Review: Hourglass by Myra McEntire

Hourglass by Myra McEntire


The Scoop:


Emerson Cole has been through a lot. She has lost both of her parents in a tragic accident while on a family ski vacation, she had a mental breakdown and was committed to an institution and, oh yeah, she sees dead people. Her brother, Thomas and his wife Dru have taken guardianship of Emerson and her brother has tried specialist after "specialist" to help Emerson with the people that she is seeing. They finally find some help when Michael Weaver from someplace called Hourglass (which is just as mysterious as the people that Emerson sees). Finally, Emerson finds a kindred spirit (literally--their connection is so strong it causes lights to short out) who knows exactly what she what she is dealing with. Michael sees the same people that Emerson does. Michael is able to answer most of Emerson's questions. And, oh yeah, Michael wants Emerson to help him travel to the past to save his mentor. Emerson must trust her delicate state of mind to a vitual stranger who wants her to do the craziest sounding thing.

Are You Listening? Audiobook Review: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Delirium by Lauren Oliver


The Scoop:

Lena and her friends and family live in a world where love is a disease--amor delirium nervosa--and when you turn eighteen you are required to have the cure so you are no longer are at risk of contracting this deadly disease. Lena was looking forward to the cure once she turned eighteen because she believed that her mother committed suicide as a result of amor delirium nervosa. But, as anybody knows, in the life of a teenager things are rarely going to go along as they should.

Things start gradually changing during her interview to determine what she would do and who she would be paired with after her cure--she changes the answers she's been prepping with for ages and she also spies a young man in the observation booth watching and listening to what she says. Her views on life and the cure continue morphing when her best friend, Hana, becomes interested in finding hidden locations where "underground" bands are playing and she ends up tagging along. Lena and Hana later come across the young man she spied watching her interview, Alex, on one of their runs. After a few more coincidental run-ins and Alex saving Lena from being captured during a raid her eyes are really opened to what it means to be cured and to follow along with the status quo of living, working and not loving. Knowing Alex, who turns out not to be who (and what) Lena thought him to be, she learns more about what is forbidden by her government, what she has been (and will be) missing out on by blindly following the dictates of her society and, maybe, that she wasn't told the truth about what happened to her mother as a result of amor deliria nervosa.

Teaser Tuesday (7/26/11)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser:

"Only if you can free me from this beast of a chair," I said, wiggling as I tried to get some leverage. "What do you feed this thing? Customers?"


Hourglass by Myra McEntire, pg 88

In My Mailbox (3)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme started by The Story Siren where bloggers share what books we have either received or purchased that week.

From the library:

Enchanted Ivy by Sarah Beth Durst

I thought her book Ice was excellent and I saw she had another one coming out soon so I thought I would put this already published one I haven't read physically into my TBR pile.

Hex Hall (Hex Hall #1) by Rachel Hawkins

This came highly recommended to me by a teen librarian co-worker. And I always take my co-workers recommendations.

Putting Makeup on Dead People by Jen Violi

I've read several positive reviews on this book so I thought I would give it a chance. Mostly since it was just sitting on the shelf.

Don't Stop Now by Julie Halpern

One of my favorite books was her Into the Wild Nerd Yonder and I have been waiting anxiously for her next release. I hope it doesn't disappoint. I anticipate taking this road trip book on my upcoming road trip.

Purchased:

I lucked out with the online summer clearance sale at Barnes and Noble and one lucky find at one of the nearby closing Borders stores. All of these books were less than $3 (except Hush, Hush which was $4 at Borders).

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

Cindy Ella by Robin Palmer

The Awakening (Ghost Huntress #1) by Marley Gibson

The Guidance (Ghost Huntress #2) by Marley Gibson

Faerie Path (Faerie Path #1) by Frewin Jones

The Lost Queen (Faerie Path #2) by Frewin Jones

Confessions of a Serial Kisser by Wendelin Van Draanen

Review: Frost (Stork #2) by Wendy Delsol

Frost by Wendy Delsol


The Scoop:


Katla Leblanc is a stork--she delivers unborn souls to their rightful womb. Her boyfriend Jack Snjosson is, in the most general of terms, Jack Frost. But we learned all that in the first book of the series, Stork. Katla is still a stork (and second in command) and still head over heels for Jack. Katla and Jack are spending their first Christmas together and it isn't as white as Katla would have expected in Minnesota. As his present to her Jack creates a light snowfall that they take a horse-drawn sleight ride through. During the course of the sleigh ride the light snowfall somehow becomes and all out blizzard. Jack and Katla struggle to make it home and eventually they do. Other families caught out in the storm didn't have such happy endings--a young boy died when the family car he was riding in went off the road.


