by Kay | Dec 19, 2009 | Reviews |
Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
Series: Study #1
Published by MIRA
Pages: 400
Genres: Fantasy YA, High Fantasy
Source: Purchased myself
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Also in this series: Magic Study, Shadow StudyMurder, mayhem and magic…
Locked in a coffin-like darkness, there is nothing to distract me from my memories of killing Reyad. He deserved to die—but according to the law, so do I. Here in Ixia, the punishment for murder is death. And now I wait for the hangman's noose.But the same law that condemns me may also save me. Ixia's food taster—chosen to ensure that the Commander's food is not poisoned—has died. And by law, the next prisoner who is scheduled to be executed—me—must be offered the position.
Thoughts: This book was out-of-this-world amazing!
This was the first pure fantasy book I have read in a LONG while, and it was a great reintroduction to the genre. Heavily plot driven – featuring a lot of death, betrayal, and random attempts of murder – focussing on a heroine who could kick ass without having an ego. Brilliant secondary characters who, luckily, got a fare share of page-time from the author. Also, the love interest? Fierce. There was some serious tension, what with the whole will-he-won’t-he!kill her thing they had going on.
Overall, amazing start to the trilogy. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good plot and a great heroine!
by Kay | Nov 21, 2009 | Events for the Bookish |
I have decided to join my first reading challenge in a looooong time – J. Kaye’s 2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge. I took up reading a lot more YA books this year and have every intention to read more! For now I am going to stick to the “Just My Size YA Reading Challenge” which means reading 25 YA books next year. Check out the link in the image to join yourself.
ETA: Decided to up my reading plan to 25 books, as I am also taking part in the Debut YA Author Challenge. So along with those books (12), here is my preliminary list for 2010 YA Reading:
(Books in Bold have been read!)
- Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow
- Betrayals by Lili St. Crow
- Jealousy by Lili St. Crow
- Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
- Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr
- Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
- Frostbitten by Richelle Mead
- Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead
- Need by Carrie Jones
- Captivate by Carrie Jones
- Shiver by Maggie Steifvater
- Linger by Maggie Steifvater
- Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
- Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles
- Fade Out by Rachel Caine
- Kiss of Death by Rachel Caine
- Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
- The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong
- Tempted by P.C. and Kristin Cast
- The Espressologist by Kristina Springer
- Firespell by Chloe Neill – 2010 Debut Author!
- Fallen by Lauren Kate
- Hearts at Stake aka My Love Lies Bleeding by Alyxandra Harvey – 2010 Debut Author!
- Beating Heart by A. M. Jenkins
- The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
- Ondine by Ebony McKenna – 2010 Debut Author!
- The Line by Teri Hall – 2010 Debut Author!
- Old Magic by Marianne Curley
- The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
- Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan
- TimeRiders by Alex Scarrow – 2010 Debut Author!
- The Devil’s Kiss by Sarwat Chadda
- Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs
- Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson – 2010 Debut Author!
- Stargazer by Claudia Gray
- Dark Life by Kat Falls – 2010 Debut Author!
- The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting – 2010 Debut Author!
31/12/2010 – Challenge complete! I read 37 YA books this year, which even I am rather impressed by. Some of them were beyond fantastic – others less so…
by Kay | Nov 15, 2009 | Shelf Analysis |
As a highschooler, coffee was an adult thing. Something that you drink when you are old and have no energy. A drink for those who are so desperate for caffeine they ignore the horrible taste. Going to uni brought me over to the “dark side” and far too much of my work was done with a latte in hand.
And even though I am not long out of my teens, it seems things have changed. Kids line up at Starbucks after school for their mochas, and can’t get by without a morning latte. Not sure if that is good or bad, but it has affected the YA genre. Has anyone else picked up on the coffee-infused stories and covers that have been published lately? Well, if not, here’s a shot.
by Kay | Nov 8, 2009 | Book Haul |
In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren ( inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie) and explores the content of your mailbox! Or bookbox as they should now be called.
