Melissa, Bookworm Blogger

Shatter Me

2012-02-14T21:13:00.002-05:00

Author Tahereh Mafi

Year: 2011

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Juliette's touch is fatal. It's been 264 days since she touched someone - and that person died. Now, she's in an insane asylum. Now the government wants to use Juliette as a weapon to torture others. And Juliette doesn't know whether to go along with the plan or to fight back.

I enjoyed this book. It wasn't the most awesome book I've ever read but it was good. Sometimes it was difficult to follow but it was good. I went into expecting a paranormal book but it wasn't. I didn't expect the kind of book it ended up being.

I'll definitely be reading the sequel.

Website: http://www.taherehmafi.com/

What I've Been Reading

2012-02-12T19:58:00.000-05:00

OK, so I got a bit behind on making my blog posts. So what have I been reading since my last post? Quite a bit actually. This is what I've finished up:

Explosive Eighteen

Author: Janet Evanovich

Year: 2011

Narrator: Lorelei King

I listened to this one on audiobook. As always, Lorelei King was a terrific narrator. She ranks right up there with my favorite narrators. The book wasn't as terrific. Yes, it was still good and it was classic Stephanie Plum but that's just it, it was the same old story. I think it's time that Evanovich changed things up for Stephanie.

Sweet Venom

Author: Tera Lynn Childs

Year: 2011

Grace, Gretchen and Greer are three teenage triplets who had no idea that the others existed until they run into each other in the streets of San Francisco. What's more, Grace and Greer have no clue that they're descendants of Medusa. I liked this book a lot. It was a fun easy read and it was a new take on some of the Greek myths. OK, so it was a little reminiscent of Percy Jackson but, hey, Childs is shining a good light on Medusa.

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War

Author: Max Brooks

Year: 2006

This book is a collection of the stories, or histories, of the survivors of the Zombie War that are collected by an unknown reporter and put together in the book. Each chapter is a different story with a different person or historian telling their story. Some of the stories are absolutely beautiful and heartbreaking. And the book is very well written but there's no driving force or story line. It's really just a bunch of short stories with a common thread put together in one book. And while I thought it was well written and some of the stories were very beautiful, I had a hard time reading it - or finishing it.

We the Animals

Author: Justine Torres

Year: 2011

This is the story of three brothers growing up poor in a family of mixed race (they have a Puerto Rican father and a white mother). It's very interesting because for the most part it's told in a plural first person narrative but Torres pulls it off. He tells the story in a collection of short stories with each chapter being a defining moment or part of the brothers' lives. It's odd, harsh and beautiful all at the same time. It's a quick read and I recommend it.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Author: Laini Taylor

Year: 2011

This is by far my favorite book of the year. The writing was beautiful. I could feel myself in the streets of Prague. I could see everything the author was writing about. I could feel the main character's feelings. It was just terrific. There were places in this book where I was laughing out loud and my family thought I was losing my mind. I sat in the bathtub so long one night reading it that I was past the prune stage. I'm not going to say anything about the actual storyline because it's best to go into this book blind. But it's a definite read.

A Northern Light

2012-01-22T20:40:00.000-05:00

Author: Jennifer Donnelly
Year: 2003
Publisher: Harcourt, Inc.

Sixteen year old Mattie Gokey dreams of moving to New York City, attending college and becoming a writer but she's trapped. Her mother died, her old brother ran away and Mattie is forced to help her father take care of the farm and raise her younger sisters. Yet she refuses to give up her dream. She takes a job working at a nearby resort to earn money to pay for travel expenses to New York City and along the way begins to give up on her dreams and settles on the idea of marriage and family. Then, a woman's body is pulled from the lake the resort and, through the dead woman's letters, Mattie realizes that she was murdered.

I LOVED this book. Jennifer Donnelly has a beautiful way with words and the story was very compelling. I loved Mattie and how she never really gave up on her dreams. Maybe it is my own dreams of someday writing that made me love Mattie so much. I also loved the way that Donnelly used words and their definitions to tell the story. That just played to the English major in me. It's a beautifully told story and Donnelly is a master of language.

Looking for Alaska

2012-01-22T14:45:00.000-05:00

Author: John Green
Year: 2005
Publisher: Speak

Miles Halter hates his life at public school in Florida. He doesn't have any friends and his only life is that of memorizing people's last words. So Miles talks his parents into letting him go to Culver Creek Boarding School in Alabama where he hopes to find his Great Perhaps. There Miles meets and becomes friends with the Colonel, Takumi, Lara and, most of all, Alaska. Beautiful, funny, sexy and crazy Alaska becomes the girl of Miles' dreams and completely disrupts his life.

I wondered if this book would live up to all the great things I'd read about it over the years. When I finally found it at a used book store a couple of months ago, I bought it without thinking twice and brought it home and sat it in the dreaded TBR pile. With the recent release of The Fault in Our Stars, I started thinking I really should read this book and, on an impulse, I picked it up yesterday. There was a little bit more drinking and smoking than what I would have liked but overall it was a beautiful and haunting story. Not haunting as in scary but haunting as in it'll come back to me at odd times for the rest of my life. I was very impressed with the way John Green worked religion and life and death and what lies beyond into the story making it more than just a love story. I also appreciated that Green left some conclusions up to the reader thus making the story a little bit different for each of us.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

2012-01-21T19:35:00.000-05:00

Author: Michelle Hodkin
Year: 2011
Publisher: Simon & Schuster

It seems like things couldn't get more difficult for Mara Dyer - she wakes up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there or of the accident that killed her friends including her best friend and boyfriend. But she feels responsible and knows there has to be more to the accident than everyone is telling her. Plus, things are happening to her now that seriously make Mara doubt her own sanity.

This book alternated between being a creepy horror book and a straight up romance. There's not much of a way to write a synopsis of this book without giving away too much of the plot. So, I'll just say that it was a pretty good read. There were some really creepy spots, some good romantic spots, and some good dialogue. It wasn't the most awesome book I've read but it was a good book that I had to finish once I started if for no other reason than to find out if Mara was insane. The love interest was great. My favorite relationship in the book though was that of Mara and her older brother, Daniel. I thought he was great and I loved how he was always taking care of Mara and helping her. I found myself wishing I had a big brother just like him.

Crossed

2012-01-15T11:59:00.000-05:00

Author: Ally Condie

Year: 2011

Publisher: Dutton Books

Crossed picks up after the events of Matched. Cassia is now making her way to the Outer Provinces trying to find Ky. In the course of her journeys, she learns about the Pilot and the Rising and begins to find hope in the future. Cassia sees a way out of the futile situation that she's trapped in but for some reason, Ky doesn't want to be a part of the Rising.

This book switches viewpoints from Cassia to Ky and I'm not sure that I liked that. Condie didn't do as good of a job as Marie Lu did in Legend with the alternating viewpoints. Plus, I missed Xander. I'm really torn with this series to whether I like Ky or Xander best. Maybe in the third book one of the boys will do something to help me make my decision. Until then, I want more Xander in the books. Overall, I definitely enjoyed the book and am looking forward to the next one in the series.

Author's website: www.allycondie.com

Book's website: www.Matched-Book.com

Legend

2012-01-11T19:39:00.001-05:00

Author: Marie Lu

Year: 2011

Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons

Fifteen year old June is a prodigy in the Republic - an area once known as the western coast of the United States. She's quickly making her way up the military ranks and destined to be a star. Day is her exact opposite. He's a renegade and the Republic's most wanted criminal. Then, one day June's brother is murdered and Day is the prime suspect. This leads June on a personal mission to find and capture Day; but, once she does, she learns that they might not be as different as they seem and Day just might not be the hardened criminal he's painted as.

My sister ordered me to read this book right now. She told me it was wonderful and unputdownable. She described it as part The Hunger Games, part Divergent and then a little something else. She was right. It's a great book. It has those echoes of YA dystopian literature that's so popular right now but it's different. This book is told in alternating viewpoints between June and Day and it works better than almost any book I've read that switches narrators. In the physical sense, the font changes with the characters so it makes it easier to make that mental switch because you actually see the change. June and Day are well developed and very sympathetic. Even if you are tired of all the dystopian literature, read this one. It's worth it.

Website: http://www.legendtheseries.com/

A Clash of Kings: Book Two of A Song of Ice and Fire

2012-01-09T20:39:00.000-05:00

Author: George R.R. Martin

Year: 1999

Publisher: Bantam Books

I finally finished the second volume of A Game of Thrones!!! Everybody knows what these books are about at this point so I'm not going to waste any time summarizing them. What I will say is that I don't know of any author that has continually frustrated me more than George R.R. Martin. When I'm reading the books, I'm completely drawn into the world, feeling the characters' emotions and loving the world he's built and then he goes and kills a character I love. When I finished the book, I didn't know whether to throw it at Martin or rush out and buy the third book. Since Martin's world doesn't intersect with mine, I guess I'll have to settle for buying the third book.

The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon

2012-01-07T21:40:00.000-05:00

Author: David Grann
Year: 2010
Publisher: Vintage Books
Website: www.davidgrann.com

I must confess, I have a romantic attachment to the idea of exploration. The adventurer in me can't help but think about how wonderful it would be to live in a time where you could set out to explore unknown worlds. I sometimes find myself looking at a beautiful spot whether it be a waterfall, a mountain range or a river and imagining what it would have been like to stumble across this piece of God's mastery and know that no human had seen it before. That's what drew me to this book. It's about the British explorer Percy Fawcett that made numerous treks to the Amazon searching for what he called the Lost City of Z. His final party consisted of three people, Fawcett, his son and his son's friend. They disappeared in the jungle. David Grann sets out to trace Fawcett's journeys and to try to solve the mystery of Fawcett's disappearance.

I started reading this book months ago. I set it down 50 pages in and didn't pick it back up until today. I don't know why. I just wasn't in the mood to read it and, finally, today I was. I'm glad I did. It's a riveting story. It vividly brings to life the period of the explorers and their struggles and determination to find something that nobody has found before and write their name in the history books. I also envied David Grann just a little bit because he got to follow in Fawcett's footsteps and "explore" the Amazon himself.

Paper Dolls: Y: The Last Man, Book 7

2012-01-07T21:23:00.000-05:00

Author: Brian K. Vaughn
Year: 2006
Publisher: Vertigo Comics

This installment continues the adventures of Yorick Brown, the last man left on Earth after a mysterious plague has killed every male creature except Yorick and his pet monkey, Ampersand. This volume finds Yorick in Australia - the last place his fiance, Beth, was known to be at before the plague.

I really like the story in these graphic novels. I think they're really. My one word of caution is that if you're squeamish about nudity, you need to stay away from them.

A Monster Calls

2012-01-07T20:58:00.000-05:00

Author: Patrick Ness
Year: 2011
Publisher: Candlewick Press

Conor's been having nightmares. Well, more specifically, he's been having the same nightmare every night. One night, just after midnight, a monster shows up at Conor's house. It's not the monster from his nightmare but another one. And what it wants from Conor scares him even more than his nightmare.

I can't say a lot about this book without giving away too much of the story and spoiling it. I can just say that it is wonderful. I didn't know what to expect going into it. I knew that it had made a lot of blogger's lists of favorite books from last year and had been getting rave reviews. I also knew that the main character was dealing with his mother's cancer. Now that I've read it, I understand why there's such secrecy about the actual plot of the story and I'm keeping the secret going but I'm advising everybody to read it. If cancer's touched your life, I especially recommend this book to you.

I also have to say that the illustrations by Jim Kay are marvelous. This book is as beautiful to look at as it is to read.

Never to Sleep

2012-01-07T20:43:00.001-05:00

Author: Rachel Vincent
Year: 2012
Publisher: Harlequin Teen

This novella is set in the Soul Screamers world; however, it does not involve Kaylee (or Tod) for that matter. It centers around Kaylee's cousin, Sophie, and takes place during the events of If I Die. Sophie meets a cute new guy at school and gets introduced into Kaylee's supernatural world. She visits the Netherworld and has an adventure of her own.

I enjoyed getting to see the story from another character's point of view and Sophie has always been a bit of an outsider. Can you imagine how angry she's going to be when she finds out that her family is supernatural? And that not only Kaylee but her dad has kept the secret from her? Although I did enjoy this foray into Sophie's world, I'll be glad to get back to Kaylee (and Tod) in the next full length book.

Pure

2012-01-02T16:16:00.000-05:00

Author: Julianna Baggott

Year: February 2012

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Source: NetGalley

Website: www.juliannabaggott.com

This is yet another entry into the saturated field of YA dystopian literature and, I know, if you're anything like me, you're beginning to get wary of reading yet another book of this genre. But, I urge you to give Pure a look.