Jack and Katla felt guilt from this and that was made worse when a weather scientist from Iceland came to explore the global warming "phenomenon" (or lack of global warming in this case) that Jack's blizzard became known as. The arrival of the scientist, Brigid, coincides with the arriveal of Katlas's father to start his new wind turbine factory, her mother planning her wedding while pregnant and the attact on the stork group which resulted in a serious injury to their leader and put Kat in charge. While she is dealing with all of these problems we cam add to them that it appears that Brigid has some sort of mysterious pull over anybody she comes in contact with (except Katla) but more so with Jack than anybody else and Kat's afi (grandfather) is suffering from a very intense case of homesickness for Iceland. Somehow or another (at least until we find out more about what is driving Brigid) high school senior, Jack, gets an internship to accompany Brigid to the weather outpost in Iceland and Kat is coerced into tagging along with her afi to his hometown in Iceland. Where she learns she is also descended from selkies (angels cast out from heaven that can inhabit both land and sea). And this is where Kat must ultimately figure out the mystery of Brigid and her odd hold over Jack.

Review: Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier


The Scoop:


Gwyneth Shepherd has led a carefree life compared to her cousin Charlotte. She gets to spend time with her best friend, Lesly, watch any movies she wants, basically have a barely structured life outside of school compared to Charlotte who has to take fencing lessons, etiquette lessons, extremely thorough history lessons and other lessons all geared towards a life of time travel because she has supposedly inherited the family gene. For time travel. Through time.


However, we find out that Gwen's mother lied about her actual birth date and she was the one to inherit the family gene. For time travel. Through time. Gwen is unexpectedly swept back in time twice before she tells her mother what is happening. Her mother takes her to the Guardians who have the fancy chronograph machine that will control her time travel once she supplies it with a small amount of her blood. While there she meets her travel partner Gideon de Villiers who has inherited the male line gene. For time travel. Through time.

So, the basic set-up is that the gene inheriters before Gwen and Gideon, Lucy and Paul, had stolen the original chronograph that held blood samples of the ten time travelers before them. Supposedly, when the samples of all twelve gene carriers are finally in the chronograph some secret will be revealed. Somehow, Lucy and Paul learned something of what the secret might be or who it might adversely benefit and took the chronograph and hid somewhere in time, warning past gene carriers that Gideon and Gwen were be coming for their blood (no, this book doesn't have any vampires) to complete the circle of the spare chronograph. The knowledge that Lucy had, and the danger it might bring Gwen, was the impetus behind Gwen's mother lying about Gwen's actual birth date and possibility of inheriting the gene. For time travel. Through time.

In My Mailbox (2)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme started by The Story Siren where bloggers share what books we have either received or purchased that week.

This is a cumulative list from the past few weeks (I'm pretty sure this is going to be how it goes, not so much weekly as every few weeks but I'll try). Also, I seem to have gotten a lot of blue and purple books in this batch--as opposed to the reds from last time.

From the library:

My Life Undecided by Jessica Brody

This premise is ripe for misadventure and mishaps--Brooklyn is letting her blog followers make her life decisions. Can't wait to dive in.

Hourglass by Myra McEntire

I have read so many good reviews for this book that I just had to try it for myself.

Zombie Haiku by Ryan Mecum

I'm not big on poetry but a friend of mine really enjoyed it so I'll give it a try.

Fairy Bad Day by Amanda Ashby

Fairies=good story. Giant killer fairies=awesome story! (I hope.)

Vampire Stalker by Allison van Diepen

I'm not a big fan of vampire books but I do love a good book where a character comes right out of the pages of a story so I'll try this one out since it's more about the people after vampires, not the vampires themselves.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

So many good reviews (and peer pressure) have finally gotten this book on my TBR pile.

The A Circuit by Georgina Bloomberg and Catherine Hapka

The horse on the cover got to me. Yes, I am still a horse-crazy little girl at heart. I don't know if it will be good but, IT HAS A HORSE ON THE COVER!

Delirium by Lauren Oliver (audio)

 This happened to be on the shelf (when the books are checked out with holds galore) so I snapped it up and am already listening to it. So far, so good.

