Review: Paranormalcy (Paranormalcy #1) by Kiersten White

Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date:
Format: Hardback
Pages: 355
Source: Purchased


From Goodreads: Evie’s always thought of herself as a normal teenager, even though she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only person who can see through paranormals’ glamours.

But Evie’s about to realize that she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

So much for normal.

My review: From the first page I found myself laughing and it continued throughout the book. The fun ranges from the revealing descriptions of how paranormal beings really look to the conversations between Evie and all the paranormal creatures she interacts with during her work for the International Paranormal Containment Agency. Oh, and the usage of the word bleep – perfect personalization that carried through the story. The entire premise of such an agency was an interesting twist, focusing not on killing but tracking and control. Evie’s world hasn’t expanded much past the IPCA since she was basically adopted for her rare talent of seeing past the magic of paranormal creatures. Her life is content, with a little drama and danger during her bag-and-tag missions, but she deeply desires the normal high school life, complete with school lockers and cars.

When she apprehends a shape-shifter with a new talent breaking into the IPCA’s unit, everything she knows about her world and her place it in is challenged. This is the beginning of what becomes an emotional and physical rollercoaster ride. When a budding romance begins, Evie starts to experience life as a normal teenager but it isn’t long before the paranormal world grabs her once again and won’t let her go. I appreciated Evie’s attitude very much - the strong-willed person who could take care of herself, hating when she would have to call for someone to help her when something went amiss. She soon learns that she must rely on others as it becomes apparent that what she knows of the paranormal world is a very small portion of a very large situation.

I will be anxiously anticipating the next installment in this great series!

My Thoughts: E-Books vs Printed Books

I see a lot of articles and posts flying around the internet about e-books (such as this one and this one) and the future of printed book publishing and thought I would add my opinion to the stack because, who wouldn’t want to know my opinion on such a topic. Right?

First, I have a confession to make – when I ordered my nook I went through all of our printed books and pulled out stacks and stacks to donate to the library or sell back at Half Price Books. Partially I did this because we were cleaning our office to turn it into a playroom for our daughter. I was also purging our house of all the books I hadn’t read, assuming that once I went e-book, I would never go back. For awhile, this was true – I read book after book on my nook, loving every minute of my e-reader experience. Then a funny thing happened – I missed paper books. I missed touching them, feeling the weight in my hand, seeing them dispersed around my home and sniffing them for that amazing book smell.

So I returned to the land of printed books weighing down my purse (an excellent self-defense weapon I think) and read printed book after book until the guilt settled in my chest. I spent $250 on that nook, how could I just let it sit in the drawer for a month? I had pimped out e-readers to everyone I know (and probably random people at the grocery store too), how could I turn my back on my words. My internal battle was intense until I asked myself one question – why does it have to be one or the other? I want my cake and want to eat it too – so now I do.

I have come to a happy medium with my love of printed books and my love of e-readers – I use them both. At times I read two books – one on the nook and one printed book. The nook fits easier in my purse so it tends to be my work/out and about book while my printed book is at home for evening reading. At times, I just lug the printed book in my purse and read it at home. Other times I am only reading one book at a time and it could be a printed book or e-book – whatever I desire to read is what I will read.

I created a sort of guideline for purchasing books based on a few criteria –

Which is cheaper (including shipping unless I am at the bookstore in person)? If the e-book is cheaper then I am going to buy the e-book. If a printed book is cheaper in store or I have a free shipping code, I will usually go with the printed book. The only exception is if I want to read it now and would have to wait for it to be delivered – then the ease of immediate download is worth a few extra dollars.

Is it a book I want to see on my bookshelves? If it is part of a series I love, I will buy the printed books. I bought the Hunger Games trilogy in print because I had heard such amazing things about the entire series and the books looked pretty. The added bonus is that they were free to ship and cheaper than the e-book format. In our current home (and with a toddler that is obsessed with books – her books, library books, “Momma’s books” and “Daddy’s books”) we don’t have a lot of space for the beautiful wall of bookshelves I dream of, but we will someday so I fit books wherever I can fit them for now.

