Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder

Maria V. Snyder has been one of my favorite high fantasy authors for about 3 years now. I love how she can create a whole new, believable, world and still make an interesting plot line and romance.

Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan assumes their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honored for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Territories, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos.

Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own, is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince—leader of a campaign against her people. As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for. Because the price of peace may well be her life....

In her new series, Healer, Maria V. Snyder follows a young healer who is on the run. In her land, disease is slowly destroying everything, yet her people distrust magic and refuse to accept that magic could heal the world.

The False Princess by Eilis O'Neal

Since It's Winter Break, I took my annual WB gander through my library to find all sorts of books to read over break. I always spend most of my time in the New Shelf of the Teen Section; it has a good number of YA books released in the past year. When I saw the title The False Princess, it intrigued me, I thought; that is new, never in my many years (7, to be exact) of reading YA books, have I been so dragged in by a title. I imediately added it to my pile. (Which would be expanded to 9 books by the end of my trip.) At the time of this particular trip, I had been reading the amazingly attention-grabbing Clockwork Angel, so I finished that and immediatly started reading this. It took me less than a day to finish it; partly because it was only 323 pages, but more importantly; it was AMAZING!!!

Princess and heir to the throne of Thorvaldor, Nalia's led a privileged life at court. But everything changes when it's revealed, just after her sixteenth birthday, that she is a false princess, a stand-in for the real Nalia, who has been hidden away for her protection. Cast out with little more than the clothes on her back, the girl now called Sinda must leave behind the city of Vivaskari, her best friend, Keirnan, and the only life she's ever known.

Sinda is sent to live with her only surviving relative, an aunt who is a dyer in a distant village. She is a cold, scornful woman with little patience for her newfound niece, and Sinda proves inept at even the simplest tasks. But when Sinda discovers that magic runs through her veins - long-suppressed, dangerous magic that she must learn to control - she realizes that she can never learn to be a simple village girl.

Returning to Vivaskari for answers, Sinda finds her purpose as a wizard scribe, rediscovers the boy who saw her all along, and uncovers a secret that could change the course of Thorvaldor's history, forever.

A dazzling first novel, The False Princess is an engrossing fantasy full of mystery, action, and romance.

Doesn't it sound amazing? With passionate love of friendship, her country, and her past, Sinda is attempting to reconstruct a plot to set a 'False Princess' on the throne; someone other than her, that is.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

That ending was crap. I hated it. It came out of nowhere! Now I need the next book. Ugh.

Lena is just your average girl. Living in a society where love is a disease. Love! A disease! They say that without love there is no hate and without hate there is no violence. But what happens when you fall in love? That is what Lena is about to find out.

They say that the cure for Love will make me happy and safe forever.

And I've always believed them.

Until now.

Now everything has changed.

Now, I'd rather be infected with love for the tiniest sliver of a second than live a hundred years smothered by a lie.

Lena looks forward to receiving the government-mandated cure that prevents the delirium of love and leads to a safe, predictable, and happy life, until ninety-five days before her eighteenth birthday and her treatment, when she falls in love.

Honestly, I finished this book in about 2 days. Which isn't normal for me. It usually takes about a week and a half to finish a book of this size. But I read the first 5 chapters in a preview and I was hooked from that point on.

The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa

I thought the series was amazing during the first two books. This one blew. Me. Away. I swear, I was in shock after reading this. Again, I highly recomend this book to anyone who reads Paranormal romance, fae books or low fantasy. It's just that awesome.

Here's the summary:

The "New York Times" Bestseller The Iron Queen

My name is Meghan Chase.

I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who's sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it.

This time, there will be no turning back.

The Iron Duaghter by Julie Kagawa

Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.

Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

The first book in the Iron Fey series really hooked me. I got all three of the books from the library and read them in sessesion. Let me tell, you. If you love Paranormal romance, Fae, or just plain fantasy, this is a series for you. The way that Kagawa encorperates our world into the world of the fey just makes me... speechless. There is nothing more that I can say that has not already been said.

READ IT!

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

I have to say, I enjoyed this book much more than I thought I would. I've put off reading this series because 1: this is the only one my library has, and 2: it didn't really sound all that interesting. But it is Winter Break, so I decided to give it a shot.

Magic is dangerous--but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by--and torn between--two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

I loved the random incerpts of poetry by both Tessa and Will. Will is by far, my favorite character. His cool demeanor, and his unwillingness to give in are completely... amazing? Jem has his good qualities, but the fact that he's addicted to silver dust just put me off him for some reason. Surprisingly, I actually liked Jessamine. She's pretty kick ass, even though she hates to admitt it, and wants nothing to do with the Shadowhunters, or the Clave, or any of that jazz.

As for action, there was never a shortage of that; vampire quellings, automatons, and demons (Oh my!) kept me on the edge of my seat for the 2 days that I was reading it.

What surprised me, was how real it felt; like I was actually in the story. What didn't surprise me, was the fact that Tessa fell for Will, I mean, when we first me Will I had a sudden flashback to JACE, omg, is this a pattern?

But, I have to say, dispite all the cliches, this was a really good book; The Children of Angels never cease to amaze me...

