Lists
What's this? A post about books? But, you say, this blog is supposed to be about baking and TV! What is this randomness?!
The answer is: I can do what I want! Muahaha!
In all seriousness, though, here is something readers of this blog who do not know me on a personal level may not know... 1) I love to read. 2) I'm writing a book. I recently finished the first draft of said book (hooray!), so why not celebrate the books that have inspired me over this past year?
Caveat: most, if not all, of these books are going to be of the young adult variety. That's what I'm writing, and what I tend to love to read the most, so if you are a pretentious type who looks down upon such things, off with you right now! Really, these are good books regardless of being labeled as young adult. So there!
As a note, these are just my favorite books I've read this year. Not necessarily published this year, though many of them were.
Legend by Marie Lu
Synopsis: What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem. From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths--until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect.
The Diviners by Libba Bray
Synopsis: Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City--and she is pos-i-toot-ly thrilled. New York is the city of speakeasies, shopping, and movie palaces! Soon enough, Evie is running with glamorous Ziegfield girls and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is Evie has to live with her Uncle Will, curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult--also known as "The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies."
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Synopsis: Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.
The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta
Synopsis: After his favorite uncle was blown to bits on his way to work in a foreign city, Tom watched his family implode. He quit school and turned his back on his music and everyone that mattered, including the girl he can’t forget. Shooting for oblivion, he’s hit rock bottom, forced to live with his single, pregnant aunt, work at the Union pub with his former friends, and reckon with his grieving, alcoholic father. Tom’s in no shape to mend what’s broken. But what if no one else is either? An unflinching look at family, forgiveness, and the fierce inner workings of love and friendship, The Piper’s Son redefines what it means to go home again.
Chaos Walking series by Patrick Ness
Synopsis: Chaos Walking is a science fiction series set in a dystopian world where all living creatures can hear each other's thoughts in a stream of images, words, and sounds called Noise, and it is named after a line in the first book: "The Noise is a man unfiltered, and without a filter, a man is just chaos walking."
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
Synopsis: At seven minutes past midnight, thirteen-year-old Conor wakes to find a monster outside his bedroom window. But it isn't the monster Conor's been expecting-- he's been expecting the one from his nightmare, the nightmare he's had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments. The monster in his backyard is different. It's ancient. And wild. And it wants something from Conor. Something terrible and dangerous. It wants the truth. From the final idea of award-winning author Siobhan Dowd-- whose premature death from cancer prevented her from writing it herself-- Patrick Ness has spun a haunting and darkly funny novel of mischief, loss, and monsters both real and imagined.
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Synopsis:
I Am the Messenger by Marcus Zusak
Synopsis: Ed Kennedy is an underage cabdriver without much of a future. He's pathetic at playing cards, hopelessly in love with his best friend, Audrey, and utterly devoted to his coffee-drinking dog, the Doorman. His life is one of peaceful routine and incompetence until he inadvertently stops a bank robbery. That's when the first ace arrives in the mail. That's when Ed becomes the messenger. Chosen to care, he makes his way through town helping and hurting (when necessary) until only one question remains: Who's behind Ed's mission?
Lumatere Chronicles by Melina Marchetta (technically the third one is not out in the US yet)
Synopsis of Finnikin of the Rock:
At the age of nine, Finnikin is warned by the gods that he must sacrifice a pound of flesh in order to save the royal house of his homeland, Lumatere. And so he stands on the rock of three wonders with his childhood friend Prince Balthazar and the prince’s cousin, Lucian, and together they mix their blood. And Lumatere is safe.
Until the ‘five days of the unspeakable’, when the King and Queen and their children are slaughtered in the palace. And an imposter king takes the throne. And a curse is put on Lumatere, which traps those caught inside and forces thousands of others to roam the land as exiles, dying of fever and persecution in foreign camps.
But ten years later Finnikin is led to another rock to meet the young novice, Evanjalin. A girl plagued by dark dreams, who holds the key to their return to the Land of light..
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Synopsis:
Across the Universe/A Million Suns by Beth Revis
Synopsis of Across the Universe:
Amy is a cryogenically frozen passenger aboard the spaceship Godspeed. She has left her boyfriend, friends--and planet--behind to join her parents as a member of Project Ark Ship. Amy and her parents believe they will wake on a new planet, Centauri-Earth, three hundred years in the future. But fifty years before Godspeed's scheduled landing, cryo chamber 42 is mysteriously unplugged, and Amy is violently woken from her frozen slumber. Someone tried to murder her. Now, Amy is caught inside an enclosed world where nothing makes sense. Godspeed's 2,312 passengers have forfeited all control to Eldest, a tyrannical and frightening leader. And Elder, Eldest's rebellious teenage heir, is both fascinated with Amy and eager to discover whether he has what it takes to lead. Amy desperately wants to trust Elder. But should she put her faith in a boy who has never seen life outside the ship's cold metal walls? All Amy knows is that she and Elder must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets before whoever woke her tries to kill again.
