Angel Burn ARC

Title: Angel Burn


Author: L.A. Weatherly


Publisher: Candlewick Press


Pages: 449


Read Time: 2 Days


Tag Words: Angels, Angels who are like Vampires, Angels who are like Aliens, Angels who aren't like angels but are cool none the less, mad hot love story, great couple, Best I've Read 2011, Debut Author Challenge 2011


My Summary:


Willow has always been a little bit different from other girls, and not just because she knows her way around a carburetor.

Willow can see the future, and the future is filled with angels, but not the guardian kind.

The Church of the Angels will overtake the entire world, and only Willow can stop them from hurting everyone, including the man she loves, Alex, the assassin the angels have hired to kill her.


My Review:


I loved it! I know most people don't like angel books, and I would recommend this book to all of them.

This is an angel book, sure, in name. These creatures are angels, but they're more like vampire-alien-demons. They steal your soul, but you're happy to give it to them, because they do it so softly, you barely know what hit you.

So we've covered that. Not an angel book, don't let the formal title fool you; these are creatures of a Frankenstein-kind. Now let's talk about the love story.

Alex and Willow, probably my favorite couple of the year. I loved them, both individually and together. They love each other and Weatherly gave them the time necessary in the book to truly love each other. Without slowing the pace one iota, Weatherly allowed her characters an escape from running from, and chasing, and shooting at the bad guys to do more than eye-google each other, and then passionately kiss once. They really did fall in love in front of you. It was awesome.

Angel Burn is the strangest book I have read all year, with the best love story. I highly recommend this one when you're ready to quirk your eye at the crazy and sigh at the sweetness.
  
Notes on the Names:


Willow, I love Willow! Willow is on the rise for baby-namers, leaping from 760 in 2000 to 290 in 2010. It is still considered slightly obscure, but it is the most popular obscure nature name on the SSA list.


Thoughts on the Cover:


Which cover do you like best? The US cover is above, and the UK cover is over there --->


Parental Book Review *spoilers*


A la Reading Teen, thanks Chickies!



Sexual Content:

Mild/Moderate

Profanity:

Moderate/Heavy

Violence:

Angels feed on humans, slowly draining them of life over time.
Angel killers shoot angels, which explode into light.
Some mention of blood.
Some Angels rip out the essence of people, killing them instantly.
Other Notables:
Some underage drinking (minor)
Willow does "psychic" readings, but the reason she's psychic is because she's part angel.
Willow sees a vision of a man who is contemplating suicide.

IMM 45: The Return of the Blogger

In which I hope all the embarrassing stuff I am doing gets a laugh from you...

If you want my to owe you 100 more laughs, please vote for me once every 24 hours by following

This Link!

I owe at least fifty more laughs to:

Princess Bookie

Vivian

Jennifer Hubbard

Kathryn James

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Simon & Shuster

Little, Brown Books

Random House

Macmillian 

Scholastic

Thomas Nelson

Bloomsbury

Hereafter (ARC)

Hereafter

Author: Tara Hudson

Publisher: HarperTeen

Pages: 404

Read Time: Got to page 175 and stopped.

Tag Words: 2011 debut author, ghost story, love story, supernatural, paranormal, did not finish

My Summary:

Amelia saves a boy from drowning in a river and now she’s all he wants, too bad she died in that same river years before.

Can there truly be life after death?

My Review:

Boring. I kept wanting to like it, but the desire to feel something other than absolutely apathetic can only keep you turning pages for so long.

That is really the only thought I had about the book. That I was bored, 175 pages in. I guess I should point out that nothing had happened to these characters by almost half-way through to make me want to finish, or curious enough to think about it afterwards and regretting closing the book prematurely, but I suppose all of that goes without saying. I needed words to fill up my review, so I told you anyway.

Well, that’s it.

Notes on the Names:

Amelia is a very popular baby name that you don’t read in too many books, so I did appreciate seeing the moniker used.

Thoughts on the Cover:

Many pages were read in the hopes that one day this book could end up on my Mod Podge Bookshelf, sadly, that day will never come. I can still admire from afar, however.

Parental Book Review *spoilers*

A la Reading Teen, thanks Abigaile!

Cursing:
Hell - 5
Damn - 5
Ass - 1
Piss - 4

Sexual - Amelia and Joshua kiss a few times
Joshua and Amelia fall asleep in the same bed. Nothing sexual happens.
Not even kissing.
Eli forces Amelia to kiss him.

Other - Amelia's dad dies.
Ruth believes in ghosts, afterworlds, witchcraft, etc.
Mentions of Joshua having beer in his car.
Lots of underage drinking at parties.
Eli summons Amelia to the afterworld a few times.

Amplified (ARC)

Title: Amplified


Author: Tara Kelly


Publisher: Henry Holt


Pages: 304


Read Time: 3 Days 


Tag Words: Music books, guitarists, bands, rise to fame, sex in the music industry, strained family


My Summary:


When Jasmine Kiss leaves her home to pursue her dreams she is armed with her guitars, her amp and a hunk of junk car which proceeds to break down fifteen minutes into freedom.

