Great Summer Reads - Keeping the Moon

What I'm listening to right now: The cat begging me to let him in.
What mood I'm in today: Reading

It's a warm summer day here, and I know you all want a good book to read by the pool side or holed up in your cool basement. I thought I would throw out some great summer reads, and start with this one:

Keeping the Moon, by Sarah Dessen, is a light yet thought-provoking read about Colie's summer at her aunt's. You can read my review on Goodreads. I'm going to pick up another Sarah Dessen ASAP, and enjoy my summer by the pool - er, I mean, in the basement.
Happy Reading!

Slacker! Revel and The Gathering

New Stuff!

I'm just going to rattle off, so forgive me...

Revel, by Maurissa Giubord, was a fun and entertaining read! Although the love story wasn't as strong as in Warped, I thought the main story was more interesting. Delia, whose mother died talking about a strange island off the Maine coast, takes off in search of the island and her grandmother. When she finds both, she realizes she's in it for the long haul, whether she likes it or not.

There are strange things at this island. People live in the water - well, not people really. I like to think of them as merpeople of sorts. Everyone acts strange, and they know these sea creatures, and know that they protect the island. Delia meets Seth and Jax, two people tied to the water in more ways than one, and discovers a secret about herself that means staying on the island is even more dangerous than she first thought.

I really liked the part about the Revel, a festival of sorts, where Delia pretty much refuses to participate. You'll see why when you read the book. ;)

The Gathering by Kelly Armstrong is about a Native American girl named Maya. Link to Revel? She also lives on an island. Vancouver Island, in Canada. A small island where only the people who work at a special medical facility live. She was adopted by caucasians, and now is starting to have all kinds of funny things happen to her. Her best friend Daniel (did I get that name right?) has a talent for feeling things, and she meets a guy named Rafe, who's sister holds a secret that has everything to do with what is happening to Maya.

The further I got along in the story, the weaker it seemed to become. It was entertaining, however, and definitely interesting and different. A great spin on the shape-shifter thing; not the same old werewolf story (there are no werewolves in this story - at least not yet). I really like Maya's character as well, and the things she realizes about herself.

I've been realizing lately that I'm loving to read Young Adult books like this. Why? I think it's because 1) they're easy to read, 2) they have female protagonists, and 3) they're a very fun escape from reality. I don't need anymore reality. I have enough of that.

Until next time, keep reading!

Mind Games...Seriously

Holy slacker!
I apologize upfront, again, for not posting for two months. How crazy is that? I have read a lot since then, and I'm going to post some suggested reads really quick, along with one book that I tried to read but couldn't get through. By the way, I'm getting a little tired of all the rain here.

Mind Games, by Kiersten White, is my first suggestion. It was definitely darker than the Supernaturally series, and was a very interesting read. It didn't get the best ratings from other readers, but it's doing well enough on Goodreads to get a 3.74 star rating. My favorite part about this was how Fia is inadvertently turned into something bad,  used to assasinate a senator because of her peculiar talent for instinct. She can't get caught, not unless she wanted to, which could change the game forever. Wow, what a terrible explanation of this book, but maybe it'll give you glimpse of what I'm talking about.
I think a lot of the reviewers didn't like how the book jumped around so much, and changed POV so much, and I have to admit I got lost once or twice when trying to figure out who was talking. But it was a pretty good story, and I'm pretty excited to read the next one.

This wonderful find called Warped by Maurissa Guibord was a fantastic fantasy story where our heroine, Tessa, comes across an antique tapestry. Long story short, cute guy William comes out of the tapestry, gets Tessa into a load of trouble with the fates and the woman who's been steeling lives and weaving them into the tapestry to keep her young, and eventually makes a love connection with her, though it is marred by his past. I love the protagonist in this book; Tessa, who is just headstrong enough to withstand the blows she has to take, and her sense of good and evil. A great book to read snuggled in a blanket with a cup of tea. Charming, in a word.

I can't really honestly review this book, The Fault In Our Stars, because I didn't read it all the way through. It was difficult for me, because it was too true to life, I think. I've had to deal with too much lately to read through this and feel good about it afterward. It's why I'm taking three years to get through Mockingjay. That being said, I skimmed it. I figured out the story, and it's a touching and thoughtful story about a girl who had cancer who falls in love with a boy who has another life threatening disease. Read if you will, but be warned, it is not a happy story (that doesn't necessarily make for bad books though, right?)

