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Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Mental efficiency

I found these three books at a library booksale and knew I had to have them. Originally, they were part of a 10 volume set. I only found these three, but I like this grouping - gosh, 10 books on mental efficiency might be a bit too much to take, you know?

Here they are on my fireplace mantel.


Sunday, January 27, 2013

Glow review

Glow
by Amy Kathleen Ryan
St. Martin's Griffin
September 2011

First line: "The other ship hung in the sky like a pendant, silver in the ether light cast by the nebula."

This book had so many things that I liked about it. It takes place in a generation starship, designed for over a century long journey to a new world. Just after this first line, setting up what an amazing world readers find themselves in - stars! spaceships! nebula! -- the female protagonist, 15 year old Waverly Marshall, says, "Our ships are so ugly." Ah, I love it! It's just another boring old day on the starship for them.

Waverly and her friend Kieran are the first generation to be born aboard the Empyrean, a secular farming ship. Everyone is curious and concerned to meet up with another starship, the New Horizon which should be light years ahead of them.

There are a lot of interesting controversial topics tackled in this book: religion, infertility, and gender roles. Waverly finds the society on her spaceship vaguely misogynistic... pushy Kieran appears to be a shoe-in for taking over as Captain of the ship one day, and he's eager to marry Waverly and start a family. Waverly, on the other hand, just doesn't feel ready to settle down... and she's also kind of intrigued by Seth, a moody loner.

I thought this might be a simple love-triangle is space story until the real twist in the plot happened - the New Horizon forcibly boards the Empyrean and kidnaps young girls, Waverly among them, hoping to solve their fertility problem. As disgusting as this is, I kind of felt sympathy for the crew members of the New Horizon. They are portrayed as genuinely nice people in a very tough situation. And, [spoiler alert!!!] I was relieved that they don't want to force the girls to become pregnant... rather, they just want to harvest their eggs. Waverly does a great job of organizing the girls once they find themselves on the ultra-religious sister starship and fighting to get their way back to the Empyrean.

As much as I could compare this to various books, I actually was reminded of pretty much every episode of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica, where questions of the survival of the human race and the place of religion in their society ranked very highly. Glow also brought to mind two episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation that dealt with this kind of problem. In When the Bough Breaks - a group of infertile colonists kidnap children from the Enterprise and in Up the Long Ladder, a group of infertile colonists steal DNA from the Enterprise to hopefully clone new crew members with.

With plenty of action and sudden surprises, Glow ends on a bit of a cliffhanger. I can't wait to lay my hands on the sequel, Spark.

Compare to:
Inside Out - Maria V. Snyder
Across the Universe - Beth Revis
Birthmarked - Caragh M. O'Brien

I purchased a copy of this book.

Friday, January 25, 2013

Owl Feltboard


I've had my eye on this great felt board for a while. I've seen a couple of different versions of it... Storytime Katie discovered them through Leah at Sunflower Storytime.

Here's my version:




Easy to make, and I think they look charming!

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

The Darkest Minds review

The Darkest Minds
by Alexandra Bracken
December 2012
Disney Hyperion


In this dystopian world, Ruby is snatched away from her parents at age 10 and sent to live at a concentration camp for kids with powers. A worldwide epidemic IAAN (Idiopathic Adolescent Acute Neurodegeneration) has killed off most children, and those that remain have alarming abilities. In the camps, the children are sorted into colors: Blues have telekinetic abilities, Greens have eidetic memories and are fast code-breakers, Yellows control electricity, I'm not really sure what Reds do - set things on fire, maybe? The most dangerous of all are the Oranges, who have mind-control abilities. Most of the Oranges are psychopaths who enjoy using their abilities to create murder and mayhem. Ruby is an Orange - she accidentally mindwiped her parents who now have no memory of her - but she's terrified of the other Oranges, so she Jedi mind-tricks the doctor at camp Thurmond into believing that she is a relatively harmless Green.

