Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Wow. What an interesting book.

Illuminae is a sci-fi novel centered around two main protagonists, Kady Grant and Ezra Mason. Kady and Ezra are living on a small planet, Kerenza, that is attacked by the Beitech Company, a major corporation that is warring with another mega-corporation. The Kerenza survivors are whisked away on a convoy of ships, but they have to contend with the continued pursuit of Beitech's fleet, a biological weapon that is affecting many of the survivors, and an artificial intelligence system that has gone haywire, and may now be doing more harm than good. 

The story is told in a really fascinating way. Various documents, including transcripts, e-mails, IMs, and reports are used to construct the narrative. The style is a little gimmicky, and can feel like reading a found footage film. Sifting through the documents can certainly feel draining at times, but they were interesting enough to keep me moving through the book. Ultimately, the book was a pretty quick read for me, even though it clocked in at a little less than 600 pages. 

I think the main aspect of the novel that held my attention was the strength of the characters. Kady and Ezra were pretty well developed. The two were in a relationship that had just ended on the day Kerenza was attacked, so they had some personal issues to work out while also dealing with the issues on their ships, which led to some great IM conversations between the two. Kady and Ezra had great personalities, and their talks were chockful of witty banter, I'm a sucker for good banter, and it can be hard to pull off without seeming cheesy or becoming annoying, but Kaufman and Kristoff make this dialogue feel natural and use it to give the novel some much needed lighter moments.

Also, AIDAN is creepy. Read the book, embrace the creepiness.

This book is definitely worth a read. Plus this is happening, so now you have added incentive to get to it sooner rather than later.   

Dewey's Readathon is Upon Us!

The Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon is fast approaching people! From 8 AM Saturday to 8 AM Sunday, I will be devouring words like a crazy person. Granted, I have a morning shift Saturday at the library and will probably pass out around midnight Sunday because I NEED SLEEP, but that's ok. One of the best things about the Dewey's Readathon is that it's a judgment free zone. You read however much you want for however long you want. My hope is to get through a couple books, but I have a pretty big, varied stack in the hopes of avoiding a reading rut.

I have a couple novels, Nova Ren Suma's The Walls Around Us and Katherine Howe's The Appearance of Annie Van Sinderen.

                   

I have a short story collection, Shirley Jackson's The Lottery and Other Stories, and an essay collection, When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris. I've started both collections and am loving them so far, plus the shorter format means I can dive in and out of these with relative ease (readathon success is all about strategy, people!).

                   

I also have a couple graphic novels, Scott Snyder's Wytches and the second book in John Lewis's March trilogy.

                   

Like I said, I'll be happy to get through a couple of these during the readathon. I'll also try to spend some of my readathon time supporting other bloggers.

Happy thon, everyone!

Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray

If you've been waiting for years for the release of the next book in Libba Bray's Diviners series, then rejoice, because book 2, Lair of Dreams, has finally arrived! The consensus throughout the blogosphere seems to be that the book is a great continuation of the first, and I would definitely agree. We left off in Roaring 20s era New York City, and that's where Lair of Dreams picks back up. The Diviners, a group of people from different backgrounds with supernatural abilities that we met in book 1, are more important than ever as a mysterious sleeping sickness begins plaguing residents of the city.

There are so many diviners featured in the book, all with different powers and backstories, and since I'm not as talented as Libba Bray at juggling their stories in narrative form, I'm going to turn to list-making:

Evie O'Neill - A Diviner who can see the past by holding objects, Evie has a new radio show, so she's dealing with her rising stardom, the personal effects of book 1's events, and a love triangle with Sam and Jericho.

Sam Lloyd - Sam, a Diviner with the ability to make himself evade detection for short bursts of time, spends much of book 2 trying to uncover the mystery of what happened to his mother, who was taken by a secret government organization called Project Buffalo when he was a child.

Jericho Jones - Jericho's still reeling from the events of book 1, including his feelings for Evie, and issues from his past.

Memphis and Isaiah Campbell - The Campbell brothers are grappling with their Diviners powers, and have the added threat of the mysterious Blind Bill, who keeps moving closer to the Campbell family. Memphis also has a budding relationship with Theta.

