Friday, March 7, 2014

Preach, YA authors, Preach.

Some inspiration for big thoughts on your Friday. The Problem is Not the Books, Saundra Mitchell, shared by John Green - enjoy the weekend! 
"The problem that needs to be fixed is not kick all the girls out of YA, it’s teach boys that stories featuring female protagonists or written by female authors also apply to them. Boys fall in love. Boys want to be important. Boys have hopes and fears and dreams and ambitions. What boys also have is a sexist society in which they are belittled for “liking girl stuff.” Male is neutral, female is specific.
I heard someone mention that Sarah Rees Brennan’s THE DEMON’S LEXICON would be great for boys, but they’d never read it with that cover. Friends, then the problem is NOT with the book. It’s with the society that’s raising that boy. It’s with the community who inculcated that boy with the idea that he can’t read a book with an attractive guy on the cover.
Here’s how we solve the OMG SO MANY GIRLS IN YA problem: quit treating women like secondary appendages. Quit treating women’s art like it’s a niche, novelty creation only for girls. Quit teaching boys to fear the feminine, quit insisting that it’s a hardship for men to have to relate to anything that doesn’t specifically cater to them.
Because if I can watch Raiders of the Lost Ark and want to grow up to be an archaeologist, there’s no reason at all that a boy shouldn’t be able to read THE DEMON’S LEXICON with its cover on. My friends, sexism doesn’t just hurt women, and our young men’s abysmal rate of attraction to literacy is the proof of it.
If you want to fix the male literary crisis, here’s your solution: Become a feminist."
 Via John Green
The Problem is Not the Books, Saundra Mitchell (via silverstags
(via lez-brarian)
(via hollyblack)
Source: becketted 

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Reading Updates: Revisiting Old Favorites

              
Long time, no book blogging! I am have sadly too busy too read fiction or write reviews these last two months. In the meantime I learned this: finishing your PhD is A LOT OF WORK.  (I guess I should have seen that one coming.) Lately all I have had time for is a couple hours revisiting old books. I don't have the time to get involved in a new story, but stopping off in an old one has been a nice relief! Anyone else out there ever do this?


This week I read some of The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman.  (Oh man, the feels at the end of this book. Sniff sniff)!!

I also read part of Pegasus in Flight and Pegasus in Space.  Which reminded me --Anne McCaffrey is just the best. I didn't know what I needed was a good dose of Sc Fi but it was gggrrrreeaaat.  I hope to get back to new books and more fun reading soon! 

Monday, March 3, 2014

Review: Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick

I was VERY excited to read this, and MAN it was incredible!

Seven stories of passion and love separated by centuries but mysteriously intertwined—this is a tale of horror and beauty, tenderness and sacrifice.

An archaeologist who unearths a mysterious artifact, an airman who finds himself far from home, a painter, a ghost, a vampire, and a Viking: the seven stories in this compelling novel all take place on the remote Scandinavian island of Blessed where a curiously powerful plant that resembles a dragon grows. What binds these stories together? What secrets lurk beneath the surface of this idyllic countryside? And what might be powerful enough to break the cycle of midwinterblood? From award-winning author Marcus Sedgwick comes a book about passion and preservation and ultimately an exploration of the bounds of love.


I LOVED THIS BOOK.  It was so unique, so well written and it just grabbed you. I have never read anything of Sedgwick before but he is now on my radar:


Originality: 9.  I am a hater of short stories, but love  a good companion novel- this book combines there two elements into 7 stories which move backwards in time revealing more and more as we travel backwards.  Intrigue abounds.


Absurdity: 2.  Read that first sentence again in the book description: An archaeologist who unearths a mysterious artifact, an airman who finds himself far from home, a painter, a ghost, a vampire, and a Viking", a little absurd, yes, but the way the author writes the stories they flow together in a way I never could have imagined!


Level of Paranormal Romance: 8.  This is a story about love across time and form.  


