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12.31.2010

Best of the Best _ Part II


Book love is a marvelous thing. This is the 4.5 & 5 star ratings of 2010. I love this bleeping books.

Books are listed in order of read from latest. They are not in any other order.

Best of the Best Part II - Young Adult Selections


MoonstoneMoonstone  by Marilee Brothers
young adult, Fantasy
Published August 1, 2008 by Bell Bridge Books
Unbidden Magic Series, Book 1
My Review

A sickly mom. A tiny house trailer. High school bullies and snarky drama queens. Bad-guy dudes with charming smiles. Allie has problems. And then there's that whole thing about fulfilling a magical prophecy and saving the world from evil. Geez. Welcome to the sad, funny, sometimes-scary world of fifteen-year-old Allie Emerson, who's struggling to keep her and her mom's act together in the small-town world of Peacock Flats, Washington. An electrical zap from a TV antenna sets off Allie's weird psychic powers. The next thing she knows she's being visited by a hippy-dippy guardian angel, and then her mysterious neighbor, the town "witch," gives her an incredible moonstone pendant that has powers only a good-hearted "Star Seeker" is meant to command. "Who, me?" is Allie's first reaction. But as sinister events begin to unfold, Allie realizes she's got a destiny to live up to. If she can just survive everyday life, in the meantime.

Paranormalcy. by Kiersten WhiteParanormalcy by Kiersten White
young adult, Paranormal Romance
Published August 31st 2010 by HarperTeen
Paranormalcy Series, Book 1
My Review

Evie’s always thought of herself as a normal teenager, even though she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only person who can see through paranormals’ glamours.

But Evie’s about to realize that she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

So much for normal. 


Being Jamie BakerBeing Jamie Baker by Kelly Oram
young adult, Paranormal Romance
June 14th 2010 by Bluefields Published 

My Review

An accident that should end in tragedy instead gives seventeen-year-old Jamie Baker a slew of uncontrollable superhuman abilities.

To keep her secret safe Jamie socially exiles herself, earning the title of Rocklin High's resident ice queen. But during a supercharged encounter with star quarterback Ryan Miller she literally kisses anonymity goodbye. Now the annoyingly irresistible Ryan will stop at nothing to melt the heart of the ice queen and find out what makes her so special.

Unfortunately, Ryan is not the only person on to her secret. Will Jamie learn to contain her unstable powers before being discovered by the media or turned into a government lab rat?

More importantly, can she throw Ryan Miller off her trail before falling in love with him?


The Forest of Hands and TeethThe Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
young adult, Fantasy
Published July 2009 by Gollancz
The Forest of Hands and Teeth Series, Book 1
My Review

In Mary's world there are simple truths.

The Sisterhood always knows best.
The Guardians will protect and serve.
The Unconsecrated will never relent.
And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth.

But, slowly, Mary's truths are failing her. She's learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future-between the one she loves and the one who loves her.

And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death? 

Infinite Days (Vampire Queen)Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel

young adult, Paranormal Romance
Published  August 3rd 2010 by St. Martin's Griffin
Vampire Queen Series, Book 1
My Review

Lenah Beaudonte is, in many ways, your average teen: the new girl at Wickham Boarding School, she struggles to fit in enough to survive and stand out enough to catch the eye of the golden-boy lacrosse captain. But Lenah also just happens to be a recovering five-hundred-year-old vampire queen. After centuries of terrorizing Europe, Lenah is able to realize the dream all vampires have -- to be human again. After performing a dangerous ritual to restore her humanity, Lenah entered a century-long hibernation, leaving behind the wicked coven she ruled over and the eternal love who has helped grant her deep-seated wish.

Until, that is, Lenah draws her first natural breath in centuries at Wickham and rediscovers a human life that bears little resemblance to the one she had known. As if suddenly becoming a teenager weren’t stressful enough, each passing hour brings Lenah closer to the moment when her abandoned coven will open the crypt where she should be sleeping and find her gone. As her borrowed days slip by, Lenah resolves to live her newfound life as fully as she can. But, to do so, she must answer ominous questions: Can an ex-vampire survive in an alien time and place? What can Lenah do to protect her new friends from the bloodthirsty menace about to descend upon them? And how is she ever going to pass her biology midterm?

NumbersNumbers by Rachel Ward
young adult, Science Fiction
Published February 1st 2010 by Chicken House/Scholastic Inc.
Numbers Series, Book 1
My Review

Whenever Jem meets someone new, no matter who, as soon as she looks into their eyes, a number pops into her head. That number is a date: the date they will die.

Burdened with such an awful awareness, Jem avoids relationships. Until she meets Spider, another outsider, and takes a chance. But while they’re waiting to ride the Eye Ferris wheel, Jem notices that all the other tourists in line flash the same number. Today’s number. Today’s date. Terrorists are going to attack London. Jem’s world is about to explode!

Mister Monday (Keys to the Kingdom, Book 1)Mister Monday by Garth Nix
young adult, Fantasy
Published  May 1st 2006 by Scholastic
The Keys to the Kingdom Series, Book 1
My Review
Seven days. Seven keys. Seven virtues. Seven sins. One mysterious house is the doorway to a very mysterious world -- where one boy is about to venture and unlock a number of fantastical secrets.



