Saturday, March 31, 2012

In My Mailbox 3/25-3/31

For review (on Bookloons):
The Storm Makers by Jennifer E. Smith
I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga
Belles by Jen Calonita

Won:
The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

Requested from Paperbackswap:
A Beacon of Hope by Walter E. Mark

Bought on Kobo:
Sweet Lucidity by  Melissa Bond

This weekly meme comes from The Story Siren.
All images come from Goodreads.

Reading Challenge Update: March

Here is where I stand with the challenges I have joined after the month of March (only challenges that I read books for this month are featured here): 


Mystery & Suspense (2/24)
2. Mongrel by K. Z. Snow


Audio Book (3/6)
2. Home Front by Kristin Hannah
3. Another Piece of My Heart by Jane Green


Graphic Novels (4/12)
3. Third-Grade Barbarian by Michael Rex
4. Shay's Story by Scott Westerfeld


1st in a Series (6/6) - COMPLETED!
5. Wither by Lauren DeStefano
6. Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini


100 Books in a Year (37/100)
24. Promise the Night by Michaela MacColl
25. Home Front by Kristin Hannah
26. Persuasion by Jane Austen
27. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
28. Another Piece of My Heart by Jane Green
29. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
30. Until Next Time by Amy Lignor
31. Third-Grade Barbarian by Michael Rex
32. Wither by Lauren DeStefano
33. Shay's Story by Scott Westerfeld
34. Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini
35. Hourglass by Myra McEntire
36. Mongrel by K. Z. Snow
37. The Maze Runner by James Dashner


Book Blogger Recommendation (5/10)
3. Wither by Lauren DeStefano
4. Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini
5. The Maze Runner by James Dashner


Steampunk (2/6)
2. Mongrel by K. Z. Snow


YA Historical Fiction (3/5)
2. Promise the Night by Kristin Hannah
3. Until Next Time by Amy Lignor


Chick Lit (1/12)
1. Another Piece of My Heart by Jane Green



Horror & Urban Fantasy (6/48)
5. Until Next Time by Amy Lignor
6. Mongrel by K. Z. Snow


Why Buy the Cow? (3/12)
2. Persuasion by Jane Austen
3. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad


YA Mythology (1/10)
1. Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini



Dystopia (5/5) - COMPLETED!
4. Wither by Lauren DeStefano
5. Shay's Story by Scott Westerfeld


YA/MG Fantasy (4/10)
2. Until Next Time by Amy Lignor
3. Third-Grade Barbarian by Michael Rex
4. Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini


Immortal (3/12)
3. Until Next Time by Amy Lignor



British Books (3/12)
3. Persuasion by Jane Austen

A to Z (19/26)
17. Another Piece of My Heart by Jane Green
18. Until Next Time by Amy Lignor
19. Mongrel by K. Z. Snow


Time Travel (1/3)
1. Hourglass by Myra McEntire


Middle Grade March Madness (2/3)
1. Promise the Night by Michaela MacColl
2. Third-Grade Barbarian by Michael Rex


Once Upon a Time (1/5)
1. Until Next Time by Amy Lignor

Elsewhere Online: March 2012

As you know from my In My Mailbox posts, I review for two other websites (bookloons.com and bittenbybooks.com). As I cannot post my reviews there and here, but I would still like to count the books I read for the challenges, I am going to have a post like this at the end of the every month listing the books I reviewed and what challenges the went towards.