Level of Harry Potter-ness.  10.  This was a fabulous short book. compelling, different, and just plain great.  As NP so nicely put it:

Seven intense story lines stretch from the near future to the distant past, together forming a labyrinthine story of love, sacrifice and blood. Over and over again, a cast of vampires, Vikings and high priests encounter one another in various forms — with dire consequences for both their past and future incarnations. via
This book highly deserves the Printz honor and I hope that you all go out there and enjoy a copy yourself!

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Review Redux: Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore

Grad Student review this A YEAR AGO.  Bitterblue is the third book in the Graceling Series, following Graceling and Fire. Slow to the plate over here:

Eight years after Graceling, Bitterblue is now queen of Monsea. But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisors, who have run things since Leck died, believe in a forward-thinking plan: Pardon all who committed terrible acts under Leck's reign, and forget anything bad ever happened. But when Bitterblue begins sneaking outside the castle--disguised and alone--to walk the streets of her own city, she starts realizing that the kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year spell of a madman, and the only way to move forward is to revisit the past.

Two thieves, who only steal what has already been stolen, change her life forever. They hold a key to the truth of Leck's reign. And one of them, with an extreme skill called a Grace that he hasn't yet identified, holds a key to her heart (GoodReads)


See Grad Student's full review here,   and our previous reviews of Book 1, Graceling here, and here.  We also loved Book 2,Fire, reviewed here.  Are you sensing the theme?


My Review Redux:  This book is great! It has all the classic elements of a fantasy story without (too many) eye rolls or ridiculously complex and twisted plots. I loved the characters, especially Po and Kasta,  and Saf, the complexity and how the story carried over from Graceling and Fire.


This series is a real gem, if you too haven't read it yet, what ARE you waiting for!?  Slow claps to Cashore for a very compelling series.




Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Top Ten Tuesday: Feb 25th- REWIND: Top Ten Books That Will Make You Swoon

On this TTT rewind, we are jumping back to the Top Ten Books That Will Make You Swoon from February 4th.  [NOTE MINI DIVERGENT SPOILER AHEAD.  You have been warned.]


1. Perchance to Dream.  Ariel, Swoonmaster! Team Ariel over here, as well documented.
via

2. Divergent Series- The love and loss was just so so sad.  I believe the whole internet agrees.

3. Will and Jem from the Infernal Devices series.  Just hunky hunks doing their thing and killing bad guys.

4. Archer from Fire


5. Gale, especially from the movie cause he is just undeniably a hunk.


6.  The Raven Boys- ALL OF THEM, in their own ways. 


Cheers to the Broke and Bookish for hosting as always!  What's on your list?

Friday, February 21, 2014

Review: The Kingdom of Little Wounds by Susan Cokal

The Kingdom of Little Wounds was a 2013 runner Printz Award honors recipient and I was excited to get a copy.

A young seamstress and a royal nursemaid find themselves at the center of an epic power struggle in this stunning young-adult debut.

On the eve of Princess Sophia’s wedding, the Scandinavian city of Skyggehavn prepares to fete the occasion with a sumptuous display of riches: brocade and satin and jewels, feasts of sugar fruit and sweet spiced wine. Yet beneath the veneer of celebration, a shiver of darkness creeps through the palace halls. A mysterious illness plagues the royal family, threatening the lives of the throne’s heirs, and a courtier’s wolfish hunger for the king’s favors sets a devious plot in motion.

Here in the palace at Skyggehavn, things are seldom as they seem — and when a single errant prick of a needle sets off a series of events that will alter the course of history, the fates of seamstress Ava Bingen and mute nursemaid Midi Sorte become irrevocably intertwined with that of mad Queen Isabel. As they navigate a tangled web of palace intrigue, power-lust, and deception, Ava and Midi must carve out their own survival any way they can.


Can we just say, this is BORDERLINE YA.  I am going to say not YA at all, like maybe not for middle schoolers, or even high schoolers??  Mildly disturbing, violence against women, and general grossness of historical fiction.

Originality: 9.  Super unique setting, story telling characters, and never-ending twists of power in a historical kingdom.    Even the format of the book was unique, with section page designs, red page edges, and fairy tale interludes.

