review: Welcome, Caller, This is Chole by Shelley Coriell

pub date: May 1, 2012
publisher: Amulet Books
pages: 299
appeals: radio, romance, friends, family, happy main character
content: clean

summary:
Big-hearted Chloe Camden is the queen of her universe until her best friend shreds her reputation and her school counselor axes her junior independent study project. Chloe is forced to take on a meaningful project in order to pass, and so she joins her school’s struggling radio station, where the other students don’t find her too queenly.

Ostracized by her former BFs and struggling with her beloved Grams’s mental deterioration, lonely Chloe ends up hosting a call-in show that gets the station much-needed publicity and, in the end, trouble. She also befriends radio techie and loner Duncan Moore, a quiet soul with a romantic heart. On and off the air, Chloe faces her loneliness and helps others find the fun and joy in everyday life. Readers will fall in love with Chloe as she falls in love with the radio station and the misfits who call it home.

thoughts:
This is a sweet story with a great main character. What is so appealing about Chloe is she is not angsty or bitter with the difficult things that are happening to her with her friends and family. She makes fun, happy things and takes control in finding the good. She is also very forgiving of those who treat her poorly. Which is really nice and refreshing.

Besides all the meanness from many of the other characters populating the book, I liked them. Especially Duncan. He wasn't necessarily heartthrob material, but he was way sweet.

Some of the story I found unrealistic--for example her call-in show becoming uber popular in a matter of three weeks. But who cares--it was fun.

review: Geek Girl by Cindy C. Bennett

pub date: December 2011
publisher: Cedar Fort
pages: 318
source: library
appeals: clean romance, high school, realistic fiction, contemporary
content: clean

thoughts:
I came across this book at the library one day this month, had never heard of it before, but after reading the back and a page in the middle I was interested in reading the whole thing. So I took it home and finally read it this past weekend.

I must say, it was cute.

Jen, the main character, had a fun voice. A tad self-deprecating, and very honest. She struggled with stuff in her life, had built a wall around herself, and was on a self-destructive path to not much. I thought her growth as a character was real.

I did think the pacing was off. The ending seemed to drag a little, and places in the middle sped by where I would've liked more. It also wasn't very rounded as a story--all the focus was on her relationship with Trevor, hardly any of it was about any other aspect of her life. For example, her relationship with her foster parents/family was undeveloped, so when events happened with them it was very out of the blue and odd. But really, the main draw of this book was Trevor and their developing relationship, so who cares about her foster family?

I did really enjoy Trevor and his influence on Jen and the way their relationship developed. I giggled and smiled quite a bit.

So overall, very enjoyable. I actually went back and skimmed my favorite parts after I'd finished it the first time.

summary:
Jen's life of partying and sneaking out has grown stale. So on a whim, Jen makes a bet to turn Trevor, a goody-two-shoes geek, into a "bad boy." As she hangs out with Trevor, however, she finds it's actually kinda fun being a geek. But when Trevor finds out about the bet, Jen must fight for the things she's discovered matter most: friendship, family, and, above all, love.

review: Eve by Anna Carey

pub date: October 4, 2011
publisher: HarperTeen
pages: 336
source: NetGalley
format: ebook
appeals: dystopic, romance, adventure
content: a lot of good stuff

thoughts:
I kind of had mixed feelings about this book. Some things I loved, other things not so much.

This review has some spoilery bits, so beware.

The world Carey created was pretty creepy and scary. I could buy into a King of America, even his setting up schools for girls to be educated and getting work groups together to do manual labor to rebuild the city. Tyrants after disaster--good start.

However, I love dystopic world building that makes sense to me, and this one had some stuff that didn't make sense to me. First, why would the king educate these girls just...

HERE COMES THE SPOILERS

...to lock them up and have them have baby after baby to populate his new world. Incubators do not need to be educated, but neither do they have to be 18. Maybe he has a soft spot for children and can only abuse people once they're adults.

Also, there are really young boys found wandering around (which makes my above hypothesis completely off), why are those children unacceptable to the king to raise in his city? What makes the student's babies so much better?

