March: Greek Mythology Twists (YA and MG)

Greek Mythology Twists (YA and MG)

March's Topic of the Month is officially Greek Mythology Twists (Ya and MG)!  To kick it off, we have posted a few Greek mythology based books that may interest you.  If you have any suggestions let us know!  Hope you enjoy!  (Click on the covers to go to the books' GoodReads pages!)

Read by: H, C, and B

Here is the GoodReads summary of the book:

Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can't seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper.  And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse - Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him.  When Percy's mom finds out, she knows it's time that he knew the truth about where he came from, and that he go to the one place he'll be safe.  She sends Percy to Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea.  Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends -- one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena -- Percy sets out on a quest across the Untied States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.

The rest of the books in the series:

            

Here is the GoodReads summary of the book:

Every girl who had taken the test has died.  Now it's Kate's turn.

It's always been just Kate and her mom -- and her mother is dying.  Her last wish?  To move back to their childhood home.  So Kate's going to start a new school with no friends, no other family, and the fear that her mother won't live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry.  Dark.  Tortured.  And mesmerizing.  He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld -- and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Katie tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he's crazy -- until she sees him bring a girl back form the dead.  Now saving her mother seems crazily possible.  If she succeeds ,she'll become Henry's futre bride and a goddess.

If she fails...

The other books in the series:

    

Here is the GoodReads summary of the book:

Three teenage descendants of Medusa, the once-beautiful Gorgon maligned in myth, must reunite and embrace their fates.

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, 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...

The other books in the series:

    

Here is the GoodReads summary of the book:

When Phoebe's mom returns from Greece with a new husband and moves them to an island in the Aegean, Phoebe's plans for her senior year and track season are ancient history.  Nows she must attend the uber exclusive academy, where admission depends on pedigree, namely, ancestry from Zeus, Hera, and other Greek gods.  That's right, they're real, not myth, and their teen descendants are like the classical heroes: super smart and super beautiful with a few superpowers.  And now they're on her track team!  Armed only with her nikes and the will to win, Phoebe races to find her place among the gods.

The other book in the series:

Here is the GoodReads summary of the book:

Greece in the age of Heroes.  Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the kingdom of Phthia.  Here he is nobody, just another unwanted boy living in the shadow of King Peleus and his golden son, Achilles.

Achilles, 'best of all the Greeks', is everything Patroclus is not - strong, beautiful, the child of a goddess - and by all rights their paths should never cross.  Yet one day, Achilles takes the shamed prince under his wing and soon their tentative companionship gives way to a steadfast friendship.  As they grow into young men skilled in the arts of war and medicine, their bond blossoms into something far deeper - despite the displeasure of Achilles's mother Thetis, a cruel and deathly pale sea goddess with a hatred of mortals.

Fate is never far from the heels of Achilles.  When word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, the men of Greece are called upon to lay siege to Troy in her name.  Seduced  by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause.  Torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows Achilles into war, little knowing that the years that follow will test everything they have learned, everything they hold dear.  And that, before he is ready, he will be forced to surrender his friend to the hands of Fate.

Profoundly moving and breathtakingly original, this rendering of the epic Trojan War is a dazzling feat of the imagination, a devastating love story, and an almighty battle between gods and kings, peace and glory, immortal fame and the human heart.

Here is the GoodReads summary of the book:

How do you defy destiny?

Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is - no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket.  And it's getting harder.  Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust.  At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.

As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that myths are more than just legend.  But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together - and trying to tear them apart.

The other books in the series:

    

Ready by: B

Here is the GoodReads summary of the book:

After pulling a magical thunderbolt from a stone, ten-year-old Zeus goes on an adventure of a lifetime in this thrilling start to a brand-new series!  The Terrible Titans - merciless giants who enjoy snacking on humans - have dominated the earth and put the world into chaos.  But their rule is about to be put to the test as a group of young Olympians discover their powers and prepare to righteously rule the universe...
Zeus gets his wish - and a lot more than he bargained for - when he is kidnapped by dangerous, giant Titans! In self-defense, Zeus grabs the first thing he sees - an actual thunderbolt he pulls from a stone that is covered in mysterious markings.  Zeus is the only one who can decipher the markings, and sets off on a quest to rescue his fellow Olympians from the evil Cronus.  Armed with his trusty thunderbolt (named Bolt, of course), Zeus is on an adventure of a lifetime - and a journey to fulfill his destiny as King of the Gods.

