Books read - July 2011 + Pick of the Month

Quicksilver (Looking Glass Trilogy, #2; Arcane Society, #11) by Amanda Quick
Epitaph Road by David Patneaude
Bumped (Bumped #1) by Megan McCafferty
Flying Blind: The Dragon Diaries by Deborah Cooke
The Soldier (Duke's Obsession, #2) by Grace Burrowes
Eona: The Last Dragoneye (Eon, #2) by Alison Goodman
22 Britannia Road by Amanda Hodgkinson
The Secret Life of Damien Spinelli by Carolyn Hennesy
A Dance with Dragons (A Song of Ice and Fire, #5) by George R.R. Martin


My pick of the month is a continuation of June's Top Pick.

I feel lucky finding the series this late (I can't go through another Jean Auel debacle) and there are still two more books to go - hopefully they will be released within a few years and yes I know George RR Martin is not my bitch - thank you Neil Gaiman!

1. A Game of Thrones - August 1996
2. A Clash of Kings - November 1998
3. A Storm of Swords - August 2000
4. A Feast for Crows - October 2005
5. A Dance with Dragons - July 2011
6. The Winds of Winter (Forthcoming)
7. A Dream of Spring (Forthcoming)

Books read - June 2011 + Pick of the Month

A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire, #2) by George R.R. Martin
A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire, #3) by George R.R. Martin
A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire #4) by George R.R. Martin
Divergent by Veronica Roth
The End of the Line by Angela Cerrito
Enclave by Ann Aguirre
Gemini Bites by Patrick Ryan
Hit List (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #20) by Laurell K. Hamilton
When Passion Rules by Johanna Lindsey
Eve by Iris Johansen
Passion (Fallen, #3) by Lauren Kate

My pick of the month is George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series.


I hadn't heard of the series until HBO announced they would be adapting the first book, "A Game Of Thrones" and it seemed like every forum I was on totally geeked out. So of course I planned on watching and the day before the first episode, some moron on one forum made a comment with a major spoiler in it. ARG!
Even in forums with a threat of banning in place if people posted spoilers, people made mistakes - so I bought the books from Amazon; the 4-book boxed set. (I only mentioned the box set because of a funny error in the 3rd book where some men threatened to rape the "windows".)
I loved the books, each book is unlike any fantasy book I've read but I had no idea the series wasn't finished. ARG!
So go read the books or watch HBO because you won't get any spoilers from me.

Book five: "A Dance with Dragons" by George R.R. Martin will be released July 12, 2011.

Books read - May 2011 + Pick of the Month

This is so frustrating - I have to reset my password everytime I try to log on and I'm so far behind on posting...

Angelfire (Angelfire, #1) by Courtney Allison Moulton
Jenna & Jonah's Fauxmance by Emily Franklin
Aftertime (Aftertime, #1) by Sophie Littlefield
Mildred Pierce by James M. Cain
The Abused Werewolf Rescue Group by Catherine Jinks
Red Glove (Curse Workers #2) by Holly Black
Unearthly (Unearthly #1) by Cynthia Hand
Rotters by Daniel Kraus
Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier
Dragon's Oath by Nicole Ash
Romancing the Stone (short story) by Nicole Ash
WWW: Wonder (#3) by Robert J. Sawyer
Timeless (Timeless, #1) by Alexandra Monir
A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1) by George R.R. Martin

For May I'm going to choose Rotters by Daniel Kraus as my top pick simply because it was the most unforgettable book I've read in awhile. It sticks with you the way a stench does no matter how many times you try and clean the smell out. Only Rotters does it in a good way.

