The Magicians

The Magicians by Lev Grossman

Quentin Coldwater is brillant but miserable. He's a senior in high school, and a certifiable genius, but he's still secretly obsessed with a series of fantasy novels he read as a kid, about the adventures of five children in a magical land called Fillory. Compared to that, anything in his real life just seems gray and colorless.

Everything changes when Quentin finds himself unexpectedly admitted to a very secret, very exclusive college of magic in upstate New York, where he receives a thorough and rigorous education in the practice of modern sorcery. He also discovers all the other things people learn in college: friendship, love, sex, booze, and boredom. But something is still missing. Magic doesn't bring Quentin the happiness and adventure he though it would.

Then, after graduation, he and his friends make a stunning discovery: Fillory is real. -Plot summary borrowed from Goodreads

One of the most common quick and dirty summaries for this book is "Harry Potter with college kids." While this is a bland generalization, it's also damn accurate in that it does deal with students at a magical university, and, more to the point, was written for fantasy fans. However. This is a love it or hate it book, and if you go into it looking for the same familiar, comfortable, escapist tropes of many fantasy books, you're in for a rude awakening. 

When I say this is a book for fantasy fans, I mean that it is a book written about a character who is one. Quentin has fallen irrevocably in love with a Narnia-esque series, and has convinced himself that his real life is a pale imitation of what it could be. If only magic were real. If only he could break through the wardrobe, onto Platform 9 3/4, down the rabbbit hole. Then, oh, then he would be happy. 

(If you have never had this thought, then I'm not entirely sure what you're doing reading this blog.)

The greatness of this book is how relatable Quentin is. Even if when you want to smack him in the face for being such a self-centered whiner, it's fascinating to see someone who grew up reading about magic dealing with it. It's impossible not to wonder how you would fare at Brakebills, if you would be satisfied, or if, like Quentin, you'd have to start coping with the fact that in life, getting what you want is so often not the happy ending you were banking on. 

The story is a little bit dark, often cynical, and will challenge how you view fantasy. The magic here is that Grossman pulls all that off while reminding you why you love fantasy in the first place. He's not taking snarky jabs at a genre he doesn't care for- he's just giving you a peek behind the curtain. 

(One more note on the tone: Grossman has stated that he was depressed while reading this book, and that after treatment, is a much happier person. I am very interested to see how this affects the next books in the series)

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A Visitor's Guide to Mystic Falls

A Visitor's Guide to Mystic Falls: Your Favorite Authors on The Vampire Diaries by Red, Vee, Sarah Rees Brennan, Heidi R. Kling, Karen Mahoney, Bree Despain, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Alyxandra Harvey, Vera Nazarian, Jon Skovron, and Kiersten White

In A Visitor’s Guide to Mystic Falls, YA authors—led by Red and Vee of premier Vampire Diaries resource Vampire-Diaries.net—take a closer look at Mystic Falls: its residents (both alive and undead) and its rich, inescapable history.


Claudia Gray delves into the events of 1864 and how they’ve shaped not just Mystic Falls but the success of the show itself

Sarah Rees Brennan tells us what it takes for a girl to hold her own against a vampire boyfriend (or two), placing Elena squarely between fellow vampire-daters Buffy and Bella

Jennifer Lynn Barnes takes Mystic Falls to task for poor treatment of Caroline Forbes

Jon Skovron examines the male-female vampire dynamic, in history and in The Vampire Diaries

Plus a guide to the book series for tv fans looking to visit The Vampire Diaries’ literary inspiration, and more. -Plot summary borrowed from Goodreads

Oh how I love TVD. If you haven't tried it, there's a good chance you will, too. One of the most prominent ideas that pops up in reviews of the show are people saying things like "Ok, I don't like vampires and I never watch teen dramas. But this is my new favorite show." There is just so much to love: a heroine that really cannot be beaten (loyal, sweet, independent, strong, loving and just genuinely Good), sexy vampires (I would like the order of this list carefully noted), a great soundtrack, a phenomenally well-developed cast of characters, and a knack for turning expectations on their heads. This book covers all that, and a lot more.

