Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Series I Haven’t Finished

I love a series. I love getting to know characters and watching them develop. I love knowing that there will be more. And yet, sometimes things happen. This week The Broke and the Bookish have asked what series we have not finished and why. This is like my giant list of shame. For the most part. Some I just didn’t like. Here it is, tenish series I have not finished reading, aka, my TBR list!

1. The Wolves of Mercy Falls by Maggie Stiefvater. Ok, let’s get this one out of the way. I really did not care for Shiver, I gave Linger a chance, and I did not go back for Forever. I am not a fan. But the covers are just to die for. Love them.

2. Fallen by Lauren Kate. The first book in this series was fine, but I never felt compelled to continue the series. I have enjoyed Becca Fitzpatrick’s Hush, Hush series better.

3. The Ranger’s Apprentice by John Flanagan. Kind of shocking actually. I LOVE this series, but I keep putting the last book in the series off, pushing it back down the TBR list. I really don’t want it to be over.

4. Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz. I really should get caught up. I missed a novella and the most recent installment because I didn’t get a chance to read them when it was my turn. Now that there is not holds list I should go back and pick them up. I have until January 2013 to get caught up before book 7 arrives. I can do it!

5. The Hunchback Assignments by Arthur Slade. This is another series that I really enjoy, but I haven’t finished it because the third book was not available on CD. How annoying! I love the reader and now my collection is incomplete and I haven’t gone back to read the book and I just saw that a fourth book is coming out…so annoyed with our CD supplier!

6. The Caster Chronicles by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. I gave Beautiful Creatures and Beautiful Darkness 5 stars on Goodreads. So why did I skip Beautiful Chaos? No, really. Why did that happen? I don’t have an answer. Maybe I should schedule a reboot and start at the beginning once Beautiful Redemption is out in October.

7. Escape from the Furnace by Alexander Gordon Smith. I actually know why I haven’t kept up with this series. When I got book three, Death Sentence, I was distracted and in a funk and horror was not working for me so I set it aside…and forgot to go back. If I wait a little longer the series will be complete and I can just knock ’em out in a row.

8. Bad Girls Don’t Die by Katie Alender. This spooky ghost story was a real page turner and yet, I have not picked up the rest of the series. Now that we are approaching ghost story season (yes, that is a season!) I will have to remedy the situation. I am not sure if these two are the end or if there will be more. I suppose I should read them and find out.

9. She’s So Dead by Kieran Scott. I read and enjoyed the first book, She’s So Dead to Us. I need to remember to get the others, especially when I need a solid realistic fiction to anchor me back in, well, reality.

10. Stephanie Plum by Janet Evanovich. I came late to this party and it is going to take me forever to catch up. Slowly but surely I plug away. I will not be caught up in time for Notorious Ninteen, due out in November, but I will make some progress. I am half way through Hot Six as we speak!

Other neglected series include The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott, The Agency by Y.S. Lee, and The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod by Heather Brewer.

Abandoned, never to be revisited series include House of Night by P.C. Cast, The Morganville Vampires by Rachel Caine, and Another by Daniel Nayeri. Meh.

Happy Reading!

˜Megan

Mondays With Megan-I Got to Meet Libba Bray and What Are You Reading?

I do love a good road trip and last week’s sojourn to Southern Ohio was certainly the duck’s quack (a flapper gem from the book). YA super star, Libba Bray, is currently on tour promoting her new book, The Diviners (check her schedule and go see her!) and I my pals and I eagerly hit the road to make the four-hour drive to Cincinnati. Totally worth it. The evening was full of treats (and swag), including an exclusive reading from a never before seen story written by 10-year old Libba. She also shared a little about her childhood, her writing process, and her research methods. And while she slyly mentioned that she was the lead singer for Tiger Beat, the only all-YA-author band on the planet, she politely declined to sing the super creepy Naughty John ditty from The Diviners. It’s probably for the best. I can totally do without nightmares. In addition to taking home signed books and cute flapper pins, we also got to leave with the giant promotional banner-our prize for traveling the farthest. Cleveland for the win! I am finished with The Diviners (devoured that bad boy in less than a week),  have passed my copy on to a friend, and have put everyone else I know on hold for it. You should do the same. Really. Hopefully I will get my act together and write a proper review instead of all this fan-girl gushing (not that there in anything wrong with fan-girl gushing…).