Do I think printed books are becoming obsolete? Not at all. However, I do think that e-books are changing the publishing and reading worlds with an impact that is further reaching than originally expected. The prices of the e-readers have drastically decreased in the past year but I think the price differences (or in many times, lack of distinct price differences) between printed and e-books are going to be the next big hurdle in the e-book world.

E-readers are just another avenue to get, and keep, people reading – so bring on the e-readers and e-books! Read people read!

Tot Tuesday: Ten Chuckling Ducklings by Sally Crabtree

Welcome to Tot Tuesday – a weekly feature where I review and share a children’s book. Children’s books are such a big part of my life now that I want to share them for other parents, grandparents or anyone who buys a child a book with the hope of instilling a lifelong love of reading.

The books I review and share are generally books from my daughter’s bookshelves and her library selections. She generally selects library books by a very technical method of grabbing every book in her reach and shoving them into the bag we bring with us. Thus, each week will be a surprising post.

Ten Chuckling Ducklings by Sally Crabtree - Samantha loves books that have texture or 3D aspects which is precisely why she enjoys this book so much. Add in rhyming and tongue-twisting text that leaves her laughing and we read this one over and over and over again. It is an adorable and fun way to count and practice numbers.

New Bookcase

Better pictures forthcoming (including one that won't require you to turn your head to the side) but here is a quick cell phone photo of our new bookcase!

Review: Firelight (Firelight #1) by Sophie Jordan

Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: September 7, 2010
Format: Hardback
Pages: 323
Source: Purchased


From Goodreads:

A hidden truth.
Mortal enemies.
Doomed love.

Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. But she longs for freedom to make her own choices. When she breaks the most sacred tenet among her kind, she nearly pays with her life. Until a beautiful stranger saves her. A stranger who was sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki—a descendant of dragons whose greatest defense is her secret ability to shift into human form.

Forced to flee into the mortal world with her family, Jacinda struggles to adapt to her new surroundings. The only bright light is Will. Gorgeous, elusive Will who stirs her inner draki to life. Although she is irresistibly drawn to him, Jacinda knows Will's dark secret: He and his family are hunters. She should avoid him at all costs. But her inner draki is slowly slipping away—if it dies she will be left as a human forever. She'll do anything to prevent that. Even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous enemy.

Mythical powers and breathtaking romance ignite in this story of a girl who defies all expectations and whose love crosses an ancient divide.

My review: This book pulled me in from page one and didn’t let me go until the last page, and even then still kept a little piece of me – holding it hostage until the sequel is released. I started reading over my lunch hour and finished the book the same night. I couldn’t put it down…couldn’t stop thinking about it.

The struggle Jacinda has with her draki self versus her human self is that of an epic battle between races – how can she let either one go without losing herself? She struggles between fighting her mother's decision to kill Jacinda’s draki and between letting her mother and sister have a normal life. Either way she seems to lose – returning to her Pride results in a loss of freedom since she has been marked for her fire breathing abilities but if she stays in the desert with her family she most likely will lose her draki. There is only one thing that allows her to hold tight to her draki self – the boy who once hunted her down.

In some situations it seemed that Jacinda was a wishy-washy young girl, rather than a determined super-being but I think that fits the situation. She was removed from the only world she new, the only place she felt at home into an average high school - all while her mother and sister tell her she can never look back. She hurts for herself, what she has lost, but also for how her mother and sister must have felt in the Pride. Now she is the outsider, rather than the two of them. 

Part romance, part drama, part supernatural and part cliffhanger ending make for one wild ride for Jacinda - and the reader. I can't wait until the next in the series, Vanish, is released!

In My Mailbox - February 20, 2011

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren. It is an opportunity to share any books I have received this week in my mailbox, on my nook or in my hands.

This week's books are all the result of a post on my online book club. A poster linked to Amazon to show us how low the pre-order price was for Demonglass. I had been wanting to read Hex Hall for awhile but just had not got around to obtaining it so when I saw it was on sale so that I could get both for about $16, I jumped. Before I hit buy though I went searching through the other bargain books and found two more books I had to buy!

