Ghosties, Steampunk, Vampires and Mysteries – oh my!

Behind again because I’ve been loving what I’ve been reading.  84 books done for the year so far….

Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls, by Anton DiSclafani: This is a beautiful, engrossing novel about a young girl sent away by her family to a riding camp in the mountains of North Carolina.  Thea, a strong willed 15 year old young woman is set to the Yonahlossee Riding Camp as punishment for her sins as well as her family’s.  Thea grew up only knowing her immediate family and her cousin’s family in a dreamlike childhood of riding and exploring with her twin brother.  The novel explores Thea’s new life at camp while weaving in the events of her past that led to her exile.
This is one of my favorite adult books of the year so far.  The dreamy writing style compliments the beauty of her childhood and makes the events of her exile seem that much harsher.  At times if feels like you are caught in a haze with Thea as everything turns upside down as she moves away from her old life and reacts to her new one .  The inner workings of this all girls school strongly juxtaposes her Florida childhood, adding to the mystery of why she was sent away.  The characters are vivid and flawed, which makes them hard to hate, but hard to like.
Overall Assessment: This is a must read–perfect for one sitting, or, if you’re like me, one you want to drag out finishing because you don’t want it to end.
My Label: adult historical fiction, coming of age fiction

American Vampire Vol. 5, by Scott Snyder: The series picks up in the 1950’s.  We meet up again with Felicia Book, now retired from the VMS but is brought back into the fold to help hunt down a powerful vampire who has been released.  (Hint: his name rhymes with Chocula, but, alas, he does not offer chocolatey goodness).  Pearl is also brought in by the VMS to help hunt down a pack of vampires who have attacked Henry.  Her partner is none other than good ol’ frenemy Skinner Sweet.
At five volumes in, the series continues to pack a great punch.  The action, stories, tension and cliffhangers are well done and drawn out.  The artwork is beautifully drawn and colored. The only negative?  They are taking a short hiatus before commencing on the rest of the series.  I have to wait!  Noooooooooo!
Will I read the Sequel (or next in series)? If I don’t go crazy from waiting.
Confession: I really love Skinner Sweet.
My Label: Graphic novel, vampires, series

Scrivener’s Moon, by Philip Reeve: I finally got my paws on an audio version (started series in audio, must complete in audio!) of Scrivener’s Moon, the conclusion to the Fever Crumb trilogy.  I struggled a bit with placing everyone and everything since it’s been a while since I read the last two.  Scrivener’s Moon did a nice job of tying all the loose ends together from the first and second book.  Fever has returned home to Wavey and Dr. Crumb who are starting work on making London mobile.  Wavey and Fever travel to the north in search of old tech.  The find themselves captured by peoples who do not wish to see London move, based upon the visions of Cluny Morvish.  We also meet up again with Charley Shallow, who has become an apprentice engineer and is scheming to climb higher in the ranks.
Charley and his schemes play a large role in propelling the plot and keeping things moving.  He makes for an interesting character to follow because he still has a smidge of conscious left, but pushes it aside in favor of self preservation.  Fever, still heartbroken from Arlo, tries to loose herself in reason to but has come too far from it in her past adventures to be able to fully follow it.  She falls for Cluny (who has the most wonderful accent in the audio!), which I was initially a little surprised by and didn’t anticipate (mainly because I was hoping Arlo would come back!).  But Fever has always been an androgynous character, so in hindsight it’s not that surprising.  I loved the evolution of their relationship and how perfectly they compliment each other.  Lingering questions about the beginnings of the Scriven race and the downfall of the tech world, aptly named the Screen Age, are answered.  The tension and plot are tight and tie together well.
Ending Note: A satisfying end, that nicely sets up the Mortal Engine series.
Bonus Factor: LGBTQ points!  Fever’s relationship with Cluny is so sweet and they balance one another so well.  I loved how Fever just appreciated everything about Cluny and never stopped to worry about the fact that Cluny was a girl and no one else did either.
My Label: YA, Steampunk, Strong chicks, series

The Madness Underneath, by Maureen Johnson: This was a typical middle novel.  Lots of threads and mystery added, but little resolution.  Rory is recovering from her stabbing in Bristol, where she discovers she has new abilities.  After her therapist encourages her to go back at Wexford, she becomes curious about a recent murder, and begins uncovering more after effects of the Ripper’s death.  She also begins seeing, Jane, a therapist who offers to help her for free.  Let me restate that: On a recommendation (of someone who isn’t really a friend) Rory goes to a stranger’s house, and accepts that this woman provides therapy for free.  SMH.

