Follow Friday: July 1, 2011

Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee and is a way for book bloggers to get to know each other better. To join in and make some friends, simply follow the directions listed by Parajunkee on her blog.

This week's featured blogger is Erika at Let's Talk About Books. Be sure to stop by, follow, and say, "Hello!"

This week's question:

Q. ACK! Your favorite book/movie character (example Hermione Granger played by the Emma chick) just walked into the room! Who is it and what would be your first reaction? You get extra points if you include visual stimulation.

A. I think I'm going to have to go back to the very first movie-turned book that had me turning into the biggest geek in town at the time, The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The character/actor? Legolas as played by Orlando Bloom.


I'm a pretty shy person, so I would probably react in much the same way as I did when I met Christina Scabia from Lacuna Coil: smile, say "hi" quietly, and stand back. Yup. Living on the edge. That's me.

Review: Unearthly

by Cynthia Hand
publisher: HarperTeen
date published: January 4, 2011
format: hardcover
pages: 435
source: borrowed from a friend
Amazon / Goodreads / B&N

From Goodreads:

In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . .

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.

Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart.

What I Thought

Unearthly caught me completely by surprise. I wasn't quite expecting the angle that Cynthia Hand approached the story from and was intrigued time and time again as I read each chapter. After the other angel-centered books I have read this year, this one felt fresh and new and had a fairly different tone, which I found to be altogether enjoyable.

Clara isn't what you would expect from a girl who happens to be part angel and is gifted with the ability to do just about anything with easy grace. She may have talents that stem from her angel blood, but in many ways, she is a typical teenage girl. She has interests, crushes, and feels shy quite often when she starts attending her new school. She is endearingly awkward as she learns about the dynamic at the high school near Jackson Hole, Wyoming that she comes to attend after receiving visions about her purpose in life. These visions that led her family to pack up and move have dropped Clara in an awkward situation as the new girl in a new school that is made up of a firm social hierarchy. As she learns about where she will fit in and struggles with a very strong crush, Clara learns more about herself than she might otherwise have.

The approach taken with the angels and angel bloods in this story was done in a very interesting way. There are names for those who are 1/4 angel, 1/2 angel, full-blooded angel, and even fallen angel. I was really intrigued by the concept of the Black Wing, a fallen angel that poses a threat to angel bloods and exudes roiling waves of sadness. I hadn't been expecting a physical threat in this book, just the natural one that Clara figures out she must face from her visions. The Black Wing is a very sinister character based upon its ability to project sadness along with the other frightening capabilities it has. It definitely made for a more alarming sense of urgency when everything began coming to a head in this book.

The characters in Unearthly were, for the most part, very easy to become attached to. I wasn't as big of a fan of Christian as Clara was. Something just seemed to be too reserved about him (and I was right, though I can and will not say for what reason). I much preferred Tucker once he got past his jerky minor role phase and started shining as a full-blown character and love interest. His sister, Wendy, was an endearing character that I wish had been featured a bit more. She had a great dynamic with Clara and seemed to be a very easy-going character. I also liked Angela and can't wait to see what else she will have to offer in the next book. She brought a spunky intensity to the table that was very hard not to like.

One of the aspects that I enjoyed the most was the idea of Clara's purpose. It was a very strong experience for her that led her to become extremely infatuated with a boy she had never met, perhaps mistakenly. The process of deciphering the visions that would allow her to be in the right place at the right time doing the right actions was an intriguing one that brought a lot of depth to the story overall. As I watched Clara attempt to put all of the pieces together, I wondered if she was taking away the correct feelings from her visions and was very interested to see what choices she would make both in accordance with and against the weight of her visions. It made for a very fascinating reading experience that made me reluctant to put the book down for very long.

Unearthly is a surprisingly complex book. From the synopsis I didn't expect that and was very pleased with where the story went. The book came highly recommended, and now I see exactly why. I was sad when it ended with just the right amount of cliff hanger and can't wait to see what is in store for us in the next book. I give Unearthly 5 hoots.

June Wrap-Up

It's that time again! It's the end of the month, so it's time to look back upon all that has come to pass at Starting the Next Chapter for the month of June. STNC hit some new milestones this month. Not only did my blog turn 4 months old, but I also reached and surpassed 300 followers! Thanks, everyone! I've bought some good books, borrowed some good books from both the library and a friend, and received some wonderful ARCs from various publishers, all of which I am grateful for the opportunities of reading. I am behind on the writing of reviews thanks to my computer woes, but I did read and review some great books this month. I read 16 books and have reviewed 12 of them, so far. You can expect to see the remaining 4 reviews in addition to reviews for my July reads in the coming days and weeks.

