Anna and the French Kiss: A Short Review

I've had this book on my to-be-read shelf for ages. My question to myself: WHY?? Why did you wait soooo long to read this book?? Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins is a super cute YA contemporary.

The main character Anna is sent to Paris to a boarding school. (Horrid, right? Psh.) Of course there is a cute boy, Etienne St. Clair, complete with English accent and a French name. What's not to love there? The only thing is he's in a long term relationship and Anna came to France with a long term crush on another guy. Much cuteness and borderline sexiness with a side of sadness ensues. 

The point: this book was fab! It has possibly shaken me out of reading slump. I read this book in about a day. And I'm super psyched I already have the companion novel, Lola and the Boy Next Door in my possession.

Photo from 2012

Authors: Beth Revis, Stephanie Perkins,

and Carrie Ryan

(Back Row: Hubby & Me)

Review: Sidekick Chronicles

Alli is a horrible book blogger. I said I'd post reviews on the books I've read and I have REALLY, REALLY been slacking. In fact, this review I've had written for at least a month or more and just haven't posted! Anyways, finally. Here it is! I enjoyed this one so I hope you guys check it out! And hopefully more posts from Alli soonish!

Image from Goodreads.com

Title: Sidekick Chronicles (A Gryphon Series Novella)

Author: Stacey Rourke

Genre: YA

Source: Review copy from author.

I enjoyed the Sidekick Chronicles novella. It gave insight to Keni, Grams, and Gabe that we haven't gotten from the first two books that were more focused on Celeste's side of the story.

It changed my perspective on Keni a little bit. She's still pretty air-headed but this story lent her a little more likability, vulnerability and relate-ablity to me. I hate that she had to experience some heartbreak but I think it will be good for her in the long run. You live and learn. Painful experiences as well has happy ones make us the people we are so I think this will be good for her character development.

I just love Grams. She's really the best character in my opinion! She's old and a little crazy but she has an eclectic fashion sense I can appreciate! She's set in her ways but she cars about her grand babies and their significant others so much. It makes me sad I didn't have a chance to get to know my own grandmothers better. :( I'd like to think they were a lot like Grams.

Gabe's story is wow. I'm not sure what to think. At first I thought I was going to have to hate him. He's a little creepy/stalkery/is he some kind of dark-sided murderer now? But his story "ended" kind of sweetish note, I guess... And had me wanting to race on to book 3.

I just feel like the author is still playing her cards close. I think there is A LOT more going on than we, the readers, are privy to. I find that infurating and irresistible at the same time. I get irritated I don't know more but it also keeps me reading. I give Sidekick 4 out of 5 stars. I'm really digging this series, I'd recommend it to any YA fantasy fans. Well, I'm off to read book 3. Here's to hoping for some answers!

Review: Apollyon by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Apollyon

Series: The Covenant Novels

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal

Source: Review Copy from the Publisher
Favorite Quotes: 

"And together, hand and hand, we stepped through the gates to the Underworld." 

(Alli's comment: If that ain't love I don't know what is baby! Le sigh.)

"There was that damn pause again and then he said, 'Everyone dies, but in the end it comes down to what you are willing to die for; Alexandria.'" 

(Alli's comment: I always like those personally challenging moments and interactions in books, shows, movies, etc.)

See more on Apollyon on Goodreads.

I know I sound like a broken record but L.O.V.E Jennifer L. Armentrout's writing. Her sexy, snarky stories are some of favorites. I read this a couple of weeks ago, made some notes but it's hard for me to review without giving to much. 

Basically this is what I want you to get from my review: I know that officially Apollyon literally just came out. But can I please have Sentinel (the 5th and final book in the Covenant Series) NOW!?! Only not really cause I am SOOOO not ready for it to end!! I have so much emotion invested in this series! 

Also, I realized one of the things I really like about JLA's writing style while reading Apollyon. She has this ability to write like she is just talking to me like a friend. Like I really feel like Alex could be one of my good friends as I'm reading the book. She just writes like how I'd want my conversations to go. How JLA manages to do this is just...AMAZING! (I'm fairly certain if I attempted to do the same it would be incredibly lame. Again, Jennifer is a writing godess so there's that.)

***From here down I tried to be a spoiler free as possible but...if you don't want to know anything about the book just stop reading because I had a hard time being spoiler free. If you haven't read Apollyon or the rest of the Covenant series, get to it ASAP!***

Truthfully, I wasn't too fond of the beginning. I'll just say the "My Seth" thing just about had me DONE with Alex right from the get-go. I don't care if she could help it or not, she was just pissing me off. But it got better and back to the love story and intense action I wanted to read!

