Recent Read: Sisters Red by @JacksonPearce

Book: Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

Book Count: 31

Scarlett March lives to hunt the Fenris-- the werewolves that took her eye when she was defending her sister Rosie from a brutal attack. Armed with a razor-sharp hatchet and blood-red cloak, Scarlett is an expert at luring and slaying the wolves. She's determined to protect other young girls from a grisly death, and her raging heart will not rest until every single wolf is dead. 
Rosie March once felt her bond with her sister was unbreakable. Owing Scarlett her life, Rosie hunts fiercely alongside her. Now Rosie dreams of a life beyond the wolves and finds herself drawn to Silas, a young woodsman who is deadly with an ax-- but loving him means betraying her sister and has the potential to destroy all they've worked for.

Sort of like Little Red Riding Hood, if she was a pissed off kick-ass wolf-slayer as opposed to the little girl with cakes and cookies in her basket for Grandma. The story is wonderfully real with that edge of a fairytale that makes one wonder if some fairytales maybe really are real. Told in alternating POV, Scarlett’s anger as she grips to past events and Rosie’s guilt over considering a future different from her sister’s create amazing tension and emotion. I read this one in a day. Well, a night really, seeing as I started it just after the kidlets went to sleep and I couldn’t put it down. Totally worth the night of lost sleep!

Recent Read: White Cat (Curse Workers, #1) by @hollyblack

Book: White Cat (Curse Workers, Book 1) by Holly Black

Book Count: 30

Cassel comes from a family of curse workers -- people who have the power to change your emotions, your memories, your luck, by the slightest touch of their hands. And since curse work is illegal, they're all mobsters, or con artists. Except for Cassel. He hasn't got the magic touch, so he's an outsider, the straight kid in a crooked family. You just have to ignore one small detail -- he killed his best friend, Lila, three years ago.

Ever since, Cassel has carefully built up a façade of normalcy, blending into the crowd. But his façade starts crumbling when he starts sleepwalking, propelled into the night by terrifying dreams about a white cat that wants to tell him something. He's noticing other disturbing things, too, including the strange behavior of his two brothers. They are keeping secrets from him. As Cassel begins to suspect he's part of a huge con game, he also wonders what really happened to Lila. Could she still be alive? To find that out, Cassel will have to out-con the conmen.

I couldn’t put this book down. Holly Black sucks you in from the first page and just keeps you going through the end of the story. Between the amazing world-building that at one point made me stop and wonder if this stuff maybe is really going on in the shady parts of Jersey, and the raw emotion Cassel feels about his family, questioning his trust in them and where his loyalties should lie. Fantastical stuff here, kids!

Can’t wait for Red Glove (Curse Workers, Book 2)

Recent Read: The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

Book: The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

Book Count: 29

Seventeen-year-old Lennie Walker, bookworm and band geek, plays second clarinet and spends her time tucked safely and happily in the shadow of her fiery older sister, Bailey. But when Bailey dies suddenly, Lennie is on center stage of her own life—and, despite her nonexistent history with boys, suddenly finds herself struggling to balance two. 

Toby was Bailey’s boyfriend; his grief mirrors Lennie’s own. Joe is the new boy in 
town, a transplant from Paris (France) whose nearly magical grin is matched only by his musical talent. For Lennie, they’re the sun and the moon; one boy takes her out of her sorrow, the other comforts her in it. But just like their celestial counterparts, they can’t collide without the whole wide world exploding. 

Wow. This book = amazing. Lennie is going through a really difficult time, it’s only been a month since her sister passed, and everything around her is changing so quickly, she can barely keep up. While she tries to maintain some semblance of her former life, she can’t help being caught up in her emotions and it was amazing to be there and feel those emotions with her. Throw in some teenage hormones and there was just the right balance of humor and grief and accepting the turbulent road it is when you’re just trying to figure out who you are.

Recent Read: After the Kiss by Terra Elan McVoy

Book: After the Kiss by Terra Elan McVoy

Book Count: 28

Becca has been head-over-heels for Alec from the instant they met. He's a brainy jock with a poet's heart—in other words, perfect for her. Camille is careful with her words and protective of her heart, especially since Chicago. Then a new boy in her new town catches her off guard with a surprise kiss. Too bad that new boy is Becca's boyfriend, Alec.


Camille and Becca have never met, but their lives will unravel and intertwine in surprising ways as they deal with what happens after the kiss.

