The Name of the Star

By Maureen Johnson

Summary:  
The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago.

Soon “Rippermania” takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.

My Thoughts: 
I loved this book, and I absolutely did not want to put it down. 
The premise was intriguing from the start, and it lived up to my pre-reading hopes. 
Now to give you all fair warning, when you tell someone that the book you are reading has 'Jack the Ripper' in it, you are going to get more than a few funny looks. 
Now would be an appropriate(or not... depending how easily fiction can sway you) time of year to read this book, what with going back to school paralleling Rory's transition to London boarding school.

Beastly

By Alex Flinn

Summary:
I am a beast.

A beast. Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog but a horrible new creature who walks upright—a creature with fangs and claws and hair springing from every pore. I am a monster.

You think I’m talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It’s no deformity, no disease. And I’ll stay this way forever—ruined—unless I can break the spell.

Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I’ll tell you. I’ll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I’ll tell you how I became perfectly . . . beastly.


My Thoughts: 
 Beastly is a modern retelling of the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, that has rather recently been made into a movie.
The story is told from the perspective of the Beast, which is interesting. It's cute book, but it doesn't hold any surprises(at least not to anyone who has seen the Disney animated version). It is a quick read with a good message. 

 

Book Music

This is a beautiful song that was inspired by John Green's, The Fault In Our Stars.

This songs doesn't contain plot spoilers, but there are quotes from the book that are used.

I love the use of the books in making the music!

Everwild

by Neal Shusterman

Summary:
Everlost, the limbo land of dead children, is at war. Nick the “Chocolate Ogre” wants to help the children of Everlost reach the light at the end of the tunnel. Mary Hightower, self-proclaimed queen of lost children and dangerous fanatic, is determined to keep Everlost’s children trapped within its limbo for all eternity. Traveling in the memory of the Hindenburg, Mary is spreading her propaganda and attracting Afterlights to her cause at a frightening speed.

Meanwhile, Allie the Outcast travels home to seek out her parents, along with Mikey, who was once the terrifying monster the McGill. Allie is tempted by the seductive thrill of skinjacking the living, until she discovers the shocking truth about skinjackers.


My Thoughts:
I love this series so far.
The parallel world that Shusterman has created is detailed and fantastical.
I love how the reader gets to discover the world of Everlost at the same time the kids living in there do too. The characters are intriguing, entertaining, and understandable.

The Fault In Our Stars

By John Green


 Summary:

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.


My Thoughts:
 
This book was, everything. All at once. It was funny, smart, heartbreaking, quirky and relatable. It made me see so many emotions that I didn't think a piece of fiction ever would be able to do.
I laughed, I cried, and I loved every moment of it.
I think this might actually be my favourite John Green book yet.
There are just so many wonderful thing about this beautiful piece of liturature.
Augustus and Hazel are amazing. They are intelligent, funny, and real.
I would highly recommend this book to everyone.

In My Book Bag

Here are the title's that I have out from the library, or are waiting for me on the holdshelf:



Beauty Queens

By Libba Bray

I've heard lots of great things about this book.

And now that I've read A Great and Terrible Beauty, I want to see what I think of Libba Bray's other work.

Plus the cover is super intriguing.

The Reformed Vampire Suppot Group

By Catherine Jinks

One of my friends recommended this book to me.

And it looks like a fun read

I'm already a few chapters in, but I'm not convinced yet.

We'll see.

Maybe it'll change my mind yet.

Everwild

By Neal Shusterman

I've recently read the first book the this series and love it! (Review to come)

The plot could go in many different directions, and I want to know what happens to the charaters.

And I want to learn more about the world of Everlost, and what 'skinjacking' is really all about.

A Great and Terrible Beauty

A Great And Terrible Beauty
 By Libba Bray


Summary:
A Victorian boarding school story, a Gothic mansion mystery, a gossipy romp about a clique of girlfriends, and a dark other-worldly fantasy--jumble them all together and you have this complicated and unusual first novel.
Sixteen-year-old Gemma has had an unconventional upbringing in India, until the day she foresees her mother's death in a black, swirling vision that turns out to be true. Sent back to England, she is enrolled at Spence, a girls' academy with a mysterious burned-out East Wing. There Gemma is snubbed by powerful Felicity, beautiful Pippa, and even her own dumpy roommate Ann, until she blackmails herself and Ann into the treacherous clique. GemmaKartik, a beautiful young man who warns her to fight off the visions. Nevertheless, they continue, and one night she is led by a child-spirit to find a diary that reveals the secrets of a mystical Order. The clique soon finds a way to accompany Gemma to the other-world realms of her visions "for a bit of fun" and to taste the power they will never have as Victorian wives, but they discover that the delights of the realms are overwhelmed by a menace they cannot control. Gemma is left with the knowledge that her role as the link between worlds leaves her with a mission to seek out the "others" and rebuild the Order. A Great and Terrible Beauty is an impressive first book in what should prove to be a fascinating trilogy.

