Waiting on Wednesday: Darker Still

Because we all have something we're waiting for.

Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber
The Picture of Dorian Gray meets Pride and Prejudice, with a dash of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

New York City, 1882. Seventeen-year-old Natalie Stewart's latest obsession is a painting of the handsome British Lord Denbury. Something in his striking blue eyes calls to her. As his incredibly life-like gaze seems to follow her, Natalie gets the uneasy feeling that details of the painting keep changing...

Jonathan Denbury's soul is trapped in the gilded painting by dark magic while his possessed body commits unspeakable crimes in the city slums. He must lure Natalie into the painting, for only together can they reverse the curse and free his damaged soul.

Publisher: Sourcebooks
Series: Magice Most Foul (#1)
Release Date: November 1 2011

Look at the first paragraph of the summary. It's related to a bunch of classic novels. But it's YA. And then it gets a super awesome summary that sounds like an awesome classic novel. But then it's YA.

It needs to be awesome or I'll cry.

The Dawn Treader

This is what you do with books that are falling apart. You don't toss them or stick them in a closet or try to rebind them. You make them ART.

I made the Dawn Treader out of pages from my Narnia books that were falling apart from being loved too much.

Kaylen over on Tumblr made this. Is that talent or what!?

Chain Reaction

Chain Reaction
Author: Simone Elkeles
Series: Perfect Chemistry (#3)
Publisher: Walker Books
How Received: tour

Luis Fuentes has always been sheltered from the gang violence that nearly destroyed his brothers’ lives. But that didn’t stop him from taking risks—whether he’s scaling a mountain in the Rockies or dreaming of a future as an astronaut, Luis can’t stop looking for the next thrill.

Nikki Cruz lives her life by three rules—boys lie to get their way, don’t trust a boy who says “I love you,” and never date a boy from the south side of Fairfield. Her parents may be from Mexico, but as a doctor’s daughter, she has more in common with her north-side neighbors than the Latino Blood at her school. Then she meets Luis at Alex’s wedding, and suddenly, she’s tempted to break all her rules.

Getting Nikki to take a chance on a southsider is Luis’s biggest challenge, until he finds himself targeted by Chuy Soto, the new head of the Latino Blood. When Chuy reveals a disturbing secret about Luis’s family, the youngest Fuentes finds himself questioning everything he’s ever believed to be true. Will his feelings for Nikki be enough to stop Luis from entering a dark and violent world and permanently living on the edge?

The difference between me and a lot of people on the Chain Reaction tour is that I didn't read the first two books in the series prior to reading this one. I mean to - I own both - but I was in the midst of repainting my room and all my books - well...




But I asked Simone on Twitter if I could read the third without reading the first two, and since she gave the go ahead, I didn't mind reading this one.

I can see why so many people love this series; it's very easy to read, and the characters are lot of fun to read about.

I really liked Luis and Nikki; they're really interesting and fun to read about, and I liked that they weren't 'perfect' characters. I loved their attachment to family. Nikki annoyed me a bit at the beginning, though I understood where she was coming from; by the end of it, though, I adored her.

I did headdesk a little bit because I always headdesk when I think characters are getting into stupid situations, and with the Fuentes boys, you really can't help it. But I understood it, for the most part, even while I was headdesking.

And as one of my friends described it - when it comes to the romance, it's basically smut for teens, but it's FANTASTIC smut.

Overall Rating & Final Thoughts: 7/10. Good characters, good plot, and I'll happily go back and read the rest of the series. For everybody who already loves it, I'm sure you'll love this one, too!

Thoughts On: What Makes YA

A few weeks or months or what have you ago, people were talking about what makes young adult literature young adult literature. The character age? Is it the writing style? The simplistic plot? The-

Wait, what?

For me, the only thing that defines young adult literature as young adult literature is the fact that the main character are, indeed, young adults.

I don't care if the book is 320 pages or 754.




I don't care if it's about two teenagers falling in love or one teenager fighting to save an entire nation.




I don't care if it has one simplistic plot or if it has got more plots and characters than almost anyone can keep track of.




I don't care if the subject matter is dark and worrisome or if it's a lighthearted story.




I don't care if the writing is easy to read or if it's beautiful and elegant.




For me, the simple definition of a young adult novel is exactly that: a young adult novel. A novel with young adults.

What other definition do you need, really?

Book Trailers (5)

Another three trailers for you guys - what do you think of them?