Whaaaat?

Anyway, Rory’s idiocy aside, there are a lot of after affects that are still being worked out from the first book.  Stephen, Callum and Boo are without a terminus, which puts their jobs in jeopardy.  Having missed school for three weeks leaves Rory way behind in her school work and in no place to take exams.  Which means her position at Wexford is in jeopardy.  Basically, the Madness Underneath is lots of buildup and increasing tension, and then, it ends.  Sigh.
Will I read the sequel? It was all fun and games until it ended, so dammit I have to read the sequel.  Although I do feel a little gypped.  I thought our relationship meant more than leaving me hanging like that.
My Label: ghosts, Ya, series

Mojo, by Tim Tharp: I kept reading early favorable reviews on some of my favorite blogs, and, since I’m not a big mystery person, I thought I’d give it a shot.  Success!
Here’s the Deal: Dylan needs some mojo.  Like Rodney Dangerfield he get’s no respect (wow, I just made that reference).  After finding a dead body in a dumpster, he’s worse off than before after being pushed around by the police and earning the nickname “Body Bag.”  His solution?  Find the missing rich girl, and earn the $100,000 prize money.
Characters: Dylan is assisted in his search by his geeky and weakly mustached friend Randy and his kick-ass BFF Audrey.  Most of the rich kids Dylan meets are a tad cliche, but it still works within the novel.
Vibe:  The vibe of the book was part of what made it so enjoyable.  It has a classic mystery feel and structure with red herrings in all the right places, the pretty girl distraction, the too nice of a guy, threats from a couple sides, etc.  But Tharp makes it work and makes it original.  Dylan is funny and real and anyone can relate to his desire for mojo.
Overall Assessment: Fun mystery pick.
Bonus Factor: LGBTQ points for portraying a lesbian relationship in a non-gimmicky stereotypical way.  Audrey is an open lesbian and begins her first real relationship through the course of the book.  Dylan has to deal with his best friend dating and spending less time with him AND initially having a crush on Audrey’s GF.
My Label: YA, mystery, guy friendly

Coming up next: Rebel Heart, by Moira Young – The Testing, by Joelle Charbonneau – The Dark Monk, by Oliver Pötzsch….

Hello June!

My stack of library books is ever-growing and this has been a slow week for me.  I’m currently reading Gulp, by Mary Roach and learning lots of squeamish and interesting tidbits about my nose, mouth and digestive system.  Yay!  I’m currently listening to The Selection, and also reading Maggot Moon.  I’m 44% done with my challenge and 3% ahead of schedule.

Completed this week:

• Fragments, by Dan Wells: It took forever to finish this one (sequel to Partials).  This is one of those post-apocalypse teen book series that I pick up and am super excited about but turns out to be a plodder.  Since I have a hard time leaving things unfinished, I inevitably pick up the sequel to something that I wasn’t that excited about in the first place.  Our teen heroine, Kira is trying to save the world and travels across the wasteland of America with a cute Partial boy looking for the answers to the epidemic.

Overall assessment: Meh.

Will I read the sequel? I plead the fifth.

• War at Ellsmere, by Faith Erin Hicks: In preparation for reading the Hicks illustrated Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong, I’m on a quest to read everything she’s put out.  I love her illustrations and stories, and yet again, was not disappointed.  Juniper is from the wrong side of the tracks and on scholarship to a prestigious private school.  She becomes friends with fellow outcast Cassie, and they quickly become targets of the popular girls.  Hijinks follow and unicorns appear.

Audience: Honestly, I think ANY teen girl would love this (even boys would!) – plus and Hicks fans and YA enthusiasts.

Overall assessment: Unicorns!

•     The Cove, by Ron Rash: I listened to this on Playaway, and despite the darn thing cutting off on me here and there, it was hard to stop listening.  In Mars Hill, NC Laurel lives with her brother Hank in a cove in the mountains.  Locals are wary and scared of the cove, thus Hank and Laurel have always been outcasts.  A stranger who cannot speak stumbles into their lives, and with his silence he brings secrets, music and new suspicions into an area that is on edge from WWI. (Just realized I technically didn’t read this within the last week, but whatever, the review is written.)

Key Elements: southern charm, North Carolina, intrigue, politics and superstition

Reaction at the end: WTF?!?!

