Archenemy!!

Oh my gosh, you guys! I can't believe that is New Year’s EVE!!! This year has gone by so fast!

Well, I know this baby seems pretty lonely right now, but I have some exciting news! Remember first (And only at the moment) feature of The Looking Glass Wars back in October? When the third and final book came out?

WELL I FINALLY GOT A COPY. So I’m going to start it soon, and then a review will follow!

I really haven’t had a lot of time to read lately, because I’ve been busy with so many projects, and new ones are still trying to pile up on me. (I like to stay occupied.) But I have a nice big stack of books that waiting for me now that the holidays are coming to a close, and believe I’m going to hit them hard! I have a writing class in January, but that hopefully won’t slow me down too much!

But I want you all to know that I have NOT forgotten this blog at all, it has NOT been abandoned, it is NOT on hiatus, and it WILL continue!

So I hope you all can bear with me while I get thing straightened, take the time to get reading, and slowly but surely keep updating!

Have a great new year!

Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev

 

Eyes Like Stars tells the story of orphaned Bertie Shakespeare Smith, who has lived the magical Theatre Illuminata as long as she can remember. The theatre Illuminata is where all of the characters in any play ever written perform their roles, their lives, endlessly. When Bertie’s escapades in the Theatre finally become the last straw for the Theatre Manager, she must prove herself in order to stay at the only home she’s ever known, and find out a little about herself in the process.

At the risk of soundly completely cliché, this is a very imaginative debut novel. I know I’ve never read anything like it. Lisa Mantchev really brings the characters to life, and creates a magnificent world and an incredible plot, tempered heavily with one of my favorite aspects: humor. Plenty of giggles, mostly brought by the fairies from the Bard’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Moth, Peaseblossom, Cobweb, and Mustardseed. I fell so totally in love with this book, that I couldn’t put it down. Literally, really. I’d make my nice big stack, and wound up reading more of this than anything. It’s even the book I celebrated with one night when I had finally earned reading time during NaNoWriMo. I was crazy for it!

As for some of the romance, there’s just enough fluff and triangle to make it interesting, but this book has so much more to offer! Which is one of its greatest points for me.

 

The Recommendation – I’d recommend this book to pretty much anyone, it’s such a great read! But if you’re a lover of fantasy and the stage, you’ll enjoy it all the more!

The Other Books – I MUST have the other books in the trilogy! (The second is titled Perchance to Dream, and that’s all I know right now.) We’re talking, top of the buy pile, please please daddy please, if I don’t get the next one I’ll scream. That’s how badly I want it. I will gladly pay the money for hardback.

The Vitals* – Eyes Like Stars is available in hardcover for $16.99, and will be available in paperback for $8.99 April 13, 2010.

The Links - The Theatre Illuminata's Website

 

* = All Prices from Borders.com, and are subject to change without notice. That change may not be reflected on this page.

December Update

Since NaNoWriMo is finally over (I DID IT!!!) I can get back to work on everything else, while still working on writing. I’ll start with some new reviews here (I have two), but I’m also going to review a few books a while ago, to keep you occupied while I continue my reading.

I’ll try to get to those reviews later today, I’ll post one today, and schedule the other to come a little later. I have a lot of stuff to get to around the house, as well as other work regarding my writing, so it might take me a while to make a dent in my reading stack. But I’ll keep updating with older reviews, and I’ll work on this months’ Feature.

Thanks for being to patient!

A Very Fairy Holiday!

Just taking a quick minute to let you know about Lisa Mantchev’s, author of Eyes Like Stars contest! Simply tell Lisa how you think Peaseblossom, Mustardseed, Moth and Cobweb would help you around the holidays, and you could win!

Full details here - A Very Fairy Holiday

 

And yes, my review of Eyes Like Stars is coming very soon!

A Quick little update

So, since I’m doing National Novel Writing Month this year, and it’s officially started, my blog is pretty much on hiatus until December.

I’ll still try to post every now and then, but the writing is taking up most of my time. I haven’t had a chance to read at all. I’ll probably cancel this month’s feature.

I realized I forgot to do all the cool stuff i had planned for last month’s feature, but I should do better next time.

