busy wondering if Will might still love her when she was a Mrs. Schoonmaker."

The Luxe Anna Godbersen

Monday, June 22, 2009

What I'm Reading

Since last week, I finished The Dust of 100 Dogs and it was excellent. I started reading The Luxe (Godbersen) right after. Once I'm done with that, I'm going to read The Forest of Hands and Teeth (Ryan), then Hunger (Grant).
I finished Sabriel and I'm listening to Lirael in the car now. I'm a big Tim Curry fan so it's great listening to him narrate these books. I'm still listening to An Abundance of Katherines at work though!

Check out J.Kaye's Book Blog for what others are reading.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Sabriel - The Old Kingdom series (audio)

Sabriel lives in a world divided in two, one is Ancelstierre where there is no magic and the other is the Old Kingdom which is full of magic and the dead. Her father is Abhorsen whose life purpose is to send the dead back to death and make sure they stay there. Sabriel is at boarding school in Ancelstierre when she receives her father's bells and his sword. She knows this means something has happened to him so she ventures into the Old Kingdom to find his body and try and save him. Along the way she is joined by the servent of Abhorsen, Mogget, a mysterious cat whose identity and power is unknown, and Touchstone, a free magic mage whose past is also myterious. Together, they travel deeper into the Old Kingdom to rescue Sabriel's father and defend an old evil.


One of the reason I wanted to listen to this book was because Tim Curry is the narrator. There are some people I would be willing to listen read the phonebook and he is one of them. I am also a big Garth Nix fan so I figured the combination would be a good one and I was right. I really liked Sabriel although the landscape descriptions were a little long for an audiobook. I especially liked Mogget, the cat who knows everything, and I'm interested in learning his true background which I'm sure will be explained in the sequels. Sabriel was really cool too, a strong independent woman.

This is just a side note, but when I read I tend to "see" the action in my head. It's like a little movie that plays in my head. Most books play out like live action movies but, for some reason, Sabriel was an anime in my head. The tone and style of the book just feel anime to me and I wish that if they made it a movie, they would make it anime. It would be spot-on.

Friday, June 19, 2009

From the Library 6/19

So I thought I was clever and all with my From the Library meme, but it turn out (as I should have known) that there is already one called Library Loot which takes place on Wednesdays. I prefer Fridays though and even though I like participating in other's memes, I think I will continue with my From the Library Fridays. But if you are interested in what others got from the library, visit A Striped Armchair or Reading Adventures.

So I got quite a bit from the library this week. There are some for book challenges, but they all look good.




Kissing Kate - Lauren Myracle
(For the
GLBT challenge that starts July 1)


Kate was Lissa's best friend. They've shared everything for four years. Then one night at a drunken party, Kate leaned in to kiss Lissa, and Lissa kissed her back. And now Kate is pretending Lissa doesn't exist. Confused and alone, Lissa's left questioning everything she thought she knew about herself, and about life. but with the help of a free-spirit new friend, Lissa's beginning to find the strength to realize that sometimes falling in love with the wrong person is the only way to find your footing.


The Forest of Hands and Teeth - Carrie Ryan (I've heard great things about this book.)

In Mary's world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary’s truths are failing her. She’s learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future—between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?


Hunger: A Gone Novel - Michael Grant (Can't wait to read this one!)

It's been three months since everyone under the age of fifteen became trapped in the bubble known as the FAYZ. Things have only gotten worse. Food is running out, and each day more kids are developing supernatural abilities. Soon tension rises between those with powers and those without, and when an unspeakable tragedy occurs, chaos erupts. It's the normals against the mutants, and the battle promises to turn bloody. But something more dangerous lurks. A sinister creature known as the Darkness has begun to call to the survivors in the FAYZ. It needs their powers to sustain its own. When the Darkness calls, someone will answer -- with deadly results.



The Giver - Lois Lowry, author; Ron Rifkin, narrator (audio) (for the Take a Chance Challenge)
Jonas' world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear or pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the Community. When Jonas turns 12, he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. Now, it's time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back.