After her breakthrough, Alex is pretty awesome, even though is the big, bad Apollyon she still has a big heart. She wants to save her people, humans and Seth (yuck, I'm so NOT a Seth fan). Plus Seth makes everything so difficult for Alex. She still believes in him and thinks he's worth trying to save. 

(I mean, I'm not heartless, I get he's had troubles but he just wears my nerves out. We all have crap to deal with in our lives, deal with it, move on, and use your power for good you big baby! Grrr. Okay, the Seth rant is over, for now.)

I love how Jennifer had one of her characters reading a book about hot aliens! Way to shout out to her other mega popular Lux series! (Which, incidentally, I also adore!) Even the character's in her books have good reading tastes! :)

I gave Apolloyn 5 out of 5 stars! My recommendation: READ IT!

See my review for other books in the Covenant series, Pure and Deity here on the blog.

Review: Embrace by Stacey Rourke

Title: Embrace

Series: Gryphon (#2)

Author: Stacey Rourke

Genre: YA Fantasy

Source: Review copy provided by author in exchange for honest review.

Find more Embrace info on Goodreads.

See my review of The Conduit, Book 1 in the Gryphon series here!

OMG--the end. What? It was totally left on a cliff hanger! I love/hate cliff hangers. I love that it left me wanting, no needing, more of the story. BUT...it just left me thinking what the what!? 

How...can...you...just...end...the...book...there??? 

Luckily I have the next book but if I didn't I'd be ticked! 

There is a lot going on in this short book. There are supernatural creatures of assorted varieties including shapeshifters, Titans, demons, and even a pirate! 

Embrace is a story about your average teen to 20 somethings trying to save the world and maintain a normal life at the same time and juggle their new super powers. Whatevs, right? Ha!

I like the main character, Celeste. She's strong and has taken over her new world savior role without much  complaint. But I swear this girl has got to have the WORST taste in guys. EVER. I mean literally, the guys she picks are DEMONS, for cripes sake!

I'm really digging author, Stacey Rourke's writing style. It's a little snarky, a little sexy and a lot suspenseful. Seriously, there were a few times I got frustrated that somebody would just TELL me what was really going on!! But I think that's a good thing that I want, no NEED, to know what's going on!

This is a good series. I care about the characters and the series and I REALLY want to know what is going to happen NOW. I give Embrace 4 out of 5 stars. It has me coming back for more!

Review: The Conduit by Stacey Rourke

Title: The Conduit

Series: Gryphon Series

Author: Stacey Rourke

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Source: Review copy from the author

Find The Conduit on Goodreads.

For some unknown reason, it took me forever to get around to reading The Conduit. This was a mistake. I should have got to reading it much sooner! I really enjoyed this book! 

The Conduit is a story with strong familial relationships, mythical creatures, hard hitting action and a dash of romantic interest. It's really a good mix that made for good reading. 

The main character, Celeste Garrett, finds out she is the "chosen one" to save the world and her siblings are her sentries. I really liked Celeste's family. She has a good relationship with her older brother and younger sister. And her Grams is fabulous! She just seems so awesome. I hope, if I ever get to the grandmother stage, that I am like Grams.

I think middle children everywhere will rejoice reading this book. How often is that the middle sibling gets to be the big hero? I loved the relationship between Gabe and Celeste. (Gabe is 21 and Celeste is 18.) It just seemed they were a great big bro/younger sis team. They razzed each other but you knew they really had each other's back too. The youngest sibling was Kendall or Keni for short (who, btw is 15). She kinda got on my nerves. She's the annoying little sister who is way too perfect to really be likable to me. 

Celeste's love interest is a young reporter type college boy named Alec. I don't trust Alec. Just something about him I that I just don't like, I can't put my finger on it yet. But I'm not sure he's all he seems to be. (So, I'm a cynical reader. Hopefully, I'm wrong about him...maybe.)

My only real qualm this read was I thought the kids, especially Celeste, really "accepted" there supernatural-ness much better than I ever would have. It was kinda like, "Really? REALLY? Well, okay. Let's train with this other random other worldly creature in the remote mountains." I just think there would be A LOT more freaking out if it was me learning I had to save the world for some Aslan type creature of some unknown Narnia type mythical place.

I gave the Conduit 4 out of 5 stars. I've already begun book 2 of the Gryphon series, Embrace. I think my qualm maybe getting addressed. I haven't read much into yet but I'm excited to continue the series and see what's in store for the Garrett family!

Audiobook Review: DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE

Title: DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE
Series: Daughter of Smoke and Bone
Author: Laini Taylor (author's site)
Genre: YA Fantasy
Source: Purchased from Audible.com
Fav Quote(s): Pretty much any advice Brimstone gives Karou. But seriously, there are sooooo many good lines from this book!
Goodreads info here

I loved this selection. The story, the characters, and narration; combined makes DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE one of my favorite reads/listens of year so far! Laini Taylor's storytelling was flawless and Khristine Hvam's narration really genius. 