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Synopsis: The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night. But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway: a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them both, this is a game in which only one can be left standing. Despite the high stakes, Celia and Marco soon tumble headfirst into love, setting off a domino effect of dangerous consequences, and leaving the lives of everyone, from the performers to the patrons, hanging in the balance.
- My Favorite Books Of 2015
Though I don't always talk about books much on here, it's now a tradition to feature my favorite books that I've read in the past year. I know I should probably just make it a best YA books of the year list, but most years at least one "regular"...
- My Favorite Books Of 2014
Back in 2012, I read 58 books over the course of the year. This year is just sad in comparison, as I am currently only at 18 books. Life has become much busier over the last couple of years, and my reading has taken a hit as a consequence. But that doesn't...
- Closed: Giveaway! Supernatural Tie-in Novel Carved In Flesh
Titan Books were nice enough to give me a review copy of their latest Supernatural tie-in novel, Carved in Flesh. I'll be posting my review of the book soon (Posted!), but wanted to also get a giveaway going, as I like to spread the love, as it were....
- Closed: Giveaway! Supernatural: Fresh Meat
As you may have seen, I was lucky enough to interview the author of the newest Supernatural tie-in novel from Titan Books, Alice Henderson. But that's not all! Not only can you read the interview and get some inside scoop, you can also enter here...
- Book Review: Supernatural: Rite Of Passage By John Passarella
What's this? A book review? Why yes! I was recently asked if I would like to review one of the upcoming Supernatural companion novels before it comes out, and I figured why not! I think I need to write a disclaimer before I actually review the book,...
Lists
My Favorite Books of 2012
What's this? A post about books? But, you say, this blog is supposed to be about baking and TV! What is this randomness?!
The answer is: I can do what I want! Muahaha!
In all seriousness, though, here is something readers of this blog who do not know me on a personal level may not know... 1) I love to read. 2) I'm writing a book. I recently finished the first draft of said book (hooray!), so why not celebrate the books that have inspired me over this past year?
Caveat: most, if not all, of these books are going to be of the young adult variety. That's what I'm writing, and what I tend to love to read the most, so if you are a pretentious type who looks down upon such things, off with you right now! Really, these are good books regardless of being labeled as young adult. So there!
As a note, these are just my favorite books I've read this year. Not necessarily published this year, though many of them were.
Legend by Marie Lu
Synopsis: What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem. From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths--until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect.
The Diviners by Libba Bray
Synopsis: Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City--and she is pos-i-toot-ly thrilled. New York is the city of speakeasies, shopping, and movie palaces! Soon enough, Evie is running with glamorous Ziegfield girls and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is Evie has to live with her Uncle Will, curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult--also known as "The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies."
When a rash of occult-based murders comes to light, Evie and her uncle are right in the thick of the investigation. And through it all, Evie has a secret: a mysterious power that could help catch the killer--if he doesn't catch her first.
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Synopsis: Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.
The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta
Synopsis: After his favorite uncle was blown to bits on his way to work in a foreign city, Tom watched his family implode. He quit school and turned his back on his music and everyone that mattered, including the girl he can’t forget. Shooting for oblivion, he’s hit rock bottom, forced to live with his single, pregnant aunt, work at the Union pub with his former friends, and reckon with his grieving, alcoholic father. Tom’s in no shape to mend what’s broken. But what if no one else is either? An unflinching look at family, forgiveness, and the fierce inner workings of love and friendship, The Piper’s Son redefines what it means to go home again.
Chaos Walking series by Patrick Ness
Synopsis: Chaos Walking is a science fiction series set in a dystopian world where all living creatures can hear each other's thoughts in a stream of images, words, and sounds called Noise, and it is named after a line in the first book: "The Noise is a man unfiltered, and without a filter, a man is just chaos walking."
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
Synopsis: At seven minutes past midnight, thirteen-year-old Conor wakes to find a monster outside his bedroom window. But it isn't the monster Conor's been expecting-- he's been expecting the one from his nightmare, the nightmare he's had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments. The monster in his backyard is different. It's ancient. And wild. And it wants something from Conor. Something terrible and dangerous. It wants the truth. From the final idea of award-winning author Siobhan Dowd-- whose premature death from cancer prevented her from writing it herself-- Patrick Ness has spun a haunting and darkly funny novel of mischief, loss, and monsters both real and imagined.
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Synopsis:
Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.
Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.
Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha…and the secrets of her heart.
Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.
Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha…and the secrets of her heart.