The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks

I honestly have no idea how I finished this book. I wanted to quit so many times, but for some reason, I didn't. Don't ask me why. I honestly think I threw the book across the room at least twice.

The characters were boring, the setting was bland, and the plot was unbelievable. Not in the way that is complimentary "Oh my, that was unbelievable! I wish it would happen to me!" Nope. Not that kind of story.

I hated the fact that there were so many parts to the story that I had to follow to understand any of it. If I wanted complicated, I would read Shakespeare! Even the language was dry.

I was looking for a nice story to read on vacation. Looks like I'll have to keep looking

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.
Elisa is the chosen one.

But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can't see how she ever will.

Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.

And he's not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people's savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.

Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.

Most of the chosen do.

The Juliet Club by Suzanne Harper

Romeo and Juliet have always fascinated hundreds of thousands of people throughout centuries. As one of Shakespeare's most famous plays, it has been subjected to hundreds of re-writes, essays, and modernization.


This particular version: The Juliet Club, is in perfect Shakespeare fashion; a play within a play. Well, it isn't really a play within a play, but it is a Romeo and Juliet love story taking place in a seminar 

The Odyssey by Homer

If I didn't have to read this for my Advanced World Lit class, I probably would never have read it. Even though I love to read, the classics have never really appealed to me. I went in thinking that this will be just another boring book that I have to read, blah, blah, blah this and that, symbols and crap like that. But as I got into the story, and stopped thinking of it as a required read, I realized just how amazing it really is.

I will admit, it does get a little repetitive sometimes, and don't even try to pronounce the Greek names, my English teacher who is an actor and has been teaching for 20-something years can't even try on some of them.

If you don't have at least a basic knowledge of Greek Mythology, you wouldn't understand a great majority of the story. But once you read this, you will start seeing mythilogical references everywhere you look, I know I did. Take the song Wrapped Around Your Finger by Police. There are at least 2 different parts indicating knowledge of The Odyssey.

The characters in the Odyssey all seem to act the same. They don't really have personalities of their own. Odysseus seems no different from Telemachus. Which may have been done on purpose, to further indicate the father-son relationship the two share. Multiple times during the story Homer uses the same lines to describe both Telemachus and Odysseus;

And so he let a tear fall from his eyelids to the ground... but his hands held up his purple cloak before his eyes.

One of my favorite parts in the story (And my class') was when it seemed like Homer was reminding his audience that he was still human and needed sustanence. Repeatedly, he would randomly talk about a blind poet who is given food. Hmmm, sound like Homer anyone?

All in all, this was a pretty decent book. Between the battle scenes and the funny parts (brouhaha) it was much more enjoyable than I thought it would be.

Inheritance by Christopher Paolini

I have to say, this series has gone downhill. To me, the first book was the best. This last one being the worst. Three years ago, I found Eragon on my brother's shelf, read the back and decided to read it. I never gave the book back. I went to my local library and got the next two books. I liked Eldest pretty well, not as much as Eragon, the action kept me going. But the book was so long that it just kept going. It felt repetitive, and boring. By the time I got around to reading Brisingr, I had almost given up hope of this series being on to complete on my bookshelf. It caught my attention to start out with. Then gradually I felt my mind losing interest. But this one was the last straw.

We start out in the middle of the siege of a major city. Within the first hundred pages, we have two more sieges. Then about page 300, the length kicks in. The repetition lulls the mind and leaves you wondering why you're even reading it. And the last hundred pages, seem like they were wasted. If he's planning on making a spin-off or continuing the story, it'd be okay, because it seems like he's setting up a new plot line. He could've just left the book off after they killed the king, and let Murtagh go. But no, he had to go on and on for another hundred pages.

And then there's the writing itself. It's twisted and wordy. It takes him an entire page to say something he could say in a single sentence. He dances around ideas, as if he's searching fro a word, can't find one and settles for one less appropriate for the circumstances. I understand that he's trying to make it sound more unique and old, but really? Can't you make it a little easier to understand?

Don't even get me started on the characters. They're constantly changing. I get that, because people change, but sometimes he went to the extreme. Murtagh, if you told me while I was reading the first book, that he would fall in love with Nasuada, I would've fallen over laughing. The thought is inconceivable! Even now, after I've read the book.

I think he tried to tie up all the lose ends he created in the first three books. Which is what made the book so long. And I hate that! I love lose ends. I read books partly for the story, partly for the opportunity to create my own little world within that world. Fan fiction is a great way to do that. But he basically to away any abilty to do that, because he didn't want any lose ends. He even brought back Katrina's father for crying out loud! I mean, really?

The thing is, though, if you look a little deeper, you'll see things that mean something completely different than they do in the concrete sense. to me, the dragons symbolize the belief in something greater than yourself. Paolini touches on that at some points in the series, and I think that's a good thing. Throughout the series, magic is used for good, and for bad. But the magic itself is not what makes the deed evil. It is the intentions. When the dragon rider killed himself in the home of the Dragon Riders, he destroyed the entire area, leaving hte island desolate, and uninhabitable. But he ensured that the secret of the eggs was safe. He represents courage, I think but he could alse represent cowardice. His dragon had died about a month earlier, and he was all too willing to die to join him. He didn't want to live without his dragon. To some, that would be considered loyalty, but to me, that's considered an escape from the pain.

