Friday, August 31, 2012

Countdown: Missed Titles (1)

While trying to get back into the swing of things on the blog after my crazy, wedding filled Summer, I of course decided to bring back the countdowns.  They're some of my favorites posts to prepare and doing the research on them is always exciting because I seem to always end up pleasantly surprised by how many titles out there that I end up wanting to read in the worst possible way.

So while I've got a huge list already compiled of all the great titles coming out in 2013, I wanted to come back and start first by featuring some reads that I somehow missed in the past year or two.  I'm always both upset and excited to find titles that somehow went under my radar.  Upset because I already feel like I'm behind, and have possibly missed out on great reading experiences, but also excited to finally come across them so that I'll have the chance to make up for lost time and dive right into these intriguing reads.  So here's the start to the missing titles countdown.  Since these have been on the shelves for a while now, if you see any that you've read or heard anything about, let me know and give me your opinion....should I rush them to the top of my TBR pile, or possibly hold off???

Countdown Pick #1: Reckless Magic (Star Crossed, #1) by Rachel Higginso

16 year old Eden Matthews has been in and out of private schools for the last two years.  Kingsley is her last chance to finish high school and she is determined to simply do that.  But when she meets Kiran Kendrick and her world opens to something she thought only existed in fairy tales, she's unsure what her future will hold.  Suddenly she is captivated by a boy who seems to be the source of all of her problems and struggling to rescue her best friend from a foreign prison.  When attempts are made on Kiran's life, Eden alone must save him.  Thrust into a world that is more make-believe than reality, Eden has to find her own destiny without losing those she loves most.  Reckless is an intricate story of mystery, adventure, magic and love.  Eden Matthews is an unlikely heroine set on a path to save the world and her loved ones before its too late.

You guys know I'm a sucker for all things fantasy and romance and this title seems to have an overflow of both, so how can I go wrong right?  With only the book's description to go on, and no previous experience with the author, I'm going to trust my gut here and pick this one up so I can see what all the intrigue is about and what exactly Eden looks like she'll be getting herself into.

Countdown Pick #2:  Eternal Eden (Eden Trilogy, #1) by Nicole Williams

College sophomore Bryn Dawson is a self-proclaimed poster child for normal. However, the day William Hayward enters her life, normalcy is the last thing Bryn will be able to count on if she wants to be with him. Too mysterious and appealing to be good for a girl, Bryn feels drawn to him in a way that seems out of her control—as if fate is orchestrating it.

Despite every red flag and warning siren going off in her head telling her not to, Bryn falls hard for William, knowing he’s categorically different from anyone she’s ever met. She never imagined how right she was. When William takes her deeper into the rabbit hole of his world, Bryn must decide just how much she is willing to sacrifice to be with him, knowing no matter what, fate always finds a way to have the last laugh.

Spinning a new twist on star-crossed lovers, Eternal Eden will put Bryn through a gauntlet of turmoil, challenging her to find the power within herself to become the heroine in her own story.


What girl doesn't love a story about a love that doesn't seem like a good idea but is just too tempting to resist regardless?  As nice as a good old fashioned love story can be, I've always been partial to the romances that  the characters appear to earn.  The ones that may not be such a good idea, or come with obstacles, or have something trying to keep them apart.  When the characters seem to have to work harder to stay together or be able to be together period, I just end up really rooting for those couples and crossing my fingers they get their happy ending.

Countdown Pick #3:  Falling From Grace (Grace, #1) by S.L. Naeole

When you wake up in the morning and your eyes take in the first hints of light that shine through your window, the dust motes catching and reflecting the sun’s rays like little diamonds, the shimmering hues of yellow and orangey gold breaking through into your room, the first thing you think about usually isn’t how you’re going to make it through the worst day of your life.

Unfortunately for Grace Shelley, that’s exactly what she’s facing as she ponders what to do now that she’s going to be starting out her last year in high school without her best friend. She’s not exactly the most popular girl in school - well, not the most popular girl in school to like, anyway - and everything seems to be hinting at another status quo year for her until she bumps into a stranger who leaves her stumbling for words and chasing after her heart.