Hourglass by Myra McEntire


I love, love, love the book. I hate, hate, hate the trailer. It has everything I don't like - pictures, cheesy music, lack of capitalization on the sentences they use in it. It's just not very appealing and there could have been a much better one.

Perhaps I'll make one of my fan trailers for it somebody.

Solstice by P.J. Hoover


I'm not a big fan of this trailer, though it's a lot better than some of the ones out there. Aesthetically it's pleasing, but I'm not a big fan of the voiceover, at least in what they chose to say.

Retribution by Sherrilyn Kenyon


Hehehehe. I'm sorry - I shouldn't laugh. It's a dramatic - hahahahaha. I'm sorry. The overdramatic voiceover combined with how it's filmed make me think it's a set up for a really really bad drama flick.



Oh dear. None of these really stick out, do they?

Feature Friday: Bookcases (46)

Who said storage had to be boring?




This is for those people who spend all their money sharpening their teeth and making their skin pale and getting contacts in attempts to look like a vampire. They can store their copies of Lestat and Vampire Academy in here. (You can buy it here if you want to spend 2k.)

Friday Fronts: Arcadia Awakens

Part of me really, really likes this cover. I love the font and the texture used for it and the snake is AWESOME.

But the angle of the girl is weird, and the snake just doesn't fit in with the original picture; the Photoshop on this one is obvious. I'd love to see another version of this cover with the same font and the same snake in the same position but with a different girl and maybe more of a background.

Ruby Red

Ruby Red
Author: Kerstin Gier
Series: Edelstein Trilogie (#1)
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.
How Received: review copy

Gwyneth Shepherd's sophisticated, beautiful cousin Charlotte has been prepared her entire life for traveling through time. But unexpectedly, it is Gwyneth, who in the middle of class takes a sudden spin to a different era!

Gwyneth must now unearth the mystery of why her mother would lie about her birth date to ward off suspicion about her ability, brush up on her history, and work with Gideon--the time traveler from a similarly gifted family that passes the gene through its male line, and whose presence becomes, in time, less insufferable and more essential. Together, Gwyneth and Gideon journey through time to discover who, in the 18th century and in contemporary London, they can trust.

I had heard a few good things about Ruby Red before cracking it open, but honestly, I wasn't really paying much attention to it. It looked cute, and it had a cool cover.

I didn't expect one of the best YA books I've read. Ever. It's understandable why it's an international bestseller; it's bloody fantastic.

The great thing about following Gwen (who has a variation of my favorite name for a female of all time) is that, like her, you get just enough of the story to understand what's going on while still being left confused and in the dark. The only benefit you get that Gwen doesn't is the prologue and epilogue, which leave you certain of who is the good guy and who is the bad guy, which I love - because, let's face it, if the rest of the series is as good as this one, we may be wrong after all.

The characters were fantastic. I loved Gwen and how she managed to defy being normal and be normal all at the same time. The ghost were fantastic. The friendship between Gwen and Lesley? LOVED it! Why aren't there more awesome friendships in YA novels!?

And we can't leave out Hot Guy. I mean, Gideon. Same thing. I like him - I hope I'll like him more as the book goes on, because right now he's a hot guy who only managed to redeem himself in the last few chapters of the book. Maybe that was the point.

The other characters - Gwen's family, the people she works with, the people she meets when she goes back in time - are all just as interesting as Gwen herself, and I look forward to reading more about them.

And this plot and world is brilliant and awesome and amazing and I can't go on about it more than that without spoiling it for you.

This was the first time in a long while that I finished the book and actually went and reread parts of it right away. I'm longing for the sequel, even if it means I have to go out and buy it myself.

Overall Rating & Final Comments: 10/10. Absolutely fantastic and rereadable. A must read for anybody who likes YA.
Cover Comments: For some reason I keep confusing this cover with The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland In A Ship Of Her Own Making. Not sure why.

Character Interview: Shattered Souls

Normally I stick to interviewing the authors, but every now and then a blog tour assigns me something fun, like interviewing characters from a book. And does Shattered Souls have a cast of characters.

I don't know that from reading it, of course - though look at this summary! Look at that gorgeous cover!

Lenzi hears voices and has visions - gravestones, floods, a boy with steel gray eyes. Her boyfriend, Zak, can't help, and everything keeps getting louder and more intense. Then Lenzi meets Alden, the boy from her dreams, who reveals that she's a reincarnated Speaker - someone who can talk to and help lost souls - and that he has been her Protector for centuries.

Now Lenzi must choose between her life with Zak and the life she is destined to lead with Alden. But time is running out: a malevolent spirit is out to destroy Lenzi, and he will kill her if she doesn't make a decision soon.