Books read - April 2011 + Pick of the Month

Vesper (Deviants, #1) by Jeff Sampson
The Land of Painted Caves by Jean M. Auel
The Iron Witch (The Iron Witch, #1) by Karen Mahoney
Numbers (Numbers #1) by Rachel Ward
The Chaos (Numbers #2) By Rachel Ward
Overprotected by Jennifer Laurens
Entwined by Heather Dixon
When Beauty Tamed the Beast by Eloisa James
Human.4 by Mike A. Lancaster
City of Fallen Angels (The Mortal Instruments, #4) by Cassandra Clare

Instead of a top pick, I'm going with my biggest disappointment.
The Land of Painted Caves (Earth's Children #6) by Jean M. Auel

This was not the book I expected and from the reviews I read at Goodreads and Amazon I know I'm not alone with my views.
I wonder if this was the series a younger Jean Auel had intended to write 30 years ago. I hope so; I want to believe she is satisfied with her work and doesn't care what anyone else thinks even with the review I wrote here.
I wish her well.

2011 Debut Author Challenge: 3/12

The third annual Debut Author Challenge hosted by The Story Siren.

2011 Debut Author Challenge: To read at least twelve novels from debut Young Adult or Middle Grade Authors.

This is book 3/12

Vesper (Deviants #1) by Jeff Sampson

Goodreads summary:
Emily Webb is a geek. And she’s happy that way. Content hiding under hoodies and curling up to watch old horror flicks, she’s never been the kind of girl who sneaks out for midnight parties. And she’s definitely not the kind of girl who starts fights or flirts with other girls’ boyfriends. Until one night Emily finds herself doing exactly that...the same night one of her classmates—also named Emily—is found mysteriously murdered.
The thing is, Emily doesn’t know why she’s doing any of this. By day, she’s the same old boring Emily, but by night, she turns into a thrill seeker. With every nightfall, Emily gets wilder until it’s no longer just her personality that changes. Her body can do things it never could before: Emily is now strong, fast, and utterly fearless. And soon Emily realizes that she’s not just coming out of her shell... there’s something much bigger going on. Is she bewitched by the soul of the other, murdered Emily? Or is Emily Webb becoming something else entirely— something not human?
As Emily hunts for answers, she finds out that she’s not the only one this is happening to—some of her classmates are changing as well. Who is turning these teens into monsters—and how many people will they kill to get what they want?

My thoughts: 5/5

The story is told through flashback but not completely (sequels!) which didn't diminish the story at all.
I enjoyed Emily's character – at first, she was a stay-at-home, movie watching geek till one night she became what was later referred to as a Deviant by the Vesper Company.
By day she returns to her normal self but at the same time each night she changed into a less inhibited side of herself.
I don't know if it's science or paranormal but it's a mystery I'm looking forward to finding out.
It’s fast paced and fun and leaves the reader guessing and turning the page.
I highly recommend it.

Review: Miss Hildreth Wore Brown: Anecdotes of a Southern Belle

Author: Olivia deBelle Byrd
Publisher: Morgan James Publishing
Publication date: May 1st 2010
Paperback: 156 pages
Amazon

Summary from Goodreads:

While Olivia deBelle Byrd was repeating one of her many Southern stories for the umpteenth time, her long-suffering husband looked at her with glazed over eyes and said,” Why don’t you write this stuff down?” Thus was born Miss Hildreth Wore Brown—Anecdotes of a Southern Belle. If the genesis for a book is to shut your wife up, I guess that’s as good as any. On top of that, Olivia’s mother had burdened her with one of those Southern middle names kids love to make fun. To see “deBelle” printed on the front of a book seemed vindication for all the childhood teasing. With storytelling written in the finest Southern tradition from the soap operas of Chandler Street in the quaint town of Gainesville, Georgia, to a country store on the Alabama state line, Oliviade Belle Byrd delves with wit and amusement into the world of the Deep South with all its unique idiosyncrasies and colloquialisms.

The characters who dance across the pages range from Great-Aunt LottieMae, who is as “old-fashioned and opinionated as the day is long,” to Mrs. Brewton, who calls everyone “dahling” whether they are darling or not, to Isabella with her penchant for mint juleps and drama.

