Squeaky Books

Writing for Charity 2012!

2012-02-16T22:41:00.001-07:00

Calling all aspiring writers/book lovers! Do you want to go to an awesome event AND donate to charity? You're in luck! There's an AMAZING event called Writing for Charity that was started by Shannon Hale a few years ago. I went the first year, and I'm SO EXCITED to get to go this year!

Please take a minute to go to their website and look it over. If you don't want to go the full day (which includes a personal critique with an author!) then there's a half-day option with an awesome signing and break-out sessions.

Please come! I'll be there, and so will these authors: Brodi Ashton, Bree Despain, Dean Hale, Shannon Hale, Mette Ivie Harrison, Janette Rallison, Emily Wing Smith, Dan Wells, and MORE!

CLICK HERE TO CHECK IT OUT!

P.S. If you have some Utah readers and wouldn't mind spreading the word about this event, I'd really appreciate it. It's for such a wonderful cause.

All review content © Enna Isilee, Squeaky Books 2007-2012

Multi-blog giveaway, anyone?

2012-02-14T00:01:00.000-07:00

Happy Valentine's Day! I've never really been one to linger on Valentine's (it comes from being such a love-skeptic I guess. Hopefully that'll change some day), so I hope you'll excuse the totally non-lovey-dovey post. Onward!

Last year I hosted a very successful multi-blog giveaway for some pretty massive gift-cards. And it's almost time to do it again! Actually, it's still over a month away, but there's no time like the present! If you're interested, please fill out the form below. If you'd like more information about how it works you can check out the information on the form, or last year's giveaway (giveaway | nominees | winners).

This is a great way to gain new readers/followers, and it gives you the chance to have a giveaway that most people can't afford to do on their own! It's totally awesome! Also, since Borders is no longer an option, the winner will have the option of getting their money's worth of books from The Book Depository! Yay international friends! If you're interested, fill out this form! (You can still back out after filling out the form if you change your mind. Don't worry, it's not binding)

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All review content © Enna Isilee, Squeaky Books 2007-2012

Hunger Games movie, anyone?

2012-02-13T11:04:00.002-07:00

Do you live in Utah? Are you super-excited to see The Hunger Games? Would you like to see it at midnight with a bunch of people who are as excited as you? Then you're in luck!

The Book Bloggers of Utah are organizing a midnight showing of The Hunger Games for Thursday, March 22nd! We'll be at a theatre with reserve seating, so we'll all be able to sit together! You're welcome to bring friends too (I'll be bringing my mother. Together we're a pretty awesome party.).

If you are interested, please e-mail me or Penelope ASAP for more information! We need a final count before February 22nd (the day tickets go on sale).

Here's my e-mail: Squeakybooks@yahoo.com
Here's Penelope's: readingfever@gmail.com

What are you waiting for?! You know you want to come. It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see me sob like a baby.

All review content © Enna Isilee, Squeaky Books 2007-2012

*A Monster Calls-- Patrick Ness

2012-02-10T11:56:00.000-07:00

Release Date: September 27th, 2011
Genre: Um... fiction?
Publisher: Candlewick
Pages: 205
Rating:
Amazon Link*: Click here
Goodreads Page: Click here
Summary:

The monster showed up just after midnight. As they do. But it isn’t the monster Conor’s been expecting. He’s been expecting the one from his nightmare, the nightmare he’s had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming. . . .

This monster, though, is something different. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.
It wants the truth.

Blurb: It's like The Giving Tree gone horribly, horribly wrong.

Review: I have an interesting relationship with this book. I'm still not sure if I love it or hate it. I thought this book was SOOOOOOO boring for the first 100+. I thought it was didactic, and I KNEW there was supposed to be some kind of deep message, but the fact that it wasn't affecting me was really bugging me.

But then... something changed. I don't know what it was. All of a sudden... I loved it. And then I thought it was a cheap shot. And then I thought it was beautiful. And then I wanted to throw it against the wall. And then I was sobbing. And then I decided that I would give this book the worst rating ever.

And here we are.

I think what was the hardest part was that by the time I finished the book and was sobbing, I thought "This isn't fair! I don't like this book, so why is it making me cry so much?!" It made me angry. I had been prepared to hate it. There was so much that made me want to hate it. And then for it to suddenly make me want to love it?! Gah! Emotional turmoil!

It boils down to this: A Monster Calls was not my kind of book. It was a little too dependant on its metaphors, etc. However, I really liked it. Hence the conflict.

The bright side is that it's really short. It only took me a couple hours to read, if that. So whether you love it or hate it, it's not going to take a lot out of your day.

All review content © Enna Isilee, Squeaky Books 2007-2012

*I am an amazon affiliate. If you purchase this book using my link, I will get a tiny fraction of the purchase, which goes toward contests.

