Waiting on Wednesday: Spell Bound (Hex Hall #3) by Rachel Hawkins

Waiting on Wednesday recognizes that we as bookies pine for books. This post is about what I am impatiently waiting for right now. It was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

As always on Wednesday, I'm featuring a lovely book that I am simply drooling over the ability to read...soon. This one is the third (and most likely final) installment in the Hex Hall series by Rachel Hawkins, so be aware of the spoilers in the summary below. Check out my thoughts on the first two books Hex Hall & Demonglass. That's right ladies & gents I'm talking about Spell Bound due on a bookshelf near you March 13th. I hate to see a good thing end, but Rachel has said that she'd love to continue writing in the universe, so maybe it won't be goodbye after all. Anywhoodle, on to the goodness!

Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. Now Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies—the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that’s what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn’t as confident.

Sophie’s bound for one hell of a ride—can she get her powers back before it’s too late?

From Goodreads

How amazing does that sound for a finale? I really have enjoyed the characters & universe that Rachel Hawkins has created. Sophie is a fun gal & her sidekicks are pretty awesome too. Here's hoping she can bring it to a thrilling close.

What are you waiting on this week?

Waiting on Wednesday: Spell Bound (Hex Hall #3) by Rachel Hawkins

This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer review

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't read the first 2 books in this series, this summary & review will contain spoilers. My reviews of Life as We Knew It & The Dead and the Gone are live, so be sure to check them out first if you want to read about the 3rd installment.

It's been a year since a meteor collided with the moon, catastrophically altering the earth’s climate. For Miranda Evans life as she knew it no longer exists. Her friends and neighbors are dead, the landscape is frozen, and food is increasingly scarce.

The struggle to survive intensifies when Miranda’s father and stepmother arrive with a baby and three strangers in tow. One of the newcomers is Alex Morales, and as Miranda’s complicated feelings for him turn to love, his plans for his future thwart their relationship. Then a devastating tornado hits the town of Howell, and Miranda makes a decision that will change their lives forever.

From Goodreads

Again, we don't pick up where we left off in the last novel, but the terrain is still familiar enough for the reader to be comfortable with what's going on. This time we find ourselves back in Pennsylvania with Miranda & her family. Things are going as well as can be expected given the circumstances until it all changes when her father & stepmother suddenly appear not only with their baby, but 3 more unknown individuals. While Miranda's family is thrilled to be reunited, things become tighter & resources become more scarce.

The best part about the new arrivals though is that there is someone else Miranda's age. Enter Alex Morales (from The Dead and the Gone) & his little sister Julie. While Julie spends her time with Miranda's little brother, she & Alex are free to get to know one another. Love seems to be in the air, but the moon isn't through with them yet. Something big is coming & everyone seems to know it. The other they can do is prepare as best they can & hope that it's good enough.

Miranda & Alex continue to develop strong personalities & really assert their independence from those around them. While they still cling to parental figures for guidance, they are always thinking outside the box & on their own. Stubborn Alex helps Miranda to explore outside her comfort zone while scavenging while she tries to help him see through this picture-perfect image he's got of how his future will unfold.

Pfeffer brings us right back into the chaos & doesn't let up until it's over. There is non-stop movement, but not necessarily action. There is a lot of timeline development & filling in of the background by the new arrivals giving the reader a more complete sense of the nation-wide devastation. The new characters also bring a new dynamic to the interactions. As a society, we have preconceived notions of how typical social interactions will unfold & these folks turn that on its head providing us with a key piece to comprehend just how life-altering this has all been. Naturally we can fathom the emotional & physical toll this experience has taken, but the shift in societal norms & mores might catch you off guard.

A thrilling read with a jaw-dropping ending, This World We Live In hopefully is not the last we hear of Miranda, Alex & the other "Last Survivors". I'm not so sure as I haven't found anything indicating this as the end or just another step in the series. I guess we'll have to wait & find out.

This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer review

Waiting on Wednesday: Fair Game (Alpha & Omega #3) by Patricia Briggs

Waiting on Wednesday recognizes that we as bookies pine for books. This post is about what I am impatiently waiting for right now. It was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

If you've been reading my blog for any length of time, or have had the chance to scan my archives, you might have seen a fair bit of the name Patricia Briggs. I absolutely adore her work & she is the reason I began to branch out of my comfort zone in reading. Fair Game is the 3rd installment in the Alpha and Omega series that was born of her ever-popular Mercy Thompson series. This latest story will be released to the masses on March 6th. Be forewarned, there is a bit of spoilery type information, but nothing major in the summary. Enjoy!

Patricia Briggs' Alpha and Omega series-set in a world of shifting shapes, loyalty, and passion- brings werewolves out of the darkness and into a society where fear and prejudice could make the hunters prey...

They say opposites attract. And in the case of werewolves Anna Latham and
Charles Cornick, they mate. The son-and enforcer-of the leader of the North
American werewolves, Charles is a dominant alpha. While Anna, an omega, has the rare ability to calm others of her kind.

Now that the werewolves have revealed themselves to humans, they can't afford any bad publicity. Infractions that could have been overlooked in the past must now be punished, and the strain of doing his father's dirty work is taking a toll on Charles.

