Saturday, February 11, 2012

Review: Blood Red Road


Blood Red Road
by Moira Young
Dustlands, book one 

Book Description:
Saba has spent her whole life in Silverlake, a dried-up wasteland ravaged by constant sandstorms. The Wrecker civilization has long been destroyed, leaving only landfills for Saba and her family to scavenge from. That's fine by her, as long as her beloved twin brother Lugh is around. But when four cloaked horsemen capture Lugh, Saba's world is shattered, and she embarks on a quest to get him back.

Suddenly thrown into the lawless, ugly reality of the outside world, Saba discovers she is a fierce fighter, an unbeatable survivor, and a cunning opponent. Teamed up with a handsome daredevil named Jack and a gang of girl revolutionaries called the Free Hawks, Saba’s unrelenting search for Lugh stages a showdown that will change the course of her own civilization.

Review:
Are you feeling depressed and deprived after finishing The Hunger Games trilogy? Looking for another phenomenal read with a strong female protagonist? Look no further. It's here.

I loved Saba's voice. Very much like Katniss, she's tough, even as she has no desire to be... she does everything for the benefit of her twin and only comes later to realize how much her journey has shaped her into her own strong, independent person. She can come across as callous at times, but really cannot help but help the others around her.

I loved the written style of this book. It reads like a movie. The prose is sparse and thus, even more compelling. The author purposely refrains from using quotation marks around the speech, indicating yet a further breakdown of society, but also forcing the reader to truly read every word on the page.

The world is well-built, with realistic issues, and a cool futuristic cowboy vibe. I cannot wait to dive in again in book two!! Rebel Heart should be coming out this October.

Review: Lenobia's Vow


Lenobia's Vow
by P.C. and Kristin Cast
A House of Night novella

Book Description:
A great journey…
A new love….
A dark secret revealed.

Evreux, France, 1788: Before she is Zoey’s favorite professor and the House of Night’s powerful horse mistress… Lenobia is just a normal 16-year-old girl – with enough problems to last a lifetime. As the illegitimate daughter of a powerful baron, she has never quite belonged, and instead has to watch her spoiled half-sister, Cecile, get anything she wants. As if that’s not enough, her remarkable beauty draws unwanted attention wherever she goes. For once, she would like to just fit in.

But when fate intervenes, Lenobia suddenly finds herself surrounded by other girls, on a ship bound for New Orleans, where they will be married off to the city’s richest Frenchmen. And they’re not alone…. An evil bishop who is skilled in Dark magic makes the same journey. His appetite for lovely young women makes him dangerous – most of all to Lenobia, who caught his eye back in France. So she remains hidden, making secret visits to the ship’s stables, where a handsome young man and his beautiful Percheron horses soon capture her attention.

Will they make it to land before the bishop discovers her true identity and a powerful evil breaks loose? And will Lenobia follow her heart, even if it puts lives at risk?

Review:
I really enjoyed this novella, a lot more than the one featuring Dragon. Lenobia was an interesting character and the Bishop was skin-crawlingly creepy. There was an interesting storyline and it was really cool to see Zoey's favorite teacher as a young teen.

The love story was great and heartbreaking and tearjerking and totally fun to read. The time period was interesting and I loved that most of the story actually took place on a boat. I, of course, will also read just about anything related to New Orleans, so this book was also really exciting in that they are headed there and that Martin is Creole. 
A definite must-read for fans of the House of Night series!

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

If You Like: Stories That Take Place Within 24 Hours


If You Like… is a feature highlighting blogger recommendations for books, authors, TV shows, movies, and music based on the things you already know and love.
 
This week's post includes all types of books and movies that take place in a single 24 hour period. So, if you love a wild and crazy kind of day...check these out!

Cover Craving...Bad Hair Day!!


Bad Hair Day
by Carrie Harris
sequel to Bad Taste in Boys

Publication date: unknown


LOVE this! Almost as much as I loved the weird cover for Bad Taste in Boys!
This is such a fun series and I am stoked to read this as soon as it finally comes out!!! 

AND...for a hilarious addition to your day, check out this post on Carrie Harris' blog to see a video of a ton of author's worst hair days!! :P

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Are you a Ranger's Apprentice Fan? Have we got a treat for you...

Check out the new book we just got in our YA section!!

The Ranger's Apprentice: The Lost Stories
by John Flanagan

Unconfirmed accounts of a group of Araluen warriors - tales of adventure, battle, and triumph over evil - have spread for centuries throughout the known world. Most notable is a clan shrouded in mystery, phantom warriors known as the Rangers.

Two names pass the lips of every storyteller: Halt, and his apprentice, Will. They and their comrades in arms are said to have traveled throughout the kingdom and beyond its borders, protecting those who needed it most. If true, these rumors can be only part of the story.

Only now, centuries after these men and women walked the earth, do we have confirmation of their existence. Behold The Lost Stories.


AND...check out this video of author John Flanagan discussing where the lost stories came from...