I've read and liked other collections of essays before (Buffy, Ballads and Bad Guys Who Sing: Music in the Worlds of Joss Whedon, and The Girl Who Was on Fire: Your Favorite Authors on Suzanne Collin's Hunger Games Trilogy were also excellent), but this book shines for its skillful combination of insighful, academic, and just plain fun aspects. One of my favorite entries was from the point of two female fans debating Team Stefan VS. Team Damon. By comparing the Romantic Hero to the Gothic Hero. And summoning the ghosts of Jane Austen and Emily Brontë. It's called "In Which Our Intrepid Heroines Discuss the Merits of the Bad Boy Versus the Reformed Bay Boy with the Help of a Couple of Dead Women Who Know About Such Things" and it is fantastic.

Some of my other favorite essays include a scathing review of Stefan's supposed nobility by Diana Peterfreund, an essay praising Elena's character and ability to hold her own despite being 1/3 of a fangy love triangle by Sarah Rees Brennan, and Jennifer Lynn Barnes look at the overlooked Caroline.

This book was written with just one season to work with- now that the fifth season is set to air in a few months and there is far more material to to draw from, I am very much hoping for a sequel.

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In My Mailbox (#17)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren where bloggers can share the books they've received over the week (for review, from the library, bought, traded for, etc.).

Checked out from the library (Just reviewed The Fault In Our Stars...excellent!):

From NetGalley (can't wait to read this one because Stiefvater's writing is magical!):

From a student (who said he enjoyed it more than the Harry Potter series!):

 

What amazing books did you get this week!? I haven't been keeping up with the new releases like I should, so I can't wait to find out what's new and amazing...

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Review: The Fault In Our Stars

Stats:

• Publisher: Dutton Books
• Release Date: Jan. 10, 2012
• Page Count: 336
• Would Appeal To: Fans of My Sister's Keeper, Anyone who appreciates magnificent writing/simple but brilliant insights

Favorite Quotes: (Narrowed down from 13, had to omit certain sigh-worthy dialogue scenes to keep the element of surprise for future readers...Also, if you really want to read this, you might skip a few of these quotes so you can be just as truly satisfied as I was.)

 

"Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book. And then there are books like An Imperial Affliction, which you can't tell people about, books so special and rare and yours that advertising your affection feels like a betrayal."

 

"He played me a couple songs he liked by a band called The Hectic Glow, and they were good songs, but because I didn't know them already, they weren't as good to me as they were to him."

 

"And then the line was quiet but not dead. I almost felt like he was there in my room with me, but in a way it was better, like I was not in my room and he was not in his, but instead we were together in some invisible and tenuous third space that could only be visited on the phone."

 

"...rumbling with each inhalation and whirring as I exhaled. I kept thinking that it sounded like a dragon breathing in time with me, like I had this pet dragon who was cuddled up next to me and cared enough about me to time his breaths to mine."

 

"'Do you realize how rare it is to come across a hot girl who creates an adjectival version of the word pedophile? You are so busy being you that you have no idea how utterly unprecedented you are.'"

 

"The car was packed by six fifteen, whereupon Mom insisted that we eat breakfast with Dad, although I had a moral opposition to eating before dawn on the grounds that I was not a nineteenth-century Russian peasant fortifying myself for a day in the fields."

 

"The weird thing about houses is that they almost always look like nothing is happening inside of them, even though they contain most of our lives. I wondered if that was sort of the point of architecture."

 

Story: Hazel Grace Lancaster has terminal cancer. Her lungs continually drown themselves with fluid and she is forced to walk around with a tank of oxygen to help her breathe. One fated Support Group session, Augustus Waters has come to support his friend Isaac. Augustus, a rather up front, witty, and intelligent guy, finds out Hazel's favorite book-- An Imperial Affliction. Soon both teens become entralled with finding answers to a novel that had a very open ending. Video games, a park, and a heartbroken blind friend all swirl together to create a tale of romance, where the sick kids know better than anyone that life's not fair.