I had plenty of questions about this world. What's the endgame for the remaining adults? Are they planning for this to be the end of the human race? Why don't they train the Greens or Blues to do useful things? Sure, there probably are some parents who'd be delighted to ship off their teen and pre-teen children - but I found it hard to believe that absolutely none of them want their children back. Why are all of the Oranges totally crazy, and why is Ruby the exception? A few of those questions get answered, but plenty of them don't, leaving lots of room in the sequel to further explore.

Ruby spends six horrible years at Thurmond, until she manages to get broken out by a rebel faction hoping to recruit her to their cause.

The Darkest Minds contains plenty of stock-in-trade ingredients of a great dystopian. There are plenty of car chases, daring escapes, scavenging for supplies in a wrecked and empty landscape, multiple warring political factions and of course, a love triangle.

While Ruby is on the run, she meets up with a small tribe of survivors, Liam and Chubs, both Blues, and Zu a sweet little girl Yellow who doesn't speak. The four of them travel in their battered mini-van nicknamed "Black Betty" throughout Virginia looking for "The Slip Kid" a leader who's supposedly set up an asylum for kids like them.

Of course, when they find The Slip Kid, he turns out to be none other than Clancy Gray - the president's son. Ruby is torn between sweet and loyal Liam and smooth-talking, well-dressed Clancy who can possibly teach her how to control her powers. She's terrified of accidentally erasing someone's memory again. In fact, I liked that Ruby is not an overly competent Mary-Sue at all. She runs around like a scared little bunny rabbit for most of the book and though she has awesome mind powers, she isn't really sure how to use them and she doesn't really want to.

This book ends on such a cliffhanger! Readers will be dying to know what happens next.

I borrowed this book from the library.

Sunday, January 20, 2013

More Short and Sweet Skits review

More Short and Sweet Skits for Student Actors
by Maggie Scriven
Meriwether Publishers
March 2012

This follow-up to Short and Sweet Skits for Student Actors features fifty more in the same vein as the first volume. Simple, fun skits, all of them very easy to produce, feature positive and upbeat messages. Most of the selections feature present-day school scenes with two or three friends in conversation. Kids will relate to issues such as homework, restrictions on cell phone use, having to clean one's room, etc. A few sillier pieces where students play animals such as disgruntled deer, lazy lions or confused houseflies are sure to get laughs. While the collection would benefit from a bit more organization, (arranging scenes by number of players, for example) educators looking for additional classroom scripts for scene study will find this hodge-podge of humorous and squeaky-clean original material handy. The book is prefaced with useful resume and headshot advice for budding actors.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

Friday, January 18, 2013

Picture books mini-review 25

Time for a Hug
by Phyllis Gershator and Mim Green, illustrated by David Walker
Sterling Children's Books
January 2012

Sweet and cozy, this books takes readers through the daily activities of a toddler, including hugs, of course! Cute bunnies don't need much of an excuse for a hug. Reassuring rhymes make this a great choice for very young children and toddlers. Very appealing.

I borrowed this book from the library.



Bully

by Patricia Polacco
Putnam Juvenile
September 2012

A lengthy picture book that covers the problem of "cyber bullying" With mentions of Facebook and cell phones, I think this book has it's finger on the pulse of a hot issue today, but has strong potential to feel a bit dated in a few years. There's a real "after school special" feeling to this one, and it opens with a large, bold-face question, "What would you do?" Sure to be a favorite in school libraries.

I borrowed this book from the library.



Nighttime Ninja
by Barbara DaCosta, illustrated by Ed Young
Little Brown
September 2012

A little boy ninja is on a top secret mission... for chocolate. The text is quite spare, as befitting a nearly silent ninja. The multimedia collage artwork features torn magazine pages, fabric and origami paper. There's a real sense of derring do as the child ninja effortlessly leaps, jumps and climbs past any obstacle to get to his goal. What a great treat for ninja fans.

I borrowed this book from the library.


