Coming Soon!

With my work as a Librarian, I am constantly putting in orders for books that aren't published yet. I'm always having to check lists and postings about when titles become available. So I've created my own list and will hopefully keep it well updated. Please let me know if there are errors or things I've overlooked. All of these titles are pulled from various other lists, so I'm currently only as accurate as they are.

The books are listed first by date and then by the last name of the author. I'm hoping this will be the easiest way to find things. Ahem, hopefully. Suggestions are gladly accepted! Wish me luck! Oh - and be aware that publication dates are subject to change!

"COMING SOON" TITLES IN YA FICTION

2012
January
8th
Shadow's Edge by Maureen Lipinski

10th
The Gathering Storm (The Katerina Trilogy) by Robin Bridges
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
The Whole Story of Half a Girl by Veera Hiranandani
Ditched by Robin Mellom
A Million Suns (Across the Universe) by Beth Revis
May B. by Caroline Starr Rose

17th
Never Eighteen by Megan Bostic
Halflings by Heather Burch
Enshadowed by Kelly Creagh
Lovetorn by Kavita Daswani
Hallowed (Unearthly) by Cynthia Hand
Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey
Fracture by Megan Miranda
Book of Wonders by Jasmine Richards
The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jessica Rothenberg
The Asylum (Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries) by L.J. Smith

19th
Try Not to Breathe by Jennifer Hubbard
Truth (XVI) by Julia Karr
Getting Somewhere by Beth Neff
Amanda/Miranda by Richard Peck

24th
Everneath by Brodi Ashton
Cold Light by Jenn Ashworth
Pink Smog by Francesca Lia Block
The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe
Hallowed (Unearthly) by Cynthia Hand
Forbidden by Syrie James and Ryan James
Fallen in Love (Fallen) by Lauren Kate
Horizon (Aftertime) by Sophie Littlefield
Getting Over Garrett Delaney by Abby McDonald
Havoc (Deviants) by Jeff Sampson
Angel Fire (Angel) by L.A. Weatherly
Life Eternal (Dead Beautiful) by Yvonne Wood

31st
The Edumacation of Jay Baker by Jay Clark
Destiny and Deception (13 to Life) by Shannon Delany
New Girl by Paige Harbison
Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
Tangled (Torn) by Erica O'Rourke
The Stalker Chronicles by Electa Rome Parks
The Dead of Winter by Chris Priestley
Article 5 by Kristen Simmons
_________________________________
February
1st
Drowning Instinct by Lisa Bick
Angelina's Secret by Lisa Rogers
The Girls of No Return by Erin Saldin

2nd
Chopsticks by Jessica Anthony
Harbinger by Sara Etienne
This One Time with Julia by David Lampson
The Boy on Cinnamon Street by Phoebe Stone

6th
DJ Rising by Love Maia
The Rivals by Daisy Whitney

7th
The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth
Almost Everything (Vampire Princess) by Tate Halloway
Mr. Was by Pete Hautman
Somebody, Please Tell Me Who I am by Harry Mazer
Dead to You by Lisa McMann
Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
Two Truths and a Lie (Lying Game) by Sara Shepard
Born Wicked (The Cahill Witch Chronicles) by Jessica Spotswood

8th
Pure by Julianna Baggott
In Too Deep by Amanda Grace
Wood Queen (Iron Witch) by Karen Mahoney

14th

Interrupted: Life Beyond Words by Rachel Coker
Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley
Someone Else's Life by Katie Dale
The Butterfly Clues by Kate Ellison
Bewitching (The Kendra Chronicles) by Alex Flinn
Scarlet by A. C. Gaughen
The Nightmare Garden (Iron Codex) by Caitlin Kittredge
Arcadia Awakens by Kai Meyer
Wings of the Wicked (Angelfire) by Courtney Allison Moulton
The Vanishing Game by Kate Kae Myers
Various Positions by Martha Schabas
Death Sentence (Escape from Furnace) by Alexander Gordon Smith
Diabolical by Cynthia Leitich Smith

16th
The Fine Art of Truth or Dare by Melissa Jensen
The Disenchantments by Nina Lacour
Trafficked by Kim Purcell
My Family for the War by Anne Voorhoere

21st

Gil Marsh by A.C.E. Bauer
Bloodrose (Nightshade) by Andrea Cremer
Fever (Wither) by Lauren DeStefano
A Beautiful Evil by Kelly Keaton
Thief's Covenant by Ari Marmell
Faery Tales and Nightmares by Melissa Marr
The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jessica Rothenberg
Double by Jenny Valentine