Nevertheless, Charles and Anna are sent to Boston, when the FBI requests the pack's help on a local serial killer case. They quickly realize that not only the last two victims were werewolves-all of them were. Someone is targeting their kind. And now Anna and Charles have put themselves right in the killer's sights...

From Goodreads

While I absolutely adore the Mercy Thompson series, this one has a richer dynamic between the main characters that I just can't resist. Charles & Anna are mesmerizing to watch no matter what they're doing. Not to mention the events that beleaguer them are always unique. I hope you're as excited for this one as I am & if you haven't started yet, now is the time!

What are you waiting on this week?

Waiting on Wednesday: Fair Game (Alpha & Omega #3) by Patricia Briggs

Waiting on Wednesday: Pandemonium (Delirium #2) by Lauren Oliver

Waiting on Wednesday recognizes that we as bookies pine for books. This post is about what I am impatiently waiting for right now. It was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

I'm rather stoked that the release date of the much-anticipated sequel to Lauren Oliver's Delirium, Pandemonium has been moved up to February 28th! If you haven't read this one yet, I'm not sure what you were doing in late 2010, early 2011. Seriously. It was fantastic! Don't believe me? Check out my non-spoilery review.

I’m pushing aside the memory of my nightmare,
pushing aside thoughts of Alex,
pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my
old school,
push,
push,
push,
like Raven taught me to do.
The old life is dead.
But the old Lena is dead too.
I buried her.
I left her beyond a fence,
behind a wall of smoke and flame.

Lauren Oliver delivers an electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed New
York Times bestseller, Delirium. This riveting, brilliant novel crackles
with the fire of fierce defiance, forbidden romance, and the sparks of a
revolution about to ignite.

From Goodreads

While I don't think this gives enough detail about what might take place in the next installment, I kind of think that's a good thing. After the roller coaster ride that was the first book, this one is sure to follow in the same footsteps. Giving too much in the summary might detract from its appeal. I'm too excited & over-analyzing, but I hope you are too. What are you waiting on this week?

Waiting on Wednesday: Pandemonium (Delirium #2) by Lauren Oliver

The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer review

Susan Beth Pfeffer’s Life as We Knew It enthralled and devastated readers with its brutal but hopeful look at an apocalyptic event--an asteroid hitting the moon, setting off a tailspin of horrific climate changes. Now this harrowing companion novel examines the same events as they unfold in New York City, revealed through the eyes of seventeen-year-old Puerto Rican Alex Morales. When Alex's parents disappear in the aftermath of tidal waves, he must care for his two younger sisters, even as Manhattan becomes a deadly wasteland, and food and aid dwindle.

With haunting themes of family, faith, personal change, and courage, this powerful new novel explores how a young man takes on unimaginable responsibilities.

From Goodreads

Alex Morales & his two younger sisters find themselves in the same alternate realtiy as Miranda from Life as We Know It when an asteroid throws the moon out of proper synchronization with the Earth. Unfortunately for the Morales family, they were not nearly as lucky to be spared direct devastation to their family unit. Just kids in the Big Apple, they manage to scrape by with luck, determination & faith.

Alex is an unwilling hero in this story. Charged with being the "man of the house" with his father in Puerto Rico & his older brother serving in the Marines, he finds himself the person his younger sisters are looking to when it becomes obvious that their family is not coming back for them. While he may be ill-tempered & sharp-tongued he is also resourceful & protective. He does what he believes to be best for his sisters, even if it's not the easiest task.

What really made this book stand out from the first is the fact that we were in a completely different part of the United States & so we get to see a whole new facet to the living nightmare that everyone is facing. Trapped in a large metropolitan area might seem like the ideal place during an apocalyptic event, but the Morales family soon discovers that the opposite is actually true.

While you don't have to read the first book to understand the second, it is best to read it before you move on to the third installment as there is some crossover that won't make any sense without having read the first book. If you're looking for something spine-tingling, well-written & filled with dynamic characters, then you've found your calling. Enjoy!

The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer review

Waiting on Wednesday: Fever (Chemical Garden #2) by Lauren DeStefano

Waiting on Wednesday recognizes that we as bookies pine for books. This post is about what I am impatiently waiting for right now. It was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

SPOILER ALERT!! If you have not yet read Wither, the first installment in this series, then this preview will definitely ruin it for you. Read the book first or read my review of it before proceeding. Go ahead... I'll wait.

Okay, so Fever is the highly anticipated sequel in the Chemical Garden series by Lauren DeStefano. It's February 12th release date has long been awaited by those of us who devoured the first book. I read it super fast & then passed it on to my sister who squeed right alongside me. Now we get to go through it all again.

Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion, but danger is never far behind.

Running away brings Rhine and Gabriel right into a trap, in the form of a twisted carnival whose ringmistress keeps watch over a menagerie of girls. Just as Rhine uncovers what plans await her, her fortune turns again. With Gabriel at her side, Rhine travels through an environment as grim as the one she left a year ago - surroundings that mirror her own feelings of fear and hopelessness.

The two are determined to get to Manhattan, to relative safety with Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan. But the road there is long and perilous - and in a world where young women only live to age twenty and young men die at twenty-five, time is precious. Worse still, they can’t seem to elude Rhine’s father-in-law, Vaughn, who is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion...by any means necessary.