Absurdity: 10.  Really nutty over all.  Kinda like Survivor meets Historical Fiction in a race for power.  Am I making it clear how crazy I thought this book was?

Level of Paranormal Romance:  NA.   There is very little love, or even friendship in this story.  Poor Ava, it is just not going to happen, life is hard.

Level of Harry-Potterness: 7.  Overall, this book was just DIFFERENT.  I cant say that I liked the characters, or the story, but I COULD NOT STOP.  At times grossed out, but still unable to put it down and compelled to finish.  I guess that is one way to identify a good story, eh?    

If you are looking for a detailed, compelling story that is gothic and dark, go for it.  You will not be dissapointed.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday: Into the Still Blue (Under the Never Sky #3) by Veronica Rossi


Ooo, here it comes!! The final story by Rossi in the Under the Never Sky trilogy:

Their love and their leadership have been tested. Now it's time for Perry and Aria to unite the Dwellers and the Outsiders in one last desperate attempt to bring balance to their world.

The race to the Still Blue has reached a stalemate. Aria and Perry are determined to find this last safe-haven from the Aether storms before Sable and Hess do-and they are just as determined to stay together.

Meanwhile, time is running out to rescue Cinder, who was abducted by Hess and Sable for his unique abilities. And when Roar returns to camp, he is so furious with Perry that he won't even look at him, and Perry begins to feel like they have already lost.

Out of options, Perry and Aria assemble a team to mount an impossible rescue mission-because Cinder isn't just the key to unlocking the Still Blue and their only hope for survival, he's also their friend. And in a dying world, the bonds between people are what matter most.

In this final book in her stunning Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi raises the stakes to their absolute limit and brings her epic love story to an unforgettable close.

This came out in January... anyone grab it yet!? LET US KNOW!

A cheers of our whiskey sour to Breaking the Spine for Hosting WoW, dedicated to upcoming releases we can't wait to read. What are you waiting on?

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Stacking the Shelves: the best of YA

Stacking the Shelves... a day late....This is my first Stacking the Shelves! Gasp!  But too good to hold back on the 2014 Printz Award winners: "The Michael L. Printz Award is an award for a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature."

Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick (2014 Prinz Winner)



Seven stories of passion and love separated by centuries but mysteriously intertwined—this is a tale of horror and beauty, tenderness and sacrifice.

An archaeologist who unearths a mysterious artifact, an airman who finds himself far from home, a painter, a ghost, a vampire, and a Viking: the seven stories in this compelling novel all take place on the remote Scandinavian island of Blessed where a curiously powerful plant that resembles a dragon grows. What binds these stories together? What secrets lurk beneath the surface of this idyllic countryside? And what might be powerful enough to break the cycle of midwinterblood? From award-winning author Marcus Sedgwick comes a book about passion and preservation and ultimately an exploration of the bounds of love.



The Kingdom of Little Wounds by Susann Cokal (2014 Printz Honors) 
A young seamstress and a royal nursemaid find themselves at the center of an epic power struggle in this stunning young-adult debut.

On the eve of Princess Sophia’s wedding, the Scandinavian city of Skyggehavn prepares to fete the occasion with a sumptuous display of riches: brocade and satin and jewels, feasts of sugar fruit and sweet spiced wine. Yet beneath the veneer of celebration, a shiver of darkness creeps through the palace halls. A mysterious illness plagues the royal family, threatening the lives of the throne’s heirs, and a courtier’s wolfish hunger for the king’s favors sets a devious plot in motion.

Here in the palace at Skyggehavn, things are seldom as they seem — and when a single errant prick of a needle sets off a series of events that will alter the course of history, the fates of seamstress Ava Bingen and mute nursemaid Midi Sorte become irrevocably intertwined with that of mad Queen Isabel. As they navigate a tangled web of palace intrigue, power-lust, and deception, Ava and Midi must carve out their own survival any way they can.


