Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover

At a political rally Cammie Morgan's friend/fellow Gallagher Girl, Macey, is a target of a kidnapping. Shaken by the experience of fighting off the kidnappers, they return to the Gallagher School for Exceptional Young Women to continue with their spy training. But something more is going on and Cammie and her roommates are determined to protect Macey and figure out who is behind it all.

I read this one right after The Hunger Games and sometimes a great book will almost ruin the one that follows. That being said let me just say that I do love these books. There are so fun and I love the idea of an elite spy training school for girls. I just wish it wasn't shoved down my throat every page. By this point in the series, I GET that Cammie is suppose to be an awesome "pavement artist" even though we have no real evidence of the truth of this since in every book she is always messing up. I GET that they have all of this training and take these cool classes. I GET that Liz is a super genius and everyone else is super smart too. I GET it alright. The concept has been set up already so by the third book I don't want to hear so much about it. Although I did appreciate that she didn't spend a lot of time rehashing the old plots.

On the positive side, it was good to see Cammie and Macey using their fighting skills for an actual reason and to see them in action. It was nice that she touched on how scary a kidnapping attempt would be and the lingering effects. Zach is not my favorite character and mostly he just annoys me. I understand he is a super spy too and it is all "need to know" but I hope there is an actual purpose to his character. The bigger mystery of Cammie's father is not really mentioned and I wonder if there is a connection between the ending and that.

I will definitely continue reading this series. I just hope it doesn't become a Princess Diaries or a Georgia Nicholson and go on too long. It really is a very cute series and very fun. It's just by the third book the characters have been set up and some of it is so ... unnecessary.

From the Library 7/31

From the Library is my Friday listing of what I checked out from the library this week.


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Across the Wall - Garth Nix (Mostly I just want the Abhorsen story.)

Nicholas Sayre will do anything to get across the Wall

Thoughts of Lirael and Sam haunt his dreams, and he has come to realize that his destiny lies with them, in the Old Kingdom. But here in Ancelstierre, Nick faces an obstacle that is not entirely human, with a strange power that seems to come from Nicholas himself.

With "Nicholas Sayre and the Creature in the Case," Garth Nix continues to explore the magical world of the Abhorsen Trilogy. In additional short stories that range from two widely different takes on the Merlin myth to a gritty urban version of Hansel and Gretel and a heartbreaking story of children and war, Garth Nix displays the range and versatility that has made him one of today's leading writers of fantasy for readers of all ages.

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Holly's Inbox - Holly Denham (Heard it was funny)

System alert: Inbox full of scandal, romance, and office hilarity!

Meet Holly Denham. It's her first day as a receptionist at a London investment bank and inexperienced Holly is struggling. How's a working girl supposed to have a love life with a demanding job, crazy friends, a dysfunctional family, and gossipy colleagues? Not to mention that Holly's been keeping a secret from everyone - and the past is about to catch up with her.

An affair with a sexy VP heats things up at the office, but when Holly's first flame (who, she thinks, left her in the lurch) gets a job at the same company, complications abound and Holly's inbox becomes a daily source of drama, laughter and scandal.

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Bones of Faerie - Janni Lee Simner (looks like my kind of book)

The war between humanity and Faerie devastated both sides. Or so 15-year-old Liza has been told. Nothing has been seen or heard from Faerie since, and Liza’s world bears the scars of its encounter with magic. Trees move with sinister intention, and the town Liza calls home is surrounded by a forest that threatens to harm all those who wander into it. Then Liza discovers she has the Faerie ability to see—into the past, into the future—and she has no choice but to flee her town. Liza’s quest will take her into Faerie and back again, and what she finds along the way may be the key to healing both worlds.



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Once Dead, Twice Shy - Kim Harrison (my kind of book)
Madison's prom was killer -- literally. For some reason she's been targeted by a dark reaper -- yeah, that kind of reaper -- intent on getting rid of her, body and soul. But before the reaper could finish the job, Madison was able to snag his strange, glowing amulet and get away.

Now she's stuck on Earth -- dead but not gone. Somehow the amulet gives her the illusion of a body, allowing her to toe the line between life and death. She still doesn't know why the dark reaper is after her, but she's not about to just sit around and let fate take its course.

With a little ingenuity, some light-bending, and the help of a light reaper (one of the good guys! Maybe . . . ), her cute crush, and oh yeah, her guardian angel, Madison's ready to take control of her own destiny once and for all, before it takes control of her.

