The Neverending Shelf

Book Review: Forget-Her-Nots

neverendingshelf@gmail.com (Kate) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 05:01:00 +0000

Author: Amy Brecount White

Released: March 2nd 2010

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

# of Pages: 384

Summary: (from Goodreads)

When someone leaves three mystery flowers outside her dorm door, Laurel thinks that maybe the Avondale School isn't so awful after all — until her own body starts to freak out. In the middle of her English presentation on the Victorian Language of Flowers, strange words pop into her head, and her body seems to tingle and hum. Impulsively, Laurel gives the love bouquet she made to demonstrate the language to her spinster English teacher. When that teacher unexpectedly and immediately finds romance, Laurel suspects that something — something magical — is up. With her new friend, Kate, she sets out to discover the origins and breadth of her powers by experimenting on herself and others. But she can’t seem to find any living experts in the field of flower powers to guide her. And her bouquets don't always do her bidding, especially when it comes to her own crush, Justin. Rumors about Laurel and her flowers fly across campus, and she's soon besieged by requests from girls — both friends and enemies — who want their lives magically transformed — just in time for prom.

Laurel, a young teen, is still grieving for the loss of her mother. Despite this loss, her father, haunted by the memories of their home, decides that it would be in the family's best interest to get a change of scenery. Thus, Laurel is installed at Avondale School. And although Laurel is adjusting to these changes, things just are not how she images they should be. When Laurel is given the chance to connect with her mother on a small level by giving a presentation on the Language of Flowers, she jumps at the chance. This small presentation ends up having a huge impact on her life as she soon discovers that every flower has a meaning and like flowers, appearances can be deceiving.

Forget-Her-Nots is a beautifully written and very visually pleasing novel. It is not often that I find a novel that by the end leaves me with the feeling that it was both educational as well as entertaining. But somehow this is exactly what Brecount White has done. I was completely fascinated at the depth of knowledge that Brecount White shows to her readers. The whole novel is paced nicely in a way that both kept my attention and continued to surprise me with its flower references.

To be honest, I am completely enchanted with Forget-Her-Nots and its author. The novel was adorable and filled with humor and powerful messages that leave the reader with a nice tingly feeling. While the novel is aimed a younger readers, it is possible that readers of all ages will find something to pique their interest. I will admit that as an older reader, I did have a little bit of difficulty relating to Laurel and some of her friends. However, this difficulty was very easily overlooked due to the rest of the novel's enchantment. If you are looking for a cute novel that will give you something to think about long after you have finished the last page, then look no further. Forget-Her-Nots is an enchanting novel that will completely change the way you look at flowers and their hidden meanings.

Author Interview: Tricia Rayburn

neverendingshelf@gmail.com (Kate) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 07:20:00 +0000

Today The Neverending Shelf is happy to welcome Tricia Rayburn. Tricia is the author of the novel, Siren.

Seventeen-year-old Vanessa Sands is afraid of everything—the dark, heights, the ocean—but her fearless older sister, Justine, has always been there to coach her through every challenge. That is, until Justine goes cliff-diving one night near the family’s vacation house in Maine, and her lifeless body washes up on shore the next day.

Though her parents hope that they’ll be able to find closure back in Boston, Vanessa can’t help feeling that her sister’s death wasn’t an accident. After discovering that Justine was keeping a lot of secrets, Vanessa returns to Winter Harbor, hoping that Justine’s boyfriend might know more. But Caleb has been missing since Justine’s death.

Soon, it’s not just Vanessa who’s afraid. All of Winter Harbor is abuzz with anxiety when another body washes ashore, and panic sets in when the small town becomes host to a string of fatal, water-related accidents in which all the victims are found, horrifically, grinning from ear to ear.

Vanessa turns to Caleb’s brother, Simon, for help, and begins to find herself drawn to him. As the pair try to understand the sudden rash of creepy drownings, Vanessa uncovers a secret that threatens her new romance—and will change her life forever.

A seductive paranormal romance full of unexpected twists, Siren is certain to make a big summer splash.

Describe your book in five words or less.

Siren’s a spooky, seductive mystery.

What has your road to publications been like?

It’s been a pleasant surprise! My first book, The Melting of Maggie Bean, was actually my MFA thesis; it wasn’t until I finished the story and was in a final meeting with my advisor that I considered pursuing publication. And then I had no expectations—which made the offer all the more exciting when it came!

What was the most challenging aspect of writing "Siren"?

Letting go of reality as we know it. I’d never written a story with any sort of supernatural element before, so that was a fun—but occasionally challenging!—experience.

Why did you choose to write for young adults?

As a writer, I seem to relate better to young adult characters. I’ve written more “adult” fiction before, and while I enjoyed it, I never connected with those characters in quite the same way.

What is one question that you've always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you answer that question?

I don’t think anyone’s ever asked me if there’s something else I’d do professionally if given the chance. But if they did, my answer would be absolutely not! Creating engaging stories for young readers is the very best job I could’ve ever hoped to have.

Want to find out more about Tricia and Siren? Please visit her at:

And be sure to stop by Teens Read and Write for the next stop on the blog tour to find out more about Tricia and her novel.

The Shelf Report

neverendingshelf@gmail.com (Kate) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 05:01:00 +0000

The Shelf Report explores the really cool stuff that comes weekly in my mailbox. As well as what I have read and plan on reading for the week. It also includes any cool events that are going on around The Neverending Shelf and the blogosphere. The Shelf Report is inspired by Kristi's In My Mailbox and Sheila's It's Monday, What are you Reading?

For Review:

Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices, #1) by Cassandra Clare

Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

Jack Blank and the Imagine Nation by Matt Myklusch

All Jack Blank knows is his bleak, dreary life at an orphanage in New Jersey. But his life changes forever when he meets an emissary from a secret country called the Imagine Nation, an astonishing place where all the fantastic things in the world originate--including Jack.

Matt Myklusch's JACK BLANK AND THE IMAGINE NATION combines action, humor, adventure, heroes, villains, and superpowers for a knockout epic story.

Low Red Moon by Ivy Devlin

Avery Hood is reeling from the loss of her parents--and the fact that she can't remember what happened to them even though she was there.

She's struggling to adjust to life without them, and to living with her grandmother, when she meets Ben, who isn't like any guy she's ever met before.

It turns out there's a reason why, and Ben's secret may hold the key to Avery finding out what happened to her parents...

But what if that secret changes everything she knows about--and feels for--Ben?

Bought:

Legacies (Shadow Grail, #1) by Mercedes Lackey, Rosemary Edghill

Spirit White has survived from a deadly car crash that has killed her mother and father and her sister. She has been discovered by a school with special talents, called magic. A couple of months after staying, people begin to disappear, some vanish to be never seen again, so Spirit and her new friends begin the investigation. But will they find out the truth of what is going on? Or will Spirit and her friends suffer a terrible fate from which they don't know about yet?

