Banned Books

I feel super guilty. I haven't really done ANYTHING for Banned Books Week. I'm passionately against banning books, and I sit and I read all of these posts, and I don't do anything. Well, that's going to change. Right now.

First of all, let me explain why I absolutely hate the banning of books. This is for the people that work to ban books.  

What's your name? Do I know it? Do you know my name? Do you know how old I am?

Do you care!?

No. I think you would be perfectly content to live the rest of your life without that information. You don't care who I am, what I look like, what I want to be when I'm older. So why, pray tell, do you care what I'm reading? I like reading about drugs. I like reading about sex. I like reading about violence.

How does that concern you in any way?

I loved Crank by Ellen Hopkins because it showed me that drugs can turn my life into an endless puddle of turmoil.

I loved The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I simply loved it. It didn't teach me a lesson. It was pure entertainment. I loved reading it and I'm majorly looking forward to the movie. But let me tell you, I have no intentions of sticking a bunch of people in an arena and making them fight to their death.

I loved Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. It shows me what our society could turn into - what our society IS turning into. Why would you ban that book? You ban it because it talks about burning books? That makes a lot of sense. Talk about the world's greatest example of irony. My class studied that book. It had a lot to offer and after reading it, I seriously felt like I learned something.

Shall I continue? I read what I want to read. You can tell your children what to read, but you cannot tell me what I am allowed to read. You're not improving the society by removing books that make teens and children think, that make them form opinions, that give them ideas. You're really not changing the world.

The truth is that those books are our reality. Teenagers do drugs. Teenagers have sex and get pregnant. Teenagers kill one another. All I, or any other teenager for that matter, has to do to see these things is turn on the news. The truth is that most kids pick up worse tendencies by going to school everyday. The truth is that if me or any other teenager finds something to read that we enjoy, a stranger that I have never met and will never meet has no right to take that away from me.

The truth is that I am a teenager. I am an individual. I have the same rights you do. Am I telling you what to read? Is it okay that your reading a book with homicide and suicide but you tell those younger than you that it isn't okay? Every human being's mind has the ability to be influenced. It doesn't matter whether you are ten or eighty.

I am not a robot. I am free to read what I please.

There was my little rant for you. Like I said, banning books is something I am firmly against. I made that banner, and I am quite proud of my work.

Tell me what you think about banning books.

Impromptu Readathon

Lately I have fallen desperately behind on my reading. My TBR pile is balancing precariously on top of my TV and I can tell it is about to topple over at any moment. So, when I discovered that April at Good Books and Good Wine is holding a readathon from last night to 10/3 I decided I was so in!

No more Twitter. I just can't do it. That site is so addicting, and I could stay on there forhours. So, until I finish at least one of my books, I forbid myself from going on.

I know I probably won't even come close to completing this many books, but the books that I hope to get read are:

Knight's Curse by Karen Duvall
Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Fury by Elizabeth Miles
Flames of Surrender by Rhiannon Pialle
The Hour of Tiamat by Lisa Taylor
Warriors of the Edge by Katie Bridges
The Perils of Being VamPixie by PJ Schrieber

So, seven books in less than 4 days....not going to happen, but I'll work at it. Wish me luck and expect reviews :D

Trailer Time!

Ugh. I am so sorry, guys. I don't know what is up with my posting lately....oh right, there hasn't been much of it. I just...I don't know. But I'm still sorry. Anyways, to make it up to you wonderful people, I'm going to post a bunch of different and awesome book trailers.

I think that's a good starter...

I'm so excited for Clockwork Prince. Words can't even describe it. And, I mean, look at that trailer. I think I have all the reason in the world to be excited.

OMG.

This is seriously one of the best book trailers I have ever seen, is it not? I haven't read The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer yet, but I sooo want to! I've heard such marvelous things about it. It was released yesterday, so go buy it!

Here's a link to the awesomesauce trailer for The Iron Knight by Julia Kagawa.

I actually have not read this yet, but the trailer is super cool!

This is for Maureen Johnson's The Name of the Star.

