Waiting on Wednesday - Wayfarer

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine

Wayfarer by R.J. Anderson

Published by HarperTeen (HarperCollins)

On Sale Date: June 22, 2010

Summary from Publisher's Website: In a time of deadly crisis, Linden alone has the power to save her people.

The faeries of the Oak are in danger of extinction, and their only hope for survival rests in fifteen-year-old Linden. Armed with the last of her people's magic, she travels bravely into the modern human world. Along the way she makes a reluctant ally—a human boy named Timothy.

Soon Linden and Timothy discover a danger much worse than the Oakenfolk's loss of magic: a potent evil that threatens to enslave faeries and humans alike. In a fevered, desperate chase across the country, Tim and Linden must risk their lives to seek an ancient power before it's too late to save everyone they love.

R. J. Anderson has artfully crafted a world of stunning magic, thrilling adventure, and delicate beauty, where the key to the future is in an unexpected, forbidden friendship.

Another book that was published in the UK first!!  (It was published in January, with the name Rebel) I'm very excited for Wayfarer, it is the sequel to Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter, which I loved.  Spell Hunter along with Holly Black's Tithe really got me interested in reading more books about faeries and led me to read Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr and Bones of Faerie by Janni Lee Simner. 

June is shaping up to be a great book month!

What book are you waiting on this Wednesday?

In My Mailbox (16)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme that talks about books that have been bought, swapped, received for review or borrowed from the library. In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren and was inspired by Alea at Pop Culture Junkie.

From the library:

Captivate by Carrie Jones

Stargazer by Claudia Gray







Borrowed from Library System ARC list (these ARCs are actually for our Teen Reviewers, but since I needed a couple of books to take with me on my trip, I borrowed them.  They will get passed along to the reviewers when I get back, I promise.)

The Cinderella Society by Kay Cassidy

Wolves, Boys and Other Things That Might Kill Me by Kristin Chandler

Mistwood by Leah Cypess






 
 
What was in your mailbox this week?

Review - Evernight by Claudia Gray

Evernight by Claudia Gray
HarperTeen, 2008
Hardcover, 327p
Rating: 4 bookcases

Summary from Goodreads: Bianca wants to escape.

She's been uprooted from her small hometown and enrolled at Evernight Academy, an eerie Gothic boarding school where the students are somehow too perfect: smart, sleek, and almost predatory. Bianca knows she doesn't fit in.

Then she meets Lucas. He's not the "Evernight type" either, and he likes it that way. Lucas ignores the rules, stands up to the snobs, and warns Bianca to be careful—even when it comes to caring about him.

"I couldn't stand it if they took it out on you," he tells Bianca, "and eventually they would."

But the connection between Bianca and Lucas can't be denied. Bianca will risk anything to be with Lucas, but dark secrets are fated to tear them apart . . . and to make Bianca question everything she's ever believed.


When I picked up Evernight, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. Other than reading a review or two, I didn’t know that much about the book or the author, so I didn’t have any expectations. In a way that was the best thing, because halfway through the story I wanted to throw the book across the room. At one point, I did put Evernight down, not because it was a bad story but because I couldn’t believe what Ms. Gray had done.

While reading the first half of Evernight, it felt like the narrator, Bianca, had forgotten to mention an important piece of information or maybe took for granted that the reader might not know everything. The plot was definitely not awkward or lacking in any way, it just felt like I was missing something. Then all of a sudden there is this major revelation - that’s when I put the book down - that pretty much twisted the plot on its side. It was just genius. Ms. Gray lays out all the information (everything really is there, it just depends on your interpretation) and then surprises you. After the important scene, I went back and looked for the clues I had either missed or misinterpreted and there were quite a few. It really was a clever twist.

The characters were all wonderfully written; you really got a sense of who they were, this was true for the main protagonist all the way to the secondary characters. I loved how Bianca dealt with the “in crowd” by pretty much ignoring them, and focusing on what was important to her. She did manage o end up with a group of friends that included both outcast Raquel and very popular Balthazar.

Of course, not all the relationships were of the friendship variety, there was also a bit of romance. Bianca and Lucas were a great couple, as soon as they met each other; I wanted them to be together. It’s not that they needed another person to make them complete, because they were great on their own, but together they just shined. Lucas drew Bianca out of her shell and Bianca gave Lucas something to really care about. They have become one of my favorite book couples. 

