Review: Voices of Dragons by Carrie Vaughn

Blurb from Amazon:

On one side of the border lies the modern world: the internet, homecoming dances, cell phones. On the other side dwell the ancient monsters who spark humanity's deepest fears: dragons.

Seventeen-year-old Kay Wyatt knows she's breaking the law by rock climbing near the border, but she'd rather have an adventure than follow the rules. When the dragon Artegal unexpectedly saves her life, the rules are abruptly shattered, and a secret friendship grows between them.

But suspicion and terror are the legacy of human and dragon inter­actions, and the fragile truce that has maintained peace between the species is unraveling. As tensions mount and battles begin, Kay and Artegal are caught in the middle. Can their friendship change the course of a war?

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

I loved the fascinating world that Carrie Vaughn created in this book! Dragons and humans must share the world and to do that the border between the two nations must never be crossed. A 60 year old treaty prevents the two from ever meeting.

Above all, friendships between dragons and humans are illegal.

What I loved most was Kay's earthy, adventurous nature. She's the kind of teenager I wanted to be. I would have loved hiking and rock climbing and making friends with a dragon.

There was only one thing that frustrated me. I had wished that Kay would have told her friends about her secret trips to the dragon. How cool it would have been if she and her friends had worked together to solve problem--you know, Harry Potter style. Potter always worked with Ron and Hermione, and it was the camaraderie of solving the problem together that made us love the Potter books.

And I think the ending would have had more impact if Kay had had her friends part of her adventure all along. How much more impressive if several teenagers & young dragons had become friends and had chosen to fight alongside Kay & Artegal to stop the war.

And I liked Jon, the romantic interest. He and Kay were friends for years before they started dating, and they enjoyed many advntures togeter. Rock climbing. Kayaking in the moonlight. Cross-country skiing. Hiking and more hiking. Something was just sooooo dissatisfying that she didn't share this adventure with him too.

Review: All's Fair in Vanity's War by Elizabeth Marx

My Rating: 3 Stars
Amazon | B&N | Goodreads

Well thought-out world building and plot line! Fascinating concept. And the emotional aspects of the story tied me into knots.

The story is told from the perspective of the Seer, a dead teenager who has been given the task of guarding Locke's (her boyfriend when she was still alive) new girlfriend. It's been about 2 years since she died, but she still loves him. For me, it was painful to watch the budding romance through the eyes of the Seer.

I liked the Seer, and although I didn't mind Locke hooking up with Keleigh, I wished that the Seer could have some romance too. The Seer is dead; Locke is still alive. He's obviously not the right guy for her, but I would have been a lot happier if one of the Guardians who could actually see the Seer and talk to the Seer had shown some interest in her.

I wished that Locke and the Seer could have had a real conversation. I wanted closure between the two of them. I wanted to hear him say he loved her but that he was now ready to move on with his life. I wanted her to say she accepted that. But although Locke said several times that he needed to communicate with the Seer, he never did.

I also felt frustrated with the fact that the Seer could mostly only observe and did very little to interact. Because of that, we couldn't sink deeply into her consciousness. Most of the time, the focus was on the people she observed, and at the end of the scene, the Seer would chime in with her reactions to what she had just seen. We got very little sensation, reactions, and internal dialog from the POV.

Despite that, I identified with what we did get from the Seer. I loved the character and I'm hoping for more focus on her in the next book.

Elizabeth Marx is an author with so much wonderful potential. I think her books will just get better and better.

Review: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

blurb from goodreads:

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind




~ * ~ * ~  * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ 

*sniffle, sniffle* I loved this book. *wipes eyes with back of hand*

Augustus was a beautiful soul, and I enjoyed how he encouraged Hazel to really live. She'd given up on living, knowing that she would die and leave a gaping hole behind her. He taught her that every moment here on earth is worth it--both for the one living it and for those who lose their loved ones.

I loved watching their lives, souls, and hearts intertwine, and every moment of this book was precious and beautiful. When I was done (3 in the morning on a work night--2nd time THIS WEEK--*sigh*), I snuck into the kids' rooms, tucked them in and gave them extra kisses.

When the YA Sisterhood blog said this book was about LIFE rather than CANCER, I now have to say they were so right. There isn't anything I didn't love about this book.