This book comes out TOMORROW! And I am so siked to read it! The trailer is awesome. If you haven't already, go out and buy this because I've heard the MOST FANTASTIC things about it! I can't wait until my copy arrives!

So there you have it! Four amazing trailers for four amazing writers! What do you guys think!?

Witchlanders by Lena Coakley (REVIEW)

Witchlanders by Lena Coakley

Genre: YA fantasy - Publisher: Simon & Schuster - Publication Date: August 30, 2011 - Pages: 411 - Source: Simon Pulse It

High in their mountain covens, red witches pray to the Goddess, protecting the Witchlands by throwing the bones and foretelling the future.

It’s all a fake.

At least, that’s what Ryder thinks. He doubts the witches really deserve their tithes—one quarter of all the crops his village can produce. And even if they can predict the future, what danger is there to foretell, now that his people’s old enemy, the Baen, has been defeated?

But when a terrifying new magic threatens both his village and the coven, Ryder must confront the beautiful and silent witch who holds all the secrets. Everything he’s ever believed about witches, the Baen, magic and about himself will change, when he discovers that the prophecies he’s always scorned—

Are about him.(Goodreads.com)

Words cannot accurately describe how much I adored this book. Infused with rich and powerful history, touching relationships, and crazy plot twists, Witchlanders is a book I'll be sure to read over and over again. Coakley did a marvelous job tugging at the heart-strings and weaving a beautifully horrific world where wonderfully terrible magic exists.

I'll admit, I was certainly reluctant to put the goodreads summary on this review, because in my opinion it is extremely misleading. "The beautiful and silent witch that holds all the secrets." That just screams romance, doesn't it? No. This book has absolutely no romance in it whatsoever. It does, however, contain beautiful friendships and familial relationships that'll bring you to tears.

I haven't got a single quibble about Coakley's writing. It was fabulous. She captured me with the powerful emotions and melancholy tone. The story began a bit slow and slightly confusing, but the plot picks up and everything is explained and I couldn't tear my eyes away from the words! This is by far one of the best witch-themed stories I can think of. The world was sad and complex, but it was explained in little pieces, rather than a large info-dump, which nobody really likes. The fabulous imagery was addicting, as were the strong emotions emanating from all of the characters. I was deeply connected to this story and often found myself tearing up.

This book is very clean, suitable for all ages, and very creative. It was very fast-paced and exciting, each chapter leaving me with a craving for more. The action was tense, but not gory. Coakley has a way of building you up for something wonderful to happen, and then crushing your hopes as a new problem arises. A natural rise and fall of action, problems, and solutions. Her use of witchcraft was original in ways that left me breathless! The rivalry between the Baen and he Witchlanders was brilliantly created and portrayed.

There were a load of twists and turns in this book that I never saw coming, and I was incredibly impressed with the struggles that the characters barely managed to escape.

Witchlanders is unlike any magical story I've read before. There are strong, irreplaceable bonds, magic, war, original creatures, and a flawless altering between two pained boys in narration. I'm not sure if this book has a sequel, but it definitely needs one!

• The narration. I've always claimed to love make narrators. This book doesn't just contain one fabulous male narrator, but two! And it was perfectly executed. I felt the sorrow of the two boys seep into m bones, and I just fell in love with both of them. They were strong and smart, and I seriously enjoyed diving into their minds.
• The world. I've said it once, I'll say it again. I love the world in this story. It is devastating and tough and I could not get enough of it. Not even the religious stuff bothered me! And though there were a lot of confusing aspects involved, it was explained clearly and effectively.
• The different themes. Coakley touches on a lot of common issues that we have in our society, though not as heavily. Wars, trust, family, friendship, illnesses, deceiving leaders, betrayal, prejudice, money struggles. There's a ton more, too, I just can't think of any.
• Overcoming differences. Ryder and Falpian are technically rivals, but their souls disagree, as they are brothers of the soul. At first they are extremely wary and afraid of one another, but over time they begin to trust and care for each other in ways that seriously touched me.
• The names. I may be biased because I am writing a story with a character named Ryder, but come on they are so original and not even close to being cheesy or annoying. Pima, Skyla, Falpian, Mabis. I love them all!