Several other books in the series: 

        

Here is the GoodReads summary of the book:

Where there is love and power, there is always . . . betrayal.

At seventeen, Cordelia is an ordinary teen with an extraordinary and frightening secret.  A secret that induces vivd dreams in which she not only experiences true love, but crippling fear while barely escaping with her life each night.

After a life altering event, Cordelia has an unexpected encounter with Evan, the mysterious boy from her dreams, who reveals who and what she is, a descendant of the Greek gods.  At that moment everything she knows of her world is a lie, and she must leave the present and go into the past to assume the role she was put on this earth for, safeguarding her ancient empire amidst evil forces that toil hastily to destroy it.

In a race against time, Cordelia must decide is she is truly a part of this dangerous world, or risk defying the gods, and ultimately lose the boy who has put a claim on her heart.

Other book(s) in the series:

Read by: B

Here is the GoodReads summary of the book:

The Fire Thief hilariously reimagines the myth of Prometheus, the Greek demigod who stole fire from the gods and gave it to the human race.  To escape the gods' revenge, Prometheus travels through time to Eden City in 1858.  There, he befriends a young orphan, actor, and petty criminal named Jim.  When Jim runs into trouble with the law, Prometheus is torn - if he uses his powers to get his friend out of trouble, he will betray his hiding place to the gods.  Terry Deary masterfully interweaves two plots, with action jumping at a whirlwind pace from Mount Olympus to the seedy taverns and elegant mansions of Victorian Eden City.  Packed with puns, wisecracks, and sarcastic footnotes, The Fire Thief turns Greek mythology into a laughing matter.

Other book(s) in the series:

    

Read by: B and C

Here is the GoodReads summary of the book:

Dad's gut was so big that it wasn't crowded, even with the five of us down there.  Of course, every once in a while, we got on one another's nerves.  Poseidon was always trying to organize swimming meets.  Hestia was always tidying up the place.  Hera was the bossy one, always telling the rest of us what to do.  But Demeter was definitely the weirdest.  She was always going on and on about wanting to plant a vegetable garden.  But, hey, we were family.

We all grew up in Dad's belly together.

When Hades and his siblings were born, their father, Cronus, Ruler of the Universe, swallowed them whole - just because of a prophecy that said one of his children would be mightier than he was.  Can Hades and his brothers and sisters overthrow their big, bad dad and take over the universe?  It's sure to be a hot time, Hades!

Other book(s) in the series:

              

Regrets Tree on Fire (The Cousin Cycle #3) by Jean Stringam

This review was written by: B

Received: GoodReads First Reads

Publication Date of Book: August 2014

Pages: 240 (paperback edition)

Stars: 3/5

But I've learned that you can get to the same right places from different directions.

        -Bill 

               From: Regrets Tree on Fire

Please note that I received a free copy of this book through GoodReads First Reads, and I would especially like to thank the author for the opportunity to read and review her book.

Bill and his father haven't been getting along lately.  In fact, they haven't for awhile.  When he was little, Bill was forced to live with his grandparents due to his mother's mental state.  As time went on, he became fairly comfortable and keen to the idea of living with his grandmother and grandfather forever.  Then his parents suddenly came back into his life, ripped him from the familiar, loving environment that he'd known for years, and was forced to live in the same house with his mother and father once again.  Since then, things have been a little rocky but not to the point where things seem hopeless.  Bill still has his two best friends Devon and Howie, after all.  Of course, these two boys have their own problems.

Howie lives with his rich parents who do nothing but ignore him.  They could care less about their son even though parents are supposed to be the ones who love their children the most.  Devon has medical parents who are trying to help him learn about life.  Devon also has an addiction that he's trying to get over.