Well, if she believed in that stuff.

Abhorsen - The Old Kingdom series (Audio)

The continuation of Lirael finds Lirael and Sameth, the prince of the Old Kingdom, coming to terms with their new roles. Both have set out to track and find Sam's friend Nick who is possessed by a magic being older than can be conceived. With the help of the Disreputable Dog and Moggot, two mysterious "animals," they try to prevent an unspeakable power from rising and destroying them all.

This was such a good book, such a good series. Tim Curry does an excellent job narrating and adding to the voices of all the characters. There was a little more Sabriel and Touchstone in this book, but I wish there was more. I know that there is a short story in Across the Wall and I will be reading that soon.

I am intrigued by Moggot and the Disreputable Dog and their history. Things like that always make me wish for more. And the ending was so good. It was just right and I had a couple of tears in my eyes when they make their last stand. So far I've liked everything I've read by Garth Nix (one of my absolute most favorite series is the Keys to the Kingdom) and so I'll have to read more.

The Hunger Games

Katniss lives in District 12, a poor place that is responsible for mining coal. There are 12 Districts total and the Capital who controls everyone. To remind the people of their control, each District is required to send one girl and one boy, tributes, to the Hunger Games where only one can survive. Katniss volunteers to go in the place of her sister and soon she is embroiled in a deadly game where killing is the only means of survival.

Many people I know have read this book and I've actually had sitting on a shelf in my office for a long time. It was one of those going to reads. But when I joined the Take a Chance Challenge and my random author came up as Collins, I googled "author Collins" and this was the first hit I got. And I am so glad it did. This book was amazing. I started at lunch on Monday and finished at lunch on Tuesday. I literally couldn't put it down.

The idea, of course, is repugnant; sending teenagers, children really, in to kill each other on required viewing national television. But this book was so compelling. Katniss is a strong character and it was interesting to see what lengths she would go to survive. She was very cunning and quick and that was very important, but still clueless about social situations. I liked Peetra, the boy tribute from her district. I could see his story coming so there wasn't much of a surprise there, but he was a good character. The last scene of the game was the most disturbing of all for me and made me a little sick, it was almost too much. It won't stop me from reading the next one though. This was definitely an A++.

Teaser Tuesdays - The Hunger Games

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along!
Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

"Taking the kids from our districts, forcing them to kill one another while we watch - this is the Capitol's way of reminding us how totally we are at their mercy. How little chance we would have of surviving another rebellion."

Pride and Prejudice

Elizabeth Bennett and Fitzwilliam Darcy meet and dislike each other, then through a series of meetings realize that first impressions do not always make the kindest.

I haven't read Pride and Prejudice in a very long time so when the Everything Austen Challenge came along I decided to take advantage and do an all PandP list. Since it had been so long since I read it, it seemed only natural to start at the beginning. Oddly I found myself bored until Mr. Collins arrived (ironic). That's when the action started to pick up as much as it ever does in this book. The characters start moving locations and interacting in situations outside their normal places and then it starts to get good.

I love how natural the relationship between Elizabeth and Darcy becomes and is, frankly, the archetype for this type of relationship. If this book was published now it would totally be considered chic lit. The meet cute, the fighting and misunderstanding, the declaration of love at the end, well, actually it has been made into chic lit through the Bridget Jones character. Anyway, P&P still holds up in my esteem and it was well worth re-reading.

What I'm Reading 7/ 27

What are you reading Mondays? is a meme hosted by J. Kaye's Book Blog.
Check out J.Kaye's Book Blog for what others are reading.

I finished Pride & Prejudice (Austen) just this morning so I'm feeling pretty good about that. I'm going to start Hunger Games (Collins) this afternoon and after that I plan on reading Don't Judge a Girl by her Cover (Carter).

I also finished Abhorsen (Nix) this morning and am going to start listening to The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks (Lockhart) next in the car. At work I'm listening to Skin Hunger (Duey) which I'm really enjoying.

From the Library 7/ 24

From the Library is my Friday listing of what I checked out from the library this week.




Rumors: A Luxe Novel - Anna Godbersen (The first one was so good, I can't wait to read this one!)

After bidding good-bye to New York's brightest star, Elizabeth Holland, rumors continue to fly about her untimely demise.