Hopefully this isn't too confusing or upsetting. Shoving two months of material into one blog is tough, especially when you're pressed for time. Hoping you all have wonderful reading days ahead!

Divergent

What I’m listening to right now: It’s Not Over, Daughtry

What mood I’m in today: Reading

Divergent is the first in a series by Veronica Roth. I’d heard about it being great, and thought I’d give it a go.

What the book is about: Beatrice lives in a Dystopian society divided into Factions; Amity, Erudite, Candor, Abnegation, and Dauntless. On her sixteenth birthday she is tested in a simulation in order to give her guidance about which faction to choose. If she doesn’t choose right, she could become factionless, the part of their community that labors.

Something goes wrong with the test, and the woman in charge of the simulation tells her that she’s Divergent, and that she can never tell anyone or her life will be in danger. The results are covered up, and though the test results report that she’d do well in Abnegation, it’s not what she chooses.

What I liked about this book: The conflict. Beatrice is constantly conflicted in her decisions. She admits that she’s a selfish person, that she would do almost anything to earn her place in her new faction. It’s a difficult ride; she loses and gains friends, is betrayed, and falls for one of her instructors. Though some reviews I’ve read say the love story is surprising, I thought it was predictable. That doesn’t mean I didn’t like it, of course.

Divergent has a great plot, and the end is a little sad and cliff-hanger, but that’s what makes it so good. Great series all have great cliff-hangers.

What I didn’t like about this book: It’s repetitive. I like Dystopian, but I’m also finding it a little old. It took me three weeks to finish it. In other words, it wasn’t a “couldn’t-put-it-down” situation.  

Overall I give it 3.5 out of 5, and I do recommend it. An interesting and entertaining read, for sure!

The Book of Three

What I'm listening to right now: For The First Time, The Script
What mood I'm in today: Listening

I'll start by pointing out that when I started reading this book I immediately thought my ten-year-old son would love it. You can find it in the children's and young adult's sections at the library, so I thought, why not? Especially after a friend recommended it.

Taran, our protagonist, is an eager hero wannabe and moves faster than his brain can think. Just a boy, he quickly finds out how difficult it is and how much is required of a hero. He is named Assistant Pig Keeper, but quicly loses her when she is scared away by the horned king, and goes on a journey to find her and bring her home.

Along the way he runs into Gwydion, a prince who was actually coming to see the oracle pig to find out what evil was stirring in Annuvin. They set out together to find Hen Wen (this is the pigs name) and are captured by the servants of Achren, an evil queen. Taran is thrown into a dungeon where he meets Eilonwy, a girl who can't stop talking but has a keen knack for digging tunnels in and out of the dungeon. Together they escape, but the castle falls behind them and Taran feels his friend Gwydion is lost forever. Now he has two missions; two rescue the pig and to tell Gwydion's people that Arawn is gathering evil forces and that the Horned King is at his doorway.

This story reeks of Lord of the Rings type stuff, but it really is a great story. I give it four out of five stars for several reasons. I love Taran's character, how brave he is and wants to be, and how he learns from his mistakes. He becomes more humble in his journey and more aware of life and what has to be sacrificed to overcome evil. I won't say much about the story here, only that it is the beginning of the Chronicles of Prydain, and the next book is The Black Cauldron, which I can't wait to read.

I don't know that there was much I didn't like about this book, except that it was very much from a guy's prespective. IIt's not like I hated that, I just felt slightly disconnected from it because of it. Maybe that was a good thing, not to get too emotionally involved, like I do with other books...

But I would definitely recomment this. Goodreads averages it 4 out of 5 stars, which you know must mean good things. And even though you will be fiercely reminded of LOTR, it really has its own story and its own characters that make it an entirely different story, one to be shared.

The Immortal Rules

What I’m listening to right now: My fan blowing hot air around
What mood I’m in today: I’m Not Sure

Eeeeeeeeeee! I know, it’s not a word, but it’s what I said when I found out about this book. Of course, there was a big part of me that sighed and went, “Another vampire book? Really?” So although I was super excited for the new novel from one of my favorite authors, I was hesitant to find myself in another vampire story.