Humorous anecdotes from a Christmas coffee, where one can converse with a lady who has Christmas trees with blinking lights dangling from her ears, to Sunday church, where a mink coat is mistaken for possum, will delight Southerners and baffle many a non-Southerner. There is the proverbial Southern beauty pageant, where even a six-month-old can win a tiara, to a funeral faux pas of the iron clad Southern rule—one never wears white after Labor Day and, dear gussy, most certainly not to a funeral.

Miss Hildreth Wore Brown—Anecdotes of a Southern Belle is guaranteed to provide an afternoon of laugh-out-loud reading and hilarious enjoyment.

My thoughts:
Combining Erma Bombeck’s housewife humor and Lewis Grizzard’s commentaries of the South is Olivia deBelle Byrd’s, “Miss Hildreth Wore Brown: Anecdotes of a Southern Belle”.

From the first page, we find out about Miss Hildreth and wearing the color brown (giving a whole new perspective on the book cover).

Byrd writes stories about the South and the antics of family and friends that can only make you shake your head and reminisce about your own kin.

The only thing lacking is the ability to say, “Wait until I tell you about…” because it reads like you are having a hilarious and fun conversation with the author only without the benefit of replying.

My favorite quote: Let your daughter call you crazy because, quite frankly, by the time she’s sixteen you will be.

I received a copy of this book from the author for review; I was not compensated for my opinion.

About the author

Olivia deBelle Byrd was born and bred in the South. She is a graduate of Birmingham-Southern College and a Kappa Delta.
She resides in Panama City, Florida with her husband, Tommy, and is the proud mother of Tommy Jr. and Elizabeth.

Connect with Olivia on her website: Olivia deBelle Byrd

You can also order "Miss Hildreth Wore Brown" through Ingram’s Books in Print Database, directly from the publisher at Morgan James Publishing or through the book order hotline at 800-485-4943.
For media review copies please call 1-800-485-4943 or email rick@morganjamespublishing.com

A quickie review: The Land of Painted Caves

The Land of Painted Caves (Earth's Children #6) by Jean M. Auel


All I want to say is this - It's over and I feel like I'm out of an abusive relationship.
It started great but it felt like there was too much hatred from the author at the end; towards the characters, but especially for us, the readers.
I feel like Auel took every complaint or criticism and thought - I'll show you…

I don't feel with the time it took to write this series, even with the research and life happened excuses, that there was ever any respect for the readers.
Maybe she did write it for herself, if so, she should have kept it that way but she published it and relished in the benefits.

From checking the reviews at Goodreads and Amazon, I'm not alone in my opinion.

Books read - March 2011 + Pick of the Month

Z for Zachariah by Robert C. O'Brien
Devil's Desire by Laurie McBain (re-read)
Poisoned Kisses by Stephanie Draven
Moonlight Medusa by Stephanie Draven (short story)
Empty by Suzanne Weyn
Solid by Shelley Workinger
The Iron Queen (Iron Fey, #3) by Julie Kagawa
Secrets and Shadows (13 to Life, #2) by Shannon Delany
After Twilight: Walking with the Dead by Travis Adkins
Subject Seven by James A. Moore
Throat by R.A. Nelson
Stolen by Lucy Christopher
So Shelly by Ty Roth
Hidden Away (KGI #3) by Maya Banks
Lost It by Kristen Tracy
Live Wire (Myron Bolitar, #10) by Harlan Coben
Wither (Chemical Garden, #1) by Lauren DeStefano
Miss Hildreth Wore Brown by Olivia deBelle Byrd
Can You Survive the Zombie Apocalypse? by Max Brallier - this is a fun adventure book where your survival depends on the choices you make. (I lived but I was left in a precarious position.)


My pick of the month, is Z for Zachariah by Robert C. O'Brien.
I thought Z for Zachariah was a new release and was surprised to find it was published posthumously in 1973. I apparently read about the film adaptation that was supposed to have gone in production this year but I can't find any more information about it except, according to trivia on IMDb, it was #26 on the Hollywood Blacklist in 2009.
It was made into a 2 hour episode for the BBC TV series, "Play For Today" in 1984. (You can find it on YouTube).