Fever-- Lauren DeStefano

2012-02-09T00:33:00.000-07:00

Release Date: February 21st, 2012
Genre: Romance, Dystopia
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 368
Rating:
Amazon Link*: Click here
Goodreads Page: Click here
Series: Chemical Garden #2 (Review of #1)
Summary (Spoilers, highlight to view):

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

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

Blurb: There's a reason the girl on the cover looks bored.

Review: I am almost shocked at how boring this book was. I love the first one so much and this one... fell totally flat. It took 275 pages to get ANYWHERE and then the last 70 were one big drug-haze.

I'm trying to figure out what the point of this book was. It wasn't even really a bridge-book, because I don't feel like the author took me anywhere (which is kinda the definition of bridge). I really felt like the characters were just meandering around.

And then there was the DISTURBING stuff. Even more disturbing than the first book. I don't know why Lauren had to do that. It was already plenty disturbing.

But that doesn't compare to how slow and meaningless I found it. I guess... maybe there's hidden meaning in the slowness? Maybe we were supposed to find character depth here? I didn't. All I found was a very, very long story for only being 368 pages. It totally threw off my holiday reading. Someone said it was their favorite book of the year (I forget who). I'd really like to know why.

All review content © Enna Isilee, Squeaky Books 2007-2012

*I am an amazon affiliate. If you purchase this book using my link, I will get a tiny fraction of the purchase, which goes toward contests.

Mini-Reviews (2)

2012-02-08T00:13:00.000-07:00

*sigh* I've done it again. Here are a couple books that I waited too long to write a review and I've forgotten too much to be able to write a full review. And I feel EXTRA bad because they're both from authors I LOVE! So I'll do some mini-style that will hopefully still show you how awesome both books are.

Drink, Slay, Love, Sarah Beth Durst
(Goodreads | Amazon)

I have deduced that Sarah has the ability to take any topic and make it awesome. Pearl, our vampire-turned-daywalker main character, has one of the freshest voices I've had the pleasure of reading. The story is gripping, the humor is legit, and the characters are likeable and hateable. What more could you ask from a book?

Frost, Wendy Delsol
(Goodreads | Amazon)

I love this series. The first one was spectacular, and this one was good, but not quite as good. The only thing I didn't like was the MAJOR sequel-phase happening between Kat and Jack. But I did LOVE how much lore was brought into this story. Wendy has a true gift for making a book feel like both contemporary fiction, and fantasy. And the lore that she uses is so unique and fun! There was also plenty of mystery to go along with the action and romance. All around great.

All review content © Enna Isilee, Squeaky Books 2007-2012

**Bloodrose-- Andrea Cremer

2012-02-06T11:02:00.000-07:00

Release Date: January 3rd, 2012
Genre: Romance, Fantasy
Publisher: Philomel
Pages: 406
Rating:
Amazon Link*: Click here
Goodreads Page: Click here
Series: Nightshade #3 (Review of #1, #2)
Summary (Spoilers, highlight to view):

Calla has always welcomed war. But now that the final battle is upon her, there’s more at stake than fighting. There’s saving Ren, even if it incurs Shay’s wrath. There’s keeping Ansel safe, even if he’s been branded a traitor. There’s proving herself as the pack’s alpha, facing unnamable horrors, and ridding the world of the Keepers’ magic once and for all. And then there’s deciding what to do when the war ends. If Calla makes it out alive, that is.

Blurb: I don't think this series could have ended any better, even if it means some people are unhappy.

Review: Ah, the end of a series. Always so hard to read, and I imagine hard to write. Especially when you've created a pretty killer love triangle. I'm team Ren, by the way. I think Shay is a whiny baby.

Speaking of whiny babies, let's talk about the things I DIDN'T like first. There's really only one: Calla. It really bothered me how unfaithful she was, to EITHER guy. She's always thinking about having sex with one of them, and then feeling bad about it, and then lusting after the other. It drove me BONKERS. And Shay was still a whiny baby.

Also, I feel like ther was A LOT crammed into this book. Calla and Shay are looking for things (very horcrux-like actually) and it takes them, what? maybe 3 days to find all of them? A chapter for each? I would have MUCH rather had another book in this series that took a little longer to work this part out, rather than cramming it all into this book.

But what makes this book AWESOME is the different relationships and the ending. There's a whole lot of love happening in this book-- platonic, romantic, and familial-- and it was all pretty awesome. And the ending... hm. To be honest, I had to give myself time to think about whether I loved or hated the ending. I decided on love (though hate is just under the surface). She ended it in such a way that really made me think. And I liked that. I can't say much for fear of spoilers, but let's just say that I think almost everyone (in the book at least) ends up where they should be.

So even though I didn't like Calla, she was balanced by her other characters. And Shay actually did become a little less whiny. All of the negatives in this book were far outweighed by the positives. Sometimes there's a danger of getting invested in a series and then loving it UNTIL the last book, and then you feel like you've wasted your time. Not so with this series. It started out awesome, and it ends awesome. Not perfect, but still pretty awesome.