The latest school year brings many old and new experiences to the table.  These include chess, girls, first loves, and much more!  Unfortunately, bullying also comes into the picture.  The strong and independent Howie is receiving detrimental text messages that ridicule and degrade him completely, day in and day out.  The only people who he can talk to about this are Devon and Bill, seeing as his parents wouldn't care, but what can his friends do anyway?  As the story progresses, the story elaborates on the three boys' lives and what happens when a person is subjected to bullying.  As you'll find out, bullying doesn't just affect the victims, but it also  affects those around them.

Maybe I could have done something different, changed something about myself that wold have made a difference.  But lives don't work that way, no matter how many regrets we might have.
      -Regrets Tree on Fire

My thoughts on the book:
The first thing that I want to mention about this book is that I really enjoyed how it covered a large range of different yet important topics that I feel should be included in today's YA literature.  There was death in the family, first relationships, love, religion, and (of course) bullying.

Bullying, as I have previously mentioned in some of my reviews, is an epidemic, especially among younger people.  Now, there is also Internet or cyber bullying to contend with.  In this book, though, there is a specific reason for the bullying, or, more specifically, the people behind it.  Jean Stringam came up with a brilliant and absolutely unique idea on who would possibly want to invest in bullying, and I was definitely impressed.  I also feel compelled to mention that she dealt with the subject matter extremely well.  As the reader, I vividly saw what bullying can do emotionally, socially, and physically to a person and their friends.  Bullying is no joke nor is it something to laugh about.  You can't just hope it will go away because you don't want to deal with it.  Someone has to take a stand against it and comfort the victims.  If we let bullying go, as seen in this book, terrifying consequences can ensue.

Bullying can drag a person down and pull them into a dark and seemingly hopeless place.  Howie was no exception.  Jean's writing conveyed that despairing feeling expertly.  The tone and mood of the novel when it was dealing with this issue was heavy and true in nature.  There was no sugar coating anything.  It was honest and true.

I also loved the idea of a regrets tree.  The thought of the characters writing down their regrets and seeing them go up in flames appeared to be a huge relief and outlet that was unique.  I have never heard of this and believe that this really set a great scene in the book!

There were many life experiences that occurred and were elaborated on in detail during the entirety of Regrets Tree on Fire.  The story was told in Bill's voice, and I found this to be fairly intriguing.  However, this book was rather hard for me to get into.  While I can't quite my finger on why this happened to me, I feel as though it might have been the writing style.  It took me a loooooooong time to be invested in this story, but once I put the book down for a day or two, it was once again very hard to get back into the swing of it.  I found myself reading the book in small increments during my spare time.  I also decided to read other books while reading this one because it just didn't scream at me to finish it.  However, there was a point when I couldn't help but keep turning the pages, and it was around the middle of the novel.  The only way to describe the rest of the book is to say that it almost felt like a chore having to read it.
       
This book just might not have been for me during the specific time that I read it.  However, I greatly urge you to give it a try if it seems interesting to you.  There were many redeeming qualities, but it just didn't do it entirely for me.  I am interested in reading more the books in the The Cousin Cycle series, though.      

If you enjoyed this book, you may also like:

            

   
 

Rumble by Ellen Hopkins

This review was written by: B

Received: Library

Publication Date of Book: August 2014

Pages: 560

Stars: 3.75/5

“Why can’t we just have fun?”  But no one,

and no one answered.  Pretty much 

the story of my life, at least where

 my parents are concerned.  Too caught 

up in their personal tangles of pain,

disappointments, and tomorrows made murky 

by yesterdays.  I’m damn sure never going to 

exist that way.  No sir, it’s all about 

living fearlessly today.

-Rumble by Ellen Hopkins

Matt's hanging on to his sanity by a thread.  Everything's been spiraling out of control, and there's no hint of it stopping.  He has nothing to believe in anymore, not his parents, his younger brother, his friends, or even God.  More often than not, his mother and father are fighting, ignoring each other, or off fuming from a recent yell fest.  Luke, his only brother and sibling, committed suicide from extreme bullying.  His so called friends turned away from or betrayed him when times got rough.  The only person that Matt can rely on is his beautiful girlfriend Hayden.  She's his rock and happy medium.