The new guy in school is different. Robert doesn’t care about the rumors he’s heard about her or that no one else seems to see her the same way that he does; he only wants to be her friend. That’s when things get complicated. When Grace learns that he’s not your typical high school boy and that he’s actually a wingless angel who’s looking for someone to trust, she’s thrust into his world where not all angels are meant to protect human beings, and where the changes she brings into his life changes everything in hers. 


I love a good romantic mystery don't you?  And when there is so much out on the shelves now about vampires and werewolves (although I love those too) a title featuring Angels is always a nice and welcome change of pace.

Countdown Pick #4:  Branded (Fall of Angels, #1) by Keary Taylor

Jessica's had the nightmares for as long as she can remember. Nightmares of being judged for people who have died, of being branded by the angels. Her friends and family think she's a crazy because of it all. Yet she carries the mark of the condemned, seared into the back of her neck, and hides it and herself away from the world.

But when two men she can't ignore enter her life everything changes, including the nightmares. The two of them couldn't be more different. She will do anything to be with one of them. Even tell him the truth about angels, why she never sleeps, and the scar on the back of her neck. But one of the two has set events into motion what will pull her toward her own judgment and turn her into the object of her greatest fear.


Just when I say there aren't enough titles with Angels being featured I come across another one.  I love it!  Here we've got the potential of a love triangle and a whole lot of mystery thrown in as well.  I'm looking forward to seeing what fears Jessica has, and what events one of these guys sets into motion that affects Jessica in more ways than one.

Countdown Pick #5:  Blood Red Road (Dust Lands, #1) by Moird Taylor

Saba has spent her whole life in Silverlake, a dried-up wasteland ravaged by constant sandstorms. The Wrecker civilization has long been destroyed, leaving only landfills for Saba and her family to scavenge from. That's fine by her, as long as her beloved twin brother Lugh is around. But when a monster sandstorm arrives, along with four cloaked horsemen, Saba's world is shattered. Lugh is captured, and Saba embarks on an epic quest to get him back.
Suddenly thrown into the lawless, ugly reality of the world outside of desolate Silverlake, Saba is lost without Lugh to guide her. So perhaps the most surprising thing of all is what Saba learns about herself: she's a fierce fighter, an unbeatable survivor, and a cunning opponent. And she has the power to take down a corrupt society from the inside. Teamed up with a handsome daredevil named Jack and a gang of girl revolutionaries called the Free Hawks, Saba stages a showdown that will change the course of her own civilization.
Blood Red Road has a searing pace, a poetically minimal writing style, violent action, and an epic love story. Moira Young is one of the most promising and startling new voices in teen fiction.

A "handsome daredevil" was enticing I'll admit.  Then to find out that our main character would have a bunch of girls by her side to help her through the obstacles she faces and to fight by her side had my excitement shooting through the roof.  That's all it took and I was adding to this to my TBR and telling myself that even tough I may have missed out on this title when it first hit the shelves, it's not too late to dive in right away.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Review: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

It's the year 2044, and the real world is an ugly place. 

Like most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes his grim surroundings by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia that lets you be anything you want to be, a place where you can live and play and fall in love on any of ten thousand planets. 

And like most of humanity, Wade dreams of being the one to discover the ultimate lottery ticket that lies concealed within this virtual world. For somewhere inside this giant networked playground, OASIS creator James Halliday has hidden a series of fiendish puzzles that will yield massive fortune--and remarkable power--to whoever can unlock them. 

For years, millions have struggled fruitlessly to attain this prize, knowing only that Halliday's riddles are based in the pop culture he loved--that of the late twentieth century. And for years, millions have found in this quest another means of escape, retreating into happy, obsessive study of Halliday's icons. Like many of his contemporaries, Wade is as comfortable debating the finer points of John Hughes's oeuvre, playing Pac-Man, or reciting Devo lyrics as he is scrounging power to run his OASIS rig. 

And then Wade stumbles upon the first puzzle. 