There is really so much good to say about DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE, I'm having a hard time beginning my review. As much as I adore audiobooks, they are harder for me to review because I can't flip back in the page easily to look up what I want to reference. So just hang in there with me while I try to explain my immense infatuation with this book. 

1. There is a heart-breakingly beautiful forbidden love affair. Before I picked up this book I had mentioned to the hubs I was interested in reading a good love story. I like a love story that makes me want to (and most likely) cry and ache in anguish with the characters. Check and check. Laini Taylor made me deliciously miserable in the best possible way.
   
   
2. Even though DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE succeed in ripping my heart out, I did laugh out loud more than once. A book that can take me from emotional high to emotional low, L.O.V.E.
   
   
3. DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE made me want to travel the world. Well, I already want to do that but the book is set in Prague. I've never been to Prague but I've kind of been secretly obsessed with Prague for ages now. All the photos I've seen of Prague just make me fall in love the city. It's old and beautiful and a perfect backdrop for this magical story. Also, there is mention of many other fabulous places across the world (and beyond) in this book. I want to see it all!
   
   
4. Akiva. Really that's all I feel I need to say. (Boys in books make for the best crushes. And Akiva isn't just a boy, he's an angel! Literally.)
   
   
5. Karou has blue hair. My day job prohibits any "un-natural hair color" so naturally I want to dye my hair any and all un-natural colors. I lived vicariously through Karou on this one (as well as the globe trotting).
   

In my world, DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE earns 5 out of 5 stars. Y'all. Please, if you are remotely a fan of YA Fantasy (audio) books, get this book now! Once you've read or listened to it or if you already have, please let me know what you thought. I know I can't be the only one in love with DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE.

(*Also, funny side note: I can be such a goofball sometimes. I actually accidentally downloaded the second book in this series (DAYS OF BLOOD AND STARLIGHT) first. And listened to like 2 plus hours before I realized something was amiss. I told the hubs I was having a hard time getting into and blah, blah, blah. Well yeah, duh. You will have a hard time if you start in the middle! Anyhoo, that's when I went back and downloaded DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE and listened to the first book first. I'm telling you this as a cautionary tale. Don't start in the middle of the story. This is a tale you'll want to hear from the beginning! :)

Lastly, since I can't dye my hair and I can't just jet half way around the world right now, this was my inspiration from reading DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE.

 

Karou and her bff, Zuzana, love going to this place called Poison Kitchen in the book. They go there there to hang out and eat bowls of goulash. Now there is no where as cool as Poison Kitchen anywhere near me and I don't think I've ever actually had goulash before. So I Googled around, looked at several recipes and came up with what you see above. I used this recipe as my base line and added a little more veggies to it. It was actually pretty good! And I guess it'll have to do in place of a trip to Poison Kitchen!

Movie Review: The Host

Last week MrCaptKirk and I were lucky enough to score advanced screening passes for The Host! I was extremely excited about this! I as you know, I am a HUGE Twilight and Stephenie Meyer fan so I was thrilled to get an early peek at The Host, which is based on the book of the same name by Stephenie Meyer.

Here was my initial reaction upon seeing the movie, as seen on my Facebook page:

"The Host movie soooooooo awesomely awesome! I want to see it again asap. So different from Twilight but a great movie in my opinion. (So if you loved or hated Twilight give The Host a try!)"

The Host is about a parasitic alien race that invades Earth and takes over human bodies, turning humans into...Hosts. Get it?? Yeah... :) But as one might imagine, sometimes getting rid of all the human-ness out of a body might be more difficult in some cases and therefore leading to engaging story.

There is a love triangle but oh man it's got a twist to it! And The Host is not just a "love story," there is so much more going on. It's about survival and what it means to be human. It's about relationships, both romantic and familial, and what that means when your loved ones aren't your loved ones anymore. 

I read the book probably about four years ago now. (Wow, has it been that long!? I want to reread it soon. See more about the book, The Host, on Goodreads.) I remember liking The Host, thinking it was way different from Twilight, and it taking me a while to get into it but once I did, I really dug it. But I don't remember enough to really compare the book and the movie at all. I would say that I thought the movie pacing was very good and I didn't feel any long, disconnected period in the beginning like I remember feeling with the book. 

Saoirse Ronan, the actress that played Wanda/Melanie, did a fantabulous job! I was really blown away. I can only imagine how difficult it would be to play two characters. At once. Ah-mazing.

