Shards and Ashes Review

Shards and Ashes
edited by Melissa Marr and Kelley Armstrong
Genre: YA Dystopian, Short Stories
Format: ARC, to be published: 2.19.13
Midnight Minute: Your favorite YA authors giving you their dystopian view of the future.
From Goodreads:

 Gripping original stories of dystopian worlds from nine New York Times bestselling authors, edited by Melissa Marr and Kelley Armstrong

The world is gone, destroyed by human, ecological, or supernatural causes. Survivors dodge chemical warfare and cruel gods; they travel the reaches of space and inhabit underground caverns. Their enemies are disease, corrupt corporations, and one another; their resources are few, and their courage is tested.

Powerful original dystopian tales from nine bestselling authors offer bleak insight, prophetic visions, and precious glimmers of light among the shards and ashes of a ruined world.

Stories from:
Kelley Armstrong
Rachel Caine
Kami Garcia
Nancy Holder
Melissa Marr
Beth Revis
Veronica Roth
Carrie Ryan
Margaret Stohl

Midnight Thoughts:

~9 Dystopian tales from YA authors, and as far as I know, only one author used a previously used a previous established dystopian world (Beth Revis revisits Godspeed from her Across the Universe series), but this may be because I've not read much of Rachel Caine or Kelley Armstrong.  In fact there were several authors who were new to me.

~I just want to point that all of these short stories are good.  Every single one of them.  I should also point out that short stories are often harder to write than full length novels.  It's hard to create compelling characters, and in this case fully realized dystopian worlds, in such a short format.  But all of the authors here managed to do that, and you should be impressed. ;)

~Veronica Roth's story Hearken is the first tale, and it's pretty amazing.  I loved Divergent and liked Insurgent, but I haven't read anything by her set outside that world, so Hearken was the story I was most looking forward to reading.  In her dystopian tale, the world is full of violence, terrorist attacks, poverty and disease, but the one thing that is still appreciated is music.  Hearkners have the ability to hear life and death songs, and a concept I found truly beautiful.  I think the best dystopian novels have that vein of hope running through them.  It's definitely the story that's stuck with me the most.

~Branded by Kelley Armstrong reminded me of the movie The Village, only the danger outside the walls of the town really are full of terrors.  Also, inside the village there is plenty of danger and strife.  Too many people, not enough food, and the our main character, Rayne, is looking at a possible future as a town prostitute like her mother.  Armstrong manages to weave a very complex tale full of twists and turns, and while Rayne probably isn't my favorite character, I admired how tough and strong she was.  It makes me seriously doubt my ability to survive a dystopian future...

~Necklace of Raindrops by Margaret Stohl surprised me.  At first I thought it was going to be a bit boring, but it ended up completely captivating me.  I could honestly see this being made into some awesome sci-fi romance movie.  Despite the futuristic setting, the main characters have to deal with age old question of how to live your life- quiet and cautiously so that you live longer, or take risks in order to have love and adventure?  The ending was definitely one of the happier ones in the book. I haven't read much of Stohl's books- just the first Beautiful Creatures book that she writes with daughter, Kami Garcia, but it makes me want to go back and give the series another chance!

~Dogsbody by Rachel Caine was another story that easily could be made into a kick butt movie, or a full length novel.  Dystopian novels border very closely to sci fi, which I've spent a long time assuming I didn't like... but I do like sci fi, I really do!  Caine's tale of long awaited revenge is both brutal and stark.  She does an amazing job of writing from the male prospective, and Zay was definitely a fully realized character- the politics were realistically confusing, the horrors of what a government grown out of control can visit upon their society is all too possible. 

~Pale Rider by Nancy Holder is probably the only story that I didn't love, but it's still good.  There's a magical element to the story that isn't found in many dystopian novels, which I'm assuming quite a few people will like.  I didn't write that many notes about this one (my Hearken notes, it should be noted, were longer than most of my notes for full length novels) but I did write that I liked that one of the characters was a hot German guy.  You just don't see a lot of hot German guys in YA fiction!

~Corpse Eaters by Melissa Marr was kind of Buffy meets dystopian, and I really liked it.  I recently read my first Marr book, Carnival of Souls, and just like in that book, Marr does not candy coat her YA stories.  There is one part of the tale that really had me questioning how the action would be viewed if the sex roles were reversed (feel free to send me an email after you read it if you want to know what I'm talking about).  I found the whole concept of Nidos and Nidhogg- a "god" come down to earth, to be interesting and terrifying.  I liked the relationship between the main characters, and definitely would have read a full length novel based in this world.

~Burn 3 by Kami Garcia  is totally Al Gore's vision of the future!  Just kidding, but it is set in a world where people have to live in domes in order to protect them from the sun, since huge portions of the ozone have disappeared.  Even with the dome protecting them, most people are carry the scars of severe sunburn, and the main character does her best to protect her little sister (who is a rarity, with her blonde hair and blue eyes) from not only the sun, but also from the recent child disappearances.  Because how can a child run away when they live in a dome?  Loved the concept of the world!

