Best books of 2012, so far

Barely 2 1/2 months to go until the end of the year, and I've got 50 books to go to reach my goal of 250 for the year. It seems like a lot, but Shelfari tells me I'm ahead of pace. Fingers crossed I don't get into a reading funk! 

I've had a fairly good reading year, very few books I actively disliked and several that blew me away. Now that we're reaching the end (and I'm so behind on official reviewing that I'll never catch up) I wanted to share my favorites so far. These are books I rated 5 stars on Shelfari, which translates to a 10 on my blog rating scale.

 The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour:

A smart, bittersweet look at the summer after high school for a boy and the girl he loves, and her terrible band. I was not expecting how much I would love this, not being a fan of bands or tattoos particularly, but the characters really got under my skin and I was completely rooting for them by the end.

 Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein:

Well, everyone and their brother has posted a glowing review of this book, and for good reason. Powerful, amazing writing and characters that will break your heart combine to wonderful effect. Hard to push on the teens at the library, but worth it.

 The Fault in Our Stars by John Green:

Again, not suffering from a lack of press on this one, but I do try not to let the fact that others are saying something keep me quiet. I can sometimes be contrary but the smart, funny characters in this book made me fall head over heels for them, even though I knew from the start someone would cause me pain. Amazing.

 My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick:

This was a bit of a surprise! I was expecting a cute romance, fluffy and forgettable, and instead got hit in the gut with a moral quandary and a first love that knocked my socks off.







Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas:

Ah, it's like it was written with me in mind, I tell you. A smart, powerful assassin? A competition to the death? Unlikely love interests? Difficult decisions about whom to trust? Oh, I loved it all, even if one angle of the love triangle was much more perfect to my mind. I can't believe this was Maas's debut, I'll definitely pick up future books from her.

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater:

I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked this up. I adored Ballad and Lament, was utterly meh on the Wolves of Mercy Falls series, and while I liked The Scorio Races, I wasn't as captivated as other reviews I read. 

It took me about half a chapter to start bouncing and grinning. This was the Stiefvater of Ballad and Lament, powerful and beautifully written, mysterious and charming without being overbearing. I loved loved loved this book and can't wait to return to the magical quest with Blue and the Raven Boys.

So, those are the best of the best so far! I'll try and post occasional reviews for the rest of the year, although as I mentioned the blog will be broadening its view as we go. 

Review: Tuesdays at the Castle

Title: Tuesdays at the Castle
Author: Jessica Day George
Publisher:  Bloomsbury USA Childrens (October 25, 2011) 
Source: library
Rating: 8/10


Tuesdays at Castle Glower are Princess Celie's favorite days. That's because on Tuesdays the castle adds a new room, a turret, or sometimes even an entire wing. No one ever knows what the castle will do next, and no one-other than Celie, that is-takes the time to map out the new additions. But when King and Queen Glower are ambushed and their fate is unknown, it's up to Celie, with her secret knowledge of the castle's never-ending twists and turns, to protect their home and save their kingdom. This delightful book from a fan- and bookseller-favorite kicks off a brand-new series sure to become a modern classic.

Review: First Day on Earth

Title: First Day on Earth
Author: Cecil Castelluci
Publisher: Scholastic Press (November 1, 2011)
Source: library
Rating: 9/10

A startling, wonderful novel about the true meaning of being an alien in an equally alien world.

"We are specks. Pieces of dust in this universe. Big nothings. 

"I know what I am."

Mal lives on the fringes of high school. Angry. Misunderstood. Yet loving the world -- or, at least, an idea of the world. 

Then he meets Hooper. Who says he's from another planet. And may be going home very soon.

Review: Misfit

Title: Misfit
Author: Jon Skovron
Publisher: Amulet Books (August 1, 2011)
Source: library
Rating: 7/10

It can be hard to make friends when you're constantly moving. It's even harder when you're a half-demon with an ex-monk for a father. Jael Thompson has known her mother was a demon since she was 8, and now that she's turned 16, she's finally getting more information from her taciturn father. Of course, with knowledge comes danger - and a giant fish-monster uncle. Of course.

This book was quite fun to read, mostly. It was really well paced and pretty funny at times. I liked Jael a lot - she was easy to relate to and I loved the believable way she dealt with her issues. Her love interest, Rob - oh man, he is so great! I love that he is smart and spiritual (ish) all in his own way - there are just not enough guys like that in books. And he isn't dark and mysterious or brooding - such a relief! The rest of the cast is good, although her friend Britt is kind of a weak spot for me. Even though Jael's dad had a lot of issues and was hardly winning any Parent-of-the-Year awards, the flashbacks help you understand why he acts the way he does. And while I don't want to spoil too much, let me say that my love for her Uncle Dagon far surpassed the love for any previous fish-monster bakers I've loved.

This was a very conflicted read for me, though, which had me waffling between a 6 and a 7 rating for quite a while. The plot was definitely fun and enjoyable. Since I am not a religious person at all, I was not offended by the book's central concept, which was that the church has the completely wrong idea about hell and demons entirely, but I do have a feeling that it would be a bit more of a concern for some people I know. Then again, I live in a fairly religious area, so I could just be more sensitive to it. Also, I was raised Catholic and while most of the super-religious people I know in my current area are more of the Baptist persuasion, I think Catholics would be a bit put off as well. Makes it a little tricky to recommend.

Also, there are a couple scenes near the end that were... well, kind of brutal and violent in a way that I was not expecting or prepared for. Obviously we are dealing with demons, here, and Jael's mother was definitely shown to be not the norm. I never expected a Duke of Hell to be a nice person, but... *shiver* I had a hard time reading for a little while there. I was out at the public desk and the wincing faces were probably putting off patrons.

So. I finally landed on a 7 rating, because I did enjoy the plot and characters and pace. But there is a slight addendum to my recommendation - not for the religiously delicate, or faint of heart.

Review: Putting Makeup on Dead People

Title: Putting Makeup on Dead People
Author: Jen Violi
Publisher: Hyperion Books CH (May 24, 2011)
Source: library
Rating: 7/10

I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I picked this book up. Ever since an Freshman lit class in college where we read an essay about the embalming process, I've been pretty sure I'd like to be cremated, thankyouverymuch. And the summary is, like summaries tend to be, a bit on the cheesy side. "finds life in an unexpected place: a coffin." Seriously, blurb writers?
But what this book is really about, is finding out who you are. The embalming parts are just incidental. Donna Parisi is floating through life, not making any waves and just biding time until she graduates. She's been accepted to a public university and even though she has no idea what she'll be doing there, she plans to go. But then a sad twist of fate puts Donna at a classmate's funeral in the same place they'd held her father's, and after a friendly encounter with one of the morticians, she starts to wonder... what if this is what she's meant to do?

I loved this premise. It really got me thinking, which is always appreciated. Since I am old as the hills, I also got hit with a lot more sympathy for Donna's mom than is expected - yes, Donna was approaching this thoughtfully, but... it would still be hard to accept that your daughter didn't want to go to a "normal" college and was going to deal with dead bodies instead. 

Donna is smart and sensitive, refreshingly real and kind of oblivious sometimes when it comes to dating. Watching her expand her horizons is a pleasure, and while the romance is pretty low-key, it also seemed realistic for high school.

This was a really sweet and charming contemporary YA that takes a look at becoming who you are meant to be. I loved Donna Parisi and think Jen Violi's debut was a great way to toast the end of 2011.

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

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

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.”

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?

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.

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. 

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. 

Review: Bewitching Season

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

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.

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

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

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.