Suddenly the whole world is watching, and thousands of competitors join the hunt--among them certain powerful players who are willing to commit very real murder to beat Wade to this prize. Now the only way for Wade to survive and preserve everything he knows is to win. But to do so, he may have to leave behind his oh-so-perfect virtual existence and face up to life--and love--in the real world he's always been so desperate to escape. 

A world at stake. 
A quest for the ultimate prize. 
Are you ready?


I'm saying it right off the bat....I loved, loved, loved this one!  I honestly didn't want this read to end.  I found myself really wishing that it was a series opener instead of a stand alone title because I would love nothing more than for the story to lead somewhere else so that I wouldn't have to say goodbye to these great characters, this wonderful world, and all the action and excitement Cline brought to the table with this title.

I cannot thank the lovely people at Random House NY for introducing me and sending me a copy of this wonderful book.  Cline's writing was refreshing, easy to relate to, and the type that kept you wanting nothing more than to keep reading even whether during an intense action scene, a romantic flirtation, or just a casual conversation between characters.  As someone who has enjoyed video games but never got crazy into them, I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this title, but I shouldn't have worried.  Cline will have you engrossed in the story after the very first chapter and no one will be able to resist the storyline he's laid out for his readers.

I found myself wishing this was really happening, finally appreciating some of the technology that surrounds us, wondering what it would be like to be able to play out a role in a movie, pick apart a mystery so large that the contest itself could last for years without anyone coming close....the anticipation alone was addicting.

I unfortunately had never heard about this before it was sent to me, but I can tell you that now that I have, I'll be recommending it to everyone I know, making to sure to gift it to my big reader friends, and hoping with crossed fingers that Cline brings another title to the table in the future that lives up to this amazing book!

I gave Ready Player One 5 shamrocks!!!!!

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Review: The Maze Runner (Maze Runner, #1) by James Dashner

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.

Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers. 

Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind.


I had a lot of fun with this one to be honest.  I'm extremely late to the game with this series, but I finally decided that the book had been sitting on my shelf for long enough.  I've had friends compare this series to those like a lot of other great dystopian series out in the stores, so I was trying my best to go into this one without thinking too much about that, so that I didn't end up having any unfair expectations, and I think it worked out.

Dashner's writing was refreshing, easy to keep up with, and had me feeling like I was right there in the action alongside the characters themselves.  I didn't always feel like only an observer, but a part of the story unfolding in front of me.  A lot of times I walk away from a series opener just dying to get my hands on the next book, knowing that if I don't find out what happens next for the characters it'll drive me crazy.  I won't say that I ran right out to the store to get my hands on the second installment, but I'm definitely intrigued to see what happens next for this interesting group.

Now that a lot of the pieces to the puzzle have been answered, I can't help but wonder what other mysteries Dashner has in store for his readers in the next two books.  I'm determined to not let too much time pass by before I dive into the next installment, and I'm crossing my fingers that there aren't too many impossible obstacles laying ahead.  These characters have been through a lot already if you ask me.

I gave The Maze Runner (Maze Runner, #1) 3 shamrocks!!!


Sunday, August 26, 2012

In My Mailbox (59)

This is a meme that I first heard about from Kristi over at The Story Siren and immediately wanted to jump on board. I'm always picking up new books, because I
Linknever tire of reading, but the other thing I like about this meme is that it gives everyone an opportunity to check out what other book fanatics, bloggers, etc... got for themselves. I've gotten great recommendations from this meme and hope that keeps up in the future.

Here's what I got, what did you guys get this week?



For Review:


Refuge by Carole Rummage (Thanks to Cedar Fort Inc.)

Laney Lowell moved across the country to escape her past, not to fall in love. But when she becomes friends with Gabe, a handsome artist plagued by a mysterious disease, she'll have to decide between facing his dark truth or walking away from him forever. This thrilling romance is full of twists that will keep you guessing to the last page.

Never Let You Go by Emma Carlson Berne (Thanks to Simon Pulse)

A love triangle goes horribly wrong in this dark, romantic suspense-thriller from the author of Still Waters.Megan never meant to hurt her best friend, Anna. She made a mistake, and she’s spent all year trying to regain Anna’s trust. So when Anna invites her to spend the summer on her uncle’s farm, Megan is excited…and relieved. The past is finally behind them.

