REVIEW: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

I offer this review of Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book for any readers of my blog who have been avoiding my read-along discussion posts in order to avoid spoilers.

The Graveyard Book is a middle grade book about a little boy whose family was brutally murdered in their home by a man named Jack. This little boy narrowly escaped the same fate as he toddled out of his house that night and into the graveyard that would become his sanctuary. The dead in the graveyard hide and protect the little boy from the murderer and decide to raise him within the safety of the graveyard. The ghosts of Mr. and Mrs. Owens adopt the little boy and name him Nobody Owens, Bod for short. A mysterious man named Silas, who is neither living nor dead, becomes Bod's guardian, for he can leave the graveyard for the food, books and other necessities for Bod. Each chapter of book is a short tale of its own, showing important experiences in Bod's life. He gets into all sorts of trouble and manages to dig himself out by his own wits or with the help of his friends from the graveyard.

Despite The Graveyard Book's rather grim beginning involving the gruesome murders of an innocent family, the story is actually a very lovely, albeit bittersweet, coming of age story of young Nobody Owens. Bod has spent his young life treading the line between the worlds of the living and the dead--a life very different from that of a typical human boy, yet still, Bod has grown up to be a thoughtful, brave and generous soul.

The Graveyard Book is a bit dark, but loaded with wonderful little life lessons guaranteed to captivate children and adult audiences alike. Every chapter is a different adventure for Bod, and it's rewarding to see each new experience shape him into a brave, resourceful and kind young man. I would have liked to know more about why Bod and his family were targeted by the man named Jack. I think that was an important question in this book that, to my disappointment, was never fully addressed. Despite this little hole of knowledge, however, The Graveyard Book is still a wonderful, unique tale that shouldn't be missed.

There are some wonderful passages in the last few pages of The Graveyard Book. These are quotes I so desperately want to post here, but they are best discovered on your own. So take my advice and read this book yourself!

I gave The Graveyard Book 4 out of 5 stars on goodreads.

GRADE: B

REVIEW: The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente

If that title alone doesn't grab you, perhaps my review will... 

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making is a charmingly whimsical, albeit at times dark fairy tale about a precocious twelve year old girl named September who longs for excitement and happiness when her life has become less than joyful after her father has left to fight a war overseas and her mother has gone to work as an airplane mechanic. Within the first pages of this story, September is visited by the Green Wind--a gentleman in a green jacket and green jodhpurs, who invites her on an adventure into Fairyland. In Fairyland, September meets a myriad of creatures and beings and specifically befriends a Wyvern and a boy named Saturday and soon becomes embroiled in a quest to the far reaches of Fairyland. September must rely on her quick wit and growing heart to stay alive and find her way through Fairyland. With sophisticated and poetic story telling, the reader is whisked away into Fairyland right along with September where countless insights into the hazards and joys of life provide the reader with much to ponder.

Many times while reading this story, I would find myself rereading passages for no other reason than that they invoked such vivid imagery for the senses. Such as this paragraph:

"And so I may tell you that the leaves began to turn red as September and her friends rushed through the suddenly cold air on their snorting, roaring highwheels, and you might believe me. But no red you have ever seen could touch the crimson bleed of the trees in that place. No oak gone gnarled and orange with October is half as bright as the boughs that bent over September's head, dropping their hard, sweet acorns into her spinning spokes. But you must try as hard as you can. Squeeze your eyes closed, as tight as you can, and think of all your favorite autumns, crisp and perfect, all bound up together like a stack of cards. That is what it is like, the awful, wonderful brightness of Fairy colors. Try to smell the hard, pale wood sending up sharp, green smoke into the afternoon. To feel the mellow, golden sun on your skin, more gentle and cozier and more golden than even the light of your favorite reading nook at the close of the day. " [p. 130]

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making is an unforgettable fairy tale that would appeal to adults and children alike. In fact, it would make a wonderful read aloud book to be share with the child in your life. Even if you think the days of reading aloud are over in your house, capture them with this book if you can, because...

"As all mothers know, children travel faster than kisses." [p. 156]

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making has a decisive conclusion and can certainly be read as a stand alone novel. However, I am compelled to tell you that never before has one short sentence near the end of a book made me gasp in bittersweet delight that a sequel would be on the horizon for September and her friends. Said sequel to this unforgettable and enchanted book is expected to be published in March 2012, and will be titled The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There. I'll be reading it.

You can visit the author, Catherynne M. Valente at her website http://www.catherynnemvalente.com/.

Be sure to check out Cat's page of free reads, including The Girl Who Ruled Fairyland--For a Little While, a prequel story to The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, who are, by the way, two different girls. ; )

REVIEW: Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler

Riders of the Apocalypse, Book One
Published 2010

Hunger is a modern story about a teenage girl struggling with anorexia and ties her story to the biblical mythology of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Seventeen year old Lisabeth is anorexic and while she thinks she's in control of it all, she's really spiraling further into trouble. No one seems to understand her anymore--not her parents, her best friend or even her boyfriend, and she feels as if everyone is sabotaging her road to happiness. The only one who doesn't feel like a threat to Lisa is her friend Tammy, but maybe that's only because Tammy has her own secrets about eating.

In a moment of despair, Lisabeth considers suicide but is interrupted by a messenger who hands her an ancient set of scales, telling her she is Famine, the Black Rider and to "go thee out unto the world." Of course, she thinks she hallucinated the whole thing, but sure enough, the scales are there in the morning and not only that, but there's a huge black horse in her yard who looks upon her intently with anticipation as if he expects her to ride him.

Once this strange new reality sinks in, Lisabeth reluctantly accepts her assigned role as Famine and begins her nightly rides upon her black horse, traveling to exotic places around the world where hunger, starvation and death are all too familiar to the people who live there. During the day, she continues to struggle with anorexia and the powerful Thin Voice within her while her relationships with the people who care about her the most begin to crumble. Being the harbinger of Famine gives Lisabeth a lot to think about as she witnesses unimaginable atrocities of hunger and fumbles with her new found power. The question is, though, is Lisa strong enough to control her power? And if so, what is she going to do with it?

Hunger is a stark and graphic look at teenage eating disorders through the characters of Lisabeth and Tammy--both of whom could be anyone from your friend, sister, daughter or even you. The author very creatively uses the biblical mythology of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse to demonstrate the power of choice and how much inner strength, determination and hope someone has to have in order to fight anorexia or bulimia. Hunger is a very thought provoking, truthful and deeply profound book that twisted my gut, broke my heart, but also gave me hope for Lisabeth and anyone who struggles with an eating disorder.

GRADE: A

Please, if you think there is any remote possibility that you might have an eating disorder... know you are strong enough to conquer it. Choose to live. Reach out for help. You can do it!

All proceeds from Hunger are donated to National Eating Disorders Association.

Visit young adult author Jackie Morse Kessler at her website at http://www.jackiemorsekessler.com/index.php.

The next book in the Riders of the Apocalypse is Rage [April 2011] and addresses the delicate teenage issue of cutting or self induced injury. This book is the story of the Horseman of War. All proceeds from Rage are donated to the organization To Write Love On Her Arms.

The author's future release in this series will be Loss [March 2012] and is the story of the Horseman of Pestilence. This book will address bullying and I believe a villain with a disintegrating mind. All proceeds of Loss will be donated to the Alzheimer's Association.