I’ll try to take some time this weekend and at least post about this month’s author visits.

So wish me luck on NaNo, and know that' I’ll be back ASAP and things will be kicking again!

Win books from Cynthia Leitich Smith!!

Win books!!! from Author Cynthia Leitich Smith! She’s giving them away on her blog, and she’s got some good stuff on offer! Check it out!

Rather Be Reading and the Loch Ness Monster

I am currently reading Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, and loving them. Now, you may or may not have previously heard about Little Women and Werewolves, but this third book in the 'literary mash up trend', as it appears to be called, is stirring up some controversy. Take the article below, for example.

‘Little Women and Werewolves’: a step too far? csmonitor.com
Posted using ShareThis

Now, I wouldn’t be so hard on this, and similar, novels. I, personally, am loving them, and I hope they don’t stop anytime soon. (I think it’s be great to remix some Dumas with some evil creatures.)

Okay, so, maybe the concept does have the propensity to get old. But as long as they keep things fresh and unique, it could stick around for a while. Ad if you think about it, it’s the adult equivalent to Children’s Illustrated Classics. The addition of crazy monsters makes the book more accessible to reluctant readers of classic literature, by adding concepts more appealing to them. Maybe after reading the parody, or mash up, or what have you, they’re more interested in reading the original, to compare?

I can see how some people could somehow be offended by this destruction or demeaning of a classic novel. (Which really doesn’t make that much sense, cause they didn’t write it.) It’s how the co-authors (which you notice they call themselves, as well as list their name second) pay tribute to these works. I think that if the original authors of these classic pieces of literature knew about, and understood the motives behind, these works, they would probably think it was hilarious, even appreciate that their novel was famous enough to deserve a parody.

I think this just bight be blown out of proportion a little bit. But, what do you think?

By the way, did I mention that Seth Grahame-Smith, co-author of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, is currently working on a new title? Yep. It’s called Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. And I can’t wait to read it.

Waiting on Wednesday – Gone, by Lisa McMann

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Gone by Lisa McMann (Feb. 2010)*

Since I reviewed FADE yesterday, I thought this would be the best post for today.

From Lisa McMann's Official Website

Janie thought she knew what her future held. And she thought she'd made her peace with it. But she can't handle dragging Cabel down with her.
She knows he will stay with her, despite what she sees in his dreams. He's amazing. And she's a train wreck. Janie sees only one way to give him the life he deserves--she has to disappear. And it's going to kill them both.
Then a stranger enters her life--and everything unravels. The future Janie once faced now has an ominous twist, and her choices are more dire than she'd ever thought possible. She alone must decide between the lesser of two evils. And time is running out...

He reaches toward her, his fingers black and bloody, his eyes deranged, unblinking. Janie is paralyzed. His cold hands reach around her neck, squeezing tight, tighter, until Janie has no breath left. She's unable to move, unable to think. As his grasp tightens further around Janie's neck, his face turns sickly alabaster. He strains harder and begins to shake.
Janie is dying.
She has no fight left in her.
It's over.

 

* = Subject to change.

FADE by Lisa McMann

 

Since the events of Wake, Janie Hannagan has been working for the police, along with secret boyfriend Cabel. There’s a new case in the works at Fieldridge High, and undercover ‘Dream Catcher’ Janie is the only person with the skills to uncover the secret.

FADE is really a teen crime novel with a dash of paranormalcy (my new word) thrown in. I prefer my paranormal fiction with the paranormal a bit more prominent, while this book deals mostly with the crime drama/romance part, but in the end, it made the book’s chemistry just right. The passage of time marked by time stamps instead of prose really makes it feel like a case file sometimes, which helps set the mood for the story.

The book is really well written, and it’s always nice when characters have fully developed problems and background stories. Although, the two main characters have such sad pasts, it sometimes seems like they’re just trying to have themselves a pity-party, but it does make some of the character motives more believable, because really, they’re all each other has.

The Recommendation – FADE is perfect for fans of crime drama and romance. But I must warn you, there are some graphic elements in this book, including much cussing, and some scenes that are not sexually graphic, but, let’s say, sensual. (Just in case you can’t handle that kind of thing.)

