Important Update About NaNoWriMo and My Blog - Please Read!

Just wanted to let everyone know that I am participating in NaNoWriMo this year.  If you don't know what it is, here's the quick explanation: NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month.  It's a challenge to write a 50,000 word novel during the month of November.  Check out the link above if you'd like more info!

Anyway, since I'll be pretty busy writing a novel for the next month, I probably won't have much time for blogging. ;) So if you see a lack of posts from me - don't worry!  I will continue blogging regularly once November is over.  I'm going to try to do a couple In My Mailbox or Waiting on Wednesday posts, and perhaps a couple book reviews, but that might be it for November updates from me.

So that's all!  Just wanted everyone to know why I won't be around much next month.  And good luck to any fellow NaNo participants out there! :)

~ The Bookworm

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Favorite Kick-Butt Heroines

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Broke and Bookish.  Each week a new list topic is posted and book bloggers fill in their choices.  This week's topic is "Top Ten Favorite Kick-Butt Heroines."

My Top Ten Favorite Kick-Butt Heroines:

1. Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games.  Duh, of course she's number one.  You can't find a heroine much tougher and better than Katniss. :)

2. Tris from Divergent.  I seriously adore Tris.  She's a fantastic heroine and I loved seeing her character transform into someone powerful and strong.

3. Alex from the Covenant series.  Alex is sooo awesome!  She never backs down and I love how she's so brave and stands up for what she believes in.  And I love her snark and sarcasm. :D

4. Elisa from The Girl of Fire and Thorns.  Elisa has got to be one of my favorite YA characters ever.  The journey she takes is just so heartwrenching and she goes through so much.  She's amazing!

5. Katy from the Lux series.  I just love Katy.  What makes her character so cool is that she's a normal person - in fact, she's a book blogger, like lots of us, hehe!  But as the series progresses, she learns to fight and protect herself.  She's a great character who's easy to relate to!

6. Clara from Unearthly.  Oh, I love Clara!  She's sweet, hilarious, and such a fun character, but what I love best about her is that she's not afraid to do what's right.  She learns to use her powers and becomes an amazing heroine.

7. Gabi from the River of Time series.  Gabi is probably one of my favorite heroines ever.  She's just your average teenage girl - unless she travels back in time to Italy and gets thrown into the middle of lots of fights and battles.  I love how she had to learn to fight to stay alive!     

8. Lena from Delirium.  Okay, Lena was a great character in Delirium, but I felt like she really grew up in the sequel Pandemonium.  I love the way she kept fighting even when there wasn't hope.

9. Ismae from Grave Mercy.  She's a nun assassin, you guys.  That's pretty cool.  Seriously, she's sly, smart, tough, and clever, yet so easy to relate to.  Ismae is a fascinating character!  And let's be honest, I think we all wish we could be nun assasins like her. ;)

10. Evie from Paranormalcy.  Oh, Evie is so fun!  She's got the greatest sense of humor, but boy, she knows how to fight.  I love how awesome she is.  You can't help cheering for her!

A few other honorable mentions (because I have many favorite heroines and not enough room to list them all!) are Alina from Shadow and Bone, Ellie from Valkyrie Rising, Max from the Maxiumum Ride series, and Nikki from Everneath.

Like any of the heroines I've listed?  Tell me in the comments and/or leave links to your Top Ten post!  Thanks for stopping by, everyone!

~ The Bookworm

Book Review: Dangerous Boy

Goodreads summary:

A modern-day retelling of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde with a chilling twist

Harper has never been worried about falling in love, something she is skeptical even exists. But everything changes when Logan moves to town, and to Harper's shock, the two tumble into an intense romance. It's everything she never thought she wanted.

Then she meets Logan's twin brother, Caleb, who was expelled from his last school. True, he's a bad boy, but Harper can't shake the feeling that there's something deeply sinister about him--something dangerous. When Logan starts pulling away, Harper is convinced that Caleb's shadowy past is the wedge being driven between them. But by the time she uncovers the truth, it may be too late.

The author of Prada & Prejudice, You Wish, and Ripple delivers a modern-day retelling of a famously gothic tale, full of suspense, lies, and romance.

My review:

Normally, this isn't the type of book that would catch my eye.  I haven't even ever read The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, which this book is a modern retelling of.  But I'd enjoyed Mandy Hubbard's books Ripple and Prada & Prejudice, so I thought I might like this one.  Unfortunately, I felt quite let-down.

Oh, the main character.  I could not connect with Harper at all.  She ignores the obvious - the fact that Logan is, as the title suggests, a dangerous boy - and keeps forgiving him whenever he puts her in danger or gets angry at her.  She repeatedly puts herself in harm's way, and doesn't listen when her friends say she should go to the police.  I just wanted to yell at the poor girl and shake some sense into her.

And the story?  Completely predictable.  I easily figured out what was happening and just wanted the story to hurry up and finish.  I kept guessing what would happen.  The only good thing in Hubbard's writing is that it was pretty creepy at times.  But the suspense factor would have so much better if the story hadn't been predictable.