Girls in Trucks by Katie Crouch


Hex Hall (Hex Hall #1) by Rachel Hawkins

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Nook cover reviews

I originally bought the Hutton Envelope when I bought my nook because it covered the entire nook and I liked that I could just hold the nook while reading.

I desired a little cover variety, so for the holiday’s I asked for the Lilly Pulitzer Buena Vista Cover. It was somewhat of a splurge – more than I would normally spend on myself and it reminded me of summer and warmth which I so desperately needed in the middle of winter.

I adjusted to holding the nook with the cover folded back easier than I expected to but reading in bed at night I still favor just holding the nook for some reason. I haven’t had any issues with the sides/bottom being open to the elements in my purse, which is a big reason I went with the envelope style originally. With a young child at home, I worry about liquid spills or sticky messes getting on my precious nook.

I might end up switching between the two when I just want to hold the nook but I do like the fun summer vibe I get from the pretty cover!

Tot Tuesday: Blast Off to the Moon! by Paul Nicholls

Welcome to Tot Tuesday – a weekly feature where I review and share a children’s book. Children’s books are such a big part of my life now that I want to share them for other parents, grandparents or anyone who buys a child a book with the hope of instilling a lifelong love of reading.

The books I review and share are generally books from my daughter’s bookshelves and her library selections. She generally selects library books by a very technical method of grabbing every book in her reach and shoving them into the bag we bring with us. Thus, each week will be a surprising post.

Blast Off to the Moon! by Paul Nicholls - I have always been fascinated by space exploration and flying so when I saw this at the library, I immediately put it in our bag to check out. Sadly, I was a little disappointed on one aspect but impressed on another.

The children astronauts in the book are all boys, not one girl. I hate when a child's book isn't all encompassing to both genders. On the flip side, this book does include more information that the usual board book. It provides information on the Apollo missions, the first person to walk on the moon, and an explanation of gravity.

The Oracle of Stamboul by Michael David Lukas

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Release Date: February 8, 2011

Format: Paperback ARC
Pages: 301
Source: Publisher

From Goodreads: Late in the summer of 1877, a flock of purple-and-white hoopoes suddenly appears over the town of Constanta on the Black Sea, and Eleonora Cohen is ushered into the world by a mysterious pair of Tartar midwives who arrive just minutes before her birth. "They had read the signs, they said: a sea of horses, a conference of birds, the North Star in alignment with the moon. It was a prophecy that their last king had given on his deathwatch." But joy is mixed with tragedy, for Eleonora's mother dies soon after the birth.

Raised by her doting father, Yakob, a carpet merchant, and her stern, resentful stepmother, Ruxandra, Eleonora spends her early years daydreaming and doing housework—until the moment she teaches herself to read, and her father recognizes that she is an extraordinarily gifted child, a prodigy.

When Yakob sets off by boat for Stamboul on business, eight-year-old Eleonora, unable to bear the separation, stows away in one of his trunks. On the shores of the Bosporus, in the house of her father's business partner, Moncef Bey, a new life awaits. Books, backgammon, beautiful dresses and shoes, markets swarming with color and life—the imperial capital overflows with elegance, and mystery. For in the narrow streets of Stamboul—a city at the crossroads of the world—intrigue and gossip are currency, and people are not always what they seem. Eleonora's tutor, an American minister and educator, may be a spy. The kindly though elusive Moncef Bey has a past history of secret societies and political maneuvering. And what is to be made of the eccentric, charming Sultan Abdulhamid II himself, beleaguered by friend and foe alike as his unwieldy, multiethnic empire crumbles?

The Oracle of Stamboul is a marvelously evocative, magical historical novel that will transport readers to another time and place—romantic, exotic, yet remarkably similar to our own.

