Review: Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

Revolution-Jennifer Donnelly
Publication Date: October 12, 2010
Publisher: Delacorte
Source: Library

Revolution, Jennifer Donnelly's remarkable new novel, weaves together the lives of Andi Alpers, a depressed modern-day teenager, and Alexandrine Paradis, a brave young woman caught up in the French Revolution. While in Paris with her estranged father, a Nobel geneticist hired to match the DNA of a heart said to belong to the last dauphin of France, Andi discovers a diary hidden within a guitar case--and so begins the story of Alexandrine, who herself had close ties to the dauphin. Redemption and the will to change are powerful themes of the novel, and music is ever present--Andi and Alex have a passion for the guitar, and the playlist running through Revolution is a who's who of classic and contemporary influences. Danger, intrigue, music, and impeccably researched history fill the pages of Revolution, as both young women learn that, "it is love, not death, that undoes us.
(Amazon)

Revolution is a big, beautiful novel that defies category. Is it literary fiction? Or historical? I don't claim to be an expert in categories, but I loved this book, no matter which it may fall into.  It's packed with meticulously researched facts and characters that are not always likable, but are always entertaining. Andi is pretty miserable when we first meet her, and it's hard not to roll your eyes and say, 'Oh, get over yourself, you poor little rich girl. You have every opportunity in the world, yet you're about to squander each and every one!' Andi has suffered a tragedy, yes, but she feels because she has, she has the right to act like a total bitch to just about everyone she knows and who loves her. That said, Jennifer Donnelly has done such a masterful job in creating Andi as a character that you can't just dismiss her as a poor little rich girl. She's flawed, not just because of what's happened to her, but that's what's pushed her to the breaking point.

Andi's mental state reaches crisis level in the week leading up to Christmas break. It's those events that cause her father drag her along to Paris. They stay with a "rock-star" historian friend of her father's, and it's there that she discovers Alex's diary. The French Revolution has never been one of my main historical interests (and I have  many) but it's hard not to be interested in Alex's tale, as she is swept up into a life among the Royals and forms a bond with the young dauphin.

As Andi is reading the diary, she's conducting her own research for her senior thesis, so that she can actually pull her grades out of the gutter and possibly graduate. Through her travels she meets Virgil, a young cabbie who has to be one of the most vibrant characters I've read recently. As soon as he's introduced he seems to just pop off the page. Andi likes Virgil, and I particularly liked seeing a softer side of her as they got to know each other.

As a side-note, I really enjoyed the musical references in this book. Andi is a music nerd, and while I consider myself a bit of an aging music fan and my tastes are not as refined as they once were, I loved all the references.

I thoroughly enjoyed the entire book, but the last hundred odd pages were my favorite. Without giving too much away, I'll just say I enjoyed how Alex's and Andi's story lines merged. Revolution will have a place on my list of favorite books of 2010, and I will definitely be purchasing a copy for my collection!

NanoWriMo Week Four

 I finished my Nano novel last week, my final word count is:

52, 555!

It's pretty short for a first draft of mine, my previous novel was 76,000 words completed. That said, I already know additions that I need to make, so that the next draft will end up being 60k+. I so enjoyed writing this book that I have a series planned. Don't you love it when that happens? Background characters push themselves forward and demand their stories to be told, but you don't have room for it in that book? I probably won't start the next book until next year, as I think three projects is about all I can juggle right now. 

How about you? Are you done, or hoping to finish this week over the holiday break?

Being Thankful

I have to admit that Thanksgiving has always been a holiday that has been more about the extra day off work than anything else. But this year, I feel that I have a lot to be thankful for! These are listed in no particular order.

-A lovely little home. House hunting was stressful, and we fell in love with one home only to have it snatched away. We were ready to quit, but we remembered the house we saw the same day as the "dream house", a sweet little house that needed a little bit of TLC, but was in a good area and we could afford it. It's  now ours, and I still can't believe all the work we've done this year. You're never done when you're a homeowner, but it feels wonderful to have so many projects crossed off the list!

-My place in the world, right now. I worked outside of the home my entire adult life. At the end of last year, my husband and I decided that the time had finally come for me to quit a job (and a 2+ hr. commute one way) I hated. I ended up staying on part-time for a few months, but I've been a "domestic engineer" for the last six months and I've never been happier. I'm not going to say that I don't sometimes miss the income, but we are both so much happier now, with less money, than we ever were when I worked!

-My writing. Before this year, I'd never found time for it in my life, but being creative again has made me so much happier than I was before. There's nothing like that writer's rush!