Summary by Goodreads:

There is no one left alive. I know, because after the war ended, and all the telephones went dead, my family went to see what was happening. They never came back...
Ann Burden is sixteen and, as far she she knows, the only person left in the world. The nuclear radiation that destroyed the rest of the world has not touched the valley where she lives, and so she has remained, surviving as best she knows how, for the past year.

The smoke from a distant campfire shatters Ann's solitude. Someone else is still alive, and making his way toward the valley: John Loomis, a scientist, protected from the radiation by a "safe-suit." He asserts his will almost immediately. And as his behavior becomes more and more extreme - finally culminating in violent confrontation - Ann must choose how she will live, in a world unlike any she has known.

Review: Stolen

Stolen: A letter to my captor by Lucy Christopher

Goodreads summary:
Sixteen year old Gemma is kidnapped from Bangkok airport and taken to the Australian Outback. This wild and desolate landscape becomes almost a character in the book, so vividly is it described. Ty, her captor, is no stereotype. He is young, fit and completely gorgeous. This new life in the wilderness has been years in the planning. He loves only her, wants only her. Under the hot glare of the Australian sun, cut off from the world outside, can the force of his love make Gemma love him back? The story takes the form of a letter, written by Gemma to Ty, reflecting on those strange and disturbing months in the outback. Months when the lines between love and obsession, and love and dependency, blur until they don't exist - almost.

My thoughts: 5/5

This was a very interesting way to tell a story and I enjoyed it a lot.
Written in the form of a letter from the victim to her captor, Stolen is the story of Gemma and Ty, the man who stole her.
It's told in way that makes it feel as if it happening in the now so you are left unsure of the outcome. I stayed up until I finished it because I needed to know how it would end. I think the author handled the storyline in a very sensitive and real manner.

Books read - February + Pick of the Month

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George
Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George
What the Night Knows by Dean Koontz
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
XVI by Julia Karr
The Red Garden by Alice Hoffman
The Eyes of Kid Midas by Neal Shusterman
Over the Moon by Diane Daniels
Trapped by Michael Northrop
Gentlemen by Michael Northrop
The King’s Dragon by Carolyn Jewel (short story)
Delirium (Delirium #1) by Lauren Oliver
The Thirteenth Chime (Sense of Truth, #1) by Emma Michaels
Sapphique (Incarceron, #2) by Catherine Fisher

Since I already wrote a review for Delirium, I think I'll choose Trapped by Michael Northrop as my pick of the month.
I enjoy survival stories, probably because I would most likely be the first to die for some ditzy reason.
The story revolves around a snowfall turning into a live or die situation for seven teenagers stuck inside their high school.
The suspense starts early and builds throughout making you shiver (bad pun) and although it ends rather abruptly, it delivers a fast paced and compelling story.

Summary by Goodreads:

The day the blizzard started, no one knew that it was going to keep snowing for a week. That for those in its path, it would become not just a matter of keeping warm, but of staying alive.
Scotty and his friends Pete and Jason are among the last seven kids at their high school waiting to get picked up that day, and they soon realize that no one is coming for them. Still, it doesn't seem so bad to spend the night at school, especially when distractingly hot Krista and Julie are sleeping just down the hall. But then the power goes out, then the heat. The pipes freeze, and the roof shudders. As the days add up, the snow piles higher, and the empty halls grow colder and darker, the mounting pressure forces a devastating decision.

Dystopian February: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Dystopian February Kick-Off 2011 is hosted by Presenting Lenore


Delirium (Delirium #1) by Lauren Oliver

Summary from Goodreads:
Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the governments demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.
But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

My thoughts:
I give it a 5/5.

The first book in a dystopian trilogy, Delirium starts off strong and maintains that intensity throughout the rest of the book.

I enjoyed all the epigraphs at the start of each chapter that dealt with the beliefs of the society.

A society that believes love is a disease, Amor Deliria Nervosa.
The Government has a cure and every 18-year-old must undergo the procedure to eradicate it.
Lena Holoway, albeit nervous, is counting the days to her own cure. A cure against the infection her own mother succumbed to and the reason Lena believes she lost her.
Then she meets Alex, who bears the mark of the cured but doesn't act like the others.