Title: Fangbone! 1: Third-Grade Barbarian
Author: Micheal Rex
Challenges: Graphic Novel, YA/MG Fantasy, March Middle Grade Madness, 100 Books in a Year

Title: Wither
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Challenges: 1st in a Series, Book Blogger Recommendation, Dystopia, 100 Books in a Year

Title: Shay's Story
Author: Scott Westerfeld, Devin Grayson, & Steve Cummings
Challenges: Graphic Novel, Dystopia, 100 Books in a Year

Title: Starcrossed
Author: Josephine Angelini
Challenges: 1st in a Series,  Book Blogger Recommendation, YA Mythology, YA/MG Fantasy, 100 Books in a Year

Title: Hourglass
Author: Myra McEntire
Challenges: Time Travel, 100 Books in a Year

Title: Mongrel
Author: K. Z. Snow
Challenges: Mystery & Suspense, Steampunk, Horror & Urban Fantasy, A to Z, 100 Books in a Year

Title: The Maze Runner
Author: James Dashner
Challenges: Book Blogger Recommendation, 100 Books in a Year

Saturday, March 24, 2012

In My Mailbox 3/18-3/24

For review (on Bookloons):
Albino by E. J. Dabel
The Reaper of St. George Street by Andre R. Frattino

Won: 
Pure by Julianna Baggott
Dream Robbers by RC Scott
Witch Sticker Ball by RC Scott
The Protector by Rye James

Swaps on Swap-Bot:
Extreme Denial by David Morrell
Fer-de-Lance by Rex Stout
Memory in Death by J. D. Robb

This weekly meme comes from The Story Siren.
All images come from Goodreads.

Once Upon a Time

Challenge:  Once Upon a Time IV
Host:  Stainless Steel Droppings
Dates:  March 21st-June 19th
2011 Level: The Journey (1 book)
2012 Level:  Quest the First (5 books)

1. Until Next Time by Amy Lignor
2. Entwined by Heather Dixon
3.
4.
5.

Friday, March 23, 2012

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Until Next Time


Until Next Time
by Amy Lignor
published by Tribute
2012
ISBN 978-0-09837418-5-5
Why Read?: Review
Challenges:  YA Historical Fiction, Horror & Urban Fantasy, YA/MG Fantasy, Immortal, A to Z, Once Upon a Time, 100 Books in a Year

Amy Lignor puts an interesting spin on angels in The Angel Chronicles.  Part fantasy, part historical, the first volume of the series, Until Next Time tells the tale of two partnered heavenly beings and their first foray into the lives of humans.

Emily and Matt have spent their whole lives training with the Saints in Heaven to learn how to help souls on Earth.  Now it is time for their first mission, which will also be the first time these two soulmates have been separated as they will bear no memories of their lives in Heaven.  Emily, an Angel, is sent down into the body of Liz, an orphaned barkeep in early 19th century Ireland.  Liz and her best friend Faith run the bar that used to be Liz’s parent’s house on their own, but have the full support of the town.  One of their great protectors is Daniel, a young man with some troubles of his own, which is why Matt, the Warrior, has been sent to his body.  Liz and Daniel have a close relationship, but when a tragedy occurs, Liz is forced to leave Daniel and travel with Jason and Charles, two mysterious travelers who capture the girls’ hearts.  But Liz cannot forget about Daniel, especially as her strange nightmares continue, always leaving her battered and bruised in the morning.

Until Next Time starts strong and fast but soon moves to a slower pace which fits fine with the historical fiction part but not so much with the urban fantasy.  The middle tends to drag with not enough action or revelations to keep the reader truly engaged.  The main problem is the precedent the prologue sets for the rest of the story.  From it, one gets the idea that Until Next Time is a first-person dark fantasy rather than a third-person historical with just a hint of fantasy. Plus, it seems like it would fit better with the next book in the series as it takes place after the events in Until Next Time —the reason is explained as Emily is reading about her mission—and gives just a tad too much away.

That said, Lignor creates realistic characters and really transports the reader back to Ireland in the early 1800s.  The trips home (aka Heaven), though, can throw the reader out of the story as they disrupt the flow.  However, without these, we would not get to know the Saints with their pithy quips that they hope catch on, which really add some humor to the narrative.

With some tightening up of the genre, Until Next Time could be a great religious historical fantasy.  Obviously, Lignor has more planned for Emily and Matt, and I look forward to seeing what that may be.

