The Summoning by Kelley Arstrong, Doubleday Canada, 2008

To say Kelley Armstrong is my favorite supernatural writer would be like saying chocolate tastes ok. I love Kelley and was thrilled beyond to discover that she has embarked on a YA trilogy called The Darkest Powers. The first book, The Summoning, was everything I have come to expect from Armstrong: well written with great characters, wonderful elements of the supernatural and only a touch of romance.

The book takes place in a home for mentality unstable teens and Chloe Saunders is sent there after she starts seeing dead people. But all is not quite what it seems and maybe the teens at Lyle House aren't all that crazy.

This book has all the typical elements of a good YA book. There is the good girl protagonist, the bad girl antagonist, a potential love interest and distrustful adults. But Armstrong writes in a slightly darker and more ominous tone than some of her contemporaries and that makes The Summoning stand out. Also, Chloe does not come off as a “Why me?” constantly whining lead as some other heroines in other series, which is one of the many reasons that I can't wait to read the rest of the trilogy.

Twilight by Stephenie Myers

Okay people, hate me if you want to, but I really don't see all the hype surrounding this book. Maybe it's because I'm not a big romance fan and it basically oozes from this book, but I wasn't really all that impressed with Twilight.

I did enjoy it, don't get me wrong. But as far as the genre goes, I've read books that I have enjoyed better. I honestly think it's because I'm not a big epic, chest heaving, I have to have you kinda gal. I would much rather cozy up with Rachel Caine's Morganville Vampires series or Kelley Armstrong's amazing Darkest Powers trilogy.

The characters in Twilight were okay, well developed as was the plot. There really isn't anything I can rip into about the book. I just have no idea why it hit big the way it did.

I have New Moon, I just haven't read it yet. I will one day I'm sure.

Will I watch the movie based on Twilight? Probably. Although I have a sneaking suspicion it's going to be all bedroom eyes and kissing too. I'll probably wait until it comes out on DVD.

Candy Everybody Wants by Josh Kilmer-Purcell Harper Perennial

This was a cool book. You know that kid in high school who was even too cool to hangout with the popular kids? Well, that's this book. It was a great read with wacky characters, wacky plots lines, but every single thing was written in a way that made it totally believable.

Jayson Blocher wants to be a movie star. With his two best friends he's filming Dallasty!, a film project he is sure will get pick up by one of the big studios and will turn him into an instant star. As with most things in life, things don't turn out quite the way Jayson pictures them and he slowly comes to realize that maybe stardom isn't everything it's cracked up to be.

His journey leads him from his mother's house in the Midwest to the wild and wacky world of early 80s LA and New York where Jayson might not find the stardom he was seeking but through his interactions with an eccentric cast of characters he does find himself.

This book was fun to read. Form Jayson getting to meet his teen idol to his best friends Tara's life changing moments, this book played out like one of the soap scripts Jayson was always writing. It also spoke about the key themes of acceptance and living life the way you want to without being preachy about it.

A surprising character study with a plot to back it up, Candy Everybody Wants is a book to please all.

I am not dead, just buried beneath a pile of books......

I am still here. I am still reading. And I promise I will start writing about books again.

Tomorrow, though. ER is on tonight :P

Marked by PC Cast and Kristin Cast St. Martin’s Griffin

Sixteen year old Zoey Redbird is having a bad day. She has been marked as a fledgling vampyre and as a result has to leave behind everything she knows to move into the House of Night, a sort of private training school for vampyres. Once there she makes friends, and enemies, and discoveres she has unbelievable powers and may very well be the strongest vampyre, ever. She also struggles with the fact that not everyone makes it through the Change.

I found the writing in the first few pages a bit choppy, but after that I really enjoyed this book, devouring in a night. Geared toward teens, this adult still thought it was a well written story with a solid plot. Part of a series, I am about to start the second book, Betrayed.

I only had two issues with Marked. The first one is the extensive sexual content that I feel may not be appropriate for the age group that this book is geared towards. This would have been the type of book I gravitated towards at eleven and I don’t think that someone that age should be reading about some of the sexual stuff that takes place in the halls of the House of Night.

