Passion

Book three of the Lauren Kate series about mortal Lucinda and her soul mate fallen angel, Daniel Grigori, picks up immediately after Torment left off. Lucinda has jumped into an Announcer as a means to try and break the curse that keeps her and Daniel apart. This books takes you on a tour of time, ancient Egypt, World War 1 in Italy, at the home of the French King, as Lucinda discovers all the times she and Daniel have met and all the times she has died. She has a guide on the way, a gargoyle named Bill, who is not what he seems of course. Daniel chases her through time, trying to figure out a way to end the curse as well. The other Fallen Angels are also on the hunt to find current day Lucinda. This was not my favorite book in the series. It spent a lot of time on Luce trying to figure out if Daniel really loves her... duh! It got interesting in the final few pages as the real identity of Bill is revealed and his master plan unleashed. As the Angels, both good and bad, gather to figure out a way to stop this plan, book three ends... and the wait for Rapture begins... Spring 2012. Daniel remains one of my favorite fictional boys and I think Cam may worm his way onto my list as this series ends- but the jury is still out on that for now.

The Exiled Queen

Earlier in the summer I wrote about the first book in this series, The Demon King,  and I loved it. Well, book two is now a memory and a great one at that. I dove back into the world of Han, Amon and Raisa and followed them to school at Oden's Ford. Raisa and Amon go to the soldier school, where Raisa is hiding from the High Wizard and Han and Dancer are attending the Wizard school learning about their unique powers. The love triangle is in full swing between Amon, Han and Raisa as the three finally cross paths again. Each character is trying to navigate the tricky paths of the Seven Realms. Raisa can't decide if she should try and get home to ensure her place as the next Queen of the Fells. Amon has become her sworn protector, but with this position, he is forbidden to love her. Han is trying to learn as much magic as he can as a descendant of the Demon King. And amidst all of this, Micah and Fiona Bayar are trying to work their own magic that may get in the way. I really like this series a lot. My heart is torn between Han and Amon. Raisa is a spunky character who really wants to do what is best for her kingdom. The concluding book comes out on August 2nd. I will read it with mixed emotions. I hope it ends well, with everyone happy, but what are the chances? It's almost time to go back to work, so my reading time is coming to a rapid end. So many books, so little time...

Thirteen Days to Midnight

"You are indestructible". With those words, Jacob is given a power over death. Only problem is, he doesn't understand the consequences of using it. When he inadvertently gives the power to Ophelia, all things that can go wrong, do. He and his best friend Milo must figure out how to save Oh before she finds a way to kill herself. This is a story of thirteen days that change the course of all the characters' lives. What super power would you wish for? Would it be immortality? Jacob has to figure this out the hard way. This was a quick read that kept things moving. Jacob is a likable guy with a sad past and who is harboring a major secret. His mysterious guardian, Mr. Fielding, leaves him with more questions than answers when he dies in a car crash. Ophelia and Milo are the only ones who know about his power and he must do whatever it takes to save them from the consequences of it. Can you cheat death? That is a question you will be pondering if you decide to try this book.

The Body Finder

Violet can find the dead. Animals, and people. She can read the echo they leave behind. She can also sense the same echo on the thing that caused the death. She realized this when she was 8 when she found the first dead girl. Now that she is in high school, and she finds the next dead girl, things get hairy for her. You see, the killer knows that she is somehow able to find these bodies and she becomes the hunted. Mixed in this story is a romance with her best friend Jay, who would die trying to protect her. This book was okay. Not the best or worst of my summer of reading. I enjoyed the relationship between Vi and Jay as they figure out they want to be more than friends. The story moves along at a good pace and there are some tense moments for the major characters. And of course, there is a sequel to this book called Desires of the Dead, but I won't rush out for that one. This was a solid story with an interesting take- being able to find bodies and not a vampire or werewolf in sight.

The Replacement

Mackie Doyle knows he isn't right. He knows he's a monster. He lives in a town that knows there are monsters that steal their children in return for prosperity. Mackie was left in place of one of these children. He is allergic to iron, blood and other things that we take for granted. His sister Emma is his biggest fan and his best friend Roswell always looks out for him. When a child is taken, the sister of the little girl, Tate, knows something is up and she is not willing to look the other way. She insists Mackie help her and because he has feelings for her, he eventually tries to get her sister back from 'Underground'. This was an interesting book that was very enjoyable. It is a little complicated to follow if you are not a good reader. I gave this book to a student to read last year before I read it, and there was no way he would have understood it. (which is why I guess he never finished it!!) Mackie is an interesting character who finally figures out what love really means. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to people who enjoy the weird and supernatural in a non-vampire/werewolf sort of way. It is creepy and eerie how the town lets this go on under their noses.

Ciao Bella!

I often think I would like to have lived in another time. And having gone to Italy a few years ago,  I realized I would always long to go back there and explore some more. Waterfall by Lisa Bergren was a combination of the two dreams. Gabi and her sister Lia are transported back in time to Siena in the 14th century. They are found by some Italian Knights and then the fun starts. The sisters are initially separated and helped by warring families. Gabi is found by Marcello Forelli, who is of course, brave, handsome and chivalrous. Naturally they fall in love even though he is promised to Romana Rossi, the daughter of one of the Nine of Siena. Oh, and the fact that Gabi isn't from the 1300's may be a stumbling block. Gabi is torn between wanting to stay with Marcello and helping Lia get home. They help capture another castle and use their 21st century skills to help plot the attack, stave off their enemies and help Marcello's older brother survive an asthma attack. Gabi finds herself the victim of a poisoning and is forced to try and get home before she dies. "Return to me" Marcello says to her... and now we wait for book two and three of the series. The sequel is out now and part three comes out in September. I really enjoyed reading about this time period in Italy as well as learning about Siena and Florence's adversarial history. I know one thing- I would definitely be up for meeting an Italian Knight... Fortes fortuna adiuvat!