Matt needs control in his life.  It always seems like nothing is going his way.  People are worried that he's going to blow up at any second.  His anger is overwhelming.  No one knows what he's going to do next.  It's almost impossible to move on (in his situation), and the first step to doing so is forgiveness.  Matt needs to forgive others, but most importantly he needs to forgive himself, but how is this possible?  Spending time with Hayden makes all of his other worries go away.   It's like there are absolutely no problems in the world when they spend time together.  However, this couple could not be more than polar opposites.  Hayden is a strong Christian and a firm believer in her faith.  She's growing closer to God everyday, but Matt just wants to push that part of his life aside.  Her father is a fanatic, condemning many things, including his daughter's relationship with Matt himself.  At any rate, these two individuals seem to make things work, but these days even this part of his life is slipping away.

Luke haunts his thoughts all throughout the day and night.  Thoughts of what Matt could have done differently, said differently, to ensure that his brother was still with him now constantly plague his conscience.  There should have been something, anything, that he could have done to protect him, and it's too late now, though.  There's now nothing he can do to change that...but this does not stop him from bringing it up time and time again.  Suddenly, Matt hears a rumble that will potentially change his life forever.  All that he believed in is brought into questioning.  Will he be able to move on with his life, or will he continue to fall into the darkness?

My thoughts on this book:
This was my first Ellen Hopkins book, and I was sooooooooo ecstatic about it!  I've heard the most amazing things about her writing and her books, and when I saw Rumble sitting on a library shelf in all of its wonderful glory, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to read it.  Right off the bat, I took to her unique style and even fell in love with it.  It's simply beautiful.

Matt was such a broken, guilt ridden, and damaged character.  This, for me, made it impossible not to be drawn to him.  His story was raw and true and heartbreaking and...perfect.  He was brutally honest with his feelings, but he couldn't necessarily bring himself to actually deal with them.  His anger was a strong presence throughout the novel, and this was extremely understandable.  Going through so much, especially as a teenager, is not an easy thing.  Suicide and self-destructive parents all in one book for one boy to deal with is undoubtedly overwhelming.  I wanted him to have a happy ending.  I wanted him to find peace.

Rumble was one of those books where I connected with the protagonist extremely well.  It was one of those situations in which I was upset when he was upset, or happy when he was happy.  The writing was so powerful that it could do this.  Also, even though we did not know about every single character in depth, such as Alexa's parents, I found myself discovering a firm grasp on who they must of been.  Her home life was expertly described so that it felt like I knew every person mentioned.  Of course, this does not necessarily mean that I loved every character.  Hayden was hard to connect with from the beginning, and as the story progressed it only got worse.  She seemed two-faced in a way, always being fickle.  One minute she'd be sweet, and the next thing I know she gets ticked off about something and blows up!  Matt was one of those people who became easily frustrated as well, but I was okay with him.  There was just something about the way that Hayden was portrayed in my mind that made me want to shove her away.

While, I realize that Hopkins usually delves into more darker issues in her works, I was really surprised (in a good way) when I realized just how true this was.  I'm really proud of the author for many of the topics she covers. Rumble dealt with dysfunctional families, insecurities, regret, anger, extreme bullying, relationship issues, religion, and being gay.

The bullying that went on in this book was despicable.  I was sickened to my very core.  Sometimes I think about what the world would like be if everyone could be accepted for who they really are, no matter what they looked like, such as if they were tall or short, skinny or not, light or dark.  I wonder what would happen if people accepted others despite who they loved, whether it is a boy and a girl in love, two boys in love, or even two girls.  I realize that this is obviously not the world we live in today, and it deeply upsets me.  People can be vicious, ruthful, degrading, and spiteful...and Hopkins wasn't afraid to show that.  The fact that someone committed suicide because they were under attack so often, felt unloved, and unappreciated because of it...I just can't fathom what would lead another person to be so horrible to another.  Bulling has practically become a pandemic.  I hate how Luke felt that death was the only way out.  People called him weak for killing himself, and I felt that they had no desire to acknowledge the fact that it was other people who made him feel the way he did.  They just blamed him and solely him.

Fragile as it was.  He despised

hiding behind the pretense,

but he hated more:

“Upsetting” Dad.

Worrying Mom.

Embarrassing me.

Losing his friends

and me losing mine.

