Blog Makeover courtesy of @intothemornrds

I would like to invite you to click through and check out my new blog look! I was starting to think it was time for a unique design of my own after over two years of blogging and I have now taken the plunge after winning a blog design from http://kaleidoscope-designs.blogspot.com/

While I wasn't sure at first that I knew what I wanted, it turns out that I kind of did. I loved the bright polka dots of my former design so I definitely still wanted something bright and cheerful. Then I wanted to incorporate a teddy bear in honor of my love of Theodore Roosevelt. So there's a girl teddy bear at the top, representing me and rocking a pair of pink frames. And then lots of colorful accents on the side.

Last night Jenny installed everything. I have been so impressed with her speed and ability to translate all of the thoughts in my head into a beautiful design that fits me. I highly recommend her for all of your blog design needs!

For more information, check out her website: http://kaleidoscope-designs.blogspot.com/

13 Hangmen

13 Hangmen by Art Corriveau
4.5/5 stars
Amulet Books, 2012
342 pages
MG; Contemporary; Historical

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I did not know anything about this book going in to it although based on the title, I was kind of expecting a creepy read, possibly something fantasy revolving around hangmen. Well, that is not it. In fact, it is something better, weaving together lots of little historical moments into a big mystery.

The beginning is a little slow as everything is set up. Tony inherits first an authentic Ted Williams Red Sox cap and then his great-uncle's house on 13 Hangmen's Court in Boston. He, his historian father, mother, and twin older brothers thus move to their new home only to uncover a variety of problems. The house is not in good condition and the father is accused of murdering the uncle by pesky neighbor Hagmann.

However Tony uncovers a secret. When he places the cap on a symbol in his room, he can commune with his great-uncle in 1939; both boys are 13 and share the connection of the hat. As they talk, they learn about how the family Hagmann has been trying to get their house for generations and end up talking with other thirteen-year old boys who owned the house under the same unusual circumstances as Tony, revealing every time a little bit more about the mystery of the house as well as a peek into American history through one of its most important cities.

While I was a little skeptical of this book, I quickly fell in love and flew through it. There are so many aspects I love: awkward boy struggling with his weight and fitting in with his family, love of mysteries as Tony gets the opportunity to try to solve an actual one, and of course American history as we get to go all the way back to the time of the American Revolution.

As a middle-grade novel, I thought the writing was on a simpler level than perhaps a YA novel would be. This is not a bad observation; in fact, I think it helped me to read this as I was just drawn into the world. And I did think the writing had some interesting concepts, particularly in its use of history, showing how different ethnic groups moved through the neighborhoods as well as our connections to others through objects. Throughout I was wondering if all of the history presented was accurate; happily Corriveau presented an engaging look at separating his story from history.

Overall: A really fun melding of some of my favorite subjects: mystery, American history, some baseball, and family!

Cover: Wow-another cover that matches! Baseball is very relevant as are the spirals.

Radiate

Radiate by Marley Gibson
4.5/5 stars
HMH Children's Paperback, 2012
400 pages
YA; Contemporary; Issues

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Somehow I had gotten the impression that this book had a paranormal aspect but instead it is contemporary without any trace of fantastical creatures. However it does have something greater: the power of hope in trying circumstances.

See main character Hayley Matthews wants her senior year to be something special, wants it to be something more. So she quits marching band and tries out for cheerleading, landing a coveted spot as one of twelve Varsity Cheerleaders. The grueling practices are manageable until Hayley finally has to acknowledge a bump on her leg.  This bump is not any old bump. It is quickly revealed as cancer and soon Hayley's summer is derailed, sending her to a hospital hours away from her hometown. But she is determined to maintain her pep, something that she will definitely need as she begins her senior year.

There were a couple of fairly predictable moments such as the love relationships. Turns out the popular boy is kind of a jerk (which is forecast from the beginning) while the boy next door is pretty dang perfect-all very obvious and actually probably my least favorite aspect although said boy next door is cute ;) Additionally since the story is told via first-person narrator, the reader can surmise that the narrator will survive or else there would have to be a dramatic shift in tone.

As you might guess in a book about cancer, emotions run pretty high. While Hayley is determined to look on the bright side, her family is struggling financially with medical costs and her estranged sister has some secrets that are impacting the family's money health. Generally Hayley does not let cancer or outsiders' stares hold her back, proving herself to be an inspiration to many others and winning a place in my heart.