If you liked....

The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins

The Harry Potter series by JK Rowling

The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis

Then you will definitely enjoy Witchlanders

Amazon - Kindle - B&N - Nook

Cover Gush!

So...I saw a new cover today and I thought it was awfully purdddddy.

Perception by Kim Harrington.

This is the sequel to Clarity. I haven't actually read Clarity, though I desperately want to. But I think this cover is fantastic. I love the sun burst and the colorful trees :D I think this is waay better than Clarity's cover.

What do you think? Do you like it more than Clarity? Less? I like opinions!

In My Mailbox (4)

(Hehe, I made a cute new banner!)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren!

I got quite the haul this week! This is definitely the most physical books I've received so far!

1) Beckoning Light by Alyssa Rose Ivy - Signed (Received from author)

2) The Twelth Paladin by Nora Weston - Signed (Received from Author)

3) The Invasion of 2020 by Ami Blackweller (Received from Author)

4) The SCM of 2030 by Ami Blackweller (Received from Author)

5) The Shifters of 2040 by Ami Blackweller (Received from Author)

6) The Hybrids of 2050 by Ami Blackweller (Received from Author)

7)The Hunted of 2060 by Ami Blackweller (Received from Author)



1) Dragonspell by Donita K. Paul (Thanks Place of Reads)

2) Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (Thanks Miss Hatch at Mainewords!)

Two The Twelth Paladin bookmarks, courtesy of Nora Weston.
and a the cute little bookmark all the way on the right is one that I believe Marcy Hatch made herself, which I won along with Clockwork Angel.

Giveaway winner!

So, if you've been around the blogging community lately, you'll notice that there is a huge giveaway hop for banned books. I am not a part of that hop, however I was hosting a giveaway for a copy of Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead, which is a book that has been challenged. That absolutely breaks my heart because it is one of my favorite books. So, I find it ironic that the day that I am announcing the winner, there is a banned books giveaway going on!

Anyways...without firther ado, the winner of a copy of Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead is:

Christine Rains

Congratulations! I will be contacting you shortly and you will have 72 hours to reply with an address or a new winner will be chosen. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I do!

WINNER WAS CHOSEN USING RANDOM.ORG

Cassidy Jones and the Secret Formula (REVIEW)

Cassidy Jones and the Secret Formula(Cassidy Jones Adventures, #1) by Elise Stokes
Genre: MG science fiction - Publisher: JACE Publishing LLC - Publication Date: January 1, 2011 - Pages: 314 - Source: Author

Fourteen-year-old Cassidy Jones wakes up the morning after a minor accident in the laboratory of a world-renowned geneticist to discover that her body has undergone some bizarre physical changes. Her senses, strength, and speed have been radically enhanced.

After exploring her newfound abilities, Cassidy learns that the geneticist, Professor Serena Phillips, is missing and that foul play is suspected. Terrified that her physical changes and Professor Phillips' disappearance are somehow connected, Cassidy decides to keep her strange transformation a secret. That is, until she meets the professor's brilliant and mysterious fifteen-year-old son, Emery. An unlikely duo, they set out to find Emery's mother, who is key in explaining Cassidy's newly acquired superpowers.

Their lives are put at risk when they find themselves embroiled in a dangerous, action-packed adventure. Soon they are forced to confront a maniacal villain willing to do anything - including murder - to reach his own ambitious goals. (Goodreads.com)

This book was absolutely adorable! I don't usually read Middle Grade, but when I read the synopsis for this book, I knew immediately that it was going to be interesting. With enjoyable characters, a clever plot, and a fast pace, this book could bring a smile to anyone's lips. It's great for boys and girls of all ages.