All eyes are on those closest to the dearly departed: her mischievous sister, Diana, now the family's only hope for redemption; New York's most notorious cad, Henry Schoonmaker, the flame Elizabeth never extinguished; the seductive Penelope Hayes, poised to claim all that her best friend left behind—including Henry; even Elizabeth's scheming former maid, Lina Broud, who discovers that while money matters and breeding counts, gossip is the new currency.

As old friends become rivals, Manhattan's most dazzling socialites find their futures threatened by whispers from the past. In this delicious sequel to The Luxe, nothing is more dangerous than a scandal . . . or more precious than a secret.

The Summoning - Kelly Armstrong (Sounds like a good one)

Chloe Saunders sees dead people. Yes, like in the films. The problem is, in real life saying you see ghosts gets you a one-way ticket to the psych ward. And at 15, all Chloe wants to do is fit in at school and maybe get a boy to notice her. But when a particularly violent ghost haunts her, she gets noticed for all the wrong reasons. Her seemingly crazed behaviour earns her a trip to Lyle House, a centre for 'disturbed teens'. At first Chloe is determined to keep her head down. But then her room mate disappears after confessing she has a poltergeist, and some of the other patients also seem to be manifesting paranormal behaviour. Could that be a coincidence? Or is Lyle House not quite what it seems...? Chloe realizes that if she doesn't uncover the truth, she could be destined for a lifetime in a psychiatric hospital. Or could her fate be even worse...? Can she trust her fellow students, and does she dare reveal her dark secret?

Don't Judge a Girl by her Cover - Ally Carter (One of my favorites series, can't wait to see what happens next)

When Cammie Morgan arrives at her friend Macey's five star hotel for the Democratic National Con

vention-where Macey's father is about to receive the vice presidential nomination-she thinks she's in for an exciting end to her summer break. But if you're a Gallagher Girl, "exciting" and "deadly" are never far apart.

Things quickly go south when Macey is summoned to the hotel roof to shoot a PR piece with the presidential candidate's son. But instead of cameras, attackers descend from a helicopter and swarm the girls, commanding, "Grab her." After a narrow escape, Cammie and Macey find themselves at a top secret hideout owned by the Gallagher Academy. and thus begins Cammie's junior year at spy school.

Cammie doesn't need her genius IQ to see that the kidnapping attempt has changed everything, especially now that Macey is a major celebrity, and the school has been besieged by news crews. More disturbing, Cammie can't shake the suspicion that her mom and Mr. Solomon know more about the attack than they're letting on. After all, why weren't the attackers surprised to find themselves in combat with two teenage girls who handled themselves like seasoned pros?

But these suspicions won't stop Cammie from jumping at the chance to join Bex and Liz as Macey's private security team on the campaign trail. Before long, the girls are using their espionage skills at every turn, as Cammie gets closer and closer to the shocking truth...

The Knife of Never Letting Go - Patrick Ness (I've been hearing a lot about this book.)

Todd Hewitt is the last boy in Prentisstown.

But Prentisstown isn't like other towns. Everyone can hear everyone else'sthoughts in a constant, overwhelming, never-ending Noise. There is no privacy. There are no secrets.

Or are there?

Just one month away from the birthday that will make him a man, Todd unexpectedly stumbles upon a spot of complete silence.

Which is impossible.

Prentisstown has been lying to him.

And now he's going to have to run...

Stephanie Plum Reading Challenge - COMPLETE

A challenge that will help me fulfill a long time goal: finally getting around to reading those Stephanie Plum books I have laying around. My mom buys them and then I "borrow" them, but I haven't picked one up in a long time. I'm the one that got her reading them in the first place. *shakes head* Ah, well.

From J. Kaye's Book Blog, the Stephanie Plum Reading Challenge, the goal is to get caught up on the Stephanie Plum series, so create a list of the books you haven't read yet. You have between now and December 31, 2010. Don't include books you've read prior to or started before 7/23/09.