All in all, as a story, I enjoyed it. It was a good book and a great conclusion to the series. But as a novel, it was sloppy and far below my expectations. And my expectations were allready low in the first place. And it took far too long to be released.

The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima

Long live Queen Mellony!!! Oops, did I say that out loud? Ignore that.

Raisa ana'Marianna, Princess Heir to the Queendom of Fells, is currently on the run from those who would try and kill her.

Han Alister is searching for a woman he claims he doesn't love. She happens to be Rebecca Morley: Raisa.

When the truth about Rebecca's identity comes out, Han is not particulary happy. But he does get some perks; being the lord of a castle he'd never heard of, being appointed to the Wizard Council, access to Raisa's personal quarters. Well, the last one is good and bad at the same time.

And what about Amon Byrne? The handsome Corperal in charge of Raisa's saftey? He's engaged now. Micah Bayar is hitting on Raisa's little sister. Cat is Raisa's chambermaid (whatever that is.)

Han is attempting to bring the past into the present when Crow, his teacher from Aediion that was introduced to us in The Exiled Queen, reveals his surprising past. Hanalea makes an appearance also, but probably not in the way you may think.

Personally, I think that this is the best book Cinda Williams Chima has written. Even though it's slow at the beginning, the pace picks up, and by the end, it will leave you itching for more.

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

I used to be a firm believer that books that a majority of people in the world like (example: Twilght) are completely and utterly CRAP!!! (see previcous example) Then I remembered how popular Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and the Hunger Games books are, so I decided, maybe, this one might be okay.

Well, I have to say... It definatly wasn't the best book in the world, as some people would have me think, but it definatly wasn't horrible.

Meghan is just your average teenager. I mean really, who doesn't have a step-father who never remembers you, has a brother kidnapped by bogeys, and has Robin Goodfellow (yes, the Puck, from A Midsummer Night's Dream) as a best friend? By God, this sounds like one of those paranormal books that I hate. Oh, wait! It is a paranormal book! Complete with faeries, giants, and gnomes. Yep, I know, creepy.

Who knew fey were so evil. I mean, really, we got the Seelie Courts, ruled over by the sadistic King Oberon and his "trigger-happy" wife Queen Titania. Well, Oberon did have an affair with a mortal woman, had a child whose presence he kept a secret from her, while he sent Puck to protect her. (In case you couldn't figure it out, Megan's that daughter, talk about awkward.) Back to the topic at hand; we got the Seelie Court, and we got the Unseelie Court, ruled by Queen Mab and her three sons; Sage, Rowan, and Ash. Of course, since we're following William Shakespeare, we have to throw in some Romeo and Juliet.

Seelie and Unseelie fey absolutely hate eachother, so when the Princess of Seelie and the Prince of Unseelie, (It's Ash, by the way) um, 'hook up,' something's bound to happen.

But really? Who's counting how many cliches are in this books, there aren't like so many I lost count before chapter 5... nope, not at all...

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Why is it that the cute guys are always taken before you get there? And why are they always British?

Anna is just your everyday girl from Atlanta. Her parents are divorce. Her brother can't eat anything red. And her famos author father is sending her to school in Paris.

What's not to like about Paris? Well, lets see. It rains. They speak French there. (Who would've guessed?) They don't like Americans. And last but not least: St. Clair is already taken.

Sad face...

In face-paced book that will leave you yearning for more, Stephanie Perkins does not disapoint with this fun, eccentric and 'passionnante' debut novel.

The Reluctant Heiress by Eva Ibbotson

At the time that I saw this on the shelves of my second-hand book store, I had only read one of Eva Ibbotson's books; A Countess Below Stairs. I thought to myself, if this is anything like the other one, I'm going to adore it. but it took me three months to find the time to read it. And, I was not disappointed.

Ibbotson truly knows the landscape and history of Vienna in the early twentieth century. With grace and poise, she sets out a plot thick with romance, social standing, and music. But what surprised me the most was her ability to create a delicate history for a family that it seems like they really existed.

He has wealth, she has titles. Tessa and Guy are a match made in heaven. Literally, they were born under the same astrological sign.

Something Blue by Emily Giffin

My first thought when I found out that Emily Giffin had wrote a sequel to Something Borrowed was one of extreme happiness. My first thought when I found out that the sequel was told by Darcy was one of extreme anger.

Seriously? Darcy's a controlling, help me, I deserve everything, B**ch. Why on earth would I want read a book narrated by her?

But, being the diplomatic reader I am, I got it from my local library (There was no way I was going to buy that!)

I soon realized that there was something seriously wrong with Darcy. She wasn't nice, but she wasn't who I thought she was. She has some sort of need to be pampered, but she recognized that there are other people who need her, more than she needs them. At least, she figured it out by the end of the book...

Forget About It by Caprice Crane

Jordan Landau is a slight pushover.

Wait, there's nothing slight about it. She IS a pushover.