On the farm, Anna quickly falls for Jordan, a rugged summer-hand. Megan and Jordan have their own spark, but Megan’s betrayed Anna once before and she’s not about to do it again.

Still, the more time that Megan and Jordan spend together, the harder it is to deny their chemistry. But Anna doesn’t like to be ignored—and she doesn’t forgive and forget. What started out as the perfect summer is about to take a very dark turn....


Thursday, August 23, 2012

Review: The Faerie Path (Faerie Path, #1) by Allan Frewin Jones


Swept away into a court of magic and beauty, she discovers she is Tania, the lost princess of Faerie: the youngest daughter of Oberon and Titania. Since Tania's mysterious disappearance on the eve of her wedding five hundred years before, Faerie has been sunk in darkness and gloom. The courtly Lord Gabriel Drake, who Tania was once to marry, has found her and brought her back.
With Tania's return, Faerie comes alive again as a land of winged children, glittering balls, and fantastic delights. But Tania can't forget Anita's world, or the boy she loved there.
Torn between two loves and between two worlds, Tania slowly comes to discover why she disappeared so long ago. She possesses a singular magical ability and she must use it to stop a sinister plan that threatens the entire world of Faerie.

Yet another title that I left sitting on my bookshelf for way too long.  I've corrected my mistake in waiting such a long time neglecting this title, and can say that I found yet another fey series that I'm interested in seeing how it will all pan out.  With six books in the series I've got my work cut out for me if I want to see where the rest of the series goes, but after such a wonderful series opener, I don't think I'll find the task very daunting.

I will start out by admitting that I may have found myself wondering what range in ages the author was going for as far as his target audience was concerned...and being an older in age fan of young adult titles I don't think I would fit into that target.  But regardless, while there were a few parts that I found a little tedious, for the most part, the premise and characters won be over from the very beginning.   Despite having several theories of how Jones would wrap up his first series installment I will admit defeat.  I had guessed right on a few of my ideas, but other matters Jones threw me for a loop without a doubt.

If you're a fan of titles surrounding the fey and all things fantasy, this was a fun read that I think most readers will come to enjoy as much as I did.  I've got five other titles to work my way through and I'm really looking forward to the opportunity to do just that.

I gave The Faerie Path (Faerie Path, #1) 3 shamrocks!!!

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Review: Wildwing by Emily Whitman


When Addy is swept back in time, she couldn't be happier to leave her miserable life behind. Now she's mistaken for Lady Matilda, the pampered ward of the king. If Addy can play her part, she'll have glorious gowns, jewels, and something she's always longed for the respect and admiration of others. But then she meets Will, the falconer's son with sky blue eyes, who unsettles all her plans.
From shipwrecks to castle dungeons, from betrothals to hidden conspiracies, Addy finds herself in a world where she's not the only one with a dangerous secret. When she discovers the truth, Addy must take matters into her own hands. The stakes? Her chance at true love . . . and the life she's meant to live.

While I might be late to the game where this title is concerned since it came out in 2010, I'm glad I showed up regardless.  This is a title I received as a gift from a friend and unfortunately let it sit on my shelf for far too long....obviously.  I'm not quite sure what finally had me getting around to taking it off the shelf and giving it a whirl, but I found it highly entertaining.  The idea of Whitman's main character, Addy, getting the chance to escape her current reality and take advantage of a time traveling machine that puts her way back in the day, and at a much high elevated position was fun to say the least.

Who doesn't wish at least once in their life that they could have the chance to walk in someone else's shoes and see what it would be like to lead a different kind of life from their own right?  I know I have on more than one occasion, and Whitman's character gets the chance to do just that.  Time traveling, the intrigues of court life, romance and betrayals, all rolled up into Whitman's title.  It was entertaining, with plenty of twists and turns within the plot to leave readers wondering what would come next, and how Addy could possibly pull off the charade and make things right....but boy did I enjoy myself throughout the process.

I gave Wildwing 3 shamrocks!!!

