Challenge: Finish the Series

Liza @ Reading with ABC (who I absolutely adore, and you should, too!) decided to host a challenge this year for people to finish reading a series they started. Could be a past series or one coming to a close in 2013, but the goal is to finish the series.

I'm not a big challenge girl, but as I reflected on the books I want to read, I'm realizing that there are so many series' I have loved closing this year. Lots of trilogies I began when my blog first started in 2011 (some of my first reviews, really) are ending, and I think that deserves some attention. Here are the series I will be finishing this year:

 Unearthly series by Cynthia Hand: #3 Boundless

The Goddess Test series by Aimee Carter: #3 The Goddess Inheritance

Eve series by Ana Carey: #3 Rise

Angelfire series by Courtney Allison Moulton: #2 Wings of the Wicked & #3 Shadows In the Silence

Starcrossed series by Josephine Angelini: #3 Goddess

The Body Finder series by Kimberly Derting: #4 Dead Silence

Across the Universe series by Beth Revis: #2 A Million Suns & #3 Shades of Earth

Divergent series by Veronica Roth: #3 (untitled)

Caster Chronicles series by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl: #2 Beautiful Darkness, #3 Beautiful Chaos, & #4 Beautiful Redemption

13 books ... I think I can manage that!

Review: 34 Pieces of You by Carmen Rodrigues

Title: 34 Pieces of You

Author: Carmen Rodrigues

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Publication Date: 9.04.2012

Pages: 325

Genre: Contemporary

Series: No

Source: Finished copy provided by publisher

Rating: B

Summary (from Goodreads):

There was something about Ellie... Something dangerous. Charismatic. Broken. Jake looked out for her. Sarah followed her lead. And Jess kept her distance, and kept watch.

Now Ellie’s dead, and Jake, Sarah, and Jess are left to pick up the pieces. All they have are 34 clues she left behind. 34 strips of paper hidden in a box beneath her bed. 34 secrets of a brief and painful life.

Jake, Sarah, and Jess all feel responsible for what happened to Ellie, and all three have secrets of their own. As they begin to confront the darkest truths about themselves, they will also find out what Ellie herself had been hiding all along...

Review:

Dark, brooding, and turbulent, 34 Pieces of You is the disturbing tale of a young girl of dies (Ellie) and the three people left behind to piece together what happened, ultimately leading to her death. By the time I was done reading, Carmen Rodrigues had me all twisted up and I wasn’t entirely sure what I thought.

The story is told through 3 alternating points of view, and I have to admit, I wasn’t a fan of this. Sometimes alternating POVs work, but 3 was just a little much, especially when it was done in a way as to piece together past events. It took me about half the book to fall into a rhythm where I wasn’t feeling jarred at the start of a new chapter, which also made it hard to connect with the characters until later in the story.

The main driving point for me was Rodrigues’s writing. There’s something about her style that just grabbed me, and even when I was confused or irritated with the story and/or characters, I kept on going because I just loved the way she hung words together.

Fair warning: This book does deal with suicide, drug use, sex, language, and all those things that come with it. If you are a person who gets offended easily or are a younger reader, I’d hold off a bit. I think that these uses actually enhanced the overall credibility of the story and where Rodrigues was taking things, but I don’t know that I would want a 13-year-old reading this.

I also recommend you make sure you’re in the right mindset for this novel. Sometimes I crave something dark and a bit disturbing. Something to counter the light heart fluff and romance I sometimes find myself surrounded by. For people who like their happy endings with a side of romance, this may not be your pick. But for people who love a shadowy twist to their novel, definitely waste no time grabbing this!

Buy: Amazon | The Book Depository

Guest Post: Elizabeth Percer

Coming of Age

I’ve always been intrigued by the transitional periods in life, and believe that there are more out there than we generally acknowledge. In fact, I think our personalities molt quite a few times during our lifetimes, and not just when we’re acne-plagued, hormonally challenged teenagers. From where I sit, this acne-plagued, hormonally challenged thirty-something, for example, looks to be just about ripe for a good molting.

I think we’re always coming-of-age, always transitioning between the things we’ve learned and done into a place where what we’ve learned and done can become a stepping stone into a new phase of life. I’m not even sure these new phases must be age-related. I hate to think that learning and growing, for example, are things we finish with when we’re no longer “school-aged.” Isn’t school supposed to be a foundation for the rest of your life? Isn’t the rest of your life where the real learning begins?

