The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Eighth Grade Bites

This is the first in a series The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod written by Heather Brewer. The book is about the young 8th grader Vladimir Tod who is trying to live life as a normal child, even though he is half vampire. His mother (Mellina Tod), who died with his father (Tomas Tod) in an accident three years before, had a best friend Nelly who takes care of him in the current setting. She works in a hospital and supplies Vlad with bags of blood that were obtained due to the fact that they were to be disposed of since they are close to their expiration date.
One day at school, Vlad finds a substitute, Otis, instead of his normal teacher, Mr. Craig. Vlad believes the new teacher killed Vlad's father and his absent teacher. Investigating more, Vlad finds his father's journal in their old home, and a strange mark carved on his teacher's porch.
This takes Vlad on an adventure into the vampire world where he learns who he is and who might have killed his parents and why.

Clockwork Angel

This is a great book! If you like the Mortal Instruments Series, you will love this book! It is a prequel to The City of Bones, Ashes, and Glass, so if you haven't read those books, I would read them before you read this book.
From Goodreads.com, is a short explaination of the book:
"When 16 year old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks, and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslight streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos........Tessa realizes that she may to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world....and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all." 
I read it less than 3 days, and can't wait till the next one comes out!

Daughter of the Forest

I think that this is my new favorite book! Juliet Marillier is a fantastic story teller, what a compelling and emotional read!

A beautiful retelling of the Celtic "Swans" myth, Daughter of the Forest is a mixture of history and fantasy, myth and magic, legend and love... To reclaim the lives of her brothers, Sorcha leaves the only safe place she has ever known and embarks on a journey filled with pain, loss and terror. When she is kidnapped by enemy forces and taken to a foreign land, it seems that there will be no way for Sorcha to break the spell that condemns all that she loves. But magic knows no boundaries, and sorcha will have to choose between the live she has always known and a love that comes only once.

**Warning** There is a part in the beginning of the book that involves mutilation and rape. Read with caution. It is pretty graphic.

Fallen

I will just say this....I am paying a late fee for this book because even though it was due yesterday there was no way I was giving it back without finishing it, I would have had to run straight to the store to buy it and finish it (I stayed up till 3 o'clock this morning reading as far as I could)...and the late fee is much cheaper than buying the book, although I might do that anyways. Okay, so in a nutshell, this book was great...go read it!

Here's a synposis from goodreads.com:

There’s something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.

Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price’s attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He’s the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.

Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce–and goes out of his way to make that very clear–she can’t let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.

Shiver

I just finished this book tonight and thought if I don't post it now it's not going to happen for a while. So, here I go...this is a really good book. That being said it took me a bit to really get into it (but that could have been due to the fact that I was trying to read it while also taking care of two sick kids...so it was very stop and go.) And, as always it seems, there is a sequel. But it comes out in July...so that's not too bad.

Here's a synopsis from goodreads (I went somewhere new!)--

For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind their house. One yellow-eyed wolf-her wolf-is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: in winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer a few precious months of being human...until the cold makes him shift back again.

Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human-or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

The Girl Who Could Fly

 This is a wonderful story full of symbolism. It starts off kinda of slow, but it soon gets action packed. I loved the characters, and their names. Piper McCloud is an extraordinary girl who can fly. She gets sent to I.N.S.A.N.E. and meets other children with awesome abilities. It reminds me of X-Men. The book is full of twists and turns, and you are not sure who is good or bad! It kept me guessing till the end!

Here is the summary from the back of the book, "Piper McCloud lives with her normal ma and pa on a normal farm in normal Lowland County. But Piper isn't your normal girl. Ever since Piper was a baby, she's been able to hover a few feet off the ground, and if people of Lowland County knew she could fly, they would have something to say about it. So, it only seems best that Piper be sent away to I.N.S.A.N.E., the top secret school for children abilities like hers. Her new friends have powers like telekinesis, X-ray vision, and the ability to create their own weather. Piper likes her new life at school, but soon, she realizes things aren't as they seem. Now, the school she was sent to for her own protection might be the most dangerous place she's even been.

Hush, Hush

I just finished this book and I loved it!!! So good! The plot kept me going from the very beginning. It's by Becca Fitzpatrick and the only bad thing about it is that it's part of a series (I don't know how long of a series) and the second book doesn't come out until November, so more waiting for books. *sigh* Anyway, I hope you enjoy.