Notes from the Blender by Trish Cook and Brendan Halpin

I wasn't too impressed with Halpin's last co-writing offering (Jenna and Jonah's Fauxmance) but this seems like an interesting story so I'll give it a try.

For review:

Thanks to NetGalley publishers HarperTeen and HarlequinTeen and Simon & Schuster GalleyGrab.

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

I'm not really sure what this is about other than she's a girl marked for heroism but hasn't done anything besides raid kitchens and read ancient texts.

Drink, Slay, Love by Sarah Beth Durst

I adored her book, Ice, so even though I'm not big into vampires this one seems interesting--a vampire is stabbed by a sparkly unicorn and gains the ability to withstand daylight and gets a conscience.

Fury by Elizabeth Miles

I'm thinking this might be a little like the show Supernatural?

The Iron Knight (Iron Fey #4) by Julie Kagawa

The tale of Prince Ash and Puck. 'Nuff said.

The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann

It caught my attention when it was described as "Hunger Games" meets "Harry Potter." We'll see if it lives up to the hype.

Are you Listening? Audiobook Review: Bossypants by Tina Fey

Bossypants by Tina Fey

The Scoop:

The life and times of Tina Fey. Written and narrated by Tina Fey. What else can I say that can't be said so much better by comedic writer extraordinnaire, Tina Fey? Nothing, really so I'm going right into what I thought of the audio version of the book.

"Waiting on" Wednesday: Crossed (Matched Trilogy #2) by Ally Condie

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It lets us all gush about what soon-to-be released books we are barely able to restrain our ethusiasm for.


My pick this week is Crossed by Ally Condie due out November 1, 2011 by Dutton Juvenile.


From Goodreads.com:

In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky - taken by the Society to his certain death - only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake.

Cassia's quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander - who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia's heart - change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever.


My Thoughts:

While touted as the next "Hunger Games," for me the first book got off to a slow start with Cassia living by the rules of the Society instead of being a rebel right off the bat like Katniss was. However, once I got into the story and the conflict that Cassia feels when she gets more than one option in her Marriage choice. I started to feel that she was more rebellious when she started following her own instincts instead of what the Society wanted her to do. I'm looking forward to seeing how far she goes and what she does to get there.

Are You Watching? War Horse movie trailer

So, I've been meaning to read War Horse by Michael Morpurgo for quite some time. I saw the outstanding scene from the Broadway play based on the book on the Emmy broadcast (who knew I would see something more amazing than the animals created for the Lion King production?). Now I've seen the trailer for the movie and I really, really need to get on the ball and read the book. (Steven Spielberg really knows how to make a war movie, doesn't he? Geez, just the trailer almost made me cry--stupid background music.)

Teaser Tuesdays (7/12/11)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser:

"But at that second the blue door bursts open and a streaming blur of cows--actual, real, live, sweating, mooing cows--come thundering into the lab.
Definitely a stampede, I think, and for one weird, detached second feel proud of myself for correctly identifying the noise."


Delirium by Lauren Oliver, pg 36.

What a Prize! Stories and Sweeties 1010 Followers Giveaway

One of my favorite YA book review blogs to follow is Stories & Sweeties. Just recently Little Miss Becky reached 1010 followers on her blog and she is celebrating with a Mystery Box Giveaway! Follow the link (and follow her) to win some fabulous books! And, she occasionally posts some delicious looking dessert recipes.

Review: Tiger's Quest (Tiger Saga #2) by Colleen Houck

Tiger's Quest by Colleen Houck


The Scoop:


We are back in Oregon with Kelsey after her whirlwind adventure with cursed Indian prince, Ren. She has returned after forcing Ren (who appeared to be desperately in love with her) to let her go so he could explore his options (aka sow his wild seeds or some such nonsense). Upon her return to Oregon she found a duplex that she could live in, an awesome car for her to drive, a bunch of new clothes, her college classes picked out and paid for and anything else she might possibly desire (like classes in the martial art of wushu). She was going to school, taking wushu classes, casually dating and ferociously missing Ren (so much so that she bought a stuffed white tiger to sleep with).

With Kelsey's fondest wish that Ren forget her and move on to more princely diversions she decides to really start dating and decides that her wushu instructor, Li, is the best choice (after going out with some real duds). Her heart isn't really in it, which is good, because on Christmas Ren shows up in Oregon to tell Kelsey enough is enough and he only wants her. But, still, that isn't good enough and because she can't commit, Ren and Li decide that they need to have a competition on who can date Kelsey the best (and they lay out rules). Finally, Kelsey picks Ren as the winner (after torturing him to break one of the rules which was only she could instigate a kiss) and they live happily ever after--for about two weeks.