 

Why You Must Read This:

1. It's JOHN GREEN people! I'm about to dive into An Abundance of Katherine, Looking for Alaska, and then Paper Towns because he is just that incredible (and I'm awfully mad at myself for not yet reading any of his other work). His writing is the kind of fluid that makes you forget you're not a character in the story. He gets it. And by it, I mean EVERYTHING. (See first two quotes above.)

 

2. The dialogue. Holy crap. By the end of the first chapter, Augustus has already said some unabashed things to Hazel. You'll wonder why you didn't have a relationship like this in high school where everyone can be up front and playful and super smart sounding because they really are intelligent. Also, Hazel always answers in questions, like she's not quite sure. It showed me a lot about her personality. And she talks with a few "likes" thrown in, which were really quite perfect and not annoying in the Valley girl way.

 

3. Hazel and Augustus. Usually I like the boy more than the girl. Or the girl more than the boy. Not both equally. This story was different. They were meant to be, with their kind of philosophical thoughts and conversations. They've had lots of time to really ponder since they've both been in and out of the hospital. They're super deep with huge vocabularies but still teenager-y. For example, they both still fight with their parents and Hazel, especially, hates being hovered over.

 

4. I haven't read book by many guy authors, and this one uses a female POV, but I seriously couldn't tell. Mostly, Hazel just wants to be normal, not a side effect of dying. She accepts her lot even though she doesn't always like it. But don't we all just want to be normal? You'll be able to relate to more than one thing in this story. I've never thought about Cancer Perks and how adults act weird around kids who are obviously sick. I couldn't imagine walking around with a cannula stuck up my nose, but here's a person who is different, and her friends are different, which allows her to really see what people are like, their motivations, their responses, and their fears. Another part of John Green really getting it.

 

5. I cried. I never used to cry reading books, and only really good, emotional writing brings that out in me. I also loved that Hazel's dad is a crier. Her parents are awesome. 

 

6. The plot. What reader doesn't want to read a book about a character who obsesses over her favorite book? Oh my gosh, I can relate. It's brilliant, really. The fact that Augustus is really into a book that she's introduced him to only makes him more lovable.

 

What Bugged Me:

1. Um, NOTHING. This is strange for me to have nothing to nit pick about, but...he flippin' nailed this whole story.

 

 

 

 

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Review: Pushing the Limits

Stats:

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Release Date: July 31, 2012

Page Count: 384

Will Appeal To: Romance lovers, anyone interested in psychology

 

Favorite Quotes:

• "If she grasped anything, it would be me. My thumb worked its way between her fingers and her sleeve and released her death grip on the material. I wrapped my fingers around Echo's fragile hand. Touching Echo felt like home."

  

• "'I loved her, Echo. She was that someone that tilted my universe.'"

 

• "The worst type of crying wasn't the kind everyone could see-- the wailing on street corners, the tearing at clothes. No, the worst kind happened when your soul wept and no matter what you did, there was no way to comfort it. A section withered and became a scar on the part of your soul that survived. For people like me and Echo, our souls contained more scar tissue than life."

 

Story:

Boy and girl are seeing same school social worker. Noah is trying to gain custody of his brothers and must turn around his bad boy act so a judge will grant him said custody. Echo has become a social pariah after an incident years prior that resulted in raised white and red scars up the lengths of her arms. Everyone thinks she tried to commit suicide or cut herself. She knows her bipolar mother had something to do with it, but her brain has repressed the memories. Both broken souls, the two work on finding out what's in their files, which should ultimately lead to answers and then happiness. Along the way, they find out that each of them needs the other in more ways than one. 

 

Why You Must Read This:

1. The dual points of view add such dimension to the story. Yes, the boy/girl switcheroo has been super popular as of late, but I'm not tired of it, especially not with characters like this. I wouldn't have minded if it was all in Noah's POV; however, Echo's story is so important, and one of her discoveries in the book made me tear up. One emotional ride. I felt what the characters felt as they learned new information.  