But when Jordan gets hit by a car, everyone thinks she has amnesia. Well, even though she doesn't, she doesn't feel like correcting them. And neither does her best friend, who happens to be in love with her.

And so begins the life of the new and improved Jordan Landau!

She no longer lets her cheating boyfriend get whatever he wants out of her. (Honestly, he wants her to have a three way!) She no longer lets her mother and half sister walk all over her. (The twins as she calls them, love to make her feel bad.) She no longer lets her boss take all the credit for everything she does. (Well, everyone hates their boss, right?)

But what happens when she really does forget?

Where I Belong by Gwendolyn Heasley

Amazing blend of New Yawk City, and Texas.

Corrine has always been a fashionista... A shopaholic, a social butterfly. She's never had to do anything she hasn't wanted to. She's always given exactly what she wants.

Until now.

Transplanted suddenly, from her New York home, to middle-of-nowhere Texas, she's no long the spoiled brat she's always been. Well, she's still a brat, just not spoiled.

Kicking and screaming the entire time she's there, Corrine is on strike against Texas. Wanting to be home before school starts. But guess what?

She's not...

Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ann Brashares comes the welcome return of the characters whose friendship became a touchstone for a generation. Now Tibby, Lena, Carmen, and Bridget have grown up, starting their lives on their own. And though the jeans they shared are long gone, the sisterhood is everlasting.

Despite having jobs and men that they love, each knows that something is missing: the closeness that once sustained them. Carmen is a successful actress in New York, engaged to be married, but misses her friends. Lena finds solace in her art, teaching in Rhode Island, but still thinks of Kostos and the road she didn’t take. Bridget lives with her longtime boyfriend, Eric, in San Francisco, and though a part of her wants to settle down, a bigger part can’t seem to shed her old restlessness.

Then Tibby reaches out to bridge the distance, sending the others plane tickets for a reunion that they all breathlessly await. And indeed, it will change their lives forever—but in ways that none of them could ever have expected.

As moving and life-changing as an encounter with long-lost best friends, Sisterhood Everlasting is a powerful story about growing up, losing your way, and finding the courage to create a new one.

Forever in Blue by Ann Brashares

	LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Love is in the air as the Sisterhood attempt to come back together after their first year of College. Bridget and Eric Bridget and Hector Bridget and her floor Bridget and Peter Bridget and her bed Lena and Leo Tibby and Brian Carmen and Scones Yep... Love is everywhere you look, well, maybe...

Girls in Pants by Ann Brashares

As with the first two summers of the Sisterhood, Each girl faces a new trouble. But each time, it's erily familiar to one of the past.

Tibby is still refusing to admit her feelings for Brian
Carmen is still pushing away the people she loves
Lena is still trying to get of Kostos
And Bridget is failing hard for Eric. Again.

What brings them back together? The pants of course.

The Second Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares

As the Second Summer of the Sisterhood comes around, the Sisterhood face traumas of the past. Tibby- The Death of Bailey Carmen- Her Step-Sister's obsession to be just like her Bridget- Her Father's attemps to cut her off from her Grandmother Lena- The desperation that follows a heart-throbbing break-up Again, the pants not only bring each girl to where she needs to go, but they bring them back from the precipace of falling apart forever.

The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants by Ann Bashares

Tibby, Bridget, Lena, and Carmen are best friends. The closest knit group known to man. They are sisters in every way but blood. They are each other's family when their families don't feel right.

But this summer, they're spreading out.

Lena is going to beautiful Greece
Bridget is going to hot Mexico
Carmen is going to South Carolina
Tibby, is well, she's staying home

It's only after they find a pair of pants that fits all of them. Bridget; tall and muscular, Lena; short and small, Tibby; skinny and lanky, and Carmen with her Puerto Rican butt. That they find a way to keep themselves together.

But is it enough?

Something Borrowed by Emily Griffin

Rachel has always done the right thing. Always been the perfect best friend. Always sacrificed something for herself, for Darcy. Including Dex. Dex has been Rachel's friend since their freshman year of Law School. Now, Darcy and Dex are engaged to be married, just when Rachel and Dex realize their feelings for each other. Sad Face.

As the Maid of Honor, Rachel deals with the brunt of the Wedding problems, stresses, and freak out moments. Not that she wants the wedding to happen, since she's in love with the groom.

As the scandelous relationship grows more serious, and more people find out, the more obvious the consequences become.

When does a budding romance overshadow a lifelong friendship. Where does the grey end, and the obvious black come into play.

Should you stop, even though it's the most alive you've felt in, well, forever?

Love Story by Jennifer Echols

I was walking through my local book store, just looking at random titles, when I saw Love Story. I picked it, being the loyal Taylor Swift fan that I am. After reading the first line of the back cover, I was hooked.

Erin Blackwell, like me, is an aspiring author. Unlike me, she has money. Well, she had money. After refusing to go to buisness school and take over her grandmother's famous, horse breeding, multi-million dollar farm, the woman, who raised her, cut her off. On her graduation night. Talk about tough love.

So now Erin is living in New York, taking all the right classes for a writing major, eating nothing but ramen noodles and crackers, and working 40 hours a week. She has friends, she has a goal, she has a job. Everthing is going fine. That is until a certain Mr. Hunter Allen, Erin's 'Stable Boy' turns up in her Creative Writing class. Coincidence? Considering he's the boy who stole her inheritance, she thinks not.

