Liar by Justine Larbalestier

Liar was one of my book club's picks, so I spent a lot of time analyzing it. The consensus of my BC was pretty 50-50 with this one. Some liked it, some didn't. I was on the neutral side.

The title pretty much tells you the premise, but Liar is about a girl who's a compulsive liar. Her boyfriend, Zach, ends up dead, and she's trying to figure out how it happened while simultaneously telling you bullshit.

It's kind of hard to read a book knowing that the main character could be telling you fiction. But isn't that what an author does in general? The main character is spinning lies - she even says, at one point, that the best lies come from the tiniest details. So I couldn't help but wonder if you could swap Justine Larbalestier for the main character.

If Micah didn't go in telling you she was a liar, I'd have believed everything that came from her mouth. It's an author's job to make their fiction believable, through tiny details, as does the main character. But, of course, there's a difference between a compulsive liar and a writer. The comparisons, though, interested me.

Looking deeper, (especially since I have a lot of smartypants bookclub members) there's a lot of psychological workings hidden in the writing. If you sit down and really think about this book, there's a heck of a lot to think about - which makes it perfect for book clubs.

It's definitely a book that raises questions. Sure, I wanted to throw down the book halfway through and stomp on it a few times. But at least it gets a reaction out of you; you can't really dispute that.

And even though some of my book club members didn't like the book itself, we all decided that Justine Larbalestier is pretty brilliant.

Harlequin Teen Panel

There's a really great program out there for teens looking to be involved in the book process. You can help give your opinion about books and covers and trailers, and you even get free books to read and discuss. I received an email from an employee of Harlequin about this opportunity, and wanted to pass along the info to you guys, in hopes you'd be interested in joining. Here's what was in the email...

"Part of my job is working with the Harlequin Teen Panel, where we talk to teen girls about what they like to read, what they are reading, what they think of the free books I send them (yes, that’s right! I send members of Harlequin Teen Panel free books!) and a whole lot more. I recently sent our Teen panel members a book to read and then asked them what they thought of the YouTube movie trailer we were creating for that book. Their feedback made us change several aspects of the trailer. It was such a cool project to work on. (To see the final trailer you can go to YouTube/HarlequinBooks and look for the Inside Out trailer.) We also talk about movies and TV shows, fashion, and favorite websites and other things you’re interested in."

Yeah, I wish I was 17 again (ZEfron got to! not fair!) because I'd so join.

How to Join: We are looking for girls from age 13 to 17 who live in the USA and who love to read young adult fiction books. We do need your parent’s consent—it’s a legal thing. Visit HarlequinTeenPanel.com to find out more about the Harlequin Teen Panel and how to join.

What do you do as a member? You’ll be contacted at least once a month via email with a survey or discussion about books and other topics. You should also know that we created our panel for market research only, which means I’m not going to sell you anything--ever--I’m only interested in getting your honest opinions.

Here’s what some of the members of the Harlequin Teen Panel have to say:

“I love to read; this is a great way to read books before they come out or even influence them” – Harlequin Teen Panelist

“So far I love being one of your members. The books are great and I have been sharing with my friends. They would also love to join.” – Harlequin Teen Panelist

Are you interested? Visit HarlequinTeenPanel.com/blog to join now!

ETA: If you're over 17, there's a similar program for women's fiction - head to TellHarlequin.com if you want to check it out.

The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa

The Iron Daughter is book two in the Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa, and it's equally as good as number one.

I'm assuming if you're continuing to read this review, it's because you've read book one. If you haven't, you should really check out The Iron King. Click here to read my review of that one.

So, moving along. I'll skip the premise because it's a sequel. Firstly, I want to say: Team Puck. Yes, I love Ash. But Puck is...Puck. Why do I always root for the underdog? It's terrible.

Secondly, I want to say that there's a new character in this book that joins Meghan along her quest. And I absolutely freaking love this character. He was actually in book one, but I'm trying to be as spoiler-free as possible by not telling you who it is. I'm also trying to be mysterious and elusive so you'll want to read the book even more. I'm manipulative like that.

But, seriously, I really enjoyed this book. It was my first Nook read, so I sat outside on my trampoline and kept clicking pages until I was finished. It was light but dark, fun but serious, and ultimately made me want book #3 more than anything. If you enjoyed The Iron King, this one won't let you down.

