Books, Books, Books!

Okay, so I have been reading a lot of books lately and I have even more in my TBR list, so I thought I would share some of the good ones.

First up, NIGHT ROAD by A.M. Jenkins. There's a story behind this one. I got this book as an ARC with my first round of line edits. Obviously I had no time to actually read then (I wish!) but I had heard really great things about this book so I put it at the top of my TBR pile. However, I have a sister who is really into vampires and werewolves and all things that go bump in the night and I am . . . how shall I say it nicely . . . not. So I went ahead and let her read it first. Two months and three siblings later, I finally got it back. And with mixed reviews. My younger sister liked it, my older sister didn't see the point, and my brother thought it was a good read. However, one thing you have to understand going into this is that it is not a typical vampire book. In fact, you only see "the V word," once in the whole book. And there is as little blood as possible in a book about people who subsist on . . . blood. It's not horror, it's a coming of age story. An emotional journey of a centuries-old vampire (Heme) being reminded what it was like to be human while trying to teach a brand new Heme to forget. I actually enjoyed this book more than I expected and it stayed with me for several days after I finished it. I definitely recommend it. *Content is suitable for all ages of teens, but the mood and philosophy would probably be more appreciated by older teens, adults, and particularly male readers.*

Next, OBEDIENCE by Will Lavender. Oh man, this was an awesome book. This is not a YA, it's an adult psychological thriller. I was traipsing along reading this book and--I'm not going to tell you exactly where--but someplace before page 100, I turned to my husband and said, "I know how this book ends. And it's a brilliant ending, but I think he gave just one hint too many a little too early." People, I fell 174%, hook, line, and sinker for the most incredible red-herring ever. The end of this book Blew. Me. Away. An amazing--AMAZING-- twisting plot that leads you every which way at once. The story is about a small group of students in a Logic class where, on the first day, the professor announces that there will be a murder. A hypothetical murder. And their assignment is to solve it in the six weeks of the class or the subject will die. But as the class continues and the clues grow sinister, the students begin to suspect that there is something not-so-hypothetical about this whole situation. A fabulously done, well-rounded, little bit of everything thriller. Highly recommended. *This is an adult book with some language and some sex. I personally feel it is appropriate for about age 16 and up, but the complexity of the plot may require a higher age.*

Next, SWITCH, by Carol Snow. This book isn't out until September, (which is why there's no cover image available) so I got it in ARC form. Of the three I'm recommending today, it's the lightest one. It's a fast, interesting read that doesn't require burning a lot of brain cells. Which is not the same as saying it's not interesting, It's quite interesting! I like a light read in between hard reads.:) It is the story of a girl who involuntarily switches bodies with girls born in the same month as her during thunderstorms. Generally everything goes back to normal by the next morning, but when she switches with a new girl everything goes wrong and she can't get back into her own body. But considering this plain, athletic girl is now in a drop-dead gorgeous body that her long-time crush is Jonesing on . . . maybe she doesn't want to switch back. This is a good teen book about how no one's life is perfect and that having what you want is not the same thing as being who you are. It's about sacrifice and doing what's right. My one beef with this book is that I think the entire first chapter should have been cut . . . but I'm a minimalist, so take that with a grain of salt.:) A fun, fast read that is perfect for anyone just starting high school. *Appropriate for all teens. No strong language or sex. I'd say ages 12 and up.*

And I just wanted to mention a couple of books I am excited about in my TBR pile.

I just picked up AUDREY,WAIT by Robin Benway. I read the first chapter online somewhere and am excited to read the whole thing. It is about a girl who breaks up with her boyfriend who is the lead singer in a small-time bad. He writes a song about her dumping him and it skyrockets to the top of the charts making her famous--well infamous--instantly. It sounds way fun!

Next, I also just picked up THE MAGIC THIEF by Sarah Prineas and can't wait to dive into this one! It is about a young boy who gets caught trying to steal a wizard's magic stone. The very act of touching it should have killed him, but it didn't. Intrigued, the wizard takes the boy on as his apprentice. This is the first of a series of at least three by an author who is really a wonderful person.

I am also itching to get into EVERNIGHT by Claudia Gray. As I mentioned above, I am really not into vampires, and this is a vampire book. But I know this author and on top of that it has gotten some really wonderful reviews from people whose opinion I trust, so I am putting my vampire prejudice aside for this one.:) (Plus I am way envious of the gorgeous font they gave her for her title!!)

So how about you? What have you read that is awesome? What are you excited to read! I'd love to add more to my TBR pile, so bring it on!!

Ciao!