Ren's brother, Kishan, shows up with news that their long time enemy, Lokesh (the guy who put the tiger spell on the brothers), was getting close to finding them in Oregon. The prepared for d-day and when the hired thugs showed up they raced through the woods to their getaway vehicle. Along their way to the truck Ren was hit several times with tranquilizer darts and we find out that Kelsey can summon lightning from her hands. Ren encourages Kishan to take Kelsey and get her away, sacrificing himself to the enemy (and lots and lots of torture). Kelsey and Kishan return to India where they go on the next leg of the journey to remove the tiger curse from the princes. Instead of only in India this search takes them into Tibet and the Himalayan Mountains.

"Waiting on" Wednesday: The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It lets us all gush about what soon-to-be released books we are barely able to restrain our ethusiasm for.


My pick this week is The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater due out October 18, 2011 by Scholastic.


From Goodreads.com:

There is very little advance information on what this book is about. This is the crumb thrown at me from goodreads.com: With her trademark lyricism, Maggie Stiefvater turns to a new world, where a pair are swept up in a daring, dangerous race across a cliff--with more than just their lives at stake should they lose.


And from Maggie Stiefvater's website I got this: A standalone paranormal young adult novel involving blood, beaches and kissing (but no mermaids or kraken). Details to be revealed closer to the release date.


[UPDATE 8/11/11: synopsis now posted on goodreads.com]


It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.

At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.

Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.


My Thoughts:


Oh, Maggie Stiefvater, how I loved your Wolves of Mercy Falls series (alas, I'm still waiting to read, uh, ahem, listen to, the last book of the trilogy). Your book trailers are so pretty to my eyes and your words are so lovely to my ears (because, in my case, I've only listened to her books). And now you have a book coming up that may possibly have it's roots buried in mythology and folklore? Be still my heart! Oh, the awful, terrible waiting game begins.

Teaser Tuesdays (7/5/11)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser:

"Hansel was devastated. "Aren't there any good parents in all the wide world?" he muttered."

A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz, pg. 57

Are You Listening? Audiobook review: Columbine by Dave Cullen

Columbine by Dave Cullen


The Scoop:


Ok, forget what you heard in the media during the initial break-out of the shootings at Columbine. Forget that Dylan and Eric were thought to be part of the Trench Coat Mafia. Just forget all of the media hypothesis and hype.


Dave Cullen, with almost 10 years of researching the tragedy, brings a compelling and astonishing story of two boys who had plenty of friends, got good grades and were hopeful about finding love. He tells how Eric had psychopathic tendencies and Dylan was distraught and suicidal for need of love. From the book annotation, and I couldn't agree more, Cullen draws "on hundreds of interviews, thousands of pages of police files, FBI psychologists, and the boys' tapes and diaries, (to) give the first complete account of the Columbine tragedy."

In My Mailbox (1)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme started by The Story Siren where bloggers share what books we have either received or purchased that week.


For review:

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Wisdom's Kiss by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

Thank you NetGalley publishers Knopf Doubleday and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the galleys.

From the library:

Forgiven by Janet Fox

I enjoyed the first book of this series, mostly because I had just visited Yellowstone Park a few months prior to reading it. This book sounds like it starts out in Yellowstone and ends up in San Francisco (and I'll be near there this summer).

Tiger's Quest (Tiger Saga #2) by Colleen Houck
I was so ready after finishing the first book to read the second that I blazed through the 4 chapter preview the author has posted on her website. Luckily, I was able to get the whole book just a few weeks later.

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

This time travel story sounds like it would be a good read. I've wanted to find one that piqued my interest since reading Old Magic.

Sloppy Firsts (Jessica Darling #1) by Megan McCafferty

After reading her new book, Bumped it was recommended that I read the Jessica Darling series. So, here goes.

Confessions of a Serial Kisser by Wendelin Van Draanen
Flipped was one of the best books I read and I'm looking forward to reading some more of her stuff.

Once Upon a Marigold by Jean Ferris
When the cover says part comedy, part love story, part everything-but-the-kitchen-sink, I'm in.