Theta Knight - Theta has to deal with her fears about her powers, while pretending to be a Russian orphan for her job with the Ziegfeld Follies and trying to help her friend, Henry.

Henry DuBois - Henry's story is central to this book. As a dream walker, Henry spends much of his time in book 2 in the Lair of Dreams, searching for a loved one.

Ling Chan - A fellow dream walker, Ling helps Henry on his search. A daughter of immigrants, Ling lives in Chinatown, where the sleeping sickness begins. Ling and her neighbors have to deal with the ensuing fear mongering and xenophobia that comes with the sleeping sickness.

That list is just a taste of the large cast of characters, and the wonderful world that Bray has built in this series. Bray's writing is wonderful, the novel is meaty (clocking in at over 600 pages), but the story moves quickly, and by the last chapter you will be anxiously awaiting the next installment. Let's all hope it comes soon!

R.I.P. X: It's About to get Spoopy, Y'all!

My favorite time of the year - fall - is quickly approaching, and alongside cooler weather, changing leaves, and pumpkin spice everything, comes the best holiday to ever holiday: Halloween.

Dance, magical pumpkin man

During this wonderful season, I want nothing more than to invest my time consuming all the spine-tingling pop culture I can get my hands on. Thankfully for me, there's a fantastic reading challenge that does just that, R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril, or R.I.P. started by Carl V. Anderson and hosted this year by the Estella Society's Andi and Heather!

Image: Abigail Larson

The R.I.P. challenge is all about embracing the wonderful world of eerie Gothic and horror literature in the world. There are many levels of participation, but I'm going with the top challenge, Peril the first. between September 1st and October 31st, I will read at least 4 books that I feel fit with the R.I.P. themes.

My tentative reading list is:

Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray

The Lottery and Other Stories by Shirley Jackson

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie

American Gothic Tales edited by Joyce Carol Oates

The Magicians by Lev Grossman

This list is just a start - I'll most likely be adding to it as I go, along with watching spooky movies/TV throughout the next two months. Ack! I can't believe fall starts tomorrow (I know that it technically doesn't start until the back half of September, but I can dream!). If you're participating in the R.I.P. challenge let me know what you plan on reading in the comments!

My crew from now until Oct. 31

 

The Diviners by Libba Bray

Summary (from Goodreads): Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City--and she is pos-i-toot-ly thrilled. New York is the city of speakeasies, shopping, and movie palaces! Soon enough, Evie is running with glamorous Ziegfield girls and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is Evie has to live with her Uncle Will, curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult--also known as "The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies."

When a rash of occult-based murders comes to light, Evie and her uncle are right in the thick of the investigation. And through it all, Evie has a secret: a mysterious power that could help catch the killer--if he doesn't catch her first.

 

Review: The Diviners was fantastic. Fantastic. Ok, now that I've established the awesomeness of this book, let's look at why it's fantastic.

 

1) The setting: 1920s New York City. Full of speakeasies, flappers and jazz clubs, the world of The Diviners is very Gatsby-esque.

 

2) The characters: There are a lot of them, but they're all fantastic. There's Evie, our main protagonist; her Uncle Will; Will's assistant Jericho; mysterious con-man Sam; Evie's best friend Mabel; Ziegfeld dancer Theta and her pianist friend Henry; and, last but not least, Memphis and his brother Isaiah. All of these characters are fleshed out by Bray and they all have interesting dynamics with each other.

 

3) Did I mention that most of these characters have special powers?: Because they do. They're like 1920s X-Men.

 

4) Extremely scary villains: Naughty John = legitimately terrifying. In fact, the whole Brotherhood is creepy. Read the book, you'll see what I'm talking about.

 

5) Satisfying conclusions, but enough open mysteries to leave you craving the next book: Which unfortunately won't be out until Spring of next year. Until then, I'll probably just sit here in a puddle of feels.

 

Bottom Line: Read The Diviners. It's historical/paranormal fiction by the amazing Libba Bray. If that doesn't make you want to buy this book, I don't know what will.