All because of who he was.

How he was born. Who

he was programmed genetically

to love.  Although, tell

that to Dad, he’d claim

you were insane, that no

gene of his could possibly

be responsible for gayness.

      -Rumble

If you're worried that this book may contain too much religion in it for you, I wouldn't think about it too much.  It was a natural part of the book that didn't feel too heavy or overwhelming to take in.  So, I would definitely give it a try if that is the only thing stopping you.

You might be wondering why I didn't give this book five out of five stars now after I've been praising it for so long.  The truth boils down to Hopkins' ending.  I can't describe to you how frustrated I suddenly became with this book, all within a few pages.  To be specific and not spoil, the very last pages were wonderful and made me very happy, but what led up to it just a few pages before made me want to just forget the book entirely.  There were so many ways that Ellen Hopkins could have dealt with Matt finding forgiveness, and I felt like she could have chosen a much better option.  I was disappointed to say the least.  The repercussions were both good and bad in my eyes, uplifting yet absolutely horrifying.  This probably does not make a ton of sense unless you have read the book.  So, just know that I was so mad and was more than willing to give this book 5 stars until this point.  However, I refuse to let that part of the book define the rest of its entirety.  After a long period of internal struggle, I decided on 3.75.

In conclusion, Rumble was a great read for me...until the ending (which was a little frustrating for me yet sort of satisfying in some slight way), but it was still a beautiful story worth picking up.


******SPOILERS BELOW******
I felt like the explosion and how Matt got caught in it was completely unnecessary!  The fact that his eyesight is ruined at this point and the other issues relating to the aftermath of him waking up was infuriating me for some reason.  Yes, it did bring his family together, but I feel as though this was unnecessary in Matt's journey to finally begin loving life again.  I like to think there were other alternatives.

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City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett

This review was written by: B

Received: BloggingforBooks

Publication Date of Book: September 2014

Pages: 452 (paperback edition)

Stars: (5/5)

Official Summary:

The city of Bulikov once wielded the powers of the gods to conquer the world, enslaving and brutalizing millions - until its divine protectors were killed.  Now, Bulikov's history has been censored and erased, its citizens subjugated.  But the surreal landscape of the city itself, forever altered by the thousands of miracles its guardians once worked upon it, stands as a haunting reminder of its former supremacy.

Into this broken city steps Shara Thivani.  Officially, the unassuming young woman is just another junior diplomat sent by Bulikov's oppressors.  Unofficially, she is one of her country's most accomplished spies, dispatched - along with her terrifying "secretary," Sigrud - to solve a murder.

But as Shara pursues the killer, she starts to suspect that the beings who ruled this terrible place may not be as dead as they seem, and that Bulikov's cruel reign may not yet be over.

A tale of vast conspiracies, dead gods, and buried histories, City of Stairs is at once a gripping spy novel and a stunningly original work of fantasy.

My review:

To put it simply, City of Stairs blew me away, and now I'm left wondering, how does one begin to describe or even formulate a cohesive sentence on a story so perfectly unimaginable?  I suppose that I should start with the author.  Robert Jackson Bennett has a writing style that is rich and imaginative, enthralling and deep.  Every word he wrote, I clung to like it was my last hope.  He possessed a capturing effect that made me want to flip through the book at the speed of light to figure out what happened, yet I wanted to read at a snails pace, as well, in hopes that the experience would never end.

The world building was yet another fantastical element in this story.  Bennett's world unfurls at the perfect pace which left me in wonder and blatant awe.  The (urban) fantasy was absolutely brilliant and masterfully written.  It was impossible for me not to fall into this book!  The characters each had a distinct and natural voice, a quality that I greatly admire.  So many times, an author's characters just blend together and become one blob of similar traits, but this was not the case here.  The history and qualities of the Divinities were each unique, as well.  They added a great intrigue to an already amazing writing style.

In the end, I was deeply impressed.  There was mystery, cultural distress and identity, a murder mystery, and a strange entanglement with  supposedly dead gods that bundled into a worthy book to behold.  City of Stairs was impressive, epic, and original, and I found myself completely satisfied with it.  RJB is a sure author to look out for.  I know that I will continue to read his books as long as he decides to make them!  