Her lucks takes a turn for the worst when she is invited to join an up-and-coming band. Why worse? They accepted her because she has skills and stage experience, but only one of those is true. With a live show coming up that could make or break her career, Jasmine only has once chance to prove to her dad, and to herself, that she has made the right choice.

Too bad about her performance anxiety.


My Review:


It is a mark of high regard for Tara Kelly that I utter the following sentence. It is rare that I ever do what I am about to, but here it is:

Amplified was not as good as Harmonic Feedback. Ah! Don't kill me!


I never compare an authors books unless they write within the same lines, and they are good enough that I know they should be pulling off high levels of literary difficulty with every book. The List looks something like this:

Sarah Dessen
Ann Brashares
Lauren Oliver
Stephanie Perkins
Tara Kelly

And that's it.

So due to the tiny list I had expectations. Is that fair? No. Is it how it has to be? Oh, yeah, have you bloody read Harmonic Feedback?! Just go read my review, then buy the book. You're welcome.

Amplified started off well enough, but I lost my interest in all the characters once Veta came on the scene. She blew all the other characters, and their development out of the water. She was real, and raw and belonged in Harmonic Feedback, not with these people! She was too good for these characters, who were slightly unlikable, and pretty plain.

The loose ends didn't get all wrapped up in Amplified... unlike Harmonic Feedback, where nothing ended perfect, but it all ended perfectly.

These are complaints, but let's get back to that list, shall we?

The List shows my favorite authors, and anything they do sub-par is still miles above most others best. Therefor I like Amplified like I enjoy any other moderately awesome book, but I wanted another Harmonic Feedback, and Amplified did not deliver.

Still, true fans need apply, you won't want to miss Kelly's second book.
  
Notes on the Names:


Veta and Sean, the Spanish/Irish twins. That's awesome.


Thoughts on the Cover:


LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE.

This is exactly what I want in every cover.

Something that makes sense in terms of the story, something that catches your eye, but still doesn't distract you with a myriad of pointless elements.

The spine rocks, as well.


Parental Book Review *spoilers*


Sexual Content: 


Heavy.

Heavy make-out sessions with clothing removal.

Jasmine shares a wall with a "man-whore" who has an endless supply of groupies at his disposal. Need I say more?

Sean's ex-GF poses for a spread which is basically a goth Playboy.

Sexual innuendo.


Language: 


Very Heavy

Newton's Whore is the name of one of the bands, so that accounts for much of that word.

Coc*blocked- 1
Pu*sy- 1
S- 34
F- 17
A- 21
H- 33
D- 11
Pr*cks- 2
D*ck- 10
B- 6
Bast*rd- 2
Whore- 13
Slut- 2
Jesus- 2


Violence:


None.


Other Notables:


Jasmine gets very drunk with a random guy at a party who does not have good intentions.

The Character of Names with Author Stasia Ward Kehoe

Today debut verse novelist, Stasia Ward Kehoe has stopped by to give us her take on the Character of Names concerning her characters in Audition. 

SWK: Naming characters is such a fascinating element of the writing process.  With the myriad of fun 'Notes on Names' that follow reviews here at The Mod Podge Bookshelf, this is certainly the right place to share a little bit about naming characters in AUDITION.  

Coming up with names in contemporary YA presents different challenges than in fantasy or sci-fi novels where you can build a whole new world, and a new vocabulary.  In realistic fiction, an odd name stands out as a statement while an ordinary name likely invites many readers to picture someone they know.  There are similar obstacles in plotting realistic fiction versus say, dystopian paranormal. Your characters are not allowed to fly or jump through walls or bite (well, hardly ever).  You strive for choices that the reader can realistically consider making himself or herself.  From plotting to naming, the process needs to feel organic and work with the shapes of the language.  So, how did I name Sara and Remington? 

Sara 

I wanted a name that was classical and had a New England feel, since she’s from Vermont.  In the end I named her after the main character in A LITTLE PRINCESS by Frances Hodgson Burnett. That’s why the name is spelled without an “h” at the end, just like Burnett’s Sara Crewe who, by the way, was also a graceful dancer!

Remington

Did I name this bad-boy choreographer for Remington Steele (the hot Pierce Brosnan) or Remington brand razors (since Rem always has a bit of stubble)?  Nope.  It’s actually the name of the son of a friend of a friend.  I chose it because it sounded complicated and unusual, but also very strong and full of consonants.

Right now I am writing a book about a young actress.  I named her after a real 1960s celebrity.  It was interesting because using that name creates an immediate image in my head which I have to fight against because the character looks very different from the real-life star.  Ah, the battles writers must wage!  And not just against vampires!

On a funnier note, a guy came to the house last week to fix a sink.  He told me his name was Elon, which I absolutely loved.  Wikipedia informs me that the name means “true” or “oak tree” in Hebrew--interesting, huh?  So, look out for an Elon in my next novel.  I just can’t resist.  Although I do wonder if I’ll keep picturing the plumber...

