Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Title: Daughter of Smoke and Bone
Author: Laini Taylor
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (September 27, 2011)
Rating: 8/10
Source: library

This year I read...

214 books!

118 of those books, I labeled as YA.

67 were Children's Lit and 72 were Middle Grade, with a majority being double-tagged.

107 fantasy titles were read, and 56 realistic fiction. 103 were contemporary fiction, which included modern-feeling paranormal titles. Only 22 mystery novels, a drastic decline. 13 science fiction, and an all-time low of 2 non-fiction. Yeesh.

How did your reading stack up this year? Did you hit your goal in numbers? Any surprise genre-wise? I'm totally looking to up my mystery and non-fiction reading for 2012. The YA number will probably stay high, I'll just have to look into our YA non-fiction!

Since I've been gone...

Well, I've been a bit on the crazy side lately, and the blog has been the thing to suffer most. Ah well, while I love this space it is definitely more expendable than the kidlets or husband or house or career.

But while I haven't had time to devote myself to writing out reviews, I have still been reading! So now I present, in ratings order, what I've been reading over the last few months!

10 stars

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
The Shattering by Karen Healey

9 stars

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan
Texas Gothic, by Rosemary Clement-Moore
Girl of Fire and Thorns, by Rae Carson

8 stars

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her Own Making
Close to Famous by Joan Bauer


7 stars

Bunheads by Sophie Flack
Beautiful Creatures by Kemi Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Jane by April Lindner
The Rumpelstiltskin Problem by Vivian Vande Velde
Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey

6 stars

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini
Finally by Wendy Mass
13 Gifts by Wendy Mass
Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick by Joe Schreiber
Mastiff by Tamora Pierce
Small Person With Wings by Ellen Booraem
Liesl and Po by Lauren Oliver
Redemption in Indigo by Karen Lord
Small as an Elephant by Jennifer Richard Jacobson

5 stars

The Flint Heart by Katherine Paterson and John Paterson
Shadowspell by Jenna Black
Mother Number Zero by Marjolijn Hof
Instructions for a Broken Heart by Kim A. Culbertson
Those That Wake by Jesse Karp

dnf


Possession by Elana Johnson

Tween Tuesday: The Inquisitor's Apprentice

by Chris Moriarty

Recommended ages 9-14

Rating 10/10 

Wow! This book was amazing. It swept me up and carried me away to a world where magic is an everyday matter, with its own police department and different "styles" from every country. I loved the time period and setting - New York at the eve of the electrical age, with robber barons galore, Thomas Edison cranking out inventions and Harry Houdini performing onstage - and this book takes it to the next level with the matter-of-fact integration of magic and a heartfelt but not sentimental depiction of the world of immigrants. I adored Sascha, our protagonist, as well as his new boss Inspector Wolf. I don't want to give away too much of the plot, because watching it slowly unfold was so much fun I devoured this book in two days. I have only so many nephews to buy presents for, but I will definitely find one in the age range of 9-14 and gladly pass this one on!

Review: The Demon's Surrender

Title: The Demon's Surrender
Author: Sarah Rees Brennan
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books (June 14, 2011)

Rating: 8/10

Source: library

The Goblin Market has always been the center of Sin’s world. But now the Market is at war with the magicians, and Sin’s place is in danger. Thrown out of the Market she loves, Sin is thrown together with brothers Nick and Alan—whom she’s always despised.

Alan has been marked by a magician and is being tortured so that the magicians can get to Nick. As Sin watches Alan struggle to protect the demon brother he loves, she begins to see him in a new light—but she and Mae are locked in a fierce rivalry over who will inherit the leadership of the Goblin Market, and a decisive battle with the Aventurine Circle is looming. Mae’s brother, Jamie, is holed up with the magicians, his loyalties in question. And Nick—well, who knows what a demon might do to save his brother? How far will Nick go to save Alan—and what will it cost them all? Find out in this gripping conclusion to the trilogy Scott Westerfeld says is “full of shimmery marvels and bountiful thunder.”