"She's writing about him. He's writing about her. And everybody is reading between the lines." Reads the back cover. And that is only the peak of a mountain of trouble.

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

John Smith

You would expect him to be an unknown. A terrorist. A spy.

But an Alien? Never.

But the thing is. He is. An alien, that is, not a terrorist, or spy. Although, some think he is.

John Smith is from Lorien. And he is being hunted. Hunted by the same race that made him home planet uninhabitable.

Number One was killed in Malaysia

Number Two was killed in England

Number Three was killed in Kenya

John Smith is Number Four.

He is in Paradise Ohio. He is next.

The Sword in the Stone by T.H. White

Wart, who we all know as Kin Arthur, is just a raggedy little kid who is constantly overshadowed by his older, more handsome, stronger, and more liked brother, Kay. But when wart meets Merlyn, that's all changed. Merlyn teaches him things no one else could teach him. He turns him in to animals, insects, and inanimate objects for gods sake!

But Wart is constantly making the same mistake. He underestimates people, animals, and their abilities. Which gets him into a lot of trouble.

The main problem that I had with this book, was the repetition. Although he learns something new every time he in transformed, he never uses it. Which is a BIG pet peev of mine...

If you want an easy, summertime novel, don't read this. But if you want an intelligent, thought-provoking book, this is for you.

Entwined by Heather Dixon

Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her . . . beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing . . . it's taken away. All of it.

The Keeper understands. He's trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation.

Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest.

But there is a cost.

The Keeper likes to keep things. As a prisioner, the keeper is too dangerous to let live, yet too powerful to kill. But no one knows who or what he is.

Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web of lies and deciet until it is too late.

The City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

When I read the first book in this series I was thinking, 'Oh my, is this the next Percy Jackson? Or is it the next Twilight?'  It seems to me like it's turning out to be the latter. It's a romance novel with a hint of action. Not an action novel with a hint of romance, like the synopsis implies:

City of Fallen Angels takes place two months after the events of City of Glass. In it, a mysterious someone’s killing the Shadowhunters who used to be in Valentine’s Circle and displaying their bodies around New York City in a manner designed to provoke hostility between Downworlders and Shadowhunters, leaving tensions running high in the city and disrupting Clary’s plan to lead as normal a life as she can — training to be a Shadowhunter, and pursuing her relationship with Jace. As Jace and Clary delve into the issue of the murdered Shadowhunters, they discover a mystery that has deeply personal consequences for them — consequences that may strengthen their relationship, or rip it apart forever.

Meanwhile, internecine warfare among vampires is tearing the Downworld community apart, and only Simon — the Daylighter who everyone wants on their side — can decide the outcome; too bad he wants nothing to do with Downworld politics. Love, blood, betrayal and revenge: the stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels

The Stolen One by Suzanne Crowley

Kat has always been different. For one, she looks different. She has vivid red hair. I mean vivid! She also has an overbearing 'mother' who none beleive to be her real mother.

But Kat is also similar to everyone in her little town. She knows nothing but wives' tales about the powerful queen of England.

But soon that will all change.

As Kat's destiny unravels before her, she travels to London, seeking more. More money. More luxury. More anything, for that matter.

But when her beautiful needlework attracts the attention of the Queen, she may get more that she bargained for.

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

Lennie is well... Lennie seventeen, a bookworm, and a band geek. Lennie is the overlooked little sister. Lennie is the amazing clarinet player. Lennie is well, Lennie.

After Bailey, Lennie's older sister, dies tragicly, Lennie has a whirlwind of emotions sent her way. How else would you describe to want, the need to do the dirty with every guy between the ages of 14 and 25 at her sister's funeral?

Joe is 'the new boy in town' who happens to also be a fellow band geek. Toby is her sister's boyfriend. Both Joe and Toby are vying for Lennie's heart.

The only problem is, which one is love, and which one is lust?

A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare

This thrilling comedy has touched the lives of millions for over four centuries. William Shakespeare, the Bard, has created an exciting, humorous, and all-together irrational fantasy anyone can enjoy.

Between the love triangle (or is it a square?) of Hermia, Lysander, Demetrius, and Helena, the hiliarious conflict of Oberon and Titania, and the banter between Theseus and Hippolyta, there is bound to be somthing anyone can find amusing.

"Over hill, over dale... I know a bank where the wild thyme grows."

All the Lovely Bad Ones by Mary Downing Hahn

Travis and his sister, Corey, can't resist a good trick. When they learn that their grandmother's quiet Vermont inn, where they're spending the summer, has a history of ghost sightings, they decide to do a little "haunting" of their own. Before long, their supernatural pranks have tourists flocking to the inn, and business booms.
But Travis and Corey soon find out that they aren't the only ghosts at Fox Hill Inn. Their thoughtless games have awakened something dangerous, something that should have stayed asleep. Can these siblings lay to rest the ghosts they’ve stirred?

