Book Thoughts: Mort

Title: Mort
Author: Terry Pratchett
Series: Discworld #4

Mort is a clumsy, rather oblivious young man, so he isn't surprised when no one chooses him as an apprentice. Until, of course, one last position opens up, and Mort is chosen as the apprentice of Death.

Once again Pratchett manages to make a very serious issue lighthearted and approachable as Mort and his ragtag collection of friends attempt to thwart fate and escape the inevitable while Death, the only one truly of his trade, decides to take a break and retire to a nice cafe full of cats. That is, if the world can handle it.

Thoughtful and adventurous and laugh-out-loud funny, Mort is no exception to what is quickly becoming a blanket policy of "recommend all Discworld books." Death's characterization by the end seemed a little incongruous, but Mort, Ysabell, Keli, Cutwell, and Albert more than made up for it. Absolutely worth a read.

Waiting on Wednesday, 7/31/13

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine to spotlight upcoming books that we bloggers are looking forward to. This week I've chosen Gated by Amy Christine Parker.

Do the gates keep the unchosen out or the chosen in?

In Mandrodage Meadows, life seems perfect. The members of this isolated suburban community have thrived under Pioneer, the charismatic leader who saved them from their sad, damaged lives. Lyla Hamilton and her parents are original members of the flock. They moved here following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, looking to escape the evil in the world. Now seventeen, Lyla knows certain facts are not to be questioned:

Pioneer is her leader.

Will is her Intended.

The end of the world is near.

Like Noah before him, Pioneer has been told of the imminent destruction of humanity. He says his chosen must arm themselves to fight off the unchosen people, who will surely seek refuge in the compound's underground fortress--the Silo.

Lyla loves her family and friends, but given the choice, she prefers painting to target practice. And lately she'd rather think about a certain boy outside the compound than plan for married life in the Silo with Will. But with the end of days drawing near, she will have to pick up a gun, take a side, and let everyone know where she stands.
-Goodreads

I picked this one because 1) I am a total sucker for anything dystopian and 2) I'm curious to see how this AU around the 9/11 attacks is handled. Gated will be out very soon -- August 6 -- and I look forward to it.

What are you waiting on this week?

Hello from College-Land!

Hello, my dear bookworms :)

It's been a weird few days. I had the kind of move-in experience that I'm pretty sure only happens in the movies (and, apparently, my life). But the apartment is now habitable, my stuff is unpacked, the internet with any luck will be connected tomorrow morning, and I have time to read again! (Plus I am literally like four blocks from the library. Aww yiss.)

Just wanted to keep you all informed. Don't worry, I'm not gone! Regular blogging to recommence soon. :)

The Perks of Being an English Major

I just got an email inviting me to apply via the English department for an internship working on our state book festival, answering questions from authors/exhibitors and helping market the event to students.

YES PLEASE.

So yeah, here's hoping I get to do that. :)

(More reviews and things will be happening shortly -- I'm in the process of moving into my new apartment, so posts have been/will be spotty for the last/next few days, but I'm not gone!)

Waiting on Wednesday, 7/24/13

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and highlights not-yet-released books that we bloggers can't wait to get our hands on. This week I'm waiting on Pawn by Aimee Carter.

YOU CAN BE A VII. IF YOU GIVE UP EVERYTHING. 

For Kitty Doe, it seems like an easy choice. She can either spend her life as a III in misery, looked down upon by the higher ranks and forced to leave the people she loves, or she can become a VII and join the most powerful family in the country. 

If she says yes, Kitty will be Masked—surgically transformed into Lila Hart, the Prime Minister's niece, who died under mysterious circumstances. As a member of the Hart family, she will be famous. She will be adored. And for the first time, she will matter. 

There's only one catch. She must also stop the rebellion that Lila secretly fostered, the same one that got her killed …and one Kitty believes in. Faced with threats, conspiracies and a life that's not her own, she must decide which path to choose—and learn how to become more than a pawn in a twisted game she's only beginning to understand.
           -Goodreads

Identity crises and what sounds like a pretty awesome dystopia -- count me in. This one hits shelves November 26, and I am super excited.

What are you waiting on this week?

Book Thoughts: Reached

Title: Reached
Author: Ally Condie
Series: Matched #3

*Possible spoilers for books 1 and 2*

I had high hopes for this, having loved the first two Matched books, and I was not disappointed. Reached is told in alternating perspectives between all three of the leads: Cassia, Xander, and Ky. There were times when I got confused as to who was narrating, but I think it was good to see the story from all three perspectives.

