Out With a Bang Readathon

Hello fellow bookworms! The year 2010 is coming to a close, and many of us probably still have several books on our 2010 to-be-read piles that we just haven't gotten to yet -- especially Debut Author Challenge books! That's why Heather at Book-Savvy and I wanted to host the Out with a Bang Readathon!

The Readathon will run from December 29 - 31 and participants will be reading as many books as they can during that time! This Readathon is mainly to finish off the fabulous debuts for the Debut Author Challenge, but participants don't have to focus on that category if they have non-debut books that they would like to finish before 2010 ends.

And, if you need an extra incentive to participate, we'll also be giving away tons of swag and books during the Readathon (and a lot of it will be signed!)

Several awesome authors have been kind enough to donate items! I will do a special thank you post once we have all the details so that I don't miss anyone!

Thanks SO much to the authors and bloggers who are making this event possible!

It's not too late to donate or to sign up to host a challenge. If you're interested, just email me!

I will be using this time to (hopefully) read some ebooks on my new Nook (that is if I get it for Christmas) as well as some of the books I receive for Christmas or even some of the books I've been meaning to read but haven't gotten around to yet.  It's totally fluid.

Everlasting

Everlasting by Angie Frazier
Scholastic Press, 2010
329 pages
YA; Historical
3.5/5 stars

Source: Bought

Summary: Camille is engaged to a fine upstanding man but all she wants is to be at sea with her father.  On what will be their last journey, secrets and a storm destroy everything Camille knows.  All that remains is Oscar, steady, dependable Oscar who is definitely not her fiance but who may just be the answer.

Some spoilers!

Thoughts: A much delayed review from the readathon which means it will be short as I can't remember much. I didn't think the historical setting (1855 San Francisco) was utilized enough except to highlight Camille's status as a bargaining chip to maintain her family's prosperity and to impose a certain set of expectations on her.

I appreciated that there was a strong father/daughter relationship because a lot of YA parents suck.  Although it turns out that her father has done some bad stuff too.

Then there is a "curse" unleashed by saying a name; this is the paranormal aspect that completely blindsided me.  It seemed unnecessary-why couldn't it have been just a normal treasure?  I definitely wanted less of that.

Oddly I preferred her fiance Randall to Oscar.  Oscar didn't seem to be that great of a guy although he was the one she had sparks with.  Randall seemed a nice enough guy, unless I'm forgetting that he had some deep dark secret.

Overall: Lovely historical fiction, marred by paranormal aspects.

Cover: I love the cover-probably one of my favorites from this year!  The colors, the font, the picture, I love it all!

Winter's Passage

Winter's Passage by Julie Kagawa
Harlequin, 2010
59 pages
YA; Paranormal romance; Faeries
3/5 stars
The Iron Fey #1.5

Review of The Iron King.

Source: Downloaded free from author or publisher's website (can't remember)

Summary: A brief novella between the first book of the series and the second.  Meghan and Ash are going to the Winter Court to fulfill the contract they made in the first book.  As they travel, they are chased by the Hunter.

Thoughts: There wasn't much to this.  It was divided in to four chapters but much of the first two is repeating what happened in the first book.  And since I read this immediately after finishing the first book, I didn't need the recap.  Then it continues with a visit to Puck and brief appearances of my two favorite characters cat Grim and the Elder Dryad.  After that it is Meghan and Ash traveling, fighting for survival, and continuing their remarkably undeveloped relationship-seriously, I have no idea what she sees in him!  It seems a bit like a Romeo and Juliet kind of thing and Meghan also still seems very naive. The climax is when the Hunter (or wolf as you can tell by the cover) catches them has some good suspenseful parts but then collapses as Meghan uses her words to settle the conflict.

Overall: Maybe good if you are absolutely in love with Kagawa's Faerie world but otherwise skippable.

Cover: I like the colors but I don't like the wolf especially when the covers for the actual books are so gorgeous.

The Iron King

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
Harlequin Teen, 2010
363 pages
YA; Paranormal; Faeries
4/5 stars
The Iron Fey #1

Source: Bought

Summary: Meghan Chase lives on a farm on the outskirts of town; a boring ordinary existence.  But that's about to change as her younger brother is kidnapped and she sets off to faerie world to rescue him and learn the truth about her heritage.

Thoughts: I'm currently cursing myself for not writing up this review immediately after I finished because already I don't remember everything.

It reminded me of Labyrinth as there is a young girl who travels to another world (was it a faerie world in the movie?) in order to rescue her baby brother [I think I prefer Labyrinth.]  Meghan however travels because her brother was stolen and a changeling was left in his place.  And when she travels she meets her father, king of the faeries, and discovers that she is a valuable asset to the ever feuding faeries.

Unfortunately they're dying as humans believe less in magic and more in technology.  And there are also creatures made of iron who are threatening the faeries so there is plenty of conflict.  Meghan is rather stupid much of the time but I suppose it would be a very overwhelming experience to travel through faerie world when you're only sixteen.