In the sequel to Lauren DeStefano’s harrowing Wither, Rhine must decide if freedom is worth the price - now that she has more to lose than ever.

From Goodreads

How fabulous does that sound? I'm notorious for bashing book 2 of most series because I find that it ends up being a filler novel with no real meat to it. This one promises to defy that stereotype. I look forward to it.

What are you waiting on this week?

Waiting on Wednesday: Fever (Chemical Garden #2) by Lauren DeStefano

Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer review

Miranda’s disbelief turns to fear in a split second when a meteor knocks the moon closer to the earth. How should her family prepare for the future when worldwide tsunamis wipe out the coasts, earthquakes rock the continents, and volcanic ash blocks out the sun? As summer turns to Arctic winter, Miranda, her two brothers, and their mother retreat to the unexpected safe haven of their sunroom, where they subsist on stockpiled food and limited water in the warmth of a wood-burning stove.

Told in journal entries, this is the heart-pounding story of Miranda’s struggle to hold on to the most important resource of all--hope--in an increasingly desperate and unfamiliar world.

From Goodreads

Susan Beth Pfeffer weaves a terrifying tale of mayhem in this first installment in the series. We meet Miranda & are just beginning to get a grip on her family situation (2 brother, one older & one younger, divorced parents, remarried father announcing pregnancy with new, younger wife) when an asteroid collides with the moon disrupting everything. Thanks to her mom's quick thinking, they manage to stock up on enough food & personal supplies during the initial phase, but the toll the moon takes upon the Earth's seasons is just the beginning of their fight to survive.

A strong, but still flawed teenager Miranda is the perfect person to narrate this tale as she is not quite so young that she doesn't understand & appreciate the situation, but she's still immature enough to feel selfish & overwrought. The book is written loosely in journal-entry format. I can't imagine being as verbose as Miranda has a tendency to be, but when you're trying to convey to someone else what's going on I guess you might get carried away.

I was really fascinated by the interconnectivity that Pfeffer spun in relation to the asteroid. We really take for granted the delicate balance that must be maintained in order for our world to continue operating as it does. Pfeffer explores that balance & blows your mind with what occurs & how the characters manage to survive. These resourceful folks are just the kind that I would want as neighbors if something like this were ever to occur.

An even more intriguing part of the book was the focus on the US (and the world) as a whole going through this trying time together. The book takes place in Pennsylvania, but Miranda's family is all over the place & the reports on the radio come in from Yellowstone, the South & more. Everyone is suffering, just at different rates, allowing us a window into the severity of the situation & the fortunate circumstances of our characters.

If you're looking for something spine-tingling & sense-shocking, read this book. The characters are real & engaging, allowing the reader to fully grasp the direness of the circumstance & the story never lets up. I was guessing what would happen until the very end.

Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer review

Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent review

By blood, by word, by magic…

Most can't touch the power. But Liv Warren is special— a paranormal tracker who follows the scent of blood.

Liv makes her own rules, and the most important one is trust no one.

But when her friend's daughter goes missing, Liv has no choice but to find the girl. Thanks to a childhood oath, Liv can't rest until the child is home safe. But that means trusting Cam Caballero, the former lover forbidden to her.

Bound by oath and lost in desire for a man she cannot have, Liv is racing to save the child from a dark criminal underworld where secrets, lies, trauma and danger lurk around every corner…every touch…every kiss.

And more blood will be spilled before it's over…

From Goodreads

Liv Warren likes living by her own rules. Unfortunately the rest of the world doesn't like to play by her rules. That's how this blood tracker ended up using her powers for monetary gain. In a world where those with "special abilities" (like walking into shadows, name tracking & even blood tracking) aren't formally recognized by any government, but used by all, Liv finds herself in a pretty tight spot.

An accidental binding from childhood is coming calling in the form of one of her best friends trying to protect her daughter from the child's father's assassin. Sound complicated? It gets worse. This friend also happens to pull in the only other person on the planet that Liv can't stand to be around. Her former lover Cam Caballero is still just as smoldering as he was when Liv left him six years prior, to save both their lives. No time like the present to jump headlong into the fray with danger lurking around every corner from the local criminal families. Is there enough time to save the girl or will Liv just ending failing to keep every promise she's ever made?

Rachel Vincent is seriously my freaking hero! This woman is so diverse I can barely contain my excitement. Between the bean sidhe lore of the Soul Screamers series & the werecat drama of the Shifters series, I honestly wasn't sure how well she'd be able to pull off a whole new series. Let me assure you, Rachel is a remarkable craftswoman never to be doubted.

Blood Bound takes the meanings of "signed in blood" & "my word is my bond" to a whole new level & explores the murky waters of contractual bindings. It truly was fascinating reading about all the different types of bindings, means of tracking a person & situations that arise from such predicaments. Things can really start to get tricky when you're contractually obligated to more than one person & they're on opposing sides of a war in which you're an unwilling recruit.

Liz is a headstrong, complex character (Rachel seems to prefer these and I've got no complaints!) who is trying to do what she thinks is best in a bad situation. After running away from longtime boyfriend Cam (in order to save their lives) she finds herself the unwilling recipient of his assistance in her newest endeavor. Tension & sparks fly because while nothing about these two together has changed, more than enough has changed about them.