Vampires Suck (parody movie)

What the book is about:

Allison Sekemoto lives in an altered futuristic universe (I guess you could take out “altered.” Who knows? Vampires may someday rule the world). She’s a survivor, mixed up with a gang of other teenagers who are also parentless because they’ve all been killed, either by vampires or rabids (a subspecies of vampire, as you’ll find out in this book).

While making a daring attempt to gather food one night, most of Allison’s gang is killed by rabids. Even she is ready to die when Kanin, a vampire master (or something like that), asks her if she wants to live. The bad news, she’ll be a vampire forever. Her survival instincts kick in, and she’ll take being a bloodsucker over death, so she agrees.

Kanin Turns her, then trains her on how to live as a vampire. He tells her that she can only survive on human blood, and that one day, she’ll kill another human being. He assures her that she’s a monster, just like him, but that she has a choice of what kind of monster she’ll become. Though she doesn’t know what this means at first, she begins to figure it out.

After Kanin is captured by vampires, Allison runs for it. She’s on her own until she runs into a band of humans making their way toward a place called Eden, which may or may not exist. She meets Jeb, a hardened man who will do anything to get to this place, and Zeke, a seventeen year old boy who takes an interest in her. What the rest of the band doesn’t know is that something is trying to kill them.

What I liked about this book:

Great story line! A fantastic break from lovesick vampires and general smushiness, this book was a little more gritty and true to life. People are selfish, rotten and unpredictable, but it’s the fight Allison makes to prove she’s better than a blood-thirsty vampire that makes the story. Aren’t we all fighting our own little (or big) demons? I want to be good! I hope to be good, and to fight the natural demons that want to get out of me.

I love the connection between Zeke and Allison. It’s realistic, and it gives people a sense of hope throughout the book. I read a review that said the middle of the story was slow, but I didn’t think so because the middle of the book is where Zeke and Allie become acquainted. Yes, much of it is a back story, but a needed back story, kind of like the first Harry Potter.

What I didn’t like about this book:

Again, it’s too much foul language for me. That being said, it’s not like there was a lot of it. I’ve read books with much more. And Kagawa refrains from using the “eff” word in most of her books. It does appear in the beginning of The Iron King, to show the seriousness of the situation I think.

It was also a little lengthy for me. Not that I’m complaining; it was like reading two books. But it did take me an extra-long time to finish. I’m not a fast reader, and I’m a mother of three and a part-time business woman, so it leaves me with not a lot of free time.

Worth it though? Definitely.

Until next time, grab a good spooky book on this fabulously cloudy day (if it’s cloudy where you are), maybe one about vampires.

The Immortal Rules Official Website 
Thanks to Goodreads for the Cover pic
Thanks to http://2or3thingsiknowaboutfilm.blogspot.com/2011_11_01_archive.html for the Vampires Suck pic
Thanks to http://kristina-worldofbooks.blogspot.com/2012/04/immortal-rules-review.html for the wicked pic of Allie and her Katana blade (where you will also find another review of this book :)

Shatter Me

What mood I'm in today: Writing
What I'm listening to right now: What Makes You Beautiful, One Direction (Yes, I'm a geek)

So I've been waiting to read Shatter Me for a while now, after hearing fantastic things about it. And I'm hear to tell you, they're all true.

First I'll get this out of the way: I'm not a big fan of lots of swearing (a few too many for me in this book) and it's a little violent in places, but the reason Tahereh Mafi gets away with this is the story is great!

From the get go, you have a mystery to figure out. Who is this girl in prison that can't touch people? And why can't she touch people? Well, it's because she can kill them. With her skin.

Juliette gets a roommate, someone she knows, who doesn't remember her. She is taken out of prison and sent to a place slightly worse: a big gray building owned by the Reestablishment and conducted by a nineteen-year-old psycho named Warner. (So many questions already, right? Who is the Reestablishment? Is this futuristic? Not telling.)

And Warner is seriously scary.

He wants Juliette in every way imaginable, but he wants her to torture people at his side. Not only this, but he resents having to force her to do it. He wants her to want to do it. He knows exactly what to say to get her mad and do what he wants her to do. He's cruel from the inside out, and he still has this weird thing about his mom that we have yet to discover.

Adam, gorgeous and protective lovely Adam, was the soldier assigned to her cell. He loves her, has since third grade, but she doesn't know this. He's super protective of her, tells her about the cameras in her room, and finally figures out he can touch her.

Adam can touch her, and it doesn't hurt him. How perfect is that?

