Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

Starcrossed
by Josephine Angelini

Genre: Young Adult | Fantasy

Helen Hamilton has always tried to hide how different she is—no easy feat on an island as small as Nantucket, and only getting harder as she finds herself haunted by hallucinations and vivid nightmares.

It's not until she crosses paths with Lucas Delos at school that Helen's true heritage is finally revealed. Yet even as Lucas helps her awaken to her startling powers, they can never be together—not unless they can break free from the tragic destiny the Three Fates have in store.

Helen begins her school year with frighteningly realistic dreams by night and constantly annoying gossip by day about the new Delos family in town. Upon meeting Lucas Delos for the first time at school, Helen alarmingly attacks him in hopes to kill (acting totally opposite of her usual peaceful temperament) all becasue of three insanity educing spirits (i.e. Fates) that agonizingly cry for his death. Things begin to quickly spiral downhill for Helen when she personally gets attached (more than once!) by an unknown assailant and ancient mythology beings to play an important part in her every day actions. 'Keeping your enemies close' is a motto Helen holds to dearly and thus begins to learn about just what (crazy powers!) she can use from the Delos family all while trying to figure out about her mother and just who she really is.

A LOVE written in the stars . . .
A FEUD started in ancient Greece . . .
A CURSE not even the gods can break . . .

I'm finding a similar characteristic that many young adult novels are recently sharing: single children families with a father raising them solo b/c of the lose of the mother figure. About three of the books I just read all contained the same family structure, but all in all, Starcrossed was an interesting read that ended up being quite enjoyable. I find I really liked the beginning of the story best since the ending kind of went downhill for me, but the book really begins quite nicely - lots of intense emotions, dark dreams, family mysteries, creepy characters - all fun and intriguing stuff! The book contains a fascinating theme throughout that will carry nicely into a series and book #2, Dreamless, is slated to come out May 2012, so jump on the bandwagon and enjoy.

Likes: Helen's nightmares are quite cryptic and captivating.

Dislikes: I'm not exactly a fan of stories where characters all "match" up...meaning...Lucas's two closest siblings "matching up" with Helen's two closest friends making this supper-dupper group where everyone perfectly dates and everything works out evenly, BLAH!!! Boring!!!

Rating:

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Warped by Maurissa Guibord

Warped
by Maurissa Guibord

Genre: Young Adult | Time-Travel | Fantasy

Tessa Brody doesn't believe in magic. Or Fate. But there is definitely something weird about the dusty unicorn tapestry that she discovers in a box of old books. The wild, handsome creature woven within it draws Tessa, and frightens her too.

Soon after the tapestry comes into her possession strange things begin to happen. Tessa experiences vivid dreams of the past and scenes from a brutal hunt. When she accidentally pulls a thread from the tapestry, Tessa releases a terrible secret-one that has been contained for centuries. She also meets William de Chaucy, a young sixteenth-century nobleman with gorgeous eyes, an odd accent and haughty attitude to spare. His fate is as inextricably tied to the tapestry as Tessa's own. "His Lordship" is pretty hard to get along with but equally hard to resist.

Together with Will, Tessa must correct the wrongs of the past to defeat a cruel and crafty ancient enemy.

But what is she willing to sacrifice in order to do it?

warp

n. 1. the set of yarns placed in a loom that forms the lengthwise threads of a woven fabric. 2. a hypothetical eccentricity or discontinuity in the space-time continuum.

- from Webster's dictionary

Tessa and her father live above a used bookstore in Maine and by all appearances, she comes off as a normal teenager with a mundane part-time job, kooky best bud, and the usual school angst. Yet, her father's newest purchase (a collection of leather bound books and other unusual items from an auction estate sale) begins to strangely affect Tessa by causing vivid flashbacks of a long-ago life - a life she's certain she was involved with. When one small action brings the past to the present...Tessa realizes that sometimes souls (ie. "threads of human life") can be twisted to withstand the test of time and that immortality is the 'name of the game'. When dark magic, three mythological goddesses, and one well-built young man all collide in Tessa's humdrum life, can she finally make up for her mistakes in the past while continuing to have a future of her own?

I was presently surprised in how much I enjoyed Warped. Honestly, I expected the usual Young Adult read full of supernatural mystery and innocent romance, but Guibord wrote a very intriguing novel where both sides (good and bad) were in constant battle and it was truly difficult to predict which side would win come page 337. (the end!) Plus, all the characters were well-rounded (ex: Jackson Brody, Tessa's dad, was very warmhearted) and easy to enjoy (ex: Opal, Tessa's best friend, adds a lot of comical humor) throughout, which is always a great perk of a good book. Expect lots of twists and turn within the plot with also a nice amount of romantic intrigue and passion. Do yourself a favor and check it out!

Like: I highly enjoyed the story and was happy to have a complete finish for once. No more continuation in the next book of the series here, which is something I've been sadly dealing with in a few of my other previous reading adventures! Don't get me wrong, I love series, but it was refreshing and quite satisfying to finish a story in one book.