Weeks after I read this book, I find myself still thinking about it. Hazel's relationship with her parents, the fear of what her death will do to them, and most importantly her questions about how the world will continue without her. Some of my worst fears (losing a loved one and my loved ones losing me) are addressed by this book, but the more I think about it, the more I feel that I can put those fears aside and focus on living one day at a time, enjoying my family.

I highly recommend this story for everyone.

Review: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Synopsis from Amazon:
The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.


But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.


True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.


Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.



My Thoughts:

Dark, enchanting, thrilling, and savory. I don't even know where to begin to tell you about this book. I don't think I even want to condense the plot into a few trite words. Nothing I could say would do this justice.

But I can say that how much I loved every character--Celia and Marco. The red haired twins and Bailey. The clock maker and the man who designed the carousel. The fortune teller and the contortionist. I was even mesmerized by the two old wizards who started the challenge with a bet on whose student would be the better illusionist. They were sinister and cold and yet seemed so very real.

The book opens in 2nd person. YOU are the audience in the circus, and as the story unfolds, YOU are in the midst of it. Let me just say, it felt so real.

Review: Calamity Jack by Shannon Hale

Synopsis from Amazon:

Jack likes to think of himself as a criminal mastermind…with an unfortunate amount of bad luck. A schemer, plotter, planner, trickster, swindler...maybe even thief? One fine day Jack picks a target a little more giant than the usual, and one little bean turns into a great big building-destroying beanstalk.

With help from Rapunzel (and her trusty braids), a pixie from Jack’s past, and a man with inventions from the future, they just might out-swindle the evil giants and put his beloved city back in the hands of good people ....while catapulting themselves and readers into another fantastical adventure.



My Thoughts:

Cute. Cute. Cute.

We get to see our favorite fairy tale characters again: Jack and Punzie.

Only now it's Jack's turn to be in the spotlight as he brings Rapunzel home to meet his mother, but life in the big city isn't how he left it. That giant who lives at the top of the skyscraper--the one with the goos that Jack stole when he planted his magic bean--has taken over and is holding Jack's mom as hostage.

Jack has to make right his past wrongs, but he's afraid of failing. Everything he does fails, and what will Rapunzel think of him if he can't save his mom and the city?

To top it off, Jack can't say anything right, and this guy they rescued seems to have the right words to sweep her off her feet.

This is a fun, fast-paced (haha, I almost typed "past-faced") read. I loved it, TJ loved it, and the kids have devoured it several times over. Nothing like a good book to pull a family together.

Review: Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon Hale

Synopsis from Amazon:

Once upon a time, in a land you only think you know, lived a little girl and her mother . . . or the woman she thought was her mother.

Every day, when the little girl played in her pretty garden, she grew more curious about what lay on the other side of the garden wall . . . a rather enormous garden wall.

And every year, as she grew older, things seemed weirder and weirder, until the day she finally climbed to the top of the wall and looked over into the mines and desert beyond.

Newbery Honor-winning author Shannon Hale teams up with husband Dean Hale and brilliant artist Nathan Hale (no relation) to bring readers a swashbuckling and hilarious twist on the classic story as you’ve never seen it before. Watch as Rapunzel and her amazing hair team up with Jack (of beanstalk fame) to gallop around the wild and western landscape, changing lives, righting wrongs, and bringing joy to every soul they encounter.

My Thoughts:

In this entertaining graphic novel, Rapunzel lives in the Wild, Wild West, and she's out to stop the evil witch Gothel who had locked Rapunzel in a tower.

Along the way she meets a boy named Jack, who carries a goose with him wherever he goes. Together, they travel the countryside together, savings towns, making friends, and helping people in need, as they make their way toward Gothel's villa.

What I love about this book is the interactions between Rapunzel & Jack. It's cute and sweet, and their arguments are hilarious. Rapunzel reminds me a bit of Pecos Bill with her amazing ability to solve any problem, but it is her strong, stubborn, kick-ass personality that completely made me fall in love with this book.

I'm already ordering the next book: Calamity Jack.

P.S. My kids have already started quoting this book. I think they have it memorized.