A promising start to a new series, Blood Bound is sure to delight. Keep a weather eye on the horizon for book 2 Shadow Bound, due May 22.

Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent review

The Darkest Pleasure by Gena Showalter review

This is the 2nd book in the Lords of the Underworld series. Fair warning, SPOILERS may follow.

Now that we've met Violence & Death, how about Pain? Reyes has been feeding Pain steadily over the years. He was fortunate enough to find a way to sate his demon without hurting others, but not fortunate enough to refrain from hurting himself. The easiest way to manage Pain is to give it exactly what it wants; whether that's jumping from the top of a building while his body slowly repairs itself or simply slicing away at the flesh is all dependent about the amount of stress.

Reyes has been at his threshold of tolerance ever since Danika came into his life. A torturous temptation that he could never taste without ruining, she was condemned to die by the hand of Reyes's fellow Lord Aeron. Despite this edict, handed down from the gods, Reyes chose to pursue & protect her. The best way to do that though is to keep her close by his side. But Danika's not as weak as Reyes feared & she's putting up one hell of fight, especially since only she knows who she's really working for.

This series just keeps getting more involved & more exciting with each book I read! Each time I read a book I think, "I'm not sure I really like this guy" & by the time I'm half way through the book I'm as madly in love with his as the other women. Gena Showalter does a phenomenal job of character portrayal & story building. You think you know a character based on how he or she is seen by others (and occasionally by him/herself) but then you read a chapter or book dedicated solely to them & you find that there are facets you haven't seen before.

The characters continue to play off each other very well, bantering like friends & foes. The best part of building this series is watching the new relationships form when new characters are introduced. There is a history between all the gods, titans, Lords & Hunters whether we know it or not. I find that the women are the pivotal characters because they move the story along without tying it up. They are the catalyst for change in an otherwise static world. I'm not saying without the ladies there would be no interactions or exchanges, I just think they would be flat.

A fun, steamy romance with enough sexual tension to take you right to the edge & drop you, The Darkest Pleasure continues the feast that is the Lords of the Underworld. I can't wait to get my hands on the rest of the books!

The Darkest Pleasure by Gena Showalter review

Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel review

"Evil be he who thinketh evil." This is the motto that Lenah Beaudonte has lived her 592 vampire years by while at home in Hathersage, England. With Rhode, Vicken & the rest of the coven by her side she was the most powerful & heartless monsters to walk the planet. Until Rhode took her away from it all. While he convinced the rest of the coven that Lenah was in hibernation, Rhode woke her early & took her to a small, private school in Rhode Island. Once there & with everything perfectly set up for her, Rhode sacrificed himself to remake Lenah into the human she deserved to be rather than the monster he created all those years ago.

A newly-minted human teenager (she was only about 17 when Rhode turned her into a vampire) Lenah must come to terms with the gift she has been given & the precious balance that must be kept in place in order for the coven not to hunt her down & kill her. After acclimating to the ability to be in the sun, Lenah begins to explore her new home on the Wickham school campus. She reluctantly makes friends with an artistic loner named Tony who begins to show her the ropes of the school. And just when she starts to become comfortable, she meets Justin. The emotions Lenah feels are painful after all these years, but she craves the sensation of his touch & his attention.

Unfortunately time is running out and the coven is growing suspicious that their queen has not risen from her hibernation. Lenah must now fight for what Rhode gave her, even if it means losing herself.

Infinite Days is one of the best vampire books in the YA genre. I'm going to let that sink in...

Good now? Ok. This original concept is so mesmerizing that I couldn't put it down once I got back into a vampire groove (I have reading grooves where I like to read the same kinds of things & then move on to another "book type"). The characters are lush & poetic while still maintaining their own definitions. Lenah & Rhode have got to be some of the most poignant vampires that I have seen depicted. When we first meet Lenah she is the epitome of everything we know about vampires: cold, callus, evil. It's through Rhode's huge sacrifice & Lenah's recovery from her re transformation that we discover what she is truly like.

Lenah was stolen from a simple life during a much simpler time. Rhode took that simplicity away from her & watched her create this cruel coven one by one over the centuries. When he finally had enough & wanted what he had originally found back he did the only thing he could think of that would force her hand. The magnitude of that act sticks with Lenah throughout her entire time at the Wickham school & she continues to develop as a person with a cast of characters that fill her every need.

My favorite parts of the book were the flashbacks where we are given a window to look at how far Lenah has come in her transformation & to really appreciate all that she is working through. It also gives us a greater understanding of the coven because for the most part they are just in the background.

This book is one that I think everyone should read. If you like vampires, and I mean real vampires, then this is one that you don't want to miss! I'm truly excited for the April 2012 release of Infinite Day's sequel Stolen Nights. It seems that we will pick up right where we left off with a cliffhanger that you must read to believe.

Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel review

Waiting on Wednesday: Darker Still (Magic Most Foul) by Leanna Renee Hieber

Waiting on Wednesday recognizes that we as bookies pine for books. This post is about what I am impatiently waiting for right now. It was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

So you may not know this, but I'm a decent sized fan of classical literature. I enjoy the writing quality, the terminology & the scandals so much better! Darker Still (Magic Most Foul #1) by Leanna Renee Hieber is perfect because it seems to blend all these things together. Due for release on November 1 from Sourcefire Books, this is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

The Picture of Dorian Gray meets Pride and Prejudice, with a dash of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

New York City, 1882. Seventeen-year-old Natalie Stewart's latest obsession is a painting of the handsome British Lord Denbury. Something in his striking blue eyes calls to her. As his incredibly life-like gaze seems to follow her, Natalie gets the uneasy feeling that details of the painting keep changing...

Jonathan Denbury's soul is trapped in the gilded painting by dark magic while his possessed body commits unspeakable crimes in the city slums. He must lure Natalie into the painting, for only together can they reverse the curse and free his damaged soul.

From Goodreads

How mesmerizing does that sound? It really is all those classics rolled up into one! Provided the author keeps the mystery going & depicts the time period with accuracy & reverence, this could shape up to be one of the best historical fiction books since The Vespertine. What are you waiting on this week?

Waiting on Wednesday: Darker Still (Magic Most Foul) by Leanna Renee Hieber

Giveaway & Book Trailer: All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

Today I'm quite excited to bring you a giveaway & book trailer of Gabrielle Zevin's inventive debut All These Things I've Done. It just sounds so delectable that I can't wait to get my hands on a copy!

"In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty.think she's to blame. Suddenly, Anya finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight--at school, in the news, and most importantly, within her mafia family."

Contest is now closed.

Giveaway & Book Trailer: All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger review

Dwight is a weird kid, but not as weird as the Origami Yoda he carries around on his finger. Several kids in his sixth grade class think he's just trying to get attention, but really Origami Yoda is very wise. Dwight speaks on behalf of Origami Yoda simply because the green paper creature lives on his finger, but he does not come up with Origami Yoda's answers.



Tommy, a classmate, decides to put together a case file listing all the "miracles" & "advice" that Origami Yoda supposed made happen so that he can decide once and for all if Origami Yoda is for real or not. Harvey, a decided non-believer, makes snarky comments after each story down-playing the plausibility of Origami Yoda's wisdom.



Tommy's findings are meant to be simple, but nothing could be farther from the truth. After hearing dozens of tales, Tommy is no closer to the truth than he was at the beginning, but what he does find is even more surprising.



The Strange Case of Origami Yoda is without a doubt one of the cutest books I have read in quite a long time! We start off with Tommy explaining why the case file has been put together & what he (and his classmates) hope to achieve. Several students tell different stories about dim-witted Dwight's amazing ability to give voice to Origami Yoda's astounding wisdom. Harvey really is a snarky nay-sayer, but I admire his character's ability to quantify why Origami Yoda's advice did nothing to improve several situations.



I liked how each chapter in the "case file" had a different narrator & the font style changed accordingly. The font really lent an extra emotion to the characters that we really couldn't obtain through hearing about them. We don't learn much about hardly any of the characters except what we are told from other characters. A composite of each person exists made up of the different glimpses we see from other characters. This whimsical approach allows the reader to engage on a different level because you're not focused on getting from A to B in the story, you're focused on collecting the next puzzle piece to solve the debate at hand.



Even more entertaining about this book is the simple fact that it appeals to all sorts of readers. You don't have to be a Star Wars fan to understand the jokes & you certainly don't have to be a boy to get the underlying story line. Also, the drawings & sketches in this "case file" really allow the reader to escape back into a middle-school mindset. The jokes are different, the expressions are unique & one can never really know what the expect from one moment to the next.



This book was funny beyond measure & an absolute pleasure to read. At under 150 pages, I strongly urge you all to read this comical tale about an estranged boy & his Origami Yoda.



Oh yeah and of course there is a sequel. Recently released: Darth Paper Strikes Back promises to follow in its predecessor's hilarity.

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger review

Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen review

It's 1929, do you know who you're getting your liquor from? It's probably from one of the dapper men & their socialite wives/girlfriends that you dream about one day being. For Cordelia & Letty, that is exactly the case.



The two girls are enchanted by the big lights they've heard about in New York City & decide to head out of their Midwestern home to search out what each is looking for in life. For Cordelia, she is searching for the father she has always missed, but never known. She has his name & her love-struck, deceased mother's memories to help her. Little does she know, the man she is seeking is none other than one of the most influential men in the bootlegging business. It turns out he's missed the daughter he never knew about just as much as the son he raised himself. Cordelia finds herself settling into this luxurious life, but is worried about the danger and the cost.



Letty is destined for stardom or she hopes at least. The girl is determined to see her name in flashing lights on Broadway. What she settles for, just to get started she thinks, is living with three other cigarette girls who work in a local club. On a lark one night she decides to get on stage & really show the crowd what she's got. This garners her two admirers, one who is interested in her purely for herself & another who has other ideas. Letty must decide who to trust because depending on her choice, she may lose her chance to be who she's always wanted to become.



These girls are just getting started and have a long way to go before they'll find their own ways, but only time will tell just how far they'll go to get what they want out of life.



Bright Young Things is written much in the same style as Godbersen's wildly-popular Luxe series. We are following two main female characters as they interact & navigate the changing world around them, while a third female manages to become an important person to both female leads all on her own.



