Since this is my only unlocked post, and because it previously said. "Friends only, comment to be added." the journal rating meme rated my journal as elementary reading level. That irked me, and led me to write the following ridiculous rephrasing of "Friends only, comment to be added.":
Amicable individuals that have previously made my acquaintance are henceforth the only individuals allowed permission to view the musings and transcriptions of thoughts located at this particular congregation of my most personal thoughts. I request that you leave correspondence at this location should you desire to affiliate with aforementioned individuals.

 

My journal is now rated as High School reading level. See? Using superfluous wording does make you sound like a butt wipe more intelligent. At least the internet thinks so.




This has been a long time coming. Drop me a comment and tell me where I know you from (fandom, life, whatever) and we'll go from there 

thanks to bistyboo1974  for the lovely fo banner!</lj>

I seriously CANNOT stop listening to the song snip at the end!

I will preface this by saying that I generally dislike short stories. You don't have enough time in so few words to latch onto the characters, the plot, AND the prose. Generally at least one of the three will suffer.

I'm happy to say, however, that this is not ALWAYS the case. There are a few incredibly gifted authors that manage to pull it off!

My favorite in this collection (not surprisingly) was the story penned by Cassandra Clare: The Mirror House.

This story is told in first person present tense, and that worked unbelievably well! (My list titled "Authors who Successfully Use Present Tense" is now a whopping TWO names long!!!) I'm not going to go too much into the plot of these stories, but I will say that if you liked Jace/Clary...this story has a little something in it for you. ;) The story itself was haunting and I LOVED the ending, but it is always so hard for me to decide if I enjoy the story or the prose better in works by Cassie. I love them both so much it's impossible to tell. The way she manipulates the English language, and the vivid, constant use of descriptive simile makes me green with author envy. This short story alone was well worth the price of the book!

"I try to read, but the words dance on the page like the sunlight dances over the pool water. This kind of weather makes everything dance."

Seriously. There are no words to describe my love.


Also really enjoyable was the story by Libba Bray (who, in case you were wondering, is the other author on that list titled "Authors who Successfully Use Present Tense")

This quote alone should make you want to read this story. "Dude," Baz whispered in my hear, his white-boy dreads tickling the side of my face. "Did the creepy old lady just say 'bump asses with evil?'"

It was really fun to read something so DIFFERENT from Libba. I'm in love with her Gemma Doyle trilogy, but it's nice to see that she can pull off something completely different as well! Such a talented lady!

I also loved Maureen Johnson's story. If you aren't following Maureen online, you really should be. As funny as her blogs are, this story read much the same way. It was such a refreshing read, and I couldn't put it down!

Claudia Gray and Sarah Mlynowski both wrote fun stories as well. All in all, this entire collection is well worth the read!

Seriously. Four cases at the highschool where my hubby works. FAIL.

No school. No Cinco de Mayo. No Springfest. Nothing.

Pandemic much?

If I die, you guys are going to have to fight over my book and music collections. ;)

Adam is taking part in "Road To Recovery" where a group of injured veterans are bicycling across the country. My hubby, Greg, was in charge of putting together one of their stops yesterday, and he wore his lime green and pink "cooler than a mullet" shirt. Adam LOVED it, and offered to buy it. Greg gave it to him and this morning at the conference Adam was wearing it!

One of the men on my Celebrity Do list is wearing a shirt that I laundered.

I wonder if he calls it Vera?

I've been thinking about this a lot lately. Partly because today is a major anniversary in my life - it's been five years to the day since Gryffin's adoption was finalized - and partly because of some other things that are going on right now. Perhaps it's because I was adopted myself and am also an adoptive mommy, but I have a very Whedonesque view of family. There is only one blood relative of mine that I know in the entire world, and I place very little stock in biological connections. But even more than that, it isn't the legal connections that mean family to me either.

Greg isn't my husband -my family- because we have a legally binding certificate that says so. Greg is my family because we love each other so much that we wanted that certificate. The love itself is what makes the family; what makes the marriage. Gryffin isn't my son because the courts filed paperwork changing his name and declaring it. Gryffin is my son because it is impossible for anyone to love a little boy any more than I love him. I'm his mommy because he loves me. We belong together. Conversely, Peyton isn't mine because he grew inside of me. He is mine for the same reason that Gryff is: because I love him. Having a child does NOT make you a mother. Loving and caring for your child does. Mothering, Family...those are ACTIVE things. Choices.

We talk a lot to Gryff about his adoption story, and about how we came together (God sent me to you!) but sometimes it strikes me just how miraculous it really is that in a world as big as ours, we can make our way to the people that become our family. How despite the odds and the miles and the exact orchestration of thousands of tiny little circumstances that must perfectly align to bring us together, we still end up finding the people that mean the most to us. It baffles me. Gryffin's birthmother's path was dictated by so many small choices. Those that led her to get pregnant, those that led her to place, those that led her to choose us. Ours as well. Choices to not try IVF. Choices to initiate the adoption process despite the financial struggle of it, and to go ahead with it despite our youth. If ANY of us had made a single different decision, the connection wouldn't have been made, but that's just what I'm saying. We always find those that we are meant to love.

The ways we find them are often funny and obscure in hindsight. Choosing to meet up with an old friend who introduces us to a new one. Letting your roommate talk you into going out despite your exhaustion and saying yes when that cute guy that's been catching your eye all night asks you to dance. Joining a message board and being ridiculous about a book and a band that mean more to you than most people could possibly understand. Walking down to the pond to dip your feet in the pond on a hot august day when you thought you might melt. The people that mean the very most to me have found me in some pretty simple and pretty obscure ways. So today I'm feeling nostalgic a bit. I have a wonderful, wonderful family made up of relatives and friends. People that I choose to love, and that I am blessed to have love me in return. It makes me optimistic, because you never know what small (or large) choice you may make today that will direct the path of your life to intersect with someone you want to join you for the rest of your journey.

So it seems that 2009 is "The Year of the ARC" around here. Two of the books that I was most eager to have in my grubby little hands (which both are set to release on the same day, March 24th 2009, my husband's birthday) I managed to swing ARCs of in contests held by their authors. Pretty cool, right? I thought so, too. The first book as you know because I haven't shut up about it was CITY OF GLASS by Cassandra Clare. *read THAT spoiler review HERE*

The second book was STARGAZER by Claudia Gray. I will preface this review by saying that I loved EVERNIGHT. I really, really loved it. The characters, the plot, the worldbuilding, the twists, and very most of all, the emotional connect.

As much as I loved EVERNIGHT, STARGAZER was even better!

The book opens at the start of the new school year, months after Bianca and Lucas are separated. The author does a great job of the time progression, both the initial one, and during the several scenes of the book where we fast forward a month or more. You never have that feeling that a narrator is standing over your shoulder booming out "two months later." The transitions are seamless, and really progress the story and help to advance the plot and make the struggles more believable.

The relationships between the characters get more complex and convoluted, and we learn more about the pasts of a few key people. I really enjoyed the exploration of the ties that bind the characters, as well as the non-preachy statement that the plot makes about perceptions and the dangers of moral absolutism. Themes of identity and growth are also touched on, and are handled well in a way that will resonate with younger and more mature readers alike.

But the most important thing about any book is the characters. If you don't connect to them and care about what happens to them, then it doesn't matter how brilliant the plot is. If you don't love and hate them, then it's all in vain. I was absolutely absorbed in the story of Bianca and Lucas and (everyone's favorite vampire) Balthazar. They're written in a way that makes them real, that makes them jump off of the page. Every time I was forced to put this book down for any length of time I found that my mind was still with them. You care about these characters. They matter. I was so sad to read the final page and realize that it will be awhile before I can find out what will happen to them next!

The end of the book left my dying for more. Seriously. The wait is going to be painful.

STARGAZER has firmly sealed the EVERNIGHT books in my list of favorite series. Highly recommended to everyone. These books are suspenseful and fun and romantic and wistful all at the same time. I can't wait to get my hands on the third book in this series!

This is rip-your-hair-out hard to do.