What Little Boys Are Made Of
by Robert Neubecker
Balzer + Bray
March 2012

Here's an upbeat and boy-positive picture book for little boys and their moms everywhere. What are little boys made of? "Moons and stars and rockets to Mars."

Colorful full page imaginative spreads alternate with quieter scenes of a little boy playing at home. There's a hint of troublemaker energy, but on the whole the boy in this book is more like a much sweeter, gentler Calvin (of and Hobbes fame.) Pair this with Push Button by Aliki which offers another warm and loving picture of little boys.

I borrowed this book from the library.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Top Ten Debuts for 2013


Top Ten Tuesdays is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish
This week's topic is: Top Ten 2013 Debuts I'm Looking Forward To

I'm pretty sure all of these are by debut authors. Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong!


Splintered
by A.G. Howard
Amulet Books
January 2013

An Alice in Wonderland re-telling.







Dualed
by Elsie Chapman
Random House Books for Young Readers
February 2013

Doppelganger duel to the death!







Level 2
by Lenore Appelhans
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
January 2013

The afterlife... with a sci-fi twist?







Taken 
by Erin Bowman
Harper Teen
April 2013

I don't even know what it's about - but the cover looks amazing!








Prophecy
by Ellen Oh
Harper Teen
January 2013

Demon lord, royal intrigue, high fantasy.








The Madman's Daughter
by Megan Shepard
Balzer + Bray
January 2013

A retelling of the The Island of Doctor Moreau - from his daughter's point of view.






PODs 
by Michelle K. Pickett
Spencer Hill Press
June 2013

Dystopian, sci-fi, underground. Not quite sure what to make of it, but I think it's just in time for next summer reading club theme: Beneath the Surface.






Nobody But Us
Kristin Halbrook
Harper Teen
January 2013

I don't read a lot of contemporary stories, but this one about teens on the run, told in alternating chapters sounds appealing to me.







These Broken Stars
by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
Disney-Hyperion
2013

Ah! Teens survive a crash landing on another planet. I love space stories like these.







The Falconer
Elizabeth May
Chronicle Books
May 2013

Historical fantasy. Set in the 1840's, Aileana Kameron is a proper young lady - who hunts evil faeries on the side.





What are you looking forward to in 2013?

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Everneath review

Everneath
by Brodi Ashton
Balzer + Bray
January 2012

First line: "I was picturing his face - a boy with floppy brown hair and brown eyes - when the Feed ended."

High school junior Nikki Beckett has been missing from her friends and family for the past six months and returns to them shaky and fragile. While her classmates assume that she's been strung out on drugs, and maybe returned from rehab, in fact, she's been taken underground into the Everneath for what felt like a hundred years.

Now she is torn between her old human boyfriend Jack - who has been nothing but loving and supportive while she has been coping with the death of her mother, and sexy dangerous Cole, the Eternal who initially tricked her into going underground - thinking that she wouldn't survive him feeding vampire-like off her energy for a century.

This story was loosely - very, very loosely based on the Hades and Persephone myth. There is quite a bit of a drug metaphor there too - Nikki is literally addicted to Cole and it is a struggle for her to give him up, even though he's ruining her life by leaving her with little to no energy as well as overly sensitive to sights, sounds and smells. This is a hardcore and unpleasant addiction - like heroine or meth, in the way that it takes over her life, leaving her feeling emotionless and flat.

The timeline is a bit disjointed. We swerve back and forth from present day to six months ago, with flashbacks and flashforwards. There's a countdown at the top of each chapter which rachets up the tension slightly - Nikki's been told that she has six months to spend saying goodbye to her family and her old life before she has to return to the Everneath for good, either to rule as their Queen, or to be punished in The Tunnels. The story ends on a bit of a cliffhanger... so you'll want to check out the next book in the series if you want to find out what happens.

