Gretchen C. Hohmeyer's Blog, page 96

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books to Read in a Day

Top Ten Tuesday is a feature hosted over at The Broke and the Bookish.

Alright, now, total disclaimer here: books that I can read in a day are … everything. Seriously. I finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in one day. I am a speed-reader like nobody's business. I'm going to try to slow it down here as best I can and not add something like War and Peace to this list. (All title links go to Goodreads)

1. The First Test by Tamora Pierce

Now, seriously, I'll let you in on something. When I read this one (the first book in Pierce's Protector of the Small series) or, say, the first book in her Song of the Lioness series or – erm, really, any of her books up til the Beka Cooper series, I just read the entire series in one shot. As I see it, I own them all – why not? Every single one is a funny, exciting ride that brings back so many memories for me, so that's just kind of become a tradition with me.

2. A Countess Below Stairs by Eva Ibbotson

Yet another blast from the past, I know, but a book I just adore. Don't ask me WHY I own so many Ibbotson books, because after a while they all look very much the same, but A Countess Below Stairs has always been my favorite. Eva Ibbotson is classic and this book is cute. Enough said.

3. The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran

My favorite of all Moran's books (so far) is also, sadly, the shortest. Still, rereads happen FREQUENTLY. Nefertari is a very active character I wish was my best friend, and the genuine love story that develops between her and Rameses never gets old. This is also by far my favorite overall cast of characters when up against Nefertiti and Cleopatra's Daughter.

4. Wings of the Wicked by Courtney Allison Moulton

If you've read my review of this book, then you know I squealed in it (and have squealed multiple times since) that this book and it's predecessor Angelfire read like rapid fire shot guns. It's AMAZING. These books ARE big, but you just HAVE to read them in a day because EVERYTHING just keeps HAPPENING. It kept me up til wee hours of the morning because there is just no way I could put it down.

5. Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

The next two books in this series might have been a lot like repeats of this one, but there is a reason for that: this book was pretty good! It's one of my guilty pleasure books when I'm in the mood for YA romance.

6. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

As much as I try, I don't think I will ever make any kind of favorites list without mentioning this book. I'm really sorry, guys, but again: HAVE YOU SEEN MY REVIEW? There is more CAPS than I ever care to write with. I just adore this book til the moon and back, and I just can't seem to stop rereading it. Ever. It still makes me laugh so hard I cry. Speaking of which…

7. Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins

Again, I believe we've been over this too. Several times. But GUYS. The ENTIRE Hex Hall series. (No matter what I said about Spell Bound!) I love these books. I want Sophie to be my best friend. I want Archer to be my boyfriend. (SHH, don't tell my real boyfriend!) I want Jenna to be my best friend. I LOVE THESE BOOKS.

8. The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

I think it's bad that I live for the end of this book. Nothing gives me more glee than to watch this love triangle set up, knowing what's coming. I think that's a sign that I need to either stop reading books with love triangles in them or get therapy. Or, you know, both. But seriously. Check out my book review! And read this if you want a fresh take on a love triangle!

9. Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

TIME FOR MORE CAPS. Why? Because why not! I adore this book and I'm not ashamed to say it! (Seriously, have you SEEN my book review?) Anyways. This book is for people who want a fresh new world to explore, people who want to see some interesting characters AND people who want some real romance. It's like you can't lose!

10. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Seriously? Did you think you could get out of one of my lists without a Cassandra Clare book? Because you can't. Ever. READ THESE BOOKS. Okay, so, her Infernal Devices series is said to be better than this Mortal Instruments series, but these were the first ones I read and therefore closest to my heart.

A Tale of My Epic Quest to Find One of Those Fabled Bookstores of Olde

~

in the land of olde, there were plenty of bookstores across the land. However, something called the economy turned beastly against them, and these castles of literary magic were defeated by power greater and darker than their own.