And what a story it was. Oh, man. I cried.

The story continues to explore the nature of choice and freedom, hitting the characters with some really tough choices about who to love and who to save and how to use their skills for good. The romance played out beautifully, and so did the other kinds of love: familial, platonic, and a general love for humanity. As Cassia, Ky, and Xander struggle to navigate love, loss, disease, and loyalty, the Society may be changing from its very foundations.

Also, wow I love the way this trilogy deals with a change of leadership in a dystopian society. I don't want to say too much because spoilers, but the interplay between the Rising and the Society is brilliant and makes the dystopian-psychology nut in me freak the heck out.

As I mentioned earlier, some of the narrative-switching got a little difficult to follow, but on the whole I think this was a beautiful conclusion to a beautiful trilogy: the story kept moving and wrapped up well, and I was sad to let the characters go. (Also I cried. That's a thing that happened.)

Having read all three books now, I can safely say that this series is a good one through and through.

Allegiant: Dual-Perspective!

According to tweets from publishers and various ComicCon attendees (one day... oh, one day I will be one of those lucky attendees), the final Divergent book, Allegiant, will be told from two perspectives, with both Tris and Four getting the chance to narrate.

I don't know how I feel about this. On the one hand, sweet, we get to see Four's side of things! On the other hand, though, I've really enjoyed Tris's narration, and as much as I love first-person narrative, I often have a hard time with books that switch between different first-person narrators. (Whew, too many words with the "narrate" root in that sentence.) But I mean, if anyone can pull it off, I'm confident Veronica Roth can.

What do you think?

Why Grown-Ups Fear YA

I keep seeing and keep seeing and keep seeing articles where adults attempt to take YA books out of the hands of teens. This is an excellent article explaining why.

Click to read the article!

Cover Reveal: Panic by Lauren Oliver

Everything Lauren Oliver has written, I have adored, so I am super psyched for her next book. And today we have this gorgeous cover! Panic comes out in March 2014. Can we wait that long?

Waiting on Wednesday, 7/17/13

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and highlights upcoming books that we're excited about. This week I'm waiting on Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas.

Having read and adored Throne of Glass, the first book about teenage assassin (and demon hunter?) Celaena Sardothien, I am beyond excited for the second book, which hits shelves August 27.

What are YOU waiting on this week?

Book Thoughts: A Million Suns

Title: A Million Suns
Author: Beth Revis
Series: Across the Universe #2

*Possible spoilers for book 1*

I love mysteries. I really, really do. And I love stories about space travel and I love dystopias and basically wow this series is perfect for me.

Three months ago, the world as Amy knew it changed. Instead of waking up on a new planet with her parents, she's woken up on a seriously troubled spaceship while her parents are still cryogenically frozen. But the apparently evil Orion has left her some clues to a big secret that may turn even this new world on its head. Meanwhile, Elder is trying to be a leader, but what if his people don't want to be led?

I love the characters, I love the story, I adore the mystery and the way information is revealed. Also, yeah, the romance. (Beth Revis, you are an A+ writer.) I love the way this book tackles the very real issues of leadership and control and feelings of helplessness and even things like sexual assault while still managing to be a ridiculously fun outer-space adventure. If you haven't read this series, get to it!

(P.S. Kayleigh as the character always tinkering with mechanical things? I have caught your Firefly reference and I love it.)

Further Updates!

Hello, dear readers!

I am still working on importing old reviews, but everything that I'm moving over from tumblr has been moved as of today. Old reviews are backdated to July 2012; anything new is actually brand new from this point forward.

I've been blogging here for about a week now -- here's to a second week that's just as grand!

Book Thoughts: The Casual Vacancy

Title: The Casual Vacancy
Author: J.K. Rowling
*Imported from tumblr*

I knew going in that this was going to be very different from Harry Potter, and I was okay with that. Thirty pages in, I was horrified — most of the characters were frustratingly unlikeable people, and there was almost as much swearing as there was conversation in the dialogue. I gave it a couple more chapters but was unconvinced that I would finish it.

And then… I kept reading. I was still kind of disgusted by a lot of the characters, but at the same time I understood why they did what they did. I’ve seen it described as “dark and gritty" but I’ve also seen it described as “brutally honest," and I think both descriptions are accurate for this book. It is a brutally honest portrayal of the dark and gritty parts of life that we like to ignore, although I felt that the happiness that people often manage to find in everyday life was underrepresented. (That, in fact, is my biggest complaint about the book.) But I dare anyone to read this book and come away unchanged.