There will be a fourth book for the final Horseman, Death, but no details about that book yet.

Library Loot XXXIII

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries! This week's Library Loot is at Marg's.

I didn't expect to have any library loot this week. Elfland is a long book with tiny print and I haven't even started it yet. But then I got a call from the library that my request to acquire a specific book that I submitted ages ago (maybe five months ago) was honored and it arrived! I was so surprised. Not that I forgot about wanting to read the book, but I had almost given up that my library would ever get it. So I went and picked up the book. You know library books are like eating potato chips. It's so hard to stop at just one, right?


My Soul To Keep by Rachel Vincent
Soul Screamers series, Book 3

Finally, I can read the next book! Which is good because Book 4 is already available! I know I could have bought this one, but when I already downloaded the prequel for free, then borrowed the first two books from the library, I like to stick to the pattern.

Anyway, I can't wait to read this installment in this young adult urban fantasy series featuring banshees and reapers and other kinds of beings who play a role in the state of a soul during that space between life and death. The main character, Kaylee Cavanaugh is an average, normal teen in so many ways that make these stories feel so realistic. When you believe in the truth of the character it's easy to believe in the magic of the myth.

I ventured to a new section in my library on this visit: the graphic novels. Possibly just the young adult graphic novels section... I'm not really sure. I grabbed what interested me in a quick perusal. I read all of them already. What fun. Can't wait to read more, starting with the other graphic novels in the Amulet and Good Neighbors series.

Amulet
Book One: The Stonekeeper
by Kazu Kibuishi

This one grabbed my attention because the artwork reminded me of the anime films by Hayao Miyazaki of whom we are huge fans in my house. I admit I am more emotional than the average reader and easy to cry, but I cannot believe I cried after reading the four page prologue. Of a graphic novel! The story itself isn't sad, but I have to say there's a lot of emotion in this short novel. Looking forward to the reading more in this series.



Kin
Book One: The Good Neighbors
Written by Holly Black
Illustrated by Ted Naifeh

This one grabbed my attention because the story is written by Holly Black who has a great talent for writing dark, teenage urban fantasy novels with a particular affinity for the dark world of faeries. This story didn't disappoint. Again, I'm looking forward to finding out what happens next in this story line.

Jane Eyre The Graphic Novel by Charlotte Bronte
Classic Text version
Adapted by Amy Corzine
Illustrated by John M. Burns and Terry Wiley

I had never before read Jane Eyre nor was I familiar with the story. There, I admitted it. Now that I got that out of the way, reading this classic in graphic novel form was such a great idea. Although the graphic novel is obviously a much abbreviated version of the original novel, all of the text is Bronte's original text {there is also a second graphic novel version that is written in Quicktext that is basically paraphrased from the original text}.  At least now I have a decent understanding of the story and the characters, which makes me happy since I don't know when I'd otherwise read the full length novel.

Now that I've sampled some graphic novels, I can't wait to try more. I'm wondering if my library has adult graphic novels and if they have their own section or are the books simply mixed with all the other fiction. If that's the case, how am I supposed to browse the graphic novels without knowing exactly what I'm looking for? I'll explore that on my next library visit.

How does your library shelve graphic novels? 

What graphic novel stand alone or series do you recommend? 

REVIEW: Kiss Me Deadly edited by Trisha Telep

Kiss Me Deadly is a young adult anthology containing 13 Tales of Paranormal Love and a treasure trove of short stories by some of today's leading young adult paranormal authors. I have only read books by three of the thirteen authors--Sarah Rees Brennan, Rachel Vincent and Maggie Steifvater, all of whose stories I enjoy very much, so naturally I was looking forward to their contributions. Reading this anthology also gave me the opportunity to explore the writing of the other ten authors with whom I was less familiar. I can't think of a better or more efficient way of sampling the works of so many authors than by reading an anthology such as Kiss Me Deadly. Now that I've finished reading all of the stories, I want to look into so many full length novels by these authors, not to mention entire series!

Since the stories are rather short, it's difficult to write reviews for them without giving things away, so instead I've written a one (or two or three) sentence synopsis, a brief impression and my rating for each story. I will say that all of the stories have interesting premises and characters, yet some authors were more adept than others at introducing their world, developing their characters and writing a cohesive story with closure in such a short number of pages. Also, it took me a few stories to realize that this anthology is not a collection of paranormal romance shorts as I expected, but rather a collection of supernatural, paranormal or urban fantasy type short stories with romantic elements, but the overall tone is not romance with happily ever after endings.

"The Assassin's Apprentice" by Michelle Zink
A young girl out to avenge her parents' death by killing the demon who murdered them. An Assassin interferes with her plan by stepping in to help her, much to her chagrin. A little lacking in world building. It took almost the whole story to understand the significance young girl's lineage and the role of the assassins in this world.
3.5 out of 5

"Errant" by Diana Peterfreund
A unicorn hunter arrives at a privileged French estate with her beloved unicorn to stage a traditional unicorn hunt for a spoiled young bride's wedding. Lessons in friendship and the cages that societal circumstances impose on two young women of completely opposite upbringings and lifestyles.
4 out of 5

"The Spirit Jar" by Karen Mahoney
A young vampire nicknamed Moth from Boston goes to London, UK on a mission for her Maker to retrieve a book of spells. While stealing the book, she meets a young man named Adam who is also trying to steal the book. Moth is tough, spunky, and determined, yet humanity still resides within her.
5 out of 5

"Lost" by Justine Musk
A sweet story about a teenager who has an uncanny knack for finding lost things. When her best friend is in a coma, she is compelled to visit a house on the route which she walks her dog and meets a stranger named Haiden who feels very familiar to her. He teaches her to focus on herself and her instincts, revealing her talent for helping the souls of people near death find their way. A little rushed in the character and plot development, but still an enjoyable and touching story.
4 out of 5

"The Spy Who Never Grew Up" by Sarah Rees Brennan
A spy story based on classic Peter Pan. Creative and clever story telling, yet I didn't particularly like the characters and the story felt a little lacking in purpose or of lessons in love or friendship. Or did I just miss it?
3 out of 5

"Dungeons of Langeais" by Becca Fitzpatrick
This is a prequel type story in the author's Hush, Hush series takes place in 1769 France tells the story of Chaucery who has become immortal as he is possessed by an angel for two weeks every year starting on the Jewish month (Rosh Hashanah, I believe) and how Chaucery tries to force the angel Cheshvan to break their contract by kidnapping his mortal lover. Satisfying dark, gothic tone.
4 out of 5

"Behind the Red Door" by Caitlin Kittredge
Jo Ryan finds Red Door in the Ash House, apparently a haunted house. Jo goes into the house on a dare and thinks she sees something in the shadows. Curious, if not obsessed, she goes back and meets Nicholas Day a ghost who has been stuck there for years, claiming to have killed himself with razors when his beloved drowned in the river. Jo spends her free time in the house with Nicolas, falling in love with him. Except she starts to lose weight and vitality and is haunted by visions of other young girls trying to tell her something. A ghost romance with deadly consequences.
4 out of 5