Baggott creates a world post "Detonations" where there have been nuclear type bombs that destroyed most of the world. Many people were able to remain untouched because they had been inside these Domes that had been built at the times of the explosions. They are called Pures. Others, like the main character, Pressia, were damaged. Their bodies became fused with other objects causing horrible deformities. Life outside the Domes is difficult on a good day. At age 16, all people outside the Domes are required to turn themselves over to the OSR so that they can be either trained to be soldiers, or if not healthy enough, used as live targets. The book starts with Pressia's 16th birthday.

The other main character is Partridge. Partridge is a Pure raised inside the Dome. His father is one of the leaders. Partridge's brother committed suicide and his mother never made it inside the Dome and died a martyr helping others. Then, one day, his father makes a remark that leads Partridge to believe that his mother might still be alive. This leads Partridge to escape outside the Dome to try and find his mother. When he and Pressia meet up, both of their lives change forever.

I really enjoyed this book. I had some difficulties with some of the imagery and picturing some of the fusions described in the book in my head. i just couldn't wrap my mind around some of it. Guess my imagination is failing me there.

2012 Reading Goals

2012-01-02T15:39:00.001-05:00

This is going to be a very short post. When I look around my home, I see piles of unread books. I turn on my nook and there's hundreds of books there just waiting for me to read them. I turn on my ipod and check out my audible account and there's another group of unread books. So, my goal for this year is to get through as my as my unread books that I already own as possible without acquiring a bunch of new books. Wish me luck on that one.

Favorite Books of 2011

2012-01-02T15:37:00.000-05:00

Hmm, so this one is kind of hard for me. I didn't read as many books in 2011 as I had intended to and, when I look back over my list, I don't know which books that I would consider my favorites of the year but I think I managed to narrow it down to these books (they're in the order that I read them):

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience & Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand - Such a terrific story. It read like fiction.
Divergent by Vericona Roth - I loved this book. I have recommended it to just about everybody I know. I want a Four.
Graceling by Kristen Cashore - I can't believe I let this book sit in my TBR pile for so long. I'm so glad I finally read it.
A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin - It took me forever to read this book and I'm still stuck on book two. It was one of those books that I had a very hard time putting down but once I did, I didn't get real enthused about picking it back up. And when I picked it back up, I couldn't put it back down.
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline - This was probably my favorite book of the year and definitely my favorite audiobook. I completely enjoyed it and could not put it down.
Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini - I read this book in one sitting.
Matched by Ally Condie.
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - this one has a big but beside it. I loved the audiobook. Jim Dale was terrific and completely drew me in and kept me listening but, I think that I wouldn't have been able to handle reading the book. I probably would have gave up on it but because I was listening to Jim Dale's narration, it makes the top ten list.
All These Things I Have Done by Gabrielle Zevin.
If I Die by Rachel Vincent - I loved the turns this series took on this book.

So, that's the books I really enjoyed this year. Wonder what's going to be my favorites for 2012.

Batman Noel

2011-12-25T17:15:00.001-05:00

Author: Lee Bermejo

Year: 2011

Publisher: DC Comics

This is a retelling of the Dickens' Christmas story with Batman center stage as the Scrooge character. I really enjoyed this graphic novel. It was like most all reincarnations of Dickens story but it was much darker - kind of like the most recent Dark Knight Batman movies. Fun read for any Batman lover.

The Handmaid's Tale

2011-12-18T17:03:00.000-05:00

Author: Margaret Atwood

Year: 1986

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company

The Handmaid's Tale is a dystopian novel (no surprise I'm reading another one of those). The story is told in first person from the point of view of Offred (not her real name). Offred is a handmaid in a new society called the Republic of Gilead and lives somewhere around Bangor, Maine. In this society, women have no power and are possessions of men. Some women are Wives, some are Marthas, others, like Offred, are Handmaids. Their function in society comes from the story in the Bible where Rachel gives her maid to her husband, Jacob, so that he can have children by her. Offred is placed in the home of a high ranking Commander where she must hope that he can make her pregnant. If she is not able to have a baby, then she will either die or be made an Unwoman and shipped to the Colonies.

This society is new and the story is interspersed with stories from Offred's life before this happened - when she had a job, money, freedom, a husband and a daughter. She can remember what she's lost and, at times, can not decide whether she pities the younger girls who cannot remember a time before or if she thinks it is better that they don't remember.

I've heard about this story for a very long time. And it's always been good reviews and high praise for The Handmaid's Tale. I must agree that it is a very well-written and captivating book. My biggest complaint is that I didn't feel completely connected with Offred and I wanted just a little more. I don't know if I was looking for more emotion, more story, more background, more conclusion. I just felt like there was a little something missing. Don't misunderstand, I thought this was a terrific book. There was just a little something missing for me.

Blood Bound: Unbound, Book 1

2011-12-04T20:05:00.001-05:00

Author: Rachel Vincent
Year: 2011
Publisher: Mira

Olivia Warren is a blood tracker. She can find anybody just by smelling their blood (like a bloodhound). In her world, a world of Skilled people, people are bound to others by oaths made with blood and one never quite knows who is bound and who isn't. So, Olivia trusts no one. But now the husband of her one of her oldest childhood friends has been killed and it looks like her daughter is next. Olivia is forced to work with Cam - the lover she left behind.

I love Rachel Vincent's Soul Screamer series and that is the sole reason I picked up this book as I don't read that much urban fantasy. I really enjoyed it. I could feel the tension between Olivia and Cam - both sexual and anger. The world is incredibly imaginative and well built. I sat up way too late on a work night finishing this book. Of course, I hated the cliffhanger of an ending. ;)

The Iron King: The Iron Fey, Book One

2011-12-04T19:46:00.001-05:00

Author: Julie Kagawa
Year: 2010
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Website: www.juliekagawa.com

Meghan Chase's little brother is kidnapped by fey and replaced by a changeling child. Meghan has to travel into the Nevernever to save her brother. There Meghan learns that nothing in her life is really what she thought it was. Her father is actually a faerie king. Her best friend, Puck, is the king's trickster who was protecting Meghan in the human world. Meghan also learns that the mysterious stranger who she had spotted several times in the human world is Ash - a prince of the winter court and her real father's enemy. But the danger doesn't stop there. Turns out, the fey kidnapped her brother are a new breed. They're made of iron and plan to take over the Nevernever and destroy it.

I was surprised at how much I had enjoyed this book. I've read several book about fey and have not been impressed with them. The stories are all the same and fairly lackluster at that. I heard Julie Kagawa in an interview and she intrigued me so I decided to give her books a try. I'm glad a did. I look forward to reading the rest of this series.

Vanish

2011-11-09T20:54:00.000-05:00

Author: Sophie Jordan
Year: 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins

After the events of Firelight, Jacinda is forced to leave Will behind and return to the Pride with her family. On top of the heartbreak of leaving Will behind, Jacinda is tormented by the fact that Will's memory was altered and he doesn't even know why she left him. But Jacinda hasn't forgot Will and now she has to decide if she can live without him even though she is back with her Pride where she thought she wanted to be? Life with the Pride isn't easy now either. Before Jacinda was special and important. People revered her and liked her. Now, Jacinda is considered a traitor and, if not for Cassian's protection, her wings might be clipped. Will had promised to never stop looking for Jacinda. But will he even remember that promise? And, if he does, will Jacinda be brave enough to follow her heart.

I liked Vanish much more than Firelight. I felt like Jacinda grew a lot and faced up to her faults. I missed not having as much of Will in the book. Also, reading the actual book instead of listening to the audiobook decreased my frustration as I was able to follow Jacinda's thoughts and words by seeing the punctuation in the book. I can't wait to see what happens next!

Sherlock Holmes: Year One: Volume 1

2011-11-09T13:36:00.004-05:00

Written by: Scott Beatty
Illustrated by: Daniel Indro
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Year: 2011

This graphic novel is an origin story of Sherlock Holmes. It includes the introduction to Dr. Watson and a back story as to how they became roommates and partners. It has an interesting mystery that introduces us to Dr. Moriarty (and boy is he evil) and sets up their rivalry quite well. It wasn't a great mind-blowing mystery but still good and I felt like this collection was more of a set up for future graphic novels than anything.

I thought the graphic novel had very good artwork. I didn't like that the characters had purple skin. There is a possibility that was just because I was reading it on my nook and maybe the colors were off.

Firelight

2011-11-08T21:56:00.001-05:00

Author: Sophie Jordan
Year: 2010
Publisher: HarperCollins
Narrator: Therese Plummer

Jacinda is a draki (otherwise known as a dragon decedent). But not only is she a dragon, Jacinda's a firebreather which makes her an extra special and rare dragon. Her Pride not only wants to own her, they want to control her. She's forced to leave her Pride with her mother and sister and live among the mortals in a barren desert that is slowly killing Jacinda's draki. Jacinda must deny her true nature and pretend to be human. When she meets Will, he becomes her oasis in a desert. Beautiful, kind and sexy, Will feeds her draki and keeps her alive. But Will and his family are hunters. Their family hunts Jacinda's kind and kills them. They are the ultimate starcrossed lovers - a hunter and his prey.

I liked this story a lot. It was different and fun and Jordan writes heartbreaking and hot romance. I did get a bit frustrated. I listened to the audiobook and Jacinda tends to have lots of thoughts about how she should answer questions or about her real feelings and, listening to the audiobook, it was difficult to tell at times whether Jacinda was really saying something or if she was thinking it. So, I'd get really excited thinking she was confessing her feelings and she was just thinking them. That is no fault of the narrator who did an excellent job. I think the way the story is written it doesn't come across well on audiobook. I recommend reading this book instead of listening to it.

Blood Wounds

2011-11-06T12:17:00.000-05:00

Author: Susan Beth Pfeffer
Year: 2011
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

I normally wouldn't have picked this book up but it was written by Susan Beth Pfeffer and I loved her Life As We Knew It books. I recommend those books to just about everybody I come in contact with (so if you haven't read them, go out, get them and read them. They're terrific.) Blood Wounds centers on Willa. Willa is part of a blended family and has two stepsisters who she likes but also envies and resents. Her stepsister's mother pays for them to go to fancy schools, travel and compete in very expensive hobbies; whereas Willa doesn't have the money to do these things. Then, one day, Willa gets word that her biological father (who she hasn't seen since she was a toddler) has killed his current wife and daughters and may be heading to Willa's home to kill her. The story focuses on the ramifications from her father's actions and how it affects Willa and the people she loves.

I didn't identify with Willa because I've never been in any of her situations but I did root for her. I wanted Willa to find her way through these problems and come out on the good side. I felt for her. In the end, that's what I think the author wanted. There's some hard and raw stuff to deal with in this story and I think that won't appeal to a lot of readers. But I liked it. Pfeffer is very good at fleshing her characters out and making them real.

Also is very fun to follow on her blog: http://susanbethpfeffer.blogspot.com/

Leviathan: The Unwritten, Volume 4

2011-11-05T20:50:00.000-04:00

Authors: Mike Carey & Peter Gross

Year: 2011

Publisher: Vertigo Comics

This fourth installment of The Unwritten series was probably the most difficult to read. Tom Taylor gets separated from Lizzie and Savoy and travels through multiple stories, faces the great white whale and must figure out how to get back home. I feel like there was a lot I missed in this story so I'm going to have to go over it again before the fifth volume comes out but I did still enjoy it. I love the premise of these comics and how they illustrate how much the stories we read influence our lives. I also love the way the authors define stories through the series. One particular set of scenes in this volume stuck out to me. Our hero, Tommy, is being read a book by his father as a child and they begin discussing happy endings and how, as readers, we expect everyone to live happily ever after. Tommy's father tells Tommy,

"Nobody ever lives happily ever after, Tom. If that were to happen the story would have to stop. Because it's sustained on the endless agonies and exertions of the hero. . . At the close of each book, we promise him a respite. A moment's peace. And a moment's all it is."

I liked these lines a lot because they remind me that life isn't a happily ever after. We're going to have good days and bad days but neither one is going to last forever. So, when the going gets tough, we need to put on our big girl panties and muddle through it and know that better times are around the corner. Of course, we can't get too complacent in the good times because there are going to be bad days ahead.

This series also has some of the best and most interesting artwork I've seen. There are all kinds of hidden gems throughout the story. I recommend this series to anybody who's a lover of literature.