The Other Books – I already own WAKE, the first book in the trilogy, and I really think I might buy GONE, the final book. I’m really curious to see how the story ends.

The Vitals* – FADE is available in hardcover for about $15.99, and WAKE is available in hardcover ($15.99) and Paperback ($8.99).

The Links - Lisa McMann's Official Website Some Fun Extras for WAKE

 

* = All prices from Borders.com, and are subject to change without notice.

An update

Borders, I never thought the day would come! You have failed me! Archenemy still isn’t in, we called this morning. So we’ll either have to wait forever, or order it online. But I don’t like to do that because then I can’t pick the one that looks the least manhandled.

I’m slowly yet steadily making my way through my pile of books, and I should have another review ready pretty soon,  but I can’t guarantee that I will or which book it will be.

Just wanted to post an update to make sure that any passersby know I AM working on it.

Endymion Spring by Matthew Skelton

 

When Blake and his sister Duck travel to Oxford with their mother, who is currently separating from their father, they find a mysterious Blank Book. Blake is pushed to uncover the centuries-old secret to gaining the knowledge that the book holds, while burning through the web of lies and and dangers surrounding it.

This book took me about three years to read. It’s not so much that it’s a bad book. It just that every other book that came into my possession was better, and more worth my time. The storyline was great, but I think it could have been executed better. It just never grabbed my interest, never made me burn with wonder at what would happen next.

The moments that are supposed to be ‘thrills and chills’ moments are really geared for a younger generation, even though (as far as I know, my research yields conflicting results.) it is a young adult book, not a children’s book. I just got kind of bored with it. (Maybe I’m so scary immune, it was darker than I thought.) I hate to sound harsh in any way about a book, because it did have its up points. But I think the characters could have had more depth, and it could have had a bit more intrigue. The ‘thrills and chills’ should have been a bit darker, more age appropriate for the group they’re marketing to.

The Recommendation – Despite the apparent harsh review, I still think this book is a good read, especially if you don’t like darker storylines.

The Vitals – Endymion Spring is available in hardback ($17.95) and paperback ($9.99) from Random House.

The Links - Random House's Official Endymion Spring webpage

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

 

Nora Grey hates her new biology partner, Patch. Yet, in typical teenage fashion, the more she gets to know him, the more she is drawn to him, even though she tries to tell herself she still hates him. But there is more to Patch than meets the eye.

Hush, Hush was a really awesome book. There isn’t a lot of YA fiction about the fallen or other angels, which is something I’m really into. So, I was pretty excited about this book. It kind of took a while for the really exciting stuff to happen, but there was enough suspense to keep up a good pace. Even though ‘romance’ is one of the first words in the description, I think the level of romance in the story was kept at a perfect level. There was enough spice to soothe the romance begging beast in all of us, without it becoming nauseating or graphic.

The characters are developed nicely, and so is the plot. There was even a twist at the end that I didn’t see coming. (And lately YA books have disappointed me in that area. It takes the main characters most of the book to figure out the most obvious of things.)  And the lack of cussing and sex-crazed main female protagonists was really very refreshing, and I definitely commend Fitzpatrick on that. A marvelous debut that’s finally something pretty different from the rest of the books on the YA shelf.

Don’t forget that Becca Fitzpatrick is chatting on Book Divas until the 21st!

The Recommendation – I’d recommend Hush, Hush to pretty much anyone! It’s really a fantastic read and deserves your attention!

The Other Books – Crescendo, the sequel to Hush, Hush will be out in about a year. And I’m really interested, so I’ll do my best to grab a copy when it comes out. Really worth my limited book money.

The Vitals – Hush, Hush is available in hardback for about $17.99 from Simon and Schuster.

The Links - Becca Fitzpatrick's Official Home Page

ArchEnemy is here!!

 

Well, supposedly, anyway. Mom took me to get it at Borders yesterday, its release date, according to the official website, and no go. The employee we talked to said that it didn’t have a release date, and that they were just supposed to put on shelves when it got there, but apparently it was en route. So either it got there later that day (we went kind of early) or it was in the back and he didn’t see it.