My second issue may very well take care of itself in the second book, but right now, I ‘m pretty sure I have the big twist figured out, and that’s a bit disappointing for me. I appreciate a good twist and turn in a book, and just because this is a teen book doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t contain mysteries that are hard to figure out.

Over all, though, I did really enjoy this book and I look forward to reading others in the series.

I'm baaaaaack

I kinda let this blog slide, but for a good reason: I was getting paid to blog about books elsewhere. At 5 bucks a post, it was pretty easy money until they lowered the rate to 1 buck a post. So I figured I'd rather yak here for free then sell my soul for a dollar a post. Because while I may not be the world's best writer, I know I'm worth more than that.

I'm going to try to change things up a bit here. Instead of just straight book reviews I'll be yakking about all things books. So stayed tune for all kinds of fun!

Undead and Uneasy by MaryJanice Davidson Berkley Mass Market

I adore this series. While raunchy, I always find it laugh out loud funny. In the latest installment, Betsy (Queen of the Vampires) finds herself all alone two weeks before her wedding. And I mean all alone. Friends, family, and fiance have all skedaddled.
I have to say, I was a bit dissapointed with this book. First of all, it almost felt like I had walked in on chapter three. I found myself right in the middle of a story I wasn't sure about. And the plot, for me anyway, kind of fell flat. I like Betsy as a character, but can only take so much of her without all her sidekicks for her to play off of.
This book just didn't have the same smack you in the face feel that other books have. But if you are a fan of this series, you have to read this book for some serious developments, none of which I am going to give away.

Belong to Me by Marisa de los Santos HarperCollins Canada

*Originally reviewed for Edwards Magazien Book Club
http://www.edwardsmagazine.ca/book_club_fiction_belong_me.html

Slight Change in my postings

Okay, here's the deal: as a book addict, I have several "pushers" including second hand books stores, book clubs, book groups and friends. One of my main contacts is Edwards Magazine book club. In fact, I manage the thing. Sooooo for my books that I receive through them I am going to, from now on, just post the link to the review.
I'm doing this for several reasons:
1. It's easier on me. Less time frigging around with the computer equals more time to read.
2. When I posted the same reviews on here that I have on the Edwards Book Club, I almost felt like I was cheating.
3. Self promotion. The more people that scoot on over to Edwards and read the reviews, the better for the magazine and book club.
So, there you have it. It might mean an extra click for you, but it means a lot less cutting and pasting for me.
Colleem

Sharp Teeth By Toby Barlow HarperCollins Canada

*Originaly reviewed for Edwards magazine Book Club
http://www.edwardsmagazine.ca/book_club_fiction_sharp_teeth.html

The Book of Mary by Gail Sidonie Sobat Summach Press

Originaly reviewed for Edwards magazine Book Club
http://www.edwardsmagazine.ca/book_club_fiction_book_mary.html

The Immaculate Conception. What if it wasn’t so Immaculate? What if a 14 year old Mary just didn’t want to be stoned for being unwed and pregnant? In a desperate plea to remain alive and trick a nice older man into marrying her, Mary makes up the story of the angel visiting her. Joseph marries her and she has her “miracle” baby. But all of a sudden the story takes on a life of it’s own, resulting in a jealous King and eventually zealot followers.
This is the premise of Gail Sidonie Sobat wonderfully entertaining novel The Book of Mary. Written as diary entries we see Mary grow from a sexually promiscuous teen into a caring, loving Mother and Healer. As a non practicing Catholic who is fairly open minded, the basic idea of Mary as a normal woman and Jesus as a baby conceived in love wasn’t hard on my psyche, but someone more devote in their religious beliefs may have a hard time with the novel.
I really enjoyed this novel and the writing style that was used. The language was very modern and easy flowing and the characters were very believable and likeable. The idea of Mary as a Healer was also a nice touch. I also like the fact that even though Jesus was a normal human, his life still took pretty much the same path as various religions teach..
The only thing that I feel took away from the story was the chapter that was written completely in the form of letters Mary wrote to various family and friends. I found this part of the book a bit boring and had a hard time not skimming. I think the book would have been more effective and flowing if the whole thing was written as diary entries.
Over all I liked this book a lot and I know that it will be one that is lent out and reread over the years.