My Poor Neglected Blog

2011-11-02T16:21:00.000-04:00

So, I've been very remiss in updating my blog this summer. Not many excuses except that I've been busy and time has gotten away from me. But, I have been reading! It looks like I've read 22 books since the last time I posted. Woops. Instead of overwhelming everybody with a comprehensive listing of every book I've read since that time, I'll just go over some of my favorites. I'm going to skip book summaries in this post because it'd just be too long and take up too much of your valuable reading time.

Drinking Coffee Elsewhere

Author: Z.Z. Packer

Year: 2004

This book had been sitting in my To Be Read stack for a long, long time. I read Z.Z. Packer's short story, Drinking Coffee Elsewhere, while in college and loved it. Overall, I loved this collection of short stories. She's got a way of writing that is so down to earth yet beautiful. Terrific stories. I definitely recommend them.

Ready Player One

Author: Ernest Cline

Year: 2011

Narrator: Wil Wheaton

I loved this book. I was a child of the 80s and this book made me extremely nostalgic for my childhood. The entire book was riddled with references and call outs to all those movies, books and songs that I used to love. I think that a person that's not a huge geek like me might get a bit overwhelmed or bogged down in the story but for those like me, it's tons of fun. Wil Wheaton was a wonderful narrator. I'm thinking of checking out other books he's narrated.

The Magician King

Author: Lev Grossman

Year: 2011

Another very good read. This book picked up after the events of The Magicians. It was a lot like Voyage of the Dawn Treader (which was my favorite of the Narnia stories. Quentin and his friends are now kings and queens of Fillory and have been peacefully ruling. In fact, Quentin is a bit bored. So, Quentin finds himself a quest. These are definitely books meant for adults so don't let your kids read them but I like them a lot. Oh, and I was totally unhappy with the ending. I think the first thing I did was start searching the web for the release date of the next book (it's unknown by the way).

Bloodlines

Author: Richelle Mead

Year: 2011

Narrator: Emily Shaffer

This book takes place in the Vampire Academy world. This book focuses on the alchemist, Sydney, that helped Rose in the Vampire Academy stories. Sydney is sent to protect Jill Dragomir. I've heard a lot of people complaining about how they didn't like this book or didn't care for Sydney as a narrator but I liked it. It took me a little longer to warm up to Sydney than it did Rose but I did and I liked her. Plus, I loved getting to see more of Adrian who was one of my favorites from the Vampire Academy books. I'm still not sure how I feel about Emily Shaffer as a narrator. She annoyed me at first but by the time I got most of the way through the book, I was okay with her.

13 Little Blue Envelopes

Author: Maureen Johnson

Year: 2005

I got this book as one of the Free Friday reads from Barnes and Noble for my nook and didn't know what to expect. I liked it. 17 year old Ginny receives a package from her recently deceased aunt. The packages contains 13 blue envelopes. Each envelope has instructions for Ginny to follow as she's sent gallivanting over Europe to fulfill assignments for her aunt. This book was not a particularly intelligent read but it was fun.

Starcrossed

Author: Josephine Angelini

Year: 2011

I devoured this book. It took me a couple of chapters to get started but once I did, I didn't set it down all day. It was all about Greek gods and goddesses in today's world. The main character, Helen, is a reincarnation of Helen of Troy. There's love, war and magic. Loved it.

Matched

Author: Ally Condie

Year: 2010

This was another book I couldn't put down. It's one of those young adult dystopian novels. I loved Cassia and loved both Xander and Ky. I still can't choose between the two. Maybe the new book, Crossed, that just came out this week will help me make a decision between the two guys. One of my favorite aspects of the book was how much influence the poetry of past generations had on the main character, Cassia. I can totally see a poem meaning that much to me and can't imagine a world where there are only 100 poems. Or a world where people can not write. Definitely recommend this one.

The Night Circus

Author: Erin Morgenstern

Year: 2011

Narrator: Jim Dale

This book left me a little conflicted. Morgenstern created a beautiful world in The Night Circus and painted such vivid pictures of the circus, the tents and the people that I had no problem imaging exactly what it would be like to be at the circus. And I loved the characters. But the actual story seemed to slog along. But, Jim Dale is my absolute favorite narrator and he made the audiobook come alive and, by the time I was halfway through the book, I could not turn the audiobook off. Jim Dale is just amazing. I wonder if I would have enjoyed the book at all if I wasn't listening to it but I would definitely recommend checking it out and giving it a chance - especially the audiobook.

All These Things I Have Done

Author: Gabrielle Zevin

Year: 2011

Another great dystopian novel. Loved it. This is in my top books of the year. I loved the main character. Anya was so easy to identify with and sympathize for. In her world chocolate and caffeine are illegal (I'd definitely be on the run). Her family business is chocolate; so, she's considered to be part of a mob like family. Then, Anya falls for the new boy at school who just happens to be the town's new DA's son. I read this book on vacation and spent an entire vacation morning hiding on the deck of the cruise ship reading it. Plus, the book is absolutely beautiful.

Girls in White Dresses

Author: Jennifer Close

Year: 2011

This book was not what I was expecting at all. For some reason, I thought it was going to be one story about a group of college friends. Instead, it was a collection of interweaved short stories about girls who are friends. It was still a good book and I enjoyed the stories a lot. I just had a hard time getting past the book being something different than I thought it was.

Maine

Author: J. Courtney Sullivan

Year: 2011

I loved this book. It's about an extremely dysfunctional family that gathers every summer at a beach house owned by their mother and the complicated relationships that they have and their just trying to reach some kind of understanding with each other. The ending was fantastic and a bit unexpected even though I should have totally known where the book was going.

Anna and the French Kiss

Author: Stephanie Perkins

Year: 2010

This might just be the best teen romance I've ever read. Anna was a wonderful character. The dialogue was smart and funny. Etienne was completely lovable. I reread the last 30 pages about ten times once I finished the book. If you like romance at all, read this one.

If I Die

Author: Rachel Vincent

Year: 2011

Narrator: Amanda Ronconi

This series just keeps getting better and better. I love Kaylee (and Tod). In this book the tension and suspense as to what was going to happen nearly killed me. I feel like with every book Rachel Vincent keeps upping the consequences and the importance of every event for the characters. I listened to this audiobook on my nightly walks and my walks were two hours long on those nights. I couldn't put the book down and just walked until I was exhausted. For anybody who loves paranormal romances, I definitely recommend this series. It's at the top of the list. And, you have to start with the first book. Don't start here or you're going to be terribly spoiled for the other books. I can't wait to see what happens to Kaylee (and Tod) next.

OK, that's most of the books that I've been reading over the summer (and fall). Now, let's see if I can stay up to date on the blog. Wish me luck!

A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1

2011-08-07T18:11:00.000-04:00

Author: George R.R. Martin
Year: 1996
Publisher: Bantam Books
Website: http://georgerrmartin.com/

Yeah, I finally read it. I also figure if you don't know what this book is about then you've been living in a cave somewhere for the past year; so, absolutely no descriptions from me. I will say that it took the book a while to get going and that I needed that appendix of the great multitude of characters in this book but that, once the book got to going, I loved it.

The Snowman

2011-08-07T18:04:00.000-04:00

Author: Jo Nesbo
Year: 2011
Publisher: Knopf
Website: http://jonesbo.com/

Mothers are disappearing and left behind in their place are snowmen - the only clue that a serial killer is at work. Detective Harry Hole is convinced that the killer is playing a game with him because of a letter left for him.

This is a Scandinavian serial killer mystery by Jo Nesbo who is hailed as the next Steig Larrson. I can't comment on the comparisons to Larsson as I have got to be the only person left who hasn't read his Dragon Tattoo books (it is in my TBR stack). But, I can say this is a very good mystery. Nesbo's hero, Harry Hole, is tough, gritty, damaged goods who reminded me a lot of Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch. Could be because they share the same name but I don't think it is. I think the characters are very similar.

This book was quite scary for a murder mystery and I felt that Nesbo dared to go further than many American authors would. And I liked it.

Water for Elephants

2011-08-07T16:41:00.000-04:00

Author: Sara Gruen
Year: 1996
Publisher: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
Website: http://saragruen.com

When he is 21 years old, Jacob Jankowski walks out of college in the middle of his veterinary final exams and joins the circus. It's not a pretty life. This story takes place during the Depression and the circus Jacob joins is not a top caliber circus. Animals go without food, workers without money and sometimes "disappear" during the night.

I almost stopped reading this book before I got into the heart of the story because the first 75 pages was not at all what I expected and was much more explicit that I was prepared for. Once the Gruen got into the actual story, it was a beautiful story. The details of circus life were amazing - not necessarily pretty or something that made me want to run out and join the circus - but amazing.

Thirteen Reasons Why

2011-07-10T13:16:00.000-04:00

Author: Jay Asher
Year: 2007
Publisher: razorbill
Website: www.thirteenreasonswhy.com

Clay Jensen finds a shoebox with seven cassette tapes in it on his front doorstep. When he starts listening to them, Hannah Baker's voice tells him that if he's listening to these tapes, then he's one of the thirteen reasons why she committed suicide. Hannah tells him that he must listen to the tapes to find out why he is on her list and then forward the tapes to the person behind him on the list. Clay's dumbstruck. Why was he a reason that Hannah committed suicide? He had a crush on her! Through the night, Clay keeps listening.

Again, another wonderful and emotional YA novel. I don't know how this book stayed off my radar until it came out in paperback. It's terrific. I was impressed with Jensen's use of the dual narration (not many authors could pull this off). Once I started this book, I couldn't stop reading. I had to keep going and find out who all was on Hannah's list and what did Clay do to Hannah that led to her suicide?

Very good read.

Hate List

2011-07-10T13:02:00.000-04:00

Author: Jennifer Brown
Year: 2009
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
Website: http://www.jenniferbrownya.com/

In her junior year of high school, Valerie's boyfriend opens fire on the student body in the Commons area of school, killing classmates, before turning the gun on himself. Nick's targets are people that he and Valerie had put on their Hate List - a list of people that they didn't like and thought should die. Now, in the aftermath, Valerie has to come to terms with her boyfriend's actions and her role in them. After all, she did start the Hate List. For a while, the police question whether or not she was an active participant.

This was an excellent book. It was very well written, tight lines, there wasn't a wasted sentence in the book. In addition, Jennifer Brown did an amazing job making me feel for the characters, sympathize with them and hope that somehow they were able to work everything out right. I highly recommend this book.

A Wizard of Mars: Young Wizards: Book 9

2011-07-03T21:04:00.000-04:00

Author: Diane Duane
Year: 2010
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Website: www.youngwizards.com

I've been reading the Young Wizards since I was in middle school and I absolutely love these books. When I heard that A Wizard of Mars was coming out, I rushed to Amazon and pre-ordered the book so that I would have it delivered to my home on release day. And then let it sit in my TBR stack for over a year. I finally picked it up this week and started reading it and have been asking myself the same question all week: why did I wait so long to read this book?

In this ninth book, Nita Callahan and Kit Rodriguez find themselves having to deal with Kit's infatuation with Mars. Nita and Kit (but mostly Kit) are working to try and figure out the secrets of Mars and the truth to the question about was there ever life on Mars and what happened to Mars' planetary kernel. Kit accidentally triggers events that leads to the life emerging on Mars again. Unfortunately, the Martians' plans could destroy Earth.

As always, I loved this book. I enjoyed seeing Nita and Kit growing up and starting to examine their relationship with one another and finally starting to start thinking about romance (come on it's been thirty years!). I also enjoyed seeing the friendships between Nita and Carmela and Kit, Darryl and Ronan.

Now, how long until the next book comes out? I definitely won't be letting that one sit on my TBR stack for a year.

Grave Sight Comic Book

2011-07-03T15:07:00.000-04:00

Author: Charlaine Harris
Year: 2011
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment

This comic features Charlaine Harris' Harper Connelly character. Harper was struck by lightening as a teenager and since then she is able to see how people died. She can sense their ghosts and the places that they've died and the method of death. Harper can't always see who killed them but she can tell if they were murdered. Harper travels with her stepbrother, Tolliver, who works as her manager.

I enjoy this character more than I do the Sookie Stackhouse character. I liked this comic a lot; although I did feel that the story was a bit short and I could've used more of it. I felt that it was well drawn but it did load a bit slowly on my nook.

Smoking Seventeen

2011-07-03T14:53:00.000-04:00

Author: Janet Evanovich
Year: 2011
Narrator: Lorelei King
Author Website: www.evanovich.com

Every year I look forward to the release of the latest Stephanie Plum book. These books are fun, sexy and just plain out make me laugh. And the latest book is no exception. In this book, dead bodies are showing up on the lot of the burned out Vincent Plum bonds office and Stephanie appears to be the target of the killer (or at least on his mind). On top of that, Stephanie's feeling the pressure to make a choice between the two men in her life - Ranger and Morelli. Her mother thinks she should drop both of them and go for the former high school football player that's returned to Trenton.