I Am the Messenger by Marcus Zusak
Synopsis: Ed Kennedy is an underage cabdriver without much of a future. He's pathetic at playing cards, hopelessly in love with his best friend, Audrey, and utterly devoted to his coffee-drinking dog, the Doorman. His life is one of peaceful routine and incompetence until he inadvertently stops a bank robbery. That's when the first ace arrives in the mail. That's when Ed becomes the messenger. Chosen to care, he makes his way through town helping and hurting (when necessary) until only one question remains: Who's behind Ed's mission?
Lumatere Chronicles by Melina Marchetta (technically the third one is not out in the US yet)
Synopsis of Finnikin of the Rock:
At the age of nine, Finnikin is warned by the gods that he must sacrifice a pound of flesh in order to save the royal house of his homeland, Lumatere. And so he stands on the rock of three wonders with his childhood friend Prince Balthazar and the prince’s cousin, Lucian, and together they mix their blood. And Lumatere is safe.
Until the ‘five days of the unspeakable’, when the King and Queen and their children are slaughtered in the palace. And an imposter king takes the throne. And a curse is put on Lumatere, which traps those caught inside and forces thousands of others to roam the land as exiles, dying of fever and persecution in foreign camps.
But ten years later Finnikin is led to another rock to meet the young novice, Evanjalin. A girl plagued by dark dreams, who holds the key to their return to the Land of light..
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Synopsis:
Oct. 11th, 1943—A British spy plane crashes in Nazi-occupied France. Its pilot and passenger are best friends. One of the girls has a chance at survival. The other has lost the game before it's barely begun.When “Verity” is arrested by the Gestapo, she's sure she doesn’t stand a chance. As a secret agent captured in enemy territory, she’s living a spy’s worst nightmare. Her Nazi interrogators give her a simple choice: reveal her mission or face a grisly execution.
As she intricately weaves her confession, Verity uncovers her past, how she became friends with the pilot Maddie, and why she left Maddie in the wrecked fuselage of their plane. On each new scrap of paper, Verity battles for her life, confronting her views on courage and failure and her desperate hope to make it home. But will trading her secrets be enough to save her from the enemy? Across the Universe/A Million Suns by Beth Revis
Synopsis of Across the Universe:
Amy is a cryogenically frozen passenger aboard the spaceship Godspeed. She has left her boyfriend, friends--and planet--behind to join her parents as a member of Project Ark Ship. Amy and her parents believe they will wake on a new planet, Centauri-Earth, three hundred years in the future. But fifty years before Godspeed's scheduled landing, cryo chamber 42 is mysteriously unplugged, and Amy is violently woken from her frozen slumber. Someone tried to murder her. Now, Amy is caught inside an enclosed world where nothing makes sense. Godspeed's 2,312 passengers have forfeited all control to Eldest, a tyrannical and frightening leader. And Elder, Eldest's rebellious teenage heir, is both fascinated with Amy and eager to discover whether he has what it takes to lead. Amy desperately wants to trust Elder. But should she put her faith in a boy who has never seen life outside the ship's cold metal walls? All Amy knows is that she and Elder must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets before whoever woke her tries to kill again.
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Synopsis: The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night. But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway: a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them both, this is a game in which only one can be left standing. Despite the high stakes, Celia and Marco soon tumble headfirst into love, setting off a domino effect of dangerous consequences, and leaving the lives of everyone, from the performers to the patrons, hanging in the balance.
- My Favorite Books Of 2015
Though I don't always talk about books much on here, it's now a tradition to feature my favorite books that I've read in the past year. I know I should probably just make it a best YA books of the year list, but most years at least one "regular"...
- My Favorite Books Of 2014
Back in 2012, I read 58 books over the course of the year. This year is just sad in comparison, as I am currently only at 18 books. Life has become much busier over the last couple of years, and my reading has taken a hit as a consequence. But that doesn't...
- Closed: Giveaway! Supernatural Tie-in Novel Carved In Flesh
Titan Books were nice enough to give me a review copy of their latest Supernatural tie-in novel, Carved in Flesh. I'll be posting my review of the book soon (Posted!), but wanted to also get a giveaway going, as I like to spread the love, as it were....
- Closed: Giveaway! Supernatural: Fresh Meat
As you may have seen, I was lucky enough to interview the author of the newest Supernatural tie-in novel from Titan Books, Alice Henderson. But that's not all! Not only can you read the interview and get some inside scoop, you can also enter here...
- Book Review: Supernatural: Rite Of Passage By John Passarella
What's this? A book review? Why yes! I was recently asked if I would like to review one of the upcoming Supernatural companion novels before it comes out, and I figured why not! I think I need to write a disclaimer before I actually review the book,...