The one thing I had trouble with was Meghan, solely in the beginning. She seemed weak, not really standing up for herself or fighting when she should be kickin' some fairy butt. But by the end of the book, you see some serious backbone. And I mean serious. So my initial frustrations were made up for in the end.

I have so many favorite scenes in this book, but the problem with being a reviewer is that spoilers are frowned upon. I wish I could blab about them and rave for the writing genius that went into them, but I'll have to just shut up and leave you with this: the scenery and setting was as vivid as it was in the first book. I want to go visit the world Julie Kagawa created. Except it's kind of terrifying and I'd probably die. Maybe if I had Puck with me...

Here Lies Arthur by Philip Reeve

Let me start this review by saying I love Arthurian legend. I'm obsessed with the show Merlin and I've been trying to purchase/devour any books on the subject that I can. Here Lies Arthur was one of those devourments (pretend that's a word!)

This was a more realistic spin on who Arthur and co. could really have been.

The main character is Gwyna and, after being persuaded by Myrddin (/Merlin) to take part in an illusion to benefit Arthur, dresses up as a boy and accompanies Myrddin on his quests. Arthur had raided her town and she had nowhere else to go but with this stranger - more of a bard than a magician - and so she follows. As does her tale.

I thought it was interesting. Every Arthurian legend I've seen or read has been focused in fantasy. This was realistic, and it put a new spin on everything. Myrddin (/Merlin) would spin a new story about Arthur's grand adventures, even though they weren't true, and I got caught up in them like the gullible daydreamer I am. I think that was the point. Myrddin wove tales to make Arthur seem like a better man than he was. In truth, he wasn't a very good one.

Something I loved about this book, though, was the voice. Gwyna's tone was so spot-on and accurate and easy to relate to. I loved it. I had to stop reading to write down quotes (which I promptly lost, otherwise I'd be quoting them here.) It was just...fantastic.

So I handed the book to my 19 year old brother, when he was bored, and he had a very different opinion: "The writing sucked." So I had a discussion (*cough* argument) about voice and tone and character development. He got glassyeyed very fast. But the point is that Gwyna has a certain...oomph to her character that's written in a different style. I loved it, but others won't.

But there was something missing about the story as a whole. A connection to the legends that wasn't there. Arthurian legend has a very mystic quality about it, and this book was strictly realistic. It was, like I said, interesting reading a different spin on it, but I wanted it to go further, darker. It didn't connect with the myths on a level that let the reader get completely immersed.

But as it was, Here Lies Arthur was a good, decently solid read. It was a darker and more realistic side of things. It polished off the mysticism surrounding Arthurian legend and gave you a glimpse of cold, hard truth. It just didn't push that truth as far as I wanted.

You're Not Allowed to Read This

With everything that's happened with Ellen Hopkins lately, it's made me think of a world where censorship was normal.

Imagine people telling you what to read, what to watch, what to think, and what to write. Not only telling you, but forcing you.

Saying you can't think a certain way or act a certain way or write a certain way.

Imagine a world without art - in any form - that makes you want to throw things, makes you want to cry, makes you want to yell at the top of your lungs.

Imagine being handed books with perfect people in perfect lives and written with perfect grammar.

That's more horrifying than any of the books they censor, ain't it?

So go read something trashy. Watch a movie about death. Paint something that scares you. Write something that's raw. Listen to music that assaults your ears. Think critically and question everything. Rebel in the name of something you believe in. Shout your opinion just because you can.

Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken

This was one of the most unique, refreshing YA fantasies I've read in a long time. Wayland North walks into Sydelle's town and life with a flood of rain. North is flawed. He drinks and acts like a cocky punk and insists on keeping Sydelle in the dark about why he chose her to join him on a mysterious mission.

So I might have a massive crush on North. It's bad. He's flawed, but in a way that's tragic and real. But Sydelle hates him. At first.

The world in Brightly Woven was very much like our own, but fantastical. The magic was set up in a very original way, using interwoven threads as the root of magic. It was interesting and different and I loved it.

The plot was fairly simple, following many fantasy books: There's a bad guy. There's a hot guy. There's a quest to save the world. But even though the plot structure itself was similar, the characters and world made the plot it's own. There was a distinct feel for who the characters were and I felt like I really understood them by the end of the book.

