Waiting on Wednesday 11/9/11

STORMSWEPT by Helen Dunmore

SYNOPSIS:
Morveren lives with her parents and twin sister Jenna on an island off the coast of Cornwall - an island that in the long distant past was devastated by a tidal wave, its halls and people lost. Only some of those taken by the sea may not have been lost at all! Now, as Morveren and Jenna's relationship shifts and changes, like driftwood on the tide, Morveren finds a beautiful teenage boy in a rock pool after a storm. Going to his rescue, she is shocked to see that he is not human but a Mer boy. With Jenna refusing to face the truth, Morveren finds herself alone at the worst possible time. Because when the worlds of Air and Mer meet, the consequences can be terrible!

Words along cannot express how much I am looking forward to this book. I would rather dance and laugh and exclaim with glee! The Ingo Chronicles is truly my favorite "mer" series out there today. Helen Dunmore has done such an incredible job building her world and characters, and I am SO SO glad she decided to continue writing these books. More more more please!!!

Release Date: January 5th, 2012

Annual Authors

Do any of you out there have any authors that you love to read and that are reliable in releasing a good book once a year? This year I have been noticing how there are a few authors in my favorites list that put out a book at least once every year. And that I look forward to this year's release and then next year's title. And most important, every book is GOOD. Authors I can totally trust to give me a great book, without having to wait long periods of time in And so time and time again, at least once every year, I look forward to the day I can buy another book buy these lovely ladies.

Jennifer Weiner - My love for this very funny woman started way back with Good In Bed and I have read every one of her books since. This year we were lucky enough to get two books, the most recent being Then Came You, and I can't wait for the next one!

Kristin Hannah - Though I was a bit of a late bloomer with Kristin Hannah, after reading an advanced copy of Firefly Lane, I went back and read her entire catalog to date. Those were some beautiful months of reading! This year brought Night Road, and next year's book is called Home Front.

Joshilyn Jackson - I fell in love with Joshilyn's tender and moving writing with Gods in Alabama and new I had an instant favorite author on my shelf. She writes about small town life with such conviction and honesty. When she revisited the characters of that first book with this year's Backseat Saints, it was like visiting the town myself. Look for my review of her newest book A Grown-up Kind of Pretty, in January!

Pamela Morsi - Confession: I am behind on a couple of books with this author! It's terrible, I know. I will get caught up as soon as possible! Nor have I read her entire back catalog. But when The Cotton Queen came out, I read it in one sitting and had to have more. Bitsy's Bait & BBQ made me laugh out loud and it was with that book that I knew I would be buying a lot more from Pamela Morsi.

Mary Connealy - Followers of this blog already know how much I like Mary, so I will not say too much. Only that I am so glad she writes as much as she does! Most years she manages to release at least two books!

What are your annual authors?

The Sharp Time by Mary O'Connell

I was not sure what to expect with this book. The premise sounded promising and the cover is a pretty rainbow of colors... but there was nothing that really stuck out for me and screamed "you have to read this book!" And I will be honest, it took a little work to get into this story. Mary O'Connell writes with flowery descriptions and a short attention span. Sandinista is brilliant as a narrator, but the reader has to work hard to keep up with her thoughts. There is no exposition and explanation to help the reader figure out what is going on with her thoughts. What really kept me moving through this book was the plot. When I figured out what happened to Sandinista in school, and what she was planning to do about it, I knew I had to keep reading and watch how it was all going to play out. Plus, as I went through the days with Sandinista, I felt a certain amount of satisfaction for sticking with the book and the writing. The story would not have been half as good if it had been written any other way.

So if you are a reader that does not have the energy to figure out every little nuance on your own, you might want to pass on this one. Stick with it, and you will find yourself thinking about it long after you finish!

Overall Rating: 3 Stars

Waiting on Wednesday 11/2/11

TORN by Cat Clarke

SYNOPSIS:
Four girls. One dead body. A whole lot of guilt.

Alice King isn’t expecting the holiday of a lifetime when she sets off with her classmates on a trip to the Scottish wilderness, but she’s not exactly prepared for an experience beyond her darkest nightmares…

Alice and her best friend Cass are stuck in a cabin with Polly, the social outcast, and Rae, the moody emo-girl. Then there’s Tara – queen of mean. Powerful, beautiful and cruel, she likes nothing better than putting people down.

Cass decides it’s time to teach Tara a lesson she’ll never forget. And so begins a series of events that will change the lives of these girls forever...

I absolutely loved Cat Clarke's first book, Entangled, and have been waiting and waiting to read more. She has an almost ethereal way of writing, and I am already so curious about the plot of this one!