While I was watching the movie, I did notice (and how I missed this knowing how much I worshiped Stephenie Meyer's work at one point) that Stephenie has a thing for eyes. Stay with me here, in Twilight the eyes were one way you could identify the vampires and you could also tell if they were hungry and if they were "vegetarian" vamps or dined the more traditional vampire way, based on their eye color. Well in The Host you know when the alien soul had taken over a body...by the eyes!! Ahhh, mind blown. And sure like everyone else who has ever been remotely interested in Meyer's work already knew this. But I guess SEEING it on the big screen really made it clear to me. Like the old saying, "The eyes are the windows to the soul." (Clearly there wasn't a real point that rant, but isn't that cool?!)

My only real "complaint" with The Host was it was a little bit cheesy. But it actually kind of worked with the story. Imagine how lame you might be if you were new on the planet. You'd might be a bit lame too. So just go with the cheesiness as it provides some comic relief.

The movie ended at a good point but left it open for a sequel that I'm REALLY hoping for! And hey, it could happen! Stephenie confirmed she was working on a Host 2. See more on that on Hypable.

I asked the Mister what he thought about The Host. (He has also read the book.) Here's what he said, "My thoughts on The Host is that I REALLY liked it, and think that if there are more books coming in the series that it could be the next big series. I loved the character development and the acting.

In summary...WE LOVED IT. We totes recommend going to see it! I wish I could be there tonight for the 9 pm show! (I hate work gets in the way of my non-work interests!) Oh well, to help pass the time til I can see it again, I'll post the movie trailer. Although, watching it again REALLY makes want to watch the movie again. Like now. 

Let me know if you are planning to see The Host! Have you seen it? Leave me some comments, this is one item I'd love to discuss more!

Review: Finn Finnegan

Happy Book Birthday Finn Finnegan!!

• Title: Finn Finnegan
• Series: The Adventures of Finn MacCullen
• Author:Darby Karchut
• Reading Level: Middle Grade
• Genre: Urban Fantasy
• Source: ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
• Fave Quote(s):

~"...Words are powerful magic."~

~"'Tis often that a person's mouth breaks his nose.'"~

More on Finn Finnegan on Goodreads.

I first became interested in Finn Finnegan when saw it on Spencer Hill Press's website or Facebook page and Finn was being compared to Percy Jackson. Well, I'm a Percy fan, so I knew I'd want to read Finn. And I'm certainly glad I did! This book has action, humor, tragedy, everything a good book should have!

To begin, Finn Finnegan could not have come out at a better time. While there is no mention of St. Patrick's day in the book, Finn is certainly Irish. The whole time I was reading it, I just kept thinking about the perfect timing of this book. In fact, I painted my nails to go with the "luck of the Irish" theme!

See, I have plaid tips & a little shamrock on my ring finger! :)

(Design inspiration: Cute Polish on You Tube.)

Along those same lines, I thought it was cool how the author wrote Gideon (Finn's mentor) and Mac Roth's (Gideon's friend and fellow warrior) dialogue in Irish Brogue. That seemed to lend a greater level authenticity to the story.

I really liked how the author used Finn and Gideon's journaling to give us insights on the characters' inner thoughts. I found that this method helped keep the story progressing while also allowing us glimpses of what was going on inside the characters' head.

I got a strong impression from Finn. He is a flawed character and admittedly has a bad temper and he likes to be creative with rules. But he seems like he is really a good kid. He wants to be a great, strong De Danaan (warrior) to honor his father and to make Gideon proud. He is willing to stick up for his friends even if it puts himself in danger. And he is fairly tender-hearted when it came to someone he didn't care for very much personally. He has all the makings of a fine hero. 

And Finn's mentor Gideon Lir is the perfect adult counterpart to Finn. Gideon is strict but not without cause. He truly cares about Finn and offers Finn the close parental relationship he's been missing. Also, Gideon is flipping hilarious and a kick butt warrior. 

I give Finn Finnegan 4 out of 5 stars. It's an action packed good read. I literally laughed out loud at some scenes and shed a few tears at others. If a book can elicit that kind of emotion, then I think it's pretty awesome! 

If you are fan of Percy Jackson or Jack Templar (see my review here) I think you'll really enjoy Finn too!

Movie Review: Beautiful Creatures

As you are getting ready for the weekend, allow me to make a suggestion. The Beautiful Creatures movie is based on the book of the same name by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl. It makes for a great read and the movie is pretty good too! Hubs and I saw Beautiful Creatures on Valentine's and we both really enjoyed it.