 

Summer TBR

Summer is officially upon us! I know that because all the traditional signs are here. My classes are done, it's ridiculously hot outside, and I've got my serious reading time face on. Summer is the time where I can laze around and get through the biggest chunk in my reading list. With that being said, here are the books I would like to get through this year:

Winger by Andrew Smith: This sounds like a humorous, thoughtful coming of age story set in a prep school. Think Looking for Alaska, but with rugby!

 



In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters: This is set in the early nineteenth century, when the Spanish flu and the first World War were having a major impact on people's lives. This novel seems to focus on the séance culture that rose up from all of the tragedy of that time.

 



 



The Diviners by Libba Bray: Continuing with my summer theme of YA historical fiction with a paranormal twist, this novel is set in the Roaring 20s, so I'm sure it's full of speakeasies, flappers, and GHOSTS. At least I'm assuming there are GHOSTS. That's what it seems like. This one is a bit of a chunkster (it's 578 pages to be exact), but longer reads tend to be perfect for the summer. Plus Libba Bray wrote it, so it must be amazing. Also GHOSTS.

 



The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson: We have now entered the YA futuristic/dystopian/science fictiony section of the TBR. This book has been on my TBR for a while. I can't wait to get to it. I've heard great things. I also have a copy of The Fox Inheritance, so if I like this book, I can immediately get into its sequel.

 



Wither by Lauren DeStefano: Again, an awesome dystopian trilogy that everyone has been raving about but I am late to the party for. I feel a definite need to get on this one in particular, and I don't know why. Is it the amazing cover? The intriguing premise? I don't know but it's burning a hole in my bookshelf so this will be read. Pinky promise.

 



Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl: I really enjoyed Beautiful Creatures, so it would be nice to read the second book. I'm terrible with follow through, so actually finishing a series would be awesome, and if I like Beautiful Darkness enough, maybe I'll get the other books and actually finish the series this year!

 



Nightshade by Andrea Cremer: Werewolves. They always spice up the summer months. I also have a copy of Wolfsbane, so I can continue this series if I like it as well.

 



So those are my big reading goals for the summer. I plan on reading more than these seven books of course, but these are the definites. What on your summer TBR? Let me know in the comments!

Ten by Gretchen McNeil

Summary (from Goodreads): And their doom comes swiftly.

It was supposed to be the weekend of their lives—an exclusive house party on Henry Island. Best friends Meg and Minnie each have their reasons for being there (which involve T.J., the school’s most eligible bachelor) and look forward to three glorious days of boys, booze and fun-filled luxury.

But what they expect is definitely not what they get, and what starts out as fun turns dark and twisted after the discovery of a DVD with a sinister message: Vengeance is mine.

Suddenly people are dying, and with a storm raging, the teens are cut off from the outside world. No electricity, no phones, no internet, and a ferry that isn’t scheduled to return for two days. As the deaths become more violent and the teens turn on each other, can Meg find the killer before more people die? Or is the killer closer to her than she could ever imagine?

Review: Oh, Gretchen McNeil. You know how to mess with my mind. I thought I had Ten all figured out. I thought I was ready for every single twist and turn that you would throw my way. I had read And Then There Were None, the Agatha Christie novel that inspired Ten. I came into this prepared to do some serious sleuthing and thought I had the killer pegged by chapter 5. I thought I was right until the last few chapters, which I spent freaking out because the plot twists were just so ingenious.

Gretchen McNeil has created a fantastic mystery in Ten. Ten teens come to a secluded island, ready to party for the weekend. Unfortunately for them, they were all tricked into coming so they could be picked off one by one by a mysterious killer. The tension in the book is something that contributes to it's scary feel. It's truly terrifying watching these kids try to solve the mystery of why someone is hunting them as they're being hunted. Something you learn very quickly in this novel is that no one is safe. Gretchen McNeil does a great job of building up that sense of hopelessness and dread.

Ten is the type of book that makes your heart race. It's a great read. Just be sure to leave the lights on.

Catching Up and Mini Reviews

Hi there, faithful readers! You all look like you haven't aged a day, even though it's nearly been a month since we last chatted. In my defense, I've had a lot going on recently.

