Inspirational Music (1)

If you've been a follower of my blog, you'll know that music is as vital to me as air. I can't write without music, and I have music playing in the background at least four hours a day. I decided to start a new feature on the blog featuring music that I'm finding inspirational, either for it's message or how it relates to my writing.

Now onto this week's song...

When I'm feeling jealous or sad, wondering if I'll ever feel ready enough to query or move forward with becoming a real writer, I listen to You Just Haven't Earned it Yet, Baby by The Smiths. No, the song isn't about becoming a writer, but the sentiment strikes with me. It reminds me that no, I probably haven't earned it yet.

Yeah, there are authors who have success come easily, but most have to toil to get there. This song reminds me of that.

Visual Inspiration (4)

Australian author Steph Bowe posts inspiration photos on her blog. I love this idea and hope to participate as often as time allows. All photos are from Tumblr, Flickr or Photo Donuts and do not belong to me.

Quick Pick: The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

The Iron King (Harlequin Teen)-Julie Kagawa
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication date: February, 2010
Source: Purchased
Author website

MEGHAN CHASE HAS A SECRET DESTINY— ONE SHE COULD NEVER HAVE IMAGINED…
Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan’s life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school…or at home.
When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she’s known is about to change.
But she could never have guessed the truth—that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she’ll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face…and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

(Amazon)

This is one series that I put off reading, because I figured I wouldn't like it because I hate faeries. Oh, how wrong I was! I bought The Iron King as a birthday gift to myself a few months back and I have to say that I'm really enjoying the series so far.

Meghan's a little off when we meet her. People don't really like her at school, and her friend Robbie is a bit of a loner too, but he's her only true friend so she'll take what she can get. Her family life's okay, her parents a bit distant, but she has a beloved younger brother. Suddenly it's her birthday and the world she knew crashes down around her.

She's swept away to the faery world and discovers her true identity. I loved how the author turned a traditional faery story on its' ear. There are elements to the Iron Fey universe that are truly original, and I loved every minute of this book! I rushed to get the next two books in the series out of the library so I can get caught up.

PS-Team Puck, all the way!

Quick Pick The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross

The Girl in the Steel Corset (Steampunk Chronicles)-Kady Cross
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication date: May 24, 2011
Source: Netgalley
Author website
Of note: YA Historical Fiction Challenge Book #7, Debut Author Challenge #6

In 1897 England, sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne has no one…except the "thing" inside her.
When a young lord tries to take advantage of Finley, she fights back. And wins. But no normal Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a full-grown man with one punch….
Only Griffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she's special, says she's one of them. The orphaned duke takes her in from the gaslit streets against the wishes of his band of misfits: Emily, who has her own special abilities and an unrequited love for Sam, who is part robot; and Jasper, an American cowboy with a shadowy secret.
Griffin's investigating a criminal called The Machinist, the mastermind behind several recent crimes by automatons. Finley thinks she can help—and finally be a part of something, finally fit in.
But The Machinist wants to tear Griff's little company of strays apart, and it isn't long before trust is tested on all sides. At least Finley knows whose side she's on—even if it seems no one believes her.

(Amazon)

It's hard to believe that it's just been about two years since I've known what the term 'steampunk' meant. Once my husband told me about it, there was no going back for me. I love everything about steampunk, and The Girl in the Steel Corset fits right in with other novels I've read.

I enjoyed Finley as a character, she's strong (in more ways than one) but also can be tender. There isn't a lot of romance in this novel, although there are a lot of fervent glances and tension, which is befitting the era anyway. 

I will say that this is probably not the most fast-paced novel I've ever read. It starts off with a bang and has slower periods, but overall I enjoyed it.

There is also a prequel to this novel available in e-book form, The Strange Case of Finley Jayne!

Visual Inspiration (3)

Each week Australian author Steph Bowe posts inspiration photos on her blog. I love this idea and hope to participate as often as time allows. All photos are from Tumblr or Photo Donuts and do not belong to me.

Review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children-Ransom Riggs
Publisher: Quirk Books
Publication date: June 7, 2011
Source: Review copy provided by publisher
Author website
Of note: Debut author challenge book #9

A mysterious island.

An abandoned orphanage.

A strange collection of very curious photographs.

It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.

(Amazon)

I'm not sure if I can put into words just how amazing this book is. It has just about everything I love in a book. An engaging narrator, part of the action is set in my favorite time period (well, sort of) there's abandoned places, and it's just creepy, but not in a Human Centipede (that movie gave me nightmares for a week) sort of way.

I've had a love of old photos for as long as I can remember. I've spent many hours wiled away looking at sites like Shorpy. So when I heard about this book being part novel, part photo essay, I knew it was right up my alley. I've been disappointed lately by a few books that didn't live up to my expectations, but Miss Peregrine is not one of them!