"Hare Moon" by Carrie Ryan
A story from the world of The Forest of Hands and Teeth.
Tabitha is a dreamer and feels restless in her village surrounded by forest, fenced off from the rest of the vacant world. She feels a yearning every time she passes a gate and finally garners the nerve to open it and see where it leads. Ignoring the moans and cries surrounding her in the forest, she follows the trail to another gate where she meets Patrick who lives in a village on the other side of a gate. They talk and decide to meet two days after the full moon every month. Over time they fall in love and hope for a life together. One month he doesn't come, leaving Tabitha distraught. When she is discovered with her hand on the gate, she is punished and forced to become a sister at the convent, where she discovers a hidden cavern with a written history of their village and the world. She doesn't give up on Patrick and when they meet again after the Hare Moon, life will never be the same for anyone. A great and terrifying introduction to the world of The Forest of Hands and Teeth. Am now considering picking up the full length novels in this series, even though horror is not my thing!
4.5 out of 5

"Familiar" by Michelle Rowen
Teenage witch Brenda is reluctant to come into her powers but finally agrees to obtain her "familiar" or her pet with whom she is to bond before she starts her formal training. She comes home bonded with an adorable kitten who immediately converses with her in her thoughts. Turns out he's a shifter named Owen who was hiding in the pet shop, biding time to figure out how to buy his way back into his pack of which he was kicked out. Brenda helps Owen retrieve the diamond bracelet that was his collar and they are confronted by a gang of werewolves who want to Owen's loyalty, profits from the bracelet or Brenda! The story was a tad bit predictable, but fun and was a sweet romance, hence a favorite.
4.5 out of 5

"Fearless" by Rachel Vincent
This short story is set in the world of Rachel Vincent's Soul Screamers series. Those familiar with the series will recognize Nash as a secondary character in this story along with a cameo appearance from his brother Tod.

Teenager Sabine was abandoned as a toddler and has spent her troubled youth bounced between foster homes. In this story, she has been sent to a halfway house for delinquent girls. Sabine has definitely gotten herself into trouble, but not without reason. She's a mara, a very rare kind of banshee who survives by feeding off the fears of others, which she does by visiting them while they dream, causing nightmares and exacerbating their fears. Shortly after arriving at the halfway house, Sabine starts to die when she can't nourish herself from the other girls. Interesting glimpse into another aspect of Vincent's Soul Screamers series, but now I'm all uncomfortable about Sabine and the promises she and Nash have made to each other when I am loyal to Kaylee and obviously want Nash and Kaylee together! I sense major trouble in the latest novel in this series, My Soul to Steal. Yikes!
4.5 out of 5

"Vermillion" by Daniel Marks
This quirky story takes place in Purgatory and features the teenage supernatural clean-up team of Velvet and Nick, a.k.a. Nyx, who also happen to be romantically involved. They work for Manny, a Station Agent in their district of Purgatory and through her, they meet Amie Shin who works for Howard Barker, the Station Agent of Vermillion, another district within Purgatory. Velvet and Nick are sent on assignment with Amie in Vermillion to chase down and trap a particular errant soul who is haunting humans in the realm of the living. Agents do this by slipping into the living realm through cracks and temporarily 'slipping' into human bodies to contain the evil spirits or illegal haunters or .. hmm.. dead souls doing bad things. Amie is also using seduction and trickery to try to break up Velvet and Nick. Bitch. This story was surprisingly complex in both the nature of the relationships and the world building and had an exciting and satisfying finish. I did a little investigating and have gathered that Daniel Marks has upcoming trilogy of full length novels set in this world featuring Velvet and Nyx and I think book one will be titled Velveteen. Very exciting.
5 out of 5

"The Hounds of Ulster" by Maggie Steifvater
Bryant and Sullivan are best friends and talented young musicians, with a particular affinity for Irish folk rock. Bryant plays guitar and Sullivan plays the fiddle. Determined to be a part of an elite club of musicians who play at Mullens, an Irish pub, the two brazenly crash a jig and finally capture the attention of the club members. A mysterious and beautiful girl standing in the wings sets her sights on Sullivan, jeopardizing his friendship with Bryant as well as his future. A poignant story of friendship and perhaps unrequited love. Not part of any series, but has elements similar to Maggie's Faerie books, Lament and Ballad.
4 out of 5

"Many Happy Returns" by Daniel Waters
A Generation Dead story
A bunch of teenagers of a small New England town are involved in a deadly car crash, leaving six dead and one in a coma, barely alive and if she does survive, is not likely to ever walk again. In this world, a certain genetic disposition enables some teenagers with the possibility of waking up from the dead within seven days after they have died, but in a permanent zombie-like state of being. As parents wait around to see if their child will be among those who 'wake' from the dead, feelings of anger, denial, grief, acceptance, anger and hope are rampant within the community. I've gone back and forth between giving this story a 3.5 or a 4 out of The focus of this story is on the adults as opposed to the teenagers, but it is a well written, thought provoking and heart breaking story with a bittersweet ending. Also, this story is more about the parents than with the teens or their relationships.
3.5 out of 5

Average rating: 4.11 out of 5

GRADE: B


Do you have any book recommendations by any of the contributing authors above? 

Young Adult Reading Challenge COMPLETE!

Completed on October 29, 2010

I posted a review of Stringz by Michael Wenberg two days ago and turns out it was the twelfth young adult novel I read in 2010, completing the Young Adult reading challenge I joined back in January. I've read two more young adult books since finishing Stringz and am even reading a third now and may even read one or two more before the end of the year. Perhaps reading twelve young adult novels in a year isn't as much of a challenge as I thought it would be. ;)

Here's a list of what I read for this challenge:

1. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
2. Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
3. Nothing But Ghosts by Beth Kephart
4. Beastly by Alex Flinn
5. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
6. My Soul to Save by Rachel Vincent
7. Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater
8. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
9. Looking for Alaska by John Green
10. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
11. Linger by Maggie Stiefvater
12. Stringz by Michael Wenberg
13. No Such Thing as the Real World anthology by An Na, M.T. Anderson, K.L. Going, Beth Kephart, Chris Lynch and Jacqueline Woodson
14. "Winter's Passage" novella by Julie Kagawa

All great books that I highly recommend. What a blanket statement, huh?

Okay, okay, I highlighted my favorites in blue.  Oops. That's most of them. ^_^

Have you read any of these books?

What's your favorite young adult novel for 2010 (so far)?

REVIEW: Stringz by Michael Wenberg

Stringz is a contemporary young adult novel about a teenage boy who finally finds a sense of belonging and direction in his life after spending years adrift without any constants in his life aside from his passion for playing the cello.

Jace Adams is a mixed race teenage boy being raised by his single black mother who constantly moves them from city to city in search of a better life, or at least a life away from whatever boyfriend she just broke up with. Jace's white father is completely out of the picture and his older brother, Derrick, who was Jace's role model, landed himself a jail sentence a while ago and since then Jace hasn't heard from him. Now Jace and his mom are living with Jace's Aunt Bernice who is rather mean and harsh to Jace from the get go. Clearly lacking any constants in his life, Jace sees this current move to Seattle from L.A. no different than the other dozens of moves and expects to be uprooted again in a few months. Obviously, he's reluctant to make any attachments to people or places, yet it's pretty clear that like any typical teenager, Jace wants to fit in somewhere once and for all and find a little happiness.