So my review of the final LGW book may be a little late. I think you can forgive me this once. :)

Seeing Redd by Frank Beddor

 

 

Redd’s back, and working to launch an attack against Alyss. But little do the people of Wonderland know, they have another threat working against then as well.

Seeing Redd really lives up to expectations as the sequel to The Looking Glass Wars, with the same strengths as a story as it’s predecessor had. The plot really begins to deepen as the story unfolds, revealing more about the characters and their motivations.

The Recommendation – I’d recommend this book to pretty much anyone, but especially fans of reimagined novels and Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, and anyone who read The Looking Glass Wars.

The Other Books – The third and final book in The Looking Glass Wars trilogy comes out tomorrow, and I can’t wait until I can get my hands on a copy!

The Vitals* – Seeing Redd is available in Hardcover ($17.99) and Paperback ($8.99) from Dial Press.

The Links - the Looking Glass Wars Official Website

The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor

 

Inspired by a deck of cards, Frank Beddor’s debut novel The Looking Glass Wars tells the ‘true’ story of Alyss Heart of Wonderland, where Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll / Charles Dodgson is the author’s misinterpretation of the Princess’s tragic tale.

One of the things I liked most about this book is how the author adds just the right amount of dark imagination to the story, not so much that it become something stupid for trying to hard. Some of the best reimaginings have really lost something in translation for changing either too much or too little, or changing it in the wrong way. But Frank Beddor has managed to avoid all those little missteps and created something perfect.

One of my favorite elements in the story are the dimension-jumping puddles, puddles where no puddles should be, that enable to inhabitants of Wonderland to cross form their world to ours, and vice versa. Very cool. They even have their own song. (More on that later.)

The story is expertly written, and the characters are very real, and understandable. You can really get to know them through the course of the story. Most of the characters are reimagined versions of characters from Lewis Carroll’s novels, and even though they are changed to fit the storyline, they stay true to the original characters, as do all elements of the story that come from the original novels. As I read, I really came close to believing that this was the true story; it’s very easy how everything could be interchange from dark, tragic story to silly, whimsical children’s novel.

The book even has it’s own soundtrack. I’ve only heard a few full tracks from the website, but I’ve really loved what I heard. Don’t be fooled into the thinking the soundtrack is just bunch of silly little instrumental tracks made to go with the books. While there are a few instrumental tracks, which are beautifully executed, the album does feature songs by established bands that fit with the theme of the book. There is also supposedly a movie in the works, but don’t tale my word for it. There’s information on the official site, though.

The Recommendation – I’d recommend this book to pretty much anyone, but especially fans of reimagined novels and Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass.

The Other Books – Well, I already own the sequel, so that should tell you how I feel about continuing with the story. There is also a companion book called Princess Alyss of Wonderland which is a book made similar to Dragonolgy and the other ‘Ology books. I’ve been meaning to give it my money, because I think it’s incredibly worth it (I collect those, too.) but I either can’t find it or have forgotten about it when I make it to the bookstore. But I think they’re well worth the money for my collection. A graphic novel series called Hatter M (Bet you can’t guess who it’s named for.) is also in publication.

The Vitals* – The Looking Glass Wars is available in Hardcover ($17.99) and Paperback ($8.99) from Dial Press.

The Links - the Looking Glass Wars Official Website has tons of information and extra content, as well a few tracks from the soundtrack you can stream for free. They also have specials in the store sometimes, so it can be a great place to purchase the books and other merchandise in combinations.

 

 

* = All prices from Borders.com and are approximate and subject to change.

Poison Study by Maria V Snyder

 

 

Have you ever started a book and known as soon as you got a few pages in that you were going to love it? Well, that happened to me when I began Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder, and I was not disappointed.

Yelena is a prisoner in the Commander’s dungeon, and faces execution, but is offered a choice to live. Because it can only be offered to someone whose life is forfeit, the position of food taster is offered to Yelena. She accepts, yet Valek, the Commander’s closest friend and advisor, knowingly gives her a poison called Butterfly’s Dust, and Yelena must report to him everyday to receive the antidote, or else she will die.