Did I mention awesome?

All review content © Enna Isilee, Squeaky Books 2007-2012

*I am an amazon affiliate. If you purchase this book using my link, I will get a tiny fraction of the purchase, which goes toward contests.

Korean Speaker Needed!

2012-02-04T20:14:00.002-07:00

Help! I know this is one of Shannon Hale's books, and I think it's Enna Burning, but all my searches have been inconclusive and the translations don't make sense. If you speak Korean, can you tell me what this means?

All review content © Enna Isilee, Squeaky Books 2007-2012

In My Mailbox: Super-Awesome Friend Debbie Strikes Again

2012-02-04T00:23:00.002-07:00

For Review:

Daughter of the Centaurs, by Kate Kilmo (Goodreads | Amazon )

Purchased

Midnight in Austenland, by Shannon Hale (Goodreads | Amazon )

From Super-Awesome Friend Debbie:

Quaranteen, by Lex Thomas (Goodreads | Amazon )
Revived, by Cat Patrick (Goodreads | Amazon )
Unraveling, by Elizabeth Norris (Goodreads | Amazon )
BZRK, by Michael Grant (Goodreads | Amazon )
The Selection, by Keira Cass (Goodreads | Amazon )
The Obsidian Blade, by Pete Hautman (Goodreads | Amazon )
The Savage Grace, by Bree Despain (Goodreads | Amazon )
Under the Never Sky, by Veronica Rossi (Goodreads | Amazon )
Bloodrose, by Andrea Cremer (Goodreads | Amazon )

All review content © Enna Isilee, Squeaky Books 2007-2012

Shannon Hale, anyone?

2012-02-03T01:13:00.000-07:00

Is anyone going to the Shannon Hale event tomorrow? If you are, let me know in the comments or e-mail me! I want to know who's going to be there!

All review content © Enna Isilee, Squeaky Books 2007-2012

Expect Delays

2012-02-01T20:39:00.000-07:00

All right, I know I said that I'd have March releases up today, but... I'm having trouble finding them. The only ones I can find that are really standing out to me are The Savage Grace, Grave Mercy, and A Temptation of Angels. Everything else seems kind of blah (too much romance or contemporary). What do you think?

What books are coming out in March that you think would be good for me to feature?

Keep in mind that I'm trying to avoid books that are contemporary, sequels (TSG is the exception), and more romance than fantasy/paranormal.

Thoughts?

All review content © Enna Isilee, Squeaky Books 2007-2012

February's New Release Giveaway!

2012-02-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

!!February's New Release Giveaway!!

The featured title for February is...

Rules and Overview:

Giveaway runs 2/1-2/29
Winner announced 3/1
Must be 13 or older to enter
Fill out the form to enter
INTERNATIONAL (to anywhere TBD ships)
No bonus entries

CLICK HERE TO FILL OUT THE FORM AND ENTER

Check back later today to see February's featured upcoming releases! It's up to YOU to choose the featured book for March!

All review content © Enna Isilee, Squeaky Books 2007-2012

Incarnate Theatre Treasure Hunt Activity!

2012-01-30T00:08:00.003-07:00

So I didn't keep it a secret how much I LOVED Incarnate by Jodi Meadows, but now I'm going to shout it to the world!

Welcome to the INCARNATE Theater Treasure Hunt!

This week, 48 bloggers are celebrating the release of Incarnate by Jodi Meadows by participating in a treasure hunt with clues, activities, and lots of prizes including signed books and handknit fingerless mitts. You've reached an ACTIVITY blog, which means on this page, you can gain extra entries for Jodi's grand prize drawing by completing my activity and filling out the accompanying form. Then head to the next activity for more Incarnate fun! There are over twenty Incarnate activities around. The more you do, the better your chances of winning the grand prize.

For more information on the INCARNATE Theater Treasure Hunt, check out Jodi's post. The Grand Prize gets you: A signed, annotated hardcover of INCARNATE; handknit fingerless mittens; a first-edition hardcover of one of my favorite books; a (possibly dead) character named after you in Incarnate 3 (spelling adjusted for worldbuilding); a handful of INCARNATE stickers.
Two runners up will get: A signed hardcover of INCARNATE; handknit fingerless mittens; a handful of INCARNATE stickers.

My activity is similar to the "guess the cover" contests I do, but in this case there's a butterfly theme! I found 12 covers that have butterflies on them (most are YA, by the way). I'll show you the entire cover, with the title and author blurred, and you just need to tell me the title! Each one you get right will give you an entry into the GRAND PRIZE giveaway!

But I'm also doing a separate giveaway of a finished copy of INCARNATE. If you get AT LEAST TEN (10) of the covers correct you will be entered to win a copy of Incarnate just from me. Cool beans, eh? OPEN INTERNATIONAL!

All right, so here are your covers. You can fill out the form here or below the image. And below the form are some links to MORE activity bloggers! Good luck!