Review: The Princess Curse by Merrie Haskell

Synopsis from Amazon:

Twelve princesses suffer from a puzzling (if silly) curse, and anyone who ends it will win a reward. Reveka, a sharp-witted and irreverent apprentice herbalist, wants that reward. But her investigations lead to deeper mysteries and a daunting choice—will she break the curse at the peril of her own soul?













My Thoughts:

I loved this cover of the book and grabbed it off the library shelves without reading anything about it. My first thought was that my daughter would love this book. She devoured it that day and then begged me to read it to her.

I'm so glad I agreed to read it with her! This book is a treasure. The 13-year-old heroine is gutsy and determined, ready to give anyone a piece of her mind and willing to bend over backwards to help someone in need. She can't stand to see an unsolved puzzle and do nothing about it, and this tendency leads her into the den of a zmeu (a dragon or demon of the Underworld).

This book is an enchanting retelling of two fairy tales: Twelve Dancing Princesses & Beaty and the Beast. And even though this is an obvious retelling, it is still fresh and fun.

What's funny is that while reading this book allowed to Makani, I even got my husband wrapped up in the story. He told Kaylee to stop singing because he was listening to the story. Mwahahahaha! To think we ensnared TJ with a children's book!

Highly recommend this book for ages 10 to 14. Even more, I recommend this as a family read. You'll love it as much as your kids do...if not more.

Review: Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Synopsis from Goodreads:
At age 16, Rhine Ellery has four years to live. Thanks to a botched effort to create a perfect race, all females live to age 20 and males live to age 25. On the cusp of her 17th birthday, Rhine attempts to flee, but what she finds is a society spiraling out of control.















My thoughts:

I WANTED to like this book. I've heard so many people raving about it that I expected to love it, but instead, it just made me angry.


First off, I couldn't connect with Rhine. I thought she was selfish to want to run away rather than to fight to make things better. People depended on her, and watching her lie to Linden and plotting to leave her sister wives angered me.

Why was Gabriel better than Linden? Linden was intelligent and considerate and tender. Well, I guess I wouldn't really want to be married to a man who has two other wives, but somehow author Lauren DeStefano made it seem normal and natural. It didn't bother me in the least bit.

So I liked Linden and I thought he deserved a better chance than Rhine gave him. It broke my heart to think how hurt he would be to find her gone in the morning.

And I hated the idea of her sister-wife being left to the mercies of Rhine's father in law. Too naive, the youngest of Linden's bride wouldn't know how to stand up to the master of the house and protect herself and her baby.

Doggonit, Lauren DeStefano made me care!!! I wanted to see good things happen. I wanted to see true bonding between Rhine and her companions. I wanted her father-in-law to be stopped!

Instead, she got that selfish escape she wanted, and I'm not sure I want to read the next book.

Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Synopsis from Amazon:

Mara Dyer doesn't believe life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her strangely unharmed.

There is.

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.

She's wrong.





My Thoughts:

I loved everything about this book. The characters seemed so real. The plot so intense. From page one, it hurt to put the book down, so I ended up reading it one sitting...until 3:48 a.m. when I finished the last page. Unfortunately I have to work today. :-(

Mara's perspective was amazingly written. She was a mixture of cold sarcasm and warm caring, and the blend of what was real and what was imagined/hallucinated/dreamed was expertly done.

Noah was...intense, sexy, fascinating, and caring. The interactions between Mara and Noah contained some of the best dialog.

Watching the pieces unfold as Mara discovers what really happened was amazing. I think the ability to put an intricate plot together like this takes genius. I'm hoping that it will rub off on me through osmosis. I'd love to be able to write like this.

Biggest complaint is that at the end, I wanted to shake some sense into Mara, but my hands wouldn't phase into the book no matter how hard I tried. "No, don't do it," I screamed at her several times. She didn't listen to me.

I hate it when my fictional friends ignore my offered wisdom. Maybe they'll start listening when I start listening to my own advice. I could see me doing some of the same things.

On the other hand, I'm happy to see that there is another book. I had thought this was a stand alone, and really, I loved the characters too much to want the story to end so soon.

I'll definitely be asking my husband to read this one. This is just the kind of story I'd love to discuss with him.

