The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Book Summery (via Goodreads): It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.

At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.

Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.

Book Trailer:


Book Review:
This was my first introduction to Maggie Stiefvater. Wow! What an amazing introduction. I have been hesitant to pick this up because I am not a fan of horse and I am not a fan of races. This seemed like a combination of both, and therefore just not my cup of tea. I could not have been more wrong!!! What I found was a story of passion, family, drive, and heart. As I stated in my previous review, I love a story told through alternating voices. Puck and Sean's voices were endearing, they were able to really draw the reader into the story. I loved the world-building and the capall uisge. I could have stayed in this world for a very long time. If you're curious about the back story, I highly recommend checking out Stiefvater's post (here) where she talks about her inspiration for writing the story. I am now a huge fan of Stiefvater, and plan to read her Wolves of Mercy Falls series in the very near future! :)

Favorite Quote:

“There are moments that you'll remember for the rest of your life and there are moments that you think you'll remember for the rest of your life, and its not often they turn out to be the same moment.” 

Cover Art Commentary:
I love this cover!  So simple, yet affective. The blood red backdrop. The bold gold lettering. The black horse with the girl riding. It works so well together, and has rich meaning to the story.

Rating:

Reading Reflections: December 2011

Books Read:
Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Dearly, Departed (Gone with Respiration #1) by Lia Habel
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater 

Total Number of Books Read This Month: 4

Total Number of Books Read This Year: 62

Most Anticipated:
Divergent by Veronica Roth

Biggest Let Down:
None!!!

Favorite Read:
Divergent by Veronica Roth

Highest Rank: 5

Lowest Rank: 4.5

Overall Reflection: 
Okay, okay...I know my number of books read is a little low, but seriously, both Divergent and Dearly, Departed were almost 500 pages a piece! I know the quantity is a little low, but quality more than makes up for it! A great reading month as far as quality goes! I am totally in love with Gabrielle Zevin! I plan to read pretty much anything she comes out with in the future! Divergent lived up to the hype! Dearly, Departed was a wonderful surprise! The Scorpio Races were just as fabulous as I had anticipated! Seriously, seriously great book selection this month! *Here's to another great year of reading!* Happy holidays everyone!

Merry Christmas!

Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday!

Dearly, Departed (Gone with Respiration #1) by Lia Habel

Book Summery (via Goodreads): The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country’s political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses.

But fate is just getting started with Nora. Catapulted from her world of drawing-room civility, she’s suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting “The Laz,” a fatal virus that raises the dead—and hell along with them. Hardly ideal circumstances. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble . . . and dead. But as is the case with the rest of his special undead unit, luck and modern science have enabled Bram to hold on to his mind, his manners, and his body parts. And when his bond of trust with Nora turns to tenderness, there’s no turning back. Eventually, they know, the disease will win, separating the star-crossed lovers forever. But until then, beating or not, their hearts will have what they desire.

Book Review:
I'll be honest. I hadn't heard a thing about this book before I picked it up. It was the cover that caught my eye. When I read the blurb on the cover I was hooked! A future Victorian world filled with steam punk and zombies? I was soooo there! I didn't take long to get hooked into this story at all. Nora is just so adorable, feisty, and smart! It's hard not to like Bram either. Really...all the characters are great, even the villains! I love the alternating voices. Each chapter speaks from a different character's perspective. I know that not everyone is a fan of this, but I really like it. It makes for a richer story, in my opinion. The back story of the waring Punks and new Victorians is well thought out and original. I love the political pieces in this story. Habel fleshed out her tale rather impressively, and not in an information-overload manner, but rather in an interesting and engaging way. One thing that kind of bothered me was that the book trailer and the cover blurb really amp up the romance. It is not the center focus of this book. Instead, it's a slow building arc that is to be savored and cherished. Overall, this book was well done and I look forward to the next installment to the story!


Favorite Quote:
“Real ladies can give orders, Real gentlemen can take them, and Real zombies don’t eat brains.” 

Cover Art Commentary:
I'm not gonna lie...I am a sucker for a beautiful cover, and this one is certainly eye-catching. In fact, I had heard nothing of this book, but saw it on the shelf at the bookstore and made a rather impulsive purchase, which I almost NEVER do! This cover is just that powerful! You know immediately that there is something unique and interesting about this book, just from the cover alone.

Rating:

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Book Summer (Via Goodreads): Beatrice "Tris" Prior has reached the fateful age of sixteen, the stage at which teenagers in Veronica Roth's dystopian Chicago must select which of five factions to join for life. Each faction represents a virtue: Candor, Abnegation, Dauntless, Amity, and Erudite. To the surprise of herself and her selfless Abnegation family, she chooses Dauntless, the path of courage. Her choice exposes her to the demanding, violent initiation rites of this group, but it also threatens to expose a personal secret that could place her in mortal danger. Veronica Roth's young adult Divergent trilogy launches with a captivating adventure about love and loyalty playing out under most extreme circumstances.