Another issue I had was with Eve. She was destruction personified. Because of her decisions, so many other people suffered. I could see why she did what she did--she was a rather naive girl--but I was still angry with her. Especially at the end. I found that aspect of the novel frustrating and hard to deal with.  

That is the end of the Spoilers

Besides the above, I did enjoy this book. As Eve goes about her journey, the landscape and people she meets really brought this waste of a world alive for me. I enjoyed the characters. Eve meets a lot of different characters and I felt they were well flushed out. I loved the little boys she meets and her semi-friend, Arden, who she travels with.

I loved the romance. Eve was raised to see all men as evil. Her relationship with Caleb is so well developed that I could see her perceptions of men (or at least some men) change. It wasn't sudden and it wasn't unrealistic. It was perfect. And the sacrifices Eve and Caleb make for each other are really great.

Enjoyable read, but not a must have.

summary:
The year is 2032, sixteen years after a deadly virus—and the vaccine intended to protect against it—wiped out most of the earth’s population. The night before eighteen-year-old Eve’s graduation from her all-girls school she discovers what really happens to new graduates, and the horrifying fate that awaits her.

Fleeing the only home she’s ever known, Eve sets off on a long, treacherous journey, searching for a place she can survive. Along the way she encounters Caleb, a rough, rebellious boy living in the wild. Separated from men her whole life, Eve has been taught to fear them, but Caleb slowly wins her trust...and her heart. He promises to protect her, but when soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between true love and her life.

review: Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt

pub date: April 5, 2011
publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
pages: 368
format: audio
appeals: historical fiction, realistic fiction, family, art
content: clean

thoughts:
Schmidt has a gift of writing real, fully developed characters, including those on the edges of the story.

In the beginning of the novel, there are some really jerky people in Doug's life. His brother and the gym coach at his new school being two examples. Yet Schmidt has a way of showing why a character is the way they are, and with that new insight, no matter how jerky they are, it's hard to hate them. Which is AMAZING storytelling. The only character that I never really understood, especially at the end, was Doug's father. I didn't feel forgiveness towards him. But all the rest...POW! What GREAT characterization.

He is also amazing at playing my heart strings. One chapter I was so happy because things were FINALLY going well with Doug. But by the next chapter, something would happen that made me cry, literally cry. Twice I had tears running down my cheeks, I was so involved with Doug and his story, I had to keep listening long after I arrived home (I listened to it in my car and the narrator was wonderful).

I was very happy in the way the book ended--very hopeful. There was a while there where I was wondering if that would be possible. But it was. Yay!

The organization of the novel was also AMAZING. I loved how Auduban's artwork tied in so well with the story and the lessons Doug learns throughout the year of the novel. And since I listened to the book, it was rather nice how well Schmidt described the bird paintings because I didn't have the book to seem the birds myself.

So, if you haven't figured out how I feel about this book, let me tell you right out. I LOVED it. LOVED it.

And I'm not lying.

summary:
Midwesterner Gary D. Schmidt won Newbery Honor awards for Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boys and The Wednesday Wars, two coming-of-age novels about unlikely friends finding a bond. Okay For Now, his latest novel, explores another seemingly improbable alliance, this one between new outsider in town Doug Swieteck and Lil Spicer, the savvy spitfire daughter of his deli owner boss. With her challenging assistance, Doug discovers new sides of himself. Along the way, he also readjusts his relationship with his abusive father, his school peers, and his older brother, a newly returned war victim of Vietnam.

review: Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg

pub date: January 1, 2011
publisher: Point
pages: 288
appeals: Jane Austen, boarding school, romance, retelling
content: clean

thoughts:
What a darling story. I loved it!

I enjoyed how the story followed the original story of Pride and Prejudice, but was also very original with it's own personality. Set in a modern day boarding for rich snobs, it was really fun to see rich Will Darcy take to poor (by rich standards) Lizzie Bennet.

All the characters were spot on: Jane, Charlotte, Colin, Darcy, Bingley, and Lydia. They were all so great.