Growing Up Degrassi: Television, Identity and Youth Cultures Michele Byers, ed. Sumach Press

*Originally reviewed for Edwards Magazine Book Club
http://www.edwardsmagazine.ca/book_club_non-fiction_degrassi.html

Everybody wants something they’ll never give up
Everybody wants something, they'll take your money and never give up.
The Zit Remedy



I was, and still am, a huge fan of Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High. I grew up rolling my eyes at the antics of Joey Jeremiah, secretly crushing on Wheels and wishing I was Caitlin. So when I discovered the book Growing up Degassi, I jumped at the chance to read it. And I’m glad I did. Part academia, and part reminiscence, this book has something for everyone.
A series of articles on Degrassi and it’s influences on youth culture, this book was like learning something new about a very old friend. I found myself nodding my head in agreement a lot of the time, but the book also allowed me to look at the series in a new light.
Some of the articles were a comparison between Degrassi Classic (Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High) and Degrassi the Next Generation., while others were a comparison of Degrassi Classic and other teen shows of the era, such as Beverly Hills 90210. The book tackles such topics as the representation of femininity, Aids, and drugs among other topics. There is also much discussion on how Degrassi: The Next Generation differs from Degrassi Classic in tone, topic and look. Almost 100% of the time, Degrassi Classic came out on top. And I don’t mind admitting I cheered a little.
What was great about this book was that the tone of the articles differed. Some were very academic, like “The Next Generation Goes Digital: Technology, the Medium and the Message” by Laura Tropp, while others, such as “True to My School: An American Love Affair with Degrassi” written by Brian C. Jones were memories from viewers . My favorite, was the article “That White Girl from That Show: Race and Ethnicity within Canadian Youth Culture” co-written by Rebecca J. Haines, who played Kathleen on Degrassi Classic. This article combined both the academic and the reminiscence and I found it interesting that someone who had a role in such an important youth show as Degrassi is now a top researcher in Youth Culture.
I really enjoyed reading this book, although I will admit I found myself struggling not to skim over some of the more academic pieces. It was great to revisit some of my favorite moments of Degrassi and also to be presented with a new way of thinking about the series.

.

Staked by J.F. Lewis Simon and Schuster

*Originally reviewed for Edwards Magazine Book Club
http://www.edwardsmagazine.ca/book_club_fiction_staked.html

If I had to describe this book in one word, it would be fun. Staked is a funny, off the cuff book about vampires, werewolves and strippers all living together as peacefully as they can. But with a head vampire with memory loss, a pack of religious werewolves and a stripper turned vampire, peaceful really isn’t possible.
Eric, a powerful vampire, suffers from short term memory loss and fits of black out rage. When he is set up for the murder of an alpha werewolf’s son, he sets out to find the real killers. But not before he turns his human girlfriend, Tabitha into a vampire and then sleeps with her very alive sister.
This was an easy book to get into, and I read it in an evening. It had everything a good vampire book should: lots of action, witty dialogue and sexy characters. I read a lot of vampire books, and I am not particularly found of the ones with a lot of sex in them. Thankfully this was not the case with Staked. While there were some sex scenes in it, they were very short and quite tastefully done.
The writing style was first person, but it switched back and forth from Eric and Tabitha. I thought at first that this would be jarring, going between the two perspectives, but it actually flowed quite nicely.
The plot kept me interested and the characters kept me guessing. The author had a way of giving you just enough information to follow the story, but always left a bit unknown, leading me to believe that a sequel is in the works. And I hope there is. Because I definitely want to read more about the characters and the world introduced in Staked.

