Top Ten Tuesday- Books For Your Beach Bag

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.

This week we are chatting up summer reads. Personally, I think a good book is good any time, but there is something about a cute, happy story, or a book with a good romance, that just SCREAMS summer. Plus, you need something to do at the beach other than pretending to be busy when you’re actually people watching (am I the only one who does this?).

Here are a few I’d recommend:

1. The Princess Diaries series by Meg Cabot- Let’s get the obvious one out of the way, shall we? But really, these books are funny, unbelievably cute, and you can read them in a single sitting. And then you’ll want to contact me and be like, OMG I get it now! I look like I swallowed a sock (see? You had to be there).

2. The Summer series by Jenny Han– Well, duh. The name says it all. These books are perfect because they each take place over the course of the summers that Belly (trust me, you’ll get past the name) spends at the family beach house of Conrad and Jeremiah Fisher. These are the boys she’s loved all her life, in the house she’s grown up visiting every summer. When she turns fifteen both boys begin to see her as something other than a kid sister (she’s not their sister, because that would be gross). Also, I dare you not to love Conrad Fisher. He’s a little douchy at first, but trust me. You’ll fall for him slowly.

3. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart– I loved this book. The review is still to come. It takes place on a private island owned by the Sinclair family. Yes, they are THAT filthy, stinking rich. But with that money, with that privileged family, comes sadness, and love, and an interesting twist.

 

4. Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg– This book does not take place over the summer, nor is it set on a beach. But it’s being described as a YA When Harry Met Sally. Two best friends who fall in love. What could be cuter than that?

5.  What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick– Definitely a summer book. This one takes place in a small seaside town. There’s a rich vs. poor element, there are family secrets and a protagonist with a past, and there’s a great love story. Fitzpatrick is particularly gifted at writing authentic love stories. Don’t miss this one.

6. My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick– While you’re at it, don’t miss her debut novel either. It’s pretty perfect as summer love stories go.

7. The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler– I loved this book. It is heartbreaking in many ways, but there is a beautiful love story here. There’s also a sweet romance, but at the heart of it is a story about a girl’s love for her ailing father.

8. Anything by Sarah Dessen- My personal favs will always be The Truth About Forever and This Lullaby, but you could probably pick any one and be happy. Her books are the essence of summer: good heroines and swoony guys, all set in a small town. She doesn’t shy away from issues, but she always leaves you feeling hopeful in the end.

9. Biggest Flirts by Jennifer Echols– Oh, this one is cute and sexy and funny. I haven’t read all of her books, but this is by far the one I’ve enjoyed most. And I really, really love the two main characters. They have good chemistry and their banter is so cute that I kept finding myself with a big, stupid grin on my face.

10. This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith– Adorable. A. DOR. A. BLE. Just read it.

 

What’s Going in MY Beach Bag?

To All The Boys I Loved Before by Jenny Han– I haven’t read this and must rectify this immediately because Jenny Han is a YA goddess.

#Scandal by Sarah Ockler– Ditto. I always love her books. She is a fantastic writer. And the premise is so timely (a girl gets caught kissing her BFF’s boyfriend and her life goes haywire thanks to social media).

Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor– I hate saying goodbye. Sniff. This is an amazing series. I’m so sad it’s over.

Champion by Marie Lu– We’ve owned this for about fifty years, but I can’t bring myself to move on. I am so bad at leaving a series I love behind.

The One by Kiera Cass– Yeah, what I said about the last two books.

 

Have a great Tuesday and Happy Reading!

 

 

Days of Blood and Starlight

Day of Blood and Starlight (Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Book 2) by Laini Taylor

Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love and dared to imagine a world free of bloodshed and war.

This is not that world.

Art student and monster’s apprentice Karou finally has the answers she has always sought. She knows who she is—and what she is. But with this knowledge comes another truth she would give anything to undo: She loved the enemy and he betrayed her, and a world suffered for it.

In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed Daughter of Smoke & Bone, Karou must decide how far she’ll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, secrets and impossible choices, Days of Blood & Starlight finds Karou and Akiva on opposing sides as an age-old war stirs back to life.

While Karou and her allies build a monstrous army in a land of dust and starlight, Akiva wages a different sort of battle: a battle for redemption. For hope.

But can any hope be salvaged from the ashes of their broken dream? (Goodreads)

Oh, it’s so hard to compare anything to Daughter of Smoke and Bone because it was that uh-mazing. But we shall try. If you have not read the first book in this series there are some epic spoilers ahead, so please, please look away.