I loved The Little Princess growing up, though the story always made me cry! If you want to read Audition, I have a copy for a follower who answers Stasia's question found below:

SWK: If you could change the name of a favorite character from a movie or television show (just because it bugs you or something), who would it be and what alternative name would you suggest?

Audition (ARC)

Audition

Author: Stasia Ward Kehoe

Publisher: Viking Books

Pages: 464

Read Time: Two Sittings

Tag Words: Ballerina, sexual relationship with teacher, dreams, sacrifice, novels in verse, 2011 Debut Author

My Summary:

Audition is a novel told in verse about Sara, a budding ballerina who dreams of being a star, and the choreographer who teaches her how to be a muse.

My Review:

I must be blind to the words, “Told in Verse,” I swear. That, or publishing companies don’t really like to advertise that part of the deal because- they know. What do they know? Well, if you don’t know then you’ve never read a novel in verse you assumed to be a narrative. Le sigh. Not the authors fault, just wanted to say, le sigh.

I did not understand Sara. I still do not understand Sara. She seemed really happy with her small town life, the simplicity of it, the comfort of it. She also seemed full of disdain for the dance industry from nearly page one. She seems pretty aware of the horrors that go on beyond the barre and yet it takes her over 400 pages in verse to arrive at the conclusion that this big-bad-ballerina-business is not for her. I could have told her that on page one. In fact I did. She didn’t listen.

Because the novel is told entirely in verse Sara is pretty much all you have. You will see brief snippets of other characters told primarily through Sarah’s selective filter. You won’t necessarily see the action, or the other characters in your own mind because you are so enveloped in Sara’s, given the verse format. This can be a good thing... If you like Sara. I, however, found it hard to. On the one hand she seemed so childish, more like a twelve or thirteen year old than a sixteen year old, until Remington comes along and whammo, she’s a secret sex monger. I kid you not, some of the descriptions of how she wanted him made my eyes bulge because I didn’t expect that to come from Mary Sue, I mean Sara.

I actually liked Sara when she was in Remington’s bed, I liked her as his muse, except for when she got whiny, as she did upon deciding that her parents allowing her to fulfill her dreams meant they didn’t love her/didn’t want her/were glad to be rid of her. Gag me with a spoon.

Obviously Rem is not the man Sara hopes he would be...something you can see from the first encounter. No attempt on Kehoe’s part to make him the least bit redeemable, except that he redeems Sara enough to make reading to the end bearable. Thanks Remington, for the way you pillow talk dance.

Notes on the Names:

I cannot wait to see what Stastia Ward Kehoe has to tell me about her character names and how she named her potential stars. They seemed like quite the motley crew to me.

Thoughts on the Cover:

I think the models are very good. This is Sara and Rem, first encounter, before the sex fire is lit under her. If the cover had been made post implosion... I don't even want to think about that cover. Mary Jane slides and a corset, perhaps?

Parental Book Review *spoilers*

Sexual Content:

Heavy/ Very Heavy

Language:

Mild

S- 1
D*ck- 1

Violence:

None.

Other Notables:

Ballerina who starves herself.

Bess gets an illegal tattoo.

Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick (ARC)

Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick

Author:Joe Schreiber

Publisher: Houghton, Mifflin Books for Children

Pages: 240

Read Time: One sitting

Tag Words: 2011 debut author, action, hit girls, prom, New York City, kick-butt heroines, X Factor

My Summary:

Gobija Zaksauskas is the foreign exchange student living in Perry’s guest bed room. She’s flown under the radar the entire year, she’s not what you would call a beauty.

Before returning to her home country Gobi asks Perry to escort her to prom, little does he know that Gobija isn’t a geeky high school girl at all, but a hit woman with a list of men to kill before the night is up.

It’s not over until au revoir.

My Review:

I have no idea why I liked this book, in fact the list of what was wrong is about three times longer than the list of what was done well, but Au Revoir is the book with the elusive X-Factor, and it coasted on that to the finish.

I started this book at  eleven at night and finally slunk between my sheets at one in the morning, after the final trigger was pulled, mind racing, considering this book.

At BEA this book was one that made it onto the YA Buzz panel, obviously the folks over at Houghton & Mifflin know about the X-factor. I still don’t think it was an amazing literary masterpiece, but it hooked me, it grabbed me, it held me and I cannot imagine rubbing this book’s nose in it’s failures because it did accomplish the greater task.

Au Revoir is 100% entertainment. It will make an epic movie, and you will like it, you just won’t be able to figure out why that is, exactly.

Notes on the Names:

I looked up Gobija, and as far as I know it’s not a “real/prominent” Lithuanian name. It may be so obscure and ninja-like that I can’t find it, or Schreiber made it up.

Gobi is a legitimate name however, a boy’s name of unknown origin that means “dashing.”

Interesting.

Thoughts on the Cover:

She looks like she’s about to take Manhattan by storm.