Book Review:
Let me start by saying this poor book has been sitting on my shelf for a rather long time, just waiting to be read. I have heard so many good things about Divergent, I was hesitant to pick it up. I thought it might be too good to be true. Past experiences have made me somewhat leery of books that get rave reviews. In the case of Divergent, I needn't of worried. It was FANTASTIC. Within the first few sentences, I was hooked. Roth's world building was phenomenal. I loved the backdrop of Chicago (my hometown) as the setting. I found the idea of splitting up society into factions rather interesting and unprecedented. Tris was a strong feminine voice. She carried her strength and curiosity beautifully. I enjoyed going on this journey with her as she struggled to find her rightful path in the "dauntless" world. Four was a great counterpart. I enjoyed the slow build of their romance. Often I find that YA romances start to quick in a story, which can be a little over-the-top and cliche. This was definitely not the case in Divergent. The dystopian perspective was spot on, almost eerily so. All in all, Divergent was an engaging read which I will be recommending for many years to come. I can hardly wait for the follow-up, Insurgent!

Favorite Quote:

“We believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another.” 

Cover Art Commentary:
This cover is definitely eye catching. The flames juxtapose nicely against the blue background. I love the Chicago skyline in the background! :)

Review:

 

Top Ten Tuesday: 'Tis better to give than receive!

 
 A feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. 

This weeks topic: Top Ten Books I Want to Give as Gifts 

1. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
2. A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly
3. Forgotten by Cat Patrick
4. Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
5. All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin
6. Divergent by Veronica Roth
7. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
8. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
9. The Help by Katheryn Stockett
10. Drink, Slay, Love by Sara Beth Durst

 What books would you like to give as gifts this year?

Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin

Book Summer (Via Goodreads): If Naomi had picked tails, she would have won the coin toss. She wouldn't have had to go back for the yearbook camera, and she wouldn't have hit her head on the steps. She wouldn't have woken up in an ambulance with amnesia. She certainly would have remembered her boyfriend, Ace. She might even have remembered why she fell in love with him in the first place. She would understand why her best friend, Will, keeps calling her "Chief." She'd know about her mom's new family. She'd know about her dad's fiancée. She never would have met James, the boy with the questionable past and the even fuzzier future, who tells her he once wanted to kiss her. She wouldn't have wanted to kiss him back. But Naomi picked heads.

Book Review:
I recently read Zevin's latest novel, All These Things I've Done (my review), and just adored it! Ever since, Ganrielle Zevin has been on my list of to-read authors! At the bookstore I saw a paperback copy of Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Zevin, and immediately snatched it. I started reading it at the store, and before long, I was completely hooked! The characters are so individualistic and engaging, it hard not to fall in love with them. What I enjoyed most was making discoveries alongside of Naomi. I loved making mistakes and amends along side of her. Zevin excels at enveloping the reader into the story. It's a talent that I tend to find in books that I really enjoy. Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac is a wonderful example of this. I only had a few minor complaints. While I enjoyed the ending, I thought Zevin could have elaborated a little bit more and left the reader feeling more satisfied. The total page count was under 300, so I feel this could have been accomplished. Also, the world building, while good, wasn't as good as All These Things I've Done. So for these few reasons, I marked Memoirs a half point less than All These Things. Overall though, such a great story! I can't wait to read more from Gabrielle Zevin!

Favorite Quote:

“Above all, mine is a love story. Unlike most love stories, this one involves chance, gravity, a dash of head trauma. It began with a coin toss. The coin came up tails. I was heads. Had it gone my way, there might not be a story at all. Just a chapter, or a sentence in a book whose greater theme had yet to be determined. Maybe this chapter would've had the faintest whisper of love about it. But maybe not. Sometimes, a girl needs to lose.”

Cover Art Commentary:
I LOVE the cover of this book! The simplicity of the typewriter keys is classic, yet inviting. Typewriters hold a lot of meaning in this story. Such a great choice for the cover!

Rating:

 

Reading Reflections: November 2011

Books Read:
The Revenant by  Sonia Gensler
Awake at Dawn by C. C. Hunter
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherine M. Valente
All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin
Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs 

Total Number of Books Read This Month: 6

Total Number of Books Read This Year: 58

Most Anticipated:
Awake at Dawn by C. C. Hunter

Biggest Let Down:
(If I had to pick one)
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Favorite Read:
I'm torn between Awake at Dawn by C. C. Hunter and All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

Highest Rank: 5

Lowest Rank: 4

Overall Reflection: 
November was a fantastic month in terms of reading.  Awake at Dawn by C. C. Hunter was a great installation in the series, I can't wait for Taken at Dusk to release in April! The Revenant by  Sonia Gensler was a satisfying ghost story. While I enjoyed The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin, I felt it lack a certain depth and didn't fully explain some elements of the story. The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherine M. Valente was a whimsical, modern-day fairy tale. All These Things I've Done was a surprising read, I am totally in love with Garielle Zevin's! She is on my list of must read authors! I also really enjoyed Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs, such a fun read! This month might be a little lighter in reading due to school and the holidays.