Told in alternating points of view, it took me a while to get into this book. Once I got past some of the formatting issues*, I found a story of learning and growth. As for Alec, well he’s not in the story much as a primary character, more as simply the catalyst that changes everyone’s lives with his one unthinking and disrespectful action. Through it, though, Camille and Becca get the opportunity to discover more about themselves and overall, it was a good story.

*Camille’s story is formatted in an almost text-messagey sort of way. Little white space separating big chunks of all lowercase text. No paragraph breaks or anything. It was just hard to read. I found myself having to read and re-read her pages if I looked away. Was a little irking at times. Have learned, I’m a fan of the white space on a page.

Swimming in Books

I've been terribly remiss. (Wow, I sound so adult-ish and proper there!)

During the last few weeks I've read. A lot. Anywhere. Everywhere, I've always got a book on me. And while I've done some minor starring on my GoodReads page, but otherwise, I haven't posted a Recent Reads for quite some time. So . . . you'll be getting some catch up posts over the next few days.

There are some new and amazing books out there and I didn't want to miss the chance to share them with you! Oh, and thanks to all this fantastic reading I've been able to get through, I'm well toward my reading goal for the year!

Recent Reads: Shipbreaker, Tell Me A Secret, Gigi Lane

Book: Shipbreaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

Book Count: 25

Ship Breakers are basically contract workers whose sole job it is to tear apart the wreckage of old tankers that have washed ashore in a dystopian society. Nailer works on a salvage crew, stripping valuable metals from the ships that have washed ashore, but he dreams of riding away from his day-to-day life, fighting to survive, on one of the richmen's clippers. Maybe someday having one of his own. When a terrible storm wrecks a clipper in a hidden cove, Nailer meets Lucky Girl and gets a chance to walk away from his hard life. But can he trust her with his life? I don't read a lot of dystopian books, so I'm no expert by any means, but I will say this: I was sucked into this story from the first chapter. There were so many difficult choices that had to be made in this story, it was gutwrenching at times, but a great read.

Book: Tell Me A Secret by Holly Cupala
Book Count: 26

Since Miranda's sister, Xanda, died, she's done everything her parents asked her to. Even though, they've kept everything about her sister's death from her. But now she's on the cusp of her dreams, with a boy she loves, the dream school where she wants to go to college all spread out in front of her. She can walk away from all the secrets. Until two little pink lines show up on a pregnancy test. Another AMAZING contemporary fiction story. Wow, I loved it. Have to be honest though ... I cried. It was so good.

Book: The Exile of Gigi Lane by Adrienne Maria Vrettos

Book Count: 27

Gigi Lane is the heir apparent to the most popular clique in school. Her entire junior year she's been running errands and doing the dirty work for the Head Hottie and the rest of the Hot Spot, Swan's Lake School for Girls' most prominent clique. But when Gigi has a meltdown right before taking her place as Head Hottie of Swan's Lake, it takes an exile of the harshest course for her to see the light. This book was like The Skulls crossed with Mean Girls who have hearts of gold. Great for laughs, light enough to get through quick, but still with enough depth to make you think.

Happy Reading!

Recent Reads: Linger

Book: Linger by Maggie Stiefvater (July 2010)
Book Count: 24

Have you read Shiver? If you haven't you NEED to. Not sure if you want to? Check out my Recent Reads post on Shiver. Linger is the 2nd book in the Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy and WOW. It's amazing! It's a continuation of Shiver, and it's hard to give a thorough review of anything without spoilers. All I'll say is this: There are so many twists and turns, I couldn't put it down. I read the whole book in a day (much like with Shiver) and personally, I actually thought the story moved faster, which I think is different from the way a lot of other trilogies, where the 2nd book drags. Nope. Not here. I still like Grace, I love Sam even more and I actually found something redeeming in Isabel. I had a few, "oh, she's not just a mean girl, she might actually have a heart," moments!

Now I have to wait FOREVER for, well, FOREVER, the final book in the trilogy. Suck. The waiting, I mean, not the books. :)

Spread the Awesome with Elizabeth Scott Sprinkles!

I'm back! And since you guys were so patient while I was gone, I decided we needed to start things off with some fun: First some awesome spreading, then a CONTEST!

