Young Adult Books

The Titanic sank into the ocean 101 years ago, and its tragic story has intrigued the world ever since. Actually even during the period in which the Titanic was being built people were intrigued about it due to all of the press buzz, the size of the ship, and the title of “unsinkable ship” even though it was only its first voyage. Some of the richest in the world were aboard the ship as well as some of the poorest immigrants. There were also countless number of crew members. All together there were countless number of individual stories, some of which are finally given a voice, thanks to Allan Wolf and his verse novel The Watch That Ends the Night: Voices from the Titanic. Everyone has a voice in this compelling interpretation of what happened aboard the Titanic. No one is left out not even the ship rat or the iceberg. Even the undertaker who took care of the bodies gets a voice. There are twenty four voices total. It was so interesting to put a voice to some of the people that I have spent time learning and reading about in the past. It was as if the voices were actually speaking to us, and sharing their secrets and their truths. It was so personable, and kept me turning the pages until the very end. I loved the attention to detail within the book. It was very obvious that Allan Wolf did his research when it came to this subject. His interpretation of the class differences was absolutely fantastic. Also, the way in which he put names and voices to some of the third class passages, which sadly is an often forgotten part of the tragedy, was wonderful. It made me feel like he actually cared about them and that he wanted to have their stories heard which I honestly believe to be true. Another favorite part of mine while reading The Watch That Ends the Night was the word spacing or the layout of the words. I loved how for certain characters the words were written in a certain way, or spaced in a certain way, or how as the action got greater and more intense, the spacing in the words was different. It’s kind of hard to explain without someone seeing it but it is very artistically done, and I thought it helped the poetic verse, and the emotional intensity of the novel. If you have ever had an interest in the Titanic, and want to learn more about it, or if you’ve ever imagines what those voices on the Titanic might have to say, check out this book. It puts a real human face to history in a truly wonderfully unique way. Honestly, I would recommend The Watch That Ends the Night to anyone. In fact, I already have recommended it to one of my residents at work (she loved it), and currently one of my supervisors is reading it (and I’m sure she’ll love it too), and who knows I may just convince you to check it out too. I hope so! Disclosure: Received ARC from April Other reviews of The Watch That Ends the Night by Allan Wolf: April’s Review: “For a sensitive and intriguing, unique spin on the tragedy of the Titanic, definitely read this book.” The Book Babble: “This is a wonderful book that is light-hearted and humorous but still made me cry.” Girls in the Stacks: “If you are fascinated by the Titanic, you will love learning more about the shipwreck through this uniquely told story.

Heist Society by Ally Carter Heist Society #1 Publisher: Disney-Hyperion Release Date: February 9, 2010 Pages: 287 Source: Bought Buy the Book: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository Rating: 5 stars When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her on a trip to the Louvre…to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria…to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own—scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving “the life” for a normal life proves harder than she’d expected. Soon, Kat’s friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring Kat back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has a good reason: a powerful mobster has been robbed of his priceless art collection and wants to retrieve it. Only a master thief could have pulled this job, and Kat’s father isn’t just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat’s dad needs her help. For Kat, there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it’s a spectacularly impossible job? She’s got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in her family’s history–and, with any luck, steal her life back along the way. Gosh, I just love Ally Carter‘s books. When I first heard about Heist Society back before it came out, I was excited but nervous. I was afraid that it wouldn’t live up to my expectations, since I just love Ally Carter’s Gallagher Girls series. After all this time, I hadn’t read it for this same reason. What a silly fear since Heist Society surpassed my love for the Gallagher Girls and was just an all around epic read. Oh Hale, you are my new YA crush. What a fantastic character he was. And I love Kat – she is such a spiffy, strong heroine. I love the cast of secondary characters as well – they are all very dynamic, which made Heist Society a blast to read. The plot is so fun – the story of a girl raised in a band of thieves? How awesome! I love Kat’s attempt to leave the family business, yet she can’t quite seem to get away. It’s a part of her and she is just very good at what she does. I cannot wait to see more of their story in book 2, Uncommon Criminals. Ally Carter remains a favorite author of mine and I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next :) Related posts: Waiting on Wednesday (25) – Heist Society by Ally Carter Only the Good Spy Young by Ally Carter Don’t Judge a Girl By Her Cover by Ally Carter

I'm currently in Bali (yes, THAT Bali) for the IBBY Asia Oceana Congress to talk about poetry, what else? (More on my presentation, "The World in Verse," later.) But first, I've done a bit of touring and ran across this and I had to share!Since I am a shoe lover (although I just can't manage the way-high heels I wore in my "youth"), I get that shoes and bags do have their own kind of poetry! Don't you agree?(Also, my apologies for being AWOL. Bali is blocking Gmail and Blogger, but I stumbled upon a "back-door" today, which will probably slam shut any moment! If not, I'll post more nuggets soon...)