I really liked how Darcy's family played into the plot. My favorite part of this book is also my favorite in the original: when Lizzie gets to meet Darcy on his turf, away from Miss Bingley, and when he, in turn, meets Lizzie on her own turf. *Sigh* So sweet.

This book is for fans of the original as well those who aren't. Such a fun romance.

summary:
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single girl of high standing at Longbourn Academy must be in want of a prom date.

After winter break, the girls at very prestigious, girls-only Longbourn Academy are obsessed with the prom, which they share with the equally elitist, all-boys Pemberly school. Lizzie Bennett, who attends Longbourn on scholarship, isn't interested in designer dresses and expensive shoes, but her best friend, Jane, might be - especially now that Charles Bingley is back from a semester in London.

review: Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter

pub date: June 21, 2011
publisher: Hyperion
pages: 304
source: publisher
series: Heist Society #2
appeals: Robin Hood-ish, adventure, friendship, world traveler, family
content: clean

thoughts:
I really enjoyed this book. It was a lot of fun to read, with an engaging plot and great characters. There was a lot of adventure, humor, a teeny-tiny romantic interlude, and fun.

I love reading books about characters who learn and change and grow wiser through the novel's adventures, and that was Kat. She rather irritated me in the beginning because she insisted on isolating herself from friends and family. But she learned and by the end of the book, she didn't irritate me anymore. And it wasn't just Kat I liked reading, it was all her crew, too. They are fun and funny. If Kat ditches them again...erg. Then I will have something to say that isn't flattering.

The plot was great. I love how the beginning is simple and straight forward. But by a fourth the way through, it suddenly isn't anymore. A lot of twists and turns that kept me reading and guessing on what was going to happen next and how Kat would handle the situation. 

It's been a year since I read the first in the series, Heist Society, so my recollection of that novel was a little hazy. I felt that Carter did a fantastic job at putting reminders in of previous events, without huge chunks of info dump. Which I appreciated a lot.

I wanted a little more romance. At least another kiss. A good one. But then I remember that Kat is 15, and I get why there isn't. But still...

summary:
Katarina Bishop has worn a lot of labels in her short life. Friend. Niece. Daughter. Thief. But for the last two months she’s simply been known as the girl who robbed the greatest museum in the world. That’s why Kat isn’t surprised when she’s asked to steal the infamous Cleopatra Emerald so it can be returned to its rightful owners. There are only three problems.

First, the gem is owned by the most secure auction house in the world. Second, since the fall of the Egyptian empire and the suicide of Cleopatra, no one who holds the emerald keeps it for long, and in Kat’s world, history almost always repeats itself. But it’s the third problem that makes Kat’s crew the most nervous and that is simply… the emerald is cursed. Kat might be in way over her head, but she’s not going down without a fight. After all she has her best friend—the gorgeous Hale—and the rest of her intrepid crew with her as they chase the Cleopatra around the world, realizing that the same tricks and cons her family has used for centuries are useless this time.Which means, this time, Katarina Bishop is making up her own rules.

Critics and fans alike have fallen for Heist Society (no conning necessary). With more mystery, non-stop action, romance and humor, this second novel in the hit series is just as irresistible.

review: Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey

pub date: June 21, 2011
publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers
pages: 352
source: ALA Midwinter Conference
appeals: ghost, historical fiction, supernatural,
content: clean

thoughts:
I am a huge fan of Harvey's Drake Chronicles. I love the humor and the romance. So I was super excited about Haunting Violet because I expected more of the same, just ghosts instead of vampires. Sadly, I didn't get it. There was a little romance and a little humor, just not what I had expected. I wanted more!

Because it wasn't what I expected it to be, I was disappointed in Violet's story. Which is really unfair to Violet, because honestly, who can compare to seven vampire brothers? No one.

The bones of the plot were fun...Violet's relationship with her mother, her own budding talent, her relationship with Colin (though I would've liked more of it), and the ghosts in general. But the particulars I wasn't a big fan of...the secondary characters I didn't like so much. Especially the very persistent ghost who's behavior I didn't understand. Did she want her murder solved, or not? I wasn't sure if she was helping or hindering. It wasn't even much of a mystery and I thought the book too long for what little story there was.