Her thoughts:

I was still in the process of reading the Beautiful Creatures book when we saw the movie. (Look for that review, tomorrow, maybe, I think.) I knew going into it the book is 563 pages, so there was no way EVERYTHING from the book would make the cut for the movie. It's sad but true. I've learned not to expect books to movie or TV shows to be exactly. It would probably be pretty boring if it was totally the same, right? 

I did notice they tried to stay pretty close to the book and I think if you were really watching you could see little nods to the books. For example, Ethan and Lena drinking orange soda, in the book the can tab on Lena's necklace is from her first orange soda with her grandmother. Also, the town sign seemed to have a pie on it and there was mention of buttermilk pie in book. So I was happy that the movie threw us book lovers a couple of bones!

I enjoyed the movie itself just for being a movie. As some one born and raised in the South, I felt the actors over did it with the accents just a bit but hey, I might be a little sensitive to that. :) I thought that Alden Ehrenreich was a fabulous Ethan. He is cute and sweet and every time he did his little giggle...swoon! I thought the Macon character was pretty spot on. And I'm a long time Emmy Rossum fan so even though her Ridley was a little different than I expected I loved her in the role.

Overall I really enjoyed it. I really want to go see it again before it's out of theaters and I'll definitely be buying a copy for my DVD/Blu-Ray collection as soon as it's out. I wouldn't say it was the best movie ever but it was worthy of our Valentines Date Night. <3

His thoughts: 

Beautiful Creatures, I believe, blended a range of things that will help it appeal to most audiences. Their is a tragic romance, a mystery and a little bit of action and some very supernatural characters. I liked the fact that Ethan seemed real to me, in that he was awkward at first toward Lena. The town that the movie takes place in also reminds me a lot of the small towns around home, and how you can hardly go anywhere without seeing someone you know. Beautiful creatures strikes me as a classic battle between good and bad, and how each sides fights for power. Overall I give Beautiful Creatures 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for anyone who likes a little supernatural mixed in with a teenage love story . I look forward to finding out how the series continues!

Our own nod to the book: 

'"No butter, salt and tossed with Milk Duds. You'll like it," she said, her shoulders relaxing just a little." 

"I already like it."

~From page 150 of Beautiful Creatures~

(Although, we did get butter too!)

Review: Dear Cassie

Happy Belated Book Birthday to 

DEAR CASSIE!!

Title: Dear Cassie

Series: Companion to novel to Pretty Amy and The Next Forever

Author: Lisa Burstein 

Genre: Contemporary YA 

Source: Complimentary e-book from publisher in exchange for honest review

More about Dear Cassie can be found at Goodreads.

Dear Cassie was the first book I've read by author Lisa Burstein, even though this would be her third book out. This is a companion novel and it involves the same characters and world as Pretty Amy and The Next Forever but per the author you can read them in any order. I liked Cassie's story because, it seemed fairly reasonable like something that could happen in real life. What I enjoyed the most was watching Cassie's self discovery and development as I read.

I found it interesting, how the story is written from a journalistic point of view from the main character. I think that really helped me as a reader understand Cassie more. I think the information the author chose to hold back to the end worked well with the style of the story. Even though Cassie hinted and I guessed what her secret was long before Cassie actually revealed it herself, I felt like withholding it until Cassie was ready to talk about it was pretty brilliant.

I like how vulnerable Cassie is, even she tries to make everyone think she is such a hard@$$. She knows she's not that tough and pretty much everyone else can see through her facade as well. 

Cassie's story weighed on my emotions, especially sympathy, for many reasons. The lack of a close parental relationship is really sort of heartbreaking. I think that is one of the most detrimental things to Cassie. I hate for her, the mistakes she made and that she very nearly had to face them alone. Her brother gets mad props for being the type of family member she needed.

If you have read my blog for anytime at all you know I easily fall victim to book crushes. Dear Cassie was no exception. I LOVED Ben! He's mysterious, cute, musician, confidant, persistent and also caring, sweet. If I had to be locked away in some wilderness boot camp, I would hope there was a Ben around!

I appreciate rich descriptions and the value such descriptions can add to a novel. And Dear Cassie is chocked full of detailed descriptions. My only pet peeve with the writing of Dear Cassie was the abundant usage of similes. I enjoy like/as statements but there were so many of these types of descriptions it was almost distracting to me. In that, after a while, every time I'd come across one in the text it would almost pull me out of the story. Clearly the author put a lot of thought into the story to come up with such visual descriptions, it's just this reader got a little bogged down in the sea of similes. Though not enough to stop me from reading and Dear Cassie was still a quick, easy, and good read for me.

Warning: I saw a while back on Lisa's Facebook page that she was able to keep something like a 100 plus f-bombs in Dear Cassie. Well, I don't think she was exaggerating. But for some reason the way the word was used didn't bother me as much as it could have. Just be aware if you are sensitive to language, this book may not be a prime choice for you. BUT if you are looking for a story where an older teen makes some mistakes and is able to learn and grow from said mistakes then this maybe a book you'd should pick up.