I enjoyed the changing perspective as well as the lush setting. Nothing can quite compare to the roaring 1920's with the ambiance, parties, & experiences that are exclusive to the time period. Godbersen continues her incredible ability to weave an alluring setting with exacting detail. The seedy clubs, lavish parties & picturesque homes aren't spared at all. One can truly imagine it all laid out in front.



I found it a little harder to get a handle on the main characters. It's not that they were unsympathetic, but they just seemed so distant. I felt like we were really getting to know them as they were discovering themselves. Normally this kind of thing appeals to me, but in such a historical setting it didn't lend itself quite so well. I thought the girls would feel well0established then get the rug pulled out from under them, but this was just... different.



There were also three very different experiences that kind of overlap one another that caused a bit of confusion for me. While Cordelia was ushered into a lifestyle that Astrid was accustomed to, Letty was living as a starving artist. While they intermingled with some of the same locations, they all had divergent interactions that left me feeling a bit befuddled.



None of this is to say that it is a bad book, it is far from it. Godbersen has done a fine job & I am eagerly awaiting the September 20th release of Bright Days. I think that this book requires an attentive mind frame that I was lacking at the time, but that I fully intend on having engaged when I read the sequel.



Anyone else feel a little off-kilter with this one or was I just reading too much into it?

Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen review

Waiting on Wednesday: Beautiful Days (Bright Young Things #2) by Anna Godbersen

Waiting on Wednesday recognizes that we as bookies pine for books. This post is about what I am impatiently waiting for right now. It was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine.



I'm patiently awaiting the September 20th arrival of Anna Godbersen's Beautiful Days (Bright Young Things #2). I read the first book & while not as enrapturing as the Luxe series, this one did have all the same hallmarks. There was a variable ensemble of characters & a unique twist on bootlegging/flapper society of the late 1920's. Read on for the blurb, but be forewarned, it contains MAJOR spoilers for Bright Young Things.

For the bright young things of 1929, the beautiful days seem endless, filled with romance and heartbreak, adventure and intrigue, friendship and rivalry.

After a month in New York, Cordelia Grey and Letty Larkspur are small-town girls no longer. They spend their afternoons with Astrid Donal at the Greys’ lush Long Island estate and their nights in Manhattan’s bustling metropolis. But Letty’s not content to be a mere socialite. She is ready at last to chase her Broadway dreams—no matter the cost.

Cordelia is still reeling from the death of her father at the hands of Thom Hale, the man she thought she loved. Now she is set to honor Darius Grey’s legacy . . . and take her revenge.

Promised to Cordelia’s half brother, Astrid is caught up in a world of dazzling jewels and glittering nights—and the sparkle is blinding. Charlie Grey is a gangster playing a dangerous game; and for Astrid, Cordelia, and Letty, the stakes could be deadly.

From Goodreads

I enjoyed the first book & look forward to picking up where the story left off. If things are going the way I think they are, this could turn into a very exciting story. What are you waiting on this week?

Waiting on Wednesday: Beautiful Days (Bright Young Things #2) by Anna Godbersen

Waiting on Wednesday: Perfect (Impulse #2) & Triangles by Ellen Hopkins

Waiting on Wednesday recognizes that we as bookies pine for books. This post is about what I am impatiently waiting for right now. It was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine.



It's a Waiting on Wednesday double-header celebrating the ever-awesome Ellen Hopkins! She's actually got two books coming out in the next two months & I can't wait to get them both! Perfect (Impulse #2) is releasing on 9/13 & Triangles (an adult book) is releasing 10/18. I think I'm really going to enjoy Perfect because it sounds like one of the best books to put forward in my library for my YASaves display I'm planning. :D

Everyone has something, someone, somewhere else that they’d rather be. For four high-school seniors, their goals of perfection are just as different as the paths they take to get there.

Cara’s parents’ unrealistic expectations have already sent her twin brother Conner spiraling toward suicide. For her, perfect means rejecting their ideals to take a chance on a new kind of love. Kendra covets the perfect face and body—no matter what surgeries and drugs she needs to get there. To score his perfect home run—on the field and off—Sean will sacrifice more than he can ever win back. And Andre realizes that to follow his heart and achieve his perfect performance, he’ll be living a life his ancestors would never have understood.

Everyone wants to be perfect, but when perfection loses its meaning, how far will you go? What would you give up to be perfect?

From Goodreads

In this emotionally powerful novel, three women face the age-old midlife question: If I’m halfway to death, is this all I’ve got to show for it? Holly, filled with regret for being a stay-at-home mom, sheds sixty pounds and loses herself in the world of extramarital sex. Andrea, a single mom and avowed celibate, watches her friend Holly’s meltdown with a mixture of concern and contempt. Holly is throwing away what Andrea has spent her whole life searching for—a committed relationship with a decent guy. So what if Andrea picks up Holly’s castaway husband? Then there’s Marissa. She has more than her fair share of challenges—a gay teenage son, a terminally ill daughter, and a husband who buries himself in his work rather than face the facts. As one woman’s marriage unravels, another one’s rekindles. As one woman’s family comes apart at the seams, another’s is reconfigured into something bigger and better. In this story of connections and disconnections, one woman’s up is another one’s down, and all three of them will learn the meaning of friendship, betrayal, and forgiveness before it is through.

