Top Ten Tuesday

This week's topic is:

Top Ten Books on my Summer TBR list...
(Some of these are carryovers from my spring one since they fell a bit by the wayside...)

Gone, Gone, Gone by Hannah Moskowitz - Still can't believe I haven't read this one.

How to Lead a Life of Crime by Kirsten Miller - Done with Kiki Strike and can barely keep her books on the shelves at work.

Mind Games by Kiersten White - Still haven't read Endlessly but YAY new series!

The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepard - I always love a re-telling and this just sounds fab!

Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff - I liked Brenna's other novels, so on to the next.

Then You Were Gone by Lauren Strasnick - This just sounds really fantastic and I loved Her and Me and You.

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell - This one sounds so cute and fun.

Invisibility by David Levithan & Andrea Cremer - Love both of them and can't wait to see what they created together.

Taken by Erin Bowman - She's a local author and this just sounds really interesting and I keep meaning to read it and forgetting.

Truth or Dare by Jacqueline Green - This just sounds intriguing.

The Broke and the Bookish is a group of college aged and twenty somethings that have an unhealthy obsession with reading and would spend every last penny on books even if it meant skipping a few meals. We are the people  who lurk in the library, buy handbags based on how many books can be stashed in them, and who refer to characters in books as if they are personal friends.

We sought after other bookish college students to share in our love for reading and were brought together by the College Students group on Goodreads that was created in September 2008. Our desire to share great books with each other in and our tendency to be opinionated and passionate about all things book related naturally led to the birth of The Broke and the Bookish in June 2010.

Top Ten Tuesday

This week's topic is:

Top Ten Books on my Spring TBR list...
(yeah I may have switched this week and last week...oh well)

Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans - Fellow blogger and a dystopian, check.

The Archived by Victoria Schwab - Libraries and Schwab, check.

Gone, Gone, Gone by Hannah Moskowitz - She writes these faster than I can read them, so I need to get caught up.

How to Lead a Life of Crime by Kirsten Miller - Just caught up with the Kiki Strike books, so on to this!

Mind Games by Kiersten White - Just realized I haven't read Endlessly yet...oh well, new series!

Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner - Before I bought this, I thought it was a graphic novel. It sounds really interesting. Very different and a bit unsettling.

The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepard - I've been told this is amazing by a friend, so I shall read it. Plus, I always love a re-telling.

Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff - I liked Brenna's other novels, so on to the next.

Then You Were Gone by Lauren Strasnick - This just sounds really fantastic.

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell - This one sounds so cute and fun. We shall see!

The Broke and the Bookish is a group of college aged and twenty somethings that have an unhealthy obsession with reading and would spend every last penny on books even if it meant skipping a few meals. We are the people  who lurk in the library, buy handbags based on how many books can be stashed in them, and who refer to characters in books as if they are personal friends.

We sought after other bookish college students to share in our love for reading and were brought together by the College Students group on Goodreads that was created in September 2008. Our desire to share great books with each other in and our tendency to be opinionated and passionate about all things book related naturally led to the birth of The Broke and the Bookish in June 2010.

Blog Tour / Review: The Darkness Dwellers - Kirsten Miller

Where I got it: Netgalley
Rating: 4 stars  
Cover Rating: 4 stars (I like these covers significantly more than the old ones.)
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: January 22, 2013
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Page Count: 416 p.
Buy it: Book Depository / Amazon
Add it: Goodreads
Sequel to: Inside the Shadow City and The Empress's Tomb

Kiki Strike is headed back to Pokrovia to claim her rightful place as Princess. There are a few complications on the way there though and she winds up kidnapped. Now it's up to the Irregulars to help her out. They will need a concoction that can cure female baldness and a way to get it there. Meanwhile it seems like some of the girls are too busy thinking about their love lives to take things as seriously as they should be. The group needs to get their heads right and stick together if they all plan on making it out of this situation as friends and still alive.