1. City of Glass ~ Cassandra Clare
2. Twilight ~ Stephenie Meyer
3. One Foot in the Grave ~ Jeaniene Frost
4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ~ J.K.Rowling
5. Paper Towns ~ John Green

First of all, I'm so behind on LJ it's not even funny. I'm going to catch up on commenting soon, I promise! In recent WHOA THIS IS SUCH A GOOD BOOK YEAR NEWS!: I won an autographed copy of a Kelley Armstrong book! WHEE! Now, onto more book related nerdiness. Here's a list of the upcoming releases I'm looking forward to. I know I forgot some, there are just TOO many to count. Also, Pride is coming out TOMORROW? Is that right? Cause if so, I am a very happy Marcy, and feel the need to spend the night rereading Stray and Rogue. For serious. Also, I already got and read two of the books on this list, but they are both excellent *cough*CityofGlassismyfavoritebookever*cough* so I've included them anyway! If you see any that I forgot, lemme know!

I'm striking the books as I obtain them. ;)
( SQUEEWORTHY UPCOMING BOOK RELEASES )

Several of my favorites are up for awards, here: Cassandra Clare, Jeaniene Frost, Rachel Vincent, Richelle Mead, Ilona Andrews, Holly Black, Melissa Marr....and more!  GO VOTE PEEPS!

CLICK HERE TO VOTE! YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO! DO IT! DO IT! DO IT!

So my girls andreaeducator  and musicalmolls  just got back from Rockboat. (FINALLY! *glomps her friends*)

There was general sadness that I couldn't go, because seriously like ALMOST ALL OF MY FAVORITE BANDS WERE THERE! So what did my exceptionally amazing friends do? This:
( IN WHICH THERE ARE SWOONY MUSCIAN BOYS )</div>

1. Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
2. Turn to page 56.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post that sentence along with these instructions in your LiveJournal.
5. Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

"Wristwatches were an anachronism in Nineteenth Century."

If anyone can tell me what book that comes from...you get a MAJOR cookie!
HINT: When you read it, you will think I typo'd. I didn't. The way that sentence is phrased is actually a clue as to the book, if, of course, you've read it. ;)

( THIS SHOULD COME AS NO SURPRISE )</div></div></div>

Someone asked me this in the comments of one of my other posts, and I thought it would be a fun post to itself. :)

So, here's the deal. One Dozen Books. If the books are a series, just list your favorite book in that series, not all of them. Try not to cheat...I know this is difficult! I'm tagging ALL OF YOU because you know you want to do this! ;)
( In No Particular Order (other than being visually pleasing) )

It goes without saying that I am a lover of books. Stories, characters, and delicious prose...well...these are things that I throw myself into. My shelves are filled with countless books that i have read and loved, stories that I have enjoyed reading.
I have never enjoyed reading a book as much as I enjoyed this one. Never.

( CLICK ME ~ I'M SPOILER FREE )

Title: Without
Author: marcyjo 
Fandom: The Mortal Instruments
Characters: Simon
Prompt: Without
Word Count: 567
Rating: T
Summary: Simon muses over happily never afters
Warnings: Angsty Simon? ^_^
Disclaimer: Don't own it. No copyright infringement is intended.

 

( Without )

 

 

Title: Relax
Author: marcyjo 
Fandom: The Mortal Instruments
Characters: Alec/Magnus
Prompt: Relax
Word Count: 1,040
Rating: T
Summary: Magnus helps Alec unwind
Warnings: Nada.
Disclaimer: Characters not mine. :) No copyright infringement intended

( Follow Me to Relax )

(I apologize in advance that there are probably several of these going up tonight...I need to get em all up before I read COG!)

The Thoughts

1. Thirteen Reasons Why ~ Jay Asher ~ 01/02/2009
I've had this book on my TBR list for awhile now, but for some reason, I always ended up grabbing something else at the bookstore. xjustadoreher  just read it and left it  a good review, so I felt compelled to grab it this afternoon. I'm very, very glad that I did. You know from the outset that this is not a story with a happy ending. No one is going to be able to save Hannah from herself. In the end, she's going to die, so the book is very much a "journey" rather than a "destination" storytelling. It's one hell of a journey.

I really like the fact that the writing is so disjointed. The jumps from the spoken narrative of the audiotapes to Clay's thoughts to what is happening around him while he listens is jarring. It makes it slightly unsettling to read, which adds to the overall effect of the book. From the very first page a seed of knotted discomfort begins to sprout in your chest, and every single tape that Clay listens to, it blooms a little higher in your throat and puts roots a little deeper in your stomach. I like the gimmick of the pause and play symbols to indicate the status of tape playing.

I love the fact that, in the end, we know next to nothing about Clay, yet we still feel inexorably tied to him. Details are unimportant in light of the emotional revelations. The main thing we know about him at all is the way that others view him, more appropriately, we know the way Hannah views the way others view him. It's a very John Green type of commentary which pulls me back to LFA and PT, that we can never really know another person, we can never be that person.  All we have is perception, and perception is a very flawed and dangerous thing. Parts of this story aspired to John Green like genius. They didn't quite reach it for me (but honestly, I doubt anyone could ever equal John), but there were moments that came very close. This book made you think, and it made you feel. It was an eye opening statement about selfishness and self-absorption, as well as thoughtless actions. Hannah herself admitted that what she was doing was selfish, and that she was just giving up. They say we are all the hero of our own story, but Hannah's story proves that sometimes there is no hero. Sometimes there's just a lot of people stumbling around in the dark.  I highly recommend this book.

2. Blue is for Nightmares ~ Laurie Faria Stolarz 01/02/2009
Not bad. Not one of my favorites either. I guessed at the ending pretty early in the story and it seemed like it took a long time to get there. I could have done without all the in depth description of what every detail symbolized in all of the rituals, but when there was action, it was well written. I know several people who really like the series, so I'm likely to keep going with it, keeping in mind that BIFN was her first book.

3. Wondrous Strange ~ Lesley Livingston 01/10/2009
Wondrous Strange is one of those gems that I stumbled across completely by accident. I was in the book store looking to grab the second book in the BIFN series and of course I had to spend some time browsing while I was there. The cover of this book (gorgeous yes?) caught my attention, as did the title. Both of them put me in mind of "Wicked Lovely."

It was too much to resist. Without even reading the inside flap, I grabbed the book and headed to the register. This was a fortuitous happening.

I'm not going to say too much, as to not give anything away (since you know me well enough by now to know that I will hound you until you read this)but I couldn't get enough of these characters! The story is chock full of fae lore, which is fantastic for those already mildly versed in it (whether through the myths themselves or vicariously through other authors such as Holly Black or Melissa Marr) and explained enough that complete novices in that world will not be lost.

The first half of the story is very whimsical and fun. So many of the little details that I crossed made my lips turn up into that grin that makes my husband shake his head tolerantly at me; the smile of a satisfied and enchanted reader. The last half of it made my head spin with the suddenness of some of the plot points. That sounds like a negative, but it honestly wasn't. The chaos of that part of the story flows with the sudden chaos and confusion of the main characters. It works. Well.

The romance is sweet without being overtly cheesetastic. Parts of the interaction between Kelley and Sonny are hilarious, as he isn't quite accustomed to some modern speech patterns, and they sort of baffle and confuse each other when they first meet (and later as well.) It's a cute and sweet little commentary on communication that I really enjoyed.

The end was satisfying (again with the looking hopefully to the future as opposed to the everyting-is-so-happy-with-rainbows-and-pants-that-never-wrinkle ending) though it left me desperately hoping that a sequel is in the works.

PLEASE LET THERE BE A SEQUEL IN THE WORKS.

All in all, I'm very pleased. Even more so that my copy of the book is a first edition. I have a suspicion this author is going places. ;)

4. City of Glass by Cassandra Clare 01/15/2009

It goes without saying that I am a lover of books. Stories, characters, and delicious prose...well...these are things that I throw myself into. My shelves are filled with countless books that i have read and loved, stories that I have enjoyed reading.
I have never enjoyed reading a book as much as I enjoyed this one. Never.

It's a scary thing when you get to the final book in a series or trilogy that you particularly care about. There's a certain amount of apprehension involved,correlating directly to your emotional involvement to the story and characters. Its tricky for the author to wrap things up in a way that is true to the characters,  consistent with the themes of the previous books, ties up the major and minor story arcs, and is still enjoyable to read. I've never read the final book in any series that managed to seamlessly do all of those things. City of Glass did.

The characters in a story like this should be expected to change, to be affected by the events around them, and to react to them in some way. This was handled fantastically!