From Goodreads

How AMAZING do both of those sound?! It looks like her adult novel is going to have the same style as her teen novels & deal with the same kind of pull & tug that I have come to relish in her characters. And Perfect promises to have the same roller coaster of emotions & experiences that make her books so unique. What are you waiting on this week?

Waiting on Wednesday: Perfect (Impulse #2) & Triangles by Ellen Hopkins

Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer review

WARNING: Spoilers for Nightshade follow. You might want to look away if you haven't read it. Or you could read my review. :)



After the nightmare that was supposed to be her union, Calla Tor is not at all surprised when she finds herself waking up somewhere she has never been before. What follows her reawakening is what frightens her. She is trapped in the hands of her sworn enemies, the Searchers & they've got Shay. Only... no one is trying to kill her & Shay seems quite content as well.



It turns out the Searchers not the purely evil folks that the Keepers made the Guardians believe they were all this time. It turns out that the Searchers are the other half of the Keepers in a centuries-old struggle for harmony & balance. Over the course of the next few days Calla learns the true history of her people, what it means for Shay to be the "Scion" & helps plan the rescue of her packmates.



Unfortunately a lot happened in Vail during her nightmare & things aren't how they were anymore. Wolves are being stripped from their human halves, wraiths are being repeatedly used as torture devices & some Guardians are being outright murdered, all to prove a point. The Keepers believe that as long as they continue to lie & convince the more powerful wolves (including the alphas), then the rest will simply follow orders. What they didn't plan for was a new alpha & what happens when you lie about even the most basic facts.



Andrea Cremer continues to take us on a wild ride with the second installment in the Nightshade trilogy. While I have to admit that it did include some of the more banal qualities of a 2nd book in a trilogy, I think this was a key plot-building time for this story. So little time passed in this book (like I'm talking 2 weeks at most) but SO MUCH happened that alters where your allegiance lies & how the story will move forward from here.



Calla continues to intrigue me as she has now become the uncertain character that I tend to tire of in books, but her uncertainty is pivotal to her character development. She has had everything she has ever known stripped from her & everyone she loves is in grave danger because of her actions, so her response is natural & expected. I must say that I was rather impressed with Cremer's ability to make Calla a tortured character without over-stating her reality. Sometimes readers are beaten over the head with the sadness that the characters are experiencing, but Cremer held a fine balance on giving us a glimpse at Calla's emotions & then moving straight back into the action.



We meet a whole new cast of characters that you'll instantly like because they resemble the wolves so much while establishing their own unique identities. The Searchers are a fun-filled, dedicated group of watchers who will stop at nothing to ensure the safety of the world. Even better is the description of their world & the Old Magic that they practice. We don't see the Keepers' magic at all really, but with the Searchers it is such an integral part of their existence that it permeates their world.



I really enjoyed this book in the series as so MAJOR developments occur that will alter how the story can move forward. I will warn those worried about content that there is some sexuality involved & some hinting at violence used for domination, but nothing scandalizing. I look forward to seeing what Cremer brings us in the final installment Bloodrose due out in January 2012!



ARC graciously provided by Around the World Tours

Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer review

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer review

Calla Tor doesn’t know how to be anything other than the female alpha she was born to be in the Nightshade pack. Things have always been understood: she would compose herself with finesse, marry Renier Laroche (the Bane pack alpha), & serve the Keepers in their quest to fight off the Searchers. And everything was going swimmingly… until Shay showed up.



Just a simple human, Shay is caught in the midst of a centuries-long struggle that he’s not really supposed to know about. Despite her senses telling her to stay away, Calla finds herself drawn to this boy & all that his existence promises. She finds him even more interesting when she is charged with his safety & has an excuse to spend inordinate amounts of time alone with Shay. For the most part, Calla manages to balance her duties to her pack (like getting both packs to hang out without shedding blood), Ren’s ever-encroaching presence, & Shay’s need for understanding; until she & Shay stumble upon more information than they are supposed to know.



It’s now a life or death race as the clock ticks down to, not only Calla & Ren’s union, but to a hidden prophecy that changes everything for everyone. Is there any way for Calla to protect herself & those she cares about, while following her own heart? Or is she simply doomed to follow orders?



What a dexterous read! Andrea Cremer takes some of the best parts of several different mythologies & combines them all into one seamless story. There are so many different facets to the Keeper/Searcher/Guardian dynamic that it is almost impossible to explain it all without becoming tedious & technical. Suffice it to say that they have some unique interactions throughout their histories.



It was refreshing to have such a strong female lead in this book. While I do enjoy the protagonists who are still developing their sense of self & finding their place in the world, it was rather enjoyable to be able to slip into the skin of someone who already knew who they were & what they’re meant to do & be in this life. It was just as equally enjoyable to watch her squirm when her whole world is threatened. The “fight or flight” instinct is strong & it was refreshing to see her fight so hard for what she hadn’t even thought she could have.