28th
A Touch Morbid by Leah Clifford
Riding Out the Storm by Sis Deans
When the Sea is Rising Red by Cat Hellisen
Torn (Trylle) by Amanda Hocking
Bad Boy by Dream Jordan
Allegiance by Cayla Kluver
The Traitor in the Tunnel (The Agency) by Y.S. Lee
Forgiven (Demon Trappers) by Jana Oliver
Shooting Stars by Allison Rushby
Undeadly by Michele Vail
Partials by Dan Wells
_________________________________
March
1st
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
The Lifeguard by Deborah Blumenthal
Perception (Clarity) by Kim Harrington
Lucy (Daughters of the Sea) by Kathryn Lasky
The Glass Collector by Anna Perera
Embrace by Jessica Shirvington
Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip by Jordan Sonnenblick
Freshman Year and Other Unnatural Disasters by Meredith Zeitlin

5th
Boy21 by Matthew Quick

6th
Illuminate (Gilded Wings) by Aimee Agresti
Ruins by Orson Scott Card
Everlasting (Kissed by an Angel) by Elizabeth Chandler
Balthazar (Evernight) by Claudia Gray
Rivals (The Ivy) by Lauren Kunze
Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
Dead is a Battlefield (Dead Is...) by Marlene Perez
Where It Began by Ann Redisch Stampler

8th
Pieces of Us by Margie Gelbwasser
Katana by Cole Gibsen
Buried (Goth Girl Mysteries) by Linda Joy Singleton

13th
Guy Langman, Crime Scene Procrastinator by Josh Berk
Love and Haight by Susan Carlton
The Savage Grace (Dark Divine) by Bree Despain
Cross My Heart by Sasha Gould
Spell Bound (Hex Hall) by Rachel Hawkins
Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard
Infamous (Chronicles of Nick) by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Pretty Crooked by Ellsa Ludwig
Another Jekyll, Another Hyde by Dina and Daniel Nayeri
Starters by Lissa Price
Dark Eyes by William Richter
The Compelled (Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries) by L.J. Smith
Moonsong (The Hunters) by L.J. Smith
Bessica Lefter Bites Back by Kristen Tracy

15th
The Difference Between You and Me by Madeline George

20th
The Traitor's Son (The Raven Duet) by Hilari Bell
Out of Sight, Out of Time by Ally Carter
When You Open Your Eyes by Celeste Conway
Croak by Gina Damico
Loss (Riders of the Apocalypse) by Jackie Morse Kessler
A Temptation of Angels by Michelle Zink

27th
Goddess Interrupted (Goddess Test) by Aimee Carter
After the Snow by Sophie Crockett
Tessa Masterson Will Go To Prom by Brendan Halpin and Emily Franklin
Slide by Jill Hathaway
Chomp by Carl Hiassen
Life is But a Dream by Brian James
The Stalker Chronicles by Carley Moore
It's Our Prom (So Deal With It) by Julie Anne Peters
_________________________________
April
1st
Above by Leah Bobet
The Vicious Deep by Zoraida Cordova
Take a Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg
Kiss the Morning Star by Elissa Janine Hoole
The False Prince by Jessica Nielsen
A Breath of Eyre by Eve Marie Mont
Dreamsleeves by Colleen Paratore
The List by Siobhan Vivian

3rd
Black Heart (Curse Workers) by Holly Black
Storybound by Marissa Burt
Fame Game by Lauren Conrad
Radiate by Marley Gibson
Fear (Gone) by Michael Grant
I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga
The Marked (Delcroix Academy) by Inara Scott
Immortal City by Scott Speer

8th
Ripper by Amy Carol Reeves

10th
The Calling (Darkness Rising) by Kelley Armstrong
Flip by Martyn Bedford
Magic Under Stone (Magic Under) by Jaclyn Dolamore
The Academie by Susanne Dunlap
The Queen's Lady (Lacey Chronicles) by Eve Edwards
The Night She Disappeared by April Henry
You Can't Have My Planet, but Take My Brother, Please! by James Mihaley
The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman

12th
Losers in Space by John Barnes
Remarkable by Lizzie K. Foley
Ghost Flower by Michele Jaffe
Thou Shalt Not Road Trip by Antony John
Circle of Cranes by Annette LeBox
Child of the Mountains by Marilyn Sue Shank