My Thoughts:
I can not count the number of times I have been told to "read this book"! I have so many reading buddies who LOVE Libba Bray, and as per usual, I wait until the new and cool become tried and true before taking the dive.
Everyone who suggested this book, was right. They were all so right.
This is a fabulous Historical/Fantasy/Wonderful book.
I kind of felt like it was like every other 'magic is real', 'we found a new world' kind of book. But in all fairness. This one probably came before any of the other 'I am actually magic' books I've read over the past couple years.
I'm totally looking forward to reading the next two books of the series.

Just Like That

Just Like That
By Marsha Qualey

Summary: Things change so suddenly. One day Hanna has a long-term boyfriend; the next she realizes she doesn’t have strong feelings for him and breaks up. One day Hanna trusts her two best friends completely; the next, all of that trust is toppled. One day she feels rooted in a family and a community; the next she begins to question everything, including herself. And when Hanna meets a guy named Will, things are suddenly more complicated than ever. Just like that.Marsha Qualey is known for her characters full of heart and substance— people whom you feel you know, people whom you almost wish you could be. Hanna is such a character, and this story of a pivotal season in her life will remind readers of Sarah Dessen’s novels—insightful, addictive, and real.

My Thoughts:
I enjoyed this book. It does read very similar to a Sarah Dessen book, but Marsha Qualey gives this book it's own voice. In no way can this book be called a copy.

I liked the use of art in in the story. Drawing and creating are a big part of Hanna's character, and yet it doesn't seem like a forced theme, just placed in for effect.
This book was the right balance of dark, and light. Sad, and hopeful.
The struggles that Hanna went through felt real, and not overly dramatic or calculated.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone who likes the writing of Sarah Dessen or John Green.
This was a very raw, natural, and fascinating story.
I wanted to read until the last page to see how it would end?

Much Ado About Nothing

By Jenny Oldfield

Summary:
Jenny Oldfield creates a hilarious narrative retelling of Shakespeare's comedy, Much Ado About Nothing. When AC Messina's star striker Claudio falls for the team manager's daughter, Hero, he sets in motion an escalating web of deceit. Fuelled by a combination of lies and genuine misunderstandings, Claudio is fooled into believing that Hero is having an affair, and rejects her on their wedding day; whilst star defender Benedick is tricked into falling in love with his worst enemy, Hero's cousin Beatrice. With a delightful cast of reporters, footballers, WAGs and revenge-obsessed scoundrels, will the truth ever be unravelled? But more to the point, will it result in any celebrity weddings? The Shakespeare Today series captures the magic of Shakespeare's original play and sets it in an accessible and contemporary style.

My Thoughts:
This is a cute re-telling of one of my favourite Shakespeare stories.
At first I was a bit confused by the narrative voice, but after a page or two it was fine.
It's a very light read(91 little pages), and basically its just a bunch of fluff. But it's fun and cute. So if you are looking for a beach read - or want to feel cultured and

My Bookshelf

This video is from back when I had to use windows live movie editor. The terrible lag in the jump cuts make me cringe, but my shelf is still the same, so this video will have to do.

Zombies

I've found that I enjoy Zombie books... probably way more then I should. I'm not a big fan of horror, thrillers, or really anything slightly spooky, but I do enjoy my Zombie Fiction.

The books I'm referring too are less about the gore and scare factor though. I love the stories of survival that they tell, and the strong characters that are found in their pages.

The first Zombie book I read was:

The Forest of Hands and Teeth

By Carrie Ryan

This was a brilliant start to her trilogy.

I loved all three installments.

Carrie Ryan's books are not about Zombies. But instead the Zombies are apart of the setting. They are just an every day reality and obstacle that the characters in her books have to deal with to survive.

I just finished the last book, last night.

I loved Annah in The Dark and Hollow Places. She was a strong character, who had her weaknesses, and was fighting an internal battle, as well as dealing with the raging war and tumult around her.

Now I feel the need to go back and re-read the entire set now that I can see how intertwined each installment is with the ones before and after it.

The other Zombie series that I had started reading was:

Rot & Ruin

By Jonathan Maberry

Once again, I enjoyed the characters in this one.

So far this series has more... Zombie Hunting and the Zombie's were more of an element of the actual story, since you know. People where hunting them, insted of trying to avoid them/just survive. 

This one has a lot of mixed reviews on GoodReads.

But I enjoyed it, so I guess it's just a book you need to read before you have an opinon on.