So, chalk it up to unfulfilled hopes, but this wasn't my kind of book.

blurb:
Violet Willoughby doesn't believe in ghosts. But they believe in her. After spending years participating in her mother's elaborate ruse as a fraudulent medium, Violet is about as skeptical as they come in all matters supernatural. Now that she is being visited by a very persistent ghost, one who suffered a violent death, Violet can no longer ignore her unique ability. She must figure out what this ghost is trying to communicate, and quickly because the killer is still on the loose.

Afraid of ruining her chance to escape her mother's scheming through an advantageous marriage, Violet must keep her ability secret. The only person who can help her is Colin, a friend she's known since childhood, and whom she has grown to love. He understands the true Violet, but helping her on this path means they might never be together. Can Violet find a way to help this ghost without ruining her own chance at a future free of lies?

review: A brief history of Montmaray by Michelle Cooper

pub date: October 13, 2009
publisher: Knopf books for Young Readers
pages: 304
source: Library audiobook
appeals: historical fiction, WWII, family, journal fomat, politics
content: clean


thoughts:
I really enjoyed this book. Sophie is so humorous and honest and likable. I actually listened to it, and the reader added a lot to Sophie and her family and made the book that much more enjoyable.

There is so much sudtle humor in this book. I was laughing through it all, even through the sadness. It wasn't even that Sophie meant to be funny, it was the way she told of experiences and her observations of those around her that made me laugh so much. Her sister Henry was quite hilarious. I really enjoyed Cooper's characters. 

I loved the setting of Montmaray. Sophie writes so honestly of the dire straights of the small kingdom, and also gives a brief history (which is also quite humorous in the telling) of what Montmaray once was.

The cover to the left is is the European paperback cover. I think it very appealing. Sadly, the US ones aren't so much. The hardcover is rather boring, as shown by the picture to the right. A castle on a rock? I like it now that I've read the book, but as a first glimpse of the book, it looks kind of boring. The US paperback is slightly better. I also think the title is a little off putting. A brief history? I think the title appeals to a very small audience, though feel free to disagree. And this makes me sad because I enjoyed the book so much. I want everyone to read it. I just wish it had better packaging.

blurb:
‘I need to write down what has just happened. I need to set down the truth. If I write lies or if I write nothing at all, this journal is worthless. I must do this, in case anything happens. All right. This is what happened tonight, every single terrible thing that I can remember . . .’

Sophie FitzOsborne lives in a crumbling castle in the tiny island kingdom of Montmaray, along with her tomboy younger sister Henry, her beautiful, intellectual cousin Veronica, and Veronica's father, the completely mad King John.


When Sophie receives a leather journal for her sixteenth birthday, she decides to write about her life on the island. But it is 1936 and bigger events are on the horizon. Is everything Sophie knows and loves about the change?


From Sophie's charming and lively observations to a nailbiting, unputdownable ending, this is a book to be treasured.

review: Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink

pub date: August 1, 2009
publisher: Little, Brown for Young Readers
pages: 352
source: library audiobook
appeals: historical fiction, sisters, paranormal, gothic, demons
content: clean

goodreads:
Sixteen-year-old Lia Milthorpe and her twin sister Alice have just become orphans, and, as Lia discovers, they have also become enemies.


The twins are part of an ancient prophecy that has turned generations of sisters against each other. To escape from a dark fate and to remain in the arms of her beloved boyfriend James, Lia must end the prophecy before her sister does. Only then will she understand the mysterious circumstances of her parents' deaths, the true meaning of the strange mark branded on her wrist, and the lengths to which her sister will go to defeat her.

me:
I actually own this book, but got the audio from the library and listened to it while on a road trip to Idaho this past weekend.  I liked the reader and enjoyed the book a lot. It wasn't what I expected, which is always fun because it keeps me guessing. I was surprised to find that it's kind of a fallen angel book--and I listened to it just days after I said I wouldn't read another one of those kinds of books. But it wasn't an angel romance, and the fallen were more demons than anything else, so it didn't bother me too much.

