Top Ten Tuesday-Books I Wouldn’t Mind Santa Bringing This Year-12/23/14

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish is all about the books we wish we owned!

Dear Santa,
I think I have been pretty good this year, so if you find the time, I wouldn’t mind having a few of these pretty books to add to my shelves. Thanks!

Love,

Megan

1. I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson. I loved this book so much that I will definitely reread it, especially if I have a copy of my own!

2. The Cure for Dreaming by Cat Winters. I still haven’t managed to read this one. I think it would look smashing next to my copy of In the Shadow of Blackbirds.

3. Cinder and Scarlet by Marissa Meyer. I was too impatient to wait my turn for Cress so I ran out and bought it. Now it looks weird and sad without the first two books. Santa, please help me update by collection!

4. The Young Elites by Marie Lu. This is another one that I want to read, but haven’t gotten to yet. I should probably just own it.

5. Thug Kitchen by Thug Kitchen. I really do want to cook like a give a ___!

Since we all know that Santa is magic, I am going to go ahead and add some yet-to-be published titles. If anyone can get them, I believe that Santa can!

6. Firefight by Brandon Sanderson. Please?

7. Fairest by Marissa Meyer. Pretty please?

8. The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Paige. Pretty please with a cherry on top?

9. I’ll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios. How can you resist this cover?

10. Silver in the Blood by Jessica Day George. It’s probably too soon even for Santa, but it never hurts to ask, right?

Happy Reading!

~Megan

Mondays with Megan-Cookies, Serial, and Holiday Parties, Oh My! 12/22/14

I am knee-deep in holiday preparations and feeling super flighty about my reading material. I started and set aside a few books last week but the books I managed to finish were fantastic. I am 7 books away from making my 200 book goal and have plenty of time after Christmas to plow through them. I didn’t do much listening last week because I was completely immersed in the podcast Serial. There was so much buzz and chatter about this on my Facebook wall that I had to check it out. Season one of this nonfiction audio story is about the 1999 murder of a teen in Maryland. After her body was found, her ex-boyfriend was convicted of the crime, though he maintains that he is innocent. It was engrossing and well worth the time. I binged on the 12 episodes over the course of 4 day! Here is a quick look at what I did manage to read last week:

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

This weekly meme is hosted by Book Journey and Teach Mentor Texts.

Finished:

• Glory O’Brien’s History of the Future by A.S. King. This is one of A.S. King’s more unusual books, but she is my hero and I loved this one. It’s a disturbing cautionary tale, a feminist manifesto, and a hopeful coming-of-age all wrapped up in to one weird book.
• Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater. The third book in The Raven Cycle series answers a few lingering questions from the previous book, but the story isn’t over!
• Lucky Us by Amy Bloom. I think this one would have been better read than listened to. I liked the idea and I loved the main character, but I felt like the letters got lost on audio and they made the whole story seem rushed. It was fine, but not a favorite.
• All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven. I will have a longer review of this ARC soon. I hope. I find the comparison to Fault in Our Stars off-putting, but in the end I enjoyed it. As much as one can enjoy this type of emotional books.

Current Audio:

Currently Reading:

Happy Reading!

~Megan

Waiting on Wednesday-12/17/14

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

This week’s pre-publication “can’t-wait-to-read” selection is:

The Mirror World of Melody Black by Gavin Extence
March 12, 2015

From Goodreads:

“Dark, witty and painful, Gavin Extence’s follow up to the word-of-mouth hit, THE UNIVERSE VERSUS ALEX WOODS, will stir up strong emotions as readers follow its heroine as she spirals into depression.

The perfect follow up to THE UNIVERSE VERSUS ALEX WOODS, this is a sensitive and astonishingly witty account of a woman’s descent into mental illness. The protagonist, Abby, is a very different but equally likely and endearing hero as Alex Woods.”

YES! The Universe Versus Alex Woods was one of favorite books of 2014. I am so excited for this one.

Happy Reading!

~Megan

Top Ten Tuesday-Best of 2014-12/16/14

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, is the hardest list of the year! I have already made one favorites of 2014 list. This one will be strictly YA. I mean, why not?

1. I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson. This is hands down my absolute favorite book of 2014. I will definitely be reading this again.

2. Grave Mercy & Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers. I can’t believe it took me so long to get around to these. I just bought myself Mortal Hearts this weekend.

3. Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor. I am still going through Karou and Akiva withdrawal. This was one of the most stunning and lyrical series I have ever read. I LOVED the audio.

4. The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan. It was sad to say goodbye to my young demigod friends, but this was a satisfying ending and I look forward to new adventures with new heroes.

5. Cress by Marissa Meyer. I think that this series improves with each book. I am desperate for more.

6. Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg. This was such a sweet contemporary romance.

7. Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige. This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2014. It is a wickedly delightful take on Oz.

8. Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys. I am very selective about historical fiction. My rule is: Always select anything Ruta Sepetys writes!

9. All Fall Down by Ally Carter. I was so fortunate to get an advanced reader copy of this first book in her new series. Fans will not be disappointed!

10. Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy. This new-to-me series has become a bit of an addiction. Interestingly enough, it coincides with my new-to-me obsession with Supernatural. Totally late to the party, but so happy I made it!

I am not finished reading these yet, but they definitely have earned an honorable mention:

Finally, I know I said this list was going to be all YA, but I would wholeheartedly recommend these two adult books to teen readers. I loved them both for very different reasons.

Happy Reading!

∼Megan

universe vres alex woods

vicious

Mondays with Megan-Critter Christmas III-12/15/14

This past Saturday was my Third Annual Critter Christmas Party with the Cleveland Animal Protective League. They brought four dogs and eight kittens to the library. Throughout the day over 100 people stopped in to see the animals and leave donations. We even had one adoptions!

This is Dinks. She found a forever home this weekend!

Izzy, Coco Strudel, and Tina are just a few of the pets that went back to the APL. If you are thinking about adding a new pet to your family please consider giving a rescue animal a chance. And a special thank you to everyone who stopped by to leave a donation or just stopped in for a cuddle.

As Christmas rapidly approaches I am trying to juggle last-minute reading and checking off items on my enormous To Do list. So far I have baked two batches of cookies, ordered a few gifts, and made a trip to Barnes & Noble for my nephews. Oh! and I bought a ton of fancy cheese. I got lucky with my assignments. Last week I discovered that short stories, novellas, graphic novels and audio books are the way to go right now. Novels just slow me down!

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

Hosted by Book Journey and Teach Mentor Text

 

Finished:

• The Ice Dragon by George R.R. Martin. This edition is a reprint of a novella originally published in 1980 and is set in the world of A Song of Ice and Fire. This little novella tells the story of a girl and the legendary Ice Dragon who befriends her.
• The Witch Must Burn by Danielle Paige. This digital novella is the second prequel to Dorothy Must Die. In this one readers learn more about Glinda and Jellia Jam. One is not as good as she claims and the other learns that she an important role to play in the saving of Oz.
• Spoiled Brats by Simon Rich. This collection of short stories all examine the theme of parents and the spoiled brats who love them. Dark, off-beat and irreverent as well as laugh-out-loud hilarious.
• Fables, vol. 20: Camelot by Bill Willingham. It is clear that this series is winding down, and Camelot is setting the stage for a big finish.

Current Audio:

Currently Reading:

On Deck:

Happy Reading!

∼Megan

Waiting on Wednesday-Emerald City of Oz-12/10/14

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

This week’s pre-publication “can’t-wait-to-read” selection is:

The Emerald City of Oz by L. Frank Baum and Eric Shanower.
March 25, 2015

From Goodreads:

“The Eisner Award-winning creative team of Eric Shanower and Skottie Young bring you the best Oz series yet! Uncle Henry can’t pay the mortgage, so he, Aunt Em and Dorothy must leave their Kansas home. Where can they go? To the Land of Oz, of course! Dorothy and the Wizard take Em and Henry on a grand tour, discovering knowledge pills and living paper dolls, solving living puzzles, suffering abuse from living kitchen utensils and drooling over living baked goods – but will anyone in Oz be left living after the Nomes attack, allied with the highly disagreeable Growleywogs? And when General Guph persuades the most evil race alive – the shape-shift ing Phanfasms of Mt. Phantastico-to join the Nome Army, have the Nomes bitt en off more than they can chew? COLLECTING: THE EMERALD CITY OF OZ 1-5.”

I am on a bit of an Oz kick right now with all of my Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige reading. I discovered this graphic adaption of the classic Oz stories a while ago and fell in love. I can’t wait for more! Someday I will buy these books for myself.

Happy Reading!

∼Megan

Top Ten Tuesday- Top Ten New-to-Me Authors of 2014

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, is all about the fantastic authors that I discovered this year. I spent plenty of time with my beloved tried and true favorites, but I also stumbled upon some new gems!

1. Derek Landy. I recently discovered Skulduggery Pleasant. This series is so much fun and quite possibly the best discovery of 2014. I am waiting for book 4 right now.

2. Leigh Bardugo. I discovered and devoured the Grisha trilogy in 2014.

3. Jasper Fforde. In my quest to find fantasy novels for my middle school book club, I picked up The Last Dragonslayer and loved it.

4. Jennifer E. Smith. I have enjoyed all of her contemporary YA romances.

5. Robin LaFevers. I finally got around to starting His Fair Assassins trilogy. I still need to finish the last one. I don’t want it to be over, so I am dragging my heels.

I also enjoyed a number of 2014 debuts. I will be watching for more from these new-to-everyone in 2014 authors!

6. Brandy Colbert. Her debut, Pointe, was an intense read.

7. Tess Sharpe. Far From You was another dark, emotional debut.

8. Danielle Paige. I am thoroughly immersed in this twisted version of Oz.

9. Gavin Extence. I loved his debut novel and am pleased to see he has another book coming in March!

10. Mindy McGinnis. This fellow Ohioan’s debut novel was really interesting. I have the follow-up waiting for me at home.