Clary was very Clary-ish. Particularly early on in the book she was just as rash and independent and headstrong as ever. Watching her character progression over the span of the book (as well as the series), I must say that she usurps Gemma Doyle for the crown of female protagonists in the category that I refer to as "Girls Who Do Things." And she does "Do Things." Regardless of the fact that Jace disabled her truck tried to keep her from Idris, despite the fact that she lacks the training or even the in depth knowledge of their society, Clary refuses to sit on the sidelines. She refuses to be relegated to the role of bystander or victim. She was very true to the character that we got to know in City of Bones and City of Ashes.

Jace, well, what can I say. Jace's journey here is epic. As he has in every book before, he broke my heart. Watching him struggle with himself, with his past, with things he cannot control...it is beautiful.

The 'minor' characters (though I am loathe to call them that, seeing how real and well developed they are) really shine here, too. I can't really elaborate without giving anything away, but WOW. They all grow to meet the challenges before them, and we see a different side of *everyone* in Idris, though they stay true to the characters we knew. To say that I am ecstatic about the character development here is a gross understatement.

All of the story arcs--both for the individual characters as well as the main conflicts--are tied up nicely. The foundations for everything that happens have been building since COB. The resolutions are not gratuitous or indulgent. They feel as if--rather than the writer giving the series the ending she wanted it to have, regardless of whether or not it fit the themes of the other books--the author allowed these characters to tell their stories through her. It was the way endings should be...but so rarely ever are. Nothing in this book (or the epilogue) will taint your love for the series...it will grow it.

Ashley said that reading City of Glass was like riding a roller coaster in the dark, and she was not wrong. I laughed, I cried, I squealed, I shouted at the characters, I yelled "Yes!" and "No!" Oftentimes I did all of those things within the span of a single chapter. It's an emotional whirlwind reading experience. I was physically unable to put the book down from the moment I picked it up. And the ending?  Well, the ending left me breathless.

I don't say this lightly: there are probably two dozen books that I easily list as "one of my favorite books of all time."

City of Glass is not on that list.

City of Glass *IS* my favorite book of all time.

For sheer emotional connect, suspense, excitement, character WIN, romance, frighteningly believable villainy goodness, and moments that made me flail around like a toddler in the candy closet, it is unparalleled. Amazing. Wonderful. Fantastic. Words fail me.

So for those of you eagerly counting down the days between now and March 24, take heart. City of Glass is well worth the wait. I had really high expectations for it, really high hopes, and it wasn't as good as I thought it would be. It was better.

5. Graceling ~ Kristin Cashore   1/18/2009
People kept raving about this book, and I knew I needed something both fantastic and fantastical if I was ever going to be able to move on from City of Glass. I mean, honestly, what does one read after finishing  the book that takes over the spot of "Favorite of All Time?" I considered and discarded several options, the first being to reread City of Bones and City of Ashes. Every time I read them, I ended up back in Glass. *grin* But anyway, I had heard wonderful things about Graceling, and lets not lie, the cover sort of called to me, so Graceling it was.

Let me start out by saying that I am having a really good reading year so far. Graceling bumps one of my top 12 books off the meme I just did, easily. The first 50 pages in, I kept thinking "I wonder if </a></b></a>handyhunter  has read this yet...this is *so* a book for her. This is very in keeping with the Girls Who Do Things genre, and the protagonist of the story is a very take charge kind of girl. By the time I finished reading it, it was pretty clear that Katsa is this generations Aerin.

Katsa is a superb heroine, and I absolutely adore Po and Bitterblue and Raffin. I'm always a character reader, and I was completely enthralled by this cast. So much so that I read all 480 pages in one sitting. Much, much love! I laughed and I cried. I cheered.

There were consequences. There was a realistic ending. There was extremely poignant prose.

I cannot wait to to read the two companion books, Fire, and Bitterblue!

6. The Fetch by Laura Whitcomb ~ 01/26/2009
This book was not what I was expecting. I do love Laura's style. It has a dry lyricalness to it. Even the emotionally intense scenes come across as calm and completely static. I can't decide if I really like that, or if it sort of bothers me. Its the same way with her ACSOL. I really really like it, though I have trouble pinpointing exactly WHY. Calder is a lovely character though, and it was an interesting take on the myth and story.

7. The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong 01/28/2009
I think having read the women of the otherworld weries made this book better for me, because I knew what was gong on before the characters did. I adored this book! I cannot wait for the sequel! Hurry up sequel, hurry up!

8. Evernight by Claudia Gray 01/31/2009
I curled up in bed last night with the intention of reading a chapter or so and then going to sleep, but I didn't stop reading until I'd turned the final page.

The author "got" me. One of the reveals I saw coming before it happened, but the other caught me off guard, which I love.

Also, Garrett Hedlund is totally my Lucas. jsyk. ;)

9. Stray by Rachel Vincent 02/02/2009
This was a reread because Pride just came out, and I wanted to brush up on my Werecats before I dove into the new one! SO GOOD! I absolutely love this series, Rachel Vincent FTW. Marc is YUMMY! Also, I'm amused that this was book #9 last year, and book #9 this year. Tehee

10. Rogue by Rachel Vincent 02/04/2009
This was another reread so that I can read Pride and remember all of the nuances! I LOVE THIS SERIES SO FREAKING MUCH! I FORGOT ABOUT THE HEARTFAIL...<3

11. Pride by Rachel Vincent 02/11/2009
EASILY my favorite in the series! I won't lie, I cried like a baby. I can't WAIT for Prey!  This past week we went to a book signing of Rachel's, and she was charming and nice and I won a coverflat for the next book, which makes me ridiculously exciting. Absolutely on the favorite author list!

12. Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan 02/11/2009
This was adorable. I loved it.

13. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon 02/19/2009
This was good. LONG but good.

14. Eternal by Cynthia Leitich Smith 02/20/2009
oh, HAI! This author totally lived up to the potential of this plotline. It was SO MUCH FUN. I pwns Tantalize so hard. I'm ready for book 3!

15. Bones of Faerie by Janni Lee Simner 02/24/2009
I'd been aching to read this book, because every review I've read said that it was fantastic. It was, in fact, fantastic. I LOVE the characters. I love the things that are hinted at but never fully explained. This book was nothing less than a joy to read!

16. Fade by Lisa McMann 02/25/2009
Excellent sequel. I love this series, and I love this author. Brilliant storytelling and very original premise!

17. Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan 02/26/2009
This book was so freaking adorable. So cute. So sweet. Much love. The thought of David and John Green cowriting a book together makes my little fangirly heart go a patter.

18. Stargazer by Claudia Gray 03/04/2009
As much as I loved EVERNIGHT, STARGAZER was even better!

The book opens at the start of the new school year, months after Bianca and Lucas are separated. The author does a great job of the time progression, both the initial one, and during the several scenes of the book where we fast forward a month or more. You never have that feeling that a narrator is standing over your shoulder booming out "two months later." The transitions are seamless, and really progress the story and help to advance the plot and make the struggles more believable.

The relationships between the characters get more complex and convoluted, and we learn more about the pasts of a few key people. I really enjoyed the exploration of the ties that bind the characters, as well as the non-preachy statement that the plot makes about perceptions and the dangers of moral absolutism. Themes of identity and growth are also touched on, and are handled well in a way that will resonate with younger and more mature readers alike.

But the most important thing about any book is the characters. If you don't connect to them and care about what happens to them, then it doesn't matter how brilliant the plot is. If you don't love and hate them, then it's all in vain. I was absolutely absorbed in the story of Bianca and Lucas and (everyone's favorite vampire) Balthazar. They're written in a way that makes them real, that makes them jump off of the page. Every time I was forced to put this book down for any length of time I found that my mind was still with them. You care about these characters. They matter. I was so sad to read the final page and realize that it will be awhile before I can find out what will happen to them next!

The end of the book left my dying for more. Seriously. The wait is going to be painful.

STARGAZER has firmly sealed the EVERNIGHT books in my list of favorite series. Highly recommended to everyone. These books are suspenseful and fun and romantic and wistful all at the same time. I can't wait to get my hands on the third book in this series!

19. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan ~ 03/15/2009
I've been itching to get my hands on this book for months, and I had very high expectations for it from the early reviews and synopsis that I found.

I wasn't prepared to be as blown away by this story as I am.

