My Ramblings on Griffin's Storm by Darby Karchut

Griffin's Storm 

By: Darby Karchut

Release Date: Nov 10, 2012

Author Website

Summary:

An old enemy returns. A new alliance is formed. And Griffin finds himself in the eye of the storm when an ancient racial hatred is set loose, jeopardizing the very existence of the Terrae Angeli. 

Once again, the teen guardian angel is forced to battle his worst nightmare. But this time, Griffin comes back swinging. With a vengeance.

After all, an eye for an eye...

My Ramblings:

It's no secret that this series is one of my favorites. There are so many things about the entire thing that I love. The fact that amid all the otherworld aspects swirling around Karchut manages to keep it all completely believable is fantastic. The issues that our young hero, Griffin, faces are so relatable to teens (and the inner teen inside all of us) that you get drawn in very quickly to the story. You want to see Griffin succeed in what he's doing, whether it be his relationships with girlfriend Katie or sometimes nemesis Sergei or with trying to face down an old enemy. 

In this installment we see Griffin gathering his allies around him to face down his old mentor who has officially gone rogue and who is trying to eliminate the "lesser angels" from the earth. His first target is, of course, Griffin and Basil. Together, along with some old friends (like Sergei and Sukalli) and some new ones, Basil and Griffin make a stand. It's great to see Griffin's circle expanding as he learns to trust and lean on more people and to get a payoff from that. 

While I've always praised Karchut for having a great family system (even if it is a makeshift and sometimes messy one) I was struck by something different while reading this book. When I read the first two books I was a student on my way to getting my library degree. Now I'm a full fledged Librarian in a city middle school. For me I saw so many of my students in Griffin. Griffin's first mentor Nicopolis abused him in the first book. Both mentally and physically. Griffin arrived on Basil's doorstep a broken teen. He was afraid, he was unused to love and he desperately needed to learn how to trust again. By the end of this book we see Griffin truly coming into his own. He's not only able to acknowledge that he has people around him that he can turn to and lean on, but he's beginning to trust that they will not hurt him. He's gaining confidence and strength and is finally able to look his abuser in eye without fear and know that he is worth it, that he is worth people risking their own lives to help and protect. There are kids everywhere that come in through the school doors broken, who don't know how to trust, who have suffered things worse then we can imagine, but who still walk in the door every day willing to give it another go round. I think that my kids need these books. I think they'll see themselves in Griffin much more acutely then I do, and I think they will be able to look at his journey and be able to see the hope that it offers for better days and better relationships to come. 

My vendors don't offer these books for sale, so I'm buying my own set and donating them to my library. I think they are that worthwhile. So again... bravo Darby. Another fabulous book in a series that continues to impress me. 

Best I've Read 2012- Wrap Up and Winners

Best I've Read 2012 has drawn to a close. This has been a rough few days. While the tragedy in CT does not touch me personally, I think the shock and sadness reach far and wide and yesterday I was struck again by how fragile life can be. This blog is not the place to debate politics or the why's and hows, but I do want to say that my heart aches for the families of Newtown and they are in my thoughts. I didn't feel like drawing names or posting a celebratory wrap up today initially. I wanted to just watch TV and hug my kid, but ultimately I realized that there was no reason not to post, no reason not to share the good news about a great yearly event and the winners who are going to get some awesome books in their mailbox in a few weeks. So here we are. Let's wrap this sucker up!

Last year I skipped out on BIR. I was in full on Grad School mode, studying for certification exams and trying to prep for student teaching. There was no way I could have gotten myself organized enough to pull off my posts, I was lucky I was remembering to eat and bathe. This year when Stacey sent out the call for bloggers I was all over it, life had finally settled down and I was in enough of a routine at work to be able to get things together. It was hard to narrow down to my top 5. I left out some books that I truly, truly loved and one, which I'm just reading now would have absolutely made the list if I had read it a few months ago. It's been so much fun to not only share the Best I've Read this year with all of you, but also check out some of my fellow blogger's favorites. I know that I came away with a 'to be read" list that I'll be looking to complete over Christmas break!

Really quickly I want to say thank you to the publishers who so generously are sending books out to the winners. I appreciate all the publishers do for us bloggers on a regular basis and I'm so glad that I have the opportunity to pay it forward by sharing my favorite books with all of you. Thank you also to all my fellow BIR bloggers for catching me up on all I missed last year and keeping me moving in the right direction on this years event. I especially want to thank Stacey for getting all of on task and organizing this entire crazy, amazing event!

And now the winners....

A Midsummer’s Nightmare- Kirsten W. 

The Way We Fall- Kayeleen H. 

The Drowned Cities- Kathryn R.

The Best Night of Your (Pathetic) Life- Abbi T. (side note- if I was going to do a massive scavenger hunt in High School, Abbi would absolutely have been my go-to partner. Imagine the shenanigans that would have ensued....)

CONGRATS to all the winners! I've sent you each an email with more information. 