Anyway. Time to check in with Book Journey and Teach Mentor Text for my favorite Monday meme, It’s Monday! What Are You Reading!

Finished:

The Diviners by Libba Bray. Amazing. Read it.

Mothership by Martin Leicht. I really need to write a review for this one. Laugh-out-loud awesomeness.

 

These were both awesome reads and I enjoyed them very much, but now I am back to my regularly scheduled reading….A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin. I have just over a week before The Mark of Athena arrives and I would love to be finished with this fourth book by then.

I also need to squeeze a copy of graphic novels in this week. I have The Walking Dead, vol. 15 by Robert Kirkman and iZombie vol. 1-3 by Chris Roberson at home waiting for me. I will spare you the cover images for these. They are kind of gross. I’m excited!

I am still working on At Somerton: Cinders and Sapphire by Leila Rasheed, The Expats by Chris Pavone, Hot Six by Janet Evanovich, and The Wilder Life by Wendy McClure.

What are you working on this week?

Happy Reading!

˜Megan

 

 

 

The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa Review

The Lost Prince (The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten #1) by Julie Kagawa
Harlequin Teen
October 23, 2012
379 pgs.

The Iron Queen’s little half-brother Ethan is all grown up and still being tormented the Fey. Ethan’s school career has been tainted by fairy mischief. His family had made what will hopefully be their last move and Ethan has made yet another fresh start at a new school. His plan to keep a low profile and stay out of trouble are immediately derailed when he crosses paths with Kenzie, a pushy but attractive journalist and Todd, a Phouka half-breed. Todd disappears and something sinister is shadowing Ethan, forcing Ethan to go to the one place he vowed he would never return to-The Nevernever. To make matters worse, Kenzie has decided to tag along. Once back in the fairy realm Ethan meets some familiar faces, confronts his long-lost sister, and makes some startling discoveries. The courts of the Nevernever are once again facing an unknown enemy. Can Ethan set aside his feelings about the fey in order to help them?

This Iron Fey spin-off series introduces fans to a whole new cast of character and revisits old favorites. It’s the best of both worlds! Ethan and Kenzie do not shine in the same way that Meghan and Ash did, but their adventures are just as exciting. The Forgotten, much like the Iron Fey, are an interesting take on traditional fairy lore. Fans of the Iron Fey will rejoice in revisiting The Nevernever and meeting Grimalkin, Meghan, Ash, Puck and even the Exile Queen. A bad boy reformed, a forbidden love, and a mysterious enemy combine in this solid series opener. Readers new to the Iron Fey will want to start at the beginning with The Iron King.

This book was provided by the publisher and NetGalley.com for review.

Readalikes: Tithe by Holly Black, Paranormalcy by Kiersten White or The Drake Chronicles by Alyxandra Harvey.

Happy Reading!

˜Megan

Hi-Ho Ya Scurvy Bilge Rats! It’s Talk Like a Pirate Day!

 

That’s right! Talk Like a Pirate Day is totally a real international event and this year is the 10th anniversary. Be sure to check out the website for fun pirate games, and English-Pirate translator, and much more. And once you’ve gotten your pirate name (mine is Bess the Mean), maybe you should check out some of these awesome books that star and/or feature pirates:

Bloody Jack by L.A. Meyer. The.Best.Pirate.Book.Ever. Seriously.

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray. Yup. There are pirates in this one.

Captain Hook: the Adventures of a Notorious Youth by James V. Hart

The Dust of 100 Dogs by A.S. King

Pirates! by Cecilia Rees

A Thousand Years of Pirates by William Gilkerson.

The Pirate Captain’s Daughter by Eve Bunting

Airborn by Kenneth Oppel. Who says pirates have to stay in the sea? This one has air pirate!

These should get you started. Do you have a favorite pirate book?

Happy Reading!

˜Megan, aka Mean Bess

 

 

 

 

 

 

Top Ten Tuesday-Bookish People I Want to Meet

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday, brought to you by The Broke and the Bookish, is easy-peasy since I totally have a running list already. It’s hanging on a cupboard door above my desk at work. Sadly, more names get added than crossed off, but I have been so fortune to meet some of my favorite authors (Michael Grant, Scott Westerfeld, and Carrie Ryan have all been crossed of my list and tomorrow Libba Bray comes off!). Here is what part of my never-ending list looks like:

1. Rick Riordan. He just has to be hilarious. I have this theory that The Mark of Athena is going to be the most amazing of all of his books so far and then the final book the series is going to be a mind-blowing mash-up all of his half-blood heroes. Sadie Kane and Annabeth together? Can you even imagine it? I think it could happen.