~Love is a Choice by Beth Revis revisits the past aboard the spaceship Godspeed, and explains the origins of Orion.  I liked Across the Universe, but to be honest, I found Orion's story even more compelling!  I loved learning his history and how he evolved from Elder to Orion. It might be time for me to read the rest of the series...

~Miasma by Carrie Ryan is the last story and one set in a world where clean air is hard to come by.  Only the truly wealthy have access to clean air that helps keep them safe from the illness that haunts the less fortunate.  The beaked doctors hunt the streets in search of the those ill from the plague, and the main character Frankie must protect her older sister, who isn't completely mentally competent,  from discovery.   By day Frankie works at the Oglethorpe estate, surrounded by beautiful plants and flowers, earning what she can to pay off the corrupt doctors to keep them from taking her sister away.  I loved the ending, even though it's very bitter sweet. 

Timeless Characters:

Darya from Hearken- easily one of my favorite characters from all the stories.
Rayne and Braedon- from Branded, I loved their story.
Rami, Jai and Z- from Necklace of Raindrops- all three are wonderful characters, and I actually found cautious Jai easy to identify with.
Zay- from Dogsbody, very cool and very tough.
Alex Ritter from Pale Rider- no, he's not the main character, but he is the hot German dude.
Harmony and Chris from The Corpse Eaters- two very messed up individuals... which works for me.
Phoenix from Burn 3- the kind of older sister that everyone should have!
Orion and Mag from Love is a Choice- I really loved the two of them, but Orion's story was one that really drew me in.
Charles Oglethorpe from Miasma- would have loved to know more about him, from the first moment he enters Frankie's world he changes it.
 

Midnight Moment:

There were so many moments, but I think my favorite is in Hearken when Christopher first hears Darya's life song.
In Dogsbody- what happens on the train. Shivers, but not in a good way, peeps!
Also, in The Corpse Eaters when Harmony learns about what her father has done to keep the family safe.

Stop The Clock:

You probably need to read this collection of stories if you like any of these authors. None of these tales are fuzzy or warm, but they still have their amazing moments.  The best dystopian world carries a chance for hope, and the authors here all give that, creating great characters, disturbing worlds and complete tales in short order. 

Shards and Ashes gets a Midnight Book Rating of:

2013 Christopher Pike Reading Challenge

Christopher Pike Reading Challenge 2013

It's that time of year for new reading challenges to be posted.  I will not be hosting Read Me Baby, One More Time (although if you want, feel free to steal it for 2013), but instead will be hosting a Christopher Pike Reading Challenge in honor of my favorite author!

Christopher Pike Reading Challenge Levels:

1-3 books: The Listeners level

4-6 books: The Midnight Club level

7-9 books: Bury Me Deep level

10-12 books: Master of Murder level

13-and more: Final Friends level

Here's a list of most of Christopher Pike's books from Wikipedia:

 

Young adult fiction

• Slumber Party (1985)
• Weekend (1986)
• The Tachyon Web (1986)
• Last Act (1988)
• Spellbound (1988)
• Gimme a Kiss (1988)
• Scavenger Hunt (1989)
• Fall into Darkness (1990)
• See You Later (1990)
• Witch (1990)
• Whisper of Death (1991)
• Die Softly (1991)
• Bury Me Deep (1991)
• Master of Murder (1992)
• Monster (1992)
• Road to Nowhere (1993)
• The Eternal Enemy (1993)
• The Immortal (1993)
• The Wicked Heart (1993)
• The Midnight Club (1994)
• The Lost Mind (1995)
• The Visitor (1995)
• The Starlight Crystal (1996)
• The Star Group (1997)
• Execution of Innocence (1997)
• Hollow Skull (1998)
• Magic Fire (1999)
• The Grave (1999)
• The Secret of Ka (2010)
• To Die For – Omnibus collects Slumber Party and Weekend (2010)
• Time of Death – Omnibus collects Bury Me Deep and Chain Letter (2011)
• Master of Murder – Omnibus collects Last Act and Master of Murder (2011)
• Bound to You – Omnibus collects Spellbound and See You Later (2012)
• Witch World (2012)

Series

Cheerleaders

• Cheerleaders #2: Getting Even (1985)

Christopher Pike only wrote one book in this forty-seven book series. Other writers of this series include Caroline B. Cooney and Diane Hoh.^[15]

Chain Letter

• Chain Letter (1986)
• Chain Letter 2: The Ancient Evil (1992)
• Chained Together – Omnibus collects Chain Letter 1 and 2. (1994)

Final Friends

• Final Friends 1: The Party (1988)
• Final Friends 2: The Dance (1988)
• Final Friends 3: The Graduation (1989)
• Final Friends Trilogy – Omnibus collects Final Friends 1, 2 and 3. (1999)
• Until the End – Omnibus collects Final Friends 1, 2 and 3. (2011)

Remember Me (book series)

• Remember Me (1989)
• Remember Me 2: The Return (1994)
• Remember Me 3: The Last Story (1995)
• Remember Me – Omnibus collects Remember Me 1, 2 and 3. (2010)