Thanks to Elana Johnson for pulling together this blogfest of Awesome Fun, with over 60 wirters talking about their favorite books! I ended up not being able to choose just one book, but several by the amazing Elizabeth Scott.

Elizabeth writes YA because, in her words, "Being a teenager is both the most amazing and most frightening thing--there's so much going on . . . it can be really exciting, but it's also a lot to deal with!" With that in mind, she's said she could never see herself writing anything else! Thank goodness for us!

And thanks to Elizabeth's generosity, I have 10 . . . that's right TEN of her books, signed and ready to giveaway! Keep reading for the deets.

The Unwritten Rule
Sarah's liked Ryan since forever, it seems. Sarah's best friend Brianna is all things Sarah thinks she's not: beautiful, perky, popular, oh, and Ryan's girlfriend. But one night changes everything and when the truth comes out, it shines a light on more than Sarah expected. A great story putting friendship and loyalty into perspective.

Living Dead Girl
Ray kidnapped Alice several years ago, holding her captive as his little girl. But Alice is swiftly growing up and out of the little girl shell Ray has tried to keep her in. All she wants is to go home. Dealing with a heavy topic and at times disturbing, this is a beautiful and haunting story of love and human nature.

Something, Maybe
Hannah's parents take the cake on the embarrassment scale: her mom's a sometimes employed former TV starlet running a website in her underwear; her dad's rich, old and manipulative, always surrounded with plastic surgery enhanced women for his reality show. When Hannah's finally noticed by her longtime crush, it turns out being in love with someone and being in love with the idea of them are very different. Hilarious, emotional and so real!

Stealing Heaven
Danielle's spent most of her life as her mother's right hand in the family business: silver theft. When her mom cases out the small town of Heaven for their next heist, Danielle expects it to be like any other job. But heaven turns out to be completely different from any place Danielle's ever known and for the first time, she finds herself questioning if the life she lives is the life she wants. A great story about understanding, love and loyalty, another amazing read!

You can check out more about Elizabeth and her awesome books on her website, follow her on Twitter, or Fan her on FB!

Still with me? Okay, now for the Contest-o'-Awesome!

For your chance to win a signed copy of one of the books shown above, all you have to do, is enter! (And have a shipping address in the United States - sorry to international peeps.) The contest will be open from right this second through 12:00 PM on Sunday, May 9. I'll announce all winners in a week!

How do you enter, you ask?

• Comment on this post (otherwise, how will I know you want to be entered? Lol!)

And, for some extra entries, let me know if you're

• Already a follower +2
• A new follower +1
• Following me on Twitter (@windyaphayrath) +1
• Tweet / Blog the contest +1
• Friend me on Facebook +1

Email me at windy (dot) aphayrath (at) gmail (dot) com if you've got questions, and good luck!

If you want to find out about another great book, check out Paul Greci's blog about Carol Lynch Williams' The Chosen One. Or you can check out the entire list of Awesome books you should add to your TBR piles on Elana's blog.

Happy Reading!

Recent Reads: "Resting" = Reading

We interrupt this time of unplugginess because, well, it's my blog and I can (Lol!) and to share with you a few recent reads because, let's face it, I don't know how to just "rest." (Sorry for the uber-long post.)

Book: The Beautiful Between by Alyssa B. Sheinmel (May 2010)

Count: 20

Genre: YA Contemp Fiction

Connelly Sternin likens her life to a fairytale – with a widowed mother and living in a high-rise apartment, she’s Rapunzel, trapped in a tower by the evilness that is SATs and college applications. But when Jeremy Cole, who she’d deem to be the Crown Prince, sits down beside her at lunch one day, everything she thought she understood about her kingdom begins to unravel. Jeremy knows Connelly’s secret, but before too long, he confides in her one of his own. As their friendship grows, the weight of the truth grows heavy, but the honesty in their story, and their friendship (because that’s all it is) definitely clings on.

 

Book: As Simple As It Seems by Sarah Weeks (June 2010) - Cover not yet available.

Count: 21

Genre: MG Contemp Fiction

I’d like to premise this with “I thought it was YA” then I started reading and discovered the MC was in the 5th grade. Uh, ok so not so much on the YA thing. So I was a little worried I couldn’t give a fair opinion, but you know what? I totally forgot about this being MG as I got into the story. It was really good. Verbena Colter is a girl who knows she’s bad. She knows she’s trouble and she’s just learned that her parents have kept the reasons why from her since she was a baby. She wishes she were someone else, and when she meets Pooch, a boy visiting for the summer, Verbie takes the opportunity to be someone else. A cute story about self-discovery and seeing things from someone else’s perspective.