Also, please note that I received a free copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

Other Information:
Author Twitter Page: https://twitter.com/robertjbennett
Further Book Information : http://www.randomhouse.com/book/228171/city-of-stairs-by-robert-jackson-bennett
Author Bio: http://www.randomhouse.com/author/177470/robert-jackson-bennett

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(February 2015) Topic of the Month: YA Contemporary Romance!

Young Adult Contemporary Romance

February's Topic of the Month is officially YA Contemporary Romance!  To kick it off, we have posted a few  YA Contemporary Romance filled books that may interest you.  If you have any suggestions let us know!  Hope you enjoy!  (Click on the covers to go to the books' GoodReads pages!)

Here is the GoodReads summary of the book:  

     Seventeen-year-old Caymen Meyers studies the rich like her own personal science experiment, and after years of observation she's pretty sure they're only good for one thing - spending money on useless stuff, like the porcelain dolls in her mother's shop.

     So when Xander Spence walks into the store to pick up a doll for his grandmother, it only takes one glance for Caymen to figure out he's oozing rich.  Despite his charming ways and that he's one of the first people who actually gets her, she's smart enough to know that his interest won't last.  Because if there's one thing she's learned from her mother's warnings, it's that the rich have a short attention span.  But Xander keeps coming around, despite her best efforts to scare him off.  And much to her dismay, she's beginning to enjoy his company.

     She knows her mom can't find out - she wouldn't approve.  She'd much rather Caymen hang out with the local rocker who hasn't been raised by money.  But just when Xander's attention and loyalty are about to convince Caymen that being rich isn't a character flaw, she finds out that money is a much bigger part of their relationship than she'd ever realized.  And that Xander's not the only one she should've been worried about.

Here is the GoodReads summary of the book:

     To All the Boys I've Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed.  But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, ever her sister's ex-boyfriend, Josh.  As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.

Here is the GoodReads summary of the book:

     Anna is happy in Atlanta.  She has a loyal best friend and a crush on her coworker at the movie theater, who is just starting to return her affection.  So she's not too pleased when her father decides to send her to a boarding school in Paris for her senior year.  But despite not speaking a word of French, Anna meets some cool new friends, including the handsome Étienne St. Clair, who quickly becomes her best friend.  Unfortunately, he's taken - and Anna might be too.  Will a year of romantic near misses end with the French kiss she's been waiting for?

Here is the GoodReads summary of the book:

     Amy Curry is not looking forward to her summer.  Her mother decided to move across the country and now it's Amy's responsibility to get their car from California to Connecticut.  The only problem is, since her father died in a car accident, she isn't ready to get behind the wheel.  Enter Roger. An old family friend, he also has to make the cross-country trip - and has plenty of baggage of his own.  The road home may be unfamiliar - especially with her friendship venturing into uncharted territory - but together, Amy and Roger will figure out how out how to map their way.

Here is the GoodReads summary of the book:

     Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

     Okay, the world is a Simon Snow fan...

     But for Cath, being a fan is her life - and she's really good at it.  She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it's what got them through their mother leaving.

     Reading.  Rereading.  Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

     Cath's sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can't let go.  She doesn't want to.

     Now that they're going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn't want to be roommates.  Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone.  She's got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words... And she can't stop worrying about her dad, who's loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

     For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

     Can she make it without Wren holding her hand?  Is she ready to start living her own life?  Writing her own stories?

     And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

Here is the GoodReads summary of the book:

     It's one thing to fall head over heels  into a puddle of hazelnut coffee, and quite another to fall for the--gasp--wrong guy.  Straight-A junior Julia may be accident prone, but she's queen of following rules and being prepared.  That's why she keeps a pencil sharpener in her purse and a pocket Shakespeare in her, well, pocket.  And that's also why she's chosen Mark Bixford, her childhood crush, as her MTB ("meant to be").

     But this spring break, Julia's rules are about to get defenestrated (SAT word: to be thrown from a window) when she's partnered with her personal nemesis, class-clown Jason, on a school trip to London.  After one wild party, Julia starts receiving romantic texts...from an unknown number! Jason promises to help discover the identity of her mysterious new suitor if she agrees to break a few rules along the way.  And thus begins a wild goose chase through London, leading Julia closer and closer to the biggest surprise of all: true love. 

