Reading Rainbow: Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

I don't do this to you all very often, but I'm going to do it today. *deep breath* STOP what you are doing and go buy Paranormalcy by Kiersten White! *exhales*

Seriously, I am in love with this book!

From Goodreads:
Weird as it is working for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, Evie's always thought of herself as normal. Sure, her best friend is a mermaid, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only person who can see through paranormals' glamours, but still. Normal.

Only now paranormals are dying, and Evie's dreams are filled with haunting voices and mysterious prophecies. She soon realizes that there may be a link between her abilities and the sudden rash of deaths. Not only that, but she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

I totally judged this book by it's cover and was expecting a very dark story, which I like, but I love a dark story with a load of humor thrown in even more. That's exactly what Paranormalcy was. I was giggling at the first line. No wait, I was giggling at the title of the first chapter, "Oh Bite Me," and didn't stop from there. Evie and her bleeping bleeps are hilarious and she's such a great character. Sure, the girl loves sparkly pink more than I thought I could handle, but with Evie, it works. She is the kind of character who reminds you to take joy in the little things - even high school lockers.

And Lend. He might be my new favorite book-boyfriend. As always, I don't want to say too much, but Lend is about as perfect as they come. No sword, but he has plenty of other attributes that make him swoon-worthy. AND THE KISSY SCENE! This book has one that should be at the top of our list! I will probably go back and read it again as soon as I finish typing this.

And the story! It was fresh and FUNNY. This was one of those books that made me want to hole up and read for the entire day. I thought about it while I wasn't reading and couldn't wait to get home to my book and sink back into Evie's story. So, GO - READ!! And then tell me what you think, of course.

Follow Kiersten White on twitter here and read her blog here.

DBF or "How I Fangirled For Two Days & Didn't Get Kicked Out"

Last weekend I bribed convinced my husband to take me to the Decatur Book Festival. All I had to hear was the word "book" and I was sold, but then I found out that Rachel Hawkins and Cassie Clare would be there. I think my head might have exploded from the awesome. I also may have ordered a Hot Boys With Swords bag. And I may have convinced several authors to sign it. (Picture at the end of the post!)


Let me tell you: they all lived up to it. I couldn't believe how genuinely NICE all of the authors were! They were funny, they were insightful, and they were real. (I touched a few of them!!) (*fangirls*) See?

Me (Leigh), Myra McEntire, and Victoria Schwab taking a ninja-stealth-pic with Cassie Clare

Saundra Mitchell and Jessica Verday were absolutely adorable talking about what went into creating their fantasy worlds. (I mean adorable in the best sense of the word, by the way.) Saundra explained her not-at-all-creepy use of Google Maps Street View: she used it to pick the spot on the highway to make her fake town for Shadowed Summer.


Rachel Hawkins and Nancy Werlin were wonderful as they discussed their (sometimes different) views on paranormal literature. Rachel had a TON of perfect examples/quotes. She pointed out that Buffy took a normal teen experience ("I slept with my boyfriend and now he won't talk to me") and turned it into: "I slept with my boyfriend and now he wants to kill me." Nancy talked book covers for a bit, and about how even if a book cover doesn't fit a book (*cough* there's-no-cat-in-Hex-Hall *cough), that doesn't mean it's not a good cover. If you've read the book and can COMPLAIN that it's not right, then the cover did it's job. So, it was the right cover. Deep, no?

Also? Rachel let me touch her blue streaks. Because she is.. wait for it... AMAZEBALLS!

Rachel Hawkins, who says I didn't scare her off

Of course, I also got to listen to Cassie Clare read from CoFA and have her sign my book! AND my Hot Boys With Swords bag. She is every bit as awesome as you have heard, and she spent at least two hours sitting in the heat signing books. She deserves her #1 on the NYT bestseller list and THEN some.

"Team 'They Should Be Doing It" - Cassie Clare, "Yes!" - Nancy Werlin, and "Caspian FTW! HBWS + RH = 4-eva!" - Rachel Hawkins

But most of all? I just flat-out had fun meeting a TON of people who I recognized from the blog, from Twitter, and just from their general good-taste-in-books! Vania, who makes awesome book trailers, is so nice! (I've already decided I want her to do my headshot someday!) You should all watch out for these debut authors (who were so ridiculously sweet and I can't WAIT to read their books!): Myra McEntyre (Hourglass), Victoria Schwab (The Near Witch), and Michelle Hodkin (The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer).

In short? I loved it, loved them, and so incredibly lucky to have had the chance to meet everyone who was there. Book people ROCK!

Reading Rainbow: Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel

I was recently tweeting with Julie Kagawa (and you know we love Julie around here!) and asked her what book she was planning on reading during her vacation. Vacation books are a big deal for me. I put so much importance on them that when Julie said she was thinking of reading Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel, I figured I would have to read it too.