Review: Beauty and the Werewolf by Mercedes Lackey

Synopsis from Amazon:
The eldest daughter is often doomed in fairy tales. But Bella—Isabella Beauchamps, daughter of a wealthy merchant—vows to escape the usual pitfalls.


Anxious to avoid the Traditional path, Bella dons a red cloak and ventures into the forbidden forest to consult with "Granny," the local wisewoman.


But on the way home she's attacked by a wolf—who turns out to be a cursed nobleman! Secluded in his castle, Bella is torn between her family and this strange man who creates marvelous inventions and makes her laugh—when he isn't howling at the moon.


Breaking spells is never easy. But a determined beauty, a wizard (after all, he's only an occasional werewolf) and a little godmotherly interference might just be able to bring about a happy ending.

My Thoughts:

Is this the story of Beauty and the Beast? Or is it Little Red Riding Hood? Bella learns that some forcewill be stuffed into some story whether she likes it or not.

Loved Bella! She was down to earch and practical and caring and in the course of a month she turned a dead and hopeless house into a bright and happy home.

The wolf--the reclusive duke--is just marvelous...though not what I've come to expect from werewolves. He's certainly not the alpha male type. He's too sincere and sweet for that, but I love the way he babbles when he's uncomfortable and often puts his foot in his mouth.

I don't know if author Mercedes Lacky meant to, but she definitely wrote him as a Sagittarian. And as everyone knows, Sagittarians are fun and wonderful people, full of vigor and honesty and good will. *ahem* I really am not prejudiced at all.

So if you like reading retellings of fairy tales (which I've done a lot of lately), you might want to try this one. This one is an adult book, but clean and fun and fast paced.

Enjoy!

Transcendent: Tales of the Paranormal

Discover the secrets of a siren, fly with a hawk girl over the mountains of Montana, and flee supernatural party-crashers as the décor comes to life in this magical journey through paranormal stories.

Along the way, watch for ghosts in a haunted house, or ride through the moonlight with a stranger. Save a comatose boy who has lost his soul, and don’t forget to bring your garlic and wolfsbane—you never know when the shadows will snag you.

Transcendent includes eight stories of magic, love, death, and choice by some of the newest names in young adult fiction.


Purchase Information:
Paperback on Amazon: Coming Soon for $10.99!
Paperback on Barnes and Noble: Coming Soon!
eBook on Kindle: Purchase today for $0.99!
eBook on Nook: Coming Soon!


Contact Information:
Goodreads
Facebook
Book Club Discussion


Meet the writers:

Transcendent: Tales of the Paranormal

Transcendent: Tales of the Paranormal by Lani Woodland


This is a great collection of short stories by many great YA writers, including Lani Woodland, Melanie Marks, Wendy Swore, and...well, me! I am so excited about the pending release of this project. Stay tuned, and I'll give a release date in the next week or two.

One of my stories is co-authored with Wendy Swore. It was a lot of fun writing with her. She has a great style that meshes well with my own. So be sure to read about the boy struck by lightning in the story Strike.

The other story I have in this collection is called Feather. Here's one of my favorite passages from my story:

A rustle of wings and a hawk feather drifts down to me. Snatching it from the air, I look up into the trees, but nothing’s there. So I tuck the feather into my hair.

“What are you doing?”

My stomach leaps into my throat, and I jump up, stumbling backward, and fall on my butt in the middle of the path. In the tree above me, a teenage boy perches on a branch. He’s dressed in traditional deerskin breeches, a talon necklace around his neck, but rather than moccasins, his feet are bare. He is shirtless, and lean muscles cord his body.
His intense eyes capture my attention. They’re like golden fathomless pools. I could get lost in them.

“Don’t your feet get hurt, walking barefoot on the forest floor?” I ask.

“I rarely walk.” He drops down in front of me. His face is so close that I take a step back and thump into a tree. He leans toward me and sniffs. “You smell different. What are you?”

“I’m a girl.” I can’t take my gaze from his.

“No, humans stink. You smell…” He sniffs my hair and grins. “You smell good.”

“Is there a reason that you’re invading my space? I have somewhere to be.” My voice cracks.

He tugs one of my braids and winks at me. My pulse quickens, and my breath catches in my throat. His eyes study me with intensity, and he leans closer. Is he going to kiss me?