I've had more of a variety of posts over the past month. Not only did I get to interview the fabulous Cara Lynn Shultz, I also wrote posts about a variety of topics, such as my friend's introduction to the book blogging world and responses to the more incendiary articles that have been published as of late. I hope to have more to offer on my blog in July as summer begins to wind its way down. I have two more months until classes resume and my reading load will have to be reduced in favor of doing well in my courses In case you're wondering, I'll be taking intermediate French (eep!), parliamentary procedure (a speech class), an English methods & research class, and a film studies class (important film performances).

I hope you all will join me during the month of July. Hopefully I will have some good stuff to offer or, at the very least, some teasers for what is to come in August. You definitely will not want to miss that!

I'm still here!

Sorry for my absentia over the past two days. I am having technical difficulties at the moment, so I won't be around very much for another day or two. My poor netbook is on its last legs (it's damn near impossible to turn it back on and when I do, the stupid browser won't let me log in to any social networking sites) and my husband is having difficulty getting our archaic desktop computer up and running (not only is it old, it also has a crappy Linux distro on it). Added to all of that is a feverish post-immunization 2 year old. It all adds up to be a very frustrating week. I hope to back full speed ahead by Friday, but simply don't know for sure. In the meantime, I will do my best to finally reply to all of the comments that were left on my posts since Monday. I hope you all will stick around and I hope to see you all on a more regular basis soon. Cross your fingers that my computer woes reside!

Author Interview: Cara Lynn Shultz, Author of Spellbound

Today is the official release date for Spellbound by Cara Lynn Shultz! This was one of the most enjoyable books I have had the pleasure of reading in recent weeks (see my review HERE). Spellbound is chock full of everything from mystery to romance to weighty issues that teens face every day. I recently had the privilege of asking Cara Lynn some questions about her book, YA lit, and the issues she portrays so well in the pages of Spellbound. If you haven't already, I highly recommend that you read it very soon. Otherwise, you will miss out on a fun and intriguing read.

From Goodreads:

What's a girl to do when meeting The One means she's cursed to die a horrible death?

Life hasn't been easy on sixteen-year-old Emma Conner, so a new start in New York may be just the change she needs. But the posh Upper East Side prep school she has to attend? Not so much. Friendly faces are few and far between, except for one that she's irresistibly drawn to—Brendan Salinger, the guy with the rock-star good looks and the richest kid in school, who might just be her very own white knight.

But even when Brendan inexplicably turns cold, Emma can't stop staring. Ever since she laid eyes on him, strange things have been happening. Streetlamps go out wherever she walks, and Emma's been having the oddest dreams: visions of herself in past lives—visions that warn her to stay away from Brendan. Or else.

Marla: Hi, Cara Lynn! Congratulations on the release of your book, Spellbound. First off, I want to say that I really enjoyed your book. What gave you the idea of implementing past lives and reincarnation in the plot of Spellbound?

Cara Lynn: Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it! I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with the characters at first, to be honest. Emma and Brendan were characters that I'd had for quite some time, and at the end of 2008, I took the characters out and began playing with them. I had a tenuous plotline, at best, in mind. So I just kept writing, exploring different storylines that I thought might work, letting the characters do what they wanted and seeing if it worked. Then one night, I stayed up all night on a writing tear, and I just found it the story that way. That was the night I wrote the book-within-a-book story, and it all just clicked. I don't know if anything inspired it particularly—there wasn't an a-ha! moment—but I've always been fascinated by the idea of reincarnation and past lives.

M: Your characters are very engaging and fun to read about. Do you have a particular favorite?

CL: Thanks! They're fun to write. My favorite characters change as I'm writing. I adore Aunt Christine, because she's heavily based on my grandmother and my aunt. And I love writing Ashley because she's so gleeful and inherently good. Brendan is a blast to write, because he walks a fine line of bad boy and nice guy. But Emma is probably my favorite. I always feel a little guilty when I put her through hell.

M: As I am sure a lot of readers will be interested, will there be a sequel?

CL: Yes! I'm working on it now.

M: Emma undergoes a lot of bullying. Would you say that shedding light on this tough subject was a goal when you set out to write this book?

CL: Yes. One thing that was especially important to me to show was Emma and Brendan's unblinking acceptance of Cisco. His sexuality doesn't matter to them, because it shouldn't. The strength of someone's character is important, not who they love.