I thought the world Zinks created was really interesting, and Lia and Alice's roll in the prophecy was rather cool. The characters were well developed and I especially liked Lia's friends. Alice makes a nice foil for Lia, and I'm interested to see where it goes in the next book.

Something that did kind of irritate me were the secrets. Lia's father kept secrets from her, then died. So Lia is left to search out the secrets when he should've just told her long before. I understand that without the secrets, then there would've been no story, but still it was annoying how ignorant Lia was when everyone around her knew what was going on. 

Then at the end there is someone else that has information for Lia, and instead of just giving it to her, they hide it and evenually die. She then has to search out this other secret she spent half the book trying to find! I really don't get why this person didn't tell her sooner.

But Lia does the same thing--she doesn't tell her boyfriend what is going on, leaving him in the dark. Irritating! Nothing good ever comes of keeping secrets and it really bothered me that she wouldn't be honest with the boy she claimed to love. She had her reasons, but I thought they were kind of lame ones.

So besides all the secrets, I liked the book. This sets up the trilogy rather nicely.

Prophecy of the Sisters reminded me a lot of Libba Bray's A Great and Terrible Beauty.

review: Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey Leavitt

pub date: March 1, 2011
publisher: Bloomsbury USA
pages: 288
source: ALA Midwinter
appeals: contemporary, romance, family, illness, friendship, sports, cycling,
content: clean

blurb from goodreads:
According to her guidance counselor, fifteen-year-old Payton Gritas needs a focus object—an item to concentrate her emotions on. It's supposed to be something inanimate, but Payton decides to use the thing she stares at during class: Sean Griswold's head. They've been linked since third grade (Griswold-Gritas—it's an alphabetical order thing), but she's never really known him.

The focus object is intended to help Payton deal with her father's newly diagnosed multiple sclerosis. And it's working. With the help of her boy-crazy best friend Jac, Payton starts stalking—er, focusing on—Sean Griswold . . . all of him! He's cute, he shares her Seinfeld obsession (nobody else gets it!) and he may have a secret or two of his own.

In this sweet story of first love, Lindsey Leavitt seamlessly balances heartfelt family moments, spot-on sarcastic humor, and a budding young romance.


me:
Way. Cute. Book.

Really, I mean it.

Payton is a fun character and it was a joy to be inside her head for (almost) 300 pages. Her emotions and reactions to life's disappointments were real and deep. I never actually cried (though I might've been close), but I definitely laughed out loud. At different parts, obviously.

And Sean is so cute! Personality mostly, though he does have a nice head (even if it is blonde). And he's so sweet! The way he tells Payton he likes her...priceless. And I appreciate that he's just a normal high school kid, not the Hottest Guy Ever. I'm half in love with him myself.  

Payton's friend, Jac, was a great best friend and really tried to help Payton. Though she kind of irritated me. I'm more like Payton myself and hate to make a scene, so when Jac makes a scene, I got upset right along with Payton. I have to agree with Jac though, Payton's family is super cool. Especially her dad.

Obviously its the characters in this book that stick out the most to me. Because they are just so great. Original and real. Loved them.

I really enjoyed reading this book. So cute.

So now I've added Princess for Higher to my TBR list on goodreads. This is the kind of author I want to read again.

review: things I know about love by Kate le Vann

publisher: EgmontUSA
pub date: June 22, 201
pgs: 160
content: no swearing, no sex

blurb from goodreads:
Livia's experience of love has been disappointing to say the least. But all that is about to change. After years of illness, she's off to spend the summer with her brother in America. She's making up for lost time, and she's writing it all down in her private blog. America is everything she ever dreamed of - and then she meets Adam. Can Livia put the past behind her and risk falling in love again?

me:
Livia is a very appealing character. I loved reading her voice. She's a shy girl who's a little awkward and doesn't like attention. Very close to her mother and brother. I could totally relate to her first few experiences with boys and love. And Adam is so sweet. Their romance is darling. I was loving this book.

