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!

Firegirl

Mood I’m in today: Reading

What I’m Listening to: Mad World, Gary Jules

I’m late on my book review this month because I was trying to finish one in particular; a literary find by Tony Abbott called Firegirl. I loved the title, of course, because of my obsession with fire, but the book wasn’t what I expected it to be. Because Abbott also writes the Secrets of Droon series, which my boys love, I thought it would be fantasy. Not even close.  

That being said, I loved it.

Tom just started the seventh grade in a private catholic school. He talks about the other kids at school and the roles they play in his life. Jeff, his best friend who shares comic books with him and calls him Cobraman, Courtney, the beautiful and confident girl who he dreams about rescuing from impending dangers, and Jessica, the new girl.

The minute Jessica walks into class it changes everything. Her body is badly deformed; burnt in a fire. Tom is just as uncomfortable around her as the rest of her class, but is surprised to find that some people hate her for being there. When he finds out about the terrible accident that led to Jessica’s ill fate, he feels horrible inside, for himself – and for her.

I love the character development in this story, the way it addresses how we change depending upon our experiences, whether adolescent or adult. It is a sad yet wonderfully written, and encourages us all to be uncomfortable about the right things.

Happy Reading.

(Thanks to Goodreads for the image)

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.