On his first day of school, Jace witnesses some bullies picking on a scrawny kid. He knows better than to interfere, but when he sees the bullies about to bash the kid's violin to smithereens, Jace intervenes, saving the violin and the kid. Now Jace has the school bullies out to get him and a friend he doesn't want in the kid with the violin, Elvis Goldberg.

Jace spends his time just going through the motions at school, halfheartedly trying to prove his skill with the cello to the racist orchestra instructor and trying to avoid being friends with Elvis and Marcy Gordon, the first string cellist in the school orchestra. Jace spends his time outside of school playing the cello on the streets of Seattle to earn cash that he's saving for when he turns 18 and can take off on his own.

Eventually Jace starts to find some comforts and constants in his life in unexpected places, starting with Elvis and Marcy, a homeless man in downtown Seattle, an esteemed private cello instructor and even in his Aunt Bernice.

Stringz sounds like a straightforward, if not predictable story with the somewhat common basic premise of the loner-type teen with a dysfunctional family who just wants to belong somewhere, who finally makes friends and finds their niche. Right? Well, that is true about this book, but what really makes this book shine is how many valuable lessons are layered within this fairly straightforward story. Some of these lessons are very subtle and others are blatant, but each is important and relevant to teens today. There's bullying, racism, issues of abandonment, dysfunctional family issues, friendships, sharing mutual respect for others whether one is an esteemed master musician or a homeless person on the streets, being accepted for who you are and what you do ... not for your color of skin or your socio-economic status ... having an adult have confidence in you and help you be all you can be today in this very moment ... and in your future.

Stringz is a wonderful story of teen triumph and hope with uplifting messages for teens of any age and background. I loved Jace's passion for the cello and music as a whole and how it was both his solace and his celebration. I loved how Stringz accurately portrayed the challenges teens face every day at school and at home and that with a little help from a few good friends and a supportive adult or two, teens can overcome anything. I loved how Jace learned to be confident in himself and put his best foot forward. Not always so easy for teens, or adults for that matter, but what a difference it makes.

You can visit author Michael Wenberg at his website at http://michaelwenberg.wordpress.com/.

Library Loot XXVII

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries! This week's Library Loot is at Claire's.

The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa

The Iron Fey series, Book 3

I originally thought this week's library loot was going to be short and sweet with once again, just one book to report-- The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa. It is the second full length novel in Ms. Kagawa's Iron Fey series, the first of which is The Iron King. I read The Iron King a month or so ago and enjoyed it tremendously. The ebook novella Winter's Passage is the second book in the series, followed by The Iron Daughter. The series is an artful blend of contemporary teenage life and dark fairy tale, a little bit of romance and perhaps a subtle touch of steampunk. The whole Iron Kingdom thing... pretty cool.

That was the extent of my library loot until last night, that is, when I stopped by the library very briefly to return Room, which was very good, by the way, and not nearly as depressing or tearful as I expected. But really... who's kidding who? Although I have done it on occasion, let's just face facts and admit that it is nearly impossible to go to the library just to return a book without borrowing another. Or two. Or three. Or ... you get the idea. On my way over to browse the shelf of new books in my library, this cover caught my eye from the young adult section:

Raven Speak by Diane Lee Wilson

Isn't that stunning? Raven Speak is a young adult novel about the daughter of a Viking chief who is desperate to save her dying clan yet equally desperate to save her horse Raven from becoming a sacrifice to the gods and food to her people.

Then in a matter of three minutes, I had the following young adult books in my arms as well. I don't know what came over me.

Stringz by Michael Wenberg
A story of a teenage boy named Jace Adams who has great talent and passion for the Cello, but has a hard time fitting in anywhere namely because he's always the new kid. His mom is always changing jobs, always searching for a better life, moving every couple of months. The only constant in Jace's life seems to be his cello. Maybe this move to Seattle things will be different.

The Day of the Pelican by Katherine Paterson

A story about an Albanian family who struggle for safety and survival in a refugee camp in Kosovo in 1998 and who ultimately immigrate to the United States.

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

Because Angie liked it. Enough said. Seriously, though, I keep coming across very passionate reviews for this book, so I must see for myself. Another novel about a teenager who is passionate about music and playing an instrument. In this story, Lennie Walker has always lived safely and happily in the shadow of her vibrant older sister, but when her sister dies suddenly, Lennie struggles with her grief and with suddenly taking center stage in her own life.

No Such Thing as the Real World by An Na, M.T. Anderson, K.L. Going, Beth Kephart, Chris Lynch and Jacqueline Woodson

An anthology of short stories about teenagers who find themselves dealing with "real world" issues for the first time in their lives.

I checked out this armful of books and promptly left. I'm quite sure I was inside the library for all of eight minutes. Amazing how many books you can loot in such a short time. Now if only I can find the time to actually read all these books! ;)

Are you a quick, impulsive library looter who typically comes home with more books than you intended? 


Or do you go to your library with at least a mental list of what you want and come home with exactly that? 

I'm more of the latter type-- looking up the books I'd like to read on the library's online catalog and either reserving them that way or expecting to check out the book on my next trip. I occasionally pick up other books that I see at the library while browsing the shelves, but not nearly as impulsive as I was last night with this collection of young adult books.

In which she conquers Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages! Let it be known that I have finally conquered the tome that has taken residency upon my nightstand for more than three years that is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows!

{bowing to my audience}

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Yes, it is true.

I finally finished reading the seventh and final Harry Potter book yesterday morning.

I don't know what happened that I couldn't bring myself to just read this book. Perhaps I just didn't want the series to end. Or I outgrew the trials and tribulations of the witches and wizards of Hogwarts. Maybe I was simply intimidated by the 759 pages. Whether it be one or all of those reasons... Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows became my Big Book Challenge for 2010. And I conquered it. Yes!

No book review, but I do have a few comments. Six cents worth. ^_^

If you have not yet read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, please read the rest of this post at your own risk. I do not reveal anything too specific, but there are little tiny bits that should be avoided by true "spoilerphobics."

One. The book was great. Really, really great. At least once I got past the first 280 pages or so. It's not that the first 280 pages were't decent, but I thought this first part kind of dragged. Maybe it could have been compressed into a more abbreviated and exciting version of what it was. Maybe I just had to get over my hang up for not reading the book for three years before I started enjoying it. Who knows. The good news is that it started to pick up from there for me, and by the time I got to Chapter Nineteen titled "The Silver Doe" at page 363, things really took off and I was truly captivated by the story and didn't want to put it down.

Two. I love that Chapter Nineteen. I loved it when I first read it because it was classic Harry, Ron & Hermoine and held so much magic--both wizard and human. I loved it even more much later in the book when we find out who and what the Silver Doe represented. Oh my gosh did that make me cry. I'm such a die hard romantic. I told my girls how much I loved that and they were like, "What? Who? I forgot that part." And I was like, "WHAT?!? How could you forget that part?" Perhaps that's the difference between a grown up and a kid reading the Harry Potter books. ^_^

Three. On deaths. Many of them. Oh my. I was warned about the loss of life in this last book, and quite honestly, they had to be there for this series to have an authentic ending. The Boy Who Lived finally battles Lord Voldemort, the most evil wizard to have ever lived. People are going to die. Yet... yet... Gaaaahhh! So sad.