Lirael - Garth Nix, author; Tim Curry, narrator (audio, so good so far)

Lirael has never felt like a true daughter of the Clayr. Now, two years past the time when she should have received the Sight that is the Clayr's birthright, she feels alone, abandoned, unsure of who she is. Nevertheless, the fate of the Old Kingdom lies in her hands. With only her faithful companion, the Disreputable Dog, Lirael must undertake a desperate mission under the growing shadow of an ancient evil.
In this sequel to Sabriel, winner of the Aurealis Award for Excellence in Australian Science Fiction, New York Times best-selling author Garth Nix weaves a spellbinding tale of discovery, destiny, and danger.




Scruples - Judith Krantz (for the Take a Chance Challenge)


Scruples was the temple of high fashion where the rich and superchic could sip champagne, browse and buy the most beautiful clothes in the world. It was the brainchild of the fabled Billy Ikehorn, whose ruthless search for fulfillment would lead her from lover to lover.






The Loud Silence of Francine Green - (for the Take a Chance Challenge)


Francine Green doesn't speak up much, and who can blame her? Her parents aren't interested in her opinions, the nuns at school punish girls who ask too many questions, and the House Committee on Un-American Activities is blacklisting people who express unpopular ideas. There's safety in silence. Francine would rather lose herself in a book, or in daydreams about her favorite Hollywood stars, than risk attracting attention or getting in trouble. But when outspoken, passionate Sophie Bowman transfers into Francine's class at All Saints School for Girls, Francine finds herself thinking about things that never concerned her before free speech, the atom bomb, the existence of God, the way people treat each other. Eventually, Francine discovers that she not only has something to say, she is absolutely determined to say it. Once again, Karen Cushman follows a young woman's progress toward her true self, this time exploring the nature of friendship and the experience of growing up Catholic in an era that is both fascinating and relevant to today's young people.


Gilda Joyce: The Dead Drop (I had read the other books in this series last summer so I'm excited this one is out. It's such a good series.)


When Gilda lands a summer internship at Washington, D.C.’s International Spy Museum, she finds herself embroiled in both a museum haunting and a real case of espionage. While investigating a cemetery where Abraham Lincoln’s son was once buried, Gilda stumbles upon a spy’s “dead drop” of classified information. Gilda’s efforts to decode the cryptic message lead to further intrigues: Is she on the trail of a mole operating inside the U.S. intelligence community? Aware that “nothing is what it seems” when it comes to spies in Washington, D.C., Gilda faces the most serious challenge yet in her career as a psychic spy.
*all book descriptions taken from GoodReads

Thursday, June 18, 2009

The Dust of 100 Dogs

Once Emer was a precocious six year old in Ireland, but after Cromwell took over Ireland, a series of unfortunate events leads her to becoming a bloodthirsty pirate out for treasure. Then she is cursed to live 100 lives as a dog. Now that she's back to being a human again, Emer is ready to find the treasure she buried long ago.

This was an interesting book. It's told from a couple of perspectives, mainly Emer/Saffron. Saffron is the reborn Emer. She has all the memories of Emer's life (lives, she remembers the dog lives too) and it's hard to tell if they are really the same person or if Emer just lives in Saffron. If you had memories from the day you were born of a life you know you lived, but you didn't specifically live it yourself, how would that work...?

Anyway, Saffron is born with Emer's knowledge and she knows that when she is old enough she is going to go and find the treasure Emer buried 300 years ago. There are a lot of flashbacks that show how Emer went from a simple Irish girl to a pirate and how she wound up being cursed. There are also sections on some of the dog lives that provide lessons on dogs. Some are funny, some are sad, and at least one made me angry, but I wish there had been a few more. The one thing about this book I didn't understand was the Frenchman. He is obsessed with Emer and I never could figure out why.

This was one of my favorites so far this year and will definitely be a re-read at some point. I don't rate because I'm afraid I would be extremely generous no matter what, but if I did this would be a 5/5 or 10/10 or whatever. 5 stars

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Teaser Tuesdays - The Dust of 100 Dogs

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along!