Depressing, this book certainly is. Also very adult in content in many ways, and yet there are teen characters whose lives are portrayed accurately. Anyway, I’ve lost the thread: depressing, but also honest and thought-provoking and beautifully written and above all, powerful. Not one to read lightly, certainly, but one I am glad to have read.

Book Thoughts: Equal Rites

Title: Equal Rites
Author: Terry Pratchett
Series: Discworld #3
*Imported from tumblr.*

Eskarina wants to be a wizard. The problem? She’s a girl, and women can’t be wizards — it’s against the lore. But good luck convincing Esk to be anything other than exactly what she wants to be.

This is the third Discworld book I’ve read and I loved it. Terry Pratchett has a knack for satire that I can’t quite put words to. It had me laughing out loud and reading passages to whoever was in hearing range. It’s a feminist book that doesn’t feel like a feminist book, and it’s a bundle of hilarity that manages to hit close to home.

Also, I want Granny Weatherwax to be my granny. It’s worth reading just for her sass and steeliness.

tl;dr if you’ve never read Terry Pratchett, you should.

Book Thoughts: The Handmaid's Tale

Title: The Handmaid's Tale
Author: Margaret Atwood

Holy cow. This book is so good, but so creepy. I felt things I have never felt before. The story was so engaging and I am just in love with the way this story was told. Also, wow, the feminist in me is just raring to go after this one, but so is the voice of conservatism: 'hold your horses, nothing too crazy now, y'hear?' Stylistically, The Handmaid's Tale is simply beautiful, and in terms of the story... let's just say this: I read it for class, and I was really really bad at not reading ahead. Also also, I simultaneously loved and hated the ending. I don't want to say anything else because of spoilers, but when you read this one (and I say when, not if, because you really ought to read it), do make sure you read the "historical notes" at the end.

And if you want to have a chat after you read it, hit me up. Because I could talk about this for ages.

(P.S. I wrote this back in April when I finished reading the book for class, but it's not from tumblr or an old blog or anything really and I loved it so I'm putting it in with new stuff.)

Book Thoughts: The Diviners

Title: The Diviners
Author: Libba Bray
Series: Diviners #1
*Imported from tumblr*

Set in the 1920s but with a super-creepy supernatural twist, The Diviners is a captivating murder mystery featuring Evie O’Neill, a flapper-happy teen with a mysterious power. Evie’s been shipped off to New York to live with her Uncle Will, a museum curator, and she’s thrilled - until a rash of terrifying murders gets her attention. When it becomes clear there’s something not quite normal going on and the police aren’t buying it, it’s up to Will, Evie, and Evie’s ragtag band of friends to solve the mystery - and maybe even prevent the apocalypse.

I found Evie kind of irritating at first, because she’s so irresponsible and flighty and just not a great friend. But give the book a chance, because once the story grabs you, it is not letting go. I loved the supernatural twist, I loved Sam ("street criminal" isn’t quite the right word) and Jericho (Uncle Will’s assistant), and once I got used to it, I loved the writing. It did take a while to adjust to some of the ’20s words, but it really added to the story once I did.

My one warning to you: while the descriptions of the murder scenes are handled very well, the actual murders are super creepy, so if your imagination is going to take that and run… well, read this one with the lights on.

I loved it. It works well enough as a standalone, but I can’t wait for the sequel!

Book Thoughts: Shadow and Bone

Title: Shadow and Bone
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Series: Grisha #1

After the first chapter of this one, I was reeling trying to keep track of all of the Russian-influenced words and place names. I’ll give it one more chapter, I told myself, and then I will put it down for the night.

The next time I bothered to check anything, I was several chapters and 53 pages into the book. I just had to know what would happen to Alina, what the Darkling’s secrets were, and whether they really could brave the Shadow Fold.

Leigh Bardugo creates in this series a fascinating world, obviously influenced by Russia but something entirely its own. And the Grisha are just a fantastic new twist on elemental magic. I thought I was going to be super confused trying to keep the details straight, but the writing makes it actually very easy to keep up. The story is unabashedly honest, dark, and twisty — and also beautiful. I put it down only to sleep. After the first chapter, I didn’t think I was going to like it, but keep going, because by the end of the book? I was turning pages hungrily and waiting desperately for the sequel.