I was hooked from the beginning. Cassidy has an intelligent and fun voice that is hard to ignore. She was a cute character who had good qualities and bad, and her breakdowns were almost endearing. It was very easy for me to just put myself in Cassidy's shoes, because she is relatable for almost every teenager. Not only does she deal with the fact that she may be becoming a mutant, but she also has to face the perils of high school. Boy drama, popular girl drama, bully drama. Most importantly, though, was that I felt completely connected to Cassidy. I could really feel her emotions.

The writing was pretty darn good, but there was one thing that bugged me. I feel like Elise Stokes added a little TOO much variety to the beginnings of her sentences. There were several instances when one paragraph would contain a ton of sentences that begin with -ly words (Ex: gratefully, questioningly, etc.). Other than that it was pretty magnificent. It just naturally flowed and held my interest throughout the entire book. The plot was generally original, the clima was pretty epic, and the story had some complex concepts that were explained incredibly well. Not only that, but Stokes painted vivid pictures in my mind with her fantastic use of imagery.

This book was light and really clean, plus it contained realistic and interesting dialogue that fit the characters. I actually didn't want to smach my head into a cement wall when Cassidy said "crud". And the word crud is pretty difficult to effectively pull off.

Honestly, this book was an excellent read that kept me engrossed and eager to find out what happens next. I would certainly recommend this to all ages. I'm definitely looking forward to Cassidy's next adventure!

• The action. For real, there were some epic fight scenes in this book. It wasn't gory or disgusting, it was just a load of fun.
• The characters. Every single one of them. They each have their own distinct personalities, their quirks and habits. I think Chazz, the little brother, may have been my favorite with his fascination for super heroes!
• Ninjas. Yes, there are ninjas in this book. With nunchucks and throwing stars. Need I really say more?
• The villian. Okay, he was just so much fun to read about. He was eccentric and arrogant and so funny!

If you liked:

Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans

The Maximum Ride series by James Patterson

Then you will go crazy for Cassidy Jones!

Amazon - Kindle - B&N - Nook

50 followers!

This week, the BookBreather has been a very bad blogger! I'm so sorry my dear lovelies. My pots have been very scarce.

But something that had managed to escape my notice until now is that...

I HAVE REACHED 50 FOLLOWERS.

I'm actually almost at 60, so I'm a little late. Once again, I apologize. I wanna thank you all for reading my posts and following my blog! I've only been blogging for a few months but already it had opened me up to so many opportunities.

When I reach 100 followers, I'm pretty sure there will be a big giveaway. I'm not sure how big or what exactly I'll be giving away yet, but I'm sure I can collect some boos by then!

In the mean time, hop on the Once Upon A Blog Hop, starting October 3rd, where there will be lots of great prizes being handed out. Thanks again, all of you. 

Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans (REVIEW)

Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 (Michael Vey #1) by Richard Paul Evans

Genre: YA Science Fiction - Publisher: Mercury Ink - Publication date: August 9, 2011 - Pages: 326 - Source: Simon Pulse It

My name is Michael Vey, and the story I’m about to tell you is strange. Very strange. It’s my story.
To everyone at Meridian High School, Michael Vey is an ordinary fourteen-year-old. In fact, the only thing that seems to set him apart is the fact that he has Tourette’s syndrome. But Michael is anything but ordinary. Michael has special powers. Electric powers.

Michael thinks he's unique until he discovers that a cheerleader named Taylor also has special powers. With the help of Michael’s friend, Ostin, the three of them set out to discover how Michael and Taylor ended up this way, but their investigation brings them to the attention of a powerful group who wants to control the electric children – and through them the world. Michael will have to rely on his wits, powers, and friends if he’s to survive. (Goodreads.com)

I think that the best part of this book is that it is suitable for all ages. This book is clean, fast-paced, and an all around fun read! I was hooked from the beginning!

This book is original. I;m just putting that out there. I read a lot of YA and electric kids - who call themselves the Electroclan - do not pop up very often. The first time that Michael demonstrated his powers I was absolutely amazed, and then here comes Taylor, who also has these awesomely mind-blowing powers.

