Necromancing the Stone

I don't know what I love the most about this series. The humor, the friendships, the song titles as chapter titles, the messages... I guess just all of it. We pick up with Sam after the death of the evil Douglas. He is trying to make his way as a council member, a necromancer and the head of a supernatural household. The gnomes are wrecking havoc on him, the bushes are out to get him, and the Minotaur keeps slashing his tires. With the help of his friends he is able to at least get his household in some kind of order. Of course James is there to help- but whose side is he really on? Oh, and how is Ramon doing as a were-bear? Sam is really tested when -spoiler alert- Brannoc is killed. The pack and Brid need him to summon Brannoc and find out who killed him. But when Brannoc won't appear, Sam is thrown into suspicion with the pack and Brid must break up with him as she tries to gain control as the new pack leader. This book is filled with the greatest characters, each one better than the next. I don't even know who I love best. Is it James, who tries to protect Haley even agains his orders? Is it Sean, who is Sam's new bodyguard and biggest supporter? Is it Ramon, determined to protect his friends even at his own peril? Is it Frank, who is taken in by the gnomes and made one of their own? Is it the gnomes- total crack up- their names alone set me off on a laughing spree? Or is it Sam, the self-deprecating necromancer who must make his own rules? Fantastic. This is the kind of book I wish I could write- so clever and funny and filled with heart. Since I didn't, I'll just have to be satisfied with the fact that I had the chance to read it.  It is a sequel, but it could stand alone, nah- go back and read the first- Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride and join the family. "Keep the Faith" and happy reading my friends!

Dreamless

And welcome to the love triangle. If it wasn't bad enough that Helen and the love of her life Lucas were tricked into believing they couldn't be together, why not add another hot demigod to the mix. Helen (yes, the face that launched a thousand ships) is determined to take her job as the descender seriously so she can put the Furies out of their misery. Every night she goes to the Underworld to try and fulfill her destiny. During the day, she must try and fight her ever growing feelings for her "cousin" Lucas. Enter Orion. He is from the House of Rome and is dreamy, strong, loyal and powerful and he has vowed to help Helen with her mission. As Helen and Orion spend every night in the Underworld together, their feelings seem to grow, confusing Helen even more. Meanwhile, back at the compound, the family is trying to figure out what is going on with all the minor gods roaming around Nantucket. Jason, Ariadne, Cassandra, the Outcast Hector and the mortals Claire and Matt each must do their part to bring an end to the wrath of the Furies. But what happens if they do? Hades knows, Persephone knows, Ares knows.... but none of them feel the need to share it with Helen. If she reachers her goal, will an all out war between the Scions and the Gods ensue? Afraid so my friends. How long until the final book is on my doorstep? Dang it. This is a great series for anyone who enjoys the Percy Jackson books or the Twilight books. And if you happen to be a fan of both- well you'll be in the Elysian Fields. This one almost made me dreamless as I stayed up late to read 'just a few more pages'. So start at the beginning and pick up Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini and begin the odyssey with our heroes. I guarantee you will not be able to put it down. Happy reading my Greek Geek loving friends.

Beautiful Redemption

Tear* What a great ending to a fantastic series. Our last Beautiful Creatures novel find us with Ethan in the Otherworld trying to find a way home to Lena. And it finds everyone else mourning the loss of Ethan. Lena- who is desperate for a sign of him. Amma- who is determined to save her boy. Link- who isn't quite sure Ethan will come back. Even Uncle Macon is hoping for some way to make things right for the boy who saved the world. The first half of the book is Ethan's story. The lengths he goes to to let Lena know he is with her and the journey he must take to bring himself back to the world, even if it means leaving his mother again. Ethan's love for Lena is the driving force in his life (death) and he will cross rivers of the dead to make it happen, taking on the most evil forces in the Otherworld. Lena's story has peril of its own as she tries to gather the things Ethan needs to come back to her. Everyone has sacrifices to make to put the world to rights. Some are completely inspiring and others completely heartbreaking. I must say, many tears were shed in the reading of this book. It delivers the message that family isn't just about blood, but about the people who surround you and lift you up when you need it. This is one of my very favorite series and I have enjoyed it immensely. I am sad to see it go, but it didn't stay too long at the dance. I know the movie is coming out soon, kind of ambivalent about it- the actors are not what I picture in my head, but they really never are. So of course I will find my way to the movie theater. I also look forward to whatever these authors have in store for their readers next. Until then, Ethan remains one of my top ten fictional boys and Lena one of the damsels NEVER in distress. Onward to Dreamless, the sequel to the great Starcrossed and the tragic love story of Helen and Luke. I love me a good three day weekend with nothing to distract me except all those pesky papers that need to be graded. Happy reading my friends.

Warm Bodies

And thus ends my weekend of zombie books. It wasn't a plan, but it worked out that way. I just finished this great book by Isaac Marion. It is the story of R. A zombie aimlessly roaming around an airport with a bunch of other aimless zombies. He has a rich inner dialogue, but can only manage a few spoken syllables. Then, while out getting some food, he eats Perry. And falls in love with Julie, a living girl. As he takes Julie back to the airport to keep her safe, he realizes that he may have feeling for her that don't involve eating her. He snacks on Perry's brain and learns many things about Julie, as he was her boyfriend. He and Julie become strangely enough, friends and when Julie leaves to go back with the humans, he follows. He sneaks into the Superdome where the humans are holed up and all hell breaks loose. It seems he and Julie may be the cure to the zombie plague. R has a great sense of humor and is really on a voyage of self discovery with a little help from Perry, who seems to be in his head. Julie finds herself becoming attached to R and decides she will trust him enough to try and change the world with him. I wanted to read this book when I read about it in a magazine and then saw the previews in the movies- with the wonderful Nicholas Hoult. I now can't wait to see this played out on the big  screen. I know it won't be as great as the book, but I'm willing to take the chance. So, three days, three zombie books, and they couldn't have been more different from each other. Highly recommend this love story to life. Onward to the paper grading, if I can stop myself from starting the final Beautiful Creatures book, Beautiful Redemption. Lena and Ethan await. Happy reading my friends.