When we meet Jacob, there's nothing really extraordinary about him. He's an odd teenager, close to his grandfather, but not really close with his parents. When a tragedy occurs, Jacob and his father head off to the remote island where his grandfather spent time as a child during WWII. Jacob is frustrated at first, but soon uncovers a world that's so beyond amazing, I won't bother stringing a sentence together to describe it. Just take my word.

Normally I enjoy using my imagination as I'm reading to imagine what the author is describing, but the use of photos in this novel just adds to the atmosphere.  Besides the photos, this is just a gorgeous book. I loved the design, and it reminded me of the old classics books my parents owned and I used to flip through.

I pretty much never use the starred review system any longer, but I have to pull it out just this once for this book, because it truly is a five star read.

Visual Inspiration (2)

Each week Australian author Steph Bowe posts inspiration photos on her blog. I love this idea and hope to participate as often as time allows. All photos are from Tumblr or Photo Donuts and do not belong to me.
 

Quick Pick: Hourglass by Myra McEntire

 Hourglass-Myra McEntire
 Publisher: Egmont USA
 Publication date: June 14, 2011
 Source: Around the World Tours
 Author website
 Of Note: Debut Author Challenge Book #8


For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.
So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.
Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

Full of atmosphere, mystery, and romance, Hourglass merges the very best of the paranormal and science-fiction genres in a seductive, remarkable young adult debut.
(Goodreads)


I have to say that Hourglass was a bit different than I was expecting! This book has been hyped up quite a bit, and generally that makes me a little wary.  I've had bad experiences with over-hyped books in the past, but in regards to Hourglass, I think the book is quite deserving of the hype.

Emerson is seeing things, and her older brother brings in Michael, from the mysterious Hourglass organization to help her with her visions. Of course Michael is a young, hot guy and soon they begin a flirtation that leads more. Emerson learns that what she's seeing aren't ghosts, but something beyond her imagination. She's special, but not the only one person with powers, as she's soon to discover.

Without giving too much away, I'll say that I enjoyed the sci-fi elements of this novel. It's quite different from the same ol' same ol' paranormal YA fiction.  The author also did a really good job with researching and giving enough information to inform the reader, but without boring one to tears.

At some points there are lulls in the action, but the last hundred or so pages zoom by and I couldn't put the book down without knowing what happened!

Hourglass is the first book in a series, and I look forward to reading more!

In My Mailbox (31)

In My Mailbox is a weekly event hosted by The Story Siren. I just have a few books to talk about this week.


From Around the World Tours:

Hourglass by Myra McEntire.

For review:

Forgotten by Cat Patrick

From Paperback Swap:

The Name of this Book Is Secret (Secret Series) by Pseudonymous Bosch


Free for my Nook:

Cotillion by Georgette Heyer.


That's it for my mailbox, what's in yours?

Review: Shift by Jeri Smith-Ready

Shift (Shade, Book 2)-Jeri Smith-Ready
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication Date: May 3, 2011
Source: Purchased
Author website

Aura’s life is anything but easy. Her boyfriend, Logan, died, and his slides between ghost and shade have left her reeling. Aura knows he needs her now more than ever. She loves Logan, but she can’t deny her connection with the totally supportive, totally gorgeous Zachary. And she’s not sure that she wants to.
Logan and Zachary will fight to be the one by her side, but Aura needs them both to uncover the mystery of her past—the mystery of the Shift.
As Aura’s search uncovers new truths, she must decide whom to trust with her secrets…and her heart. 
(Goodreads)


Spoilers for Shade if you haven't read it, you might want to skip this review!
 

If you've been a reader of my blog for awhile, it won't come as a surprise that I enjoy Jeri Smith-Ready's work. I love her style of writing, and that she sets her books in Maryland, where I'm from. So, I was anxious to dip into Shift after I got it for my birthday, and when I had some obligation books come up before it, I just set it aside, refusing to be rushed.

Shift is the next chapter in Aura's life. Logan's shaded out, or at least she thinks he has. Her relationship with Zachary isn't easy either, as they discover that they're even further connected than they once thought.

I'm not generally a fan of love triangles, but in this series it works. Logan's not the same person he was when he was alive, and death has changed him. He realizes that he probably never appreciated Aura the way he should have when he was alive, and he resents that Zachary gets the chance to do what he cannot. Aura's flawed, and she knows it. There's also a sensuality about Aura that's believable, and Aura's relationships with these boys have to be among the hottest in YA fiction!

Certain questions are answered in Shift, but there is enough interest to leave me wondering how this story will conclude in the final book in the series, Shine, which comes out next year. I love this series and I'll be sad to see it end, but I'm counting the days until I can read it the next installment!