Review: Descended by Blood by Angeline Kace

Title:		Descended by Blood
Author:		Angeline Kace
Publisher:		Accendo Press
Pub. Date:		08/26/2011
Pages:		263

Brooke Keller is a high school junior who has never spent much time living in one place. She is finally in a town long enough to almost snag the boy of her dreams, until her life is threatened after killing a fanged man in his attempt to kidnap her. Brooke begins a dangerous journey in an effort to find out who is after her and how to stop them. In a world with powerful and prejudiced vampires, Brooke must tap into the side of her that she never knew existed at the risk of losing her life in order to save it.

(Summary and cover via Goodreads)

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Brooke is enjoying her life at her new school. Having been moved around very often by her mom, Brooke is excited to finally be somewhere long enough to make friends. When the boy she likes finally goes out with here, it looks likes things are really going great. A close call with a mountain lion puts Brooke and her friend on edge though. When it becomes obvious that someone is after her, Brooke is soon thrown into a world she had no idea existed. She learns vampires are real, and she has a much closer connection to them than she ever knew. Whether this connection will be enough to save her or not is another question entirely.

I loved this book! Vampire books and romance books (or vampire books with romance) are not exactly at the top of my list of favorites. I was very pleasantly surprised. I think Brooke could have easily become a sort of mopey character, but happily she avoided that. Her strengths and abilities had to be worked on, which is a welcome change from "special" leads magically being awesome at everything. She had an awesome friend, and all the other characters were interesting too. Like many romances, Brooke's was rather fast, but it never felt too rushed. It made sense in the context of the story.

I really liked the vampires in this book. Vampires typically seem very parasitic, drinking blood from their victims by force. This also forces the victims to become vampires. The vampire/non-vampire relationship in this book was much more symbiotic, which makes it much easier to actually like the vampires you're supposed to like. This book had a lot of fun elements. I think it is super enjoyable, and I highly recommend it to everyone!

Book provided by author for review.

Review: This Girl Is Different by JJ Johnson

Title:		This Girl Is Different
Author:		JJ Johnson
Publisher:		Peachtree Publishers
Imprint:		A YA Novel from Peachtree Publishers
Pub. Date:		04/01/2011
ISBN:		1561455784 (ISBN13: 9781561455782)
Pages:		288

Evie is different. Not just her upbringing-though that's certainly been unusual-but also her mindset. She's smart, independent, confident, opinionated, and ready to take on a new challenge: The Institution of School. 

It doesn't take this homeschooled kid long to discover that high school is a whole new world, and not in the way she expected. It's also a social minefield, and Evie finds herself confronting new problems at every turn, failing to follow or even understand the rules, and proposing solutions that aren't welcome or accepted. 

Not one to sit idly by, Evie sets out to make changes. Big changes. The movement she starts takes off, but before she realizes what's happening, her plan spirals out of control, forcing her to come to terms with a world she is only just beginning to comprehend. 

JJ Johnson's powerful debut novel will enthrall readers as it challenges assumptions about friendship, rules, boundaries, and power.

(Summary and cover via Goodreads)

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Evie is different in many ways. She's been raised to be a free-thinker. Her mother has home-schooled her, and they live in a self-sustaining home. This are going to change however, because Evie has decided to finish out her senior year in public high school. She quickly makes two friends, and it seems like things will go well. Evie soon finds her outspokenness is not so welcome. While trying to give other students a voice, Evie finds herself mixed up in something much bigger. She soon has to risk everything to try and set things right while staying true to herself.

I found this to be a very fun book. I think it can be difficult to keep a character like Evie from being overbearing with her opinions, but the author did a good job. For the most part Evie was able to express her beliefs without being too oppressive with her opinions. You could tell that in the end Evie was really interested in the best thing for everyone. She wanted to make a difference in people's lives. Even though things may not have turned out exactly like Evie wanted, she had her heart in the right place. This makes her easy to like.

The other characters were equally fun. Evie's mom was particularly wacky, but in a good way. This book was a super fast read, mostly because I was enjoying it so much. I would definitely recommend this book. Evie is not your typical YA heroine, but I think that's part of her appeal. She is in fact different, but in some really wonderful ways.

Galley provided by publisher for review.

Huber Hill and the Dead Man's Treasure Virtual Book Tour

Welcome to the virtual book tour for

Huber Hill and the Dead Man's Treasure!

When his grandfather dies, Huber Hill is devastated---until he opens Grandpa Nick's mysterious box. An old gold coin and directions to a hidden Spanish treasure send him and his friends off on an mind-blowing adventure, but he's not the only one on the hunt. Filled with dangerous animals and cryptic puzzles, this book will have you on the edge of your seat until the last page.