Here are the books that I need to read to get caught up:

1. Twelve Sharp
2. Plum Lovin
3. Lean Mean Thirteen
4. Plum Lucky
5. Fearless Fourteen
6. Plum Spooky
7. Finger Lickin' Fifteen

Literary Tattoos

This is a topic I've been looking at for a couple of days now. I love tattoos and have a couple myself with more to come, but recently there was a slideshow on Twilight tattoos. And I like that series, I actually do (albeit less than I started out) but I would never tattoo Twilight anything on my body. But I've been thinking, is there any book or poem that I would tattoo on my body. I think the answer is no. I've considered Alice in Wonderland, Nancy Drew, e.e. cummings, but nothing really just sticks to me. The only thing is, and feel free to laugh, is that I wish I had gotten a small Sailor Moon tattoo instead of what I got my first time. Don't get me wrong I still like what I got but Sailor Moon has meant a lot to me over the years. And that goes to show that what is meaningful for one person will not be for someone else. So the same people tattooing Twilight on their bodies would probably laugh at me for a Sailor Moon tattoo. But in the end, I don't like the idea of having something in popular culture etched into my skin. Those things are often fleeting, subject to our whims and our age and our taste.

Anyway, I found 2 communiteis that are dedicated to literary tattoos: Bookworms with Ink on LJ and Contrariwise. I like looking at what others would do that I probably wouldn't do myself. Some of them are really pretty and pretty cool.

What do you think about literary tattoos?

Teaser Tuesdays - Pride and Prejudice

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along!
Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page



I'm only sharing one sentence since it is so long.

"As she had heard no carriage, she thought it not unlikely to be Lady Catherine, and under that apprehension was putting away her half-finished letter that she might escape all impertinent questions, when the door opened, and to her very great surprise, Mr. Darcy, and Mr. Darcy only, entered the room."

p.151 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

What I'm Reading + an award

What are you reading Mondays? is a meme hosted by J. Kaye's Book Blog.
Check out J.Kaye's Book Blog for what others are reading.

Since last week I finished The Dead Drop (Allison) and Boy Meets Boy (Levithan) and decided to start reading Pride & Prejudice (Austen) so I can do the rest of my Everything Austen Challenge. I finally finished An Abundance of Katherines!

And now I'm listening to Skin Hunger (Duey) at work, on a Playaway. Does anyone else like those? I think they are pretty neat. I've still got Abhorsen (Nix) on in the car but I should be done with it pretty soon. I'm thinking of listening to Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince again since I've just seen the movie (loved it!). Either that or The Disreputlable History of Frankie Landau-Banks (Lockhart).

So right now I'm reading Pride and Prejudice and after that I'm going to read The Hunger Games, I think. Frankly, I haven't really decided yet.

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Kristen at BookWorming in the 21st Century has given me the Humane Award. Thanks Kristen! Kristen has a very pretty site and reviews YA books too! I love her reviews and her blog in general.

The Humane Award is to honor certain bloggers that are kindhearted individuals.

An Abundance of Katherines (Audio)

Colin Singleton has dated 19 Katherines and been dumped by them all. After his latest dumping by K19, he heads out on a road trip with his best (and only) friend Hassan. They end up in Gutshot, Tennessee where they meet Lindsey Lee Wells, whose family owns the local tampon string making factory. Here Colin learns that people are unpredictable and that not everything revolves around a Katherine.

It took me a long time to get through this book. Not because it wasn't good but because I was listening to it at work and didn't have a lot of opportunities to listen to it recently. I only mention this because, since it took me so long, this felt like a long book and it's not. If I had just read it, I would have had it done in a couple of days, a week max.

For the most part, I enjoyed this book. I liked the concept. Colin was not my favorite character though. He was really whiny and self-absorbed which was the point of his character, I know, but still. I liked Hasson and Lindsey Lee Wells a lot and I like how they called her boyfriend TOC (The Other Colin). That was funny. Jeff Woodman was the narrator and he did a fairly good job, but I would still recommend reading this instead of listening to it.

Boy Meets Boy

Paul lives in a town where being gay or a drag-queen quarterback is not given a second thought. He has a core group of friends some of whom are really outrageous (see aforementioned drag-queen quarterback). One night he meets Noah and he just knows that this is the right boy for him. But ex-boyfriends and best friends get in his way and Paul has to figure out how to make all his relationships work.

This is one of those books I've meaning to read for a long time, but the GLBT challenge made it the perfect time to pick it up. In a way this book reads like wish fulfillment. It is a simplified world that Paul lives in. He announced when he was 5 that he was gay after seeing it on his kindergarten teacher's report and he knew it to be true. His parents seem to have adjusted to it well and his life is not challenged in anyway. His whole town is accepting of the GLBT lifestyle. The school quarterback is a drag-queen. On the other hand, Paul's friend Tony lives in a different town with very religious families who don't approve of his lifestyle and won't let him hang out unless there are girls there. It's an interesting contrast between the two guys and provides Paul with some insight later in the book.