 

2. Characters are believable! Grace is a minor character, but that girl in school who's so concerned with her image that she has "public friends" and "private friends." Loved this element of realism. Noah is wonderful to watch as he changes from I-could-care-less-that-I'm-getting-high to a guy who's falling hard and fast for a girl who is complicated. He's a good guy at heart but a product of the foster system. And Mrs. Collins-- what a wonderful adult influence in both their lives. Love that she shows up in sweats and band t-shirts occasionally! Every single character has flaws.

 

3. Sexual tension. The need for Noah to control himself literally seeped through the pages!

4. Katie McGarry seriously understands how a teen's mind works. I became fully absorbed in both narratives and remembered how hard high school was and how unaccepting people can be. I could relate to so many parts of the story.

 

5. I felt a true sense of satisfaction at the end (except that I wanted it to go on longer!).

 

Things That Bugged Me:

1. Couldn't get on board with Noah calling Echo "baby." Just couldn't imagine him saying it after getting to know his character, but this is a super minor thing that I'm sure others disagree on. I wish it was a different pet name!

 

2. Echo had an awful lot of "pterodactyls" flying in her stomach. The first time I thought it was a cool metaphor. The third time I was sick of seeing it, but I do realize that certain people have a thing they say or think constantly.

 

3. I didn't mark many favorite quotes. The writing is super smooth and relatable but I wanted a few more things to really stick with me.

 

 

AND...with such minor flaws, how can you not pick up this book that everyone's already raving about? I CANNOT WAIT TO READ BETH'S STORY: DARE YOU TO.

 

Also, at the end of the book, there's a really cool playlist where McGarry reveals what songs she used for kiss scenes, which ones she used to get into character for Noah, Echo, and what shaped the novel as a whole.

 

*Copy of novel provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

 

 

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Team Human

Team Human by Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan

 Just because Mel lives in New Whitby, a city founded by vampires, doesn't mean she knows any of the blood-drinking undead personally. They stay in their part of town; she says in hers. Until the day a vampire shows up at her high school. Worse yet, her best friend, Cathy, seems to be falling in love with him. It's up to Mel to save Cathy from a mistake she might regret for all eternity

On top of trying to help Cathy (whether she wants it or not), Mel is investigating a mysterious disappearance for another friend and discovering the attractions of a certain vampire wannabe. Combine all this with a cranky vampire cop, a number of unlikely romantic entanglements, and the occasional zombie, and soon Mel is hip-deep in an adventure that is equal parts hilarious and touching. -Plot summary borrowed from Goodreads

I don't even know where to start with this review, because I loved the whole damn book. It's snarky, it's clever, it's got fascinating and original world building, it's funny and scary and just so freaking good. From some descriptions, I thought it was a Twilight parody, and there are some elements of that (Mel's best friend Cathy does fall hard and fast for the vampire new kid at school, who is suitably broody and pale), but mostly it does its own thing. There are some really awesome sequences in this book- all of Mel's eyerolling/genuine concern while Cathy and Francis (yup) make googly eyes at each other, her breaking into a vampire's house with unexpected results, a trip to the Center for Vamps That Came Out Wrong, and a heart-pounding conclusion. If you're going to read one paranormal YA book this year, read this one.

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Hemlock

Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock

Mackenzie and Amy were best friends. Until Amy was brutally murdered.

Since then, Mac's life has been turned upside down. She is being haunted by Amy in her dreams, and an extremist group called the Trackers has come to Mac's hometown of Hemlock to hunt down Amy's killer:

A white werewolf.

Lupine syndrome--also known as the werewolf virus--is on the rise across the country. Many of the infected try to hide their symptoms, but bloodlust is not easy to control.