The Mortal Instruments Book 2: City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare McElderry Books

*Originally reviewed for Edwards Magazein Book Club
http://www.edwardsmagazine.ca/book_club_YAfiction_city_ashes.html

City of Ashes, the sequel to City of Bones, continues the story of Clary Fray and her recent discovery of the Downworld and it’s inhabitants: vampires, werewolves and Shadowhunters. Oh and demons. Of which there are a lot.
As most sequels, this book had a lot to live up to. Would it be as good as the first? Would it keep readers interested? I say yes, on both counts. In fact, I enjoyed this book more than the first one. I found the writing sharper, the characters more realistic and the twist and turns. And some of the characters experience some real personal growth. The auther delves into main characters more deeply, and I found myself growing attached to them as a result.
As I said, there were unending twists and turns in the novel, none of which I feel were placed as a way to wow the reader. They all fit into the story line and enhanced the main plot. As this is touted as a trilogy, there is one more book to come, City of Glass, in March of 2009. I will impatiently await it’s release and look forward to yet another excellent fantasy novel by Cassandra Clare

The Discomfort Zone by Jonathan Franzen HarperCollins

*Originally reviewed for Edwards Magazine Book Club
http://www.edwardsmagazine.ca/book_club_non-fiction_discomfort.zone.html

The Discomfort Zone by Jonathan Franzen is a memoir. Of sorts. In it, Jonathan waxes poetic about his life growing up as a somewhat awkward, nerdy youth and a slightly disillusioned adult. Now, most memoirs that I have read have a theme; drunken parent, abuse, wild youth, mental illness etc. Not the Discomfort Zone. While I found in enjoyable enough, it was basically the ramblings of a person who, to me, had a pretty normal childhood. And while this doesn’t make it a bad memoir, I was left wondering why?
The author starts off in the present at his childhood house, then he goes into the past, then a bit closer to the present then more in the past. Throughout the book we are jumping back and forth through the author’s life. For me, it was a bit confusing. He talks for awhile about his college years. Then we are in his German class. But is it high school German or college German? And maybe it doesn’t matter. But for my mind and my enjoyment, I really needed to know. And he never uses first names for any of the people who are in his life except for his immediate family. Everyone is referred to by their last names, which I have to say I found very annoying. One woman he is in a long term relationship with is only ever referred to as “the Californian”. It is almost as if they were not important enough to warrant remembering or using their first names and to me this was a bit obnoxious.
I think that maybe I just didn’t “get” this book. While I did somewhat enjoy his style of writing and most of the memories I really didn’t understand the point of the book. But maybe I wasn’t supposed to. Maybe that’s the point.

The Mortal Instruments Book 1: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare McElderry Books

*Originally reviewed for Edwards Magazine Book Club
http://www.edwardsmagazine.ca/book_club_YAfiction_city_bones.html

Clary Fray goes to a club with her best friend Simon and ends up being a witness to a murder. Only problem is, no one else saw the killers and the victim’s body sort of vanished into thin air. For Clary this is the end of her normal life. She can now see demons and Shadowhunters, those that protect humans from demons. But why? This book is about her search for herself, who she really is and how she fits into the Shadowhunters’ plans for protecting the world from evil.
While this book is geared towards teens (ages 14 and up) I was hooked within the first page. It was a great read. All of the characters were interesting and, more importantly, believable. Even the bad guys. The plot moved at a good pace and had plenty of action. There were also a few twists and turns that I honestly didn’t see coming. And that’s always a bonus in a book. Fantasy novels set in our world are my favorite and this book definitely met all my needs.

"A Promise of Hope" By Autumn Stringam HarperCollins

*First appeared at http://www.edwardsmagazine.ca/book_club_non-fiction_promise_hope.html*

This was, by far, the most honest and gut wrenching book I have ever read. In it Autumn Stringam hold nothing back in describing her life growing up with a mother who had bi-polar disorder and then the devastating discovery that she suffered from the illness herself. She also discusses her father’s struggle to find a cure for her and her brother (who was also beginning to show signs of the illness) and the subsequent roadblocks to that cure thrown up by the government of Canada. This is a book that will make you sad, heartbroken, hopeful and angry as Hell
Autumn takes us through the horrors of growing up with a mother who suffered from a mental illness, all the while maintaining a love and dignity for her mom. I believe it was through this love for her mother that she came to understand and accept her own illness, allowing herself to try the herbal mix her father and a friend had discovered.
Because of her straightforward, unsugarcoated writing style, this was a very easy read. Yet, at the same time, it was a hard read, too. I found some of the incidents of the depressive stages difficult to work through because of the pain the author felt and how well she describes it.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants or needs a better understanding of mental illness and what it is like to live with one.