I think this book is suitable for older teens due to the aforementioned language and adult themes. Although depending on the kid, I think a younger teen maybe able to glean some valuable life knowledge from Cassie's experience.

Again, I really enjoyed the story and the concept of Dear Cassie, I give it 4 out of 5 stars. It kept me coming back and wanting to know what all was going on in Cassie's World. I don't think this is the book for everyone but I found it to be an enjoyable read. I will be going back and reading Lisa Burstein's first book Pretty Amy soon!

Book Trailer Thursday: Finn Finnegan

The next book in my "to be read" stack is Finn Finnegan by Darby Karchut. I haven't started it yet but it looks like it will be a good read. This is a middle grades YA and I'm looking forward to fighting some monsters with Finn! To help get me in the mind set for Finn Finnegan today I have the book trailer! Hope you all enjoy and add this one to your TBR stack too!

Goodreads Info

Title: Finn Finnegan

Author: Darby Karchut

ISBN: 978-1937053321

Expected publication: March 12th 2013 by Spencer Hill Press

Review: Origin by Jessica Khoury

Title: Origin

Author: Jessica Khoury

Genre: YA Sci-Fi

Source: Purchased  

Fave Quote(s):

"Get your emotions under control, Pia. Keep your eye on the goal, not the steps you must take to reach it. The goal is everything. The steps are nothing. No matter how difficult the journey is, the goal is always worth it."

~~~~~~

"Love makes you weak. It distracts you from the important things. It can make you lose sight of the objective." 

~~~~~~

Origin on Goodreads

I read Origin by Jessica Khoury a few weeks ago. It was a really great read but it kind of left me with a book hangover. And it took me a while to get my thoughts together to get my post written. Bottom line is the great should be at the top of your TBR pile!

I was thoroughly impressed by Origin. I had the chance to see author Jessica Khoury when she was at the Decatur Book Festival this past year. She looked very young and as it turns out she is 22 years old! (Holy crap! I'm 28, what I am I doing with my life! But I digress.) 

Jessica Khoury is on the far left side at the Decatur Book Fest Panel (2012). See the rest of my DBF post.

Anyway, from the one panel I saw her on and the few moments of talking with her while she signed my book she seemed very mature and wise beyond her years. Still I wasn't sure what to expect from her debut novel. I was pleasantly surprised with just how good this novel was--not for a 22 year old, not for a debut novel but just as a book in general. Origin is really a great read.

In Origin there is enough  tragic "love story" for the romantic in me. Some beautifully touching moments as well as heart pounding fight and/or flight moments. There's lots of science type stuff for nerd in me but not so over my head I didn't get it. It was the perfect mix really.

I like that Origin posed some difficult ethical questions. And I appreciated how we discovered all the pros and cons of the experiment along with the main character, Pia. 

Part way through the book I was totally on board with what was going on with Little Cam, sure it was odd but yeah whatevs they are making some crazy cool scientific advancements. But as we progressed through the novel and more and more of the true nature of Little Cam was being exposed I was ready to go down to the Amazon rain forest shut it down myself.

If you like Beth Revis' books I think you would probably like Origin, only Origin is in the jungle not space. But they have a similar sci-fi feel. I give Origin 5 out of 5 stars. The signs of a good book: it left me with a book hangover for a couple of days and challenged me to think about demanding ethical choices.

Ms. Khoury did confirm on Twitter that she is working on another book. She tweeted, "It will be a companion novel to Origin--same world, new characters, new setting, new science. =)" And that the "next book will be out (tentatively) next winter." YAY!!! I'm so psyched, I can't wait to read more.

The book trailer just gives you a glimpse at the Origin world. Hello, hot jungle boy!

Book Review: Warm Bodies

Title: Warm Bodies

Author: Isaac Marion

Source: Purchased

Fave Quote(s):

"I want to change my punctuation. I long for exclamation marks, but I'm drowning in ellipses."

Find Warm Bodies on Goodreads.

So. I like zombies. I don't really have a good reason. They are just "walking dead" but I think what I like most about zombies is there is an element of hopefulness. I just always want to find a cure zombie-ism. You know, it's like their gone but not all the way gone so maybe, just maybe, we can fix them. And that's about the point in the movie/tv show/book that my brain would become a snack for zombie.

Some of the things that I find fascinating about the zombie/dystopian/post apocalyptic genre (and this totally held true for Warm Bodies and reading Warm Bodies is what got me thinking about it in the first place) are the questions they pose and force you to think about if you go just a step or two beyond the surface.