I enjoy reading books with twists and in this area, Evernight did not disappoint. Ms. Gray gives the reader not one, but two huge story changing twists. The ending leaves room for sequel (of which there are two, Stargazer and Hourglass). I can’t wait to see what happens next for Bianca and Lucas.

Leaving on a jet plane...

This weekend is Alumni Weekend at my alma mater, Roanoke College.  I'm scared to say how long it's been since I graduated, but it is one of those milestone years (okay, okay, I'll admit that it is way less than 20 and a bit more than 5 ;-).  As you read this, I'm probably on my way to Charlotte to spend a little time with some friends before we head to Roanoke for our reunion on Saturday.  I'm both excited and nervous. Excited to see friends I haven't seen in years, to catch up with my best friend (code name: The Reverend) and to meet her son (who is already 16 months old!), but nervous to run into people I would rather not see and to spend so much time away from school work. 

I have a couple of posts scheduled for the next few days.  But, I won't have access to the internet as much as usual, so I won't be able to comment on all of your wonderful reviews and posts.  I promise to catch up after I come back on Tuesday. 

Have a wonderful weekend!!

Waiting on Wednesday - The Ring of Five

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine

The Ring of Five by Eoin McNamee
Published by Wendy Lamb Books (Random House)
On Sale Date: May 11, 2010

Summary from Goodreads:  Something went wrong.

Danny Caulfield doesn't know how he ended up at a mysterious academy called Wilsons. A few of the students are pretty scary. Someone tries to murder him. Even the ravens that haunt the school seem to be against him. Yet he also finds friends: Les, an exceptional thief; Dixie, who has an unsettling talent; and Vandra, a physick with special powers.

It turns out that Danny is destined for a terrifying mission. As he embarks on his training, he is shocked and secretly thrilled to discover that he seems to have all the natural gifts of the perfect spy—most importantly, the ability to betray.

The Ring of Five is the first book in a brilliant new trilogy by the author of The Navigator. Eoin McNamee's background as an author of adult thrillers informs this exhilarating, atmospheric adventure. The Ring of Five, set at a school for spies, is full of surprises as well as fascinating questions about loyalty, destiny, and what it means to be a spy.



Lately, I've been into books about spys.  I think it started when I read Heist Society by Ally Carter and then read about her Gallagher Girls series.  Heist Society isn't about spies, but it had some of them same elements of a good spy adventure.  When I heard about The Ring of Five at a library meeting, it sounded exactly like something I would love to read.

What book are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Winners, Winners, Winners!!

Thank You to everyone who entered my New Layout Contest!  I was surprised by how many people actually entered, 66 participants with 613 entries!  Wow, that is awesome, all of you are awesome :-D 

Without further ado the three prize pack winners are:

InaBox

Natalie (Mindful Musings)

Kelsey

 They have all been notified and their prizes will be mailed out shortly...

Teaser Tuesday

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

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a random page
3. Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
4. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Today's teaser comes from Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson. Claire de Lune was one of my "Waiting on Wednesday" books last month, so I'm very excited to be reading it this week!  I am pretty close to the end and can't wait to see how Ms. Johnson ends the story.  It was hard to pick 2 teaser sentences because everything on the random pages I opened to seemed to be a spoiler.  So, hopefully this exchange won't be too spoilerish.
 
 

"You really aren't like everyone else, are you?" he asked.

 

Claire swallowed hard, not a hundred percent sure what he meant.  She shrugged. "I like to think for myself, is all" she said.  Which technically was not a lie, even if it was miles away from the whole truth.

 

~p96-97, Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson

 
 
What book did you choose for your Teaser Tuesday post?  Feel free to leave a link with your comment. Have a great Tuesday!!

In My Mailbox (15)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme that talks about books that have been bought, swapped, received for review or borrowed from the library. In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren and was inspired by Alea at Pop Culture Junkie.

This past week was a pretty slow week bookwise.  I'm actually happy about that because reading for class and writing papers have taken up all of my time outside of work.  As a result, I've barely been able to get to the TBR pile.  Hopefully towards the end of the week I'll have time for more reading.