Team: There are apparently teams for either Ash or Puck.  It's pretty obvious that Meghan prefers Ash but I don't know why.  I am Team Puck, her best friend who knows her inside and out and is also funny, although I know it is futile.  Ash is pretty much a jerk and I don't think he laughs very much.

Overall: Intriguing beginning to the Iron series with appealing descriptions. I want to read the other books.

Cover: This is a gorgeous cover! The colors are striking and there's a mix of flora and more metal looking decorations.

Daddy's Delight

Daddy's Delight by Karia Bunting
Moody Publishers, 2010
223 pages
Inspirational; Non-fiction
3.5/5 stars

Source: Received a free ebook via Netgalley

Summary: Guidance on how to embrace God's design for you as a woman.  Includes insight into singlehood, married life, friendships, and ministry.

Thoughts: I requested this back in May so I can't remember what specifically about it attracted me.  I think the title is interesting because I only call my earthly father "daddy." But why wouldn't I?  He loves me far beyond what any human can.  I think I was held back by the fact that Father seems more respectful and I want to be respectful to the Lord.  I'm rethinking that position now but it still makes me feel a little rude to think of Him as my daddy.

On to the actual content: my favorite part of these kinds of books is always the personal content and I wish this had contained more.  She does provide several examples and they're well-balanced with scripture and analysis.  I just prefer more stories from real-life.

My favorite part was Bunting's rejection of women being blamed for sin.  Yes, Eve sinned in the garden by listening to the snake but Mary carried and gave birth to Jesus, our Savior thus wiping out that sin.  I also liked how she didn't just say women should be in the house but recognized the valuable contributions we can make to the economy and our family's finances.

Overall: Nothing new or groundbreaking but useful guidance and very readable.

Cover: It's always hard for me to evaluate netgalley covers because covers can look different online than in person but this one is okay.

Forget You

Forget You by Jennifer Echols
Gallery Books/MTV Books, 2010
292 pages
YA; Contemporary; Romantic Drama
3/5 stars

Source: Bought

Summary: Zoey thought she was going to meet Brendan.  But then she wakes up from a crash with Doug.  And now Doug is acting like he's her boyfriend and Zoey can't remember anything about that night.

Some spoilers-don't think it will ruin the book but...

Thoughts: This was a real mixed bag for me.  The things I liked, I really liked but the things I didn't like, I hated.

Liked: Echols writes steamy scenes very well so even when I didn't really like the characters (see below), I enjoyed those passages.  They were probably the most engaging part and I could see them as a couple then.

While Zoey's dad is a huge jerk (he cheated on her mom and knocked up his 24 year old coworker; they elope to HI after Zoey's accident), he was interesting.  He's very selfish, is a poor excuse for a father and I would hate to meet a real-life him but in the context of a book, I liked it.

Didn't Like: Let's start small: the timeline seemed a bit confused to me.  It seemed like more time should have passed than apparently did.

Then this is more of a quibble but Doug has been to juvie.  In many books, he would be the alluring bad boy who fascinates most of the girls but in this one he's a dangerous outcast. That just seems weird to me although I very rarely cheer for the bad boy when I'm reading (and he's not so bad anyway).

And biggest: Zoey is an idiot. She spent all summer listening to Brandon tell about the different girls he slept with (it seems like at least a new one every week) but then he sleeps with her, so she thinks they're a couple.  And it's not like they talked about it, she just assumed because they had been friends so long.  Plus he was obviously avoiding her and hanging out with Stephanie (why does Stephanie have to be a ho?  We're really not like that).  Zoey is justifiably protective of her mom (who was hospitalized after a suicide attempt) but how did she think such a thing was going to be contained?  And finally it takes Zoey way too long to admit that she has no memory of that night and start really digging for answers.

Overall: Some well-written passages but the story as a whole lacks.

Cover: It's okay from a distance but up close, Doug's stubble is heading in to perv territory.

Linger

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater
Scholastic Press, 2010
360 pages
YA; Paranormal Romance
2nd in trilogy
4/5 stars

See my review of first book Shiver here.

Source: Won

Spoilers from first book

Summary: Now Sam is a human and should be staying that way and everything should be great for Grace and Sam.  Instead there are new threats, from the newly turned wolves, from an angry hunter, from Grace's parents, from Grace's body itself.

Thoughts: I saw mixed reviews of this: either people loved it or they didn't see the need of a sequel and thought the four narrators muddied it were the prevailing thoughts.  I was excited about the sequel as I really enjoyed the first book and thought it was beautifully written.

I enjoyed the shifting perspectives and I liked that we didn't spend too long with any of them; I feel like that helps me read faster.  What I didn't like about the four narrators was lack of Grace.  I didn't track how long her sections were but it felt like there was a lot more Sam and Cole than Grace, who is my favorite character.  I do like Sam, who is wonderfully earnest and such a good guy, in comparison to a lot of other YA males.  But I felt like Grace should have been more of a focus and she wasn't.  I enjoyed meeting Cole, a musician and scientific genius who wants to forget himself entirely and be just a wolf.  He was such a jerk but if he can help, I want that.  Isabel also returns and has some chapters to herself.  She's in a very difficult position as she is struggling with parental problems of her own plus has her dad wanting to kill all of the wolves.