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Review: Monument 14 (Monument 14, #1) by Emmy Labourne

Your mother hollers that you’re going to miss the bus. She can see it coming down the street. You don’t stop and hug her and tell her you love her. You don’t thank her for being a good, kind, patient mother. Of course not—you launch yourself down the stairs and make a run for the corner.Only, if it’s the last time you’ll ever see your mother, you sort of start to wish you’d stopped and did those things. Maybe even missed the bus.But the bus was barreling down our street, so I ran.Fourteen kids. One superstore. A million things that go wrong. 

In Emmy Laybourne’s action-packed debut novel, six high school kids (some popular, some not), two eighth graders (one a tech genius), and six little kids trapped together in a chain superstore build a refuge for themselves inside. While outside, a series of escalating disasters, beginning with a monster hailstorm and ending with a chemical weapons spill, seems to be tearing the world—as they know it—apart.


This is one of those stories, where the description had me unsettled before I'd even opened up this title to start reading.  The whole premise is scary and beyond eerie.  Who wants to think about the world ending, or being separated from your family and friends if and when that event were to happen?  And the idea of a government project going wrong and having strange and dangerous effects on those individuals who are close by the source?  Not me, that's for sure!

So if you're not a fan of suspense I'm going to go out on a limb here and just say this book probably won't be for you....or at least not one of your favorites.  I'm caught in the middle.  I have to be in the right mood to read a book with a premise like this one, and even if I am in the mood, I often have to take breaks while reading so I don't completely let myself get too freaked out.  This book is intense from start to finish.  The ideas and events can sometimes be a little far fetched, but when you really think about, all of the major events in history and that have occurred within our environment, probably were thought of the same way before they actually happen.

Laybourne has a great writing style that puts her readers a sort of zone so to speak, and she often left me feeling as though I was in the book itself not just reading it on my own time.  This of course had my heart racing and my anxiety levels creeping up on me on more than one occasion.  Without giving away any spoilers it's hard to talk about the characters and events that take place in the story Laybourne lays out for her audience, but it's one I think is worth reading and one a series I'm curious to see unfold further.  So if you haven't had the chance to pick this read up yet, and you're in the mood to make yourself anxious and a little bit stressed out, while enjoying the ride, this title might be right up your alley.

I gave Monument 14 (Monument 14, #1) 3 shamrocks!!!


Sunday, August 19, 2012

In My Mailbox (58)

This is a meme that I first heard about from Kristi over at The Story Siren and immediately wanted to jump on board. I'm always picking up new books, because I Linknever tire of reading, but the other thing I like about this meme is that it gives everyone an opportunity to check out what other book fanatics, bloggers, etc... got for themselves. I've gotten great recommendations from this meme and hope that keeps up in the future.

Here's what I got, what did you guys get this week?


For Review:

Mystic City (Mystic City, #1) by Theo Lawrence (Thanks to Random House Children's Books)


For fans of Matched, The Hunger Games, X-Men, and Blade Runner comes a tale of a magical city divided, a political rebellion ignited, and a love that was meant to last forever. Book One of the Mystic City Novels.

Aria Rose, youngest scion of one of Mystic City's two ruling rival families, finds herself betrothed to Thomas Foster, the son of her parents' sworn enemies. The union of the two will end the generations-long political feud—and unite all those living in the Aeries, the privileged upper reaches of the city, against the banished mystics who dwell below in the Depths. But Aria doesn't remember falling in love with Thomas; in fact, she wakes one day with huge gaps in her memory. And she can't conceive why her parents would have agreed to unite with the Fosters in the first place. Only when Aria meets Hunter, a gorgeous rebel mystic from the Depths, does she start to have glimmers of recollection—and to understand that he holds the key to unlocking her past. The choices she makes can save or doom the city—including herself.

The Kill Order (Maze Runner Prequel) by James Dashner (Thanks to Delacourte Books for Young Readers)

The prequel to the New York Times bestselling Maze Runner series.

Before WICKED was formed, before the Glade was built, before Thomas entered the Maze, sun flares hit the earth and mankind fell to disease.

Mark and Trina were there when it happened, and they survived. But surviving the sun flares was easy compared to what came next. Now a disease of rage and lunacy races across the eastern United States, and there’s something suspicious about its origin. Worse yet, it’s mutating, and all evidence suggests that it will bring humanity to its knees.