Waiting on Wednesday 9/14

They say the dead should rest in peace. Not all the dead agree.

One night, Silas Umber's father Amos doesn’t come home from work. Devastated, Silas learns that his father was no mere mortician but an Undertaker, charged with bringing The Peace to the dead trapped in the Shadowlands, the states of limbo binding spirits to earth. With Amos gone, Silas and his mother have no choice but to return to Lichport, the crumbling seaside town where Silas was born, and move in with Amos’s brother, Charles.

Even as Silas eagerly explores his father’s town and its many abandoned streets and overgrown cemeteries, he grows increasingly wary of his uncle. There is something not quite right going on in Charles Umber’s ornate, museum-like house—something, Silas is sure, that is connected to his father’s disappearance. When Silas’s search leads him to his father’s old office, he comes across a powerful artifact: the Death Watch, a four hundred year old Hadean clock that allows the owner to see the dead.

Death Watch in hand, Silas begins to unearth Lichport’s secret history—and discovers that he has taken on his father’s mantle as Lichport’s Undertaker. Now, Silas must embark on a dangerous path into the Shadowlands to embrace his destiny and discover the truth about his father—no matter the cost.
 

This sounds very interesting! Out Nov. 15th.

'Waiting On' Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Tween Tuesday: Horns and Wrinkles

 

by Joseph Helgerson

Recommended ages 8-12

Rating: 9/10 stars

After last week's review of a folksy tale gone sci-fi, this week we have pure, unadulterated whimsy. The folks of Blue Wing, Minnesota know that there is magic along their stretch of the Mississippi - but in general they try not to talk about it much when things go 'rivery.' When Claire's cousin, Duke, starts growing a rhino's horn instead of a nose, and his parents turn to stone, Claire is unable to resist trying to help. Filled to the brim with trolls (both river and rock), fairies, shooting stars and helpful muskrats, this tale is chock full of unique and hilarious creatures. I absolutely loved it!

Review: Spoiled

Title: Spoiled
Authors: Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan
Publisher: Poppy; (June 1, 2011)
Rating: 7/10
Source: library


Sixteen-year-old Molly Dix has just discovered that her biological father is Brick Berlin, world-famous movie star and red-carpet regular. Intrigued (and a little terrified) by her Hollywood lineage, Molly moves to Los Angeles and plunges headfirst into the deep of Beverly Hills celebrity life. Just as Molly thinks her life couldn't get any stranger, she meets Brooke Berlin, her gorgeous, spoiled half sister, who welcomes Molly to la-la land with a smothering dose "sisterly love"...but in this town, nothing is ever what it seems. 

Review: Don't Stop Now

Title: Don't Stop Now
Author: Julie Halpern
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends; (June 7, 2011)
Rating: 6/10
Source: library


On the first day of Lillian’s summer-before-college, she gets a message on her cell from her sort-of friend, Penny. Not only has Penny faked her own kidnapping, but Lil is the only one who figures it out. She knows that Penny’s home life has been rough, and that her boyfriend may be abusive. Soon, Penny’s family, the local police, and even the FBI are grilling Lil, and she decides to head out to Oregon, where Penny has mentioned an acquaintance. And who better to road-trip across the country with than Lil’s BFF, Josh. But here’s the thing: Lil loves Josh. And Josh doesn’t want to “ruin” their amazing friendship.


Josh has a car and his dad’s credit card. Lil has her cellphone and a hunch about where Penny is hiding. There’s something else she needs to find: Are she and Josh meant to be together?

Waiting on Wednesday 9/7

Everything is made of steel, even the flowers. How can you love anything in a place like this?

Daphne is the half-demon, half-fallen angel daughter of Lucifer and Lilith. Life for her is an endless expanse of time, until her brother Obie is kidnapped - and Daphne realizes she may be partially responsible. Determined to find him, Daphne travels from her home in Pandemonium to the vast streets of Earth, where everything is colder and more terrifying. With the help of the human boy she believes was the last person to see her brother alive, Daphne glimpses into his dreams, discovering clues to Obie's whereabouts. As she delves deeper into her demonic powers, she must navigate the jealousies and alliances of the violent archangels who stand in her way. But she also discovers, unexpectedly, what it means to love and be human in a world where human is the hardest thing to be.