     Because sometimes the things you least expect are the most meant to be.

Here is the GoodReads summary of the book:

     Taylor Edwards' family might not be the closest-knit - everyone is a little too busy and over scheduled-but for the most part, they get along just fine.  Then Taylor's dad gets devastating news, and her parents decide that the family will spend one last summer together at their old lake house in the Pocono Mountains.

     Crammed into a place much smaller and more rustic than they are used to, they begin to know each other again.  And Taylor discovers that the people she thought she had left behind haven't actually gone anywhere.  Her former best friend is still around, as is her first boyfriend...and he's much cuter at seventeen than he was at twelve.

     As the summer progresses and the Edwards become more of a family, they're more aware than ever that they're battling a ticking clock.  Sometimes, though, there is just enough time to get a second chance - with family, with friends, and with love.

Here is the GoodReads summary of the book:

     Ever since Sarah was born, she's lived in the shadow of her beautiful older sister, Scarlett.  But this summer on Cape Cod, she's determined to finally grow up.  Then she meets the gorgeous college boy Andrew.  He sees her as the girl she wants to be.  A girl who's older than she is.  A girl like Scarlett.

     Before she knows what's happened, one little lie has transformed into something real.  And by the end of August, she might have to choose between falling in love, and finding herself.

     Fans of Jenny Han and Stephanie Perkins are destined to fall for this story about how life in love are impossible to predict.

Here is the GoodReads summary of the book:

     Sophomore year broke Clementine Williams' heart.  She fell for her best friend's boyfriend and long story short: he's excused, but Clem is vilified and she heads into summer with zero social life.

     Enter her parents' plan to spend the summer on their sailboat.  Normally the idea of being stuck on a tiny boat with her parents and little sister would make Clem break out in hives, but floating away sounds pretty good right now.

     Then she meets James at one of their first stops along the river.  He and his dad are sailing for the summer and he's just the distraction Clem needs.  Can he break down Clem's walls and heal her broken heart?

     Told in alternating chapters that chronicle the year that broke Clem's heart and the summer that healed it, Unbreak My Heart is a wonderful dual love story that fans of Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti, and Susane Colasanti will flock to.

(January 2015) Topic of the Month: Unicorns

Unicorns

January's Topic of the Month is officially Unicorns!  To kick it off, we have posted a few unicorn-filled books that may interest you.  If you have any suggestions let us know!  Hope you enjoy!  (Click on the pictures to go to their GoodReads pages!)

Read by: H, C, and B

Here is the GoodReads summary of the book:  As each chime sounds, Cara climbs faster up the steep bell tower.  Eleven!  She must be on the roof when the next bell tolls.  Twelve!  With a deep breath, and only half believing she will survive, Cara jumps off the church roof into Luster, land of the Unicorns.  In Luster, Cara meets many wonderful creatures, but the most magnificent of all is Lightfoot, a rebellious young unicorn.  Cara's band of friends comes to include a hairy creature called the Dimblethum and the monkey-like Squijim.  Together, they set out to reach the Unicorn Queen before the mysterious man who is following them does - to prevent the destruction of all unicorns forever.

The rest of the series:

       

Read by: C

Here is the GoodReads summary of the book: The unicorn wants to find other unicorns.  Mage Schmendrick, whose magic seldom works, never as he intended, rescues unicorn from Mommy Fortuna's Midnight Carnival.  Only some mythical beasts displayed are illusions.  Molly Grue believes in legends despite Robin Hood wannabe and his unmerry men.  King Haggard and his Bull banish unicorns into the sea.

Here is the GoodReads summary of the book:  It's a question as old as time itself: which is better, the zombie or the unicorn?  In this anthology, edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier (unicorn and zombie, respectively), strong arguments are made for both sides in the form of short stories.  Half of the stories portray the strengths - for good and evil - of unicorns and half show the good side of zombies.  