For me, the coming-of-age period never really ended. I’m always growing in painful and occasionally miraculous fits and starts. In this sense, my novel is autobiographical: college, for me, was not a relief from adolescence, but a headlong nosedive into the deepest young adult drama and identity confusion I had ever experienced. I’m not afraid to say it: I was a heck-of-a-wreck all the way through my teens and into well into my twenties, long after I’d graduated from college and was supposed to have begun what people referred to as an “adult life.” I’m still trying to figure out what that means. But I do know that novels helped me to realize that I was not alone, as they’re so good at doing. Novels have always done such a great job of bringing light into those cobwebby corners of life and showing the truths that exist there, exploding neat categorizations and leaving behind far more nuanced realities.  

After time cushioned the sharper memories of my college years and gave me the opportunity to reflect on them, I realized that I wanted to read – or write – a novel that would be a sort of reverse coming-of-age story, a story about someone whose disassembly -- her return to a more youthful, vulnerable self –helps her reengage with a more vibrant existence. An Uncommon Education was begun with an idea of how naïve we can be to think that college (or anything else) will be the be-all-and-end-all moment in our learning, that flags will wave and banners will be dropped upon our procession through undergraduate life and that our diplomas will be one-way tickets to a fully formed, articulate and profound way of thinking.

Thank goodness it doesn’t work that way, though for many of us, the process of coming to understand that it doesn’t work that way involves more than a few painful wake-up calls. But once we wake up, once we stop holding on to tired old definitions of ourselves or who we think we should be, once we realize that we’re never done, never fully cooked, always malleable and frequently up to no good, that’s when a critical softening starts to happen, when life begins to flow and feed us in glorious and unpredictable ways. So here’s to mess, and a lack of understanding, and many, many more novels that celebrate our comings-of-age however and whenever they happen.  

About the author:

Elizabeth Percer’s poetry has been widely published. She has been twice honored by the Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Foundation and nominated three times for the Pushcart Prize.  She received a B.A. in English from Wellesley, a Ph.D. in arts education from Stanford University, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship for the National Writing Project at Berkeley.  A native of Massachusetts, Percer now lives in California

AN UNCOMMON EDUCATION: A Novel

By Elizabeth Percer

Harper

368 pages/$14.99 Trade Paperback

On Sale: January 8, 2013

ISBN: 9780062110978

Amazon

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Anne Osterlund

So excited to have Anne Osterlund here for the blog tour of Salvation, which comes out January 10, 2013!

Hi Hannah! Thank you for inviting Salva, Beth, and I to your blog to celebrate our new book, Salvation. We most definitely think you have the best blog name on our tour. And I must admit that Salva and Beth have high hopes that there might be banana splits for refreshments.

1.      “Popular guy and bookish girl” themes are fairly popular in movies, tv, and books—what sets Salvation apart from the rest?

Smile. “Popular guy and bookish girl” is marketing speak. Here is my personal pitch:

SALVA (Salvador) RESENDEZ is at god a Liberty High School. Quarterback. ASB President. National Honor Society Member. His Mexican immigrant parents have high expectations, and Salva is prepared to fulfill them—mostly—but what he really wants is to blend in with his friends and enjoy his senior year. A goal bound for destruction when a requirement forces him into AP English with the teacher from hell. And with walking disaster area, BETH COURANT. Who may be his salvation. But what neither Salva nor Beth knows is that the cost of salvation is mortality.

To me, what always makes a story unique are the characters:

Salva likes chocolate ice cream, wears a wristwatch, and spends Tuesday nights at the Laundromat. And he has two little sisters he helps support.

Beth prefers bubblegum ice cream, notices fluffy squirrels, and visits the graveyard. And it burns her to see Salva hover just below spectacular.

I could go on and on; but you’d probably rather meet them yourselves.

2.      What are the best and worst traits of Salva and Beth?

Salva’s best trait—his passion.

Beth’s best trait—her heart.

Salva’s main flaw—he allows his friends to direct his inner compass.

Beth’s main flaw—excessive feelings of inadequacy

3.      Did you always want to be a writer?

Yes. And a teacher, a singer, an actress, a gymnast, a dancer, a figure skater, a trapeze artist, etc.

4.      What books are you most excited about in 2013?

In my immediate reading queue:

Hill 567 and ‘Tis the Season by Zack Emerson (AKA Ellen Emerson White)

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

New & Upcoming Books:

Scent of Magic by Maria V. Snyder

Battle Magic by Tamora Pierce

Fullriders, #1 by Simone Elkeles.