It is in this environment that we find our heroine–me, in case you were curious. No, I'm not going to speak in the third person, I just really wanted to call myself a heroine and live out a few literary fantasies of my own. Ahem, anyways! My story begins at an ungodly hour of the morning, because that's when any smart person begins their quest because of how freaking long they always are. It almost ends before it begins, however, because I had to wake the monsters my brothers up hours before they ever become coherent. However, having bravely fought them into wakefulness, my motley crew of family could finally hit the road.

If this were to be a real dramatic quest we would have walked, and if we'd been really smart and awesome we would have just rode our flying eagles. But no, we took the middle route and drove. And drove and drove and drove. Onwards and onwards we drove, down winding roads and dirt paths (mostly because our GPS doesn't believe in main roads, ever). We left the small hamlet in which we live and traveled to the greatest city around us.

And then we kept going.

Why keep going when we reached the greatest city around us? Why, because the end goal of our quest what one of the Fabled Bookstores of Olde, and this great city did not HAVE one! It had a huge malls, multiple shopping complexes and enough restaurants to wrap around the world, but the Borders that had once been was no more. Once, my quest could have happily ended here. But no. It was time to burn up more gas, spend more money on travel and pollute the earth even more. All for the sake of a Fabled Bookstore of Olde.

Our journey went on hours more. It was not to end even in the Great State of New York. Instead, we had to race our car to the ferry crossing of the Magnificent Lake Champlain, just manage to back the on-the-hour ferry and then wait as the boat crossed the Great Waterway, being buffeted the whole way by rain, waves and water spray. Unfortunately I can't add "and we were pushed there by an old man with a long white beard and a pole," because modern technology isn't conducive to writing Epic Tales. After this long and arduous (read: fairly short and boring) water journey, we found ourselves in the Great State of Vermont.

But our trek was far from over, oh no! It was time for yet more back roads excursions, twisting and turning down dark, deserted paths in the rain. (Seriously, we need a new GPS that knows about highways.) It took a grand travel time of four and a half hours to reach heaven, nirvana, Eden, perfection:

A TWO STORY BARNES AND NOBLE. COMPLETE WITH ESCALATORS.

For one such as myself, who has too long been subjected to the evils and detachment of online book buying, it was the greatest gift of all. Some readers of today may be content with objects such as e-readers and websites like Amazon.com, but never I! Give me a bookstore any day, and quick! Before they go the way of the dinosaur too, eaten by the Internet dragon.

Feature and Follow #1

Hey guys, we're trying out something new! It's called Feature and Follow, hosted by the amazing Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. The entire point is to make new friends, get new followers and follow some amazing blogs yourself! Follow either link above to have it explained in more detail.

I'm new to this whole thing, so I hope I'm not screwing anything up. My prefered way to be followed is by email, but if you prefer RSS feeds go ahead!

Q. Do you read one book at a time or do you switch back and forth between two or more?

A. I used to only read one, because I finish fast and that's all I have the attention span for! However, I just started getting e-galleys, so now I've got books on my computer and books in hard copy that I'm reading. My max is still certainly two–one e-galley and one hard copy–but that's more than enough for me!

 

EDIT: There seems to be a problem affecting basically anyone who wants to comment on a Blogger website, so please forgive me! I am following the hosts and the features, but commenting seems to be beyond my powers at the moment!

Review: Die for Me by Amy Plum

Die For Me by Amy Plum (click for Goodreads)

Four stars

MY LIFE HAD ALWAYS BEEN BLISSFULLY, WONDERFULLY NORMAL. BUT IT ONLY TOOK ONE MOMENT TO CHANGE EVERYTHING.

Suddenly , my sister, Georgia, and I were orphans. We put our lives into storage and moved to Paris to live with my grandparents. And I knew my shattered heart, my shattered life, would never feel normal again. Then I met Vincent.

Mysterious, sexy, and unnervingly charming, Vincent Delacroix appeared out of nowhere and swept me off my feet. Just like that, I was in danger of losing my heart all over again. But I was ready to let it happen.

Of course, nothing is ever that easy. Because Vincent is no normal human. He has a terrifying destiny, one that puts his life at risk every da. He also has enemies … immortal, murderous enemies who are determined to destroy him and all of his kind.