2. Ally Carter. I love me some spy girls! This interview was a lot of fun and after learning that she would invite Rick Riordan to a dinner party, that she recommends the awesome show Friday Night Lights, and that she longs for the superpower of time travel I think we should probably be besties!

3. L.A Meyer. I imagine that the author of my beloved Jacky Faber series has some fascinating stories to tell. Salty sea tales and such.

4. Katherine Kellgren. She is the voice of Jacky Faber. She is brilliant and I would love to meet her.

5. John Flanagan. I have to know more about Halt, my secret literary crush (and Halt is totally an adult so it’s not creepy at all!).

6. Lisa Lutz. Spellman Files? The most hilarious series ever. I’ll bet she’s hilarious. I guess I mostly want to meet hilarious people. Is that wrong?

7. Tina Fey. She wrote a book. She totally counts.

8. Markus Zusak. He’s Australian. He’s a total cutie. I mean *ahem* he writes amazing books. He must be smart.

9. George R.R. Martin. Right? Of course I might spend the whole time being annoyed that he was hanging out with a bunch of book nerds instead of finishing the next darn book and then that would be all I could think of. So maybe not him. But really, of course him!

10. Maureen Johnson. She is a defender of all things YA. Her books are awesome. She is also hilarious.

I also really need to meet Holly Black, E. Lockhart, Cassandra Clare, Sarah Addison Allen, Veronica Roth, Kiersten White, Rosemary Clement-Moore, Rachel Hawkins, Myra McEntire and Gordon Korman. I sure would say no to J.K. Rowling or Suzanne Collins either!

This post has gotten me super excited about my road trip tomorrow! It’s only 4 hours from Cleveland to Cincinnati. Totally worth it. Here I come Libba Bray!

Happy Reading!

˜Megan

 

 

 

Mondays With Megan-I’d Rather Be in Bed Reading Today

My head is all stuffy and I am extra sleepy on this brisk Monday morning. This is the perfect excuse to lounge in bed with a book. Alas, I am not. But a girl can dream, right? I did not get much reading in this weekend because, to be completely honest, I watched a lot of television. I had a little coffeeshop/book time on Friday (A Feast For Crows!), but Saturday was work then play with little time or energy to read. I did however have an incredible meal and dining experience at the Greenhouse Tavern. Places like this really help with my hometown pride-Yay Cleveland! Yesterday I really felt blah so I planted myself on the couch and dove into season 7 of Weeds. I forgot how ridiculous and fun that show is! So, all in all not a very productive weekend, but sure did enjoy myself.

This is going to be a busy week-I have a healthy snacks from Earth Fare tomorrow, my Libba Bray road trip on Wednesday, and a practice SAT test here at the library on Saturday. In between I need to write some reviews! But that is getting a bit ahead of myself, because right now it’s time for a new list!

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

Be sure to check in with Book Journey and Teach Mentor Text for more great reading suggestions.

Finished:

Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian. Review to come. I will say it was a quick and compulsive read.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor. I am so glad I gave this one another shot and I am excited for the next one.

 

Currently Reading:

Diviners by Libba Bray. I don’t know if I can speed read my way through this 600 page monster before Wednesday, but I am going to give it my best shot. It’s really good and creepy so far.

Cinders and Sapphires by Leila Rasheed. This one is due out in January, just in time to get people excited about the new season of Downton Abbey. Ladies maids, ancestral estates, ambition, power, and secrets. Heck yeah! So excited.

Hot Six by Janet Evanovich. I did not have a new audio lined up, so it’s time to head back to reliable old Stephanie Plum. I will finish this series some day!

Expats by Chris Pavone. I should be finished listening to this one by the end of the week. It’s intriguing and full of twists and turns.

How about one last nod to summer?

Chick Loves Lit says

…book that reminds you of summer. How about books about travel and getting over a broken heart?

Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker and Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard totally fit the bill!

 

What book makes you think of summer?

Happy Reading!