Compare to:
A Long, Long Sleep - Anna Sheehan
Crave - Melissa Darnell
The Goddess Test - Amy Carter

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

Friday, January 11, 2013

L.A. Candy review


L.A. Candy
by Lauren Conrad
HarperCollins
June 2009

L.A. Candy, about reality-tv star 19-year-old Jane Roberts certainly sounds like a semi-autobiographical journey for the author, the star of MTV's "reality" show, The Hills. Other than a few name changes I'm not sure how this is much different. I'd assumed that it would be pure fluff. The story was certainly enjoyable though and even a bit weightier than I had anticipated.

Naturally, the lion's share of the story centers around the social lives of Jane and her best friend Scarlett. They are both new to Los Angeles, starstruck and boy crazy. Despite being an attractive natural blonde, Jane considers herself a "plain Jane" while Scarlett is a confident brunette bombshell. Jane's just scored an internship with renowned event planner, Fiona Chen. Scarlett plans to coast through classes at USC while she decides what to do with herself. When Hollywood producer Trevor Lord starts talking to them in a nightclub, they initially assume that he's trying to hit on them... but eventually he convinces them to come for an audition for a new reality show filming Los Angeles. In the interview, the producers are impressed with the girls' natural good-looks and unaffected demeanor. Just like that, they are in!

With the cameras rolling, Jane and Scarlett are soon treated to a new luxury apartment and VIP lifestyle. I liked the behind-the-scenes reality behind "reality" tv... the awkwardness of being miked, the staged "spontaneous" scenes... it all rang very true.

Of course, everyone's wondering whether L.A. Candy was ghostwritten. (And wouldn't it be the ultimate irony if it was?) A careful inspection of my copy didn't seem to reveal anything in the fine print... maybe Lauren Conrad really did write this herself! I can't help but think of one of the episodes from the first season of The Hills where Lauren is called into her boss's office. Her boss asks her, "Can you write?" and she nervously replies, "Um... Yes?" There's an eerily similar scene in the book between the character Jane and her boss, event planner Fiona Chen. Her demanding and cold boss suddenly turns into a warm mentor when the cameras are rolling.

While the celebrities are all fictional, the names of many of the businesses and designer-name items in the book are not. The name-dropping and general tone strongly reminded me of Cecily von Ziegesar's Gossip Girls and It Girl series.

The story's cliffhanger ending leaves everything definitely very much unresolved!

Compare to:
Boys R Us - Lisi Harrison
Jenna & Jonah's Fauxmance - Emily Franklin & Brendan Halpin
A Long Way From You - Gwendolyn Heasley

I borrowed this book.

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Thinning the herd

I must admit, that I feel rather nervous about this post. With a reading list as long as mine though, I really do look forward to my yearly culling of the list. There's just not enough time in the world to read everything that I'd like to! Or sometimes, I'll hear something vaguely good about a new book... and then when the reviews start rolling in, it's obvious that it won't be something that appeals to me after all. Of course, sometimes a bad review will make me want to read a book even more. I'm perverse like that. My normal attitude could be summed up thusly:



So, as you can imagine, this is a very hard task for me! Last year, I posted about all the books I was striking from my to-be-read list... and unfortunately, the awards committee that I had applied to took note that several of the books I was ready to give up on, were in fact, required reading for them that year. Needless to say, I did not win a coveted award committee spot that year. :(

All I can say in my defense is: I promise you, I am an avid reader! I really am. I have some wonderful reviews I'm looking forward to posting in the next few weeks. Please don't shut me out of all your reindeer games, committee heads. I am notoriously easy to convince to add a book right back on the list. I feel bad enough giving up on some of these beauties as it is!

Okay, here's the list. Brace yourselves. It's a doozy.