I have the second book of the series on hold now.

So hopefully I will be reviewing that soon.

Summer Slacker

I thought the summer would be a great time to catch upto date with my book blogging... obviously I was very wrong.
I did read over the summer. That is for sure. A few were childhood favourites, revisted because... well I could. And others we're new reads by favourite authors,  some were suggestions from friends, and others still were impulse reads that I just pulled off the library shelf at random and turned out to be jems.

Over the next bit or so, hopefully I will get a few reviews up of my summer reads, and at least a list of titles.

I'm looking forward to all of the exciting pages I will be turning in this next school year!

The Sledding Hill

By Chris Crutcher


Summary:

Eddie hasn't had an easy year
First his father dies. Then his best friend Billy accidentally kicks a stack of Sheetrock over on himself, breaking his neck and effectively hitting tilt on his Earthgame. Eddie and Billy were inseparable. Still are. Billy isn't going to let a little thing like death stop him from hanging in there with his friend. And when Eddie faces an epic struggle with the powers that be, Billy will remain right there beside him.

My Thoughts:
This is the first Chris Crutcher novel I've read. And I really enjoyed it.
I like how the topic of censorship and free thought was a central theme.
The relationship between Billy and Eddie was wonderfully crafted.
The only thing that really threw me was how the author inserted his real name and self as a character. I wasn't expecting it, and personally that just stuck out in a way I didn't really enjoy. Overall, The Sledding Hill was a great concept, and I loved that Billy was the omnipresent narrator, even though he was dead.

In My Book Bag

My original goal was to post an In My Book Bag every Friday... but now that it's summer, my library visiting habits are a bit up in the air. So for the next two months I'll just be updating whenever I get a new stack of books on my shelf.

After Hamelin

By Bill Richardson

This is a book that I thoroughly enjoyed when it was read to me 6 or 7 years ago.

It's a retelling of the famous tale of the Pied Piper of Hamelin.

Re-reading it now, I still love it just as much.

Thornspell

Helen Lowe

I just picked this one up, based on the reasoning that I feel like I haven't read a fantasy book in a while(After Hamelin being the excepting). I've never heard of this book before.

So we'll see what I think.

Returnable Girl

By Pamela A. Lowell

I had never heard of this book before either, but it caught my eye, so I added it my pile.

This book was published in 2006, which seems like forever ago.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

By J.K. Rowling

This is actually the cover of the copy that was waiting for me on the hold shelf.

I have only ever read this series through once, and I feel like I want to work my way through them again this summer.

Book Bag

I recently found this video on YouTube:

How awesome would it be to have a purse made out of a book?

This makes me want to go thrift store hunting to find an old book and make one of these for myself!

Miles From Ordinary

By Carol Lynch Williams

Summery:
Thirteen-year-old Lacey wakes to a beautiful summer morning excited to begin her new job at the library, just as her mother is supposed to start work at the grocery store. Lacey hopes that her mother's ghosts have finally been laid to rest; after all, she seems so much better these days, and they really do need the money. But as the hours tick by and memories come flooding back, a day full of hope spins terrifyingly out of control....
“No one can get inside the head and heart of a 13-year-old girl better than Carol Lynch Williams, and I mean no one," said James S. Jacobs, Professor of Children's Literature at Brigham Young University, of her breakout novel, The Chosen One. Now this award-winning YA author brings us an equally gripping story of a girl who loves her mother, but must face the truth of what life with that mother means for both of them.


My Thoughts:
This book actually has a lot of parallels with the last book I read/reviewed on this blog.
One is that the protagonist feels like a nobody.
I really enjoyed reading Miles From Ordinary.
It was a fairly quick read, once I set my mind to finishing it(and also having a day at the beach to do nothing but lounge and read helped too).
Now that I think about it, the entire story really took place over a span of one day.
Which is something that I don't seem to find very often.
It was effective, but also a very full crazy day.
Over all it was quite good.
The flip-flopped mother daughter relationship was intriguing and kept me interested, and also made me worried for Lacey and her situation.
There is so much pressure on her to take care of her mother, and herself.
I can't imagine ever having to deal personally with anything like that.


Quote:
"Together we climbed on the Peace City bus and road back towards my house. My almost normal feeling was gone. I was miles from ordinary now. Miles."

Summer Reading Plans

My posts have been fairly sporadic lately.
I haven't been reading too much for my own pleasure.
Now that it's summer, all of that is going to change!

I have a fairly healthy stocked bookshelf, and one of my goals is to get a few more of the books I own read and reviewed.