Rating: 2/5

Thursday, March 22, 2012

The Great Gatsby


Title: The Great Gatsby
Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald
Publisher: Scribner
ISBN: 978-0-7432-7356-5
Why Read?: Book Club
Challenges:  100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: I am so glad that someone made me read this. I had read some of Fitzgerald’s shorter works in high school and was not overly impressed, so I never bothered to seek out a longer work. I can see now what The Great Gatsby has become a classic. It is very well-written and pulls you in immediately with its very decadent story. It is a bit of a downer, but very well crafted. 
Rating: 4 stars

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Another Piece of My Heart


Title: Another Piece of My Heart
Author: Jane Green
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
ISBN: 
Why Read?: For Fun
Challenges:  Audio, Chick Lit, A to z, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: This was a very uneven “read” for me. A lot of the story was told through flashbacks that really seemed to slow the pace. The first part of the story was told entirely from Andi’s POV (third person), but after that, is would switch between her, her husband, her husband’s ex-wife, and her oldest stepdaughter, Emily (and her narratives were in first person). Also, the audio book was read by the author who would put pauses in awkward spots and it took some time getting used to hearing. When the story was in a forward motion, I did enjoy it, and I will definitely check out more of Green’s work. 
Rating: 3 stars

Saturday, March 17, 2012

In My Mailbox 3/11-3/17

For possible review (on Bookloons):
Wild Horses by Linda Byler
Keeping Secrets by Linda Byler
I, Iago by Nicole Galland
The Thirteen by Susie Moloney
Railsea by China Mieville
The Maid and the Queen by Nancy Goldstone

Won:
Death Whispers by Tamara Rosa Blodgett
Undertow by Callie Kingston
Moonlight and Oranges by Elsie Stephens

Swaps on Swap-Bot:
The Fellowship of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien

Requested from Paperbackswap:
Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

Bought at Comic Relief:
Stagger Lee by Derek McCulloch & Shepherd Hendrix


This weekly meme comes from The Story Siren.
All images come from Goodreads.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Heart of Darkness


Title: Heart of Darkness
Author: Joseph Conrad
Publisher: Kobo
ISBN: ebook
Why Read?: For Fun
Challenges:  Why Buy the Cow? (Kobo), 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: I tried to read this when it was on my summer reading list in high school; I think I got to the third page before I gave up. This time, I toughed it out to the end. The story was not bad, but just dry. It actually felt more like an essay or memoir than a story. Conrad does play with some interesting concepts, and I guess that is why it is a classic. 
Rating: 2 stars

Monday, March 12, 2012

Persuasion


Title: Persuasion
Author: Jane Austen
Publisher: Kobo
ISBN: ebook
Why Read?: For Fun
Challenges:  Why Buy the Cow? (Kobo), British Books, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: I just started reading Austen a year ago, but I have read what I liked so far, but I just could not get into Persuasion. It did not keep my interest and, therefore, I had difficulty following the story. Not a terrible book, but definitely my least favorite of her works. 
Rating: 2 stars

Saturday, March 10, 2012

In My Mailbox 3/4-3/10

For possible review (on Bookloons):
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
The Scorch Trials by James Dasner
The Death Cure by James Dashner
Starters by Lissa Price

Won:
Fated by Benedict Jacka
Island of the Sequined Love Nun by Christopher Moore
Days of Vengeance by Tim Kizer
A Vacation on the Island of Ex-Boyfriends by Stacy Bierlein

Swaps on Swap-Bot:
Ragtime by E. L. Doctorow

Requested from Paperbackswap:
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman


This weekly meme comes from The Story Siren.
All images come from Goodreads.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

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Saturday, March 3, 2012

In My Mailbox 2/26-3/3

For review (here and Bookloons):
Night Sky by Jolene Perry
Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard

Won:
The Fall by Chana Keefer
Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding
The Illustrated Dracula by Bran Stoker & Jae Lee
Trickster's Choice by Tamora Pierce
Trickster's Queen by Tamora Pierce
The Sharp Time by Mary O'Connell

Bought on Amazon.com:
Taboo by Tara Maya


This weekly meme comes from The Story Siren.
All images come from Goodreads.