“I don’t know what’s up with you, but I don’t like it.”

“You have a feather in your hair. A hawk’s feather.”

My hand flies to the feather tucked into my hair. “So?”

“Nothing.” He shrugs, but a secretive smile spreads across his face.


View all my reviews

Song of the Nile by Stephanie Dray

Song of the Nile by Stephanie Dray
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Dark and beautiful. From the moment this story began, I was gripped by Selene's pain and ambition, terrified the cost of earning the title of Queen of Egypt would be her soul.

Cleopatra has grown up at the age of 15. Married to Juba, an African king, she must prove her worth to the emperor--securing grain, building a new port and city, civilizing a "barbarous" people, promoting the emperor's agendas... But what the emperor wants most is a Cleopatra like Julius Caesar and Mark Anthony had before him.

The stakes are higher as she vies to win the emperor's approval in order to earn the title of Queen of Egypt. Nothing will stand in her way.

What I loved most...
I loved Selene. She's flawed in her obsession with her ambition to fulfill her roll as queen to her people, and yet she's passionate and caring and daring and lovable. I rooted for her and was scared for her and silently begged her not to follow her foolish plans to sell her body to the devil--er, I mean, emperor.

What I admired in Stephanie Dray's writing...
The disaster of a marriage between Juba and Selene was powerfully written. His pain as he watched his bride run away from him and into impending disaster was the thing that gripped me the most. On their wedding night, he asks if they could be friends. She says yes, she could forgive him his role in the demise of her parents and of Egypt. He says can we be more than friends. And when she rejects him, his pain drips from every word, and my heart bled for him.

My recommendation...
Read this powerful book. Personally, I can't wait to read more by Stephanie Dray.

*Purchase Info*

Amazon
B&N
IndieBound
Borders
Constellation Books
Powell's

Come back Friday for an interview and giveaway!

Writer's Companion excerpt

The Writer's Companion, helpful for both beginning and experienced writers, covers the writing process from plotting and planning through writing and editing to querying and finding a publisher. I've studied many great books on writing but nothing as comprehensive as this guide.

You will reference these 600 pages of material again and again, manuscript after manuscript, long after you've made millions and topped the best seller lists. I highly recommend this book for every writer and writing hobbyist.

Renée Miller, one of the authors, shares a modified excerpt. Together, Renée and Carlos share some interesting thoughts about the future of publishing.

Enjoy!
___________________________________________________________________

Thanks for having me, Rita. I always love visiting your blog.


I considered posting an excerpt from the Writer’s Companion that discussed how to do this or that but decided that’s rather uninteresting and not very interactive. Then I recalled the Oracle. As an afterword and closing brooch for the Companion, we wanted to be reckless and play the game of prophesy.


Prophets engage in a risky business, in particular if they survive their prophecies. Most prophets we know of would have had to eat their words if they were still around, though it strikes us as crafty that most weighty prophecies entailed such a long time lapse that the prophet was safe from having to face the hordes of his peeved followers. Others—doomsday prophets in particular—weren’t so lucky and had to swallow a bitter pill (and often run for dear life) when the event didn’t pan out.


In writing the Companion, we researched the publishing industry’s history as well as recent changes. To say the foundations of what used to be are shaky would be an understatement. The question is, how will this pan out for writers? What will the new publishing model be when the dust settles? What’s the future of the publishing industry?


In our opinion, there’s a difference between a forecast that contravenes physics and scientific observation and a prediction founded on logic. Most of the conjectures in Huxley’s Brave New World and Orwell’s 1984 stem from logic. Naturally, with so many variables and unknowns, a logical prophecy doesn’t have more weight than an educated guess.


Our oracle, firmly grounded on state-of-the art resources (crystal ball, tealeaves, Ouija, I-ching and a deck of funny-looking cards), predicts that within the next ten years:


1. E-publishing will overtake traditional publishing.

2. E-publishing with reputable publishers will be as hard to access for new writers as

traditional publishing is at present times.