Dislikes: Personally, I was cracking up about the whole auction scene at the beginning because . . . that's my life! Seriously! I work at a Fine Auction House and bidding placards ("like a Ping-Pong paddle" pg 6.) are something I deal with on a monthly basis ---- so, sadly I kept thinking about work and NOT escaping into a new book as I wanted.

Rating:

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Color Coordination is Fun

Library Bookshelves BEFORE
And . . . AFTER

I'm kind of shocked I had enough books to pull this off, but I really enjoy it!
I should have taken a picture of all the books on the floor -- that was truly chaotic ;)

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When Beauty Tamed the Beast by Eloisa James

When Beauty Tamed the Beast
by Eloisa James

Genre: Historic Romance

Piers Yelverton, Earl of Marchant, lives in a castle in Wales where, it is rumored, his bad temper flays everyone he crosses. He's a Beast.

Miss Linnet Thynne is one of the most exquisite young ladies ever to grace London's ballrooms. She's a Beauty.

But wait—there's more! Piers is a doctor: brilliant, lame, and impossible to get along with. There's a version of him on Fox TV, named after a habitation. Linnet has been involved in a scandalous flirtation with a prince, and everyone in the ton thinks she's carrying a royal child: she needs a husband.

Linnet estimates it will take two weeks—at the outside—to bring the earl to his knees. Piers knows that he will never fall in love, and definitely never marry.

Being seen with a prince is enjoyable, but that happens to be Linnet's downfall as well - that, and a poorly chosen dress that adds fuel to the "royal baby" rumors circulating around London. Now she is a ruined women, whether she was truly naughty or not, and is practically banished to Wales to marry a horrid doctor that she's never even meet. Sure, her family has given up on her and sure, her father & aunt lied about some things (ie. baby matters) to obtain this 'marriage' to the Earl, but Linnet believes her charms & beauty could actually win out against this brute of a man. What she's not expecting is for the doctor to spot her lie on their first visit and how much heat & chemistry to two actually share. Can Linnet actually carry out her original plan for a proper marriage or will she willingly become a ruined women as so many people believe of her already?

I liked this book. I liked it a lot actually. I enjoyed Linnet's innocent manners toward her 'maternity styled' clothing, her silly household servants, the vulgar memories of her mother, and her oddly non-existent father figure. They all added some comical humor to Linnet's life, which was hilariously spiraling out of control. When she finds herself in Wales, in a castle (mock hospital) surrounded by even more chaos, she bravely decides to take control of her "new" way of life and actually live a little - thus she takes up swimming at dawn, freely argues with Piers and so many other things she would never have done back in London. Since she's now a "ruined" women about to be married, she feels rejuvenated and adds some much needed care to Pier's drab hospital and his patients. Also, it was nice to see Pier's hard "tough" shell begin to melt throughout the tale. Overall, the two characters blend so well together that the book was hard to put down!

Likes: The bet between Linnet's & Pier's servants was fun!

Dislikes: Pier's is for sure a beast, lots of rude manners and extreme name-calling -- almost hard to see how Linnet kept her cool much of the time.

Rating:

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Forgotten by Cat Patrick

Forgotten
by Cat Patrick

Genre: Young Adult | Mystery | Contemporary

Past. Present. Future. Which matters most?

Each night when 16 year-old London Lane goes to sleep, her memory of that day is erased. In the morning, all London can “remember” are events from her future and the people who will play a part in it. In order to get by, London relies on reminder notes and a trusted friend to navigate relationships and high school life. Adaptable by nature, she tries to view her memory loss as a fact of life rather than a condition. But when London starts experiencing disturbing flashbacks, or flash-forwards, as the case may be, she realizes that in order to understand her present and her future, she must solve the mystery of her past.

10/14 (Thurs.)

Outfit:
-Straight-leg jeans
-Navy tunic with the little flowers
-Blister-inducing red flats

School:
-Bring book for English
-Get Mom to sign permission slip for history
-Spanish quiz tomorrow (not on syllabus)
-Read over history homework in the morning. . .too tired. . .

Imagine living your life from notes. Notes that remind you of the last 24 hours; who you met, what you wore, where you went, and what you're to do next -- that's London's life. She can't remember the past and struggles with it day by day, but the perk is. . .she can see glimpses of the future. She knows what actions will trigger events years down the road and can easily remember the people she'll know later in life. Even though her world is a crazy juggling act of lie after lie to get by at school, London can blow it off -- since the next day she won't remember a thing. Yet, when a new boy begins to appear more often within her notes and strange dreams begin to keep her up at night, London begins to question her past, as well as her future, and just what both may have planned for her.

Interesting concept even though it was a bumpy ride. London is easy to like and the reading is just as intriguing since much of it is in diary-format, but the overall book was a classic example of 'beginning with a bang and ending with a whimper' since it starts out enjoyable and quickly fizzles out. I felt the mystery part of the story was all over the place since halfway through the book, London switched focuses all together (no longer about Luke) and begins this new plot (about her odd dreams) without any real connection between the two. Also, the story was well rounded at the beginning but near the end became apparent that Mrs. Patrick wanted to create a continuing series, thus leaving some mysteries unsolved (personally...it really felt like she got tired of writing and wrote a quick/abrupt finish) All in all, Forgotten was an okay read but very disorganized & cluttered with gaps that it had me, the reader, questioning "What just happened here?" Maybe I just fizzled out near the end at well and lost focus, but here's hoping you may enjoy it more than I did!