It was an amazing read. North is...North. And I kind of want to keep him. Sydelle was a strong character herself, fighting for what she believed was right. I loved seeing these two characters slowly start to trust each other. It's fun. Like watching Jerry Springer. Except maybe a little less intense. And a little less baby mama's. I just loved the way the two MCs bickered and hated in the beginning. (*cough* P&P *cough*) North seemed like a real piece of work (or something), but then you start to understand his reasoning and Sydelle does, too. But that doesn't mean there's not more bickering. Because what fun would that be? I love them both.

I think I'd probably die without a sequel to this one.

August's Epic Contest

July's contest winner is Jessy! Congrats, I've emailed you! Sorry August's contest is so late, but I've had a lack of internet the past couple weeks.

Again, you can win $40 worth of books of your choice! You can choose any you want, as long as it's $40 including shipping. (B&N gives orders over $25 free shipping, so that's a smart flippin' choice unless you want to support a local indie.) There are also stores that ship overseas, like Better World Books. So you can still enter if you don't live in the U.S.

Just fill out the form below!

Author Review: Seeing Redd by Frank Beddor

FYI: I've been mostly internetless the past couple weeks, but I'll be back next week. (I've been dogsitting. They drool.) The new August contest will be up within the next few days. :)

Today, I'm having author Missy Jane take part in my Author Review feature (where authors review YA books). Any authors who'd also like to take part in this feature can feel free to email me.

Missy Jane is a multi-published author of romance and urban fantasy. She spends most of her time lost in worlds of her own making alternately loving and hating such creatures as vampires, shape-shifters and gargoyles (to name a few). When not writing, she spends her time reading, taking photos of her four beautiful daughters and training her husband to believe she’s always right. More information about Missy Jane can be found at her website: http://www.msmissyjane.com

There may be spoilers for the first book in the series, The Looking Glass Wars, ahead:

Everything below this linebreak are the words of Missy Jane.

*****

My introduction to Frank Beddor’s world of the Looking Glass Wars happened entirely by accident. While in line to trade books at a used bookstore, I overheard one of the employees talking excitedly about a book that had been traded in. The cover immediately caught my attention because of the unusual gold tint and when she mentioned “Alice” I had to know more. It was The Looking Glass Wars, book one of the trilogy. When she noticed my interest she told me all about it and handed me the copy she was about to put out on the shelves. I opened it to find colorful illustrations that immediately transported me to another world, where chessmen and playing card soldiers protect a queen with a powerful imagination. Their world is built on imagination and its many uses for good (white imagination) and evil (black imagination). It looked almost like a graphic novel or comic book and I’m an avid collector of both. Plus I’ve always been a huge Alice in Wonderland fan. The book didn’t disappoint and as soon as I finished it I went in search of the sequel.

Seeing Redd, book two of the Looking Glass Wars trilogy, was a little harder to find. As soon as I realized it was available through one of the book clubs I’m a member of, I ordered it and counted down the days for its arrival. While book one set the stage for Beddor’s world and introduced the many characters, book two moved the story along nicely. The conflict built and had me on the edge of my seat, anxiously waiting for Alyss to work through the many obstacles thrown in her way. Beddor did a wonderful job of writing at a level my teenager enjoyed without alienating fantasy-minded adults like me. By the end I was enthralled and knew waiting for the final book would be torture. I was right.

After much book club drama, I finally gave up and borrowed Arch Enemy from my local library. The prologue confused me at first until I realized it was a peek into the future of the story. Alyss, Queen of Wonderland, is again trapped in England in the 1800s where she is known as Alice Liddell, fighting one of King Arch’s henchmen.

Chapter one begins where Seeing Redd left off, Wonderland is still feeling the effects of WILMA and all of the players are scrambling to decide their next move. I like that Beddor didn’t make it easy for Alyss from day one. Even now at the end of the road she has to fight for what she knows is right for her people. He does a great job of humanizing her with self-doubt and emotional fatigue, not only over her fight with her Aunt Redd but also with her beloved Dodge Anders.

Being a romance author, I would’ve liked more scenes between the two of them with much more conversation showing them grow closer. Their friendship is mentioned early in the trilogy but not really shown. In this final story I was hoping the characters would interact more as adults, and I don’t mean physically. However, much of the dialogue between them is only about their situation and not about their feelings for each other. It gave me the impression that a lot happened in the background while my attention was diverted to the other characters.