The Last Vampire

• The Last Vampire (1994)
• The Last Vampire 2: Black Blood (1994)
• The Last Vampire 3: Red Dice (1995)
• The Last Vampire 4: Phantom (1996)
• The Last Vampire 5: Evil Thirst (1996)
• The Last Vampire 6: Creatures of Forever (1996)
• The Last Vampire 7: The Eternal Dawn (2010)
• The Last Vampire 8: The Shadow of Death (2011)
• The Last Vampire 9: The Sacred Veil (2013)

Thirst (omnibus editions of The Last Vampire)

• Thirst No. 1 – Omnibus collects The Last Vampire 1, 2 and 3. (2009)
• Thirst No. 2 – Omnibus collects The Last Vampire 4, 5 and 6. (2010)
• Thirst No. 3 – The Last Vampire 7: The Eternal Dawn (2010)
• Thirst No. 4 – The Last Vampire 8: The Shadow of Death (2011)
• Thirst No. 5 - The Last Vampire 9: The Sacred Veil (March 5, 2013)

Spooksville

• Spooksville – series of 24 children's books (1995–1999)

Alosha

• Alosha (2004)
• The Shaktra (2005)
• The Yanti (2006)
• Nemi (TBA)

Short stories

• Tales of Terror – Six original short stories, includes a Master of Murder sequel: The Fan from Hell. (1997)
• Tales of Terror #2 – Five original short stories, includes a Master of Murder sequel: The Burning Witch. (1998)

Anthologies

• Thirteen: 13 Tales of Horror by 13 Masters of Horror – ed. T. Pines; contains Pike's stories Collect Call and Collect Call 2: The Black Walker. (1991)
• 666: The Number of the Beast – contains Pike's story Saving Face. (2007)

Adult fiction

• Sati (1990)
• The Season of Passage (1992)
• The Listeners (1995)
• The Cold One (1995)
• The Blind Mirror (2003)
• Falling (2007)

One lucky participant will win a signed copy of Pike's latest book Witch World (it will be made out to "the winner of the 2013 Christopher Pike Reading Challenge" since I'll be sending him a copy to sign soon),  Winner will be picked at random next December.  Your sign up post will count as your first entry, and any reviews you post and link at the bottom of this page will count as further entries. 

Sundays In Bed With... The Same Book Again!

Welcome to my Sundays In Bed With... Meme! The meme that dares to ask, what book has been in your bed this morning?  Come share what book you've spent time curled up reading in bed, or which book you wish you had time to read today!

This Sunday I'm not in bed, I'm getting read to go to work.  I dislike working on Sundays, but occasionally it is necessary and I don't really mind going in today.  I am still reading the book that was in my bed last Sunday, but that's because I took a break from it to read another review book and to finish Days of Blood and Starlight.  This is what I'm (still) reading:

Tears in Rain by Rosa Montero!  I'm really digging this, and hopefully I'll be able to do this book justice when I review it!  I said it last week, but I'll say it again: It feels like I'm watching a really rich in plot movie, the description is that vivid!  I am normally on the paranormal or fantasy side of science fiction, but I may have to change my mind!

 What are you reading (or wish you had time to read) this morning?  Link up below! 

Up Late With Kate: Days of Blood and Starlight

I've been waiting awhile to bring this new meme out, but it's been awhile since a book literally kept me up and reading into the wee hours.  From time to time I will share what books kept me Up Late With Kate. ;)


Days of Blood and Starlight
by Laini Taylor
Format: Audio and ebook
From Goodreads:

 Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love and dared to imagine a world free of bloodshed and war.

This is not that world.

Art student and monster's apprentice Karou finally has the answers she has always sought. She knows who she is—and what she is. But with this knowledge comes another truth she would give anything to undo: She loved the enemy and he betrayed her, and a world suffered for it.

In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed Daughter of Smoke & Bone, Karou must decide how far she'll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, secrets and impossible choices, Days of Blood & Starlight finds Karou and Akiva on opposing sides as an age-old war stirs back to life.

While Karou and her allies build a monstrous army in a land of dust and starlight, Akiva wages a different sort of battle: a battle for redemption. For hope.

But can any hope be salvaged from the ashes of their broken dream?

Up Late:  I bought the audio for this book the day it came out because I really loved the audio for Daughter of Smoke and Bone.  The narrator is simply amazing, helped no doubt by Taylor's flawless prose, and the audio book definitely kept me in the car, circling the block in order to finish just a bit more of the book... and then a bit more again.  I loved the first book.  And now the second book has blown me away!

     I got to the point yesterday, about 60% into the audio, where I just couldn't wait anymore.  So I bought the ebook and tore into the ending last night.  For the first time in awhile a book had me living up to my blog name and beyond!  Every time I thought things couldn't get more tense, they did!  And then Taylor would pull back, just a little, before tightening the choke hold on my heart again. 