One thing that was incredibly impressive to me was the research that must have gone into this. I mean, I'm no expert on electricity, so if some of the facts were wrong I would have no idea, but there was obviously a lot of work put into figuring out electric waves and whatnot. And the best part is, the author puts it into terms that are not very confusing. There is nothing I hate more than a confusing plot!

Michael has a fun voice and a great personality that I really enjoyed reading, however, I felt sort of disconnected from him towards the end. In the beginning his emotions came through loud and clear but in the end they were a little fuzzy. The crush that Michael had on Taylor was definitely amusing, and didn't subtract from the plot at all, which is obviously essential if there is going to be a romantic aspect.

The bad guys were intriguing and I actually loved reading their dialogue and speeches in my mind and seeing what they had in store next. I loved the variety of powers that the different electric kids had. The unique ways that electricity was used to make powers added a really cool twist to everything.

In my opinion, all of the characters were great. The ending was marvelous. It was happy, but not resolved. The plot for the next book was set up, but the characters got a little breathing time.

This book, while it had violence in it, was a light read that provided a good distraction from the paranormal.It's definitely a book that'll leave you wanting more and waiting for the next installment.

• The premise. Original, clever, and fun! I've never read anything like it before.
• The protagonist. I love male main characters. That's something I've been saying for a while, and something I'll continue to say for a while. And I don't just say it because guys are guys and I like guys. I say it because guys have a totally different perspective of things than girls. Michael has some totally awesome qualities about him that make him incredibly loveable. First of all, he's strong-willed even if it doesn't appear that way. Second of all, boy loves his mama! He's courageous and funny. I love that he has Tourettes, too, because it just adds more depth to his character, and he doesn't let it get in his way.
• The action. Like I said before, there is violence in this book. There are guns and grenades and mind crippling, but none of it is gory. I think that's important because I really don't want my stomach to turn when I'm reading a book like this.
• The solutions. A group of kids with powerful electric inside of them and a genius. Odds are that if they put their brains together than they could figure out a problem to any solution. And they did. It didn't always come easy and it didn't always come quick, but instead of panicking and completely shutting down, the group managed to come up with clever ways to get themselves out of certain ruts.

If you liked...

The Maximum Ride series by James Patterson

Then you'll certainly LOVE LOVE LOVE Micheal Vey!

Amazon - Kindle  - B&N - Nook - Indiebound

Announcements

Hello everyone! It has been a busy week for me so I haven't been able to post everything, so I'm doing a quick post with a few announcements.

First, I'm going to tell you that me and Bree from The Magic Attic are hosting an October blog hop called Once Upon A Blog Hop

(Thanks for the beautiful button, Bree)

Once a week during the month of October we will feature a different genre.

Week one: Fantasy (Paranormal/Supernatural included)
Week two: Steampunk
Week three: Contemporary (Romance, Edgy, etc)
Week four: Dystopia (Post apocalypse included)

There will be giveaways and we will be asking you questions about the genre and it will all be a bunch of fun, so make sure that you stay tuned for that!

Also, I am going to be taking part of some book tours, so here are the dates:

October 10: Flames of Surrender by Rhiannon Paille (I think I spelled that right!)

October 21: Blood's Voice by Aine Massie

October 23: Savor by Megan Duncan

November 5: Blood Bound by Aine Massie

So make sure you come back on those dates!

*If I forgot you, email me at gabbicalabrese@hotmail.com and let me know!

Something else I wanted to announce is that EVERYONE should head over to Ivy Reads because she is hosting a program that is absolutely fantastic, in my opinion. It is a big sib/little sib program where you fill out an application and you get a blog sibling! If you are a veteran blogger you get to be a big sib, and if you are a novice blogger like me you get to be a little sib! I thought it was a great idea and it definitely deserves some recognition.

Also, don't forget to head over to my new writing blog, WriTEEN Adventures, and if you are a teen that likes to write, fill out the application in the sidebar to become a part of the Team!

And don't miss your chance to WIN A COPY OF VAMPIRE ACADEMY BY RICHELLE MEAD!