All the Broken Pieces by Ann E. Burg

Two years after being airlifted out of Vietnam in 1975, Matt Pin is haunted by the terrible secret he left behind and, now, in a loving adoptive home in the United States, a series of profound events forces him to confront his past.

Matt must go through tremendous termoil to find where he truely belongs. He must rediscover what it means to be a little boy. What it means to be himself. He will go head to head with veterans who fought for his freedom, and bullies who lost their family members. But yet, he never gives up. Ever.

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

"Artemis Fowl is great…a new thriller fairy tale that will grab your interest, no matter your age." -- The New York Post
Twelve-year-old Artemis is a millionaire, a genius and above all, a criminal mastermind. But Artemis doesn't know what he's taken on when he kidnaps a fairy, Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon Unit. These aren't the fairies of bedtime stories -- they're dangerous! Full of unexpected twists and turns, Artemis Fowl is a riveting, magical adventure.
 
From a strikingly original voice in fiction comes the story of Artemis Fowl, a very unusual hero. Artemis combines the astuteness of Sherlock Holmes with the sangfroid of James Bond and the attitude of Attila the Hun. But even Artemis doesn't know what he's taken on when he kidnaps a fairy, Captain Holly Short of LEPrecon Unit. These aren't the fairies of bedtime stories. These fairies are armed and they're dangerous. Artemis thinks he's got them just where he wants them, but then they stop playing by the rules...

Full of unexpected twists and turns, ARTEMIS FOWL opens up a riveting world of magic, mystery, and humor.

From the Publisher (Listening Library)

North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley

"Adventure in life is good; consistency in coffee is even better."

Terra Cooper doesn't have much adventure in her life. Nor does she have a very good coffee selection. That's because Terra lives in a small, middle-of-nowhere town in Washington. But that doesn't mean her life isn't exciting! Everyone knows Terra. The girl with the flawed face. The girl with so much potential. The girl with a controlling father.

After her mother sneaks her off to Seattle for another hopeless operation on her face, they find something more than just a big bill that does absolutely nothing to help her self-confidence issues. They find Jacob.

Jacob helps Terra discover who she really is, and who she was always meant to be.

But this is more than that. We, as readers, discover ourselves also. For we are all, just a little north of beautiful.

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

While reading Wintergirls, I had a very intense feeling. A very complex emotion that is difficult to describe. It felt like I was in the shoes of Lia herself. Lia's addiction to restraint from eating was more than an intense plot idea formulated to entrance readers. It was a powerful tool to help readers look into the eyes of a teenager who constantly feels she isn't good enough.

Cassie, Lia's best friend, was the one who got Lia in the mess. The adults in Lia's life tried to get her to distance herself from Cassie, seeing that she was a bad influence. This only drove the teens closer together. It was only after Cassie choked to death on her own vomit after a drinking overdose, that Lia's parents got what they wanted.

Or so they thought.

"I showed her how I'd been making tiny cuts in my skin to let the badness and the pain leak out. They were shallow at first, and short, like claw marks made by a desperate cat that wanted to hide under the front porch. Cutting pain was a different flavor of hurt. It made it easier not to think about having my body and my family and my life stolen, made it easier not to care."

As Cassie 'visited' Lia in her dreams, she drove her, literally, to the brink. To the point where she was willing to kill herself, in any way possible, to get away from Cassie. Which only made her problems worse.

Laurie Halse Anderson does it again with this horrific insider look into the mind of a teenage girl with a disasterous eating disorder.

Hazel by Julie Hearn

Sweet but dull - that's how life has always been for Hazel Louise Mull-Dare. With money pouring in from the family's Caribbean sugar plantation, a father who spoils her rotten, and no pressure to excel in anything whatsoever, her future is looking as prim and proper as one of her hats. But on the day of the Epsom Derby - June 4th, 1913 - everything changes. A woman in a dark coat steps out in front of the King's horse, dying days later from her injuries.

Who was she and why did she do it? Hazel is determined to find out. But finding out leads her into worse trouble than she could ever have imagined. It leads to banishment. To secrets that have festered, and a shame that lingers on. To madness and misunderstanding in the place where sugar cane grows. Sweet but dull - that's how life used to be for Hazel Louise Mull-Dare. Not any more.

Ivy by Julie Hearn

The only beautiful thing in Ivy's drab life is her glorious red hair. At a young age, her locks made her the target of Carroty Kate, a 'skinner'. She recruited Ivy to help her coax wealthy children away from their nannies so that she could strip them of their clothes - clothes worth a fortune in the markets of Petticoat Lane. It is years before Ivy escapes and finds her way back to her in-laws. Once there, she finds respite in laudanum. But before she can settle into a stupor and forget the terrible things she has done, Ivy is spotted by a wealthy pre-Raphaelite painter.

Oscar Fosdick needs a muse (until now he has had to use his domineering mother as a model, something not conducive to producing his best work, he finds). To him, Ivy is perfect, a stunner. Realising quickly that this painter has more money than sense, Ivy's in-laws order her to sit for him, and to do anything else he demands. But not everyone is happy. Oscar's mother is determined to get rid of Ivy. Oscar's famous neighbour is determined to paint her. Carroty Kate is determined to find her, and Ivy herself is determined to escape . . .