The book’s plot is very well done, with enough twists and turns to keep from being obvious. There were plenty of little off-the-plot things to occupy the story, without going crazy and veering off form the point. The characters each have their own histories and motivations, some not so obvious as others. The romantic element between the main characters is, in my opinion, the perfect amount. It never overshadows the rest of the story, which is how I like my romance.

Recommendation – I’d definitely recommend this book to pretty much anyone. Except for a little coarse language and some adult content (nothing graphic), there’s really nothing to shy away from.

The Other Books – I’m going to look into Maria V. Snyder’s other books, as well as the two sequels to Poison Study, because I’m really quite impressed. This book kept me up reading at night, where I had to force myself to sleep. Not many books have done that.

The Vitals – Poison Study is available in paperback for about $13.95 from Mira Books, a division of Harlequin.  According to Borders.com there is another paperback edition that sells for about $9.99.

The Links – Maria V. Snyder’s official Website      Buy the Book from eHarlequin.com (20% discount)

Waiting on Wednesday – ArchEnemy by Frank Beddor

 

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

From Borders.com -

The Heart Crystal's power has been depleted. The people of Wonderland have all lost their creative drive. Even Queen Alyss is without her powers. The vicious Redd Heart seems to be similarly disabled and attempts to team up with her enemy, Alyss, in order to reclaim Wonderland from King Arch, in this riveting conclusion.

 

I can’t wait! I’m so excited! Just hoping I’ll be able to spare the funds for it soon, and won’t have to wait too long!

Win an ARC of Captivate by Carrie Jones!

The fabulous Carrie Jones is holding a contest over on her livejournal to win an ARC of CAPTIVATE, the sequel to NEED.

Link - WIN CAPTIVATE

October Feature – The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor!

 

My monthly feature, revealed the first weekend of every month, is something, be it author, series, book, whatever, that I think deserves your attention!

October’s Feature is the Looking Glass Wars Trilogy by Frank Beddor!

Inspired by a deck of cards, the Looking Glass Wars tells the ‘true’ story of Alyss Heart of Wonderland, where Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll / Charles Dodgson is the author’s misinterpretation of the Princess’s tragic tale.

I’m a big fan of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass (And What Alice Found There), and I’m also a big fan of spin-offs, parodies and derivations. When mom heard about this book, she made sure to tell me and we picked up a copy, and I was an instant fan. The third and final book comes out this month, so I thought this was the perfect occasion for it to be my first feature!

I’ll be posting about reviews and all information LGW related through the month, so stay tuned!

Author Visit Roundup!

Here’s a quick list of some of October’s author visits around the web.

 

Becca Fitzpatrick, author of Hush, Hush, will be hanging out at Book Divas from the 14th-21st.

Books Divas will also be hosting a virtual book club forum this month for LIAR by Justine Larbalestier, though the author will not be present. (To my knowledge anyway. You never know.)

James Dashner, author of The Maze Runner, will be discussing his work at Random Buzz.

Well, that’s all I really know of for this month, form the sites that I know. If I’ve missed something, or you’d like to introduce me to another site I should keep track of, let me know!

Be sure to check in tomorrow for the unveiling of this month’s FEATURE!!!

Forest Born, by Shannon Hale

 

 

Well, my plan was to have this whole feature on Book Divas' author visit with Shannon Hale, author of The Books of Bayern. I was going to have trumpets and everything. Really.

But as usual, life got in the way. But I do have a nice review of Forest Born, and I might post her answers to my questions I asked on Book Divas.

Forest Born is the fourth novel in The Books of Bayern. This book tells the story of Rin. (If you’re familiar with the story of The Books of Bayern, you may know that Rin is the little sister of Razo.) Rin has always felt close to the trees in her forest home, seeking their refuge in troubled times. but when the trees turn their back on her, as Rin believes they have, she leaves her large family, and her life as Ma’s shadows, and accompanies her brother to the city for a change of scenery.

Whilst there she meets Isi, the Queen of Bayern, and her friends Enna and Dash, whom she lovingly names the Fire Sisters. Serving as a waiting woman and caring for the young Prince Tusken, she helps to uncover a plot which aims for one of Isi’s old enemies to take control of Bayern.

