Melissa's Bookshelf

"Waiting On" Wednesday: Strange Fate

melissa@melissas-bookshelf.com (Melissa) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:39:00 +0000

Strange Fate (Night World #10) by L. J. Smith. Release Date: July 6, 2010.

Synopsis

The Night World is all around us. The creatures of the Night World--vampires, werewolves, witches and shapeshifters--live among us. They are incredibly beautiful. And they are incredibly deadly. According to the laws of the Night World, humans are never to learn that the Night World exists. And members of the Night World are never to fall in love with a human. But the apocalypse is drawing near. And the Night World and the human world are about to collide in a cataclysmic way.

Sarah Strange is a normal teenager with annoying siblings and a crush on two boys, Mal and Kierlan, who happen to be her best friends. But Sarah also has visions. Visions of a place where dragons darken the sky and feast on humans who have been bred for their consumption. Sarah is devastated by her glimpses into this dark world. But she's inspired by the young girl she befriends in her visions…

When Sarah confides the content of her visions to Mal and Kierlan, she discovers that her friends are not what they seem to be. They are part of the Night World. And they believe Sarah has a special place in their world. She must help prevent the apocalypse with others who seek peace and harmony between humans and creatures of the Night World. And if Sarah’s visions are any indication of the danger, destruction and devastation that the apocalypse will bring, there is no time to lose.

Well, Strange Fate is the ultimate "Waiting On" Wednesday book, because I have been waiting over a DECADE for this book to be published. Just ask my mother, who would always hear about my excitement when a supposed release date would be announced for this book. Admittedly, I am a bit wary of what it will be like, given Smith's return to The Vampire Diaries left a lot to be desired for me. Nevertheless, I will be so thrilled to finally have closure to this series--this is definitely the most anticipated book of 2010 for me!

Review: Hourglass

melissa@melissas-bookshelf.com (Melissa) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 02:55:00 +0000

Title: Hourglass
Author: Claudia Gray
Genre: Fiction, Young Adult, Paranormal
Pub Date: March 2010, HarperCollins
ARC, 339 pages
Book Source: Received my copy from the publisher to participate in the Hourglass Blog Tour

Synopsis

Bianca will risk everything to be with Lucas.

After escaping from Evernight Academy, the vampire boarding school where they met, Bianca and Lucas take refuge with Black Cross, a fanatical group of vampire hunters. Bianca must hide her supernatural heritage or risk certain death at their hands. But when Black Cross captures her friend—the vampire Balthazar—hiding is no longer an option.

Soon, Bianca and Lucas are on the run again, pursued not only by Black Cross, but by the powerful leaders of Evernight. Yet no matter how far they travel, Bianca can't escape her destiny.

Bianca has always believed their love could survive anything . . . but can it survive what's to come?

My Thoughts

For me, the Evernight series is a prime example of a series that improves with each book. I liked the first book, as I mentioned in that review, but wasn't blown away by it. Stargazer definitely drew me into the storyline further, but with Hourglass I didn't want to put the book down. Needless to say, I was pleased when I realized there will be yet another book in this series!

I think the greatest strength in Gray's books is her characters, whether they are large or small. Some of my favorite characters (Vic and Ranulf) are rather inconsequential to the story in Hourglass, but they provide some much-needed comic relief and personality. Charity, who was more prominent in the first book, makes a strong return in Hourglass and proves that she is a force to be reckoned with. And of course, Bianca and Lucas' relationship continues to bloom, but will it survive all the obstacles that they face?

If you have read some of my other reviews of series, you will know that I love a good cliffhanger... and the occasional plot twist. We have both in Hourglass, but my biggest concern is that I really hope everything doesn't get wrapped up too cleanly with too pretty a bow in the fourth book. I can even live with a not-so-happy ending... I just hate it when everything works out so well when it doesn't seem possible. Have I intrigued you enough, yet? Piqued your interest? Seriously, if you have been reading this series, I definitely recommend picking up Hourglass. I think you will enjoy seeing the story grow as Gray has grown with writing it. And if you missed it, please be sure to check out my interview with Claudia Gray as part of her blog tour. All the other participating sites are also listed so you can visit them, as well!

My rating:

Other reviews of Hourglass:

Hope's Bookshelf ~ The Book Blogger ~ Sarah's random musings

If you have reviewed this book and would like to see a link to your site listed here, please leave a comment with the link to your review!

Review: Extras

melissa@melissas-bookshelf.com (Melissa) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 02:01:00 +0000

Title: Extras
Author: Scott Westerfield
Genre: Young Adult, Fiction, Sci-Fi
Pub Date: October 2007, Simon Pulse
Paperback, 417 pages
Book Source: Purchased from B&N

Synopsis

It's a few years after rebel Tally Youngblood took down the uglies/pretties/specials regime. Without those strict roles and rules, the world is in a complete cultural renaissance. "Tech-heads" flaunt their latest gadgets, "kickers" spread gossip and trends, and "surge monkeys" are hooked on extreme plastic surgery. And it's all monitored on a bazillion different cameras. The world is like a gigantic game of American Idol. Whoever is getting the most buzz gets the most votes. Popularity rules.

As if being fifteen doesn't suck enough, Aya Fuse's rank of 451,369 is so low, she's a total nobody. An extra. But Aya doesn't care; she just wants to lie low with her drone, Moggle. And maybe kick a good story for herself.

Then Aya meets a clique of girls who pull crazy tricks, yet are deeply secretive of it. Aya wants desperately to kick their story, to show everyone how intensely cool the Sly Girls are. But doing so would propel her out of extra-land and into the world of fame, celebrity...and extreme danger. A world she's not prepared for.
My Thoughts

Interestingly enough, this ended up being my favorite book of this series, though it truly is an "extra" in every sense of the word, rather than being a typical sequel. I just found the "reputation economy" of the city in this story interesting to read about, not to mention the latest technological innovations that Westerfield presents.

I also found the characters to be a little more likable in Extras. Their weird language didn't annoy me the way it did in the past two books--mainly because it wasn't as pronounced as it had been. Speaking of likable characters, one of my favorites in this book wasn't even a living being, it was Aya's hovercam, affectionately named Moggle. Another quirky, fun character is Frizz, who has a crush on Aya despite the fact that she is still an "ugly" and is the founding member of Radical Honesty, thanks to the brain surge he had that doesn't allow him to lie. I haven't even mentioned the Sly Girls or Aya's brother Hiro and his friend Ren, but they all make up a strong supporting cast for Westerfield's final installment of the Uglies series.

This story is initially about Aya's quest for fame and a higher "face rank." Ah, the face rank... one of many aspects of Westerfield's fascinating reputation economy. You can earn merits for doing chores and other everyday helpful things and your face rank moves up based on how much people are talking about you. At the beginning of the book, Aya's face rank is a dismal 451,396... the rank of an "extra." Of course, by the end of the story Aya and her friends are on an exciting adventure to save the world, with the help of none other than Tally Youngblood. If you enjoyed the first books in Westerfield's Uglies series, I highly recommend Extras. It is a bit of a departure from the others, but another example of strong storytelling and fun reading.

My rating:

Other reviews of Extras:

Becky's Book Reviews ~ Karin's Book Nook ~ Book Nut

If you have reviewed this book and would like to see a link to your site listed here, please leave a comment with the link to your review!