I liked the relationship between Noah and Paul. It was sweet and a typical "chic lit" plot except with two boys. Boy finds boy, boy likes boy, something comes between boys, well you know the rest. But the relationship I liked best was Paul and Tony's. It was so real and so right. That is probably what I'll remember most. Well, that and Infinite Darlene cause who can forget her.

Books in the Mail + an award

Things to mention:

I got the copy of Fragile Eternity that I had won from Book Blather on Tuesday . So thanks for that. I'm excited to have it since I loved it so much.

I also received on Thursday the copy of Necropolis (Horowitz) that I won from LibraryThing's Early Reviewers.

Shellie at Layers of Thought has given me an award. Thanks. I appreciate it.

The Hearthfelt Award:

Do you reach for a cup of cocoa or tea when your relaxing, seeking comfort, sharing a plate of cookies with family and freinds? You know the feeling you get when you drink a yummy cup of cocoa, tea, or a hot toddy? That is what the Hearthfelt Award is all about, feeling warm inside.
Rules:
Put the logo on your blog/post.
Nominate up to to 9 blogs which make you feel comfy or warm inside.
Be sure to link your nominees within your post.
Let them know that they have been nominated by commenting on their blog.
Remember to link to the person from whom you received your award.

For now.
1. BookWorming in the 21st Century
2. The Zen Leaf
3. Beantown Belle
4. Life in Denim and Flip Flops

From the Library 7/17

Mostly I checked out books for challenges this week. I've been reading a lot and trying to get through my huge TBR list. I decided I needed to start with the Austen book of Pride and Prejudice before I read any adaptations or saw any based on movies.


Wake - Lisa McMann (I have the sequel, Fade, at home right now. I just have to get around to this one.)
Ever since she was eight years old, high school student Janie Hannagan has been uncontrollably drawn into other people's dreams, but it is not until she befriends an elderly nursing home patient and becomes involved with an enigmatic fellow-student that she discovers her true power.










Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen (Checked out for the Everything Austen Challenge. I was surprised I didn't own a copy.)

In early nineteenth-century England, a spirited young woman copes with the suit of a snobbish gentleman as well as the romantic entanglements of her four sisters.

This is the most simplified description I could find. Most of them are long and go into so much detail.






Bride & Prejudice - Gurinder Chadha, Director (Normally I wouldn't mention a movie but this is also for the Everything Austen Challenge. I should buy this movie, I've check it out so much.)

Aishwarya Rai, Martin Henderson and Anupam Kher star in this joyous musical about the Bakhsi family, who's celebrating the arrival of a British-born man, Mr. Balraj, who may be perfect husband material for one the Bakhsis' four unmarried daughters -- Maya, Lucky, Jaya and, most especially, their eldest, Lalita (Rai). But Lalita refuses to marry someone handpicked for her, believing instead in true love, which just may be waiting in the wings.

Lirael - The Old Kingdom series (Audio)

It's been 20 years since the events of Sabriel and the Old Kingdom has been prosperous under the rule of King Touchstone and his Queen, the Abhorsen Sabriel. Their youngest child, Sameth, is at school in Ancelstierre when he and his cricket team are attacked by the dead. Sam is suppose to be the Abhorsen-in-waiting but the attack and his subsequent fight with the necromancer Hedge has left him unwillingly to venture into death anymore. But now his good friend has enter the Old Kingdom and Sam decides to find him and lead him through the kingdom, but dark forces are now at work.

Meanwhile, Lirael has grown up with the Clayr, the Charter mages who live in the glacier and have the gift of Sight, to see into the future. Lirael is different among the Clayr and doesn't have the Sight no matter how hard she wishes. Aided by the Disreputable Dog, Lirael begins a journey that leads to her ultimate destiny.

Told in alternating voices, I really enjoyed Lirael even more than I did Sabriel. I did find it frustrating when the point of view would switch and you'd be left hanging, but that's an old trick so I forgive it. The ending has no real resolution so I have to read Abhorsen to find out what happens and get my questions answered. I want to know about the Disreputable Dog and Mogget. What are they and what is buried under the Lightning Trap? I found that the beginning before either Sam or Lirael really got going on their journey a little boring and I wanted it to move a little quicker but the set-up turned out to be necessary for later. Also there is a lot of land descriptions which I glazed over a little. But all in all an awesome book and I immediately started on the next one.