While I'm fighting to piece together the remnants of my life, can I risk putting my heart–as well as my life and my family's–in jeopardy for a chance at love?

Right off the bat, I'm going to address the biggest stigma about this book: that it is a zombie version of Twilight. The unfortunate thing is that I can't describe the plot in simple terms and convince you otherwise. Girl sees guy. Girl is instantly in love with guy. Guy is BASICALLY A STALKER (cue angry rant against stalkerish relationships in books being 'okay'). Guy basically falls to pieces when they try to avoid each other. They get back together. They instantly consider each other soul mates. CUE THE ENTRANCE OF THE EVIL PEOPLE! Oh, and Guy is totally undead and sexy. Girl is described as "normal." I have just described the basics behind both Twilight and Die for Me. But you may want to read on, because me–Madam Twilight Hater–has given this books four stars. Why?

Plum does it RIGHT.

Okay, okay, that sounds unbelievable, right? How can ANYONE do that RIGHT? Well, let's discuss (with spoilers, so lookout!):

The main character, Kate, is NO Bella. When it comes right down to it, she makes her own choices and DOES SOMETHING. When she finds out what Vincent is, she breaks up with him because she isn't sure she can take watching him die again and again after the death of her parents. When Evil Bad Dude breaks into the house at the end of the book (intentionally being vague, here), she pounces on him and tries to sword fight with him (even though she has no idea how to use a sword at all). Kate is very proactive throughout the book, which makes for a nice change.

The plot, also, keeps moving. THINGS HAPPEN. You're hoping for a great battle scene at the end of the book, and you GET IT. The mythology here is also different enough to engage me. I'm not a person who likes zombie stories (at all), but I caught onto this book right quick. The ideas behind revenants is really cool, like zombie superheros. There is always something new on every page to learn, or some new ability. Yes, some of them feel contrived to make the plot work, but that's only once or twice so I passed it off.

The other characters in the book are also really interesting. Even Kate's party-girl sister, Georgia, comes off without being a tired cliché, but rather a round character. The other revenants are also cool, especially the twins. This book doesn't feel like Kate/Vincent and the rest. Everyone else has an honest to goodness part to play in the book.

Lastly: Lack of love triangle. Some people may argue no, JULES! But really? Jules is a playboy who enjoys flirting and Kate isn't into him. It's innocent and cute.

Okay, yeah, there are SOME things you just can't do better. For instance, love at first sight. Plum makes an attempt to work it into a real relationship–they go on a DATE, she turns him DOWN, gasp!–but the scene where she first sees Vincent is written like every other cliché love at first sight thing and after that I just can't forgive. It also gets way too serious, way too fast. I understand that with the circumstances and all, there wasn't really much else that COULD be done, but it still leaves jaded old me shaking my head.

Overall, though, this book really won me over. I was ready to hate it for its Twilight-ness, but I kept reading and I was glad I did. There's a real plot here, and real characters. Kate and Vincent turned me to mush pretty quick too. I'm a sucker for adorable couples–and thankfully the stalking thing wasn't mentioned all that often and only happened once or twice, or I never would have forgave him. Some bits of the plot felt like they were being forced forward, but everything flowed pretty well around them. I will most certainly be checking out the second book, Until I Die, due out May 8th.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I'd Play Hooky With

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

When I think of playing hooky, I think I better have a darn good reason. (Yes, I'm responsible. For the most part…) Anyways. If you're going to play hooky, you have to do it right: with the best friends you can find; the kind you KNOW you can laugh and have fun with. So here are my top ten books that I would stop everything to go hang out with, again. (All title links will go to Goodreads.)

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

You may or may not know how I feel about Cassandra Clare. Basically, the important thing is I LOVE CASSANDRA CLARE. Out of the entire Mortal Instruments series, City of Glass is probably my favorite. There is Alec/Magnus love, Jace/Clary love, Simon being badass and just general all around awesomeness. Plus, Clare is SO QUOTABLE. My brother and I can have Mortal Instruments quote wars. It's a beautiful thing. I wasn't a real big fan of City of Fallen Angels, but I'm still excited for City of Lost Souls to come out May 8th!