Saying that I've been busy over the month of August would be a huge understatement. I'm still in the process of moving, which has taken much longer than I hoped it would. At the current rate we're going, we'll hopefully be all unpacked and settled in by mid September. On top of the move, I started my second year of college last week. So... yeah. Just call me Jared McBusypants.

All of the stuff that moving and being a student requires aside, I have had time to read, I just haven't had the time to type up my thoughts into a coherent blog post. To make up for it, I have written this trio of mini reviews covering my most recent reads. These aren't my full thoughts; just quick blurbs covering my main points. This should get me all caught up and back on track. Things are settling down, so we should be back to our regularly scheduled programming shortly.

Tighter by Adele Griffin (Summary from Goodreads): When 17-year-old Jamie arrives on the idyllic New England island of Little Bly to work as a summer au pair, she is stunned to learn of the horror that precedes her. Seeking the truth surrounding a young couple's tragic deaths, Jamie discovers that she herself looks shockingly like the dead girl—and that she has a disturbing ability to sense the two ghosts. Why is Jamie's connection to the couple so intense? What really happened last summer at Little Bly? As the secrets of the house wrap tighter and tighter around her, Jamie must navigate the increasingly blurred divide between the worlds of the living and the dead.

Brilliantly plotted, with startling twists, here is a thrilling page-turner from the award-winning Adele Griffin. 

My Review: Tighter was a great read. It was very creepy and suspenseful. Experiencing this book through Jamie's eyes was particularly unsettling as she tried to uncover the mysteries of Little Bly. I was certainly creeped out by the end of the novel.

 Monster by Walter Dean Myers (Summary from Goodreads): Young, black, 16-year-old Steve Harmon, an amateur filmmaker, is on trial for the murder of a Harlem drugstore owner. Steve copes by writing a movie script based on his trial. But despite his efforts, reality is blurred until he can no longer tell who he is or what the truth is.

My Review: There were many things that I enjoyed about Monster. I liked the varied typography. The novel flips between handwritten notes and a typed film script. The script format was not only stylistically interesting, it also kept the courtroom details from being confusing. It was a quick, intriguing read.










An Abundance of Katherines by John Green (Summary from Goodreads): When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton's type happens to be girls named Katherine. And when it comes to girls named Katherine, Colin is always getting dumped. Nineteen times, to be exact. He's also a washed-up child prodigy with ten thousand dollars in his pocket, a passion for anagrams, and an overweight, Judge Judy-obsessed best friend. Colin's on a mission to prove The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability, which will predict the future of all relationships, transform him from a fading prodigy into a true genius, and finally win him the girl. Letting expectations go and allowing love in are at the heart of Colin's hilarious quest to find his missing piece and avenge dumpees everywhere.

My Review: This novel in typical John Green fashion, was wonderful. The Characters were great, the story was fun and interesting, and there was a plethora of Green's quirky humor. Unfortunately, I felt that this was Green's weakest novel. It just didn't seem to pack the emotional punch, like Looking for Alaska or The Fault in Our Stars did.     

Waiting on Wednesday # 13 - The Casual Vacancy

Book: The Casual Vacancy

Author: J.K. Rowling

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Expected Release Date: September 27th, 2012  

Summary (From Goodreads): When Barry Fairweather dies in his early forties, the town of Pagford is left in shock.

Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war.

Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils…Pagford is not what it first seems.

And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?

The Casual Vacancy is J.K. Rowling’s first novel for adults.

Why I'm Waiting: When it was announced that J.K. Rowling would be releasing a new book in 2012, I happy danced like a lunatic.

Can you blame me? It's J.K. Rowling! The woman could write a refrigerator manual and I would buy like 20 copies! The Casual Vacancy is a very different story than the Harry Potter series, but I don't think that's a bad thing. In fact, I'm really excited to see what Rowling does with this new story.

Also, it's release date is the same week as my birthday, so...



What books are you waiting on? Let me know in the comments!

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. 

The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab

Summary (From Goodreads): 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.

Review: The Near Witch is a wonderful novel for many reasons, the most important (for me at least) being originality. I'm always excited to see originality in YA novels. Often, the same ideas or themes are used over and over again. Victoria Schwab not only introduces us to a new idea and theme, but she creates an entirely original world for readers to explore in The Near Witch.