Hourglass Blog Tour - Interview with Claudia Gray

melissa@melissas-bookshelf.com (Melissa) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:23:00 +0000

Today I'm excited to bring to all of you an author interview as part of the Book Tour for Claudia Gray's forthcoming third book in her popular Evernight series! I read the book a couple of weeks ago and I just have to say this series gets better with each book! Ms. Gray was kind enough to answer a few questions to share with all of you, so let's get started!

MB: Firstly, I just want to say how much I have enjoyed the Evernight series, and with each book I am even more hooked to the story. How has your approach changed with writing each book of the Evernight series? Has it gotten easier to continue the story or more difficult?

CG: Thanks so much, Melissa! The main change in my approach to writing the series has been to plan each book in greater detail than the last. Although I had the fundamental story arcs for the series set up before I’d finished EVERNIGHT, there was still a lot to flesh out – and now I find I want to really break down each book before I dive in. I’ve always been an outliner, but my outlines are crazy long now!

I can’t really say that anything has gotten easier or more difficult; each book presents unique challenges. With HOURGLASS, being away from Evernight Academy opened up a lot of new possibilities – but it also required a lot of worldbuilding. And with AFTERLIFE (which I just handed in last month), the challenge was wrapping everything up tightly in just the way that I wanted. This story has meant a lot to me and I really wanted to provide a wonderful ending for the readers.

MB: I have to say how much I have enjoyed the characters in the Evernight series--even some of the more minor ones, like Vic and Ranulf, really bring life to the story. Do you have a favorite character--has that character always been your favorite or has it changed with each book?

CG: I don’t really have one single favorite character. On any given day, I’m happiest with the character who is saying interesting things and making the scenes work well. That changes from book to book, or even scene to scene. I know that Bianca got me through most of EVERNIGHT, that Balthazar surprised me the most in STARGAZER and Lucas really came through in HOURGLASS. But I love the supporting characters too. In AFTERLIFE, Ranulf always seemed to know the perfect thing to say! Dana, Raquel, Patrice and Vic are all incredible fun too.

MB: You have presented several fresh ideas on vampires and the lore surrounding them in your books. Did your ideas stem from a great deal of research, and if so, where did you find your ideas?

CG: I don’t know if you can call a lifetime of reading about vampires “research,” exactly. But of course you want to call on the classic themes – drinking blood, the struggle for control, repulsion by religious artifacts, etc. Other things I drew from vampire legend as I needed them; for instance, the old stories that vampires couldn’t cross running water? That came in useful from the get-go. (And it’s going to play a big role in Balthazar’s book, though there I am getting ahead of myself.)

MB: Where did the ideas for the covers of the Evernight books come from? How much were you able to contribute to their development? Do the different colors among the covers have any significance?

CG: The idea came from Alison Donalty at Harper. I had almost zero to do with it – in fact, I’d say my only real input came when I asked for there to be a little hourglass hidden in the lettering for HOURGLASS. (Yes, I’m literal sometimes.) The colors are chosen mostly for beauty, but I really, really like the fact that, as the books go on, Bianca lifts her head a little higher. It’s like you can see this shy, depressed girl finding her courage more and more from book to book.

MB: Shifting gears a little... What were some of your favorite books and/or authors when you were growing up? Do any in particular still stick with you today?

CG: So many of them have stayed with me that it’s hard to single out just a few. When I was younger, I absolutely adored A LITTLE PRINCESS by Frances Hodgson Burnett, which still has the worst headmistress villain ever (though I am convinced Mrs. Bethany could defeat Miss Minchin in a cage match, and I would in fact pay good money to see that). And oh, the payoff at the end! Amazingly satisfying. I reread the book recently and was struck by how accurate it is about storytelling, and storytellers, too.

I also adored A WRINKLE IN TIME, GONE WITH THE WIND (which I have a more complicated relationship with now), I CAPTURE THE CASTLE and Jane Austen.

MB: And along those lines, is there any particular writer who has inspired and influenced you in your own writing?

CG: There are a lot of people who inspire and influence me, but I don’t know that there’s any one person who has most shaped what I do. I can say that some YA novels I’ve found particularly outstanding in the past few years include THE HUNGER GAMES, HOW I LIVE NOW, THE SILVER KISS, THE HOUSE OF THE SCORPION, GRACELING and PERFECT YOU.

(TRUE SECRET CONFESSION: I have written fanfic for one of these books! No, I’m not telling you under what name.)

MB: And just for fun... If you had one day to do anything you wanted, no restrictions physically, monetarily or anything else you can think of, how would you spend your day?

CG: I would definitely want to be traveling. But where? Hmmm. If money is really no object, honestly? I’d go to Antarctica. I’ve always wanted to see it, though trips down there are not cheap. It would be amazing to travel in those waters, to see the whales, seals and penguins and to set foot on that continent. And as long as money is no object, I’d travel in a comfortable ship with plenty of friends (my treat!), good food and cozy blankets to make sure we’re warm even at the bottom of the world.

Thank you so much for visiting with us and sharing more about your Evernight books! And for all of you reading this, here's a little teaser with the Hourglass book trailer:

For more stops and fun on the Hourglass Book Tour, please take a look at the schedule below and be sure to visit the participating blogs:

March 1 - http://tainted-poet.blogspot.com/
March 2 - http://www.melissas-bookshelf.com/
March 3 - http://themindfulmusingsbookblog.blogspot.com/
March 4 - http://www.theneverendingshelf.com/
March 5 - http://www.thestorysiren.com/
March 6 - http://thebookcellarx.blogspot.com/
March 7 - http://confessionsofawanderingheart.blogspot.com/
March 8 - http://aparkavenueprincess.blogspot.com/

Please keep an eye out for my review of Hourglass, which I will be posting as we get closer to the release date on March 9th!

Blogoversary Contest Winner!

melissa@melissas-bookshelf.com (Melissa) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 23:50:00 +0000

Thank you to everyone who stopped by and entered my Blogoversary contest! It was nice to see faces both new and familiar and I truly appreciate all the well-wishes! It was also fun to see which of my reviews you have enjoyed the most over this last year. I am definitely looking forward to another wonderful year in book blogging!!!

But I know what you all are really interested in is who the big winner was. Congratulations are in order for...

Vivienne of Serendipity!

Viv, I have contacted you to get your e-gift card preferences... If I do not hear back within 48 hours I will let Random.org choose a new winner. Thank you again to everyone who participated. If I could give all of you $25 gift cards, I would! Your support means so much to me!

"Waiting On" Wednesday: Spirit Bound

melissa@melissas-bookshelf.com (Melissa) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 12:21:00 +0000

Spirit Bound (Vampire Academy #5) by Richelle Mead. Release Date: May 18, 2010.

Synopsis

Dimitri gave Rose the ultimate choice. But she chose wrong...

After a long and heartbreaking journey to Dimitri's birthplace in Siberia, Rose Hathaway has finally returned to St. Vladimir's-and to her best friend, Lissa. It is nearly graduation, and the girls can't wait for their real lives beyond the Academy's iron gates to begin. But Rose's heart still aches for Dimitri, and she knows he's out there, somewhere.

She failed to kill him when she had the chance. And now her worst fears are about to come true. Dimitri has tasted her blood, and now he is hunting her. And this time he won't rest until Rose joins him... forever.

While I found the fourth book in this series a bit lacking--perhaps three should have been the stopping point--I am holding out hope for Spirit Bound. It's hard to believe I still have to wait nearly 3 months to finish this series, but I am looking forward to it!