Wanting desperately to put an end to her nightmares, Mac decides to investigate Amy's murder herself. She discovers secrets lurking in the shadows of Hemlock, secrets about Amy's boyfriend, Jason, her good pal Kyle, and especially her late best friend. Mac is thrown into a maelstrom of violence and betrayal that puts her life at risk. -Plot summary borrowed from Goodreads

I've read a few YA werewolf books this year (the other two being Raised by Wolves and Nightshade) and this one is probably my favorite of the three. That being said, it reads very much like a CW drama, just not one quite up to the standards of The Vampire Diaries. There's plenty to like- side characters are well-drawn, the friendships/relationships of the characters are believable, and most of all, Peacock has delved pretty deeply into what might happen to werewolves in our world, including detention centers, anti-wolf propaganda, a political group/cult/Westboro-Baptistish group of hunters (think more Texan border patrol wingnuts than actual, capable, Winchestery hunters). In fact, I think I would rather have read the story that focused more on that and a bit on the mystery of Amy's death, rather than leaning so heavily on the romance that teetered dangerously close to a love triangle at times. But that's ok.

Also, if this author isn't a major Veronica Mars fan, I would be shocked. The town is painfully divided between the haves and the have nots (there's even a well-intentioned/honorable in his own way gang kid *coughWeevilCough*), a Damaged Pretty Rich Boy whose past/present relationship dynamics seem oddly familiar (rhymes with Wogan), and frequent visions of the departed best friend character urging the protagonist to solve her murder (oh, and also, she had been dating the DPRB). Hmm. None of this is meant as a criticism, really, it just seemed extremely familiar.

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Keeping the Castle

Keeping the Castle by Patrice Kindl

Seventeen-year-old Althea is the sole support of her entire family, and she must marry well. But there are few wealthy suitors--or suitors of any kind--in their small Yorkshire town of Lesser Hoo. Then, the young and attractive (and very rich) Lord Boring arrives, and Althea sets her plans in motion. There's only one problem; his friend and business manager Mr. Fredericks keeps getting in the way. And, as it turns out, Fredericks has his own set of plans... -Plot summary borrowed from Goodreads

Here is another book that has been likened to Jane Austen's novels (as well as another favorite of mine, I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith). This time, it's done in a much more self-aware, tongue-in-cheek way, without feeling like either a mean spirited satire or a watered-down knock-off. You'll probably know from the opening sequence if this is a book for you:

We were walking in the castle garden. The silvery light of early spring streaked across the grass, transforming the overgrown shrubbery into a place of magic and romance. He had begged me for a few moments of privacy, to “discuss a matter of great importance.” By this I assumed he meant to make an offer of marriage.

“I love you Althea—you are so beautiful,” murmured the young man in my ear.

Well, I was willing enough. I looked up at him from under my eyelashes. “I love you too,” I confessed. I averted my gaze and added privately, “You are so rich.”

Unfortunately, I apparently said this out loud, if just barely, and his hearing was sharper than one would expect, given his other attributes.

Te he. And don't worry, Althea is not really a gold-digger. Well, she sort of is, but mostly because she's trying her hardest to maintain her family's livelihood and, well, how else was she to manage? She is very clever, as well as fiercely protective of her family/estate and extremely capable- while still being pleasantly cranky and more than a little dense when it comes to actual romance.

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Kat, Incorrigible

Kat, Incorrigible by Stephanie Burgis

Katherine Ann Stephenson has just discovered that she's inherited her mother's magical talents, and despite Stepmama's stern objections, she's determined to learn how to use them. But with her eldest sister Elissa's intended fiancé, the sinister Sir Neville, showing a dangerous interest in Kat's magical potential; her other sister, Angeline, wreaking romantic havoc with her own witchcraft; and a highwayman lurking in the forest, even Kat's reckless heroism will be tested to the upmost. If she can learn to control her new powers, will Kat be able to rescue her family and win her sisters their true love? -Plot summary borrowed from Goodreads

Ok, my last few books were fairly dark and/or heavy reads, so here is one that is light, fun and clever. It's Jane Austen, with witches! A plucky heroine! Magic cupboards! A Regency house party! Highwaymen! There is nothing here not to love. The three sisters are all well-drawn individuals, strong in their own unique ways, and Kat's appeal just grows as the book goes on (her dramatics at the ball and subsequent adventures are a highlight of the story). For all those Pride and Prejudice fans who love a little magic in their stories, this one will be a hit.