My review: There are some novels that are plot driven, full of suspense and drama, and then there are books that are character driven, full of complex characters and inner monologues. This novel has an interesting combination of both focusing on characters over plot, but a storyline of loss combined with self-discovery. Eleonora is a gifted child with a curious connection to the animal life surrounding her. In a world where women were generally uneducated outside household responsibilities her family took a risk by teaching her and opening her heart to the world of novels and reading. In a bizarre turn of events, this knowledge and her natural smarts put her on a whirlwind path that leads into the Sultan's doorstep. There she faces a momentous decision, one that could set the course for the remainder of her life.

While the story was beautiful and the characters written so detailed I felt like family, I desired more color, more grandeur for the setting of Stamboul. With her father in the rug business and so much of the story set in such an ethic location, the story has the potential for gorgeous imagery but I was left wanting more. The birds that follow Eleonora, her special flock, were written so eloquently curious so the possibility was there. That was what I desired the remaining aspects of the story to be - just as beautiful and magical.

Contact the author:  http://www.michaeldavidlukas.com/.

Now that you have read my thoughts, check out a few other reviews: 

 

A Book Blogger’s Diary

We Be Reading 

Living Read Girl 

And be on the lookout for these blogger's reviews in the next few days: 

Melody Likes Books

Rayment’s Readings, Rants and Ramblings

Jenny’s Books
 

In My Mailbox - February 13, 2011

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren. It is an opportunity to share any books I have received this week in my mailbox, on my nook or in my hands.

This week was a phenomenal week for my mailbox...I just love opening the mailbox and finding more than bills, don't you?

Books I received that I purchased:

Chains (Seeds of America #1) by Laurie Halse Anderson

The House at Riverton by Kate Morton

(Not pictured - bought e-book for my nook) - Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith by Deborah Heiligman

Books I received that I won:

From Goodreads: The Emperor's Body: A Novel by Peter Brooks

From All About {n} : The Dressmaker by Posie Graeme-Evans

As I said - I was a great week here! I have already read Charles and Emma and loved it!

Review: Ballad: A Gathering of Faerie (Books of Faerie #2) by Maggie Stiefvater

Publisher: Flux
Release Date: October 1, 2009
Format: Paperback
Pages: 352
Source: Received as a gift


From Goodreads: In this mesmerizing sequel to Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception, music prodigy James Morgan and his best friend, Deirdre, join a private conservatory for musicians. James' musical talent attracts Nuala, a soul-snatching faerie muse who fosters and feeds on the creative energies of exceptional humans until they die. Composing beautiful music together unexpectedly leads to mutual admiration and love. Haunted by fiery visions of death, James realizes that Deirdre and Nuala are being hunted by the Fey and plunges into a soul-scorching battle with the Queen of the Fey to save their lives.

My review: ~This will be a short review because I don’t want to spill any series spoilers.~

After the ending of Lament I wasn’t really sure where Ballad was going to go, but the Thornking-Ash Conservatory was not where I expected James and Dee to end up. I loved the addition of narration from James perspective, I would have loved to hear from him in Lament. He is such an interesting character, full of quirks and thoughts that differ from Dee. Speaking of Dee, I missed hearing from her perspective – the short little bursts of her voice were too short and too much happened in between.

Characters are one of the things that Maggie Stiefvater does best and this book was full of new characters. Teachers who flirted with the line between authority figure and confidant, roommates with shared, but unspoken secrets and a plethora of musical obsessions.

Review: Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception (Books of Faerie #1) by Maggie Stiefvater

Publisher: Flux
Release Date: October 1, 2008
Format: Paperback
Pages: 326
Source: Received as a gift

From Goodreads: Sixteen-year-old Deirdre Monaghan is a painfully shy but prodigiously gifted musician. She's about to find out she's also a cloverhand—one who can see faeries. Deirdre finds herself infatuated with a mysterious boy who enters her ordinary suburban life, seemingly out of thin air. Trouble is, the enigmatic and gorgeous Luke turns out to be a gallowglass—a soulless faerie assassin. An equally hunky—and equally dangerous—dark faerie soldier named Aodhan is also stalking Deirdre. Sworn enemies, Luke and Aodhan each have a deadly assignment from the Faerie Queen. Namely, kill Deirdre before her music captures the attention of the Fae and threatens the Queen's sovereignty. Caught in the crossfire with Deirdre is James, her wisecracking but loyal best friend. Deirdre had been wishing her life weren't so dull, but getting trapped in the middle of a centuries-old faerie war isn't exactly what she had in mind . . .