Here is the GoodReads summary of the book: Jan, the prince of the unicorns, is high-spirited, reckless - and the despair of his might father, Korr.  Reluctantly, Korr allows Jan to accompany the other initiate warriors on a pilgrimage.  Soon Jan's curiosity leads him, along with his friend Dagg, and their mentor, the female warrior Tek, into the greatest dangers - deadly gryphons, sly pans, wyverns, pares, and renegade unicorns.  Yet time after time they are rescued, leading Jan to wonder: Am I the heir to a special destiny?

The rest of the series:

    

Read by: C

Here is the GoodReads summary of the book: Elayne thinks the old family story that one of her ancestors stepped through a tapestry into a world of mythical beasts makes a great fireside tale.  But she lives in the real world.  In New York City.  And she's outgrown that kind of fantasy.

Until she finds herself in front of a unicorn tapestry at the Cloisters museum and sees her initials woven into the fabric.  And hears a unicorn calling to her.  And slips and falls - into that other world.  

Suddenly the line between fantasy and reality isn't so clear.  But the danger is real enough.  Almost before she can think, Elayne is attacked by a ferocious beast, rescued by a unicorn, and taken prisoner by a tyrant king.  Each of them seems to have an idea about her - that she's a hero, a villain, dinner!

But Elayne has a few ideas of her own.  She wants to overthrow the king; she wants to tame the unicorn.  She wants to go home!  And she's willing to become both her and villain to do it.

The Left Behinds: The iPhone that Saved George Washington by David Potter

This review was written by: B

Received: Free ARC from contest

Publication Date of Book: Jan. 6, 2015

Pages: 352 (hardcover edition)

Stars: 4/5

Mel, Bev, and Brandon don't have the best relationship with each other.  However, it's the Christmas holidays, and their parents are either too busy or too successful for these three children to come home with them.  In turn, they made arrangements with their school to take care of these three over the course of the vacation.  They are the Left Behinds.  To make their time less unpleasant, special events were planned out so that boredom did not overtake their lives.  One of these such arrangements was on Christmas Day when their teacher decided to take them to the annual reenactment of George Washington crossing the Delaware River.

Things don't go exactly as planned though, as Mel, Bev, and Brandon witness a queer man exit the basement of a nearby building.  Daring each other to go down to the stranger's previous location.  As they descend and find a computer, they are suddenly transported to a most bizarre and curious place.  Before them in a horse stall, George Washington is lying dead right before their very eyes.  Wait, this has to be a part of the reenactment, right?  Perhaps, not only were they transported to a different scene, but perhaps they were transported to a different time, as well!  If that's true, however, that means the real first President of the United States is dead before he even crossed the Delaware River!  That means that, as many serious events such as the defeating of the Hessians at Trenton, the United States would not be the United States that we know today if Washington is really dead.  That can't be good.  All the children have on them are the clothes on their back and their...iPhones.  What can Mel, Bev, and Brandon possibly do to save the future so that they have a home to return to?  Can history be saved?  Read the exciting The Left Behinds: The iPhone that Saved George Washington to find out!

My review:
David Potter made an enjoyable Middle Grade novel that conveyed an adventurous story chalk full of American history in an enjoyable way.  This story was entertaining and amusing at the same time.  I really enjoyed the humor and the way that certain historical figures were portrayed.  For example, Benjamin Franklin was so inquisitive, always asking questions to which Mel had trouble answering himself.  However, I will say that the way that George Washington was represented, I did not particularly like him.  I found him to be a bit rude at times, but I still find his character to be quite amusing at other moments, especially when trying to understand the explanation of the present.

The story was really imaginative, a sure grabber for many young readers.  I can fondly remember my fourth grade teacher reading to my class George Washington's Socks by Elvira Woodruff and this brought back memories of that.  While they both had similar elements to them, I loved David Potter's reiteration of history and his covering of some myths that are frequently brought up, such as George Washington possessing wooden teeth.  The mystery of the iPhones working was what kept me turning the pages.  I wanted to know just how George Washington could have been killed when this fact completely deviates from the rest history.  The alternate route and how it exactly came to be was excellently approached, and this was a great setup for the rest of this series.  I would gladly enjoy continuing on with it.  Young readers will surely be left wanting more after reading the ending of this book!

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