The story continues to keep the reader in suspense on how they will be together especially since love is against the law.

Friday56: The Eyes of Kid Midas

Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find any sentence that grabs you.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or if you do not have your own blog you can post on Freda's comment section.
* Post a link along with your post back to Freda's Voice

Closest Book: The Eyes of Kid Midas

Author: Neal Shusterman

Page 56: Frankie Philpot deduced that the Kimball house existed over a space-time wormhole thingy that somehow opened up into the Bermuda Triangle or a distant department store.

My thoughts:
A quick and fun read.
There are parts that make you laugh and parts that make you think.
This is what happens when you can have everything and more, except a way to make it stop.
With the last name of Midas and the power to have anything you want - yeah, this won't turn out well.

Dystopian February: XVI by Julia Karr

Dystopian February Kick-Off 2011 is hosted by Presenting Lenore


XVI by Julia Karr


Summary from Goodreads:
Nina Oberon's life is pretty normal: she hangs out with her best friend, Sandy, and their crew, goes to school, plays with her little sister, Dee. But Nina is 15. And like all girls she'll receive a Governing Council-ordered tattoo on her 16th birthday. XVI. Those three letters will be branded on her wrist, announcing to all the world—even the most predatory of men—that she is ready for sex. Considered easy prey by some, portrayed by the Media as sluts who ask for attacks, becoming a "sex-teen" is Nina's worst fear. That is, until right before her birthday, when Nina's mom is brutally attacked. With her dying breaths, she reveals to Nina a shocking truth about her past—one that destroys everything Nina thought she knew. Now, alone but for her sister, Nina must try to discover who she really is, all the while staying one step ahead of her mother's killer.

My thoughts:
I give it a 3/5.
The plot simply didn't live up to its description.

The synopsis made it sound like it would be about Nina dealing with her upcoming 16th (or sex-teen) birthday and being tattooed and what that would mean for her by having her choices being forcibly taken away and where men held all the power and women were subjugated to their whims.
I expected to learn more about the consequences of losing her rights along the lines of The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood but it never really went anywhere with it.

Instead it deals more with her mother's secrets and Nina's struggle with her mother’s abusive ex-boyfriend and his threats.

The story was rather repetitive and I could not fully engage with the main character or her plight.
It didn't end on a cliff-hanger but I was left wanting more.
Hopefully with the sequel, "The Sisterhood" and the spin-off, "Cinderella Girl" - I will find the story I was hoping to read.

Books read - January + Pick of the Month

The Countess by Rebecca Johns
The Mark by Marilyn Bunderson
Stepping Stones By Carol Lynne
Museum of Thieves by Lian Tanner
Beautiful Creatures (Caster Chronicles, #1) by Kami Garcia
Beautiful Darkness (Caster Chronicles, #2) by Kami Garcia
Z by Michael Thomas Ford
Let Me In by John Ajvide Lindqvist
The Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry
Across the Universe by Beth Revis
Hunger (Horsemen of the Apocalypse #1) by Jackie Kessler
Ember - Bettie Sharpe
The Dark Divine (The Dark Divine, #1) by Bree Despain
The Lost Saint (The Dark Divine, #2) by Bree Despain
Siren Song by Stephanie Draven
Folly by Marthe Jocelyn
The Water Wars by Cameron Stracher
The Heir by Grace Burrowes
The Bar Code Tattoo (Bar Code, #1)by Suzanne Weyn
Bar Code Rebellion (Bar Code, #2) by Suzanne Weyn

My pick of the month was chosen by the fact that it surprised me. I love that! I read several wonderful books but this one really caught me off guard. Later I saw a trailer for a movie adaptation (an American remake). Now I really want to want the original Swedish release. I'm curious if the US movie will include the 'twist'.