In My Mailbox (3)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren!

HEY ERRYONE! Welcome to my third IMM. I didn't get many books this week, but the ones I did get are all really exciting.

FOR REVIEW:

First Kill (The Slayer Chronicles #1) by Heather Brewer (ARC)

My review!

I was so excited when I opened this and found it! I loved the Vlad Tod series, and when I saw that she was making a spin-off for Joss I was like :O Needless to say receiving an ARC for it was, like, magical. Especially because this was my FIRST PHYSICAL ARC EVER! I really wanted to do a giveaway of this, but I mean, how could I give away my first ARC?

Anyway, this book comes out September 20, 2011. It is suppppperrr good, so I for sure recommend it. I'm already making my friends read it! Now, I don't know if I won this in a giveaway, because if I did I didn't receive any emails letting me know, and I don't remember entering one. But the package said it was from Penguin, and I don't remember giving them my address, but whatever! I have it! If I won this from you, just leave me a comment and I'll link you.

EBOOKS:



Andraste by Marissa Mills.

Paradox by Patti Roberts. Uh, this is actually a funny story. I requested a review eCopy of this book from the author (which I received) and then I won a copy from In Times Like These... so if I figure out how, I'll probably be doing a giveaway for that!

Fairy Metal Thunder by JL Bryan. This book has an awesome title...just sayin! I actually heard about this book on Twitter from The Bookish Brunette, who is a big supporter of JL Bryan and has an awesome blog. I'm excited to read it! If you want a review copy tweet @jlbryan

That's what I got in my mailbox this week. What about you? Leave a link so I can check it out!

Top 100 YA books

I found this list at The Book Cellar. I have no idea where it came from, but lists are fun!

Bold = I've read it.

Italics = On my TBR list.

1. Alex Finn – Beastly2. Alice Sebold – The Lovely Bones
3. Ally Carter – Gallagher Girls (1, 2, 3, 4)
4. Ally Condie – Matched
5. Alyson Noel – The Immortals (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) I've only the first 3, but still.

6. Anastasia Hopcus – Shadow Hills
7. Angie Sage – Septimus Heap (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
8. Ann Brashares – The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (1, 2, 3, 4)
9. Anna Godbersen – Luxe (1, 2, 3, 4)
10. Anthony Horowitz – Alex Rider (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
11. Aprilynne Pike – Wings (1, 2, 3)
12. Becca Fitzpatrick – Hush, Hush (1, 2)
13. Brandon Mull – Fablehaven (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
14. Brian Selznick – The Invention of Hugo Cabret
15. Cassandra Clare – The Mortal Instruments (1, 2, 3, 4)

16. Carrie Jones – Need (1, 2, 3) I've only read the first 2.
17. Carrie Ryan – The Forest of Hands and Teeth (1, 2, 3)18. Christopher Paolini - Inheritance (1, 2, 3, 4)
19. Cinda Williams Chima – The Heir Chronicles (1, 2, 3)
20. Colleen Houck – Tigers Saga (1, 2)
21. Cornelia Funke – Inkheart (1, 2, 3)22. Ellen Hopkins – Impulse
23. Eoin Colfer – Artemis Fowl (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
24. Faraaz Kazi – Truly, Madly, Deeply
25. Frank Beddor – The Looking Glass Wars (1, 2, 3)
26. Gabrielle Zevin – Elsewhere
27. Gail Carson Levine – Fairest
28. Holly Black – Tithe (1, 2, 3)
29. J.K. Rowling – Harry Potter (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) Only read the first 2.
30. James Dashner – The Maze Runner (1, 2)
31. James Patterson – Maximum Ride (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) I've only read the first, like, four. 32. Jay Asher – Thirteen Reasons Why33. Jeanne DuPrau – Books of Ember (1, 2, 3, 4)
34. Jeff Kinney – Diary of a Wimpy Kid (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
35. John Boyne – The Boy in the Striped Pajamas36. John Green – An Abundance of Katherines
37. John Green – Looking for Alaska
38. John Green – Paper Towns
39. Jonathan Stroud – Bartimaeus (1, 2, 3, 4)
40. Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl – Caster Chronicles (1, 2)41. Kelley Armstrong – Darkest Powers (1, 2, 3)

42. Kristin Cashore – The Seven Kingdoms (1, 2)
43. Lauren Kate – Fallen (1, 2, 3) Only read the first 244. Lemony Snicket - Series of Unfortunate Events (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13) I know I haven't read all of these, but I have no idea how many of them I have read.