Book Thoughts: Everneath

Title: Everneath
Author: Brodi Ashton
Series: Everneath #1
*Imported from tumblr*

I did not think that I was going to enjoy this one, but I could not have been more wrong.

Nikki Beckett, back on earth after a hundred years — or a few months, depending on whose perspective you’re looking at — in the Everneath, has six months to say goodbye to her family before being sucked back to the underworld forever. Whatever emotions she has left will be used to power the immortals who live in the Everneath and feed off of willing mortals. When she left, Nikki didn’t want her life anymore, but now that she’s back and has six months to say goodbye forever, she’ll do anything to stay aboveground — and to win back the love of the boy whose memory saved her in the Everneath.

I don’t feel like I’ve done the book any sort of justice with that summary. Yes, it’s got your obligatory YA-romance-love-triangle - two smokin’ hot guys fighting over the girl. But Everneath is far from the stereotype. In fact, one of my favorite things about the novel was the way Nikki’s relationships with Cole and Jack were developed. And Brodi Ashton’s twist on immortality and the underworld? LOVE. Also, I’m a total mythology geek, so the parallels to Orpheus and Eurydice and also to Hades and Persephone were super cool. My only complaint was that some of the narrative time-jumps were a little weird at first.

It’s definitely a romance novel, but there’s a lot more to it than just that, and I for one can’t wait to get my hands on the sequel.

Book Thoughts: Unremembered

Title: Unremembered
Author: Jessica Brody
Series: Unremembered #1
*Imported from tumblr*

Let’s talk about Unremembered for a minute. I am not sure how to describe this book without spoilers, but I’m going to give it a try: a girl wakes up with no memory of anything, knowing only that the year is 1609. Except she’s just been pulled as the only survivor from the wreckage of a plane crash. There’s a boy who seems to know her and men who seem to be out to get her, but she doesn’t even know her own name. So she’s in for a huge shock when she figures out who she is.

I adored the way this was done. The sci-fi is awesome, and this is SO not your typical amnesia story. The way the memory recovery process was done was awesome, the whole story behind her identity made me have ALL the feelings, and — okay, one minor spoiler that you can probably guess from the fact that she thinks it’s 1609 on page two — there’s some time travel involved, and it is the *coolest* time travel I’ve ever seen. Transession is so awesome.

Definitely pick this one up, guys. You’ll love it. (And be awaiting the sequel as eagerly as I am.)

Book Thoughts: The Graveyard Book

Title: The Graveyard Book
Author: Neil Gaiman

This was my first foray into reading Neil Gaiman, and I think I shall have to go back for more. Clever, cute, and a little bit creepy, the story of Bod’s childhood in the graveyard is one that I devoured in one sitting. I was reminded of a more serious and slightly more grown-up Eva Ibbotson story.

The cast of characters is wonderful and varied, and the story is one you don’t want to stop reading. It was in the YA section at my library, but I would extend the age range for this book into slightly before “young adulthood” and well after it. In other words, check it out if you like anything remotely fantastical or mysterious.

Book Thoughts: Just One Day

Title: Just One Day
Author: Gayle Forman
*Imported from tumblr*

This book taught me three things about myself: 1) I want to be the kind of person who says yes. 2) I’m lucky to be studying something that I actually love. And 3), I always knew I wanted to travel Europe, but now I extra-special want to travel Europe.

In Just One Day, good girl Allyson Healey is in Europe for a student tour. On the last day, instead of heading back to London with her best friend, she spends just a single day in Paris with a Dutch actor she’s just met, and she falls a little bit in love with him. It’s just one day, but it turns into a year of self-discovery, finding out who she truly is and who she is capable of being. Also, some seriously cool tie-ins to Twelfth Night and As You Like It, but not hitting you over the head with it.

Europe and sassy friends and adventures and well-incorporated Shakespeare and a deeper understanding of life. Definitely, definitely read this one, guys.

Book Thoughts: The Beginning of Everything

Title: The Beginning of Everything
Author: Robyn Schneider
*Imported from tumblr*

I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this book, under the old title “Severed Heads, Broken Hearts" (which, let’s be honest, is an awesome title). And oh. my. god. you guys need to read this book.

When “golden boy" Ezra Faulkner shatters his knee in a car accident, he finds his entire life turned upside down — but maybe not all for the worst. He reconnects with a childhood friend and, more importantly, meets new girl Cassidy Thorpe, who may be able to teach him a thing or two about what it means to be himself.