The novel is set in the village of Near and the surrounding Moor. Not much more about the setting is explained. We don't know the location of Near (although I pictured England because of the moor) or the time period the novel is set in. As someone who likes to have a clear picture in my head of the setting of a novel, this was frustrating for me at first. However, as I continued reading I realized that the vague setting added to the novel's atmosphere. It made everything a little more mysterious and tense as our protagonist explored the moor.

And while we're on the subject of the protagonist, let me just say that Lexi is a wonderful one. She's very much like Katniss Everdeen, in terms of her resilience and courage. It was a joy to read the book through her eyes. Schwab has a great handle on all of her characters, from the paranoid villagers to the eccentric witches that live on the outskirts of Near.

The lore of The Near Witch was well crafted; at times it felt like reading a Brothers Grimm tale. Schwab did a good job of incorporating The Near Witch into the plot. We learn more about her little by little. It was almost like a dual narrative: The Near Witch's story and Lexi's story. This added a nice layer to the novel.

Bottom Line: The Near Witch was a wonderful read. Perfect for fans of fairy tales/fairy tale retellings!

Waiting on Wednesday # 12 - The Diviners

Book: The Diviners

Author: Libba Bray

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Expected Release Date: September 18, 2012

Summary (From Goodreads): Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City--and she is pos-i-toot-ly thrilled. New York is the city of speakeasies, shopping, and movie palaces! Soon enough, Evie is running with glamorous Ziegfield girls and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is Evie has to live with her Uncle Will, curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult--also known as "The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies."
When a rash of occult-based murders comes to light, Evie and her uncle are right in the thick of the investigation. And through it all, Evie has a secret: a mysterious power that could help catch the killer--if he doesn't catch her first.

Why I'm Waiting: I first fell in love with Libba Bray when I read A Great and Terrible Beauty. It was a rich, gothic, historical/mystery/paranormal novel that managed to juggle all of these elements with ease, not an easy feat for any writer, but Bray definitely pulled it off. I'm so excited that she's getting back to similar themes with The Diviners. The historical setting is a little different for The Diviners however - instead of Victorian England, we will be exploring 1920's New York City. As a big Great Gatsby fan, I'm so excited that Bray set the book in this time period. Basically I could gush about this book forever, so I'm going to stop for now and continue the gushing once I actually read it!

Also, creepy trailer:

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What books are you waiting on? Let me know in the comments!

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Waiting on Wednesday #11 - Every Day

Book: Every Day

Author: David Levithan

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Expected Release Date: August 28, 2012       

Summary (From Goodreads): Every day a different body. Every day a different life. Every day in love with the same girl.

Every morning, A wakes in a different person’s body, a different person’s life. There’s never any warning about where it will be or who it will be. A has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live: Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere.

It’s all fine until the morning that A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply. Because finally A has found someone he wants to be with—day in, day out, day after day.

With his new novel, David Levithan has pushed himself to new creative heights. He has written a captivating story that will fascinate readers as they begin to comprehend the complexities of life and love in A’s world, as A and Rhiannon seek to discover if you can truly love someone who is destined to change every day.

Why I'm Waiting: I have a confession to make: I've been terribly lax in my David Levithan reading. In fact, Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List (co-authored by Rachel Cohn) is the only David Levithan novel that I've read. This is ridiculous for two reasons. 1) I loved Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List and 2) I've heard nothing but good things about David Levithan's work. I vow to change my Levithan ignorance this year and I think Every Day would be a great place to start. It has a creative concept that could be very intriguing. It sounds like Invasion of the Body Snatchers from the Body Snatcher's point of view. That story on it's own would be interesting, but Levithan raises the satkes by adding a love story to the mix. This will surely be a great read, and I can't wait to get my hands on a copy!

What books are you waiting on? Let me know in the comments!

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine!