Demon Glass by Rachel Hawkins

Far and above my favorite book in the Hex Hall series. I do usually prefer conclusions, but I've made my feelings about Spell Bound clear. Demon Glass had a bunch of awesome magic, a load of snarky Sophie and–my favorite–the best Archer/Sophie scenes ever. Archer and Sophie have some of the best lines EVER WRITTEN. What can I say? I love me some snark!

Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

This may be devolving into a list of the best snarkiest characters ever, but hey. Rose Hathaway is both snarky and UTTERLY KICKASS. Plus, in this one the love drama was intense and there is plenty of battle scenes. Plus, Rose/Dimitri love. Guys. I have never shipped a couple as hard as I have shipped Rose and Dimitri.

Squire by Tamora Pierce

Tamora Pierce is one of my favorite authors of all time, just fyi. Her Protector of The Small series has grown on me like nobody's business. Though there is nothing wrong with the finale book, Lady Knight, I have just always had a soft spot for Squire. There is a lot of humor, some romance, great friendships and a great storyline. Oh, and battles and griffins and centaurs and a whole bunch of other awesome stuff. You can't go wrong.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

If you haven't seen my review of this book yet, you're about to be in for a surprise. ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS EVER RIGHT HERE. I reread this just a few weeks ago and thought it was possible that I'd become immune to this book's awesomeness. I was so wrong. I tried to take a drink during one of the bunch lines and nearly spurted it all over. This book is ADORABLE and HYSTERICAL. READ IT, ALL OF YOU.

Wings of the Wicked by Courtney Allison Moulton

If you're wondering about this book's inclusion to this list, you also missed my review of this book, didn't you? Guys. The Angelfire series is some of the best stuff ever. The main character is a kickbutt girl with, what else, snark, the guy is droolworthy and the mythology is A+. I chose Wings of the Wicked for this list because I can't stop rereading it. SO MUCH HAPPENS, and–guys–ALL THE WILL AND ELLIE. I drool, and I'm not ashamed to admit it.

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

Adrian. Guys. Adrian. His presence is worth the inclusion to any list such as these. He is THE BEST. I had my opinions about Bloodlines as a book, but Adrian has ALWAYS been awesome, throughout the Vampire Academy series and now into the Bloodlines series. Pretty sure these books could turn awful and I would still adore these books because of Adrian's lines. I can't wait for The Golden Lily to come out soon!

Lioness Rampant by Tamora Pierce

Pierce's The Song of the Lioness series will always, always have a spot in my heart. They are one of those pieces of my childhood I just can't live without. Abosutely no vacation is complete without these books. I enjoy the series as a whole, but all in all I've reread Lioness Rampant the most.

Divergent by Veronica Roth

I walked into Divergent so, so wary, because I was sure there was NO WAY it could live up to HALF the hype it got. You know what? It actually met most of the expectations. Obviously, no book is perfect, but color me impressed. I even got my brother into this series. Anytime I need to lose myself into an interesting world with action and adventure, Divergent is always my go to book.

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

There is no way we couldn't finish off this kind of list the way we started it: with Cassandra Clare. The Infernal Devices series is, in some ways, even better than the Mortal Instruments. I chose this book because GUYS. THE WILL/TESSA/JEM STUFF GOING ON IN THIS BOOK. Even with none of the other awesomeness, that takes the cake any day. I just recently discussed how they are the ONE love triangle that works for me, and BOY DO THEY EVER.

Review: The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges

The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges

3 1/2 stars

St. Petersburg, Russia, 1888~

As she attends a whirl of glittering balls, royal debutante Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, tries to hide a dark secret: she can raise the dead. No one knows. Not her family. Not the girls at finishing school. Not the tsar or anyone in her aristocratic circle. Katerina considers her talent a curse, not a gift. But when she uses her special skill to protect a member of the Imperial Family, she finds herself caught in a web of intrigue.