This second novel by rising star Brenna Yovanoff is a story of identity, discovery, and a troubled love between two people struggling to find their place both in our world and theirs.


I loved this author's first novel, The Replacement, and this sounds amazing as well. Plus, the cover is very cool. Coming in November!


"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Tween Tuesday: The Girl Who Could Fly

Well, this was a very strange read. It starts off sounding reminiscent of "Because of Winn-Dixie", with a precocious young girl and a folksy accent. And then suddenly the girl is taken from her home to an underground school, and the tone turns very sci-fi. The mix of folksiness and sci-fi was a bit discombobulating - the writing was very good and I enjoyed the concept, but I didn't fall in love the way I'd hoped. The characters were charming but a bit superficial and glossed-over. It wasn't as in-depth as I prefer my science fiction, but it may be a good entry point for the younger generation. It apparently has a new cover for its paperback release, which I think will be more appealing to younger kids. Listed as grades 4-7, but I'd say more like grades 4-6.

Review: Across the Great Barrier

Title: Across the Great Barrier
Author: Patricia C. Wrede
Publisher: Scholastic Press (August 1, 2011)
Rating: 9/10
Source: library


Eff is an unlucky thirteenth child - her twin brother, Lan, is a powerful seventh son of a seventh son. And yet, Eff is the one who saved the day for the settlements west of the Great Barrier. Her unique ways of doing magic and seeing the world, and her fascination with the magical creatures and land in the Great Plains push Eff to work toward joining an expedition heading west. But things are changing on the frontier.


There are new professors of magic for Eff and Lan to learn to work with. There's tension between William and his father. And there are new threats on the frontier and at home. To help, Eff must travel beyond the Barrier, and come to terms with her magical abilities--and those of her brother, to stop the newest threat encroaching on the settlers.


With wit, magic, and a touch of good pioneer sense, Patricia C. Wrede weaves a fantastic tale of the very wild west.

Waiting on Wednesday 8/10

Their love was meant to be. 

When Megan Rosenberg moves to Ireland, everything in her life seems to fall into place. After growing up in America, she's surprised to find herself feeling at home in her new school. She connects with a group of friends, and she is instantly drawn to darkly handsome Adam DeRís. 

But Megan is about to discover that her feelings for Adam are tied to a fate that was sealed long ago—and that the passion and power that brought them together could be their ultimate destruction.

I think I am really and truly excited about a paranormal romance again! For a while I had OD-ed on fate, destiny and mysterious dark strangers the protagonist is inexplicably drawn to... but when I read this description I went 'Oooh' so I think the drought is over. There were a couple paranormal romances that I began but couldn't finish, I was so tired of the genre, so maybe I'll go back and give Wings and Die For Me a chance, maybe. It's possible that it is just my love of Ireland overcoming my need for a break from paranormal romances.

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine, and specifically spotlights upcoming novels we can't wait to read.

Review: Viola in the Spotlight

Title: Viola in the Spotlight
Author: Adriana Trigiani
Publisher: HarperTeen; (April 5, 2011)
Rating: 5/10
Source: library

Viola is finally where she belongs—back home in Brooklyn, where there are no khakis or sherbet-colored sweaters and people actually think her yellow flats are cool. With two whole months of nothing to do but hang with her two best friends, Andrew and Caitlin, this is going to be the best break ever!

But her BFFAA, Andrew, has started acting weird around her, and a new boyfriend has her friend Caitlin ditching her every chance she gets. When Viola's roommates from Prefect Academy show up for a visit, she starts to wonder—is Brooklyn where she wants to stay? When a tragic event shakes everyone's world, Viola realizes it's not where she belongs that matters—it's who she's with that really counts.

In this heartwarming follow-up to bestselling author Adriana Trigiani's teen debut, Viola in Reel Life, Viola just may be ready to get out from behind her trusty video camera and take the starring role in her own life. 