The story, the characters, the themes, the prose. All of it...beautiful.
I never thought it would be possible to describe a story that contains zombies that way, but it is. Beautiful, and stunning, and absolutely heartbreaking. It would be a lie to say that some...more I've been itching to get my hands on this book for months, and I had very high expectations for it from the early reviews and synopsis that I found.

I wasn't prepared to be as blown away by this story as I am.

The story, the characters, the themes, the prose. All of it...beautiful.
I never thought it would be possible to describe a story that contains zombies that way, but it is. Beautiful, and stunning, and absolutely heartbreaking. It would be a lie to say that some parts of this book made me cry, because the truth of it is that some parts made me sob.

The fences and the Unconsecrated are perfect symbols, and can be taken very personally. This is one of those books that gets under your skin and stays with you for days. It makes you want to believe in the ocean, too.

I absolutely can't wait to read the sequel, and anything else this fantastic new author pens!

20. Vacations from Hell 05/27/2009
I will preface this by saying that I generally dislike short stories. You don't have enough time in so few words to latch onto the characters, the plot, AND the prose. Generally at least one of the three will suffer.

I'm happy to say, however, that this is not ALWAYS the case. There are a few incredibly gifted authors that manage to pull it off!

My favorite in this collection (not surprisingly) was the story penned by Cassandra Clare: The Mirror House.

This story is told in first person present tense, and that worked unbelievably well! (My list titled "Authors who Successfully Use Present Tense" is now a whopping TWO names long!!!) I'm not going to go too much into the plot of these stories, but I will say that if you liked Jace/Clary...this story has a little something in it for you. ;) The story itself was haunting and I LOVED the ending, but it is always so hard for me to decide if I enjoy the story or the prose better in works by Cassie. I love them both so much it's impossible to tell. The way she manipulates the English language, and the vivid, constant use of descriptive simile makes me green with author envy. This short story alone was well worth the price of the book!

"I try to read, but the words dance on the page like the sunlight dances over the pool water. This kind of weather makes everything dance."

Seriously. There are no words to describe my love.


Also really enjoyable was the story by Libba Bray (who, in case you were wondering, is the other author on that list titled "Authors who Successfully Use Present Tense")

This quote alone should make you want to read this story. "Dude," Baz whispered in my hear, his white-boy dreads tickling the side of my face. "Did the creepy old lady just say 'bump asses with evil?'"

It was really fun to read something so DIFFERENT from Libba. I'm in love with her Gemma Doyle trilogy, but it's nice to see that she can pull off something completely different as well! Such a talented lady!

I also loved Maureen Johnson's story. If you aren't following Maureen online, you really should be. As funny as her blogs are, this story read much the same way. It was such a refreshing read, and I couldn't put it down!

Claudia Gray and Sarah Mlynowski both wrote fun stories as well. All in all, this entire collection is well worth the read!

21.

22. The Vast Fields of Ordinary ~ Nick Burd   July 4, 2009

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The List

1. Rebel Angels ~ Libba Bray
2. The Sweet Far Thing ~ Libba Bray
3. Blood Price ~ Tanya Huff
4. Dead Until Dark ~ Charlaine Harris
5. Grave Surprise ~ Charlaine Harris
6. An Ice Cold Grave ~ Charlaine Harris
7. Grave Sight ~ Charlaine Harris
8. Living Dead in Dallas ~ Charlaine Harris
9. Stray ~ Rachel Vincent
10. The Last Days ~ Scott Westerfeld
11. Briar Rose ~ Jane Yolen
12. The Hero and the Crown ~ Robin McKinley
13. The Secret Hour (Midnighters Series book 1) ~ Scott Westerfeld
14. Touching Darkness (Midnighters Series book 2) ~ Scott Westerfeld
15. Blue Noon (Midnighters Series book 3) ~ Scott Westerfeld
16. The Turning (Blood Ties Book One) ~ Jennifer Armintrout
17. The Midnight Club ~ Christopher Pike
18. The Time Traveler's Wife ~ Audrey Niffenegger
19. Speak ~ Laurie Halse Anderson
20. Vampire Academy ~ Richelle Mead
21. Marked (a house of night novel) ~ PC Cast and Kristin Cast
22. Betrayed (a house of night novel) ~ PC Cast and Kristin Cast
23. Chosen (a house of night novel) ~ PC Cast and Kristin Cast
24. Blue Bloods ~ Melissa De La Cruz
25. Masquerade ~ Melissa De La Cruz
26. Rogue ~ Rachel Vincent
27. Halfway to the Grave ~ Jeaniene Frost
28. Dead Witch Walking ~ Kim Harrison
29. The Good, The Bad, and the Undead ~ Kim Harrison
30. Every Which Way but Dead ~ Kim Harrison
31. A Fistful of Charms ~ Kim Harrison
32. For a Few Demons More ~ Kim Harrison
33. Prom Nights From Hell ~ Anthology (Meyer, Harrison)
34. One Foot in the Grave ~ Jeaniene Frost
35. The Outlaw Demon Wails ~ Kim Harrison
36. Club Dead ~ Charlaine Harris
37. The Host ~ Stephenie Meyer
38. Dead to the World ~ Charlaine Harris
39. Dead as a Doornail ~ Charlaine Harris
40. Definitely Dead ~ Charlaine Harris
41. Twilight ~ Stephenie Meyer
42. New Moon ~ Stephenie Meyer
43. Eclipse ~ Stephenie Meyer
44. Blood Noir ~ Laurell K. Hamilton
45. Lover Enshrined ~ JR Ward
46. Succubus Blues ~ Richelle Mead
47. Succubus on Top ~ Richelle Mead
48. Frostbite ~ Richelle Mead
49. Weddings from Hell ~ Anthology
50. Magic Bites ~ Ilona Andrews
51. Magic Burns ~ Ilona Andrews
52. Wicked Lovely ~ Melissa Marr
53. Ink Exchange ~ Melissa Marr
54. Tithe ~ Holly Black
55. Ironside ~ Holly Black
56. Looking for Alaska ~ John Green
57. Wake ~ Lisa McMann
58. The Scent of Shadows ~ Vicki Pettersson
59. The Taste of Night  ~ Vicki Petterson
60. The Touch of Twilight  ~ Vicki Pettersson
61. Alltogether Dead ~ Charlaine Harris
62. Fairest ~ Gail Carson Levine
63. A Certain Slant of Light ~ Laura Whitcomb
64. Darkhenge ~ Catherine Fisher
65. The Starlight Crystal ~ Christopher Pike
66. Breaking Dawn ~ Stephenie Meyer
67. Storm Born ~ Richelle Mead
68. Hell's Belles  ~ Jackie Kessler
69. Moon Called ~ Patricia Briggs
70. Blood Bound ~ Patricia Briggs
71. Iron Kissed ~ Patricia Briggs
72. Bitten ~ Kelley Armstrong
73. Stolen ~ Kelley Armstrong
74. Dime Store Magic ~ Kelley Armstrong
75. Industrial Magic ~ Kelley Armstrong
76. Cry Wolf ~ Patricia Briggs
77. Haunted ~ Kelley Armstrong
78. Broken ~ Kelley Armstrong
79. No Humans Involved ~ Kelley Armstrong
80. Touch the Dark ~ Karen Chance
 81. Carpe Demon (Demon Hunting Soccer Mom) ~ Julie Kenner
82. Claimed by Shadow ~ Karen Chance
83. Embrace the Night ~ Karen Chance
84. Personal Demon ~ Kelley Armstrong
85. Immortal (Anthology) ~ Editor PC Cast
86. In the Forests of the Night ~ Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
87. From Dead to Worse ~ Charlaine Harris
88. As of Yet Unpublished Novel EOL ~ by EMR
89. At Graves End ~ JF
90. Possession ~ Jennifer Armintrout
91. City of Bones ~ Cassandra Clare
92.  City of Ashes ~ Cassandra Clare
93. Untamed (a house of night novel) ~ PC Cast and Kristen Cast
94. Uglies ~ Scott Westerfeld
95. Pretties ~ Scott Westerfeld
96. Specials ~ Scott Westerfeld
97. Faerie Wars ~ Herbie Brennan
98. The Purple Emperor ~ Herbie Brennan
99. Ruler of the Realm ~ Herbie Brennan
100. Flowers in the Attic ~ VC Andrews
101. An Abundance of Katherines ~ John Green
102. Paper Towns ~ John Green
103. Let it Snow ~ John Green, M Johnson, L Myracle
104. Shadow Kiss ~ Richelle Mead
105. Havemercy ~ Jaida Jones & Danielle Bennett
106. Valiant ~ Holly Black
107. Succubus Dreams ~ Richelle Mead