Welcome to Stacking The Shelves hosted by my awesome friend Tynga at Tynga's Reviews. This is where we can showcase the books we are adding to our shelves each week, sharing our excitement for our newest titles, and discover new books in the process! Rules From Tynga's Page: Create your own Stacking The Shelves post. You can use my official graphic or your own, but please link back to Tynga’s Reviews so more people can join the fun! You can set your post any way you want, simple book list, covers, pictures, vlog, sky is the limit! I am posting Stacking The Shelves on Saturdays, but feel free to post yours any day that fits you. Visit Tynga’s Reviews on Saturday and add your link so others can visit you! Visit other participants link to find out what they added to their shelves! Here's what Crimson & I got over the last few weeks!: Lucy's Books: Bought: The Rising by Kelley Armstrong [Book Depository] Oath Bound by Rachel Vincent [Book Depository] Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins [Book Depository] For Review: The Wicked Game by Michelle Zink [Book Depository] How I Lost You by Janet Gurtler [Book Depository] A Fool's Errand by Maureen Fergus For Review (NetGalley): Ink by Amanda Sun [Book Depository] I would like to say a special thank you to the following publishers for giving me the amazing opportunity of reading and reviewing their novels showcased in this week's Stacking The Shelves: RazorBillHarlequin Enterprises Austrailia Crimson's Books: Here are some books I've gotten in the last few weeks. Do not be FOOLED. There are not actually doubles here. I just bought AND borrowed copies of the same book aha. What, I like my copies to stay nice and pretty, so I read the library copies. Or I buy awesome books after discovering them at the library. Bought:Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep [Book Depository] Kiss of Frost by Jennifer Estep [Book Depository] Dark Frost by Jennifer Estep [Book Depository] Prodigy by Marie Lu [Book Depository] Game by Barry Lyga [Book Depository] The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey [Book Depository] Seraphina by Rachel Hartman [Book Depository] 17 & Gone by Nova Ren Suma [Book Depository] Borrowed:Revenge of the Girl with the Great Personality by Elizabeth Eulberg [Book Depository] Sever by Lauren DeStefano [Book Depository] Paper Covers Rock by Jenny Hubbard [Book Depository] A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin [Book Depository] The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente [Book Depository] This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith [Book Depository] 17 & Gone by Nova Run Suma [Book Depository] Don't Breathe a Word by Holly Cupala [Book Depository] Seraphina by Rachel Hartman [Book Depository] Crimson Frost by Jennifer Estep [Book Depository] The Rising by Kelley Armstrong [Book Depository] Tilt by Ellen Hopkins [Book Depository] Gift:Underworld by Meg Cabot [Book Depository] What did you get this week? Happy Reading! &

Author: Rosemary Clement-MooreEdition: Corgi Books PaperbackReleased: July 7th 2011Series: Goodnight Family #1Pages: 404 approx.Links: Goodreads | Author's Website | Buy the book!Amy Goodnight's family are far from normal. She comes from a long line of witches, and grew up surrounded by benevolent spirits and kitchen spells. All fairly harmless, but Amy can't wait to get to college and escape the "family business".But things take a darker turn when she and her sister Phin spend the summer looking after Aunt Hyacinth's ranch. Amy is visited by a midnight spectre who is clearly trying to send her a message. It seems that the discovery of an old grave on a neighbour's land has been the catalyst for an apparent ghost uprising.Aided by local friends and Ben, the handsome cowboy who just can't take his eyes off Amy, the sisters investigate. And they soon find that there's something strange and dangerous going on, deep in the heart of Texas...Some of you may know I don't really get along with witch books. The concept of witches and magical powers never holds an appeal to me and so, consequently, I steer clear for the most part. Well, here's something you may not know. There has always been one exception. One witch book that I actually have enjoyed. That book you ask? Texas Gothic. I'm not even sure what powered me to pick up that book and start reading it in the first place but I am thoroughly glad I did because I ended up really enjoying it! So I think it only fair to give it the justice it deserves and review it. Don't you agree? ;) If you're like me and are wary of witch books then you'll be glad to know that one of the main reasons I enjoyed this book was because the whole witch side of things was very realistically portrayed and it wasn't the main focus - there were other, more demanding, plotlines. There were also quite a few comical moments in this book that kept me entertained! I couldn't help but snigger every now and then - that 'underwear' scene was hilarious! This book could also get quite creepy at times but, call me weird all you like, I actually enjoyed the creepy scenes! The underlying mystery of the ghosts though, admittedly, confusing at times, was also well developed and enjoyable. The main character, Amy, is snarky, confident and can stand up for herself and so, obviously, I adored her. The cowboy of the story, Ben, was something else altogether. He was broody, secretive and just plain irrestible. I LOVED him. The relationship between him and Amy was definitely one of the reasons I enjoyed this book so much. They absolutely detested each other for a good part of the book - which made up for some of those funny scenes I was telling you about! - and so the author deserves a pat on the back for developing a romance that was practically non-existent to begin with. Easy to say there is definitely no insta-love in this book! ;) Overall, I really recommend this book. The characters are great and the author is extremely skilled when it comes to writing comical scenes! If I ever come across another book by this author I will be sure to check it out. If you don't see the appeal in witch books but would like to see what the hype is all about, you should give this one a go - I'm sure you'll enjoy it! Not only has it got a snarky witch, it also has ghosts, a steamy (plus hilarious!) romance and a well-developed mystery. It can easily be enjoyed by a range of different audiences!FOUR STARS FOR TEXAS GOTHIC! :')?Happy Reading,Rachel xoxo PS: Is there a certain witch book you really love and would recommend?