Waiting on Wednesday #10 - Son

Book: Son                                                         

Author: Lois Lowry

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt        

Expected Release Date: October 2nd, 2012       

Summary (From Goodreads): Told in three separate story lines, Lois Lowry’s Son combines elements from the first three novels in her Giver Quartet — The Giver (1994 Newbery Medal winner), Gathering Blue, and Messenger — into a breathtaking, thought-provoking narrative that wrestles with ideas of human freedom. Thrust again into the dark, claustrophobic world of The Giver, readers will meet an intriguing new heroine, fourteen-year-old Claire. Jonas from The Giver is here too, and Kira, the heroine of Gathering Blue. In a final clash between good and evil, a new hero emerges.

Why I'm Waiting: In my opinion, Lois Lowry is one of the titans of young adult literature. I was eleven when I first read The Giver, and it was a great introduction to YA for me and I highly recommend it if you haven't read it yet (seriously, if you haven't read it yet, go get a copy from your library, Amazon, local indie, etc. You won't be disappointed!). Gathering Blue and Messenger are also fantastic reads. It will be great to see all of the different storylines from these loosely connected novels come together. These books were a part of my childhood, so I'm excited to revisit them in this new novel!

What books are you waiting on? Let me know in the comments!

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.  

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

 
Summary (From Goodreads): In his wickedly brilliant first novel, Debut Dagger Award winner Alan Bradley introduces one of the most singular and engaging heroines in recent fiction: eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce, an aspiring chemist with a passion for poison. It is the summer of 1950—and a series of inexplicable events has struck Buckshaw, the decaying English mansion that Flavia’s family calls home. A dead bird is found on the doorstep, a postage stamp bizarrely pinned to its beak. Hours later, Flavia finds a man lying in the cucumber patch and watches him as he takes his dying breath. For Flavia, who is both appalled and delighted, life begins in earnest when murder comes to Buckshaw. “I wish I could say I was afraid, but I wasn’t. Quite the contrary. This was by far the most interesting thing that had ever happened to me in my entire life.”

To Flavia the investigation is the stuff of science: full of possibilities, contradictions, and connections. Soon her father, a man raising his three daughters alone, is seized, accused of murder. And in a police cell, during a violent thunderstorm, Colonel de Luce tells his daughter an astounding story—of a schoolboy friendship turned ugly, of a priceless object that vanished in a bizarre and brazen act of thievery, of a Latin teacher who flung himself to his death from the school’s tower thirty years before. Now Flavia is armed with more than enough knowledge to tie two distant deaths together, to examine new suspects, and begin a search that will lead her all the way to the King of England himself. Of this much the girl is sure: her father is innocent of murder—but protecting her and her sisters from something even worse….

An enthralling mystery, a piercing depiction of class and society, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is a masterfully told tale of deceptions—and a rich literary delight.

Review: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie was a great young adult mystery novel. It had a lot of elements going for it that I really like. It features a quirky small town, an old mansion, colorful characters, an intriguing mystery, and a strong, intelligent protagonist. Flavia de Luce is the lovechild of Sherlock Holmes and Nancy Drew. She is full of passion and curiosity, and still seems like a kid even if she is very mature for her age.

Buckshaw, the mansion where Flavia and her family lives, is beautifully detailed by Alan Bradley, as is Bishop's Lacey, the nearby village. It's full of interesting locations and people, which adds a lot of depth to the story. It isn't just about Flavia walking around Buckshaw and Bishop's Lacey. Other characters are living their lives and have their own storylines, which makes everything feel very real.

The mystery itself was rather slow going, but I didn't mind because I enjoyed reading about the other inhabitants of Buckshaw and Bishop's Lacey, something that probably would have been lost had Bradley increased the pace of the mystery. Things do pick up in the last hundred pages or so, as the case comes together. I'm really looking forward to reading the next book in the series. 

Bottom Line: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is an enchanting mystery novel with a great setting and characters. A perfect read for a lazy summer's day!

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In his wickedly brilliant first novel, Debut Dagger Award winner Alan Bradley introduces one of the most singular and engaging heroines in recent fiction: eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce, an aspiring chemist with a passion for poison. It is the summer of 1950—and a series of inexplicable events has struck Buckshaw, the decaying English mansion that Flavia’s family c

Waiting on Wednesday # 9 - The Edge of Nowhere

Book: The Edge of Nowhere                          

Author: Elizabeth George

Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton

Expected Release Date: September 4th, 2012

Summary (from Goodreads): The Edge of Nowhere, the first book in George’s new YA series, will follow a teen girl with psychic abilities who runs away to Whidbey Island, Washington, and is abandoned by her mother.