Dark Companion
Why am I eliminating this book? It seems right up my alley. I don't know. Maybe it's a little too scary for me.
Bad Girls Don't Die (Bad Girls Don't Die, #1)
This book might be too scary for me. Look at that cover! Yikes. Lace curtains have never looked so scary.
Ultraviolet (Ultraviolet, #1)
Might be too scary.
Keeper
Started this book, but could not finish. I thought there would be more magical mermaids straight off. Instead, it just seemed too sad. I bet readers who loved The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron would love it. I'm sorry, Kathi Appelt! I still love you, I promise!
Pure (Pure, #1)
I started reading this, but could not finish. The main character has been in a terrible accident and has a doll that has been fused to her hand. So, she has a doll for a hand. A. Doll. For. A. Hand.
That grossed me out so much, and I just couldn't get over it. Did not finish.

Return to the Hundred Acre Wood
Everyone was just so excited when this first came out, because it's so historic and momentous. I thought I would love it (and I've even loved some quotes from this book) but I just couldn't finish it. In all fairness, I loved Winnie-the-Pooh as a kid, but if I was only reading it for the first time as an adult, it probably wouldn't have grabbed me.
The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May, & June
Started reading this and couldn't get into it. I love Robin Benway! I'm sorry, I thought it would be more magical, sooner.
Small Persons with Wings
Started reading this one, and couldn't get into it.
Real Mermaids Don’t Wear Toe Rings (Real Mermaids, #1)
I added a whole bunch of mermaid books to my tbr list about a year and a half ago, but a lot of them, I didn't get to.
Plain Kate
Started reading this and couldn't get into it.
Selkie Girl
One from the mermaid list that I'm culling.
A Curse Dark As Gold
Maybe I should read this after all? I don't know. It's been on my list a long time, it seems like, and I've never gotten around to it.
Shadowcry (Wintercraft, #1)
I bet readers of Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon would love this. I'm not in the mood for Gothic lately.
Pathfinder (Pathfinder, #1)
Everytime I start reading this, I remember what a jerk Orson Scott Card is in real life, and I can't go on. Does anybody else have that problem?
The Siren
Goodbye, mermaid book.
Stolen: A Letter to My Captor
Just couldn't get into it.
Notes from the Blender
This book has come so highly recommended! But I'm not sure if I'll ever get to it.
Nevermore (Nevermore, #1)
It's based on Poe, right? I don't think I can get into it.
Give Up the Ghost
Too scary?
The Body Finder (The Body Finder, #1)
Too scary.
The Dark Divine (The Dark Divine, #1)
I am in love with the cover, but I started reading it, and it is way too scary for me!
Low Red Moon
I don't know if I'll ever get around to this one.
Bewitching Season (Leland Sisters, #1)
Giving up on this one.
The Girl with the Mermaid Hair
I thought this was a mermaid book, but I was wrong.
Brain Jack
No thanks.
Jessica Rules the Dark Side (Jessica, #2)
I liked the first book, Jessica's Rules for Dating on the Dark Side. But I don't think I'll get around to this one.
The Year the Swallows Came Early
I meant to read this because it's short, and takes place in California, but I never got around to it.
Beastly (Kendra Chronicles #1)
I was on an Alex Flinn reading jag for a while, but I don't think I'll read this one after all.
The Patron Saint of Butterflies
I can't remember why I added this book.
The Martian Child: A Novel About a Single Father Adopting a Son
I thought this was a memoir. How did I miss the word "novel" in the subtitle? I was excited to read this book by David Gerrold (of Star Trek Trouble with Tribbles fame) but now that I see it's fiction, I think I'll give it a pass.
Gigged
I added this to my list on someone's recommendation that I read more fiction with guy appeal, but I never got around to it.
The Other Side of the Island
Can't remember why I added this one.
Mr. Darcy's Diary (Jane Austen Heroes, #1)
I was on a Jane Austen spin-off kick for a while. But I've read some iffy reviews of this one, so I guess I'll skip it.
Paper Towns