An evil presence is growing within Europe's royal bloodlines–and those aligned with the darkness threaten to topple the tsar. Suddenly Katerina's strength as a necromancer attracts attention from unwelcome sources … including two young men–George Alexandrovich, the tsar's standoffish middle son, who needs Katerina's help to safeguard Russia, even if he's repelled by her secret, and the dashing Prince Danilo, heir to the throne of Montenegro, to whom Katerina feels inexplicably drawn.

The time has come for Katerina to embrace her power, but which side will she choose–and to whom will she give her heart?

Lush and opulent, romantic and sinister, The Gathering Storm, the first book in Robin Bridges's Katerina Trilogy, reimagines the lives of Russia's nobility in a fabulously intoxicating and page-turning fantasy.

So, if you've been reading the reviews of this book, you probably heard that this book is really mythology heavy.

IT REALLY, REALLY IS.

Now, it should be known that I am ALL FOR mythology. But the thing is, if I don't understand that mythology, I need it explained to me. 99% of the reason The Gathering Storm only got 3 1/2 stars from me is because I felt as if NOTHING is explained.

My big problem with this book is that I walked away feeling like I had no idea what had just happened. The book's blurb doesn't even begin to cover the kind of mythology going on in this book. Actually, I felt like Katerina's power took a huge backseat to the different kinds of creatures running around in the book–and there were a LOT of creatures; almost too many.

The major creature in this book? Vampires. That was totally not what I signed up for. No, they don't sparkle, but there is three different "breeds" of them that I never fully understood, and they didn't seem to have any of the traditional vampire issues. (Granted, I think Bridges was playing with Russian vampire myths, because she was name-dropping breeds I'd never heard of.) The second one? Fae. It kept being referenced in brief flashes that the Imperial Family was descended from the Light Court of Fae, and this other family was descended from the Dark Court and they had special abilities and … something. Didn't quite understand that either. There was, of course, undead, but that was all thanks to people other than Katerina for the most part. Supposedly she did raise one guy, but she never TRIED and it was just really, really weird. A reference to werewolves was also dropped for like three sentences.

Now, maybe my problem with this book is that I read really, really fast. I literally cannot slow down, which is not good when trying to read books like this. But I just kept going through this book and just. Not. Getting it. Whether it was mythology or events or descriptions, I felt like way too many things were glossed over. Other people have read and loved this book–aka, totally understood it–so to each their own, but don't take this book lightly.

Another thing that bothered me: Do you see that bit in the blurb where it says "No one knows" about her power? In the beginning, no one did. Then, one person finds out and it's like dominos. I don't remember 85% of these people ever being told about her powers, but all of a sudden EVERYONE KNOWS EVERYTHING. That was really jarring to me.

Now, I can't get away with this without mentioning that potential love triangle the blurb hints at. Readers can relax, it doesn't get as love triangle cliché as it sounds.

Personal annoyance: The name dropping. If ONE more person called Katerina by her full name every other sentence, I was going to lose it. There were way too many names running around as is, especially for characters that were never introduced in the story. "He" or "she" really is an acceptable substitute when you can use it, authors.

Lastly, the ending. Perhaps it's just me, but I felt that–for the end of a first book in a trilogy–the ending was far too tidy. Obviously there were some things to clear up, but there didn't seem to be enough still going on to keep some readers interested. I'm legitimately curious about how the story will continue because there isn't a clear place to go from there, except that it seems to be leading to "Katerina leaves Russia to go be a Doctor in Switzerland." Which I feel should be the feeling we get after the end of book THREE.

Overall, though, I think this book has potential. Robin Bridges is, after all, a debut author (who did make my list of 12 Debut Authors I'm Looking Forward to in 2012). The Gathering Storm is very involved, so I will certainly be picking up the second book, The Unfailing Light, expected to be published October 9, 2012. What I'm hoping for is that Bridges, now settled into the story, will be able to take the time to explain just how in the world this world actually works, and what in the world is going on in these millions and millions of layers. I would recommend this book, but only to certain types of people who devour mythology heavy books. If you're looking for a new world to drop right into, I'm be wary about handing you The Gathering Storm. An interesting challenge it is. An easy read it's not.