Follow Friday 8/5

Q. Talk about the book that most changed or influenced your life (was it a book that turned you from an average to avid reader, did it help you deal with a particularly difficult situation, does it bring you comfort every time you read it?). 

Well, talk about a tough question! There are two that spring to mind. First: Alanna by Tamora Pierce. They were the first fantasy books I read that were written for me as a young girl reader, and I will always absolutely love them (and her) for getting me completely addicted to fantasy in a way that my older brothers' swords 'n sorcery books hadn't. The other is Lords and Ladies by Sir Terry Pratchett. I happened to randomly pick this up from a bookstore for a plane ride when I was 13 - thank heavens! I completely adore every single Discworld novel (some more than others, of course) and re-read them for comfort reading. Discworld novels taught me that fantasy could be smart and funny and talk about important things, and that it was sometimes easier to read hard truths with a tasty coating of trolls and witches. When I heard about his Alzheimer's diagnosis I was so sad, but he is still writing away and I can't wait until I have a home library with enough shelving for me to indulge myself and buy every single one of his books.

Waiting on Wednesday: 8/2

Grace just moved to San Francisco and is excited to start over at a new school. The change is full of fresh possibilities, but it’s also a tiny bit scary. It gets scarier when a minotaur walks in the door. And even more shocking when a girl who looks just like her shows up to fight the monster. 

Gretchen is tired of monsters pulling her out into the wee hours, especially on a school night, but what can she do? Sending the minotaur back to his bleak home is just another notch on her combat belt. She never expected to run into this girl who could be her double, though. 

Greer has her life pretty well put together, thank you very much. But that all tilts sideways when two girls who look eerily like her appear on her doorstep and claim they’re triplets, supernatural descendants of some hideous creature from Greek myth, destined to spend their lives hunting monsters. 

These three teenage descendants of Medusa, the once-beautiful Gorgon maligned in myth, must reunite and embrace their fates in this unique paranormal world where monsters lurk in plain sight.

Greek mythology, yay! I've been getting my fix with Percy Jackson and crew, but I always welcome another source. Also, reunited triplets, yay! This sounds very intriguing, and I can't wait to check it out!

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine, and specifically spotlights upcoming novels we can't wait to read.

Tween Tuesday: Blue Balliet

 

Blue Balliett's books are wonderful for tweens, both boys and girls. Chasing Vermeer, The Wright 3, and The Calder Game feature tween protagonists who get drawn into mysterious happenings involving famous works of art and architecture. They are amazingly detailed and clever, and will have readers heading to Wikipedia to look up the works of Vermeer, Frank Lloyd Wright and Alexander Calder, which is wonderful. They are full of codes and deductive thinking, and will have readers seeking out mysteries of their own, or at least composing coded notes to their buddies or buying a set of pentaminoes. These books are highly recommended!

Review: Stork

Title: Stork
Author: Wendy Delsol
Publisher: Candlewick (October 12, 2010)
Rating: 8/10
Source: library

Family secrets. Lost memories. And the arrival of an ancient magical ability that will reveal everything.

Sixteen-year-old Katla LeBlanc has just moved from Los Angeles to Minnesota. As if it weren’t enough that her trendy fashion sense draws stares, Katla soon finds out that she’s a Stork, a member of a mysterious order of women tasked with a very unique duty. But Katla’s biggest challenge may be finding her flock at a new school. Between being ignored by Wade, the arrogant jock she stupidly fooled around with, and constantly arguing with gorgeous farm boy and editor-in-chief Jack, Katla is relieved when her assignment as the school paper’s fashion columnist brings with it some much-needed friendship. But as Homecoming approaches, Katla uncovers a shocking secret about her past — a secret that binds her fate to Jack’s in a way neither could have ever anticipated. With a nod to Hans Christian Andersen and inspired by Norse lore, Wendy Delsol’s debut novel introduces a hip and witty heroine who finds herself tail-feathers deep in small-town life. 