For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch came along.

With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment.

But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.

For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.

Another thanks to B&N.com for the pic and synopsis.

Bewitching & Betraying Season

These two books by Marissa Doyle are fun easy reads. Start with Bewitching Season first.

Doyle's debut novel is a Georgette Heyer-style, light-as-a-feather romance with supernatural overtones. Ball after ball and visits to Kensington Palace and brushes with royalty await twins Persephone (Persy) and Penelope (Pen) in their first season "out" in early Victorian London society. But when their beloved instructor of magic/governess Miss Allardyce (Ally) is kidnapped by a handsome stranger as part of a devious royal plot, her two devoted wards set out to discover the truth about Ally's disappearance and save the day. Luckily, the plot relies little on magic, except as a device to conjure court intrigue. The story hinges instead on the will-they, won't-they budding romance between Persy and her handsome, all-grown-up childhood friend, Lochinvar (Lord Seton). This diverting melodrama will likely please older middle-grade readers more than teens reared on Gossip Girl—its bubbly heroines, however spirited, are innocents, not schemers.

And then follow it up with Betraying Season.

This follow-up to Bewitching Season is a charming tale of magic mixed with romance in the tradition of Jane Austen. After her adventures with her twin sister, Penelope Leland goes to Cork, Ireland, to study magic. Staying with her former governess, who is newly married and newly pregnant, Pen is lonely in a new city. She becomes discouraged when her host's male students do not want to study with her. Pen's opinion of Cork improves when she meets Lady Keating, who makes a point of befriending Pen. Through Lady Keating, Pen meets Niall, who immediately charms her; but, he may not be whom he seems to be. Lady Keating has asked Niall to romance Pen, although Niall is not sure why and quickly finds that he enjoys Pen's company regardless of his mother's motivations. This series has an interesting perspective on magic, but does not rely solely on magic to move the plot forward. The characters are engaging, especially Pen and Niall. Pen is a likeable narrator, although somewhat naive. Readers of supernatural romances will enjoy this book and its predecessor immensely.

Dreamhunter & Dreamquake

I'm not usually a Sci-Fi reader, but I enjoyed this duet of books by Elizabeth Knox. Hope you enjoy. The first is Dreamhunter.


The Place is where dreams originate; dreamhunters enter it, capture dreams in their minds, then return to "perform" them for the masses at the Rainbow Opera palace. The novel centers on 15-year-old Laura Hame, whose father Tziga is the legendary dreamhunter who discovered the Place as a young man. Laura is about to have her "Try," a coming-of-age ritual which will test her sensitivity to dreams. She succeeds and, a few days later, her father vanishes. Laura ventures into the Place to find him, but instead receives a letter from him, confiding in her the essence of the Place and saddling her with a terrible mission-to clear up a mess of his own making. Knox's fascinating story imagines the intersection of a haunting dream-world with a gritty real world. A Regulatory Body oversees dreamhunters as if they were mundane laborers, maps point out the exact spots in the Place where certain dreams reside, and an industry emerges to sell eager customers the exact dreams they seek. And what Laura learns about how the government really uses dreams (especially in prison reform) makes for biting commentary. This fully imagined world will surely lure readers back for multiple readings.

And the 2nd, Dreamquake.

In the second book of the "Dreamhunter Duet" Laura Hame is carrying a nightmare. Believing she is acting on her father's last wishes, she over-dreams her Aunt Grace at the Rainbow Opera, a dream palace where people can share in the dreams caught by Grace Tiebold, and shares the nightmare Buried Alive, throwing some of the most important people in Founderston into terror. Laura believed it was her father's wish to let the world see the dreams used to keep prison laborers in line. But when she learns her father is actually alive, she and her family, with the help of her sandman servant Nown and beau Sandy, begin to plan how to bring about changes in the ways in which dreams are used. But when Laura makes a stunning discovery about the true nature of The Place where dreams are caught, she also makes a discovery about herself and her future that shakes her to her core.

Thanks again to B & N for the pics and storylines.

The Devil's Arithmetic

Here is one for all of you Historical Fiction fans. I read this in one day and after finishing up at 2 a.m. couldn't sleep because I was thinking about it for another couple hours. Such unique glimpse into of one of the worst times in history.