-My health. I had a health scare this year (nothing terribly serious, but still) and something like makes you understand and appreciate how lucky you are to be healthy. I've also become more conscious of what I'm eating and I've lost thirteen pounds.

-My blog, and all my wonderful followers! I started this blog on a lark, mainly because I missed daily blogging. I'm so glad I did! My blog keeps me on track as far as reading goes, I've read more books this year than in probably the previous ten  years. I've also found so many great books thanks to the book blogging community.

-My family & my husband. I'm thankful that I only live about two hours from my family, and about forty minutes from my husband's family. I'm thankful for my husband because he supports me and without him I wouldn't be able to focus solely on my writing.

-My cats. Being home alone by myself most of the time makes me appreciate the company they provide!

Thanks for indulging me as I talk about what I'm thankful for, and I hope all the Americans have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend! Even if you don't celebrate the holiday, why not take a moment to reflect on what you're thankful for? We all tend to focus on the negative in our lives, and it every once in awhile it's nice to think about what we'd be lost without.

Review: Plain Kate by Erin Bow

Plain Kate-Erin Bow
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
Publication Date: September 1, 2010
Source: ALA
Author website

Plain Kate lives in a world of superstitions and curses, where a song can heal a wound and a shadow can work deep magic. As the wood-carver's daughter, Kate held a carving knife before a spoon, and her wooden charms are so fine that some even call her "witch-blade" -- a dangerous nickname in a town where witches are hunted and burned in the square.
For Kate and her village have fallen on hard times. Kate's father has died, leaving her alone in the world. And a mysterious fog now covers the countryside, ruining crops and spreading fear of hunger and sickness. The townspeople are looking for someone to blame, and their eyes have fallen on Kate.

Enter Linay, a stranger with a proposition: In exchange for her shadow, he'll give Kate the means to escape the town that seems set to burn her, and what's more, he'll grant her heart's wish. It's a chance for her to start over, to find a home, a family, a place to belong. But Kate soon realizes that she can't live shadowless forever -- and that Linay's designs are darker than she ever dreamed.

(Amazon)

Plain Kate is a book that is not always easy to read. Poor Plain Kate, her life is not a happy one, but she is lovely character that I connected with from page one, despite the fact that her circumstances create a book that is quite sad at times. It would be easy to place the book down and reach for something lighter, but I'm so glad I chose to continue with it.

Kate is a talented wood carver living in a town with superstitious people. When her fortunes take a turn for the worse, she's forced to make a bargain with Linay, a witch, for her shadow. She spends the rest of the book regretting that decision and trying to get her shadow back.

I like to write villains that aren't totally evil, who have some redeeming qualities, and Linay is such a villain. He has his reasoning for stealing shadows, and he's not a mean person in his heart.

The language in Plain Kate is beautiful. Erin Bow is a poet in addition to being a novelist, and her style is just beautiful, haunting at times, but humorous at well. Without giving too much away, I'll just say one of the characters brings a lot of levity to any scene he enters.

Plain Kate is a stunning book and I look forward to reading more of Erin Bow's future works.

.5

In My Mailbox (17)

In My Mailbox is a weekly event hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. I just got two books this week.

For an upcoming blog tour: Tell Us We're Home by Marina Budhos and from paperbackswap.com, Crank by Ellen Hopkins. I've never read any of her books before, so I'm excited to read it. 

That's it for my mailbox-what about yours?

NaNoWriMo Week Three

November has not been my month! My husband had a horrible stomach virus at the start of the month, and on the heels of that I was knocked flat on my butt for four days with strep throat. During that time I wasn't able to write at all, so I was so thankful that I was ahead on my word count. As of now, my word count is:

47, 138!

I'm so close I can taste it! This draft will end up being about 52k, so I'm not as close as I'd be if it were 50k even, but I'm still not far off. How are you fairing?

Review: Entwined by Heather Dixon

Entwined-Heather Dixon
Publisher-Greenwillow Books
Publication Date: March 29, 2011
Source: Star Book Tours

Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her . . . beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing . . . it's taken away. All of it.
The Keeper understands. He's trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation.
Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest.
But there is a cost.
The Keeper likes to keep things.
Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late. 
(Amazon)



I hate to be a tease and post this review several months before the book comes out, but as I'm part of an ARC tour, I need to! I hope that you'll read my review and file it away for future reading if you're not able to get your hands on the ARC.