Such as:  

~The question of humanity, what is it and who actually has it?

~What would you do to protect and to preserve your life and the people you love, are you willing to sacrifice, what and who are you willing to sacrifice?

~The question of morality, what is right and wrong and are you prepared to change your definitions?

Back to specifically Warm Bodies, I liked it's unique approach to the zombie condition. Warm Bodies suggests that zombies do have some thought and are capable of slightly more than stumbling around, moaning, looking for brains to munch. The zombies in Warm Bodies made their own community and families of sort.

The main character, R, is a zombie. Warm Bodies is told from R's zombie prospective, which was awesome. (Cause the only other zombie stories/shows/movies I'm familiar with show the human perspective with no regard to how the zombie might feel.) 

Also, I am sucker for an impossible love story. And what's more impossible than a zombie romance? But it WORKED soooo well! And really, isn't redeeming love the best?? (I had a crush on an {obviously} fictional, zombie. *Sigh* I love boys in books, what can I say.)

Warm Bodies is funny, sad, thought provoking and even optimistic. I think that hopefulness is one of the big reasons I enjoyed Warm Bodies as much as I did. There is R's hopefulness that there is something more than being a zombie, there is "the humans" hopefulness for a better life, and the collective hopefulness once they join forces to create a new kind of existence.

I give Warm Bodies 5 out of 5 stars. I totally recommend this book for older teens and up. There is some adult language, themes (but not too bad), and of course zombie violence.

Review: Skid Out

Title: Skid Out
Series: Heavy Influence Trilogy
Author: Ann Marie Frohoff
Source: Received complimentary e-book in exchange for honest review

Find more info on Skid Out on Goodreads.

I give Skid Out 3.5 out 5 stars. I didn't really love or hate it. I thought the story was somewhere between okay and fairly good. Maybe I just need to know more before really forming an opinion on the series. Keep in mind, this is a short (46 pages) novella only covers one day before the actual Heavy Influence series begins.

The writing style was fine and I liked the alternating points of view from Jake to Alyssa. It was nice to hear the story from both characters and the author did a good job marking each chapter so you knew who's voice you were going to hear from. (I note this because I know in the past I have sort of slammed authors for not having a clear voice. Ms. Frohoff provided a good example of mixing point of views in Skid Out.)

I like the music element in the book. Who doesn't like guys in bands? And it certainly seems the main guy character Jake fits the bill. Hello, rocker hottie meets Abercrombie model. Also, there is always something smexy about an older, more worldly "man."

I thought there was a lot of gratuitous cussing in this book. I get that Jake is the lead singer of a band. But his potty mouth almost came across like he was TELLING me he was a bada$ rather than really SHOWING me. I guess most kids these days (geeez, I sound OLD!) do probably talk like that but I still felt like it was a bit much. I mean some I get, I've been known to swear with the best of them but even I was a tad uncomfortable.

I thought the main female character Alyssa was fickle, which maybe a function of her age. She starts the book with a crush on another guy, starts liking Jake and then also gets flutters about her friends brother. She is just a little all over the place but then again it has been ages since I've been a teen so what do I know. 

She also seems to think just because her dad is so strict that gives her a free pass to lie and sneak around. And she thinks he so hard on her but yet both her mom and dad both let her sips of alcohol with them. (That was NOT something that happened in my house growing up.)

The age difference is kind of odd to, it's not doesn't sound too bad, she's 14 and he's 17 but he's going to be a senior, in a rock band that goes on tour, who "hooks up" with girls he doesn't even like "like that" and she hasn't even started high school yet. It just seems the maturity level between the two might be on the same level.

Like I said, I didn't hate it but I think I'll reserve my full judgement until I've read more and decide what if any ramifications this has. I sort of feel bad, I looked at other people's reviews of Skid Out they all seem to really LOVE this book. So I don't know if I'm weird or if I was just in a weird place when I read or what. But I have to be honest, it just didn't blow my socks off. 

If the story sounds like something you might be interested in you should totally try it out. I haven't given up on the Heavy Influence series yet, I'm hoping to enjoy the next installment, First Kiss.

Audiobook Review: The Raven Boys

Title: The Raven Boys

Series: Raven Cycle

Author: Maggie Stiefvater 

Genre: YA Paranormal

Source: Purchased audiobook from Audible.com
More information from Goodreads

I am a HUGE fan of author Maggie Stiefvater's work. She is an amazing story teller and is a wordsmith like no other. I totally get lost in the worlds she creates. Stiefvater's The Raven Boys certainly lived up to and exceeded my expectations. Honestly, when I was listening to the audiobook, I thought to myself, this is the kind of book that makes me feel smarter for having 'read' or listened to in my case. I think that is quite the feat. Raven Boys topic and theme could have easily went hokey/lame or childish. But while the main characters were still young (in high school) they seemed mature and worldly but also wistful in their quest.