Release Date: January 5th, 2012

My Boyfriend is a Monster #4: Under his Spell

Just in time for Halloween!

As a fan of this series (the first story is still my favorite!), I have to say that these are really fun graphic novels. I love that there are strong-willed, fun, cute girls, and "monster" boyfriends that are equally lovable. This story was drippy with "awww" moments, but they fit in perfectly with the super sweet romance. Perhaps my favorite scene was when I gasped out loud at the sudden change from black and white to color pages. SO PERFECT! None of the other stories have had that affect, but with a Fae boyfriend in this one, it works so well. I'm not sure how many more they have planned in the series, but I will definitely be reading all of them.

Overall Rating: 4 Stars

Waiting on Wednesday 10/26/11

PRIZED by Caragh O'Brien

SYNOPSIS:
Striking out into the wasteland with nothing but her baby sister, a handful of supplies, and a rumor to guide her, sixteen-year-old midwife Gaia Stone survives only to be captured by the people of Sylum, a dystopian society where women rule the men who drastically outnumber them, and a kiss is a crime. In order to see her sister again, Gaia must submit to their strict social code, but how can she deny her sense of justice, her curiosity, and everything in her heart that makes her whole?

I totally enjoyed the first book in this series, Birth Marked, and have been waiting for the next book to come out and continue this fabulous story. I was taken in most by the world building O'Brien has created. If you have not picked up Birth Marked, go do it before picking up this one. You won't be disappointed!

Release Date: November 8, 2011

You Are My Only by Beth Kephart

Sophie is fourteen years old and living with her mother in run down houses. She is home-schooled, and the two of them have moved to new locations more often than Sophie can keep track of. When they land at a little house next to a boy named Joey and his two Aunts, Sophie realizes she is no longer interested in the nomadic life she has been living. Emmy is a nineteen-year-old mother whose child is taken from her in broad daylight. Emmy is heartbroken, but doesn't have a lot of time to mourn before she is thrown into a mental hospital on the outskirts of town. With little hope of finding her Baby, Emmy maneuvers through her grief and loss.

This is the first book by Beth Kephart I have read and it was very interesting. Most notable is her writing style, which is loose and poetic and really quite beautiful. There is not a lot of happiness in this story, but the prose puts a softer edge to everything and makes it magical. The voices of the characters are also unique, as no one sounds all that educated. I'm not sure how else to describe the dialog, but once I got used to it, the dialog morphed into a character of its own. The alternating chapters between Emmy and Sophie were also confusing at first, with their ages being similar but so different. But as the reader realizes these girls are somehow connected, the pace becomes faster and more urgent until the climax at the end. It is a strange topic for a YA novel, with teen pregnancy, mental illness, and kidnapping, but I think YA readers will ultimately enjoy it. This is a challenging and tragic book that is well worth the time and effort. If you have not yet read any Kephart, give this new one a try!

Overall Rating: 4 Stars

Between the Sea and Sky by Jaclyn Dolamore

Dosinia and Esmerine are sisters and sirens - the highest calling a mermaid can have. Life under the sea is carefree and fun. Dosinia, however, longs for something more, and one day disappears to the lands above. Esmerine has been warned of the evils humans do to to her kind all her life, but still feels she must go rescue her sister. Once on land, she finds her childhood friend Alandare, an angel who used to read to her when she was little, and asks for his help in finding Dosinia. As Esmerine navigates the sometimes beautiful, sometime ugly land of humans, she and Alandare rediscover their friendship from before.

Yummy, a mermaid book! Followers of this blog will know these are near and dear to my heart. Jaclyn Dolamore wrote such an awesome book with Magic Under Glass that I may have had really high hopes for this second novel. This effort by Dolamore was not nearly what I had hoped it would be. The action was very slow. Most disappointing of all was finding the life of the mermaids to be plain and boring. Stuffy, upper-crust. I would long for something else, too! The other element I felt took away from my enjoyment was the preachy feel of the "message" of the book. It wasn't all bad, though. There were many good things as well. The clash of mermaids and angels was utterly tantalizing. Esmerine was a brave heroine and I found myself looking up to her goodwill and courage in venturing out on her own. Alan is super sweet and romantic, too. When all is said and done, this is a fun fish-out-of-water story and a great addition for mermaid story collectors.