3. E-publishers will only accept submissions through literary agents.

4. E-books will be rated by an agency, as to their literary and editorial merits.

5. POD will shrink down to a tenth of its present size.

6. Two-thirds of traditional book retailers will have disappeared.

7. The number of readers will remain unchanged.

8. A large percentage of successful writers will issue from the East.

9. Most of the Internet free services to writers will be subscription only.

10. Traditional writers will be on the road to extinction.



We suppose that our readers might agree with some of these predictions and disagree with the rest, perhaps all. In our defense, we attempt to justify the logic behind each forecast in the Writer’s Companion. What do you think? Are we way off base? Share your predictions for the industry over the next decade. We should come back here in 2021 (as long as the doomsday prophets are wrong yet again) and see how close we all came.


I’ll be sharing the basis behind each prediction over on The Edge starting on Sunday. Come on over and share your thoughts. Yes, even if they’re negative ones.


And thank you, Rita, for allowing me to post my insanity.

___________________________________________________________________


Thank you, Renee!

Later next week, I will post a giveaway for a copy of the Writer's Companion.  So be sure to come back for more goodies.

Red Glove by Holly Black

Red Glove by Holly Black


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Two government agents visit Cassel's boarding school and drag him away. After interrogating him about the crime family that his family served for generations, they pull out photos of Phillip, his brother, shot dead in his apartment. The agents tell him that his brother had made a deal to squeal about some assassinations for immunity, and that had gotten him killed.




If Cassel doesn't help in the investigation, the agents will go after his family or try to pin the murder on Lila, but if Cassel helps out the agents, he'll be targeted by the crime family. What makes things worse is that Zacharov, head of the crime family, wants Cassel to join the family ranks. Who wouldn't want the most powerful curse worker under his control?




With incredible detail, Holly Black paints her world: the strange magic of the curse workers, the dark world of crime, mobs, and scams, betrayals and heartache. Imagine a touch of a finger could curse you. Bare hands are obscene and dangerous.




Bare hands can kill you, bring you bad luck, control your dreams, change your memories, break the bones in your body, manipulate your emotions: all depending on who wields those hands. Most powerful and most rare are transformation workers.




If you're a curse worker, keep your secret because you don't know what the world will do to you.




View all my reviews

Going Bovine by Libba Bray

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Where do I begin? Following Cameron on his crazy adventure to save the world from a wormhole created by dark energies was one of the most amazing, most beautiful journeys I have ever taken.



Cameron's life was empty: sneaking out of class to smoke pot in the high school bathrooms, hiding from his father's disapproval, annoying his sister, smoking pot at home on a Friday night because his parents worked late and had no time for the family, pretending to study Don Quixote for school.



And then the unbelievable happens. Cameron finds a large feather, white tinged with pink, in his bedroom. Printed in bold letters on one side was the word "Hello."



Shortly after, Cameron loses his job, gets kicked out of school, and is seeing therapists for drug problems. All because of strange muscle spasms in his body.



But Cameron's problems aren't due to drugs. When his problems get worse, he finds himself in the hospital for mad cow disease, and an angel (a pink haired girl wearing torn fishnet stockings and combat boots) informs him that he must find Dr. X to save the world and to cure his disease. But if he wants to succeed, he must take the dwarf in the hospital bed beside him on the journey.



Following the signs, Gonzo and Cameron sneak out of the hospital and set out to find Dr. X. The road takes them to New Orleans during the Mardi Gras where Cameron meets a drag queen, a jazz musician who teaches him about music, and a wizard who wants to kill him. From there, the clues lead them to Florida, and they catch a bus and head out--with the police on their tail searching for two runaways.



This is where Libba Bray's story telling ability begins to shine. With almost painstaking detail, she takes Cameron through trials and struggles, introduces him to interesting characters, and teaches him about love and life and friendship.



The apathetic drug addict learns to care about others and discovers that now is the most precious moment he has. By the end of the book, I was cheering and crying and laughing and feeling as in love with life as Cameron did.



View all my reviews

Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary by Brandon Mull

Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary by Brandon Mull
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

For three books now, my family and I have grown to love these characters and this world. Each book has been more intense and faster paced than the one before. The stakes are higher, the problems tougher.

Now here is the fourth book, and it blew me away. From opening scene to the twists revealed in the climax, the book gripped me.

I loved the growth in Seth. He's learned to question his motives before charging into trouble, and he's learned wisdom to caution his courage. He and his sister Kendra truly make a remarkable team.