My teaser:


"I never told him about my plans to dig up buried treasure or my vivid, violent daydreams. I never told him about the love I carried for a three-hundred-year-old dead man, either."

p.81 The Dust of 100 Dogs A.S. King

Graceling (Graceling Realm #1)

Born into a world where some people are born with special "Graces," Katsa discovers at an early age that she has a Killing Grace. Made into her uncle the King's special enforcer, she decides to do some secret good to counteract the orders she carries out for the king. In the midst of rescuing a noble, she encounters Po, a prince for another kingdom and also Graced although harboring a secret. This sets off a chain of events that lead to an epic adventure and to Katsa discovering the truth of her own Grace.

I'd seen Graceling reviewed in a couple of different places and I knew I had to read it. This book certainly did not disappoint. I love when the female character is the strongest and can kick some serious butt. Katsa, despite doing some questionable things, is a sympathetic character and I enjoyed her. She is strong and willful, but doesn't recognize her true power in the beginning since she has been treated as an attack dog by her uncle and the people around her fear her. Po brings out the best in her and the way he treats her like a person makes her understand that she is more than how she was raised. Po was also an awesome character. He is strong and determined and tries to do right by Katsa. I loved him. I loved them both.
Now I can't wait for Fire, the companion novel.

Monday, June 15, 2009

What I'm Reading

So since last week I finished Fragile Eternity (Marr) and Graceling (Cashore). Now I'm going to start The Dust of 100 Dogs. I'm excited about this book and I have high expectations. After that I think I'm going to read The Luxe (Godbersen).
I am still listening to Sabriel (Nix) in the car but should finished tomorrow so I'll start the sequel Lirael next. And I'm also still listening to An Abundance of Katherines at work.

Check out J.Kaye's Book Blog to see what others are reading.

I got an award!

Ladybug at Escape in a Book gave me this fun Lemonade Award. Thanks!


Here are the rules:
1. Put the logo on your blog or post.
2. Nominate at least 10 blogs which show great Attitude and/or Gratitude!
3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
5. Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award.


So I'm nominating these 10 to give this award to:

1. Amanda @ The Zen Leaf
2. Drea @ Book Blather
3. Ashley @ Books Obsession
4. Sue @ Great Books for Kids and Teens
5. Sandy @ One Literature Nut
6. Lis & Chelle @ Teen Tangents
7. The Brain Lair
8. Jenny @ Wondrous Reads
9. Lianne @ Thoughts on YA Literature
10. Runa @ One Reader's Trash is Another Reader's Treasure

Also I am excited cause I found out that I won an autographed copy of Fragile Eternity from Book Blather. That is so fun!

Friday, June 12, 2009

From the Library 6/12

I'm borrowing a meme I've seen around (In My Mailbox The Story Siren and On My Bookshelf Books Obsession) and changing it up for me. I don't get a lot of books in the mail or buy them really. My husband would kill me and we would never eat again since all our money would be spent on books. Also I am a librarian so I support my local library as much as I can.
So anyway, I'm going to try and do a weekly meme that I'm calling From the Library (original right?) and listing the books I've gotten from the library.






Beastly - Alex Flinn

I am a beast.
A beast. Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog but a horrible new creature who walks upright—a creature with fangs and claws and hair springing from every pore. I am a monster.
You think I'm talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It's no deformity, no disease. And I'll stay this way forever—ruined—unless I can break the spell.
Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I'll tell you. I'll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I'll tell you how I became perfectly . . . beastly.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Luxe - Anna Godbersen (this is the 3rd time for this book, I'm trying to get around to it.)