Likes: Ha! Loved Luke's minivan ;)

Dislikes: Sucks not to remember your first date!

Rating:

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Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon

Drums of Autumn
(Outlander Series Book #4)
by Diana Gabaldon

Genre: Time-Travel | Historic | Romance, etc.

DRUMS OF AUTUMN is the fourth book in the OUTLANDER series, following VOYAGER. Here Claire and Jamie, with Jamie’s nephew Young Ian, seek to find a place for themselves in the colony of North Carolina, treading a dangerous line between Governor Tryon’s patronage and Claire’s knowledge of the brewing revolution in America, between the help of Jamie’s Aunt Jocasta, last of his MacKenzie kin (“MacKenzies are charming as larks in the field–but sly as foxes with it.”) and the unwanted obligations of her slave-run plantation. As they find mountain land and begin to build their first cabin, their newfound life is bittersweet, with the thought Brianna–the daughter Claire has left behind, the daughter Jamie will never see–always near.

Brianna is thinking of her parents, too. And she’s discovered something dangerous in the historical record; a notice of a fatal fire on Fraser’s Ridge. The time-traveler’s ultimate dilemma raises its head once again: can the past be changed? If it can…what’s the price?

Roger MacKenzie has found the same newspaper notice–and after some soul-searching, has decided not to tell Brianna about it, not wanting her to risk her life for what may be impossible. She doesn’t tell him, either–and his first inkling that she’s found that notice is a shipment of boxes from Brianna, containing her family memorabilia and a note reading, “Everybody needs a history. This is mine. Please look after it ’til I come back.”

Roger follows Brianna into the past, where she has gone on a quest to save her parents’ lives, and upon discovering that she has sailed for America, he takes ship himself…with a Captain Bonnet.

How does time-travel work? Who can pass the stones, and how? What are the risks? And what would make those risks worth taking? Only love.

Jamie and Claire are trying to make their life together work, no more traveling to different countries, no more senseless/risky feats, no more dark/deadly lies, just their family and the land. But not everything goes as planned and along with all the hiccups that pioneer life brings, a blessing in disguise happens with even more struggles in tow. Can their bittersweet life on Fraser's Ridge survive the chaos when the past & future collide again?

I was excited about this book, for once the characters aren't spending chunks of their lives on boats, bunking with family members, or hiding out in caves, and the reader gets to focus on them creating not only a lifestyle but a superb setting for years ( this story does cover quite a few ) to come. Lots of everyday duties/chores ( i.e. the redundant everyday routine ) occurs which is fascinating from a historic viewpoint and adds to the realistic feeling to the story and ( Yayy! ) Brianna and Roger get a lot of storyline dedicated to them. A genuine family grouping is created when they all mix, with of course the revelation of some gut-wrenching truths along with life-and-death adventures --- all in classic Gabaldon writing style!

Likes: Brianna and Roger's romance is gloomy but very destined to happen!

Dislikes: A lot of characters this round were acting very impulsively throughout much of the tale, causing much havoc.

Rating:

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Alison's Wonderland by Alison Tyler

Alison's Wonderland
(Anthology)
by Alison Tyler

Warning: NOT exactly YA appropriate

Genre: Erotica | Fantasy | Fairy Tale

Over the past fifteen years, Alison Tyler has curated some of the genre's most sizzling collections of erotic fiction, proving herself to be the ultimate naughty librarian. With Alison's Wonderland, she has compiled a treasury of naughty tales based on fable and fairy tale, myth and legend: some ubiquitous, some obscure—all of them delightfully dirty.

From a perverse prince to a vampire-esque Sleeping Beauty, the stars of these reimagined tales are—like the original protagonists—chafing at desire unfulfilled. From Cinderella to Sisyphus, mermaids to werewolves, this realm of fantasy is limitless and so very satisfying.

Happily-ever-after never seemed so HOT. With over twenty short reads that add some spicy details to well known fairy tales, Alison's Wonderland, is a real treat. It's defiantly a juicy read where the characters hold nothing back and the passion is off the charts, so curl up with some steamy fables & enjoy!

I love fairy tales - give me! give me! - and this was truly a fun book that had me reading all Sunday afternoon. I'm not usually a fan of anthologies since I crave depth and character growth in a story, but these succulent tales had just the right about of heat that it was easy to overlook everything else. The numerous stories were quite easy to read, we're talking less than five-minutes to finish some, but others were a little longer and more involved. My favorites were Wolff's Tavern and Rings on my Fingers, but overall, be prepared for some dirty whispers & naughty acts.

Likes: I happily couldn't put the book down for a few hours after starting and finished later that day!

Dislikes: Some tales were better than others and those "other" tales were far & few between.

Rating:

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