˜Megan

 

 

Top Ten Tuesday-Books That Make You Think (About Life, People, the World, etc)

It’s Tuesday and that means another edition of Top Ten Tuesday, brought to you by The Broke and the Bookish. This week we are talking about books that made us stop and think. I admit that I do love a good fluff book or an action packed adventure that is so perfectly executed that there is not time to think about how I would have escaped the zombies/evil angel/crazy vampire queen. But sometimes you find that book. You know the one. The one that makes you pause. Makes you wonder what you would do or say or feel. Makes you think what if…That book that sticks with you long after you’ve read the last word. That book is amazing.

Let’s get the slightly cliche classic out of the way first.

1. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Imagine what the world would be like if everyone lived like Atticus Finch?

2. I am the Messenger by Marcus Zusak. Oh, Ed Kennedy, I love you and your smelly dog. This book reminds me that small actions can have a big impact on someone.

3. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. There is so much to ponder in this one. The story is heartbreaking and the medical ethics involved is thought-provoking. This is an amazing story.

4. Speaking of medical ethics…The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson. This one will leave you pondering what exactly it means to be human. Literally. I can’t wait to give my book club this one.

5. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld. This one will have you thinking about conformity, beauty, and popularity. Bonus points for an action-packed adventure with hover boards.

6. Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth. The ultimate what if… What if there was a crazy natural disaster that forever altered life as we know it? I would totally miss ice cream. And TV. And the warmth of the sun, of course.

7. The Marbury Lens by Andrew Smith. This book haunts me. The lines between reality and fantasy are non-existent. It’s dystopian, it’s steampunk. It’s totally messed up and fascinating and disturbing. It’s about post-traumatic stress and friendship and IT HAS A SEQUEL. Oh. My. God. I don’t know if I can handle it!

8. Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John. If you have ever read my blog, even just once, chances are pretty good that you know how I feel about this book. I love it. I love Piper. I love her transformation. I love that she does not let her disability define her or hold her back. I like to think about that.

9. Drowned Cities by Paolo Bacigalupi. It’s set in a fictional place, in a fictional time, and the fictional kids are fighting a fictional war, but this really made me think about the real life impact of war on children. This is a tough read, but worth it. You also get healthy dose of nature vs free will with the character Tool.

10. 11/22/63 by Stephen King. This one is all about changing the past, the Butterfly Effect, the what ifs. When I think about some of the major events in my life I can’t help but wonder what if things had been different, what if I could go back and change things. In the end of this book you learn the answer to that what if question. It’s shocking. I loved this book.

Honorable Mentions:

What books are on your list?

Happy Reading!

˜Megan

 

 

 

 

Mondays With Megan-In Which I Fully Commit to George R.R. Martin and Recommend A…#11

I squeezed one last beach trip and a whole lot of reading into my weekend and it was fabulous! I got to see the sharks being fed at the aquarium (not as bloody and awesome as one would imagine) and Sunday was spent poking dead fish on the beach and digging for sea glass. Good times. As for my reading, I scrambled to finish everything that I had started so that I have dive back into the crazy world of George R.R. Martin. I realized that taking breaks in between books is not working for me. I can’t concentrate on the other books that I try to read because I can’t stop thinking about what is going to happen next for the Starks and Lannisters and dragons. Of course, just as I finally come to terms with fact that I need to read A Feast For Crows and A Dance With Dragons immediately and without pause, a new MUST READ opportunity arose. At some point this week an advanced reader copy of The Diviners by Libba Bray will be coming my way. Normally this close to the publication date I would just wait my turn for the library copy, BUT….there’s a but. I am roadtripping to Cincinnati to see the fabulous Libba Bray next week and I want to be prepared. So the deal is I start A Feast for Crows, pause long enough to read The Diviners and then it’s all Game of Thrones all the time until I get to join the ranks of people desperate for the yet-to-be-published continuation of the saga. Because then I’ll feel so much better. Anyway. You know what today is…

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

Check in with Book Journey and Teach Mentor Texts for more great lists and tons of recommendations.

Finished:

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas-This one has gotten lots of buzz and I really enjoyed it. It probably won’t make it onto a favorites list, but I will definitely recommend it and watch for the sequels.

The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa-I did get lost in this one the same way I did with the original series, but I really enjoyed revisiting familiar characters and the new fey are pretty creepy/cool. I’m on board and will continue reading the series.

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli-This is my Teen book club book and I read it in one sitting. It’s short and sweet and I hope my readers enjoyed it as much as I did.

Listening to:

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor-It took a while, but I am hooked. The language and imagery in this book is beautiful and the story is definitely unique. I am glad I finally decided to give this one another chance.