Including:

The Lord of The Rings - JRR Tolkien
Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
Specials/Extras - Scott Westerfeld (the last two books of the Uglies series)
How To Build a House - Dana Reinhardt
The Screwtape Letters - C.S. Lewis

There are several others. But I think those have highest priority right now.

Wonderland

By Joanna Nadin

Synopsis:
Sixteen-year-old Jude has to get out of tiny Churchtown. She has to escape her outcast status and her pathetic dad, who hasn’t gotten past her mother’s death. The one bright light is drama, her way out, if only she can get into the Lab, a prestigious program in London. Then Stella, Jude’s childhood best friend, swaggers in after years away. With bold and magnetic Stella by her side, Jude knows she’s capable of anything. But Stella’s influence extends well beyond the theater. Soon Stella’s wild and dangerous streak begins to cause trouble for Jude -- yet Jude can’t bring herself to abandon Stella and the attention she’s always craved. And besides, now that Stella’s back, there’s no stopping her. In Jude’s dark and tangled story, British author Joanna Nadin plumbs the aftermath of loss and the consequences of becoming the person you always wished you were.

She’s back. Jude’s childhood friend -- sexy, daring Stella-- returns to their stifling hometown, and life will never be the same again

My Thoughts:

     I've seen a lot of mixed reviews of this book on Good Reads, but to be honest, I really enjoyed it.
At first I just thought it was the worn out tale of girl with the brilliant best friend who outshines her in everything, but it is so much more.
   I started figuring things out for myself before the big reveal near the end of the book, and I wished Nadin had taken more of an opportunity to explore how Jude felt about what she just found out. That part of the story was all a bit to rushed and sudden.
    Jude's passion to be an actor was believable, and her experience was relateable to me as someone who is involved with performing arts.
    The theme of identity was prevalent throughout the novel. Jude's struggle seemed genuine enough, rather typical, but it was there.
    Over all I liked this book. I didn't really know what it was about when I started reading it, but I'm glad I did.

The Book of Lost Things

By John Connolly


Summery:

High in his attic bedroom, twelve-year-old David mourns the death of his mother, with only the books on his shelf for company. But those books have begun to whisper to him in the darkness. Angry and alone, he takes refuge in his imagination and soon finds that reality and fantasy have begun to meld. While his family falls apart around him, David is violently propelled into a world that is a strange reflection of his own -- populated by heroes and monsters and ruled by a faded king who keeps his secrets in a mysterious book, The Book of Lost Things.
Taking readers on a vivid journey through the loss of innocence into adulthood and beyond, New York Times bestselling author John Connolly tells a dark and compelling tale that reminds us of the enduring power of stories in our lives.

My Thoughts:

I read this book awhile ago and really enjoyed it.
It was the list of possible choices for my ISU, so I decided to revisit it.
This week I'm mostly focusing on getting that sucker done. It's due on Friday, and I haven't even started yet...

I love fairy tales, and this was like one of the originals.
Dark, sinister, twisted and a little bit gory.
But still there was a slant of childhood light through out.

I'm kind of excited to get to write more in depth about this book for my course.
But also a bit nervous, since I've never worked on an ISU before.

City of Fallen Angels

By Cassandra Clare

Summery:

City of Fallen Angels takes place two months after the events of City of Glass. In it, a mysterious someone’s killing the Shadowhunters who used to be in Valentine’s Circle and displaying their bodies around New York City in a manner designed to provoke hostility between Downworlders and Shadowhunters, leaving tensions running high in the city and disrupting Clary’s plan to lead as normal a life as she can — training to be a Shadowhunter, and pursuing her relationship with Jace. As Jace and Clary delve into the issue of the murdered Shadowhunters, they discover a mystery that has deeply personal consequences for them — consequences that may strengthen their relationship, or rip it apart forever.

Meanwhile, internecine warfare among vampires is tearing the Downworld community apart, and only Simon — the Daylighter who everyone wants on their side — can decide the outcome; too bad he wants nothing to do with Downworld politics. Love, blood, betrayal and revenge: the stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels.
My Thoughts:

I LOVE this series. I don't want to be attacked by the die-hards, but think I like this more than Harry Potter.
Don't shoot me.
I think one of the reasons is the anticipation for each new book to come out.
I never had that with Harry Potter. I only started reading it when the last book was about to be published. So basically I could just read that entire series with out having to wait for the next book.
Don't get me wrong. I definitely enjoyed Harry Potter, but I kind of like the cliffhangers that beg to be resolved with Cassandra Clare's books.


I felt like I could see where every one's relationship status was going to be from a mile away.
I liked it. But it seemed too... obvious.

So, I loved this book. But I feel like Clary and Jace don't need anymore drama. I think the two of them should just get a break so they could be happy for a bit.
But no.
If that happened, there would be no story.