Four. On Horcruxes, Hallows and wandlore. Bloody Brillliant!!!! These three elements came together in such brilliance. Just... fantastic.

Five. Griphook. Grrrrr! >_<

Six. Scorpius? Really? Really? ROFLOLOLOLOL! I don't know why, but I find that insanely funny.

I'd like to commend my daughters--my teen who read this book more than three years ago, and my tween who has read this book 2-3 times within the last year-- for never ever having spilled a single solitary spoiler in front of me all these years!! Wow, they're good!

Do you read the Harry Potter books?

If you've read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, how did you like this last book?

REVIEW: Beastly by Alex Flinn

I read Beastly by Alex Flinn based on a recommendation from Angie back in March of this year when she posted the trailer for the upcoming movie version of the novel, which happens to be one of her favorites that she reviewed way back in November 2007. Angie has superb taste in books and has never steered me wrong, so of course I had to read the book, and before the movie hits theaters this summer!

Beastly is a contemporary young adult retelling of the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale set in modern day New York City. The Beast is Kyle Kingsbury who used to be the best looking, most popular and richest guy in the school who had everything and more. Except maybe virtues. Which in the end is the ruin of his seemingly perfect life. Because he is unkind, rude, presumptuous, selfish and basically beastly, he is cursed to actually be a beast for eternity. One small act of kindness before he is cursed allows him one and only one chance to break the spell. If he falls in love with someone, and she loves him in return, the curse can be broken. Only true love's kiss will break the spell, and it has to happen within a year or he'll be a beast forever.

Once Kyle is cursed to be the beast, his life as he knew it is over. He still has anything money can buy, but now lives like an outcast hiding in his New York apartment, his housekeeper and his live-in, blind tutor his only companions. Kyle's only contact with the outside world is either through the internet or by sneaking out at night to prowl the streets in a disguise.

I did find Beastly to be predictable in that the character roles of Beauty and the Beast and the story line didn't stray from the classic fairy tale, yet I still found the novel captivating and thoroughly enjoyable. The author did a fantastic job of molding the story to a modern setting and modern characters, more so than I imagined possible. Kyle's transformation from egotistical, privleged teenage boy with entitlement issues to a caring, sensitive young man... err.. beast, was realistic and convincing as the story progressed. Well, as realistic as a teenage beast roaming the streets of New York City could be, anyway. ;)

Likewise, Lindy Taylor--the young girl who portrays the character of 'Beauty', is realistic in her actions and reactions towards Kyle as well, save for one part which was the manor in which she became the Beast's prisoner. Although her capture is not exactly her own doing, I had to stretch my believability just a little too far to make it work in my mind, but heck--it is a fairy tale and it does take place in New York City, so anything can happen, right? Otherwise, Lindy was equally believable as Kyle, and perhaps even more so than the Grimm's fairly tale version or the Disney version since the girl from Beastly is more average on the outside, yet beautiful within. I think that difference even improves on the depth and reality of the whole moral of the story.

Beastly is a wonderful modern rendition of the classic Beauty and the Beast fairy tale. It's a fast paced, enjoyable read with great insights to the value society and individuals place on physical beauty and inner beauty. Highly recommended to readers of young adult fiction and or readers who enjoy fairy tales.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Here's the trailer for the movie version of Beastly. Already from the trailer, I can see a lot of changes to the story line, but I have to admit... the movie still looks good. According to the trailer, the movie hits theaters July 30, 2010.

2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge

Host: J. Kaye of J. Kaye's Book Blog

Details: For more details, including rules and how to sign yourself up, visit J. Kaye at 2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge.

Challenge: I joined "The Mini" Young Adult Reading Challenge which is to read 12 young adult novels in 2010. Reviews are optional.

This was the only challenge that I completed successfully last year and even came in ahead with having read 14 young adult novels, so I definitely wanted to join again. Not only do I have at least a dozen young adult novels on my bookshelves at home that I want to read, but the library has at least a few dozen more that are on my list as well. The first book that I plan to read for this challenge is Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. I've heard some very positive reviews for it around and am drawn to the dark fantasy in a small Southern town setting. I'm really looking forward to it, and it's a long one coming in at 563 pages.

1. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

2. Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

3. Nothing But Ghosts by Beth Kephart

4. Beastly by Alex Flinn

5. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

6. My Soul to Save by Rachel Vincent

7. Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater

8. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

9. Looking for Alaska by John Green

10. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

11. Linger by Maggie Stiefvater 

12. Stringz by Michael Wenberg

****** CHALLENGE COMPLETED OCTOBER 29, 2010 *******

13. No Such Thing as the Real World anthology by An Na, M.T. Anderson, K.L. Going, Beth Kephart, Chris Lynch and Jacqueline Woodson
14. "Winter's Passage" novella by Julie Kagawa
15. Infinity by Sherrilyn Kenyon
16. Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
17. The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

My Very Own VERY FAKE Debut YA Book Cover

I noticed that most--or is it all? --of my last several posts have been about young adult fiction. I didn't really plan that. I've always been a fan of YA, and do regularly read novels of that genre, but I guess I read more YA than usual over the summer. Not to mention I find writing reviews for YA easier than non-YA fiction, so I just went with it.

I've also read a slew of other non-YA fiction this summer--in fact, it was my most productive summer reading yet! So if you want to know what I've been reading, I do keep a running list at the happily ever after . . . book archives. It's also a spot for me to keep notes on books before I get around to writing reviews. IF I ever get around to writing the reviews. ;) You can click on the link or click on the little graphic on my sidebar with the girl carrying the huge stack of books that looks like this -->

Now on to my debut YA book cover!

In my recent travels to one of my favorite YA book blogs, Tales of a Ravenous Reader, which happens to be my dear friend Nancy's very informative, very successful blog, I found this neat activity to create your own debut YA book cover. It looked like fun, so I gave it a go. Within 10 minutes, I had my very own, albeit very fake debut young adult book cover!

I confess that when I did the random name generator part, I must have hit refresh at least twenty times looking for a really catchy pen name, but in the end I kept the first one that came up. It was meant to be. Also, with the FlickerCC generator, I didn't use the first photo that came up because it was a picture of an adult male wearing only a sarong and I didn't think it was very YA, so I went with the second photo. I don't care if that's cheating, the second photo was perfect!

I think the title and cover art would be great for a young adult paranormal. Or maybe a novel about a troubled teen fighting depression or trying to overcome a tragedy in her life.

What do you think?

If you decide to do your own, be sure to let me know here so I can come by and check it out.

To create your own debut YA book cover, follow these directions:

CREATE YOUR DEBUT YA COVER

1 – Go to “Fake Name Generator” or click http://www.fakenamegenerator.com/

The name that appears is your author name.

2 – Go to “Random Word Generator” or click http://www.websitestyle.com/parser/randomword.shtml

The word listed under “Random Verb” is your title.

3 – Go to “FlickrCC” or click http://flickrcc.bluemountains.net/index.php

Type your title into the search box. The first photo that contains a person is your cover.

4 – Use Photoshop, Picnik, or similar to put it all together. Be sure to crop and/or zoom in.

5 – Post it to your site along with this text.