THANK YOU to everyone for participating in Best I've Read 2012! Happy holidays and happy reading!

BIR 2012- The Way We Survive by Megan Crewe

Today I'm lucky enough to share a great guest post from Megan Crewe author of today's featured book, the Way We Fall.  Part of what I loved about Megan's book was that it really made me think about what I would do in a similar situation. How would I react, what moves would I make, how far would I go? So when Megan agreed to write up a guest post I knew exactly what I wanted to ask her and I was super excited when she jumped on it! So without further ramblings from me....

BIR 2012- The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe

Day Five: It's our final feature of the week! I chose to end off the week with one of the most disturbing and entertaining books I read this year, The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe. This book really made me think and when it ended I was so upset because I wasn't ready to leave these characters or this story. 

The Way We Fall
By: Megan Crewe
Release Date: January 24, 2012
Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Summary:

It starts with an itch you just can't shake. Then comes a fever and a tickle in your throat. A few days later, you'll be blabbing your secrets and chatting with strangers like they’re old friends. Three more, and the paranoid hallucinations kick in.

And then you're dead.

BIR- Hallowed Book Trailer and other awesomeness

Earlier I talked all about my love for both the Unearthly Series and Jackson Hole, WY, which is where the series is set. Now I'm going to share 2 very cool things. The first is the awesome trailer for Hallowed.


The second is something that just popped up in my twitter feed on Tuesday (Thank you Epic Reads for tweeting awesome things!) If you loved Unearthly and Hallowed then you will love this new Novella called Radiant.

Summary: 

Clara is desperate to get away—from the memories that haunt her in Wyoming and the visions of a future she isn't ready to face—and spending the summer in Italy with her best friend, Angela, should be the perfect escape. . . .

For as long as she can remember, Angela has been told that love is dangerous, that she must always guard her heart. But when she met a mysterious guy in Italy two years ago she was determined to be with him, no matter the costs. Now she must decide whether she can trust Clara with her secret, or if telling her the truth will risk everything she cares about.

Alternating between Angela and Clara's perspectives, Radiant chronicles the unforgettable summer that will test the bounds of their friendship and change their lives forever. 
  
Check out Cynthia's Website, Blog and her Facebook and Twitter pages!

BIR 2012- Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

Day Four: Hallowed. This book is the sequel to Unearthly and I absolutely love this series. I actually got the book back in January when it came out and then held onto it. I didn't read it right away, I waited, and there's one big reason why:

Summer vacation. Tetons. I read the first book while on vacation in Wyoming and there is no better place to read a book set in Jackson Hole, WY then actually in Jackson Hole, WY. So I waited until I was there. I can't even express how well Hand captured a town that I love. I might live on the east coast, but Wyoming is my home. I love it there and to see so many familiar sites show up in these books makes them so much more special to me. I especially love all the little touches that only people who live or travel to Jackson would know. Especially mentions of my favorite pizza joint, Mountain High Pizza Pie. Just thinking about Jackson and WY makes me miss it. This past summer's vacation was not all it should have been and I'm in withdrawal! I digress... the moral of the story is that this book is amazing and I'm so glad that I got to read it in and around Jackson so I could really immerse myself into the story and setting and fall in love with the characters all over again!

Hallowed
By: Cynthia Hand
Release Date: January 17, 2012
Publisher: Harper Teen

Summary:

For months Clara Gardner trained to face the fire from her visions, but she wasn't prepared for the choice she had to make that day. And in the aftermath, she discovered that nothing about being part angel is as straightforward as she thought.

Now, torn between her love for Tucker and her complicated feelings about the roles she and Christian seem destined to play in a world that is both dangerous and beautiful, Clara struggles with a shocking revelation: Someone she loves will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning.

In this compelling sequel to "Unearthly," Cynthia Hand captures the joy of first love, the anguish of loss, and the confusion of becoming who you are. (from goodreads.com)


Don't forget to check out all the other participating blogs:
Best I've Read 2012
Page Turners
Portrait of a Book
Mundie Moms
Books Complete Me
Reading Lark
Once Upon a Twilight
Cindy Thomas, YA Author
I Am a Reader, Not a Writer
Amethyst Daydreams

BIR 2012 A Midsummer's Nightmare by Kody Keplinger

Day Three: Today I'm featuring a great book from one of my favorite authors, Kody Keplinger! I've been a fan since I picked up DUFF a few years ago and this book, A Midsummer's Nightmare, didn't disappoint. I first heard about A Midsummer's Nightmare way back at NCTE last fall in Chicago when I got to go to an awesome session hosted by Keplinger and Jackson Pearce. Lot's of shenanigans ensued. 

Kody is one of the most talented authors I know and she happens to be awesomely funny as well. Her books cover some serious and heart breaking issues, but she always handles it with humor and heart. So, without further ado...

A Midsummer's Nightmare
By: Kody Keplinger
Release Date:June 5, 2012
Publisher: Poppy

Summary:

Whitley Johnson's dream summer with her divorcé dad has turned into a nightmare. She's just met his new fiancée and her kids. The fiancée's son? Whitley's one-night stand from graduation night. Just freakin' great.