17th
The Wicked and the Just by Jillian Anderson Coats
Grimalkin the Witch Assassin (Last Apprentice) by Joseph Delaney
The Last Echo (Body Finder) by Kimberly Derting
Once Upon a Toad by Heather Vogel Fredrickson
Liberator by Richard Harland
The Chaos by Nalo Hopkinson
Glimmer by Phoebe Kitanidis
Kill Switch by Chris Lynch
The Springsweet by Saundra Mitchell

24th
Supergirl Mixtapes by Meagan Brothers
The Story of Us by Deb Caletti
The Selection by Kiera Cass
Spirit's Princess by Esther Friesner
Masque of Red Death by Bethany Griffin
Social Suicide (Deadly Cool) by Gemma Halliday
Ascend (Trylle) by Amanda Hocking
Elemental by Bridgid Kemmerer
Rebel Fire (Sherlock Holmes: The Legend Begins) by Andrew Lane
Zero by Tom Leveen
Blood Born by Jamie Manning
Whisper (Riley Bloom) by Alyson Noel
Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris
The Mapmaker and the Ghost by Sarvenaz Tash
Breaking Beautiful by Jennifer Shaw Wolf

26th
The Right and the Real by Joelie Anthony
Seven Clues to Winning You by Kristin Walker

28th
Kiss the Morning Star by Elissa Janine Hoole
_________________________________
May
1st
The Drowned Cities by Paolo Bacigalupi
What She Left Behind by Tracey Bilen
Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
The Vicious Deep by Zoraida Cordova
Welcome Caller, This is Chloe by Shelley Coriell
Wrecked by Anna Davies
Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins
Being Friends With Boys by Terra Elan McVoy
The Golden Lily (Bloodlines) by Richelle Mead
A Breath of Eyre by Eve Marie Mont
Alice on Board (Alice) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
This is So Not Happening by Kieran Scott
When You Were Mine by Rebecca Serle
The Forgetting Curve (Memento Nora) by Angie Smibert
Shine by Jeri Smith-Ready
Waiting by Carol Lynch Williams
The Other Life by Susanne Winnacker

3rd
Struck by Jennifer Bosworth

8th
Jersey Angel by Beth Ann Bauman
Struck by Jennifer Bosworth
City of Lost Souls (Mortal Instruments) by Cassandra Clare
The Last Princess by Galaxy Craze
Back and Deader Than Ever by Lisi Harrison
First Comes Love by Katie Kacvinsky
Chained by Lynne Kelly
In Honor by Jessi Kirby
Enchanted by Alethea Kontis
Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson
Never Fall Down by Patricia McCormick
Magic in Manhattan (bind-up) by Sarah Mlynowski
More Magic in Manhattan (bind-up) by Sarah Mlynowski
Revived by Cat Patrick
Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock
Pilgrims Don't Wear Pink by Stephanie Kate Strohm

10th
One for the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

15th
Gilt by Katherine Longshore
The Rock of Ivanore by Laura White Reyes
Immortal Hearts (Vampire Kisses) by Ellen Schreiber

20th
Underworld by Meg Cabot
Insurgent (Divergent) by Veronica Roth

22nd
Shift by Em Bailey
Of Poseidon by Anna Banks
The Enchantress (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel) by Michael Scott

29th
Angel Eyes by Shannon Dittemore
Body and Soul (The Ghost and the Goth) by Stacey Kade
_________________________________
June
1st
Divine Intervention by Martha Brockenbrough

5th
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Bleeding Hearts (Drake Chronicles) by Alyxandra Harvey
The Shadow Cast by Stars by Catherine Kutsson
All These Lives by Sarah Wylie

12th
Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown
Reunited by Hilary Weisman Graham
Flirting in Italian by Lauren Henderson
Timepiece (Hourglass) by Myra McEntire

14th
Keep Holding On by Susane Colasanti
My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
Small Medium at Large by Joanne Levy
Tokyo Heist by Diana Renn

19th
Just Flirt by Laura Bowers
The New Normal by Trish Doller
The Wild Queen by Carolyn Meyer

26th
Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult

29th
Secret Letters by Leah Scheier
_________________________________
July
3rd
Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson
The White Glove War (Magnolia League) by Katie Crouch
Waking Storms by Sarah Porter

10th
Poison Tree by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Don't You Wish by Roxanne St. Claire
Insignia by S.J. Kincaid
The Little Woods by McCormick Templeton
Deadly Pink by Vivian Vande Velde