As I said before, I love these books. They're not high class literature and I don't walk away from them feeling like I've experienced some cosmic revelation. They're just fun. And, I have to listen to the audiobook on every one of them. Lorelei King is amazing. I tried reading on of the actual books before and couldn't do it. I had to hear Lorelei King's narration. In short, if you want something fun and light-hearted to read, give the Stephanie Plum books a listen.

The Girl in the Steel Corset

2011-06-26T20:17:00.000-04:00

Author: Kady Cross
Year: 2011
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Website: www.kadycross.com

Finley Jane isn't like the other girls. She has a duel, dark side that lives inside her. One that she can't control. When the "gentleman" that she works for comes after her one night, Finley fights back and runs away. And right into the path of Griffin King. Griffin King isn't like other lords. Like Finley, Griffin has a gift - as do most of the others that live with him. There's Emily - a petite, but extremely intelligent woman that works with the automatons and talks to them (oh and Emily 100% reminds me of Kaylee from Firefly). And Sam - the man whose half-machine himself and possesses superpowers that rival Finley's. And now the group must work together to find The Machinist - a killer that's using automatons in his plan to take over England.

I loved the world of this book. I am fascinated with the steampunk genre and I think that Kady Cross did a very good job of bringing it out and fluidly working it into her world. It felt very natural. I liked the characters a lot, too, and look forward to seeing more of them.

Beyonders: A World Without Heroes

2011-06-26T20:06:00.000-04:00

Author: Brandon Mull
Year: 2011
Publisher: Aladdin

Jason Walker is a normal teenage boy who spends his time working hard to get good grades in school, practicing baseball and working up the courage to talk to the cute girl in school that he has a crush on. Then, one day at the zoo, he takes a strange and unusual trip from the hippo tank and ends up in the magical world of Lyrian. In Lyrian, all the people live in fear of their evil wizard emperor, Maldor. Jason ends up with the quest of finding the magical word of power that will defeat Maldor. In this quest, he meet Rachel, another girl from America who was also magically transported into Lyrian. Together, they work on finding the word of power which they hope will lead to a way home.

I came to this series extremely excited because I'm a fan of Brandon Mull's Fablehaven series. I was not disappointed. This was a fun creative book. Mull did a very good job of developing the world of Lyrian. He came up with some amazing characters that I don't want to spoil any of the surprises for any readers out there. It's a completely different premise than the Fablehaven books. I'd say it's more related to Lord of the Rings.

You can find more about the book here: www.brandonmull.com

Graceling

2011-06-18T17:15:00.000-04:00

Author: Kristen Cashore
Year: 2008
Publisher: Graphia (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

Katsa lives in a world where some people are born with Graces - special abilities that make the person stand out from others. These people are marked with two different colored eyes. Katsa is the niece of the king of one of the Seven Kingdoms and should, by all rights, be able to live the "high life." However, her Grace is extra special - she is graced with the art of killing. Her uncle uses her as an assassin and enforcer for his kingdom. Then, one night, Katsa meets Prince Po of the Leinid kingdom and everything changes. Prince Po is graced with combat fighting skills. Together they set off on a mission that brings them closer together and teaches them both new things about their Graces.

First off, this book has been sitting in my TBR stack for over a year! I bought it because the cover is absolutely beautiful, brought it home, sat it down and never picked it back up. Now, I'm wondering why I waited so long to read it. I totally enjoyed this book. I can see where there is room for improvement; however, once I got into the book, I could not put it down. Katsa is a very strong, female character. Prince Po is completely loveable. I hated to see the book end - mainly because I wanted just a little bit more from the main characters. Maybe I'll see that in a future book.

The Sixth Gun, Book 1, Cold Dead Fingers

2011-06-18T16:52:00.000-04:00

Author: Cullen Bunn
Illustrator: Brian Hurtt
Year: 2011
Publisher: Oni Press

During the time of the Civil War, a group of heartless men come into possession of six pistols with strange and evil powers. Then one day, the Sixth Gun (the one with the most dangerous power) vanished. Years later, Becky, a young, innocent girl gains possession of the Sixth Gun and the cutthroat men, long thought dead, come after her to regain the gun and it's magnificent powers. The only person who can help Becky is Drake Sinclair - a gunslinger with a shady past of his own.

This is the first comic that I read on my nook and it looked beautiful. I was impressed with the colors and the drawings. I also liked the setup for this comic series. It's a western which is considered a mostly dead genre but it's got a bit of science fiction mixed in. The characters were developed well enough to get me invested in them but not quite enough that their mystery was gone. I'm looking forward to seeing more in this series.

Darke: Septimus Heap: Book 6

2011-06-18T16:36:00.000-04:00

Author: Angie Sage
Year: 2011
Publisher: HarperAudio
Narrator: Gerard Doyle

A Darke Domaine has settled over the castle and is quickly heading over the castle grounds, destroying everything in it's path. The last thing standing in it's way is the Wizard Tower. In the sixth Septimus Heap book, Septimus must figure out a way to destroy the Darke Domaine and rescue Alther Miller from the Darke after Marcia accidentally banishes him.

I look forward to every single Septimus Heap book. I love listening to them. I think that Angie Sage is a master wordsmith and I get giggles over her use of language. I highly recommend these books. Every time I listen to them, I find myself driving very slow on the way home wanting to get more of the book listened to before I have to turn it off. In addition, Gerard Doyle is an excellent narrator. (Of course, I'm sure it helps with my narration that I am seeing Gerard Butler in my head when I listen to these books).

I'm just really glad that Angie Sage hasn't decided to stop these books at seven - I know that I'll have Septimus around for a while.

The Fifth Witness

2011-06-18T16:24:00.000-04:00

Author: Michael Connelly
Year: 2011
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Narrator: Peter Giles

This latest story finds Mickey Haller in a different spot than we're used to seeing him. Business has been down for Mickey; so, he's expanded into the foreclosure field. Then, one of Mickey's clients is arrested for murdering the banker that was foreclosing on her home. Now, Mickey's in the middle of a high profile murder case that puts his life in danger.

I really love Michael Connelly's books and I did enjoy this one a lot; HOWEVER, I have to admit that I prefer the Harry Bosch books. I like Harry better as a character and find his character much more interesting. In addition, I felt a couple of times during the book that it was written with twists and turns for the movie adaptation in mind. Still, it was a good read that kept me very occupied on my daily trip back and forth to work.

Divergent

2011-06-05T15:10:00.000-04:00

Author: Veronica Roth
Year: 2011
Publisher: Katherine Tegan Books/Harper Collins

This book takes place in a dystopian Chicago where all citizens are divided into five factions that value or prize a certain virtue in their members - Candor (honest), Abnegation (selfless), Dauntless (brave), Amity (peaceful) and Erudite (intelligent). Each year all sixteen years must pass a take a test that shows their natural inclination towards one faction. Then, the next day, they must choose to which faction they will belong. If the person chooses a faction that their family is not from, they effectively shun their families and will not see them or take part in their prior lives. The main character Beatrice must choose whether she will stay with her family or be the person that she really is.

This book as been hailed as the book for anybody who is suffering from Hunger Games withdrawal to read. I must say that it did keep me reading much as The Hunger Games did. It also features a strong, brave, female character. That's about where the comparisons to The Hunger Games ends. The situations that Beatrice and Katniss are in are highly different. The Hunger Games is much more intense. But don't take me wrong, Divergent is an excellent book and it's a very good start to the series. When the book ended, I was left wanting more. I saw more of The Giver and The Uglies series in this book than The Hunger Games.

I really enjoyed the book and recommend it to anybody that likes dystopian novels.

Reckless

2011-05-30T21:52:00.000-04:00

Author: Cornelia Funke
Year: 2010
Publisher: Little, Brown

Once upon a time. . .

Cornelia Funke decided to tell another tale about stories coming to life (much as she did in Inkheart) and although this book sounds a bit like Inkheart, it is a completely different story. In Reckless, Jacob Restless has discovered a world beyond the magic mirror in his father's study. In this world, Jacob learns that fairytales do exist; however, they're not exactly the same stories we learned growing up. One day, Jacob's little brother, Will, follows him through the mirror, is injured and all seems lost as Jacob is now must figure out a way to rescue his little brother or he will lost him forever.

Ms. Funke is a master storyteller and, like Inkheart and Dragon Rider before it, I was enchanted and loved the book. I found myself lost in her magical world and when the story was over, I wanted more. Great book.

The Unwritten: Volume 3: Dead Man's Knock

2011-05-25T09:50:00.000-04:00

Author: Mike Carey and Peter Gross
Year: 2011
Illustrator: Ryan Kelly
Publisher: Vertigo Comics

This is the third volume in The Unwritten series. It continues the story of Tommy Taylor and includes such adventures as the release of the new Tommy Taylor novel, Tommy's confrontation with this father and his discovery of more details about his purpose.

I continued to love this series. I like that way it blurs the line between fiction and reality and brings into question what is a story and what is not a story. I also love the references I see in the story to Harry Potter. I know it makes me sound like a huge fangirl but I get all giddy everytime I see a Harry Potter reference anywhere.

I think this series is a must for any lover of books.

Decision Points

2011-05-25T09:41:00.001-04:00

Author: George W. Bush
Year: 2010
Publisher: Crown

"Decades from now, I hope people will view me as a president who recognized the central challenge of our time and kept my vow to keep the country safe; who pursued my convictions without wavering but changed course when necessary; who trusted individuals to make choices in their lives; and who used America's influence to advance freedom. And I hope they will conclude that I upheld the honor and dignity of the office I was so privileged to hold. Whatever the verdict on my presidency, I'm comfortable with the fact that I won't be around to hear it. That's a decision only history will reach."

The is George W. Bush's memoir of his time in office. Here he explains what he considers to be some of the most important or dramatic events of his presidency. Bush approaches each situation in a matter of fact way, explaining the information that he had at the time, the steps he took to gain more information and how he came to his decisions whether they be right or wrong.

I found some of the stories heartbreaking such as Bush's experiences of 9/11, his visits to Ground Zero, and the decisions he had to make after that. I also found many parts enlightening; in particular, more of the story was revealed relating to the Federal government's slow response to Katrina that shows that there is more than one side to every story. Or how the "Mission Accomplished"

I appreciated Bush's candor in the book in overcoming his own personal demons such as alcohol. I also enjoyed reading about his obvious love and devotion to his wife and family.

Parts of the book got bogged down with details about the minute decisions in government that would probably bore the most avid political science major. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

A Red Herring Without Mustard

2011-05-19T09:56:00.000-04:00

Author: Alan Bradley
Year: 2011
Publisher: Delacorte Press

This is the latest installment in the Flavia de Luce mysteries. This time Flavia gets mixed up with a traveling gypsy and, of course, murder follows her around. I love these stories. They are delightful tales that take place in an idyllic time even though Flavia's family circumstances are anything but idyllic. I love the way that Flavia seems to outwit the local police in solving the murder cases. I also like the way that there's always the understory about Flavia's mother and what happened to her.

I highly recommend these books.

Vampirates: Demons of the Ocean

2011-05-11T09:58:00.000-04:00

Author: Justin Somper
Year: 2006
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Fourteen year old twins, Grace and Conner Tempest, grew up listening to their father's tales of a ship of Vampirates sailing the seas. He sung a shanty about the Vampirates to them to comfort them when they were scared. After their father's death, Grace and Conner decide to run away. They steal his boat and set out to sea and straight into a storm. Their boat is destroyed and the twins are picked up by two different pirate ships - one of them by the Vampirate ship. Each child struggles to deal with ship life and with the possible death of their sibling and their undesirable need to continue looking for each other.

I enjoyed this book. It wasn't great but it is a different idea and storyline and a good, if shaky, start to the series.

The Emerald Atlas: Books of Beginning

2011-05-09T20:55:00.000-04:00

Author: John Stephens
Year: 2011
Publisher: Knopf Books
Narrator: Jim Dale

I found this book while wandering through Barnes and Noble and was enchanted by the cover (because green is my favorite color). Then, I saw where the audiobook was narrated by Jim Dale and knew I had to listen to the audiobook. I love Jim Dale and have listened to every book narrated by him.

I was very pleasantly surprised by this book. It's the story of Kate, Emma and Michael. Three orphaned children who are constantly being moved from orphanage to orphanage. Ten years after being abandoned, they end up being the only children at an orphange in Cambridge Falls. While exploring the orphanage, they come across a green book which they later learn is called The Emerald Atlas. The Atlas allows the children to travel back in time where they end up where their adventures begin.