Review: Specials

melissa@melissas-bookshelf.com (Melissa) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:01:00 +0000

Title: Specials
Author: Scott Westerfield
Genre: Fiction, Young Adult, Sci-Fi
Pub Date: September 2007, Simon Pulse
Paperback, 372 pages
Book Source: Purchased from Yawn's Books, our local independent bookstore

Synopsis

Tally thought they were a rumor, but now she's one of them. A Special. A superamped fighting machine, engineered to keep the uglies down and the pretties stupid.

But maybe being perfectly programmed with strength and focus isn't better than anything she's ever known. Tally still has memories of something else.

But it's easy for her to tune that out--until she's offered a chance to stamp out the rebels of the New Smoke permanently. It all comes down to one last choice: listen to that tiny, faint heartbeat, or carry out the mission she's programmed to complete. Either way, Tally's world will never be the same.

My Thoughts

It's been awhile since I read the first two books in Westerfield's Uglies series but I finally got around to reading #3, Specials. This book has some of the same annoyances that I found in Pretties, but I tried to overlook them this time around. One observation I would like to make: this series is better read closer together, rather than spacing the books out over a long period of time. For some reason, the events of the first books didn't really stick with me the way some stories do, so I found myself struggling to remember what had led to some of the events in Specials.

As I was reading I initially found myself losing interest in the story--it went back to really needing a refresher of the first two books. As the book picked up pace, however, I found my interest piqued and I was able to get pulled into the story. Once again, Tally has to think her way out of the person she has been turned into, as one of the Specials. For the record, the operations this future civilization uses on some of its people are absolutely crazy--it makes you hope that things like that never become reality. But back to the story--Tally's hope is to find Zane and help him become a Special like her, instead of the somewhat broken Pretty he had become.

This time we see more of this future world that Westerfield has created, visiting a new city, Diego. We also learn that Maddy has perfected her pills to cure "Prettiness" and that they have been mass-produced and sent out to cities all over. There is a lot going on in this story, but ultimately it all comes back to Tally and her struggles. I could have done with some further character development but at least the storyline was gripping. By the end of it I was convinced that I need to finish the series (although Uglies is easily still my favorite of the books so far), and so I picked up a copy of Extras today. Technically the Uglies trilogy is its own and Extras is set a few years beyond, but I am curious enough that I would like to know where the story goes, even if the focus is on a new set of characters.

My rating:

Other reviews of Specials:

Devourer of Books ~ Rhapsody in Books Weblog ~ Bart's Bookshelf

Peeking Between the Pages ~ Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell

At Home With Books ~ The Infinite Shelf ~ BOOKS AND MOVIES

Regular Rumination ~ Jen Robinson's Book Page

If you have reviewed this book and would like to see a link to your review listed above, please leave a comment with the link to your review!

Author Guest Post: Pam Jenoff on Covers and Titles

melissa@melissas-bookshelf.com (Melissa) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 09:28:00 +0000

Earlier this week you might have seen my review of Almost Home, Pam Jenoff's romantic suspense that was released in paperback on the 16th. Ms. Jenoff graciously offered to share a guest post with all of you, as well, and I am excited to bring that to you today! Have you ever wondered how much say the authors have when developing titles and covers for their books? Well, you are about to get a peek into the answer to that question, from Ms. Jenoff's perspective on...

Covers and Titles

One of the questions I get asked most frequently by readers is “How much say do you have in the covers and titles of your books?” My quick answer is “very little” but that really doesn’t do it justice, so I think some explanation is required.

Each of my books has a working title when I am writing it. Then at some point, usually after I’ve sent it to my editor, I get a call or e-mail asking about possible alternative titles. Let me use my first novel as an example. When I was writing, I called it THE KOMMANDANT’S GIRL. After it was accepted for publication, the publisher decided that the title was too historical and asked me to come up with a list of alternatives. I came up with about forty titles and the publisher took half of one of my suggestions and called the book A FINE CRACK OF LIGHT -- leading my family and friends to call it “The Crack Book” and teaching me never to put a title on a list unless I loved it. Then one of the major bookstore chains said they liked the book but not the title. So the title reverted to THE KOMMANDANT’S GIRL and the cover was redone to meet the bookstore chain’s preference as well (a very interesting lesson in market power.)

It has been much the same with my other books. THE DIPLOMAT’S WIFE had a working title of HEART OF EUROPE. ALMOST HOME was once titled FOREVER ENGLAND (but in the UK will be called THE OFFICER’S LOVER.) The title that the publisher ultimately decides upon is almost always better than the original, no matter how much I loved it. So I’ve learned not to get very attached.

Book covers are different, though, because they don’t originate with me. I’m asked to give ideas of images and themes from the book that may help the artist. But I’m usually not looped in on the actual artwork until pretty late in the game, when various cover concepts have been vetted in house and there is one frontrunner that most people really like. Then I give input mostly on minor changes, like font or color, unless I feel really strongly about something bigger.

I’ve also been asked by readers if I mind my limited control over the title and over process. No, not at all. For one thing, the people who make these decisions are among the best in the business and I have great trust and confidence in their judgment and skills. I do my job (writing the best books I possibly can) and I let them do theirs. And I am always amazed by the ability of the artists and others at the publisher to get inside my head and find a cover and title that totally capture my vision of the book. These are some of the first indications with a new manuscript that people are “getting” what I am trying to say, and seeing our ideas come together is one of the most exciting parts of publication. So while I am not that involved in the process, I am almost always blown away by the results.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Many thanks again to Pam Jenoff for this guest post! An interesting look into the development of titles and covers, wouldn't you say?

Happy Blogoversary... To Me! (+ a CONTEST)

melissa@melissas-bookshelf.com (Melissa) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 05:37:00 +0000

Yes, can you believe it? Melissa's Bookshelf is 1 year old today!

When I started this book review blog, I don't really think I had any idea of what to expect. That I have over 400 followers in a year (despite the fact that my posting has been way down in recent months) is truly incredible! I can't thank all of you enough for your comments and support over the year. I love the book blogging community!!

This blog has really helped me get back into regular reading, in general, though lately it seems my time for that has diminished somewhat. I've been introduced to so many new, wonderful authors thanks to recommendations from others and perusing all the other amazing book blogs out there! And here are some other facts and figures from my first year in the Book Blogging world...

# of posts: 347 (including this one)

# of books reviewed: 116

# of 5 star reviews: 30

# Author interviews: 4

# of new friends made: Too many to count!

I am looking forward to my next year of book-blogging! I want to broaden the scope of the kinds of books I read a little more, though that may take some time since I have quite a stack of unread books to work through, too! I'd also like to get back into posting even more regularly--if not daily, every other day at the very least. I want to bring you more author interviews and guest posts, and I'm excited to be doing that tomorrow, wait and see! And naturally you can count on continued giveaways and other fun stuff here at Melissa's Bookshelf!

In fact, I'd love to have a little contest right here to celebrate my blog's b-day! You've got through the month of February to enter to win a $25 gift card to the BOOK retailer of your choice, whether it's Amazon, B&N, Borders, or anyone else who issues gift cards online. (That's the only requirement: I must be able to either send an e-gift card via email or order the gift card online and have it shipped to you.)

Here's how to enter (as always, one post with all entries is preferred, but multiple posts for entries is accepted):

+1 entry: Comment on this post and tell me which book review I've written in the last year was your favorite (and why... if you want to)

+2 entries each: Become a follower of my blog on Google friend connect, Twitter (@Melsbookshelf), Networked Blogs on Facebook, Book Blips and let me know you have. If you're already a follower/friend on any of these, just let me know in the comment!