Worse, she totally doesn't fit in with her dad's perfect new country-club family. So Whitley acts out. She parties. Hard. So hard she doesn't even notice the good things right under her nose: a sweet little future stepsister who is just about the only person she's ever liked, a best friend (even though Whitley swears she doesn't "do" friends), and a smoking-hot guy who isn't her stepbrother...at least, not yet. It will take all three of them to help Whitley get through her anger and begin to put the pieces of her family together.

Filled with authenticity and raw emotion, Whitley is Kody Keplinger's most compelling character to date: a cynical Holden Caulfield-esque girl you will wholly care about. (from goodreads.com)

My Ramblings:
Like I said in the opener, Keplinger's books deal with those teenage issues that can break your heart, and she does so in a realistic manner. When you are in high school you can feel like you know everything and that the whole world revolves around you, and when suddenly that world starts to fall apart it can send you into a tailspin that it's hard to get out of. Tghat's where we find Whitley, a party girl who is trying to cope with her parents divorce and her mother's new relationship. 

I don't want to give a ton away on this one, simply because the storytelling is too good. I want you to go discover it for yourself. What I loved about this book, and all Keplinger's books really, is that you can see yourself in her characters. I was never the partier like Whitley, but I could relate to her feelings of being out of control, of wanting to change and not quite knowing how, and her need to just feel like she was part of something, even if that something wasn't good for her. What we see in this book is a girl trying to climb out of a hole that she dug and create a new life for herself, all while finding her way back into her family. Whitely makes a ton of mistakes, and you cringe with each one, wishing you could climb into the book and give her a bit of advice and point her in the right direction. Instead you have to let her find her own way and enjoy the successes with her along the way. 

The Contest:
That's right everyone- one fabulous part of Best I've Read is that there are a ton of giveaways. On my site, on the main BIR site and on all the other participating blogs sites. What could be better then free books right before the holidays!

Rules of the game: All contests will end at midnight on Friday the 21st. Books will be shipped directly from the publisher, so your information will be shared with them in order to get you your prize! Prizes will most likely not be mailed until after the 1st of the year, so hang in there, they will come! Winners will receive an email from me Saturday the 22nd and you will have 48 hours to claim your prize, so check your mailboxes. All contests are US only unless otherwise noted.

Good Luck and happy reading!

 Don't forget to check out all the other participating blogs:
Best I've Read 2012
Page Turners
Portrait of a Book
Mundie Moms
Books Complete Me
Reading Lark
Once Upon a Twilight
Cindy Thomas, YA Author
I Am a Reader, Not a Writer
Amethyst Daydreams

BIR 2012- The Best Night of Your (Pathetic) Life- Part Duex

So I couldn't fit all my love for this book in one post, so I decided to break it up in two. Part one covered the review and why I love this book so much. This post will just share some more fun stuff about the book and the author! Like the book trailer, which frankly is just fun!




If you haven't checked out Altebrando's website, you should. There are some awesome posts there, including interviews with some of my favorite authors like David Levithan and Siobhan Vivian.

Don't forget to enter the giveaway! It's an easy one- just give me your name and email address and you'll be in it to win it!

BIR 2012- The Best Night of Your (Pathetic) Life!

Day Two: Here's another book that I picked up in WI. A little aside about WI and Books. I do not live in WI but my in-laws do. Every summer we travel over and I get to shop at my all time favorite book store. It's a great little place called Books & Company. We don't have any small independent shops near me and there is something so awesome about walking in and having the workers know every book in the shop and be able to point you to just the right book. I always walk out with more books then I intended to buy, titles I've never heard of and I end up loving every single one. This summer I got 4 of my 5 top books at Books & Company! Today's book is The Best Night of Your (Pathetic) Night by Tara Altebrando. 

The Best Night of Your (Pathetic) Night
By: Tara Altebrando
Release Date: July 5, 2012
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile

Summary:

An all-day scavenger hunt in the name of eternal small-town glory

With only a week until graduation, there's one last thing Mary and her friends must do together: participate in the Oyster Point High Official Unofficial Senior Week Scavenger Hunt. And Mary is determined to win.Mary lost her spot at Georgetown to self-professed "it" bully Jake Barbone, and she's not about to lose again. But everyone is racing for the finish line with complicated motives, and the team's all-night adventure becomes all-night drama as shifting alliances, flared tempers, and crushing crushes take over. As the items and points pile up, Mary and her team must reinvent their strategy--and themselves--in order to win. (from goodreads.com)

My Ramblings:
The title of this book really hits the nail on the head. Who doesn't want to have an all night adventure with their best friends and get to show up their high school rivals? When you are in High School events like an all day scavenger hunt seem like the most important thing in the world. They can make for the best memories and it seems like this really will be the most important day in your life. Win or lose, everything can change. Still, in the grand scheme of things, is winning a scavenger hunt really all that important. In 5 years, 10 years, 20 years, will winning still be as sweet? Is it worth losing friends over or seeing people you love hurt? I love that this story revolves around those issues, because they are oh so real. 