17th
A World Away by Nancy Grossman

19th
Small Damages by Beth Kephart
Wicked Jealous: A Love Story by Robin Palmer

24th
Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard
_________________________________
August
6th
Nevermore (Maximum Ride) by James Patterson

7th
Between You and Me by Marisa Calin
Auracle by Gina Rosati

8th
Innocent Darkness (The Aether Chronicles) by Suzanne Lazear

14th
Glitch by Heather Anastasiu
Touched by Cyn Balog
False Memory by Dan Krokos

20th
Someday Dancer by Sarah Rubin

21st
The Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy by Nikki Loftin

28th
The Demon Catchers of Milan by Kat Beyer

Read more...

My Reads in 2009

This is a list of all the books I read in 2009. They are in the order that I read them (which kinda gives me a nervous twitch for not putting them in any alpha order).

I started the year doing the 999 Challenge with LibraryThing. Follow the link to get the full details of it, but my nine categories were all in YA Lit (obvs). Realistic Fiction, Mystery and Adventure, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Graphics, African American, Chick Lit, and Classics.

Unfortunately, I finished the year lacking two classics. Alas. There were just way to many other things I wanted to read and actually had access to. But I suppose this means I didn't complete the challenge. Perhaps I should count a few of the books as modern classics - things I know that are going to be considered classics in years to come. :)

Any titles with * beside them means that I really loved the book. I would probably re-read it.

Any titles with ** are my favorite picks of the year. Absolutely recommended, find them now :).

Dragon’s Keep by Janet Lee Carey
*Generation Dead by Daniel Waters
**The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins
Lord of Misrule (Morganville Vampires) by Rachel Caine
At Face Value by Emily Franklin
Dead is the New Black by Marlene Perez
Shadow Kiss by Richelle Meade
Caught Between the Pages by Marlene Carvell
Skinned by Robin Wasserman
Girl v. Boy by Yvonne Collins and Sandy Rideout
*Sucks to Be Me by Kimberly Pauley
Ivy by Julie Hearn
Watchmen by Alan Moore
Undone by Brooke Taylor
Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr
Persistence of Memory by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
The School for Dangerous Girls by Eliot Schrefer
*Envy: a Luxe Novel by Anna Godbersen
Hot Girl by Dream Jordan
Impossible by Nancy Werlin
Gem X by Nicky Springer
Dead is a State of Mind by Marlene Perez
Cracked up to Be by Courtney Summers
*Max (Maximum Ride) by James Patterson
Breaking Up by Aimee Friedman
Jellicoe Road by Malina Marchetta
The Plain Janes by Cecil Castellucci
*City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
Hunted (House of Night) by P.C. and Kristin Cast
Jet Set by Carrie Karasyov and Jill Kargman
Life Sucks by Jessica Abel
Work What You Got by Stephanie Perry Moore
Cairo by G. Willow Wilson
Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
Gamer Girl by Mari Mancusi
Dangerous Days of Daniel X by James Patterson
The Season by Sarah MacLean
**Death by Bikini by Linda Gerber
**Tyrell by Coe Booth
*Being Nikki by Meg Cabot
*Kin: The Good Neighbors by Holly Black
Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George
Gentlemen by Michael Northrop
Girls by Tucker Shaw
Japan Ai by Aimee Major Steinberger
1984 by George Orwell
Shortie Like Mine by Ni-Ni Simone
**Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Peace, Love, and Baby Ducks by Lauren Myracle
Newes from the Dead by Mary Hooper
Hotlanta by Denene Millner and Mitzy Miller
The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey
*Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
Push by Sapphire
Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs
The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner
Neptune’s Children by Bonnie Dobkin
Jason and Kyra by Dana Davidson
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
The Umbrella Academy: Dallas by Gerard Way
Peeled by Joan Bauer
The Smile by Donna Jo Napoli
Beauty Shop for Rent… Fully Equipped, Inquire Within by Laura Bowers
Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
*The Carbon Diaries 2015 by Saci Lloyd
Boot Camp by Todd Strasser
Shooter by Walter Dean Myers
A Separate Peace by John Knowles
Brett McCarthy: Work in Progress by Maria Padian
Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing: Traitor to the Nation, Volume 1: The Pox Party by M.T. Anderson
**Same Difference by Siobhan Vivian
Messed Up by Janet Nichols Lynch
Ten Cents a Dance by Christine Fletcher
**Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway
The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
A Voice of Her Own: Becoming Emily Dickinson by Barbara Dana
Heroes: Volume One by Various and Time Sale
*Evermore by Alyson Noel
The Stranger by Albert Camus
Death by Latte by Linda Gerber
**Blood Promise (Vampire Academy) by Richelle Mead
*Alphas by Lisi Harrison
Fade to Blue by Sean Beaudoin
Carpe Corpus (Morganville Vampires) by Rachel Caine
L.A. Candy by Lauren Conrad
*Zombie Queen of Newbury High by Amanda Ashby
Stargazer by Claudia Gray
serafina67 *urgently requires life* by Susie Day
Weregirls: Birth of the Pack by Petru Popescu
Death by Denim by Linda Gerber
Another Faust by Daniel and Dina Nayeri
*The Van Alen Legacy (Blue Bloods) by Melissa de la Cruz
Must Love Black by Kelly McClymer
The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinx
Me, My Elf, and I by Heather Swain
Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey
*Kith: The Good Neighbors by Holly Black
Crashed (Skinned) by Robin Wasserman
*Tempted (House of Night) by P.C. and Kristin Cast
The Cupcake Queen by Heather Hepler
Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
Vamps by Nancy A. Collins
**Going Bovine by Libba Bray
Never Bite a Boy on the First Date by Tamara Summers
*Splendor (Luxe) by Anna Godbersen
I Love You, Beth Cooper by Larry Doyle
Meridian by Amber Kizer
Fade Out (Morganville Vampires) by Rachel Caine
Malice by Chris Wooding
The First Escape (Dopple Gagner Chronicles) by G.P. Taylor
Radiant Darkness by Emily Whitman