+3 entries each: Stumble, Digg, Bookmark this post on delicious and let me know you did in the comment!

Please be sure to leave an email address in any comments you leave with entries so that I can contact you if you are the winner!

The contest is open internationally as long as I can send an e-gift card to an international winner... Good luck to all of you, and remember this giveaway ends at midnight on February 28th (Eastern Time)! Afterwards, I will let Random.org choose the winner and I'll be in touch to get the winner their gift card!

Thanks for celebrating my blogoversary with me!!!

"Waiting On" Wednesday: Radiant Shadows

melissa@melissas-bookshelf.com (Melissa) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 12:12:00 +0000

Radiant Shadows (Wicked Lovely #4) by Melissa Marr. Release Date: April 20, 2010.

Synopsis (from WickedLovely.com)

Hunger for nourishment.

Hunger for touch.

Hunger to belong.

Half-human and half-faery, Ani is driven by her hungers.
Those same appetites also attract powerful enemies and uncertain allies, including Devlin. He was created as an assassin and is brother to the faeries’ coolly logical High Queen and to her chaotic twin, the embodiment of War. Devlin wants to keep Ani safe from his sisters, knowing that if he fails, he will be the instrument of Ani’s death.

Ani isn’t one to be guarded while others fight battles for her, though. She has the courage to protect herself and the ability to alter Devlin’s plans—and his life. The two are drawn together, each with reason to fear the other and to fear for one another. But as they grow closer, a larger threat imperils the whole of Faerie. Will saving the faery realm mean losing each other?

This series has been one of my favorites ever since picking up Wicked Lovely just last year and flying through Ink Exchange and Fragile Eternity. Going to Melissa Marr's book signing last summer really had me pumped for this book, so while I am only just now posting it as a W.O.W. book, I've been anxiously awaiting its release for quite some time now.

Review: Almost Home

melissa@melissas-bookshelf.com (Melissa) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 23:18:00 +0000

Title: Almost Home
Author: Pam Jenoff
Genre: Fiction, Suspense, Mystery
Pub Date: February 2009, Atria Books
Hardcover, 374 pages
Book Source: Received my copy from the publisher via Pam Jenoff, many thanks for sending this for review!

Synopsis

From bestselling author and Quill award nominee Pam Jenoff comes a rich, ambitious, and startling novel about a woman who must face a past she'd rater forget in order to uncover a dangerous legacy that threatens her future.

Ten years ago, American Jordan Weiss's idyllic experience as a graduate student and coxswain at Cambridge was shattered when her boyfriend and fellow crewmember, Jared Short, drowned in the River Cam the night before the biggest race of the year. Since that time, Jordan, a State Department intelligence officer, has traveled the world on dangerous assignments but has managed to avoid returning to face her painful memories in England. When her terminally ill friend Sarah asks her to come to London, though, Jordan finds herself requesting a transfer to the one place she swore she'd never go again.

In London, Jordan attempts to settle into her new life, pushing aside her haunting memories and taking on an urgent mission beside rakish agent Sebastian Hodges. Shortly after her arrival, just when she thinks there's hope for a fresh start in England, she is approached by a former college classmate who makes a startling assertion. He tells her that Jared's death was not an accident, but that he was murdered.

Jordan quickly learns that Jared's death was indeed not an accident, and that his research on World War II had uncovered a shameful secret. But powerful forces with everything to lose will stop at nothing to keep the past buried. Soon, Jordan finds herself in grave peril as she struggles to find the answers that lie treacherously close to home, the truth that threatens to change her life forever, and the love that makes in all worth fighting for.

My Thoughts

Before talking about the story itself, I would like to note that Almost Home was released today in paperback for the first time, so this review is in celebration of that event. Again, many thanks to Ms. Jenoff for contacting me regarding this book and for having one sent for review. Ms. Jenoff also graciously agreed to guest post here at Melissa's Bookshelf, and you will be able to read her post about Covers and Titles later this week on Friday!

But back to the story... Almost Home is a beautifully written, highly suspenseful piece of work. I will admit that when I started reading and discovered the story is told in the first person present tense, I cringed, because of how hit-or-miss that point of view can be for me. However, this book is so well-written and edited so well that I never thought about the point of view after that first page. Interestingly, while the entire book is paced pretty quickly and the story moves at a good clip, many of the twists and turns (and bombshells) occur in the last few chapters of the novel. {So you can imagine my chagrin and disappointment when I realized I'd left it at work yesterday with about a quarter of the book left to read.}

My only complaint about this novel is that Jordan Weiss did not seem very believable as a diplomat. Her tendency to run away from tough situations and inability to separate her personal life from work just did not seem to make her a realistic member of the State Department, in my opinion. She just didn't seem tough enough for the line of work she was supposedly in. While there could have been more character development in some cases, for the most part I thought that Jenoff painted them very descriptively and was able to build upon some of the key characters in the occasional flashback scenes in the story. Some other key characters, however, did not get to benefit from those opportunities and fell a little flat for me.

But I certainly cannot complain about the way the story unfolded--particularly towards the end. The connections that were made between storylines, while perhaps a little far-fetched, proved for a fascinating conclusion. My only wish now is that I knew what was going to happen beyond the end of the story. Overall it was a great, fast read that I think other suspense and mystery lovers would enjoy.

My rating:

Other reviews of Almost Home:

Drey's Library

If you have reviewed this book and would like to see a link to your site listed here, please leave a comment with the link to your review!

"Waiting on" Wednesday: The Reckoning.

melissa@melissas-bookshelf.com (Melissa) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 12:06:00 +0000

The Reckoning (Darkest Powers #3) by Kelley Armstrong. Release Date: April 6, 2010.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Only two weeks ago, life was all too predictable. But that was before I saw my first ghost. Now, along with my supernatural friends Tori, Derek, and Simon, I’m on the run from the Edison Group, which genetically altered us as part of their sinister experiment.

We’re hiding in a safe house that might not be as safe as it seems. We’ll be gone soon anyway, back to rescue those we’d left behind and to take out the Edison Group . . . or so we hope.

This series started off a little slow for me, but improved with the second book. I am hopeful that the third book will do the trilogy justice--only another couple of months until I find out!

Review: Demon's Bane

melissa@melissas-bookshelf.com (Melissa) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 02:37:00 +0000

Title: Demon's Bane
Author: David Douglas
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy
Pub Date: December 2009, One Five One Press
Paperback, 278 pages
Book source: Review copy received from the author--many thanks!

Synopsis

Senn Morel lives in fear of demons. But when they butcher his clan and possess his mother, he vows to use his newfound magic to take vengeance on these demon spirits that have invaded his world.

Lieh Morel is along for the ride, possessed by a bloodthirsty killer. As Lieh's captor demons chase her son across the continent of Kartus, using her magic to wreak havoc along the way, she hopes to avoid a violent confrontation that could kill them both.

The demon Xiuhcoatl is an experienced kidnapper, working for the lord of the demons-Senn's father. As he aids Lieh's possessors in tracking down Senn, he learns that not all demon spirits think the same way about their return to the physical world.
Demon's Bane follows the Morels on the high seas, across rolling plains, and through thick forests in a thrilling tale filled with romance and betrayal. But the real question is, who will take control of Kartus . . . and who will end up dead?

My Thoughts

This is a promising first book from David Douglas, who was kind enough to send me a copy of Demon's Bane for review. While I can't say that I loved this book, I did enjoy the fresh look at magic, demons, and spirits. Douglas's magic (in all of its forms) has a science to it, and the level of detail with which he has developed this system is impressive as you read this story. Demon's Bane is paced nicely--I never felt like the story was dragging, nor did it rush by, leaving me feeling lost the way some fantasy stories can if not carefully thought out. Douglas has clearly found a talent for storytelling.