What's new to your shelf this morning? As always, a big cheers to Tygna's Reviews for hosting Stacking the Shelves- happy weekend!

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday: Cress (Lunar Chronicles #3) by Marissa Meyer

Book 3 is coming: (!!!!)

Rapunzel’s tower is a satellite. She can’t let down her hair—or her guard. 

In this third book in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army. 

Their best hope lies with Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker—unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice. 


When a daring rescue goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing stop her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only ones who can.


Loved Scarlet, Loved Cinder. Can't wait!

What made your Waiting on Wednesday this week? As always, cheers to Jill at Breaking the Spine for hosting WoW.

Monday, February 10, 2014

Review: The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson


A heart-stopping story of love, death, technology, and art set amid the tropics of a futuristic Brazil. 

The lush city of Palmares Três shimmers with tech and tradition, with screaming gossip casters and practiced politicians. In the midst of this vibrant metropolis, June Costa creates art that’s sure to make her legendary. But her dreams of fame become something more when she meets Enki, the bold new Summer King. The whole city falls in love with him (including June’s best friend, Gil). But June sees more to Enki than amber eyes and a lethal samba. She sees a fellow artist.

Together, June and Enki will stage explosive, dramatic projects that Palmares Três will never forget. They will add fuel to a growing rebellion against the government’s strict limits on new tech. And June will fall deeply, unfortunately in love with Enki. Because like all Summer Kings before him, Enki is destined to die.

Recommended by the NPR Book Concierge, this fell into the YA and Science Fiction and Fantasy Categories... with that cover.. I t was hard to say no, especially in light of NPR's review "Samba, Spiderbots and 'Summer' Love in Far-Future Brazil": 

"And how deliciously unusual to read a YA dystopia that's comfortable with ambiguity and nuance. This is a book that doesn't condescend."

Originality10.  So unique, from the social class, to the characters and the story telling. 

Absurdity: 2.  For some reason this never felt absurd, the story was so well told and smooth, no clunky plot twists and mostly relatable teen-age angst.

Level of Paranormal Romance: 9.  The love of the summer king drives this story. June's love, Gil's love, and the city's love.  It is steamy and unconventional and perfect for the story. Best of all- there is not fated-insta love.

Level of Harry-Potter-ness:  8.  This was a complex story that zipped right along, and while there are many futuristic distopias out there, Palmares Tres felt believable and otherworldly.  Read this book, you will not be dissapointed! Definately a caliber above many of the YA books out there.

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday: The One (The Selection #3) by Kiera Cass

I cannot BELIEVE I am posting this.  Does anyone remember my earlier binge on the first two books in this series? "Basically Hunger Games meets the Bachlorette."  

I am almost embarrassed but god damn I want to know who he picks. And the covers, still beautiful.


The Selection changed the lives of thirty-five girls forever. And now, the time has come for one winner to be chosen.


America never dreamed she would find herself anywhere close to the crown—or to Prince Maxon's heart. But as the competition approaches its end and the threats outside the palace walls grow more vicious, America realizes just how much she stands to lose—and how hard she'll have to fight for the future she wants.


From the very first page of The Selection, this #1 New York Times bestselling series has captured readers' hearts and swept them away on a captivating journey... Now, in The One, Kiera Cass delivers a satisfying and unforgettable conclusion that will keep readers sighing over this electrifying fairy-tale long after the final page is turned.


Publication- May 6th, 2014


What made your Waiting on Wednesday this week? As always, cheers to Jill at Breaking the Spine for hosting WoW.

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Books That Will Make You Cry

This week's Top Ten Tuesday: Books That Will Make You Cry.  Other then sad country songs and commercials for the Olympics that show parents of Olympians, books top the list of tear-inducing material.


1. The Fault in Our Stars.  Does this even need explanation?  The movie is also going to wreck us I am sure, the trailer did....

2. The Book Thief.  Again, a given.

3.  Harry Potter Book 8.  Not only an end of an era, but the ends of our character's lives were not all butter rum and quidditch practice.