From Goodreads:
Lenah Beaudonte is, in many ways, your average teen: the new girl at Wickham Boarding School, she struggles to fit in enough to survive and stand out enough to catch the eye of the golden-boy lacrosse captain. But Lenah also just happens to be a recovering five-hundred-year-old vampire queen. After centuries of terrorizing Europe, Lenah is able to realize the dream all vampires have -- to be human again. After performing a dangerous ritual to restore her humanity, Lenah entered a century-long hibernation, leaving behind the wicked coven she ruled over and the eternal love who has helped grant her deep-seated wish.

Until, that is, Lenah draws her first natural breath in centuries at Wickham and rediscovers a human life that bears little resemblance to the one she had known. As if suddenly becoming a teenager weren’t stressful enough, each passing hour brings Lenah closer to the moment when her abandoned coven will open the crypt where she should be sleeping and find her gone. As her borrowed days slip by, Lenah resolves to live her newfound life as fully as she can. But, to do so, she must answer ominous questions: Can an ex-vampire survive in an alien time and place? What can Lenah do to protect her new friends from the bloodthirsty menace about to descend upon them? And how is she ever going to pass her biology midterm?

Okay, so maybe you're thinking, "Another vampire book. Really?" But, wait! This is one of those vampire stories that turns the tables, and I loved it for that. You won't get the "Oh look! I'm a beautiful vampire with lots of money and my eternal life is so fabulous and don't you want to be me?" story here. Nope. Rebecca Maizel looks at the dark side of being a vampire. They cannot feel anything under their touch, they cannot cry without horrible pain, they feel desperate longing for human emotion, and any sort of human happiness inspires the need to inflict suffering. You won't find many friendly neighborhood vamps in this story. And, I liked that.

Now, that's not to say I liked the savage nature that Lenah had as a vampire. What I like is how this book explores the desire to be human and what exactly that means. It crosses the age-old story of a high-school crush with the story of a centuries old vampire queen. And it's wonderfully done.

The ending of this book left my jaw on the ground, but thankfully there is a chapter from the next book included, so you won't be left completely dumbstruck. And make sure you read the chapter - I almost feel like it could have been part of this book instead.

Have you read Infinite Days? Are you planning on adding it to your TBR list?

Waiting on Wednesday: Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

So you may have noticed the absence of Reading Rain-bow this week. Truth be told, I'm suffering from a Mockingjay hangover. (If you want to join in the discussion on Mockingjay - go here.) And you might also be aware that Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare was released this week. So, I'm a little distracted. We'll just carry on with our regular scheduled programming - Waiting on Wednesday!

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

Lately I've been hearing a lot about Nightshade by Andrea Cremer. Every book blogger that has read it has been buzzing about it and the reviews on goodreads are amazing. And, the cover is beautiful and deadly all in one. I love it.

From Goodreads:
While other teenage girls daydream about boys, Calla Tor imagines ripping out her enemies’ throats. And she wouldn’t have it any other way. Calla was born a warrior and on her eighteenth-birthday she’ll become the alpha female of the next generation of Guardian wolves. But Calla’s predestined path veers off course the moment she saves the life of a wayward hiker, a boy her own age. This human boy’s secret will turn the young pack's world upside down and forever alter the outcome of the centuries-old Witches' War that surrounds them all.

Seriously? Witches War? I'm in. Also the reviews on goodreads:

This is a very sexy YA novel. Lots of insanely hot werewolves. Grrr... Suspense up to the very end. (from author Lisa Desrochers) Okay, again, "insanely hot werewolves," and I'm in.

From the reviews, I also learned that we have a Chick Who Can Kick Our Asses as a heroine (yes!) and a book that far surpasses the blurb. (I was a little judge-y of the blurb too, to be honest). So, I'm definitely going to be lined up to get Nightshade when it comes out on October 19, 2010 in the states. I just wonder if I can wait until then.

What about you? Have you heard about Nightshade? Planning on reading it? Lucky enough to have already read a copy?

Informal Lazy Book Club: Mockingjay!

***This POST contains NO SPOILERS but the COMMENTS WILL HAVE SPOILERS***






I need to discuss Mockingjay! I have finished but Leigh is just starting Catching Fire, so I'm barely speaking to her for fear of letting something slip. And I know there are people out there who have finished, but have no place to discuss without causing a riot because you've posted spoilers. I figured those of us who have finished can discuss in the comments section so we don't ruin it for anyone.

So, obviously, if you have not finished the book, DO NOT READ THE COMMENTS!! For those of you who have... I would love to hear what you thought!!

Reading Rain-bow: Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopcus

I was so looking forward to reading Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopcus. I had heard so many great things, and the good news is - I loved it!






From Goodreads:

Since her sister’s mysterious death, Persephone “Phe” Archer has been plagued by a series of disturbing dreams. Determined to find out what happened to her sister, Phe enrolls at Devenish Prep in Shadow Hills, Massachusetts—the subject of her sister’s final diary entry. After stepping on campus, Phe immediately realizes that there’s something different about this place—an unexplained epidemic that decimated the town in the 1700s, an ancient and creepy cemetery, and gorgeous boy Zach—and somehow she’s connected to it all. But the more questions she asks and the deeper she digs, the more entangled Phe becomes in the haunting past of Shadow Hills. Finding what links her to this town…might cost her her life.