The Story:

Days of Blood and Starlight picks up just after the first book leaves off. Karou has disappeared after discovering that Akiva murdered her family, and after finding out her true identity. Although she is a world away, humans still have sightings of the mysterious blue-haired girl who could fly, leaving her best friend, Zuzana, to pick up the pieces, to put together the puzzle and try to find where Karou has gone. Akiva has been scouring the Earth and beyond–like, literally–to find her. He’s destroyed at how he’s hurt her, at how the dreams he and Karou (really he and Madrigal) once shared can seem so far away. It’s heartbreaking, this war between the Chimaera and the Seraphim, taking innocent lives and leaving power in the hands of the greedy and malicious. And Karou and Akiva are on opposite sides of it all.

But there’s always a sliver of hope. Remember? Karou means hope. In the wake of Brimstone’s death, she’s continued his legacy. Putting together the knowledge she gained from years as his helper, she’s become a resurrectionist, lifting up her people to build an army against the Seraphim. She lives at the palace with none other than the white wolf (but not lives with him lives with him), whose smooth ways continue to put her on edge. Karou remembers what he’s capable of and while she wants to help the Chimaera, with whom she readily identifies as her own, she doesn’t trust him fully.

Akiva is tortured–absolutely broken in every way possible–torn apart by memories of Madrigal, memories of Karou, of what he did to her family, of things he’s done as a soldier of the seraphim. He can’t change the past but he wants to be different . He wants to realize the dream he and Madrigal once shared. Karou, on the other hand, wants nothing to do with him. She wants to erase him or better yet, rise up against him.

My Thoughts:

This is a good story. It’s less poetic, less romantic than we saw the first time around because of the circumstances. Karou is in battle now. We see her strength (as if we hadn’t already) and yet we see this heartbroken longing she has to see her family again. Karou can resurrect so many soldiers; she can bring back people she once knew–but she must have the key ingredients. So, she has all of this power and yet she’s powerless to bring back Brimstone. She begins to see her life–both lives–more clearly and she starts to identify herself more with the Chimaera people, something Brimstone had originally protected her from. Now she has a purpose, but it’s not without physical pain and emotional scars. Akiva survives so much too. That’s basically what he’s doing, surviving. His heart is already changed, he just needs to find a way to show Karou and to make his brother and sister understand what needs to be done. There is intense emotion between them, love from Akiva and hurt, hurt, hurt from Karou.

One of the things I thought was so well-done was Karou’s relationship with Zuzana and her boyfriend, Mik. These two have some seriously sweet moments. I love their loyalty to one another and the lengths to which Zuzana will go to find Karou and help her in any way possible.

This book isn’t as amazing as the first, but I liked it. It’s still vivid and passionate, but its pace is slower and there isn’t a ton going on. I was prepared for this because I had a couple of friends who’d read it before me and weren’t pleased. That being said, I was totally into it. Yes, it’s definitely a second book. We’re somewhere in the middle and there isn’t that rush from discovering a new story or the incredible heights of a fabulous ending yet, but it’s all going in the right direction. Also, am I the only one amazed by Karou becoming a resurrectionist? That was a wonderful aspect of the story! Plus, the mystery and intrigue surrounding the white wolf and is he or isn’t he bad, oh and the painfully brooding way Akiva stares at Karou, le sigh. It’s all worth it.

Crush Intensity: 4.25/5 What can I say? I really love these characters and this lush story.

Where’d I Get It? The library, one of my favorite places ever. We won’t discuss the fact that I had an e-galley from the publisher way back when and my NetGalley decided to not like me until it had expired. Nope. Not talking about it.

Clockwork Princess

Clockwork Princess (Infernal Devices Book #3) by Cassandra Clare

Tessa Gray should be happy – aren’t all brides happy?Yet as she prepares for her wedding, a net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute.A new demon appears, one linked by blood and secrecy to Mortmain, the man who plans to use his army of pitiless automatons, the Infernal Devices, to destroy the Shadowhunters. Mortmain needs only one last item to complete his plan. He needs Tessa. And Jem and Will, the boys who lay equal claim to Tessa’s heart, will do anything to save her. (Goodreads)

So, where oh where are we in this lovely series?

Quick recap: Tessa is under the protection of the Shadow Hunters at the London Institute. She has this crazy shapeshifter ability but we don’t know how or why (meaning is she a fairy? Is she some kind of hybrid? What gives?) and there’s this insane guy named Mortmain who wants to use her powers. He’s creating this wacked out clockwork army and pretty much wants to destroy all shadowhunters. I mean, there’s way more to the story than that, obviously, most important being the love triangle. Tessa loves Will. She loves Jem. And they both love her ( I know! Why have I never had this problem?). And worse, the boys are parabatai (bonded as fighting partners, closer than brothers). When we left off in the last book, Will had finally, FINALLY, professed his love for Tessa only to find out that she’d just accepted Jem’s marriage proposal. (There is a world of wrong here because, sweet as he is, Jem is brother material. And I know that certain makeout scenes took the brotherly love out and all, but no. When Tessa agreed to marry Jem–I love him, really–it was truly a WHAT THE SHIZZ moment.)