Book: Winter Longing by Tricia Mills (August 2010)

Count: 22

Genre: YA Contemp Fiction

Winter’s been in love with Spencer just about her entire life. The day after she fesses up, and he admits his mutual feelings, Spencer’s killed in a terrible accident, leaving Winter longing for what could’ve been. Wow. That’s all I have to say. This book was emotional and raw and real and A. MAY. ZING! I loved it. Learning to live without someone you love is something everyone goes through in some way, shape or form, but this story adds in so much of what might’ve been, but also reminds you not to forget that life is still filled with what could bes.

Book: The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May & June by Robin Benway (August 2010)

Count: 23

Genre: YA Paranormal Fiction

Three sisters (Yes, they would be the April, May and June in the title) are now part of the statistic: their parents just got divorced. When they move to a new place with their mom, they suddenly discover that maybe they’re more different than the thought. April begins seeing visions of the future. May can disappear, literally. And June can read everyone’s minds. Told from alternating perspectives, this was a great story of sibling relationships while navigating through high school and learning that being different can also mean being extraordinary.

So I'm off to do some more "resting." Hoping to be back soon!

Happy Reading!!

Recent Reads: Greenhouses, Dreamcatchers and High School Hierarchy

Book: The Line by Terri Hall
Book Count: 15
Genre: YA Dystopian
Rachel grew up living next to the Line, the US government installed fence that separates the good, law abiding citizens of the US with those from Away. But when she discovers a recording that seems to have drifted through the impenetrable Line, pleading for help, she knows she can't turn her back. Disclaimer: I don't usually read this genre. I really liked the premise and the overall story arc and that was what drew me in. Now, there was a fair bit of headhopping - at one point I counted five different perspectives I was getting, and it grew confusing, but once I got past that, I actually wanted more. I wished the book was longer and let me spend a bit more time with the different characters.

Book: Gone (book 3 in Wake trilogy) by Lisa McMann
Book Count: 16
Genre: YA Paranormal
Okay, who doesn't love themselves a little bit of Cabel Strumheller? Now that we've got that out of the way ... so this is the last book following Janie, who's a dreamcatcher, stepping into people's dreams when they happen to fall asleep when she's nearby. After all the events that happened in the Fade (book 2), Janie's just looking for some time to relax. But when she gets an emergency call, her entire life changes. Janie meets the mystery man from her mother's dreams and she ends up with a choice to make. It's nice to read the finale in a trilogy that gives you enough closure to nod and smile, but still makes you wonder of the possiblities that lay ahead for those characters. My only complaint? Not enough Cabel, duh. ;)

Book: Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers
Book Count: 17
Genre: YA Contemporary
This book was like the Mean Girls movie. But meaner. When something horrific happens at a party and someone twists the truth, Regina suddenly finds herself frozen out from the Fearsome Five, the most popular--and powerful--girls in school. Now facing a student body she once helped torment, Regina's fending for herself, accused of betraying her friends, realizing the destruction she's wreaked as part of the Fearsome Five, and, for the first time in her life, understanding her own true fears. Dark and emotional, it was a little reminder that two wrongs don't make a right. Ten wrongs don't either, even if getting even makes you feel better.

Recent Reads: Musicals, Rules and the Gardiner Girls

Book: When Mike Kissed Emma by Christine Marciniak

Book Count:12
Genre: YA Contemp

Emma has it all: cool friends, a boyfriend that all the girls lust over, and plans to play Liesl in her school's rendition of The Sound of Music. But when Emma lands the role of Maria, beating out her best friend, and is cast opposite Biker Mike, the motorcycle riding, leather jacket wearing, long-haired school's misfit, it all goes downhill fast. Especially when she realizes that Mike may not be the misfit everyone thinks he is. A quick read and a great story about not judging a book - or a person - by their cover, because you may just be surprised about the depths that lay beneath. It was one of those books that made me go, awww, how sweet. :)

Book: The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott

Book Count: 13
Genre: YA Contemp

If you know me at all, you know I <3 Elizabeth Scott. She rocks it out like nobody's business. And this is just one more of her fab books. Sarah's liked Ryan since, well, forever it seems. Sarah's best friend Brianna is all things Sarah thinks she's not. Beautiful, perky and popular, oh, and she's also Ryan's girlfriend. But one night changes all of that. When the truth comes out, it shines a light on far more than Sarah expected. Sometimes rules are meant to be broken, even the unwritten ones. A far lighter topic than her recent works, but still true to life.