REVIEW: Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

Perfect Chemistry is a stand alone young adult novel by author Simone Elkeles. Rules of Attraction is the sequel novel to Perfect Chemistry and is due out in May 2010.

Perfect Chemistry is a contemporary tale along the lines of West Side Story the musical meets The Outsiders novel by S.E. Hinton meets The ABC Afterschool Specials, with a happy ending. I usually try to avoid comparing written works like that, but in this case, the analogy just works so well. Plus I make this analogy with the utmost respect for all four works. So if you're familiar with those classic tales, you can pretty much predict the story line of Perfect Chemistry. Don't get the wrong impression, though. Although a bit predictable in story line, Perfect Chemistry is no less gripping and is definitely worth reading.

Brittany Ellis--the rich, popular, perfect pompom girl meets Alejandro "Alex" Fuentes --the poor, tough, gang banger boy from the other side of town. Each presumes to know all about the other one's stereotypical life, not even giving each other half a chance. Little do they realize, they're more alike than either would care to admit, as both Brittany and Alex live in a world of obligation to uphold this public facade of their stereotypical lifestyles.

Fate, or rather, their chemistry teacher, brings Brittany and Alex together and although at first they're both extremely full of contempt and disrespect for each other, in time they get to know each other and fall quite hard for each other. Of course, no one thinks they belong together and disapproval comes from just about everyone. But they have passion, understanding, and well . . . perfect chemistry and so despite the odds against them, they set out to prove their love for each other and try to break down the walls between their worlds. There is anger, betrayal and tragedy in Perfect Chemistry, but there is also strength, hope, courage and above all, love.

It's worth mentioning the format of this novel, because it's a format that isn't often used and I think it worked just brilliantly in Perfect Chemistry. Basically, the chapters alternate between Brittany and Alex's first person point of view throughout the entire novel. This method works so well because really it keeps the story moving at a fast clip, making you want to read "one more chapter" to see what the other one is going to think, say or do next. Scenes are never repeated from the other protagonist's perspective... the next chapter just picks up where the other left off. Not always at the same setting, mind you, but always keeping the timeline consistently moving forward. It's really a fun approach to telling a story and worked especially well for Perfect Chemistry in which both characters' perspectives are so crucial to developing the conflict.

Perfect Chemistry is a quick paced, highly addictive story. Both I and my teenage daughter had a difficult time putting the book down. In fact, we borrowed the book from the library on a Monday night and both of us had finished reading it by midnight on Tuesday.

Perfect Chemistry is a wonderfully written, intense and emotional story that tugs at your heartstrings as you watch these two star crossed lovers break down the social and racial barriers between their worlds, fighting for the happily ever after that they deserve.

You can visit author Simone Elkeles on her website at http://www.simoneelkeles.net/index-web.html.

REVIEW: MY Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent

Soul Screamers Series, Book 1


My Soul To Take is the first full length novel in the new young adult urban fantasy series, Soul Screamers by author Rachel Vincent.

When Kaylee Cavanaugh was very young, she and her parents were in a serious car crash that took her mother's life. Shortly thereafter, Kaylee's father moved to Ireland, leaving Kaylee in the care of her Aunt Val and Uncle Brendan. Kaylee's aunt and uncle have lovingly raised her alongside their own, slightly younger daughter, Sophie. Now both in high school, Kaylee and Sophie aren't very close, and in fact don't really get along at all. Sophie is on the school dance team, hangs out with the popular crowd and is basically more the high maintenance, spoiled kind of girl. Kaylee is simply just . . . average. Average, that is, until she starts having inexplicable panic attacks that drive her to want to literally scream.

In My Soul to Lose, the novella prequel to My Soul to Take, Kaylee had a panic attack in the mall that ended in disaster. She was overcome by fear and despair and then noticed dark, moving shadows surrounding a young, sickly boy in a wheelchair. Kaylee desperately tried to fight the overwhelming urge to scream but in the end, she lost the fight and the screams just let loose from her vocal cords. Her screaming completely consumed her and she couldn't stop. She ended up admitted to the mental ward of the hospital where she was sedated to stop her screaming. Kaylee stayed in the hospital for a whole week for treatment and counseling before her uncle couldn't take it anymore and had her released.

My Soul to Take picks up six months later when Kaylee starts having these panic attacks once again. Kaylee and her best friend, Emma sneak into a club for a fun night of dancing, and Kaylee catches the attention of one of the most winsome guys in her school, Nash Hudson. She's having fun dancing and flirting with Nash, when all of a sudden, Kaylee starts to lose her composure, sensing the onset of another one of those panic attacks. Kaylee notices dark shadows around a beautiful young woman in the club and once again, she starts fighting the overwhelming urge to scream. Emma comes to her rescue and tries to whisk Kaylee away from Nash in order to save her from humiliation if she starts to scream, but Nash is worried for Kaylee and insists on following them out of the club. Outside, Kaylee is still panicking and desperately trying to resist screaming. Surprisingly, Nash doesn't freak out over Kaylee's behavior at all, and in fact, he holds her and soothes and calms her by singing softly to her. In a moment of unguarded honesty, Kaylee tells Nash about her panic attacks, the dark shadows and her uncontrollable need to scream. He doesn't seem shocked or disgusted, and in fact is kind and understanding. He even wants to see her again.

The next day, Kaylee sees on the news that the girl from the club who triggered her panic attack died later that night. She starts to realize that she gets these panic attacks when someone near her is about to die. When a second young girl is found dead, and then a third girl from Kaylee's own school dies right in the school cafeteria during lunch, she's all but freaking out over her ability, convinced that she has a brain tumor that causes her strange and frighteningly accurate premonitions of death. Not being able to wait for her aunt and uncle or her father to explain the truth to her, Nash steps in and helps Kaylee understand her new found ability. She learns that she is a bean sidhe, which is very similar to the mythological banshee that screams for the soul of a dying person. She also learns about the existence of reapers and other supernatural beings of the Netherworld.

Convinced that the deaths of these healthy, young women are not a coincidence, Kaylee and Nash begin investigating the unexplained deaths in hopes of finding a way to stop them. But there are consequences with interfering with life and death, and Kaylee and Nash are challenged not only by those dangers, but also by the morals of right and wrong. In addition to solving the mystery of the girls' deaths, a slew of Cavanaugh family secrets are revealed throughout the story. Some secrets provide Kaylee with answers she's always been looking for and others seem to just lead to more questions.

My Soul to Take is a serious, somewhat melancholy story of Kaylee Cavanaugh's discovery of her bean sidhe heritage and how she learns to come to terms with it while thrown into solving the mystery of unplanned deaths. It's not a depressing story, but when death is a prevailing theme, the story does take on a serious tone. The relationships in the novel are all very realistic and easy for teens to identify with. There's "sibling" rivalry between Kaylee and Sophie, unconditional friendship between Kaylee and Emma, and a budding romance between Kaylee and Nash that is sweet and tentative. Kaylee's relationships with the adults in her life are also very important throughout the story and add a lot of emotional depth to the novel as well.

Author Rachel Vincent has crafted a well written urban fantasy young adult novel by combining realistic, normal teenage relationships with the creative reworking of banshee folklore and a suspenseful mystery that will keep readers flipping the pages until they reach the end. My Soul to Take is a tense and emotional read that ends with satisfying closure, but will definitely have readers looking for more stories in this fascinating world. Thankfully, Rachel Vincent has more in store for Kaylee and Nash in the second Soul Screamers story titled My Soul to Save to be released in January 2010.