And so the story continues in the third and final book:

Tessa is still engaged to Jem (wrongwrongwrong!!!!). Will is, not without pain and effort, trying to support Jem and keep a respectable relationship with the fiance of his parabatai (meaning : keeping it cordial, willing to protect her, trying not to make unnecessary eye contact or accidentally make out with her). Charlotte is pregnant (yay!) and Henry is busy being, well, Henry, maker of gadgets that don’t always do what they’re supposed to and general loveable nerd. Cecily, Will’s little sister, is training to be a shadowhunter, but her true motive is to get Will to return home. Gideon Lightwood is still staying at the Institute and he is quickly falling for our dear maid, Sophie.

I think that covers it.

The Problems (they are aplenty):

Jem is almost out of yin-fen–the addictive drug which keeps him alive–because, unbeknownst to everyone else, he’s been taking larger doses to feel healthier for Tessa. He knows they won’t have a long life together, but he wants to make those moments count. When Will, fearful for his friend, discovers this he tries to buy more of the drug only to discover that someone–a person who has instilled fear in everyone he encounters–has bought it all. Can you guess who? Yep, Mortmain, that big meanie! Mortmain offers to give the entire supply to Jem in exchange for Tessa. Of course Tessa is willing to go. Of course. She’s always been brave and self-sacrificing, but no one–not Jem, not Will–will let her go, so Mortmain finds other ways to force his will upon them.

Now obviously, if you’ve read a single Clare book know there are about fifty other stories going on as well, but this one, the one about Tessa and Mortmain, and the love she has for Jem and Will, is what carries the book. It’s where we started and it’s where it all ends. At the same time, there are portions about the Lightwood boys, about Cecily, about the future of the Institute (sexist Counselor Wayland still fighting to get it out of Charlotte’s hands) and all of it is resolved in the end. I fear that to tell you too much about these stories would spoil it.

Clare resolves the love triangle, though not in the way that I expected. In fact, I think few people anticipated the way she carried it through. There are answers for Jem and his illness, for Will, for Tessa and exactly who her real family is, and even answers for Mortmain. And finally we understand that clockwork angel necklace and what it’s meant to do.

There are some heart-wrenchng parts, some lovely parts and some things that made me cringe, but truly, I was satisfied. I think Cassandra Clare did a wonderful job in telling this story. I loved the characters from start to finish even though I didn’t love every moment or every decision. I cried–sobbed actually–during the Epilogue. And while the last page or two haunted me (I couldn’t sleep that night and had many a conversation with my blogging besties, who always have a way of talking me down from the ledge), I felt that everything Clare wrote was true to Tessa’s character.

Crush Intensity: 4.75/5 Well done. It goes without saying that I love this series, um, especially Will (hubba hubba). The threesome had fantastic depth. I loved the romantic love displayed, but I truly adored the friendship between Jem and Will. Even though I know certain characters pop up in the MI books and in possible future books, this series held more charm for me and I’ll definitely miss it.

Level 2

Since her untimely death the day before her eighteenth birthday, Felicia Ward has been trapped in Level 2, a stark white afterlife located between our world and the next.  Along with her fellow prisoners, Felicia passes the endless hours reliving memories of her time on Earth and mourning what she’s lost–family, friends, and the boy she loved, Neil.

Then a girl in a neighboring chamber disappears, and nobody but Felicia seems to recall she existed in the first place.  Something is obviously very wrong. When Julian–a dangerously charming guy Felicia knew in life–comes to offer Felicia a way out, she learns the truth: A rebellion is brewing to overthrow the Morati, the guardians of Level 2.

Felicia is reluctant to trust Julian, but them her promises what she wants most–to be with Neil again–if only she’ll join the rebels. Suspended between heaven and Earth, Felicia finds herself in the center of an age-old struggle between good and evil. As memories from her life come back to haunt her, and as the Morati hunt her down, Felicia will discover it’s not just her own redemption at stake..but the salvation of mankind. (Inside cover)

Felicia, who died the day before her eighteenth birthday, exists on Level 2—a whitewashed afterlife somewhere between Heaven and Earth. She is surrounded by girls much like herself. Their days are spent in private chambers where they relive their fondest memories, choosing them the way you’d play a YouTube video.  Felicia’s favorites always include Neil, the boyfriend she left behind, and they fill that quiet, painless void by watching, rewatching and sharing these moments.  All is eerily peaceful until Beckah, a girl from Felicia’s ward, disappears and no one other than Felicia can remember her.