 

 

 

 

 

1. 1/05/2008 I've read this book before, and found it just as enjoyable the second time. I wanted to smack Gemma for missing what was so glaringly obvious. I'd not payed much mind to the chess game between Gemma and her father the first time I read it, but it made me smile this time. Up next is The Sweet Far Thing, and I can't wait to find out how everything ends for Gemma (and Kartik. Dear sexy Kartik)

2. 1/11/2007 I cried like an idiot. Up until the very last page, *I* kept expecting him to show up on the lawn, too. When she went back to the realms, I was holding out every hope that he would be there, and she would bring him home, they would move to India, and the dream they shared in the Temple would come true. That being said, I thought it was beautiful in the hopefullness despite the loss ending.  As for Pippa and Fee, I SOOOO called it. In AGATB when they are discussing 'Sophists' in the cave, their reactions made me wonder...and then as the story and relationships progressed, I REALLY began to wonder. I would be lying if I didn't say "HA!" out loud when I read the confirmation of it. As for the true villian, I won't lie. I had this one figured out very early on (or most of it, anyway) but that in no way hampered my enjoyment of reading it. I absolutely ADORE Libba Bray's writing, and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

Although, was anyone else bothered by the sudden change in the Spence School Motto? It was "Grace, Charm, and Beauty." Now it is (and they act as if it always was) "Grace, Strength, and Beauty." Hmmph.

I love that Ann finally stepped out and made her own destiny, and that she found the strength to do it without the magic (I didn't believe she would actually sing on the street!), and that Felicity finally will have the freedom to callous and ill mannered, and under no ones wing. I love Tom's reaction to Gemma with the Rakshana. I love each and every little thing about Kartik. His faults, his words. He is quite possibly the most romantic male in the pages of any book. Not because of his flowery words, but because of the grit of him, and his actions. Love me some Kartik. Gemma is one of the best heriones I have ever had the pleasure to accompany along her journeyShe made me think about the cages we allow others to fit us in, the cages we construct for ourselves, and those we try to bridle each other with. Maybe we haven't come so far after all..


3. 1/16/2008. This book was kind of a let down. Don't get me wrong. The writing wasn't bad, exactly. And the story itself was good. I think part of it was that I'd seen this story before. The pilot of Blood Ties was, in essence, this book....but better. I think thats a big part of my peeve with it. The TV show is much better than the book. That shouldn't happen. Ever. But it did. Also, there were a crazy number of POV swaps. Paragraph to paragraph you didn't know whose head you were going to be in. It was distracting. 

And Henry Fitzroy isn't actually a writer of comic books...he writes trashy romance novels under the pseudonym Elizabeth Fitzroy. TV Henry pwns book Henry, who is also four inches shorter than Vicki. I've already bought the other four books, so I will probably read them...but not yet. I'm moving on. 

4. 1/17/2008. So, after the dull as dirt Tanya Huff book, Im ecstatic to say that I read the first Sookie Stackhouse book, Dead Until Dark) and absolutely adored it! The writing is witty and fun, and the plot was good. The outcome hadn't been completely obvious from the get go, and there were tons of cute surprises. It also made me wonder if Eric Kripke is a Sookie fan, what with the whole Sam/Dean thing. *snork* I can't wait to read the rest of them! I confess that this book has been sitting on my shelf for quite some time. It came highly reccd, but everyone talked about what a 'fun' read it was. For some unknown reason, that discouraged me from reading it. I guess in my own prejudiced mind I wasn't expecting a story about a girl named Sookie and a Vampire named Bill (seriously, what is WITH these names for Vamps. Bill, Edward, Henry...BORING) to be any good. Well, I'm not too proud to admit when I am wrong. It isn't good. It is GREAT! And how much fun was the cameo by the man from memphis? 

5. 1/19/2008  LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT. I think I prefer it to Sookie, actually. *starts next Harper Connely book immediately* 

6. 1/20/2008 ~ Yup. Definitely prefer Harper to Sookie. There won't be another Harper book for well over a year. Pity. 

7. 1/24/2008 ~ I didn't realize that this was the first book in this series. I read 2 and 3 first accidentally, but I loved it anyway. It was cute to watch the foreshadow of Halliver in the making. Great story, great book great author! 

8. 1/25/2008 ~ Still loving Charlaine, still loving Sookie. Yay for Dallas!  However, it did seem like this book had climax issues...the real climax of the book was in the middle, and then there was the orgy and random other bits that seemed less important than the events that happened earlier...maybe it's just me?

9. 1/26/2008. HOLY BOOKGASM. This has been my favorite book so far this year. Absolutely fantastic. I love Faythe's independence, I love Marc....OH HOW I LOVE MARC. It is currently 2:30 am, and thus I cannot completely and accurately convey how much I LOVE this book...but I will come back and add to this later. :D

10. 1/31/2008

11. 2/01/2008: Briar Rose was about the Holocaust. Though it is fiction, much of it was true. It was about the Granddaughter of a women who constantly told the story of Sleeping Beauty, and actually claimed to BE Briar Rose. The Grandmother had made Becca (the grandaughter) promise to find "her castle" on her deathbed, and the story is about Becca's quest to learn about Gemma (the grandma). The fairytale is a metaphor for Gemma's real life. It is a very touching book. It is YA, and quite short. The language is simple, but the message behind it holds real power. 

A mist. A great mist. It covered the entire kingdom. And everyone in it--the good people and the not-so-good, the young people and the not-so-young, and even Briar Rose's mother and father fell asleep. Everyone slept; lords and laides, teachers and tummlers, dogs and doves, rabits and rabbitzen and all kinds of citizens. So fast asleep they were, they were not able to wake up for a hundred years." 

"Are you a hundred years, Gemma?"

"Not yet."

"Is a hundred a lot?"

"A hundred years is forever."

I was drawn to Briar Rose because Sleeping Beauty is my favorite. My favorite fairy tale, my favorite ballet, my favorite Disney movie. The end all. When I ordered it from paperbackswap, I assumed it was just a retelling of the story. I've only read one fairy tale retelling: Beauty by McKinley (which I ADORE, and which is actually referenced in this book, and I quote: "She went to bed and finished only a few pages of McKinley's Beauty, a book she reread whenever she felt troubled." When it actually arrived I read the back and was immediately taken with the idea. I read the whole thing through this evening. Pure love.  I really can't say enough about it.


12. 2/03/2008: I adored it. I loved the quest. I loved the determination. I loved the characters, the mythology built into it, and the pacing. There was very little form or flow to the pacing, which I think fit nicely. It wasn't predictable. The major conflicts weren't lined up evenly. It made it more realistic (rofl...realistic fantasy, you know what I mean) and more entertaining. I was very happy with the ending, and suddenly have a desire to begin riding horses. *giggle* I plan to read The Blue Sword very soon. :D


13. 2/04/08: The Secret Hour is the first book in the Midnighters Trilogy. Firstly, if you've read it, you will realize the irony of the fact that it was book # 13 of my 2008 reading list.  :D I have to say that I absolutely adore this entire cast. There is the same sort of quirkyness here that I really liked in Peeps, and that I thought was slight overkill in The Last Days. Jessica is just so...normal.(something about you is so...11:59) She is a perfect contrast to the others and their varying degrees of crazy. :D The characters are funny and likable, the plot is solid, and more importantly, the world that Westerfeld has built is vivid and crazy fun to read. I read the whole book in one sitting and woke up the next morning to drive to Borders to get books 2 and 3...with my two kids in tow. You know they have to be something special for me to deem an out of town trip to a bookstore with a 2 and a 4 year old worthwhile. ;) Also, I found myself counting everything I heard to see if it was a tridecalogism. ;)

14. 2/05/2008: Touching Darkness was the 2nd Midnighter Book. Again, great character development, character continuity, and I really liked the plot of this one, too. Westerfeld does a fantastic job of not letting the novelty of this new world wear off on the reader. The person we meet in this book (who we briefly glanced in the first) is very interesting. ;) Oh, and I <3 Jonathan.