Onto the review, Entwined is a beautiful tale. It's a re-telling of the Brothers Grimm's The Twelve Dancing Princesses, a tale I'd never heard of previously. This is not a hard book to get into, as one is instantly drawn into a world of fancy, where there are bits of magic throughout a castle that was once inhabited by a wicked, magical king.

I only had two real problems with Entwined, and since I'm not familiar with the original story it's based on, the first problem I'm not sure I should mention, but I guess I will anyway. Some of the sisters name were just preposterous. Kale? Goldenrod? I understand they're named after flowers, but there are so many lovely ladies names after flowers (Rose, Iris, Peony, I could go on) that these choices just baffled me. The second problem I had with the book was that the ending seemed to go on forever. Just when you think it's over, oh wait, it's not quite yet.

Other than those minor (and I completely admit, rather frivolous) problems, I thoroughly enjoyed Entwined. The sisters are a delight, and so are the suitors that come to the castle. Even Keeper is charming at first, until he reveals his true intentions. The tension between Azalea and Keeper is masterfully woven. I don't usually care for tales such as this, but I thought the premise sounded interesting and I'm so glad I gave it a try. You don't have to be a fantasy fan to enjoy Entwined!

Mini reviews: The Limit by Kristen Landon & Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

The Limit-Kristen Landon
Publisher: Aladdin
Publication Date: September 7, 2010
Source: ALA
Author Website

An eighth grade girl was taken today . . .
With this first sentence, readers are immediately thrust into a fast-paced thriller that doesn't let up for a moment. In a world not too far removed from our own, kids are being taken away to special workhouses if their families exceed the monthly debt limit imposed by the government. Thirteen-year-old Matt briefly wonders if he might be next, but quickly dismisses the thought. After all, his parents are financially responsible, unlike the parents of those other kids. As long as his parents remain within their limit, the government will be satisfied and leave them alone. But all it takes is one fatal visit to the store to push Matt’s family over their limit—and to change his reality forever.
(Amazon)

I read The Limit right after reading Matched, because I was in the mood for dystopic tales. This book really isn't that dystopic, but it has a plot device that I quite like. The world is pretty much normal except for a few major points, like if you go over your credit limit, your children have to work off your debts. The workhouse concept is interesting too, as that it's not as bad as you'd think it would be, well, at least for Matt, because he's a smart kid. But Matt's a bit too smart for his own good and begins stirring up trouble that earns him the ire of the staff running the workhouse.

I don't read a lot of middle grade, and even less with male protagonists, but I did enjoy The Limit. Matt's a likeable narrator, strong and willing to call the adults on their crap. There were bits of the book that felt a bit melodramatic to me (a scene with Matt & his mother in particular) but overall I feel The Limit is a book that most will enjoy. It's a really easy read.

.5

Before I Fall-Lauren Oliver
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: March, 2010
Source: Purchased
Author Website

In this Groundhog Day meets Mean Girls teen hybrid, Sam Kingston is pretty, popular, and has a seemingly perfect boyfriend. But after a late-night party everything goes terribly wrong, and the life that she lived is gone forever. Or is it?

At the start of Before I Fall, Sam is self-consumed and oblivious about the impact of her actions on others. But as she repeatedly experiences slightly altered versions of the hours leading up to her death—and her relationships with friends, family, and formerly overlooked classmates bloom, end, or shift—it’s impossible not to feel for the girl whose life ends too soon.
(Amazon)

The Amazon description sums up my initial thoughts about this book, it was equal parts Mean Girls & Groundhog Day. Perhaps there are no truly original ideas anymore, but who cares? While this book obviously took inspiration from other places, it is a uniquely original novel. I will admit I have very little patience for mean girls, girls who are so insecure that they prey on those weaker than them. They tend to make me stabbity. Perhaps I was lucky, my high school was different than most, our football team sucked and our cheerleaders were made fun of. I'm glad that's how it was for me, because while there were popular kids, there wasn't a group that "ruled the school" like Sam and her friends do. I had serious issues with Sam because she used to be a nerd who was picked on, so you'd think that she'd have perspective from the other side, and not want to put anyone through what she went through, but her status and impressing her friends is more important.

As Sam relives her last day over and over, she learns a lot, not only about herself, but about her relationship with her parents, family and those that she and her friends liked to torment. Before I Fall is a beautiful tale of redemption and growth, and by the end of the book Sam is still Sam, she's not a totally changed person-but that's good. I hate when I see that in books. We can change and grow as humans, but most of us don't get total personality transplants. Her changes are believable and true to the character. I also enjoyed that this is a stand-alone book-you don't see that as often in YA fiction!