Synopsis
Hannah thinks tonight's Passover Seder will be the same as always. Little does she know that this year she will be mysteriously transported into the past where only she knows the horrors that await.
Annotation:
Hannah resents the traditions of her Jewish heritage until time travel places her in the middle of a small Jewish village in Nazi-occupied Poland.

Septimus Heap Series

Last summer my husband and I got really into books on tape for car rides. One we picked up was Magyk. About half-way through I couldn't wait any longer so I checked out the book and sped through. Now I have finished the 2nd book and really enjoying the series. Great for any fantasy fan.

Book 1: Magyk

Synopsis
The seventh son of the seventh son, aptly named Septimus Heap, is stolen the night he is born by a midwife who pronounces him dead. That same night, the baby's father, Silas Heap, comes across a bundle in the snow containing a new born girl with violet eyes. The Heaps take this helpless newborn into their home, name her Jenna, and raise her as their own. But who is this myster ious baby girl, and what really happened to their beloved son Septimus?

Here are the others in the series...

100 Cupboards

I have been eying this series at the store for a while but after seeing it was the book club for kids pick on the Today show and watching the interview with the author I just knew I had to take the plunge. It was really good!

Synopsis:
Twelve-year-old Henry York is going to sleep one night when he hears a bump on the attic wall above his head. It's an unfamiliar house–Henry is staying with his aunt, uncle, and three cousins–so he tries to ignore it. But the next night he wakes up with bits of plaster in his hair. Two knobs have broken through the wall, and one of them is slowly turning... .Henry scrapes the plaster off the wall and discovers doors–ninety-nine cupboards of all different sizes and shapes. Through one he can hear the sound of falling rain. Through another he sees a glowing room–with a man strolling back and forth! Henry and his cousin Henrietta soon understand that these are not just cupboards. They are, in fact, portals to other worlds.100 Cupboards is the first book of a new fantasy adventure, written in the best world-hopping tradition and reinvented in N. D. Wilson's own inimitable style.
I am interested to check out the next books in the series. If you are curious here they are...

The Hiding Place

If you are looking for a life changing book this is it! Such an incredible true story of strength, courage, optimism in the face of adversity, love and faith.

Synopsis (Courtesy of Barnes and Nobles) :

Corrie ten Boom was a woman admired the world over for her courage, her forgiveness, and her memorable faith. In World War II, she and her family risked their lives to help Jews escape the Nazis, and their reward was a trip to Hitler's concentration camps. But she survived and was released--as a result of a clerical error--and now shares the story of how faith triumphs over evil.
For thirty-five years Corrie's dramatic life story, full of timeless virtues, has prepared readers to face their own futures with faith, relying on God's love to overcome, heal, and restore. Now releasing in a thirty-fifth anniversary edition for a new generation of readers, The Hiding Place tells the riveting story of how a middle-aged Dutch watchmaker became a heroine of the Resistance, a survivor of Hitler's death camps, and one of the most remarkable evangelists of the twentieth century.

Deeanne Gist

Okay, so I am not usually a religious/romance person, but I really enjoy this author. The books are historically set and give some interesting facts about things that actually happened. Here are 2 of her books that I really, really liked and I know she has more that I haven't read.

A Bride Most Begrudging

Any ship arriving from England means good news for Virginia colony farmers. The "tobacco brides" would be on board--eligible women seeking a better life in America, bartered for with barrels of tobacco from the fields.

Drew O’Connor isn’t stirred by news of a ship full of brides. Still broken-hearted from the loss of his beloved, he only wants a maid to tend his house and care for his young sister.

What he ends up with is a wife--a feisty redhead who claims she is Lady Constance Morrow, daughter of an Earl, brought to America against her will. And she want to go straight back to England as soon as she possibly can. She hasn’t the foggiest notion how to cook, she dares to argue with her poor husband, and spends more time working on mathematical equations than housework. What kind of a wife is that? Drew's Christian forbearance is in for some testing.

Headstrong and intelligent, deeply moral but incredibly enticing, Constance turns what was supposed to be a marriage of convenience into something most inconvenient, indeed.

A Bride in the Bargain

In 1860s Seattle, a man with a wife could secure himself 640 acres of timberland. But because of his wife's untimely death, Joe Denton finds himself about to lose half of his claim. Still in mourning, his best solution is to buy one of those Mercer girls arriving from the East. A woman he'll marry in name but keep around mostly as a cook.