A big, sumptuous tale of catty girls, dark secrets and windswept romance unfurls in this compulsively readable novel of late-19th-century New York City socialites. Godbersen weaves a tenuous web of deceit, backstabbing and pretense that follows four teens: Elizabeth Holland, a prim and proper lady of old-money society, is betrothed to one man, though furtively loves another; Henry Schoonmaker, a debauched playboy who must marry Elizabeth or be disinherited; Diana Holland, Elizabeth’s younger sister who is in love with her fiancé; and Penelope Hayes, a member of the nouveau riche who will stop at nothing to win Henry’s affections. As Elizabeth and Henry’s wedding approaches, the spectacle unfolds in a wondrously grandiose scene, making for a fun, though not entirely unexpected dénouement. A delicious new twist along the Gossip Girl vein, readers will clamor for this sharp, smart drama of friends, lovers, lies and betrayal.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
City of Bones
- Cassandra Clare
When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy? This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dust of 100 Dogs - A.S. King (I'm really excited about this one.)
In the late seventeenth century, famed teenage pirate Emer Morrisey was on the cusp of escaping the pirate life with her one true love and unfathomable riches when she was slain and cursed with the dust of one hundred dogs, dooming her to one hundred lives as a dog before returning to a human body -- with her memories intact. Now she's a contemporary American teenager and all she needs is a shovel and a ride to Jamaica. This novel, told in several threads from one multi-voiced narrator (Saffron Adams), explores life from 17th century Ireland to 17th century Caribbean piracy, to 20th century small-town Pennsylvania. And 100 dog lives in between.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Devilish - Maureen Johnson (I've read this, but I liked it so much I'm going to do a re-read when I can)
Tiny senior-class genius/spitfire Jane Jarvis is seriously out of place in St. Teresa's Preparatory School for Girls in Providence, RI. Although she considers herself to be above the school's traditions, she wants to help her clueless best friend, Ally, obtain a good freshman sister at the annual Big-Little ceremony. Alas, when Ally forcefully vomits in front of the en
tire student body, she needs more than Jane's help. After a brief period of avoiding her schoolmates, all of a sudden she's cool, gorgeously attired, confident, and sophisticated. Well, everyone knows that high school is hell, so it makes semi-sense that demons abound, and Ally has sold her soul to one. Jane is determined to save her. Odd things start happening, from giant hailstorms to self-igniting textbooks, and Jane sadly bids farewell to her family and throws herself into mortal–and immortal–danger.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unscripted - Amy Kaye (This is for the Take a Chance Challenge.)

Having been one of the standouts of a high school, reality-TV show, Claire is given the opportunity to appear in a spin-off. This time, cameras tail her during the summer as she tests her theatrical skills in a starring role on Broadway in a Rent-style musical production. She lives in a Manhattan apartment with her newly discovered, somewhat older, half-sister Tina, the product of an out-of-wedlock birth that Claire's father had kept secret. They intend to do their best, despite the intrusive cameras, to form some sort of belated bond. At the theater, Claire meets Jeb, a former boy-band member who has been recruited for a starring role opposite her in order to infuse the production with even more celebrity buzz. He offers Claire the services of his entourage of trainers when she flounders in rehearsals early on and a romance quickly develops between them, but then comes to a hasty termination when Claire becomes suspicious of his character. Soon the paparazzi pressures of celebrity are conspiring to undermine the pair's short stint in the Broadway limelight, as well as any hopes for Claire and Tina establishing a meaningful sisterhood.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Take a Chance Challenge - COMPLETE

So I have been contemplating this challenge for a little while now and since I finished the YA Challenge, I've decided to join. So here is the Take a Chance Challenge from Jenners' Find Your Next Book Here. The challenge will run from June 1, 2009 through November 30, 2009




This challenge is all about taking chances in your reading. There are 10 tasks in all -- 7 involve finding a book to read in very random ways. The last three tasks are about taking chances as a writer as you are challenged to take on the role of short story writer, poet and movie/book reviewer. The challenge is meant to be fun and no pressure. Complete as many or a few of the 10 challenges as you want. However, the more you complete, the more chances you'll get to win the grand prize.

I'll list my books here as well as on her blog. This will be a true challenge for me.

Here are the challenges:

  1. Unscripted by Amy Kaye (Random Book.)
  2. The Loud Silence of Francine Green by Karen Cushman (Random Word. Silence.)
  3. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi & Ron Barrett (Birth Year Book. 1978.)
  4. Saving Juliet by Suzanne Selfors (Judge A Book By Its Cover.)
  5. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Phoning An Author) Collins. (googled YA author collins and this was first)
  6. The Giver by Lois Lowry (Public Spying.)
  7. Mrs. Arris Goes to Paris by Paul Gallico (Random Bestseller.)
  8.    Lit Riff. write about a song. not doing this one.
  9. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (Poetic Review.)
  10. James and the Giant Peach (Roald Dahl) found at this website. (Movie/Book Comparison)

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Fragile Eternity

Seth is a mortal who is in love with the Queen of the faery Summer Court, Aislinn. He is vulnerable and weak compared to her and he will die one day while she will live eternal. Added to this strain is the Summer King to whom Aislinn feels an irrevocable pull and an upheaval among the faery courts that is slowly leaning toward war. How will Seth and Aislinn stay together when there is so much pulling them apart?