Gilda Joyce: The Dead Drop

Psychic detective Gilda Joyce is back and is headed to D.C. to intern at the Spy Museum. Gilda is looking forward to perfecting her spy skills and hanging out in her own (sorta) apartment. What she gets is a camp group of wanna be spies and an eerie mystery involving a former Soviet spy, Lincoln's ghost, and a dead drop.

Gilda whirled around, and stared into a stranger's masklike face-a woman's face with skin the color of frozen snow. Her smooth forehead was marked with a bright red stain in the shape of a five-pointed start. p. 139

Have you ever read a ghost story before bed and it creeped you out when you turned off the lights? There are parts that did that to me. Seriously, the ghost was creepy, but it's the kind of creepy that kids will like. Even though Gilda is 15, this is definitely a children's book since this doesn't really lend itself to YA and has a younger feel to it. Gilda is an awesome girl, very smart and self-assured and funny. She is good at solving mysteries and is very tenacious, a modern day Nancy Drew if you will. This is a good mystery and the ending is actually surprising. I hope there are more books in this series.

Teaser Tuesdays - The Treasure Map of Boys

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along!
Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

"He was chewing, and digging in his backpack to find his pen, and I wished on the magic cookie. I wished for everything to be easy between us."

p. 120 The Treasure Map of Boys - E. Lockhart

The Treasure Map of Boys

Ruby Oliver is back and just can't stay out of trouble. After last year's disaster where she is branded the school slut and lost all of her friends, Ruby is trying to live her life without upsetting everyone. But her crush on Noel is complicated by her friend Nora's own crush and suddenly all of Ruby's old boyfriends (or whatever) are popping up. Ruby is still in therapy and still having trouble coping with situations in her life.


I will say that I may be biased towards this book. I love love the others in this series, The Boyfriend List and The Boy Book, so I was really looking forward to this book. Thankfully, it lived up to my expectations. I love Ruby and I feel so bad for her. I just want her to make the right decisions and quit worrying about how people feel about her. But at the same time I can still remember that need that teenagers have to be like (frankly, everyone has that need) and I understood her devastation when her friends completely dropped her in the first book even though she wasn't the only one at fault. I do like how Ruby stands up for herself and others and wants to do the right thing and tries to do the right thing, but doesn't always succeed in doing the right thing. That is generally how things go.

Anyway, I'm completely in love with this book and the whole series. I'm going to have to do a series re-read now. It's just that good.

*ARC from publisher

What I'm Reading 7/13

This week I'm finishing Gilda Joyce: The Dead Drop (Allison) and then starting on Rumors: A Luxe Novel (Godbersen) or Boy Meets Boy (Leviathan) depending on how I feel.
I'm listening to Lirael (Nix) in the car but I'm almost done so I'll move onto Abhorsen (Nix) next. And I'm almost done with An Abundance of Katherines (Green) finally! So I'm going to listen to Skin Hunger (Duey) at work when I'm done.

Last week I said I was going to break from Hunger (Grant) to read The Dead Drop but I just couldn't put it down so I finished it. Then I got my ARC in of The Treasure Map of Boys (Lockhart) so I just had to read that one first.

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

From the Library 7/ 10

It's been a busy week but I managed to finish two books, one of which was very long. I got a couple more books that were recommended on other blogs but I'm too tired to go find out where. I might ETA later once I figure it out.

Oh and if you see the look of this blog changing here and there it's because I'm thinking of giving it a new look. We shall see.




Raven's Gate by Anthony Horowitz (I'm found the 5th book of this series so now I want to go back on start from the beginning.)
As punishment for a crime he didn't really commit, Matt was given a choice: go to jail or go live with an old woman named Mrs. Deverill in a remote town called Lesser Malling.

He should have chosen jail.

A strange and sinister plan is coming together made in Lesser Malling, with Matt at the center of it all. People who try to help him disappear . . . or die. It all ties to an evil place named Raven's Gate - a place whose destiny is horrifyingly intertwined with Matt's own.

The Fairy Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley (I love fractured fairy tales.)