The Iron Daughter (Iron Fey, #2) by Julie Kagawa

Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron Fey, iron-bound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her. Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's alone in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

Starlighter (Dragons of Starlight, #1) by Bryan Davis

Dragons are enslaving humankind and a black egg signals the end of the world. Jason Masters must journey to another realm and join forces with a slave girl named Koren to rescue the captives and save two worlds from destruction.What if the Legends Are True?

Jason Masters doubted the myths: people taken through a portal to another realm and enslaved by dragons. But when his brother is taken, he must uncover the truth and find the portal before it's too late. Once he's through the portal, he meets Koren, a slave in the dragons' realm, who struggles to destroy a black egg prophesied to doom all mankind. Jason and Koren must work together to save their two worlds before the dragons learn that their secrets have been discovered. In Starlighter, bestselling author Bryan Davis masterfully weaves fantasy and inspiration into a captivating novel for young adults.

Sea Glass (Glass, #2) by Maria V. Snyder

Student glass magician Opal Cowan's newfound ability to steal a magician's powers makes her too powerful. Ordered to house arrest by the Council, Opal dares defy them, traveling to the Moon Clan's lands in search of Ulrick, the man she thinks she loves. Thinks because she is sure another man now her prisoner has switched souls with Ulrick.

In hostile territory, without proof or allies, Opal isn't sure whom to trust. She can't forget Kade, the handsome Stormdancer who doesn't want to let her get close. And now everyone is after Opal's special powers for their own deadly gain...

Read this Week:

Forget-Her-Nots by Amy Brecount White
Prophecy of the Sisters (Prophecy of the Sisters, #1) by Michelle Zink
Graceling (The Seven Kingdoms Trilogy, #1) by Kristin Cashore
Fire (The Seven Kingdoms Trilogy, #2) by Kristin Cashore

That is all for me this week. Hope everyone had a wonderful book week.

Book Review: Storm Glass

neverendingshelf@gmail.com (Kate) — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 05:01:00 +0000

Author: Maria V. Snyder

Released: May 1st 2009

Publisher: Mira

# of Pages: 488

Summary: (from Goodreads)

As a glassmaker and a magician-in-training, Opal Cowen understands trial by fire. Now it's time to test her mettle. Someone has sabotaged the Stormdancer clan's glass orbs, killing their most powerful magicians. The Stormdancers—particularly the mysterious and mercurial Kade—require Opal's unique talents to prevent it happening again. But when the mission goes awry, Opal must tap in to a new kind of magic as stunningly potent as it is frightening. And the further she delves into the intrigue behind the glass and magic, the more distorted things appear. With lives hanging in the balance—including her own—Opal must control powers she hadn't known she possessed…powers that might lead to disaster beyond anything she's ever known.

Since being captivated a few months ago by Snyder's dystopian novel, Inside Out, I decided that it might be time to give her fantasy novel, Storm Glass, a chance. And I have to say that I was very pleasantly surprised.

Readers of Tamora Pierce will quickly discover that they have found a kindred soul in Snyder. Her words flow effortlessly from the page creating a breath-taking world that readers will never want to leave. It is a world that is easy to bask in. The details are full bodied and utterly enchanting. This can also be said of the characters. Opal, Kade, and the many characters from Snyder's previous series, the Study series, make up one amazing group of characters. They are funny, serious, and just plain fun to read about. With this full and diverse group of characters, readers will quickly discover a favorite to root for.

Storm Glass is a quick paced novel that kept me glued to its pages. And while I must admit that I have yet to read Snyder's previous Study series, I can guarantee that the world that has been introduced to me is being begged to be further explored. And these novels will be devoured as soon as I can get my hands on them.

Read-A-Likes

neverendingshelf@gmail.com (Kate) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 17:41:00 +0000

Ever got done reading a book and was like WOW... I could read this type of book all day long... but you end up having a hard time trying to find a similar book? Well, Read-A-Likes (as named by Kristen of Bookworming in the 21st Century) is here to help.

What are Read-A-Likes?

Quite simply, they are books that share similar themes, characters, and/or plots. And although, it may not be an exact match, these books have enough in common to please most readers.

How do the recommendations work?
Easy. I take one novel and suggest two or three novels that read similarly. If you have not read the "If You Like" novel, have no fear. Read-A-Likes can be used in any combination. For example, if you have read one of the "Try One of These" novels, and are looking for something similar, try either one of the "Try One of These" novel(s) or the "If You Like" novel.

If You Like:

Alanna: The First Adventure (Song of the Lioness, #1)
by Tamora Pierce

Call it fate, call it intuition, or just call it common sense, but somehow young Alanna knows she isn't meant to become some proper lady cloistered in a convent. Instead, she wants to be a great warrior maiden--a female knight. But in the land of Tortall, women aren't allowed to train as warriors. So Alanna finds a way to switch places with her twin, Thom, and take his place as a knight in training at the palace of King Roald. Disguising herself as a boy, Alanna begins her training as a page in the royal court. Soon, she is garnering the admiration of all around her, including the crown prince, with her strong work ethic and her thirst for knowledge. But all the while, she is haunted by the recurring vision of a black stone city that emanates evil... somehow she knows it is her fate to purge that place of its wickedness. But how will she find it? And can she fulfill her destiny while keeping her gender a secret?

Try One of These:

Graceling (The Seven Kingdoms Trilogy, #1) by Kristin Cashore

Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight — she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an ext...more Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight — she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme, and in her case horrifying, skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug. When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change. She never expects to become Po’s friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace — or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away... a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.

Fire (The Seven Kingdoms Trilogy, #2) by Kristin Cashore

Fire, Graceling's prequel-ish companion book, takes place across the mountains to the east of the seven kingdoms, in a rocky, war-torn land called the Dells.

Beautiful creatures called monsters live in the Dells. Monsters have the shape of normal animals: mountain lions, dragonflies, horses, fish. But the hair or scales or feathers of monsters are gorgeously colored-- fuchsia, turquoise, sparkly bronze, iridescent green-- and their minds have the power to control the minds of humans.

Seventeen-year-old Fire is the last remaining human-shaped monster in the Dells. Gorgeously monstrous in body and mind but with a human appreciation of right and wrong, she is hated and mistrusted by just about everyone, and this book is her story.

Wondering what makes it a companion book/prequel? Fire takes place 30-some years before Graceling and has one cross-over character with Graceling, a small boy with strange two-colored eyes who comes from no-one-knows-where, and who has a peculiar ability that Graceling readers will find familiar and disturbing...

Storm Glass (Glass, #1) by Maria V. Snyder

As a glassmaker and a magician-in-training, Opal Cowen understands trial by fire. Now it's time to test her mettle. Someone has sabotaged the Stormdancer clan's glass orbs, killing their most powerful magicians. The Stormdancers—particularly the mysterious and mercurial Kade—require Opal's unique talents to prevent it happening again. But when the mission goes awry, Opal must tap in to a new kind of magic as stunningly potent as it is frightening. And the further she delves into the intrigue behind the glass and magic, the more distorted things appear. With lives hanging in the balance—including her own—Opal must control powers she hadn't known she possessed…powers that might lead to disaster beyond anything she's ever known.