The book, if you haven't already guessed is: Let Me In by John Ajvide Lindqvist


Summary by Goodreads:
It is autumn 1981 when the inconceivable comes to Blackeberg, a suburb in Sweden. The body of a teenage boy is found, emptied of blood, the murder rumored to be part of a ritual killing. Twelve-year-old Oskar is personally hoping that revenge has come at long last---revenge for the bullying he endures at school, day after day.

But the murder is not the most important thing on his mind. A new girl has moved in next door---a girl who has never seen a Rubik’s Cube before, but who can solve it at once. There is something wrong with her, though, something odd. And she only comes out at night. . . .

2011 Debut Author Challenge: 2/12

The third annual Debut Author Challenge hosted by The Story Siren.

2011 Debut Author Challenge: To read at least twelve novels from debut Young Adult or Middle Grade Authors.

This is book 2/12

The Water Wars by Cameron Stracher

Goodreads summary:
Vera and her brother, Will, live in the shadow of the Great Panic, in a country that has collapsed from environmental catastrophe. Water is hoarded by governments, rivers are dammed, and clouds are sucked from the sky. But then Vera befriends Kai, who seems to have limitless access to fresh water. When Kai suddenly disappears, Vera and Will set off on a dangerous journey in search of him-pursued by pirates, a paramilitary group, and greedy corporations.
Timely and eerily familiar, acclaimed author Cameron Stracher makes a stunning YA debut that's impossible to forget.

My thoughts: 5/5
I love the cover; it's very eye-catching. (Sorry, I couldn't resist.)

It starts off slow giving the reader a chance to know and care about what happens to the main characters; Vera, Will, and Kai - something a lot of books fail to do - but it quickly becomes very fast-paced and full of perils. Even the minor characters are interesting as you learn if they are friend or foe.

Be sure to read it with a tall glass of ice water handy, it can be a very dry read. (No, I couldn't resist that one either!)

2011 Debut Author Challenge: 1/12

The third annual Debut Author Challenge hosted by The Story Siren.

2011 Debut Author Challenge: To read at least twelve novels from debut Young Adult or Middle Grade Authors.

This is book 1/12

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Goodreads summary:
Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.
Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone-one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship-tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.
Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

The book comes with a reversible cover with a map of the ship:
The end flap has a picture of Amy while she was frozen and how Elder first saw her:


My thoughts: 5/5
This isn't an easy to read book; it leaves you feeling disturbed yet hopeful.
The plot has plenty of twists and it twists the reader along with it.
It is truly an emotional ride, especially with Amy's and Elder's alternating POV and their on-going trails as they cope when secrets start to unfold within the confines of the ship.



The people onboard are supervised by Eldest and his protégé, Elder. The people are organized into three groups; Keepers, Shippers, and Feeders as indicated by the levels of the ship. All live in harmony until their lives are disrupted when someone new and different awakens.

Explore the ship, Godspeed - HERE

I highly recommend "Across the Universe" by Beth Revis to anyone who likes sci-fi and futuristic stories.

Books read - December + Pick of the Month

Glimmerglass (Faeriewalker #1) by Jenna Black
Lockdown (Furnace, #1) by Alexander Gordon Smith
Chasing the Night by Iris Johansen
Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King
Autumn by David Moody
The Shifter (Healing Wars, #1) by Janice Hardy
Blue Fire (Healing Wars, #2) by Janice Hardy
Matched (Matched #1) by Ally Condie
Secondhand Charm by Julie Berry
Nevermore (Nevermore, #1) by Kelly Creagh
Bound by Donna Jo Napoli
The End of the World: Stories of the Apocalypse by Martin H. Greenberg, Robert Silverberg
Rot & Ruin (Benny Imura, #1) by Jonathan Maberry
No Place to Run by Maya Banks
Beasts and BFFs (13 to Life prequel) by Shannon Delany - short story

Plus, my pick of the month is Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry.
A well-written coming of age story filled with zombies.
Told from the point of view of fifteen year Benny, this is one of the best zombie driven dystopian stories I've read since "The Forest of Hands And Teeth". There is more gory and violence but it fits the plot.