For Sabrina and Daphne Grimm, life has not been a fairy tale. After the mysterious disappearance of their parents, the sisters are sent to live with their grandmother_ a woman they believed was dead! Granny Relda reveals that the girls have two famous ancestors, the Brothers Grimm, whose classic book of fairy tales is actually a collection of case files of magical mischief. Now the girls must take on the family responsibility of being fairy tale detectives.




The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly (It reminds me of The Neverending Story.)

High in his attic bedroom, twelve-year-old David mourns the death of his mother. He is angry and alone, with only the books on his shelf for company. But those books have begun to whisper to him in the darkness, and as he takes refuge in his imagination, he finds that reality and fantasy have begun to meld. While his family falls apart around him, David is violently propelled into a land that is a strange reflection of his own world, populated by heroes and monsters, and ruled over by a faded king who keeps his secrets in a mysterious book... The Book of Lost Things.

An imaginative tribute to the journey we must all make through the loss of innocence into adulthood, John Connolly's latest novel is a book for every adult who can recall the moment when childhood began to fade, and for every adult about to face that moment. The Book of Lost Things is a story of hope for all who have lost, and for all who have yet to lose. It is an exhilarating tale that reminds us of the enduring power of stories in our lives.

Hunger: A Gone Novel (#2)

It's been 3 months since everyone over the age of 15 has disappeared and the situation is getting even more desperate. The children of the FAYZ are running out of food and tensions are running high between the "normal" kids and the ones with extraordinary powers. Sam is trying to keep the kids town feed and sane while Caine is trying to control the Darkness growing in his mind. But the Darkness has awoken and it's hungry.


I was going to take a little break from this book after I started reading, but I never managed to walk away. This is the second in the Gone series. I like the first book and I like this one too. I think it is a fairly realistic portrayal of what would happen if an entire town was bubbled off from the rest of the world by a superpowered child and where there are no adults, if you know, things like that happened. What I mean is that the kids are very realistic and act like children would act. Some would be responsible and some wouldn't lift a finger. I find the amount of violence disturbing though given that we are dealing with children. But kids can be brutal in the normal world. So in a hyped up situation I could see the outcome being very much like this.

This book moves right along and at a very fast pace. So much happens, there is hardly time to breath before going into the next thing. The characters are so well developed and I found myself just hating Drake and wishing he would die. I love Sam and can deal with Astrid and Caine, poor thing (in a way), and Diana who just doesn't know. I'm curious, though, what the next book will be about given the way this one ended. Oh, and the ending *shudder*

Everything Austen Challenge

Honestly, who can resist a Jane Austen Challenge? Not me apparently. So I'm joining another challenge from Stephanie's Written Word!

Here are the details:

The Everything Austen Challenge will run for six months (July 1, 2009 – January 1, 2010)! All you need to do is pick out what six Austen-themed things you want to finish to complete the challenge.
What is considered Austen-themed? Obviously, any of the books Jane Austen wrote herself count, so if you’ve been contemplating reading one of her novels, now is the time! Or, maybe watch the different movie versions of Pride and Prejudice. You could even try reading one of the many sequels written by various authors or listen to one in your car on your way to work. Truly, the list can be endless! All you need to do is pick six Austen-themed items to read and/or watch to participate. Note that you can mix it up a bit – maybe commit to watching three movies and reading two books – or if your TBR pile is huge, pick out six movies you would like to watch – YOU DECIDE!

ETA: I've decided to go with the all Pride and Prejudice list. I think that it will be fun to see the different versions or takes on the quintessential Austen book. I'm going to have to read the original version first since it has been a long time.

although I should do an all Pride and Prejudice list...which would look like this:

1. Pride and Prejudice (Austen)
2. Pride and Prejudice (BBC mini-series)
3. Pride and Prejudice (2005 movie)
4. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (Grahame-Smith)
5. Bride and Prejudice
6. Enthusiasm (Shulman) which is a YA book based on P&P

My first list if you are interested:

1. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (Grahame-Smith)
2. Mr. Darcy, Vamprye (Grange)
3. What Would Jane Austen do? (Brown)
4. Pride and Prejudice (2005 movie)
5. Clueless
6. Emma

or 2. Pride and Prejudice (Austen)

Update on what I'm reading + an award!

Update: I actually ended up finishing Hunger (Grant). I was planning on putting it down and walking away for a couple of days but I found that I couldn't stop even though it is sort of a brutal book. I was planning on reading The Dead Drop next but I got an ARC in of The Treasure Map of Boys (Lockhart) so I'm reading that instead.

