Books I'm Thankful I Read This Year (2011)...

Since it was American Thanksgiving yesterday, I thought I'd blog about the books I'm thankful I read this year, whether published in 2011, or not. Somehow, I almost feel like waiting until the very end of the year to post something like this, because I could end up adding to the list between now and then, but I won't. 

By the way, I'm very grateful for the book blogging friends I've made in the past six months, despite me not being the most social person in the world, on the internet nor in real life. BJ (Dark Side of the Covers), Lan (The Write Obsession), and Andrea (The Bookish Babes), all of you are THE BEST!!! I adore you ladies, and I hope life treats you well forever because you deserve it....

The entire Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa! These books have become my favorites in not only the YA reading grade, but probably of all books. I just love this exciting world Kagawa has created. Because I have an extensive love of anime and manga (even some video games), I was right at home with these books, as Julie drew so much inspiration from those familiar-to-me sources. She'll take something everyone is familiar with (faeries) and spice them up with anime-like action and lovable characters. She's so brilliant!

This Dark Endeavor, the first book in The Dark Endeavor Chronicles series by Kenneth Oppel. This book made me cry my eyeballs out! I can't even really explain why it did that, and I'm probably the world's biggest freak because of it, but it got to me. What a magical read this was for me. 

I've had issues with Mary Shelley's Victor Frankenstein character since I first read about him back in college--age 19. Oppel managed to make me LIKE him. Whoa. That was a feat of epic proportions. That's 15 or 16 years of having issues with the guy. I'm totally hooked on this series and it's amazing characters. I just adore mad scientists--yes, I'm weird. 

I really loved The Greyfriar by Clay and Susan Griffith, which is an adult vampire political adventure novel. I still haven't read The Rift Walker, book 2, but I'm saving it for the perfect time, sometime before book 3 comes out in 2012. 

Although, I took issue with some of the technical writing in this book, I otherwise completely fell in love with the story and the characters. The romance was so sweet and amazingly well-done between Adele and The Greyfriar. Best part was that they grew as characters together, and BECAUSE of each other. These two make a fabulous, ideal couple that makes me believe even the tiniest more in transformative love. 

And, the Greyfriar is my book boyfriend! Swashbuckling, heroic, super handsome, blue-eyed... the list goes on. He's not perfect, but he's just awesome!

And, Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare works its way into here because, there, I found another book boyfriend in Jem! Okay, he may be a teenager, but he was born long before I ever was. I'd just have to make sure he's not my ancestor, or something. I definitely have no Chinese ancestors, but I do have English ones, so.... Oh, right. He's fictional! Dodged a bullet.

This is a great series, but I mostly like the book because of Jem. I'm strangely obsessed with the name 'James' already, have been for years now (I do NOT know why). I love silver-haired men, and I love the sickly ones because I just want to make them all better. I have a gift for taking care of the ill--it's true. Not to mention, he's the sweetest, most gentlemanly character ever created besides Mr. Bingley from Pride and Prejudice...

Shiver from The Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy by Maggie Steifvater. I loved this one from the first sentence, as it transported me directly into the story, time, place, sight, smell, everything. The prose is rich and delicious and who doesn't love these characters when you read this? 

Sam, you are just an awesome character. I'm not even into werewolves, but he's not the typical werewolf guy. Sweet and romantic. Wonderful book, and I need to read more from the trilogy.



Other than these, I loved Across the Universe by Beth Revis, but it's a sci-fi, which I don't blog about. Love Elder and Amy. They are my favorite YA couple. Elder is total LOVE.... 

Future Reads #5 (8/24/11)

I usually don't do these posts anymore, but I make exceptions every now and then when a book about to be released is just so awesome, I can't help myself...

The second book in the Vampire Empire trilogy, The Rift Walker continues the fascinating tale of Princess Adele and her alternate-history world of humans vs. vampires and all the political intrigue to go with it. She is obligated to marry an American man she does not even know, let alone love. And, to make matters worse, she already loves the masked man known as "The Greyfriar," the great and mysterious hero of the human nations.

I'm so excited to read this! The Greyfriar (see my review for it here) was excellent, and although not perfect (what book is?), it was full of amazing characters that grow and it's just a really neat story. As for the world-building: off-the-hook. Love the world the authors created and the really uber-cool creepy, beasty vampires they invented for it, too. They can float in the air! Floating vampires! That's a new one for me, and I love my inventive vampires...

The Rift Walker (Vampire Empire, #2)

by Clay and Susan Griffith

Release Date: September 6, 2011

Amazon.com

Princess Adele struggles with a life of marriage and obligation as her Equatorian Empire and their American Republic allies stand on the brink of war against the vampire clans of the north. However, the alliance's horrific strategy for total victory drives Adele to abandon her duty and embark on a desperate quest to keep her nation from staining its hands with genocide. Reunited with her great love, the mysterious adventurer known to the world as the Greyfriar, Adele is pursued by her own people as well as her vengeful husband, senator Clark. With the human alliance in disarrray, Prince Cesare, lord of the British vampire clan, seizes the initiative and strikes at the very heart of Equatoria.