Especially poignant is the author's mother's note at the end revealing how much of the story is based on the author's actual experience and strengthening the mother-daughter bond shown in the book for me. I was already crying but this just added to the emotion. It also explained how the author was so familiar with all of the medical jargon used throughout the book. The language seemed very detailed and knowledgeable to me although admittedly I (thankfully) do not have much experience with cancer.

Overall: An emotional journey through a difficult period as navigated by a graceful inspiring young lady.

Cover: I love the bright optimistic yellow and the red cheerleading outfit that really capture the story contained within.

Blog Tour: Clockwise (+ #Giveaway)

Today is a special day as I have committed to being part of a blog tour hosted by Missy's Reads & Reviews for the YA contemporary/time-travel book Clockwise by Elle Strauss.  For long-time readers of my blog, you may have guessed that the time-travel aspect is what caught my attention and you would be right! I love seeing the different ways authors incorporate traveling through time, what era(s) they select, and the mechanics of it all. Read on for my review and for details about the giveaway!


Clockwise by Elle Strauss
4/5 stars
ESB Publishing, 2011
290 pages
YA; Contemporary; Time Travel

Source: Received an e-copy from the author as part of this blog tour.

Casey Donovan is our heroine, an ordinary girl with a best friends, a crush on the cutest guy in school, and somehow the ability to travel through time. However this is not without certain conditions. First she has no control over when she goes although stress seems to be a contributing factor. Second she has no control over how long she stays; as she ages, she seems to stay longer and yet no time at all passes at home. And third she has no control over where she goes: her hometown in New England, 1860 amid rising tensions between the North and South over slavery.

While Casey has shared about her ability with her best friend, she has no intention of telling anyone else. Not her bratty brother, her harassed mother, or her adulterer father. And certainly not her crush Nate. Until at the school dance when she travels back in time and brings Nate with her, allowing him the chance to notice how not-so-ordinary she is.

I'm always predisposed to like the main character of a novel especially when she is also the first-person narrator. Knowing that Casey has a strong background in American history really solidified our connection; when a MC and I share common interests, it makes it so much easier! Seeing her strength and perseverance through her jumps also really gave me cause to like her. Although she struggles with how this impacts her life, she doesn't let it ruin her.  Nate, meanwhile, seems like the stereotypical jock but as we get to know him through the course of the book, he reveals more depth and allows us to see why Casey has a crush on him.

I'm definitely curious as to what else we'll learn about time traveling in the sequel as well as the next steps in Casey and Nate's relationship.

So, sound interesting? Well, here are the Giveaway details:

You can win: an e- copy of the sequel, Clockwiser, graciously provided by Elle Strauss.

You must:
-"Like" Elle Strauss on facebook
-Leave a comment on this post saying that you have done so (I will contact you to confirm facebook name if you do not wish to disclose it in the comment)

Total winners: Unlimited :)

Netgalley April!

Yay-time for one of my favorite events! I have a busy schedule of Netgalley books to read this month, currently numbering fourteen although I have already read 2! This also inspired me to go request some more books, which will probably add to my list ;) Head over to Red House Books to declare your participation.


1. Candlewax by C. Bailey Sims
2. 13 Hangmen by Art Corriveau
3. Torn by Stephanie Guerra (started)
4. Ripper by Amy Carol Reeves
5. The Obsidian Blade by Pete Hautman
6. Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
7. The Academie by Susanne Dunlap
8. Spirit's Princess by Esther Friesner
9. Sidney Chambers and the Shadow of Death by James Runcie
10. The Mapmaker and the Ghost by Sarvenaz Tash
11. The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa
12. A Greyhound of a Girl by Roddy Doyle
13. Facing the Hunchback of Notre Dame by LL Samson
14. The Summer My Life Began by Shannon Greenland

Dying to Know You

Dying to Know by Aidan Chambers
4/5 stars
Amulet Books, 2012
275 pages
YA; Contemporary

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This looked like an interesting read so when I saw it pop up, I requested it. I didn't really know much going in but I ended up finding a lot to recommend it and to differentiate it from many other books in the YA category.

First we have a male narrator (yay!) but that narrator is actually an elderly man enlisted by the young male protagonist to aid in his courtship of a wordsmith young lady. Then it is set in the UK, not very unique but I mostly read books set in America or else historicals set in England. Reading a contemporary set in England is fairly rare. And third is the pedigree of the author. Chambers won the Carnegie medal for Postcards from No Man's Land, a book I vaguely remember reading many years ago.