In the end, there were a few things about Demon's Bane that didn't work for me, and ultimately caused me to feel more neutral about the book overall. The romance in the story felt like it was centered around sex and I just did not find myself wanting to read about that--it wasn't what I was looking for in this book. Honestly, I guess sex is just not something I ever look to read about in a fantasy novel. But I will say this: much is left to the imagination so it is not really as off-putting as it could be. I also found the writing to be inconsistent--more often than not it was very strong, but on occasion I found it weaker in spots and out of character with the rest of the story, if that makes sense. The cast of characters is good (a few, like Senn, shine), and with further development they could be great.

Demon's Bane is certainly a very worthy debut novel. I think fantasy-lovers will enjoy it; particularly Douglas's spin on magic and his work with demons and spirits. And I also know that many readers will probably not share some of my qualms about the novel and will enjoy it more than I did. I am grateful to Mr. Douglas for giving me the opportunity to read his first work, and look forward to more from him down the road!

My rating:

Other reviews of Demon's Bane:

Only the Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy ~ Cheryl's Book Nook

If you have reviewed this book and would like to see your site listed above, please leave a comment with the link to your review!

"Waiting On" Wednesday: Shadow Souls

melissa@melissas-bookshelf.com (Melissa) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 11:59:00 +0000

The Vampire Diaries: The Return: Shadow Souls by L. J. Smith. Release Date: March 16, 2010.

Synopsis:

On the run . . .

Elena Gilbert's love, the vampire Stefan Salvatore, has been captured and imprisoned by demonic spirits who are wreaking havoc in Fell's Church. While her friends Bonnie and Meredith explore the evil that has taken over their town, Elena goes in search of Stefan.

In order to find him, she entrusts her life to Stefan's brother, Damon Salvatore, the handsome but deadly vampire who wants Elena, body and soul. Along with her childhood friend Matt, they set out for the slums of the Dark Dimension, where Stefan is being held captive. It is rumored to be a world where vampires and demons roam free, but humans must live enslaved to their supernatural masters. . . .

Elena will stop at nothing to free Stefan. Yet with each passing day the tension between Elena and Damon grows, and she is faced with a terrible decision: Which brother does she really want?

Back in Fell's Church, Bonnie and Meredith have made some dire discoveries. They hastily try to follow Elena and warn her—only to be caught up in Elena's most dangerous adventure yet.

I may not have loved Smith's return to The Vampire Diaries with Nightfall, but that won't stop me from continuing this series. I was a faithful fan of L. J. Smith back when she first wrote all these books and I'm so thrilled that she is writing again. But even this is not my most anticipated of her books this year...

Review: Tithe

melissa@melissas-bookshelf.com (Melissa) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 03:10:00 +0000

Title: Tithe (A Modern Faerie Tale)
Author: Holly Black
Genre: Young Adult, Fiction, Paranormal
Pub Date: October 2002, Simon & Schuster
Paperback, 336 pages
Book source: Purchased from BN.com

Synopsis

Welcome to the realm of very scary faeries!

Sixteen-year-old Kaye is a modern nomad. Fierce and independent, she travels from city to city with her mother's rock band until an ominous attack forces Kaye back to her childhood home. There, amid the industrial, blue-collar New Jersey backdrop, Kaye soon finds herself an unwilling pawn in an ancient power struggle between two rival faerie kingdoms — a struggle that could very well mean her death.

My Thoughts

This is one of those occasions where, overall, I am rather neutral about this book. I really disliked some aspects and enjoyed others, but by the end I was left thinking, "eh, whatever." In fact, I finished this book a couple of days ago but it took me awhile to muster any interest in writing the review, I suppose because I had to figure out what exactly to write about.

What did I dislike? The (to me) very non-YA aspects of the book, including language and some of the content. I know that young people are exposed to some of this junk much earlier these days but that doesn't mean I think it should be written about in "YA" books. Interestingly enough, I can see myself enjoying this when I was closer to that age group, perhaps because it would have felt "rebellious" for me to read it. Now I just feel like it's silly--especially given that it all seemed very gratuitous and it wasn't as if these teenagers were learning any life lessons. The offending content and language unfortunately turned me off of about the first half of the book but I kept turning pages...

And I'm glad I did, as it kept me from having a completely negative opinion about the book. I enjoyed this look into the faery world, and when that was the focus I found myself enjoying Tithe much more. I liked Kaye and Roiben quite a bit and would have enjoyed reading a little bit more about some of the other faeries. Overall the story is fairly self-contained, though I know that this is the first book in a series. When I finished the last page, though, I honestly didn't feel a great pull to read the second book. Maybe down the road when I read through some of my large stack of TBR books. The writing is basically okay--not great--but I guess the story just didn't really grab me. I do know that many people out there loved this book and this series, so I encourage you to check out some of the other reviews listed below!

My rating:

Other reviews of Tithe:

Fyrefly's Book Blog ~ bookshelves of doom ~ Em's Bookshelf

Today's Adventure ~ Bart's Bookshelf ~ Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell

my fluttering heart ~ The Written World ~ The Zen Leaf

Another Great Read

If you have reviewed this book and would like to see your site listed here, please leave a comment with the link to your review!

"Waiting On" Wednesday: Hourglass

melissa@melissas-bookshelf.com (Melissa) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 11:52:00 +0000

It's been awhile since I've participated in any memes, but I recently used some Christmas money to preorder a lot of new books that will be released this year, so in honor of that, I will have a nice series of W.O.W. posts to share with all of you! First up...

Hourglass by Claudia Gray. Release Date: March 9, 2010.

Synopsis:

Bianca will risk everything to be with Lucas.

After escaping from Evernight Academy, the vampire boarding school where they met, Bianca and Lucas take refuge with Black Cross, a fanatical group of vampire hunters. Bianca must hide her supernatural heritage or risk certain death at their hands. But when Black Cross captures her friend—the vampire Balthazar—hiding is no longer an option.

Soon, Bianca and Lucas are on the run again, pursued not only by Black Cross, but by the powerful leaders of Evernight. Yet no matter how far they travel, Bianca can't escape her destiny.

Bianca has always believed their love could survive anything . . . but can it survive what's to come?

I am looking forward to finishing up this trilogy--I started reading it so late in the game that in the end I'll only have to have waited a couple of months for the release of this book. But I'm excited about it, nonetheless! BTW, this is also my favorite cover of the three--the model is striking and her makeup reminds me a little of Old Hollywood.

Review: Shiver

melissa@melissas-bookshelf.com (Melissa) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 19:18:00 +0000

Title: Shiver
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Fiction, Young Adult, Paranormal
Pub Date: August 2009, Scholastic, Inc.
Hardcover, 390 pages
Book Source: purchased from Amazon.com

Synopsis

The cold.

Grace has spent years watching the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf--her wolf--watches back. He feels deeply familiar to her, but she doesn't know why.

The heat.

Sam has lived two lives. As a wolf, he keeps the silent company of the girl he loves. And then, for a short time each year, he is human, never daring to talk to Grace... until now.

The shiver. For Grace and Sam, love has always been kept at a distance. But once it's spoken, it cannot be denied. Sam must fight to stay human--and Grace must fight to keep him--even if it means taking on the scars of the past, the fragility of the present, and the impossibility of the future.