Book: For Keeps by Natasha Friend

Book Count: 14

Genre: YA Contemp

Okay, so this is the book that to me, was Gilmore Girls, in book form, if, you know, Rory was a jock and Lorelei managed a bookstore instead of an inn. Josie Gardiner and her mom Kate have always just been the Gardiner girls. To Josie, Paul Tucci - her biological father - is nothing more than the guy who happened to knock her mom up when they were in high school, righ before moving across the country and dropping off the face of the planet. And then there's Matt Riggs, the cute guy on the soccer team who she had an *ahem* encounter with last New Year's Eve and seven months later, is Josie's first boyfriend. But when Paul Tucci suddenly reappears, all the events of 16 years ago rain back down on her mother and in turn, shift everything in Josie's life, including her relationship with Matt. This book kept me up all night laughing out loud! Natasha Friend did an amazing job creating real people who say and do quirky things that are so true to life you can't help but find the hilarity in it! I adored this book!

Recent Reads: Radiant Shadows

Book: Radiant Shadows (Wicked Lovely #4) by Melissa Marr (April 2010)
Book Count: 11
Genre: YA Paranormal

If you haven't already read any of Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely books, check out my Recent Read's post on the first 3. I have to say, though, once you've gotten into those first couple of books, it's amazing how sucked into this world you get. The narrators have changed in each story and it makes the world more complete, because you see this same place through so many different perspectives.

Ani's a halfling, daughter of the Dark Court's Gabriel and a mortal, but she's not like her halfling brother and sister, Rabbit and Tish. She knew she was different long before the others figured it out. But what Ani doesn't know is her connection to Devlin, the High Court's assassin and the brother to both Reason and War. When Ani and Devlin cross paths again, Ani finds that Devlin's the only one who can help her, if she'll only let him.


Another amazing story from Ms. Marr! Ani's not a monarch, she's not even a fey. But she's now forced to live among the fey because of how special she really is, she has to find her place among them, or she has to make one. And that's one of those things that everyone faces.

Loved this book, just like the others. And for those with a Seth Morgan crush (like me ;D) he's totally in this book!

'Fessing Up

... Home again, home again, jiggity-jig. I can't remember what nursery rhyme that's from, but yay! I'm home again after 4 days back east.

I know I've posted a whole bunch of Recent Reads in the last few weeks, but I have a confession: I have a book on my to-read pile that I'm scared to read. In fact, I'm sitting in my office, writing this blog post and the book is right there, looking back at me. Mocking me. No, not the cute Sarah Dessen cover ... I probably should've rearranged the books before I took this pic ...

Anyway - look at that skull on there. He's totally laughing at me.

You see, I'm a scaredy cat. I don't watch horror movies - well, not ones with ghosts in them. Or zombies, though surprisingly I was mostly okay with the Resident Evil series, but otherwise, yeah, ghosts freak the crap out of me. I mean, I have to sleep with the lights on, TV turned up to drown out creepy noises, kids in bed with me kind of freaked out.

I know.

I'm a wuss.

I've renewed the book twice already and still can't bring myself to read it. But I really want to. Good Lord, I'm lame.

So, uh, yeah. What scares the pants off of you?

Recent Reads: Secrets and Fate

Book: The Secret Year
Count: 9
Genre: YA Contemp
Colt and Julia have been seeing each other for a year and no one knows. Not their families, not their friends. And especially not Julia's boyfriend. But when Julia dies suddenly, her journal ends up in Colt's hands and he begins to learn who Julia really was. Unable to really mourn for her since their relationship was a secret, Colt relives their year together in the months following her death and before long he realizes he can't live his life through a notebook. Engaging. Compelling. Amazing. I started this book and completely lost myself in it. Go read it.