Mark and Trina are convinced there’s a way to save those left living from descending into madness. And they’re determined to find it—if they can stay alive. Because in this new, devastated world, every life has a price. And to some, you’re worth more dead than alive.


The Lost Prince (The Iron Fey:  Call of the Forgotten, #1) by Julie Kagawa (Thanks to Harlequin Teen)

Don’t look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them.

That is Ethan Chase’s unbreakable rule. Until the fey he avoids at all costs—including his reputation—begin to disappear, and Ethan is attacked. Now he must change the rules to protect his family. To save a girl he never thought he’s dare to fall for.

Ethan thought he had protected himself from his older sister’s world—the land of Faery. His previous time in the Iron Realm left him with nothing but fear and disgust for the world Meghan Chase has made her home, a land of myths and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies. But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long forgotten.

My name is Ethan Chase. And I may not live to see my eighteenth birthday.


The Demon Catchers of Milan by Kat Beyer (Thanks to Egmont USA)

Mia's ordinary life is disrupted in the most horrifying way possible when she is possessed by a hungry and powerful demon--and only saved by the arrival of relatives from Italy, the country her grandfather fled many decades ago. Now her cousins Emilio and Giuliano say the only way to keep her safe is for her to come back with them to Milan, to live, to learn Italian, to fall in and out of love, and to master the family trade: fighting all demons with the lore of bell, book, and candle. Milan is not what Mia expected, but it will change her forever, in this stunningly well-written novel about an American girl who, fleeing an ancient evil, finds her only salvation in her ancestral home.

Whispers At Moonrise (Shadow Falls, #4) by C.C. Hunter (Thanks to St. Martin's Griffin)


A breathtaking new installment of the bestselling Shadow Falls series for young adults by rising star C. C. Hunter!

At a camp filled with vampires, werewolves, and fairies, Kylie Galen has always struggled to figure out what she is. Now she finally knows the truth—but she's left with more questions than answers. She doesn’t have a clue what her heritage means or how to harness her newfound powers. All she knows is that she needs to sort out her feelings for Derek, the sexy half-Fae who just confessed his love, and Lucas, her werewolf boyfriend who seems more committed to his pack than to their relationship. All the while, Kylie's dealing with a group of underground rogues who want her dead and a mysterious grandfather who makes it clear he doesn’t trust the FRU . . . or Shadow Falls. Soon Kylie will have to choose: Will she stay with the new family she’s formed at Shadow Falls, or will she leave with her grandfather and embrace her destiny?


Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (Thanks to Random House NY)


It's the year 2044, and the real world is an ugly place. 

Like most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes his grim surroundings by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia that lets you be anything you want to be, a place where you can live and play and fall in love on any of ten thousand planets. 

And like most of humanity, Wade dreams of being the one to discover the ultimate lottery ticket that lies concealed within this virtual world. For somewhere inside this giant networked playground, OASIS creator James Halliday has hidden a series of fiendish puzzles that will yield massive fortune--and remarkable power--to whoever can unlock them. 

For years, millions have struggled fruitlessly to attain this prize, knowing only that Halliday's riddles are based in the pop culture he loved--that of the late twentieth century. And for years, millions have found in this quest another means of escape, retreating into happy, obsessive study of Halliday's icons. Like many of his contemporaries, Wade is as comfortable debating the finer points of John Hughes's oeuvre, playing Pac-Man, or reciting Devo lyrics as he is scrounging power to run his OASIS rig. 

And then Wade stumbles upon the first puzzle. 

Suddenly the whole world is watching, and thousands of competitors join the hunt--among them certain powerful players who are willing to commit very real murder to beat Wade to this prize. Now the only way for Wade to survive and preserve everything he knows is to win. But to do so, he may have to leave behind his oh-so-perfect virtual existence and face up to life--and love--in the real world he's always been so desperate to escape. 

A world at stake. 
A quest for the ultimate prize. 
Are you ready?