Why I'm Waiting: I'm excited for this novel. It has a paranormal element but from what I've read on Goodreads, it also is a bit of a mystery. I'm sure that Whidbey Island will be a super creepy place that I will never want to visit! Add the mama drama to that and you have a recipe for a book that I will surely devour.

What books are you waiting on? Let me know in the comments!

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Waiting on Wednesday #8 - Ten

Book: Ten                                                           

Author: Gretchen McNeil

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Expected Release Date: September 18, 2012

Summary (From Goodreads): And their doom comes swiftly.

It was supposed to be the weekend of their lives—an exclusive house party on Henry Island. Best friends Meg and Minnie each have their reasons for being there (which involve T.J., the school’s most eligible bachelor) and look forward to three glorious days of boys, booze and fun-filled luxury.

But what they expect is definitely not what they get, and what starts out as fun turns dark and twisted after the discovery of a DVD with a sinister message: Vengeance is mine.

Suddenly people are dying, and with a storm raging, the teens are cut off the from the outside world. No electricity, no phones, no internet, and a ferry that isn’t scheduled to return for two days. As the deaths become more violent and the teens turn on each other, can Meg find the killer before more people die? Or is the killer closer to her than she could ever imagine?

Why I'm Waiting: When I found out about Ten, I did the happiest happy dance ever. It has everything I want. It's a murder mystery set on a creepy island, it's a retelling of And Then There Were None (My favorite Agatha Christie novel), The cover is fantastic. There might even be some teen angst. Who doesn't love some good teen angst?

What books are you waiting on? Let me know in the comments!

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.  

Waiting on Wednesday #7 - For Darkness Shows the Stars

Book: For Darkness Shows the Stars       

Author: Diana Peterfreund

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Expected Release Date: June 12th, 2012

Summary (From Goodreads): Generations ago, a genetic experiment gone wrong—the Reduction—decimated humanity, giving rise to a Luddite nobility who outlawed most technology.

Elliot North has always known her place in this world. Four years ago Elliot refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family’s estate over love. Since then the world has changed: a new class of Post-Reductionists is jumpstarting the wheel of progress, and Elliot’s estate is foundering, forcing her to rent land to the mysterious Cloud Fleet, a group of shipbuilders that includes renowned explorer Captain Malakai Wentforth—an almost unrecognizable Kai. And while Elliot wonders if this could be their second chance, Kai seems determined to show Elliot exactly what she gave up when she let him go.

But Elliot soon discovers her old friend carries a secret—one that could change their society . . . or bring it to its knees. And again, she’s faced with a choice: cling to what she’s been raised to believe, or cast her lot with the only boy she’s ever loved, even if she’s lost him forever.

Inspired by Jane Austen’s Persuasion, For Darkness Shows the Stars is a breathtaking romance about opening your mind to the future and your heart to the one person you know can break it.

Why I'm Waiting: This book sounds fantastic! I love it when authors retell classics. It's fun to pick up the novel it was based on (in this case Persuasion) and compare the stories to see what was incorporated by the author and what they changed. In this case, Diana Peterfreund has added a science fiction element that sounds really interesting. Also, the cover is beautiful, and I'm a sucker for good cover art.

What books are you waiting on? Let me know in the comments!

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Fateful by Claudia Gray

Summary (From Goodreads): The RMS Titanic is the most luxurious ship ever built, but for eighteen-year-old Tess Davies it’s a prison. Travelling as a maid for the family she has served for years, Tess is trapped in their employ amid painful memories and family secrets.

When she meets Alec, a handsome upper class passenger, Tess falls helplessly in love. But Alec has secrets of his own… and soon Tess is entangled in a dangerous game. A sinister brotherhood that will do anything to induct Alec into their mystical order has followed him onboard. And Tess is now their most powerful pawn.