I loved this story. It was fun and engaging, full of magic and reminescent of so many great fantasy series (such as Narnia, Harry Potter and The Golden Compass). Jim Dale, as always, was brillant. I loved his work so much that I didn't even mind that the obviously three American orphans spoke with a British accent.

This book left me wanting for more and I highly recommend it (although you might want to wait until closer for the second book to be released).

Curse of the Spider King: The Berinfell Prophecies: Book One

2011-05-08T21:39:00.000-04:00

Authors: Wayne Thomas Batson and and Christopher Hopper
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Narrator: Greg Whalen
Year: 2009

The elven world of Allyra is attacked by the Spider King and destroyed in one battle. In the midst of the battle, the seven heirs of the leaders of Allyra are kidnapped and hidden on earth. There they are adopted and raised as normal earth children. They have no idea of their real heritage. Now thirteen years old, the Age of Reckoning, the elven lords are coming into their powers as teenagers on earth, learning the truth about their identityand being hunted down and attacked by the sentinels of the Spider King.

I got this audiobook during a sale on audible. It took me a long time to get around to listening to it and when I finally did, I enjoyed immensely. The narrator was good and the story was very good. There is lots of background and mythology development. It's definitely from the Lord of the Rings family tree.

I would normally recommend this book without hesitation but I learned after listening to the book that (1) it is part of a planned trilogy and (2) the publisher is dropping the series. I'm extremely disappointed that there's a possibility that I won't get to finish the series someday. Hopefully, if they can't find a new publisher, the authors will considering self-publishing as an ebook.

The Walking Dead: Volume 2: Miles Behind Us

2011-05-08T21:18:00.000-04:00

Author: Robert Kirkman
Illustrator: Charlie Adlard
Publisher: Image Comics
Year: 2009

I'm loving this series. I'm amazed at how much of a storyline and plot the comics have. The author continues to develop the characters and makes me emotionally connected to the characters.

I can't wait to get the next volume from the library!

Local

2011-05-08T21:03:00.000-04:00

Author: Brian Wood
Illustrator: Ryan Kelly
Publisher: Oni Press, Inc.
Year: 2008

This graphic novel is a collection of twelve short stories featuring Megan McKennan. Megan is a young girl who leaves her home with nothing but a backpack and sets out to discover herself and find out where she belongs. Each story is set in a different city and follows Megan's attempts to succeed.

I really enjoyed this set of stories. At times I found Megan's adventures were a bit unrealistic but there was definite strong emotions in this story. Megan was very believable and I wanted her to find herself and be happy.

I definitely recommend this graphic novel. It's got a great storyline. The artwork's pretty good too.

Let's Take the Long Way Home

2011-04-14T20:58:00.000-04:00

Author: Gail Caldwell
Year: 2010
Publisher: Random House

"It's an old, old story: I had a friend and we shared everything, and then she died and so we shared that, too."

So, I never quote parts of books but that one opening sentence convinced me that not only did I have to read this book but that it was going to touch a special cord with me. It made me instantly think of a friend that means the world to me. Gail Caldwell calls this book "a memoir of friendship" and so it is. It's the story of Gail and her friend, Caroline, who became friends because of their shared love for their dogs and who came to mean the world to each other. Caroline gets cancer and dies and it becomes the story of how Gail survives her friend's death.

I loved this story. It was a beautiful testament to the author's friend and to friendship period. I bawled my eyes out. Not because the story was so sad but because a part of me fears the day that I have to live through the death of one of my friends.

The Walking Dead: Volume 1: Days Gone Bye

2011-04-10T13:35:00.000-04:00

Author: Robert Kirkman
Year: 2007
Publisher: Image Comics

This is the first volume of the comic series that the AMC TV show is based on. I haven't watched any of the TV show but it's been getting pretty good reviews; so, I decided to read the graphic novels. In this volume, Rick is a police officer that gets shot in the line of duty. He ends up in a coma. When he wakes up, something has happened and there are zombies all over the country. Rick works his way down to Atlanta where he hopes to find his family. I was very surprised at how quickly I got into this story. I read almost no zombie stories and, in truth, they don't interest me but it was very easy to identify with Rick and cheer for the characters. I'm curious to see how things are explained and find out exactly what it was that caused the zombie outbreak.

The Necromancer: The Secretars of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel

2011-04-10T13:28:00.000-04:00

Author: Michael Scott
Year: 2010
Publisher: Delacorte Books

This is the fourth book in Michael Scott's "Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel" series. I continued to love these books. In this book, the Flamels, Sophie and Josh return to San Francisco. Scatty and Joan are still missing. Everybody is still planning for a big battle. These books are quick paced and hard to put down once you start reading them. Now that I've caught up on these books, I guess I have to wait for the next one to come out in May. At least I shouldn't have any problems coming up with something to read between now and then.

Ice Cold

2011-04-10T13:19:00.000-04:00

Author: Tess Gerritsen
Year: 2010
Narrator: Tanya Eby

This is the latest in the Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles series by Tess Gerritsen. At first, the book failed to interest me but then a little over halfway through, I didn't want to turn it off or get out of the car. This story took Rizzoli and Isles out of their normal setting . Maura was stranded in a snowstorm in Wyoming and there was an odd cult involved. The narrator was above average. Ice Cold ended up being a decent addition to the Rizzoli and Isles series.

The Sorceress: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel: Book 3

2011-03-27T16:27:00.000-04:00

Author: Michael Scott
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Year: 2009

In the third book of Michael Scott's Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series, Sophie and Josh Newman have escaped the battle at Notre Dame in Paris with Nicholas Flamel and fled to London, a powerhouse for the Dark Elders and their followers. Flamel hopes to get the ancient king Gilgamesh to train the twins in the magic of Water. Meanwhile, the Dark Elders are pulling out ancient evils to fight the twins and Flamel and bring them in. Meanwhile, Perenelle Flamel is still trapped on the island of Alcatraz and battling evils of her own.

I am loving this series. The books are fun, imaginative and easy to read. I enjoy seeing the way the author has worked to make legends and myths come alive in today's world. I highly recommend these books.

Sapphique

2011-03-27T16:10:00.000-04:00

Author: Cathrine Fisher
Publisher: Dial Books
Year: 2010

Sapphique picks up almost immediately where Incarceron ended. Keiro and Attia are still trapped inside Incarceron and are trying desperately to escape. They learn that a magician is using Sapphique's glove in his act and hatch a plan to steal the glove from him to escape. At the same time, Finn is trapped in his own prison in the outer world as he tries to figure out who he is, remember his past and rescue Keiro and Attia from Incarceron.

I might have enjoyed this book just a wee bit more than the first one. It was grittier than the first book. We learned more about the other characters of the world as the focus shifted a bit from Finn and Claudia. I liked the way the author decided to tell this story in two books and not drag it out to a trilogy (which is one of my pet peeves i.e. seeing authors make filler in a story just so they can make it into three books instead of telling a tight story with good characters in less books).

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: Volume 2

2011-03-21T21:14:00.000-04:00

Author: Bryan Lee O'Malley
Publisher: Oni Press
Year: 2005

In this volume, Scott has to continue his battle with his new girlfriend's seven evil ex-boyfriends. But in this edition, Scott's ex-girlfriends get thrown into the pot. And, his most recent ex-girlfriend, Knives Chau, isn't going down without a fight.

I enjoyed this volume more than I did the first volume. I'm still not sure that I find Scott Pilgrim sympathetic at all but I do like Knives.

Hex and the City, Nightside Book 4

2011-03-20T15:34:00.000-04:00

Author: Simon R. Green
Publisher: Audible Frontiers
Year: 2008
Narrator: Marc Vietor

In the fourth book of the Nightside series, private investigator, John Taylor, is hired to find out the origins of the Nightside by Lady Luck. John gathers together Madman, Sinner and Sinner's girlfriend, the demon succubus, Pretty Poison, to help investigate. Like all the Nightside books so far, this was a good listen. There's not a lot of hidden meaning in the books but they are enjoyable and easy to listen to while doing other tasks (such as huffing and puffing in my workout). I was surprised that we, the readers, found out this early in the series who John's mother is. For some reason, I expected the author to carry that mystery on a bit longer.

Marc Vietor is a good narrator. He's got that gritty, noir detective voice that suits the story well.

The Magician: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel

2011-03-13T19:25:00.000-04:00

Author: Michael Scott
Year: 2008
Publisher: Delacorte Press

Twins, Sophie and Josh Newman, Nicholas Flamel and the warrior Scatty barely escape California alive and flee to Paris. There they are pursued by Niccolo Machiavelli, another immortal, who wishes to capture them and return the Dark Elders to power. While seeking refuge with one of Flamel's old apprentices, Josh and Sophie meet another legend as Sophie tries to learn to control her new powers. But time is running out, quite literally, for Nicholas and his wife as each day they spend without the book of Abraham the Mage, they are rapidly aging.

I'm quite surprised at how much I am enjoying these books. They are quick reads but lots of fun while reading them. I have no problems believing the plot (even though ancient gods and goddesses walking the earth stretches the imagination). Again, I liken these books to the Percy Jackson series.

The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel

2011-03-06T16:46:00.000-05:00

Author: Michael Scott
Year: 2007
Publisher: Delacorte Press

15 year old twins, Sophie and Josh Newman, take summer jobs working across the street from one another. Sophie works for a coffee and tea shop. Josh works at a bookstore owned by Nick Fleming. One afternoon, their lives take a very drastic turn when the bookstore is attacked by the magician John Dee. Josh and Sophie learn that Nick Fleming is actually the alchemist of legend, Nicholas Flamel. (Yeah, the one with the sorcerer's stone of immortality from Harry Potter.) Flamel, Sophie and Josh just barely escape the bookstore with their lives and Flamel's wife is kidnapped. From there, Josh and Sophie's world expands as they meet people of legends and myth as they try to stay alive and escape John Dee.

This book was a quick read and entertaining. It reminded me a bit of the Percy Jackson series but I think that was just because so many mythological characters and ancient gods were brought into the story. It's not deep or earth-shattering but it was fun. It's a book that I think a lot of kids would enjoy and a number of adults. I definitely did.

Fables: The Great Fables Crossover

2011-03-05T20:29:00.000-05:00

Author: Bill Willingham
Published: 2010

This volume brings together Bill Willingham's comic series, Fables, Jack of Fables and The Literals. Our heroes come together to fight a villain that threatens to end all reality. I continue to like the way that Willingham plays on words and ideas and makes them literal people. I don't think this "crossover event" is quite as compelling as the individual series are on their own. I did love the Genres though.

Catching Up on 2011

2011-02-27T16:37:00.000-05:00

I've been a very bad blogger. I don't even know for sure that I qualify as a blogger right now. I've been extremely busy and reading a lot but I failed to transfer all that reading into blog posts. I've decided to do a quick catch up post and then, I promise, I'm going to try lots harder to do individual posts on books as a I read them. So, what have I read so far this year?

Incarceron
Author: Catherine Fisher

I enjoyed this book a lot. It wasn't the best book ever but it was entertaining. I also have to give the author a lot of credit for creativity. Although the book had most all of the usual fantasy tropes, this book was creative - probably one of the most unique settings I've come across in a long time.

Witch & Wizard
Author: James Patterson
Narrators: Elijah Wood and Spencer Locke

This book was just okay. It was an average fantasy and quite predictable at times. I got extremely upset with one aspect of the book (which I won't mention here so that I don't spoil anybody who plans to read it). But, I have to say, I was highly impressed with Elijah Wood's narration. He was a shining bright spot in this audiobook.

Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life, Volume 1
Author: Bryan Lee O'Malley

I enjoyed this graphic novel and found the drawings very interesting but I don't know that I found Scott Pilgrim interesting. I actually found it difficult to like the character. Maybe he'll become more likeable as the story goes along.

Fables: Arabian Nights (and Days)
Fables: The Good Prince
Fables: The Dark Ages
Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall
Author: Bill Willingham

I'm still enjoying this series.

Any Human Heart
Author: William Boyd

This book entranced me. I didn't find the main character sympathetic and actually had a hard time feeling for him. At the same time, though, I couldn't put the book down. I couldn't wait to find out where he was going to go next, who he was going to meet or what part of history was going to come into play next in the book. I had never been more conflicted in my life about a book and it's main character. At times, I forgot that it was a work of fiction.

The Scorch Trials
Author: James Dashner

This was an excellent follow up to The Maze Runner. There were aspects of this story that I enjoyed better than the first book in this series.