Overall Rating: 4 Stars

Waiting on Wednesday 10/19/11

THE PROBABILITY OF MIRACLES by Wendy Wunder

SYNOPSIS:
Dry, sarcastic, sixteen-year-old Cam Cooper has spent the last seven years in and out hospitals. The last thing she wants to do in the short life she has left is move 1,500 miles away to Promise, Maine - a place known for the miraculous events that occur there. But it's undeniable that strange things happen in Promise: everlasting sunsets; purple dandelions; flamingos in the frigid Atlantic; an elusive boy named Asher; and finally, a mysterious envelope containing a list of things for Cam to do before she dies. As Cam checks each item off the list, she finally learns to believe - in love, in herself, and even in miracles.

This book sounds so tantalizing and sweet. Like it will make me clutch it to my chest with a smile on my face and the hint of a tear in my eye. Debut novelist Wendy Wunder looks like she might have a winner on her hands with this one, and I intend to read it right away!

Release Date: December 8, 2011

Fear Street Flashback (22)

Why? Because FEAR STREET was like, my favorite series growing up.

Originally released in March, 1990 and January, 1995.

Wrong Number is one of the older Fear Street books, back when this series was still getting off it's feet. And while it is not my favorite story, there are many things about it I like a lot. Such as the fact that Deena and Jade do a lot of their own investigating when things start to get a little scary for them. I also like how the Shadyside Police Detectives are so involved in the book. Those guys make small appearances throughout the series as a whole, but this book really gets the police in the heart of the murder investigation. Much more true to real life!

I definitely want to mention the difference in appearance of the Jade and Deena models on the book covers. Wrong Number 2 is a much more updated look, no? This follow-up story, which takes place one year after the first, is much faster in pace and significantly higher in intensity. I appreciated that the action started right away and there wasn't much in the way of back exposition. And this story took place over the course of a few days, rather than the weeks in the first story. Kept the pace moving quickly! I was a little confused at the change of personality in Jade, but it wasn't so bad. Oh, and the detectives from the first book completely disappear from this one, in case you were wondering. A fun story, but glad there is only two books in the series.

Fear Rating: 1 out of 3 Screams

Waiting on Wednesday 10/12/11

A LASTING IMPRESSION by Tamera ALexander

SYNOPSIS:
Claire Laurent's greatest aspiration is to paint something that will bring her acclaim. Yet her father insists she work as a copyist. A forger. When she's forced to flee her home, her path collides with attorney Sutton Monroe, who shows her kindness by not turning her in to authorities. But when he later refuses to come to her aid, Claire fears she's sorely misjudged him. Finding herself among the elite of Nashville society, Claire believes her dream of creating a lasting impression in the world of art is within reach—but only if her past remains hidden.The Federal Army destroyed Sutton's home, confiscated his land, and threatens to destroy his family's honor. His determination to reclaim what belongs to him reveals a truth that may cost him more than he ever imagined—as well as the woman he loves.Set at Nashville's historic Belmont Mansion, a stunning antebellum manor built by Adelicia Acklen, A Lasting Impression is a sweeping love story about a nation mending after war, the redemption of those wounded, and the courage of a man and woman to see themselves—and each other—for who they really are.

I admit I have only read one of Tamera Alexanders books, but it was SO good. Good enough to make me go out and buy every other book she has ever written. Just haven't gotten around to reading them yet. This new start to a series looks fantastic, though, and I am looking forward to adding it to my author collection!

Release Date: November 1, 2011

Eve by Anna Carey

Eve is finishing up the final days of her last year at the School before going off to learn a trade and become a useful member of society in the City of Sand. But then she gets a dark warning from one of the other students, and witnesses horrible things happening to former graduates. This changes the course of Eve's life, as she manages to escape the School and her terrible fate. However, living outside the walls of her confined world is not going to be easy. She's heard the stories about wild beasts, boys, and untamed humans that will kill her without a moments hesitation. With the King hot on her heels, Eve will only have herself and the help of a couple kindred outlaws to survive.

The story of Eve is by now a rather familiar one: being on the cusp of adulthood, living in a sheltered bubble, and then finding out everything she has been taught her entire life is wrong. But despite the many similarities between this and other recent YA post-apocalyptic stories, I still enjoyed it a great deal. I think there will always be something attractive about the idea of escaping your doomed fate. Eve's character is almost painfully naive and innocent in the beginning, but when she is out on her own, she grows up so fast that by the time I had caught up with the changes, I was pleased to see she had become wiser to the world around her. The secondary characters of Arden and Caleb were strong as well, which I totally appreciated. If it weren't for Arden having such a hard head and soft heart, I might not have liked Eve as much as I did. There are a bunch of twists throughout the book too, that keep it moving at a fast pace. And though none of these twists come at much of a surprise, the story was entertaining and worth the read.

Overall Rating: 4 Stars