If you have any suggestions for additional Read-A-Likes for these novels, I would love to hear them.

Or if have a novel that you would like to find Read-A-Likes for, please contact me.

Blogging Round Table: Work + Blog = ?

neverendingshelf@gmail.com (Kate) — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 07:00:00 +0000

The Blogging Round Table is made up of various bloggers weighing in on a variety of topics. We then turn the discussion over to you for your opinion. Now, we do not see ourselves as any kind of experts, so we will not pretend to be one by giving you just one opinion. We believe that we all have different ways of approaching situations, therefore the Blogging Round Table was born.

A few weeks ago, I was asked:

How can I keep up my blog while also having a busy work/life schedule.

My special guest blogger this week is Kristen of Bookworming in the 21st Century. I asked Kristen to help with this since she has plenty of experience with this topic. And I am beginning to learn just how difficult it can be. So, this will give us nice variety of responses to begin with.

Kate:
When I first saw this question, my first thought was... I have no idea what to say to this. Personally, I had been unemployed for a vast majority of my blog's life. It has really only been recently that I have had any experience with blogging and maintaining a balancing act. But oh boy, what these last few weeks have taught me.

My best advice is this:

Do what you can... when you can. Do not push yourself.

Carry around a notebook. In my downtime at work, I hand-write my reviews. Now, my reviews that are written are sometimes no where near the finished product... but I get a great sense of accomplishment of feeling like the review is almost done.

Try to keep yourself organized. I use Google's Calendar ALOT to plan out my blog's week.

In your free time, try to set up posts in advanced. You know what you are reading and generally have a review format... so it does not hurt to have them ready to go in advance.

Kristen:
I’ve gone from having the whole summer to do what I want with to working 10+ hours when school is in session. How do I manage my blog? Lots of planning. Use your days off. If you live with someone, make an agreement about a few hours to yourself to blog/catch up, etc. I use the scheduling a lot when I’m working. I try to knock out reviews as I’m reading and get them on blogger and scheduled for when I want it to post. Don’t open up twitter, facebook, or email when you sit down to actually work on blog posts. Give yourself a set amount of time to deal with social networking, games, email and then close the windows and just keep blogger or wordpress open and start writing. Write down reviews when you can. I make my husband drive us to restaurants or family get-togethers sometimes so I can either write reviews or read. Keep a notebook and book with you at all times. You never know when you’ll get stuck somewhere waiting - a bad accident, a doctor running late for your appointment, and so on. And my best suggestion is - don’t stress the little things. So what if you missed a meme this week? Try new things with your blog - things you’re excited about doing so that you make time for it in your busy schedule. Maybe a new meme or feature, or even just a different review format - one you find easier and quicker to throw together. All of us change, so why shouldn’t our blog?

In Summary:
Your blog is what you make of it. No one is perfect. We all have lives... families... jobs... etc. Like Kristen said, do not sweat the small stuff. Do what you can... as you can. Every blogger knows that a blog takes a lot of hard work and dedication. Play around with some ideas and eventually you will find something that works for you.

Work.. home life getting in the way of your blogging? Got advice that works for you? We would love to hear it.

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Dear Teacher Winners

neverendingshelf@gmail.com (Kate) — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 05:01:00 +0000

I know I am a little late with this.. but... Thank you to all that entered the Dear Teacher giveaway. There were a total of 51 entries and the winners are....

Jessica @ roses7184

nenie bugs

Martha Lawson

Congrats to all the winners! I will be contacting you shortly about your prize.

Book Extravaganza Winner!

neverendingshelf@gmail.com (Kate) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 17:17:00 +0000

Huge Thank You to everyone who participated as well as entered contests during out weekend Book Extravaganza. It looks like the event was very well received. And we hope you had as much fun as we did with the event.

Now to the winner... for my mystery box of books there were 283 entries. And the winner is...

Nevey Berry

Thank you to everyone who entered. Nevey Berry, I will be contacting you soon about your prize.

Neverending Discoveries

neverendingshelf@gmail.com (Kate) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 05:01:00 +0000

Neverending Discoveries is a feature that mentions books that I have discovered through my sidetracking excursions around the web. While my bookshelf really is not never ending, it is always exciting to share the books I would add if it was.

Tempestuous (Wondrous Strange, #3) by Lesley Livingston

Released: December 21, 2010

Publisher: HarperCollins

Discovered on: Author's Blog

Sad to say... but there is not blurb yet. However, the stunning cover more than makes up for it.

The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney

Released:February 1st 2011

Publisher: Flux

Discovered on: Amazon

Freak. That’s what they called seventeen year-old Donna Underwood in high school after a horrific fey attack that killed her father when she was just a child. Her injuries and rehabilitation resulted in magically enhanced strength, thanks to the iron tattoos branding her hands and arms. As a child of the alchemists, she is both blessed and cursed with a magical heritage that doesn't leave much room for boys, parties and homework.

Now, after ten years of wishing for a normal life, she finally has to accept her role in the centuries-old war against the darkest outcasts of Faerie: the Dark Elves. Aided by a gorgeous half-fey dropout, Donna must race to save her best friend’s life - even if it means betraying one of the world’s greatest secrets and confronting the very thing that destroyed her family.

XVI by Julia Karr

Released: January 6th 2011

Publisher: Puffin/Speak

Discovered on: Goodreads

In the year 2150, being a girl isn’t necessarily a good thing, especially when your sixteenth (read sex-teenth) birthday is fast approaching. That in itself would be enough to make anyone more than a little nuts, what with the tattoo and all – but Nina Oberon’s life has taken a definite turn for the worse. Her mother is brutally stabbed and left for dead. Before dying, she entrusts a secret book to Nina, telling her to deliver it to Nina's father. But, first Nina has to find him; since for fifteen years he's been officially dead. Complications arise when she rescues Sal, a mysterious, and ultra hot guy. He seems to like Nina, but also seems to know more about her father than he’s letting on. Then there’s that murderous ex-government agent who’s stalking her, and just happens to be her little sister’s dad.

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Released: January 4th 2011

Publisher: HarperTeen

Discovered on: Author's Blog

Special Cover Note: According to the author, this cover is not the finalized cover. Hand states on her blog that this cover is for the ARC and that her publisher, HarperTeen, is still working on this finalized version.

In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees...

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what it is, though, isn't easy.

Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place--and out of place, at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make--between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann

Released: February 8th 2011

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Discovered on: Goodreads

The small town of Cryer's Cross is rocked by tragedy when an unassuming freshman disappears without a trace. Kendall Fletcher wasn’t that friendly with the missing girl, but the angst wreaks havoc on her OCD-addled brain.