15.2/07/2008: Blue Noon was the final book in the Midnighters Series, and it was a fantastic way to close it out. I've heard some complaint about the way the series ended, but it was right up my alley. Weve had this discussion before, I think there should be a price, and there is...and it isn't unbearable. I think it was brilliant. :D

 
16. 2/08/2008: I really liked this book once I got into it. Nathan/Nolen is awesome as a closed down male (and the wedding ring thing at the end...grah! I love Carrie. I love how quickly she "gives in" to her nature. Its just about perfect. :D
17. 2/08/2008. Ah. What can be better than rediscovering old favorites? I was really in the mood for this after I read the Armintrout book. It isn't that I don't like the new books. The new Vamp series. New paranormal. But it all makes me long for the way books used to make me feel, before I had read hundreds of them (probably thousands actually) When stories themselves were novelties, and I first fell in love with them. Christopher Pike was my first literary obsession, and when I return to the first books I became enamoured with, I'm taken back in time. I remember reading it on a Summer day, my 12th birthday, when I had taken all $150 of my birthday money to half price books and spent every last penny of it (along with about $30 I had saved up) on books. I had them all read in less than a month. Im back in the chaise lounge beside the pool, my face not getting tan with the rest of my body because the book is blocking the sun. I remember being the aide in gym class, and spending the class periods in the locker room sprawled out on the uncomfortable bench oblivious to the pain in my back and the odor of smelly socks because I was somewhere very far away absorbed in a story I already knew by heart. I'm in the backseat of my Mom's Lexus, realizing that shes put out with me because I haven't heard a word of her 20 minute speech about our family's vacation plans. My nose was in a tattered old book.  I'm back in Greg's college house, not studying for tomorrow morning's A&P final, because I finally unpacked my last box in my dorm room, and found at the very bottom of the box a book that had been read so many times that the cover was no longer attached to the pages. I love this book. I hold it, and I remember.  Favorite books remind us of who we are better than our own handwritten journals could ever hope to. 

18. 2/13/2008: The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger  

Okay, there isn't enough tissue in the world for this. I cried so hard it wasn't even crying anymore. I sobbed. The book was so good, but so sad. I don't even know what to say. Phenomenal story. Loved it loved it loved it...and hated it. I hear they are making a movie? Should be interesting...I'm not sure if I will see it (though I probably will) I need a really perky book next...

19. 2/14/2008: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Yeah. I didn't move on to perky. I read Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson. This book was very powerful. Very moving. This one definitely found a home on the shelf of books that I will, no doubt, read again. If I had a daughter, I would want her to read it...as it is, I will likely have my sons read it when they are older. The very IDEA of this book being banned makes my eyeballs flame (which would be a cool, if somewhat painful superpower to have). Stupid Stupid Censory People.

20. 2/17/2008: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

 WOOT! I finally moved on to a 'lighter' book, even though there was plenty of tension and drama in this book, none of it was heartbreakingly sad in the way that the last two (scratch that, Midnight Club by Christopher Pike is set in a hospice for dying Teenagers, where all the MCs, well, die) THREE books I read were. 

So I started reading this at nearly midnight last night, thinking that I would just read a chapter or so and then head off to bed. That...didn't happen. I couldn't put it down (just one more chapter...no, just one MORE chapter) I one more chaptered myself through the whole thing. :D

It will never be a literary classic taught at universities or anything, but it is well written with likable characters and a fun plot. The mythology is a neat twist, and it is revealed at a nice tempo, with no massive info dumps. I just saw that there is a sequel Frostbite coming out on April 10. I will absolutely be getting it!

21. 2/17/2008: Marked (A House of Night Novel) by PC Cast and Kristin Cast

I'll be honest and say that I didn't expect much from this book. I don't know why. The cover was cool (and that's always the most telling thing....right?)  But I went into it with low expectations, and was really surprised by how much I liked it! The characters are fun, the MC is easy to identify with, and her circle of friends are enviable. At first all of the magic/circles/goddess stuff made me a little twitchy, but then I decided to relax and read it for what it is: fantasy. Then I was able to really enjoy it. In fact, I read it while my little ones took a nap (a fairly extended nap, but they were tired out from rising early for Church that a.m.) I liked it so much, that I started the second book in the series right away!

22. 2/18/2008 Betrayed (A House of Night Novel) by PC Cast and Kristin Cast

One thing I really like about this book: the plot 'twists' are all sufficiently hinted at before they occur.  None of the major plot points were really that much of a surprise, they were all built up to in a way that the reader would have to be a moron not to see it, but the MCs lack of foreknowledge is still believable. It works.

Another thing I really like is the writing style. It is completely informal, and a whole lot of fun. The story is told from the POV of a 16 year old female, and it feels like it is. When she is talking and she references something sci fi/fantasy pop culture, she calls herself a dork (to the reader) Later when she mentions that the tunnels look like they were dug by very drunk Tolkein dwarves it says (yeah I know, I'm still a dork.) It feels RIGHT in this story. Almost like Zoey (the MC) were typing all this out on her LJ for her flist to read. It feels like she really IS telling her own story. Not forced. I want the third book NOW...but it doesn't come out until next month. *stomps around impatiently*

23. 3/??/2008 Chosen (a house of night novel) by PC Cast and Kristin Cast

24. 3/29/2008 Blue Bloods by Melissa De La Cruz
 
25. 4/3/2008 Masquerade by Melissa De La Cruz

26. 4/9/2008 Rogue by Rachel Vincent 

27. 4/12/2008 Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost (This book definitely withstands multiple readings!)

28. 4/15/2008 Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison

29. 4/20/2008 The Good, the Bad, and the Undead by Kim Harrison

30.4/21/2008 Every Which Way but Dead by Kim Harrison

31. 4/25/2008 A Fistful of Charms by Kim Harrison

32. 4/27/2008 For a Few Demons More by Kim Harrison

33. 4/28/2008 Prom Nights from Hell (Anthology)

34. 4/29/2008 One Foot in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

35. 5/02/2008 The Outlaw Demon Wails by Kim Harrison

36. 05/05/2008 Club Dead by Charlaine Harris

37. 05/06/2008 The Host by Stephenie Meyer

38. 05/18/2008 Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris

39. 05/18/2008 Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris

40. 05/21/2008 Definitely  Dead by Charlaine Harris

41. 05/28/2008 Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (for about the millionth time)
 

 
42. 05/31/2008 New Moon by Stephenie Meyer (also for about the millionth time) 

43. 06/04/2008 Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer (dude, are you seeing the pattern here?)

44. 06/16/2008 Blood Noir by Laurell K Hamilton. *Jason Rocks!*

45. 06/16/2008 Lover Enshrined by JR Ward
 
46. 06/17/2008 Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead 

characters!

review:

This is easily one of the very best paranormal books that I have ever read. The world Richelle builds is easy to get into, and unfolds at just the right pace. The characters are likable, the dialogue is fun, the plot is solid, and it left me wanting more! I couldn't make myself put this one down (which goes against the protagonist's 5 page a day rule that she imposes on herself when reading her favorite author), and I'm so glad that I bought the sequel when I bought Succubus Blues. I already...more This is easily one of the very best paranormal books that I have ever read. The world Richelle builds is easy to get into, and unfolds at just the right pace. The characters are likable, the dialogue is fun, the plot is solid, and it left me wanting more! I couldn't make myself put this one down (which goes against the protagonist's 5 page a day rule that she imposes on herself when reading her favorite author), and I'm so glad that I bought the sequel when I bought Succubus Blues. I already know I'll be up all night on a binge read!

47. 06/18/2008 Succubus on Top by Richelle Mead ~ I blew through these two books, and then was so sad that I have to wait until October for the third book in the series to come out. *cries a little* These books are so different, and so much fun to read. This author is just fan freaking tastic. Seriously.

48. 06/19/2008 Frostbite by Richelle Mead YAY! I liked this one even better than the debut! FANTASTIC!

49. 06/21/2008 Weddings from Hell: Jeaniene's story was hands down the best, and that isn't just because of the cameo by Bones. (uh, how long do we have to wait for At Grave's End again? Crap. Too long.)

All the stories were entertaining, though, and I find myself wanting to hunt up some other works by TG.

Generally speaking, I prefer novels to short stories, since I really like to dig in deep with the characters, but these were well worth a read!

