The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater + Giveaway (CLOSED)

Published October 18, 2011 by Scholastic Press - ARC
5 Stars

Goodreads Review
It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.

At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.

Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.

Review:  This review is very hard for me to write.  There are so many aspects that I love.  The Scorpio Races is an amazing book that really shines with the world building and setting.  It really stands out with the mythology of the water horses and the subtle story telling.  The writing is absolutely beautiful and the ending completely took my breath away.

One of the best parts of the book was the setting and the capall usice (pronounced CAPple ISHka) mythology.  I absolutely fell in love with the island and the beautiful and deadly water horses.   The island is described so well I actually thought the island of Thisby and the Scorpio Sea were real places.  I even googled them because I was so convinced that island was real and I wanted to know exactly where it was.  I think that alone is testament to the amazing writing and world set up.

I really liked the relationship that developed between the two main characters.  The two protagonists really drive the story, but I found myself liking Sean a little more.  They both had to overcome hardships and both really need to win the races, but I really enjoyed Sean and I could relate a lot to his desire to be an independent person in charge of his own destiny but not having the means to make it happen.  I also think that this story was more than just about the romance between the two viewpoint characters.  I loved the family relationships between Puck and her brothers and how not having parents changed the family dynamic. 

My favorite relationship though was between Sean and Corr, his capall usice.  They had a sort of tenuous relationship where neither could fully trust the other, but they loved each other so much they were willing to make sacrifices for the safety of the other. The ending with Sean and Corr had me welling up with tears, it was so touching and so real. 

Overall The Scorpio Races is a novel unlike anything I've read before.  It covers a whole spectrum of topics from fairness to poverty to fear to respect to love and it does it seamlessly and flawlessly. 

Congratulations to the winner HeroinexcorexVanessa!  Check out my youtube for more giveaways!

Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead

#3 in Vampire Academy Series
Published in 2008 by Razorbill
Ages 15+
5 Stars

Goodreads Review
For Rose Hathaway, everything seems out of kilter. Ever since she made her first Strigoi kills, a dark shadow has been creeping over her. Looming in the background, too, is another realization: If she follows her forbidden love for guardian Dimitri Belikov, she might lose her best friend forever. And these sleep-shaking worries couldn't have come at a worse time. The immortal unloving are prowling everywhere, famished for vengeance against her. An adrenaline-laced episode of the teen pop favorite Vampire Academy.


Review:  The third book in the Vampire Academy series, Shadow Kiss is where the story really takes off.  In this book we learn a lot more about the vampire lore and also get to read some awesome action sequences and an ending that will seriously make you lose. your. shit.


The book starts off dealing with the tragedy from the end of Frostbite.  I love the bittersweet feeling of the molnija marks and how Rose is trying to move on, but seeing the ghosts of dead students really isn't helping.  It was interesting to read about Rose starting to question the life of a guardian and how dhampirs really get the shit end of the stick in society's arrangement.  Rose goes through so much growth and evolves from a mouthy teenager in the first book to a seasoned fighter by the end of the third.  I thought the legend of the shadow kissed was really cool.  I think it's a really interesting way of explaining Rose and Lissa's special relationship and definitely opens the door for more development and exploration of their powers and their connection.


The books starts off a little slow, but WOW what an ending.  It was action packed, thrilling, and completely unexpected.  What a heart breaking turn of events!  (I don't want to give away any spoilers but HOLY GOD).  This ending was one of the very best endings I've ever read in YA, and it's what earned this book a five star rating.  This ending is a strong transition from the atmosphere of the first three books to the final three books.  It sets up the rest of the series and I cannot wait to continue!


Overall Shadow Kiss is an interesting continuation of the series that delves deeper into the vampire lore and ends with a bang that is sure to have readers crying out in indignation, anger, and despair (I know I did!).

Waiting on Wednesday 10/5/2011

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at breaking the spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:


Ashfall
by Mike Mullin
Publication Date:  10/11/2011

Under the bubbling hot springs and geysers of Yellowstone National Park is a supervolcano. Most people don't know it's there. The caldera is so large that it can only be seen from a plane or satellite. It just could be overdue for an eruption, which would change the landscape and climate of our planet.

Ashfall is the story of Alex, a teenage boy left alone for the weekend while his parents visit relatives. When the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts unexpectedly, Alex is determined to reach his parents. He must travel over a hundred miles in a landscape transformed by a foot of ash and the destruction of every modern convenience that he has ever known, and through a new world in which disaster has brought out both the best and worst in people desperate for food, water, and warmth. With a combination of nonstop action, a little romance, and very real science, this is a story that is difficult to stop reading and even more difficult to forget.

Top Ten Tuesday 10/4/11:Top Ten Book Endings That Left Me With My Mouth Hanging Open

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.  This meme was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish.  We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new top ten list complete with one of our bloggers' answers.  Everyone is welcome to join.  All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND post a comment on our post with a link to your Top Ten Tuesday post to share with us and all those who are participating.  If you don't have a blog, just post your answers in the comments.