Mary starts this book off just wanting to make her mark, leave a little legacy behind, but the entire night evolves into everyone one trying to one-up each other and come out victorious. We get to see the best of people and the worst and I think that this fast paced book really gives you a good snapshot view of how High School can be. By having deadlines that the tasks in the scavenger hunt must be completed by it allows the story to move quickly and make leaps towards the eventual, and unexpected conclusion. 

Not only was this a great read, it was especially fun to read on vacation, when I had the time to enjoy the ride and reminisce about great times and missed opportunities. 

The Contest:
That's right everyone- one fabulous part of Best I've Read is that there are a ton of giveaways. On my site, on the main BIR site and on all the other participating blogs sites. What could be better then free books right before the holidays!

Rules of the game: All contests will end at midnight on Friday the 21st. Books will be shipped directly from the publisher, so your information will be shared with them in order to get you your prize! Prizes will most likely not be mailed until after the 1st of the year, so hang in there, they will come! Winners will receive an email from me Saturday the 22nd and you will have 48 hours to claim your prize, so check your mailboxes. All contests are US only unless otherwise noted.

Good Luck and happy reading!

 Don't forget to check out all the other participating blogs:
Best I've Read 2012
Page Turners
Portrait of a Book
Mundie Moms
Books Complete Me
Reading Lark
Once Upon a Twilight
Cindy Thomas, YA Author
I Am a Reader, Not a Writer
Amethyst Daydreams

My Ramblings on Falling off the Wind by Richard Meibers

Falling off the Wind
By: Richard Meibers

Summary: 

Clement Scheutz, his schooner smashed on the rocks of Puerto Rico by a hurricane, is accused of killing a local islander. The woman he loves has deserted him and he is without money. While putting the boat back together, he helps rebuild a local restaurant and finds new love with the owner.

****WARNING: Spoilers ahead!*****

My Ramblings:

This is a hard book for me to review. There is so much that I truly loved about it and then one little thing that bothered me and kept needling me the entire time I read the book.  

Let's start with the negative. I'm happy to say that the thing that bugged me had absolutely nothing to do with the plot or writing at all. Those things were fabulous. What bothered me was something that I've notice in several other books and that's the back blurb/synopsis. That's a great little synopsis up there.  Truly, it tells you pretty much all you need to know about the story. So why do I need to read the story? The writing was so beautiful and full of details that I wish I had been able to experience the first part of the story without knowing that Scheutz was going to get left behind, accused of murder and fall in love. It made certain points of the book that should have been surprising come across as anti-climactic. It made me wish I could have felt the slow building of the new relationship fully instead of thinking "Oh, so he's going to fall in love with her eventually." It took some of the suspense away. 

So that's the negative. Like I noted, aside from that, the writing and the storytelling was phenomenal. When Rebecca first contacted me I jumped at the chance to read this book because it was so different from what I generally read. What I really loved and appreciated was that Meibers took the time to really bring to life the setting and characters. The book is set in a very real time and place (80's/Caribbean), but it's also a place that is totally foreign to me. Add in the element of sailing and Island life and you've created a book that not only is entertaining, but is kind of educational as well. At only a few chapters in I felt like I could go hop on a boat and sail away without a problem! Meiber's description were so rich and detailed that there was no doubt in my mind that he knew what he was talking about and that carried through the entire story. 

The characters were complex and relatable as well. You felt the dissolution of the relationship with Samantha coming and you sense that both Clem and Samantha know it's coming too. Yet, they seem almost incapable of changing the course they've found themselves on and it's hard to tell if they even want to. They're operating with an odd sort of acceptance that their time is almost up and soon they will be moving on, but they aren't quite ready to say goodbye yet. 

While one relationship falls apart you begin to see the start of another with Clem and Migdala, the restaurant owner. Long before Clem's accused of murder you see the starting of a friendship that might become something more. In fact this whole story is built around the relationship we have throughout our lives. The ones that you see coming and the ones that sneak up on you and change your life. That's really what makes this story work. Even if the setting and story are foreign, you can find common ground with the characters and the relationships they build along the way. 

So all in all this was a wonderful read and I've already reserved two other books by Meibers from the library. I look forward to reading Steal Away Home and the Tree Rings as soon as they are in!

BIR 2012- The Drowned Cities by Paolo Bacigalupi

It's day one of Best I've Read 2012 here at A Reader's Ramblings and I've decided to start the week off with a book that totally snuck up on me in the best way possible. I picked this book up at my favorite book store in WI and read it while on vacation. As soon as I finished (about...oh...3 hours after I started it), I immediately wanted to read everything the author, Paolo Bacigalupi, had ever written. It's that good. 