You can visit Rachel Vincent on her website at http://www.rachelvincent.com

Library Loot II

Library Loot is a weekly blog event that I recently joined that encourages bloggers to share what books they borrowed from the library that week. To participate, simply make your Library Loot post on your blog and link it using the Mr. Linky link at Marg's blog Reading Adventures or Eva's blog A Striped Armchair.

After reading some recommendations for Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles online, I searched for it on my library's online catalog a week or so and was delighted to see that my library actually had it--only it was out. On Monday afternoon, though, I got a call from the library informing me it was returned. I checked it out on Monday evening around 8 pm, started reading it as soon as I got home and finished it the following morning. Simply put, Perfect Chemistry is a contemporary version of West Side Story meets The Outsiders with a happy ending. Knowing it was just the kind of book to appeal to my teenage daughter, I suggested she read it. She read the back of the book and said, "Wow. This sounds really good!" She opened the book, flipped through a few pages, and was excited to see the chapters alternating between the female and male protagonists first person point of view. She promptly started reading and finished the following morning. So after having only been in our house for 36 hours, Perfect Chemistry was devoured by two happy readers.

REVIEW: Lament: A Faerie Queen's Deception by Maggie Stiefvater

Published by Flux, October 1, 2008

Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception is a young adult urban fantasy novel written by the very talented, Maggie Stiefvater.

From the inside cover:

Sixteen year old Deirdre Monaghan is a prodigiously gifted musician. She's about to find out she's a cloverhand--one who can see faeries.
Unexpectedly, Deirdre finds herself infatuated with mysterious boy named Luke who enters her ordinary life, seemingly out of thin air. But his interest in her might be something darker than a summer romance. When a sinister faerie named Aodhan shows up with deadly orders from the Faerie Queen, it forces Dee right into the midst of Faerie. Caught in the crossfire with Deirdre is James, her wisecracking but loyal best friend.
Deirdre had been wishing her summer weren't so dull, but taking on a centuries-old Faerie Queen isn't exactly what she had in mind.

Lament is author Maggie Stiefvater's debut novel and is simply phenomenal. The story is beautifully written, simultaneously elegant and down to earth. The descriptions of Deirdre Monaghan's world and the curious, beautiful and frightening world of the fae into which she gets thrown come to life right off the pages of the book, immersing the reader full force into the story.

Lament is an engaging story of family, friendship, love and self discovery that griped me from the very first pages and swept me along to the very end. It's a coming of age story for the somewhat introverted and seemingly ordinary Deirdre Monaghan in which she learns her extraordinary place in a dark and whimsical world of Faeirie.

The family relationships between Deirdre, her mom, aunt, her grandmother are seemingly normal, but as Deirdre learns more about herself and the world she lives in, she also gains a greater understanding of the relationships between the women in her family that will change her life forever.

In addition to Deirdre's new found understanding of her familial relationships, she also learns some valuable lessons in friendship. Deirdre's friendship with her long time best friend James experiences some subtle shifts when she becomes infatuated with Luke. She also learns a surprising lesson or two from a new friendship that is almost unintentionally forged between her and Sara--her socially polar opposite classmate and co-worker at Dave's Ice.

Deirdre becomes infatuated with Luke almost as soon as she meets him; he's handsome, charming, and has a musical talent that near matches her own. Luke is fascinated by Deidre and can't help but want to keep company with her, even though he has come into her life for hidden reasons. What I really liked about the love story component of Lament, is that Deirdre doesn't ever mistake infatuation for love. While of course she craves his company and affection, she is rightfully cautious, as there is something dark and dangerous surrounding Deirdre ever since Luke Dillon came into her life.

Maggie Stiefvater has wonderfully crafted a Faerie tale deeply rooted in folklore and strongly connected to the beauty and power of music. The Faerie in Lament are a perfect blend of whimsical and dark and dangerous. Not entirely good or evil, the Faerie are of their own morality and are as elemental as nature itself and equally unpredictable. Lament is a compelling tale of the dark, yet beautiful lures of the Faerie world with the sweet innocence of a forbidden love.

Ballad: A Gathering of Faerie is Maggie Stiefvater's next novel set in this gripping world and is to be released on October 1, 2009. my birthday! : )

Check out the beautiful book trailer for Ballad, made by the incredibly talented Maggie Stiefvater. And I mean she "made" it in the truest sense of the word. She drew the "story boards", composed and performed the music, and compiled the video herself. I love this trailer. The music and the imagery is mesmerizing.




You can visit author Maggie Stiefvater at her website http://maggiestiefvater.com and at her blog http://m-stiefvater.livejournal.com/ or http://maggiestiefvater.blogspot.com/.

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater is currently #3 on the NYT Bestseller list for children's fiction!

Shiver is Ms. Stiefvater's second full length novel, a romantic tale of a teenage girl and the wolf who has watched over her for years who changes to a boy with the change of seasons. Shiver hit bookshelves on August 1, 2009.

Library Loot I

LIBRARY LOOT is a weekly blog event co-hosted by Marg of Reading Adventures (which is where I learned of it) and Eva of A Striped Armchair. Library Loot encourages readers to share what they've checked out from the library that week. If you want to participate, simply make your Library Loot post on your blog any day of the week and leave the link to your post through the Mr. Linky link at either Marg's or Eva's blogs.

I don't know about you, but I've been trying to borrow from the library more often these days. It's really a great way to stretch your book buying dollars. I'm also taking advantage of inter library loans through other local public libraries when I can't find the book I'm looking for at my own library. Which I'm learning is rather often. Thankfully, it's easy to check library book catalogs online these days. Now my new dilemma is with my book list names. I keep a TBB list that is my "To Be Bought" list, but now that I'm actively searching library catalogs for books I want to read, whatever shall I call my "To Be Borrowed" list?!

Anyway, here's my Library Loot from today's trip to the library:

My Soul To Take by Rachel Vincent.

Soul Screamers series, Book 1.

Young Adult

I listened to the audiobook prequel earlier this month and just have to find out what happens to the protagonist, Kaylee Cavanaugh. She senses when someone near her is about to die, as an incredible force builds within her that she can't seem to hold back. A force that compels her to scream. Things start to get out of hand when classmates start dying and interestingly, Kaylee's new boyfriend knows more about her compulsion to scream than she does.

I can't wait to dive into this one.

REVIEW: My Soul to Lose by Rachel Vincent

Audiobook. Narrated by Amanda Ronconi
1 hour 48 minutes.

This is the novella prequel to Rachel Vincent's new young adult series called Soul Screamers. It is currently available as a FREE audiobook on audible.com and a FREE Kindle ebook at amazon.com that can be downloaded to your Kindle or to your iPhone Kindle App. (The iPhone Kindle App is available free at iTunes).

Book review:

Book blurb:

It was supposed to be a fun day, shopping at the mall with her best friend. Then the panic attack started and Kaylee Cavanaugh finds herself screaming, unable to stop. Her secret fears are exposed and it's the worst day of her life.

Until she wakes up in the psychiatric unit.