Parental Book Review *spoilers*

Sexual Content:

Moderate

Sexual innuendo & passionate kissing.

Language:

A- 9
D*ck- 8
S- 10
Pr*ck- 1
H- 7
P*ssy- 3
Scr**ed- 2
B- 2

Violence:

Heavy.

It’s a book about a hit woman going after men, it’s violent.

Other Notables:

None.

Interview with Author, Kiki Hamilton

Debut novelist, Kiki Hamiltion, author of The Faerie Ring, is here to answer my burning questions about her inspiration, her daughter's say and if she would have kept the Ring, herself!

GC: Was there a moment you were first inspired to begin a series about the Fey, or have you always been infatuated by the fair folk? 

KH: To be honest, I read a faerie story and I didn’t really like it, so I decided to write my own. I can’t say that I’ve been infatuated by the fae, but I love the idea of unseen worlds existing side by side with our own, and the Otherworld fit perfectly with the story I wanted to tell.

GC: What has your experience as a debut author been like so far? 

KH: Oh my gosh – SO fantastic!  I can’t tell you how wonderful people have been to me! Especially the blogging community and random people I’ve never met but are excited about my book – their kindness has, by far, been the highlight of my path to publication.  I’ve also had the chance to meet some really cool authors through The Class of 2k11 and The Elevensies, as well as through other places, which has been wonderful too. And my editor, Susan Chang, and everyone at Tor Teen have been FABULOUS. Honestly, I can’t imagine a better experience or a more supportive atmosphere than what they’ve shown me.

GC: What kind of input does your daughter have in your writing process? 

KH: Well, my daughter is 15 right now so she is my target audience and a perfect beta reader. And she LOVES to read, so I really value her feedback.  I usually don’t talk about my books until I’ve written a first draft so she doesn’t really know anything about them until I let her read. Then I listen to what she has to say and decide if I want to change anything or not. 

GC: Does she know how this series will end? 

KH: Nope.  Nobody does but me and …..oops…I was going to name some characters, but I can’t give you any spoilers now, can I?  *evil grin*

GC: Do you think any of your characters are particularly inspired by yours, or your daughters, personality? 

KH: I didn’t write Tiki with any real person in mind, but I do think at times that character development is influenced, on some level, by your own personal experiences.

GC: What is your sure fire way to get out of a writing slump? 

KH: It varies. Sometimes, I have to go back to a plot twist and start over from there. Sometimes, I have to just keep plowing ahead. There have been a couple of books  that have just fallen out of my head as fast as I could type and then there are others that stall halfway and I’m still trying to figure out what to do with them. So I guess I’m not sure I have a sure-fire answer! I wish I did!!

GC: What kind of research did you do to bring Victorian England to life in The Faerie Ring? 

KH: I read a number of books set in Victorian England and used several reference books that discuss the realities of life in that era. I also had the opportunity to visit London, which was extremely helpful. London is such an ancient city and it’s easy to imagine that many of the buildings looked exactly the same 140 years ago as they do now.

GC: If you had found the Faerie Ring, would you have kept it? 

KH: Ah, Gabrielle, that’s a tricky question, now, isn’t it? I guess it depends if I was starving, if there was a reward and if I knew what secret the ring held.

GC: Thanks for the insight, Kiki! If I ever find it, that ring is mine! ; )

KH: Thank you so much for having me on your blog!!

xo

Kiki

The Faerie Ring (ARC)

Title: The Faerie Ring


Author: Kiki Hamilton


Publisher: Tor Books


Pages: 348


Read Time: 3 Days


Tag Words: Fey Series, Faeries, Historical Fiction, Celtic mythology, Royals, Love Story, First in a series, Debut Author 2011


My Summary: 


Tiki is a pick-pocket during the reign of Queen Victoria, the same queen whose ring Tiki just lifted.

Times are tough, Tiki's ward has fallen ill and she was desperate, little does she know how much worse things will be now. She has stolen the queen's ring alright, the Faerie Queen's ring, and the land of the Fey is hot on her heels to steal it back.


My Review:


It must be a universal law, that the first book in a new Fey series must get off to a slow start by simply introducing readers to the vividly unique concept, the cast, and then that's it. Nothing much else happens between the pages, except redundancy.

Luckily, the second law is always that Faerie books must increase in awesome, therefor this is not a negative review.

I won't go so far as to say it's 100% positive, I think there are still things that could have been done to create a stronger first book, but I'm glad to have read this, and I'll be even happier still to delve into book two.

Go grab a copy! The next three books in this sure-to-be-smashing series will be highly anticipated and worth the wait now that book one is off the ground.

Notes on the Names:


Anyone else love that Tiki and Kiki are so similar? Adorable.


Thoughts on the Cover:


I love it much more when it is before me, rather than just looking at a picture. I've been trying to figure out what the design teams could do for the next three books to stay in keeping with the debut, and though I have ideas for color schemes, I still wonder about the overall product, and what they may look like...