I freaking adored this story. The characters were brilliant, the writing was gorgeous, I could not put it down. I loved the very real way the relationship between Cassidy and Ezra developed, I loved that I both laughed out loud and nearly cried while reading this, and of course, being the huge geek that I am, I loved the subtle Doctor Who references throughout the book.

Also, and I’m going to say this as vaguely as possible because NO SPOILING, I thought the ending was beautiful. 

tl;dr READ THIS BOOK.

Book Thoughts: Legend

Title: Legend
Author: Marie Lu
Series: Legend #1

I think I could read about Day and June forever. Very rarely can authors write a novel from two alternating first-person perspectives and actually sound like it’s two different people telling the story, but Marie Lu pulls it off brilliantly. Day and June are so different from each other but so strikingly similar, and they just sucked me in and I want to know what happens to them and ahhh I can’t wait for the third book. Okay moving on.

I loved the world-building in this. I was super confused at first as to exactly where the Republic and the Colonies were, but I always knew as much as I needed to in order to follow the story, and you only discover it slowly because it means nothing to Day and June — which only makes the dystopia that more chilling, but I’ll spare you my ramble about that. I loved (in a purely literary sense) the way the Republic was structured, I loved the way the characters interacted with the Republic, and I found myself far more emotionally invested than I ever meant to be.

I read — or maybe the better word is “devoured” — this one and the sequel, Prodigy, back to back over the span of three days, so I am super excited for the release of Champion. If you haven’t gotten your hands on this series yet, what are you still waiting for?! 

Book Thoughts: Crazy

Title: Crazy
Author: Han Nolan
*Imported from tumblr*

This book took me a while to get into at first because the narrative style is so different — a lot of Jason’s thoughts and memories are narrated by these imaginary friends he has made up to keep him company, and that was really weird for me to adjust to. But once I got into it, I actually thought it was really cool and added a lot to the story, because you really get to see things the way Jason sees them.

Jason’s mom has died, his dad is losing his mind, and Jason is struggling to care for both himself and his crazy father. When he gets noticed at school, he gets sent to a lunchtime counseling group with the school psychologist, and despite his resistance, he makes friends. Making friends won’t stop the tidal wave of bad news about to crash down on Jason — but it just might help him survive.

I thought this was a beautiful story. Heartbreaking, absolutely, but beautiful. A starkly honest look at mental illness and its impact, and… just wow. I absolutely recommend it. 

Book Thoughts: Across the Universe

Title: Across the Universe

Author: Beth Revis

Series: Across the Universe #1
*Imported from tumblr*

Okay so let’s talk about Across the Universe by Beth Revis. I’ve had this one sitting on my bookshelf for a couple of years now and just never got around to actually reading it until this week — and now I’m kicking myself for waiting so long.

It’s basically an intergalactic, high-technology dystopian murder mystery. Sort of. Amy, along with her parents and several others, has been cryogenically frozen and is to be one of the new inhabitants of “Centauri-Earth," a distant planet that should take 300 years to reach. But she is woken 50 years before the ship Godspeed reaches Centauri-Earth, almost the victim of a murder. Working with the ship’s future leader, Elder, she must try to find the killer before he kills again.

So yeah, it’s a murder mystery set on a spaceship several hundred years in the future. And there is some seriously great discussion of the nature of dystopias, the meaning of family, what it takes to be a true leader, all kinds of stuff. It’s excellent. I’m kind of mad at myself for not reading this sooner. The plus side? The sequels are already out, so I don’t have to wait for them.

(Also, a side note! I got the chance to meet Beth at a signing and she is SUPER NICE and also a fan of Doctor Who, Sherlock, and Firefly like me! So that was super cool.)

Book Thoughts: Until I Die

Title: Until I Die
Author: Amy Plum
Series: Die for Me #2

**Potential spoilers for Book 1! Read at your own risk**

The revenants of Paris have welcomed Kate among them, but she still feels like an outsider. Especially when snobby ancient revenants Arthur and Violette arrive to deal with the mysteriously quiet numa. At least Kate has Vincent -- but now he's keeping secrets too. What will it take for their impossible love to work?

This series... paranormal romance done right. I love the way Kate and Vincent's relationship works. It's a very normal, healthy, human relationship, focusing on more aspects of the relationship than just "he's undead, she's alive." (Although yeah, that's there too.) It's a steamy romance but the characters are about so much more than being in a paranormal romance. I don't feel like I'm saying this well. Point is, yes good romance.

