Books Read: April 2011
There have been so many problems with Livejournal lately, and it's been loading so slowly, that I've become really active on Goodreads and posted a lot of reviews there. (My profile there is goodreads.com/crowinator.) I love the book community there and to be honest, I'm finding it easier to participate there. Still, I love my Livejournal (heck, I still read all my communities and author blogs, for sure), so I'll take my long reviews and cross-post them here eventually, but in the meantime, I include links to my Goodreads reviews here.
32. Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson. YA Fiction. 4 stars.
33. The Bermudez Triangle, by Maureen Johnson. YA Fiction. 3.5 stars.
34. The Little Prince, by Joann Safor and Antoine de Saint-Exuprey. YA Graphic Novel. 3.5 stars.
35. Higher Institute of Villainous Education (H.I.V.E., Book One) by Mark Walden. Juv Science Fiction. 3.5 stars.
36. Chime, by Franny Billingsley. YA Paranormal/Fantasy. 4 stars.
**37. Lost Voices, by Sarah Porter. YA Paranormal. Read ARC from Booklist. 3.5 stars. Review here (Goodreads).
**38. Department 19, by Will Hill. YA Horror. Read ARC from Booklist. 4 stars.
39. Clarity, by Kim Harrington. YA Paranormal Mystery. 4 stars. Review here (Goodreads).
40. Nightschool: The Weirn Books, Vol. 1. Svetlana Chmakova. YA Manga. 3 stars.
41. Nightschool, Vol 2. Svetlana Chmakova. YA Manga. 3 stars.
42. Brave New Worlds: Dystopian Stories, edited by John Joseph Adams. Dystopia/Short stories. 4 stars.
**43. Witches of East End, by Melissa de la Cruz. Paranormal Romance. Read ARC from Booklist. 2.5 stars. Review here (Goodreads).
44. The Gathering, by Kelley Armstrong. YA Paranormal. 4 stars. Review here (Goodreads).
45. Human.4, by Mike Lancaster. YA Science Fiction. 3 stars. Review here (Goodreads).
46. Rot & Ruin, by Jonathan Maberry. YA Horror. 3 stars. Review here (Goodreads).
47. The False Princess, by Eilias O’Neal. YA Fantasy. 4 stars.
48. Between Shades of Gray, by Ruta Sepetys. YA Historical Fiction. 3.5 stars. Review here (Goodreads).
**Booklist reviews
Best book I read this month: I read a lot of good stuff this month, and my favorites were Chime, Department 19, The Gathering, and The False Princess. Except for Kelley Armstrong's book (The Gathering), which is just plain paranormal fun and exactly like her Darkest Powers series, the other three stand out just from being different. Chime has a really unique, distinctive, and odd narrative voice (and I'm a sucker for the unreliable narrator) and a cool swampy, magical setting. Department 19 is a horror/thriller with a surprising literary background worked in well (except for Frankenstein's monster, which stretched credibility even for me). And The False Princess is such a straightforward fantasy that it felt new and refreshing given all the paranormal stuff I've been reading lately, and it reminded me a lot of Cashore's Graceling and even, to some extent, Megan Whalen Turner's amazing works.
Worst book I read this month: Not sure -- nothing was the worst ever, but I didn't really enjoy Witches of East End the way I thought I would. My review of it is not super positive.
32. Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson. YA Fiction. 4 stars.
33. The Bermudez Triangle, by Maureen Johnson. YA Fiction. 3.5 stars.
34. The Little Prince, by Joann Safor and Antoine de Saint-Exuprey. YA Graphic Novel. 3.5 stars.
35. Higher Institute of Villainous Education (H.I.V.E., Book One) by Mark Walden. Juv Science Fiction. 3.5 stars.
36. Chime, by Franny Billingsley. YA Paranormal/Fantasy. 4 stars.
**37. Lost Voices, by Sarah Porter. YA Paranormal. Read ARC from Booklist. 3.5 stars. Review here (Goodreads).
**38. Department 19, by Will Hill. YA Horror. Read ARC from Booklist. 4 stars.
39. Clarity, by Kim Harrington. YA Paranormal Mystery. 4 stars. Review here (Goodreads).
40. Nightschool: The Weirn Books, Vol. 1. Svetlana Chmakova. YA Manga. 3 stars.
41. Nightschool, Vol 2. Svetlana Chmakova. YA Manga. 3 stars.
42. Brave New Worlds: Dystopian Stories, edited by John Joseph Adams. Dystopia/Short stories. 4 stars.
**43. Witches of East End, by Melissa de la Cruz. Paranormal Romance. Read ARC from Booklist. 2.5 stars. Review here (Goodreads).
44. The Gathering, by Kelley Armstrong. YA Paranormal. 4 stars. Review here (Goodreads).
45. Human.4, by Mike Lancaster. YA Science Fiction. 3 stars. Review here (Goodreads).
46. Rot & Ruin, by Jonathan Maberry. YA Horror. 3 stars. Review here (Goodreads).
47. The False Princess, by Eilias O’Neal. YA Fantasy. 4 stars.
48. Between Shades of Gray, by Ruta Sepetys. YA Historical Fiction. 3.5 stars. Review here (Goodreads).
**Booklist reviews
Best book I read this month: I read a lot of good stuff this month, and my favorites were Chime, Department 19, The Gathering, and The False Princess. Except for Kelley Armstrong's book (The Gathering), which is just plain paranormal fun and exactly like her Darkest Powers series, the other three stand out just from being different. Chime has a really unique, distinctive, and odd narrative voice (and I'm a sucker for the unreliable narrator) and a cool swampy, magical setting. Department 19 is a horror/thriller with a surprising literary background worked in well (except for Frankenstein's monster, which stretched credibility even for me). And The False Princess is such a straightforward fantasy that it felt new and refreshing given all the paranormal stuff I've been reading lately, and it reminded me a lot of Cashore's Graceling and even, to some extent, Megan Whalen Turner's amazing works.
Worst book I read this month: Not sure -- nothing was the worst ever, but I didn't really enjoy Witches of East End the way I thought I would. My review of it is not super positive.