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Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone

Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone by Kat Rosenfield

Becca has always longed to break free from her small, backwater hometown. But the discovery of an unidentified dead girl on the side of a dirt road sends the town--and Becca--into a tailspin. Unable to make sense of the violence of the outside world creeping into her backyard, Becca finds herself retreating inward, paralyzed from moving forward for the first time in her life.

Short chapters detailing the last days of Amelia Anne Richardson's life are intercut with Becca's own summer as the parallel stories of two young women struggling with self-identity and relationships on the edge twist the reader closer and closer to the truth about Amelia's death. -Plot summary borrowed from Goodreads

One word: atmosphere. This book will transport you to the sticky, cicada whirring, screen door slamming town with murder on its mind. There is something very invasive about this book, and it's no stretch to imagine the oppressive, threatening air of the story. It works on several levels: teen relationship angst, murder mystery, small town strangeness. Add an arresting cover and you have an engrossing summer read.

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Green Angel

Green Angel by Alice Hoffman

Left on her own when her family dies in a terrible disaster, fifteen-year-old Green is haunted by loss and by the past. Struggling to survive physically and emotionally in a place where nothing seems to grow and ashes are everywhere, Green retreats into the ruined realm of her garden. But in destroying her feelings, she also begins to destroy herself, erasing the girl she'd once been as she inks darkness into her skin. It is only through a series of mysterious encounters that Green can relearn the lessons of love and begin to heal enough to tell her story. -Plot summary borrowed from Goodreads

This is one of my very favorite books of all time. It is so hauntingly beautiful, achingly sad, and still suffused with hope. The prose is steeped in imagery, but it never feels overdone or flowery to me. This is one of those books where the physical construction of the book matters. It's written in green ink, and there's something that feels very right about its compact size and creamy paper (if you read the hardcover edition, which I highly recommend). It's a short but intense read that will stay with you for a long time.

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Winners of Giveaways!

Congratulations are in order for the winners of our giveaways!

Kulsuma @ Sunshine and Stardust for winning a Book Depository book for the 2012 TBR Pile Reading Challenge, June Wrap-Up

and

Shay @ 365 Books a Year for winning an autographed copy of Don't Expect Magic from our 400 Follower Giveaway.

Ladies, you have 48 hours to claim your prizes before I choose alternate winners.

Happy Friday everyone!

Book reviews to come:
Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

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The Miseducation of Cameron Post

The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth

When Cameron Post's parents die suddenly in a car crash, her shocking first thought is relief. Relief they'll never know that, hours earlier, she had been kissing a girl.

But that relief doesn't last, and Cam is soon forced to move in with her conservative aunt Ruth and her well-intentioned but hopelessly old-fashioned grandmother. She knows that from this point on, her life will forever be different. Survival in Miles City, Montana, means blending in and leaving well enough alone (as her grandmother might say), and Cam becomes an expert at both.

Then Coley Taylor moves to town. Beautiful, pickup-driving Coley is a perfect cowgirl with the perfect boyfriend to match. She and Cam forge an unexpected and intense friendship--one that seems to leave room for something more to emerge. But just as that starts to seem like a real possibility, ultrareligious Aunt Ruth takes drastic action to "fix" her niece, bringing Cam face-to-face with the cost of denying her true self--even if she's not exactly sure who that is. -Plot summary borrowed from Goodreads

Wow. Just, wow. This book was amazing. I had been in kind of a slump with YA books, feeling like too many of them were too fluffy and sweet and just not very authentic. This book was a welcome reminder that teen literature, at is best, is often brutally, scarily honest and pulls no punches. Cameron is 100% believable and while this fairly long book depends almost entirely on inner character development, it still grabs ahold of you and won't let you put it down. For anyone who is having/ had a tough time as a teen (so, basically, everyone ever), there are many aspects of this book that will ring true.

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