Without giving away much more, I'll tell you what I love about this book. It was a challenge to read because of the writing style, (words crossed out, extremely poetic) but I loved it for this reason. It opened my brain up, and I could picture everything almost perfectly. I like the love story - it's a bit over-the-top for me, but a great story nonetheless. The end was fantastic and gives you a feeling of hope, even though it's not the end of the story. The book also keeps you interested. Great dialogue, not giving away too much at the beginning, and constant movement.

Can't wait for Unravel Me, out February 2013.

Until next time, Happy Reading!

Supernaturally Complicated

What I’m listening to right now: I’m Glad You Came, The Wanted
What mood I’m in today: Writing

Okay, so when I first started reading this book – months ago – I couldn’t get into it for some reason. Maybe it was just the place I was in at the time. Mentally. But I picked it up again a few days ago, and oh my bleep! It was awesomeness that I couldn’t put down. By the way, I was in the store the other day and when confronted with a problem actually said, “Oh bleep!” out loud. I’m pretty sure I got some weird looks for that. Not to mention when I said that the pants with the bling on them were “Uber-sparkly.” (yes, overly sparkly so much so that it was a little disturbing)

Supernaturally starts out with Evie at school, trying to play a game of soccer, which she’s terrible at. She describes her new “normal” life briefly, before being Raquel unexplainably checks her out of school and she is snatched by a sylph and dragged up into the clouds. Unable to fight him any other way, she steals some of his soul and starts to half-fall, half-float to the ground.

So the whole point of the story is how she starts working with IPCA again because she wants just a hint of her other life back, how she lies to Lend, a new boy from IPCA named Jack that’s mischievous with a wicked grin to match, and what she finds out about her past. WARNING – SPOILER ALERT! She actually has a father, a drunk faerie who Reth introduces her too, and a mother who she knows nothing about, except that she was probably human and probably dead.

I absolutely loved this book, and I think it was because I could relate so completely to Evie right now. She struggles with feeling a part of nothing, the fact that she belongs to no race whatsoever; not quite human, not quite faerie, and nowhere in between. Figuring out exactly what you’re supposed to be or who you are is a grueling, sometimes earth-shattering experience. I so know how that feels. And sometimes you round another corner and “Oh bleep!” It starts all over again. Four stars, definitely, better than Paranormalcy even, and a fun but empathetic reading experience.

I love Kiertsen White, and I love how she uses “bleep” to get away with no vulgarity in her books. Love it! And it’s also a happy little reminder of Lish. Oh Lish, we miss you. Anyway, I’m also super excited because the third book in the series, Endlessly, comes out July 24. May I direct you to her blog? http://kierstenwrites.blogspot.com/. Yep, so excited.

Until next time, Happy Reading!

The Secret Hour

What I'm listening to right now: All Around Me, Flyleaf
What mood I'm in today: Reading

Going back in time today, I wanted to review the first book of one of my favorite series of one of my favorite authors. The Secret Hour, first book in the Midnighters series, is a window into just what the title says, the Secret Hour. Every day has 25 hours, not 24. One of them is just hidden, and only those born at exactly midnight can be awake in this time. Not only that, but the hour only opens up in the city of Bixby, Oklahoma.

This is exactly how I pictured these things!

When Jessica Day moves to Bixby, weird things start to happen - weird even for the other midnighters who've lived there much longer than she has. The darklings begin to creep back into town, risking exposing themselves again because of their need to kill Jessica. Rex, Melissa, Dess, and Jonathan, all get involved in trying to understand why the darklings want to kill Jessica in particular.
I loved this book. Not only do the five kids get to be awake in a secret hour, but they each have different abilities that the 25th hour gives them. Rex has a special sight that allows him to see things belonging to the midnight hour ultra-clearly. Melissa can read minds, or I guess a better word is taste them. Dess is a mathematical genius, which turns out to be very important in the secret hour. Jonathan is the Acrobat. His power is different, because he can only use it in the midnight hour. As they try to find out exactly what it is Jessica can do, they get closer to the reason the darklings want to kill her.
She can kill them.
I won't give away too much here, but Scott Westerfeld's Midnighters series is intense fantastical realism that will keep you reading into the night. He captures the urgency of the situation, the personalities of every character and their importance to the story, and provides a little romance in the background (not that I would call this book romantic, but who doesn't want to see a great couple get together?). If you like books with a little bit of sci-fi/fantasy, set in the real world, this is your next read.
Until next time...keep reading. Let me know if you've read any good books! I'm always looking.

