It's Monday! What are you Reading?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading This Week? This is a weekly event to list the books completed last week, the books currently being reading, and the books to be finish this week. It was created by J.Kaye’s Book Blog, but is now being hosted by Sheila from One Person’s Journey Through a World of Books so stop by and join in!

Read Last Week:

Melody Burning by Whitney Strieber

A Beautiful Dark by Jocyln Davies

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions

Currently Reading:

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

Books I hope to start this week:

The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton

Happy Halloween!

Best of luck at candy getting, children scaring, and zombie slaying!

Spooktacular Giveaway Winner!

Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner!

And the winner for a signed copy of Forever by Maggie Stiefvater is...

Lexie @ Book Bug

The winner will receive a email from me shortly. Thanks to all 389 of you who entered, and I wish I could give you each something. Keep checking back for more awesome things to win, and most of all...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions

Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions edited by Melissa Marr and Kelley Armstong

Summary:A journey may take hundreds of miles, or it may cover the distance between duty and desire.

Sixteen of today’s hottest writers of paranormal tales weave stories on a common theme of journeying. Authors such as Kelley Armstrong, Rachel Caine, and Melissa Marr return to the beloved worlds of their bestselling series, while others, like Claudia Gray, Kami Garcia, and Margaret Stohl, create new land-scapes and characters. But whether they’re writing about vampires, faeries, angels, or other magical beings, each author explores the strength and resilience of the human heart.

Suspenseful, funny, or romantic, the stories in Enthralled will leave you moved.

My review: I'm going to do a run-down of each story, here it goes!

Giovanni's Farewell by Claudia Gray: I really liked this one. It set a good tone to the story. You didn't really know what was going to happen. This one was tragic and beautiful. I loved it!

Scenic Route by Carrie Ryan: This one had a lot of thrilling action that I enjoyed but the plot line was so hard to follow! I liked it, but it was too big of a world to be introduced in 28 page story.

Red Run by Kami Garcia: This one was probably my favorite in the anthology. Wait, no, it was my hand down favorite story in the anthology. The ghosts were so cool and the suspense was killing, I'd love for a full-length version!

Things About Love by Jackson Pierce: I haven't read As You Wish which is the full-length novel this story takes place in. That being said, I still really liked it and it made me want to pick up As You Wish.

Neverwald by Rachel Vincent: This takes place in the world of Vincent's series, The Soul Screamers. This one didn't really have spoilers, but I just didn't like it and it was hard to understand. I didn't get this one, at all.

Merely Mortal by Melissa Marr: This one had some spoilers for those who haven't read the full-length novel. I really enjoyed this story! It was easy to following, a

nd the plot developed quickly without getting confused. I was very impressed!

Facing Facts by Kelley Armstong: I skipped this one, because I haven't read the novel it spawned from and I heard it had such big spoilers. If I ever get around the reading the novel, I'll come back to this story.

Let's Get this Undead Show on the Road by Sarah Rees Brennan: This one was fun and was actually pretty profound. Loved it!

Bridge by Jeri Smith-Ready: This one was written in verse and I quite enjoyed it! It was tragic and sad but very uplifting at the same time. Is that an oxymoron?

Skin Contact by Kimberly Derting: I skipped this one too.

Leaving by Ally Condie: Ally Condie's name was the reason I bought this book! Her story was my 2nd favorite. It was a dystopian, and I liked it a lot! I'd love a full-length version!

At the Lat Night, Double Feature, Picture Show by Jessica Verday: This was the funniest in the anthology. Verday blended suspense and humor perfectly.

IV League by Margaret Stohl: I didn't quite get this one, it was hard to follow.

Gargouille by Mary E. Pearson: This one was haunting and sad. And depressing. Perfect for Halloween!

The Third Kind by Jennifer Lynn Barnes: I liked it, I didn't love it, but the world was cool and the adventure was awesome! Great plot!

Automatic by Rachel Caine: I laughed so hard at this one! Canned Blood? LOL. Loved this one a ton!

Enthralled was a great Halloween read!

4.5/5

Cover Comments: I liked the red and white. Looks just like something out of the Blair Witch Project!

Source: Bought from Amazon.

This book counts in the following challenges:

Paranormal October Reading Challenge: 5

111 in 2011: 91

Interview with Kendare Blake

Today I'm pleased to welcome Kendare Blake author of Anna Dressed in Blood (my review), just in time for Halloween! Let's get started!

Hi Kendare, thanks for stopping by!

Kendare Blake: Thanks for having me, Benji!

Besides Anna Dressed in Blood, what do you recommend to readers this Halloween?

Kendare Blake: I recommend some old school Stephen King. Like Pet Sematary. Or IT. I recommend some new school Joe Hill, like Heart Shaped Box. I recommend some of Holly Black's short stories. I recommend The Near Witch, by Victoria Schwab.

Do you have any spooky experience to share?

Kendare Blake: I wish. Nothing cool ever happens to me. However, there may be a ghost hunt in the works for me. I recently heard about a Ouija board experience involving the victim of a 19th Century fire. I think I might go check it out.

What did you think when you saw that cover?

Kendare Blake: I thought....HOLY CRAP! And then I thought other things. More coherent things. Like how much I liked Anna's dress. And how delightfully ominous the house looked. And the longer I stared, the more I noticed. The cover grew through a few versions, so it was fun to watch it evolve. When the blood showed up on her legs, and the veins popped in at her shoulder, I was a happy, happy person.

Would you be generous enough to tell us something about the sequel, Girl of Nightmares (please keep it spoiler free for those who haven't read Anna)?

Kendare Blake: Something about the sequel. Hm. Expect to see a host of familiar characters. And to learn more about Gideon Palmer.

Describe Anna Dressed in Blood in three words

Kendare Blake: Murderous Ghost Convention.

Boom! You can suddenly have one monster from the classic monster movies come in and join the party in Anna Dressed in Blood, who would it be and why?

Kendare Blake: Frankenstein's monster. And not Robert De Niro. The green guy with the bolts. Preferably he would be Phil Hartman and only say "fire bad". Because I feel like he'd be a good pal to have. And if you'd just be nice to him, and lay off the fire, he'd be pretty useful.

If Anna was in one of the different houses in Harry Potter, which one would she be in?

Kendare Blake: When she was alive? Or now? Alive, I'd say...Ravenclaw. She was pretty disciplined and sharp. Now? Well, now she wouldn't be in a house at all. She'd be the thing guarding the Sorcerer's Stone.

Thanks for chatting with us Kendare! And for giving us such a great spooky read! I'm anxious for more!

Kendare Blake: So glad you liked it, Benji! Thank you for having me by the blog. Maybe I can stop by again for GIRL OF NIGHTMARES next year. Happy Halloween, everyone! Get thee into a costume!

Author Bio:I tire of writing these things in the third person. So. I write fiction, apparently mostly YA. I didn't know this, but like Stephen King says, writers are the last ones to know what it is they've written. My first novel,Sleepwalk Society is the story of four college age friends coming of age post 9/11, stumbling through friendships and love, trying desperately not to screw themselves over. My next two, Anna Dressed in Blood and Girl of Nightmares are teen horror. My short fiction can be found online in numerous places.

But enough about that. When I am not writing or reading, you can generally find me sitting around wondering what the hell I'm going to do with my life. That, or being a gastronome, plotting a new recipe. Perhaps on a run or hike, playing tennis or watching Big Cat Diaries with my feline. This summer I have saved a total of three turtles during attempted road crossings.

In my Mailbox (25) HALLOWEEN EDITION

In my Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

For Review:

In Leah's Wake by Terri Giulliano Long (signed)

Supernaturally by Kiersten White

Between by Jessica Warman

The Book of Wonders by Jasmine Richards

Bought:

Dear Bully: 70 Authors Tell Their Stories edited by Megan Kelley Hall and Carrie Jones

Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon

Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions edited by Melissa Marr and Kelley Armstrong

The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton

What are you dressing up as? What did you get this week?

Melody Burning (ARC)

Melody Burning by Whitney Strieber

Summary: Beresford doesn’t remember much about his past or how he came to live in the chutes and crawl spaces of the posh high-rise that shares his name. But when rock star and teen sensation Melody McGrath moves to an apartment on the fiftieth floor, he knows he has to be near her. Although she doesn’t realize it, Melody is threatened by more dangerous forces than her manipulative stage mom and the pressures of life in the spotlight. The owner of the glamorous building has been hiding a fatal secret within its walls, and Beresford puts all his plans at risk. Will Beresford and Melody be able to escape with their lives (and love) intact? Bestselling author Whitley Strieber makes his young adult debut with this pulsing romantic thriller.

My review: Melody Burning is one of those books that are impossible to get into. The summary sounded exciting but the book wasn't. Let me tell you why.

First things first, Whitney Stieber tried for the "instant love" approach. And it failed. Miserably. The second they meet she's all like "he's so amazing, I love him so much" but guess what, SHE HAD KNOW HIM FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES! Even for insta-love that is fast! She didn't even know his last name, for goodness sake! This is supposed to be realistic fiction, but there is nothing realistic about it. I'm not saying I know a lot about love, but I know enough to know it (almost always) develops over time. Please, get real!

Even if you take out the insta-love part, there was a major lack of character development in this book. They were all so 2D. Melody was impossible to connect to and was pretty unstable, just like her mom. Beresford was also very hard to connect to and seemed more phantom than person. I really just wanted to take Melody, Beresford, and just about everyone else in this story out and smack them one! There was also no one to aspire to; everyone seemed self-centered and just plain mean. I wouldn't want to go on a road trip with any of these people. Period.

The setting in this book was very cool, though. I loved hearing about Beresford crawling around secret passage ways inside the hotel walls and shafts.

The ending was very exciting. But like all of this book, it suffers from being very unrealistic. I enjoyed the suspense and the thrills that were going on, but was thinking in my head "God! Does he honestly expect us to believe this? Get real."

Melody Burning was just not my kind of book. Pure and simple.

2/5

Source: Around the World ARC Tours.
Melody Burning is out December 1st
This book counts in the following reading challenges:
111 in 2011: 87

Anna Dressed in Blood

It's time to get your spooky on with my review of Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake.

Summary:Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything outside of the ordinary: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

But she, for whatever reason, spares Cas's life.

My review: This is one of the scariest books I've read. Ever. It shocked me. It horrified me. And I loved every minute! It was wicked awesome!

First things first, I love ghost stories! They are freaking awesome. And there has been so much buzz about this, I just knew it would be great! And, I was (for once) not wrong. If you're looking for a scare this Halloween, this book is #1!

One of my favorite parts of this novel was the characters. Cas was pretty badass and cool, and his narrative was hilarious! He was perfect at putting things in perspective.

But if Cas was cool, Anna was godly. She was so awesome! Blake did a very good job of making you feel her pain and understand why she murdered people. Though she was a killer, it was clear she was no villain. She was such a great character though, and I need to know what happens, thankfully there is a sequel in the works!

Besides Anna and Cas, Caramel and Thomas, the two side characters added a lot to the story, and I liked them a lot. Basically all the characters in this book are awesome!

The setting in this story is very vivid. And I loved each lush little detail. Blake paints a picture like few others can. I can't believe this is her debut!

Anna Dressed in Blood is an extraordinary novel that will make you sleep with the lights on, and grown men jump at things like the telephone and alarm clocks. The best book to read this Halloween!

5/5

Cover Comments: Best. Cover. Ever. So. Freaking. Awesome. And. Scary.

Source: Bought from Amazon.

Reading Challenges:

October Paranormal Reading Challenge: 4

111 in 2011: 87

YA Spooktacular: Shannon Delany

This is an event hosted by Wicked Awesome Books and Frenzy of Noise. My story is part of Story Number One. For those who don't know, this is a chose your own adventure type activity where many different authors write a part in the story and send it on to the next person.

THE POND IN THE FOREST

Laura dropped her weight back onto her right foot and, holding the poker like a baseball bat, swung with all her might. Too bad she sucked at sports. His hand shot up to intercept her strike and the blow skimmed his head. Surprised, he stumbled and lost his balance on the uneven floor. He scuttled backwards, his hood falling away from his face for the length of a single heartbeat . A heartbeat was all it took. Laura hissed and nearly dropped the poker, her eyes wide. With a sweep of one hand he pulled the hood up again and the memory of what she’d seen whisked away with the light that had briefly touched his strange face. Laura let out a shuddering breath and returned to the most threatening pose she could manage. “You’re not going to hurt anyone,” she said. “What you are going to do is take me to Brian. I kicked your butt—I’m going to kick his next.” He slowly drew himself up to his full height, his glittering silver eyes focused on the poker she still brandished. “Up the stairs,” she said, motioning with the tip of the poker. He climbed the stairs haltingly, one hand tracing along the wall and the other extended toward Laura to keep her at bay. At the top of the stairs the air only thickened. Laura heaved down a breath but it felt more like drinking than breathing. The walls were pocked with large indentations, rusty bars running the distance from ceiling to floor. Cages. Inside the cages Laura saw the flicker of movement as shadows slipped across shadows in the grim and manipulated hollows of the cavern dwelling. He was keeping something else captive like her.

If Laura demands he give her the keys to release what’s in the cages, go to The Reading Fever.

If Laura heads for freedom and ignores the cages, go to Stories to Be.

Author Bio: Shannon Delany has written stories since she was a child. In 2008 her greatly abbreviated version of 13 to Life (written in just five weeks) won the grand prize in the first-ever cell phone novel contest in the western world through Textnovel.com.She then sold the the rights to St. Martin’s Press and is now the author of five novels: 13 to Life, Secrets and Shadows, Bargains and Betrayals, Beasts and BFFs (prequel) and Destiny and Deception, which releases January 2012.

You can find Shannon on Twitter, on her blog, on Goodreads and you can order her books here:

Blog: http://13-to-life-a-werewolf-tale.blogspot.com/Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/Shannon_Delany Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3200239.Shannon_Delany Where you can buy the books: http://13-to-life-a-werewolf-tale.blogspot.com/2010/01/where-you-can-buy-13-to-life-werewolfs.html

Wasn't that fun! I can't wait to hear the rest of the story! I'm really sitting on the edge of my seat! Besides hosting a part of the story I'm also hosting a Trick or Treat (something to get you an extra entry in the grand prize pack to be announced on long with it. Details below.

mine is a:

Yes, a comment challenge! It's pretty simple. You have to comment on EVERY blog's post in this story (including this one, ;-) ). Then once you're all done, come back her and fill out this form. It will give you an extra entry in the grand prize pack and an entry to win a copy of The Waking (Spirits of the Noh & Dreams of the Dead) by Thomas Randall. Now, on your mark, get set, comment!

Halloween Spooktacular Giveaway Hop

The Spooktacular Giveaway is a hop hosted by I am a Reader, Not a Writer and Diary of a Bookworm.

Well... do I have a Spooktacular Giveaway for you! At the Maggie Stiefvater signing I got a signed copy of Linger and bought a signed copy of the final book in her Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy, Forever to giveaway to one lucky follower! This a hardcover, new copy! The giveaway closes October 31st, Halloween at Midnight Eastern. Enjoy!

"The thrilling conclusion to #1 bestselling Shiver trilogy from Maggie Stievater

In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. InLinger, they fought to be together. Now, in Forever, the stakes are even higher than before. Wolves are being hunted. Lives are being threatened. And love is harder and harder to hold on to as death comes closing in."

In my Mailbox (24)

In my Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

This edition was supposed to go up on Saturday, but I went to the pumpkin patch with my family, watched the world series, and watched a Sounders game. So I didn't have time.

Books I got this week:

A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies

Song of the Nile by Stephanie Dray

Melody Burning by Whitney Streiber

Dark Souls by Paula Morris

Possession by Elana Johnson

Fury by Elizabeth Miles

The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Mitchelle Hodkin

Guest Post- Top Spooky Books this Fall by Katie from Mundie Moms

Today I am very happy to announce we have Katie here from one of my favorite blogs, Mundie Moms. Mundie Moms is a Mortal Instruments Fan Site and a place to find very awesome reviews! Today she's going to tell us about her favorite spooky books that came out this season! Prepare for a bookish scare!

This Dark Edeavour: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstien by Kenneth Oppel

Action, suspense, brotherly love, romance, adventure, jealousy and betrayal are just a few of the things that not only make this book feeling like you're reading a classic, but they all play into who Victor Frankenstein becomes.

Enthralled: Paranormal Divisions edited by Melissa Marr & Kelley Armstrong

Nothing screams read me on Halloween than this fabulous collection of 18 different paranormal short stories from just as many authors. This book has everything, vampires, werewolves, gargoyles, ghosts, faeries and more.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Lani Taylor

This book really isn't spooky, and it's not haunting, but it's one of those well written novels that's dark, beautiful, and engaging. There's not another book quite like it out there. It's definitely one I'd re commend picking up to read.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

This is a hauntingly edgy, debut that's mixed with sarcasm, and romance and will totally mess with your mind. It's one of those intriguing reads that will leave you thinking about days after you've read it.

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

This is one of those reads that's creepy, a little bit gory and really hard to put down. Kendare does such an awesome job with creating a story where readers understand why the ghost does the things she does.

After Obsession by Carrie Jones & Steven E. Wedal

This is a thrilling mystery of terror, possession and has the right amount of intriguing creepiness that made it hard to put this book down...

And 5 more spooky books you should read:

Fateful by Claudia Gray

Shifting by Bethany Wiggins

Blood by K.J. Wignall

On The Fringe by Courtney King Walker

Half Blood by Jennifer Armentrout

Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your opinions, Katie. They're were some books on this list I've read, some on my to-read list and a few brand new ones for me to go check out! Katie got me ready for some scary reading fun!

Guest Post- Tammi Character Profile by Matt Xell

I'm pleased to announce tonight we have a guest post from Matt Xell, awesome debut author of Tower of Parlen Min!

Hey everyone, and thanks so much to Benji for letting this obnoxious Matt Xell guy to do something of a guest post on his blog! And today I thought I'd talk about Tammi Ericks, Benji's favorite character in my book, Tower of Parlen Min, and also go on about the High-Spirited people and magic in the world of Everlon; the setting of the book. So let's role with a bit about High-Spirited people, yeah?

High-spirited is the term used to described people with unusually high levels of spiritual or life energy. The High-spirited, also known as the Shoko'ei, have an extraordinary sensitivity to nonphysical or supernatural forces. On Everlon, one in a thousand people are believed to be High-spirited. The most distinguishing feature of High-Spirited people are their unusually coloured and glowing eyes. There as many colour types as the colours of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. The most recognised and gifted of the High-spirited are those with 'red', 'blue' and 'green' eye-types.

About 70% of all the High-Spirited people with the blue eyes are believed to be followers of the pre-christen religion of nature; Wicca. The word Wicca itself now refers to the practice of the arts of attaining objectives, acquiring knowledge, or performing works of wonder through supernatural means -- basically what we would call magic here on Earth.

In Tower of Parlen Min, Tammi Eriks is a black, 12 year-old girl from Sambique, a country in the continent of Etrik and is one of the 20 children invited to the Tower by Jacobius Trent, the owner. She is High-spirited and has the blue eyes and, like her mother before her, is a child of Wicca.

Shortly after she receives the invitation from Jacobius Trent, she also wins a scholarship to Eravard, a prestigious university for children of Wicca hidden somewhere, it's rumored, in Everlon's iterations of France or Germany. She is chosen to study as a Nubela student -- a witch of the elements. In preparation for the entry exams, Tammi has to master all the basic Nubela spells - conjuring water, fire, wind and earth elements at the three main levels: the Untis Premiere, Nubela Premiere and the very difficult and destructive Massimas Premiere.

At the Tower, and in secret (though not seen in the current edition of the book) and with permission from Jacobius, Tammi practices and masters the Untis and Nubela Premiere spells. But has difficulty mastering any of the Massimas Premiere spells due to the high-levels of energy required and also because she is asthmatic. It's during one of these sessions that a Tower guard assigned to over see Tammi's training tells her that there is aDelume tree somewhere in the district of Meden (where the Tower is located), though the guard was not sure where exactly. Tammi, like many children of Wicca, knows that a potion made from the flowers of a Delume, which is a very rare wiketian tree, can cure many ailments and diseases -- even asthma.

Later, with the help of Ves Asirin (the protagonist of the book) Tammi learns that the Delume tree is in the old Trent Family Cemetery, deep in the dark and supposedly haunted Meyr Woods, which during that season is a dangerous place to enter because it is where Canids (large sentient wolves) lurk and is also rumored to be the hiding place of The Shadow -- a supernatural serial killer ... but all this doesn't scare Tammi at least not at that moment -- she has to find that tree.

And that's all I can say about Tam. Be sure to check out the book for more. You can read up to 50% of it for free on smashwords.com before you decide if it's worth the buy, sweet huh?

cheers and thanks for readin'

Matt Xell

Lola and the Boy Next Door (ARC)

Back with another review, this time of Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins!

Summary: Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

My review: I felt like a traitor to the male sex reading this book. I felt like I should be stripped of all manliness forever for even looking at the book. If you are a guy, please don't judge me too harshly. I promise one day I'll read a book about a bunch of football playing jocks. I swear. Now, that you've heard my first big confession. I guess I might as well tell you another one: I actually didn't hate it. I know! I know! Please, men. Cut me a little slack! I didn't love this book but I did *begin fake cough here* I did like it *end fake cough here*.

The first thing that didn't make me slam down the book in absolute disgust was that Lola didn't gush. And for a most part (there was a bit of this though) she didn't swoon over Cricket. Right from the start I enjoyed Lola's character and found her a fun, and interesting main character.

I also really loved Cricket. His inventions were SO cool. He created such awesome stuff that I loved and would so want to buy! Cricket was so amazing that I couldn't stop rooting for him! And he was super funny the way he acted around Lola.

The humor in this book was awesome. Lola had a great narrative and Perkins had a very amusing writing style.

I also loved how Perkins capitalized a lot of stuff for maximum effect. IT WAS REALLY COOL. SEE WHAT I MEAN? CAP LOCK ROCKS.

In the end, I couldn't connect with any of the characters too much. But that is to be expected. For a book meant for girls, I liked it. It wasn't something extraordinary for me like it may be for girls but I found it an enjoyable read nonetheless.

4/5

Cover Comments: This cover made it very hard for me to read this book unnoticed at school. Ugh.

Source: Around the World ARC Tours.

Lola and the Boy Next Door is out now.

Reading Challenges this book counts in:

111 in 2011: 86

Follow (my Book Blog) Friday!

Follow (my Book Blog) Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. The goal of this meme is to make new blogging friends

This week's question:

What super-hero is your alter ego?

A. Probably because they're not too many kid super heroes it will have to be...

Jack Blank from the wonderful middle grade series Jack Blank Adventures by the amazing Matt Myklusch. Love them books!

100 Follower Giveaway Winner

The giveaway for the 100 follower celebration ended last night! I was astonished by how many awesome entries we got! 304 entries! As Gemma from I/You/We Heart Books would say, you all deserve a massive e-hug! But, unfortunately, you can't all win :-(, so one lucky winner is going to have to receive all the goodies on your behalf.

And the winner is:

Latisha Depoortere

Congrats! Expect an email from me shortly. And to all you who didn't win, I'll have much more giveaways down the road.

Waiting on Wednesday 10/19

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Break the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases I'm eagerly anticipating.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever by Jeff Kinney

I know it's a little immature, but I still love these books! I Find them a constant stream of LOLs. These books are a very uplifting read, though this is book six and they're basically all repeats of each other, but hey, you can't go wrong with Greg and his middle school woes. This book probably won't be anything truly special, but like all Wimpy Kid books they have a spark to them that makes you can't help but smile :-)

The Scorpio Races (ARC)

We have a review of a very action packed, anticipated book, The Scorpio Races. by Maggie Stiefvater!

Summary: It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.

At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.

Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.

My review: I was really looking forward to this book. I loved Maggie Stiefvater's Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy. The idea of super dangerous water horses really sounded cool and original. And I was surely not wrong!

For me, the setting was the most outstanding aspect of this book. It takes place on an island where some of their ways seem from an earlier era, although they do have cars. I really enjoyed that steampunk-ish style of the book.

I also loved how the relationship between Puck and Sean was always in the background and not the main premise of the novel. Unlike a lot of YA, they're is no instant love. Puck and Sean weren't from the second they met soul mates. It developed over the story but never took the front seat. It added a sense of realism to an otherwise totally fantasy world.

Puck and Sean were both very interesting main characters. Like The Wolves of Mercy Falls the book switches narration between the two. Puck was a very strong and stubborn (in bad and good ways) heroine. And though Sean seemed a little boring and he got much more interesting in the second half of the novel that made me root for him all the way! The antagonists in this book were also very well depicted.

The water horses were amazing. Horrifying yet beautiful. These horses had me on the edge of my seat, during the race and at all parts of the novel.

My favorite part of the novel was actually hearing about Puck and Sean's day to day lives. From the summary it sounds like the book is going to take place mostly during the races, but I was surprised to find out that it takes mostly during the build up apposed to the actual event.

The Scorpio Races is supposedly a stand alone novel, which is uncommon these days in YA. Even though Stiefvater's said that, I'd enjoy a sequel and there would be plenty of room to build the world bigger and more detailed.

The Scorpio Races takes a mixture of horse raising, man killing, realistic life stories and blends them all into one stunning novel of beauty and action. This book will appeal to fans of a wide mix of genres.

5/5

Cover Comments: It looks very dashing, I love the red and gold.

Source: From the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The Scorpio Races is out now. Hurry to the stores to get your hands on it!

This book counts in the following reading challenges:

111 in 2011: 85