Summary by Goodreads:
In the zombie-infested, post-apocalyptic America where Benny Imura lives, every teenager must find a job by the time they turn fifteen or get their rations cut in half. Benny doesn't want to apprentice as a zombie hunter with his boring older brother Tom, but he has no choice. He expects a tedious job whacking zoms for cash, but what he gets is a vocation that will teach him what it means to be human.

Bound by Donna Jo Napoli

Bound by Donna Jo Napoli

Summary from Goodreads:
Bound to her late father's second wife and daughter. Bound to a life of servitude as a young girl in ancient China, where a woman is valued less than livestock. Bound to be alone, with no parents to arrange for a suitable husband. Xing Xing spends her days taking care of her half sister, Wei Ping, who cannot walk because of her foot bindings, the painful tradition for girls who are fit to be married. Even so, Xing Xing is content to practice her gift for poetry and calligraphy, and to dream of a life unbound by the laws of family and society.

But all of this is about to change as Stepmother, who has spent nearly all of the family's money, grows desperate to find a husband for Wei Ping. Xing Xing soon realizes that this greed and desperation may threaten not only her memories of the past, but also her dreams for the future.

A Chinese fairy tale based on the retelling of the oldest known version of Cinderella, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ye_Xian

The story revolves around the lives and interactions of four women; Xing Xing, her dead mother, her stepmother and her dauther, Wei Ping.

After the death of her parents, Xing Xing becomes bound as a servant to her stepmother and for caring for her halfsister, Wei Ping.
In hopes of finding a good marriage for her daughter, her mother binds the girl's feet even though she is over the customary age of foot binding because their father did not believe in the practice.
It's up to Xing Xing to do the chores and care for her half-sister.

Surprising, the elegant clothes, jewels, and golden slippers Xing Xing finds hidden by her mother and later the prince who seeks out the true wearer of the slipper is only a small part of the story.

Secondhand Charm by Julie Berry

Secondhand Charm by Julie Berry

Summary from Goodreads:
In a secluded village, magic sparkles on the edges of the forest. There, a young girl named Evie possesses unusually strong powers as a healer. A gypsy's charms—no more than trinkets when worn by others—are remarkably potent when Evie ties them around her neck. Her talents, and charms, have not escaped the notice of the shy stonemason's apprentice. But Evie wants more than a quiet village and the boy next-door. When the young king's carriage arrives one day, and his footman has fallen ill, Evie might just get her chance after all...

Secondhand Charm was a like an old-fashioned "Once Upon a Time" type of story with lots of unexpected twists & turns. Even the story itself was a surprise and I really enjoyed reading it - it's been awhile since a book has surprised me the way this one has and I highly recommend it.

Pick of the Month - November

Picking a favorite this month was a tough one because I enjoy all of Lee Child's Jack Reacher stories. He is one of my favorite characters along with Temperance Brennan (she was only mentioned by name in Virals by Kathy Reichs).

This month I read a lot of books with sequels and although I'm looking forward to the next installments to all of them, I decided to go with one that didn't continue with a sequel so my top pick is: Room by Emma Donoghue

This chilling story was conceived after the author heard about the Fritzl case and five-year-old Felix.
It really blew me away - I highly recommend it.

Summary by Goodreads:

To five-year-old Jack, Room is the entire world. It is where he was born and grew up; it's where he lives with his Ma as they learn and read and eat and sleep and play. At night, his Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits.

Room is home to Jack, but to Ma, it is the prison where Old Nick has held her captive for seven years. Through determination, ingenuity, and fierce motherly love, Ma has created a life for Jack. But she knows it's not enough...not for her or for him. She devises a bold escape plan, one that relies on her young son's bravery and a lot of luck. What she does not realize is just how unprepared she is for the plan to actually work.

Told entirely in the language of the energetic, pragmatic five-year-old Jack, ROOM is a celebration of resilience and the limitless bond between parent and child, a brilliantly executed novel about what it means to journey from one world to another.