Other Activity Bloggers:
(Go to their blogs to get even MORE links!)

All review content © Enna Isilee, Squeaky Books 2007-2012

Pandemonium-- Lauren Oliver

2012-01-27T08:59:00.001-07:00

Release Date: February 28th, 2012
Genre: Dystopia, Romance
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 375
Rating:
Amazon Link*: Click here
Goodreads Page: Click here
Summary:

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

Blurb: Hard to follow and connect to, Pandemonium falls far short of the bar set by Delirium.

Review: I spent a lot of time debating whether to give this book 3 or 2.5 stars. There were so many things that bothered me. I loved Delirium, and I don't think this one is just suffering from "second-book syndrome." It's more than that. I just honestly didn't like it.

For one thing, each chapter changes flips back and forth six months. This made it pretty impossible for me to connect to the story. Every time I started to feel for the characters in one timeline, I'd be pushed into another and it just frustrated me. I think that if this story had been linear, I would have liked it A LOT more. I feel like she was trying to put two separate books into one, and she didn't need to.

Next was the "love" part of the story. This series is based on the idea of love being a disease, so you know somebody's going to fall in love. I won't tell you who for risks of spoilers. But I will tell you that their "falling in love" seemed trite, rushed, and was clearly just something to create tension that didn't really need to be there. I didn't understand why the girl was falling in love with this guy, and vice versa. It was a very... hormonal love, I think. Desperate, almost. Blah.

And there's a "twist" at the end that I totally saw coming, even though as I read the book I kept saying "no. Please no. Not that." Because it was CHEAP! I found myself saying "Oh puh-lease!" I had hoped this series would be more original than that. Not to say that it won't cause some interesting conflict in book 3, but I would have been MORE interested to see how the author had moved on WITHOUT this choice.

And just as a side note, these characters don't know the following words: poop, crap, dung, feces, droppings, excrement, etc. The only word they know is s***. And that drove me nutso. And there was one (maybe two) f-bombs.

So all-in-all, not much love. Definitely fell short of Delirium. But will I read the third one? Certainly. And hopefully Oliver will go back to her old style of writing. I liked it much better.

All review content © Enna Isilee, Squeaky Books 2007-2012

*I am an amazon affiliate. If you purchase this book using my link, I will get a tiny fraction of the purchase, which goes toward contests.

Hypothetical Beta Readers

2012-01-26T00:01:00.003-07:00

I would like to pose a question purely hypothetically. Let's say (hypothetically, remember) that a certain person would like to start writing again. But that certain person knows she/he would need a beta reader who would motivate, support, and question her/him in her/his writing. How would she/he find such a beta reader?

Writer friends, discuss.

All review content © Enna Isilee, Squeaky Books 2007-2012

**Cinder-- Marissa Meyer

2012-01-25T08:29:00.000-07:00

Release Date: January 3rd, 2012
Genre: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Romance
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Pages: 390
Rating:
Amazon Link*: Click here
Goodreads Page: Click here
Summary:

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Blurb: Totally unique, and totally awesome

Review: WOW! This book was GOOD! For some reason, when I first read the summary I was turned off. I don't know why. But when I had the chance to go to a private Q&A with the author, I figured I should probably read her book. I'm so glad I did!

An upfront warning: this book is totally predictable. Totally. As in, you'll see the major twist coming pretty much from the beginning. Does that take away from the good-ness of the book? Not at all!

One of the things I loved about this book is that, even aside from being sci-fi, Marissa wasn't afraid to make the fairy-tale her own. This book isn't predictable because it follows the original/Disney Cinderella. She has so many more things that make it unique. Moon-people with "magic" powers, a robot helper (instead of mice), and a stepsister who actually likes her! So fun! One of my pet-peeves is when fairy-tale "retellings" are SO close to the original story that it's a stretch to call them a "retelling."

Marissa does a great job incorporating the sci-fi elements into the story. She doesn't bog you down with egregious details on how the different mechanics work, but I believe all the tech she does describe. It was also easy to like the prince. There was no insta-love, and Cinder certainly isn't one to swoon, but there certainly was some chemistry going on there. Literally.

All-in-all a really great read, and I'm so excited that the next three books already have titles and release dates! All of the books will star Cinder as the main character, but will also share a POV with another fairy-tale heroine. Scarlet (2013) will take place in France with Little Red Riding Hood, Cress (2014) will take place ON THE MOON with Rapunzel, and Winter (2015) will take place in the Sahara Desert with Snow White. Cool, eh? Clearly the publisher sees some pretty serious talent in Marissa if they've already taken her on for FOUR books in FOUR years. And I don't blame them. She rocks, and so does Cinder.

All review content © Enna Isilee, Squeaky Books 2007-2012

*I am an amazon affiliate. If you purchase this book using my link, I will get a tiny fraction of the purchase, which goes toward contests.