Review: The Big Crunch by Pete Hautman

The Big Crunch by Pete Hautman


The Scoop:


Wes and June don't have a fun "how we met" story. They kinda, sorta, literally bumped into each other after floating in and out of each others orbits at school.


Wes had broken up with his girlfriend and the beginning of the school year and June had just moved to Minnesota--her sixth move in four years due to her father's job as a workout specialist (not as in gym club but as in turning failing companies around). Wes was flailing through life, not really sure what was going on with himself and June was, well, essentially consolation-dating his best friend, Jerry. After so many moves she had her friend-making plans down pat--"find a group of girls she could hang with, and a guy." If she hung out with the book club she'd end up with a "moody Chuck Palahniuk/Kurt Vonnegue/Life-Sucks-and-Then-You-Die" brooder. If she joined the high-fashion crowd it would be "a guy witha thumb ring, always playing with his hair and agonizing over the length of his jeans." And, if she tried out for cheerleading she'd end up with some jock. In the end, June befriends a trio of girls self-named "The Three Bitches" (like Musketeers) who have the self-appointed job of having fun. Things roll along smoothly between Wes and June and their respective friends and social circles until the night the literally knock each other senseless in a grocery store. June, for all her moving and leaving things behind, suddenly wants to belong and create more permanent relationships. Wes, after being unfocused in school and in life suddenly finds his life and wildly fluctuating emotions revolving around June and what she is doing--these wild emotions end up hurting and costing him his best friend. This story isn't about a passionate romance with adventure and jealousies. This is the subtle story of two people who didn't think they needed each other finding out what it means to be in love.

What's New in YA--July 2011

It's a brand new month and that means there are brand new books to look forward to! Well, ok, there's brand new books to look forward to every week but it seems like a better idea to do this a month at a time. I love being prepared (no, was never a boy scout) and knowing what I can look forward to in the exciting world of YA literature. And I'm here to share my preparedness with you. Also, here's a big ol' shout-out to the folks at YALit.com because without them I would probably have to do even more work to find out what I will soon be excited to read. Oh, and each title is linked to goodreads.com.

July 2011
01
Pretty Bad Things by C.J. Skuse
The Rites and Wrongs of Janice Wills by Joanna Pearson
From Willa With Love (Wedding Planner's Daughter #5) by Coleen Murtagh Paratore
Unfriended (Top 8 #3 ) by Katie Finn

04
Lost Voices by Sarah Porter

05
Now is the Time for Running by Michael Williams
Sirensong (Faeriewalker #3) by Jenna Black
A Scary Scene in a Scary Movie by Matt Blackstone
White Crow by Marcus Sedgwick
Twisted (Pretty Little Liars #9) by Sara Shepard
Ice Shock (Joshua Files #2) by M.G. Harris
Paradise by Jill S. Alexander
Falling for Hamlet by Michelle Ray

07
Stolen Girl by Yxta Maya Murray
Stealing Bases (PrettyTOUGH #4) by Keri Mikulski

08
Bestest. Ramadan. Ever. by Medeia Sharif

11
My Favorite Band Does Not Exist by Robert T. Jeschonek

12
The Summer I Learned to Fly by Dana Reinhardt
Bad Taste in Boys by Carrie Harris
Sometimes It Happens by Lauren Barnholdt
Dragon's Oath (House of Night novella) by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
Dreams of Significant Girls by Cristina Garcia
Forever (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #3) by Maggie Stiefvater
Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement-Moore
Sister Mischief by Laura Goode
Starstruck by Cyn Balog
Wildcat Fireflies (Fenestra #2) by Amber Kizer
Sass & Serendipity by Jennifer Ziegler
Amen, L.A. by Cherie Bennett and Jeff Gottesfeld

19
Small Town Sinners by Melissa Walker
The Girl Is Murder by Kathryn Miller Haines
Pearl by Jo Knowles
Love Story by Jennifer Echols
Return to Daemon Hall: Evil Roots by Andrew Nance

21
The Robot by Paul Watson
Ripple by Mandy Hubbard

26
Addie on the Inside by James Howe
And Then Things Fall Apart by Arlaina Tibensky
Wildefire by Karsten Knight
The Babysitter Murders by Janet Ruth Young
Putting Makeup on the Fat Boy by Bil Wright
Wolfsbane (Nightshade #2) by Andrea Cremer
Voice of the Undead (Alex Van Helsing #2) by Jason Henderson
Never Have I Ever (The Lying Game #2) by Sara Shepard