Veddy interesting so far, right?

Enter Julian—smokin hot guy with a questionable rep (and an accent, sold!). Felicia knew him on Earth and let’s just say that J-man does not bring back the best of memories. He’s  reminder of her tainted history, of a time she’d much rather forget by fawning over flashbacks of Neil.  But Julian knows about Beckah. He seems to know about everything, including all of Level 2 and the mysterious hives that house multitudes of people.  Felicia is wary of Julian until he promises he’ll lead her to Neil in exchange for her help.

So, accent? Bad boy? I was hooked. The problem for me is, to tell you much more of the story would let loose some serious spoilers, but I’ll try.

Felicia is asked to join in with rebel forces teamed up against the Morati, the evil angels guarding Level 2. She’s overwhelmed by her desire to find Neil, but the fears trusting Julian again. The driving force behind her cooperation, other than her intoxication with Neil, is her desire to find her friend Beckah again.

I need to stop there so as not to get too crazy confusing and to psyched to overshare. Suffice it to say, I really liked this book. The premise was totally different, intriguing because it deal with the afterlife–something we’ve all wondered about–but so neatly woven through with Felicia’s memories that I feel I knew her in her physical life as well.  I loved Julian (sucker for a bad boy) who brought out her darker side, but I also adored Neil. Felicia struggled so much with viewing herself as damaged good because of past mistakes, but Neil made efforts to show her she wasn’t hopeless.

There are tons of interesting themes here as well. Outside of afterlife and angels, there’s Christian imagery (Felicia meets Neil at church, so much time is spent there)  as well as Greek mythology references. Appelhans weaves these two together in an interesting way without being too forceful about a certain belief system.  The whole thing raises interesting questions about religion in general, and how your waking life plays into your afterlife.

My only complaint is the ending. The story is paced in such a way that I was dying to know certain events Felicia alludes to several time. I wanted to know why she didn’t trust Julian and the events that led her to where she came to live with her Grandmother instead of her parents. And I wanted to know how she died. We find all of this out, but it felt crammed together in a matter of pages. I was sort of overwhelmed with the amount of flashbacks and revelations that I got a bit confused and had to reread some of it.  In the end though, I was still hungry for the next book.

Crush Intensity: 4.25/5

Many thanks to Simon & Schuster for providing me with a review copy as part of The Selective Collective feature.

City of Lost Souls

City of Lost Souls (Mortal Instruments #5) by Cassandra Clare

The demon Lilith has been destroyed and Jace freed from captivity. But when the Shadowhunters arrive, they find only blood and broken glass. Not only is the boy Clary loves missing, so is the boy she hates: her brother Sebastian, who is determined to bring the Shadowhunters to their knees.

The Clave’s magic cannot locate either boy, but Jace can’t stay away from Clary. When they meet again Clary discovers the horror Lilith’s magic has wrought – Jace and Sebastian are now bound to each other, and Jace has become a servant of evil. The Clave is determined to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other.

Only a few people believe that Jace can still be saved. Together, Alec, Magnus, Simon, and Isabelle bargain with the sinister Seelie Queen, contemplate deals with demons, and turn at last to the merciless, weapon-making Iron Sisters, who might be able to forge a weapon that can sever the bond between Sebastian and Jace. If the Iron Sisters can’t help, their only hope is to challenge Heaven and Hell – a risk that could claim their lives.

And they must do it without Clary. For Clary is playing a dangerous game utterly alone. The price of losing not just her own life, but Jace’s soul. She’s willing to do anything for Jace, but can she still trust him? Or is he truly lost? What price is too high to pay, even for love?

Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge. Darkness threatens to claim the Shadowhunters in the harrowing fifth book of the Mortal Instruments series. (Goodreads)

The Story:

If you’re reading this review of the FIFTH (count ’em) book in the Mortal Instruments series, I’m going to assume you’ve read the other four and that I don’t have to bring you up to speed, so I digress.

Jace and Mr. Evilpants himself, Sebastian, are connected in some kooky, dark magic-infested way.  They’re like twin souls, with Sebastian manipulating Jace, molding him into some weird best-buddy. And Jace, clearly under a strange spell, agrees to everything because he thinks Sebastian is the bees knees. Poor Sebastian; he’s just misunderstood, you guys!