**A Million Suns-- Beth Revis

2012-01-23T08:23:00.000-07:00

Release Date: January 10th, 2012
Genre: Sci-fi, Romance
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages: 386
Rating:
Amazon Link*: Click here
Goodreads Page: Click here
Series: Across the Universe #2 (Review of #1)
Summary (Spoilers, highlight to view):

Godspeed was fueled by lies. Now it is ruled by chaos.
It's been three months since Amy was unplugged. The life she always knew is over. And everywhere she looks, she sees the walls of the spaceship Godspeed. But there may just be hope: Elder has assumed leadership of the ship. He's finally free to enact his vision - no more Phydus, no more lies.

But when Elder discovers shocking news about the ship, he and Amy race to discover the truth behind life on Godspeed. They must work together to unlock a puzzle that was set in motion hundreds of years earlier, unable to fight the romance that's growing between them and the chaos that threatens to tear them apart.

In book two of the Across the Universe trilogy, New York Times bestselling author Beth Revis mesmerizes us again with a brilliantly crafted mystery filled with action, suspense, romance, and deep philosophical questions. And this time it all builds to one mind-bending conclusion: They have to get off this ship.

Blurb: Just when you thought this series couldn't get any better.

Review: So I was totally in love with the first book in this series, but if I could go back I would give it less stars just so you would know exactly how awesome this book is.

Yup. That's right. The second book is better than the first. Almost NEVER is the second book in a trilogy better than the first. But boy howdy, this book is.

So many twists, turns, personal turmoil, and more! There is some sequel-phase going on, but it didn't take away from the book. I loved watching Amy discover herself, and Elder's fine and dandy too, but the best part of this book is definitely the mystery. And when you find out the mystery... woah. Hold on to your hats, folks.

But that ending... yeesh. Here's the warning label I made up for it:

*Warning: the end of this book will leave you so far off the edge of your seat that falling is a serious danger. Beware injury.*

I wish I could say more, but unfortunately I was dumb and let myself get trapped by finals week before writing my review. So all of this that I'm telling you is what stuck with me even 2-months after finishing the book.
I stayed up until 1am to finish, and I wish I could scrub my brain clean of this book just so I could read it again for the first time.

All review content © Enna Isilee, Squeaky Books 2007-2012

*I am an amazon affiliate. If you purchase this book using my link, I will get a tiny fraction of the purchase, which goes toward contests.

In My Mailbox: HAPPY new year

2012-01-21T15:37:00.000-07:00

I usually am not very political in my song choice, but this one just seemed too apropos to ignore what with all the crazy things happening on the internet lately. I did edit the song a little, because even though I looked up the lyrics before I bought it and it does say "The ship going down" it certainly doesn't SOUND like that's what she's saying. Enjoy! Links below.

Library:
A Monster Calls, by Patrick Ness (Goodreads | Amazon)
This Dark Endeavor, by Kenneth Oppel (Goodreads | Amazon)
Department Nineteen, by Will Hill (Goodreads | Amazon)

Purchased:
Seriously… I'm Kidding, by Ellen Degeneres (Goodreads | Amazon)
Sisters Red, by Jackson Pearce (Goodreads | Amazon)
Cinder, by Marissa Meyer (Goodreads | Amazon)
The Book of a Thousand Days, by Shannon Hale (Goodreads | Amazon)

Review (from Amazon Vine):
Partials, by Dan Wells (Goodreads | Amazon)

Christmas:
The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern (Goodreads | Amazon) Recommended by Suey
Shadowcry, by Jenna Burtenshaw (Goodreads | Amazon)
DeathWatch, by Ari Berk (Goodreads | Amazon)
Witchlanders, by Lena Coakley (Goodreads | Amazon)

All review content © Enna Isilee, Squeaky Books 2007-2012

Fear-- Michael Grant

2012-01-20T00:01:00.000-07:00

Release Date: April 3rd, 2012
Genre: Horror, Dystopia, Sci-fi
Publisher: Harper Collins
Pages: 576
Rating:
Amazon Link*: Click here
Goodreads Page: Click here
Series: Gone #5 (Review of #1, #2, #3, #4)
Summary:

This is a blood-pumping, white-knuckle sci-fi thriller of epic proportions. Night is falling in the FAYZ. Even though it's been nearly a year since everyone over the age of fifteen disappeared, the sun has continued to shine on the kids of Perdido Beach. Now, though, the gaiaphage has blotted out the sun and plunged the FAYZ into perpetual gloom. Divided and dispirited, the survivors face their greatest enemy yet - the darkness of their own minds...

Blurb: Fear crosses the invisible line in more ways than one

Review: I've always loved this series. They're almost a guilty pleasure of mine. They are so gripping. They certainly don't feel like nearly 600 pages each.

If you haven't read this series, then you probably won't care much about this review. And if you have read the series, then you know a lot about it already, so I'll keep it brief.