From the Library:

Leaving Gee's Bend by Irene Latham (Putnam Juvenile, January 7, 2010)

Summary from Goodreads:  A young girl sets out to save her sick mother and records her adventures in quilt pieces.

Ludelphia Bennett may be blind in one eye, but she can still put in a good stitch. Ludelphia sews all the time, especially when things go wrong.

But when Mama goes into labor early and gets deathly ill, it seems like even quilting won’t help. That’s when Ludelphia decides to do something drastic—leave Gee’s Bend for the very first time. Mama needs medicine that can only be found miles away in Camden. But that doesn’t stop Ludelphia. She just puts one foot in front of the other. What ensues is a wonderful, riveting and sometimes dangerous adventure. Ludelphia weathers each challenge in a way that would make her mother proud, and ends up saving the day for her entire town.

Set in 1932 and inspired by the rich quilting history of Gee’s Bend, Alabama, Leaving Gee’s Bend is a delightful, satisfying story of a young girl facing a brave new world.

Historical fiction is a genre that I love to read even though I don't read it that often.  So, I was excited when we got our library copy of Leaving Gee's Bend.  While the cover of Leaving Gee's Bend isn't my favorite, the summary really makes me want to read the book.  Have you read Leaving Gee's Bend?  If you have, what did you think?

For Review/ARC Tour:

Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson (Simon Pulse, May 18, 2010)

Summary from Goodreads: Torn between two destinies?

Claire is having the perfect sixteenth birthday. Her pool party is a big success, and gorgeous Matthew keeps chatting and flirting with her as if she's the only girl there. But that night, she discovers something that takes away all sense of normalcy: she's a werewolf.

As Claire is initiated into the pack of female werewolves, she must deal not only with her changing identity, but also with a rogue werewolf who is putting everyone she knows in danger. Claire's new life threatens her blossoming romance with Matthew, whose father is leading the werewolf hunt. Now burdened with a dark secret and pushing the boundaries of forbidden love, Claire is struggling to feel comfortable in either skin. With her lupine loyalty at odds with her human heart, she will make a choice that will change her forever?

Thanks to Jami at YA Addict for holding an ARC Tour for Claire de Lune!!  I'm about halfway through and so far it is terrific.  The story grabbed me from the beginning and I can't wait to see what happens next.

What was in your mailbox this week?

Book Blogger Hop

The Book Blogger Hop is a weekly event hosted by Jenn at Crazy-For-Books.  It's a fun way for book bloggers and readers to connect and find new blogs they may have not known about.  So "hop on" (bad pun, but I couldn't resist) over to Crazy-For-Books and check out some new to you blogs.

This is my first time participating in the Book Blogger Hop, so I can't wait to find some more blogs to read.  If you found my blog through the Hop, Welcome!  And thanks for taking the time to stop by.  Feel free to look around and leave your blog name and url in the comments and I will come by for a visit :-)

Waiting on Wednesday - Kiss of Death (Morganville Vampires #8)

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine

Kiss of Death by Rachel Caine

Published by Signet

On Sale Date: April 27, 2010

Summary from Goodreads: Vampire musician Michael Glass has attracted the attention of a big- time producer who wants to cut a demo and play some gigs-which means Michael will have to enter the human world. For this, he's been assigned escorts that include both a dangerous immortal as well as Michael's all-too-human friends. And with that mix of personalities, this is going to be a road trip from hell...

I picked up the first Morganville Vampires Book, Glass Houses, at the recommendation of a friend.  I had never heard of Rachel Caine and wasn't sure that I wanted to start another series, but there was a copy in the library system, so I went ahead and borrowed it.  This series is different from any other vampire series that I've read and I loved it right away.  I'm very excited to read Kiss of Death and Ghost Town, which is being published in November!  You can find more information about the Morganville Vampires Series on Rachel Caine's website.

What book are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Teaser Tuesday

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

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a random page
3. Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
4. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


Today's teaser comes from The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place Book 1: The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood.  This book has been on my To Be Read List for about two months now.  After reading a few books about heavier topics, it was time for something a little lighter.  I love the cover illustration; the governess surrounded by the incorrigible children, who look they would be a lot of fun to teach.

"I have not yet found it necessary," Penelope said, trying to keep her temper steady.