While Jace and Sebastian have up and disappeared, Clary and the Lightwoods are totally out of their tree, desperately trying to find the new BFFS and save Jace from Sebastian and from the Clave since they now believe that Jace is aligned with Sebastian.  Of course, all their attempts are in vain because those two crazy kids are next to impossible to find. When Jace shows up, desperate to see Clary and bring her to The Dark Side, an even scarier truth is revealed. The bond Jace and Sebastian have cannot be severed by any normal method.  To harm one of the boys would directly impact the other. Rats!

Clary, in her awesomely stubborn way, comes up with an extremely crackpot, dangerous way to save her lovely, lovely man. I mean, he doesn’t think he needs saving, but Clary decides to do it and the only person she lets in on her plan is Simon, the best friend who puts all other besties to shame.

As with all Mortal Instruments books, there are other important storylines: Magnus and Alec, Isabelle and Simon (be still my heart! These two are so cute!) and some wolfy business, but the most important story is the one that focuses directly on Sebastian because his evil plans will ultimately affect everyone.

My Take:

Overall , I still really love these characters. I love the incredible world Clare has imagined.  And she’s so gifted at the teasers (there are some great Infernal Devices references that I’d love to assume I understand, although I’m certain I’m way off). And there are other positives. I’ve loved watching Simon grow into this strong, amazing, butt-kicking character who, at his heart, is still an utter nerd.  And there’s always an underlying love I have for Clary and Jace and this intense, lovely relationship they have.

But honestly this book was missing some of the charm of the other books.  I can’t quite put my finger on it.  There was nothing inherently wrong with the story (although some of the Stepford Jace parts were a little slow), but it dragged a bit for me.  It wasn’t until the last third of the book, when something very specific happens with Jace, that the pace picked up. Then it was on like Donkey Kong—but in a book that’s 534 pages that’s quite a few chapters to get through before feeling truly engrossed.  I feel like such a traitor saying this, but I think when the final book comes out I’ll be ready to say goodbye to this series.

But don’t quote me on that. I still love Jace.

Crush Intensity: 3.75/5  There were a few parts I really loved. There were some great ID references.  And there was lots of other stuff that just didn’t do it for me this time around, but the end reeled me back in.
Memorable Quote:

Watching me play Scrabble is enough to make most women swoon. Imagine if I actually put in some effort.

I’m sure you can guess who said that.

Hallowed

Hallowed (Unearthly #2) by Cynthia Hand

For months part-angel Clara Gardner trained to face the raging forest fire from her visions and rescue the alluring and mysterious Christian Prescott from the blaze. But nothing could prepare her for the fateful decisions she would be forced to make that day, or the startling revelation that her purpose—the task she was put on earth to accomplish—is not as straightforward as she thought.

Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend, Tucker, Clara struggles to make sense of what she was supposed to do the day of the fire. And, as she is drawn further into the world of part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: Someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning. (Goodreads)

Hallowed is the sequel to Unearthly (which I loved).  If you’ve not read the first book be warned. This will be quite the spoilery treat.

So, let’s play a little catch up.  Clara is an angel—not some dark, annoying, I’ve-just-been-tossed-out-of-heaven emo poser, but the real deal. An actual angel on a mission. FROM GOD. The first time I read that I was like sa-weet, a new twist!

Things aren’t particularly perfect for our girl though because after spending months learning about her purpose—saving the ultra-hot Christian—Clara forsakes her mission to save her boyfriend, Tucker (and oh yes, he’s so very worth it).  I wanted her to do this of course, because Cynthia Hand had me at hello, baby. The romance here was so sweet and holy cow, I fell for it all hook, line and sinker, just like Clara.

Christian who? Exactly.

So, Clara rescues Tucker from a horrible fire instead of saving Christian, only to find out (DUM DUM DUM—that’s my soap opera music) that Christian makes it out alive anyway because he’s an angel and he was trying to save her too, believing that she was his mission as well.

I know!

Hallowed picks up immediately after all this blessed awesomeness.  Clara absolutely loves Tucker, but she’s feeling a teensy bit guilty about the whole Christian thing.  In some weird way these two are drawn together now more than ever.  Those feelings continue to intensify as Clara begins to learn more about life as an angel, something Tucker tries but will never truly understand. Things only get worse when Clara begins to have new, ominous visions of a funeral. And the person she goes to for comfort here is …wait for it…Christian.

Oh, love triangles can be so frustrating can’t they?  And Clara can’t see that she’s shutting Tucker out because she’s so sick with worry over whose funeral she’s attending in this creepy vision.  None of this—the worry, the growing attraction to Christian, the deeper attachment she feels to her angelic family—is altogether good for that whole Tucker/Clara situation.

My Feelings:

There were things I really liked about this book: Tucker, Clara’s friends, and the basic premise of an angel seeking her calling from God while battling her very human desire to do her own thing.