Parental Book Review *spoilers*


Sexual Content: 


Mild.

Kissing.


Language: 


Mild/Moderate

H- 11
D- 8


Violence:


Moderate.

Good vs. Evil skirmishes


Other Notables:

Tiki's uncle was a drunk who had plans for her, so she left his household and ended up on the streets.

Daily Dose (27) Worth a thousand words

Fairy Haven and the Quest for the Wand

Fairy Haven and the Quest for the Wand (Disney Fairies)

Author: Gail Carson Levine

Publisher: Disney Press

Pages: 191

Read Time: I read this out loud to someone over a period of time.

Tag Words: Middle Grade, Children's book, Picture Book, Neverland Fairies, series, fantasy, Tinker Bell, Peter Pan, Mermaids, magic wands, friendships, desires, wishes, moral of the story

My Summary:

Rani wanted a friend and Soop wanted a wand.

When a mermaid’s desires mix with a fairies hopes chaos ensues and a Quest begins!

My Review:

Okay, so this book was entirely scattered. I’m so disappointed. The characters were true to themselves, and I loved Prilla & Sara Quirtle, but this plot! My goodness, where was Levine going with this?

The moral of the story mostly escaped me because of how whackadoodle this plot was. The wand truly twisted readers one way, and then the next. It dragged on for far too long and was just weird. Rani-Bat, need I say more?

For fans of the author, and her Neverland Fairy series... I’d say re-read book one, or maybe just skip to book three, which of course I will be reading! The little girl in that book is named Gwendolyn, which is, for those of you who are new to the blog (welcome!), is my future daughter’s name.

Notes on the Names:

Sara Quirtle. Aw.

Soop. Soup?

Thoughts on the Cover:

David Christiana is an awesome illustrator, he did a fantastic job, once again.

Parental Book Review *spoilers*

Sexual Content:

None.

Language:

None.

Violence:

None.

Other Notables:

None.

Fins are Forever (ARC)

Fins Are Forever

Author: Tera Lynn Childs

Publisher: Katherine Tegan Books

Pages: 272

Read Time: 3 Days

Tag Words: Fins Are Forever, Mermaids, Waterlily & Quince, sequel

My Summary:

Lily Sanderson is having some problems...

She hasn’t been able to spend enough quality time with her hunky new boyfriend Quince because...

Doe has been banished from Thalassinia, for heaven-knows-what, and is suddenly...

Crushing on her ex-crush, Brodi. This issue comes up right before Lily’s 18th birthday and her father decides that their separation ceremony will be Lily’s last act as Princess, because...

Lily is about to turn 18 and she’s about to give up her kingdom. For good.

My Review:

I’m disappointed. I hate to say that about a book, series or author I enjoy, but there it is. D-I-S-A-P-P-O-I-N-T-E-D.

Why: We spend an entire book knowing that Lily should be kissing on Quince from page one, to read a book about watching said relationship disintegrate. I wanted more Quincly, not less!

Why else: Contrived. This plot was so contrived, it hurt. The “twists” made me cringe. Disregard the final chapter of book one, apparently Childs did.

Yep, short review, because unlike a book that I have no expectations/no hopes resting on, I wanted to love this book and I don’t want to be horrid. Due to the amount of disappointment I am feeling, I could be.

Notes on the Names:

Tellin is the only new name. It works within the world, so I like it, though the character and his presence was annoying as all get up and go.

Thoughts on the Cover:

I think it’s suppose to be Doe, yes? If it is, I love it! If it’s another shot of Lily...it’s wrong.

Parental Book Review *spoilers*
Sexual Content:

Mild.

Kissing & Lily walks in on Doe and Brodi without some of their cloths on, and quickly reprimands them.

Language:

Mild.

H- 2
D- 2

Violence:

None.

Other Notables:

None.

Lust List (October)

I began The Lust List as a way to promote those books I feel 

deserve a good word, even if I don't yet have them in hand. 

If you want to join in on the Lusting, please remember to link 

to this blog, and send me your post! I want to see what you're 

Lusting after in the blustering month of October!

Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez from Simon Pulse

Why: It's a book about a musician. In what universe would I not read this book? Seriously, people.

A Year Without Autumn by Liz Kessler from Candlewick Press

Why: I love MG books! I also adore MG covers and this is no exception! Are you seeing that font, for goodness sake?!

Without Tess by Marcella Pixley from Farrar, Straus & Giroux

Why: A sad story about sisters. I have a sad book about sisters fetish, I swear. 

You Are My Only by Beth Kephart from EgmontUSA

Why: I love books that feature college-aged characters, or there about. I find that the stories diverge from the usual 'high school drama,' but don't quite depart from the YA genre as a whole. 

On the Fringe by Courtney King Walker from Lands Atlantic Publishing

Why: This is not why I want to read the book, but do you see the cover?! It's pink and it bleeds into blue!!!! I am so thrilled by the shelving possibilities, I can hardly stand myself! Must. Read.