Even better than the protagonist was the rest of the cast. There is a wide variety of personalities represented by not only the 2 opposing packs, but within the packs themselves. I felt like I could pick out who was going to be what kind of person & why, but I must admit that the “why” of their demeanors was rather unique. I can’t give any of that away because I think it is an integral part of the overall storyline, but I will tell you that each person is wholly themselves & nothing less.



The plot development took a little bit at the beginning just because you have to settle into a newer understanding, but once I got my bearings it was a fast-paced read. Truly magnificent, Nightshade promises to be the beginning of one heck of a trilogy.

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer review

Waiting on Wednesday: Nocturne (Claire de Lune #2) by Christine Johnson

Waiting on Wednesday recognizes that we as bookies pine for books. This post is about what I am impatiently waiting for right now. It was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine.



So while I have yet to review Claire de Lune (somehow that fell off my radar), I did enjoy the first novel in this series. Claire is such a fun character to watch grow. Now I'm gearing up for the August 23rd release of Nocturne (Claire de Lune #2) by Christine Johnson. We're picking up where we left off after the first book, so beware as spoilers may follow!

Some secrets are too dangerous...



After the tragic events of the summer, Claire is looking forward to a new school year. All she wants to worry about is finding the most gorgeous dress to wear to the Autumn Ball with her perfect boyfriend.



But as Claire knows all too well, the life of a werewolf is never that simple, or that sweet.



When Claire’s human and wolf lives start to collide, her worst nightmares come true. She is hurting her best friend. She has been caught lying. And then the unthinkable happens: Someone discovers Claire’s secret.



If Claire’s werewolf identity is exposed, everyone she knows will be put at risk. And the pack’s response comes at a cost higher than Claire can imagine. Claire will be forced to determine just how far she is willing to go to protect her family, her identity and her life, before she loses it all...



From Goodreads

While we were introduced to Claire's new-to-her lifestyle at the same time she is coming to grips with the situation, we're now moving ahead with her adjustment to her new being. Christine Johnson doesn't really follow the prescribed model for teen werewolf books and I find that refreshing. Keep your eyes peeled for my upcoming review of Claire de Lune & for its sequel's release!



What are you waiting on this week?

Waiting on Wednesday: Nocturne (Claire de Lune #2) by Christine Johnson

Forever by Maggie Stiefvater review

MAJOR SPOILERS for Shiver & Linger ahead. Please don't read if you haven't read those. If you'd like a refresher of those books, please read my reviews of Shiver & Linger.

Grace is lost to the winter as a wolf & Sam is annoyingly still human, despite the cold. His longing for Grace is only mitigated by the frustration he feels towards those who accuse him of having something to do with Grace's disappearance. Yes, technically, he did have something to do with it, but not in the nefarious way that everyone seems to want to believe. Now he's stuck in this endless cycle of waiting for it to warm up enough so Grace can shift back to being a human & they can plan their next steps.

Cole is not making her absence any easier to bear. He spends most of his time seemingly aimless in his wanderings in & outside of the Beck's house. It turns out though that Cole is on to something. He's trying to figure out the trigger to becoming a wolf so that he can reverse the process.

And mixed in with this party of fun is Isabel. With her brother Jack still very dead, her father is still on the hunt for suitable retribution. Luckily another girl shows up dead in the woods by the wolves' paws. The aerial hunt, and the obliteration of the pack, is imminent. Can these three unlikely teammates pull off the greatest miracle or is it already too late to save the wolves of Mercy Falls?

What an ending to one of the most memorable & inexplicably captivating series I have read in quite some time. Maggie Stiefvater is, in my opinion, the supreme queen of character development. Each character was carefully built to give as much vitality to the book as possible. Their dynamics & interactions were so full of emotion & feeling that I truly felt an understanding with them. I absolutely adored the ability to watch these characters evolve & establish themselves as individuals.

Grace may have started as a too-good-to-be-true kind of gal with a serious penchant for the wolves, but she really blossomed into an authentic adult making the best of the situation she was dealt. And while emo boys do have some appeal, Sam really broke my heart from the very beginning of this series. Maggie crafted the most beautifully heart-wrenching scenes for Sam's transformation from scared & scarred follower to a fear-fighting leader doing the very best for everyone, despite the cost. Even Cole & Isabel, despite not having to change as much, really did become better versions of themselves.

As always, the storytelling was divine in the way that I couldn't put the book down. Maggie has noted that she feels more satisfied when writing from multiple characters points of view because they all see things differently about the world than each other, allowing a greater understanding of the situation. And also, you want to use the character that will change the most during the scene in order for the story to progress. This style of writing really lends itself to the way this series unfolds. There is so much going on & so many people involved that I really think the reader would lose something if it had only been told from one (or two) people's points of view.

While I am probably among the minority of people who didn't technically "like" the ending (I'm a big believer of the "tidy little bow" concept) I think it worked perfectly for this storyline. There is no easy way to leave a world behind (even a mythical one) once you've become so invested in it. The way Maggie left things allows the reader to use their own understanding of the series to drawn their own conclusions.

So now that so many people have read the book, I want to hear your thoughts. Did you enjoy this finale? What did you think about the ending? What would you like to have seen happen?

A big thanks to Around the World Tours for the ARC & Maggie Stiefvater for the wonderful event night in Raleigh!

Forever by Maggie Stiefvater review