Lament is a dark faerie fantasy that features authentic Celtic faerie lore, plus cover art and interior illustrations by acclaimed faerie artist Julia Jeffrey.

My review: After reading Shiver and Linger last year I quickly added Maggie’s other books to my TBR shelf on Goodreads. Through a fun gift exchange on my online book club, I received Lament and Ballad and put them towards the top of my physical TBR shelf at home. Maybe it was the amazingness of Shiver/Linger that set me up for a let down but I was not as blown away by this series. Now, that isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy the characters or story, just they really are two separate series with very different drama.

I did enjoy the secrecy surrounding the fae and their involvement in Dee’s life. It was very detailed and a creative twist for Dee and her future. The bad-boy story was well-played but I fell for James. His personality was so much more substantial to me than Luke’s. Too much pain and horror lived in Luke’s past and too much of Dee’s life lived in James’ past for me to feel differently.

For me, the world Maggie created in this series just didn't carry the depth I was expecting. The book was lyrical and nicely written, just not blown away amazingly written. 

Tot Tuesday: Fireman by Lizzie McClure

Welcome to Tot Tuesday – a weekly feature where I review and share a children’s book. Children’s books are such a big part of my life now that I want to share them for other parents, grandparents or anyone who buys a child a book with the hope of instilling a lifelong love of reading.

The books I review and share are generally books from my daughter’s bookshelves and her library selections. She generally selects library books by a very technical method of grabbing every book in her reach and shoving them into the bag we bring with us. Thus, each week will be a surprising post.

Fireman by Lizzie McClure - Sammie received this book as a gift in part because my husband, Brett, is a Firefighter/Paramedic. We have a lot of firefighter items and so does Sammie. This book is not only cute because of its shape but great for toddler fingers with thick, foam pages. There is even a female firefighter which is a great for raising children without gender stereotypes.

Review: The Truth about Forever by Sarah Dessen

Publisher: Puffin
Release Date: May 11, 2004
Format: Paperback
Pages: 374
Source: Purchased

From Goodreads: Sixteen-year-old Macy Queen is looking forward to a long, boring summer. Her boyfriend is going away. She's stuck with a dull-as-dishwater job at the library. And she'll spend all of her free time studying for the SATs or grieving silently with her mother over her father's recent unexpected death. But everything changes when Macy is corralled into helping out at one of her mother's open house events, and she meets the chaotic Wish Catering crew. Before long, Macy joins the Wish team. She loves everything about the work and the people. But the best thing about Wish is Wes—artistic, insightful, and understanding Wes—who gets Macy to look at life in a whole new way, and really start living it.

My review: The thing that struck me most about this novel is how real it portrayed the different ways people grieve over the same loss. Each of the three women grieve different manors. Macy’s Mom pours her heart into her work to avoid dealing with the absence her husband; Macy’s sister Caroline was externally emotional after his death and uses renovating the family beach house as therapy, and Macy becomes perfect. She quits running, her own passion, and becomes a master at perfection – she snags the perfect boyfriend, studies for her perfect SAT score and GPA, dresses herself perfectly and has the perfect plan for the future. Yet, even with all of these strides toward perfection, she is just one step short – her heart is still broken.

For all the emphasis on perfection being something that is not real and thus is unobtainable, this novel has a cast of characters that together achieves perfection. Each character, especially those connected to Wish Catering, brought unique traits and life experiences to Macy’s perceived image of life perfection. They showed her that family comes in many shapes and sizes and in many cases it comes with loss. Macy felt so alone in her loss that these characters forced her to realize her isolation was in part, self-induced.