M: I really loved that aspect, as well, and couldn't agree more. Can you tell us about any recent reads you have enjoyed and would recommend?

CL: Just two days ago, I read If I Die which was fantastic. I keep raving about it because I honestly really love Rachel Vincent's Soul Screamers series. And I adore the mash-up books: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (Seth Grahame-Smith) and Little Vampire Women (Lynn Messina). I've been on a zombie kick lately. Breathers: A Zombie's Lament by S.G. Browne was awesome.

M: I especially loved the role folklore played in Spellbound. Are there certain folk tales or mythologies that you especially enjoy or were inspired by?

CL: I took four years of Latin in high school (Emma's hatred of Latin is 100% how I felt about it), but I do enjoy the ancient tales of the gods and goddesses. I can't wait to read Aimee Carter's The Goddess Test. But generally speaking, I love fairy tales—and classic fairy tales are the ones that inspired Spellbound. There's some serious Cinderella action happening with Emma. She's got the fairy godmother, the prince, the wicked stepsisters (mean girls at school), evil stepfather...if we wanted to stretch the analogy, the necklace could be seen as her glass slipper, showing the prince that she's his true love.

M: I can definitely see the Cinderella in Emma. If you could meet one author past or present, who would you want to meet?

CL: Hmm...this is tough. I think, for this answer, I have to go way back to when I was a little kid, and pick Laura Ingalls Wilder. She was the very first author I was obsessed with.

M: After the huge response to the YASaves Twitter campaign, a lot of adult readers have been discussing the importance of YA. What would you say is the one current YA novel you most wish had been available when you were a teen?

CL: I'm thrilled that YA now gives a voice to teens who feel like they don't have one. I can't pick a particular one, because I think when it comes to the books that tackle these deeper issues, they're all crucial. Even if you, particularly, weren't struggling at the time, the book might give you a better understanding of a friend who is.

M: That's a very good point. Thank you so much for being here at Starting the Next Chapter today. Is there anything you would like to say to your readers and fans?

CL: Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy Spellbound!

Cara Lynn Shultz's love of supernatural writing began when she was seven and wrote a play about ghosts, which she and her friends acted out on her grandparents' porch. Since then, her work has appeared in Teen People, Alternative Press, Stuff, Us Weekly, The Guardian UK and countless posts on Facebook and Twitter. She is a proud graduate of Fordham University and is currently a senior editor at People.com. Cara lives in her native New York City with her husband, tuxedo cat and eight million other people. Spellbound is her first novel.

Bio and photograph procured at Harlequin.com. Photo credit: Melinda Oswandel

It's Monday! What are you reading? June 27, 2011

It's Monday! What are you reading is a weekly meme that comes to us from Sheila at Book Journey. To participate, simply post what you finished reading in the past week and what you plan to read this week. It is a good way to find other books you may enjoy reading. After you write your post, head over to Sheila's blog to leave your post's link on the link entry form at the bottom of the What are you reading? post.

I had a very good reading week. I was very happy with most of my books last week, though I had to consign one of my ARCs to the did-not-finish shelf, which was very unfortunate since I had been previously excited to read it. I wound up finishing six books between last week and the wee hours of this morning.

**SPECIAL NOTE!!!*** Be sure to come back tomorrow, when I will have an interview with Cara Lynn Shultz, author of Spellbound. Hope to see you then!

What I Finished














Legacy by Cayla Kluver
Lament by Maggie Stiefvater
Hereafter by Tara Hudson













Shadow Fall by Erin Kellison
Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
Want to Go Private? by Sarah Darer Littman

What I Didn't Finish














The Map of Time by Felix J. Palma

What I'm Reading














A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

Up Next














The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting
The Betrayal of Maggie Blair by Elizabeth Laird
Rebel Angels by Libba Bray

Review: Hereafter

by Tara Hudson
publisher: HarperTeen
date published: June 7, 2011
format: hardcover
pages: 416
source: purchased
Amazon / Goodreads / B&N

From Goodreads:

Can there truly be love after death?

Drifting in the dark waters of a mysterious river, the only thing Amelia knows for sure is that she's dead. With no recollection of her past life—or her actual death—she's trapped alone in a nightmarish existence. All of this changes when she tries to rescue a boy, Joshua, from drowning in her river. As a ghost, she can do nothing but will him to live. Yet in an unforgettable moment of connection, she helps him survive.

