Every Day

The concept of David Levithan's Every Day (watch Levithan introduce the book here) really captured my curiosity.  When I heard about the premise, I automatically wanted to read it since it didn't seem similar to anything I'd previously read.  I was right; it was quite unique.

The premise of Every Day (visit Levithan's website) is that there is a being, who calls itself A, who lives inside someone different's body every day.  It or he or she...I don't know, wakes up inside the body of a different person every single morning.  It can access the memories of the host body so as to fit into that life for the day.  At the end of the day, the host does not recall being invaded by the someone unless A leaves a seed of a memory for the person.  Strange, right? 

It's a weird and lonely existence for A.  A never makes connections with others, has no family, has no life of his own.  Until one day, he meets Rhiannon and forms a bond with her.  The day he spent as Rhiannon's boyfriend, Justin changed A's life.  After this, he continually struggles to get back to Rhiannon, which is hard since he's someone different every single time. 

To make matters worse Nathan , one of the bodies A inhabited, is aware that some one lived his life that day.  Yep, that's awkward.  Nathan is convinced that A is the devil.  After this a religious group pledges to find this devil and bring him to justice.  Well, that will be a little difficult if he is a different person every day.

As you can see, this is a pretty unique adventure.  There are plenty of loose ends that Levithan could pick up for a sequel.  I have read rumors of the sequel, but can't locate confirmation of these.  If you're looking for something that most likely different from anything you've read lately, give Every Day a try.

*Every Day is probably better for older teens.

Finale

I had been putting off reading Finale (watch the trailer here) by Becca Fitzpatrick, but not because I didn't want to read it.  I actually put it off because I knew I would love it.  I've been in love with the Hush, Hush series ever since the first one was published.  I just wasn't looking forward to the end of the series.  I didn't want there to be no more Patch and Nora to come.  Sad times here people.  I gave into my curiosity, bit the bullet, and found out how it all came to its glorious end.  And, it certainly was glorious. 

As the series comes to an end, Nora continues to struggle with who she has become as a result of Hank's death, her new Nephil characteristics, and her place as the head of the Black Hand's army.  No big deal right?  To make things worse, the Nephilim doubt both her ability to lead and her loyalty to them as she is rumored to be seeing a fallen angel. 

Nora desperately searches for a way to fulfil her oath saving both her life and her mother's, preserve her relationship with Patch, and prevent an all out war.  Unfortunately, Nora places her trust in some of the wrong people, making her task even more complicated.  Speaking of complicated, enter devilcraft.  It is indeed as bad as its name suggests.

Yes, indeed, the stage is set for a dramatic ending to the series.  However, these things still hold true.  1.)  Hush, Hush is still a series I adore, 2.)  I still think everyone I meet (and those I haven't) should read the series, 3.)  I still hope the movie buzz materializes, and 4.)  I still have a crush on Patch.  So, that sums it up.  If you haven't tried the series, please do.  You can check out my reviews of Hush, Hush and Crescendo here and Silence here.

Bewitching

I suppose I have been under a rock because I was completely unaware that Beastly was a series.  I read Beastly years ago.  How did I miss this?  Bewitching by Alex Flinn is a twist on Cinderella as shaped by the witch Kendra who was responsible for turning Kyle Kingsbury from Beastly into his beastly form.

In Bewitching readers learn background information on Kendra.  She wasn't always the strange high school student who turns the cutest boy in school into a beast.  She's actually a quite sympathetic character...I kind of like her.

In addition to giving insight into the world of Kendra, readers also experience Cinderella in a new way.  Kendra has set out to help a girl named Emma.  Emma's life is about to change because she finds out her stepfather, who has really been the only father she has ever known, has a daughter, Lisette.  This unknown daughter's mother is recently deceased and she will be coming to live with Emma and her family.  Emma is determined to be friends with Lisette, who has evidently not had the cushy life Emma has.  However, Lisette has other ideas.

While the Emma and Lisette story is the main story, Kendra shares other stories from her past that relate.  This was a really cool way to structure the novel. 

All in all, this was a really fun read.  I will certainly be on the look out for another installment in the Kendra Chronicles.

Spies of Mississippi

I begin the new year on my little blog in a somewhat shocking way.  Hold on, people.  Yes, it's nonfiction!  Gasp!  I know, I know.  But, the world of teaching Common Core State Standards is impacting my life in a major way.  As a result of adjusting to the new demands of nonfiction in my classroom, I've been searching for nonfiction books that I really wanted to read.  I know my strengths, and they aren't being enthused about real life.  However, I really can get behind anything including the word spy.  So, obviously, I gave this one a whirl.

Spies of Mississippi: The True Story of the Spy Network that Tried to Destroy the Civil Rights Movement by Rick Bowers was a great way for me to dip my toes into the world of nonfiction.  The book describes the intriguing story of many undercover agents, backroom deals, and jaw dropping plans the government of Mississippi employed to prevent advances in civil rights during the 1960's.  I really liked that the book focused on the events that occurred in one state instead of an overview of the civil rights movement.  This small focus allows readers to learn more about some of the lesser known civil rights crusaders who get lost in an overview.

