Shades of Earth

Amy can't wait to set foot on Centauri- Earth. She has spent three months trapped on the Godspeed with only Elder on her side. Her parents are still cryo-frozen and the ship is dying. She would much rather take her chances with the monsters on the planet then spend another day behind the walls of the ship. As she and Elder land the shuttle on the new planet, the fifteen hundred people who came with them are put in peril. Waking up her parents, Amy thinks she has everything she wants, but she is sadly mistaken. Her parents are confused about what has happened and don't care much for Elder or the Shipborns. Her father becomes the highest ranking member of the military and quickly takes control of the group much to Elder's dismay. As members of the colony are slowly picked off, Amy and Elder must figure out the last clue Orion has left them. But the truth is more horrible than they can imagine. Elder risks his life to save the colony as Amy is trapped on the planet with some vengeful 'aliens'. Who can be trusted and who will survive? This is the action packed conclusion to the Across the Universe trilogy. All questions will be answered. All loose ends tied up. But all do not survive. Would you be willing to give up life on earth to colonize a new planet? It seems a timely question seeing as how they are looking for people to do just that now. Would you have the sense of adventure required to risk all you love? I very much enjoyed this series and couldn't put this one down today. Good thing I am still on vacation for another 24 hours. Happy reading my earth friends!

The Wizard Heir

Have I mentioned that I love Cinda Williams Chima's books? This one just adds to the list of fantastic stories she has told. We find Seph McCauley getting kicked out of yet another school. He has no parents and his guardian has died. Trouble seems to find him, which is no surprise seeing as how he is an untrained wizard. He is sent to the Havens, a boarding school in Maine run by Dr. Gregory Leicester. When Leicester tries to convince Seph to link himself to him, Seph refuses and pays the price. Leicester tortures Seph for a year until Linda Downey comes to rescue him. Yes, Jack Swift's aunt from The Warrior Heir. What is her connection to Seph? Well, she is his guardian who has been looking out for him his whole life, unbeknownst to him. She brings him to Trinity to keep him safe and he moves in with Jack and Becka. He begins his training and is determined to get revenge on Leicester for all the people he has killed. When the council is set to meet to sign a new guild constitution, Leicester unfurls his master plan to get a hold of Seph's power and take down the elusive Dragon, who is vexing the Wizard Council. Seph is used as bait for his "father" who turns out to be someone I am quite fond of actually. As Seph's parents conspire to find a way to save him, it may be Seph who has to save them all. I so enjoy this series, and am sad that I do not have the next book so I can start right away. Chima has seamlessly woven this new character into a landscape I am already entranced by. She has given Seph a family with characters that will do anything for each other. So, if there are to be no more Seven Realms books, I can at least revel in the fact that I have two more Heir books to read. These books are great for those of you who enjoy a little magic with their stories, a little romance and a little intrigue. Enjoy and happy reading my friends!

Inhuman

Sometimes the biggest decision I have to make when on vacation is which book to pick off the pile. I must say, this one was a total surprise! Inhuman by Kat Falls is a story about a world where a plague has made most of the population go feral. Humans are infected with animal blood and turn into (sort of) that animal. Tigers, hyenas, lions etc. Most of the survivors live behind a wall erected by the company that unwittingly released the plague. Lane is a teenager who lives with her art dealer father behind the wall. One night she is rounded up by a patrol and told her father is a 'fetch', someone who goes into the feral territory to get things for people. Lane can't believe this. And to make matters worse, if she doesn't help out the lady in charge, her father will be caught and executed. Lane must risk venturing into the Feral Zone to find her father and warn him. She finds out the stories he's been telling her her whole life are actually a guide to the zone. The mystical creatures he made up are real, and the wild boy is actually waiting for her. Along the way, she teams up with Everson, a line guard, who follows her into the zone. He is, of course, dreamy. She also teams up with Rafe, rude, brash and devastatingly handsome. They both seem to want to keep her alive, but for different reasons. The three of them must survive the zone, a CRAZY tiger man named Chorda, and find what really makes someone human. The twists and turns are unreal and the losses beyond crushing. The end of this book was a jaw dropper and leaves way for a sequel that I, for one, will be anxiously awaiting. What an imaginative world Kat Falls has created, filled with engaging characters. Oh Cosmo! *tear* This is not your ordinary apocalypse tale, it certainly amps that genre up to a new level. So give it a try and let me know what you think. Happy reading my friends!

Teardrop

As a fan of Lauren Kate's Fallen series, I was happy to see a new book from her! And it sure didn't disappoint. Eureka has just lost her mother to a freak accident. Someone has saved her from the same fate against his orders. He's been watching her his whole life and has fallen in love. As Eureka tries to get over her devastating loss, Ander decides he must reveal himself. She doesn't know what to make of this strange boy who turns up wherever she is. She finds that she can't stop thinking of him. Then there's her best friend Brooks. He and Ander have an instant hatred towards each other. Which is strange for Brooks. Eureka notices that Brooks has changed and Ander has warned her to stay away from him. Meanwhile, Eureka has received her inheritance from her mother. A locket that won't open, a rock wrapped in gauze and a book in a language no one has ever seen. Eureka must solve the mystery of these items which hold the truth of her true identity. When the people who killed her mother come after her and her family, Eureka must decide if she can trust Ander and his crazy story. She will do anything to save those she loves. And what about Brooks? Can he be saved from his fate? Eureka's mother once told her to never cry. She may have to break that promise to save the world. I loved this story. It promises a tale of Atlantis, romance, adventure and many twists and turns along the way. I am firmly on Team Brooks and hope he finds a way to escape his fate. But I guess we'll have to wait and see. Well, my friends, Thanksgiving break will find me enjoying some books on my patio. Happy reading to you all!