This time around, however, I didn’t love Clara as much as I previously did.  She’s already wracked with guilt over the whole missed calling thing from the first book, now we add to it her constant worry over who in the heck may be dying in the near future. And I get both of those things. I was with her there.

What was more difficult to swallow was the love triangle.  Both guys are good. I see your dilemma here Clara, I really do. But seriously, will you just make a decision already?????!!!!!!  When she was with Tucker she loved him. Except that she was lusting after Christian (which, you know, was all the time). And man, Christian totally knows it and,  like any guy, he clearly has no problem with it.  He wants her too.  I just wanted Clara to stop already. Or start. Or do something other than what she was doing. And she does—it just feels like forever that she’s contemplating it all.

And while I liked Christian and enjoyed the opportunity to get to know him better, I felt this book was truly lacking one truly spectacular element that its predecessor had: Tucker.  Oh, he’s there, but not enough.  Or maybe I’m over analyzing it all. Who knows? I still enjoyed the book and would recommend it, but honestly I wasn’t swept away like I was the first time around.

Crush Intensity: 3/5 . The third book in the series, Boundless, will be in stores January 2013.

Soundtrack: I’m sticking with the song I chose for the first book.  Run by Snow Patrol. It just fits this series.  I can’t even explain it.

Top Ten Tuesday-Spring TBR

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. This week we talking about our Spring TBRs. This may seem slightly repetitive considering my post in December about the books I’m most looking forward to this year (because more than half of them were coming out between January and May), so humor me a bit here. I really want to read these!

 

1. A Million Suns by Beth Revis– It’s only been sitting on my bookshelf forever and I’ve been dying to read it since I finished Across the Universe. It’s a blessing and a curse (but not really) to have so many good books to read.  Why do I need sleep?

 

2. Hallowed by Cynthia Hand– This came out and I still haven’t bought it. Why???  I have no idea because I want to read it SO bad.

 

3. Lost In Time by Melissa De la Cruz- I still haven’t read this sixth installment of the Blue Bloods series.  And I should be cause I love me some Jack Force!

 

4. Fever by Lauren DeStefano– Oooooh what happened to Rhine and Gabriel? And what has become of Linden?  I should probably read it to find out.

 

5. The Last Echo by Kimberly Derting– I’ll be really honest here. I like all the creepy stuff in these books, but what I really want is more Violet and Jay.

 

6. Shine by Jeri Smith-Ready– Holy cow, I’m both dying for and sad about the conclusion to the Shift books.  What is going to happen?????

 

7. When You Were Mine by Rebecca Serle– I can’t explain it. I just have to read this.

 

8. City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare– The only thing I hate about this series is waiting for the next installment.  Can’t wait for this one.

 

9. Underworld by Meg Cabot– Pierce and John and that whole “trying to kidnap her and keep her in the underworld” thing–I loved that.  And I love everything Meg Cabot writes so I know this will be good.

 

10. The Statistical Probability of Love At First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith– I hear this is super cute. I like super cute.  I love books that make me smile. Also there’s a British guy so I’m sold.

Top Ten Tuesday- Theme Song Edition

You guys, I love the theme that the ladies over at The Broke and The Bookish have chosen for Top Ten Tuesday this week. I always love them, but this one totally speaks to my heart because I’m the girl (ok, mature-ish woman) who carries her iPod everywhere, creates playlists for everything and has to be told by my kids constantly to turn down her music.

So why was this such a hard list to make? I mean, hello, we try as often as possible to include Soundtracks to our reviews. But therein lies the problem: I’ve already listed so many (but not all) of these in reviews that they don’t feel original to me anymore.  But you know what? The songs still totally rock me.  That’s what music should do.  It should take you back to a moment or a certain emotion and it should make it come alive again.

1.  Divergent by Veronica Roth – Bleed It Out by Linkin Park. Everytime I hear this song, all I want to do is say “HOLLLLAAAAA!!!” It’s lame, I know, but it’s me.

2. The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson– Across the Universe by The Beatles.  As with most people, The Beatles are my favorite band ever.  I love the lyrics to this song.  You have definitely heard it before, but have you really listened to the words?

3. Lola and The Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins– Read My Mind by The Killers

I love this book so, so much. And I love that even though Cricket and Lola have known each other forever, there is that underlying sense of newness to them as they tiptoe toward a romantic relationship.  There’s so much hope and uncertainty and such sweetness there.  And there is a great set of lines in this song:

It’s funny how you just break down
Waitin’ on some sign
I pull up to the front of your driveway
With magic soakin’ my spine

I just love how perfectly it hits that vibe of Lola and Cricket.  They are both waiting on something and throughout the whole story, the whole relationship, there is such charm and such magic in their connection.

4. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand– Run by Snow Patrol.

Oh my goodness, have you read this book?  The words to this song fit it so perfectly.

5. Across the Universe by Beth Revis– Newborn by Muse

I loved this book like, in a crazypants way. Originally, I chose the theme from The Twilight Zone as its soundtrack (which totally still fits), but I think this song does too.

6. The Summer Books (The Summer I Turned Pretty,It’s Not Summer Without You, We’ll Always Have Summer) by Jenny Han- Smile Like You Mean it by The Killers

7. Blue Bloods by Melissa De la Cruz– Time is Running Out by Muse

I can’t take credit for this one. She put it in the book. How can I think of anything else?  Plus, it fits perfectly.

8. The Truth bout Forever by Sarah Dessen– Someday by The Strokes

9. Hourglass by Myra McEntire– If I Had a Gun by Noel Gallagher’s High lying Birds.

Lordy, I love this song.

And that’s all I’ve got! I’m looking forward to hearing everyone else’s picks.  I need some new music!

Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious “errands”; she speaks many languages–not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.

When one of the strangers–beautiful, haunted Akiva–fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself? (Goodreads)

It’s so difficult to put my love for certain books into coherent thoughts and words.  If I really told you exactly how I felt about some of them, this is what the reviews would look like:

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

and then maybe:

OMG!OMG!OMG!OMG!OMG!OMG!

So when it comes to Daughter of Smoke and Bone, I don’t want to be a babbling idiot and say “You guys, this book is pure awesome.”

But you guys, this book is pure awesome. There’s no other way to say it (or, I’m sure there is but I have no idea how to communicate it as I’m still in the spazzing phase). So forgive me if I slobber all over this one or if I ramble incoherently. I don’t want to give away too much of the story, but I don’t want you to walk away without being convinced that is book is worth your time.

Here’s why:

1. Karou- She’s our protagonist. She has blue hair. Blue, because one day she wished it would be that color and thus, it was. Also, she’s mysterious and passionate a a total butt-kicker while still wanting to be a seventeen year-old girl who goes to art school (oh yeah, in Prague) and hang with her best friend.  It’s just that she also has access to a door that leads to magic and creatures—those who would be considered monsters by most standards—and strange errands and adventures.

2. Akiva- There isn’t alot I can reveal about Akiva the seraphim, so I’ll go with the obvious one—he’s Hottie McHotpants. Not just in the way his physical beauty is described, but in his brokenness and in the way he once again finds the desire to follow his heart regardless of the cost.

Doesn't he look sad? Like his heart is weighted?

“Everything was between them, everything he’d felt suffuse the air while they faced each other over the rooftops. Being near her was like balancing on a tipping world, trying to keep your footing as the ground wanted to roll you forward, hurl you into a spiral from which there was no recovery, only impact, and it was a longed-for impact, and a sweet and beckoning collision.” pg 199

3. The Creatures and Mythology– Brimstone, I love you and I want to hug you for what you’ve done for Karou. Don’t you wish you knew? Maybe you should read the book and find out.

4. Freaking World Travels- Karou lives in Prague. She travels to Marrakesh and Paris and Idaho (um, so that’s not so exciting but they can’t all be winners). She’s lived everywhere, learned the languages, learned their fighting techniques and bought the t-shirt. The door that leads to Brimstone can open to any place she wants to go or any place he needs to send her. And these locations are described with lush detail. It made me want to get on a plane—or find my own magic doorway.

Prague

5. The Writing- This is the first book I’ve read by Taylor. It was beautiful and poetic, written with such creativity and mind-blowing visual images. It flowed so perfectly and easily that I didn’t want it to end.  This book had me at hello, goodbye and every moment in between.

“Karou wished she could be the kind of girl who was complete unto herself, comfortable with solitude, serene.  But she wasn’t. She was lonely, and she feared the missingness within her as if it might expand and…cancel her. She craved a presence beside her, solid. Fingertips light at the nape of her neck and a voice meeting hers in the dark. Someone who would wait with an umbrella to walk her home in the rain, and smile like sunshine when he saw her coming. Who would dance with her on a balcony, keep his promises and know her secrets, and make a tiny world wherever he was, with just her and his arms and his whisper and her trust.” pg 71

Crush Intensity: 5/5 Fantastic. Major crush here. Huge.

Big thanks to my friend Sandie at Teen Lit Rocks for encouraging me to read it!

Top Ten Tuesday- Oops

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

The topic this week is supposed to be Top Ten Books for People Who Don’t Read.  Since apparently I am unable to follow instructions, a few weeks ago I posted a list under the same heading  (I should have been more specific like, “People Who Don’t Read YA”. My bad!) Anyhoo, if you’d like to see my original list you can do that here. Otherwise, this week I’ll be doing what I should have done then.