Review: Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins

Review: Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins

Four stars

Talk about timing…

Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. With her powers locked inside her, Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies–the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that's what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn't so sure.

The only known spell that can help Sophie regain her magic is at Hex Hall–the place where it all began, and now the headquarters of the evil Casnoffs. Together with her best friend, the vampire Jenna; her boyfriend, Archer; her fiance, Cal (yeah, her love life is complicated); and a ghost for a sidekick, Sophie must battle an army of demons. But even with her friends at her side, the fate of all Prodigium rests on her shoulders alone.

Sophie's bound for one hell of a ride… Can she get her powers back before it's too late?

Okay, I should be noted I'm a total fangirl of these books. Did you not SEE my Waiting on Wednesday post a couple of weeks ago? So you can understand that I really, really wanted to like this book. And I did, I really did. But there was a problem.

THIS BOOK WAS WAY TOO SHORT.

Now, I'm really not saying that because I love these books and I'm sad that they're over. I'm being downright  technically serious. So much happened in this book, and Sophie was bopping all over the place and it just went way too fast. I didn't feel like I got a chance to really get to know any of the new characters (Izzy, anyone?) and some of the biggest, most heart wrenching scenes just … happened. And all the while Sophie is here, Sophie is there, Sophie is back there again and then gone and then–aiyee! You can't process what just happened because it's all just WHOOSHED right past. Now, you're probably thinking, doesn't she LIKE fast paced books? Didn't she say she loved Wings of the Wicked by Courtney Allison Moulton because it read "like a rapid fire machine gun"? Yes, yes I did. But this … wasn't that. It seemed way too choppy in places, and a lot of important things weren't handled with as much care or as fleshed out as they could have been. It left my head spinning–and not in a good way.

That is basically the entire reason this book only got four stars, unlike the 5 I'd have given Demon Glass or Hex Hall. I wanted this to be the roaring, hysterical, funny finale to an amazing series, but in the back of my mind I was just always a little thrown off by the writing.

Yes, in the back of my mind. In case you were worried, Sophie is still entirely Sophie. I was still laughing out loud at her snark. I still want to be her best friend. Speaking of which, you don't really need to wait that long in the worry that all her friends and family are missing. They start popping out of the woodwork in ones and twos in the first third or so of the book, which almost made me upset. Hawkins set up that tension so well, and then it kind of resolves itself.

If you were going to bring back Archer that early, there should have been more make out scenes. Just sayin'.

Two last things to discuss: Elodie and Cal. Let's start with Elodie…

Okay, we get that the girl is a ghost tied to Sophie. Personally, her constant actions regarding Sophie didn't really bother me too much. They seemed entirely like an angry Elodie would act. The problem was really when Sophie started leaning on said Elodie as a crutch, but that didn't last all that long (as nothing did in this book) so I got over it pretty quickly. I know a lot of people have been annoyed with how much that certain event happened, but I kinda just took it in and went with it.

Now. Cal. (Please note that we are about to devolve into fangirl rantings, not a technical critique.) CAL. CAL. RACHEL HAWKINS. I… I… I FEEL ALL THINGS. THAT ENDING. THAT ENDING. Personally, I don't find anything technically wrong with it. I thought it was actually poetic. BUT. BUT. THE FANGIRL IN ME DIED A LITTLE. AND THEN SOARED A LITTLE. AND THEN CRIED A LITTLE. And now you know.

I realize that this review doesn't sound all that complimentary, but hey, that's what a review is. It's basically a place to nitpick at books. I gave it four stars for a reason. Spell Bound was a good ending to the Hex Hall series, and hopefully left it open for Hawkins to return to this world–hopefully from the eyes of Izzy. However, it wasn't spectacular. Sometimes I think that the endings to series can never be everything you want them to be, but after I had closed the book I just had such mixed feelings. Everything that I had wanted to happen, happened. Just not in the way I wanted it to. Everyone has their own opinions about how they want series' to end, and maybe I'm not capable of separating my fangirl from my critical reviewer. But I think BOTH of them wish that Spell Bound had taken a little longer to really give itself a finished polish.