Ruby Red

Gwyneth is just an ordinary girl living in London. It's her family that is extraordinary. You see, some of them can travel through time. Lucky for Gwyneth, it's her cousin Charlotte who carries the gene. Charlotte, who has been training for this her whole life- language lessons, fencing, manners etc. Charlotte, who any day will take her first trip through time. Charlotte, who has grown up with Gideon another time traveler. Charlotte, who is the one every member of the family is focused on. Until they're not. When it's Gwen who finds herself traveling back in time, she doesn't know what to do. I mean it wasn't supposed to be her destiny. Her mother made sure of that. She isn't prepared. She isn't ready. She certainly isn't anyone's choice to be the Ruby. But being the plucky teenager that she is, she decides to make the best of it and enjoy the adventure. Until it gets too real. There's the night she has to save Gideon and run someone through with a sword. There's the time the evil Count uses telekinesis to send her a warning. There's the time when she meets her relatives who warn her that all isn't what it seems. Oh, and there's the time when Gideon kisses her. And the book ends... sort of. The cliffhanger that follows is even more startling. I enjoyed this fun romp through time. It has a great leading lady in Gwen. An intrepid best friend in Lucy. An evil foil in her cousin Charlotte. And of course, the dashing young man that infuriates and excites her in Gideon. But don't forget James, the ghost she can see who doesn't know that he's dead. This seems to be a fun series that doesn't take itself too seriously. I look forward to the continuing adventures in Sapphire Blue and finishing up with  Emerald Green. The great thing is, that these books are all just an order away... Happy reading my friends!

The Warrior Heir

Jack was just a normal teenager. Granted, he had a heart condition that required him to take medicine everyday. But all around things were fine. He was surrounded by friends like Will and Fitch, liked a pretty girl named Ellen, lived with his mom and was watched over by Nick Snowbeard. He planned on going out for the soccer team. You, know, regular stuff. Until the day he forgot to take his medicine. And then things were remarkably not normal. Jack finds out he is a Weir. The kind of Weir that other Weir are hunting for. Jack is a Warrior Heir. A breed known and used for their fighting skill. And their short lives. He becomes a pawn in a game between the White Roses and The Red Roses, two factions of wizards fighting to maintain power. Jack's aunt tries to keep him out of this fight and under cover, but all her attempts fail and Jack finds himself about to fight to the death against an unlikely opponent. Will he survive,? because if he does, it will mean he has killed a friend. I am a huge fan of Cinda Chima's books. I love her Seven Realms series with a passion. She recently came to our school and talked about this series so I had to check it out. While Jack is no Han, I truly enjoyed this story and look forward to continuing on with the Heir novels. It was action packed, filled with clever characters and mixed with lots of intrigue. And now I have a whole new series to look forward to reading while I wait for Mrs. Chima to hear my plea to keep writing the Seven Realms books. Protect your warrior stones and happy reading my friends!

Unbreakable-The Legion Bk. 1

Whew. That was a fast read. I have been looking forward to reading Kami Garcia's novel as I am a huge fan of the Beautiful Creatures series.  What a ride! Meet Kennedy, a normal girl with a single mom who loves her. Until one night when Kennedy comes home to find her mother has died. A few weeks later as she is getting ready to leave for boarding school, a vengeance spirit tries to kill her. The only thing that saves her is a pair of dreamy brothers, Jared and Lukas- twins who are part of a secret society out to rid the world of a demon. Of course, Kennedy doesn't buy any of this, I mean after all, her mom couldn't have been one of the five members of the Legion. But after much convincing, she realizes her mom may not have told her everything. She joins up with the twins, along with the genius inventor Priest (a fifteen year old wunderkind)  and Alana the granddaughter of a voodoo priestess to find a way to kill the demon Andras. What about a love triangle you ask? Kennedy finds herself drawn to both brothers causing no end of the trouble. But it's Jared, the loner with secrets, that she really falls for. This doesn't make Lukas happy. As the five run around to haunted sights collecting the things they need to rid the world of the demon, more truths come to light that may change everything for Kennedy. Loved this book!~ I couldn't put it down. I think my students will LOVE this as well, boys and girls alike.  The characters are interesting and quirky, the romance is building and the whole thing reminds me of the Winchester brothers and Supernatural. All that's missing is Castiel and his trenchcoat. Can't wait for the next book as I'm sure the road these five are on is a long and winding one. So carry on my wayward sons.... Happy reading my friends!

Allegiant

You can't always get what you want- isn't that how the song goes? Here we are at the end of the amazing Divergent series by Veronica Roth. Not a happy reader just now. I knew something awful was going to happen because my students have been moping around for a week, urging me to get the the end-even encouraging me to skip to the end but I refused. So I read with dread. If something was to happen to my beloved Four, I may have to give up reading for a while. This book finds Tris, Tobias and friends making their way to the outside of their city. And lo and behold, things are going to be shocking. Their lives have been a careful construct of the people on the outside and nothing they believe about themselves is true. Where does this leave them? Do they remain loyal to their home or to the new world they find themselves apart of? And is it worth the sacrifice of one life to save the masses? The characters must decide just how much they can live with and what they can't live without. Sometimes just plain living can be hard enough and that may be the sign of real bravery- losing it all and still carrying on for those you have lost. I can't say much at this point without giving away the ending of this book, so I won't. I will just say that this series has delivered one unexpected twist after another and has left me with a heavy heart. So girls in my class- I'm off to shed a few tears.  Happy reading my friends!