Also: yes good fantasy. Loving the whole revenants deal, it's not an idea you see explored in a lot of modern fantasy, and it's always fun to get daylight interaction with characters from thousands of years ago. There's a little bit of middle-book syndrome going on, but I thoroughly enjoyed the story and characters and look forward to reading the third one!

Adventures in Book Blogging

Full disclosure, guys. In high school, I tried to be a book blogger. I was over at Bookworm Boulevard. It actually worked quite well for a while.

And then things like college applications and high school drama and graduation and family things started happening. Being a book blogger and a high school senior honors student with clinical depression was not something I could manage. Plus, my email account was compromised (ugh) so I had to set up a new google account and all of my blogger stuff got messed up.

So once everything calmed down a bit and I settled into college and taking care of myself, I decided to try again, except I started on tumblr. I love tumblr, don't get me wrong. It's a wonderful community of people and a great way to share information and ideas and art about all sorts of things. But the medium just wasn't doing quite what I wanted it to.

And so here I am. Fresh blog, same blogger. As I mentioned before, I am porting over reviews from my old blog and assorted places on my computer to the archives, but I'm backdating everything I import to last summer (July 2012) so that it won't clog anyone's blog readers or look like it's something Brand New that I Just Wrote.

This time, guys, I'm in it for the long haul. Books are my passion and it's going to take an apocalypse to stop me talking about them.

Happy reading!
-Becky

Book Thoughts: Code Name Verity

Title: Code Name Verity
Author: Elizabeth Wein
*Imported from tumblr*

Holy freaking cow. This book. I don’t know where to start.

Code Name Verity is one of those books that made me giggle and then tore my heart to shreds and now I want to share it with absolutely everybody, because it’s so beautiful and heartbreaking and real and ugh I’m about to cry again.

Code name “Verity" has been taken prisoner by the Gestapo. This book is her story — her story, and the story of her best friend Maddie. A spy and a pilot, two girls in an unlikely and heartbreaking situation during World War II, and the story of how they find, and re-find, each other.

The Nazis’ treatment of POWs is handled tactfully and without being overly gruesome while at the same time being hauntingly honest. And the realities of war become far too real in the pages of this book. But the girls’ friendship, and the kindness of strangers, and the often-forgotten humanity of even the enemy soldiers — those are equally powerful and real. And basically, you should DEFINITELY read this book.

Book Thoughts: Crewel

Title: Crewel
Author: Gennifer Albin
Series: Crewel World #1

Adelice has spent her whole life training to hide her talent from the Guild, but they come for her anyway. She is to be a Spinster: someone who can weave the strands of time and space to regulate the entire world. But Adelice has an even deeper secret, and the Guild will do anything they can to make sure Adelice uses it for their will -- something she will do anything to stop.

This is seriously one of the coolest fictional worlds I've ever encountered. I'm a huge geek about world-building, and so this was like a gift from the story gods, because world-building is tied up in the plot. And as a lover of dystopian fiction as well, this was doubly right up my alley. Plus, feminism!

If I have to compare this to something else, I'd say it's The Handmaid's Tale meets The Matrix and the star is a female computer programmer. There's a bit of a love triangle that felt really unnecessary, but that was really the only weak point in the book for me. I love the characters, I LOVE the world and the premise, and I cannot wait to learn more about Arras when the second book is released.

More "Getting Started" Updates

Okay. This post is more for my benefit than anything else just so I can keep track of what I'm doing, but if you are curious about the way I am doing things, then by all means read along.

I want to import all of my reviews/book-thought-rambles/whatever from various places so that I have them all in one place (this blog). BUT, it feels a bit like cheating to post old stuff as new stuff. So what I am going to do is this:

*If the review I am importing is from tumblr, I will post it as a new post in the coming days.

*If the review I am importing is older than my book-blogging efforts with tumblr, I will backdate it to "July 2012" (simply because that's the easiest way to do it, since it's currently July 2013 and I have to chance exactly one number). That way they won't fill up anybody's reading list or look like new posts but I'll still have them archived. So if a post is dated July 2012, you know it's one that I wrote well before I started this blog.

*Reviews imported from tumblr will be labeled accordingly, just to avoid confusion.

To reiterate: If a review is not clearly marked "imported from tumblr" or dated July 2012, then it IS new/current.

Book Thoughts: Unspoken

Title: Unspoken
Author: Sarah Rees Brennan
Series: Lynburn Legacy #1
*Imported from tumblr.*

I loved this book. Also I am a little bit fuming with outrage that I have to wait until the end of August to read the second one.