Follow Friday 7/29

 

This Week's Question: Let's step away from books for a second and get personal. What T-Shirt slogan best describes you?

Hmm, well this is pretty hard! There are SO MANY awesome t-shirts, so to narrow things down I headed to a favorite online store, Glarkware,and limited myself to their choices. And then it was no contest:

I have always been pretty shy and awkward with strangers, and this made me crack up because I feel like that a little bit all day at work - obviously as a children's librarian I'm chatting with strangers a LOT at desk! I love talking to the kids but the parents are sometimes much harder. I wish I could buy this shirt and wear it to work - at least parents would understand when I'm a bit awkward at small talk! :)

Review: Bewitching Season

Title: Bewitching Season
Author: Marissa Doyle
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); (April 29, 2008)
Rating: 7/10
Source: library

Waiting on Wednesday 7/27

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18C. Hadley's in 18A.

Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it. 

While I complain about the insta-love that is all to often found in paranormal romance, I'm still a sucker for romance. This may be about love at first sight, but it sounds like it is done right, and I LOVE the title and cover. Coming out January 2012!

 

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

(Anyone miss me? Couldn't stay away!)

Review: The Cupcake Queen

Title: The Cupcake Queen
Author: Heather Hepler
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile (September 17, 2009)
Rating: 7/10
Source: library

Penny's parents separate, and her mom moves them back to her small hometown and opens a cupcake bakery. This sweet tale deals with the baggage from the move and separation, as well as some mean girl action, a new friendship, and a lovely romance blossoming as well. It was cute, but still heartfelt and real. Definitely loved the cupcake descriptions, although I thought at the beginning it would play a larger part.

I loved the friendship between Penny and Tally, who is obsessed with Rock Paper Scissors (seriously.) It was just so realistic, the delicate balance of trying to become friends with someone new, and figuring out when you can relax and let your guard down. And Tally is awesome, with her small-town rebellion and 100% awesome boyfriend.

The romance had a light touch, but I was completely smitten with Marcus and his sad history and awesome dad. The parental issues were also handled very well, and both parents were presented fairly, which is always hard.

This was a fairly short book, and didn't have huge amounts of drama, but like the best cupcakes it was small, sweet and satisfying.

"Waiting On" Wednesday 5/11

 

Debut novelist Kiki Hamilton takes readers from the gritty slums and glittering ballrooms of Victorian London to the beguiling but menacing Otherworld of the Fey in this spellbinding tale of romance, suspense, and danger.

The year is 1871, and Tiki has been making a home for herself and her family of orphans in a deserted hideaway adjoining Charing Cross Station in central London. Their only means of survival is by picking pockets. One December night, Tiki steals a ring, and sets off a chain of events that could lead to all-out war with the Fey. For the ring belongs to Queen Victoria, and it binds the rulers of England and the realm of Faerie to peace. With the ring missing, a rebel group of faeries hopes to break the treaty with dark magic and blood—Tiki’s blood.

Unbeknownst to Tiki, she is being watched—and protected—by Rieker, a fellow thief who suspects she is involved in the disappearance of the ring. Rieker has secrets of his own, and Tiki is not all that she appears to be. Her very existence haunts Prince Leopold, the Queen’s son, who is driven to know more about the mysterious mark that encircles her wrist.

Prince, pauper, and thief—all must work together to secure the treaty… 

Historical fiction + faeries = awesome. Fact.

"Waiting On" Wednesday is an event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Review: The Grimm Legacy

Title: The Grimm Legacy
Author: Polly Shulman
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (July 8, 2010)
Rating: 8.5/10
Source: library

Review: Into the Wild Nerd Yonder

Title: Into the Wild Nerd Yonder
Author: Julie Halpern
Publisher:Feiwel & Friends; (September 29, 2009)
Rating: 8/10
Source: library

Waiting on Wednesday 5/4

Han Alister thought he had already lost everyone he loved. But when he finds his friend Rebecca Morley near death in the Spirit Mountains, Han knows that nothing matters more than saving her. The costs of his efforts are steep, but nothing can prepare him for what he soon discovers: the beautiful, mysterious girl he knew as Rebecca is none other than Raisa ana’Marianna, heir to the Queendom of the Fells. Han is hurt and betrayed. He knows he has no future with a blueblood. And, as far as he’s concerned, the princess’s family killed his own mother and sister. But if Han is to fulfill his end of an old bargain, he must do everything in his power to see Raisa crowned queen.