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Radiant Darkness by Emily Whitman

Title: Radiant Darkness
Author: Emily Whitman
ISBN: 9780061724497
Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Summary:
"Persephone lives in the most gorgeous place in the world. But her mother's a goddess, as overprotective as she is powerful. Paradise has become a trap. Just when Persephone feels there's no chance of escaping the life that's been planned for her, a mysterious stranger arrives. A stranger who promises something more - something dangerous and exciting - something that spurs Persephone to make a daring choice. A choice that could destroy all she's come to love, even the earth itself.

In a land where a singing river can make you forget your very name, Persephone is forced to discover who - and what - she really is."
______________________________________________
Review:

I've really gotten into the genre of retold stories, but up until now they've all been fairy tales. As a kid, I loved all things mythology. And I've read the stories that include mythological characters... but never a retold story from mythology! I thought this was the perfect intro to that genre I could have found. Are there even any others?

This story is so well written - as the story is written about the earth and plants and gardens... It's a sensual story in that way. There are some wonderful descriptions that make you wish you were experiencing them as well. I'm ready to move in to the vale! :).

One thing that I'm not sure I totally buy into is the description of the underworld. I guess I always pictured it in the dark, dank, spooky way that Persephone begins worrying about. But the thing is, I had a hard time realizing it as a place that someone might actually want to be. It works for the story - I mean, why else would Persephone want to stay there?! But that was all just me picturing it differently, but I really enjoyed the way it was described in the book.

This is a great book for any age reader - starting, really, with 6th or 7th grade. I think it would be interesting in a discussion about mythology in school. The more modern twist in this book would probably pull in other readers that wouldn't have been interested otherwise. By modern twist, I don't mean that it's set in a different world - it's just the attitudes and the language that are more modern. I very much tip my hat to the author on that front.

So, I recommend this one, for sure. And it was a very quick read. What more could you want?! Check out the author's website.
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Other Blog Reviews:

Presenting Lenore
GreenBeanTeenQueen
Juciliciousss Reviews
The Compulsive Reader
Reading Rocks
The Book Obsession

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The First Escape by G.P. Taylor

Title: The First Escape: The Dopple Ganger Chronicles
Author: G.P. Taylor
ISBN: 9781414319476
Publisher: SaltRiver/ Tyndale House Publishers

Summary:
"At Isambard Dunstan's School for Wayward Children, life is trouble for fourteen-year-old twins Sadie and Saskia Dopple and their friend, former thief Erik Morrissey Ganger. But what starts out as a perfectly normal day of food fights, rioting classmates, and (yawn) threats of expulsion goes suddenly and horribly wrong when a mysterious, wealthy woman appears at the school and adopts Saskia... without her sister.