My Thoughts

(My apologies for a more spoiler-ish review than normal, as you'll see towards the end.)

Shiver was one of those books that I saw pop up suddenly and profusely on many other blogs, so much so that I decided I was going to bypass it for other books for the time being. I never even thought much of the images of the cover that were posted everywhere, until I received my copy in the mail earlier this week... For some reason I love this cover, not to mention the one for this summer's sequel, Linger. But I digress...

While part of me wishes I had read this book sooner, I can at least appreciate having finally picked it up when I did--I've been fighting a cold all week and Shiver proved to be a lovely distraction from it yesterday. In fact, I got home early from work and after lounging around with the hubby I started reading it, only stopping for dinner, then ultimately finishing it last night before bed. Stiefvater may have started with a familiar storyline but with seemingly effortless writing she ran with it. We've all read the story--girl meets boy, boy happens to be some kind of paranormal/mythical creature on the side (in this case, a werewolf), they fall in love, they fight to stay together. Sometimes the story will keep us turning pages, other times we feel like we have wasted our time. When I closed Shiver last night, I was very satisfied and I could even be happy if there were not a sequel coming out later this year. Perhaps I should be more upfront and say that I'm a bit apprehensive about it because I enjoyed this book so much and don't even feel a huge need to have the story continued.

This morning, I had to re-read the last few short chapters again, just to savor the ending. Has anyone watched Disney's Sleeping Beauty and seen the green fairy, Fauna, sigh with a tear in her eye saying, "I just love happy endings." That's how I felt after reading that book. And I'm sorry if that gives it all away for those of you who haven't read this book yet, but I promise you it is still worth the read. I found myself enjoying all the characters, including the annoying ones, and while I am normally put off by teen angst in some novels, Stiefvater has managed to portray it on a much less obnoxious level. Her writing is crisp and clear and ever so easy to read--it was almost too easy to get lost in this book. She has put a new (to me, at least) spin on werewolves and their lore. Sometimes these stories of teenage romances seem ridiculous but I found myself enjoying this one from beginning to end.

My rating:

Other reviews of Shiver:

Babbling About Books, And More! ~ Shooting Stars Mag

Harmony Book Reviews ~ Karin's Book Nook ~ Dear Author

Juiciliciousss Reviews ~ Angieville ~ Presenting Lenore

Reverie Book Reviews ~ The Reading Zone ~ My Favorite Author

Read This Book! ~ Nomadreader ~ Fantasy Book Critic

Persnickety Snark ~ Today's Adventure ~ Tales of a Ravenous Reader

My Friend Amy ~ One Librarian's Book Review ~ The Story Siren

The Well-Read Child ~ Jen Robinson's Book Page ~ The Infinite Shelf

The Book Lush ~ What Bri Reads ~ LiyanaLand! ~ The Book Vault

The Book Muncher ~ S. Krishna's Books ~ Pop Culture Junkie

The Dream Reader ~ Violet Crush ~ Boof's Bookshelf

Frenetic Reader ~ Linus's Blanket ~ Vulpes Libris

Serendipity ~ Carrie's YA Bookshelf ~ Allison's Book Marks

Fluttering Butterflies ~ Readergirl Reviews ~ YA Reads

A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy ~ In Bed With Books

Sarah's Random Musings ~ Zoe's Book Reviews
Library Queue ~ YA Book Queen

If you have reviewed this book and would like to see your site listed above, please leave a comment with the link to your review!

Review: North of Beautiful

melissa@melissas-bookshelf.com (Melissa) — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 02:29:00 +0000

Title: North of Beautiful
Author: Justina Chen Headley
Genre: Fiction, Young Adult
Pub Date: February 2009, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Hardcover, 373 pages
Book Source: gift from my sister-in-law :-)

Synopsis

It's hard not to notice Terra Cooper.

She's tall, blond, and has an enviable body. But with one turn of her cheek, all people notice is her unmistakably "flawed" face. Terra secretly plans to leave her stifling small town in the Northwest and escape to an East Coast college, but gets pushed off-course by her controlling father. When an unexpected collision puts Terra directly in Jacob's path, the handsome but quirky Goth boy immediately challenges her assumptions about herself and her life, and she is forced in yet another direction. With her carefully laid plans disrupted, will Terra be able to find her true path?

Written in lively, artful prose, award-winning author Justina Chen Headley has woven together a powerful novel about a fractured family, falling in love, travel, and the meaning of true beauty.

My Thoughts

I figure that I must be among the last few people to read this book. It's been on my wish-list for awhile but for some reason I just never got around to it, despite seeing many great reviews out there. Perhaps I felt like it wasn't going to live up to them or be the kind of story I really enjoyed reading. Who knows? After finishing this book, I probably don't really have much to add to the other reviews you've already seen, but I'd still like to give my 2 cents worth, nonetheless.

Headley is simply able to touch your emotions, there is no doubt about it. The verdict: this book is as moving and powerful as everyone else has said it is. The story is about so much more than true beauty as it also examines Terra's family situation, her relationships with her mother, father and brothers. Now that isn't to say that it isn't generally predictable, because in truth it is. But it is the writing that grabs you and keeps you drawn into Terra's story. I can also admit that certain parts of the story brought tears to my eyes, even though I can't say that I can relate to any part of it.

There are not really any new messages in this book about beauty, family, or anything else. However, there really is nothing "North of Beautiful" about this book, either, it truly is touching and I'm glad I finally got around to reading it.

My rating:

Other reviews of North of Beautiful:

S. Krishna's Books ~ Presenting Lenore ~ Book-lover Carol

Liv's Book Reviews ~ Au Courant ~ The Bluestocking Society

Book Addiction ~ Dear Author ~ Teen Book Review

Bookshelves of Doom ~The Dream Reader ~ Life in the Thumb

Stephanie's Confessions of a Book-a-holic ~ Miss Erin ~ Dreadlock Girl

So Many Books, So Little Time ~ Reader Rabbit ~ Book Crumbs

Pop Culture Junkie ~ Jen Robinson's Book Page
For the Love of Books ~ Kids Lit ~ Books By Their Cover

A Chair, A Fireplace & a Tea Cozy ~ The Book Muncher

Books, Movies and Chinese Food ~ Reading Rocks

A Patchwork of Books ~ Readingjunky's Reading Roost

Sarah's Random Musings

If you have reviewed this book and would like to see your site listed above, please leave a comment with the link to your review!

Mystery Mondays: Life Expectancy

melissa@melissas-bookshelf.com (Melissa) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:45:00 +0000

Title: Life Expectancy
Author: Dean Koontz
Genre: Fiction, Suspense
Pub Date: 2004, HarperCollins Publishers
Paperback (International Edition), 531 pages
Book Source: purchased at Yawn's Bookstore, our local independent bookstore.

Synopsis

When the hand of fate reaches out to touch an ordinary man...

In the moments before he is born, Jimmy Tock has a strange destiny thrust upon him. His dying grandfather prophesies five dark days in his grandson's life--five dates on which Jimmy will face terror and violence, malice and perversion. A storm rages. There is a chilling significance in the old man's words. The moment his grandfather dies, Jimmy emerges squalling into the world, destined to struggle against an evil so dark and pervasive only the most extraordinary of human spirits can shine through.

What dangers await Jimmy on these live dark days? What terrifying events must he survive? At each of the crisis points a mystery unfolds that will challenge his understanding of good and evil, life and death--and everything in between.