Anna Ivey's journey west with Asa Mercer's girls is an escape from the griefs of her past. She's not supposed to be a bride, though, just a cook for the girls. But when they land, she's handed to Joe Denton and the two find themselves in a knotty situation. She refuses to wed him and he's about to lose his land. With only a few months left, can Joe convince this provoking--but beguiling--easterner to be his bride?

(As usually, thanks to the B&N website for the pics and storylines)

The Book of a Thousand Days

Love Shannon Hale! And I really enjoyed this one.


A plucky and resourceful orphan, Dashti comes from a nomad tribe in a place resembling the Asian Steppes, and is brought to the Lady's house in the midst of a crisis. Lady Saren, having refused to marry the powerful but loathsome Lord her father has chosen, faces seven years' imprisonment in an unlit tower. Initially, Dashti believes her worth is tied to her ability to care for her "tower-addled" lady until she can join Khan Tegus, to whom she is secretly betrothed. When the gentle Tegus comes to the tower, Dashti must step in for her traumatized lady, speaking to him as Saren through the one tiny metal door. Hale exploits the diary form to convey Dashti's perspective; despite her self-effacing declaration that "?I draw this from memory so it won't be right," the entries reflect her genuinely spirited inner life. The tension between her unstinting loyalty and patience and burgeoning realization of her own strength and feelings for Tegus feels especially authentic. Readers will be riveted as Dashti and Saren escape and flee to the Khan's realm where, through a series of deceptions, contrivances and a riotously triumphant climax, the tale spins out to a thoroughly satisfying ending.

(As usually, thanks to the B&N website for the pics and storylines)

The Season

Alright, so I have quite a few books I need to put on here that I've read and enjoyed. Here's the first, The Season by Sarah MacLean.

Seventeen year old Lady Alexandra is strong-willed and sharp-tongued -- in a house full of older brothers and their friends, she had to learn to hold her own. Not the best makings for an aristocratic lady in Regency London. Yet her mother still dreams of marrying Alex off to someone safe, respectable, and wealthy. But between ball gown fittings, dances, and dinner parties, Alex, along with her two best friends, Ella and Vivi, manages to get herself into what may be her biggest scrape yet.

When the Earl of Blackmoor is mysteriously killed, Alex decides to help his son, the brooding and devilishly handsome Gavin, uncover the truth. But will Alex's heart be stolen in the process? In an adventure brimming with espionage, murder, and other clandestine affairs, who could possibly have time to worry about finding a husband? Romance abounds as this year's season begins!

(As usually, thanks to the B&N website for the pics and storylines)

The Maze Runner

I just finished this book this morning, and I loved it! So I just had to share. It's the start of (yet another) series and the next one comes out this October (gah!), but it'll totally be worth the wait. Here's a synopsis from Barnes and Noble (as always)--

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls.


Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.

Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers.

Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind.

The Gemma Doyle Series

Again another series of books that I read and was just to lazy to post on here. These were pretty good. It took me a bit to get into the first one, but they get better as they go, so that's a plus. There are three books in it so here they be.
#1- A Great and Terrible Beauty--

It’s 1895, and after the suicide of her mother, 16-year-old Gemma Doyle is shipped off from the life she knows in India to Spence, a proper boarding school in England. Lonely, guilt-ridden, and prone to visions of the future that have an uncomfortable habit of coming true, Gemma’s reception there is a chilly one. To make things worse, she’s been followed by a mysterious young Indian man, a man sent to watch her. But why? What is her destiny? And what will her entanglement with Spence’s most powerful girls—and their foray into the spiritual world—lead to?


#2- Rebel Angels--

Gemma Doyle is looking forward to a holiday from Spence Academy—spending time with her friends in the city, attending balls in fancy gowns with plunging necklines, and dallying with the handsome Lord Denby. Yet amid these distractions, her visions intensify—visions of three girls dressed in white, to whom something horrific has happened that only the realms can explain.


The lure is strong, and soon Gemma, Felicity, and Ann are turning flowers into butterflies in the enchanted world that Gemma takes them to. To the girls' great joy, their beloved Pippa is there as well, eager to complete their circle of friendship.