Although I haven’t posted in a while, I have been buying books like a crazy person. Seriously. I actually don’t know what I got this week because it has all blurred into one gigantic spending spree. But there are a couple of gems from the past few weeks that I want to share!
Signed Copies of Lord of Misrule by Rachel Caine and The Demon’s Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan:
How awesome is that? I love both authors to death so was very happy to get signed editions!
I also got some great YA novels – and these are some of my favourites:
I got a bunch of others, but I didn’t want to overload my poor phone camera. I actually won Strange Angels over at
Wonderous Reads – Thanks again Jenny!
I also went a bit crazy for J.R. Ward (this week I bought the whole series after reading the first book!) Got all of these from Amazon Marketplace and Ebay – new and for half the price. Brilliant.
And a fair bit of fantasy and urban fantasy – half of these were found in charity shops/used bookstores…. which always makes for a more exciting find!
The list:
- Lord of Misrule by Rachel Caine
- The Demon’s Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan
- Parasite Positive by Scott Westerfield
- The Hollow by Jessica Verday
- The Luxe by Anna Godbersen
- Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
- Evermore by Alyson Noel
- Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan
- Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow
- Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
- Lover Eternal by J.R. Ward
- Lover Awakened by J.R. Ward
- Lover Revealed by J.R. Ward
- Lover Unbound by J.R. Ward
- Lover Enshrined by J.R. Ward
- Kitty and the Midnight Hour by Carrie Vaughn
- Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
- Already Dead by Charlie Huston
- Something from the Nightside by Simon R. Green
- The Sweet Scent of Blood by Suzanne McLeod
- Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost
- Curse the Dawn by Karen Chance
*wipes brow* That is insane, right? What was I thinking? I actually didn’t list all of them either… I just kinda gave up.
Oh well, should I ever have any time off I will not be short of reading material!
by Kay | Nov 7, 2009 | Reviews |
Midnight Alley by Rachel Caine
Series: Morganville Vampires #3
Published by Allison & Busby, Penguin on 2007-10-02
Pages: 256
Genres: Paranormal YA, Young Adult
Source: Purchased myself
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Also in this series: Glass Houses, The Dead Girls' Dance, Kiss of Death, Ghost Town, Bite ClubMorganville is such a nice place to live...and die. If you don't mind that sort of thing. When Claire Danvers learnt that her college town was run by vampires, she did what any intelligent, self-preserving student would do: she applied for a transfer and stocked up on garlic. The transfer is no longer an option, but that garlic may come in handy. Now Claire has pledged herself to Amelie, the most powerful vampire in town. The protection her contract secures does little to reassure her friends. All of a sudden, people are turning up dead, a stalker resurfaces from Claire's past, and an ancient bloodsucker extends a chilling invitation for private lessons in his secluded home.
Rec for people who love: Buffy – aka action with a laugh and some love.
Thoughts: This series just goes from awesome to awesome.
Yet again, Caine delivers. This book is my favourite in the series (at least books 1-5). In MA, she gets right down to business – dealing with Michael’s new vampireness, the implications of Claire’s contract and adds even more new twists along the way. Yet again, Claire is put through the ringer – and it changes her. Don’t get me wrong, she is still the Claire we all love to love, but she does a fair bit of growing up in this book.
As for her relationship with Shane, gosh. It just gets better and better. It is hard to find a pairing where rooting for both sides just comes naturally – where you look at both sides of the relationship – but with Shane and Claire, it comes easy. It is quite a feat.
What makes this as my favourite in the series is the exploration of Claire’s intellect. Her education, and what she does with it, is pushed way past Hermione-like expectations. And let’s just say her interaction with her new teacher is… Mind-blowing.
Another thing I loved was how Caine dealt with the ever rising number of secrets that Claire is forced to keep. She hates keeping them, but knowing she has no choice, she does a really good job with giving vague answers. A definite change from the girl in the first book.
Caine also delves into the mythology behind Morganville – something that had been lacking in the first two books. Let’s just say it is more interesting than she had let on!
This book kept me up all night – again. So try to set aside a good chunk of time before you get started!