(Summary and cover via Goodreads)

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Huber Hill is having a tough time. He's constantly picked on at school, his parents won't stop fighting, and he can never match up to his twin sister. One of the people he feels closest to is his grandfather, who tells him amazing stories of his past. The most interesting story is about Tesoro, a place in the mountains where the some Spaniards his some gold in times past. Huber, his sister, and his former-bully-now-friend are soon caught up in an exciting adventure when they become the owners of a mysterious map. Pursued by a man bent on getting their map, the kids have to survive a lot if they are going to find any treasure.

This was a pretty entertaining book. I felt it started out a little slow, but it went forward at a steady pace from there. Huber was a little too down-trodden for my tastes. I was very happy when he finally stood up for himself. Scott turned out to be a pretty good friend, but I could have done without the constant use of Huber's nickname. I also felt like the bad guy went through an excessive amount. How was he not down for the count?

In the end these turned out to be fairly minor quibbles. Overall it was a fun book. Once the kids got out into the mountains, it was pretty much non-stop adventure. I think this book will be enjoyable to boys and girls equally. The ending also leaves room for more story to be told, so I look forward to reading more about Huber and his crew.

Galley provided by publisher for review.




This is a fun book for sure. I mean check out this page. Now the author, B.K. Bostick has offered to giveaway a gold coin/bookmark to anyone who goes and likes his Facebook page. So get over there.


I also have a book to giveaway! Here's the deal: this book isn't going to be released until October. So you will have two choices (if you are in the US). You can win an e-book you can read now, or you can wait for the release of the book to get an actual physical copy. It will be a long wait for your prize, so just be aware of that. If you are international, you can win an e-book only. 


To sum up:
-Prize is one copy of Huber Hill and the Deadman's Treasure
-US and International people can win an e-book
-US people can opt to win a physical book, but they will not receive it until the release in October
-Extra entries for liking the author's Facebook page and/or following the author on Twitter
-This giveaway will run from August 19th to September 3rd


The winner will be chosen by random.org. They will be e-mailed sometime on September 4th and will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.


Thanks so much for stopping by, and please tell your friends. Good luck!

Review: No Permanent Scars by Michael Hemery

Title:		No Permanent Scars
Author:		Michael Hemery
Publisher:		Silenced Press
Pub. Date:		01/31/2011
ISBN:		0979241065 (ISBN-13 9780979241062)
Pages:		294

No Permanent Scars reads how creative nonfiction should read: Like fiction. Like nonfiction. Like memoir. Like humor. Like literature. Like life. It’s about childhood, adulthood, the neighborhood and what it means to be a kid, a parent, a teacher, a human. Michael Hemery illuminates an honest working-class existence, offering both the sober realities of class discrimination and the humor and love of family. Intertwined with serious issues such as suicide, alcoholism, abuse, religion, and immigration, Hemery also endures a painfully slow and often naive coming of age (he once mistook an obvious prostitute for an office supply store employee). This is going to be the best book you’ll read this year.


(Summary and cover via Goodreads)

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This book is a basically a memoir told in a series of non-fiction essays. It skips around chronologically but combines different parts of the author's life to touch on different themes. A wide variety of themes are discussed, ranging from humorous to serious and everything in-between. Although this book differs from  memoir in that you don't necessarily get a "life story", you certainly get a very good sense of the who the author is.

The essays vary from very short to much more detailed. I had a hard time connecting with some, but there were many that I absolutely loved. I particularly enjoyed the stories about his piano playing "career" and his teaching career. Although they varied greatly in tone, they were both prime examples of great writing. I was also amazed that the author was able to convey a lot of emotions in very few words sometimes. The sections involving his wife tended to be short, but you absolutely can feel the affection and love that is there. He made me love his wife and parents, which can sometimes be hard to do when dealing with some of the tough subject matter in here.

I thought this book was very good. There is beautiful flow to the stories. I think that it's rather fascinating to get to see inside of a person, and the author certainly lays it all out there for you. In holding nothing back, you get to live parts of his life with him. It seems like despite what may have been some tough times, he has weathered the various storms rather well. When a book like this makes me think the author and I could be friends, I feel like it's done a great job.

Book provided for review by Librarything First Reads.

Review: Dreams of Significant Girls by Cristina Garcia

Title:		Dreams of Significant Girls
Author:		Cristina Garcia
Publisher:		Simon & Schuster
Imprint:		Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Pub. Date:		07/12/2011
ISBN:		1416979204 (ISBN13: 9781416979203)
Pages:		256

Brought together each summer at a boarding school in Switzerland, three girls learn a lot more than just French and European culture. Shirin, an Iranian princess; Ingrid, a German-Canadian eccentric; and Vivien, a Cuban-Jewish New Yorker culinary phenom, are thrown into each other's lives when they become roommates. 


This is a story of 3 paths slowly beginning to cross and merge as they spend the year apart, but the summers together. Through navigating the social-cultural shoals of the school, developing their adolescence, and learning the confusing and conflicting legacies of their families' past, Shirin, Ingrid, and Vivien form an unbreakable bond. 


This story takes readers on a journey into the lives of very different girls and the bonds that keep them friends.