When a second student goes missing - someone close to Kendall's heart - the community is in an uproar. Caught in a downward spiral of fear and anxiety, Kendall's not sure she can hold it together. When she starts hearing the voices of the missing, calling out to her and pleading for help, she fears she’s losing her grip on reality. But when she finds messages scratched in a desk at school - messages that could only be from the missing student who used to sit there - Kendall decides that crazy or not, she’d never forgive herself if she didn’t act on her suspicions.

Something's not right in Cryer’s Cross - and Kendall’s about to find out just how far the townspeople will go to keep their secrets buried.

Flip by Martyn Bedford

Released: April 5th 2011

Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books

Discovered on: Borders.com

One December night, 14-year-old Alex goes to bed. He wakes up to find himself in the wrong bedroom, in an unfamiliar house, in a different part of the country, and it's the middle of June. Six months have disappeared overnight. The family at the breakfast table are total strangers.

And when he looks in the mirror, another boy's face stares back at him. A boy named Flip. Unless Alex finds out what's happened and how to get back to his own life, he may be trapped forever inside a body that belongs to someone else.

Questions of identity, the will to survive, and what you're willing to sacrifice to be alive make this extraordinary book impossible to put down.

Book Review: The Season

neverendingshelf@gmail.com (Kate) — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 05:01:00 +0000

Author: Sarah MacLean

Released: March 1st 2009

Publisher: Orchard Books

# of Pages: 352

Summary: (from Goodreads)

Seventeen year old Lady Alexandra is strong-willed and sharp-tongued -- in a house full of older brothers and their friends, she had to learn to hold her own. Not the best makings for an aristocratic lady in Regency London. Yet her mother still dreams of marrying Alex off to someone safe, respectable, and wealthy. But between ball gown fittings, dances, and dinner parties, Alex, along with her two best friends, Ella and Vivi, manages to get herself into what may be her biggest scrape yet.

When the Earl of Blackmoor is mysteriously killed, Alex decides to help his son, the brooding and devilishly handsome Gavin, uncover the truth. But will Alex's heart be stolen in the process? In an adventure brimming with espionage, murder, and other clandestine affairs, who could possibly have time to worry about finding a husband? Romance abounds as this year's season begins!

The Season is wonderful historical romance novel that left me quite disappointed. Now, you may be wondering how I can call it wonderful and disappointing in the same sentence. Truth is, while I did enjoy the historical details that MacLean brought to the table, I expected more from this tale.

MacLean is fantastic at highlighting the historical aspect. The balls, the peerage, the courtships... all of this was wonderfully brought to life. As a reader, I dived head first into the details provided. And felt like I was momentarily transported into another time period. However, I had a hard time accepting the pacing of the novel. As I said, I enjoyed being caught up in Lady Alexandra's time period, but to a certain extent, I felt like Alex's day to day life overshadowed both the romantic and mystery aspects of the novel. To be fair, the scenes with Alex and Gavin, Earl of Blackmoor, were definitely the high points of the novel. I loved their banter, their chemistry, the progression of their relationship. But by the end of the novel, I was left feeling as if the relationship was almost one of convenience. It was if it all just came together not because of the characters, but rather because it suited the novel. I had a similar feeling in regards to the mystery aspect. While it is hinted at throughout the novel that there is a game a foot, the actual solving of the crime as well as even really getting into the details comes in the last third of the novel. To be honest, I can see why it is needed due to bring certain characters together, but if it had been left out, I would probably not have missed it.

The Season, while a gem to the Young Adult genre for its historical details and unique characters, left this reader with the feeling that I had been there, done that before. True, I did fall in love with certain aspects, but overall, I missed the originality that could have been here. Again, to be fair, this reader did grow up with a healthy love of Regency romance novels, so that could be part of why I judge The Season so harshly. Or it could be the simple fact that I went into this novel with high expectations, only to find them dashed.

The Shelf Report

neverendingshelf@gmail.com (Kate) — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 05:01:00 +0000

Crescendo (Hush, Hush, #2) by Becca Fitzpatrick

The sequel to the New York Times Best selling phenomenon, Hush, Hush! Nora should have know her life was far from perfect. Despite starting a relatio
...more The sequel to the New York Times Best selling phenomenon, Hush, Hush! Nora should have know her life was far from perfect. Despite starting a relationship with her guardian angel, Patch (who, title aside, can be described anything but angelic), and surviving an attempt on her life, things are not looking up. Patch is starting to pull away and Nora can't figure out if it's for her best interest or if his interest has shifted to her arch-enemy Marcie Millar. Not to mention that Nora is haunted by images of her father and she becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened to him that night he left for Portland and never came home.

The farther Nora delves into the mystery of her father's death, the more she comes to question if her Nephilim blood line has something to do with it as well as why she seems to be in danger more than the average girl. Since Patch isn't answering her questions and seems to be standing in her way, she has to start finding the answers on her own. Relying too heavily on the fact that she has a guardian angel puts Nora at risk again and again. But can she really count on Patch or is he hiding secrets darker than she can even imagine?

Rise of the Darklings (The Invisible Order, #1) by Paul Crilley

Emily Snow is twelve years old, supporting herself and her younger brother on the streets of Victorian England by selling watercress. One early winter morning on her way to buy supplies, she encounters a piskie--a small but very sarcastic fey creature that has been cornered by a group of the Black Sidhe, piskies from an opposing clan. She rescues him and unknowingly becomes involved in a war between the Seelie and the Unseelie, two opposing factions of fairies that have been battling each other throughout the long centuries of human history, with London--and England itself--as the ultimate prize.

When the Invisible Order--a centuries-old secret society of humans that has protected mankind from the fey's interference--gets involved, things really start to get complicated.

Now she is the central figure in this ancient war that could permanently change Earth. With no one to trust, Emily must rely on her own instincts and guile to make the right choices that could save her family and all of mankind.

Library Loot:

Fire (The Seven Kingdoms Trilogy, #2) by Kristin Cashore

Fire, Graceling's prequel-ish companion book, takes place across the mountains to the east of the seven kingdoms, in a rocky, war-torn land called the...more Fire, Graceling's prequel-ish companion book, takes place across the mountains to the east of the seven kingdoms, in a rocky, war-torn land called the Dells.

Beautiful creatures called monsters live in the Dells. Monsters have the shape of normal animals: mountain lions, dragonflies, horses, fish. But the hair or scales or feathers of monsters are gorgeously colored-- fuchsia, turquoise, sparkly bronze, iridescent green-- and their minds have the power to control the minds of humans.

Seventeen-year-old Fire is the last remaining human-shaped monster in the Dells. Gorgeously monstrous in body and mind but with a human appreciation of right and wrong, she is hated and mistrusted by just about everyone, and this book is her story.

Wondering what makes it a companion book/prequel? Fire takes place 30-some years before Graceling and has one cross-over character with Graceling, a small boy with strange two-colored eyes who comes from no-one-knows-where, and who has a peculiar ability that Graceling readers will find familiar and disturbing...

Knightley Academy (Knightley Academy, #1) by Violet Haberdasher

Henry Grim has never been in trouble for borrowing a sword from the headmaster's private stores. He has never discovered a forbidden room in a foreign castle, or received a death threat over breakfast.