Meanwhile, some people will stop at nothing to prevent Raisa from ascending. With each attempt on her life, she wonders how long it will be before her enemies succeed. Her heart tells her that the thief-turned-wizard Han Alister can be trusted. She wants to believe it—he’s saved her life more than once. But with danger coming at her from every direction, Raisa can only rely on her wits and her iron-hard will to survive—and even that might not be enough.

The Gray Wolf Throne is an epic tale of fierce loyalty, unbearable sacrifice, and the heartless hand of fate.

Do you like epic fantasy? Do you enjoy powerful women, amazing world-building, dark plans and danger all around? The first two novels in this series, The Demon King and The Exiled Queen were absolutely wonderful. I've requested this one from netGalley, but I haven't been approved yet. Oof, I don't know if I can hold out until the publish date!

I listened to the first as an audiobook, and it was amazingly well-done. One of the few where I think the book actually benefits from being in audio format. I read the second in book format because we got the hardback in before the cd book and I couldn't wait if you paid me. It definitely was great as a book as well, but I think I'll check out the audiobook and listen to it before I read The Gray Wolf Throne in order to get into the mood! 

 

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

 

Teaser Tuesday: One of Our Thursdays Is Missing!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser:  

Notices were posted everywhere that contained useful directions such as THIS WAY TO THE DENOUEMENT or NO BOOTS TO BE WORN IN THE BACKSTORY and even DO NOT FEED THE AMBIGUITY. The contractors were making last-minute adjustments. Six were arranging the clouds, two were wiring the punctuation to the main distribution board, three were trying to round up a glottal stop that wasn't meant to be there, and two others had just slit a barrage balloon full of atmosphere.
     (p. 30), One of Our Thursdays Is Missing by Jasper Fforde

 If you are a fan of books, publishing, or just meta humor, then the Thursday Next series is for you! If not... it might just drive you crazy. :)

These books are hilarious and complicated, and I'm super excited to read the newest release. I'm sometimes slow to read adult fiction, even books I'm anticipating, just because there are so many YA books to read and I feel like as a youth librarian and YA blogger it is more my job. But books are not just a job to me, so I still make time for the adult fiction. Just a bit slow. 

Review: Brightly Woven

Title: Brightly Woven
Author: Alexandra Bracken
Publisher: EgmontUSA (March 23, 2010)
Rating: 7.5/10
Source: library

Review: Entwined

Title: Entwined
Author: Heather Dixon
Publisher: Greenwillow Books (March 29, 2011)
Rating: 9/10
Source: library

Follow Friday and Book Blogger Hop 4/29

 

If you were stocking your bomb shelter, what books would you HAVE to include if you only had space for ten?

 

Oof, that's a hard one! It actually kind of hurts to even consider! I do love to re-read books, so let's see what springs to mind.

1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen  

I re-read this book at least once a year. Makes me happy.

2. Thief of Time  by Terry Pratchett

Discworld books make for excellent rereading, I could take almost all of them, but this is my very favorite.

3-6. The Spellman Books by Lisa Lutz (4)   

Dysfunctional families are funny! The Spellmans, in The Spellman Files, Curse of the Spellmans, Revenge of the Spellmans and The Spellmans Strike Again, are possibly the most messed up family I've fallen in love with. 

7-10. The Ruby Oliver Books by E. Lockhart (4)

Clearly, if I'm going to be stuck in a bomb shelter, I'm going to need something funny to take my mind off the sucky situation. The Boyfriend List, The Boy Book, The Treasure Map of Boys and Real Life Boyfriends definitely fit that qualifier.