More Kiki Strike books are needed. It's a shame there are only three. These girls, though sometimes obnoxious, are very exciting. Kiki Strike is a phenomenal character and in this story we get to see that she is in fact a teen girl and not always a super hero. I also love her little footnotes in this story. Footnotes always make me love a book a little bit more.

Unfortunately we have to see Ananka being a failure at life again. She just isn't as loyal as the other irregulars. It seems like, while she is a great narrator she is a pretty crap friend. Even if she doesn't follow through with all her evil thoughts, the intentions are there.

The other thing that bugged me is the timeline. (Maybe it's just because I have an ARC, I'll have to check a finished copy and I will revise it if it is different.) Ananka mentions that she has been a member of the Irregulars for six years, but she's only fifteen. She became a member when she was twelve, so the math simply doesn't add up. I was excited when she mentioned that she'd been a member for six years, because that would mean the books were following real life's time passage(just about) since the first book came out in 2006. But...that doesn't seem to be the case, especially with the talk about the incidents in The Empress's Tomb happening a few months prior to this story.

I will neve not fall instantly for a boy named Etienne and I entirely blame Stephanie Perkins. It's a great name and just instantly brings to mind yummy parisans boys. ;)

If you are a Betty fan, this is the book for you. In this novel we get to see what other tricks the master of disguise has up her sleeve. And...it does not disappoint.

Definitely, definitely check out this series. If you haven't read the first two books, you don't even have to in order to dive right into this one. Ananka gives you a brief history on the adventures in the preface so you'll be able to jump right in. Of course, you'll probably want to read the other two first, because they are full of awesome espionage and such.

First Lines:
"There are plenty of impatient people in this world who will pick up a book and thumb past it's preface. You should be proud you're not one of them."

Favorite Line:
"'As usual, you smell like goat.'"

Review: The Empress's Tomb - Kirsten Miller

Where I got it: Library
Rating: 3.5 stars  
Cover Rating: 3 stars (I don't really love how old Oona looks.)
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: September 30, 2008
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Page Count: 369 p.
Buy it: Book Depository / Amazon
Add it: Goodreads
Sequel to: Inside the Shadow City

Kiki and the Irregulars are back again and Ananka is ready to tell you all about it. There are lots of secrets that the Irregulars tried to keep from each other, but all secrets are discovered eventually. Lester Liu is back and something is going on with Livia and Sidonia. Oona is all caught up in the Mister Liu mess and Kiki has some problems with Verushka and Ananka's mom is about to freak out if Ananka keeps sneaking out and falling asleep in school. The Irregulars need to pull it together if anything is going to work out. It may be the most unlikely people that end up saving them from themselves.

What a fun sequel. I adored Kaspar. I wish there was some squirrel graffiti somewhere in the book. I think that would have made the book look fantastic. It would have been so fun! I wish we had learned a bit more about Kaspar and the animal rights aspect of the story. It seemed like such a huge thing in the beginning  but it went nowhere.

There was a lot of tension in this book between the girls. I was sure someone was going to loose it on every page. There were so many secrets and acting and it was just crazy. I liked how everything worked out though.

Again Ananka was a fantastic narrator. Seriously, her little helpful hints are just too good. I could read a whole handbook of just those. She such a plain character in comparison to the other girls and that may be why she's such a great narrator. She seems to always be where the action is, but she isn't all knowing (like Kiki seems to be).

This was just a really fun second novel and the ending made me need more. It ended well enough, but excitement is certain to ensue. If you haven't started this series yet, you totally should!

First Line:
"The whispers began the day she arrived on horseback at the gates of the Emperor's palace."

Favorite Line:
"My lab partner, a studious girl named Natasha with no talent for chemistry, was dumping liquids into a glass beaker and barely acknowledged my arrival."