Chopsticks by Jessica Anthony & Rodrigo Corral from Razorbill

Why: This is straight from the back cover, "Part love story, part mystery, part visual collage, this novel is told through images as much as it's told through words. Ultimately the reader must decipher what is real, what is imagined, and what has been madness all along." AHHHH!!!! MUST READ NOW!

Triangles by Ellen Hopkins from Atria

Why: It took me forever to figure out what this cover was when I first saw it on GR. I feel stupid now. I need to see it in front of me to prove I am as big an idiot as I thought. 

Forest Born by Shannon Hale from Bloomsbury USA

Why: I haven't read this final installment in the Books of Bayern series because I couldn't imagine shelving the contrived model cover next to my beautiful, and lovingly illustrated copies of the first three books. I would have broke down eventually, but I am so glad I will get to read this book and have this cover on the MBP. It's my favorite of the four!

A Love By Any Measure by Killian McRae from Tulipe Noir Press

Why: Because I am in need of an amazing love story, and I know this book will fulfill that need. I read it when it was Fan Fiction and the characters had other names.

The Survival Kit by Donna Freitas from Farrar, Straus & Giroux

Why: Dead moms are always a crowd pleaser. 

Have fun lusting, lovies!

Blessings,

Gabrielle Carolina

Interview with Author, Stephanie Dray

In addition to being the best critique partner a girl could ask for, and an amazing friend, she is one of my favorite storytellers. Readers and bookworms, Stephanie Dray.

Sorceress. Seductress. Schemer. Cleopatra’s daughter has become the emperor’s most unlikely apprentice and the one woman who can destroy his empire…

GC: Lily of the Nile takes place during Selene's teen years, though her adolescence is anything but ordinary, what was the biggest change you knew Selene would have to undergo when you began writing, and what was something about the character's metamorphosis that surprised you?

SD: Cleopatra Selene was a fourteen year old girl who was married off to a young king of a relatively undeveloped kingdom, virtually exiled both from her mother’s Egypt and her father’s Rome. Aside from her own entourage, she was likely to know no one. It must have been very isolating for her. When people are strangers in a new world, they tend to have only two choices. Pine for the past or learn to love a new home. In my novel, Cleopatra Selene does a little of both. She spends the entire novel trying to get back home to her native Egypt, but she also learns to love her new kingdom. And that is her salvation!

GC: Selene has lost a lot by book two, is this something you can relate to? 

SD: I think everyone can relate to loss. If you’ve never lost anything or anyone, and never been hurt, then you probably haven’t lived. To help identify with Selene’s feelings of despair, I did draw upon the times in my life when I’ve been at my lowest. Times when I’ve thought that I was broken and destroyed and had to keep going anyway.

GC: Did Song of the Nile ever intimidate you? In what ways, and how did you press forward?

SD: Gosh, this book was the scariest thing I’ve ever written. First, I was totally haunted by the success of Lily of the Nile, which is a little more oriented towards young adults. I was terrified--heck, I’m still terrified--that readers would not like that Song of the Nile has more intensity to it. More love, more sex, more magic. I wasn’t sure I was going to get to write another book about Selene, so I needed to write this one in a way that there would be closure. (I’m pleased to announce that I just accepted an offer for the final book of the trilogy, so those fears were unfounded!) Finally, like any historical fiction writer I was sweating over the details. We don’t know a lot about the ancient Berbers, so I had to make some tough calls about how to use modern Berber culture as a stand-in for the ancients!

There were times when I had a real crisis of confidence writing this novel, but that’s when the praise of advance-readers like you really helped me cross the finish line!

GC: What differences were there in writing book one and book two as far as deadlines and people counting on you is concerned?

SD: The first novel took me at least five years to research, maybe longer. I had a long time to fine tune it and shape it into the best book I was capable of writing. For Song of the Nile, I had only a year. And maybe that sounds like a very long time, but trust me, I needed every second of it to finish the research and make final decisions about the plot structure. As you know, Selene’s brother Helios plays a large role in Song of the Nile and I was very nervous about that. I must have deleted and added his scenes about twenty times!

GC: If you couldn't write book three from Selene's perspective, whose POV would you write it from, and why?

SD: It’s funny that you ask that. For a long time now I’ve been toying with the idea of using Selene’s daughter, Isidora and her friend, the emperor’s daughter, Julia, as viewpoint characters. Isidora has the advantage of letting us see Selene’s legacy--how life was different for the little girl she raised. And Julia, well, her fresh and sassy voice has always been one of my favorites. We’re tentatively calling the third book Daughters of the Nile, so you might just get some more viewpoints!

***

About Stephanie Dray…

Stephanie graduated with a degree in Government from Smith, a small women’s college in Massachusetts where–to the consternation of her devoted professors–she was unable to master Latin. However, her focus on Middle Eastern Studies gave her a deeper understanding of the consequences of Egypt’s ancient clash with Rome, both in terms of the still-extant tensions between East and West as well as the worldwide decline of female-oriented religion.