 

My preferred plan is to have my whole family and a stockpile of food hunkered down in the library instead. 

 

  "Summer is coming quickly - what 2011 summer release are you are most looking forward to?"

 

 Hmm, that is hard to say. I choose a lot of my books based on shelf wandering, so I try not to get to caught up in previews, especially since I don't yet have selection responsibility at work so I can't do anything about the books I want. Also, I've already covered some in WoW posts.

 

Circle of Fire, the third in the Prophecy of the SIster by Michelle Zink, will come out in September and I am extremely excited about that one.

Review: Across the Universe

Title: Across the Universe
Author: Beth Revis
Publisher: Razorbill (January 11, 2011)
Rating: 4/10

Summary: A Story of Love, Murder, and Madness Aboard an Enormous Spaceship Bound for the Future
 
Amy is a cryogenically frozen passenger aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed. She expects to wake up on a new planet, 300 years in the future. But fifty years before Godspeed's scheduled landing, Amy's cryo chamber is unplugged, and she is nearly killed. 

Now, Amy is caught inside an enclosed world where nothing makes sense. Godspeed's passengers have forfeited all control to Eldest, a tyrannical and frightening leader, and Elder, his rebellious and brilliant teenage heir. 

Amy desperately wants to trust Elder. But should she? All she knows is that she must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets before whoever woke her tries to kill again.

Return of Follow Friday and the Book Blogger Hop: 4/15

This week's question: Do you have anyone that you can discuss books with IRL? Tell us about him/her.
      
    Well, this is one of the many awesome benefits of being a youth services librarian in a bustling department - I have several coworkers who are just as obsessed as I am! We do weekly book reviews for each other during unit meetings, it is a great way to expand my collection knowledge beyond the books I manage to read myself!

 This week: "Pick a character from a book you are currently reading or have just finished and tell us about him/her."

Creel is a young girl making her fortune with her sewing and embroidery skills. She has made her way in the world after her mother's death and her idiot aunt's attempts to have her saved from a dragon lead her on adventures she never dreamed of. She is smart, independent, honest and kind. She makes friends and enemies on her adventures, but never stops speaking her mind and working hard. I really love her! 

I just got my hands on the third of Jessica Day George's excellent J Fiction dragon series, Dragon Spear. I picked up the first (Dragon Slipper) based on author recognition, since I read and enjoyed her two YA fairy tale retellings, Princess of the Midnight Ball and Princess of Glass, and the series hasn't disappointed. So fun and clever and spunky. A blurb on the back compares it to the works of Patricia C. Wrede, and while the comparison hadn't occurred to me, it is perfect. I enjoy them both!

Blog Hiatus

Well, things have been rather sparse around these parts lately. I have to admit, I've been having a bit of an ol' identity crisis, blog-style. I was a little tired of doing the same things each week, and only getting comments on meme posts. Also, I have a very busy life, with a job I love, two adorable (but tiny and needy) children, a husband I'd really like to spend time with, and hobbies outside of reading and blogging. So for about the last month, I've just shoved this internet space into the back of my mind and not thought about it. I slowed down on trying to keep up with blogs I follow, and thought about what I wanted to accomplish with this site.

I still read some great YA books during that time, because by preference and profession that's what I do. And, lo and behold, I found myself wanting to post reviews and talk about them with people. That was the test, to make sure that I really did want to keep this space active and wasn't just doing it out of habit.

So how will I move forward? Well, I'll probably use this week to try and sort out a new system. More reviews, more random posts, fewer memes. But definitely still the Follow Friday and Book Blogger Hop - I really truly enjoy those and would miss them! I want to make this a more personal space - still about books, but without feeling like I couldn't post about my life and outside activities if the mood struck.

 

Cute, but distracting!

So, that's the State of the Scattered Bookshelf. Hope to be seeing you soon!

Waiting On Wednesday 3/16

The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children. 
 
If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company. 
 
And there are no strangers in the town of Near.

These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life.

But when an actual stranger—a boy who seems to fade like smoke—appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true.