In My Mailbox #99

In My Mailbox brought to you by The Story Siren

For Review: Thanks to Penguin and Hatchette

The Shattering - Karen Healey

The Space Between - Brenna Yovanoff 

(also came with a The Replacement button)

I also got my lovely replacement cover for Nightshade!

Bought/swapped:

The Limit - Kristin Landon

The Liar Society - Lisa and Laura Roecker

Zombies calendar for 2012 

(we all know it's zombiepocolypse year)

The Eternal Ones - Kirsten Miller (my review)

(I already had the hc, but wanted the matching pb)

All You Desire - Kirsten Miller

Halo - Alexandra Adornetto

Bloody Jack - L.A. Meyer

(Nicole@WORD for Teens is always raving about how amazing this series is)

I found these cute little classic for only $1.00 a piece and just had to pick them up.

So that's what I got this week. What did you all get?

In My Mailbox #52

In My Mailbox brought to you by The Story Siren

For Review:

Matched - Ally Condie 

Radiance - Alyson Noël

Won:

After - Amy Efaw

Rebel Angels - Libba Bray These two I won over at Read Into This

Lost for Words - Alice Kuipers This one I won from Kelsey over at The Book Scout Thanks guys!

Bought/Swapped:

The Eternal Ones - Kirsten Miller (my review)

Au Pairs - Melissa de la Cruz

Saving Francesca - Melina Marchetta

30 Days To Finding and Keeping Sassy Sidekicks and Bffs - Clea Hantman (Funny story I thought this was a sassy teen novel, turns out it's and actual guide to finding and keeping sassy Bffs. I will be bringing this straight to the library, so my younger teens can use it.)

If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period - Gennifer Choldenko

High Before Homeroom - Maya Sloan

The Queen Geek Social Club - Laura Preble

Queen Geeks in Love - Laura Preble

Doing It - Melvin Burgess

Long Hot Summer - Eric Stephenson and Jamie McKelvie

How To Make a Bird - Martine Murray

Castration Celebration - Jake Wizner

soooooooo... That's what I got this week. What have all of you been up to. Anything positively fabulous in your mailboxes?

Review: The Eternal Ones - Kirsten Miller

Where I got it: ARC from publisher
Rating: 5 stars
Cover Rating: 4 stars (I really like the simplicity of this cover and the boldness of the red. I look forward to seeing the complete design [inside and out] for the hardcover.)
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: August 10, 2010
Publisher: Razorbill
Page Count: 411 p.

This is not Haven's first life. She can feel it with every inch of her and with every vision she has. When a flicker of a face on t.v. sets her off into another vision, Haven realizes it might be high time for her to figure out what is going on. Her grandmother is dead set against Haven leaving her protective care and with the help of the preacher,  tries to convince Haven and everyone in the town that she is possessed by the devil. Haven doesn't think this is the case and knows she needs to get out of Snope City. She doesn't know what she is running to, but she knows she has to find him... before it's too late.

Wow, this book was remarkable. Kirsten Miller truly loves New York City and it shows in her beautiful descriptions that portray the city as a paradise. My only complaint about this novel is that most of the time characters act like they are in their twenties instead of still being teenagers. This is especially true of Haven and Beau; it seems unrealistic, since they are from such a small town. As events unfold their maturity begins to make more sense, but it still seems a bit odd. I don't even know where to begin further praise of this book. As some of you might know, I thoroughly enjoyed Kirsten's other series, Kiki Strike and this novel was not a disappointment. The Eternal Ones, like Kiki Strike, had that kind of adventurous fun that keeps the novel moving along at an edge of your seat pace. This novel had enough twist and turns to make sure you were never sure. I loved the characters and everyone played their parts quite well. I wish the romance was a little more romance-y, but it was pretty good all things considered. I feel like if I talk about anything but the beginning of this book it will be all spolier-y, so I will not. You have to read this book though, it was incredible. Make sure you start it at the beginning of your day since you will not be able to put it down and will be racing through the pages to see how everything turns out. Kirsten has mentioned that she is working on a sequel, can I just say

» Click to show Spoiler «

I hope that it takes place in Haven and Iain's next life. The ending of this novel just felt so satisfying and I feel like tacking anything onto the end will just be annoying and ruin it.