Hourglass (Evernight)Hourglass by Claudia Gray
young adult, Fantasy
Published March 9th 2010 by HarperCollins Canada
Evernight Series, Book 3
My Review

Bestselling author Claudia Gray’s Evernight series continues. In Hourglass, Bianca and Lucas have found a way to be together. But it means lying to the people who care about them the most.

After escaping from Evernight Academy, the vampire boarding school, Bianca and Lucas seek refuge with Black Cross, the elite group of vampire hunters led by Lucas’s stepfather. When Bianca’s close friend—the vampire Balthazar—is captured by Black Cross, Bianca knows she has to do whatever it takes to save him. But at what cost?

Hourglass, the third book in this gripping vampire series by the author of the New York Times bestseller Stargazer, has all the romance, suspense, and page-turning drama that have made Claudia Gray’s books runaway successes. 

Ballad: A Gathering of FaerieBallad a Gathering of Faerie by Maggie Stiefvater
young adult, Paranormal Romance
Published October 1st 2009 by Flux
Books of Faerie Series, Book 2
My Review
In this mesmerizing sequel to Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception, music prodigy James Morgan and his best friend, Deirdre, join a private conservatory for musicians. James' musical talent attracts Nuala, a soul-snatching faerie muse who fosters and feeds on the creative energies of exceptional humans until they die. Composing beautiful music together unexpectedly leads to mutual admiration and love. Haunted by fiery visions of death, James realizes that Deirdre and Nuala are being hunted by the Fey and plunges into a soul-scorching battle with the Queen of the Fey to save their lives.

Tyger Tyger: A Goblin Wars BookTyger, Tyger by Kersten Hamilton
young adult, Fantasy
Published November 15th 2010 by Clarion Books
A Goblin Wars Book, Book 1
My Review

Teagan Wylltson's best friend, Abby, dreams that horrifying creatures--goblins, shape-shifters, and beings of unearthly beauty but terrible cruelty--are hunting Teagan. Abby is always coming up with crazy stuff, though, so Teagan isn't worried. Her life isn't in danger. In fact, it's perfect. She's on track for a college scholarship. She has a great job. She's focused on school, work, and her future. No boys, no heartaches, no problems.

Until Finn Mac Cumhaill arrives. Finn's a bit on the unearthly beautiful side himself. He has a killer accent and a knee-weakening smile. And either he's crazy or he's been haunting Abby's dreams, because he's talking about goblins, too . . . and about being The Mac Cumhaill, born to fight all goblin-kind. Finn knows a thing or two about fighting. Which is a very good thing, because this time, Abby's right. The goblins are coming.

Linger (Wolves of Mercy Falls, Book 2)Linger by Maggie Stiefvater
young adult, Paranormal Romance
Published July 13th 2010 by Scholastic Press
The Wolves of Mercy Falls Series, Book 2
My Review
In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past . . . and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack. And Isabelle, who already lost her brother to the wolves . . . and is nonetheless drawn to Cole.

Mockingjay (The Final Book of The Hunger Games)Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
young adult, Dystopian
Published August 24th 2010 by Scholastic Press
The Hunger Game Series, Book 3
My Review

Young Katniss Everdeen has survived the dreaded Hunger Games not once, but twice, but even now she can find no relief. In fact, the dangers seem to be escalating: President Snow has declared an all-out war on Katniss, her family, her friends, and all the oppressed people of District 12. The thrill-packed final installment of Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy will keep young hearts pounding.

Strange Angels (Strange Angels, Book 1)Strange Angels by Lilith Saintcrow
young adult, Fantasy
Published May 14th 2009 by Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated
Strange Angels Series, Book 1
My Review
Then her dad turns up dead—but still walking—and Dru knows she’s next. Even worse, she’s got two guys hungry for her affections, and they’re not about to let the fiercely independent Dru go it alone. Will Dru discover just how special she really is before coming face-to-fang with whatever—or whoever— is hunting her?Dru Anderson has what her grandmother called “the touch.” (Comes in handy when you’re traveling from town to town with your dad, hunting ghosts, suckers, wulfen, and the occasional zombie.)






6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I really enjoyed Paranormalcy and Strange Angels myself. The first book on your list, Moonstone, is a title I haven't heard of yet, though Belle Bridge Books has a tendency to publish books I enjoy. I'll have to check it out.

Natalie said...

I loved a lot of these books too! Especially Paranormalcy and Afterlife. I haven't started the Strange Angels series yet, but I can't wait. I've heard wonderful things about it!

Heather Trim said...

Loved Mockingjay (I actually just read the entire series this year. It's going on my all time fav list!) Thanks for this post, I'm adding a few to my read list for 2011.
Cheers, Heather

heatheraine.blogspot.com

Laurie-J said...

Great ideas for my 2011 reading selections. Thanks!!

Monster of Books said...

Paranormalcy, Infinite Days & Hourglass were awesome books.

Liviania said...

I've only read four of these! (Although I do own three more of them.) I must get on that.

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