Before she wrote novels, Stephanie was a lawyer, a game designer, and a teacher. Now she uses the transformative power of magic realism to illuminate the stories of women in history and inspire the young women of today. She remains fascinated by all things Roman or Egyptian and has–to the consternation of her devoted husband–collected a house full of cats and ancient artifacts.

Song of the Nile (ARC)

Title: Song of the Nile


Author: Stephanie Dray


Publisher: Berkley Trade


Pages: 416


Read Time: Read this one for the intent of editing.


Tag Words: Cleopatra's Daughter series, Selene, Helios, historical fiction, magic, coming of age, young royals


Summary:


Sorceress. Seductress. Schemer. Cleopatra’s daughter has become the emperor’s most unlikely apprentice and the one woman who can destroy his empire…


My Review:



I was given the amazing gift of reading a pre-release copy of this book. In fact I read the manuscript off my computer and got to make suggestions to the author before ARCs were even printed up! Yes! I nearly died "flipping" the pages!

If you read my blog, or follow me on Goodreads, you will know I adored the first book in this series. How? Because I suggested it to all of you. Why? Because it was incredible.

Since then the author and I have grown close and when she offered me the chance to read book two *super* early I couldn't refuse, I needed more Selene, I craved more Helios, and my mind raced with the possibilities of where Song of the Nile could go.

I will admit, I was surprised, and at first confused, I was so invested in these characters, Selene especially, I didn't want them hurt more than they already were. They get hurt, they get hurt badly. I was reminded of this quote while reading some of the more emotionally grueling scenes, "There's a crack in everything- that's how the light gets in." Leonard Cohen.

There are cracks in this book, cracks that push the boundaries of believing Selene would ever bounce back, ever hold power, or be with the one she loves. I even doubted Steph, she took it all away... and gave it back to me again. I am still a tad flabbergasted- how in the world did she do that? I thought all hope was lost, and then, there was a lighthouse, welcoming me back home, flooding me with beauty and brilliance. There is a reason why Stephanie Dray is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors, because she pushed it to the edge, she did something so many authors are afraid to do, and she did it well.

Read it, you won't be disappointed one iota.

  
Notes on the Names:


Isidora, gift of Isis. Couldn't have chosen a better moniker myself. Read the book to know who this fab name belongs to!


Thoughts on the Cover:


I also saw the cover before any of you and I loved it even then! These book covers are magic.


Parental Book Review *spoilers*


Sexual Content: 


There is a lot of sexual content, and what Steph has dubbed, "twincest." Not for the squeamish, or those who cannot bend with the story.


Language: 


None.


Violence:


Rape.


Other Notables:

Selene uses magic given to her by her goddess, Isis. 

Daily Dose (26) A Little of me for you...

Drought (ARC)

Drought

Author: Pam Bachorz

Publisher: EgmontUSA

Pages: 400

Read Time: 4 Days

Tag Words: Dystopia, parallel universe, cults, magic, true love, slavery, fear, breaking free

My Summary:

Ruby dreams of escaping the Congregation. Maybe she would have long ago were it not for their secret of survival... the congregation needs her blood to live.

My Review:

I bet you’ve been reading a lot of bad reviews of this book, right? Yeah, so have I, in fact I took this one over from Reading Teen when it wasn’t quite floating Kit’s boat. I was skeptical, to say the least.

I did like it, maybe I even loved it, but I am so confused by it that I can’t really commit to either emotion.

What is this? Is it a dystopian world, or a parallel universe? Is it suppose to be symbolic and draw parallels to Christianity, therefor mocking my religion, or is it a look into a destructive cult and how being a follower of Christ is so different? And how does Darwin fit in there, because obviously the author was trying to do something with symbolism, these cult members being slaves to a man named Darwin.

I really do not have the answers and I consider myself to be a very intelligent person. I guess I would have to say, hopefully without sounding super prideful, that if I am this conflicted about the motivations behind this novel that maybe somewhere Bachorz jumped the shark in Drought.

I don’t know if I would recommend it, not because it’s bad, but because I can’t decided where I stand on the issue of Drought. Am I thirsting for more? Yes, if only to have some of my questions (hopefully) answered, but will I die without another sip? No, I’ll survive just fine.

Notes on the Names:

Ruby, Sula, Ford, Ellie, Jonah, Hope, Gabe, Earl, Otto, Darwin, Zeke & Boone.

I think they’re cool, what do you think?

Thoughts on the Cover:

I think it embodies the story perfectly, that includes the gritty feeling you get from looking too hard at the misty woods. This isn’t a pretty book, or a pretty cover, but it is perfect.

Parental Book Review *spoilers*

Sexual Content:

Moderate.

Multiple Desperate Kisses.

Language:

Very Mild.

S- 1
D- 2

Violence:

Heavy

Whippings with chains from overseers to members of the congregation.

Slave labor.

Sula receives a very heavy beating from Darwin that Ruby is not a witness to.

The congregants nearly beat Ford to death, killing him was their express intent.