Amelia and Joshua grow ever closer as they begin to uncover the strange circumstances of her death and the secrets of the dark river that held her captive for so long. But even while they struggle to keep their bond hidden from the living world, a frightening spirit named Eli is doing everything in his power to destroy their newfound happiness and drag Amelia back into the ghost world . . . forever.

Thrilling and evocative, with moments of pure pleasure, Hereafter is a sensation you won't want to miss.

What I Thought

Hereafter is unlike any other book I can recall reading. The story is told from the point of view of the ghost of an 18 year-old girl named Amelia, which made for an interesting read and a departure from what I typically read. Amelia is stuck in a continuous cycle of wandering and reliving her death. Unfortunately, she doesn't remember much from her life. She does not know her last name, her birth date, what year she died, what year it is, or even how she came to die. All she knows is that again and again she loses consciousness and relives her death before awakening in a graveyard. She continues in this cycle until, one day, she saves the life of a boy who has crashed his car into her river. She knows not how or why she is able to save him, but from that point on, she feels a connection with him that will test the limits of her acceptance of her afterlife.

This is an incredibly bitter-sweet love story and is expressed in truly lovely prose. As Amelia and Joshua's bond grows ever stronger, she begins to yearn for a true life. However, she is happy with whatever vestiges of a relationship with Joshua she can get. As the two grow closer, Amelia gathers the courage she will need to find out about her past, brave the ire of Joshua's grandmother, and face off against a frighteningly possessive ghost who has plans for Amelia. The result is a riveting plot that provides foreboding, romance, and intrigue. I read chapter after chapter in my need to know what was going to happen next.

The characters found in Hereafter were captivating to behold. Amelia, who was definitely my favorite, is no push-over. She rarely leaves her displeasure unvoiced and does a wonderful job of standing up for herself. Joshua, while perhaps not the most riveting male lead character I've read to date, is a very likeable character that will leave you rooting for him and he tries to support Amelia as she rediscovers herself and stands up to Eli. Eli, one of the antagonists of this story, is a seriously creepy individual. I suspect that if he weren't a ghost, he would have been an even worse human being. As it was, he was an obsessive individual with a propensity for sneaking about and stalking Amelia. His actions were truly despicable and I disliked him immensely. The only thing worse than Eli were his bosses, which I am afraid you will have to find out more about by reading the book. I wouldn't want to give away the denouement.

I will end by saying that Hereafter wasn't what I was expecting. It was, in fact, much better. I enjoyed everything from the point of view to the settings of the story. Now that I have read Hereafter, I am very much looking forward to continuing the series and can not wait for 2012 to roll around. I give Hereafter 5 hoots for its fascinating concept and intriguing plot.

In My Mailbox - June 26, 2011

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme from The Story Siren where you can share your new acquisitions. They can come from anywhere: through the mail, via the library, purchased from a store, or downloaded as ebooks. It's up to you!

Another week with no new purchases has passed. Instead, I've been visiting the library once again. We're on a budget and I'm trying to save money for the Maggie Stiefvater signing on July 31. I am dying to go and there is no way that I am going to sabotage myself out of the chance. So, I am going to do my best not to spend any superfluous money until then. Once the summer has passed I'll probably be in good shape again. I did, however, get a free $10 B&N gift card from MyPoints, so I was able to treat myself to a new Nook ebook.

ARCs

• Want to Go Private? by Sarah Darer Littman (Thanks to Lauren at Scholastic for the chance to read this one)

• Legend by Marie Lu (Thanks, Putnam/Penguin!)

Netgalley














The Mephisto Covenant by Trinity Faegen
Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick

From the Library

• Tithe by Holly Black

• Beastly by Alex Flinn

eBooks














The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong

What's Your Status? June 25, 2011

This meme comes from Zakiya at Butterfly Feet Walking On Life. The object is to post what you have finished in the last week, what you are currently reading, what you plan to read in the coming week, and what you want to buy next. You can also post about reviews you've written and memes you have done, though these aren't mandatory. I'm also going to include the status of my reading challenges.

I've been a reading fool over the past few days. I've managed to finish three books this week and hope I can work my way back up to four next week. I had to leave one of my ARCs unfinished, as I just wasn't feeling it, which was very disappointing.