Book: Something Like Fate by Susane Colasanti (May 2010)

Count: 10

Genre: YA Contemp

Lani and Erin are best friends. Jason is Erin's boyfriend, but from the day they meet, Lani knows she feels something for Jason. Something she shouldn't be feeling. It doesn't take long for Lani to know that Jason feels it too. When Erin leaves for summer camp - for 2 months! - Lani does all she can to keep her feelings inside, but when she suddenly has a chance to be with Jason, she's not sure what to do. Sometimes Fate's already decided what's going to happen, no matter the fall out. I really liked this book for one big reason: the entire story was more true to real life than I expected. There's not a simple answer to everything and resolutions don't always come easily.

Recent Reads: Bikes, Beaches / Ghosts and Guilt

In case you haven't been able to tell, I've been reading. Like a maniac! It's awesome. I'm in that lull right now after just finishing what I think are some major revisions and then starting a new project. Plus, I've had the opportunity to read some ARCs and omg. There are some amazing books coming out this year!! That doesn't mean there were not fantastic books that have already come out though.

Book: Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

Count: 7
Genre: YA Contemp
Auden doesn't sleep at night. At least not since her parents split up, but she's adapted, focusing on not making waves and achieving academically. Now, the summer before she starts college is here and she's spending it in a tiny beach town with her father, his new wife and their new baby. Very quickly Auden ends up with a job at her stepmom's trendy boutique that introduces her to a world of girlyness she's never known. And then there's Eli, a former star on the bike circuit who can't seem to sleep at night either. A lot can happen between sunset and sunrise. Anything can happen. So, Sarah Dessen's totally one of my heroes. If you didn't already know, I'm a serious fan. This is another one of hers to add to my fave list.

Book: The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove by Lauren Kate
Count: 8
Genre: YA Contemp
Natalie Hargrove will be Palmetto Princess. She'll do anything to get the title and truly leave her wrong side of the tracks past behind her for good. But when a prank to secure the title goes horrifically wrong, the guilt starts to gnaw away at her. Ghosts from her pasts suddenly appear and now she has to decide if being royal is really worth all the regret. This is a far different story from Lauren Kate's Fallen. The way the summary was written made me think it was a paranormal. It's not. It was still a good book though.

Recent Reads: Stories and Sirens

Book: Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr
Count: 5
Genre: YA Contemporary
Deanna Lambert's life is defined by a single event: getting caught in the backseat of a car with a boy by her father. Two years later, all the stories of that night still float around her, leaving her to decide if she's going to continue to let that night haunt her forever or if she's going to rise above it. Fantastically told, the story seems simple on the surface, but there are so many underlying emotions. Sara Zarr's amazing.



Book: Siren by Tricia Rayburn (out June 2010)

Count: 6

Genre: YA Paranormal
Vanessa Sands is afraid of everything. The complete opposite of her fearless older sister, Justine. After a late night cliffdive, Justine's body washes ashore the next morning and Vanessa's fear struggles with her attempts to find closure after her sister's death. As more and more victims, are pulled from the sea, Vanessa and her childhood friend Simon begin to find these are not freak accidents. Something is calling to these people, inviting them into the water. This was one of those stories that continued to haunt me long after I finished reading it. Loved it!

Drawing the Line at Brevity

I don't actually think I'm a brief person, I like my wordages - my first finished manuscripted clocked in at about 136,000 words. Yeah, that's right. I like them words. So when I had a few comments yesterday on my Recent Reads post commend me on the length, or lack thereof, I thought I'd take a moment to discuss the whole post length thing.

As I've stated before, I have self-diagnosed A.D.D. That and I also recognize that people have way more stuff to read than just my blog, despite how randomly entertaining I may be at times. Just kidding, random yeah, entertaining - that remains to be seen.

With the start of the year, I've been working on keeping my posts brief and hopefully insightful/useful/entertaining/etc. It's like a query, right? That single-page pitch of your (in some cases) entire life's work that is the difference between a yes or a no. Make it count.
Are there things you've made more brief or streamlined in order to make more efficient, for you as well as others?

Recent Reads: Angels, Haikus, Knights and Manicures

Sorry for the uber-long post. I'm catching up on my Recent Reads posts. I didn't put in much of reviews here, but check out my GoodReads page if you're interested in my thoughts!

Book: Fallen by Lauren Kate
Count: 1
Genre: YA Paranormal
The title should've told me what was up, but the cover was what got me. Beautiful! Luce Price has been medicated through much of her life to regulate her visions of shadows. Finally, a book where the MC is seeing weird things and there's some parental action being taken (even if it is medication). Another fallen angel(s) story, but this one has enough of a twist to make it different.