My Thoughts

Perhaps this is not a true mystery in the general sense of the genre, but there truly are several fascinating mysteries that unfold in this story. And given that it has been weeks, no, months, since I wrote a Mystery Mondays post I felt this book was worthy of one.

Several people more familiar with Koontz's works recommended that I read this one first, and I can't say that I blame them. I thoroughly enjoyed this book--so much that I finished all 500+ pages in less than two days. Not only is it an exciting, suspenseful read, this book is often humorous and sharp throughout. I honestly cannot write about any aspects of the plot, nor would I want to, but while absolutely far-fetched, it is 100% entertaining. Koontz's dialogues between the characters are spot-on if you enjoy witty banter and have a sense of the ironic. In the midst of terrifying events these exchanges provide a welcome comic relief while not taking away from the matters at hand.

While I did find myself able to predict some aspects of the story (and I have to say I was impressed with myself at times, as I frequently don't pick up on subtle clues), there were other twists that I wasn't able to see coming. I think anyone who enjoys a good suspenseful read with a healthy dose of wit would enjoy this book.

My rating:

If you have reviewed this book and would like to see a link to your site listed here, please leave a comment with the link to your review!

Review: Captivate

melissa@melissas-bookshelf.com (Melissa) — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 00:52:00 +0000

Title: Captivate
Author: Carrie Jones
Genre: Young Adult, Fiction, Paranormal
Pub Date: January 2010, Bloomsbury USA
Hardcover, 288 pages
Book Source: purchased from Amazon.com

Synopsis

Zara and her friends knew they hadn't solved the pixie problem for good. Far from it. The king's needs grow deeper every day he's stuck in captivity, while his control over his people gets weaker. It's made him vulnerable. And now there's a new king in town.

A turf war is imminent, since the new pixie king, Astley, is moving in quickly. Nick nearly killed him in the woods on day one, but Zara came to his rescue. Astley swears that he and Zara are destined to be together, that he's one of the good guys. Nick isn't buying it, though Zara isn't as sure -- despite herself, she wants to trust the new king. But it's a lot more than her relationship with Nick that is at stake. It's her life -- and his.

My Thoughts

Well, I am sorry to say that this sequel to Need just did not live up to my expectations. It was almost as if it were a different person writing the story this time around, in my opinion. While Need truly was captivating and left me anxious for the next book in the series, Captivate failed to do that at all for me. I found the writing, language, and many of the returning characters to be strangely annoying in this book.

But back to my comment about it feeling like this book had a different writer... The language and speech by the characters just felt so different in this book--they were suddenly overly-sophomoric, even for high-schoolers--and only on rare occasions did I see glimpses of the characters I enjoyed in Need. And to be absolutely candid, Nick and Zara made me want to throw up--several times I found myself thinking, "If he calls her "baby" one more time..." In fact, at a certain key point in the story, which I will try not to give away, I found myself actually rooting against Nick... That is a far cry different from the way I felt about him in the first book.

With respect to the returning characters there is very little character development that I could detect. I did enjoy Astley's character and what he brings to the table. Cassidy almost felt like she was thrown into the mix after the story was written. I didn't feel that she added much to the storyline at all, even though she supposedly should--for the bulk of the book she mainly served to be a cause of jealousy for Issie with respect to Devyn. One character that just wasn't used enough: Betty, Zara's grandmother. I loved her sharp wit and rough edges in Need and she was all but missing from Captivate.

The bright spot: There is still potential for the third book to be a winner, even though I found so much about this one to be disappointing. In fact, that is the one thing that really saves my rating for this book at all. Jones' plot for Captivate truly had potential, but I felt like the writing totally dropped off and there was a loss of coherency. And if one has to choose a team, which I am not usually one to do, I am most definitely Team Astley right now. I just hope that the third book resonates with me more than this one did.

My rating:

Other reviews of Captivate:

Zoe's Book Reviews ~ The Story Siren ~ Beyond Books

Sarah's Random Musings

If you have reviewed this book and would like to see your site listed above, please leave a comment with the link to your review!

1st Review of 2010: Stargazer

melissa@melissas-bookshelf.com (Melissa) — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 03:29:00 +0000

Title: Stargazer
Author: Claudia Gray
Genre: Young Adult, Fiction, Paranormal
Pub Date: March 2009, HarperTeen
Hardcover, 329 pages
Book Source: purchased from Amazon.com

Synopsis

The vampire in me was closer to the surface...

Evernight Academy: an exclusive boarding school for the most beautiful, dangerous students of all--vampires. Bianca, born to two vampires, has always been told her destiny is to become one of them.

But Bianca fell in love with Lucas--a vampire hunter sworn to destroy her kind. They were torn apart when his true identity was revealed, forcing him to flee the school.

Although they may be separated, Bianca and Lucas will not give each other up. She will risk anything for the chance to see him again, even if it means coming face-to-face with the vampire hunters of Black Cross--or deceiving the powerful vampires of Evernight. Bianca's secrets will force her to live a life of lies.

Yet Bianca isn't the only one keeping secrets. When Evernight is attacked by an evil force that seems to target her, she discovers the truth she thought she knew is only the beginning...

My Thoughts

(I will keep this review as spoiler-free as I can, but if you haven't read the first book yet, proceed with caution.)

While I certainly enjoyed Evernight, the first book in Claudia Gray's trilogy, I definitely think that Stargazer was a better read. Gray shows quite a bit of improvement with this story and leaves us hanging, anxiously waiting for Hourglass (due out in March).

Gray directed more focus on vampire and other paranormal lore and I think that definitely added to the interest of the overall story. While we find the inevitable love triangle (yes, I think they are overdone), Gray does basically dispense with it by the end of the story. Unfortunately I found myself rooting for the one who wasn't chosen--for some reason Lucas just was not appealing to me as much in this book, go figure. Maybe that storyline will improve in the third book, or perhaps the forbidden/impossible love theme is simply a bit tired at this point.

Happily, Stargazer is fast-paced and I do think that it is better developed overall in this book. I wasn't left with the feeling that the story was being rushed at the end to tie up some loose ends, the way I felt with Evernight. I am really quite interested to see where Bianca's story takes her--the minor twist in her heritage made for an interesting departure from things I have traditionally read about vampires. Speaking of twists, the one I just mentioned was really the only one of interest this time around--there weren't any truly big shockers like there were with the first book. But because the pacing was so much improved, I didn't really miss the mega plot twists.

Bottom line: If you enjoyed Evernight, I think you will like Stargazer even more--I know I did. And there is a lot of potential for the third book to be a great conclusion to the trilogy.

My rating:

Other reviews of Stargazer:

Karin's Book Nook ~ Persnickety Snark ~ My Fluttering Heart

Readergirl Reviews

If you have reviewed this book and would like to see a link to your site listed here, please leave a comment with the link to your review!

Books Read in 2010 (By Month)

melissa@melissas-bookshelf.com (Melissa) — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 05:23:00 +0000

JANUARY (in progress)

Stargazer by Claudia Gray

Captivate by Carrie Jones

Life Expectancy by Dean Koontz

North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

FEBRUARY

MARCH

APRIL

MAY

JUNE

JULY

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

Last updated 1/22/10.

Last Review of 2009: The Truth About Forever

melissa@melissas-bookshelf.com (Melissa) — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 02:17:00 +0000

Title: The Truth About Forever
Author: Sarah Dessen
Genre: Young Adult, Fiction
Pub Date: May 2004, Penguin Group (USA)
Hardcover, 374 pages
Book Source: purchased from Booksamillion.com

Synopsis

I long dull summer stretches ahead of Macy while her boyfriend Jason is away at Brain Camp. Days will be spent at a boring job in the library, evenings will be filled with vocabulary drills for the SATs, and spare time will be passed with her mother, the two of them sharing a silent grief at the traumatic loss of her father.