4.  Allegient.  Tears for Four always.

5. Similarly, tears for Gale in Mockingjay

6. Just One Day- GS's review is coming and it made her sad. (ADDENDUM: it made her happy said, she reports, but tears nonetheless)

7. Code Name Verity.  I cried so hard at the end of the book, which was terrible because I was on the metro on the way to work....

8. Jellico Road.  (and here, we really loved this) We have gone on about those one before, but the relationships just hurt in a real way.

Cheers to the Broke and Bookish for hosting as always!  What's on your list?

Monday, February 3, 2014

Review: Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin ( Masque of the Red Death #1)


Everything is in ruins.
A devastating plague has decimated the population, and those who are left live in fear of catching it as the city crumbles around them.
So what does Araby Worth have to live for?
Nights in the Debauchery Club, beautiful dresses, glittery makeup . . . and tantalizing ways to forget it all.
But in the depths of the club, in the depths of her own despair, Araby will find more than oblivion. She will find Will, the terribly handsome proprietor of the club, and Elliott, the wickedly smart aristocrat. Neither is what he seems. Both have secrets. Everyone does.
And Araby may find not just something to live for, but something to fight for, no matter what it costs her.

GS read and reviewed this what seems like forever ago, and over Christmas I read this story in about two days. No great literature here, but lots of tattered corsets and steamy looks from boys. This is a Poe/Steampunk mashup, and what the heck, why NOT.

Originality. 9. Plague, corsets, disparity of wealth/class struggles and love.  

Absurdity. 10- I agree with GS about the eye rolling at the goth/punk ripped Victorian dresses  and glittery eye shadow.  This with the dead brother and Prince story line?  Sheesh, a lot is happening here.  Nevermind the dangling above the croc scene!

Level of Paranormal Romance: 7.  Totally disagreed with GF- there is a lot of love for Will over here.

Level of Harry Potterness- 4- I like to set reasonable expectations, in my books, boyfriend, and new years resolutions.   Just for with it for the story, the originality, and the boys.   I am 87% going to continue with the next book in the series!

Saturday, January 25, 2014

Stacking the Shelves: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

We Were LiarsIts been a while, but I finally have a great Stacking the Shelves! This week I got an ARC of  We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. Its not due out until May, but people, I have read the first 15 pages and its pretty fabulous. Its romantic and moody and slightly dark. I think its going to be a rocking book!


A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.
 
We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from National Book Award finalist and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart. 

Read it.
And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE (GoodReads).


This reminds me of the The Romantics by - did you ever read it? Its a movie, too:



What's new to your shelf this morning? As always, a big cheers to Tygna's Reviews for hosting Stacking the Shelves- happy weekend!

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Review: Allegiant, by Veronica Rother (Divergent Series # 3)


Greatly Anticipated! Much loved series (cough cough Four Forever).  I was EXCITED to get my hands on this after months of library lists!

The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories. 

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love. 

Told from a riveting dual perspective, Allegiant, by #1 New York Times best-selling author Veronica Roth, brings the Divergent series to a powerful conclusion while revealing the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.


Originality:  6.  For the last in the series, we made big jumps to the world outside the fence, though I kinda just wish we had stayed inside.


Absurdity: 8.  LOTS of revolutionary ideas here, LOTS of them, some of which were highly absurd, and brainwashy.  Why did the peoples from inside the fence ever fall for the GP/GD schpeal?  Four, you are better then that!  I just found that hard to believe, which had cascading effects for the storyline.


Level of Paranormal Romance:  9.  O Tris and Four, your love and bickering in the middle of a revolution was an uphill battle, but I felt pretty swoony towards Four the whole time.  


"I fell in love with him. But I don't just stay with him by default as if there's no one else available to me. I stay with him because I choose to, every day that I wake up, every day that we fight or lie to each other or disappoint each other. I choose him over and over again, and he chooses me.” 


Staying spoiler free, but this book knocked me on my heels and left me with a lot of emotions.


Level of Harry-Potterness: 6.  I really loved Divergent, and happily plowed through Insurgent.  Allegiant was not the same, and I think it took on too much outside the fence and never had enough time to build the plot, but just raced through with character choices that just weren't thought out or explained.   I think I will stay back in book one, with the training, the meeting of Four, and the learning of the world that was Divergent.

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday: The Wicked We Have Done

The Wicked We Have Done (Chaos Theory, #1)Evalyn Ibarra never expected to be an accused killer and experimental prison test subject. A year ago, she was a normal college student. Now she’s been sentenced to a month in the compass room—an advanced prison obstacle course designed by the government to execute justice.

If she survives, the world will know she’s innocent.

Locked up with nine notorious and potentially psychotic criminals, Evalyn must fight the prison and dismantle her past to stay alive. But the system prized for accuracy appears to be killing at random.

She doesn’t plan on making friends.

She doesn’t plan on falling in love, either (GoodReads).
Due out in mid-March, The Wicked We Have Done by Sarah Harian has a cool cover, a sci-fi + prison break feel., Plus romance? Okay, I won't say no! I hope its a fun read 

What made your Waiting on Wednesday this week? As always, cheers to Jill at Breaking the Spine for hosting WoW.

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Review: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare is the first book in the Infernal Devices trilogy, which recently wrapped up. Aka- the perfect thing to binge on! Who doesn't love to read a series that is already done. It encourages late night reading sprees and even later-in-the-same-night digital purchases of the next book in line.
Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices, #1)In a time when Shadowhunters are barely winning the fight against the forces of darkness, one battle will change the course of history forever. Welcome to the Infernal Devices trilogy, a stunning and dangerous prequel to the New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments series.

The year is 1878. Tessa Gray descends into London’s dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters—including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them.... (GoodReads)




Clare's books suck you in. The writing is easy, the plot flies forward, and stories unfold in a short period of time. 

Originality: 4 Steampunk!  automatons and corsets, and some eye-roll inducing posturing, when convenient for swoon, of victorian mores. Girls who don't now who they are, why they are valuable, why they are the key to saving the world, and unaware of their beauty. Overall, we have seen this all before.

Absurdity: 9!!! Steampunk = absurd to me. I can't help it!

CC: Lots of eyerolls for the references by Tessa to what heroines in books do... blargh.  How can this be the same girl who quotes Dickens/Shakespeare?


Level of Paranormal Romance: 7.  Will and Jem, you will realize by the end of page 4, are going to be two points of a love triangle. One is good, one is a badboy. Both are handsome (because, obviously), mysterious, and best friends. But guess what? I expect most readers are ok with it,  because woooooowwweeee these two are equally, if differently, smoldering.

CC- did anyone else think Will was VERY similar to Jace with his moody/brooding/charming self?  Cant say he wasnt swoony just like, pull it together man.

Level of Harry Potterness: 2. I am not reading these books for their literally effects, but for fun. 

CC- agree with GS.  For sure, it was an easy read, and you kinda know plot twists are coming when the characters think they have solved the puzzle halfway through the book- if there wasn't a twist, what happens in the next hundred pages?  

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Tournament of Books X

As I try to read more smart books, per my 2013 New Years Resolution that has received an extension for 2014,  the Morning News is stepping it up and offering me some great choices!



"In case you’re new to all this, the ToB is an annual springtime event here at TheMorning News, where a group of the best works of fiction from last year enter a March Madness-style battle royale.

 In March, these novels will be seeded and paired off in an NCAA Tournament-like bracket. For each pairing, one of our esteemed judges will read both novels and advance one, with a transparent explanation of how they made their decision. Along the way, our ToB Chairmen, authors Kevin Guilfoile and John Warner, will weigh in with commentary, and you, the readers, will add your own.

 Eventually, only two books will remain, to be judged by our entire panel, and one will be crowned the Rooster of 2014."
 via

Here they come in all their glory- if you need a book to read that is somewhat above the normal insta-love werewolf/angel romance, this is a good place to start!


Finalists for the 2014 Tournament of Books

Pre-Tournament Playoff Round