But all is not well in the realms—or out. Kartik is back, desperately insisting to Gemma that she must bind the magic, lest colossal disaster befall her. Gemma is willing to comply, for this would bring her face-to-face with her late mother's greatest friend, now Gemma's foe—Circe. Until Circe is destroyed, Gemma cannot live out her destiny. But finding Circe proves a most perilous task. . . .

This sumptuous companion to A Great and Terrible Beauty teems with Victorian thrills and chills that play out against the rich backdrop of 1895 London, a place of shadows and light . . . where inside great beauty can lie a rebel angel.

#3- The Sweet Far Thing--

It has been a year of change since Gemma Doyle arrived at the foreboding Spence Academy. Her mother murdered, her father alaudanum addict, Gemma has relied on an unsuspected strength and has discovered an ability to travel to an enchanted world called the realms, where dark magic runs wild. Despite certain peril, Gemma has bound the magic to herself and forged unlikely new alliances. Now, as Gemma approaches her London debut, the time has come to test these bonds.


The Order—the mysterious group her mother was once part of—is grappling for control of the realms, as is the Rakshana. Spence's burned East Wing is being rebuilt, but why now? Gemma and her friends see Pippa, but she is not the same. And their friendship faces its gravest trial as Gemma must decide once and for all what role she is meant for.

As always, I borrowed everything from Barnes and Noble.

The Actor and the Housewife

So I read this a while ago, but have just been a slacker at posting it. I love Shannon Hale. Every book that I have read of hers I have loved....this one was good too. Here's a synopsis from Barnes and Noble...

This successful sophomore turn at chick lit (after Austenland) from YA and graphic novelist Hale sets up a platonic relationship between a dashing movie star and a Mormon housewife. While in Los Angeles to ink a deal for a script she's written, pregnant Becky Jack holds her own against her big screen crush, Felix Callahan, known the world over for charming his way through romantic comedies. Witty banter draws them together, and though they debate what their fascination with one another could mean, an improbable friendship is born. Their alliance weathers the occasional break, Felix's disinterest in children and his indifference toward Becky's Mormon faith; spousal jealousy and the chasm separating their lifestyles also throw an occasional curveball. Hale keeps the prose crackling with humor and has a sure hand in creating nuanced, believable characters, so when otherwise unlikely plot turns creep up-Becky getting cast opposite Felix-they're, well, likely enough. Though Becky just wants to keep her best friend and her normal life, readers will hope she gets nothing less than a fairy tale ending.

Beastly by Alex Flinn

Beastly
This a great modern twist on the classic Beauty and Beast. It is told from the Beast point of view, and takes place in New York City. It is a great boy for guys to read, and it is fun. It is a easy quick read, and has great characters. There are some sketchy parts at the beginning, but it is not graphic or inappropriate.
I love how the Beast transform, and how he goes through a process. "Beauty" also goes through a process. It has a great lesson in it for all. I would have loved give this to some "Beasts" that I know.
At my school we have a Book club with students and teachers at lunch. The students really enjoyed the book. We had several boys who loved it.

Here is an excerpt from the back of the book:
"Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I’ll tell you. I’ll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and a perfect life. And then, I’ll tell you how I became perfectly beastly."

The Kingdom Keepers

These are fun easy reads. They are definitely written for the younger crowd (Barnes and Noble says ages 9-12) but being a Disney lover at heart I had to read them. There are two out right now and I just saw that the third one is due out on April 6th.

Disney after Dark--

 

Using a cutting-edge technology called DHI - which stands for both Disney Host Interactive and Daylight Hologram Imaging - Finn Whitman, an Orlando teen, and four other kids are transformed into hologram projections that guide guests through the park.

The new technology turns out, however, to have unexpected effects that are both thrilling and scary. Soon Finn finds himself transported in his DHI form into the Magic Kingdom at night. Is it real? Is he dreaming?

Finn’s confusion only increases when he encounters Wayne, an elderly Imagineer who tells him that the park is in grave danger. Led by the scheming witch, Maleficent, a mysterious group of characters called the Overtakers is plotting to destroy Disney’s beloved realm, and maybe more.

This gripping high-tech tale will thrill every kid who has ever dreamed of sneaking into Walt Disney World after hours and wondered what happens at night, when the park is closed.