A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

Jennifer Egan’s spellbinding interlocking narratives circle the lives of Bennie Salazar, an aging former punk rocker and record executive, and Sasha, the passionate, troubled young woman he employs. Although Bennie and Sasha never discover each other’s pasts, the reader does, in intimate detail, along with the secret lives of a host of other characters whose paths intersect with theirs, over many years, in locales as varied as New York, San Francisco, Naples, and Africa.

We first meet Sasha in her mid-thirties, on her therapist’s couch in New York City, confronting her long-standing compulsion to steal. Later, we learn the genesis of her turmoil when we see her as the child of a violent marriage, then as a runaway living in Naples, then as a college student trying to avert the suicidal impulses of her best friend. We plunge into the hidden yearnings and disappointments of her uncle, an art historian stuck in a dead marriage, who travels to Naples to extract Sasha from the city’s demimonde and experiences an epiphany of his own while staring at a sculpture of Orpheus and Eurydice in the Museo Nazionale. We meet Bennie Salazar at the melancholy nadir of his adult life—divorced, struggling to connect with his nine-year-old son, listening to a washed-up band in the basement of a suburban house—and then revisit him in 1979, at the height of his youth, shy and tender, reveling in San Francisco’s punk scene as he discovers his ardor for rock and roll and his gift for spotting talent. We learn what became of his high school gang—who thrived and who faltered—and we encounter Lou Kline, Bennie’s catastrophically careless mentor, along with the lovers and children left behind in the wake of Lou’s far-flung sexual conquests and meteoric rise and fall.

A Visit from the Goon Squad is a book about the interplay of time and music, about survival, about the stirrings and transformations set inexorably in motion by even the most passing conjunction of our fates. In a breathtaking array of styles and tones ranging from tragedy to satire to PowerPoint, Egan captures the undertow of self-destruction that we all must either master or succumb to; the basic human hunger for redemption; and the universal tendency to reach for both—and escape the merciless progress of time—in the transporting realms of art and music. Sly, startling, exhilarating work from one of our boldest writers.

Distant Waves by Suzanne Weyn

Science, spiritualism, history, and romance intertwine in Suzanne Weyn's newest novel. Four sisters and their mother make their way from a spiritualist town in New York to London, becoming acquainted with journalist W. T. Stead, scientist Nikola Tesla, and industrialist John Jacob Astor. When they all find themselves on the Titanic, one of Tesla's inventions dooms them...and one could save them.

After an adventure of a lifetime, these sister's know the true meaning of Family. For those who survive.

The Crossroads by Chris Grabenstien

Zack has been plucked up from the place he was raised to move out to a little town in the middle of nowhere with his dad and new stepmother; Julie. After meeting the town crazy, Zack and Julie investigate a bus accident that occured over 50 years prior. Finding that not everything adds up, they dig deeper. Which was their first mistake.

In a story of ghosts, mystery, and adventure, a boy and his stepmother redefine normal in a town that hasn't seen change for over a hundred years.

Award-winning thriller author Chris Grabenstein fills his first book for younger readers with the same humorous and spine-tingling storytelling that has made him a fast favorite with adults.

Emergency Post

Tonight, at Midnight, the final installment of the Harry Potter Phenomenon will be released into theaters. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two, the 8th movie in the series.

Ever since the first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in US), was published on June 30th, 1997, the series has been an epic hit. All 7 books where bestsellers, and as a result, all previous 7 movies have been too.

As the minutes count down, crowds start to gather around the theaters, children catch up on the series, Fanfictioners are going wild, and the Press is on edge.

They all know one thing: This is going to be amazing.

"It has been extraordinarily fun, and now the decade-long saga has reached its grand finale. The best has been saved for the last."

USA TODAY

"'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2' is the last, and one of the best, in the film series with the veteran cast and creative team back with a thrilling and satisfying finish."

LA Times

"This entire movie is dark, gloomy and filled with shadows. So it should be. That makes it particularly inappropriate for the additional dimness of 3-D. There are a few shots that benefit from 3-D (I like the unfolding of the little magical globe) but none that require it. Avoid the surcharge and see the film in proper 2-D with brighter color."

Chigago Sun Times 

And so it Ends... Let us just hope that it lives up to our hopes. If it doesn't, there will be hell to pay.

The Lord of the Flies by William Golding

William Golding's classic tale about a group of English schoolboys who are plane-wrecked on a deserted island is just as chilling and relevant today as when it was first published in 1954. At first, the stranded boys cooperate, attempting to gather food, make shelters, and maintain signal fires. Overseeing their efforts are Ralph, "the boy with fair hair," and Piggy, Ralph's chubby, wisdom-dispensing sidekick whose thick spectacles come in handy for lighting fires. Although Ralph tries to impose order and delegate responsibility, there are many in their number who would rather swim, play, or hunt the island's wild pig population.

Soon Ralph's rules are being ignored or challenged outright. His fiercest antagonist is Jack, the redheaded leader of the pig hunters, who manages to lure away many of the boys to join his band of painted savages. The situation deteriorates as the trappings of civilization continue to fall away, until Ralph discovers that instead of being hunters, he and Piggy have become the hunted: "He forgot his words, his hunger and thirst, and became fear; hopeless fear on flying feet." Golding's gripping novel explores the boundary between human reason and animal instinct, all on the brutal playing field of adolescent competition.