Book: The Complete History of Why I Hate Her by Jennifer Richard Jacobson
Count: 2
Genre: YA Contemp
The title initially made me chuckle, thinking it was one of those snarky, teenage things. But that's not what it is at all. The book follows Nola on a quest to find herself. Interspersed with the Haiku-speak she shares with her terminally-ill sister, the premise of the story was good, but it felt like there were too many subplots that never really developed into anything and there wasn't enough life to the secondary characters. It was a short read, and I liked the story, but I just wanted more.

Book: Shadow by Jenny Moss
Count: 3
Genre: YA Fantasy (? Not sure what to classify this one as)
A bit of a coming of age story, Shadow is an orphan who's lived with Queen Audrey since it was prophesized the queen would die by her 16th birthday. A bit fairytale-ish, but the telling of the story is not. Told from Shadow's perspective, her pain is felt, as is her joy in the simple things. I was a little thrown by the twist towards the end, the fantasy aspect of it, but overall, it was a good read.

Book: Magic Hands by Jennifer Laurens
Count: 4
Genre: YA Contemp
After reading the book, I looked at the cover and I don't think that is the right image for the story inside. Cort is a popular jock at Pleasant View High School who's so desperate for a job he starts working at the new nail salon in town and gets a whole new perspective on the cattiness of girls and how a little bit of gossip can go a long way. I liked the story of this book, but the writing style was a bit confusing at times. It's written in third person, but there's head jumping with no clear line when we're jumping between Cort and Rachel, the female MC. I got confused a few times and had to go back and reread to make sure I knew who was thinking what.

To Read

Or The Growing Mountain of Books on My Bedside Table that I WILL Read Before I Die.

Last year, about mid-March I decided I was going to read 100 books in 2009. In August, I re-vamped my goal a bit, seeing as I was already 1/4 into the year when I decided on this goal. So new, calendar adjusted goal: 75.

As of my last Recent Reads post, I made it to 34. That is so far short, I am embarrassed to admit it. Luckily, I know you guys are awesome and won't ridicule me. At least not too much.

I thought about why I didn't reach my goal. And not to make excuses, but I just think I wasn't being realistic. Firstly, TIME -- I hadn't counted on how much the day job and a home remodeling (still in progress, btw) would take over my life. Secondly, I reached a point where there was just nothing new I was dying to read.

I don't know about you, but for me, but I have to be in the mood to read certain books. But the mood never struck. So I read, but mostly just old books I'd finished eons ago, which I had defined as books that didn't count toward my 100, er, 75 goal.

So now, I've decided on a more practical goal. Based on what I accomplished last year in 3/4 of the year, I think it would be safe to say 50 is a good goal for me.

It helps that there are a few books I'm eagerly awaiting that come out this year, as well as the fact I've jumped on to participating in some ARC tours!

What about you guys? Aside from the writing goals, do you have reading goals too? Any books you're eagerly awaiting this year?

Have a great weekend and happy reading!

Recent Reads: Angels, Demons and Clues ... on a Wednesday

Book: Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Book Count: 32

Nora's new lab partner has the hots for her. Either that or he's a psycho who is stalking her and plotting her death. But Patch is way more than he seems and Nora quickly learns that he may be the only one she can trust. Even if he's fallen from grace.

The only thing I dislike about this? It's the first of a series. I was oh-so trying to not start any new series because I get all anxious about when the next one's coming out.

Book: Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott

Book Count: 33

This is the story of Alice. Ray kidnapped Alice several years ago and is now holding her captive. At 15, Alice is swiftly growing up and out of the little girl shell Ray has tried to keep her in for all these years.

Be forewarned, this book covers a heavy topic and at times (most of the time) is pretty disturbing. But it is a beautifully told story from Alice's perspective. It is a story of survival and love and human nature, the good side and the bad.

If you didn't already know, I am a HUGE Elizabeth Scott fan. I've read almost every single one of her books and have loved all of them. This one included.

Book: Paper Towns by John Green

Book Count: 34

Margo is the girl Quentin's been in love with since they were little kids. As they grow up, they grow apart: he becomes a school band groupie (because his 2 best friends are in the band) and she becomes the girl he'll never get. When Margo suddenly disappears after having spent the night before with Q, exacting revenge, Q begins to question who Margo really was.

Seriously I was laughing out loud. And books like that are always fantastical. Just sayin.