45. Libba Bray – Gemma Doyle (1, 2, 3)
46. Lisa McMann – Dream Catcher (1, 2, 3)
47. Louise Rennison – Confessions of Georgia Nicolson (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)

48. M.T. Anderson – Feed
49. Maggie Stiefvater – The Wolves of Mercy Falls (1, 2, 3) I've only read book 1.
50. Margaret Peterson Haddix – Shadow Children (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)

51. Maria V. Snyder – Study (1, 2, 3)

52. Markus Zusak - The Book Thief
53. Markus Zusak – I am the Messenger
54. Mark Haddon – The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
55. Mary Ting – Crossroads
56. Maureen Johnson – Little Blue Envelope (1, 2)
57. Meg Cabot – All-American Girl (1, 2)
58. Meg Cabot – The Mediator (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
59. Meg Cabot – The Princess Diaries (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)

60. Meg Rosoff – How I live now
61. Megan McCafferty – Jessica Darling (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
62. Megan Whalen Turner – The Queen’s Thief (1, 2, 3, 4)
63. Melina Marchetta – On the Jellicoe Road
64. Melissa de la Cruz – Blue Bloods (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)65. Melissa Marr – Wicked Lovely (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) Only read the first 2.

66. Michael Grant – Gone (1, 2, 3, 4)

67. Nancy Farmer – The House of the Scorpion
68. Neal Shusterman – Unwind69. Neil Gaiman – Coraline
70. Neil Gaiman – Stardust
71. Neil Gaiman – The Graveyard Book
72. P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast – House of Night (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 )73. Philip Pullman – His Dark Materials (1, 2, 3)
74. Rachel Caine – The Morganville Vampires (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)

75. Rachel Cohn & David Levithan – Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist
76. Richelle Mead – Vampire Academy (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) BEST SERIES EVER!

77. Rick Riordan – Percy Jackson and the Olympians (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
78. Rom LcO’Feer – Somewhere carnal over 40 winks
79. S.L. Naeole – Grace (1, 2, 3, 4)
80. Sabrina Bryan & Julia DeVillers – Princess of Gossip
81. Sarah Dessen – Along for the Ride82. Sarah Dessen – Lock and Key83. Sarah Dessen – The Truth about Forever
84. Sara Shepard – Pretty Little Liars (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)

85. Scott Westerfeld - Leviathan (1, 2)86. Scott Westerfeld - Uglies (1, 2, 3)87. Shannon Hale – Books of a Thousand Days
88. Shannon Hale – Princess Academy
89. Shannon Hale – The Books of Bayern (1, 2, 3, 4)
90. Sherman Alexie & Ellen Forney – The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
91. Simone Elkeles – Perfect Chemistry (1, 2, 3)
92. Stephanie Meyer – The Host
93. Stephanie Meyer – Twilight Saga (1, 2, 3, 4)
94. Sue Monk Kidd – The Secret Life of Bees
95. Susan Beth Pfeffer – Last Survivors (1, 2, 3)
96. Suzanne Collins – Hunger Games (1, 2, 3)
97. Suzanne Collins – Underland Chronicles (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)98. Terry Pratchett – Tiffany Aching (1, 2, 3, 4)
99. Tonya Hurley – Ghost Girl (1, 2, 3)

100. Wendelin Van Draanen – Flipped

Wow! I haven't read very many of these! I need to get to it :D

Tell me what you think? Did you agree with these books, disagree? Did you think something needed to be added?