But then, the ending. I have issues with the ending. BIG issues. I keep fluctuating between loving the book because I love Livia and hating the book because I hate the ending. Why did it have to end that way? Huh?

So, just three apples. Which when I'm hating the book I find really generous.

review: Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken

Release Date: March 23, 2010
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Pages: 368 pgs
source: library

book blurb:
When Wayland North brings rain to a region that's been dry for over ten years, he's promised anything he'd like as a reward. He chooses the village elder's daughter, sixteen-year-old Sydelle Mirabel, who is a skilled weaver and has an unusual knack for repairing his magical cloaks. Though Sydelle has dreamt of escaping her home, she's hurt that her parents relinquish her so freely and finds herself awed and afraid of the slightly ragtag wizard who is unlike any of the men of magic in the tales she's heard. Still, she is drawn to this mysterious man who is fiercely protective of her and so reluctant to share his own past.


The pair rushes towards the capital, intent to stop an imminent war, pursued by Reuel Dorwan (a dark wizard who has taken a keen interest in Sydelle) and plagued by unusually wild weather. But the sudden earthquakes and freak snowstorms may not be a coincidence. As Sydelle discovers North's dark secret and the reason for his interest in her and learns to master her own mysterious power it becomes increasingly clear that the fate of the kingdom rests in her fingertips. She will either be a savior, weaving together the frayed bonds between Saldorra and Auster, or the disastrous force that destroys both kingdoms forever.

my opinion:
I didn't read the inside cover blurb before I read this book. A coworker said she really liked it so I made a point of picking it up. With no preconceived notions, everything was unexpected. Which I love. I love being surprised and having the story unfold without knowing that Sydelle has a mysterious power until she herself finds out she has a mysterious power.

The characters are great. North is an intriguing character who really grew on me. I wasn't so sure at the beginning. I love his friend, though I can't remember his name at this moment. Sydelle is a strong heroine who makes some tough decisions. The romantic tension between Sydelle and North made me smile. I wouldn't have minded a few more kisses, but then I always like a good kissing scene. Though the story really didn't need it. But still...

It's wonderfully written great stand-alone story. Really like it!

And there isn't any blatant sex, drugs, violence or swearing. Though North does get drunk a few times. And there are some magic duels. And North punches a jerk in the face.

review: Super Human by Michael Carroll BONUS booklist: clean books for boys

I'm putting together a clean reads book list for my library. Mild language, no blatant drugs, violence, or sex. I have a lot of books that are more geared towards girls, but realized that books boys would find appealing were absent. Mostly because I read the books geared towards girls. I want to stay away from mega popular books like Lightning Thief and I also want them published within the past few years.

So when Super Human by Michael Carroll came in for me at the library I was excited. Yay, another book idea! It would be great to add to my list. I had a hard time finding out about content in searching other blogs so I bumped it to the top of my to-read-list. It was great.

Michael Carroll--Philomel Publishers--May 13, 2010--336 pages

The Helotry, a group of super villians, have sent a virus throughout the world that has effected most adults, including adult superheroes. But no fear, four superhero teens come together to battle the Helotry and stop them from  bringing Krodin, the world's strongest and first super human, into the present from the past.

Exciting and fast moving story. Great action scenes. Great Characters. It's a great book which I am so excited to add to my booklist. Though I was a little disapointed in what happened on the last two pages.

Super Human is the prequel to Carroll's Quantum Prophecy series

other clean books on my list that are boy-ish:

The Gardener by S. A. Bodeen

The Loser's Guide to Life and Love by A. E. Cannon

The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima

 Airman by Eoin Colfer

 Dark Life by Kat Falls

 Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

Project Sweet Life by Brent Hartinger

The Last Thing I Remember by Andrew Klaven

 House of Dark Shadows by Robert Liparulo

 Pillage by Obert Skye

 After Ever After by Jordan Sonnenblick

 The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

(not new, but one of my favorites EVER--I couldn't resist)

 Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Do you have any ideas? I could sure use them!