The Drowned Cities by Paolo Bacigalupi
Release Date: May 1, 2012
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Summary:

Soldier boys emerged from the darkness. Guns gleamed dully. Bullet bandoliers and scars draped their bare chests. Ugly brands scored their faces. She knew why these soldier boys had come. She knew what they sought, and she knew, too, that if they found it, her best friend would surely die. 

In a dark future America where violence, terror, and grief touch everyone, young refugees Mahlia and Mouse have managed to leave behind the war-torn lands of the Drowned Cities by escaping into the jungle outskirts. But when they discover a wounded half-man--a bioengineered war beast named Tool--who is being hunted by a vengeful band of soldiers, their fragile existence quickly collapses. One is taken prisoner by merciless soldier boys, and the other is faced with an impossible decision: Risk everything to save a friend, or flee to a place where freedom might finally be possible. (from goodreads.com)

My Ramblings:
So why is this book "that good" as I stated in the opening? Well for starters it all takes place in a place that it at once instantly identifiable and yet so horrifyingly foreign. That's what I love about many dystopian stories. Really good ones make it easy to believe that this is our future, that we could end up living in a world like Mahlia and Mouse do, that we are just a few decisions away from a world like you see in The Drowned Cities. That's what makes it fun to read. 

This books is so beautifully written as well, you can see what they see and each character, even the ones you aren't supposed to care about work their way into your mind and you begin to really care about whether they win or lose, whether they survive or die. Plus, this isn't a love story. In so many stories there is that moment when you think to yourself "Oh...so these two are going to meet and fall in love and blah, blah, blah". Not here. There are relationships here, friendships, love, but the story is more firmly rooted in looking at the humanity of people and how far you will go to save a friend, even if you risk losing yourself. 

This isn't Bacigalupi's only book about this particular American future. His first book, Ship Breaker first introduces some character's that turn up in The Drowned Cities. I wish that I had read Ship Breaker first, but I am so glad that I stumbled upon this series regardless of the order! 

The Contest:
That's right everyone- one fabulous part of Best I've Read is that there are a ton of giveaways. On my site, on the main BIR site and on all the other participating blogs sites. What could be better then free books right before the holidays!

Rules of the game: All contests will end at midnight on Friday the 21st. Books will be shipped directly from the publisher, so your information will be shared with them in order to get you your prize! Prizes will most likely not be mailed until after the 1st of the year, so hang in there, they will come! Winners will receive an email from me Saturday the 22nd and you will have 48 hours to claim your prize, so check your mailboxes. All contests are US only unless otherwise noted. 

Good Luck and happy reading!


 Don't forget to check out all the other participating blogs:
Best I've Read 2012
Page Turners
Portrait of a Book
Mundie Moms
Books Complete Me
Reading Lark
Once Upon a Twilight
Cindy Thomas, YA Author
I Am a Reader, Not a Writer
Amethyst Daydreams

Best I've Read 2012

Well... it's been a busy, busy few months. I've been running myself ragged at school (being a first year teacher is no joke guys!), training for a half marathon and trying to get in as much reading as possible. The blog has suffered a little this fall, but that's okay, because I've got some great stuff coming up, including the return of The Best I've Read! I participated in this great event 2 years ago and I'm back for more this year. Starting December 9th I'll be featuring some of the best books I've read this year and sending you off on adventures to my fellow bloggers sites to see what they loved this year as well. There will be lot's of reviews, some great author contributions and ways for you to win! So stay tuned for more!

My Ramblings on The List by Siobhan Vivian

The List
By: Siobhan Vivian
Release Date: April 1, 2012
Author Website

Summary:

An intense look at the rules of high school attraction -- and the price that's paid for them.

It happens every year. A list is posted, and one girl from each grade is chosen as the prettiest, and another is chosen as the ugliest. Nobody knows who makes the list. It almost doesn't matter. The damage is done the minute it goes up.

This is the story of eight girls, freshman to senior, "pretty" and "ugly." And it's also the story of how we see ourselves, and how other people see us, and the tangled connection of the two. (goodreads.com)

My Ramblings:

This was (mostly) a great book. I'll get to the mostly in a minute- let's start with the great.

High schoolers are mean. They are not always mean in a straightforward manner, sometimes it's sneaky and subversive, but there is a tendency to put certain people up on a pedastal while tearing others down. Sometimes you are on top of the world one day and at the bottom of the heap the next. Vivian captures this perfectly. We follow the 8 chosen girls as they discover they are the most beautiful, or the most ugly, girl in their grade. They each react differently, some revel in their newfound poularity and some rebel against the label they've been slapped with. Some want to hide, while others just try to get through the week without falling apart. It's all portrayed so very well. I honestly cared about each one of these girls and what they were going through. You wanted them to come out of it stronger. You wanted them to realize that they are not the label they've been given. You wanted them to all be okay. 

It was really interesting to see how each of them dealt with their situation. I could definitely see the reasoning behind the way each of them reacted, and it made it all very realistic. I also tried to imagine what I would have done in the same situation. I don't want to give too much away because I think it's worth reading and discovering for yourself. Especially when you finally realize who was making the list and why they did it. There's a reason for everything in this book and it comes together beautifully.