First Kill by Heather Brewer (ARC REVIEW)

First Kill (The Slayer Chronicles #1) by Heather Brewer

Genre: YA Paranormal - Publisher: Dutton Juvenile - Publication date: September 20, 2011 - Pages: 309 - Source: Publisher

You've heard Vlad's side of the story . . . now, it’s Joss’s turn.

With over a million copies already in print, The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod is still sinking its fangs into new readers every day. Now, bestselling author Heather Brewer brings us the other side of the story, from the perspective of Vlad’s former friend turned mortal enemy: vampire slayer Joss Macmillan. In five books that can be read alongside Vlad Tod or entirely on their own, Joss discovers his powers as the youngest, strongest slayer in history. And just in time, too: with all the vampires running rampant, he’s going to need all the help he can get. This action-packed series will quench the thirst of even the hungriest veteran minions. (Goodreads.com)

Let me start by saying that this cover is absolutely perfect for this book. It's simple but you can definitely detect a ton of teenage angst in it!

Now, this book blew me away. It's been a while since I read the Vlad Tod series, so I forgot A LOT of details. I was totally wary about starting this book, but my concerns were totally unnecessary. This book takes place before the Vlad Tod series, therefore you don't need to have read it before reading this book. FIRST KILL definitely provides a grade-A example of a fabulous spin-off debut.

I didn't really get into this book until about the third chapter when Joss discovers that he is going to see his uncle for Slayer training. After that, I clung to each page for dear life. That was when things began to tumble downhill for Joss, and that was when everything changed for him.

Personally, I think Heather Brewer's writing is a lot better in this book, which makes sense because now she has a whole series under her belt. Her writing is difficult for me to explain. It's very formal and precise, yet it captures Joss's voice perfectly! The pacing and the tragedies were absolutely magnificent. There was not a single section of this book that I just thought, "Okay, can we get to the exciting part yet?" Every part of this book holds an air of mystery and tension, even when the tension had supposedly vanished.

The plot was great. I felt like it progressed naturally everything just flowed!

Every single character was extraordinarily written. They each had a tortured past, a good back story, and a specific belief about their lifestyles. I like the different skills and hobbies that they all have, like exploding things or cooking and taking care of others.

This book had a way of making me feel. When Joss would describe his pain, I felt my stomach tighten. Sometimes I forgot that Joss is only thirteen, because he's so intelligent and mature for his age, having experienced too much in such a short time. The weird thing for me was that this book had absolutely zero romance in it, yet I didn't want there to be. I just knew it wouldn't fit. That has never happened before for me. Ever.

The ending sets up the plot for the next book in the series, but other than that it is a perfect stand-alone book. It didn't have that first-novel-feel that a lot of books that are first in a series have. There was no lack of violence or tragedies or action. All in all, I loved it and I cannot wait for the sequel...which is bad because this one hasn't even come out yet! I surely did not expect to love it so much, but I'm so glad I received it in the mail!

• The Protagonist. Reading about Joss was so weird for me at first, because he was sort of the bad guy in the Vlad Tod series, but it was really easy to sympathize with him and love him! He had clear motivations and goals, and he didn't do anything that made me think, "Is he stupid? Why would he do that?" He's smart and determined and plagued by guilt. He's SUPER easy to relate to, too. He just wants to be noticed and to be seen as more than a child, he just wants to prove himself.
• The constant twists. I wouldn't say that the twists are dramatic and made me gasp, but this book definitely kept me on my toes. When you think that something is going to happen...quite the opposite occurs.
• The prologue. A lot of prologues are revealing and unnecessary, but this one is totally awesome! It begins with Abraham, Joss's uncle, and as the story went on, my mind kept wandering back to the prologue with the same question in my head: Why? It was one of those things that I NEEDED to keep reading in order to find the answer. And I did!
• The world. I loved learning more about the Slayers and their rules and limitations. Their initiation process. It was all fascinating.

If you liked...

The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod by Heather Brewer

The Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead

Then you'll absolutely adore FIRST KILL.

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