Book: Under Shifting Glass Author: Nicky Singer Published: 2013 Source: review copy from publisher via NetGalley When her beloved great-aunt dies, Jess feels as if she’s gone into a tailspin. With her mother and stepfather totally focused on her twin baby brothers, and her best friend gradually pulling away in favor of boys and popularity, there’s nobody left who really gets her. She feels lost, overlooked, and helpless to change any of the big things happening in her life. Then, in a desk she inherited from her great-aunt, she discovers a bottle with a strange mist inside. What is it? Where did Aunt Edie get it? And mostly importantly, what connection does it have with her baby brothers, born conjoined and fighting for their lives in the hospital? I’ll be upfront and say that I fell in love with this book, mainly due to the no-answers exploration of spiritual questions. However, it wasn’t perfect. The ending was a little too pat, everything slotting neatly into place when the point of the book prior to that was that there are a lot of mysteries out there and very few of them can be solved so easily and neatly. But there were a lot of things going for this book anyway, even with the ending. Jess rings very true as a lonely girl whose life is changing at top speed, and every character has a little something more to them than you’d expect. I especially liked the resolution of her relationship with her best friend. As I said before, Jess also delves into spiritual and religious questions, visiting a Buddhist temple and thinking deeply about her own Christian theology for the first time. This book won’t be for everyone, but for a kid who wants to start tackling some of the mysteries of the universe, give it a try.

I decided to try to give a weekly wrap up post a shot. I stopped doing this sort of thing over a year ago but I think that I'm going to experiment with it and see if I can manage. When it comes to cutting things down this tends to be a first thing to go, but I would like to have a post that reminds people of the tours I have open or running as well as to remind them of giveaway's. I have mixed feelings about showing all the books I get through the week, but mostly it's just because it takes so much effort to remember them all. ;) So I'm thinking I'll spotlight a few, but not them all. We'll see though, that might change. Exciting News! One very exciting thing I was really happy about was I have lots of teachers reading my blog now. This is a HUGE deal to me and I wouldn't even know about it but one middle grade post was full of teacher's comments. And these are non-blogger teachers. I have to say, this made my week! I love my readers, but it's an even bigger bonus when it's a non blogger reading my blog. So thank you to my new readers & followers! I will be doing more and more middle grade and children's books but I may start doing two posts some days so that my YA and adult readers aren't left out. Something for everyone! The Full of Grace tour starts Monday and Misty Provencher is going all out! She says: "Monday starts the Full of Grace Tour and I'd like to blow the walls off! I've got a LOAD of giveaways, awesome tour stopsat all the best blogs, games, and AN OVERLOAD OF FUN is planned! The tour will run for a week (May 20th to the 24th). This page will be our home base, so I would love it if you would give me a hand in sharing it with some of your awesome peeps too. ALL ARE WELCOME! Share if you care!" Itinerary here: http://mistypro.blogspot.com/And the Facebook Page where so much happens is HERE. current giveaway's Children's Book Week Giveaway: Enter to win 3 books! (US) Ends 5/19 Tales From Lovecraft Middle School 1st 3 books in series (US) Marked by Kate Flynn or one of her favorites TEN copies of Generation V by M.L. Brennan (US) Ends 5/21 The Girl With the Iron Touch Tour Wide Giveaway (US) Kindle Fire Giveaway New Tour: I'm excited to announce the review tour for Shah Wharton's NA fantasy, Finding Esta. This tour runs Sept 23rd-27th and is reviews only. Find the tour page with info and sign ups HERE. You still have lots of time to read this one, so I hope you'll consider joining in! Still Needing Hosts: I'm still looking for tour hosts for The Exemeus & The Azemeon by Folami and Abeni Morris. This is a YA fantasy for ages 12 to adult. This tour runs August 25th-31st. It is also available for review outside the tour and when you are able. At this point we're mostly looking for reviews of both books (or just the first if you don't want to commit to both). Tour Page with Info and sign ups HERE. I'm looking for reviewers for an audio book tour for Ghost Leopard: A Zoe & Zak Adventure, Volume 1 by Lars Guignard. This is a Middle Grade Magic, Fantasy Adventure for ages 8-13 This runs September 9th-20th 2013 This is an audiobook tour with reviews only. Tour Page with Info HERE. I have other review opportunities listed HERE if you aren't interested in a tour. Though keep in mind that all of these authors would be happy to get reviews, even outside a tour. If you aren't yet signed up to be a tour host please do so HERE, I'd love to have you! In Other News: Stephanie Lisa Tara presents Mother Sea Turtle month! Mothers need to stick together; whether scaly, feathered, furry or skinned! And to celebrate this Mother's Day and the release of her newest turtle book, Stephanie Lisa Tara's Turtle Book—which is the companion follow-up to her first international bestseller, I'll Follow the Moon—Stephanie Lisa Tara is giving away 2 gorgeous, large plush sea turtles (26"L x 8"H x 16"W) to revi