But.... and her comes the "mostly great" part. I was invested in these girls stories and was happy to see how the stories were wrapping up, and then I came to the sad realization that there were not enough pages to wrap up every girls story. I wanted to know how each story ended, I wanted to know what was going to happen next, or at least a hint at what might happen next. I got that for some of the girls but not all and I have to admit that it was a huge dissapointment. I felt like I was missing something. The writing was beautiful, the characters were fabulous, but the ending really left me a little hallow.

Still- this book was enjoyable and it definitely made me want to pick up more of Vivian's books.

Cover Reveal: Griffin's Storm by Darby Karchut

Who knew the start of the school year would be so hectic?? (I know, everyone already knew this.) Pardon my being totally MIA from the blog for a good month. Getting the library set up and finding my flow here at school has been a process, but I'm finally feeling like I have a grasp on it. So that means I'm back!

******************

For my return post I'll be sharing the cover for an upcoming book that I can't wait to get my hands on, Griffin's Storm. This is the third book in the series and I absolutely loved the first two books (see here and here to find out why). So what does cover number 3 look like? Well, it's a change from the first two, but I think it's pretty awesome.

So what will Griffin be facing in Griffin's Storm?

For centuries, there have been rumors about a lowly caste of supernatural beings known as the Terrae Angeli. Armed with the power to control Earth, Fire, Wind and Water, these warriors and their apprentices clandestinely serve as guardians for humans in danger.

An old enemy returns. A new alliance is formed. And Griffin finds himself in the eye of the storm when an ancient racial hatred is set loose, jeopardizing the very existence of the Terrae Angeli.

Once again, the teen guardian angel is forced to battle his worst nightmare. But this time, Griffin comes back swinging. With a vengeance.

After all, an eye for an eye...

******************

I don't know about everyone else, but I'm excited! Storm comes out this December, so you have time to catch up to this great series. For more info about the series or the author Darby Karchut, check out her webpage.

My Ramblings on Supergirl Mixtapes by Meagan Brothers

Supergirl Mixtapes
By: Meagan Brothers
Release Date: April 24, 2012

Summary:

After years of boredom in her rural South Carolina town, Maria is thrilled when her father finally allows her to visit her estranged artist mother in New York City. She’s ready for adventure, and she soon finds herself immersed in a world of rock music and busy streets, where new people and ideas lie around every concrete corner. This is the freedom she’s always longed for—and she pushes for as much as she can get, skipping school to roam the streets, visit fancy museums, and flirt with the cute clerk at a downtown record store.

 

But just like her beloved New York City, Maria’s life has a darker side. Behind her mother’s carefree existence are shadowy secrets, and Maria must decide just where—and with whom—her loyalty lies.

My Ramblings:

I have mixed feelings about this book. I flew through it. The story is interesting and I cared about the main character, Maria, almost right from the word go. I wanted to know what had sent her fleeing from South Carolina, I wanted to know more about her childhood and how the time around her parents divorce went down, and I really wanted to see how she was going to pull it all together. Then I finished the book and I was surprised at how much I found myself NOT liking the book, and I couldn't figure out why. The writing was good, the characters made sense, there was a good story arc, so why was I so turned off? It actually hit me a few days after finishing the book. Here's what I discovered. 

It's not that I didn't like the book, it's that I didn't like some of the people in the book. Not that they were written poorly, in fact the opposite is probably true- they were written too well. I actually hate them. So you know, really well done Ms. Brothers. By the end of this book I cared so much about Maria, and so deeply disliked the choices other people (specifically her parents) made, that I was legitimately angry when I finished the book. As if these characters were real people I could go give a talking to.

SPOILER ALERT (do not keep reading if you don't want to ruin the book)

Here's my issue. For a start I like when there are good parents in YA, at least one. Or a good parental figure, but that is not always realistic. I felt like Maria's story was very realistic, and it's unfortunately one about a girl who really doesn't have any great adult role model to turn to. There were so many bad choices that the parents (and grandparents) made in this story that I wanted to reach into the book and smack them. For instance... who in their right mind sends their daughter, who is a known cutter and who just had a meltdown, to live with her absentee mother in NYC who just happens to be a known drug addict. Not only is Maria allowed to go, but at no point does anyone even try to prepare her for what she might find! They give her vague warnings- like her mother "might" not be able to take care of her. I get that Maria (and any teen really) needs to figure out some things for themselves, but i felt like I needed to throw the poor girl a life line. Here's what I wanted to happen... her Dad would say something like "Honey. I know you want to go live with your Mom, and I'm going to give you that chance, but there are some things you need to know. She has struggled with addiction for years and she may not be winning that battle now. You need to be prepared for what you might see when you get there." and then Maria would probably say something to effect of "I'm 17, not 7! I can take care of myself. Just because you don't love her anymore doesn't mean she not my mother" or something equally teenagery. Point being the girl needed a heads up, so that she was at least marginally prepared for what she was going to find. 