John Green! I love his internet videos sooooo much, but I can't say I've ever enjoyed his books. I know! Dangerous words... I'm anticipating a frenzied mob of Greenites ready to knock down my door and demand that I recant this blasphemy, even as I type this. I have picked up and started to read this book so many times. I just can't finish it. I'm sorry, John Green fans. I just can't.
The Secret Society of the Pink Crystal Ball
Can't remember why I added this.
My Life in Pink & Green
I like the cover. I added this book so long ago. I just don't think I'll get to it.
The White Queen (The Cousins' War, #1)
I loved The Other Boleyn Girl, and part of me wants to read ALL the Philippa Gregory, but I think I'm actually going to give myself permission not to.
Claim to Fame
Margaret Peterson Haddix is one of my longtime favorite authors. But her last couple of novels, I couldn't get into and this was one of them.
Dear Bully: Seventy Authors Tell Their Stories
Everyone was so excited when this book came out, including me. But then I remembered that I don't actually like anthologies very much. I'm sorry. Bullying is still wrong!
Tyger Tyger (Goblin Wars, #1)
Can't remember why I added this one.
Rivethead: Tales from the Assembly Line
I added this book because I loved Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich. But I don't think I'll get to it.
Fly by Night
I think I'll skip this one.
Once Dead, Twice Shy (Madison Avery, #1)
Started this, but couldn't get into it.
The Thirteen Treasures (Thirteen Treasures, #1)
Skipping it.
Hearts at Stake (The Drake Chronicles, #1)
I'm kind of tired of vampires.
Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith
Started this one, but couldn't get into it. Pity.
Vampire Rising (Alex Van Helsing, #1)
Tired of vampires.
Turtle in Paradise
Jennifer L. Holm, of Babymouse fame, I love you so much! But I just couldn't get into this book, I'm sorry.
The Everafter
Might be too scary.
Five Flavors of Dumb
I've heard great things about this book, but I just couldn't get into it.
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate
I thought I would love that this book was set in Texas, but I didn't.
The Clockwork Three
I thought this book would be more steampunkish.
The Red Queen's Daughter
Now that I've read The Other Boleyn Girl, I feel like I don't need to read this one. Is that weird?
The Average American Male
In my quest for "guy books" I added this one, but I think I'll skip it after all.
Gothic Lolita
Been meaning to read this one FOREVER, but I don't think it's going to happen.
Mercy (Mercy, #1)
Can't remember why I added this one.
I Hunt Killers (Jasper Dent, #1)
Potentially too scary.
Rot & Ruin
Way too scary.
Gamer Girl
Started reading this, but couldn't get into it. I used to be way more into video games, but don't play much anymore.
Girl Wonder
I guess I'll skip this one.
Mermaid Park
Goodbye, mermaids.
Luminous
Started reading this one, but the main character didn't appeal to me.
The Wager
Too gross.
The Ask and the Answer (Chaos Walking, #2)
I loved the first book in this series, and meant to read them all, but never got around to it.
A Monster Calls
Too scary.
The Forbidden Sea
Can't remember why I added this one.
The Map of Time
Deleting this one.
Siren's Storm (Siren's Storm, #1)
Thinning the mermaid herd.
Bamboo People
Can't get into it.
Vintage Veronica
I did not like the main character. Could not finish.
The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg
I thought I should read this one, because it takes place in the south and I loved Stonewall Hinkleman and the Battle of Bull Run by Michael Hemphill and Sam Riddleburger, but I've had it on my list for so long, I think I'll delete it.
Burn Bright (Night Creatures, #1)
Might be too scary.
Silver Phoenix (Kingdom of Xia, #1)
On the list for a long time, but I haven't gotten to it yet. I guess this one can go.
Past Midnight (Past Midnight, #1)
I liked One Hundred Candles (the sequel) and I thought I'd go back to read the first one, but I never got around to it.
Siren (Siren, #1)
Hasta la vista, mermaid.
The Fool's Girl
I thought I would love this, because I'm a huge Shakespeare fan, but I started it and couldn't get into it.
Ninth Ward
I meant to read this one, but never got around to it. I feel so bad about it! I love New Orleans. But I just can't read this book.
Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict
I loved Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict (the sequel) and thought I'd go back and read this one, but it's been a while, so I think it's time to eliminate this one from the list instead.
Reign or Shine (Demon Princess, #1)
This just felt too upbeat and silly for me. I couldn't get into it.
The Casual Vacancy
Is it possible that this book is the opposite of Harry Potter in every way? I almost wish J.K. Rowling had released this under a new pen name. You know what it reminded me of, a bit? That movie, American Beauty, where the main character dies right away, and it is all sad and horrible and sordid and you have to find out who and how and why it happened. I was hoping for some good indictments of welfare naysayers, but I didn't get that far and I couldn't finish it.
Dead Rules
Too scary.
Song Of The Sparrow
I meant to read more adult novels. But I started this one and couldn't get into it.
Witches: The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem
I think I put this on my list because it was highly recommended. But, I've read a lot of nonfiction on the Salem Witch trials, so I think I'll just take their word for it.
As I Wake
Too scary looking.
Immortal (Immortal, #1)
I love boarding school stories, but I'm not in the mood for Gothic right now.
Intertwined (Intertwined, #1)
This should totally be up my alley! But I started it and couldn't get into it. I figure readers who liked Paranormalcy by Kiersten White or White Cat by Holly Black will like it.
Darkborn (Darkborn Trilogy, #1)
Could be too gothic.
Tantalize (Tantalize, #1)
Started reading this one, and I thought I would love it, but I might be all vampire'd out right now. I bet readers who liked Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel would like it.
How To Say Goodbye In Robot
Started it, but couldn't finish.
She Smells the Dead (Spirit Guide, #1)
Too scary.
Famous
Started this one, but there's a kind of breathless amazement for Hollywood that I couldn't get into. (Note: I lived in Los Angeles for 15 years.)
Working in the Shadows: A Year of Doing the Jobs (Most) Americans Won't Do
Another, "If you Liked Nickel and Dimed..." recommendation.
Toads and Diamonds
Normally, I love fairy tale retellings, but I couldn't get into this one.
Breadcrumbs
Heard very mixed reviews on this one. I've heard that it's for kids, but not for kids. Ultimately, the folks who told me they loooooved it, were also the same kind of people who usually have very different taste in books than me, so I'm guessing I might not like it.
Gang Leader for a Day: A Rogue Sociologist Takes to the Streets
Another, "If you Liked Nickel and Dimed..." recommendation.
Pod
I haven't been able to get my hands on a copy of this one. So, I think I'll give up on it.
Numbers (Numbers, #1)
I started reading this one, and it felt too scary.
The Black Prism (Lightbringer, #1)
Can't remember why I added this one.
Extraordinary
I've been meaning to read more adult fiction, and I LOVE the cover for this one, but it's been on my list for such a long time, I think it's time to give up.
Behemoth (Leviathan, #2)
I read Leviathan, and I liked it okay, but I didn't LOVE it the way some readers did. I do love Scott Westerfeld sooooo much. This just isn't my favorite series of his.
Fray
I love Joss Whedon so much, but graphic novels are actually really difficult for me to read because it takes so long to look at the pictures, instead of just breezing through the text. I think I'm going to take this one off the list.
The Mockingbirds (The Mockingbirds, #1)
I started this one, and I thought I would love it, but I couldn't get into it. It's a long book, too!
Flora Segunda (Flora Trilogy, #1)
This has been on my list for a while. I don't think I'm going to get around to it.
Fatal Alliance (Star Wars: The Old Republic, #1)
I really like Star Wars, but I don't read very many of the Star Wars novels. I can't imagine why I put this on my to-be-read list. Actually... now that I think of it... I might have put it on accidentally, while I was demo'ing e-books and social networking tools for a class I was teaching.
Feathers
I thought I would love this one, and it's pretty short too, but I couldn't finish it.
Elsewhere
Too depressing. Couldn't finish it.

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