Of Creepy Towns and Other Things

What I'm listening to right now: Solitude Standing, Suzanne Vega
What mood I'm in today: Writing

Have you ever seen the X-Files episode Arcadia? If you haven't, I'll give a brief recap. Mulder and Scully move into a spotless neighborhood, undercover as a married couple. The houses all look pretty much the same, there are countless rules and regulations to follow, and if anyone ever breaks a rule they end up dead. This is why I've never moved to a structured development.

Candor by Pam Bachorz is somewhere along these lines. The title is actually the name of the town, although I still think it's meaning (The quality of being open and honest in expression; frankness.) has a sort of underlying, twisted implement as well.
We start out by meeting Oscar, the main character and voice. His dad runs Candor; charges insane amounts of money for people to live there. Everything is structure. No one breaks the rules. And the reason why is because he feeds them subliminal messages through music. Oscar, however, knows all about the Messages (I love that this is capitalized throughout the book). He creates his own messages to counter his father's. He helps kids escape Candor, as long as they pay him, right up until Nia moves in.
Nia's a little bit of a bad girl, and Oscar is afraid the town will turn her into something she's not. He likes her the way she is, and decides to feed her his own Messages and not tell her about leaving town or that it's even an option. He wants to keep her there.
After one of his client's escapes fails, things start to change. Someone knows about the Message, and his father will do anything to put a stop to it. When Nia finds out what's been going on, she accuses Oscar of making her like him and literally goes out on the town, vandilizing along the way. When she does get caught, Oscar's father takes her (and the fat kid who seems to ruin everything) into The Listening Room, a place where memories are wiped clean. Nia is changed into someone completely different, and Oscar finally realizes he has to help her escape in order to save her.
An interesting love story of sorts. My favorite part is what Oscar sacrifices for the girl he loves. Things don't go his way, but it's not necessarily the end for him either. I won't give a spoiler alert here; you'll have to read it for yourself!
Overall, I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars. (By the way, I rarely give 5 out of 5). A new idea, this book, written in Collin's style (..I say, I sit down - present tense), is a great read for young adults and old alike.
As always, Happy Reading!

The Sky Is Everwhere

What I'm listening to right now: 21 Guns, Green Day
What mood I'm in today: Editing

Today I wanted to review a book that I've hesitated reviewing because of this tiny little thing about it that irritates me.  However, I've realized that as much as the tiny little thing bugs me, I loved this book. 

The Sky Is Everywhere tells us the story of Lennie, a high-school girl whose older sister dies very suddenly and unexpectedly.  Her life changes dramatically, and the most suprising for her is that boys are noticing her.  First Joe Fontaine, the new guy from France that plays music just like Lennie, only on forty different instruments.  Joe can make her laugh and smile, making her question if she should be laughing or smiling.  Didn't her sister just die? 
Second is Toby, her sister's boyfriend, who is as torn apart as Lennie.  They find temporary solace and comfort in each other, usually by making out in Lennie's bedroom or in her Gram's garden. 
The reason I love this story so much is it shows how Lennie finally overcomes her grief - without losing her sense of loss entirely.  She knows what she's doing with Toby is wrong; letting her emotions out this way isn't healthy, especially when she's falling for Joe, the one who makes her truly happy.  This little triangle can't go on for long without worlds colliding and falling apart again, and Lennie has to try to put everything right, learning and growing in the process. 
There is a side-story here between Lennie and her best friend Sarah that I adore.  Sarah, finally fed up with feeling ignored and like Lennie doesn't trust her anymore, confronts Lennie about it.  It leads to a friendship repair that helps Lennie get through this life upheaval that she's going through.  Loyal friends!  Love it! 
So now to spill it.  I'm a little hesitant to review it because I was a little hesitant to admit I read it.  Throughout the book, that little word (starts with an F) is sprinkled quite a bit.  Excessive swearing bugs me.  Yes, we make that word into a swearword and give it its negative meaning.  But that doesn't mean it doesn't bug me still.  So, with that little warning, I actually do recommend this book, especially to late bloomers like myself - awkward, shy girls who didn't really get noticed by guys until their junior year in high school.  Yep, that's me.  And no, I'm not ashamed to admit it.