All Henry knows is life as an orphaned servant boy at the Midsummer School, bullied by the privileged sons of aristocracy. But all that changes when Henry is the first commoner to pass the entrance exam for the prestigious Knightley Academy, where he will be trained as a modern-day knight alongside the cleverest and bravest fourteen-year-olds in the country.

Henry and his roommates, two other students from decidedly un-Knightley backgrounds, are not exactly greeted with open arms by their classmates. In fact, it soon becomes apparent that someone is going to great lengths to sabotage the trio's chances at becoming knights. But Henry soon learns that there is more at stake than his future at Knightley, and only he can sound the alarm. Is anyone going to believe a former servant on the brink of expulsion?

Brimming with wry humor, page-turning suspense, and surprising twists, this first adventure in a memorable new series is sure to enthrall readers of all ages.

Shadow Mirror (Walk of the Spirits, #2) by Richie Tankersley Cusick

Unsettling. There’s no better word to describe Miranda Barnes’s ability to hear the cries of the dead, feel the wind move her hair when they run by, and—dare she look into a mirror—see the reflection of a ghostly woman behind her. There’s only one person to turn to for support: Etienne. As sexy as he is mysterious, Miranda can’t help but be drawn to him. He believes her; he wants to help her. But there’s a secret in Etienne’s past, something Miranda’s on the verge of discovering. As paranormal activity escalates, passion grows, and soon Miranda is caught up in both love . . . and tragedy.

In Other News:

Recently, I signed up to participate in this year Book Blogger's Appreciation Week. As part of this event, we get to vote on favorite events, features, and memes. Well, imagine my surprise to find that my feature Neverending Discoveries was nominated / put on the voting ballot. I was completely blown away by this. I am completely honored to be on this list and to be considered as a favorite feature. Thank you guys for your continued support of The Neverending Shelf. I know the blog is not being updated like it should right now... but I am trying my hardest. So thank you to everyone for your support! It really means a lot.

Book Extravaganza Giveaway

neverendingshelf@gmail.com (Kate) — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 05:01:00 +0000

Welcome to The Neverending Shelf's Book Extravaganza Giveaway. For those of you who are new to the blog... Welcome! I hope you have a wonderful visit. And for those of you who are back again, thanks for stopping by.

For the Book Extravaganza, I have up for grabs... a BOX of Mystery Books. Now, while I love surprises... I understand that not everyone agrees. So, I have decided to give you a little tease as to the contents of the box...

Incarceron (Incarceron, #1) by Catherine Fisher (ARC)

Incarceron -- a futuristic prison, sealed from view, where the descendants of the original prisoners live in a dark world torn by rivalry and savagery. It is a terrifying mix of high technology -- a living building which pervades the novel as an ever-watchful, ever-vengeful character, and a typical medieval torture chamber -- chains, great halls, dungeons. A young prisoner, Finn, has haunting visions of an earlier life, and cannot believe he was born here and has always been here. In the outer world, Claudia, daughter of the Warden of Incarceron, is trapped in her own form of prison -- a futuristic world constructed beautifully to look like a past era, an imminent marriage she dreads. She knows nothing of Incarceron, except that it exists. But there comes a moment when Finn, inside Incarceron, and Claudia, outside, simultaneously find a device -- a crystal key, through which they can talk to each other. And so the plan for Finn's escape is born...

My Ultimate Sister Disaster: A Novel by Jane Mendle

If there were a way to pick your family, fourteen-year old Franny might not pick her own. Her father is a hipster boutique owner, her mother is off in Kenya jumpstarting her career, and her sister Zooey is a precocious prima ballerina. Lately, Zooey’s so absorbed with her ballet career that she barely notices Franny. And since Zooey attends a top ballet conservatory, Franny’s on her own navigating the brutal hallways of her Manhattan prep school, a first-year trying to get noticed on the newspaper (and by its soulful, long-lashed editor-in-chief).

But everything changes when Zooey breaks her leg and her
ballet dreams come to a grinding halt. Unable to practice, Zooey begins to hone in on Franny’s “normal” life and friends. Franny feels terrible for Zooey, but when Zooey’s encroachment starts to extend to her long-time crush, Franny begins to wonder if her sister might just be her worst competition.

The Eyeball Collector by F.E. Higgins (ARC)

When his butterfly-collector father is swindled to within an inch of his life, a vengeful Hector leaves the city of Urbs Umida in pursuit of a fiendish villain with a glass eye. The trail leads to Withypitts Hall, a forbidding Gothic mansion as warped as its inhabitants and their secret schemes. Soon Hector finds himself embroiled in mysterious deeds more poisonous than his worst imaginings, but every twist and turn brings him closer to his revenge ...The third dark and diabolical book from a devilishly talented author.

Contest Information:

Please fill out the form below.
Must be at least 13 years of age to enter.
Contest deadline is July 18, 2010.
Open to Everyone.

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Book Extravaganza Participants

neverendingshelf@gmail.com (Kate) — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 03:59:00 +0000

Today is the BIG day! Book Extravaganza is here. With this event comes about 40 blogs coming together to celebrate. The participants are divided by genre, for the most part. Here on The Neverending Shelf, you will find giveaways which are more Adult genre orientated with a few that are mixed with YA. If you are interested in Young Adult, Middle Grade, or something in between, I suggest you check out Bookworming in the 21st Century's list of participants.

Remember all giveaways will begin today... and end on Sunday. We have tried to make this as easy for you as possible. So kick back and enjoy!

Young Adult / Adult - US Only

Young Adult / Adult - US / Canada

Book Journey

Young Adult / Adult - International

25 Hour Books

Adult - US Only

Adult - US / Canada

Adult - International

Reading Through Life
Ex Libris
My Disorganized Rambling
Helen's Book Blog
About Happy Books
Urban Girl Reader (Wherever Book Depository Ships)

So, what are you waiting for... go forth and enter some amazing contests!

Reminder: Book Extravaganza is Coming!

neverendingshelf@gmail.com (Kate) — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 05:01:00 +0000

Just wanted to give everyone a quick reminder about Book Extravaganza.

What is Book Extravaganza:

A weekend full of fantastic book related giveaways. The event is hosted by Kristen of Bookworming in the 21st Century and myself.

The event is not genre specific. However, we will have the giveaways listed by genre to make sure everyone is able to make the most of this event.

When is Book Extravaganza:

Book Extravaganza will run from Friday, July 16th to Sunday, July 18th. So mark your calendars!

Who can participate?

Everyone!

We are extremely excited about this event and hope you are too!

Book Review: Infinite Days

neverendingshelf@gmail.com (Kate) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 17:51:00 +0000

Author: Rebecca Maizel

Releases: August 3rd 2010

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

# of Pages: 310

Copy Provided by: Publisher

Summary: (from Goodreads)

When Lenah Beaudonte, a 500-year-old vampire queen, wakes up a human teenager at an ultra-cliquey prep school, she must choose between embracing the humanity she’s always craved and saving her new friends from her vicious coven. The first in a sizzling new YA series.