In My Mailbox (16)

In My Mailbox is a weekly event held by Kristi at The Story Siren. I haven't done IMM in a few weeks, so here's what I've gotten since the last time I participated!

From Paperbackswap.com: Prom by Laurie Halse Anderson & Evermore: The Immortals by Alyson Noel. I won Great House: A Novel by Nicole Krauss from Goodreads, and lastly, Entwined by Heather Dixon arrived thanks to Star Book Tours.

That's it for my mailbox-what about yours?

NaNoWriMo Week Two

Now that week two of Nano is coming to a close, I'm happy to report that I've crossed the half-way mark, not just to meet the Nano requirements, but for my book, which will end up being around 60k. My word count as of today is:

33,290!

I'm hoping that by this time next week I'll be wrapping it up! I went through a bit of a patch of "suck" this week, and I wrote a couple chapters that I know will need to be changed during editing, but I've also written a lot that I'm proud of. I'm always amazed how no matter how well you plot out a story, it can change for the better when you start writing!

So, how about everyone else? How'd your week go?

Review: Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen

Bright Young Things-Anna Godbersen
Publisher: Harper
Publication Date: October 12th, 2010
Source: Purchased
Series website

The year is 1929. New York is ruled by the Bright Young Things: flappers and socialites seeking thrills and chasing dreams in the anything-goes era of the Roaring Twenties.
Letty Larkspur and Cordelia Grey escaped their small Midwestern town for New York's glittering metropolis. All Letty wants is to see her name in lights, but she quickly discovers Manhattan is filled with pretty girls who will do anything to be a star… Cordelia is searching for the father she's never known, a man as infamous for his wild parties as he is for his shadowy schemes. Overnight, she enters a world more thrilling and glamorous than she ever could have imagined—and more dangerous. It's a life anyone would kill for . . . and someone will. The only person Cordelia can trust is Astrid Donal, a flapper who seems to have it all: money, looks, and the love of Cordelia's brother, Charlie. But Astrid's perfect veneer hides a score of family secrets. Across the vast lawns of Long Island, in the illicit speakeasies of Manhattan, and on the blindingly lit stages of Broadway, the three girls' fortunes will rise and fall—together and apart. From the New York Times bestselling author of The Luxe comes an epic new series set in the dizzying last summer of the Jazz Age. (Amazon)

I've only read the first book in The Luxe series, and while I enjoyed it, I found some of the characters to be too catty for their own good. I was slightly weary of BYT for this reason, but I found that the characters in this series (so far) are a lot more likable. Cordelia and Letty are best friends who escape Ohio for the glamor of New York. Once they arrive their friendship fractures, and their stories diverge. Cordelia is reunited with her father and enters a world of luxury. Letty is trying to make it as a singing star-along with every other pretty girl in New York.

We also meet Astrid, the girlfriend of Cordelia's brother Charlie. I enjoyed that the storyline mimics the era. BYT takes place in 1929. The grand parties and the roaring 20's are coming to an end, and for the protagonists, their fortunes begin to fall as the rollicking decade comes to a close.

The 1920's is one of my favorite historical periods, and I'm happy that it's currently en vogue, with at least two other YA series I know about set in this period, and of course there's the glorious HBO show Boardwalk Empire that takes place in 1920's Atlantic City.

BYT doesn't exactly end with a cliffhanger, but it does leave you wondering where the girls will end up as the 20's come to a close. Will they end up destitute or will they be enterprising enough to keep the party rolling into the 1930's? We'll have to wait until the next book to find out, and I can't wait for it!

Review: Shadowed Summer by Saundra Mitchell

Shadowed Summer-Saundra Mitchell
Publisher: Delacorte
Publication Date: June, 2010 (paperback edition)
Source: Purchased
Author Website

This heady mix of ghost story and mystery, drenched in the languid, humid atmosphere of a small Louisiana town, should appeal to the core audience of the Twilight series: adolescent girls who like a little sexiness in their ghostly pursuers. Ennui can get people into all sorts of trouble, and the kind of blank summer days staring down 14-year-old Iris and her friends lead them to casting spells in the town cemetery. A masculine whisper in Iris’ ear shoots them into true ghost-hunting, with a Ouija board indicating that the whisperer belongs to the town’s only mystery, a 17-year-old boy who disappeared almost 20 years ago. Mitchell skillfully segues from gothic romance to prosaic mystery as the friends examine microfiche records and question the boy’s relatives and friends. As the ghost becomes increasingly insistent that his mystery be solved, Iris discovers unnerving connections to her own family.
(Amazon)

Shadowed Summer is a delightful small book. That said, I have to admit that I read two books alongside it that I finished before I finished Shadowed Summer. How do I say this without saying pretentious? I guess I'll just say that Shadowed Summer is a quiet book. That's not a bad thing, but at times it was hard for me get into it.