--Jennifer Hubert

Football Hero by Tim Green

Ty Lewis can't believe it when Coach V recruits him for the football team. This is Ty's big chance to prove how fast he is on the field, get a fresh start in a new school, and be like his older brother, Thane "Tiger" Lewis, who's about to graduate from college—and is being courted by the NFL.
But Ty's guardian, Uncle Gus, won't let him play. Uncle Gus needs Ty to scrub floors and toilets for his cleaning business while he cooks up gambling schemes with the local mob boss, a man called "Lucy."
When Lucy hears just how famous Ty's older brother is, he becomes suddenly friendly. Are the questions Lucy is asking Ty really about fantasy football . . . or is the Mafia using Ty to get valuable insider info from his superstar brother? Desperately worried, Ty must come up with a plan to save Thane's football career—and, ultimately, his life.

Author of the New York Times bestselling Football Genius, former NFL player Tim Green will have you on the edge of your seat rooting for Ty—and enjoying an up-close look at what it's like to be inside the NFL.

Chalice by Robin McKinley

Mirasol was thrust into a complex world of politics, magic and traditions when she was given Chalicehood in the demesne of Willowlands. As Chalice, she must oversee all official demesne and Circle business. That is not always the easiest job when the Master, a Fire Priest, is feared by everyone (except her,) the Grand Seneschal hates her, and the Circle completely ignores her. Fun right?


Throw on top of that messy and cruel job, the responsibility to take care of the demesne’s needs. She’s its mother in one sense. She must help with healing, bless crops, save trapped animals and children, ect. She is one busy woman.

Once the Overseer hears of the Master’s return—his brother, the previous master, had sent him to the Fire Priests to get him out of the way—he sends an agent to soil his reign. Only Mirasol, her bees and her magic honey can save the Master and the demesne from a brutal reign of a man not suited for the title Master.

A book packed full of action, adventure, and a hint of honey, Chalice is a wondrous fairytale.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

The unforgettable novel of a childhood in a sleepy Southern town and the crisis of conscience that rocked it, To Kill A Mockingbird became both an instant bestseller and a critical success when it was first published in 1960. It went on to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and was later made into an Academy Award-winning film, also a classic.

Compassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving, To Kill A Mockingbird takes readers to the roots of human behavior - to innocence and experience, kindness and cruelty, love and hatred, humor and pathos. Now with over 18 million copies in print and translated into forty languages, this regional story by a young Alabama woman claims universal appeal. Harper Lee always considered her book to be a simple love story. Today it is regarded as a masterpiece of American literature.

Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

When a mysterious young woman named Katie appears in the small North Carolina town of Southport, her sudden arrival raises questions about her past. Beautiful yet self-effacing, Katie seems determined to avoid forming personal ties until a series of events draws her into two reluctant relationships: one with Alex, a widowed store owner with a kind heart and two young children; and another with her plainspoken single neighbor, Jo. Despite her reservations, Katie slowly begins to let down her guard, putting down roots in the close-knit community and becoming increasingly attached to Alex and his family.


But even as Katie begins to fall in love, she struggles with the dark secret that still haunts and terrifies her . . . a past that set her on a fearful, shattering journey across the country, to the sheltered oasis of Southport. With Jo's empathic and stubborn support, Katie eventually realizes that she must choose between a life of transient safety and one of riskier rewards . . . and that in the darkest hour, love is the only true safe haven.

The Choice bt Nicholas Sparks

Set amid the austere beauty of the North Carolina coast, Nicholas Sparks tells the story of Travis Parker, a small-town veterinarian who's perfectly content with the active and exciting life he leads. Since he uses his spare time bungee jumping and swimming with the dolphins, he can't shake the belief that a woman would simply slow him down. That is, until Gabby Holland enters his life.
Gabby, Travis's new neighbor, is in love with her boyfriend of three years, and wants nothing more than to start planning the wedding she's always dreamed about. However, there is a story within a story and the connection between Travis and Gabby is just a beginning. As their tale unfolds, their relationship becomes something different--with much higher stakes. With echoes of THE NOTE BOOK abound, listeners everywhere will fall in love.

The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks

Denise Holden's life is a fragile mix of luck and hard work. A single mom of a speech-delayed son, Denise makes ends meet by moving to the small town of Edenton, North Carolina, and working the late shift as a waitress. When Denise crashes her car and her son Kyle flees the accident and disappears into the storm, her only stroke of luck is the quick arrival of Taylor McAden, a volunteer fireman. Taylor's got a knack for fixing people, and he can't help wanting to be involved with Denise beyond the initial rescue of Kyle.


As Taylor helps Denise recover from the accident and get to know the town, they discover a sweet bond and a magical chemistry that pulls them closer and closer. Though Taylor fits perfectly into Denise's family, he's unable to open his heart to being loved by her. As Taylor struggles to understand his conflicting desires, Denise questions the wisdom of gambling with Kyle's and her own emotions.