You can see this book is a mystery in some respects. I was in the mood for exactly that - a book that kept me guessing and always wondering what will happen next. Shadow Hills was perfect in that respect. The setting of Devenish is great - there was a whole "creepy" element mixed in this small New England town. But, it also had plain, old normal elements - like clothing shops - which I liked. I found it refreshing that within the creepy, there were elements that I could relate to.

I also liked this in regard to the characters. Phe may have had some seriously strange things happening to her and around her, but at the same time, she was a new student at a new school, trying to make friends and fit in. She also had some serious moxie, but would readily admit she was scared. I always feel frustrated when MCs run into dangerous situations without thinking that they could get caught and then never show fear of the situation. I liked that Phe was real enough to admit how scared she was, even when she was running off to do some crazy stuff.

Also? I loved that she cared about a dress that she wore to a dance - and her cute red shoes. I think Anastasia Hopcus did an amazing job of blending real-life YA quandries (What to Wear to a Dance?) and mixing them with the Supernatural/Creepy (What is This Strange Mark Appearing on My Hip?).

Phe's friends were just as great - I adored all of them, but especially Zach. I don't want to say too much, but I found the lack of a love triangle in this book refreshing. It was a nice change - I liked the focus on the story. And that's not to say that there's no love-story going on in this book. Don't worry - there is a Hot Boy. He may not have a sword, but he's got some other fun attributes.

And the ending. Don't expect all of your questions to be answered neatly at the end of this book. In fact, you may end up with more questions as you finish. I usually like things all tied up, but the main mystery of this book was solved, so I was okay with the unanswered questions. It just left me waiting in anticipation for the next book! And I hope there will be a next book!

Follow Anastasia Hopcus on twitter here: http://twitter.com/anastasiahopcus

Read a review at Mundie Moms here: http://mundiemoms.blogspot.com/2010/07/book-review-shadow-hills.html

YA is for Lovers

I am not a romance reader. Never have been. There's nothing WRONG with romance, it's just not my thing. Until I started reading YA Fiction, that is. Now I can't stop myself from splitting up into Teams. (Team Edward, Team Ash, Team Rob... Wait, that's not a team... *wink*)

A good female heroine with a charming suitor is half of the draw for me. And it occurred to me that as an adult I long for that excitement of a first love or the fantasy of a bad boy. Grown women know better than the run after the sexy miscreant (usually), and we realize that passion doesn't always mean a lasting love. I love young love.

But then I started to wonder... while this escapism is great for those of us who've already survived high school, what about the intended readers? Does my love perpetuate the allure of the bad boy and encourage young girls? Or does it give them a chance to explore that in a safe environment? What do you think?

I agree with you on the draw of the "First Love" aspect of YA romance, because who doesn't want to relive those moments of falling in love? I think the other great thing about a lot of YA romance books is the whole Forbidden Love, Star-Crossed Lovers thing. When you're finally settle down for marriage and kids, it's usually with someone safe. Or at least someone who doesn't turn out to be a vampire or a werewolf. I think the star-crossed lovers theme is fun to read as an adult, since we've already settled into our relatively safe lives.

It's being kind of presumptuous of us oldies to think that these books will influence young girls to the point that they will run out looking for Edward. (Okay, well maybe we all have a little bit.) It's like Marilyn Manson back in the day (I'm dating myself)...People blamed his music for things that couldn't possibly be the music's fault (imo). Books can't make girls fall in love with the wrong boy. Right?

Okay, first of all, I don't know who you're calling an "oldie". Secondly, I agree that books don't MAKE people do things. I think that YA literature tends to romanticize the "bad boy" because this is the only period in life where falling in love with him seems acceptable. We all have that "but only I can see the good in him" fantasy, and YA loves to let us live that.

My only point was that I think we should be careful, as adults who can see the futility in that exercise, to not over-glorify it. I think for every Jace we put on a pedestal, there should be a Simon that we express similar love for.

Agreed. Because I think we've all dated the Potential in a Boy, rather than the actual Boy. I think that was part of the draw of Twilight. Edward was already perfect - he wasn't the Bad Boy at all, and he offered Bella complete safety. But, he offered it within the context of danger - being a vampire. So, basically, the best of both worlds. Let's face it, we all want to feel safe, but we don't want boring. A lot of YA books give us exactly that by placing them in a fantasy setting. I think the supernatural romance books are best for the "exploration" because the things that occur (falling in love with a vampire, werewolf, shadowhunter, etc.) could never truly happen. Well, so far as I know.

*stunned look* Wait, you mean Edward isn't real?

So, readers, do you agree? Are we over-thinking the whole "bad-boy" allure? Tell us what draws YOU in to a good YA Romance.