The young male Karl who asks for help is a fascinating character. His years of schooling have taught him to think less of himself due to his difficulties with writing, a consequence of his dyslexia. The loss of his father at a young age also severely impacted him. But the lady insists so he goes to the writer, her favorite writer in fact.  But as the two meet up to work on this project, the writer discovers that he is getting as much from Karl as he is giving. Yes, he is sharing his power with words but Karl is giving the writer hope after the death of his beloved wife.

This book relies heavily on dialogue, something I love as it is generally makes for fast reading than dense paragraphs of description or *shudder* internal monologues. But in this case the rapid back and forth of the characters rarely had "said" or "told" attached, making it a little tricky to remember who was saying what. Of course it's not impossible, it just means I needed to slow down to appreciate what was occurring.

It's a quiet book without the razzle-dazzle action scenes of paranormals and fantasies. But it is not without its emotional power. Seeing Karl battle his demons and discover his strong, capable self was a true pleasure.

Overall: Thoughtful writing lift this story above the ordinary for a lovely reading experience.

Cover: Definitely not something that would appeal to me (given my penchant for pretty dresses and cartoonish covers) but actually relevant to the contents of the book, a big plus for YA!

March 2012 Stats

Looking Back at March: I really struggled to fit in reading this month and am just under my goal. There are several reasons for that, one of which I will be sharing about this month; it's just something else that has consumed my attention and makes me happy. Unfortunately another reason is stress from work, something I don't see ending this month although I am trying to be more at peace with the situation there.  One more reason would be the books I was reading. Most of them were average reads for me, meaning that I didn't hate any of them but unfortunately I wasn't head over heels in love with most of them. I have 2 books to recommend below whereas last month I think I recommended 5.

Looking Forward to April: It's a pretty exciting month with lots of YA books in many different genres, almost exclusively published in 2012 so you can find out if the newest releases are worth your time. I'm also throwing in some adult reads including the latest Lauren Willig, The Garden Intrigue, which I have already read and loved. I will also be talking about my latest (non-book) obsession and why it is preventing me from reading. 

Monthly Stats:

Books Read This Month: 24
Pages Read This Month: 7009 pages
Average Length of Book: 292 pages
Average Rating of Book: 3.88
Favorite Book: Radiate by Marley Gibson-a great contemporary filled with emotion and heart!
Other Recommended Reads: Ultraviolet by RJ Anderson

Year Stats:

Total Books Read: 74 (should have been at 75 by this point but oh well)
Total Pages Read: 21,810 pages
Average Length of Book: 295 pages
Average Rating of Book: 3.88

By Genre:
Mystery/Thriller-0
YA/MG-20
Romance-1
Classics-0
Science Fiction/Fantasy-0
Non-Fiction-1
Historical Fiction-1
Short Stories-1
Other-0

Source:
Home Library-5
Own/Borrowed/Won-1
Booksneeze-0
Netgalley-12
Other ebook source-1
Audiobook-0
Amazon Vine-5

Stats for Previous Months: January; February;

Books Read:
51. Between the Duke and the Deep Blue Sea by Sophia Nash
52. Seattle Cinderella by Gail Sattler
53. Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard
54. Shooting Stars by Allison Rushby
55. Guy Langman, Crime Scene Procrastinator by Josh Berk
56. Man Overboard! by Curtis Parkinson
57. Crossed by Ally Condie
58. Ultraviolet by RJ Anderson
59. Castle of Shadows by Ellen Renner
60. Croak by Gina Damico
61. Life Is But A Dream by Brian James
62. Sisters of Glass by Stephanie Hemphill
63. Loss by Jackie Morse Kessler
64. Playing Hurt by Holly Schindler
65. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Random Riggs
66. Bliss by Kathryn Littlewood
67. Spellcaster by Cara Lynn Shultz
68. Tessa Masterson WILL Go To Prom by Emily Franklin and Brendan Halpin
69. Dying to Know You by Aiden Chambers
70. Lexapros and Cons by Aaron Karo
71. The Great Divorce by CS Lewis
72. The Garden Intrigue by Lauren Willig
73. Clockwise by Elle Strauss
74. Radiate by Marley Gibson