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

It Happened at the Fair by Deeanne Gist

Things I Can’t Forget and Racing Savannah by Miranda Kenneally.

5.      Any resolutions for the New Year?

Finish Redemption. Aurelia, the heroine of Aurelia and Exile, demands that I finish her third and final novel. She’s dying to tell you all about it, but she knows this is Salva and Beth’s moment so she is very patiently—for Aurelia—biting her tongue. Though, as a tradeoff for such good behavior, I did post one blog about Redemption here. (Insert link: http://www.anneosterlund.blogspot.com/2012/12/redemption-aurelia-book-three_23.html)

6.      What are the top 3 perks of being a young adult author?

The exquisite, amazing feeling of knowing a character, discovering a scene, and realizing a full story. Each of my books—Salvation, Academy 7, Aurelia, and Exile—is a unique dream and having the chance to share them is an incredible honor. 

Thanks, Anne!!!

Anne has generously given me a signed ARC (!!!) and some signed swag (!!!) to give to one lucky winner! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

US mailing address only. Winner must be over 13 & will have 48 hours to respond to winning email!

Review: Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Opal

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Publication Date: 12.11.2012

Pages: 382

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Series: Yes (Lux #3)

Source: Purchased finished copy

Rating: A+

Summary (from Goodreads):

No one is like Daemon Black.

When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around. Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well... There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on.

But even he can’t protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love.

After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different... And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable of. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.

Together we’re stronger... and they know it.

Review:

It is no secret that I am a huge Jennifer Armentrout fan. Since reading her debut novel a few years (!) ago, I have avidly and anxiously read everything else she has penned, but the Lux series is by far my favorite. Opal is the third in this fantastical series, and while it seems like a lot of series have a multitude of high and low points, the Lux series just keeps steadily climbing. Each book ratchets up the intensity levels, the romance (sweet baby Moses, the romance), and the overall fun factor.

Katy and Daemon are phenomenal as a couple and as individuals, but I really feel like Opal is where their relationship is cemented. It’s where the most growth occurs. While the two are as adorably snarky as ever, there is a new level of maturity achieved here. They listen to one another and you can see the bond they share becoming firmer and stronger with each chapter.

The supporting cast really feels like it’s being fleshed out, too. I loved the interactions between the rest of the Luxen—from Ash and Dee’s growing friendship, to Andrew becoming a more prominent and vocal member, and Dawson … Watching Dawson come back around and start living again was wonderful. With each addition to the series I feel like these characters dig a little further into my heart.

Except Blake. He needs to go.

Sometimes writing raving reviews is so hard. I feel like there are only so many times I can say “fantastic” or “awesome” in a review, and those words are so weak to convey the wealth of emotion I feel when I read a seriously great novel. But that is exactly how Opal makes me feel—this jittery warmth that both relaxes me and keeps me on edge. I love sinking into the Lux world and I can’t wait to return.

Buy: Amazon | The Book Depository

Review: Salvation by Anne Osterlund

Title: Salvation

Author: Anne Osterlund

Publisher: Penguin Young Readers

Publication Date: 1.10.2013

Pages: 288

Genre: Contemporary

Series: No

Source: ARC from author

Rating: B+

Summary (from Goodreads):

Salvador Resendez--Salva to his friends--appears to have it all. His Mexican immigrant family has high expectations, and Salva intends to fulfill them. He's student body president, quarterback of the football team, and has a near-perfect GPA. Everyone loves him.

Especially Beth Courant, AKA the walking disaster area. Dreamy and shy, Beth is used to blending into the background. But she's also smart, and she has serious plans for her future.

Popular guy and bookish girl--the two have almost nothing in common. Until fate throws them together and the attraction is irresistible. Soon Beth is pushing Salva to set his sights higher than ever--because she knows he has more to offer, more than even he realizes.

Then tragedy strikes--and threatens to destroy everything that Salva has worked for. Will Beth's love be enough to save him?

Review:

I have been so excited about reading Salvation by Anne Osterlund for months! I was so thankful to have gotten this copy to review. I’m a sucker for unlikely romances, and this novel fit the bill nicely.

Honestly, I had somewhat of a hard time connecting with the characters. Maybe too much happened in a short amount of time. It also seemed like there were chunks of time missing in the story—it skipped ahead frequently by a couple of weeks or months. I really feel like if more had been fleshed out by another hundred pages or so to show what happened during that time, I would have been able to get a better handle on Salva and Beth and their romance.