Sandman: The Doll's House
Sandman: Dream Country
Author: Neil Gaiman

I'm still enjoying this series a lot. Gaiman is a master storyteller no matter what the medium.

The Invention of Huge Cabret
Author: Brian Selznicck

This is at the top of my list for my favorite book so far this year. It's a beautiful, heart-warming story. Extremely imaginative. I love the way that the author expertly tells the story with both words and pictures. Many of the pictures told the story better than any words could. I definitely recommend this book to everyone.

Jack of Fables: The (Nearly) Great Escape
Jack of Fables: Jack of Hearts
Author: Bill Willingham

This is a spin-off from the Fables series. This series seems to be more fluff and entertainment than the mother series. It's just okay to me.

My Soul To Steal
Author: Rachel Vincent

This series just keeps getting better as it goes along. I found Sabine an excellent addition to the storyline. I also love that Tod is getting more story time. He may be becoming my favorite character in the series. I can't wait to see where the author takes these characters from here.

Mr. Peanut
Author: Adam Ross

This book had an excellent beginning and an inventive ending but it lost me in the middle. I had heard so many good reviews that I was disappointed in the book. Maybe I should just stay away from reviews.

Blankets
Author: Craig Thompson

I enjoyed this graphic novel a lot. It told a good story and was moving. It was well drawn and heart touching.

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption
Author: Laura Hillenbrand
Narrator: Edward Herrmann

This is the book at the top of my favorite books for 2011. I found it impossible to quit listening to this book. Everybody I talked to got lectured on what an amazing story this is and how much I was loving the book and how they absolutely, positively had to read it. Louie's story was inspiring. I grew up ignorant of the Japanese part of World War II (except for Pearl Harbor) and never realized just how horrible the Japanese POW camps were. I just hope that if I am ever in a position similar to Louie's that I am able to stand up and be as strong as he was under pressure. In addition, Edward Herrmann's narration was perfect. Read this book!

Reading Jackie: Her Autobiography in Books
Author: William Kuhn

Another terrific biography. I have to admit this is another part of history that I'm pretty ignorant about. I know who the Kennedys are (you couldn't be American and not know that) but I just didn't know much about their background. I still don't know a lot about the Kennedys but I did learn a lot about Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. I had no clue that she had ever worked as an editor. I felt like I got to know who she was by reading about her choices in books to publish and her feelings about the subject matters and the authors. I also liked her sense of humor.

I Am Number Four
Author Pittacus Lore

I enjoyed this book. It was a fun fast read with lots of action (especially at the end).

The Immortal Life of Heinrietta Lacks
Author: Rebecca Skloot

This was another great biography on the year. I don't even think that it was so much Henrietta Lacks' story that made this such a great book. I was intrigued by how much all of science could be changed by one person's cells. On top of that, I was appalled by the different scientific experiments that have been conducted over the years. It was like reading synopses of horror stories. I think, though, that the driving force in this book was the stories of Henrietta's children. I felt for them and felt their pain in the loss of their mother and not understanding the things they were reading about cells and the injustice of their situation.

So, now you're caught up with what I've been reading this year. I promise to do my best to stay caught up and not get behind again.

Goals for 2011

2011-01-02T13:02:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned before, I managed to make it to 100 books in 2010. I also met the graphic novels challenge, short story challenge, and 101 fantasy challenge. Actually, I made it through all of my challenges except for my Lost related books challenge. I'll keep that one on the table for 2011. What about other challenges for 2011? Well, I definitely won't be trying to read more than 100 books. I'll just try to reach 100 again. But, my biggest challenge for 2011 is going to be reading through my To Be Read stack. I've got books piled up all around me and I'd like to get those read this year. So, that's my official 2011 challenge and the only one that I really care about meeting. Wish me luck!

Summing Up the Last Books of 2010

2011-01-02T12:58:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I got really behind on blogging the last part of 2010. I had to concentrate all my efforts on reaching the 100 book milestone for the year (which I pulled off on the last day of the year). I thought I would do a post and just mention a few of the last books that I really liked:

Spirit Bound and The Last Sacrifice
Author: Richelle Mead
Published: 2010

I continue to love these series of books. These two books rounded the series out well but left me pining for more. I highly recommend these series to anyone who has read Twilight and loved it. The Vampire Academy books will make you forget about Twilight.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future
Author: Michael J. Fox
Published: 2010

This is a very cute little book. It's meant as one of those "what to do after graduation books." I always find Michael J. Fox's writings to be inspirational. I think this would make a great gift for any graduating students if you don't want to go with Dr. Seuss' Oh the Places You'll Go.

Clockwork Angel
Author: Cassandra Clare
Published: 2010

I found I enjoyed this one a lot which was surprising since I have never finished her Mortal Instruments series. This book makes me want to go back and finish up that other series. I say give it a try.

The Complete Persepolis
Author: Marjane Satrap
Published: 2007

This graphic novel opened my eyes to a totally different world in Iran. It's the author's memoir of high school in Tehran, living in Austria and then returning to Iran. It mentions so many things and ways of life that the people of Iran live with daily that never occurred to me. I'm glad I read this novel and got the chance to consider how the average person lives in Iran and not just the people portrayed by the media.

Fablehaven: Keys to the Demon Prison
Author: Brandon Mull
Published: 2010

This was the final book in the Fablehaven series and I was so glad that it finally got to me on interlibrary loan. Mr. Mull finished the series up on a very high note and left me wanting more. Maybe the author will come up with another idea that will allow us readers to have more time with Kendra and Seth Sorenson.

Preludes and Noctures: The Sandman: Volume 2

2010-11-26T20:16:00.000-05:00

Author: Neil Gaiman
Publisher: Vertigo Comics
Year: 1995

Wonderful. That's the only word needed to describe this graphic novel. I must have this entire collection for my library.

I'd Know You Anywhere

2010-11-26T20:12:00.000-05:00

Author: Laura Lippman
Year: 2010
Publisher: William Morrow

Eliza Benedict was kidnapped as a teenager and held hostage. She's also the only victim that her kidnapper let live. Now, over 20 years later, she receives a letter from the man who kidnapped her. He's down to his final days on death row and he wants to talk to her.

I'm not sure how I felt about this book. It was a good read and entertaining when I was reading it but it wasn't memorable - a book that I can recall in vivid details two weeks later.

The Reversal

2010-11-26T20:05:00.000-05:00

Author: Michael Connelly
Year: 2010
Narrator: Peter Giles

In this book, Michael Connelly combines Harry Bosch with Mickey Haller and I've got to say, the combination worked very well. Harry Bosch is probably my favorite series character and definitely my favorite detective/mystery character. In The Reversal, Mickey Haller joins the prosecution team to retry a man convicted of murder 20 years earlier but DNA evidence has now freed him. Mickey asks Harry to help him find the evidence to put the killer back in prison.

I liked the way this story contrasted the differences between Bosch and Haller but also brought out their similarities. Peter Giles is the perfect narrator for these books.

I must say, I am continually impressed with Michael Connelly. Over the years, I have tired of almost every long term detective/thriller/mystery character except for Harry Bosch. Somehow, Connelly has managed to keep Harry the same but changing and growing. I forget just how much I love these books until I start reading them. In this case, I again found myself letting a Michael Connelly sit on my ipod for a long period of time and then kicking myself for not listening to it as soon as I got it.

Fables: Animal Farm

2010-10-27T21:07:00.000-04:00

Author: Bill Willingham
Publisher: Vertigo Comics
Year: 2003

In this novel of the Fables collection, there has been a murder at the Farm (the place where the fairy creatures that can't pass as human live) - one of the three little pigs has been killed. As Snow White investigates, she learns of a revolution planned by the fairy creatures on the farm against the city fairy creatures led by Goldilocks (I always knew she was trouble). I couldn't believe all the characters from favorite stories Willingham managed to bring into this story. It was like playing a game with myself to see if I could remember what role each one of the characters had been in literature. What fun. One note about these comics: I would be careful about letting younger children read them. They can be quite graphic and some of the material is most definitely for adults.

Fables: Legends in Exile

2010-10-27T21:02:00.000-04:00

Author: Bill Willingham
Publisher: Vertigo Comics
Year: 2002

This group of graphic novels came highly recommended to me. They're kind of an addition to all the favorite fairy tales that we heard (or read) growing up. In short, Willingham takes the fairy tale characters and places them in modern times. There has been a hostile takeover of the fairy lands and the characters were forced out of their homelands by the Adversary and are living in the New York area. Being immortal, they've been living in America for centuries. They've adapted and have their own underground society.

In this first novel, Snow White's sister, Rose Red, has disappeared and the only trace is a lot of blood in her apartment building. The Big Bad Wolf (who is now human and goes by the name "Bigby") plays the lead detective with Snow White (who is divorced from Prince Charming) as his sidekick.

This novel was very imaginative and fun. I can't wait to see where Willingham goes with the story.

Interpreter of Maladies

2010-10-27T20:49:00.000-04:00

Author: Jhumpa Lahiri
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company
Year: 1999

Years ago in college I read Jhumpa Lahiri's short story, "A Temporary Matter." The story enchanted me. I found the story jumping to the forefront of my mind any time someone asked what my favorite short story is. The characters are memorable and the story is heart-breaking. It's one of those stories where the situation that the characters are placed in pulls on the reader and makes you wonder what you would do in their situation. I immediately placed on the entire collection, Interpreter of Maladies, on my to be read list; however, I never have got around to it. Well, I finally got it on inter-library loan. And I wasn't disappointed. Not only did I love the title story, but I enjoyed almost every other story in the collection. Most notably, my favorites are: aww, shucks, all of them.

Lahiri writes achingly beautiful stories. You can feel the atmosphere and the little touches that creates the Indian background and heritage of her characters. The characters are easy to identify with and unique in literature. Yet their struggles to succeed and simply fit in are universal to everyone no matter their race or religion. I am very glad I finally got around to reading this book. I recommend this book for anyone that wants to expand their horizons on other cultures or just enjoys stories about human nature.

Baking Cakes in Kigali

2010-10-10T13:34:00.000-04:00

Author: Gaile Parkin
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Year: 2009

This book centers on Angel Tungaraza. Angel runs a thriving cake baking business in Rwanda. From her kitchen, Angel seems to be involved in everybody's life. People come in, order cakes, drink tea and tell Angel stories. The stories that Angel hears are beautiful stories of love, loss, grief and hope. The people that live in Angel's neighborhood come from all over the world and they're in Kigali to help Rwanda rebuild after the war and genocide that has destroyed so much of the country and killed so many. They come from different backgrounds and their stories vary as much as the people.

I read this book slowly because I wanted to enjoy it. Parkin does a wonderful job of bringing Kigali and the people in it to life. She also weaves in a story of hope through a wedding in the novel of hope and unity. If you're a person that likes reading about other cultures, then I definitely recommend you give this novel a try.

Harry, A History: The True Story of a Boy Wizard, His Fans, and Life Inside The Harry Potter Phenomenon

2010-10-01T17:43:00.000-04:00

Author: Melissa Anelli
Publishers: Pocket Books/Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Year: 2008

I picked this book up right after it came out because I listen to (and love) Pottercast and wanted to read the book written by one of its hosts. The book went directly into my TBR stack and got lost amid the pile of ignored books. Then, last week, I was going through my TBR stack picking out books to read while in Orlando this week, stumbled across this forgotten purchase and decided this would be the perfect book to read while I was visiting The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (which was awesome by the way). For those who don't know, Melissa Anelli is first and foremost a Harry Potter fan. She also helps run The Leaky Cauldron, a Harry Potter website, and hosts Pottercast, a Harry Potter podcast. Her book is about the Harry Potter fandom: how it came to be, what it means to the Harry Potter fans and how it is different than most any fandom that existed before or after it. She touches on how the internet influenced the popularity of the Harry Potter books and connected fans all around the world. Oh and we can't forget Wizard Rock.

I loved this book. Of course, I am a fan of both of Anelli's website and podcast. I found Pottercast at a very difficult time in my life. I listened to the first fifty podcasts non-stop. By the time I was "caught up," I felt like the whole crew were friends. Reading Harry, A History reminded just how much I love their show and just how much being a Harry Potter fan has meant to me. I enjoyed seeing how some of the stories and interviews that I'd read about on Leaky or heard about on Pottercast came to be. I also loved reading about the friendships and connections that were made through the love of the Harry Potter books. I've experienced that feeling of belonging to something again first hand this week while at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I saw other fans like myself that were just teeming over with excitement at being there and seeing the world they had imagined in real life. We squirmed with excitement over Ollivander's wand shop, reveled in the sweets at Honeydukes and laughed at the products at Zonkos but the most exciting part was walking through Hogwarts itself. I talked to fans from all over their world that had made their way to Orlando, Florida for this chance to live in the Harry Potter world. Oh, wait, I'm getting off topic. This is supposed to be about Melissa Anelli's book, not The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. But, if you're a Harry Potter fan, then you should definitely read this book.