As Adele labors to bring order to her world, she learns more about the strange powers she exhibited in the north. Her teacher, Mamoru, leads a secret cabal of geomancers who believe Adele is the one who can touch the vast power of the Earth that surges through ley lines and wells up at the rifts where the lines meet. These energies are the key to defeating the enemy of mankind, and if Princess Adele could ever bring this power under her command, she could be death to vampires. But such a victory will also cost the life of Adele's beloved Greyfriar.

Review: The Greyfriar by Clay & Susan Griffith

The Greyfriar (Vampire Empire, #1)

by Clay & Susan Griffith

Genre: Paranormal/Vampires/Steampunk

Reading Grade: Adult

Publishing Type: traditional

Publication Date: November 18, 2010

Source: Kindle store

Age Rating: 13+

Amazon.com

In 1870, monsters rise up and conquer the northern lands, As great cities are swallowed up by carnage and disease, landowners and other elite flee south to escape their blood-thirsty wrath. One hundred fifty years later, the great divide still exists; fangs on one side of the border, worried defenders on the other. This fragile equilibrium is threatened, then crumbles after a single young princess becomes almost hopelessly lost in the hostile territory. At first, she has only one defender: a mysterious Greyfriar who roams freely in dangerous vampire regions. 

My Review

This was a story in which I was able to really come to love the characters. Despite all the political matters whirling around that made up the central plot, it still managed to be a character-driven story. Princess Adele and the Greyfriar were both given plenty of room to grow and develop into very realistic and charming characters.

I found myself being reminded of one of my favorite novel series, Trinity Blood, a Japanese light novel series in which the vampires have their own empire that goes up against the human nations. I love the set-up of that series and, although it was very different, The Greyfriar's premise was also fascinating. I won't write much about its steampunk elements, but they gave the story an old-fashioned atmosphere that was easy to envision, which was interesting given that the story was set in the year 2020.

Still, I couldn't help but have a problem with how the shifting 3rd-person POVs were handled. We'd be inside Adele's head one paragraph, and then, without warning, we'd be inside of Greyfriar's, or someone else's, in the next—all during the same scene. It was very confusing and this was a constant problem from beginning to end. Also, I didn't much care for the overuse of passive voice. I found myself rewording sentences in my head as I read them to get rid of the “to be” verb.

Despite these errors, I truly loved this story and its evolving characters, Adele and Greyfriar, as well as their relationship. Adele had to grow so much to overcome her extreme prejudices against vampires, even though they were warranted. But, her time spent with them taught her things she never knew about them, and therein, she grew in leaps and bounds. Prejudice is an ugly thing, and she was truly awful while displaying her bigotry, but when it started to crack and fade, it became a beautiful thing to witness.

The story was not particularly sensuously romantic, but the feelings were all there and I loved how it was handled. No need for groping and whispers of sweet-nothings. Adele and Greyfriar seemed to have something more substantial between the two of them, and I anxiously look forward to reading more about how they could possibly continue their sweet romance in the next volume. More, please!

P.S. The vampires in this series RULE! They can lower the density of their bodies to float in the air? How cool is that!? 

My score: 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Teaser Tuesday #2 (8/2/11)

"Teaser Tuesdays" is a weekly bookish meme hosted by 

MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

 

1. Grab your current read.

2. Open to a random page.

3. Share two (2) teaser sentences from somewhere on that page.

4. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away. You don't want to spoil it for others.)

5. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers.

 

My Teasers

"Gareth's shadow flew past her toward the ramparts, a black spot against the grey sky. He had watched her all day, staying on the rooftops."

- from chapter 24 of The Greyfriar (Vampire Empire, #1) by Susan & Clay Griffith

*****

 

Vampire predators run wild in this exciting steampunk adventure, the first in an alternate history trilogy that is already attracting attention. In 1870, monsters rise up and conquer the northern lands, As great cities are swallowed up by carnage and disease, landowners and other elite flee south to escape their blood-thirsty wrath. One hundred fifty years later, the great divide still exists; fangs on one side of the border, worried defenders on the other. This fragile equilibrium is threatened, then crumbles after a single young princess becomes almost hopelessly lost in the hostile territory. At first, she has only one defender: a mysterious Greyfriar who roams freely in dangerous vampire regions. 

 

 

 

WWW Wednesdays #1 (7/20/11)

"WWW Wednesdays" is a weekly book blogger meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading

To play along, just answer the following THREE questions...

                       1. What are you currently reading?

                       2. What did you recently finish reading?

                       3. What do you think you'll read next?

My answers to these questions...

1. I am currently reading Imperium by Nicholas Olivo. He asked me if I wanted to review his book for him and I said "sure". It's an urban fantasy about a guy who is pretty much a god and an agent who hunts paranormal creatures in Boston. So far, it's really well-written and interesting.