The Expats by Chris Pavone-This spy novel is keeping me company on my walks.

 

This week:

The Wilder Life by Wendy McClure-I am plugging along and thoroughly enjoying this Little House on the Prairie inspired memoir.

The Diviners by Libba Bray.

A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin.

I am so excited about my reading! What are you working on?

Chick Loves Lit is once again asking for some great reads. This week it’s time to

…book read on vacation. My vacation this year was almost entirely monopolized by A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin, which I highly recommend, but I am worried about becoming a “one way monkey” (Project Runway anyone?), so I am going to recommend some other books that make great vacation reads.

For you mystery lovers, check out Tana French. The four books in her Dublin Murder Squad series are full psychological tension, perfectly flawed and realistic characters, and settings so vivid you will feel you are in Ireland. I devoured her most recent book just days before my vacation this year (I couldn’t wait!) and need more. They don’t need to be read in order, but here they are in order of publication:

Need a YA fix for vacation? How about some swoony, yet bada** vampires? Check out the Drake Chronicles by Alyxandra Harvey.

Something less girly? How about something with spies, shapeshifters, and steampunk? I love Arthur Slade’s The Hunchback Assignments series.

What did you take on vacation?

Happy Reading!

˜Megan

Top Ten Tuesday-My Fall 2012 TBR List

It’s time for a new Top Ten Tuesday, brought to you by The Broke and the Bookish. This week we are looking ahead to fall reading. There are quite a few new books that I am eagerly anticipating! So, here, in order of publication date, is my Fall TBR list:

1. Ten by Gretchen McNeil Sept. 18. This one has been getting some buzz. Teens stranded on an island, falling victim to a murderer. Yeah, I’ll read that.

2. Shadows by Ilsa Bick Sept. 25. I really liked Ashes and I am looking forward to more of the story. I believe I read somewhere that this one is told from a different point of view. I kind of like it when authors switch it up like that.

3. Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling Sept. 27. One ticket for the bandwagon, please.

4. Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan Oct.2. I am going to go on record saying that I like this Percy Jackson spin-off series even better than the Olympians series and I firmly believe that this book is going to be the best of the series so far. I actually think the last book in the series will combine all three of his sets of half-breeds and be totally mind-blowing, but until then, Athena is going to rule!

5. Eve and Adam by Katherine Applegate and Michael Grant Oct. 2. Bioethics? Sounds like it! And you all should know by now how I feel about Michael Grant! Fans of the Animorphs will be delighted that the old team is back together.

6. Viva Jacquelina! by L.A. Meyer Oct. 9. More Jacky Faber! YAY!

7. Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick Oct. 23. I kind of need to know how things end for Nora and Patch. I also hope that is indeed the finale for these two star-crossed love. I do not trying to be mean, I just get tired of dragged out series. Wrap it up and let’s move on!

8. Rebel Heart by Moira Young Oct. 30. This might be my most anticipated book of the fall. I loved Blood Red Road so much and I cannot wait for the next one.

9. Elemental by Antony John Nov. 21. You  guys know how much I love Antony John, right? I do. So I am super excited about this new project!

10 & 11. A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin. I NEED to read these books. I want to read them right now, but I really need to take a tiny break and read some other things.

I didn’t do so well on my Top Ten Summer Reading list (only read 5 of 11). Maybe I will do better with this one.

Happy Reading!

˜Megan

Mondays With Megan-Labor Day Weekend Edition and Recommend A…#10

Hi all! I am so proud of myself for planning ahead and getting this post ready. I hope you are enjoying a long weekend. My weekend agenda included chores (yard work, carpet removal, ugh), reading, and hanging out with the family. Yay reading time! It’s time to check in with Book Journey and Teach Mentor Texts for It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

  

Finished: A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin and Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein. These are some tough acts to follow! Wow.

 

Currently Reading (or listening): Throne of Glass by Sarah Maas, The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie by Wendy McClure, Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor, and The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa (so close to being done!)

 

I hope to also get to: Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian and Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi.

   

What are you working on this week?

Meanwhile, Chick Loves Lit has asked me to

…a blog with similar taste to mine. I follow a number of blogs and not all of them have the same taste as me. I seem to have a lot in common with My One Hundred Adventures. I love the blogging tips and reviews at Small Review and one of my favorite new book blogs is My Sister’s Bookshelf.

What do you recommend?

Happy Reading!

˜Megan