The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion. Still, he insists on helping Lexi search for them. Something tells her she can trust him.

As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi’s need to know—about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy.

Part fairy tale, part love story, Victoria Schwab’s debut novel is entirely original yet achingly familiar: a song you heard long ago, a whisper carried by the wind, and a dream you won’t soon forget.

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Review: The False Princess

Title: The False Princess
Author: Eilis O'Neal
Publisher: EgmontUSA (January 25, 2011)
Rating: 6.5/10

 Summary: Princess and heir to the throne of Thorvaldor, Nalia's led a privileged life at court.  But everything changes when it's revealed, just after her sixteenth birthday, that she is a false princess, a stand-in for the real Nalia, who has been hidden away for her protection.  Cast out with little more than the clothes on her back, the girl now called Sinda must leave behind the city of Vivaskari, her best friend, Keirnan, and the only life she's ever known.

Sinda is sent to live with her only surviving relative, an aunt who is a dyer in a distant village. She is a cold, scornful woman with little patience for her newfound niece, and Sinda proves inept at even the simplest tasks.  But when Sinda discovers that magic runs through her veins - long-suppressed, dangerous magic that she must learn to control - she realizes that she can never learn to be a simple village girl.

Returning to Vivaskari for answers, Sinda finds her purpose as a wizard scribe, rediscovers the boy who saw her all along, and uncovers a secret that could change the course of Thorvaldor's history, forever.

Review: The Splendor Falls

Title: The Splendor Falls
Author: Rosemary Clement-Moore
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (September 8, 2009)
Source: library
Rating: 7/10

Summary: Can love last beyond the grave?

Sylvie Davis is a ballerina who can’t dance. A broken leg ended her career, but Sylvie’s pain runs deeper. What broke her heart was her father’s death, and what’s breaking her spirit is her mother’s remarriage—a union that’s only driven an even deeper wedge into their already tenuous relationship.

Uprooting her from her Manhattan apartment and shipping her to Alabama is her mother’s solution for Sylvie’s unhappiness. Her father’s cousin is restoring a family home in a town rich with her family’s history. And that’s where things start to get shady. As it turns out, her family has a lot more history than Sylvie ever knew. More unnerving, though, are the two guys that she can’t stop thinking about. Shawn Maddox, the resident golden boy, seems to be perfect in every way. But Rhys—a handsome, mysterious foreign guest of her cousin’s—has a hold on her that she doesn’t quite understand.

Then she starts seeing things. Sylvie’s lost nearly everything—is she starting to lose her mind as well? 

Follow Friday and Book Blogger Hop 2/25

The Book Blogger Hop is a weekly meme hosted by Jennifer of Crazy-for-Books. It is a way for all the book bloggers out there to get together and find out about each other's blogs.

This week's hop question: Do you ever wish you would have named your blog something different?

Occasionally, especially when I see a super-cute, whimsically named blog. But, as recent postings have shown, scattered is my nature, in my brain as well as my bookshelf! I still like it, and I hope that continues.

This meme is hosted by Parajunkee's View

And this week's Friday Follow discussion - Share your current favorite television show! Tell us about it!

My favorite currently running, US television show - and in fact, the only one I watch - is Raising Hope. Y'all, this show is just plain hilarious. But it is so hard to explain! My little sister loved it, and kept going on about episodes and I just thought she was crazy because if you try to describe it you sound like you are on drugs. All the characters are hilarious and if you ever have some time to kill and a desire to laugh, I think you should check it out on Hulu! A feckless young man who lives with his parents ends up a single parent after a one-night stand with a serial killer and the show is about his crazy, stuck-in-the-seventies family as they raise baby Hope (renamed from Princess Beyonce) and Jimmy yearns for Sabrina, the grocery check-out girl. 

My favorite show altogether is Doctor Who! Time traveling alien seeks fantastic human companions for adventure and shenanigans. Over 40 years of history to catch up on, I am way behind but love the Eleventh doctor to bits! If you haven't seen it, you should!