No, I know it from the interview. Please enjoy.

Nicole: Welcome to WORD, you three! What is your favorite part of your story - or your lives - so to speak?
Lenzi: Well, I don’t want to give anything away, but I really like the scene on top of the parking garage. Sometimes a person just has to kick some butt in order to be taken seriously, you know what I mean?

Alden: My favorite scene? Um, well, other than the ones where I get to make out with Lenzi, you mean, right? That would have to be the scene in the graveyard in which we are reunited. It’s a rush to see her for the first time… every lifetime. That never gets old.

Zak: The scene in the Last Concert Café is by far my favorite. I get to play my music and I get the girl. Nothin’ better than that.

Nicole: Speaking of music - favorite songs?
Lenzi: Free Fallin’ by Tom Petty because it was one of my Dad’s favorites. I like the acoustic version by John Mayer, though, because that’s how Zak plays it.

Alden: I like today’s music, but my all time favorite is Mozart’s Requiem. I loved it the first time I heard it and every lifetime since.

Zak: Anything metal. Really. The heavier, the better.

Lenzi: Mary’s favorite song is Not a Day Goes By from the musical Merrily We Roll Along by Stephen Sondheim.

Zak: Nicole didn’t ask that, babe. Nobody gives a rat’s (censored) what the author likes.

Alden: I care.

Zak: Of course you do ‘cause you’re a—

Alden: I’m a what? If I were you, my friend, I’d just walk away about now.

Lenzi: Shut up! Both of you. This is Nicole’s interview. Go ahead, Nicole. Sorry.

Nicole: No apologies necessary. Who would you pick to play you in a movie?

Zak: I’d pick someone who could flatten this punk, Alden, sitting next to me. Oh wait, that would be ME.

Alden: I’m not going to even dignify that with a response, Zak.

Lenzi: Let’s just move on to the next question.

Nicole: Oh dear. I'm almost afraid of my next question now. Which one of these guys do you get along with the best? The least?

Lenzi: Oh, perfect, Nicole. Zak! Alden! Sit down. No. Not next to each other. Move over, Zak. I’m going to sit in the middle. Now, what was the question again, Nicole? Oh, yeah. Which one of the guys do I get along with the best? Well, it’s hard to say. It depends on the circumstances. Neither one right now.

Nicole: And it seems they can't get along ever! If you could have any power, what would it be and why?
Lenzi: Oh, that’s easy. I’d love the power to see the past. I don't remember my previous lives, but all the other people from the Intercessor Council do, so they know stuff about me I don’t. It’s awkward, and honestly, a bit dangerous.

Alden: I’d want the power to see the future. I could prevent Lenzi from ever getting killed again, so that we could grow old together for once.

Lenzi: Oh, Alden. That’s really sweet. ...Sit down, Zak. Sit down and answer the question.

Zak: I’d want the power to fly. ...What? ...Why are you lookin’ at me like that? Did you just roll your eyes, Lenzi? Why? ‘Cause I didn’t spout some mushy crap like he did? It would be cool to fly. Just float up there, ya know? Admit it. You’d like to fly.

Alden: Thanks for having us on your blog, Nicole. Come on Lenzi, let’ go before I do something I’ll regret later.

Lenzi: We appreciate your time, Nicole, and would prefer Mary not know we were here. She gets kinda pissy when we argue in public.

Zak: I’m not arguing. I just answered the question. It would be cool to fly. Wait. You guys can’t just walk out. Can they, Nicole?

Mary Lindsey's writing is a natural expression of her love of reading and a fascination with the flexibility of the human imagination. Books make the impossible possible.

Mary lives in Houston with her husband, three kids, two dogs, her daughter's pet rats, an Australian Bearded Dragon and dozens of Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches. (The roaches are long story—don't ask.)

Clockwork Angel

Clockwork Angel
Author: Cassandra Clare
Series: The Infernal Devices (#1)
Publisher: McElderry Books
How Received: BEA 2010

Magic is dangerous--but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by--and torn between--two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

The thing I love about Cassandra Clare's writing is that it's so easy to read.

If you ask me anything about her The Mortal Instruments series, I can't tell you a think. I think one character's name is Clary. That's about it. Please note that this is a book that I gave a 9/10 here on WORD and raved about; I don't remember a thing about it. Though good, it wasn't duly memorable - clearly.

Clockwork Angel is different. It's better. Not just because I like the time period or the characters, better, but simply because the plot and the characters are more memorable. (Perhaps because I like them better? Or because they're better written? I think the second.)