"Adultery" By Richard B. Wright

At the heart of Richard B. Wright’s novel Adultery is a business trip gone wrong. While oversea at the Frankfurt Book Fair, Toronto editor Daniel Fielding has an affair with a young colleague. When something goes drastically wrong on a week end trip to England, Daniel has to face the consequences of his actions not only on his life, but on the lives of those around him.
I have never read a book who’s writing style matches the story so perfectly. Daniel spends most of the book feeling like he is in a fog, and somehow Wright gets this across not only with what he writes, but how he writes. For me, this was the best part of the book. It’s kind of hard to describe, but his writing reminded me of a slow rainy day. And I loved it.
I also loved the premise of this book and how all the characters were likeable, despite what they may have done. It moved me in a way that is difficult to explain. It is also hard to discuss this book without giving any of the story away. But trust me, it is well worth the read. And I can’t wait to read Richard’s other books. For me, Adultery will always have a prime spot on my bookcase.

"Life on the Refrigerator Door" by Alice Kruipers

This is ultimately a story about the relationship of a very busy single mother and her daughter, Claire. Through notes left for one another on the refrigerator door, we see them love, fight and get caught up on each others lives. When a crisis strikes we see how much they care for one another and also how selfish they can be.
Even though Life on the refrigerator Door is a novel written in a non traditional format, it works. Through these small glimpses of their lives written on notes, we get a sense of each character and their relationship with one another. Their frustrations and also their concerns are very clear. And in a day and age where people do most of their communicating through emails, everybody should be able to relate to these two characters

"My Life with George" by Judith Summers

When Judith Summers loses her husband and her father within a few weeks, she is devastated. Unsure of how she is going to go on, she does her best to take care of her son, Joshua. So, when Joshua begs to get a dog, even though she doesn’t want one, she agrees. Enter George, the adorable Cavalier King Charles they end up adopting.
On the surface, this is a book about George and all his medical and mental problems and the upheaval he causes in the Summers’ home. George is constantly at the vet for one problem or the other, and Judith brings in animal behaviorist to help with his mental issues. In this regard, it is a light, funny book about a very demanding, neurotic dog.
But underneath, there is a lot more going on. Judith delves back into dating despite feeling guilty and feeling that it may have a negative affect on her son. She is also dealing with loneliness, being a single mother and trying to do what’s right. for her son and herself.
So, if you were looking for a simple little fluffy book about raising a dog, you may want to look somewhere else. But if you are looking for a heartwarming, often funny account of a woman dealing with grief and the dog that helped her, you are in the right place.

"Pretty Little Liars" by Sara Shepard

This book seriously left me wanting more. I wanted to know more about the four girls, I wanted to know more about their families and I definitely wanted to know more about “The Jenna Thing” So I guess you could say that I enjoyed this book.
Sara Shepard packs in so many controversial topics, you might think that it would leave your head swimming, but it doesn’t. And there are a lot of things in this book. Abduction, cheating, affairs, eating disorders, homosexuality, teenage drinking, sex and, most importantly secrets and lies.
The four main characters, who were all best friends three years ago, each have their own problems. But all of them are getting text messages and emails about secrets that they have. The only problem is the only other person to know their secrets was their friend Alison, who went missing three years ago. So who’s sending the messages?
I would definitely recommend this book to, well, teens and young adults. It was fast paced and I, like the girls, am left wondering who sent them the messages. Guess I’ll have to read the rest of the series to find out.