     The love story of Karou and Akiva feels epic.  It's like if Romeo and Juliet weren't complete idiots and there were beasts and angels involved.  After the end of Daughter and Smoke and Bones, I felt gutted.   I couldn't possibly imagine what would happen to Karou and Akiva.  But the book opens with humor- Zuzana and Mik messing with Karou's ex-boyfriend.  And it goes to a broken hearted Akiva.   I'm glad it opened up with humor though, in the hands of a lesser writer this story could be all gloom and doom and tragedy.  Taylor knows how to inject hope even in the darkest moments. 

     There are so many edge of your seat moments in this book.  Taylor just keeps you guessing.  There are plenty of new characters and old ones to love.  And Razgut makes an appearance, which is of course a bad sign because his name pretty much guarantees that he's going to bring down some unhappy shenanigans. Think about it, similarly crappy named characters and the havoc they have wreaked: Wormtail from the Harry Potter books, Wormtonuge from LotR, Littlefinger from the Game of Thrones series.  Razgut totally belongs in the league of slimy, creepy, supporting characters.

      Taylor is going to make me do something I pretty much swore I wouldn't do... read a fairy book.  She has two books featuring fairies, but if she can make them half as appealing as her angels (another paranormal species I tend to avoid like the plague) then she might very well have me owned. 

     Oh, who am I kidding?  Laini Taylor already owns me.  And you know what?  If she writes a book about mermaids, I'll happily gobble that down too.

      What book has recently kept you up late?  Have you read this series yet?  If not, why not?  Seriously, it's totally worth the time.  Forget Christmas and holiday shopping, forget eating and bathing, forget sleeping- just stop everything else and read Daughter of Smoke and Bone and Days of Blood and Starlight.  And then feel free to buy me a present out of your immense feeling of gratitude.  I like bookmarks and gift cards to Amazon and Barnes and Noble.  I also like beach front property, in case several of you want to go in on expressing your thanks. ;) 

Days of Blood and Starlight gets a Midnight Book Rating of: 

That's right... DOUBLE MIDNIGHT READ!!! So nice, I had to rate it twice.

Cycle of the Werewolf Readalong

 

I'm a bit behind, but I'm catching up!  My awesome friend, Midnyte Reader, is hosting Cycle of the Werewolf readalong (and seriously if you're trying hard to meet that Goodreads challenge, then this is perfect, fast read... which I know isn't usually associated with  Stephen King books, but trust me on this one!).  These are the halfway questions and my answers!

Questions:

1. If you have the version that is illustrated, what do you think of it?  Do you think it enhances or detracts from the story?

I do have the illustrated version (although mine is the paperback version, not the awesome limited hardcover one).  I love the pictures, and I really think they help bring Tarker's Mill to life. 

2. What do you think of using the calender year and its full moons as the platform for the story?
Again, I think it works really well.  This could have easily been a long, bloated book, but I think the break up of the months is clever for a werewolf story.  Plus, the first several months, the attacks on the townspeople really helps to introduce the reader to Tarker's Mill and the type of people that live there. 

3. "Love is like dying."  This is the last sentence in February when Stella Randolph is faced with the werewolf.  What are your thoughts on these metaphors? (Love, death, werewolves.)
I don't know.  I'm so used to the vampire metaphor, but I've rarely found werewolves attractive.  Usually in the debate between the two, I'll take the vampire 9 out of 10 times.  Unless I can get them both in one person, like Michael in Underworld, the perfect werewolf-vampire hybrid, and played by hottie Scott Speedman.   I do think love gets overly romanticized, and if you've ever read a romance novel you know that dying for love is a big theme.  Maybe werewolves are the more violent and physical kind of longing for love?  

4. King again uses Tarker's Mills as a kind of character.  Thoughts?

King likes his small towns!  I think there's lots of reasons to use a town like a character- partly because a small town is isolated, increasing the fear, but also because most of us can recognize the types of people that live there.  There are plenty of books that I read that could be set anywhere, the towns are so generic- a lot of times I can't even tell where they're set- and I prefer books that have a strong sense of place. 

5. What do you think of King's use of character portrayal? Too much, too little?
Okay, I cannot be unbiased when it comes to Stephen King.  Whatever he wants to write is usually pretty alright with me.  I tend to have blind loyalty when it comes to my favorite things- be they authors, friends or my Starbucks order.

6. What do you think of the Reverand's dream?

This is a hard one to answer, mostly because I've already read the book.  Although, some times a nightmare is just the result of eating too much before bedtime... which also causes weight gain.  So, don't eat before bedtime to avoid fat and werewolf nightmares.  That is all. 

 

Read, Not Reviewed #1: Must Reads

I start every year thinking I am going to review every single book I read... but of course I don't!  And while I've gotten much better at taking notes while reading, there's no point in writing a review if I don't remember enough to make it interesting to read.  

Quite a few of my favorite reads so far this year have managed to not get reviewed.  Trust me, the fault lies in me, and not the books!  Here are the books I may not have officially reviewed, but officially think you need to read now!