I think this book crosses the line in some places. This series has always been disturbing, but I felt like this one was SO disturbing that it made me enjoy it less.

And that's all I'm gonna say. Seriously. If you are familiar with the series and would like more information, feel free to e-mail me.

All review content © Enna Isilee, Squeaky Books 2007-2012

*I am an amazon affiliate. If you purchase this book using my link, I will get a tiny fraction of the purchase, which goes toward contests.

What should I review next?

2012-01-19T17:39:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling a little overwhelmed with all the reviews I have to write, so what would YOU like to see first? It'll help me put some order to my life. Answer in this poll!

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All review content © Enna Isilee, Squeaky Books 2007-2012

Discussion post: is objectivity important to you?

2012-01-17T15:05:00.002-07:00

Okay, I was thinking about this the other day when I was writing my Midnight in Austenland review. It was hard for me to write my review because I didn't love the book as much as her others(But that's not saying a ton. I still loved it), but that's not because the book wasn't good, it's because I wasn't good for the book.

And then I thought to myself, "This would be easy to write if you were an objective reviewer." (p.s. I'm really hoping I'm using "objective" correctly in this post, otherwise... well, I hope you know what I mean)

If I had left all my personal stuff out of my review, it would have looked like this (cliff notes version):

This book is hilarious. This book has a great mystery. This book shows wonderful growth in the self-confidence of a woman.

And now that I've biased you enough with that terrible example, I have a question:

How important is objectivity to you in a book blogger?

By that I mean, do you want book bloggers to take their personal feelings OUT of their reviews? Do you want me to just analyze the book as a work of fiction; or do you like knowing that I, as someone with no experience with divorce, wasn't able to connect with it?

And is there a spectrum? Do you think that sometimes it's good to bring personal stuff into a review, and other times it's unnecessary/inappropriate?

I want to know! I can't say that your answers will make me change how I review, but it might make me change how I think.

And feel free to leave a comment anonymously, just so long as you remain courteous.

And I wrote this before you lovely people commented with your "great review!"s and Bloomsbury retweeted my review. So maybe my question is already answered. But I still want to hear from you!

All review content © Enna Isilee, Squeaky Books 2007-2011

**Under the Never Sky-- Veronica Rossi

2012-01-13T11:57:00.001-07:00

Release Date: January 3rd, 2012
Genre: Dystopia, Fantasy, Romance
Publisher: Harper Collins
Pages: 384
Rating:
Amazon Link*: Click here
Goodreads Page: Click here
Summary:

Aria is a teenager in the enclosed city of Reverie. Like all Dwellers, she spends her time with friends in virtual environments, called Realms, accessed through an eyepiece called a Smarteye. Aria enjoys the Realms and the easy life in Reverie. When she is forced out of the pod for a crime she did not commit, she believes her death is imminent. The outside world is known as The Death Shop, with danger in every direction.

As an Outsider, Perry has always known hunger, vicious predators, and violent energy storms from the swirling electrified atmosphere called the Aether. A bit of an outcast even among his hunting tribe, Perry withstands these daily tests with his exceptional abilities, as he is gifted with powerful senses that enable him to scent danger, food and even human emotions.

They come together reluctantly, for Aria must depend on Perry, whom she considers a barbarian, to help her get back to Reverie, while Perry needs Aria to help unravel the mystery of his beloved nephew’s abduction by the Dwellers. Together they embark on a journey challenged as much by their prejudices as by encounters with cannibals and wolves. But to their surprise, Aria and Perry forge an unlikely love - one that will forever change the fate of all who live under the never sky.

Blurb: A perfect balance of action, intrigue, and romance. Simply magical.

Review: This book is something magical. Unlike most paranormal romances now where two people automatically love each other and we read 300 pages of them and their issues, in this book you get to watch two people FALL in love. Really fall in love. And in the meantime we get to see a wonderfully rich and detailed world, experience heart racing adventures, and go through heartbreaking tragedies.

This book perfectly balances action and intrigue, love and plot. I found myself on the edge of my seat at some parts, and melting into a puddle at others. She's been able to mix the romance into the story in such a way that the storyline is still pure. There are no cheap shots or "oh geez" moments.

About 90% into this book I was thinking, "Wow! This is such an amazing action story!"

At 100% I had tears in my eyes and thought, "Wow. What an amazing love story."

Now I'm just thinking, "Wow. What an amazing book."

If you'd like to see a review of someone who DIDN'T like this book, check it out here: Emily's Reading Room. She has some really valid points about things that usually bug me, but didn't in this book. So check it out!

All review content © Enna Isilee, Squeaky Books 2007-2011

*I am an amazon affiliate. If you purchase this book using my link, I will get a tiny fraction of the purchase, which goes toward contests.

Do you hate embedded comments as much as I do?

2012-01-11T20:03:00.001-07:00

EDIT: Apparently custom blog designs need to do an extra step in order to get threaded comments (Click here for instructions) and when I do it it makes my fonts and format go wackado. So until this issue is fixed, I'll be going without threaded comments.