Kami Glass is a pretty normal girl, except for her imaginary friend. So when a new family that no one will talk about moves back to down, animals start dying, and her imaginary friend is suddenly a real person? Burgeoning investigative journalist Kami has her work cut out for her.

Unspoken is clever and funny, with Sarah Rees Brennan’s fabulous serious-yet-comical voice. (I think I would read a phone book if she wrote it the way she writes novels.) And you never want to put it down because you just have to know what’s coming next. The cast of characters is absolutely fabulous (I want Holly to be my best friend, and Angela kind of reminds me of someone I know). Also, I super duper love that Kami is focused on the mystery at hand like a sane person rather than on “ooh which of the steamy male leads shall I fall in love with?" There is a love triangle and some romance, but it definitely takes a backseat to the plot and Kami handles it rationally. And, just, *flails because I loved this book.*

Long story short: go find this book and read it, now.

Book Thoughts: Forgotten

Title: Forgotten
Author: Cat Patrick
*Imported from tumblr.*

London’s memory works backwards: every night when her memory resets, she remembers nothing of her past. Instead, she remembers the future — things that haven’t happened yet. But when she keeps meeting a boy she can’t remember meeting (in the future) and unearths a shocking memory of something from the past, London’s already complicated life gets a lot more interesting.

I was expecting something paranormal from the description, but aside from London remembering the future, there’s nothing weird about Forgotten. It’s a powerfully honest story of love, loss, psychological trauma, and friendship. It’s beautifully written (and the romance is perfect), and I am immensely glad I read it. If you're thrown by the seemingly paranormal/unnatural premise, I encourage you to read it anyway. It is a beautiful story about a girl falling in love, a family in grief, and a friendship working to survive a strugge. Read it!

Introducing the Online Authors Index!

Have you ever wondered if your favorite author has a page on your favorite social media site? Well, look no further. The Online Authors Index, linked in the top bar, is an alphabetical list of authors with links to any and all of the following: tumblr, facebook, youtube, twitter, goodreads, and non-tumblr blogs. (Distinction not made between different non-tumblr blogs because I originally put this archive on my book tumblr.)

The list, however, is by no means complete. I am constantly adding to it as I learn of new authors, but if you see someone or something missing, leave a comment to let me know and I will add the missing information ASAP.

Hope this will be a helpful resource for all of you!

Book Thoughts: Throne of Glass

Title: Throne of Glass
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: Throne of Glass #1
*Imported from tumblr.*

At seventeen, Celaena Sardothien was the world’s most feared assassin. At eighteen, she is broken after a year spent slaving in the salt mines. But now she has the chance to fight for her freedom and become the King’s Champion — assuming whoever (or whatever) is murdering the competition doesn’t kill her first.

I never thought I would so love a protagonist with so few qualms about killing, but Celaena’s hard, tough sass is matched by her innocent appreciation for beauty and youthful femininity. She’s one of the most fun leading ladies I’ve encountered lately, and one of the most human.

Also, the world this is set in is so cool! Magic has fled the kingdom… but maybe not as much as the magic-fearing King would hope. I can’t wait for the next book (releasing this August) to find out more about the history of this world!

Fans of high fantasy and/or sass, mystery, determination, and a little romance should definitely check this one out.

Review Repository

Hello to all none of you who are reading this! (If, by some chance, you ARE reading this, ohmygosh HI! I haven't started actually putting the word out about this blog yet because I'm still setting it up, so it's super cool that you found me. Hi.)

I'm going to make some posts with reviews/thoughts I wrote up in the past (including ones from tumblr, where book blogging just isn't the same) just so I can have them all in one place, so for a while now there will probably be Book Thoughts posts once or twice a day. They will be mixed in with my current reading book-thoughts and I will archive them just like anything else. Once I get those imported, though, Book Thoughts posts will all be new and I will probably make a post to announce that when I reach that point.

Also, just so I can say I wrote them down, my goals over the next couple of weeks are to:

• import reviews (obviously),
• get a good layout established, and
• design and upload a header.

Bibliophile out.

~Becky

Waiting on Wednesday, 7/10/13

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly feature hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine to highlight upcoming books that we're excited about. This week, I am excited about Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke, coming August 15.