Lenah Beaudonte is, in many ways, your average teen: the new girl at Wickham Boarding School, she struggles to fit in enough to survive and stand out enough to catch the eye of the golden-boy lacrosse captain. But Lenah also just happens to be a recovering five-hundred-year-old vampire queen. After centuries of terrorizing Europe, Lenah is able to realize the dream all vampires have -- to be human again. After performing a dangerous ritual to restore her humanity, Lenah entered a century-long hibernation, leaving behind the wicked coven she ruled over and the eternal love who has helped grant her deep-seated wish.

Until, that is, Lenah draws her first natural breath in centuries at Wickham and rediscovers a human life that bears little resemblance to the one she had known. As if suddenly becoming a teenager weren’t stressful enough, each passing hour brings Lenah closer to the moment when her abandoned coven will open the crypt where she should be sleeping and find her gone. As her borrowed days slip by, Lenah resolves to live her newfound life as fully as she can. But, to do so, she must answer ominous questions: Can an ex-vampire survive in an alien time and place? What can Lenah do to protect her new friends from the bloodthirsty menace about to descend upon them? And how is she ever going to pass her biology midterm?

Never before have I read a novel like Infinite Days. Quite simply, this novel sparkles. Lenah has lived for over 500 years and is thought to be one of the most powerful vampires in existence. Despite her power, Lenah is just not satisfied. She longs to be human again. To feel the touch of another... to walk in the sunlight without fear... to feel more than just the constant numbness.

Infinite Days is a beautiful debut novel that is breathtaking in both its simplicity and originality. Add in the highly emotional factor and I was completely sold. Lenah is a one of a kind character. She is smart, funny, and the type of character who completely stole my heart. Now while a vast majority of the novel exceeded my expectations, I just did not fall in love with the romantic aspect the way I wanted to. You see, Infinite Days is a novel charged with emotions. From those of love to self sacrifice, but for some reason, Justin, Lenah's love interest, was just a miss for me. I wanted to like him, I wanted to like them together, but it just never really happened. In this character's defense, I must admit that I fell hard for Rhode in the beginning of the novel. And so for the rest of the novel, I was waiting for this relationship to meet or exceeded that WOW factor that I had found originally.

Infinite Days truly impressed me as a reader. Maizel takes one of the most popular topics in the YA genre and puts a spin on it. Maizel shines as she makes Lenah's experiences feel fresh and new. And as a reader, I felt like I was experiencing many of the things that Lenah was for the first time. Infinite Days will still your heart and have you begging more.

The Shelf Report

neverendingshelf@gmail.com (Kate) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 05:01:00 +0000

Storm Glass (Glass, #1) by Maria V. Snyder

As a glassmaker and a magician-in-training, Opal Cowen understands trial by fire. Now it's time to test her mettle. Someone has sabotaged the Stormdancer clan's glass orbs, killing their most powerful magicians. The Stormdancers--particularly the mysterious and mercurial Kade--require Opal's unique talents to prevent it happening again. But when the mission goes awry, Opal must tap in to a new kind of magic as stunningly potent as it is frightening. And the further she delves into the intrigue behind the glass and magic, the more distorted things appear. With lives hanging in the balance--including her own--Opal must control powers she hadn't known she possessed...powers that might lead to disaster beyond anything she's ever known.

Heist Society by Ally Carter

When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her on a trip to the Louvre...to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria...to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own--scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving "the life" for a normal life proves harder than she'd expected.

Soon, Kat's friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring her back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has good reason: a powerful mobster has been robbed of his priceless art collection and wants to retrieve it. Only a master thief could have pulled this job, and Kat's father isn't just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat's dad needs her help.

For Kat there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it's a spectacularly impossible job? She's got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in history-or at least her family's (very crooked) history.

Other Books of Mention:

Return to Labyrinth, Vol. 1 by Jake T. Forbes, Chris Lie

Sakura Taisen Volume 1 by Ohji Hiroi, Ikku Masa

Bought:

The Season by Sarah MacLean

Seventeen year old Lady Alexandra is strong-willed and sharp-tongued -- in a house full of older brothers and their friends, she had to learn to hold her own. Not the best makings for an aristocratic lady in Regency London. Yet her mother still dreams of marrying Alex off to someone safe, respectable, and wealthy. But between ball gown fittings, dances, and dinner parties, Alex, along with her two best friends, Ella and Vivi, manages to get herself into what may be her biggest scrape yet.

When the Earl of Blackmoor is mysteriously killed, Alex decides to help his son, the brooding and devilishly handsome Gavin, uncover the truth. But will Alex's heart be stolen in the process? In an adventure brimming with espionage, murder, and other clandestine affairs, who could possibly have time to worry about finding a husband? Romance abounds as this year's season begins!

Alice in the Country of Hearts Volume 3 by QuinRose, Hoshino Soumei

The adventures of Alice continue! What hole will she travel down next? This title presents a hilarious and dangerous, bishonen-filled take on "Alice in Wonderland".

That is all for me this week. Hope everyone had a wonderful book week.

Birthday Bash Winners

neverendingshelf@gmail.com (Kate) — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 05:56:00 +0000

Before I announce my heaps of winners, I just want to say thank you to every one for making my Birthday Bash so successful. It was an amazing event to host, and I hope that everyone had a blast.

Birthday Bash Giveaway 1 : Cindy / oodlesofbooks

Birthday Bash Giveaway 2 : Christina Clark

Birthday Bash Giveaway 3 : xxsquigglesxx

Birthday Bash Giveaway 4 : iluvhersheys_andbooks

Birthday Bash Giveaway 5 : Aik

Birthday Bash Giveaway 6 :
Alex (Tales of a Teenage Book Lover)
Zia
Anna ♥

Birthday Bash Giveaway 7 : StephTheBookworm

Birthday Bash Giveaway 8 : Jessica Rabbit

Birthday Bash Giveaway 9 :
Bookmarks: Krista, Cynthia Aguirre, Rebecca Wolfe
Books: enyl

Birthday Bash Giveaway 10 : Kika

Birthday Bash Giveaway 11 : Jennifer / pinkpeonyblossom

Birthday Bash Giveaway 12 : Samantha LeAnne

Birthday Bash Giveaway 13 : Erynn Newman

Birthday Bash Giveaway 14 : kisah jackson

Birthday Bash Giveaway 15 : Shanyn

Thanks again to everyone to entered. Due to the amount of winners, if you could email me your mailing addresses, I would be really thankful. If I do not hear from you after about 48 hours, I will begin to email people. Please also check the giveway links because some of the numbers listed here are not what may have been listed on the contest.