So, some of you may not know that blogger now does threaded comments! This means that we can reply to individual comments. Cool eh? And ABOUT TIME! But here's the thing, it requires embedded comments, which look like this:

I've always HATED embedded comments. They're so buggy. But is it worth having embedded comments in order to be able to reply to individual comments? I want your opinion. PLEASE let me know either in the comments or just by answering this poll:

Midnight in Austenland-- Shannon Hale

2012-01-11T10:49:00.003-07:00

Release Date: January 31st, 2012
Genre: Romance, Paranormal
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 423
Rating:
Amazon Link*: Click here
Goodreads Page: Click here
Series: Companion to Austenland
Summary:

When Charlotte Kinder treats herself to a two-week vacation at Austenland, she happily leaves behind her ex-husband and his delightful new wife, her ever-grateful children, and all the rest of her real life in America. She dons a bonnet and stays at a country manor house that provides an immersive Austen experience, complete with gentleman actors who cater to the guests' Austen fantasies.

Everyone at Pembrook Park is playing a role, but increasingly, Charlotte isn't sure where roles end and reality begins. And as the parlor games turn a little bit menacing, she finds she needs more than a good corset to keep herself safe. Is the brooding Mr. Mallery as sinister as he seems? What is Miss Gardenside's mysterious ailment? Was that an actual dead body in the secret attic room? And-perhaps of the most lasting importance-could the stirrings in Charlotte's heart be a sign of real-life love?

Blurb: Shannon is as hilarious as ever, but Midnight in Austenland lives up to its name in that it's certainly darker than its predecessor.

Review: This book had everything I love about Shannon's books. It was witty, hilariously funny, and the personal growth that Charlotte experiences was even more wonderful than Jane's in the first Austenland. Seriously, at the end I think I loved Charlotte 10 million times more than Jane, and I love Jane to pieces!

I especially loved how this book had so much meat! If you're a big Shan-fan like me, then you know that Austenland is (quite-lovingly) described as froth. Well this book is the big dense whipped-cream froth on top of hot chocolate with cinnamon! Austenland is primarily a romance, but this book is most certainly a mystery first and foremost which adds fabulous spice to the romance. How cool is that?! I didn't go in expecting a mystery, so it was fun to really get sucked into it. It was a cool mystery too. I loved who the villain ended up being, and who Charlotte ended up being with. What an AWESOME twist!

However, this is the first time I haven't given a Shannon book 5 flowers, that's because this was the first time that I've felt like I couldn't fully appreciate one of Shannon's adult books. With Austenland it was easy to forget how old Jane was because she was still single and dating, and I'm still single and dating. With The Actor and the Housewife the characters were literally IN MY WORLD (or state at least), and it was easy to relate to Becky and everything that happened around her because they were things I was familiar with.

In this book... I don't know. Maybe a teen of divorced parents might relate to it better? I've always counted myself lucky to have almost NO experience with divorce. And Charlotte's back stories just made me sad, unlike Jane's which just made me laugh. So even though I LOVED it, there were times where I thought the real meat of the story was going over my head. I really felt like it's meant for adults or those with some experience with divorce. Not single 20-somethings living in a happy bubble. Perhaps I shall try it again when I'm an adult. What's that? 20-somethings are technically adults? Pish posh.

Oh! Disclaimer! When I say "meant for adults" I don't mean there's any "graphic" content. There's very minimal profanity, and it never goes beyond kissing. A teen definitely could read this.

But I must admit. I think my favorite line was (some profanity, highlight to view) "I will go mama bear on your ass." I don't like profanity, but this made me do a breakfast club fist-pump into the air. Go Charlotte! I truly loved her, even if I couldn't relate to her.

P.S. If you'd like a review from someone who wasn't bothered by this un-relate-ability thing, you should check out Emily's review here. I especially love (and totally agree) with this part of her review:

If you are a fan of the first novel, you'll really enjoy this one. However, I doubt that this companion will persuade any non-believers. Nor do I think it is meant to. ... Charlotte's story begins sadly, but in a very honest way that I think many women will relate with. And though there is fun and frivolity, I was also pleased that Charlotte grew very significantly as a character throughout the book.

~From Emily's review of Midnight In Austenland on Emily's Reading Room

Man. This is one of those moments where I get super-jealous of other reviewers and their ability to articulate things far better than me. Because GAH! this review was hard to write. I hope I made it clear that my issues with the book are because of PERSONAL things, not because of the book itself. I still believe that Shannon can do no wrong. This book just showed me that she isn't just writing books for me (I know, shocker, right?).

*I am an amazon affiliate. If you purchase this book using my link, I will get a tiny fraction of the purchase, which goes toward contests.