Waiting on Wednesday: "The Treachery of Beautiful Things" by Ruth Frances Long

Waiting on Wednesday is a feature hosted by Breaking the Spine to highlight books we really can't wait to read!

Title: The Treachery of Beautiful Things (click go to to Goodreads)

Author: Ruth Frances Long

Expected Publication Date: August 16, 2012

Summary from Goodreads: The trees swallowed her brother whole. And Jenny was there to see it. Years later, when she returns to the woods where Tom was taken to say good-bye at last, she finds herself lured into a world where stunning beauty masks the most treacherous of evils, and strange and dangerous creatures await—creatures who seem to consider her the threat. Among them is Jack, mercurial and magnetic, with allegiances that shift as much as his moods. Determined to find her brother, with or without Jack's help, Jenny struggles to navigate a faerie world where nothing is what it seems, no one is who they say, and she's faced with a choice between salvation or sacrifice—and not just her own.

Why I'm Waiting: Okay, one, that cover is just gorgeous. Two, this sounds really interesting. The blurb wasn't really that much to go on, for me, so I started reading some of the early reviews that were up and I got really interested. I'm not much of a faerie-trope reader (I STILL need to get my hands on those Julie Kagawa books…), so this is new for me. I also like the idea that multiple people have commented on the beauty of the prose itself, which is a big draw for me. And hey, I'm always a sucker for some mythology.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books On My Spring To-Be-Read List

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted over at The Broke and the Bookish.

Okay, I have to face it, my to-be-read list is SKY HIGH. Picking ten for the spring is going to be … death defying. Let's give it a try! (All links will go to Goodreads unless otherwise noted.)

1. Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins

In case you missed my Waiting on Wednesday post last week, I WANT THIS BOOK. If Amazon's shipping department wasn't the worst, I'D HAVE IT BY NOW. But I don't. And the wait is KILLER.

2. The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges

Really, as far as I'm concerned, you can't go wrong with this book. It's historical fiction in the fact that it takes place in Russia circa 1888. It's fantasy because the main character is both a Duchess and a necromancer. This book's blurb caught me on the first look, and I can't wait to read it.

3. Die for Me by Amy Plum

Okay, Anna and the French Kiss maaaay have made me have an instant love of books set in Paris, which I discovered at line 2 of the blurb. Then I read the REST of the blurb and went DUDE. Let's see if the plotline is cool enough to overcome the star-crossed lovers thing! You can bet you'll hear which way this one goes as soon as I get my hands on it.

4. Balthazar by Claudia Gray

I'll admit, my interest in the Evernight series continued to wane as the books went on, but it seems that this one is completley unrelated to the Evernight books and characters except for Balthazar, so sign me up! I was a huge sucker for this guy, and I'm not ashamed to admit it!

5. The Selection by Kiera Cass

Okay, this is one book where I read the blurb and I went I WANT NOW. NOW. I have no idea why, but I just fell in love right there. Plus, the CW is making it into a TV series so DUDE. I have to at least read the book so I can watch how much the series messes with the plot line.

6. City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

GUYS. GUYS. CASSANDRA CLARE. THAT IS ALL.

7. Insurgent by Veronica Roth

This is the sequel to Divergent, which I thought actually lived up to a lot of the hype it got. Enough is said.

8. The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead

MORE VAMPIRE ACADEMY WORLD. MORE ADRIAN. GIVE ME NOW. If you don't believe the CAPS is pertinent, read my review of Bloodlines!

9. Grave Mercy by R. L. LaFevers

Girl escapes arranged marriage, becomes assassin. Seriously, do I need to tell you anymore? Also, for the life of me I can't get this cover to actually show up here, so you're just going to have to click the link to check it out.