So here’s my Top Ten Books for People Who Don’t Read Paranormal. I feel that this is a subject I can totally relate to because I really am not a fan of books about wolves and vampires and the like.  I mean, have you seen the covers of these books? Oh the emo faces! Oh the Twilight ripoffs!  It’s embarrassing to even pick one up, nevermind reading them.  But there are a choice few that I like. In fact, I pretty much love most of these:

The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare

CAST OF CHARACTERS: Angels, vampires, faeries, warlocks, wolves

Bonus Factor: Jace

These are considered Urban Fantasy and they fit that description perfectly, but if anyone had told me what they were about and the long list of crazy creatures, I may have skipped them. Thank goodness I went by the legions of ladies who swoon over Jace,  because I seriously LOVE these books. Clare makes this genre totally cool and fun.

 

The Blue Bloods series by Melissa De la Cruz

CAST OF CHARACTERS: Angels, Vampires, Witches

Bonus Factor: Jack Force

This series has an interesting mix of angels and vampires with some really fun history thrown in.  The love triangles are killer and the relationship of Schuyler and Jack is packed with chemistry. Get ready to fall in love with Jack. Also, dear lord, the tension is fantastic. I could barely take it.

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

CAST OF CHARACTERS: Angels

I’ve read a ton of stories about fallen angels and storyline gets old quickly unless something truly creative is done with it (see Blue Bloods).  Unearthly has nothing to do with fallen angels. This is about a girl who finds out that she is part angel. And this girl’s entire purpose is wrapped up in a mysterious mission she must complete. Of course there are barriers to that mission. And of course there is a great love story. And the characters are wonderful.  I was totally surprised by how much I enjoyed this and at how swoonworthy the romance was.

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

CAST OF CHARACTERS: Wolves

I can’t say this enough: I hate wolves.  It’s just not a storyline that generally speaks to me. This may be due in part to the fact that I absolutely cannot stand Jacob Black.  Hate him! This book, however is entirely about wolves. And it isn’t about some lame girl in love with a wolf . It’s about a tough girl who is a wolf. And she is set to lead her own pack along with the guy she’s betrothed to.  Only problem: she hates him (I don’t know why ladies. He’s pretty sexy). Oh and she falls in love with a human.  I loved the main character, Calla. She made this book for me.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

CAST OF CHARACTERS: Angels, Mythological Creatures, All-around bad asses

I’ve blabbed about this book an awful lot, I know. And luckily, the review is coming this week because I feel I need to discuss it more.  This story is less about angels than it is about clashing mythological worlds and the “normal” girl caught in crossfire.  It is so good. So good!

Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready

CAST OF CHARACTERS: Ghosts

Oh, I love, love, love these books. There is major swoon here. And the premise— because of some odd, cosmic occurrence, people under a certain age can all see ghosts—is so fun. And our heroine, Aura, can see the ghost of her boyfriend who just died. It’s weird and tragic all at once. Read this series.

The Body Finder series by Kimberly Derting

CAST OF CHARACTERS: People who hear dead people (is there a name for that?)

These books are so creepy without having a really big “paranormal” feel to them.  Violet can hear dead people calling her—those who have died violently at the hands of another. And she attempts to use this ability to help find a serial killer who has been stalking young girls in her area. And while she’s trying to figure out that mess, she has developed a major crush on her seriously charming best friend, Jay. This series is equal parts creepy suspense and sweet romance.

Abandon by Meg Cabot

CAST OF CHARACTERS: A guy who runs the Underworld (so, Mythology)

This is a retelling of the myth of Persephone. And it’s Meg Cabot so, while it’s a little darker than her normal stuff, it still has her awesome wit, her great characters, and a romance that leaves you wanting more.

Insatiable by Meg Cabot

CAST OF CHARACTERS: Vampires, Vampire Hunters

This one is funny you guys. Totally funny. And yes, the naughty vampire, Lucien, is pretty darn sexy, as is the vampire hunter, Alaric (who I happen to picture looking like Alaric from The Vampire Diaries. This is not a bad thing). And Meena is caught between her attraction to Lucien and her belief in what is right and safe.  Word to the wise: this girl is no mindless Bella.

THE ENEMY BY CHARLES HIGSON

Cast of Characters: Zombies

You guys, this book is creepytown.  A virus infects the world so that anyone over the age of eighteen turns into disgusting, brain-eating zombies.  There’s  a few groups of kids outside of London, all of whom are trying to stay safe without starving to death.  It doesn’t sound enticing but trust me, I was sucked in from the get go.