"Total Constant Order" by Crissa-Jean Chappell

I enjoyed this book. A lot. Fin, the main character who is diagnosed with OCD and immediately put on a mind numbing drug, is both believable and likeable. I really felt for her as she dealt with school and her illness. Hell, being 14 is hard enough with out adding the fact that she couldn’t stop counting. Or washing her hands. When Fin becomes friends with Thayer things start to even out for her. But Thayer has his own problems.
The writing style the author uses compliments the story and the confusion that is constant in Fin’s head. The author jumps from topic to topic, present to past and sometimes it takes the reader, or at least me, a second to catch up with her. While I wouldn’t suggest this as a guide book to OCD and the problems of some anti-depressants, it did give a good over all view of the problems surrounding both. An overall enjoyable book, I would definitely recommend it. I also think this would be an excellent book to teach in schools. There are several topical issues in the novel (depression, divorce, drugs, bullying) and I think it could be a great conduit for discussion.

"The Luxe" By Anna Godbersen

High society New York 1899. Gorgeous dresses. Proper behavior. Romance. Love triangles. Heaving bosoms. You can find it all in The Luxe. While this is in no way my usually choice of novel to read, there was so much buzz around it on the HarperCollins Reading Group on Facebook, that I felt I would be missing out if I didn’t at least give this book a try. And I’m glad that I did. While I normally don’t go for romance novels, or even books with any romance in them at all, I enjoyed The Luxe and had a hard time putting it down once I started reading it.
The book is centered around five youths of New York and their intertwined love lives. With all the she-loves-him-but-he-loves-her triangles that are in this book, it could have taken place when I was a teenager, or now, for that fact. It represented quite nicely the pain and joy of teenage love. The book was rich in detail, but I have to admit, not being anything near a fashionista myself, I tended to skim the description of the various dresses the females wear.
What I liked best about this book was getting to know the characters and seeing their interactions with one another. The characters were all well written and their actions were well supported by either their basic character or previous actions.
I do, however, feel this book would have worked better without the prologue. It gave away the “surprise” ending of the book. While I know The Luxe was geared towards youth, I think that anyone over the age of 12 would have been able to see from the prologue what was coming. And for me that took away a bit from the over all suspense of wondering what was going to happen.
I also felt that the description of the book in the jacket liner was misleading. (Spoiler alert if you know NOTHING about the book and have not read the jacket liner). I was expecting almost a murder mystery by the jacket description. But Elizabeth’s death takes place in chapter forty three of a book with forty six chapters in it. And short chapters at that. So I felt a bit misguided.
But that being said, I really did enjoy this book and am looking forward to the sequel. And with two friends wanting to borrow the book from my description of it , I highly recommend it.

"Wicked Lovely" by Melissa Marr

Faeries exist. And not the cute Tinkerbell type. No, these faeries are human size. And most of them are nasty. Lucky for us we can’t see them. Unlucky for Aislinn she can. As a seer, Aislinn can see the fey. But she has spent her life pretending that she can’t. Because it would be very bad for her if the fey knew she could see them. And rule # 1 is never attract their attention. But despite all her hard work and training she does attract the attention of one faery. Keenan, the Summer King seems to be infatuated with her and Aislinn isn’t sure why. Turns out he thinks she is his Summer Queen. Too bad for him she wants nothing to do with it.
I really enjoyed this book a lot. Supernatural fantasy is one of my favorite genres and I’m always looking for new authors to read. The characters were likeable and even more importantly believable. As was the plot. And it kept my interest right until the end.
I simply loved the heroine, Aislinn. In a culture where sexiness and promiscuity seem to be more and more popular and acceptable at a younger age, it was refreshing to have a character who was still a virgin even though she had two guys chasing her. And I applaud Melissa Marr for including a discussion on HIV and STD testing before sex.
This was a well written fantasy novel with that wonderful combination of today’s world and otherworldly folklore. Each chapter began with a quote from various books written over time about faeries and fey. This gives the reader a bit more insight into the folklore behind the story and also the chance to do some reading up on faeries, if they so chose.
And I was pleasantly surprised by the ending. While tying up any loose ends, the author also threw in some surprises and still managed to leave the door wide open for a sequel, which I hope there will be.
Wicked Lovely was wicked good. And I look forward to more from Melissa Marr