Author: Destiny Vandeput

Digital Marketer by day/Writer by night.
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Girl in the Steel Corset: Kady Cross

This was the first time I’ve ever read “Steampunk” genre book. Well, I guess Clockwork Prince is sort of a Steampunk book, but this was a lot more true to the genre.

I liked it. Sort of a alternate history, League of Extroidinary Gentlemen type feel to it. I think she’s making this into a series and I’ll for sure read the rest of them.

I recommend and give 4 stars.

Summary:
In 1897 England, sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne has no one…except the “thing” inside her.
When a young lord tries to take advantage of Finley, she fights back. And wins. But no normal Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a full-grown man with one punch….
Only Griffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she’s special, says she’s one of them. The orphaned duke takes her in from the gaslit streets against the wishes of his band of misfits: Emily, who has her own special abilities and an unrequited love for Sam, who is part robot; and Jasper, an American cowboy with a shadowy secret.
Griffin’s investigating a criminal called The Machinist, the mastermind behind several recent crimes by automatons. Finley thinks she can help—and finally be a part of something, finally fit in.
But The Machinist wants to tear Griff’s little company of strays apart, and it isn’t long before trust is tested on all sides. At least Finley knows whose side she’s on—even if it seems no one believes her. 

Reading level: Young Adult Hardcover: 480 pages Publisher: Harlequin; Original edition (May 24, 2011) Language: English ISBN-10: 0373210337

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Jaguar Stones, Book One, Middleworld: Jon and Pamela Voelkel

I read this book because I’m a big fan of the Percy Jackson series. Like totally love the series even though they are written for Middle Grade.

What did I think about this one? Way too elementary for an adult, but a great read for actual elementary school age kids. I’m definitely keeping this book for something Lyric can read when she gets older, but I won’t be finishing the series. It was good, don’t get me wrong, just too “young” for me.

recommend (for kids) and 4 stars (for kids)

Summary: Fourteen-year-old Max Murphy is looking forward to a family vacation. But his parents, both archaeologists and Maya experts, announce a change in plan. They must leave immediately for a dig in the tiny Central American country of San Xavier. Max will go to summer camp. Max is furious. When he’s mysteriously summoned to San Xavier, he thinks they’ve had a change of heart.  Upon his arrival, Max’s wild adventure in the tropical rainforests of San Xavier begins. During his journey, he will unlock ancient secrets and meet strangers who are connected to him in ways he could never have imagined. For fate has delivered a challenge of epic proportions to this pampered teenager. Can Max rescue his parents from the Maya Underworld and save the world from the Lords of Death, who now control the power of the Jaguar Stones in their villainous hands? The scene is set for a roller-coaster ride of suspense and terror, as the good guys and the bad guys face off against a background of haunted temples, zombie armies, and even human sacrifice! 

Reading level: Ages 9-12 Paperback: 416 pages Publisher: EgmontUSA; Revised edition (April 27, 2010) Language: English ISBN-10: 1606840711

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Firelight: Sophie Jordan

I’ve had this book on my Kindle Reading List for quite some time. The bloggysphere loves this author and this book and so I’ve wanted to read it, but just was waiting to feel “in the mood” to read about dragon people.

How did I feel about it? I liked it!

Have you read this book? What did you think?

Summary: Jacinda is extraordinary–even for a draki (descendants of dragons who can shift into human form): she is a fire-breather. Unique and invaluable to her “pride,” the 16-year-old is kept on a short leash, and it has already been ordained that she will mate with the alpha male, Cassian. Jacinda’s determination to do things her own way finds her nearly captured by dragon hunters, but a surprisingly kind young hunter named Will allows her to escape. Rather than suffer the pride’s punishment for her daughter’s risky behavior, Jacinda’s mother decides the family should flee to live among regular humans. Masquerading as a typical high school student would bury Jacinda’s draki nature until it died out. When Will turns out to be a classmate, Jacinda finds that her inexplicable attraction to him keeps her feel of fire and flight alive. Being near a hunter is the most dangerous choice Jacinda can make, yet her desire for him–and need to preserve her inner dragon–cannot be ignored. This distinctive twist on the popular supernatural romance theme will appeal to fans of the genre, even if a lack of resolution at this story’s culmination may frustrate some readers. “Twilight” fans ready to move beyond vampires will jump right in.

Reading level: Young Adult Paperback:
352 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins (September 6, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0061935093

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Birthmarked: Caragh O’Brian

This was one of my more favorite books I’ve read in 2011. It may be because I had a baby and the protagoinist is a midwife? I’m not sure, but I enjoyed the book. It took a bit to get going, but once it did, I really enjoyed the characters and the dystopian world they live in.
The second book in the trilogy comes out next month and I’m really excited about it!
I will give it 4 stars and recommend it!

Summary: It’s been 300 years since Lake Michigan became Unlake Michigan; the “cool age” is only hazily known to residents of Wharfton, a small village that sits alongside the walled city of the Enclave. Gaia is 16 and works in Western Sector Three with her mother delivering babies, “advancing” the first three per month to live a better life inside the city. It’s a wrenching routine Gaia doesn’t question until her parents are mysteriously arrested by Enclave authorities. Gaia’s rescue attempt is fraught with peril—the burn scar on her face marks her as a “freak” who would never be allowed into the Enclave’s exclusive gene pool—and soon she herself is tossed into a cell with other female physicians. Although the setup suggests speculative fiction, O’Brien’s concerns are corporeal; her impulsive and spirited heroine (who even resists, yes, romance) is the kind readers adore. The facts behind inbreeding and the numerous birthing scenes will give this an added appeal to science-minded teens. Continual revelations push this toward an ending that hints at more to come.

  • Reading level: Young Adult
  • Paperback: 384 pages
  • Publisher: Square Fish (October 11, 2011)
  • Language: English
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Delirium: Lauren Oliver

I had heard a lot about this book as it really made the rounds in the blogging circles as the author/publisher wanted to get the buzz out.

That said, I sort of hesitated to read it because it seemed a little blah.

You guys know that my genre of choice is Young Adult Dystopian Fiction, and this is right up that alley, but the premise of a society that cut out the emotional section of their brains at 18 seemed a little silly to me.

I must say I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Not the best I’ve ever read, no. But I enjoyed it and it kept my attention and actually had me wanting to read the sequal. SO?

I give it a wobbly 4 stars (though it’s more of a 3.5 stars) and I do recommend it.

Summary:
Lena Haloway is content in her safe, government-managed society. She feels (mostly) relaxed about the future in which her husband and career will be decided, and looks forward to turning 18, when she’ll be cured of deliria, a.k.a. love. She tries not to think about her mother’s suicide (her last words to Lena were a forbidden “I love you”) or the supposed “Invalid” community made up of the uncured just beyond her Portland, Maine, border. There’s no real point—she believes her government knows how to best protect its people, and should do so at any cost. But 95 days before her cure, Lena meets Alex, a confident and mysterious young man who makes her heart flutter and her skin turn red-hot. As their romance blossoms, Lena begins to doubt the intentions of those in power, and fears that her world will turn gray should she submit to the procedure. In this powerful and beautifully written novel, Lauren Oliver, the bestselling author of Before I Fall, throws readers into a tightly controlled society where options don’t exist, and shows not only the lengths one will go for a chance at freedom, but also the true meaning of sacrifice

  • Hardcover: 448 pages
  • Publisher: HarperCollins (February 1, 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0061726826