Also, all the chapters are fairly short and have wonderfully interesting titles including words like clandestine.  Speaking of word choice, this book offers oodles of excellent vocabulary words as well as challenging sentence structure.  I plan to use this book with my classes in early February.  I am excited to see their responses.  They, like me, are intrigued by the title.  Some students have seen the book in my classroom have said, "Hey, when are we reading that spy book?"  If you speak middle school, this is the equivalent of an adult saying, "Please, please, please, let me borrow this book with the most fascinating title I've ever heard!"  True.

Legacy

I am overwhelmingly ashamed that Legacy by Cayla Kluver has been available for so long, and I had no idea!  Seriously, it's just been sitting out there for a couple of years, and I could have been loving it all this time.  Thank goodness I found it now.  In all honesty, it was the perfect time for me to find Legacy because, to me, it is somewhat similar to The Girl of Fire of Thorns (check out my review here), which I adore.  It was very nice to find a series that gives me the same vibe since I will be waiting for the next Girl of Fire and Thorns for quite some time.

In Legacy, Alera, Crown Princess of Hytancia, has reached the age at which she is expected to marry.  The biggest problem with this is that there is no one Alera would like to spend her life with.  Unfortunately, Alera's father the king, has other plans.  He has selected the captain of the guard's son to be Alera's husband and consequently, his successor.  Steldor, is amazingly attractive, strong, capable, and according to Alera, repulsive.  Alera seems to be the only girl in the kingdom to feel this way.  The king, does not take her feelings to heart, though.

As if this were not enough, Hytancia's dark past has returned.  The long dormant enemies, the Cokyri have resurfaced.  The Cokyri and Hytancians were in a vicious war sixteen years ago.  This included the abduction of 48 infant boys.  All of those bodies were returned except one.  This bizarre happening remained a mystery.  That is until the boy returned.  Narian brings with him the mystery of the enemy as well as himself.  Alera is drawn to this intriguing stranger.  But, would her father ever agree to such a union? 

Oh, my!  This is a great book.  I would certainly recommend it highly, particularly if you are a fan of The Girl of Fire and Thorns.  While everyone may not agree that these books are similar, they certainly give me the same feeling of excitement and adventure set in the beautiful time of kings and queens.  Love.  I am excited to read Allegiance and Sacrifice!

Goddess Interrupted

I return to a trip into the underworld again, I mean its been a few weeks, so I felt the need to read a little more about my friends down there.  Goddess Interrupted (watch the trailer here), just like The Goddess Test and Goddess Hunt before it, was fantastic.  Aimee Carter has built an interesting and exciting underworld whose inhabitants are enough like the classical figures to be familiar but fresh enough to be exciting.

In Goddess Interrupted, Kate has returned from her first six months away from the underworld prepared to attend her coronation which will solidify her place as queen of the underworld.  However, as the name of the book would imply, the ceremony is interrupted by dear old Calliope.  Calliope is still brooding over the punishment Kate issued her in The Goddess Test.  This time she's not alone though.  She has managed to partially free Cronus, King of the Titans, threatening not only the members of the council, but all of humankind as well.

As a result, Kate and the others find themselves poised for a war with the Titans.  In addition to preparing for battle with the Titans, Kate also battles for Henry's heart.  Through a crazy twist of fate, Persephone winds up on the scene again.  This definitely doesn't do anything for the strained relationship between Henry and Kate.

So, readers are left with another giant, nail biting cliffhanger.  It's clear to me that I'll need to visit Carter's underworld again very soon.  I won't be able to last very long without knowing what is happening!  I definitely have The Goddess Legacy and The Goddess Inheritance on my to read list.

Sapphire Blue

*Warning: If you haven't read Ruby Red (check out my review here), begin there.  It's fabulous.

I have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of Kerstin Gier's Sapphire Blue for what seems like forever.  I am so happy I've finally been able to read it.

Sapphire Blue continues the story of the time traveling families, the Montrose and the D'Villiers.  Gwyneth Shepherd is of the Montrose line, whose ladies carry the time traveling gene.  She has only a week before the book began learned that she not her cousin, Charlotte, possessed the gene.  Now Gwyneth has been thrown into the world of the Guardians, who maintain the rules and regulations of time travel.  Among other problems with learning you can time travel is the impossibly cute Gideon D'Villers, who accompanies Gwyneth into the past.

Currently, Gwyneth is charged with the task of impressing the ever creepy Count Saint-Germain.  The Count, he is tricky.  He has powers of mind control, and he maintains strict control of the present day Guardians even though his existence is in the distant past.  Oh, man.  He has now called Gwyneth to him so he can learn more about the newest time traveler.

Several mysteries present themselves during Sapphire Blue.  First, Lucy and Paul continue to elude the guardians by hiding themselves in the past.  I continue to question how Lucy and Paul fit into the present time traveling puzzle.  I have some theories...  Second, Gwyneth must attempt to figure out who she can trust.  Her mother warned her not to trust anyone, even her own feelings.  She is beginning to see how truly difficult it may be to learn who is trustworthy and who isn't.  Finally, there is Gideon.  I've got to say, I'm not sure I can figure out the mystery of Gideon either.  One minute he is all smiles and kisses and the next he seems surly.  Boys...

I continue to love this series. One of my favorite details about the book is the lavish description of the costumes Gwyneth wears.  I absolutely adore the descriptions of the fabulous gowns Gwyneth wears as she travels through time.  I cannot wait for Emerald Green.  Hopefully, all my questions will be answered.