I think one of my favorite characters of Raven Boys is Gansey, aka President Cell Phone. And what I like about Gansey is well, besides everything (the car, the spoiled rich boy but doesn't try to flaunt it, the way he always says the wrong thing with the best intentions, so forth), is his zealously for the quest that has become his life's work. I admire how he took a life threatening experience and used it to fuel a passion for MORE out of life.

Of course, I liked the whole cast of rich characters. In fact, I liked the characters so much the story could have been about anything and it would have been good. I like how Adam felt so real. I liked the "other worldliness" Noah and the angry, carelessness of Rowan. I like how Blue wanted to be different but she was usually just predictable. I enjoyed the whole crazy crew that lives at Blue's house.

The only thing that I found to be disappointing was the end. I know it's a series but it left on an odd note and I'm not quite sure I understood what it all meant. I'm REALLY looking forward to Raven Boys 2 because I NEED to know what was meant and what's going to happen.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. I was all prepared to go all 5 stars on Raven Boys but that ending really ticked me off. The more I've thought about that though, that possibly shows just how good of a book this was...think about it. I was so invested I wanted to know everything, I wanted to be shown all the cards to use a reference that could be Raven Boys related. I just ticked Raven Boys ended before divulging all it's secrets.

MrCaptKirk's thoughts on Raven Boys: I like it because it kept you guessing and you never really knew what was going to happen. The ending was not what I had expected. 

His rating: I'd say 4 or maybe 4.5.  I just really liked that it kept you guessing.

Clayton, Me & author Maggie Stiefvater at a book signing in 2011.

Review: Untraceable

Title: Untraceable

Series: The Nature of Grace, Book 1

Author: S. R. Johannes

Genre: YA

Source: Purchased copy

Fave quote: "Life is short. Be sure to make your mark."

Book Photo and Goodreads info on Untraceable.

I actually read this book a while back, when I was on a reading but not review streak. So this review might be rather sparse. But you simply must know that I truly enjoyed Untraceable by S. R. Johannes. To start with the cover is beautiful, a little creepy with the girl peeking out through the greenery but beautiful nonetheless.

First, I must say that I am familiar with the setting of Untraceable in Smoky Mountains near Cherokee, North Carolina. That area is about three hours from my home base so I've been there many times for family vacays and church retreats. It is really incredible any time of year; lush and green in the spring and summer, fabulous fall foliage in autumn, and crisp, cold and possibly even icy and snow covered in winter. I always appreciate when I can really visualize a location in a novel. It just brings a level of realness to the story for me. I'm even including a couple of snappies from my past trips to the area to set the Untraceable mood.

 Now, I'm not saying I'm ready to be hiking up the mountains with Grace but I can at least imagine her doing it now.

Back to the book at hand. I really thought the "survival tips" at the beginning of each chapter was an excellent touch. For example, "Survival Skill # 10: If lost, do not be impulsive. Patience can be the difference between life and death." 

There is a mystery element (multiple intertwining mysteries actually) that runs through the book that kept me turning the pages! But balancing out that need to know urgency while reading was all the traumatic sadness and betrayals. Poor Grace never knew who she could trust and every time she tried to trust someone that person would prove to be untrustworthy, or at the very least not what they seemed. 

Also, she never seemed to catch a good break. She'd get some good info and no one would believe her or she'd find what she was looking for only to have it slip away again. Grace is one of those characters that would probably be really mad at her author if they ever got the chance to meet.

Untraceable does not have a "happy ending." But I think sometimes more books need to need on less than perfect notes. We don't always live happily ever after. Stuff happens (well lots of stuff in Grace's life) but that's how we grow as people, through the STUFF. 

I also thought it was cool how Untraceable is an "environmental thriller." It's awesome that a YA book took on another, more comprehensive issue than just why or why not the main female character doesn't have a boyfriend. Untraceable deals with questionable ethics from adults and community "leaders." Untraceable is about standing up for what's right even at the risk to one's self.

Lastly, there is a boy. Le sigh. The boy. I actually kind of love the boy, even though he is totally sketchy! He's conflicted but brave and totes crush worthy. He's an outdoors man of sorts and smart AND he has a swoon worthy English accent! LOVE!

I give Untraceable 4 out of 5 stars. A very good read by an author from my home state of Georgia. Also, currently the time of this post Untraceable is available on Kindle for $0.99. This is a real steal of deal for some good reading material!

Author S.R. Johannes and Me at YallFest 2012!