View of Hogwarts at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Nightingale's Lament

2010-10-01T14:46:00.000-04:00

Author: Simon R. Green
Narrator: Marc Vietor
Year: 2008

This is the third book in Simon R. Green's Nightside series. In this book, John Taylor has been hired to check in on the Nightside's newest singing sensation, nicknamed Nightingale, and find out why so many of her fans are committing suicide after hearing her sing. In doing so, Taylor stumbles into a case that might be just a little bit more than he can handle.

I really like this series a lot. There's nothing outstanding about them but they're good, easy entertainment and make the daily commute a lot easier and quicker. Marc Vietor narrates the books very well.

The Magicians

2010-10-01T14:39:00.000-04:00

Author: Lev Grossman
Publisher: Thorndike Press
Year: 2009

Quentin Coldwater is a genius. He's pretty much guaranteed admission to any college he chooses; yet, he's miserable and unhappy with his life. The only time he's really happy is when he's rereading his favorite childhood books set in a magical kingdom called Fillory. One day Quentin finds himself being admitted to a very secret college of magic in upstate New York and his entire life changes. Not only does he learn that magic is real but he also learns that Fillory just might be real also. But will Fillory provide Quentin with the happiness he's been seeking? Or will it end up being a nightmare?

I'm a little bit at a loss as to exactly how I feel about this book. It's obvious that Lev Grossman borrowed ideas from J.K. Rowling, C.S. Lewis and other fantasy greats; however, he does openly acknowledge his influences and even makes direct references to them inside the story. My problem is not with the basic storyline. I can accept the borrowing (in all honesty, I think it would be very difficult to write an original storyline in the fantasy genre). I was put off a bit by the language, drinking and very adult lifestyles the characters lead. Also, the hero wasn't very heroic. I kept waiting for him to find that inner strength and become the hero of his story but it never came. That bothered me a lot (although that was an original turn in the story). I would tell people to approach the book with an open mind but if you're sensitive to adult themes stay away from it.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth

2010-09-29T12:27:00.000-04:00

Author: Carrie Ryan
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Year: 2009

Mary lives in a world after The Return filled with the Unconsecrated. Her village has a fence around it to keep the Unconsecrated out and the villagers rely on The Sisterhood to guide them and the Guardians to protect them. But for Mary, there exists more. There's a world that her mother told her in stories passed down for generations of mothers. Stories that tell of a world before and of the ocean. A place with more water than she can imagine and more hope than she can dream of. And things in Mary's world are changing and she must decide whether she will accept the life she's been given or fight for the life she dreams of.

This book has been in my TBR pile for a while. I kept hearing great things about it and bought it on a whim at the bookstore one night but never could bring myself to actually read it. Now, I'm wondering what kept me from reading it for so long. It's awesome. The story is well written and very imaginative. Ryan makes the world of the Forest of Hands and Teeth so real that I could see and feel it. When Mary was attacked by the Unconsecrated, I felt like I was being attacked. The book was so engrossing that I found it more interesting than the theme park I was reading it at. I highly recommend this book.

The Reckoning

2010-09-29T12:14:00.000-04:00

Author: Kelley Armstrong

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Year: 2010

In the third book of Kelley Armstrong's Darkest Powers Trilogy, Chloe Saunders and her friends, Simon (the sorcerer), Tori (the witch) and Derek (the werewolf) are still on the run from the Edison Group. They've taken refuge (at least temporarily) with another group whose purpose is to bring down the Edison Group. The teenagers are still learning about their powers and still trying to figure out where they fit into this world but they are quickly running out of time as the Edison Group closes in and they people that are helping them might just have ulterior motives.

Like the other books in this series, I devoured The Reckoning. It's a fast paced book with lots of action and I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen to Chloe and how she was going to make her way to safety. Unfortunately, The Reckoning doesn't appear to be the end of Chloe's story and I'm going to have to wait for Armstrong to make her way back to Chloe. I just hope she hurries.

Curse of the Bane: The Last Apprentice: Book 2

2010-09-19T15:32:00.000-04:00

Author: Joseph Delaney
Publisher: Harper Trophy/Harper Collins Publishers
Date: 2005

Thomas Ward is the apprentice to the county Spook who teaches Thomas how to fight ghosts, witches and boggarts. Now the two must journey to Priestown to fight a creature so evil and so strong that even the Spook is terrified of it. On top of that The Quisitor has come to Priestown and he's intent on destroying all people who may or may not be witches or wizards.

This second book is a good continuance in the series. Thomas has grown some since the first book but he's still got a lot to learn. Delaney does a good job of telling this story quickly with a fast pace and lots of drama. He also leaves some little questions in the air that he can build on answer in the books to come.

Ghosts of the Southern Tennessee Vallley

2010-09-12T14:30:00.000-04:00

Author: Georgiana C. Kotarski
Publisher: John F. Blair Publisher
Year: 2006

The title pretty much tells you exactly what this book is about - ghosts in the Southern Tennessee Valley area. What I particularly liked about this story is it's about the area that I live in. I know all these places and had heard the stories of some of these ghosts but there are so many more that I didn't know about. I think at least 1/3 of the ghosts described in this book are within ten miles of my house. (I'm getting ideas for a driving tour on Halloween weekend as I write.) I enjoyed reading this book. Ms. Kotarski does a good job of telling the stories, making them human and real. It's very easy to read. I went to the book reading with the author and she did an excellent job of telling the stories in person also.

I Capture the Castle

2010-09-11T20:45:00.000-04:00

Author: Dodie Smith
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Year: 1948

I Capture the Castle follows seventeen year old Cassandra Mortmain and her family in 1930s England. They live in a falling apart castle in the English countryside in complete poverty. They struggle to for food, clothes, and even warmth on winter nights. Cassandra's father had taken out a 40 year lease on the castle back when his one book was a success. If not for that, the family most likely would be homeless. The story is told in the form of journal entries by Cassandra. She longs to be a writer and practices by writing out the stories of her family's life in what she calls "speed writing" on journals given to her. At times the book reminded me a lot of Pride and Prejudice. The girls worried about finding husbands in the financial state (why they had no money to buy clothes, go to London or even go anywhere that they might meet a man). Then one day, the Cottons come back home with their eligible young sons - Simon and Neil - and everything changes. You know, that whole "a man in possession fortune" thing.

This book took me forever to read but it wasn't because it was a bad book; it was just a slow reader. It had the feel of an Austen or Bronte novel and it needed the time required to savor the art of the writing and to feel the English countryside and time that the characters lived in. Cassandra was such an easy character to fall in love with. She was bright, precocious, and humorous. I have to admit I had never heard of Dodie Smith when I picked up this book but she was quite a writer. Then, I read in the author bio at the end of the book that she wrote The Hundred and One Dalmations - one of my favorite childhood stories.

In short, if you liked Pride and Prejudice, you'll like this novel.

Mockiingjay

2010-09-02T22:37:00.000-04:00

Author: Suzanne Collins
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Year: 2010

So it seems like I'd been waiting forever for this book to be released; not quite as long as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows but a really long time. In this final book of The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, Katniss has been rescued from the Games by the rebels and is tucked away safely in District 13; however, Peeta is being held prisoner by the Capitol and tortured. (Oh no!!) The rebellion has turned into an all out war between the Capitol and the rebels. Katniss must decide whether she will risk everything and everyone she loves and step up and be the face of the rebellion as the Mockingjay.

Mockingjay is just as intense and emotional as the previous two books and I was not disappointed in it. I began this book on audiobook (the narrator is very good). My commute was too short and it was taking too long to listen to the book so I broke down, bought the hardcover and devoured the final six hours in two hours. When I first finished the book, I had to think about the final chapters and decide exactly how I felt about them as I wiped away the tears from my eyes. Those tears in my eyes - that meant the book was good.

How to Breathe Underwater

2010-09-01T21:15:00.001-04:00

Author: Julie Orringer

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf

Publication Date: 2003

Recently, I've heard a lot about Julie Orringer's
latest book; so I decided to get it on interlibrary loan. Unfortunately, it wasn't available. But I did come across her first novel, How to Breathe Underwater. I saw it was a collection of short stories and decided to give it a shot because, as I've said in other posts, I love short stories. When a short story comes together and is written right, it is a true work of art. Julie Orringer's collection of stories in this book are a masterpiece. I was hooked after reading the first story entitled "Pilgrims" and completely reeled in by "The Isabel Fish." My mind is still processing some of the stories.

This collection focuses on girls and women struggling to deal with love and loss and religion. She reminded me of Flannery O'Conner (and that's high praise coming from me). Like O'Conner, a number of Orringer's protagonists struggled coming to grips with their sexuality and religion and finding that balance between the two. Some of the stories were harsh and brutal and reminiscent of "Good Country People" and "A Good Man is Hard to Find." There was one major difference between O'Conner and Orringer: O'Conner told her stories from a distance whereas Orringer invited her readers to step into her characters minds and hearts and feel their struggles, love and loss and maybe, just maybe, when you're thrown to the bottom of the lake, grasping for air, you'll remember her words and breathe.

Shiver

2010-08-29T00:36:00.000-04:00

I have to admit, I didn't exactly know what I was getting into when I started this book. I just really liked the cover. In short, this story is about a girl named Grace who falls in love with a guy named Sam. The problem? He's a werewolf and every winter, as the temperature drops, he changes to a wolf. Even bigger problem? This is his last year as a human.

This was a really good book. The two main characters are very well developed and Maggie Stiefvater does a good job of conveying their emotions. She switches back and forth between Sam and Grace's thoughts but it's not difficult to follow because each chapter is labeled with the name of the person whose point of view the story comes from. Plus, it was really nice to read a werewolf book that (1) had no vampires and (2) the werewolf didn't lose the girl to the vampire.

The Irresistible Henry House

2010-08-27T22:43:00.000-04:00

This book has an amazingly unique premise. It tells the story of Henry House a/k/a Henry Gaines. Henry is a practice baby. This means that he was born as an orphan and began his life living in a practice house at Wilton College. A practice house program is part of the home economics department. Here prospective mothers take turns learning how to raise a baby using the practice baby of the year. I had no clue that such a program ever existed and found the whole idea fascinating. The book continues to follow Henry through his life and shows how having numerous mothers influenced the person that Henry became.

I really enjoyed the first 1/3 of this book. About halfway the book was dragging big time. I think that Lisa Grunwald spent too much time growing Henry up. She could have easily skipped some of the troublesome teenage years and the book wouldn't have suffered (maybe even improved). But, once Henry starts working, the book picks back up. I don't think it was Henry's story got interesting so much as his jobs were interesting. Henry gets to work on projects that were iconic to pop culture history and it was fun imaging being a part of those worlds.

I listened to this one on audiobook and the narrator did a pretty good job. I don't think the lag in the middle had anything to do with Oliver Wyman's narration.

Give the book a try if you're interested in this sort of thing but don't feel guilty if you want to skip the middle.

The Awakening

2010-08-25T20:11:00.000-04:00

This is the second book in The Darkest Powers series by Kelley Armstrong. It continues the story of Chloe Saunders and her friends as they try to escape from the Edison Group - a bunch of scientists that are using the supernatural teens as genetic altering experiences. I enjoyed this book as much, if not more, than I did the first book. Armstrong continues to develop the characters. I felt for them even more and rooted for them - I even started liking Tori. Somehow, Armstrong manages to write stories that are non-stop action and fast paced and still believable. (Well, as long as you have no problem believing in supernatural powers.) I recommend this series even more now. Wonder how long it'll be before the third book comes in from the library? At least I've got Mockingjay to read until then.

The Unwritten: Volume 2: Inside Man

2010-08-22T20:31:00.000-04:00

Author: Mike Carey and Peter Gross
Publisher: Vertigo Comics
Year: 2010

Inside Man picks up where Tommy Taylor and the Bogus Identity leaves off. Tommy is in prison for the murders that took place in the last story and has been extradited to France. But Tommy's enemies follow him to France intent on killing him.

I think my favorite thing about this graphic novel series is the way that it plays on fact and fiction and how so many facts become a fiction in the telling and stretching of stories through time. The comics also highlight the importance of stories on our lives. The authors even use the most popular children's story books of our time (maybe of any time) - Harry Potter. This story in particular showed how children embrace the stories, live the stories and make them real; thus, blurring that line between fact and fiction even more.