Book Review: Other

neverendingshelf@gmail.com (Kate) — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 05:01:00 +0000

Author: Karen Kincy

Released: July 1st 2010

Publisher: Flux

# of Pages: 336

Copy Provided by: Publisher

Summary: (from Goodreads)

Seventeen-year-old Gwen hides a dangerous secret: she’s Other. Half-pooka, to be exact, thanks to the father she never met. Most Americans don’t exactly roll out the welcome mat for Others, especially not the small-town folks of Klikamuks, Washington. As if this isn’t bad enough, Gwen’s on the brink of revealing her true identity to her long-time boyfriend, Zack, but she’s scared he’ll lump her with the likes of bloodthirsty vampires and feral werewolves.

When a pack of werewolves chooses the national forest behind Gwen’s home as their new territory, the tensions in Klikamuks escalate-into murder. It soon becomes clear a serial killer is methodically slaying Others. The police turn a blind eye, leaving Gwen to find the killer before the killer finds her. As she hunts for clues, she uncovers more Others living nearby than she ever expected. Like Tavian, a sexy Japanese fox-spirit who rivals Zack and challenges her to embrace her Otherness. Gwen must struggle with her own conflicted identity, learn who she can trust, and-most importantly-stay alive.

Other is a remarkable debut novel featuring an amazing mystery who-done-it style. Add in a wide variety of paranormal creatures, and I was hooked. Gwen is an Other, but not what you might expect. She is half human / half pooka. Living in a society that does not understand or accept Others, Gwen is forced to find support where she can. So when Others begin to mysteriously show up dead, Gwen is hot on the case.

One aspect of Other that completely took me by surprise was the usage of other paranormal creatures. Within Other, vampires and werewolves are not glorified as they normally are in other novels. Here, they are basically the bad guys. Personally, I loved this idea. And was enthralled with being able to be introduced to paranormal creatures that I have had little to no experience with in the past.

All in all, Other was an amazing novel that captured my attention, and kept me on the edge of my seat. With Kincy's eye for details and fantastic characters, I flew through this novel in a matter of hours. I just did not want to leave the magical world that Kincy had created. For those of you who enjoy magical creatures, Other is a novel that is not to be missed.

Dear Teacher Giveaway

neverendingshelf@gmail.com (Kate) — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Thanks to the wonder Kay at Sourcebooks, I have 3 copies of Dear Teacher to giveway.

Contest Information:

Please fill out the form below.
Must be at least 13 years of age to enter.
Contest deadline is July 16, 2010.
Open to US only.

Book Review: Dear Teacher

neverendingshelf@gmail.com (Kate) — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 05:01:00 +0000

Author: Amy Husband

Released: July 1st 2010

Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

Copy Provided: Publisher

# of Pages: 24

Summary: (from Goodreads)

This hilarious collection of letters from Michael to his new teacher comes packed with alligators, pirates and rocket-ships, and much, much more. Can Michael's imagination save him from the first day of school?

Dear Teacher is an adorable read with high emphasis on the imagination. This is definitely a read that would be perfect for children either going back to school, or fearful of returning. The novel follows Michael as he is getting ready to return for another year of school. While it seems that Michael is very excited about his new year of year... life has a way of interrupting.

For me, Dear Teacher was a blast to read. Very quick. Very humorous. And just plain cute. Michael was a fantastic character. I loved following him on his adventures. In addition, I absolutely fell in love with the set up of this novel. It was very colorful and kept my attention throughout the whole novel.

If you are a parent or a teacher will students who reluctant to return to school, I definitely recommend that you should them this novel. It shows school in a really fun and exciting way that is sure to please both adults and children alike.

Just a Quick Reminder

neverendingshelf@gmail.com (Kate) — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Just wanted to give you a quick reminder that today is the last day to sign up for the Book Extravaganza. Make sure to check out the rules and fill out THE FORM if you want to participate and host a giveaway that weekend.

This should be an amazing event. Hope you can participate!

The Shelf in Retrospect: June '10

neverendingshelf@gmail.com (Kate) — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 05:01:00 +0000

Here I am again for another month in Retrospect. Sorry I am a little late with this, but wow, I have been busy. Plus looking back, I cannot believe that it is July already. I mean where did June go? It feels like it was just yesterday that I was counting down till my birthday. Oh well, on with The Shelf in Retrospect...

The Neverending Shelf News

Books Reviewed: 17

My Ultimate Sister Disaster by Jane Mendle
The New Brighton Archeological Society by Mark Andrew Smith, Matthew Weldon
Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Blood Ninja by Nick Lake
White Cat by Holly Black
Never After by Dan Elconin
This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Folly by Marthe Jocelyn
13 to Life by Shannon Delany
This Gorgeous Game by Donna Freitas
Burned by P.C. Cast, Kristin Cast
A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker
Alison Dare: The Heart of the Maiden by J. Torres, Jason Bone
Brigitta of the White Forest by Danika Dinsmore
Deception by Lee Nichols
The Evil Within by Nancy Holder
Possessions by Nancy Holder

Author Interviews: 3

June... Wow. That is the only real way I can describe this book month. I read so many amazing books... but since I have to pick just one... I think it will have to go to...

Never After by Dan Elconin

I picked Never After simply because it completely took me by surprise. Elconin's humor was spot on. And he was not afraid to take a classic story and give it a nice big twist. Simply put, I really loved this novel and it is sure to be a favorite of mine for a long time.

So, that in a nutshell, was my June. How was yours?

Introducing Girls Love Graphic Novels!

neverendingshelf@gmail.com (Kate) — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0000

As you may know, Kristen of Bookworming in the 21st Century and I have been talking for a long while about getting together to start an anime, manga, graphic novel blog. Well, after much talk... Girls Love Graphic Novels has finally been born. This has really been a labor of love for both of us, and we are really excited to introduce you to our new project.

We are very early in this project so not everything is as together as we like yet. But like most blogs, it just takes some time and hard work. So, please bear with us as we get everything going.

Also to help introduce you to our new project, we are having a launch party of sorts. So if you have time, please feel free to stop by Girls Love Graphic Novels and say "Hi." We really hope you like what we have done with the site.

The Shelf Report

neverendingshelf@gmail.com (Kate) — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 05:01:00 +0000

Other (Other, #1) by Karen Kincy

Seventeen-year-old Gwen hides a dangerous secret: she’s Other. Half-pooka, to be exact, thanks to the father she never met. Most Americans don’t exactly roll out the welcome mat for Others, especially not the small-town folks of Klikamuks, Washington. As if this isn’t bad enough, Gwen’s on the brink of revealing her true identity to her long-time boyfriend, Zack, but she’s scared he’ll lump her with the likes of bloodthirsty vampires and feral werewolves.

When a pack of werewolves chooses the national forest behind Gwen’s home as their new territory, the tensions in Klikamuks escalate-into murder. It soon becomes clear a serial killer is methodically slaying Others. The police turn a blind eye, leaving Gwen to find the killer before the killer finds her. As she hunts for clues, she uncovers more Others living nearby than she ever expected. Like Tavian, a sexy Japanese fox-spirit who rivals Zack and challenges her to embrace her Otherness. Gwen must struggle with her own conflicted identity, learn who she can trust, and-most importantly-stay alive.