Ruby must cut herself to supply the congregation with blood, which she does multiple times in the story.

Jonah is killed by a fall that snaps his neck and Ellie dies after being denied Ruby’s blood.

Other Notables:

None.

IMM 44: Of Lisps and Sinus Infections

In which my dogs are a piece of work, three pieces, in fact...

Want to win Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu? Follow THIS LINK!

Thank you to:

Walden Pond Press

&

Princess Bookie

Wither (ARC)

Wither (The Chemical Garden Trilogy)

Author: Lauren Destefano

Publisher: Simon and Shuster

Pages: 358

Read Time: 1 Day

Tag Words: Dystopia, sister wives, 2011 debut authors, virus, post apocalyptic, a new take on the love triangle, awesome authors, writing that raises the bar, cover lover, amazing names

My Summary:

A new virus is wiping out the human population. The new generations are groups of ticking time bombs, and they have marked expiration dates.

The men, will die at 25, the women, at 20. It is because of this that girls like Rhine are taken from their homes, and sold as wives to wealthy and prominent men to repopulate a dying world.

Though her sister wives are content to live and die in the mansion where all is an illusion, Rhine has sworn to break free from the clutches of her husband, Linden, and his family.

What Rhine didn’t count on was the manservant Gabriel, and his eyes, blue as the sea she is trying to return to.

My Review:

Oh. My. Gosh. It is so, so, so, so, so, so, so good.

Is Lauren seriously a debut author? No, seriously. Seriously? Whoa.

Lauren Destefano is another author in a recent trend of writers who are raising the young adult bar. Her prose are lyrical, her themes are consistent, her characters are balanced, intricate and raw. Destefano is the masteress of turning taboo subjects into the new world you won’t want to leave, though you pray for escape.

Wither was the first ARC I ever received for review. I still remember the day it came, in one of those brown box-bags where you open up the middle tabs and pop off the top and bottom halves of the packaging. The book was perfectly proportioned and the first thing I saw when ripping off tab one was the pink title, Wither. I knew this book, I was dying for this book, and suddenly, the book was here, before it was anywhere else! I didn’t know how, I’d never sent requests, or entered a contest, and yet there is was, addressed to me!

Obviously Wither had sat in anguish on my shelf, Rhine wondering, I’m sure, what the rejection was all about. I never rejected Rhine, but she seemed like such a key player in the building of my own world that I couldn’t quite bring myself to let our entwined story be over so soon.

After seeing the Fever cover debut, I knew that it was time, because Rhine would rise again. I wish I had read it sooner, I hope you all read it very soon.

Wither is a beautiful portrayal of a girl tethered by a life she never chose, and fears she is growing less and less resistant to. I know I’ve had similar fears, I’m sure most of us have, and yet you’ll never read a book, or truly live a life, like Rhine’s.

Notes on the Names:

The NAMES! I love Lauren, even more now, for the names.

Rhine, Rowan, Gabriel, Linden, Vaughn, Cecily, Bowen, Jenna, Ashby, Ellery, Rose, Lydia, Adair, Elle & Deirdre.

They are so smashing together, it hurts.

Thoughts on the Cover:

Best cover of the year right here.

Parental Book Review *spoilers*

A la, Reading Teen, thanks, Andye!


Sexual Content:  Sex is discussed but not described (prostitution, polygamy, and young girls forced into marriage)

Profanity:  Mild

Violence:  Heavy, though not described

Other Notables:  Drinking by married couples at parties.  Gruesome details of birth and death.

The Vespertine (ARC)

The Vespertine

Author: Saundra Mitchell

Publisher: Harcourt Children’s Books

Pages: 293

Read Time: Did not finish, stopped around page 160 due to content

Tag Words: Historical Fiction, 2011 Debut Author, ghosts, seance, love story

My Summary:

Amelia has just begun her new life in Baltimore in 1889 when the visions begin.

Her new found supernatural powers make her both an outcast and an interest during a rising interest in the paranormal.

When Amelia meets Nathan, a mysterious artist, she falls in love, but some powers are not what they seem and some people are not as you believe they are.

My Review:

The writing of this book is fantastic. In fact, anything Mitchell writes from here on out, that does not involve occult practices as the main attraction, will go on my reading list!

I chose not to finish this book because Amelia’s abilities became the crux of the novel, with spirits inhabiting people, seances etc. The tone of the book was dark and I just don’t go there.

For those of you who are interested in The Vespertine I would pick it up! I was swept off my feet and choosing not to read on wasn’t a choice made lightly.

Notes on the Names:

Amelia and Nathan, very turn of the century, and now back at the height of fashion!

Thoughts on the Cover:

I am so glad this is the final cover of this book! I love it more than the ARC.

Parental Book Review *spoilers*

Sexual Content:

Mild.

Some Kissing.

Language:

None.

Violence:

Moderate.

Amelia considers putting her arm through a window to kill herself.

Other Notables:

Amelia experiences visions.

Occult properties including seances, readings, and ghosts.