Mondays with Megan 12/8/14

This is such a busy time of year! Between preparing for Christmas (my family goes all out when it comes to baking), all the socializing, wrapping up programming at the library, I am starting to panic about getting everything done. Add in my newly discovered Supernatural obsession and my compulsive need to read 200 books this year and I predict that I will not be getting much sleep any time soon. Oh well. I like a challenge. 😉 Before I tell you a little about all the fantastic books I read last week, allow me to shamelessly plug the Reference Department’s blog, Read it or Weep. This week will feature out favorites of 2014 lists. My Top 14 of 2014 is up today!

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

Be sure to stop by Book Journey and Teach Mentor Texts for more Monday lists.

Finished:

 

• Jackaby by William Ritter introduces R.F. Jackaby, a detective specializing in the paranormal. It is 1892 and Abigail Rook has run away to New England looking for adventure. She finds all the adventure she can handle when she responds to Jackaby’s help wanted ad. This promise series starter is clever and fun and will please fans of Sherlock!
• The Song of the Quarkbeast by Jasper Fforde is the sequel to The Last Dragonslayer. Big Magic has arrived and King Snodd has plans to control it for himself but Jennifer Strange and the magicians of Kazam are in his way. This series continues to be  charming and goofy, making it a perfect all-ages read.
• No Place Like Oz by Danielle Paige is a prequel novella for her novel Dorothy Must Die. Readers learn how Dorothy returned to Oz and came to rule the magical kingdom. This quick read offers fascinating insight into the characters of Dorothy, Ozma and Glinda.
• Captive by Aimee Carter is the sequel to Pawn. I actually liked this one better than the first. Many secrets are revealed and there is plenty of action.
• Food: a Love Story by Jim Gaffigan is literally the author’s thoughts about different types of food. I enjoyed listening to this one while walking the dog.
• Wonder by R.J. Palacio. You all already know about this one. I finally read it myself. It was lovely.
• Ms. Marvel by G. Willow Wilson introduces a new superhero. Kamala is a sixteen-year old Muslim teen who wishes for a different life. Specifically, she wishes she was the blonde-haired, blue-eyed Captain Marvel. After having her wish granted she begins to learn that being someone else is not all it’s cracked up to be. But being a superhero is still really cool. I loved this new story and plan to follow Kamala/Ms. Marvel on all her future endeavors!

Current Audio:

Currently Reading:

On Deck: So many choices, but I think these are on the top of the pile!

P.S. For those of you who are wondering, I am now only 3 books behind on my goal. I have to finish 16 more books.

Happy Reading!

∼Megan

Waiting on Wednesday-Firefight- 12/3/14

 

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

This week’s pre-publication “can’t-wait-to-read” selection is:

Firefight (The Reckoners #2) by Brandon Sanderson
January 6, 2015

From Goodreads.com:

“From the #1 “New York Times” bestselling author of Words of Radiance coauthor of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series, and creator of the internationally bestselling Mistborn Trilogy, Brandon Sanderson presents the second book in the Reckoners series: Firefight, the sequel to the #1 bestseller Steelheart.

They told David it was impossible–that even the Reckoners had never killed a High Epic. Yet, Steelheart–invincible, immortal, unconquerable–is dead. And he died by David’s hand.

Eliminating Steelheart was supposed to make life more simple. Instead, it only made David realize he has questions. Big ones. And there’s no one in Newcago who can give him the answers he needs.

Babylon Restored, the old borough of Manhattan, has possibilities, though. Ruled by the mysterious High Epic, Regalia, David is sure Babylon Restored will lead him to what he needs to find. And while entering another city oppressed by a High Epic despot is a gamble, David’s willing to risk it. Because killing Steelheart left a hole in David’s heart. A hole where his thirst for vengeance once lived. Somehow, he filled that hole with another Epic–Firefight. And he’s willing to go on a quest darker, and more dangerous even, than the fight against Steelheart to find her, and to get his answers.”

I loved Steelheart with a passion that actually surprised me a little. The long wait for more is almost over!

Happy Reading!

∼Megan

Top Ten Tuesday-Books I am Looking Forward to in 2015-12/2/14

 2014 is winding down, which means it is time to start looking forward to 2015. The Broke and the Bookish are asking about our most anticipated books of the new year.

1. Please Remain Calm by Courtney Summers. YAY! A sequel to This is Not a Test.

2. Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray. I want this one so bad!

3. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. A new series set in the Grisha world!

4. The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Paige. I am looking for more twisted Oz tales.

5. Tonight the Streets Are Ours by Leila Sales. I really enjoy her contemporary fiction.

6. Firefight by Brandon Sanderson. This is another book that I NEED. Now, if possible. Please?

7. Winter by Marissa Meyer. Need I say more? I love this series.

8. I’ll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios. Man, I LOVE this cover.

9. Armada by Ernest Cline. I’m down with some alien invasions.

10.  I Crawl Through It by A.S. King. Have I mentioned recently how much I love this author and will ready anything she writes? No? Well. I do and will.

Too soon for a cover!

I could on, but I will restrain myself for now.

Happy Reading!

∼Megan