TOP TEN BOOK ENDINGS THAT LEFT ME WITH MY MOUTH HANGING OPEN  

1. The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls by Emilie Autumn - I LOVED this ending!  It was creepy and shocking and had me wondering how much of this book was fiction and how much of it was autobiographical.  I seriously loved it, a perfect ending that literally gave me chills.
2. Shadow Kiss, #3 in the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead - This is where the vampire academy series really takes off, and holy crap what an ending!  I totally didn't see it coming and I couldn't believe that Richelle Mead actually did what she did.  I was equally horrified at what happened to our characters and excited to see what could possibly happen next.
3. Catching Fire, #2 in the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins - The ending of Catching Fire had me scrambling to read Mockingjay.  The ending leads you into this false sense of security, that Katniss was safe and had made it out of trouble again, only to have the final line of the book punch you in the stomach.  I honestly had no idea what to think except that I had to get my hands on the next book.
4. Feed, #1 in the Newsflesh trilogy by Mira Grant - I never thought I would BAWL MY FREAKING EYES OUT after reading a zombie book, but I guess there's a first time for everything.  Feed is a masterfully crafted novel, and the ending is just heart breaking.  Feed is everything that a zombie book should be, and really outshines everything else in it's genre. 
5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, #4 in the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling - This is where the series takes a turn.  It goes from being more middle grade adventure stories to intense young adult novels.  This is where the big and bad rises to full power and we as readers realize just how much shit Harry is about to be in.  It's also the first major death and shows that the new generation of hogwarts students aren't safe.
6. Nevermore, #1 in the Nevermore series by Kelly Creagh - Um...what???  I can't believe what happened to Varen!  I was seriously howling NOOOOO at the end of this book.  When does Enshadowed come out?  Not until 2012!?!?!?! Shit!
7. Divergent, #1 in the Divergent series by Veronica Roth - This isn't really a book that left me feeling shocked, but it definitely gave me more questions than answers and I'm DYING for Insurgent.
8. The Iron King, #1 in the Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa - This again wasn't a majorly shocking ending, but it definitely had me wanting more.  I love that feeling when I finish a book and immediately need the next one.
9. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - Even though we're warned from the beginning that the ending is going to be horrible, I still wasn't expecting it and bawled my eyes out like a little baby.
10. The Amber Spyglass, #3 in the His Dark Materials series by Phillip Pullman - Poor Lyra and Will!  This is not a happy ending, but it is a great one.

Teaser Tuesday 10/4/2011

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
• Share the title & author so others can add the book to their TBR list

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

I didn't remember much about the ride to the hospital, except that Joseph and both of my parents were with me.  And thankfully I didn't remember my mother picking me up off the bathroom floor, or getting me in the car as she must have.  I could barely look at her.  

Off the Shelf #8

  Hello everyone and welcome to Off the Shelf!  This is my way of sharing any new books I receive or buy as well as let you all know what my reading plans are for the week and what I hope to get off my TBR shelf.

This past week was banned books week so I decided to check out some of the most challenged books from the past ten years.  And yes, the most challenged book in the past 5 years is a children's picture book.  I don't get it either.

Finished Reading:

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

#3 most challenged in 2009

#6 most challenged in 2008

#10 most challenged in 2007

#8 most challenged in 2006

#5 most challenged in 2004

And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell

Illustrated by Henry Cole

#1 most challenged in 2010

#2 most challenged in 2009

#1 most challenged in 2008

#1 most challenged in 2007

#1 most challenged in 2006

 The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

#6 most challenged in 2009

#3 most challenged in 2005

#6 most challenged in 2001

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Micheel Hodkin

Currently Reading:

The Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Up Next:

 Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

Published in 2010 by Speak
5 Stars


Goodreads Review
One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, Will Grayson crosses paths with . . . Will Grayson. Two teens with the same name, running in two very different circles, suddenly find their lives going in new and unexpected directions, and culminating in epic turns-of-heart and the most fabulous musical ever to grace the high school stage. Told in alternating voices from two YA superstars, this collaborative novel features a double helping of the heart and humor that have won them both legions of fans.


Review: Will Grayson, Will Grayson is a ridiculously hilarious book about high school students trying to find themselves through, friendship, love, betrayal, and musical theater.  


This book is told from the perspective of two different Will Graysons, each written by one of the authors, and gives an interesting reading experiences.  The first Will Grayson is written by John Green and is a quite and introspective boy who is often overshadowed by the loud and super gay personality of his best friend Tiny Cooper.  We'll call this Grayson BFF Grayson.  The second Will Grayson is written by David Levithan and is dealing with being gay and in the closet and the feeling of loneliness that comes with that.  I'll call this Grayson emo Grayson.  


At the beginning of the book I found myself liking John Green's chapters more, but I soon figured out that it wasn't BFF Grayson that I liked, it was the humor found in Tiny Cooper who is a force to behold.  More on him later.  When it comes to the actual Graysons, I found myself relating a lot more to emo Grayson.  I was a huge loner myself in high school, and I could really relate to feeling like no one understood him and that desperate search to find someone who could love you for just being you.  Also some REALLY shitty stuff happens to him which I hated but thought was brilliant.  


I love all of the crazy stuff that happens that brings the characters together.  There's a lot of great humor and you can tell that the authors not only have similar writing styles, but have a strong friendship.  All three of the main characters (BFF Grayson, emo Grayson, and Tiny Cooper) grow so much throughout the book.  I really loved Tiny Cooper though.  I really connected to him.  At first I thought he was going to be a stereotypical gay sidekick character, but he is so much more than that.  I think a lot of his personality comes from insecurity, and I love how both graysons help him learn to love himself and in the process, grow as people themselves.   I also absolutely loved the ending.  Tiny Dancer is everything I hoped it would be, and so much more.  I actually teared up at the end which is something I was not expecting.


Overall Will Grayson, Will Grayson is a wonderful coming of age story about people learning to accept their friends for who they are and to love themselves.  I highly recommend this book to any gay teen who is feeling lost or alienated and to all teens as a book about accepting those who are different.