I hadn’t read the first three books in the series, yet even so the relationships of the characters came through very strong. Had I read the other books, they probably would have had more gravity with me, as I would have seen them grow. All of the characters were unique, and all with their own histories and problems. the book kept me engrossed, and I couldn’t wait to get back to it every night.

The only thing that really bothered me was some of the character’s speech. The book is set in a medieval type world, yet the characters use some really modern speech. This could have been intentional, since it is a fictitious world, but it still kind of stuck out at me. However, it was used to make the dialog more humorous, so I guess it was worth it.

Recommendation – I would recommend The Books of Bayern to any fan of fantasy, medieval fantasy, and fans of Fairy-Tale retellings. (The first book, The Goose-Girl, is a retelling of a story by the Brothers Grimm.)

The Other Books – I will probably backtrack and read the first three Books of Bayern at some point. They’ll be more toward the middle of my ‘To-Buy’ list, because funds are low (I know I’m not alone in that) and I have really important things coming out. But, I think they’re worth the money when the time comes.

The Vitals * – Forest Born is available from Bloomsbury in Hardcover for about $17.99, and The Goose-Girl, Enna Burning, and River Secrets are all available in both hardback (Prices seem to to range from $17.95 to $18.99) and paperback for $8.99 each. There is also a boxed set of the paperbacks of the first three for about $26.97. (The paperback covers match the hardcover of Forest Born, while the hardcover versions have different cover art.)

Shannon Hale is chatting about her books on Book Divas until October 5th!

* All prices from Borders.com

Intertwined Sweepstakes

Serious Book Blogging!!

Okay, I’m ready to get really serious about my book blogging. October will be my ‘Premiere’ as you might say, and I’m trying to get everything ready, and still add a little content to keep active before Oct. 1st.  Things will really heat up then. I’ll try to post some reviews in the meantime, here’s some of what you can expect.

• Monthly Features – I will feature either an author/book/series something book related that I’m excited about, and I think you should be, too! I’ll post related content, reviews, etc.
• Monthly Author Visit Round-up – I’ll post info on all Author Visits that I know of at sites like Book Divas and Random Buzzers, etc. If I’m ever missing something, don’t hesitate to let me know!!
• Reviews, Reviews, Reviews!! – Now, I may not be able to read several books a week, or even a month, as much I’d like to, but I will be reading. Constantly. I’ll have plenty of reviews to share with you, and other opinions/conversations about books.
• All the Rest – I’ll talk about things book related, and participate in weekly memes. I’ll post highlights of giveaways and contests, and other things going on in the literature world. I may even have the occasional author visit myself!

I hope you’ll all stop in and say hi, and bear with/support me as I work to make my blog successful.

Promise of the Wolves, by Dorothy Hearst

Talk about culture clash! Promise of the Wolves by Dorothy Hearst is told entirely, with the exception of the introductions to the two parts of the book, in the point of view of a young wolf pup named Kaala. She is an outcast in her pack, the Swift River pack, due to facts that he is technically an illegitimate wolf ling, and that her mother was banished from the Pack. But of course, Kaala is destined for great things.

In my opinion, the book starts out a bit slow, and just a tiny bit sad. But once the book gets going, it's very interesting, and hard to put down. The perspective of the book is rather unique, (I've never read a book told by a wolf before. Have you?) and it's very refreshing to see the evolution of the canine-human relationship through the eyes of a wolf, instead of those of a human. The book is well written, and original. I recommend it for most people, especially animal lovers.

I deem this book dog/canine lover, cry when they die in the movies, just can't stand it when they get hurt even fictionally (Like me) safe. Go ahead and read it.

To find out more about Promise of the Wolves, and Dorothy Hearst, you can visit her website at http://www.dorothyhearst.com/. She has a lot of interesting information about wolves and the inspiration behind the story there.

This book is published by Simon Pulse/ Simon and Schuster, is currently available in hardback for about $25.00. (Steep, I know, but a good read nonetheless. I don't know if it will be published in paperback or not, but it is a good quality book.)