On her own in a mansion full of dark secrets, Saskia stumbles upon a conspiracy that threatens her very life. Meanwhile, desperate to find Saskia, Sadie and Erik escape from the orphanage with a gang of enemies in hot pursuit. Faced with perils beyond their imaginations, the trio must decide who to trust - and what to believe - if they are to survive long enough to find each other again."
_____________________________________________
Review:

My last review was all about graphic formats and such with the latest Chris Wooding book (Malice), so I'm going to try to stay away from format talk on this one. But I have to mention it, because it was the reason I picked up this book. When I was looking at purchasing this book for my library, I was really struck by the word "illustronovella" that was mentioned in connection with this book. I fell in love with the word and the idea, so I got excited about this book :).

It honestly didn't disappoint! I've read a few reviews that weren't inspired, but I was really into this story. A great story that is packed with adventure and intrigue. The pictures very much added to the story and put me in a specific mindset while I was reading. I don't think I would have seen the characters exactly as they were drawn, but I loved the drawings and appreciated the look into the world of the story.

I just have to mention how fast this book was. I wasn't really expecting it to read as quickly as a normal graphic novel, but it really only took me a couple of hours on a lazy Sunday morning. I was surprised, but glad for it. I could have definitely staying in this story a bit longer, so I'll probably go looking for the next book soon (I think we got it at our library this past week).

I would recommend this book to pretty much anyone - it's a great adventure/mystery/graphic novel. There was a weird little dip into a religious theme for a while that didn't seem to fit in the story very well, but otherwise it was wonderful! (I think the author is a minister of some sort, so this does make some sense.) I'm thinking this might be best for the middle grades, but teens could get into it as well.

There is a whole online world for this book, so go check that out.
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Other Blog Reviews:

Blog Critics
Mama Buzz
Associated Content

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Malice by Chris Wooding

Title: Malice
Author: Chris Wooding
ISBN: 9780545160438
Publisher: Scholastic Press

Summary:
"Once you get into the story, there's no way out...

Everyone's heard the rumors: If you gather the right things and say the right words, you'll be taken to Malice, a world that exists inside a horrifying comic book. It's a world that few kids know about... and even fewer survive.

Seth and Kady think it's all a silly myth. But then their friend disappears, and suddenly the rumors don't seem silly after all.

Malice is real. Malice is deadly. And Seth and Kady are about to be trapped inside it."
______________________________________________
Review:

Chris Wooding is one of those authors who tends to write outside the box, but his books are always intriguing and very well written. I was very interested in this book when I found out that it was part novel and part graphic. I think this is starting a bit of a trend in YA fantasy or sci fi books. But I was a little worried about how this would happen - how the graphic part would be placed within the story. I didn't want things to get choppy or weird because of the need for this new thing.

There are some stories that lend themselves to a new format, and this one definitely falls into that category. It's perfect to have a story about a graphic novel to have some bits that are graphic themselves. At no point did the graphics take away from the story that was written in regular prose. There were a few moments where I hoped for a bit more of the graphics - because I enjoyed getting a visual of some of the creatures they were fighting.

I know there have been stories written before about people getting stuck in books and having grand adventures and such, but there was something about this book that made the concept seem new again. And for that, I very much appreciate it.

This review has been a lot about the format, but that's almost what makes this book so interesting. The story is definitely well written and interesting, so I plan on recommending it to anyone looking for sci fic or fantasy. It can almost go either way. But I think anyone who enjoys drawing comics would love this one too. I'm absolutely waiting for the next installment of this story to come out - I think it's going to be epic!

Check out Chris Wooding's website for more info!
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Other Blog Reviews:

Ultimate Book Hound
Bookshelves of Doom
The Guardian
Genrefluent Teens Talk About Books
Nerd Dads

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Fade Out by Rachel Caine

Title: Fade Out (The Morganville Vampires)
Author: Rachel Caine
ISBN: 9780451228666
Publisher: Signet/Penguin

Summary:
"In Morganville terms, someone is always watching.

Without the evil vampire Bishop ruling over the town of Morganville, life has changed - dramatically. The resident vampires have made major concessions to the human population. With their newfound freedoms, Claire Danvers and her friends are almost starting to feel comfortable again - almost.