I hated and yet admired the twist at the end. Brandon Mull truly pulled the wool over my eyes, and at first, I hated him for it. Then I sat in awe. I'd love to be that kind of writer...

A great family read. A great book for all ages.

One book left in the series. How on earth is he going to wrap this all up? Problem is that I don't really want the story to be wrapped up. I want it keep going.

View all my reviews

This book totally took me by surprise. The only survivors of a plane wreck on a deserted island are about 15 beauty-pageant girls.

It started off as a spoof, but as time passes, you learn that each girl has a painful secret. Their time on the island strips away all their pretenses, their beliefs, and even their desires. Enemies become friends. Contestants become survivors. Girls become women.

At the end, I was cheering for each and every one of the characters in this book.

My favorite quote:

"Why do girls always feel like they have to apologize for giving an opinion or taking up space in the world? Have you ever noticed that?" Nicole asked. "You go on websites and some girl leaves a post and if it's longer than three sentences or she's expressing her thoughts about some topic, she usually ends with, 'Sorry for the rant' or 'That may be dumb, but that's what I think."
--Libba Bray, Beauty Queens

River Marked by Patricia Briggs

River Marked by Patricia Briggs
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I can't think of a series that has dug itself so deeply into my mind and heart. I wish, wish, wish that I was Mercedes Thompson, except I don't know if I could handle all the damage she takes. I'm not sure I could have the courage to face what she faces. I'd like to think I would though.

I never buy books because I just don't have the space for them, and I prefer to read something new rather than something old. But when I got a gift certificate to Barnes and Noble for Christmas, I decided to use it on buying the Mercedes Thompson series. I had just read the entire series for the first time in October/November, and although I had a long list of books to read, I already wanted to read them all again.

And when River Marked came out, I ordered it from Amazon that day. When it arrived two days later, TJ and I fought over who got to read it first. He won and I was miserable for another day.

So when I say this series has really gotten to me, I mean it.

In this latest installment, Mercy and Adam are on their honeymoon, and of course, Mercy has to get herself into a world of trouble--an ancient Indian monster is marking people as slaves and eating them. Mercy's connection to Coyote is the only thing that can stop it...


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The Hawk and His Boy by Christopher Bunn

The Hawk And His Boy by Christopher Bunn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Gist
Jute is forced by the Thieves Guild to steal a box from the tower of a local merchant. The house is guarded by wards, and Jute is the only one who knows how to move silently and to still his mind so that the wards cannot see or hear him.

"Don't open the box, or I will gut you," said the Knife, the man who waits for Jute to return with the box.

Jute didn't mean to open the box. It just kind of happened. He didn't mean to reach for the blade inside and cut his finger. It just kind of happened. And when he does, the luster of the blade fades.

When Jute returns with the box and swears he didn't open it, the Knife stabs him with a poisoned needle. Enough poison to kill a horse.

Jute falls back down the chimney and into the house he just robbed. Everything goes black, and when he wakes up...

Wait, he shouldn't have woken up. He'd just been poisoned and had fallen three stories down a chimney. What was that item in the box?

What I liked
I was a little leery to read this book. I've lost interest in most traditional fantasy books, preferring more urban fantasy lately. I guess I've burned out on them.

Add to that the fact that I've never heard of this author before, I wasn't expecting much. However, I was pleasantly surprised by this book. There were elements of this story that reminded me of Brent Weeks' trilogy as there were some darker elements to the story. In fact, I think I'd label this as a dark fantasy for middle grade or early YA, but it can be enjoyed by all ages.

From the first chapter, the author intrigued me with the mysteries of his world--the box with the blade inside, the secrets of the characters, the intrigue and history of a very deep, dark world.

What I didn't like
I think Bunn's characters could have a little more "stage presence". They all had distinct personalities, but it seemed more like different shades of gray, rather than bright, vibrant contrasting colors. I think I'd like to read more by this author, and I'm hoping he grows and learns about character development.

I also was disappointed by the ending. I don't mind cliff hangers, but I'm used to there being smaller plots withing bigger plots. The small plot is resolved within each book, and the big plot takes the entire series to resolve. But all the same, I think this just means I need to find the other two books.

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