2. I recently finished (just before starting Imperium), "Flash Gold" by Lindsay Buroker. This isn't a paranormal nor fantasy title, but it IS a really fantastic little steampunk short story. I loved the characters in this. I've been following Lindsay's self-publishing blog for a while now and who knew this lady could write fiction so well??

3. I will very likely get started (finally!) on reading The Greyfriar (Vampire Empire, #1) by Clay & Susan Griffith next, since I've been trying to find time for this novel since I bought it for my Kindle. I am SO excited!

Leave me a comment about what your "WWW Wednesdays" answers are for this week!

Book Haul #2

In which I do an e-book only version of a recent book haul. 

Amazon.com just recently had a "Sunshine Deals" sale on many of their Kindle e-books, so I couldn't resist buying some reads I've had my eye on that suddenly became SO cheap!

The Greyfriar (Vampire Empire, #1)
by Clay Griffith & Susan Griffith

Reading grade: Adult

Synopsis

Vampire predators run wild in this exciting steampunk adventure, the first in an alternate history trilogy that is already attracting attention. In 1870, monsters rise up and conquer the northern lands, As great cities are swallowed up by carnage and disease, landowners and other elite flee south to escape their blood-thirsty wrath. One hundred fifty years later, the great divide still exists; fangs on one side of the border, worried defenders on the other. This fragile equilibrium is threatened, then crumbles after a single young princess becomes almost hopelessly lost in the hostile territory. At first, she has only one defender: a mysterious Greyfriar who roams freely in dangerous vampire regions.

This looks like a really fun book series! I can't wait to get into this adult series, which will be added to in September with the second installment. It sounds really epic, and the cover is so radical! One of my faves.

House of Dark Shadows (Dreamhouse Kings, #1)
by Robert Liparulo

Reading grade: Young Adult

Synopsis

When the Kings move from L.A. to a secluded small town, fifteen-year-old Xander is beyond disappointed. He and his friends loved to create amateur films . . . but the tiny town of Pinedale is the last place a movie buff and future filmmaker wants to land.

But he, David, and Toria are captivated by the many rooms in the old Victorian fixer-upper they moved into--as well as the heavy woods surrounding the house.

They soon discover there's something odd about the house. Sounds come from the wrong directions. Prints of giant, bare feet appear in the dust. And when David tries to hide in the linen closet, he winds up in locker 119 at his new school.

Then the really weird stuff kicks in: they find a hidden hallway with portals leading off to far-off places--in long-ago times. Xander is starting to wonder if this kind of travel is a teen's dream come true . . . or his worst nightmare.

Gotta say, 'hidden hallways with portals leading off to far-off places, in long ago times' sounds really COOl to me. This series already has quite a few books in it, but it's never too late to start a great read.

Glimmerglass (Faeriewalker, #1)
by Jenna Black

Reading grade: Young Adult

Synopsis

It’s all she’s ever wanted to be, but it couldn’t be further from her grasp… 

Dana Hathaway doesn’t know it yet, but she’s in big trouble.  When her alcoholic mom shows up at her voice recital drunk, again, Dana decides she’s had enough and runs away to find her mysterious father in Avalon: the only place on Earth where the regular, everyday world and the captivating, magical world of Faerie intersect. But from the moment Dana sets foot in Avalon, everything goes wrong, for it turns out she isn't just an ordinary teenage girl—she's a Faeriewalker, a rare individual who can travel between both worlds, and the only person who can bring magic into the human world and technology into Faerie.  

Soon, Dana finds herself tangled up in a cutthroat game of Fae politics. Someone's trying to kill her, and everyone seems to want something from her, from her newfound friends and family to Ethan, the hot Fae guy Dana figures she’ll never have a chance with… until she does.  Caught between two worlds, Dana isn’t sure where she’ll ever fit in and who can be trusted, not to mention if her world will ever be normal again.

This e-book was actually not one of those Amazon "Sunshine Deals", but it was a very cheap first book in the Faeriewalker series. I was pretty happy to discover the great deal they give you on the e-book version.

Marked (House of Night, #1)
by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast

Reading grade: Young Adult

Synopsis

The House of Night series is set in a world very much like our own, except in 16-year-old Zoey Redbird's world, vampyres have always existed.  In this first book in the series, Zoey enters the House of Night, a school where, after having undergone the Change, she will train to become an adult vampyre--that is, if she makes it through the Change.  Not all of those who are chosen do.  It’s tough to begin a new life, away from her parents and friends, and on top of that, Zoey finds she is no average fledgling.  She has been Marked as special by the vampyre Goddess, Nyx.  But she is not the only fledgling at the House of Night with special powers.  When she discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school's most elite club, is misusing her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look deep within herself for the courage to embrace her destiny--with a little help from her new vampyre friends.

This wasn't a "Sunshine Deal" either, but is a very cheap first e-book in the House of Night series. Everybody's read this book, except me, so I suppose I have to get with the program...