Disney at Dawn--

It’s supposed to be a happy day at the Magic Kingdom – the teenage holographic hosts have returned. But things go very wrong when a sudden lightning storm disrupts the celebration, and Amanda’s mysterious sister, Jez, disappears. The only clue is the sighting of a wild monkey in the Magic Kingdom during the storm.
The mystery deepens as Finn is contacted by Wayne, an old man he hasn’t heard from in months. Wayne tells Finn that there’s trouble at the Animal Kingdom: the evil Overtakers have gained control of one of the computer servers that will be used to operate Daylight Holographic Imaging there. That means if any of the holographic hosts fall asleep, they will go into comas – permanently.

Filled with action and brimming with the same meticulous detail as The Kingdom Keepers: Disney After Dark (also available in audio from Brilliance Audio), this second audiobook in the series – Disney at Dawn – is the result of hands-on research behind the scenes at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park. Younger and older listeners alike will get a glimpse into a second Disney kingdom. The wild rides have only just begun, and the clock is ticking. How long can the teens keep themselves awake in their quest to find their friend – and what happens if they fail?

thanks to Barnes and Noble for the pictures and synopsis.

My Fairy Grandmother

I just finished this adorable book by Aubrey Mace and I had to put in on here right away because it is so god! I loved it. It's definitely one I'm going to buy and read to my kids when they're old enough because they'll be entertained and so will I. Hope you like it too.


Descended from fairies? It sounds unbelievable, but according to Kaitlin s grandmother Viola, it s true. In spite of her initial reluctance to visit Viola, Kaitlin finds herself being drawn into Viola s stories of elegant castles, evil counts, and exciting escapades. But as Kaitlin learns more about her family, Kaitlin s mother becomes increasingly concerned about Viola's mental health. Good thing Kaitlin knows better! From the author of Spare Change, this enchanting tale shows how a good story can bring a whole family together.
(Thanks to Barnes & Noble Website for the picture and Amazon.com for the description.)

Princess of the Midnight Ball

Maybe I'm just a sucker for fairy tales, but I loved this book. Quick, easy read and so good. I'd never read anything by Jessica Day George before, but I'm definitely going to be looking for more of her books. It's her take on the Twelve Dancing Princesses by the Grimm brothers. I hope you like it!


A tale of twelve princesses doomed to dance until dawn… Galen is a young soldier returning from war; Rose is one of twelve princesses condemned to dance each night for the King Under Stone. Together Galen and Rose will search for a way to break the curse that forces the princesses to dance at the midnight balls. All they need is one invisibility cloak, a black wool chain knit with enchanted silver needles, and that most critical ingredient of all—true love—to conquer their foes in the dark halls below. But malevolent forces are working against them above ground as well, and as cruel as the King Under Stone has seemed, his wrath is mere irritation compared to the evil that awaits Galen and Rose in the brighter world above.
(As always thanks to Barnes & Noble website for the synopsis and picture.)

Leven Thumps And The Whispered Secret

This is book two in Obert Skye's series of Leven Thumps. If you remember the first one was Leven Thumps and The Gateway To Foo. I must say though that this author has a very strange imagination and writting style but that also makes it a more interesting story. You just never know what is going to happen.
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You must be ready to join Leven Thumps, Clover Ernest, and Winter Frore as they journey across Foo to free Geth from his existence as a toothpick and restore him as the rightful heir to the throne. It won't be easy. Foo is in chaos, and Leven must overcome several adversaries and survive the Swollen Forest to save his friends and keep hope alive. As fate would have it, bad goes to worse when Leven digs up a buried secret--one that stalks him, determined to whisper a truth that could be deadly in the wrong hands. Will Leven master control of his power, or will Foo crumble under a dark, new enemy?
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(Picture provided by Barns & Noble.)

Twice Upon A Marigold

This is the sequeal to Once Upon A Marigold by Jean Ferris. If you have not read the first one then you really need to, especially if you like fairy tale books. I just loved the fun and creative story line that this author has come up with. This second book is what happens after the happily ever after part from the first book. Here is what the back of the books says.

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Happily ever after began right when Christian and Marigold got married and evil Queen Olympia disappeared into the river. But it didn't last long. Turns out, Olympia is alive-and when her amnesia vanishes and she remembers her previous queenly glory, there's no stopping her desire to snatch back the crown. Oh, and Christian and Marigold? Even royalty doesn't always see eye to eye. Maybe they're not the perfect couple after all. With so much trouble afoot, one thing's for certain: Happily-ever-after isn't this story's final chapter. Yet.