Of course I know that if Maria had better parental units this story wouldn't work. Which is why I struggled with the my feelings on this book. So well written. Such a good story, even if it is a bit tragic. Maria has pretty great friends (I might love Dory) and she has her head on her shoulders about as well as can be expected. I just wanted to physically leap in the book and start banging heads together! Which is all to say that this is a very good book. You will grow to care about, and hate, the characters. And that's not something that you can say about every book. 

Book Trailer: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

I think by this point we can all agree that Maggie Stiefvater makes the most awesome book trailer's known to man to go with her equally awesome books. The trailer for her upcoming book The Raven Boys is no exception! Check this out:


Right? Amazing. For more about The Raven Boys, and to enter for your chance to win an ARC, check out Stiefvater's website. Here's a little more about the book.

 “There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

From Maggie Stiefvater, the bestselling and acclaimed author of the Shiver trilogy and The Scorpio Races, comes a spellbinding new series where the inevitability of death and the nature of love lead us to a place we’ve never been before

My Ramblings on Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris

Deadlocked 
By: Charlaine Harris
Release Date: May 1, 2012
Author Website

Summary:

With Felipe de Castro, the Vampire King of Louisiana (and Arkansas and Nevada), in town, it’s the worst possible time for a body to show up in Eric Northman’s front yard—especially the body of a woman whose blood he just drank.

Now, it’s up to Sookie and Bill, the official Area Five investigator, to solve the murder. Sookie thinks that, at least this time, the dead girl’s fate has nothing to do with her. But she is wrong. She has an enemy, one far more devious than she would ever suspect, who’s out to make Sookie’s world come crashing down. (from goodreads.com)

My Ramblings:

I can not even begin to express how much I love the Sookie Stackhouse books. It's one of the few series that I can read over and over again. However this book was just okay for me. I hate to admit it, but I think I might agree that it's time for Sookie's story to come to a close, which it will after the next book. That isn't to say I didn't enjoy this book, I did, but I felt like it was just more of the same. 

Sookie and Eric are in love but having trouble due to the whole betrothal to the Queen issue that Appius left them with.  I missed the way their relationship used to be- they were either fighting with witty remarks and double entendres or making up in spectacular fashion. Their relationship in this book seemed a little too mundane.

The other thing that bothered me a little was how dense Sookie seemed in this book. I know that she has never been the smartest person in the room, but to me she has always had a level of street smarts that kept her alive even in the most impossible situations. In this book there were several points where Sookie was puzzling  over what something means (Who could have let that girl in for Eric to feed on? What did Eric mean by that? Who is the bad guy? etc.) when the answer is so obvious the reader. I wanted to yell the answers at her just so we could move on. 

However, the second half of the book, when everything really started coming together really worked for me. We were back to the action, to people fighting for their lives or each other and having to make tough decisions. This is where the book really shines, in fact it's where the entire series shines. With books like this I don't really want the reality of what a normal relationship looks like, or the normal working of a bar, what I want, and what I fell in love with, was the absurdity of  these books. 

So was it a great book? Not really. I do suspect that when the final book comes out next year and I have the ability to read the entire series through that this book will fit seamlessly in with the one before it and the new one. So it's definitely worth picking up and reading, if only to get a chance to visit with these characters again!

My Ramblings on City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

City of Lost Souls

By: Cassandra Clare

Release Date: May 8, 2012

Author Website

Summary:

The demon Lilith has been destroyed and Jace has been freed from her captivity. But when the Shadowhunters arrive to rescue him, they find only blood and broken glass. Not only is the boy Clary loves missing–but so is the boy she hates, Sebastian, the son of her father Valentine: a son determined to succeed where their father failed, and bring the Shadowhunters to their knees.

No magic the Clave can summon can locate either boy, but Jace cannot stay away—not from Clary. When they meet again Clary discovers the horror Lilith’s dying magic has wrought—Jace is no longer the boy she loved. He and Sebastian are now bound to each other, and Jace has become what he most feared: a true servant of Valentine’s evil. The Clave is determined to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. Will the Shadowhunters hesitate to kill one of their own?

Only a small band of Clary and Jace’s friends and family believe that Jace can still be saved — and that the fate of the Shadowhunters’ future may hinge on that salvation. They must defy the Clave and strike out on their own. Alec, Magnus, Simon and Isabelle must work together to save Jace: bargaining with the sinister Faerie Queen, contemplating deals with demons, and turning at last to the Iron Sisters, the reclusive and merciless weapons makers for the Shadowhunters, who tell them that no weapon on this earth can sever the bond between Sebastian and Jace. Their only chance of cutting Jace free is to challenge Heaven and Hell — a risk that could claim any, or all, of their lives.

And they must do it without Clary. For Clary has gone into the heart of darkness, to play a dangerous game utterly alone. The price of losing the game is not just her own life, but Jace’s soul. She’s willing to do anything for Jace, but can she even still trust him? Or is he truly lost? What price is too high to pay, even for love?