**SPOILERS if you haven't read these **


RANDOM THOUGHTS:

Fragile Eternity is the the third book in the Wicked Lovely series. The first book, Wicked Lovely, was about Aislinn and the Summer King. The second book, Ink Exchange, followed Aislinn's friend Leslie and the Dark Court King, Irial and the Summer Court advisor Niall. Ink Exchange is considered a companion novel and Fragile Eternity is the direct sequel to Wicked Lovely. Wicked Lovely started all the action and I find that Ink Exchange and Fragile Eternity are books that set all the characters in the right places for the grand finale. What I liked about Ink Exchange was the insight into the Dark Court's nature and the growth of the character Bananach. I like the relationship that was explained between her and her sister, the High Queen Sorcha in Fragile Eternity. I liked that they were twins bound to each other but both representing extreme aspects of emotion and nature.

Frankly, though, I got a little tired of Aislinn's whining and the continued reminder that she was joined to the Summer King and felt a pull towards him. Yeah, I got that, let's move on. It made it harder to relate to Seth's devotion to her and his willingness to give up his mortality, his humanness for her. I really like Niall, the Dark Court King and I prefer him there instead of in the Summer Court. Really, that was the whole point of Ink Exchange in my view, to get Niall into the position as the Dark King. And the whole point of Fragile Eternity was to make Seth a faery and set up the coming war and Bananach and her sister's own conflict.

Teaser Tuesdays - Graceling

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along!




Here is my teaser:
"In her very first mission, Katsa intercepted a small company of midnight looters that the Estillan king had set on his own people, and set them fleeing into the hills. It was the happiest and headiest moment of her life."


p. 31 Graceling - Kristen Cashore

Monday, June 8, 2009

What I'm Reading

I finished 3 books since last week which is amazing for me. I read The Last Olympian (Rioridan), The Stepsister Scheme (Hines), & Ink Exchange (Marr). All were good but I really enjoyed Ink Exchange. So now I'm reading Fragile Eternity (Marr) and when I'm done with that I'm going to start The Ice Queen by Alice Hoffman or Graceling by Kristin Cashore. I haven't decide yet. I'm still listening to Sabriel (Nix) in the car and An Abundance of Katherines (Green) at work.

Check out J.Kaye's Book Blog for what others are reading.

Friday, June 5, 2009

From the Library 6/5

I'm borrowing a meme I've seen around (In My Mailbox The Story Siren and On My Bookshelf Books Obsession) and changing it up for me. I don't get a lot of books in the mail or buy them really. My husband would kill me and we would never eat again since all our money would be spent on books. Also I am a librarian so I support my local library as much as I can.
So anyway, I'm going to try and do a weekly meme that I'm calling From the Library (original right?) and listing the books I've gotten from the library or put on hold.



Books put on hold:


Beastly - Alex Flinn

I am a beast.
A beast. Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog but a horrible new creature who walks upright—a creature with fangs and claws and hair springing from every pore. I am a monster.
You think I'm talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It's no deformity, no disease. And I'll stay this way forever—ruined—unless I can break the spell.
Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I'll tell you. I'll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I'll tell you how I became perfectly . . . beastly.

The Luxe
- Anna Godbersen (this is the 3rd time for this book, I'm trying to get around to it.)