There were a couple other things in the writing that bothered me.  They're not major problems, but they got on my nerves.  First: "'You really okay?" Allie says, her voice low.  "That was really scary."' (pg. 161.)  Why does the author use the word "really" twice in that paragraph?  It doesn't make sense to have two of the same words so close together.  A similar instance occured earlier in the story, when the author used the phrase "fair enough" twice within a few pages.  Again, these aren't huge issues, but they stuck out to me.

Also, I have to mention one last quote.  "As far as I know, he has no friends in Enumclaw.  How would he make them when he's homeschooled?" (pg. 180.)  *sigh* Why does everyone assume that homeschoolers have no social life?  This is the farthest thing from the truth.  It really annoys me how homeschoolers are always represented in such a sterotypical way in most books. 

I feel bad because this review has been so negative.  But I think there are other readers who will probably enjoy the creepy atmosphere of this book and end up liking it.  Sadly, it just wasn't for me.  However, I'm still interested to see what Mandy Hubbard writes in the future.

My rating:  4 out of 10 (2 stars)

~ The Bookworm

Book Review: Valkyrie Rising

Goodreads summary:

Nothing ever happens in Norway. But at least Ellie knows what to expect when she visits her grandmother: a tranquil fishing village and long, slow summer days. And maybe she’ll finally get out from under the shadow of her way-too-perfect big brother, Graham, while she’s there.

What Ellie doesn’t anticipate is Graham’s infuriating best friend, Tuck, tagging along for the trip. Nor did she imagine boys going missing amid rumors of impossible kidnappings. Least of all does she expect something powerful and ancient to awaken in her and that strange whispers would urge Ellie to claim her place among mythological warriors. Instead of peace and quiet, there’s suddenly a lot for a girl from L.A. to handle on a summer sojourn in Norway! And when Graham vanishes, it’s up to Ellie—and the ever-sarcastic, if undeniably alluring Tuck—to uncover the truth about all the disappearances and thwart the nefarious plan behind them.

Deadly legends, hidden identities, and tentative romance swirl together in one girl’s unexpectedly-epic coming of age.

My review:

I completely loved Valkyrie Rising.  It's been on my to-read shelf since I saw it on Goodreads in April.  Believe me, this book was worth the wait.  I adored everything about Valkyrie Rising!

First off, the characters.  Anyone who reads my reviews knows that characters can either make or break a story for me.  And oh, I loooove the characters in this story.  Tucker, Tucker, Tucker.  He is my new book boyfriend. :) You can't help falling in love with him along with Ellie.  His funny comments and sarcasm made me crack up numerous times.  But there were also moments when we see a more serious (yet just as lovable!) side of him that is sweet and tender.  He's such an unforgettable character.  Totally swoon-worthy.

And Ellie!  She's a great narrator, and what I loved about her was her character arc.  Though she is slightly shy and quiet, she grows into a strong, brave heroine who isn't afraid to back down.  She had lots of character growth, and she stands up for herself and fights for what she believes in.  Ellie is exactly the type of girl that I would be friends with in real life.  I loved her! 

Of course, I've got to mention Loki, the god of mischief.  He's one of my favorite gods in Norse mythology, and I fully admit that I started squealing and fangirling when his character showed up in the book.  (Yes, I love Loki.  Yes, I know he's a bad guy.  But he's just misunderstood!)  I loved his wit and humor.  Ingrid Paulson wrote his character so well.  He was definitely a fantastic addition to the story!

The plot was amazing.  I've fallen in love with Norse mythology recently, and I seriously wish there were more YA books with Norse mythology!  It's so interesting to read about.  Valkyrie Rising does a great job of immersing you in that world.  I loved the descriptions of Norway, Odin, and the Valkyries.  All of it was perfect.  I especially loved the final battle scene with Odin! 

Also, I loved the ending.  It felt complete, and yet it still hinted that there could be a future sequel.  As far as I know, Valkyrie Rising is a standalone.  But can I just say, I would love to read more books about Ellie and Tuck. :) I can't wait to read more of Ingrid Paulson's books in the future!  She is an incredible storyteller.

My rating:  10 out of 10

~ The Bookworm

In My Mailbox (6)

In My Mailox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi from The Story Siren.

- Valkyrie Rising by Ingrid Paulson
- Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone
- Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
- Everlasting by Elizabeth Chandler
- The Summer of Firsts and Lasts by Terra Elan McVoy

There are all books I bought!  So far I've only read Valkyrie Rising, which I adored and will be writing a review for soon.  Time Between Us looks so good (it's about time travel!  Yay!), and I've heard so much about Anna and the French Kiss, so I can't wait to read it.  Everlasting is the next book in Kissed by an Angel, one of my favorite series.  And The Summer of Firsts and Lasts looks like a really cute contemporary!