10. For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund

I am a horrible person who judges books by their cover–only literally, I swear! However, CHECK OUT THIS COVER. Then CHECK OUT THE BLURB. Really interested in getting my hands on this one!

Relationships and Love Triangles in YA Books DONE RIGHT

Okay, so, if you've been following my blog then you'll know that I've been quite angry at YA authors lately. I've been annoyed with the horrible way they portray relationships and love triangles and a whole bunch of other nasty stuff. Therefore, I figured it miiiight be time to do a post that is positive rather than not, because a great many authors DO write amazing relationships and–sometimes–even love triangles. Here's my list:

Love Triangle Done Right – Will/Tessa/Jem from Cassandra Clare's Infernal Devices trilogy

Seriously, guys. I have NO IDEA how Clare MAKES THIS WORK. Usually in love triangles, there is a clear guy who the author is pushing the torn female towards. Even if, somehow, they don't, you seem to really start rooting for one and hating the other one. Or, at least, that's what I think and, erm, do. A lot. However, I adore Will. I adore Jem. AND I HAVE NO IDEA WHICH ONE IS BETTER FOR TESSA. It's inconceivable to me that I have just fallen in love with all three characters who have somehow made this love triangle possibly the best I've ever seen.

Love Triangle Done Right – Humberto/Elisa/Alejandro from Rae Carson's The Girl of Fire and Thorns

Okay, I'm not entirely sure this counts as a love triangle because I never really thought Elisa was actually in love with Alejandro, but still. There was a definite love triangle set up here since she was married to Alejandro but fell in love with Humberto and well you can kinda figure out the plot line from there. OR CAN YOU? This isn't on this list because of the relationships, or the fact that I totally couldn't make up my mind which one I loved more, but rather HOW THE BOOK ENDED AND WHAT CARSON DID. GUYS. I want to build her an altar. She took everything cliché plotline I'd already thought up for how the book would end and THREW A BOMB ON IT. And therefore, this is here. See my review for more.

Relationship Done Right – Anna/Etienne from Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

GUYS. GUYS. I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SPEAK WITHOUT CAPS LOCK. GO CHECK OUT MY REVIEW FOR MORE. Besides this book being AMAZING IN EVERY WAY, this relationship was so real I fell in love head over heels AND THEN SOME. Rarely have I ever seen teen romance done this amazingly. Actually, put this at the top of my list for top teen romance EVER. Sure, the setting is kinda out there, but screw it. Everything else about this book is the best thing ever.

Relationship/Love Triangle Done Right – Dimitri/Rose/Adrian from the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead

It's very rare when a series of books goes like this one. You know why? IT'S A REAL RELATIONSHIP PROGRESSION. I don't want to ruin this for people who haven't read the series, but trust me this one is totally swoon-worthy. Rose and Dimitri are obviously the couple pushed from the beginning, since Adrian isn't introduced until about halfway through, but then he's in love with Rose and you've got this psuedo-triangle on your hands because Rose is totally head over heels from Dimitri. But then something bad happens to Dimitri and Rose decides to try to move on with Adrian. And then Dimitri comes back and then HELLO. That's a really bad description because I'm trying to avoid spoilers, but this point is this is real. Nobody here is perfect. All three of them try to fight the way they feel, do the best in the situation and then they all screw up in their own way. There is a real show of love triangle fallout which KILLED *spoilerhiding* fans, but come on. He came back in Bloodlines and was freaking awesome, so the readers aren't left completely bereft and hating Mead.

Relationship Done Right – Sam/Ana from Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

If you know me, then you know there is nothing that I hate more than insta-love. Well, Incarnate was my answer – THERE IS REAL RELATIONSHIP BUILD UP HERE. I wanted to jump up from reading and shout "Hallelujah!" But couldn't, because I was, you know, reading. They have a REAL relationship with REAL issues and it doesn't happen instantly. Other people, take note. For more, see my review.

For sure, there are plenty of other examples out there, but those are my top 5 of the moment! How about you?