Infinity (Chronicles of Nick, #1) by Sherrilyn Kenyon

At fourteen, Nick Gautier thinks he knows everything about the world around him. Streetwise, tough and savvy, his quick sarcasm is the stuff of legends. . .until the night when his best friends try to kill him. Saved by a mysterious warrior who has more fighting skills than Chuck Norris, Nick is sucked into the realm of the Dark-Hunters: immortal vampire slayers who risk everything to save humanity.

Nick quickly learns that the human world is only a veil for a much larger and more dangerous one: a world where the captain of the football team is a werewolf and the girl he has a crush on goes out at night to stake the undead.

But before he can even learn the rules of this new world, his fellow students are turning into flesh eating zombies. And he’s next on the menu.

As if starting high school isn't hard enough. . .now Nick has to hide his new friends from his mom, his chainsaw from the principal, and keep the zombies and the demon Simi from eating his brains, all without getting grounded or suspended. How in the world is he supposed to do that?

Tyger Tyger (Goblin Wars, #1) by Kersten Hamilton

Teagan Wylltson's best friend, Abby, dreams that horrifying creatures--goblins, shape-shifters, and beings of unearthly beauty but terrible cruelty--are hunting Teagan. Abby is always coming up with crazy stuff, though, so Teagan isn't worried. Her life isn't in danger. In fact, it's perfect. She's on track for a college scholarship. She has a great job. She's focused on school, work, and her future. No boys, no heartaches, no problems.

Until Finn Mac Cumhaill arrives. Finn's a bit on the unearthly beautiful side himself. He has a killer accent and a knee-weakening smile. And either he's crazy or he's been haunting Abby's dreams, because he's talking about goblins, too . . . and about being The Mac Cumhaill, born to fight all goblin-kind. Finn knows a thing or two about fighting. Which is a very good thing, because this time, Abby's right. The goblins are coming.

Halo by Alexandra Adornetto

Nothing much happens in the sleepy town of Venus Cove. But everything changes when three angels are sent from heaven to protect the town against the gathering forces of darkness: Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, a teenage girl who is the least experienced of the trio. They work hard to conceal their true identity and, most of all, their wings. But the mission is threatened when the youngest angel, Bethany, is sent to high school and falls in love with the handsome school captain, Xavier Woods. Will she defy the laws of Heaven by loving him? Things come to a head when the angels realize they are not the only supernatural power in Venus Cove. There′s a new kid in town and he′s charming, seductive and deadly. Worst of all, he′s after Beth.

Dracula in Love by Karen Essex

From the shadowy banks of the River Thames to the wild and windswept coast of Yorkshire, the quintessential Victorian virgin Mina Murray vividly recounts in the pages of her private diary the intimate details of what transpired between her and Count Dracula—the joys and terrors of a pas sionate affair and her rebellion against a force of evil that has pursued her through time.

Mina’s version of this timeless gothic vampire tale is a visceral journey into the dimly lit bedrooms, mist-filled cemeteries, and locked asylum chambers where she led a secret life, far from the chaste and polite lifestyle the defenders of her purity, and even her fiancé, Jonathan Harker, expected of her.

Bram Stoker’s classic novel was only one side of the story. Now, for the first time, Dracula’s eternal muse reveals all. What she has to say is more sensual, more devious, and more enthralling than ever imagined. The result is a scintillating gothic novel that reinvents the tragic heroine Mina as a modern woman tor tured by desire.

Zoey Zeta and The Sisters of Power, Family Secrets
by Robert Simon, Tomomi Sarafov (Illustrator)

When the Zeta sisters decided to keep their super powers a secret from the world, they had no idea that a sinister menace would appear and threaten to drive Century City into ruin. Now it’s time for the sisters to team up, crack up and battle the evil Dr. Impossible and some giant robots.But the Zeta sisters aren’t the only ones with a powerful secret and what they discover in their first adventure together, may make it their last.Zoey Zeta and the Sister of Power, Family Secrets, is the hilarious new all-ages series from author Robert Simon and illustrator Tomomi Sarafov. Get ready for an action-packed adventure starring three powerful little girls with big powers, big attitudes and big adventures.

That is all for me this week. Hope everyone had a wonderful book week.

Nerds Heart YA Tournament

neverendingshelf@gmail.com (Kate) — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 14:23:00 +0000

As part of the Nerds Heart YA tournament, I was asked to read to two novels and pick a winner. The fun part about this tournament is that it features novels that are generally under represented in the blogosphere. In addition, novel must be either authored by or include a character within the following category:

Person(s) of Color (POC)
GLBT
Disability/Mental Illness
Religious Lifestyle
Lower Socioeconomic Status

The books up for battle:

Border Crossing by Jessica Lee Anderson

The mixed-race son of apple pickers, Manz lives with his hard-drinking mother and her truck-driver boyfriend in the hardscrabble world of dusty Rockhill, Texas. Forced to take a summer job rebuilding fence of a cattle ranch, Manz works alongside his friend Jed and meets a girl named Vanessa — but even among his friends, Manz suffers from an uncontrollable paranoia. As the summer wears on, Manz becomes convinced that "Operation Wetback," a brutal postwar relocation program, is being put back into effect. As the voices in his head grow louder and more insistent, Manz struggles to negotiate the difficulties of adolescence, the perils of an oppressed environment, and the terror of losing his grip on reality.

VS.

The Vast Fields of Ordinary by Nick Burd

It’s Dade’s last summer at home. He has a crappy job at Food World, a “boyfriend” who won’t publicly acknowledge his existence (maybe because Pablo also has a girlfriend), and parents on the verge of a divorce. College is Dade’s shining beacon of possibility, a horizon to keep him from floating away.

Then he meets the mysterious Alex Kincaid. Falling in real love finally lets Dade come out of the closet—and, ironically, ignites a ruthless passion in Pablo. But just when true happiness has set in, tragedy shatters the dreamy curtain of summer, and Dade will use every ounce of strength he’s gained to break from his past and start fresh with the future.

And the winner is....

The Vast Fields of Ordinary by Nick Burd

Here is why:

The Vast Fields of Ordinary completely took me by surprise. I went into this novel expecting a coming of age type story. You know the kind where the character over the course of the book comes into their own skin. And to a point that is exactly what I got. But what I did not expect was the emotional connection I would have. For me, Dade was an amazing character, and Burd did an amazing job capturing his emotions. By the end of the novel, I felt like I knew Dade inside and out. I knew what made him tick... how he thought... and all the other important elements. In addition to Dade's character, I loved, loved, loved the romantic aspect. It was sweet, it was honest, it was raw. And it all felt 100% authentic. I understood where both characters came from and was impressed with how they handled certain situations. Overall, The Vast Fields of Ordinary blew me away. I honestly did not expect this book to be so satisfying, but it was. And I cannot help but choose a book that leaves me with a WOW feeling.