The romance angle of this story was pretty much perfect as well – the classic high school romance with the girl torn between what she should do to and what her heart wants. I have loved each of the Sarah Dessen novels I have read, but this one might be my favorite.

Russian Winter Giveaway Winner

And the winner (chosen via random.org) is...

Shelley!

Congrats Shelley! I hope you enjoy the book!

Review: Annette Vallon: A Novel of the French Revolution by James Tipton

Publisher: Harper Collins
Release Date: November 1, 2007
Format: Paperback
Pages: 481
Source: Purchased


From Goodreads: For fans of Tracy Chevalier and Sarah Dunant comes this vibrant, alluring debut novel of a compelling, independent woman who would inspire one of the world's greatest poets and survive a nation's bloody transformation.

Set amid the terror and excitement of the French Revolution, James Tipton's evocative novel is the story of a woman who has for too long been relegated to the shadows of history: Annette Vallon, William Wordsworth's mistress and muse.

Born into a world of wealth and pleasure, Annette enjoys the privileges of aristocracy, but a burning curiosity and headstrong independence set her apart. Spoiled by the novels of Rousseau, she refuses to be married unless it is for passion. Yet the love she finds with a young English poet will test Annette in unexpected ways, bringing great joy and danger in a time of terror and death.

Told in sparking prose, Annette Vallon captures the courage and fearlessness of a woman whose dramatic story illuminates a turbulent and fascinating era.

My review: My historical fiction kick continues and I found another novel I love! Annette has a life that spans revolutions, war and very little actual peace time causing lifelong struggles and heartbreak. Through all her struggles and the horrors of war and violence she remains a strong-willed person, fighting for innocent people and her family. I found her to be equally strong and emotional.

She leads with her heart, even when it leads her against the government and into rebel status. I loved that she was such a strong woman, leading a life as her own person even amid such obvious scorn and judgment from those in society around her. Love ruled her heart but she had a smart mind that allowed her to think creatively and on the spot. Her personality was feisty - she hunted, rode horses and read books - a far cry from the traditional woman of the time.

The ending was not what I expected but was pleased nonetheless. It was different than the traditional long lost love story but I finished content and happy for Annette. After simmering over my thoughts I think I am pleased with the ending. It seems to fit Annette as a person, rather than having the traditional ending. 


Here is the line in which I fell for Annette, page 48 -

"I reflected, not for the first or last time, that when you are reading, others think they can disturb you because you are not doing anything."

How how true that line still is, at least for my lunch breaks and co-workers.

 

January 2011 Wrap-Up

Surprisingly, my January was pretty high in numbers for books read with a grand total of 13 14! (I forgot to update GR for one book I read!) I didn’t expect it to be this high and puts me ahead of the target 9.25 books to reach 111 this year. I like having a little cushion room this early in the year! :)

One of my own personal goals for 2011 has been to read the to-be-read books I have sitting on my bookshelves, while limiting my book purchases to keep the pile getting smaller and not staying stagnant. I have been doing great with reading what I own, but have struggled with not buying books to replace them – it’s a sickness, really I swear!

How is everyone else doing on the 111 in ’11 challenge? Any struggles or surprises this month?

Tot Tuesday: Buzz, Buzz Baby by Charlotte Stowell

Welcome to Tot Tuesday – a weekly feature where I review and share a children’s book. Children’s books are such a big part of my life now that I want to share them for other parents, grandparents or anyone who buys a child a book with the hope of instilling a lifelong love of reading.

The books I review and share are generally books from my daughter’s bookshelves and her library selections. She generally selects library books by a very technical method of grabbing every book in her reach and shoving them into the bag we bring with us. Thus, each week will be a surprising post.

Buzz, Buzz Baby by Charlotte Stowell - I'm not sure when this book appeared on Sammie's bookshelf but she has loved it since. Each page has a fun noise that describes an item on the next page. We really get into making the sounds so that she laugh's every time we read it. This book also has photos of babies on each page so it is excellent for the toddler age when they are so fascinated by faces.