Now Claire can actually concentrate on her studies, and her friend Eve joins the local theater company. Yet when one of Eve's cast mates goes missing after starting work on a short documentary, Eve suspects the worst. As she and Claire investigate, they soon realize that not only is the subject of the film the vampires themselves, but that this project is a whole lot bigger - and way more dangerous - than anyone expected."
____________________________________________
Review:

The Morganville Vampires series has never steered me wrong before - and continue their streak with this book. At this point, I can't even remember what number this book is. Are we on seven yet? Ha! I was right - Amazon just told me this is the seventh book. Crazy. I wonder how many more we are going to get.

I do love how this story is more calm and less "OMG and then this happened... and then this... and you won't believe it, but this...". It was nice to have a more calm beginning to the story - where life has gone back to normal. I also enjoyed that the main enemy in the end of this one wasn't a vampire. I know this is a story all about life with vampires and such, but it's nice to be changed up every once in a while.

Usually these books tend to leave me in a cliffhanger where I'm saying "WHAT HAPPENS NEXT??!?"... but that almost wasn't the case with this one. I mean, it lacked a cliffhanger, but only in that it wasn't a huge event at the end that just cut off like it has before. There is definitely a huge event, but it concludes in this one. The thing that got me was that there were other story lines that were totally left out to dry. I know they will get picked up in the next book, but this one left me with "So, what happened with that dude?!" I guess we'll see where Book 8 takes us!

I do recommend this series to anyone loving vampire books. It's a great series and well written. So give them a shot - you won't be sorry.

Oh, and check out Rachel Caine's Website
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Other Blog Reviews:

A Bibliophile's Bookshelf
Late Bloomer Online
The Story Siren
Opinionated? Me?
Denise Madness Reviews

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Apologies

I hate having to apologize for the state of my blog, but I started editing the layout too late in the evening... now I'm just kinda fed up and leaving it for sleep. Hopefully I will get back to it tomorrow sometime soon and everything will be mucho improvedo. I hope. If I can get things, ya know, working correctly. Ahem.

Speaking of changes - keep an eye out for some changes to this blog in the new year. I'm pretty proud of keeping this thing going for a year and I would like to expand it a little bit. Hence the want for some layout changes. It was just too much for one evening.

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Meridian by Amber Kizer

Title: Meridian
Author: Amber Kizer
ISBN: 9780385736688
Publisher: Delacorte Press

Summary:
"Half human, half angel, Meridian Sozu has a dark responsibility.

Meridian has always been an outcast. It seems that wherever she goes, death and grief follow. On her sixteenth birthday, a car crashes in front of her family's home - and though she's untouched, Meridian's body explodes in pain.

Before she can fully recover, Meridian is told that she's a danger to her family and is hustled off to her great-aunt's house in Revelation, Colorado. There she learns the secret her parents have been hiding for her entire life: Meridian is a Fenestra, the half-angel, half-human link between the living and the dead.

It's crucial that Meridian learn how to transition human souls to the afterlife - how to help people die. Only then can she help preserve the balance between good and evil on earth. But before she can do that, Meridian must come to terms with her ability, outsmart the charismatic preacher who's taken over Revelation, and maybe - if she can accept her sworn protector, Tens, for who he is - fall in love. Meridian and Tens face great danger from the Aternocti, a band of dark forces who capture vulnerable souls on the brink of death and cause chaos. But together, they have the power to outsmart evil."
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Review:

I have to admit that this story was nothing like I thought it was going to be - in a really, really good way. There are lots of YA books that are sort of formulaic (even fantasy!). But this book struck me as very original from the start and kept me on the edge of my proverbial seat. None of the twists were terribly expected (part of the ending was, a little) and I really felt like I was living the story.

I was so excited to go to Amber Kizer's website and realize there is going to be a sequel to this book! This book could really stand alone, but I'm just happy to know that I can go back to this world in the coming story. There are so many directions it could go! I'm pretty pumped to see where it goes.

One of the things I really wasn't expecting was the lack of mentioning "angels." The summary inside the book talks about half-angels and all that, but the story itself really didn't use that terminology. The focus words of the story were more Fenestras and Protectors. I was expecting something else when I hear angels, but this story exceded what I had been looking for.

I will definitely be recommending this book to my urban fantasy lovers. Honestly I think just about anyone would love this book, but I might be biased because I liked it so much :). Pick it up and enjoy!!
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Other Blog Reviews:

Steph Su Reads
Library Lounge Lizard
Violet Crush
Book Soulmates
The Book Obsession
The Compulsive Reader
Bookshelves of Doom
Princess Bookie

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