Books Finished: Week of June 19 - June 25














Legacy by Cayla Kluver
Lament by Maggie Stiefvater
Hereafter by Tara Hudson

Books I Did Not Finish














The Map of Time by Felix J. Palma

Currently Reading














Shadow Fall by Erin Kellison
Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Next on My To-Read List














The Betrayal of Maggie Blair by Elizabeth Laird
A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Reviews

Crescendo
Legacy
Lament
Hereafter - Coming Soon
DNF: The Map of Time


Posts of Note

A Close-Up of the YA Audience - my thoughts on an article from Library Journal

Starting the Next Chapter is 4 Months Old! - a look at things accomplished and things to come on Starting the Next Chapter

There's nothing quite like a little career suicide in the morning... - my thoughts on the latest ridiculousness, this time from Slate

Challenges
Goodreads 2011 Reading Challenge (67/100, 67% finished) - Even after only having finished three books this week, Goodreads says that I am 18 books ahead of schedule.

2011 E-Book Reading Challenge (20/20, 100% complete!) - I finished my first challenge of the year! It feels pretty good.

2011 YA Reading Challenge (49/50, 98% finished) - Only 1 more book to go! I'm really excited about finishing this one. Too bad there isn't another level, or I would upgrade.

Review: Lament

by Maggie Stiefvater
publisher: Flux
date published: October 1, 2008
format: paperback
pages: 325
source: library
Amazon / Goodreads / B&N

From Goodreads:

Sixteen-year-old Deirdre Monaghan is a painfully shy but prodigiously gifted musician. She's about to find out she's also a cloverhand - one who can see faeries. Deirdre finds herself infatuated with a mysterious boy who enters her ordinary suburban life, seemingly out of thin air. Trouble is, the enigmatic and gorgeous Luke turns out to be a gallowglass - a soulless faerie assassin. An equally hunky - and equally dangerous - dark faerie soldier named Aodhan is also stalking Deirdre. Sworn enemies, Luke and Aodhan each have a deadly assignment from the Faerie Queen. Namely, kill Deirdre before her music captures the attention of the Fae and threatens the Queen's sovereignty. Caught in the crossfire with Deirdre is James, her wisecracking but loyal best friend. Deirdre had been wishing her life weren't so dull, but getting trapped in the middle of a centuries-old faerie war isn't exactly what she had in mind . . .

What I Thought

Once again, Maggie Stiefvater has completely blown me away. I was curious as to the angle that would be taken as I opened the cover and began to read, only to be absorbed into the world of a painfully shy sixteen year old girl. Deirdre is a paradox. She is enormously talented and is said to sing like an angel. Her performances are known to bring crowds to their feet. However, she is also skittish and tends to blend into the background (at least, to her own reckoning). I immediately felt a kinship for Deirdre and could easily connect with her on the level of personality. As she meets Luke and begins to find out that her world is not as it has always seemed, she embarks on a journey of self-discovery, danger, and heartbreak. For all of her shyness, however, Deirdre has an impeccable b.s. radar and she does stand up for herself when she needs to.

The characters that make up Lament are incredibly well-written and I didn't find it difficult at all to see them in my mind's eye. I was especially impressed with the way in which the faeries came to life on the page. It was very easy to reconcile them with those found in the Irish myths and legends I read with so much fervor while growing up. They are every bit as strange and menacing as lore portrays them. Even those that play an extremely minor role stuck with me as I made my way through the book.

Aside from the faeries, there is an interesting mix of human characters. Deirdre's mother, aunt, and grandmother are each a unique kind of woman with their own distinct personality. As their family history comes to light, the strength each exhibits (though it is not always a kind type of strength) sets them apart and adds to the story. The male cast of characters is developed just as well, with the possible exception of Deirdre's father, who doesn't actually play a very big role in the plot. Deirdre's best friend, James, is a charming and funny sort, who also hides some surprising secrets. I appreciated the glimpses I was given and actually wished he could have appeared more in this book. Luke, on the other hand, is a heart-breaking character that you can't help but feel sadness for as you learn more about him. His past is tragic, dark, and full of pain. He was all the more compelling for it and I can't wait to find out more about him.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story line and absorbed all of the nuances that made up the danger sequences and the queen's motives. The plot twists were truly unexpected and I had a great appreciation for how things were wrapped up at the end. This isn't your happily-ever-after type of faerie story. Instead, it is intense, raw, and engrossing. The choices that must be made are not easy ones, nor are the consequences easy. The outcome was a poignant reminder of the tradition that comes with Irish mythology and folklore, and I am truly grateful for not being disappointed in that aspect of the story.

This is a very well-written faerie novel that I had a lot of trouble putting down. The utilization of Irish fairy lore and the vivid character descriptions completely sold this book. This is a library book, but you can be sure that I will be buying a copy of my own at the next available opportunity. Lament has received a well-earned 5 hoots. I believe that this is going to be a much-loved series in my personal library.