But sometimes unexpected things can happen--things like the catering job at Wish, with its fun-loving, chaotic crew. Or her sister's project of renovating the neglected beach house, awakening long-buried memories. Things like meeting Wes, a boy with a past, a taste for Truth-telling, and an amazing artistic talent, the kind of boy who could turn any girl's world upside down. As Macy ventures out of her shell, she begins to wonder if it really is better to be safe than sorry.

My Thoughts

I actually didn't think I would be able to squeak this review in before the New Year. That was before I really started getting into this book, though--before I couldn't put it down this afternoon.

The Truth About Forever is now officially my favorite book by Sarah Dessen that I have read so far. (I can even add it to my failed Sarah Dessen Challenge... Still 4 books shy of finishing that one.) I had heard many great things about this particular book and I can understand why. Dessen really has a talent for writing gripping, seemingly real-life YA fiction. There are always intriguing characters that have so many facets to their personalities--and you can be sure that there is more to them than meets the eye. Macy undergoes quite a transformation from a girl who is essentially living in her "perfect" boyfriend's shadow, to someone who finally takes chances and dares to live her life the way she wants to. I can honestly say it was sort of exciting to watch her change and grow--one of the reasons I enjoyed this book so much. Wes is definitely one of the many-faceted characters in this story, and through his game of Truth with Macy we learn more and more about him as the story progresses.

The Truth About Forever is a story about many things: death and grieving, love, friendship, and family (and often how all of those intermingle). I do sometimes find myself frustrated with the way that Dessent portrays some of the family interactions, but I have a feeling that is because I never experienced the same things in my own youth with my parents and have a hard time imagining events unfolding the way they do at times.

If you enjoy Dessen's books, I can't imagine that you wouldn't enjoy this one. With The Truth About Forever, she has come a long way from her first book, but it is still classic Sarah Dessen.

My rating:

Other reviews of The Truth About Forever:

Dear Author ~ Out of the Blue Book Reviews ~ Book Addiction

Just Listen Book Reviews ~ Harmony Book Reviews

Em's Bookshelf ~ For the Love of Books ~ Books I Done Read

Books Lists Life ~ Miss Erin ~ Leafing Through Life
What Vanessa Reads ~ Hope's Bookshelf ~ The Story Siren
Everyday Reading ~ Becky's Book Reviews
So Many Books, So Little Time

If you have reviewed this book and would like to see your site listed above, please leave a comment with the link to your review!

Failed Reading Challenges & a Look Back at 2009...

melissa@melissas-bookshelf.com (Melissa) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 11:11:00 +0000

Yes, my friends, I did have some failed reading challenges this year. Two, to be exact--The Sarah Dessen Challenge and the Classics Challenge. Given that I only signed up for four challenges, that means I only met half of my goals (with respect to challenges, at any rate). I certainly didn't sign up for these challenges only to fail, but how many of us plan to fail at anything?

I guess what I really didn't expect to hit me was a major reading slump towards the end of 2009. I like to blame the new job, but I think I might have hit that slump regardless of all the life changes at the end of the year--the new job just seemed to heighten the slump even more. But I think there is hope for me yet... I have read (and reviewed) three books in these last few days of the year, have started another book, and feel a glimmer of my old reading self coming back. It's a good thing, too, since I have over 70 or 80 unread books sitting and waiting to be read this year, and who knows how many more books I will pick up along the way?

Do I smell a new goal for 2010? I think I do... So here is my own personal reading challenge for next year--read every one of those books that is currently sitting on my designated TBR bookshelf. I believe there actually is a challenge out there devoted to reading books we have sitting around unread, so I need to find it and sign up for it.

Funny, I start off talking about failed challenges only to find myself signing up for another. I suppose that's a good sign that I'm not giving up! :-)

2009 has been an interesting year, both personally and in books. When the year started, I did not expect to find out that I would have to either relocate or lose my job. By the time the year was half over, I was out of one job but on a five-week vacation with another job already lined up. Certainly something to be grateful for, even if the job I took was not one that I necessarily wanted. 2009 also saw the birth of this blog, back on February 18th. I like to think that it has come a long way since those first reviews and the original look. I will never forget how welcoming fellow book bloggers were--what a great community we have! I have since participated in a 24-Hour Readathon as a cheerleader, written 100+ reviews, given away numerous books, and even interviewed a few authors. Not too shabby for my little blog of less than a year!

Needless to say, I am really looking forward to seeing where 2010 takes me. I'm looking forward to trying out some new authors, reading new books by favorite authors, and celebrating this blog's first blogoversary! There will be more giveaways, reviews, and plenty of fun stuff in the year to come, I can feel it! Thanks to all of my readers who have hung in there with me during the slow end to this year, and I look forward to "meeting" new readers in the days, months, and year to come!

Happy New Year!!

Review: The Awakening

melissa@melissas-bookshelf.com (Melissa) — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 22:31:00 +0000

Title: The Awakening
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Genre: Young Adult, Fiction, Paranormal
Pub Date: April 2009, HarperCollins Publishers
Hardcover, 368 pages
Book Source: purchased from BN.com

Synopsis

If you had met me a few weeks ago, you probably would have described me as an average teenage girl — someone normal. Now my life has changed forever and I'm as far away from normal as it gets. A living science experiment — not only can I see ghosts, but I was genetically altered by a sinister organization called the Edison Group. What does that mean? For starters, I'm a teenage necromancer whose powers are out of control; I raise the dead without even trying. Trust me, that is not a power you want to have. Ever.

Now I'm running for my life with three of my supernatural friends — a charming sorcerer, a cynical werewolf, and a disgruntled witch — and we have to find someone who can help us before the Edison Group finds us first. Or die trying.

My Thoughts

Unlike the first book in Armstrong's Darkest Powers series, I thought The Awakening was pretty fast-paced from the beginning. The characters are growing and developing much more in this book, but the plotting still feels a little shaky and all over the place. Nevertheless, I am anxious to see how this story unfolds and wraps up in the third book, The Reckoning, which is due out in April.

This book finds Chloe learning more about the Edison Group and the experiment they have been performing on children with supernatural powers. Not only does this storyline focus on Chloe and her friends' quest to discover the truth about the Edison Group, but Armstrong also gives us a glimpse into the dark and difficult life for kids on the street. The two characters who probably grow the most during this stage of the adventure are Chloe and Derek, both discovering what they are capable of and trying to understand how they can control their respective powers. Even Tori shows us what she is capable of (though still obnoxious as ever), and together, all four of them, Simon included, make a smart and resourceful team.

If you enjoyed The Summoning, I think I can safely say that that you will enjoy The Awakening, perhaps even more than the first book. I know I did, and I am looking forward to finding out how Armstrong wraps this story up in The Reckoning.

My rating:

Other reviews of The Awakening:

Darque Reviews ~ Graeme's Fantasy Book Review

Karin's Book Nook ~ Just Blinded Book Reviews ~ Steph Su Reads

Today's Adventure ~ The Book Obsession ~ KD's Library

Wrighty's Reads ~ Tales of a Ravenous Reader ~ The Story Siren

The Eclectic Reader ~ Reverie Book Reviews

If you have reviewed this book and would like to see a link to your review here, please leave a comment with the link to your review and I will add it to the list!