Thanks to Kristen at BookWorming in the 21st Century for this award.


Here's the rules for this award: If you accept it, you are supposed to list seven of your favorite things and nominate seven blogs that deserve this award.




So let's see, my seven favorite things:
1. playing with my boy
2. snowballs
3. Twitter
4. listening to music (current favorite song: "That's not my name" Ting Tings)
5. sleeping
6. getting a new book
7. Snickers with Almonds

And seven blogs, hmmm:
1. Allie Brown's Layouts
2. Judging the Books
3. Life in Denim & Flip Flops
4. Sweet Cheeky Designs Blog
5. Wondrous Reads
6. Teen Tangents
7. Books Obsession

Teaser Tuesdays - Gilda Joyce: The Dead Drop

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

"Gilda whirled around, and stared into a stranger's masklike face-a woman's face with skin the color of frozen snow. Her smooth forehead was marked with a bright red stain in the shape of a five-pointed start." p. 139

What I'm Reading 7/6

So last week I finished Kissing Kate (Myracle) and started on Hunger (Grant) but Hunger is a long book and I need a break for something fun so I'm going to put Hunger on hold and read Gilda Joyce: The Dead Drop (Allison) and then go back to Hunger.
I'm listening to Lirael (Nix) in the car and An Abundance of Katherines (Green) at work.


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

From the Library 7/ 3

This was a slow week for checking things out. I'm running out of stuff on hold which is good because now I can get caught up on what I have already checked out! So just two books this week.




Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry, author & Katherine Borowitz, narrator (I loved The Giver so I'm looking forward to this one, 2nd in series.) (audio)

Lois Lowry's magnificent novel of the distant future, The Giver, is set in a highly technical and emotionally repressed society. This eagerly awaited companion volume, by contrast, takes place in a village with only the most rudimentary technology, where anger, greed, envy, and casual cruelty make ordinary people's lives short and brutish. This society, like the one portrayed in The Giver, is controlled by merciless authorities with their own complex agendas and secrets. And at the center of both stories there is a young person who is given the responsibility of preserving the memory of the culture--and who finds the vision to transform it.

Kira, newly orphaned and lame from birth, is taken from the turmoil of the village to live in the grand Council Edifice because of her skill at embroidery. There she is given the task of restoring the historical pictures sewn on the robe worn at the annual Ruin Song Gathering, a solemn day-long performance of the story of their world's past. Down the hall lives Thomas the Carver, a young boy who works on the intricate symbols carved on the Singer's staff, and a tiny girl who is being trained as the next Singer. Over the three artists hovers the menace of authority, seemingly kind but suffocating to their creativity, and the dark secret at the heart of the Ruin Song.

With the help of a cheerful waif called Matt and his little dog, Kira at last finds the way to the plant that will allow her to create the missing color--blue--and, symbolically, to find the courage to shape the future by following her art wherever it may lead. With astonishing originality, Lowry has again created a vivid and unforgettable setting for this thrilling story that raises profound questions about the mystery of art, the importance of memory, and the centrality of love.

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Abhorsen by Garth Nix, author & Tim Curry, narrator (Last in the Old Kingdom series)(audio)

The Ninth was strong
and fought with might,
But lone Orannis
was put out of the light,
Broken in two
and buried under hill,
Forever to lie there,
wishing us ill.

So says the song. But Orannis, the Destroyer, is no longer buried under hill. It has been freed from its subterranean prison and now seeks to escape the silver hemispheres, the final barrier to the unleashing of its terrible powers.

Only Lirael, newly come into her inheritance as the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, has any chance of stopping the Destroyer. She and her companions -- Sam, the Disreputable Dog, and Mogget -- have to take that chance. For the Destroyer is the enemy of all Life, and it must be stopped, though Lirael does not know how.

To make matters worse, Sam's best friend, Nick, is helping the Destroyer, as are the necromancer Hedge and the Greater Dead Chlorr, and there has been no word from the Abhorsen Sabriel or King Touchstone.

Everything depends upon Lirael. A heavy, perhaps even impossible burden for a young woman who just days ago was merely a Second Assistant Librarian. With only a vision from the Clayr to guide her, and the rather mixed help of her companions, Lirael must search in both Life and Death for some means to defeat the Destroyer.

Before it is too late. . . .