Beck is still a wolf as in the first book but his presence is heavily featured in the boys' chapters and as I loved him in the first book, I appreciated that.  I also liked Grace's friend Rachel who was just a funny character throughout.

I didn't like Grace's parents who have a lot to answer for in my book.  They spent years basically acting like Grace didn't exist or didn't need them for anything but all of a sudden, they interfere?!  And they get mad at Sam when it seems like he's in it for the long haul, and not just for sex.  Most parents I know at least try to get to know the person their child is dating.  I'm not sure what it is about him that they don't like.  And instead of trying to slow their relationship down, maybe by insisting that he spends more time with the parents so he can demonstrate his honorable intentions or by requesting that they spend more time in a group, they outright ban him.  Furthermore, it doesn't sound like Grace's grades have suffered or that she was acting disrespectfully toward her parents while dating Sam.  When they start ordering her around, that's when the disrespect starts and quite frankly they haven't earned her respect.  Because while one should respect one's parents, it's earned, not just taken or demanded.  They suck as parents.

Plotwise, the main thread is Cole adjusting to life as a shifter and then Grace's ill health which seems to be due to her earlier bite from a wolf.  That last one ends on a cliffhanger that has me frantic for Forever.

Overall: Interesting new characters and further development of characters from first book result in a good book.

Cover: Love the green and how it connects to the blue; personally I would love purple for the next book.

Mockingjay

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Scholastic, 2010
390 pages
Dystopian; YA
Third in Trilogy
4.5/5 stars

Here are my reviews of The Hunger Games and Catching Fire.

Source: Bought (stupid amazon delivered it a day late causing me to spend all of August 24th pouting)

SPOILERS of first two books in summary. Minor spoilers in thoughts (generalities, no specifics; ex. I would say there were a lot of deaths in HP7 but I wouldn't write their names).

Summary: The highly anticipated conclusion to Suzanne Collins's Hunger Games trilogy.  Katniss has twice survived the Hunger Games and is now in the hidden District 13 where she must decide if she'll be the mockingjay, the figurehead of revolution against the Capitol.  More violent than its predecessors (yes, seriously!), this book will put you through the wringer.

Thoughts: Well, Collins is definitely in the Rowling camp when it comes to who and how many of your favorite characters will die (in comparison to the Meyer camp where it is my understanding that nobody had to sacrifice anything and it was very anticlimactic; note: I haven't read it because I don't hate myself but that's what I've heard).  The consequence is that the characters who do survive along with the reader end up emotionally devastated (well, at least I did).  I didn't cry because I was speeding through but when I reread it, I think I will.

It is also very violent because there's a full on revolution/war going on.  Inevitably there are survivors and there are the dead.  And of course those who die are either already beloved characters or have enough of a presence that we miss them.  There are also some secrets about the early days of Panem revealed and very few authority figures we can trust.  The other books were pushing the YA label but I would definitely say this is older YA if not basically an adult book.

Teams: Now I'm not going to say if she picks anyone but the reason I'm listing for being on each team is the justification for why she chooses that option. (Listed alphabetically)

Gale: He taught her how to hunt and has encouraged her independence; additionally they are both fiercely protective of their families.
Katniss: So kickass, it's not like she needs a guy and she will continue to be awesome; or she's dead.
Peeta: He balances her out and brings out new aspects of her character; additionally he loves her even when she feels unloveable.

Note: I remain Team Peeta, even if the odds aren't in his favor.

Overall: I enjoyed it less than the previous books and I'll definitely need to reread it (unfortunately I lent it to a friend so I don't have it right now.  I know, I didn't have to do that but that's what makes me so nice. *WICKED!*)

Cover: I think a darker blue would look nicer on shelves next to the red and black of the first two.

From Dusk Till Dawn Read-A-Thon

I will be participating in the From Dusk Till Dawn Read-a-Thon this week!  I've never been able to participate in one before so I'm really excited.  I think it's pretty perfect for a college student who is basically relaxing the week before classes start and it will help me build up a backlog of reviews before my crazy semester starts.

Tentative Book List:
Bleak House-ch. 8 to 13 for September 1st post for readalong
Mockingjay because I don't know when I'll be able to start it
Everlasting by Angie Frazier
The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
The Ivy by Lauren Kunze and Rina Onur
The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan
Forget You by Jennifer Echols
Daddy's Delight by Karia Bunting (from netgalley because I'm way behind)
Wildthorn by Jane Eagland (also from netgalley because I'm way behind and I've seen good things about it)

I don't know if this is too ambitious or not ambitious enough but we shall see.  Head over to Book Crazy to sign up (and get excited for some awesome challenges)!