Darkness threatens to claim the Shadowhunters in the harrowing fifth book of the Mortal Instruments series. (from Goodreads.com)

My Ramblings:

**FYI: There will be spoilers, so read at your own risk**

 

This is a hard one for me. I love this series and I love the characters, but I'm not sure I loved this book. I liked it, and there were parts that I loved, but as a whole, when I finished this book I wasn't as excited as I remember being when I finished the last one. After a few days of thinking about it I think I've figured out why I wasn't as excited about this book and it comes down to one thing: Clary and Jace. 

At this point, after 4 books, I pretty much had a feeling like they were going to get together, they would get their HEA, it would just be a matter of how and when. I loved the twist in the last book of him getting snatched away at the last minute, but that was resolved a little too quickly for me in CoLS. We knew pretty early on where he was and what was going on, we even knew rather early what Clary's plan was for getting Jace back. Then it was just a waiting game to see how it all panned out. Since they were kept apart at the end of the last installment, I was pretty sure that they would be together by the end of this one. I wasn't on the edge of my seat, I wasn't reading each paging with anticipation in regards to how this would end up. In short I wasn't interested in Jace and Clary the way I had been. Their story for me was done, even if I didn't know exactly how they would get there. 

That said I loved everything else. I was so invested in the other couples that I couldn't wait to read more. I really liked seeing Jordan and Maia come back together and heal from the pain they had caused... and frankly, Cassie wrote them some great, hot scenes together! It was refreshing to see Isabelle let go a bit and realize that she does need people and letting Simon in doesn't mean she's weak. Watching Simon figure it all out was fun as well- he's loved Clary so long and in this book you see that really manifested as a friendship again, without the love interest part creeping in again, which really frees him up to get involved with Isabelle. 

My favorite relationship has got to be Magnus and Alec. This is the couple that I could read about all day. Their relationship is so complicated and it's almost difficult to watch them struggle to figure it out. Alec especially is hard to watch. He clearly loves Magnus, but he's struggling with all those things that come with being in your first real relationship, especially when the person you love has been in love before. The insecurity that Alec feels is compounded by having Camille whispering in his ear about Magnus' past and the possibility for Alec and Magnus to stay together forever. You get a sense that Alec is getting played by Camille and you see the train wreck coming, but you know he can't stop himself. It's sad and heartbreaking, for Alec, Magnus and the reader and it left me wanting more. This is the couple I want to read more about. This is the story I want told. I would love for Clary and Jace to come into the next story as the power couple instead of the struggling relationship and instead to watch Magnus and Alec work to find their way back to each other. 

In other words- this was a great book. It wasn't my favorite of the series, but it was a solid story and good addition to the series. I can't wait to see what happens next!

My Ramblings on The Ice Dragon by George RR Martin

The Ice Dragon
By: George RR Martin
Release Date: 10-3-2006
Author Website

Summary:

The ice dragon was a creature of legend and fear, for no man had ever tamed one. When it flew overhead, it left in its wake desolate cold and frozen land. But Adara was not afraid. For Adara was a winter child, born during the worst freeze that anyone, even the Old Ones, could remember. 

Adara could not remember the first time she had seen the ice dragon. It seemed that it had always been in her life, glimpsed from afar as she played in the frigid snow long after the other children had fled the cold. In her fourth year she touched it, and in her fifth year she rode upon its broad, chilled back for the first time. Then, in her seventh year, on a calm summer day, fiery dragons from the North swooped down upon the peaceful farm that was Adara's home. And only a winter child--and the ice dragon who loved her--could save her world from utter destruction. 

The Ice Dragon marks the highly anticipated children's book debut of George R.R. Martin, the award-winning author of the New York Times best-selling series A Song of Ice and Fire and is set in the same world. Illustrated with lush, exquisitely detailed pencil drawings by acclaimed artist Yvonne Gilbert, The Ice Dragon is an unforgettable tale of courage, love, and sacrifice by one of the most honored fantasists of all time. (from Goodreads.com)

My Ramblings:

This was a really cute book... which is something I never thought I would say about a book by Martin. For the last year I've been slowly working my way through his Song of Ice and Fire series, and enjoying the HBO series that is based on it, Game of Thrones. These books are thrilling, hefty and occasionally so vivid that it's hard to read. Cute is a term that has never come up. So when I saw this book on the shelf of the Elementary Library I'm working at I was a bit taken aback. George RR Martin for the 3-5 set? 

It was good. At just 107 pages it's a quick read and a great introduction to fantasy for younger readers. The plot is simple and straightforward. A young girl, Adara, feels like she's never fit in. She's a child of the winter and snow and she enjoys the colder months much more then her family. She also has the ability to ride the Ice Dragon, something no one has ever really dreamed of. When war comes to her village, sweeping down from the north, Adara takes her chance, first to escape and then to be the hero and come to the rescue of the family she never really fit into. 

It's no Game of Thrones, but it's a fun read that packs in quite a bit of fantasy and adventure!