She tries to convince everyone she's fine--despite the shadows she sees forming around another patient and the urge to scream which comes burbling up again and again. Everyone thinks she's crazy. Everyone except Lydia, that is. Another patient with some special abilities....

The book blurb accurately explains to what takes place in My Soul to Lose. The story is the prequel novella to the Soul Screamers series, and is best read if you intend on continuing with the series as it is akin to a several chapter prologue to the next novel.

My Soul to Lose is a story of the awakening of Kaylee's ability to sense death or the shadows that appear around someone before they die. It starts as a panic attack, but soon she feels despair and fear deep in her soul. And as much as she tries to resist the urge to scream, she can't fight it and its as though her vocal cords take over on their own and she can't help but scream.

My Soul to Lose is an introduction to Kaylee and her "curse" and has established a premise to what sounds like a very interesting series. I felt empathy for Kaylee--knowing what she experiences is very real, but also knowing no one would believe she sees and feels shadows of death. I hope that in the next book she finds some answers to what she experiences, is able to take command of it, and possibly use her ability to help people. I plan on continuing Kaylee's story with My Soul to Take, the first full length novel to the Soul Screamers series by Rachel Vincent.

My Soul to Take My Soul to Save

Published August 1, 2009. Available January, 1, 2010

AVAILABLE NOW.

Visit author Rachel Vincent at http://www.rachelvincent.com/

My first audiobook experience:

I downloaded the audiobook of My Soul to Lose about three weeks ago onto my iPhone from audible.com and finally listened to it this morning. As this was my first time listening to an audiobook, I wasn't really sure what to expect or if I'd even enjoy listening to a book when I could be reading it. I ended up listening to the first few minutes of the book three or four times. At first I found it disconcerting, I think in part because I had to get the character names straightened out in my head. I had to hear the names a couple of times and who was what character... the main character, the friend, the boyfriend, the cousin, and so on. It's not that the story is confusing at all, but rather I needed it repeated a couple of times so I got my bearings. It was entirely my own issue, I think, after being so used to reading names that get imprinted in my mind immediately as opposed to hearing them and them not sinking in.

Then once I repeated the first few minutes a couple of times, it took a few minutes for me to get used to the narrators voice and her rhythm. I don't think it was more than five minutes and the narrator successfully brought me into the story and I was listening with the same concentration and comprehension that I would have if I were reading it myself. I have to say, I really enjoyed my first audiobook experience and I'm definitely open to listening to more audiobooks in the future.

I'll also add that listening to an audiobook is really conducive to multitasking, too! I weeded my entire front and side yard landscaping while listening to the book. At one point I was so into the book, that one scene made my eyes tear up and it took me a second to realize I couldn't see the weeds at my finger tips. ;)

Do you listen to audiobooks?

REVIEW: Bound by Donna Jo Napoli

Published August 1, 2006.

Read and reviewed for the TBR Challenge hosted by avidbookreader.com and the YA Reading Challenge hosted by J.Kaye's Book Blog.



Bound is a Cinderella inspired story of a fourteen year old girl named Xing Xing living in a small village in northern China during seventeenth century Ming Dynasty with her Stepmother and half sister Wei Ping. Upon the death of Xing Xing's beloved father, Xing Xing became bound in servitude to her stepmother and half sister. She is barely treated better than a slave by Stepmother who not only insults and demeans Xing Xing, but also demands that Xing Xing perform all of the daily chores required to care for her and her daughter and their humble home. Xing Xing clings to the values taught to her by her mother and father, and also secretly practices the "three perfections" taught to her by her father--poetry, painting, and calligraphy. She finds solace in these arts, and in a beautiful carp that she befriends, if you will, in the spring from which she retrieves their daily water. Xing Xing treasures the carp more than anything, as she comes to believe the carp is the soul of her mother reincarnated.

Determined to find a suitable husband for Wei Ping, Stepmother acts against her late husband's wishes and begins the painful process of binding Wei Ping's feet in hopes that by making her feet smaller, she would be better fit as a man's wife. The process of binding girls' feet is always painful and dangerous, but is usually started when a girl is very young and still growing. As a young teen, Wei Ping is already full grown and having her feet bound now causes not only extreme pain, but also severe infection. Wei Ping's life threatening infection then becomes the catalyst for a series of dramatic events that could either ruin Xing Xing's future forever or grant her the freedom she's always longed for. The freedom to think and act for herself, unbound from servitude and unbound from the strict social expectations of a woman.

Bound is a stark, realistic retelling of the commonly known Cinderella type fairy tale. The setting of the story in ancient China, along with the historically accurate traditions of ancient Chinese culture help make this story incredibly realistic and offer the reader a stark look into the unfair expectations and treatment of women within the society. While the hardships faced by women during that time seem unjust and demeaning to the modern reader, the author was able to convey normalcy of those hardships during that particular time period for that culture.

In the traditional Western version of Cinderella, the stepmother and stepsisters are wicked, selfish, and ill-intentioned. Yet in Bound, the stepmother's actions are actually understandable and somewhat justified based on the norms of the ancient Chinese culture. This allows the reader to empathize with Stepmother to a certain degree, making the conflicts of the story not entirely black and white, which in turn gives this story more depth and complexity than the typical Cinderella story. No doubt, Stepmother does inevitably act in poor character, but she is driven by the need to literally survive and will stop at nothing to secure Wei Ping's and her own future by finding Wei Ping a husband. It truly is a matter of life or death for her and her daughter, and sadly, there is no obligation to secure Xing Xing's future or even to preserve her life.

Xing Xing is a lovely character. She is lonely and mourns the loss of her mother and father, both of whom she loved dearly and with whom she shared close relationships, yet despite this sorrow, Xing Xing is an optimistic young girl who through constant reflection of all her parents taught her, manages to maintain a love of life and a hope for a better future. Xing Xing is also insightful and clever, and learns when and where she should expose her skills in the arts where it can work to her advantage. Xing Xing is also empathetic and caring, especially towards Wei Ping and she does what she can to care for her and keep her spirits up. She is even gracious to Stepmother--at least until Stepmother betrays her in the worst way. Upon learning of Stepmother's betrayal, Xing Xing reflects on the following philosophy taught to her by her father. It is one of my favorite passages from Bound:

Learning is not the accumulation of knowledge, but rather, one thing only: understanding. To truly learn, you listened first with you ears, then with your heart, then with your qi.

Note: In traditional Chinese culture, every living thing possesses a qi. While its meaning is varied, it is largely thought of as the "flow of energy" that sustains a living thing.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story and found it to be a very unique and powerful rendition of the classic tale. At the end of the story, however, I wished it wasn't a retelling of the classic Cinderella, because I felt the lost slipper and Prince ending to be a bit anticlimactic. Through self reflection and self confidence bestowed upon her from her mother and father, Xing Xing grew from a child to an independent, brave young woman, and I wanted her to acquire her freedom being bound on her own, without the help of a Prince. While I understand that the story is bound by the constraints of the classic tale as well as by the realism of a woman's power in this time period, I felt the ending was rather incongruous with the rest of the story. However, it is still a wonderful, thought provoking story that shouldn't be missed.

Bound is a beautifully and poetically written retelling of the classic, familiar fairy tale-- a coming of age story that is enlightening and hopeful.

GRADE: B+