I hate to lull the audience into letting them think that something is something. It's always fun to defy expectations. Attribution Martin Short

Defiance by C.J. Redwine Published: Balzer + Bray (August 28th, 2012) Reading Level: Young Adult Hardback: 403 pages Series: Defiance, #1 Rating: 4 of 5 stars Summary: Defiance by C. J. Redwine is rich postapocalyptic YA fantasy perfect for fans of Graceling and Tamora Pierce.While the other girls in the walled city-state of Baalboden learn to sew and dance, Rachel Adams learns to track and hunt. While they bend like reeds to the will of their male Protectors, she uses hers for sparring practice.When Rachel's father fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the city's brutal Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector: her father's apprentice, Logan--the boy she declared her love to and who turned her down two years before. Left with nothing but fierce belief in her father's survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself.As Rachel and Logan battle their way through the Wasteland, stalked by a monster that can't be killed and an army of assassins out for blood, they discover romance, heartbreak, and a truth that will incite a war decades in the making. Review: Defiance was truly a whirlwind! I've never read a book with these type of creatures, or dragons, so this was something beyond my normal reading. It did take me a while to really get into this story, possibly for that reason. But, by mid-way, it was impossible to put the book down. Rachel Adams is not like the other girls of Baalboden. She isn't interested in pleasing people or learning how to cook or clean. She is much more interested in learning how to fight and take care of herself. The only person Rachel has is her father and they have a strong bond. But then one day he doesn't return from his courier job and Rachel knows something has gone wrong. Since she is still young, she must have a protector. Her father had written that her protector would be Logan, his apprentice. He knew that Logan would be the best person to care for Rachel. Unfortunately, Rachel and Logan don't have the best of relationships. Rachel had told Logan that she had feelings for him a few years earlier and he shot her down. The last thing Rachel needs, or wants, is to have to live with Logan. Logan and Rachel are similar in a lot of ways; both strong, passionate, and loyal. This is good but it also leads to quite a few disagreements between the characters. For a while I wondered if they'd even be able to develop a friendship, much less a romance. In this world, there is a Commander who rules all and has tremendous power. The people of the city depend on him for safety but he is manipulating them all. Beyond the walls no one is safe. The creatures come out randomly, at times, and people know they won't survive. But regardless of that, Rachel is willing to risk her life on several occasions in order to find the truth about her father. Defiance contains such a complex world and there are still many, many more questions to be answered. I can't wait to delve into Deception and see where this world takes us. Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Facebook Amazon | Barnes & Noble

At BEA two years ago, someone told me I should read the Bridgerton series. They were RIGHT, I devoured this series. I loved every book. Here's a new book of short stories sharing what happened after the books ended.The Good: I love this family for their loyalty to each other, their quick wit, their banter, the strong female characters, and the humor. These stories made me laugh and made me sigh with happiness. If I had to pick, I think the pall mall story made me laugh the most. I love their competitive streak. All in all, it was perfection!The Bad: There's nothing bad about this book, except it makes me want more!If you haven't read this series, START THEM! The Duke and I is the first one.* Even the puppy liked, he licked the book as it smells good! *