Catch Me 
by Lisa Gardner
From Goodreads:

In four days, someone is going to kill me. . . . Detective D. D. Warren is hard to surprise. But a lone woman outside D.D.'s latest crime scene shocks her with a remarkable proposition: Charlene Rosalind Carter Grant believes that she will be murdered in four days. And she wants Boston's top detective to handle her death investigation. It will be up close and personal. No evidence of forced entry, no sign of struggle. Charlie tells a chilling story: Each year at 8:00 p. m. on January 21, a woman has died. The victims have been childhood best friends from a small town in New Hampshire; the motive remains unknown. Now only one friend, Charlie, remains to count down her final hours. But as D.D. quickly learns, Charlie Grant doesn't plan on going down without a fight. By her own admission, the girl can outshoot, outfight, and outrun anyone in Boston, which begs the question: Is Charlie the next victim, or the perfect perpetrator? As D.D. tracks a vigilante gunman who is killing pedophiles in Boston, she must also delve into the murders of Charlie's friends, racing to find answers before the next gruesome January 21 anniversary. Is Charlie truly in danger, or is she hiding a terrifying secret that may turn out to be the biggest threat of all? In four days, someone is going to kill me. But he's gotta catch me first.

My Rating:

I listened to the audio, and I actually do remember this clearly- it's a fantastic thriller, and as usual Gardner had me on the edge of my seat!  Also, I really loved the behind the scenes look at 911 operator Charlie's job.  Thrillers are always hard to review, because it's hard to say much without giving important plot lines away.  Gardner is quickly becoming one of my auto-buy authors.  Who are some of your auto-buy authors?

Soulless
by Gail Carriger
From Goodreads:

Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.

Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire—and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.

With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?

My Rating:

I LOVED this book SO MUCH!  Somehow, it's harder to write a review for a book I loved.  I have no idea why I didn't trumpet the love for this, but I didn't.  I listened to the audio and it was amazing- funny, sexy and witty!  I haven't found the time to finish this series- but I will!  Also, does anyone want to make me treacle tart so I can finally try it?  It's mentioned quite a bit in the Harry Potter series too, and every time it's mentioned I feel hopelessly American.

The Fault in Our Stars
by John Green
From Goodreads:

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 13, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

My Rating:

 
I did do a giveaway for this book, but no review.  Partly because I tore through it, not bothering to take any notes but desperately needing to get to the end.  This book felt big- and reviews were everywhere, and basically my review would have gone something like this: I LOVE THIS BOOK, JOHN GREEN IS AMAZING, I LOVE THIS BOOK, JOHN GREEN IS AMAZING!!!!  There would have been lots of exclamation points and Donald Trump would probably demand to see my birth certificate to prove that I'm really 35 and not 12 (no offense to 12 year olds, there's absolutely nothing wrong with getting excited about books and authors!), If you haven't read this book, then it's possible you have no soul.  But I won't hold it against you, since I did really love the above mentioned Soulless. I have heard, though, that you can get a soul by reading John Green books and my blog.  This has yet to be proven in a clinical trial and the government does not endorse reading my blog as a means to restoring or creating souls.  Although what the government would know about this subject remains unclear, as I'm positive there's not enough John Green reading government officials.  Possible the FBI is watching this blog closely though...

There's still lots of books to add, but you'll have to live in an-ti-ci-

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.

.

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pation!

How about you, Midnighters, any books you've read, loved but not reviewed? 

Illustrated Snow White Review

Snow White
by The Brothers Grimm, Illustrated: Camille Rose Garcia
Genre: Fairy Tale
Format: Hardcover, owned
Midnight Minute: Gorgeously illustrated edition of the original tale.
From Goodreads:

"Originating in seventeenth-century French Folklore, the story of Snow White has been one of the world's most memorable childhood tales. It is the story of an evil queen determined to do away with a girl-with skin as white as snow, lips as red as blood, and hair as black as ebony- who threatens the queen's quest to remain the most beautiful in her kingdom. This new gift edition presents the unabridged version of the Grimms' tale, with an original interpretation by renowned artist Camille Rose Garcia that art-fully combines wit and dark romance."

Midnight Thoughts:

~ I thought I'd read the original The Brothers Grimm, but it turns out I've probably been lying to myself.  And to you, if I've ever told you I read the original Snow White.
~ Seriously, Snow White is a moron.  She falls for her evil Step-mother's tricks again and again.
~ The book definitely ends on a much crueler death for the step-monster.  It's morbid, disturbing and violent.  I am totally going to use this to traumatize any future Midnight kids I might have.
~ The illustrations are amazing, and it's why I bought it.  There it was, just staring at me from the bookshelf at Books-a-Million, begging to come home with me.  I couldn't just leave it there, now could I?
~ This would be a great read for a Readathon!  Plus, it looks fantastic!
~ The Prince in the graphic novel looks a bit like Snow White with a Fu Manchu mustache.  Not sure why the illustrator did that, but it's my only (minor) complaint. 