Libyrinth (Libyrinth, #1) by Pearl North (Thanks to Tor Teen)


In her debut novel, Pearl North takes readers centuries into the future, to a forgotten colony of Earth where technology masquerades as magic and wars are fought over books.

Haly is a Libyrarian, one of a group of people dedicated to preserving and protecting the knowledge passed down from the Ancients and stored in the endless maze of books known as the Libyrinth. But Haly has a secret: The books speak to her. 

When the threat of the rival Eradicants drives her from her home, Haly learns that things are not all she thinks they are. Taken prisoner by the Eradicants, who believe the written word to be evil, she sees the world through their eyes and comes to understand that they are not the book-burning monsters that she has known her entire life.

The words of a young girl hiding in an attic—written hundreds of years before Haly’s birth—will spark the interest of her captors and begin the change necessary to end the conflict between the Eradicants and Libyrarians. With the help of her loyal companion Nod, a creature of the Libyrinth, Haly must mend the rift between the two groups before their war for knowledge destroys them all. Haly’s life—and the lives of everyone she knows—will never be the same.

A powerful adventure that unites the present and future, Libyrinth is a fresh, magical novel that will draw in young readers of all genres.


The Boy from Ilysies (Libyrinth, #2) by Pearl North (Thanks to Tor Teen)


The magical sequel to Pearl North’s critically acclaimed debut novel,LibyrinthOn a world light-years away, Earth is long forgotten, except for the knowledge protected in the vast libyrinth. But that knowledge was threatened by the Singers, who for generations beyond remembering have relied on oral storytelling. They sought to destroy the books in the libyrinth, which they thought would—if read—kill the words they sing, and the knowledge in their songs.

Now a Song has created peace between the Singers and the Libyrarians who work in the libyrinth. However, the libyrinth is quickly running out of food, and the survival of the ancient edifice and those who serve it may depend on Po, a young Ilysian who has had trouble adjusting to life at the libyrinth. Caught between his longings for acceptance and the Machiavellian tactics of his queen, Po is tricked into a crime that causes him to be cast out. He may return only if he retrieves a legendary artifact that may be the answer to all of the libyrinth’s problems…or could turn the world into a barren, lifeless ruin. For Po, life has finally become exciting…but the cost may be his life, and the lives of those he loves.

The Boy From Ilysies is an exciting, fast-paced novel about acceptance, growing up, and learning to trust oneself.


The Boy Recession by Flynn Meaney (Thanks to Poppy Publishing)


It's all about supply and demand when a high school deals with the sudden exodus of male students.

The boy recession has hit Julius P. Heil High, and the remaining boys find that their stock is on the rise: With little competition, even the most unlikely guys have a good chance at making the team and getting the girl. Guitar-strumming, class-skipping Hunter Fahrenbach never wanted to be a hot commodity, but the popular girls can't help but notice his unconventional good looks. With a little work, he might even by boyfriend material.

But for down-to-earth Kelly Robbins, the boy recession is causing all sorts of problems. She has secretly liked her good friend Hunter for a while now, but how can she stand out in a crowd of overzealous Spandexers?

As if dating wasn't hard enough without a four-to-one ratio!


As you guys can see I seem to have hit the jackpot between this week and last week as far as my mailbox is concerned.  I've got a lot a great titles to look forward to and I can't wait to dive right in!!!!


Friday, August 17, 2012

Back to Reality

Now that Summer is drawing to a close I'm starting to get myself organized and prepared for Fall.  It's my favorite time of year and I really try to do my best and start off the season right.  With this past Summer being chalk full of weddings, and all wedding related activities I'm sad to say that despite my best efforts I started to fall behind on the blog front.  I really did try my best but with everything going on, I was lucky that I managed to keep up my reading....not to the extent that I normally do, but still didn't neglect my library completely.

So I've taken a look at my calendar and have started to sketch myself out a rough draft on how I can get back into the swing of things and on track for all things blog related.  I've received some great titles recently as well as in the past few weeks and I can't wait to share my thoughts with you guys.  So bare with me and please forgive my absence lately, but I'm trying to make a full comeback and will hopefully have some great reviews about some exciting titles really soon!


LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails