Friday, February 27, 2009

City Of Ashes



Title: City Of Ashes Author: Cassandra Clare Publisher: Simon Pulse Number Of Pages: 453

Summary from back of book:
Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who's becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn't ready to let her go -- especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil -- and also her father.
To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings -- and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?
In this breathtaking sequel to City of Bones, Cassandra Clare lures her readers back into the dark grip of New York City's Downworld, where love is never safe and power becomes the deadliest temptation.

Review: I finished City Of Ashes last night and I think it is as good or better than the first one. It had so many twists and turns if that makes sense. Now I can't wait for City Of Glass! I love this series so much and am kinda sad that City Of Glass is the last book in the series. I loved how in this series they included all kinds of mythology. Such as faeries and vampires. Overall this book was amazing.

I recommend this book if you like the first one because I bet you will like this book even better.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

City Of Bones

Title:City Of Bones Author: Cassandra Clare Publisher: Simon Pulse Number Of Pages: 485



Summary From Back Of Book: Their hidden world is about to be revealed...... When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder-much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Clary knows she should call the police, but it's hard to explain a murder when the body disappears into thin air and the murderers are invisible to everyone but Clary. Equally startled by her ability to see them, the murderers explain themselves as Shadowhunters: a secret tribe of warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. Within twenty-four hours, Clary's mother disappears and Clary herself is almost killed by a grotesque demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the sight? The shadowhunters would like to know......




Review: This book was a definite page turner! I read this book in early December and loved it. City Of Bones was fun and mystical. It is part romance and part action. Clary and Jace were my favorite characters. All the characters have depth and very different personalities. It was great overall.


I recommend this book if you like romance, demons, action, vampires, werewolves, faeries, and young adult novels.

What Should I Read?










I don't know what I should read.





I could read the Hunger Games By: Suzanne Collins. Here is the summary: Could you survive on your own, in the wild, withevery one out there to make sure you don't live to see the morning? In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and against love. Acclaimed writer SUZANNE COLLINS, author of The New York Times bestselling Underland Chronicles, delivers equal parts suspense and philosophy, adventure and romance, in this searing novel set in a future with parallels to our present.









Pretties By: Scott Westerfeld Summary: Gorgeous. Popular. Perfect. Perfectly wrong. Tally has finally become pretty. Now her looks are beyond perfect, her clothes are awesome, her boyfriend is totally hot, and she's completely popular. It's everything she's ever wanted. But beneath all the fun-nonstop parties, the high-tech luxury, the total freedom-is a nagging sense that something's wrong. Something important. Then a message from Tally's ugly past arrives. Reading it, Tally remembers what's wrong with pretty life, and the fun stops cold. Now she has to choose between fighting to forget what she knows and fighting for her life-because the authorities don't intend to let anyone with this information survive.










3 Willows The Sisterhood Grows By: Ann Brashares Summary: Summer is a time to grow

Seeds

Polly has an idea she can't stop thinking about, one that involves changing a few things about herself. She's setting her sights on a more glamorous life, but it's going to take away all of her focus. At least that way she won't have to watch her friends moving so far ahead.


Roots

Jo is spending the summer at her family's beach house, working as a bus girl and bonding with the older, cooler girls she'll see at high school come September. She didn't count on a brief fling with a cute boy changing her entire summer. Or on feeling embarassed by her middle school friends. And she didn't count on her family at all.......


Leaves

Ama is not an outdoorsy girl. She wanted to go to an academic camp, doing research in an air-conditioned library, earning As. Instead, her summer scholarship lands her on a wilderness trip full of flirting teenagers, blisters, impossible hiking trails, and a sad lack of hair products.

It is a new summer. And a new sisterhood. Come grow with them.




Marked By: P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast Summary: Enter the dark, magical world of the house of night, a world very much like our own, except here vampyres have always existed. Sixteen-year-old Zoey Redbird ha sjust been marked as a fledgling vampyre and joins the House Of Night, a school where she will train to become an adult vampyre. That is, if she makes it through the Change- and not all of those Marked do. It sucks to begin a new life, especially away from her friends, and on top of that, Zoey is no ordinary fledgling. She has been chosen as a special vampyre Goddess Nyx. Zoey discovers she has amazing powers, but along with her powers come bloodlust and an unfortunate ability to Imprint her human ex-boyfriend. To add to her stress, she is not the only fledgling at the House Of Night with special powers: When she discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school's most elite group, is misusing her Goddess-given gift, Zoey must look deep within herself for courage to embrace her destiny-with a little help from her vampyre friends.
So which one do you think I should read? The book with the most votes I will read.
-Senfaye :)





























































Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Giveaway: Carrie Ryan's A Forest Of Hands and Teeth


On Carrie Ryan's blog she is giving a ARC of The Forest Of Hands And Teeth! I can't wait for the book and if you want to try and win a copy of it come here: http://carrie-me.blogspot.com/


-Senfaye :)

100 + Reading Challenge



I am going to try and do the 100+ Reading Challenge. Hopefully I will be able to finish it. Here is the list of books I've read since the year started.

January:

1. Fairest By: Gail Carson Levine

2. The Fairy's Return By: Gail Carson Levine

3. Wonderous Strange By: Lesley Livngston

4. The Two Princesses Of Bamarre By: Gail Carson Levine

5. Pretty Monsters By: Kelly Link

6. How To Ditch Your Fairy By: Justine Larbalestier

7. Lily B. On The Brink Of Love By: Elizabeth Cody Kimmel

8. Into The Wild By: Sarah Beth Durst

9. A Girl Like Moi By: Lisa Barham

10. The Nobodies By: N.E. Bode

11. Olivia Kidney And The Secret Beneath The City By: Elllen Potter

12. Ella Enchanted By: Gail Carson Levine

13. Graceling By: Kristin Cashore

14. The Devouring By: Simon Holt

15. Prom Nights From Hell By: Various Authors

16. Bliss By: Lauren Myracle

February:

17. Love Is Hell By: Various Authors

18. Coraline By: Neil Gaiman

19. Princess Ben By: Catherine Gilbert Murdock

20. Willa By Heart By: Coleen Murtagh Paratore

21. Bras & Broomsticks By: Sarah Mlynowski

22. TTYL By: Lauren Myracle

23. Let It Snow By: Various Authors

24. Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception By: Maggie Stiefvater

25. The Dust Of 100 Dogs By: A.S. King

26. Betwixt By: Tara Bray Smith

27. Dream Girl By: Lauren Mechling

28. The Luxe By: Anna Godbersen

29. The Faerie Path By: Frewin Jones

At the end of every month I will post all the books I read!

-Senfaye :)

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Love Is Hell


Title: Love Is Hell Authors: Melissa Marr, Scott Westerfeld, Justine Larbalestier, Gabrielle Zevin, Laurie Faria Stolarz Publisher: Harperteen Number Of Pages: 263
Summary from back of book: Sure, love is hell. But it's totally worth it. In these supernatural stories by five of today's hottest writers- Melissa Marr (Wicked Lovely), Scott Westerfeld (Specials), Justine Larbalestier( Magic Or Madness), Gabrielle Zevin ( Elsewhere), and Laurie Faria Stolarz ( Blue Is For Nightmares)- love may be twisted and turned around, but it's more potent than ever on its quest to conquer all. From two students who let the power of attraction guide them to break the hard-and-fast rules of their world to the girl who falls hard for a good-looking ghost with a score to settle, the clever, quirky characters in this exciting collection will break your heart, then leave you believing in love more than ever.
Review: I absoultley loved this book! Every story was intriguing and very appealing. My personal favorite stories though are Thinner Than Water By: Justine Larbalestier and Fan Fictions By: Gabrielle Zevin. Thinner Than Water is about faeries and is very tragic. Fan Fictions is about a book where the characters come alive and in the end is also kind of tragic. Its weird I seem to like tragic stories... All in all this book was really fantastic!
I recommend this book if you like any of the authors above, love, romance, supernatural, and young adult novels.

Coraline


Title: Coraline Author: Neil Gaiman Publisher: Harpercollins Number Of Pages: 162
Summary From Back Of Book: When Coraline explores her new home, she steps through a door into another house just like her own.....
except that it's different. It's a marvelous adventure until Coraline discovers that there's also another mother and another father in the house. They want Coraline to stay with them and be their little girl. They want to keep her forever! Coraline must use all of her wits and every once of courage in order to save herself and reyurn home.
Review: Coraline is a creepy story about a girl who figures out that she can go into another dimension and have adventures there. The scary thing is there is another mother and another father there exactly like her parents at home. The only difference is that they pay tons of attention to her. And they want her to be their little girl. I thought this book was well written and really good. I also saw the movie on Saturday and thought it went really well with the book. I actually listened to a podcast where Neil wanted the book to have the movie be totally different from the book. Another thing I learned from that podcast is that Coraline was actually being made into a movie before it was even published. They have been working on the movie since 2001. Anyway the book was really good!
i recommend this book if you like creepy books, alternate dimensions, Neil Gaiman, and children novels.

The Faerie Path


Title: The Faerie Path Author: Frewin Jones Publisher: Harperteen Number Of Pages: 312
Summary on back of book: Anita was living an ordinary life. Until an elegant stranger pulled her into another world. Swept away into a court of magic and beauty, she discovers she is Tania, the lost princess of Faerie. Since Tania's mysterious disapperance five hundred years before, Faerie has been sunk in darkness and gloom. With her return, Faerie comes alive again as a land of winged children, glittering balls, and fantastic delights. But Tania can't forget Anita's world, or the boy she loved there. Torn between two loves and between two worlds, Tania slowly remembers why she disappeared, and realizes that she is the only one who can stop a sinister plan that threatens the entire world of Faerie.
Review: The Faerie Path is a quick fun read! I really liked Anita/Tania and loved the idea that she is a normal teen and a faerie princess. Another thing I liked about The Faerie Path is all of her sisters and their very different personalities. I read some reviews saying this book is not all that great and I knew I wanted to read it anyway. I found that unlike some of the people who didn't find it enjoyable that this book is fascinating.
I recommend this book if you like faeries, romance, princesses, young adult novels, and sisters.

The Luxe


Title: The Luxe Author: Anna Godbersen Publisher: Harperteen Number Of Pages: 433
Summary from inside jacket flap: Pretty Girls In Pretty Dresses, Partying Until Dawn. Irresistible Boys With Sly Smiles And Dangerous Intentions. White Lies, Dark Secrets, And Scandalous Hookups. This Is Manhattan 1899.....
Beautiful sisters Elizabeth and Diana Holland rule Manhattan's social scene. Or so it appears. When the girls discover their status among New York City's elite is far from secure, suddenly everyone-from the backstabbing socialite Penelope Hayes, debonair bachelor Henry Schoonmaker, to the spiteful maid Lina Broud-threatens Elizabeth's and Diana's golden future. With the fate of the Hollands resting on her shoulders, Elizabeth must choose family duty and true love. But when her carriage overturns near the East River, the girl whose glittering life lit up the city's gossip pages is swallowed by the rough current. As all of New Yorks grieves, some begin to wonder whether life at the top proved to much for this ethereal beauty, or if, perhaps, someone wanted to see Manhattan's most celebrated daughter disappear.... In a world of luxury and deception, where apperance matters above everything and breaking the social code means running the risk of being ostracized forever, five teenagers lead dangerously scandalous lives. This thrilling trip to the age of innocence is anything but innocent.
Review: At the beginning of The Luxe I wasn't sure if I would be able to finish the book because it was really boring. In the middle of the book it got better and the end of the book was good. I don't no what to think though it wasn't terrible and it wasn't amazing. I like the Diana and Elizabeth was all right. I kept thinking when I was reading this book I don't want Elizabeth to die because she is such a nice person. All in all it was a good read. The plot was interesting enough and the characters had enough depth to enjoy the book.
I recommend this book if you like gossip, romance, love triangles, and young adult novels.

Friday, February 20, 2009

Dream Girl



Title: Dream Girl Author: Lauren Mechling

Publisher: Delacorte Press Number Of Pages: 309


Summary From Inside Jacket Flap: Claire Voyante has been having strange visions ever since she can remember. But the similarity between her name and her talents is purely coincidental. The name is French, amd unlike the psychics on TV, she can't solve crimes or talk to the dead. Whenever Claire follows her hunches, she comes up empty-or ends up in pretty awkward situations. But that all changes on Claire's fifteenth birthday, when her grandmother Kiki-former socialite, fashion icon, and now permanent fixture at New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel-gives her something a little more extaordinary than one of her old cocktail dresses: a strange cameo, made of onyx and ivory, on a gold chain. And it's not long before Claire's world becomes a whole lot clearer. And a whole lot more dangerous. New friends, old grudges, strange jewelry, and some creepy black-and-white dreams-if Claire can just survive sophomore year in high school, she might be able to get through anything.




Review: Dream Girl was a funny and very entertaining book! I thought it was excellent. It was exciting and fun. I loved all the characters even the "bad" ones. Hopefully Lauren Mechling will write a sequel to this fantastic novel.
I recommend this book if you like young adult novels, a clairvoyant girls, and a exciting read.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Princess Ben


Title: Princess Ben Author: Catherine Murdock Publisher:HMCo Number Of Pages: 344
Summary from inside jacket flap : My gown suited me well as well as I could ever hope,though I could not envy the young ladies who would attract the honest compliments of of the night. My bodice did not plunge as dramatically as some, and no man- no man I would ever want to meet, surely- could fit his hands round my waist. What I lacked in beauty I would simply have to earn with charm..... Benevolence is not your typical princess- and Princess Ben is certainly not your typical fairy tale. With her parents lost to assassins, Princess Ben ends up under the thumb of the conniving Queen Sophia. Starved and miserable, locked in the castle's highest tower, Ben stumbles upon a mysterious enchanted room. So begins her secret education in the magical arts: mastering an obstinate flying broomstick, furtively emptying the castle pantries, setting her hair on fire.... But Ben's private adventures are soon overwhelmed by a mortal threat to her kingdom. Can Ben save the country and herself from foul tyranny?
Review: Princess Ben started off really slow and I found myself not wanting to read it. But I wanted to finish it anyway. As I progressed through the book it got better and better. By the end of the book I wished it was longer. The main character Princess Ben is witty and I found it funny how much she ate. Overall this book was really great!
I recommend this book if you like fairytales, princesses, romance, magic, adventure, and young adult novels.

Willa By Heart


Title: Willa By Heart Author: Coleen Murtagh Paratore Publisher: Simon&Schuster Number Of Pages: 228
Summary from back of book: Willa and JFK are finally enjoying their status as the most compatible couple at Bramble Academy. But then the new girl, Mariel,moves to town. In fact, the new girl seems to want to compete for everything Willa wants:books, the lead in the community theater production Our Town, and maybe even JFK! To top it off, Willa is planning two inn weddings for the same weekend in June and preparing for a new family member at the same time! Can Willa keep her life, two weddings, and her new relationship from spinning out of control?
Review: Willa By Heart is the third book in The Wedding Planner's Daughter series. I find I am a lot like Willa because she is quiet , loves books, loves candy. I thought this book was written very well. My problem with it though is it isn't a very long book. Other than that I thought this book was really good.
I recommend this book if you like weddings, books, candy, and family.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Bras & Broomsticks


Title: Bras& Broomsticks Author: Sarah Mlynowski Publisher: Delacourte Press Number Of Pages: 310





Summary from back of book: Rachel can't believe it.Her younger sister, Miri, is a witch! How come Miri inherited the supernatural skills that could have turned Rachel into a teenage superstar? Just as Rachel suspects, magical powers are wasted on the young. Miri refuses to use them for Rachel's benefit. And Rachel is desperate! Not only does she need to learn some serious dance moves, she's got to win her best friend back, stop her father's wedding, and snag a cute guy's heart. Maybe Rachel will discover she's got magical powers of her own. Or maybe, just maybe, she can find a way to change Miri's mind.....
Review: Bras & Broomsticks is hilarious!!! I absolutely loved this book. It was a great book all around. I highly recommend this book.
I recommend this book if you like witches and young adult novels.

TTYL

Title: TTYL Author: Lauren Myracle Publisher: Amulet Number Of Pages: 229



Summary from back of book: Told entirely in instant messages, this smart, funny novel is about humor, hangovers, and heartaches of high school, and the friendships that get you through it all. On the first day of tenth grade, best friends Maddie (madmaddie) Angela (SnowAngel), and Zoe (zoegirl) vow not to let school stupidness get them down... or split them apart. But as the weeks pass and the instant messages accumulate, it's clear that tenth grade will be a roller coaster ride of boy temptation, math torture, donut emergencies, and Queen Bee encounters. Then a jerky boy sends peppy Angela into the dumps,tough Maddie makes a mistake that has the whole school talking,and good girl Zoe gets in over her head with a flirty teacher. Will the winsome threesome make it through the year?

Review: When I got this book I thought that a book in instant messenger sounded interesting. I finished the book a few hours later and thought about it and I like all three characters a lot. Lauren Myracle did an excellent job on this book and I will pick up the other books in the series soon.

I recommend this book if you like instant messenger, young adult novels, and Lauren Myracle

Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances


Title: Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances Author: John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle Publisher: Speak Number Of Pages: 352
Summary from back of book: Sparkling white snowdrifts... Beautiful presents wrapped in ribbons, and multicolored lights glittering in the night through the falling snow. A Christmas Eve snowstorm transforms one small town into a romantic haven, the kind you only see in movies. Well, kinda. After all, a cold and wet hike from a stranded train through the middle would not normally end with a delicious kiss with a charming stranger. And no one would think a trip to the Waffle House through four feet of snow would lead to love with an old friend. Or that the way back to true love begins with a painfully early morning shift at Starbucks. Thanks to the three of today's best-selling teen authors- John Green,Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle- the magic of the holidays shines on these hilarious and charming interconnected tales of love, romance, and breathtaking kisses.
Review: Let It Snow is a three different romances. Maureen Johnson's The Jubilee Express is really funny. John Green's A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle is good but, not my favorite. Lauren Myracle's The Patron Saint Of Pigs is sad at first but gets really good. In all this book was really great! It only took me a couple of hours to read though.
I recommend this book if you like romance, the holidays, and young adult novels.

Lament the Faerie Queen's Deception


Title: The Faerie Queen's Deception Author: Maggie Stiefvater Publisher: Flux Number Of Pages: 325

Summary from back of book: Sixteen-year-old Deirdre Monaghan is a prodigiously gifted musician. She's about to find out she's also a cloverhand-one who can see faeries. Unexpectedly, Deirdre finds herself infatuated with a mysterious boy who enters her ordinary life, seemingly out of thin air. Trouble is, the enigmatic and gorgeous Luke turns out to be a gallowglass-a soulless faerie assassin-and his interest in her might be something darker than summer romance. A sinister faerie named Aodhan is also stalking Deirdre. They both carry the same assignment from the Faerie Queen, one that forces Dee right into the midst of Faerie. Caught in the crossfire with Deirdre is James, her wisecracking but loyal best friend. Deirdre had been wishing her summer weren't so dull, but taking on a centuries-old Faerie Queen isn't exactly what she had in mind.
Review: Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception is an incredible book! I loved the characters and everything about the book. I think that anyone who is interested in young adult novels will love this book.
I recommend this book to people who like romance, young adult novels, and faeries.

Betwixt


Title: Betwixt Author: Tara Bray Smith Publisher: Poppy Number Of Pages:488
Summary from back of book: Beautiful Morgan D'Amici awakes in her meager home with dirt and blood under her fingernails. Paintings come alive under Ondine Mason's violet-eyed gaze. Haunted runaway Nix Saint-Michael sees halos of light around people doomed to die. At a summer rave in the woods, these teenagers learn of their true origins and their uncertain, intertwined destinies. Riveting,unflinching, and beautiful, Betwixt shows a world as complex and compelling as any ordinary reality.

Review: Out of all the characters in Betwixt my favorite was Ondine she is a shy, artistic seventeen year old. Betwixt is about changelings and fay and how three teens find out what they really are. It is a quick and interesting read. The villian in the book is really a changeling that is just really terrible.

I recommend this book if you are interested in fay, young adult novels, or urban fantasy.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

The Dust of 100 Dogs


Title: The Dust Of 100 Dogs Author: A.S. King Publisher: Flux Number Of Pages: 336

Summary from back of book: In the late seventeenth century, famed teenage pirate Emer Morrisey was on the cusp of escaping the pirate life with her one true love and unfathomable riches when she was slain and cursed with the dust of one hundred dogs, dooming her to one hundred lives as a dog before returning to a human body- with her memories intact. Now she's a contemporary American teenager and all she needs is a shovel and a ride to Jamaica.

Review: The Dust Of 100 Dogs is a page turner and even when I needed to get up and do something I found I couldn't put it down. The story is part adventure and part love story. That night as I thought about it I loved it more and more. An amazing book!
I recommend this book if you like pirates, romance, dogs facts, and young adult novels.