Timeless Characters:

The Evil Queen: step-monster, talks to mirrors, is NOT aging gracefully.
Snow White- beautiful, and moronic.
The Dwarves- suitably short and dwarf like.  They are a little sexist, and it leaves you with the impression that Snow White could be made very dirty in the hands of someone like E L James.
The Prince- likes riding through the forest and kissing beautiful corpses, proposes if they come to life... which I guess is a redeeming quality, but could be just a way of getting out of necrophiliac charges...
Snow White's Mom: dead, possibly a future hook-up of her son-in-law's since she meets his dating critera.
Snow White's Dad: marries an evil bitch, obviously passes on his super smart genes to his daughter.

Midnight Moment: 

In the Disney version of Snow White, the witch is killed by Mother Nature (aka, a lightening bolt that tumbles her off a cliff.  In the REAL version, Snow White makes her wear iron shoes, heated in red hot coals.  Then Snow's like "Dance, bitch, dance!", and the evil queen does.  Then she dies. And that's the happy every after. 

Stop The Clock:

Thank you, Brothers Grimm, for being so wicked!  I think fairy tales need their element of horror and morals.  The moral to Snow White is not to be obsessed so much with your looks, and treat your step children kindly so they don't grow up and kill you.  Lessons we could all use, no?

Camille Rose Garcia — Website |

Snow White gets a Midnight Book Rating of:

Sunday In Bed With... Tears In Rain

Welcome to my Sundays In Bed With... Meme! The meme that dares to ask, what book has been in your bed this morning?  Come share what book you've spent time curled up reading in bed, or which book you wish you had time to read today!

This morning I'm spending a little time with some science fiction:

 Tears In Rain by Rosa Montero.  Set in the future where the replicants of Blade Runner fiction have become reality.  So far I am loving it!  Mostly because even though it's science fiction, it's mostly a mystery thriller at heart.  It feels like I'm watching a really rich in plot movie, the description is that vivid!  I am normally on the paranormal or fantasy side of science fiction, but I may have to change my mind!


What are you reading (or wish you had time to read) this morning?  Link up below! 

The Innocents Review

The Innocents
by Lili Peloquin
Genre: YA
Format: ARC (picked up at BEA)
Midnight Minute: Two sisters find themselves in Cruel Intentions meets Gossip Girl meets Rebecca with a small helping of The Great Gatsby.
From Goodreads:

Nothing ever came between sisters Alice and Charlie.
Friends didn't.
Boys couldn't.
Their family falling apart never would.
Until they got to Serenity Point.

In a town built on secrets and lies, it's going to be hard to stay innocent.
They're sucked into a strange and seductive world—a world they can't help but hate, and can't help but love. A world that threatens to tear them apart, just when they need each other the most.
The Innocents is the first in a new series of young adult novels that weave a saga of nail-biting drama, breathless romance, and Gothic mystery.

Midnight Thoughts:

~There are just not enough books featuring sisters.  I really liked the relationship between Alice and Charlie, it was complex and realistic. 
~What is it with all the granola eating, hippy moms in YA books?  Fortunately, or unfortunately as the case may be, Alice and Charlie's mom adapts pretty quickly to being rich.
~Even though it's not set in the Hamptons, it felt like it was set in the Hamptons.  If that makes sense?
~The parents of the teens are fairly liberal with their children's freedom- they are allowed to drink openly but are expected to not get in trouble.  I rather like that idea, because I think part of the problem with teen drinking is that it's so taboo that kids make a big deal out of drinking.  Then again, most teenagers are idiots and can't be trusted, so I'm torn.  
~There's a quote from the book about how the house the sisters are now living in is devoid of any pictures of their stepfather's former family- his deceased wife and daughter, but that by the complete and utter absence of items, they've become a presence.
~ When I picked up this book from BEA, I totally thought it was going to be a historical YA like Venom (which I picked up at the same time).  I loved the cover with the picture frames (and I've seen the official hardcover book and it's got great texture to the frames), they felt ornate and antique, but the book is very much a contemporary novel.  But-
~ There's a lot of stuff going on in the novel- there's mystery, romance, and the basic theme of growing up and dealing with change.  I'm actually glad the novel wasn't what I thought it'd be.  
~ I expected that I'd dislike Charlie, because I'm totally an Alice, and while Charlie makes a lot of stupid mistakes, as does Alice, I was able to identify with both of them.  I found myself rooting for both of them, despite the different dreams the girls had.  
~ I don't care how hot a guy is, if he's messing around with his cousin in a sexual way, you need to stay away from him.  Okay, I guess it's okay if he's really hot.  Just, have some standards, ladies!
- One of the notes that I wrote in the beginning: Alice is stuck in a gothic Rebecca like storyline, while Charlie is the Gatsby figure to Jude as Daisy, and The Great Gatsby is referenced several times in the book.
~ I was a disappointed by Alice's complete dismissal of her long-distance boyfriend.  However, teens do not always end relationships the right way, so it's realistic.  Not to say that people get better at ending relationships as they get older, because they really don't.
~ The one thing both sisters have in common is how freaking naive they are when it comes to the boys they like- both put up with a lot of crazy shiz from Tommy and Jude, and both ignore the guys who are actually willing to pay them the attention they deserve.  Sadly, this too is pretty realistic.  