A big, sumptuous tale of catty girls, dark secrets and windswept romance unfurls in this compulsively readable novel of late-19th-century New York City socialites. Godbersen weaves a tenuous web of deceit, backstabbing and pretense that follows four teens: Elizabeth Holland, a prim and proper lady of old-money society, is betrothed to one man, though furtively loves another; Henry Schoonmaker, a debauched playboy who must marry Elizabeth or be disinherited; Diana Holland, Elizabeth’s younger sister who is in love with her fiancé; and Penelope Hayes, a member of the nouveau riche who will stop at nothing to win Henry’s affections. As Elizabeth and Henry’s wedding approaches, the spectacle unfolds in a wondrously grandiose scene, making for a fun, though not entirely unexpected dénouement. A delicious new twist along the Gossip Girl vein, readers will clamor for this sharp, smart drama of friends, lovers, lies and betrayal.

My Sister's Keeper - Jodi Picoult
Anna is not sick, but she might as well be. By age thirteen, she has undergone countless surgeries, transfusions, and shots so that her older sister, Kate, can somehow fight the leukemia that has plagued her since childhood. The product of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, Anna was conceived as a bone marrow match for Kate -- a life and a role that she has never challenged...until now. Like most teenagers, Anna is beginning to question who she truly is. But unlike most teenagers, she has always been defined in terms of her sister -- and so Anna makes a decision that for most would be unthinkable, a decision that will tear her family apart and have perhaps fatal consequences for the sister she loves. My Sister's Keeper examines what it means to be a good parent, a good sister, a good person. Is it morally correct to do whatever it takes to save a child's life, even if that means infringing upon the rights of another? Is it worth trying to discover who you really are, if that quest makes you like yourself less? Should you follow your own heart, or let others lead you? Once again, in My Sister's Keeper, Jodi Picoult tackles a controversial real-life subject with grace, wisdom, and sensitivity.

Checked out this week:

3 Willows: The Sisterhood Grows (audio) - Ann Brashares

summer is a time to grow seeds Polly has an idea that she can't stop thinking about, one that involves changing a few things about herself. She's setting her sights on a more glamorous life, but it's going to take all of her focus. At least that way she won't have to watch her friends moving so far ahead. roots Jo is spending the summer at her family's beach house, working as a busgirl and bonding with the older, cooler girls she'll see at high school come September. She didn't count on a brief fling with a cute boy changing her entire summer. Or feeling embarrassed by her middle school friends. And she didn't count on her family at all. . . leavesAma is not an outdoorsy girl. She wanted to be at an academic camp, doing research in an air-conditioned library, earning A's. Instead her summer scholarship lands her on a wilderness trip full of flirting teenagers, blisters, impossible hiking trails, and a sad lack of hair products. It is a new summer. And a new sisterhood. Come grow with them.

Boy Meets Boy - David Levithan

In this delightful young adult novel for readers 12 and up, high school sophomore Paul says, "There isn't really a gay scene or a straight scene in our town. They got all mixed up a while back, which I think is for the best." And, as he observes at the end of the story, "It's a wonderful world." Paul has both gay and straight friends, and they all hang out together at terrific bookstores and concerts, and advise one another on the sometimes troubled progress of their various romances. Paul is smitten with Noah, and they are beginning a serious relationship when Kyle, Paul's ex, complicates things by deciding that all is forgiven. Joni is going out with Chuck, who dominates her, much to her friends' disapproval. Tony's conservative parents refuse to acknowledge that he is gay, so the others must bone up on Bible verses all week so they can pretend Saturday night is a study group. And then there's Infinite Darlene, football quarterback and Homecoming Queen, who deserves a whole romance novel of her own. Life in their town is gloriously accepting of differences and only occasionally verges on magic realism, in this first novel in which same sex preference is not the problem. --Patty Campbell

Death's Daughter - Amber Benson

Calliope Reaper-Jones so just wanted a normal life: buying designer shoes on sale, dating guys from Craig's List, web-surfing for organic dim-sum for her boss... But when her father — who happens to be Death himself — is kidnapped, and the Devil's Protege embarks on a hostile takeover of the family business, Death, Inc., Callie returns home to assume the CEO mantle — only to discover she must complete three nearly impossible tasks in the realm of the afterlife first.