I loved Clockwork Angel to the point where I spent my time at work thinking about writing this review; it really was quite fantastic. Unlike some writers, Cassandra doesn't add unnecessary detail to her stories and she doesn't make them overdramatic. (Demon pox, anybody?!) It's easy to read and get sucked in simply because the story doesn't overwhelm you.

And then there are the wonderful cast of characters - Tess and Will and Jem and Jessamine and Sophie and Charlotte and Henry, whose names I all remember hours after reading the story. This is amazing. I never remember character names. They're all well developed and funny and intriguing in their own ways. Jessamine may be my favorite after Tess for the girls; I'm not sure yet.

The only thing I don't like is the love triangle that's coming. I knew it was going to happen - I had read reviews - and the set up for Jem x Tess x Will is as clear as day. The thing is, as much as it will be fun to read for most people, yadayada, it's not really necessary. I would MUCH rather read about Jem x Sophie and the problems with Will and Tess than see Tess struggle between two guys. Tess deserves better than that.

Though maybe it won't happen.

Oh, what am I kidding. It's gonna happen.

But I'll read it anyway.

Overall Rating & Final Comments: 10/10. Fantastic plot, remarkable characters, and easy to read.





Oh. I forgot to add that one of my favorite parts of the story is that Tess isn't spending the entire time fighting for TWU WUV. She's fighting for her brother. Familial love for the win.

Butterbeer Cupcakes

There's lots of Harry Potter based recipes floating around - I have the Unofficial Harry Potter cookbook and plan on trying out the recipes at some point in my life - but THIS looks absolutely DELICIOUS.




They're butterbeer cupcakes! It's a little bit complicated because of how many different things you have to make, but I bet they'd turn out delicious. Maybe I can get my baking loving neighbor to try and make them...

You guys can get the recipe here. If anybody decides to make them, let me know! I wanna see how they turn out.

Geekery (What You Need If You're A Geek)

So I was in the shower the other day, thinking - as I often do while in the shower - and my thoughts wandered off to why 'nerds' somehow has a more positive connotation than 'geeks'. Personally, I love both words - and geek is my preferred of the two - and then I kept thinking about geeky stuff.

And then my brain, being an organized place, compiled a list of things that I thought were essential to my being a geek. And part of it is, of course, the love of internet and the Vlogbrothers and literature and all of that, and part of it is - you know - the fun stuff.

Geeky Books
For The Female Protagonist: Queen Geek Social Club
Author: Laura Preble
Genre: Contemporary
Read my review here.

If you're somebody like Shelby Chappelle, a smart, witty, pretty geek army of one, you can't just put a poster up at school and advertise for somebody to be your best friend. But now freakishly tall Becca Gallagher has moved to town, with her dragon tattoo and wild ideas. Suddenly Shelby's madscientist father and their robot, Euphoria, seem normal. They become best friends instantly. But Becca wants to shake things up at school and look for "others of our kind"...and decides to form the Queen Geek Social Club.

The thing is, this guy Fletcher Berkowitz keeps nosing around, asking lots of questions about the Club. He's cute, and interesting, and possibly likes Shelby. Therefore, she must torture him. One good thing about being a loner: no one can break your heart.

I mean, if the name isn't enough for you, I don't know what is. But this is one of the books that makes me proud to be a female geek. And it's a lot of fun to read.

For The Male Protagonist: Geek Fantasy Novel
Author: E. Archer
Genre: Fantasy
Read my review here.

What happens when a science geek and magic collide?

Be careful what you wish for. Really. Because wishes are bad. Very bad. They can get you trapped in fantasy worlds full of killer bunny rabbits, evil aunts, and bothersome bacteria, for example. Or at least that's Ralph's experience. He's been asked to spend the summer with his strange British relatives at their old manor house in order to set up their Wi-Fi network. But there's much more to it than that, of course. It's just that nobody told Ralph. He's a gamer, sure. But this game is much stranger--and funnier--than anything to be found on his xbox.

He is a geek. This is his story.

Asploding bunnies! Fairy godmothers! Geeky boys! It's an absolutely fantastic story; I loved it.

Geeky Games
For The Female Protagonist: Portal (& Portal 2)





I absolutely adore Portal to the point where I've been rebuilding props for the game just to have in my room. The point of the game is to get through all the tests of Apeture Science - alive, of course.