Overall assessment: Really liked it, hated the ending, even though I suppose it fits with the book. **Grumble**

•     The False Prince, the Jennifer Neilson: Another book I resisted but wound up loving.  (Note to self: if you find yourself resisting a book PICK IT UP!).  Sage is an orphan who, along with three other orphans, is bought by Connor a nobleman who wants to train them with the hopes of one being malleable enough to impersonate the lost Prince Jaron.  I could not take off my headphones (another audiobook) because I was enthralled with the twists and turns, shady characters and secrets.  Plus, I love a book where the narrator withholds information.

Key elements: Smart ass, and sword fights

Overall assessment: I ran six miles on the treadmill because I could not stop listening*.

Will I Read the Sequel? Hells yeah.

•     The Ask and the Answer, by Patrick Ness: Another audio finished this week (I did a lot of driving) and again it did not disappoint.  The Knife of Never Letting Go, follows Viola and Todd on their journeys to outrun Mayor Prentiss to Haven only to have him greet them there.  Todd and Viola are now separated as are all the men and women in what is now called New Prentiss.  Here, there is a noise cure and slimy (now) President Prentiss is running the show and controlling Todd, who is now befriending former enemy Davy Prentiss.  Viola is getting drawn into mysteries of The Answer led by shifty Mistress Coyle.  Ness has so much going on, but maintains the story well keeping the tension tight and the twists coming.  The books are dark and gritty and in my mind the world is filtered through grays and reds.

Lingering Thoughts: (In regard to The Knife of Never Letting Go) I’m still not over Manchee.

Overall assessment: Holy crap you can’t end like that!

Will I Read the Sequel? See above

*Listening to audiobooks at the gym is tricky.  I can almost always listen to one on the elliptical. Listening to one while running?  It requires a certain level of awesomeness in an audiobook to do that.

Starting at Halfway

   What a better time to start blogging than halfway through my reading challenge?  I like to mull things over for about 5 months and then act on them when inspiration and motivation finally strike.  It can take time, obviously.

   My reading goal for the year was set at 150 books.  Based on past reading goals, 100 was too low and 200 was a tough reach (but I did it!).  As we are approaching the mid-year mark, I’m pretty pleased with my success – 62 books so far.  Again, pretty close to half!  Here is the breakdown:

6 Graphic Novels

15 Adult Books (3 of which are NF)

4 Children’s Chapter Books

32 Young Adult Novels

(18 books were listened to on audio)

Favorite so far: Okay I’m going to cheat on this and break it up between adult and YA, so I don’t have to choose between my top two.

Adult: The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern – I realize I’m a couple of years behind the rest of the world, but whatever.  The story was mesmerizing and magical and I didn’t want it to end.  The story of the dueling magicians and the enchanted circus drew me in and made me want to become part of the circus as well.

Young Adult:  Seraphina, by Rachel Hartman – The only time I love being wrong is when it’s about a book.  I put off this book because the premise is a girl who is half-human/half-dragon and I’m not into dragons and assumed I wouldn’t like it.  When it came up on the nominating block for RITBA (Rhode Island Teen Book Awards) I gave it a try, and I couldn’t tear myself away!  Seraphina (our half-human/half-dragon friend)  is the music mistress to a princess in a society that fears dragons yet must maintain peace with them.  Add in mysterious murders, political intrigue, and a handsome prince along with stellar writing and you’ve got a winner Ms.Hartman.  Wait for Feb. 2014 for the sequel?  You must be kidding.

    So here we go through the rest of the year.  Plowing through the remaining 88 books and hopefully a few more.  There are several sequels or series conclusions coming up that will make the second half of the year very exciting, indeed!

Here is what I’m most looking forward to:

MaddAddam, by Margaret Atwood – The first two novels are fascinating yet horrifying imaginings of the future. The world is run by corporations and what was normal has become synthetically engineered.  Society is increasingly split and divided, and the first two books follow characters inside the safety of the corporation walls and inside a religious group (cult?) that has sprung up in opposition to much of society.  At the close of the second novel, many characters and events had woven together, but I was still left on the edge of my seat wanting more.

The Final Descent, by Rick Yancey – I have love, love, loved the Monstrumologist book with a passion.  They are gory, scary and gripping.  The series is unique, well written and well executed.  I never see the twists coming and where they lead, and that’s just how I like it.

United We Spy, by Ally Carter – Another final novel in a series that I have loved. The Gallagher Girls have gotten into increasingly complex and high stakes scenarios, and the last novel left off at quite the cliffhanger — again!  As much as I am dying to know what happens, saying goodbye to Cammie, Zack and the rest of the gals will be hard to do.