I did enjoy Beth, though, and her love of literature is something I think we can all identify with. I also was proud of the way she pushed Salva not to settle for anything less than the best. Yes, this girl was a disorganized mess (much like me in high school), but she was passionate about her beliefs and was a loyal friend.

I also loved the emphasis of Salva’s heritage that Osterlund infused into the story. The snippets of Spanish (and Spanglish) made me smile. Maybe because I have a fairly good handle on the language, but I love reading it in novels. Also the family dynamic in the Resendez family fascinated me—seeing how Salva’s dad pushed their children to be educated and the emphasis he put on that to the devoutly Catholic mindset not just in the Resendez clan, but in their community was enlightening.

Salvation is a fast, sweet read. I finished it in a few hours on a lazy Sunday morning. It’s definitely worth reading and checking out!

Buy: Amazon | The Book Depository

End of the Year Book Survey: 2012 Edition

Hosted by Jamie at The Perpetual Page Turner, this is a silly little survey she created to highlight what I read and did in 2012 on the blog.

Best In Books 2012

1. Best Book You Read In 2012? (You can break it down by genre if you want)

I'm going to stick the young adult genre, but break it down a bit:

Contemporary: Want to Go Private? by Sarah Darer Littman

Dystopian: The Selection by Kiera Cass

Historical: Venom by Fiona Paul

Paranormal: Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock

Romance: My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

Fantasy: Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson was my biggest let down in 2012. I was so set to love this book, and I knew by the time I was 1/3 I disliked it. I’m a huge Peter Pan fan, so it kind broke my heart I didn’t love this book.

 3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2012? 

Huntley Fitzpatrick’s My Life Next Door. It blew me away with how genuine and heartfelt it was.

 4. Book you recommended to people most in 2012?

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout. This was one of those books I was raving about online and in my personal life. I considered buying a second copy because I worried mine would get messed up from being passed around so much.

 5. Best series you discovered in 2012?

The Maximum Ride series by James Patterson. I had never read them before this year when a publisher approached me about reviewing them (which I still need to do—crap!). I was surprised by how much I enjoyed them.

 6. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2012?

Huntley Fitzpatrick, Katie McGarry, Morgan Rhodes, Kasie West, and  Julie Kagawa (I never read the Iron Fey series, so my first Kagawa novel was The Immortal Rules).

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes pushed me a bit. I had never been big into fantasy because, to be honest, it overwhelmed me. Rhodes created a story I reveled in.

 8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2012?

Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock. I was shocked when I started reading this book and finished it four hours later. I skipped dinner for this book.

 9. Book You Read In 2012 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year:

Spellbound and Spellcaster by Cara Lynn Shultz. I love, love, love these books.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2012?

Defiance by C.J. Redwine

11. Most memorable character in 2012? 

Rachel in Defiance.

 12. Most beautifully written book read in 2012?

Speechless by Hannah Harrington slayed me in the best way possible.

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2012? 

Want to Go Private? by Sarah Darer Littman. The book deals with a girl who gets lured in by an internet predator and goes missing. Very powerful and very relevant.

 14. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.) Be careful of spoilers!

The end of Everneath by Brodi Ashton. I was freaking out. That, and the end of Aimee Carter’s Goddess Interrupted. Both are cliffhanger endings that had me screaming.

15. Favorite Relationship From A Book You Read In 2012 (be it romantic, friendship, etc).

Tie between Daemon and Katy in the Lux series and Brendan and Emma in the Spellbound series.

16. Favorite Book You Read in 2012 From An Author You Read Previously

Spellcaster by Cara Lynn Shultz (sequel to 2011’s Spellbound)

17. Best Book You Read That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else:

Valkyrie Rising by Ingrid Paulson. Jenny @ Supernatural Snark RAVED about it, so I had to try it. So glad I did. I love that book!

 Book Blogging/Reading Life in 2012

1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2012? 

SupernaturalSnark, Bella’s Shelf, The Sisters’ Tale, A Backwards Story, and Lili’sReflections

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2012? 

Um … I don’t think I have one. I the one I debated the most over posting was my review of Poison Princess by Kresley Cole since I didn’t finish the book.

3. Best discussion you had on your blog?

Probably the BEA one last month … I’m excited, and so I love that other people are excited.

4. Most thought-provoking review or discussion you read on somebody else’s blog?

I think there were a lot of discussions that swept across the blogs like wildfire:

                -ARCgate

                -Plagiarism

                -BEA Debacle of 2012

5. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)?