Peculiar Children...

Unlike the last book, this one had an interesting premise. The author found a bunch of vintage pictures of STRANGE people and wrote a story around them. Jacob's grandfather told him stories all his life about the orphanage he grew up in when his parents hid him from the Nazi's. Grandpa told all sorts of stories that Jacob stopped believing, until the night his Grandpa calls him in a panic. When Jacob gets there and the house is trashed, he runs into the woods to find his Grandpa. What he finds is his Grandpa dying, and as he dies he whispers something to Jacob. Jacob uses these last words to go on a quest to find out about his Grandpa. This quest leads him to a tiny island in Wales, where he finds this orphanage, but all is not what it seems. Miss Peregrine and her orphans are far from ordinary, they are downright peculiar. Jacob figures out he is peculiar as well, and he may be the only one able to save the orphans from the hollowgast. Great book, fantastic pictures interesting story. The book is heavy- I mean physically, and stiff, which makes turning the pages a little tricky sometimes, but don't let that dissuade you. The story inside keeps moving at a great pace and sets you up for a sequel for sure. The pictures alone make you want to go to flea markets to find some pictures for yourself. Definitely a thumbs up for Miss Peregrine (who actually can turn into a bird, by the way) Well worth the time. Kudos to the author for finding a unique way to tell the story.

The Magnolia League

This book is an example of a recommendation that didn't pan out. It is the story of Alex Lee who is living in a commune in Mendocino with her mother. When her mother dies in a car crash, her grandmother in Georgia sends for her. You see, Alex is the next in line to run the Magnolia League, a prestigious group in Savannah. The league, of course, comes with its' own set of rules. See, the league is tied to Hoodoo, a form of magic. The league uses magic to stay pretty, ageless and rich. Of course, with these powers come consequences. This is obviously the first book in what is going to be a series, it totally sets up book two. I, however, will not be rushing to the store to buy it. The characters were SHALLOW and surface. I didn't connect to any of them. It is probably like the Clique books, which I haven't read, with magic. I know this will appeal to some people out there, so if you like books about magic, you may enjoy this one. There aren't any major exciting events, and honestly I couldn't remember the main characters name when I went to write this. It was a pretty simple. light summer read that  I will have forgotten about before the end of my summer reading mission. But, you have to decide for yourself!

Okay for Now

After the last book, I decided to get into some lighter reading. Have you read The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt? Let me just say, that is one of my all time favorite books- which is saying a lot. And not just because it involves the Yankees. This book takes one of the characters from that novel, Doug Swieteck, and moves him to another city, with his abusive father, obnoxious brother and long suffering mother. His other brother, Lucas is off fighting in Vietnam. Doug has more to deal with than most kids and he is understandably  bitter. As he makes his way through his new stupid town, he meets lots of stupid people- his own words. He becomes a delivery boy which puts him in contact with some great characters, all while trying to overcome his brother, Chris's awful reputation, and his father's ridiculous behavior. I cried my way through this one, and probably will every time I think about it. From the science teacher who figures out Doug can't read, to Lil, the girl of his dreams, the librarian who teaches him to draw, the eccentric old woman who writes broadway plays, legendary Joe Pepitone of the Yankees, to John Audubon's books of birds,and Lucas, who comes back from Vietnam without his legs, each character teaches Doug something about himself and Doug teaches them something as well. I can't say enough great things about this book. It is beautifully written about a time when putting a man on the moon was a miraculous thing and learning that people can change no matter how far down the wrong road they had gone. So get your box of tissues handy and take a trip to Marysville, New York where you will wind up wishing you could live next to these remarkable characters. Go ahead, take a chance, you won't regret it.

Rotters

I'm always on the look out for 'boy' books. This one looked promising. It is, however, not for the faint of heart. This is the story of Joey Crouch. His mother dies and sends him to live with the father he never knew. When he arrives at his father's "house", his father takes one look at him and disappears for three days. The house smells like death, Joey has no food or bed and has to make his own way to school, where he is immediately a spectacle as he is "The Garbageman's" son. Joey follows his father one night to see where he goes, and finds him robbing a grave. He takes a picture of him and uses it to blackmail his father to teach him the ways of Diggers. This leads Joey on a very dark path-fraught with peril, scary choices and near death experiences. His father teaches him the long and storied history of Diggers, who once stole bodies for doctors to dissect in the old days. Joey is an outcast at school and is viciously bullied by students and teachers alike. He becomes less like his mother and more like his father- and is pulled into the mysterious world. Awful things happen, other Diggers get involved, Joey goes down a path he may not be able to return from. This is one dark book. It is not for everyone. It is pretty graphic and gory and filled with characters that are each more disturbing than the next. The jury is out on whether I enjoyed this book, but it was definitely a unique idea and a world not usually found in YA literature. So read at your own risk, you Rotters!