This graphic novel series is not just for comic readers but also for lovers of literature in general.

The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag

2010-08-22T20:23:00.000-04:00

Author: Alan Bradley
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Year: 2010

This is the second of Alan Bradley's Flavia de Luce mystery novels. For those who know nothing of little Flavia, she is an eleven year girl living in the 1950s English countryside. Flavia is obsessed with poisons and various ways to kill people with poisons. Yet, she manages to find herself in the midst of solving murders with both books.

In The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag, a traveling puppeteer comes to Bishops Lacey and ends up dead and, of course, Flavia is right in the middle of the mystery. Flavia's biggest problem ends up being the sheer number of people who had reason to want the puppeteer dead.

I love these books. They're great little mysteries (cozy mysteries). They're humorous, Flavia is enchanting and the stories are well written. Some people might worry that they'd have a hard time believing an eleven year old could solve murders but Flavia is believable. She's like a younger version of Nancy Drew. If you're a plain old mystery reader, you need to be reading these books.

The Summoning

2010-08-10T22:08:00.000-04:00

Author: Kelley Armstrong
Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers
Year: 2008

Chloe Saunders sees ghosts. What's more, they've started showing up everywhere - at home, on the street and at school. They're talking to her and following her around. When she sees a ghost at school, it lands her at Lyle House for teens with problems for a "couple of weeks." At Lyle House, Chloe meets some more teens with abilities similar to hers. She also learns that there is someone - or something - out there that doesn't have her best interests at heart.

I was totally surprised by this book. It is not a literature type book. It follows most all YA paranormal conventions; yet, I couldn't stop reading it. I ended up staying up until the wee hours of the night reading it on a work night. Then, I couldn't wait to get to the library's website and order the next books in the series. It was a fun, little book that got a little scary in a couple of parts and has me eager to finish the series.

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner

2010-08-08T16:59:00.000-04:00

This novella is an extension of the Twilight world. It tells the story of Bree Tanner. She is one of the newbie vampires created by Victoria and Riley as a part of their vampire army to fight the Cullens. The story tells how Bree felt being a new vampire and dealing with the emotions created in her new life and her confusion as to exactly what she was feeling and doing in this world. All of us who have read the Twilight novels know that Bree comes to a bad end but it was nice getting a little glimpse at the story from an outsider's point of view. All in all it was a quick, easy read that was fairly enjoyable.

Y: The Last Man: Book 3: One Small Step and Book 4: Safeword

2010-08-08T13:39:00.000-04:00

These two volumes continue the story of Yorick Brown and his adventures as the last man left on earth after a deadly virus kills all male mammals except for Yorkick and his monkey, Ampersand. Yorick, 355 and Dr. Mann are still working their way across America to Dr. Mann's lab in San Francisco and they are still encountering all kinds of trouble along the way. I'm getting more invested in these characters as the story goes along. I am also really enjoying the story but I'm still not sure whether it's a book that most girls would like. It's more a guy's novel.

The Complete Maus

2010-08-08T13:29:00.000-04:00

More than once while I was reading this graphic novel, I stopped and thought "wow." Maus is the story of Art Spiegelman's father, Vladek's experiences as a Jew during World War II. It follows him as a wealthy businessman at the beginning of the war, the loss of his property, hiding out, becoming a prisoner in Auschwitz and other concentration camps. As the younger Spiegelman tells the story of his father's experiences, he also weaves in the tale of his and his father's relationship and how the war affected them. It shows little nuances his father developed as a result of his time as a prisoner and how the son became a survivor of the war through his father's experiences. To some point, it also asks whether the survivors of the concentration camps were the winners and the victims losers or was it the other way around?

Art Spiegelman's book should be required reading in school. I felt more emotion in this graphic novel than I ever felt while reading Anne Frank. And in the end, the only word I could come up to describe this book was "wow."

Tinkers

2010-08-01T21:23:00.000-04:00

As an old man lies dying, he remembers back on his life - his successes, failures, career, and his turbulent relationship with his father who left when he was a child. That pretty much sums up this book but it makes it too simple. There are beautiful sentences in this book that have to be read and reread (you can definitely tell that it's a former English major showing off). But Harding does write very well. The story is complicated yet simple at the same time. It's a short novel but it felt longer than The Passage. I don't know if that's because the book took me so much physical time to read because I've been so busy and had to read it in spurts here and there or if it was because I was rereading so many parts because I was getting lost in the language and didn't realize what the story was telling me. I recommend giving this book a try but be sure and bring your thinking cap with you.

My Soul to Keep

2010-07-29T21:34:00.000-04:00

In this installment of the Soul Screamers series by Rachel Vincent, Kaylee and her boyfriend, Nash, discover that someone is selling demon's breath to their fellow high school students as the newest and coolest drug. And, people are dying. Now, they're in a race to find the culprit before someone else dies. Not to mention that Kaylee's world gets shattered when things hit way too close to home and she's forced to make decisions no person should have to face.

I get more and more invested in these characters with every book. This one was my favorite of the books. Hopefully, Rachel Vincent does not intend on ending the series any time soon as I could easily pick up the next book and start listening right now. I think that Rachel Vincent does a very good job of developing the characters with each book. This time, I found myself wishing for something to happen that I never would have suspected but, alas, I can't tell you what that is or I might spoil things for somebody. Now, if somebody's read them and wants to talk, let me know. Oh, yeah, Amanda Roncini does an excellent job narrating as well.

Y: The Last Man: Cycles: Book 2

2010-07-24T12:56:00.001-04:00

Cycles continues the story of Yorick Brown and his journey as the last man left on earth after a plague kills all male mammals on Earth. In this volume, Yorick, Agent 355 and Dr. Mann are working their way across America to California. I am enjoying these graphic novels and feel that the second volume improved a lot over the first volume and was much more women-reader friendly.

Book 7 in the Graphic Novels Challenge

The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch

2010-07-24T12:53:00.000-04:00

Thomas Ward is the seventh son of a seventh son which means that he doesn't inherit the family farm and that there aren't many choices for him when it comes to to apprentice him out for a job. That's why he ends up being apprenticed to Old Gregory - the county Spook. Twenty-nine apprentices have tried out for the job before Thomas and all have failed. Thomas is the end of the line - but can he survive the job?

I really enjoyed this book. It was an easy and fun read. The story was entertaining and even a little bit scary at one point. I can't wait to go to the bookstore and get more of the series.

Sizzling Sixteen

2010-07-18T20:32:00.000-04:00

The latest Stephanie Plum novels finds Stephanie, Lula and Connie trying to come up with the money to pay the ransom rescue Vinny from his bookie. Of course, there are lots of failed plans, a destroyed car, doughnuts, Cluck-in-a-Bucket, a new diet for Lula and more Ranger (forget about Stephanie and just come get me, Ranger).

Lorelei King does another excellent job of narrating this audiobook. I am never disappointed in one of her performances. I can see the characters she's reading. This isn't my favorite Stephanie Plum novel but it was another solid entry in the series.

The Passage

2010-07-11T00:03:00.001-04:00

I've heard a lot of hype about this book for a couple of months. It had a lot of pre-publication publicity. I really wanted to read it when I first heard about it but then when I started hearing about it everywhere, I got somewhat leery. As a brief description, this is a post-apocalyptic novel. A government experiment goes wrong and in one night the entire world changes. A virus spreads quickly killing most people it encounters, others it changes into vampires. But Cronin does not romanticize his vampires at all. They are cruel, evil, deadly creatures who are out to kill any humans they can find still alive in America.

I think the best way to describe this novel is to say that Cronin took The Stand, The Road and I Am Legend and stirred them all together in a pot and out popped The Passage. I think I've read comparisons to all three books in different reviews of this book and there is echoes of all of them there. The most important idea that Cronin brings from all those novels is that of humanity and the survival of the human spirit. It wasn't a great piece of literature but there were sentences and turns of phrase that were absolutely beautiful. Cronin knows how to perfectly foreshadow something to where you read the line and almost miss the fact that he just told you what's about to happen. It also isn't one of those books where you get so invested in the characters that you have to know what is going to happen to them (maybe because there are so many characters) but at the same time I found that I had an almost impossible time putting the book down. I kept saying "one more chapter and then I'll go to bed" or "I've got time to read a few more pages before lunch is over".

If you like horror novels or old school Stephen King, you'll like this. But be forewarned, the nearly 800 page tome is the first in a series of I think three books. Oh, and the cliffhanger at the end is huge.

The Graveyard Book

2010-07-10T23:42:00.000-04:00

Nobody Owens lives in the graveyard. He has all his life. Well, at least as long has he can remember. He loves living in the graveyard and learning and playing from the ghosts that live there. Yet, a part of him longs to venture outside the graveyard and to live among the, well, living. But to go outside the graveyard is dangerous for Bod (as Nobody is called) for there are people out there who want to kill him like they did his parents the night Bod was brought to the graveyard.

I listened to this book last week. It's is narrated by Neil Gaiman. Let me just say right up front, Gaiman is the exception to the rule that authors are terrible narrators. He's a fantastic narrator. I've loved every book I've heard him narrate and this one was no exception. It was a book that was very well produced. The book is never really scary (at least it wasn't for me) but Gaiman has a sarcasm and sense of humor about him that makes the book well worth listening to.

The Maze Runner

2010-07-03T21:28:00.000-04:00

Thomas wakes up in an elevator remembering nothing about his prior life except his first name. When the elevator doors open, Thomas learns that he's in an enclosed area, surrounded by a maze with a group of boys. The boys live in the center of the maze, grow their own food and have their own society. Each day a group of boys called Runners go out and try to solve the maze and find a way out. But everyone finds their way back in from the maze before dark or else they'd surely be killed by the Grievers - a mysterious monster that lives inside the walls of the maze. The other Gladers expected Thomas' arrival. Every thirty days another boy is delivered to them through the elevator. But the day after Thomas arrives, a newbie comes through the elevator - this time it's a comatose girl and Thomas feels like he already knows her.

I enjoyed this book a lot but it wasn't absolutely great. It was a unique concept. The action kept moving very quickly. It had some echoes of Lord of the Flies. The author kept a bit of the mystery in exactly why the boys are in the maze. I realized when I was getting close to the end of the novel that the author was going to have a hard time wrapping it all up before I got through the pages that were left but, lo and behold, it's the first book in a series. How did I miss that in all the reviews I read before I finally picked up the book? I'll definitely read the other books in the series but they'll be library books not books that I buy.

Y: The Last Man: Volume 1: Unmanned

2010-06-26T19:49:00.000-04:00

A mysterious plague destroys every male on the planet - human, mammal, sperm or otherwise - except for Yorick and his male pet monkey. Nobody knows why or how just that a lot of women are left behind to pick up the pieces. Now, a mysterious Agent is left to protect Yorick from extremists wanting to kill him and at the same time help find the answer as to why he was the only male left alive.

I really like the premise of this storyline and there were a couple of parts in this first volume that really got to me. Mainly that was parts where it was talking about just what would be lost in this world if we lost every male on earth. It's very well drawn although I must admit I'm pretty sure the artist was drawing for men as most of the women are fairly scantily clad. I guess that's to be expected in graphic novels (Watchmen anyone?). This volume really just sets the stage for the books to come. Guess I need to head over to Amazon and see how much they cost.

Book 6 in the Graphic Novels Challenge.

Agents of Light and Darkness: Nightside, Book 2

2010-06-26T19:38:00.000-04:00

Angels have invaded the Nightside. Angels from both above and below; and they're searching for something. As luck would have it, John Taylor is searching for the same item. And, he needs to find it before either set of angels finds it. If he doesn't then there could be serious consequences for the entire world - Armageddon type consequences.

I listened to this book a couple of weeks ago (I'm a wee bit behind on my blogging). It's a fairly short listen but it's a good listen. This is just the second book in this series that I have listened to but both books drew me in and kept me very interested in them. The narrator is very good. I was also surprised at the deeper meaning that the author put in this book. It definitely gave me something to think about.

Grave Surprise

2010-06-13T16:31:00.000-04:00

Harper Connelly was struck by lightning at the age of fifteen. Since then, she has been able to tell how any person died. In Grave Surprise, Harper is in Memphis, Tennessee doing a demonstration for a college class when she discovers that the grave she's analyzing contains more than one body. One is the original inhabitant of the grave. The other is a young, teenage girl that Harper had once tried, and failed, to find. Then, later, a third body is put in the grave.

This book is a fun and easy read. It's not great literature but makes a good book to carry around with you for when you get extra little pieces of time to read.