50. 6/24/2008 Magic Bites from Ilona Andrews This book was different than what I expected. I knew going into it that several of my fave authors are fans of this series, so I went in expecting to really like it. For some reason I had trouble getting into the beginning of it. I can't really tell you what that reason <i>is</I, though. The characters are interesting, the universe is captivating, and the writing is fantastic...but I just wasn't "there" with it. I spent two days on the first 50 pages or so (which is unusual for me) but then something changed. I ended up so absorbed in the characters and the story that I couldn't stop reading, and devoured the entire rest of the book without moving my little tushy off of the couch.

51. 6/27/2008 Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews ~ Holy UST, Batman!

This book kicked the first's books butt. The plot is solid, the characters are more developed, and I was enthralled from the very first page. I LOVE Ilona's slow and steady revelations about Kate's heritage, she leads you to suspect the truth before she confirms it, avoiding any major info dumps, which in an alternate history series such as this is awfully hard to do!

And the very last paragraph? DUDE! That's all I'm going to say. When the heck does the next book come out?

I started the second book and had to pry myself away from it to come write this review and date the book as read so I can keep up with my 2008 reading log, but I'm jumping right back into the sequel, Magic Burns, as soon as I hit "save."

52. 6/28/2008 Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr ~ I'd been meaning to get around to reading this for awhile. It was nothing short of captivating. The characters (I know, there I go again with the characters) are perfect because they are so very imperfect. Told from 3rd person multiple POV, you really get a feel for the conflicts (internal and external) and the motivations for everything that is happening.

I really enjoyed Tithe by Holly Black, but I adored this book much, much more. I read it in one sitting. Put this on your to-be-read list folks, and then do yourself a favor, and bump it up to the top. :D

53. 6/28/2008 Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr ~ Firstly, I have a confession to make. These books had been on my TBR list for awhile. I'd even already bought them, and they were sitting pretty on my "YA Fantasy Shelf" right between Holly Black and Herbie Brennan. In fact, Wicked Lovely had been at the TOP of my TBR list for quite some time, but every time I finished the "now reading" book, someone on my flist would say "Oh! Now you have to read *insert random title here* because nobody else has read it and I want to discuss it with somebody!" And I'm a pushover, so I did. Yesterday morning (after inhaling Ilona Andrews Magic Burns the night before) I woke up to the sound of my five year old singing "Let's Go to Grams and swim! Let's go to Gram's and swim! Get out of bed, you sleepy head, let's go to Gram's and swim!" (to the tune of Farmer in the Dell, no less) Being sunburned (yeah, yeah...spare me the lecture. I know a grown woman should know better than to let herself get fried, but it is what it is) and was definitely not feeling up for a swim. I decided to grab a book and take him to Gram's pool, where I could sit under the umbrella (ella ella) with my toes in the water and read. I shot a quick look at my shelves as to what to take. Since I was going to my parents house-- and hoping to avoid the incessant teasing--I wanted nothing with almost naked people on the cover and nothing with lover, lust, blood, death, or succubus in the title (although my Dad's expression when I pulled out Succubus Blues to read in the waiting room of a his Dr. Appt last week was priceless) I thought "Oh! Perfect time to start Wicked Lovely." Yeah. to START Wicked Lovely. Start. Ha.

I devoured both books between breakfast and bedtime, and then went back to reread some of my favorite scenes several more times. The prose was just...wow. So gritty and dark. So beautiful. Parts of it made me cry, a lot of it made me smile, and all of it made me forget to do the laundry.

My first thought when I finished Wicked Lovely was "Sheesh. I love this more than I loved Tithe." Let me just say that I really, really love Tithe. I didn't think a faery story could be written that I love more than Holly Black's take on the genre. As an experiment I started a reread of Tithe today, thinking maybe my opinion was skewed because of the year or so it has been since I read it. I stand by my first reaction. I love Wicked Lovely more. It is a truly powerful thing to have a favorite genre author knocked from the podium to make room for new blood (or ink. *grin*) It doesn't happen often, especially to people who read so many books that a lot of them blur together. It takes something special to really stand out. Melissa Marr's works do.

Have you guys read them? What was your take?

If you haven't read them, I can't tell you enough how much you should. Log off right now and go do it, but make sure you have a clear day ahead of you and the telephone number for the pizza delivery guys. I physically couldn't put them down. Melissa Marr is like Pringles Potato Chips...once you pop, you can't stop.

54. 07/06/2008 Tithe by Holly Black
Tithe is one of those books that I devoured in one sitting, and absolutely loved. The problem with books like that, is that I often forget how much I love them since I spend so little time with the characters in my inability to stop reading straight through.

I finally got my hands on a copy of Ironside, and wanted a refresher on Tithe so I wouldn't be lost or miss any of the subtle nuances of the story.

It happened again. I drank this story down, closed the final page and gave a great sigh of satisfaction. Fantastic story. So edgy and dark without being overtly so, and without being edgy just for the sake of being edgy. Everything feels and flows just like it should.

55. 07/06/2008 Ironside by Holly Black
The sequel that is better than the original is a rare thing...but this one is.

Ironside is primarily about the characters from Tithe, but several cameos from Valiant are present, too.

Kaye is fiercer, Corny is...well...more pitiful and awesome at the same time. The plot is solid. The characters are believable and relatable despite the fact that we obviously can't have the same literal struggles they do (symbolism abounds here folks). And the prose is in-your-face-damnit-why-will-my-writing-never-rock-this-hard?! amazing

56. 07/07/2008 Looking for Alaska by John Green
I will preface this by saying that I was completely unprepared for this book. I read it primarily for three reasons. #1. Because of the controversy surrounding it's being taught in certain school districts. Bring on the banned books. #2. When learning of the banning of the book, I stumbled across John's youtube channel and blogs, and he is amazing. Amazing and witty and hilarious and sarcastic in the way that so many try for, and so very few accomplish. His description of the "Awkward, embarrasing, and wholly unerotic" sex scene was enough to sell me that I must get my hands on this book. #3. My friends that have read it all shouted from the rooftops how fantastic it is.
They told me it was fantastic--which, incidentally is correct--but none of them actually told me what it was about. I suppose that is because it would be impossible to really capture. But I was unaware of what the "before" and "after" parts of the story were about, and because of that, I think it hit me harder than if I'd been prepared.
If you haven't already been spoiled, then I'm sure as heck not going to be the one to do it...but read this book.

57. 07/07/08 Wake by Lisa McMann
Rachel Vincent recommended this book on her blog a few weeks ago, and when I came across it I couldn't say no.

After gorging myself on Looking for Alaska, I felt the need to pick something else up immediately. (LfA was fantastic, but sheesh was it ever depressing...I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep if I didn't get the taste of it out of my thoughts)

Anyway, this is a book I know without a doubt I will read multiple times. It is written in 3rd person, with alternating POVs (though mostly it sticks to Janie)

It is completely disjointed, and flashing and that is exactly how it is meant to be. The main character gets sucked into people's dreams and it is ruining her life. I won't give anything else away, but I can't WAIT for the sequel! 


58. The Scent of Shadows (The First Sign of the Zodiac) by Vicki Pettersson 7/12/2008

59. The Taste of Night (The Second Sign of the Zodiac) by Vicki Pettersson 7/16/2008 

60. The Touch of Twilight ~ Vicki Pettersson 7/21/2008

61 Alltogether Dead ~ Charlaine Harris 7/21/2008

 

62. Fairest by Gail Carson Levine 7/22/2008

63. A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb 7/22/2008

64. Darkhenge by Catherine Fisher

65. the Starlight Crystal by Christopher Pike

66. Breaking Dawn ~ Stephenie Meyer 08/02/2008  

67. Storm Born ~ Richelle Mead 08/05/2008 

68. Hell's Belles ~ Jackie Kessler 08/09/08

69. Moon Called ~ Patricia Briggs 08/10/08

 70. Blood Bound ~ Patricia Briggs 08/14/2008

71. Iron Kissed ~ Patricia Briggs 08/18/2008

72. Bitten ~ Kelley Armstrong 08/19/2008

73. Stolen ~ Kelley Armstrong 08/20/2008

74. Dime Store Magic ~ Kelley Armstrong 08/21/2008

75. Industrial Magic ~ Kelley Armstrong 08/22/2008

76. Cry Wolf ~ Patricia Briggs 08/23/2008

77. Haunted ~ Kelley Armstrong 08/25/2008

78. Broken ~ Kelley Armstrong 08/26/2008
 

 
79. No Humans Involved ~ Kelley Armstrong 08/27/2008

80. Touch the Dark ~ Karen Chance 08/29/2008

81. Carpe Demon (Adventures of a Demon Hunting Soccer Mom) ~ Julie Kenner 08/31/2008

This book was very fun to read. Not at all my usual style, as I normally go for the darker toned snarky female narrators, and this was the lightly snarky (though hilarious) type story.