(Summary and cover via Goodreads)

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Following three summers at a boarding school in Switzerland, this book tells the story of three very different girls who become friends. Ingrid is the "wild" and "crazy" one, Vivien is the sweet one, and Shirin is the more uptight and formal one. The girls are thrown together as roommates, and the slowly bond through shared experiences. These bonds help shape their lives and their futures.


With a title like this one, I was expecting something profound or more interesting that what I got. Apparently significant girls dream about sneaking out of boarding school and sex. As the book goes on, the girls each get a little more personality, and that helps the story out a lot. I wanted to see these girls learn how to make their contributions to the world, but I really felt like I got less of their interests and more of what they wanted to do to/with which boys. There were some very interesting topics covered though. Divorce, careers, children- all these were touched on, but not for long. I guess for me I wanted more of that and less of boys. Maybe I'm showing my age. 


I felt this was a pretty good book. The girls (especially Ingrid) felt a little too "modern" to me, but the early 70's are just a bit early for me to have a good idea if that's true or not. It wasn't a bad book, and it certainly got better as it went along. I just really wanted to be inspired by these dreams these girls had, but it fell flat for me.

Galley provided by publisher for review.

Review: That Day In September by Artie Van Why

Title:		That Day In September
Author:		Artie Van Why
Publisher:		Lulu.com
Pub. Date:		06/23/2006
ISBN:		1411683153 (ISBN13: 9781411683150)
Pages:		108

We all have our stories to tell of where we were the morning of September 11, 2001. This is one of them. In "That Day In September" Artie Van Why gives an eyewitness account of that fateful morning. From the moment he heard "a loud boom" in his office across from the World Trade Center, to stepping out onto the street, Artie vividly transports the reader back to the day that changed our lives and our country forever. "That Day In September" takes you beyond the events of that morning. By sharing his thoughts, fears, and hopes, Artie expresses what it was like to be in New York City in the weeks and months following. The reader comes away from "That Day In September" with not only a more intimate understanding of the events of that day, but also with a personal glimpse of how one person's life was dramatically changed forever.

(Summary and cover via Goodreads)

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I think almost everyone can remember where they were on September 11, 2001. I can remember exactly what I was doing when I heard about the first plane and the confusion about what was going on. I can remember how my heart sank as the reality of the situation hit me. I can remember the horror of watching it all unfold on television. New York City is a city I love, and I could never imagine having been there on that day. Artie Van Why doesn't have to wonder because he knows. He was there. This book is his story.

There is some back story about the author that explains how and why he was so close to what happened that day. However, the real story is his retelling of what happened that day. There are so many details that were things that had also stuck out to me as I remember that day. However, reading it by someone who was there, who felt everything as it happened, is not easy. The author does a wonderful job of being descriptive without being graphic.

The further we get away from the actual day, the more it feels like people seem to forget what it was like that day. Artie Van Why never will. His life was forever changed by what happened then. So many people's lives were changed, and we should never forget that. I almost feel like this book should be required reading to try to understand what it felt like to be there. I hope that everyone will take a chance to read this book and truly remember. It's not long, but it tells a lot of story in a those pages. I highly recommend this book and hope everyone will take a chance to read it.

Book provided by author for review.

Review: Clean by Amy Reed

Title:		Clean
Author:		Amy Reed
Publisher:		Simon & Schuster
Imprint:		Simon Pulse
Pub. Date:		08/09/2011
ISBN:		1442413441 (ISBN13: 9781442413443)
Pages:		288

Olivia, Kelly, Christopher, Jason, and Eva have one thing in common: They’re addicts. Addicts who have hit rock bottom and been stuck together in rehab to face their problems, face sobriety, and face themselves. None of them wants to be there. None of them wants to confront the truths about their pasts. But they’ll all have to deal with themselves and one another if they want to learn how to live. Because when you get that high, there’s nowhere to go but down, down, down.

(Summary and cover via Goodreads)

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Clean is the story of 5 teens in rehab. Each of them had different lives and upbringings, and each of them had a different drug of choice. They all shared addiction and the need to get help, so now they are all in the same rehab center. This book follows all 5 of them through various stages of recovery. Even though they come from very different backgrounds and lifestyles, they seem to bond over their shared problems. 


As you can imagine, a book about teens in rehab is rather hard to read. I had a particularly hard time figuring out why some of them turned to drugs. The language was often harsh, but it was realistic to the setting. I felt the most sympathy for Olivia, whose problems truly seemed to be caused in large part by the actions of others. I was glad to see that they were all forced to take responsibility for their actions. Their group councilor was awesome. We could all used someone like her around to help us see things clearer.


Just like in real life, the end wasn't cut and dry. I worried that some of the characters may never get past their issues. However, there were a lot of really good things said in this book. I think this book can really facilitate some important discussions about how we react to things, what healthy ways to cope are, and how to recognize when people have a problem. There is also great hope that people can change and get better. That's something we could all stand to understand a little better.

Galley provided by publisher for review.