January's Featured Upcoming Releases

2012-01-10T11:31:00.000-07:00

It's finally back! Each and every month on Squeaky Books I feature 6-8 upcoming releases. You vote for the ones you are excited about via this form. At the beginning of the next month, the novel with the greatest amount of votes will be given away. Fun times, eh? You can vote for the January books from January 10th – January 31st at 7:59pm MST. On February 1st I'll post the giveaway of the book with the most votes!

Feel free to ask questions in the comments or e-mail me. Now go forth and vote!

Is there a book you'd like to be featured? Click here to fill out the form and nominate it. If it's picked as the book of the month you'll get 5 extra entries to win it!

Cinder

by Marissa Meyer

Release Date: January 3rd, 2012

GoodReads Page | Amazon

Summary:

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Under the Never Sky

by Veronica Rossi

Release Date: January 3rd, 2012

GoodReads Page | Amazon

Summary:

Aria is a teenager in the enclosed city of Reverie. Like all Dwellers, she spends her time with friends in virtual environments, called Realms, accessed through an eyepiece called a Smarteye. Aria enjoys the Realms and the easy life in Reverie. When she is forced out of the pod for a crime she did not commit, she believes her death is imminent. The outside world is known as The Death Shop, with danger in every direction.

As an Outsider, Perry has always known hunger, vicious predators, and violent energy storms from the swirling electrified atmosphere called the Aether. A bit of an outcast even among his hunting tribe, Perry withstands these daily tests with his exceptional abilities, as he is gifted with powerful senses that enable him to scent danger, food and even human emotions.

They come together reluctantly, for Aria must depend on Perry, whom she considers a barbarian, to help her get back to Reverie, while Perry needs Aria to help unravel the mystery of his beloved nephew’s abduction by the Dwellers. Together they embark on a journey challenged as much by their prejudices as by encounters with cannibals and wolves. But to their surprise, Aria and Perry forge an unlikely love - one that will forever change the fate of all who live under the never sky.

Dragonswood

by Janet Lee Carey

Release Date: January 5th, 2012

GoodReads Page | Amazon

Summary:

Wilde Island is in an uproar after the recent death of its king. The uneasy pact between dragons, fairies, and humans is fraying, and a bloodthirsty witch hunter with a hidden agenda whips villages into frenzies with wild accusations. Tess, a blacksmith’s daughter from a tiny hamlet near the mysterious Dragonswood, finds herself caught in the crosshairs of fate when she is accused of witchery and has to flee for her life along with her two best friends.

Not even Tess’s power to see the future can help the girls as they set off on their desperate journey, but she keeps having visions of a man wielding a sword. And when she finally meets him, Tess has no idea how to handle the magnetic attraction she feels for him, or the elusive call she hears from the heart of the Dragonswood.

Everneath

by Brodi Ashton

Release Date: January 24th, 2012

GoodReads Page | Amazon

Summary:

ast spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's...

Incarnate

by Jodi Meadows

Release Date: January 31st, 2012

GoodReads Page | Amazon

Summary:

NEWSOUL
Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

NOSOUL
Even Ana’s own mother thinks she’s a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she’ll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are suspicious and afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

HEART
Sam believes Ana’s new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana’s enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else’s life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?

Midnight in Austenland

by Shannon Hale

Release Date:January 31st, 2012

GoodReads Page | Amazon

Summary:

When Charlotte Kinder treats herself to a two-week vacation at Austenland, she happily leaves behind her ex-husband and his delightful new wife, her ever-grateful children, and all the rest of her real life in America. She dons a bonnet and stays at a country manor house that provides an immersive Austen experience, complete with gentleman actors who cater to the guests' Austen fantasies.

Everyone at Pembrook Park is playing a role, but increasingly, Charlotte isn't sure where roles end and reality begins. And as the parlor games turn a little bit menacing, she finds she needs more than a good corset to keep herself safe. Is the brooding Mr. Mallery as sinister as he seems? What is Miss Gardenside's mysterious ailment? Was that an actual dead body in the secret attic room? And-perhaps of the most lasting importance-could the stirrings in Charlotte's heart be a sign of real-life love?

Partials

Dan Wells

Release Date:February 28th, 2012

GoodReads Page | Amazon

Summary:

he human race is all but extinct after a war with Partials—engineered organic beings identical to humans—has decimated the population. Reduced to tens of thousands by RM, a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island while the Partials have mysteriously retreated. The threat of the Partials is still imminent, but worse, no baby has been born immune to RM in more than a decade. Our time is running out.

Kira, a sixteen-year-old medic in training, is on the front lines of this battle, seeing RM ravage the community while mandatory pregnancy laws threaten to launch what’s left of humanity into civil war, and she’s not content to stand by and watch. But as she makes a desperate decision to save the last of her race, she will discover that the survival of humans and Partials alike rests in her attempts to uncover the connections between them—connections that humanity has forgotten, or perhaps never even knew were there.

Now you've seen them all, so vote! Vote for any and all that you're excited about!

CLICK HERE TO VOTE