From Goodreads...
You stop fearing the devil when you’re holding his hand…

Nothing much exciting rolls through Violet White’s sleepy, seaside town…until River West comes along. River rents the guesthouse behind Violet’s crumbling estate, and as eerie, grim things start to happen, Violet begins to wonder about the boy living in her backyard. Is River just a crooked-smiling liar with pretty eyes and a mysterious past? Or could he be something more? Violet’s grandmother always warned her about the Devil, but she never said he could be a dark-haired boy who takes naps in the sun, who likes coffee, who kisses you in a cemetery...who makes you want to kiss back. Violet’s already so knee-deep in love, she can’t see straight. And that’s just how River likes it.

Blending faded decadence and the thrilling dread of gothic horror, April Genevieve Tucholke weaves a dreamy, twisting contemporary romance, as gorgeously told as it is terrifying—a debut to watch.

What are you waiting on this week?

Book Thoughts: Eve

Title: Eve
Author: Anna Carey
Series: Eve #1

Eve is the valedictorian of her class and a golden girl of the post-plague society -- that is, until she finds out what awaits her and her classmates upon graduation. The night before her graduation, Eve escapes from School and strikes out on her own into the dangerous world of soldiers, wild animals, and worst of all: men. But the outside world and the people it holds may not be the terrible evil she's always been taught...

I was initially reminded of The Handmaid's Tale when I read this, except these girls have no "before" to compare their life to. Carey has created a terrifying dystopia that does not shy away from the hard truths of a forager's life but also embraces the chance for hope in even the darkest situations. I think it was the protagonist that really won this one for me, though. Eve has a lot of book smarts and not so much in the way of common sense -- but she has a fierce faith in human goodness and an overpowering determination to take care of others, and as much as those traits may hurt her, they just might be enough to get her through.

Recommended for fans of dystopia, feminism, cute love stories, and fun YA books.

Book Thoughts: What's Left of Me

Title: What's Left of Me
Author: Kat Zhang
Series: Hybrid Chronicles #1
*Imported from tumblr*

Um, wow. This is such a cool idea.

Every body is born with two souls. By the time they’re in first grade, one of them -- the “recessive" soul -- has faded. Or at least, that’s how it’s supposed to be, but Eva never faded. Doctors have tried and tried to take her away and leave Addie in sole possession of their body, and they mostly have. Addie controls the body's physical movements, but Eva is still there, an observer trapped at her twin soul's mercy. But when she finds out she might be able to move again… Eva will do anything.

I loved the way this world was built. I am just fascinated by this concept and I think Kat Zhang does an awesome job of pulling it off. I thought the writing was brilliant and the characters were wonderful and I can't gush enough about how much I enjoyed it. What's Left of Me is a complete story in itself but also sets up the rest of the series (trilogy? I don’t know) well. I devoured it - read it in one sitting, with one break to eat dinner. If you’re a fan of scifi or if you’ve ever just felt invisible, definitely check this one out.

Book Thoughts: Linked

Title: Linked
Author: Imogen Howson
Series: Linked #1
*Imported from tumblr.*

Elissa used to have a pretty normal life. But that was before she started getting bursts of horrible pain and flashes of another girl’s life. When she finds the girl whose mind she’s been seeing and learns an astonishing secret about her family, Elissa’s life is turned upside-down. But she will do whatever it takes to protect this girl who is linked to her soul.

Set in a futuristic (and interplanetary) society, Linked manages to be a thrilling sci-fi space adventure while at the same time challenging how far humanity is willing to go for science and examining the way mental health is handled with high school students. I really loved the way the interplanetary society was written -- it's part of Elissa's life, so it's just the way things are, but enough is explained that the reader can completely grasp the way things work. The romantic subplot was kind of predictable but I definitely still enjoyed it. (Plus, is this cover cool or what?) I devoured this book in one sitting and would recommend it to all sci-fi lovers and others as well.

Welcome!

Hi, I'm Becky, college student, cat lover, and incurable bibliophile.

On this blog, I shall talk about -- what else? Books. I figure it's good to start with goals, so my goals for this blog are to:

• keep track of the books I read and what I think about them,
• share my thoughts on all things bookish and talk about them with other readers (including trends, themes, movie adaptations, basically whatever I feel like), and
• offer book-related news, websites, etc. to my fellow bibliophiles.

Most of what I post is probably going to be YA just because that's most of what I read, but I will hardly limit myself to that. If it's to do with books, it's fair game for this blog. I'll probably start with a mix of new stuff and importing old reviews I've written for the sake of storage. Formatting, posting schedules, all of that I'll figure out as I go. Until then, happy reading!