Iris is a strong protagonist who finds herself mixed up with a supernatural mystery, mostly because she and her best friend Colette are lacking for much to do in their small Louisiana town. Saundra Mitchell describes Ondine, Louisiana as it were a character instead of the setting. There's one mystery in this sleepy little town and when Iris and her friends set about trying to get to the bottom of it, they find a bit too much excitement.

Colette and Iris' relationship is fraught at times, as Iris sets about trying to find out what happened to Elijah Landry, and Colette is discovering her affection for their mutual friend Ben. I wish there were more books about younger teens, like this one, because reading this made me feel like I was fourteen again, because like Iris, that was the summer my best friend got a boyfriend and began to leave me behind.

I think Shadowed Summer is a great Southern Gothic tale that may be a bit slow moving at times, but features characters in the truest sense of the word. The ending was surprising, an I never saw it coming!

.5

Nanowrimo Week One

We're approaching the close of week one! If you're participating, how is it going for you? This week has been incredibly hectic, as my husband was sick and I ended up having to take him to the emergency room for a stomach virus. Thankfully he's better now, and I'm happy to say that I still managed to find time to write while he was resting. My word count as of now is:

16,379!

I write fast naturally, so I knew that when I entered Nano it would only speed up my usual writing process. The story is coming along well, even though I've made changes from my original outline, they're for the better.

So, that's how it's going for me, what about you? 

Review: Matched by Ally Condie

Matched-Ally Condie
Publisher: Dutton
Publication Date: November 30th
Source: ALA
Author Website

“Do not go gentle into that good night.” Cassia’s feelings of security disintegrate after her grandfather hands her a slip of paper just before his scheduled death at age 80. Not only does she now possess an illegal poem, but she also has a lingering interest in the boy who fleetingly appeared on her viewscreen, the one who wasn’t her match, the man she will eventually marry. What’s worse, she knows him—his name is Ky, and he is an orphan from the Outer Provinces. How could she love him as much as Xander, her match and best friend since childhood?
(Amazon)


I'm a sucker for a good dystopian tale, and Matched delivers. In the Society, everything is planned for you. In some small ways, this isn't a bad thing. Wouldn't it be nice not to have to worry about having money for things? But on the other, I couldn't imagine living in a world where I had no choice in who I married, where I lived, and where even my dreams were monitored.

Cassia is an ordinary teen excited for the rest of her life to start. But when she discovers a different boy than Xander, her match, on her port screen. Why is Ky there? Is he who she's meant to be with? Several events trigger Cassia's interest not only in Ky, but her judgment of the Society, and how perhaps everything isn't as perfect and orderly as it seems. Once her eyes are opened, there's no going back.

My main complaint with Matched is that the pacing is a bit slow at times. I know that this is the first book in a series, and in a lot of ways that's apparent. That said, I felt that there was a suitable ending. Not every question is answered, but I felt satisfied when I finished the book. I'm excited to read the other books in the series, but I'm glad the ending wasn't just a set-up for the next book and there was closure.

Another highlight of the book was the love triangle. Cassia is torn between obligation and desire, and she is not willing to 'go gentle' and do what is expected of her. Both boys are worthy of her love, which is such a nice change from a lot of books I've been reading lately. Perhaps I'm suffering from bad boy burn-out?

I think Matched is a book that will have wide appeal, well beyond the YA world. I wouldn't be surprised if this series garners a huge following!

Where I Keep My Books

I realized that I've never done a bookshelf tour before, so I figured since I love looking at other people's bookshelves, it was time for me to show where I keep my books!

This is my main bookcase, which is located in our dining room. It's a recycled bookcase that my father painted for me. Each shelf comes apart, which makes comes in handy since I've moved three times in the last three years!

I don't just keep books on my bookshelf, though. I have a pile by bed:

I've always been horrible with keeping books by my bed! I usually have at least five. My father built my night stand for me, and my only request was that it had a large area for me to keep books!

I usually read at least two books at a time. Right now I'm reading two, and my little cat Sadie loves to sit on them.