Really, honestly read this book though, it's got slight paranormal aspects to it, interesting religious conversations, reincarnation, a secret society, some action and loads of over things that make this book full of awesomeness. Buy it, read it, period.

First Lines:
"Haven was back. She glanced across the familiar room. Silver clouds hovered over the skylight high above a rumpled bed."

Favorite Line:
"It was the sort of sad , yearning kiss perfected long ago by sailors and soldiers and men who led dangerous lives. "

Teaser Tuesday #35

This week's Teaser Tuesday is from The Eternal Ones - Kirsten Miller

(page: 75+76)

"Haven stopped to gaze in the window of the town pharmacy, but when she turned around, Leah was no more than a few steps ahead of her. It wasn't until Haven had reached the front door of the church that the strange redheaded girl turned down a side road and vanished from sight."

Teaser Tuesday is brought to us by Should be Reading.
Rules:
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 ruin the book 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!

In My Mailbox #35

In My Mailbox brought to you by The Story Siren

Bought/ swapped:
Brightly Woven - Alexandra Bracken
Poison Study - Maria V. Snyder
Voices of Dragons - Carrie Vaughn
Cracked Up to Be - Courtney Summers
Stupid Cupid - Rhonda Stapleton
Vampire Plagues: Paris 1850 - Sebastian Rook
Liar - Justine Larbalestier (my review)
Wherever Nina Lies - Lynn Weingarten
Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them - J.K. Rowling
Quidditch Through the Ages - J.K. Rowling

For Review: (Thanks Penguin)
The Eternal Ones - Kirsten Miller (SO excited hope it's as good as Kiki Strike!)
Paisley Hanover Kisses and Tells - Cameron Tuttle
Possessions: The Evil Within - Nancy Holder

Links on titles go to the books goodreads page for easy TBR pile additions! Author links go to author pages as usual....
What did you all get?

Review: Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller

Where I got it: My Collection
Rating: 4.5 stars
Cover Rating: 4 stars (Great!)
Genre: Young Adult(I assume)
Publication Date: May 29, 2007
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
Page Count: 387 p.

One day Anaka Fishbein notices out her bedroom window a giant sinkhole in Central Park. Being a curious 12-year-old girl she decides to check it out. She climbs in and finds out that it is an underground apartment. This event also causes her to catch the eye of a girl named Kiki Strike. When Kiki Strike calls upon Anaka for a top secret mission, Anaka agrees. As their story progresses, with rats and Girl Scouts and lots of secrets and mistrust, Anaka has to decide what she is going to do and who is really her friend.

This book was so exciting! A cross between The Mysterious Benedict Society and Harriet the Spy with a pinch of feminism on top. A definite girl-power novel, full of action and espionage! I loved the concept of an underground world that no one really knows about. Kirsten Miller brings out the darker side of her New York quite marvelously. I wish I had friends like these, never a dull moment. Just when you thought that you had something figured out something else would happen and you would be left wondering if it's true or not. This is a definite must read with stronger appeal to the younger end of YA, but a treat to all ages. I loved Anaka's direct commentary "lessons" like "HOW TO FOLLOW SOMEONE... WITHOUT GETTING CAUGHT" and "HOW TO PREPARE FOR AN ADVENTURE". This book is so full of adventure that you will wish you could go on at lest one trek with The Irregulars. I am so looking forward to getting my hands on a copy of the sequel. This book was hard to put down but why would you want to?

First Line:
"TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: By taking the time to open this book, you've become a member of a very elite group: The Curious."

Favorite Line:
"I decided the real lesson to be learned from fairy tales is that things are rarely what they seem."