Tess and Alec fight the dark forces threatening to tear them apart, never realising that they will have to face an even greater peril before the journey is over…

New York Times best-selling author Claudia Gray delivers adventure, dark paranormal suspense, alluring romance, and a truly surprise ending, set against the opulent backdrop of the Titanic's first — and last — voyage.

Review: Wow, I'm not even sure where to begin this review. I should probably start by telling you guys that I loved it! Fateful was such a great book. It blended many different elements yet was able to make them all work together.

The main focus of the book is between Tess and Alec's romance, and the obstacles that they have to overcome. It's really done in an interesting way, since Tess is a maid and Alec is the heir to a huge steel fortune. It adds a nice upstairs/downstairs touch to the story and reminded me a little of Downton Abbey. Gray also adds some great relationships between side characters, so it isn't just a focus on Alec and Tess. Other characters have the chance to grow and develop as the story moves along.

There is a lot going on in this book. There are the historical aspects of the Titanic and the class system, as well as the paranormal aspect of werewolves and Gray's take on werewolf mythology with the Brotherhood, a powerful group of werewolves who use their abilities to gain wealth and influence throughout the world. While all this information can make the book seem dense at times, Gray keeps the action moving along at a nice pace.

I felt really anxious while I was reading this book. I think that was because I know how the story of the Titanic ends. There is the sense of urgency to the story which made it much more exciting.

I found Claudia Gray's writing to be really enjoyable. I haven't read the Evernight series, but Fateful made me want to check out her other work.

Bottom Line: Fateful was a great page turner! I'd reccomend it to fans of books that combine historical and paranormal themes, like A Great and Terrible Beauty.

Waiting on Wednesday #6 - Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone

Book: Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone

Author: Kat Rosenfield

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile

Expected Release Date: July 5th, 2012

Summary (from Goodreads): An arresting un-coming-of-age story, from a breathtaking talent

Becca has always longed to break free from her small, backwater hometown. But the discovery of an unidentified dead girl on the side of a dirt road sends the town--and Becca--into a tailspin. Unable to make sense of the violence of the outside world creeping into her backyard, Becca finds herself retreating inward, paralyzed from moving forward for the first time in her life.

Short chapters detailing the last days of Amelia Anne Richardson's life are intercut with Becca's own summer as the parallel stories of two young women struggling with self-identity and relationships on the edge twist the reader closer and closer to the truth about Amelia's death.

Why I'm Waiting: Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone sounds like a really original and interesting idea. I like books that tell multiple stories that weave together. The mystery part of this novel is what really intrigues me. How did Amelia Anne die? I guess we'll find out come July 5th!

What books are you waiting on? Let me know in the comments!

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Bout of Books Readathon Wrap Up

The Bout of Books 4.0 Readathon is now over and I (drumroll please)... Didn't. Meet. My. Goals. *facepalm*. Ok, before you all start feeling bad for me keep in mind that I finished one book and am well over 100 pages into four others, so it's not like this readathon week was a complete failure for me. This also was my first readathon, so I didn't really have a strategy going in. Since I enjoyed the readathon this time around, I plan on participating next year as well. Here are some things I plan on doing differently...

1. Plan, plan, organize, and plan some more. I felt like one of the biggest blunders I made this week was not creating structured reading times. I think it would be very beneficial to set aside a couple of hours each day that I could devote solely to reading during the readathon week. That way I know I can at least get through a hundred pages or more everyday. I could have also set aside time for blog posts, challenges, etc. I also should have given my reading selections a little more thought. Most of the books I picked were 300 - 400 pages long. I think it would have helped my reading momentum if I had put a few shorter books (200 pages or less) into the reading pile. That way I would have something that moved along a little faster if I felt like I was in a reading slump.

2. Utilize the community. In the beginning of the week, I used Twitter and the Bout of Books hashtag frequently, but by the halfway point of the readathon, I wasn't accessing the community at all. Seeing how other people were doing with their goals was a great motivator for me in the beginning, and I really should have tried harder to stick with that community throughout the readathon.

Overall,  the readathon was a great experience. I'm certainly not discouraged because I didn't meet my goals. I feel like I'll do better as I get more experienced with participating in readathons.

What are your readathon strategies? Sound off in the comments!