Definitely BookExpo America 2012. It was so amazing. I met a few people I had only known via the internet, met a ton of authors, got some amazing books and swag, and decided I would going back in 2013.

6. Best moment of book blogging in 2012?

Attending BEA and getting to meet everyone! I can’t wait to go back in 2013. I think this time I’ll be more relaxed and able to enjoy things a lot more.

Baltimore Book Festival

7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?

Not counting blog tours and giveaways, the most viewed post was the Baltimore Book Festival Recap. Wow. Really? Huh.

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

I started a new thing this month called Bananas for Books—a monthly spotlight on books coming out the following month I want. Despite its lack of love, I enjoyed it and think I’ll keep it up.

9. Best bookish discovery (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?

Edelweiss!

10.  Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?

I kinda of hosted a mini Hurricane Sandy challenge, but we lost power and then there was the clean up and real life and I never followed up on it. Whoops.

Looking Ahead…

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2012 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2013?

Alice In Zombieland by Gena Showalter

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2013?

Ugh, if I can only pick one … Rebel Spring by Morgan Rhodes. Now that I got a taste of this world in Falling Kingdoms, I am DYING for more.

3. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging In 2013?

Keep better track of my reviews. I got waaaaaaaay behind on them and am still playing catch up. I read like 20 books and never reviewed them this summer.

Stacking the Shelves #7

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. This a new way to showcase all the books currently weighing down my shelves. 

Woohoo! Last one of the year and it includes a lot of Christmas books and review copies and a vlog!

For Review:

Flowers in the Sky by Lynn Joseph

Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza

Impostor by Jill Hathaway

Spellcaster by Claudia Gray

Crash and Burn by Michael Hassan

Uses For Boys by Erica Lorraine Scheidt

Bought:

Stork by Wendy Delsol

Frost by Wendy Delsol

Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

Mystic City by Theo Lawrence

Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter

Hidden by Sophie Jordan

Once by Ana Carey

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

**Many thanks to HarperCollins, HarperTeen, and St. Martin's Griffin for the review copies.**

Leave me a link in your comments so I can swing by your blog and see what you got this week, too!

Review: Venom by Fiona Paul

Title: Venom

Author: Fiona Paul

Publisher: Philomel

Publication Date: 10.30.2012

Pages: 432

Genre: Paranormal, Historical

Series: Yes (Secrets of the Eternal Rose #1)

Source: ARC from BEA

Rating: B+

Summary (from Goodreads):

Cassandra Caravello is one of Renaissance Venice’s lucky elite: with elegant gowns, sparkling jewels, her own lady’s maid, and a wealthy fiancé, she has everything a girl could desire. Yet ever since her parents’ death, Cassandra has felt trapped, alone in a city of water, where the dark and labyrinthine canals whisper of escape.

When Cass stumbles upon a murdered woman—practically in her own backyard—she’s drawn into a dangerous world of courtesans, killers, and secret societies. Soon, she finds herself falling for Falco, a mysterious artist with a mischievous grin... and a spectacular skill for trouble. Can Cassandra find the murderer, before he finds her? And will she stay true to her fiancé, or succumb to her uncontrollable feelings for Falco?

Review:

Delicious, decadent, and alluring, Venom is a thrilling, sweeping novel that takes you deep into the heart of Venice. Fiona Paul’s debut is a pulse-pounding success with mysterious characters and settings that entice and enthrall.

Cass is a complex character. She has the spirit of a twenty-first century girl while living in the constraints of the Renaissance time. Her role was defined by her station, her arranged marriage, and her family. I loved that Cass didn’t simply rebel against her title and the life that had predetermined for her. Yes, she disliked it and went against the social norms, but she also felt fear and guilt when she did it. She second guessed herself frequently, and that helped ground her character to me.

Falco was a bit more of a hard sell for me. There was something about him I could never fully trust and therefore never really accept. That made his romance with Cass a little hard to take. Falco seemed a little too slick and confidant, and while I understand the need for secrecy now, I couldn’t help but feel a little put off by him.

It took me a bit longer to read Venom than I would have liked, but I likened it to eating a triple-layer, death-by-chocolate cake. It’s too rich to down in one sitting. I had to let things digest and settle before going back for more. Paul does a spectacular job setting the scene and making me feel like I was walking along the roads of Venice from the smells to the feel of the cobblestone beneath my feet. Reading Venom is an experience, not just a ride. I can’t wait to see where Paul takes this story next.

Buy: Amazon | The Book Depository