For The Male Protagonist: Fable (& Fable 2) (& Fable 3)





Fable was the first game I ever really got into; it's an RPG set on a fantasy world where you're given various quests. You get to choose whether you get to become good (I always chose good) or evil (you grow demon horns!). It has a soft spot in my heart. I think it's a good game to introduce people to RPGs with.

Geeky Television
For The Female Protagonist: Fringe




Both of the shows I'm about to list are science fiction, so you're going to have to deal with me here. Now, I lost interest in Fringe halfway through Season 2 simply because I didn't have time to keep up with the show - but it doesn't make it any less interesting. It's about Olivia Dunham and her work with the Fringe division of the CIA. They follow The Pattern - events of supernatural tendencies - and try to figure out what the hell is going on.

For The Male (and female companion) Protagonist: Doctor Who




I LOVE Doctor Who. It's quite possibly my favorite television show of all time. It's absolutely brilliant, and there's no possible way I can describe the plot without sounding ridiculous, so here's a fan made trailer.





What are your geek necessities?

Touch of Frost

Touch of Frost
Author: Jennifer Estep
Series: Mythos Academy (#1)
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corporation
How Received: author ARC

My name is Gwen Frost, and I go to Mythos Academy — a school of myths, magic and warrior whiz kids, where even the lowliest geek knows how to chop off somebody's head with a sword and Logan Quinn, the hottest Spartan guy in school, also happens to be the deadliest.

But lately, things have been weird, even for Mythos. First, mean girl Jasmine Ashton was murdered in the Library of Antiquities. Then, someone stole the Bowl of Tears, a magical artifact that can be used to bring about the second Chaos War. You know, death, destruction and lots of other bad, bad things. Freaky stuff like this goes on all the time at Mythos, but I'm determined to find out who killed Jasmine and why—especially since I should have been the one who died...

I can always tell how much I like a book by how often I put it down. I put Touch of Frost down because I had to leave for work, came home intending to read it, couldn't remember where I put it, and read another book until I found it a few days later.

It neatly summarizes what I thought about it. I liked it enough to want to keep reading, but not having it around wasn't really that big of a loss.

The main problem I have with this book isn't the school (it's awesome) or the mythology (it's cool) or the kick ass fight scenes (they're, well, kick ass). It's the main character and her love interest.

I like Gwen, don't get me wrong. And I like Logan. (Please, this isn't a spoiler; if you can't figure out he's going to be the love interest from the first time he's introduced, you're dull.) It's the entire way it was set up.

The thing about this book is that I would have loved it had the love bit haven't been emphasized. And the good thing about this book is that the characters [SPOILER ALERT] don't even date or kiss or anything by the end. They're just plodding along being romantic-ish. [/SPOILER ALERT]

But they're so OBVIOUSLY going to end up together at some point. The killer boy and the Gypsy girl!? Oh, and she keeps LITERALLY running into him. And he's all SMOLDER SMOLDER and she's all BLUSH GEEK WHOOPS and I'm all I'VE READ THIS IN EVERY OTHER PARANORMAL ROMANCE OUT THERE PLEASE GIVE ME SOMETHING NEW.

I would have much preferred to learn more about Daphne's love story. That I liked. It was interesting and cute.

But besides that, I did like Touch of Frost, at least enough to be interested in what might happen in the sequel. Everything seemed a little cliche and cheesy at times, but that didn't stop me from enjoying it. (Maybe it's because I adore the name Gwen and any variation thereof.) I liked the way the mythology was brought in and I LOVED the teachers, absolutely adored them.

Overall Rating & Final Comments: 7/10. I could have used a little less cheese and a little more drama or a little more genuine humor. However, the school and the mythology are really cool.

Feature Friday: Bookcases (45)

Who said storage had to be boring?

“The magnificent book case was a gift from the Emperor of Austria to the Queen of England. It is carved in a Gothic style using oak wood. There are decorative spikes at the very top, similar to a church’s roof.”

I WANT IT. It'd be the centerpiece to an otherwise dull room. That's all you'd need. It'd be perfect.

Friday Fronts: Bunheads

I can't tell if I love this cover or hate it.

At first glance it was really pretty! But then I didn't like the font. And then the skirts looked quite odd. And then their arms looked like stretched out rubber.

I do love the fact that the only part of their bodies you can really see, besides their arms, is the buns on their heads. (I see what you did there, cover designer.)

Minimalist Fairy Tale Posters

My Modern Met has been doing series of minimalist posters. They did a whole bunch of FANTASTIC fairy tale posters I thought you guys might want to look at - here are my favorites.








I'm considering printing and hanging some of them up in my room. They really are beautiful.