Redd Heart also does a lot of growing and changing in this book. Where it was easy to hate her in books one and two, I almost pitied her in book three. At one point I was completely undecided about what should happen to her. She is an excellent villain, but Beddor let her vulnerability finally show through her evil and her story could have gone a few different directions. The way it ended for her is still open to interpretation in my opinion and I think she could possibly be seen again. I wish he had expanded on her character a bit more as well. She may even be redeemable…with a lot of rehab.

King Arch, plays a huge role in this book named for him. He has been a character I love to hate since he was first mentioned and that feeling only grew. Beddor did an excellent job of describing Arch and giving the reader a reason to laugh at his downfall. However, his end doesn’t look final.

My all time favorite character in this series is Hatter Maddigan. As I mentioned before I’m a huge comic book fan and Hatter is the perfect comic book hero. He doesn’t play a big role in book three, but he becomes more human and that makes all the difference. I can’t wait to buy the comic series dedicated to his time searching for Alyss.

Overall, I would highly recommend the entire series to fantasy fans of any age. There are a few gruesome elements once Redd finds her cohorts on earth to do her evil bidding, such as Sacrenoir who controls the flesh-eating dead. However, anyone not bothered by mention of battle violence and warfare would enjoy the read. Arch Enemy wraps up the story nicely while still leaving a couple of threads untied. I’m eagerly awaiting any future books by Frank Beddor set in this world.

YA Lit Six

Six young adult bloggers came together, like a cult, to write about writing. We each are at different stages (two of us are published, a few are querying, and some are just typing away like there's no tomorrow.) But we all have stuff to say, so come visit us.

We're called the YA Lit Six, and we post daily Monday-Saturday. We rave and rant about writing and try to be helpful.

I'm Friday. And you can check out my post this week by going here. There's a picture of Johnny Depp - yeah, I went there. I know how to tempt you guys. But hey, it's semi-relevant.

I'd love it if you'd stop by and say hi!

Temple of the Winds by Terry Goodkind

"To fight a magical plague cutting a deadly swath across the land and slaying thousands of innocent victims, Richard Rahl and his beloved Kahlan Amnell will risk everything to uncover its source--the magic sealed away for three millennia in the Temple of the Winds"

Fantasy series in general make me happy. I love getting sucked into a new world - one that's different from our own but has the same universal elements - like love. The romance in this series is epic, but that's only one reason I like these books. I actually read these on recommendation from my brother (who is a very reluctant reader, ironically) and I've been addicted to them ever since.

It's a series of, I believe, twelve books, starting with Wizard's First Rule, where you're introduced to Richard when he was just a simple woods guide. And then he's named Seeker, among other things. A 13th book will be released in 2011.

Each of these books is a heck of a volume. With about 800 or 900 pages per book, you've got a lot of adventures lying ahead.

Temple of the Winds, in particular, was excellent. I'm not going to go too in-depth, because it's the fourth book in the series and I'm not about to spoil the previous ones for you. But it had a tragic spin to it, which I loved because I'm apparently a sadist. It takes a ruler and puts his people in jeopardy; that's not something you see a lot of in literature, but it's something very striking. Politics isn't something I'm really interested in, but reading about the weight of responsibility, especially told from the point of view of a good ruler who actually cares about his people, is emotional. Add in a plague, the death of children, and a second ruler intent on killing and torturing the world, and you've got 800 pages of intense reading. (Not to say there isn't lightness; the romance and humor is good for that.)

Basically, you should read these books. Erica and I created a challenge last year, but we're moving the ending date back to the release date of Book 12 in the series, The Omen Machine, out early 2011. If you've read this series by the release date, you can win some really awesome book-related prizes. Like, really awesome. So go read.

Book Birthday!

I have:

-Reviews to write. A lot of them.
-Winners and new giveaways to announce.
-Interviews to post.
-Book news to talk about.

-Events to go to and write about.
-Book club meetings to discuss.
-Emails to answer.
-Books to read and books to write.

August is going to be really busy. And I'm glad. I'll probably be posting daily, if my fingers can type fast enough.

But today, I'm not doing any of that stuff (okay, maybe a little - I can't help it.) Today, I'm celebrating.

Because my book is officially released on August 2nd. (That's today!)

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's what my head looks like right now.

How should I celebrate?