Absolutely worth reading, and I can't wait to locate the rest of this series!

82. Claimed by Shadow ~ Karen Chance 09/01/2008

83. Embrace the Night ~ Karen Chance 09/02/2008

84. Personal Demon ~ Kelley Armstrong 09/05/2008

85. Immortal (Anthology) ~ PC Cast Editor 09/06/2008
I gave this book four stars, but it would be better to break it down by story,because their individual ratings would vary WIDELY.

The best of the best? Richelle Mead. Her story was interesting and entertaining and you wanted to read more about the characters and their story when it was over. It was set in a completely different world than her vampire academy books with brand new characters and a brand new mythology. So freaking fabulous! (though I wouldn't have said no to a story IN the VA world, particularly a story that involved a Rose/Dimitri indiscretion...)5 stars

Next best was Claudia Gray's story. It was absorbing as well, and now I absolutely MUST get my hands on a copy of Evernight.

Nancy Holder's story felt a lot like "someone trying to imitate Holly Black writing a vampire story." I didn't HATE it, but I didn't love it either. I'm not even sure that I liked it. Probably I did though. It's hard to tell. ;) 3 stars.

Kristen Cast's story wasn't bad either. But it was very abrupt. Too much mythos for such a small word count. 3 stars.

I didn't read the Morganville vamp story, mostly because I have the books on my shelf and didn't want to be spoiled on them, but I will eventually.

The other stories were...well, they were not enjoyable at all. Cynthia L Smith wrote Tantalize, which I absolutely detested, and as it turns out, it wasn't just that story I didn't enjoy. The short story left me unimpressed as well. She isn't a bad writer, just not something I'm likely to ever enjoy.   2 stars.

Tanith Lee's story was meh. That is all I can muster the energy to say about it. Meh. 2 stars

86. In the Forests of the Night ~ Amelia Atwater Rhodes 09/08/2008    Meh.

87. From Dead to Worse ~ Charlaine Harris 09/11/2008

88. EOL by EMR ~ 9/12/2008

89. AGE by JF ~ 9/17/2008

90. Possesion by Jennifer Armintrout ~ 10/03/2008   Meh. Just Meh.

91. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare ~ 10/04/2008
DUDE. Why did no one on my flist INSIST that I read this sooner? Seriously.

92. City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare ~ 10/06/20
Oh, man. I love this book so much. So so so much. I really don't have time for another fandom, but I'm SO THERE

93. Untamed by PC and Kristen Cast ~ 10/14/2008
This book took me an entire week to get through. Not because it was a particularly difficult read, but because the first part of it made me want to grind my teeth and start hitting things. It wasn't the plot that was so GRR! inducing, but rather the dialogue.

Why do "Vampyres" in Tulsa talk like 1990s Valley Girls? It was seriously much more overdone in this book than in the previous three. Either that, or I noticed it so much more because I just finished reading the Cassandra Clare Mortal Instruments series, in which the witty dialogue is actually witty. This just seemed like the authors were trying way too hard.

That being said, the last 100-150 pages were actually fairly good. The characters spoke normally, and less annoyingly (apart from the UBER sterotype of poor Jack. Yes, he's gay. Just because he likes boys doesn't mean that he's a darling little puppy dog that squeals and needs to be patted on the head. This was very annoying.)

Anywho, were it not for my obsessive compulsion about never leaving a series that I start unfinished, I wouldn't read the next one. (Alright, without that compulsion I wouldn't have read THIS one) But if the next book (due out in March! I think they are overextending themselves, and that may account for some of the MEH factor) reads like the last half of this book, instead of the first half of this book, it might actually be...enjoyable

94. 10/16/2008  Uglies by Scott Westerfeld. I love this book. I love this author. That is all.

95. 10/17/2008 Pretties by Scott Westerfeld. YEAH!

96. 10/18/2008 Specials by Scott Westerfeld. WHAT DOES HE HAVE AGAINST HAPPY ENDINGS? WHAT??!!!

97. 10/21/2008 Faerie Wars by Herbie Brennan   

This book was a really fun read. A little slow at first, mostly because even though it has great action and prose, you don't care too much about the characters.

About halfway through the book, that really starts to change. Holly Blue is love, and Pyrgus and Henry end up being great characters, too.

Parts of the plot are predictable, but not in a bad way. More in a "the author set that up well" way. I really enjoyed it, enough that I plan to read the sequel this afternoon. I believe there are four (three? five?) already in print in this series. Great fun, light reads.

98. 10/22/2008  The Purple Emperor by Herbie Brennan    
LOVED IT SO MUCH!

99. Ruler of the Realm ~ Herbie Brennan ~ WHOA SO GOOD! I'm in love with this series. I can't wait to read the last one!

100. Flowers in the Attic ~ VC Andrews

Um...disturbing much?

101. An Abundance of Katherines ~ John Green
One of the best books ever. Also, incidentally, my name anagrams to funky crab murder, which just might be the awesomest happening to date.

102. Paper Towns ~ John Green 11/12/2008
Um...wow. Most brilliant man ever. Seriously. My heart hearts, and I'm amazed. In a really good way.
I'm not sure I can adequately put into words how much I love John. Seriously. He is by far the most brilliant contemporary writer in any genre. Looking for Alaska was the most touching book I had ever read, an Abundance of Katherine's was one of the most hilarious. Paper Towns? Was like the perfect marriage of the two. I finally got a copy of PT last night and had a marathon reading session. I'm pretty sure I didn't even get off the couch to use the bathroom or get a drink. I was that lost to his narrative. When I was done, my heart hurt in that really pleasant way. The way when a story ends not with a false happily-ever-after, but with the hopeful "we-all-make-our-own-way-and-happiness-i
103. Let it Snow ~ John Green, Maureen Johnson, Lauren Myracle 11/14/2008
I read John's first (and it was my favorite) because I didn't realize the stories were interconnected. I really enjoyed them all, although in this order John Green > Maureen Johnson > Lauren Myracle.

I had warm bubblies after John's story, and I definitely plan to check out other writing by Maureen after reading this! LOVE

104. Shadow Kiss ~ Richelle Mead 11/16/2008
I loved this book so much. I love Richelle's writing style, and I love that despite the series name, which makes the books sound like they might be juvenile, I love that they really aren't. They sure as heck have a lot more depth than the other YA Va...more I loved this book so much. I love Richelle's writing style, and I love that despite the series name, which makes the books sound like they might be juvenile, I love that they really aren't. They sure as heck have a lot more depth than the other YA Vamp series that is so popular (which I also love, but that is beside the point here)

So once again I'm flying through the pages, completely absorbed in Richelle's writing and riding the wave of emotions along with the characters. There was foreshadowing to what was coming, or at least that SOMETHING was, and then we arrived at the scene in the cabin.

I was torn between wanting to pump my fist in the air with glee (trust me, I was smiling like an IDIOT at this point. Those two are one of my favorite pairings of all time, easily in my top ten, maybe even top 5, so there was celebrating) and then it hit me. It was too early in the book for me to feel that happy. I wanted to shout at them "No! Didn't you watch Buffy! I know what is going to happen now NO NO NO NO NO!" Something bad was coming, and it was coming fast. There were three ways I could see this playing out, but the one that would have the most gut wrenching implications (and okay, set up the next book the most) was the one that I most feared. I kept thinking "No. She won't have that happen. It won't end that way. Really, it won't. Surely not."

I'd almost convinced myself that Miss Mead was a big tease, and that we were going to get our happily for now ending after all...and then BOOM. It happened. I would be lying if I said there weren't tears. RIP ship. RIP.

That being said, book four is going to be an exercise in heartfail. I can't wait.

105. Havemercy by Jaida Jones and Danielle Bennett ~ 12/05/2008
LOVED LOVED LOVED this book. Royston/Hal FTW!

106. 12/15/2008  This was a second reading. Loved it WAY more the second time! WIN WIN WIN!

107. 12/29/2008  OH RICHELLE WHY RIP OUT MY HEART THIS WAY? Loved it. Very Very Much!