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(Picture provided by Barns & Noble.)

Elantris, by Brandon Sanderson

I read this book in the wee hours of the morning while up with my baby, and loved it! I'm usually not one to get into Fantasy but this book really was very, very entertaining!!! I hope you enjoy.

Elantris was the capital of Arelon: gigantic, beautiful, literally radiant, filled with benevolent beings who used their powerful magical abilities for the benefit of all. Yet each of these demigods was once an ordinary person until touched by the mysterious transforming power of the Shaod. Ten years ago, without warning, the magic failed. Elantrians became wizened, leper-like, powerless creatures, and Elantris itself dark, filthy, and crumbling.

Arelon's new capital, Kae, crouches in the shadow of Elantris. Princess Sarene of Teod arrives for a marriage of state with Crown Prince Raoden, hoping -- based on their correspondence -- to also find love. She finds instead that Raoden has died and she is considered his widow. Both Teod and Arelon are under threat as the last remaining holdouts against the imperial ambitions of the ruthless religious fanatics of Fjordell. So Sarene decides to use her new status to counter the machinations of Hrathen, a Fjordell high priest who has come to Kae to convert Arelon and claim it for his emperor and his god.

But neither Sarene nor Hrathen suspect the truth about Prince Raoden. Stricken by the same curse that ruined Elantris, Raoden was secretly exiled by his father to the dark city. His struggle to help the wretches trapped there begins a series of events that will bring hope to Arelon, and perhaps reveal the secret of Elantris itself.

A rare epic fantasy that doesn't recycle the classics and that is a complete and satisfying story in one volume, Elantris is fleet and fun, full of surprises and characters to care about. It's also the wonderful debut of a welcome new star in the constellation of fantasy.

(Synopsis from www.bn.com)

The Help

Sorry I haven't been able to post on here yet but I enjoy seeing what everyone is reading!

Here's a book that I just recently finished and I fell in love with! It's historical fiction and it gives you a really good look at what it was like during and after the civil rights movement.

(I hope no one minds but for the sake of time, I just copied the New York Times review).

"Southern whites' guilt for not expressing gratitude to the black maids who raised them threatens to become a familiar refrain. But don't tell Kathryn Stockett because her first novel is a nuanced variation on the theme that strikes every note with authenticity. In a page-turner that brings new resonance to the moral issues involved, she spins a story of social awakening as seen from both sides of the American racial divide.

Newly graduated from Ole Miss with a degree in English but neither an engagement ring nor a steady boyfriend, Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan returns to her parents' cotton farm in Jackson. Although it's 1962, during the early years of the civil rights movement, she is largely unaware of the tensions gathering around her town.

Skeeter is in some ways an outsider. Her friends, bridge partners and fellow members of the Junior League are married. Most subscribe to the racist attitudes of the era, mistreating and despising the black maids whom they count on to raise their children. Skeeter is not racist, but she is naive and unwittingly patronizing. When her best friend makes a political issue of not allowing the "help" to use the toilets in their employers' houses, she decides to write a book in which the community's maids -- their names disguised -- talk about their experiences.

Fear of discovery and retribution at first keep the maids from complying, but a stalwart woman named Aibileen, who has raised and nurtured 17 white children, and her friend Minny, who keeps losing jobs because she talks back when insulted and abused, sign on with Skeeter's risky project, and eventually 10 others follow.

Aibileen and Minny share the narration with Skeeter, and one of Stockett's accomplishments is reproducing African American vernacular and racy humor without resorting to stilted dialogue. She unsparingly delineates the conditions of black servitude a century after the Civil War.

The murders of Medgar Evers and Martin Luther King Jr. are seen through African American eyes, but go largely unobserved by the white community. Meanwhile, a room "full of cake-eating, Tab-drinking, cigarette-smoking women" pretentiously plan a fundraiser for the "Poor Starving Children of Africa." In general, Stockett doesn't sledgehammer her ironies, though she skirts caricature with a "white trash" woman who has married into an old Jackson family. Yet even this character is portrayed with the compassion and humor that keep the novel levitating above its serious theme."