"Really?" Lady Constances seemed surprised.

 "How curious."

~p.134, The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place Book 1: The Mysterious Howling, by Maryrose Wood



What book did you coose for your teaser?  Feel free to leave a link to your teaser with your comment.

In My Mailbox (14)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme that talks about books that have been bought, swapped, received for review or borrowed from the library. In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren and was inspired by Alea at Pop Culture Junkie.

From the Library:

Borderline by Allan Stratton (HarperTeen, March 2010)

Summary from Goodreads:  The truth is closing in.

Life's not easy for Sami Sabiri since his dad stuck him at a private school where he's the only Muslim kid. But it's about to get a lot worse.

When Sami catches his father in a lie, he gets suspicious. . . . He's not the only one. In a whirlwind, the FBI descends on his home, and Sami's family becomes the center of an international terrorist investigation. Now Sami must fight to keep his world from unraveling.

An explosive thriller ripped from today's headlines, borderline is the story of a funny, gutsy Muslim-American teen determined to save his father, his family, and his life.

We got Borderline at the library this past week and the cover copy sounded so interesting that I borrowed it before any of the teens could lay their eyes and hands on it.  I might pair this with Neesha Meminger's Shine Coconut Moon and David Levithan's Love is the Higher Law for a book discussion group.

My Soul to Take  (Soul Screamers #1) by Rachel Vincent (Harlequin, August 2009)

Summary from Goodreads:  She doesn't see dead people, but…

She senses when someone near her is about to die. And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder. Literally.

Kaylee just wants to enjoy having caught the attention of the hottest guy in school. But a normal date is hard to come by when Nash seems to know more about her need to scream than she does. And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason, only Kaylee knows who'll be next…

I started reading Rachel Vincent's Shifters series, which I really enjoy.  So, I thought why not read Soul Screamers as well? 


What's in your mailbox this week?

Review - Sucks to be Me by Kimberly Pauley

Sucks to be Me by Kimberly Pauley
Published by Mirrorstone, 2008
Hardcover, 293 pages
Rating:  4 Bookcases

Summary from Goodreads:  Mina Hamilton's parents want her dead. (Or undead to be precise.) They're vampires, and like it or not, Mina must decide whether to become a vampire herself. But Mina's more interested in hanging out with best friend Serena and trying to catch the eye of the too-hot-for-high-school Nathan Able than in the vampire training classes she's being forced to take. How's a girl supposed to find the perfect prom date and pass third-year French when her mom and dad are breathing down her neck--literally?


Sucks To Be Me is a clever, fun novel with great characters. From the first page the reader knows that this won’t be a typical vampire tale. Mina Hamilton has a big decision to make and only a couple of weeks to make it. Her parents are vampires and have kept Mina a secret from the Vampire Council. Now that the Council knows about Mina, she has to decide whether or not she wants to become a vampire too. Not only does she have to keep all of this a secret from her best friend, Serena, she has to take Vampire Information classes and be mentored by her odd Uncle Mortie. Really, all she wants is to be a typical teenager, to hang out with Serena, try to snag a date to prom with her crush, Nathan, and make it through the end of the school year.

Sucks To Be Me was a fun book to read. I usually don’t think of vampire books as funny, light reads, but that is exactly what this book was. I was hooked from the first chapter and found that I really cared about Mina and the decision she would have to make. Even though the main premise was about vampires, there was also an underlying thread throughout the book about Mina finding herself and figuring out who she really is.  She was a great protagonist; fun, smart, sarcastic and she stood up to the mean girl. Not only does Mina have to navigate Vampire Information classes and learning about what her new life could look like, she also goes through typical teen things as well. The side plot involving her crush Nathan and trying to get a date to prom added a bit of normal teenage drama.  Ms. Pauley struck a balance between the two parts of Mina’s life, giving the reader insight into what she would be giving up based on her decision.

In addition to wonderful characters and a great plot, the small details including Mina’s lists and vampire myth versus truth commentary at the start of each chapter really made this a great book to read and added to the humor. I found the ending to be perfect, but it did leave room for the story to continue. And it will, when the sequel (Still Sucks to be Me) is published in May. Overall, this was a fun, witty book. I would recommend Sucks To Be Me to lovers and non lovers of vampire books alike.