Timeless Characters:

Alice- the older sister, quiet and content to be a bookworm. 
Charlie- younger and wilder, she is drawn to the bad boy with the very messed up relationship with his cousin. 
Richard- stepfather.  A common nick name for Richard is "Dick".  Sometimes character's names are very important and descriptive. 
Margaret (Maggie)- former granola mom, now a country club mom.  Her name perhaps should have been Richard too.
Camilla- Richard's dead daughter, Alice becomes pretty obsessed with her.
Tommy- Camilla's ex, Alice becomes pretty obsessed with him too, mostly, I think, because of his connection to Camilla. Tommy is practically a Kennedy, and by that I mean the scandal ridden Kennedys and not the idealistic "Camelot" Kennedys. 
Jude- he's the bad boy who Charlie is interested in. He's hot, he's troubled and he's unavailable.  So, expect to swoon. ;)
Stan- the token poor boy who works at the country club, is cute and decent and likes Charlie.  At first I was troubled why any author would name a potential hottie love interest Stan (no offense to those named Stan, married or dating Stans, or anyone who has named a kid, Stan- I'll just assume it was a family name), but his full name is Stanislav which is much hotter.  So, if you're name is Stan, just add an "islav" to the end to up your Hotness Number.
Cybil- Jude's cousin and It Girl. Both friend and rival to Charlie.  She actually grew on me... like the bathroom mold you just learn to live with even though it might kill you because you're too lazy to just hose it down with bleach.
Bianca and Sasha- friends of Cybil, whom she finds fairly interchangeable, which you will too.
 

Midnight Moment:

The conversation Alice overhears her mom having with her stepfather.  I knew some poo was up, but wow!  I often say it and it's true: people are interesting.  They have layers, some are onions like Shrek, and some are delicious parfaits, like Donkey.

Stop The Clock:

I really enjoyed this book.  The cover (and the ones I've seen of the future books) are gorgeous!  I will be continuing with the series because there's still a lot to uncover and I'm invested.  As much as I like reading series, I've given myself permission to break up with a series if it's not grabbing my attention.  The Innocents grabbed my attention.



Lili Peloquin — Goodreads | I could not find an official website for the author

The Innocents gets a Midnight Book Rating of: 

Christopher Pike is the Man!

If you're a regular reader of my blog, or even a casual one, then you know that I have much love for Christopher Pike. Love is actually too weak a word, but worship might be to strong. So I'm making up a new word: Loveship. I loveship Christopher Pike.

Today is a day that will go down in infamy- no, not because I created a new word, although that obviously deserves it's own fanfare- but because today is the day that Pike's new book Witch World hits the shelves!

Obviously, Goodreads needs to have some loveship for Pike too, because it's a major pain in the hiney to find Witch World on their site. Here's my review of Witch World. Hopefully by the time I get home my own copy of Christopher Pike's newest book will be there waiting for me.

Sundays In Bed With... The End of Your Life Book Club

Welcome to my Sundays In Bed With... Meme! The meme that dares to ask, what book has been in your bed this morning?  Come share what book you've spent time curled up reading in bed, or which book you wish you had time to read today!

Sorry this is going up so late, but yesterday was busy!  My family got together to hang out, drink and play cornhole... because basically we are suburban rednecks.  Also, my brother Patrick is going to Afghanistan for a year later this month.  He's been trying to get a civilian job over there for awhile now, and when it finally comes through it seems to move pretty fast.  I am assuming that this is to avoid people really stopping and thinking, Wow, is it really worth all this money to go out to the Middle East for a year?  A lot of people that I have told about my brother's future job plans have asked if he's taking his family with him. The answer is NO, he is not taking his beautiful wife and or his three gorgeous daughters to live for a year in the desert inside of a military base. 

And then the Hubs surprised me with an overnight date here in town.  My mom lives with us now, which works out really well, but still my mom lives with us now.  It was very romantic and fun, but next time he needs to give me warning, because I didn't even have a hair brush or deodorant.  I personally like to keep my b.o. a Secret (spring breeze) and I like to brush my hair before going out to breakfast... maybe that's just me?  The hotel was nice, only they had the kind of toilets designed to use less water, and you have to hold down the button in order to S L O W L Y flush it, and it was exhausting.  Flushing should not require that much effort!  The best part of our hotel?  It was connected to a River City Diner, which we love, and we got discounts for eating there.   Actually the best part of the hotel is that my mom wasn't there, but the Hubs was. Thank you, babe! ;)

Back to the actual meme though!  This morning (afternoon), I'm in bed with: 

The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe.  I'm reading this as part of an online book club, and it's amazing.  I had to take a break earlier this month because one of my Alzheimer's patients took a turn for the worse, but she's doing a little better now.  I will still probably weep like a baby though.  I met the author at BEA at the Bloggers Breakfast and he spoke with so much love about his mom, and she was an amazing woman.  It's an amazing book.  It's the kind of book that I'll probably be giving out as a Christmas present to my mom and sister in laws. 


What are you reading (or wish you had time to read) this morning?  Link up below! 