Zom-B

Well, I just sat down to start this book because- wait for it-Darren Shan is coming to OUR SCHOOL!!! So excited. He really writes books that reluctant readers re:boys, love. I start every year's reading minutes with Cirque du Freak. The kids always have positive reactions to this series. So when I saw that he had a new zombie series starting I was excited. Most of the zombie books out there are a bit to hard or philosophical for my lower readers. This one will grab them immediately. It is not for the faint of heart. Many skulls are opened up and a great deal of brains are feasted on. There are guts, broken bones, missing limbs and a completely racist and abusive father of the main character B. B is torn, B doesn't want to be like the father, but finds that a lot of times it is impossible to separate from him. B  would rather be racist than be hit or abused by the father. As B and friends are trapped in their school, the zombies and the zombie leaders run rampant through the population. Don't get too attached to any character in the book, they may not make it. There is a spectacular twist that is not revealed until almost the end- well played Shan! And the last page will leave you reeling. Luckily, the sequel is out and on the way to my door as we speak. If you're up for a quick, gory read, this is the series for you. So my friends, if you are in the area on February 8th and want to check out Shan- stop on by the school. Until then, happy reading my friends!

Dearly Beloved

Oh Bram, you are an dead dreamboat. And Nora, you are a feisty, devoted partner for him. This is book two in Lia Habel's series about a world where zombies live side by side, albeit uncomfortably, with the living. These zombies still function almost as well as the humans and Dr. Dearly has come up with ways to preserve them for the few dead years they have left. Nora and Bram are back in the city when a new group called The Murder, start attacking and killing zombies. Patient One is wanted by both sides in the war. Michael Allister is up to no good, as usual. Pamela is trying to hold her family together. Dr. Dearly is working on some mysterious project on the boats. Coalhouse is off on a quest to become more like Bram. Vespertine Monk is trying to decide what side she is really on. Wow. That's a lot going on. There is never a dull moment in this book. It is told in alternating voices each chapter so you really get a great idea what is going on with everyone. Some new characters are introduced, my favorite is Laura, no, not because of her name, a zombie who plants flowers in her skin so she looks like a garden. While there is much action, at the heart of this series is the love story of Nora and Bram. They never doubt each other, which is refreshing in YA books. No love triangle, no does he love me or not, no "if only she'd change for me". Instead they are true partners who respect each other enough to trust each other. I just love them. Nora is no damsel in distress and Bram loves that about her. Their love has a sense of urgency since Bram only has a few years left. I hope I never have to read about his end. Lia Habel better find a way to prevent that! Anyway, start with book one- Dearly Departed- check out my review of that if you want and join me in the world of Bram and Nora. Happy reading my friends!

Reached

Ah. There is nothing like finishing a series. Allie Condie's Matched series has come to a satisfying conclusion. In this third and final novel, Cassia, Ky and Xander must do all they can to cure a Plague that is destroying the Provinces. They each hold a piece of the cure and have to work together to figure out how to save each other. The Rising has begun and it is remarkably similar to The Society. Hmmm. The Pilot is revealed as are many of Cassia's family secrets. The love triangle is resolved and the characters have each grown into the adults they were destined to become- Pilot, Poet and Physic. While this isn't my favorite series, I found myself very engaged and quite teary eyed at times. I know the students who read this series will be fighting over this when I put it on my shelf on Monday. Cassia is no longer an innocent teenager who blindly follows what society tells her to do. She has become a young woman with a mind of her own and a confidence to follow her heart. Ky remains steadfast in his love for Cassia. Xander must learn to let go and move on so he can find love and happiness of his own. He becomes a vital part of the new society. All in all, I would recommend this series from start to finish to anyone who likes a good love story-dystopian society style. One more sequel down and on to the next- Bram and Norah. Happy reading my friends!

The Farm

Lily is trying to protect her twin, Mel, from the Ticks. Mel is autistic and communicates only through nursery rhymes. The girls are on the Farm. An interment camp created to "protect" teenagers from the blood sucking Ticks. All kids under the age of 18 are sent to these camps. There, they are fed four meals a day and drained of their blood to feed to the Ticks to keep them away. What happens to the kids when they turn 18 is unknown. Lily and Mel are days away from their 18th birthday. Lily is planning an escape, that is, until Carter shows up. She knows him from the Before time. He was her high school crush. (0f course) What Lily doesn't know is that Carter has come to save her. He thinks she is the key to overthrowing the Ticks and their leader. He must gain her trust to convince her to leave with him and the mysterious Sebastian (read: Vampire) and then must find a way to tell her the real reason he needs her. Each chapter is from one of three voices, Mel, Lily and Carter. Mel's are cryptic and give you an insight into her locked mind. Lily is a tough, chick who will do anything to protect her sister and Carter, well, he loves Lily but can't tell her. As they escape the Farm they run into one problem after another. Can Sebastian be trusted not to eat them? Are Carter's feelings for Lily real? Is Lily really the one they are looking for? And Mel? What is her role in all of this? This was a fast paced escape novel where the vampires don't sparkle and no one is safe. Emily McKay created an interesting world that you can become immersed in.  I am hoping there will be a  sequel, as there was quite the cliffhanger ending. So onward into 2013- Happy reading my friends !