Young Adult

The Curiosities

1 Comment / 2013, Books in Bed, Cybil Challenge, Favorites, short stories, Young Adult /

I’m not a big fan of short stories — they tend to be too long, too short, do a bad job with back story or are too darn interesting and I’m left wishing I knew more. Overall, generally more frustrating than not.

So when I saw The Curiosities was a book of short stories, in the YA Fantasy/SciFi category of the Cybils shortlist — I wasn’t thrilled. I figured I’d just get it over with early and be done with it.

Turns out this is one of the best short stories compilations EVER. I particularly enjoyed the commentary between the three authors and immediately subscribed to their blog, The Merry Sisters of Fate so I can read more of their stories (I’ve already read several of their novels.)

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Star Cursed

1 Comment / 2013, Books in Bed, Favorites, Sci Fi and Fantasy, Young Adult /

I’ve been waiting for this sequel to Born Wicked since … forever. At first, I wasn’t sure I was going to like Star Cursed. I started feeling like it was going to be another second book in the series let down. Turns out, it wasn’t cursed that way at all.

Once Cate’s sisters made it to New London, the book really picked up. I think Tess helps a lot. Maura, on the otherhand, oh boy. Maura.

I liked the ending. Good stopping place. Very good stopping place. Now we need book three because I really want to know what happens next. Poor Finn. Poor Cate. Poor Tess. Poor everyone, pretty much. Except Maura. With a sister like that, who needs The Brotherhood? Sheesh.

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Between the Lines

3 Comments / 2013, Books in Bed, Don't Read This, Sci Fi and Fantasy, Young Adult /

I hate to say it, because I normally enjoy Jodi Picoult’s books but… Between the Lines is one you can probably skip.

I liked the idea of Picoult writing a YA book with her teen daughter but it didn’t quite live up to my expectations. It took me three days to read the first three chapters. TW said it gets better… and it did. But not a lot better.

It’s not truly horrid but it’s just not great, either.

I really, really disliked the ending. Maybe it works for kids but for me, a mom, it did not work AT ALL. Not even a little bit.

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Out of the Big Easy

2013, Books in Bed, Favorites, Fiction, Young Adult /

After seeing a lot of glowing reviews for Out of the Easy, I moved this one up higher on my TBR list. TW read it first (of course) and said it was good so I had high hopes, especially since I’m not getting a lot of reading done right now and I needed something to suck me in.

Boy did it. After just a half dozen pages, I was hooked — and I didn’t really put it down until I was finished.

Oddly enough, I was surprised to realize the book was written by the other of Between Shades of Grey (a book we listened to last year, on audio — for the Cybils Challenge.) All too often, YA authors write books that sound just a little too much like the last book (even when the books aren’t sequel) — not this one.

My mother’s a prostitute. Not the filthy, streetwalking kind.

See, you’re hooked, aren’t you?

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Beautiful Creatures

2013, Books in Bed, Favorites, Sci Fi and Fantasy, Young Adult /

I finally read Beautiful Creatures, (for my Books to Movie challenge), and am wondering what the heck took me so long. I loved it. In part because of the fictional small town South Carolina setting –I’m a sucker for South Carolina — and also because the Sisters are fabulous characters. I love them.

I have one issue with the story … if you were Ethan and Marian the Librarian told you that it was your (dead) mother who gave her THAT special librarian job, wouldn’t you have had a conversation with her about that? Your mother was involved in the Caster world? Enough that she had the power to give someone a job as head librarian? Hello, someone would have had to explain to me just how that happened and what my mother was doing in that world.

I know Ethan (and Lena) had a lot on their minds but it was October — still a good bit of time til mid February. Plenty of time for a one hour discussion. I just don’t understand why that did not happen. Why Ethan didn’t even attempt to force that discussion.

That made no damn sense to me.

But it’s fiction, and I really enjoyed the book. Must reserve the next book ASAP… and either decide whether I want to drive into Indiana or somewhere that it might be playing in theaters or wait til the DVD release in May… I’ll probably wait but I’m looking forward to watching the movie…

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Wonder

1 Comment / 2013, Audiobooks, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Cybil Challenge, Favorites, Young Adult /

I will admit that I was prepared to be not-so-impressed with Wonder. Books that have glowing reviews cause me to put my hackles up and be overly critical.

But, it was tough to maintain that detached, critical air. Wonder was just too nice. Nice story. Nice characters. Nice family. Nice. Nice. Nice. Just typing that makes me want to NOT like Wonder but I just can’t do it.

Maybe because we listened to it on audio, and finished it up during our happy vacation to Door County — everything was awesome, including the happily ever after ending of Wonder.

Hell. Just go read it.

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Two Graphic Novels

2013, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Comics & Graphic Novels, Cybil Challenge, Favorites, Young Adult /

I decided to go with easy reads after struggling through Mrs. L’s Dressmaker. Too much going on at work and at home for me to sit down with anything serious. Plus, my vacation is about to start. Yay for vacation! And yay for graphic novels, even if I only loved one of them.

First, the one I didn’t love. Ichiro. Not my thing, though it should be since it was really just Japanese mythology. I just didn’t like the story. I didn’t like the portrayal of Ichi’s American grandfather. Yea, there are people like that but… no. It just set the whole thing off badly for me and the rest of the book never quite redeemed itself for me. I didn’t hate it, but I definitely did not love it.

I did, however, LOVE Giants Beware. I loved Collete. Loved Gaston and Marie and Valiant, too. Loved all of the townspeople and all of the things that happened outside of the wall. Loved, loved, loved the story. And the art.

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The Drowned Cities

2013, Audiobooks, Books in Bed, Cybil Challenge, Young Adult /

It took awhile for us to figure out which book The Drowned Cities was the sequel to because Tool was the only character from the first book that was in this book. At first I wasn’t sure that was going to be a good thing but I settled into the story and ended up pretty happy with how it all turned out. I do hope we pick up Tool’s story again — it would be pretty interesting to see if the Half-Man can turn the Drowned Cities around when the Full-Men couldn’t.

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The Brides of Rollrock Island

2013, Books in Bed, Sci Fi and Fantasy, Young Adult /

Sigh. I think I’m done with the girl/seal fairy tale. I used to like them but now, I just find myself annoyed. There’s no happy in these, I’m just too hung up on the seal not being allowed to be the darn seal. I guess The Brides of Rollrock Island tries to redeem itself by having the sons return the mams to the sea but then there are the fathers, cutting their sons (who are at least half their property?) out of their seal coats to bring them back.

One step forward, one step back? I’m just done with the seal as human storyline, I think.

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