- Taken at Dusk by C. C. Hunter
- For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund
- Partials by Dan Wells
- Every Day by David Levithan
- Hidden by Sophie Jordan
- Dangerous Boy by Mandy Hubbard

These are all books from the library (except for the first, which I borrowed from a friend).  Taken at Dusk is the third in the Shadow Falls series and was such a fun read.  I'm super excited to read For Darkness Shows the Stars - it's inspired by Jane Austen's Persuasion!  Partials is a dystopian I've been wanting to read for a while as well, so I'm looking forward to that too.  Every Day has gotten lots of hype since it came out, so I hope it's good.  Hidden is the last book in the Firelight trilogy - I just read it yesterday and it was great.  Dangerous Boy is by one of my favorite authors, so I can't wait to read it as well!

So these are the books I've gotten lately!  How about you?  Leave a comment if you've read or want to read any of the books in my IMM, and/or leave links to your IMMs so I can check them out! :) Happy reading, everyone!

~ The Bookworm

Book Review: Struck

Goodreads summary:

Mia Price is a lightning addict. She’s survived countless strikes, but her craving to connect to the energy in storms endangers her life and the lives of those around her.

Los Angeles, where lightning rarely strikes, is one of the few places Mia feels safe from her addiction. But when an earthquake devastates the city, her haven is transformed into a minefield of chaos and danger. The beaches become massive tent cities. Downtown is a crumbling wasteland, where a traveling party moves to a different empty building each night, the revelers drawn to the destruction by a force they cannot deny. Two warring cults rise to power, and both see Mia as the key to their opposing doomsday prophecies. They believe she has a connection to the freak electrical storm that caused the quake, and to the far more devastating storm that is yet to come.

Mia wants to trust the enigmatic and alluring Jeremy when he promises to protect her, but she fears he isn’t who he claims to be. In the end, the passion and power that brought them together could be their downfall. When the final disaster strikes, Mia must risk unleashing the full horror of her strength to save the people she loves, or lose everything.

My review:

Struck was an interesting novel.  It's certainly unique, but there were parts that I thought were cliche.  All in all, though, it stands out from most post-apocalyptic YA fiction.

I'll start with what disappointed me - the plot.  I loved the idea of Mia being a lightning addict, and I really wanted the story to be focused more on her and her powers.  Instead, a good portion of the plot is focused on the two different cults who want Mia to join them.  There were also some anti-religious remarks that bothered me.

The characters are all right.  Mia is a fairly fun narrator, and she has a good sense of humor, but the decisions she made sometimes just made me want to wring her neck.  However, I liked the complicated relationships she had with her family and the tough choices she had to make concerning them.

The love interest, Jeremy, was nice enough, though a bit boring.  Basically he's your typical YA love interest - staggeringly good-looking, mysterious, protective, smart, etc.  However, he isn't in the story as much as I thought he would be, which is good in a sense because it meant the story stayed focused on the plot rather than the romance.  But it was also bad, because Mia only knew him for a short time, and it made the romance seem kind of ridiculous.  Too much insta-love for my taste...

I know I focused on a lot of negative in this review, but overall I enjoyed this story.  The premise is so original, despite the somewhat flat characters.  And while I would have loved to see more of Mia and her lightning powers, I think the focus on the cults does add to the intensity of the story.  Even though I wasn't crazy about the plot, there's plenty of action and it's always exciting.

If you are the type of person who prefers a book to be plot-driven rather than character-driven, then you'll probably love Struck.  But if, like me, you have to have really likeable, engaging characters, then you might not be so crazy about this book.  Still, this sticks out from all the dystopians out there and I look forward to reading more books by Jennifer Bosworth in the future!

My rating:  6 out of 10

~ The Bookworm

Waiting on Wednesday: The Madman's Daughter

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases we can't wait to read!

My pick is The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd!

Goodreads summary:

London, 1894. Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself—working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumors about her father’s gruesome experiments. But when she learns her father is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations were true.

Juliet is accompanied by the doctor’s handsome young assistant and an enigmatic castaway, who both attract Juliet for very different reasons. They travel to the island only to discover the depths of her father’s madness: he has created animals that have been vivisected to resemble, speak, and behave as humans. Worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island’s inhabitants. Juliet knows she must end her father’s dangerous experiments and escape the island, even though her horror is mixed with her own scientific curiosity. As the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father’s genius—and madness—in her own blood.

My thoughts:

This book looks flat-out amazing.  It's set in London, after all.  It doesn't get much better than that.  And it's historical fiction!  Yay!  There's not enough YA historical fiction out there, so I'm excited about this.

I really hope that The Madman's Daughter will be as good as it looks.  It looks very thrilling, but I'm slightly wary at the hint in the summary that there might be a love triangle.  I'm not a huge fan of love triangles unless they're done well.  But still, this book sounds pretty epic!  I can't wait till it comes out in January.

What book are you waiting on this week?  Leave links to your WoW in the comments, and have a great week! :)

~ The Bookworm