Prom Nights from Hell
In this exciting collection, bestselling authors Meg Cabot (How to Be Popular), Kim Harrison (A Fistful of Charms), Michele Jaffe (Bad Kitty), Stephenie Meyer (Twilight), and Lauren Myracle (ttyl) take bad prom nights to a whole new level-a paranormally bad level. Wardrobe malfunctions and two left feet don't hold a candle to discovering your date is the Grim Reaper-and he isn't here to tell you how hot you look.
From angels fighting demons to a creepy take on getting what you wish for, these five stories will entertain better than any DJ in a bad tux. No corsage or limo rental necessary. Just good, scary fun.




 

Skin Hunger (Playaway audio) - Kathleen Duey

Sadima lives in a world where magic has been banned, leaving poor villagers prey to fakes and charlatans. A "magician" stole her family's few valuables and left Sadima's mother to die on the day Sadima was born. But vestiges of magic are hidden in old rhymes and hearth tales and in people like Sadima, who conceals her silent communication with animals for fear of rejection and ridicule. When rumors of her gift reach Somiss, a young nobleman obsessed with restoring magic, he sends Franklin, his lifelong servant, to find her. Sadima's joy at sharing her secret becomes love for the man she shares it with. But Franklin's irrevocable bond to the brilliant and dangerous Somiss traps her, too, and she faces a heartbreaking decision.
Centuries later magic has been restored, but it is available only to the wealthy and is strictly controlled by wizards within a sequestered academy of magic. Hahp, the expendable second son of a rich merchant, is forced into the academy and finds himself paired with Gerrard, a peasant boy inexplicably admitted with nine sons of privilege and wealth. Only one of the ten students will graduate -- and the first academic requirement is survival.
Sadima's and Hahp's worlds are separated by generations, but their lives are connected in surprising and powerful ways in this brilliant first book of Kathleen Duey's dark, complex, and completely compelling trilogy.

The Spellman Files
- Lisa Lutz

Meet Isabel "Izzy" Spellman, private investigator. This twenty-eight-year-old may have a checkered past littered with romantic mistakes, excessive drinking, and creative vandalism; she may be addicted to Get Smart reruns and prefer entering homes through windows rather than doors -- but the upshot is she's good at her job as a licensed private investigator with her family's firm, Spellman Investigations. Invading people's privacy comes naturally to Izzy. In fact, it comes naturally to all the Spellmans. If only they could leave their work at the office. To be a Spellman is to snoop on a Spellman; tail a Spellman; dig up dirt on, blackmail, and wiretap a Spellman. Part Nancy Drew, part Dirty Harry, Izzy walks an indistinguishable line between Spellman family member and Spellman employee. Duties include: completing assignments from the bosses, aka Mom and Dad (preferably without scrutiny); appeasing her chronically perfect lawyer brother (often under duress); setting an example for her fourteen-year-old sister, Rae (who's become addicted to "recreational surveillance"); and tracking down her uncle (who randomly disappears on benders dubbed "Lost Weekends"). But when Izzy's parents hire Rae to follow her (for the purpose of ascertaining the identity of Izzy's new boyfriend), Izzy snaps and decides that the only way she will ever be normal is if she gets out of the family business. But there's a hitch: she must take one last job before they'll let her go -- a fifteen-year-old, ice-cold missing person case. She accepts, only to experience a disappearance far closer to home, which becomes the most important case of her life. The Spellman Files is the first novel in a winning and hilarious new series featuring the Spellman family in all its lovable chaos.

The Third Angel (audio) - Alice Hoffman

Now, in The Third Angel, Hoffman weaves a magical and stunningly original story that charts the lives of three women in love with the wrong men: Headstrong Madeleine Heller finds herself hopelessly attracted to her sister’s fiancé. Frieda Lewis, a doctor’s daughter and a runaway, becomes the muse of an ill-fated rock star. And beautiful Bryn Evans is set to marry an Englishman while secretly obsessed with her ex-husband. At the heart of the novel is Lucy Green, who blames herself for a tragic accident she witnessed at the age of twelve, and who spends four decades searching for the Third Angel–the angel on earth who will renew her faith. Brilliantly evoking London’s King’s Road, Knightsbridge, and Kensington while moving effortlessly back in time, The Third Angel is a work of startling beauty about the unique, alchemical nature of love.

Descriptions and Titles from GoodReads