Get Real: Contemps On Tour Book Signing

I love book signings, but I do not have the opportunity to go to as many as I would like.  So when Kim from On the Wings of Books asked if I wanted to take a 2 hour trip to Northern VA to a book signing, I was all over it... as long as she drove.  I don't to the Beltway, ya'll.

The book signing was in Arlington at One Page More Books- which is a fantastic book store, the kind of place that book lovers instantly recognize as being a home away from home.  Even the bathroom was full of awesomeness.  Here, I took a picture:

No, I do not normally take pictures of the insides of bathrooms. 

 The book signing was for Get Real: Contemps on Tour and featured 4 YA authors.  Here's a picture of all four authors and the One Page More Books people:

Back Row: Miranda Kenneally, Lisa Roecker, Laura Roecker and Janet Gurtler, Front Row: One Page More Books staff.

I have to admit that prior to this book signing I had not read any books by these authors, although Miranda Kenneally was on my must read soon radar, but I had heard of the other authors.  It's been my experience that once you meet and like an author it only adds to the book reading experience, so I can't wait to read the books I bought!

After a brief introduction, the authors took some questions.  I, of course, could not think of a single intelligent question to ask- although I did really want to ask what books they were currently reading, but chickened out because I worried that it would be rude to ask authors who were there to sign and sell their own books about other people's books that do not provide an income to them.  Luckily, there were people that don't lose their damn minds when they get around authors so that's how I got the material for this post.  Thank you, random book store signing attendees!

This is the book I bought for her to sign

Miranda Kenneally is the author of Catching Jordan and Stealing Parker and her third Source book Things I Can't Forget will be coming out in 2013. She summarized her books for us, and then said that her husband teased her about how all her stories go, "It's about a girl who..." so she made a point to say "It's about a person who...".  Kim and I got to speak quite a bit with Miranda after the author question period and she's funny and clever, and she got that I rock.  No, seriously, she did.  She wrote that I rock when she signed Stealing Parker for me.  Needless to say, she has my undying literary love forever.  And at the Phoenix stop of the tour she read out loud from Fifty Shades of Grey, and according to her fellow tour members, has Jedi mind skills. Since Kim had long ago convinced me that Catching Jordan and Stealing Parker were must reads, I required no Jedi mind tricks. Miranda and I would be friends in real life, if my fan girl worship didn't require a order of protection.

The book I bought for her to sign

Janet Gurtler is from Canada, which means she's magical like my friends Cindy and Kellie.  She's also the author of several Source books I'm Not Her, If I Tell, and her latest book Who I Kissed, which I picked up. The book is about a girl who kisses a boy at a party, not knowing he has a peanut allergy, and he dies.  Janet said she got the idea because her son has a peanut allergy.  There were many wonderful quotes from the night, but she gave my favorite.  After telling us what Who I Kissed Was About- which features not only death but cyber bullying- said that the book still "has hope in it, like most YA."  Kim and I had to explain to her about Canadian magic, which she didn't even know she possessed. Out of all her covers she's most excited over the one for next book to be published, How I Lost You, which I think is mainly due to the fact that her book's signature circle on the cover is going to be a lovely peach color.  She was adorable.

Picked up both of these!

Lisa Roecker, who was told by kids at a school they stopped by at that she looked like an "older Carly Rae Jepson" and her sister Laura Roecker are the authors of The Liar Society books.  The two of them have a great energy between them, and write by taking turns on each chapter.  When someone asked the panel to say which of their book covers they liked the best, there was a lot of groans from the authors, mostly because they have very little input on what appears on the covers.  Lisa and Laura had to change their main character's hair color because the model on the cover has pink hair, but it ended up working out for the better.  Not so good?  Learning from readers that the cover model has several nude pictures on the web, pink hair and private school clothes (although I guess a lot less of them).  The sisters were really funny and they completely sold me on their books.

I also got the authors to sign my Kindle cover and scored some jelly belly beans from Janet Gurtler and an exclusive early chapter reveals booklet that has the opening's of How I Lost You by Janet Gurtler, I'm With Stupid by Geoff Herbach and Things I Can't Forget by Miranda Kenneally.   There was also a raffle giveaway, in which I didn't win a thing, but Kim did win a Authors Are My Rockstar t-shirt.  If you can't be a winner, it's at least good to sit next to a winner and bask in the spotlight.

Misery Read-A-Long

Sorry this post is going up so late- but it's been a busy month!  For the month of November we'll be reading Misery by Stephen King and Midnyte Reader is hosting a read-a-long of Cycle of the Werewolf over on her blog.  I'm participating in both and I hope you do too!

Thanks to Kim from On The Wings of Books for the amazing graphics!

Sign up below to join in on the Misery Readalong!  Here's the dates for the official discussions:

November 17th- discuss the first two parts of the book: Annie and Misery (it's not quite the half way mark, but I thought it would be the best way to break it up, plus this is starting fairly late).

November 30th- discuss the last two parts of the book: Paul and Goddess

I've already started, and I can tell you, Misery is an intense read!