Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel

Title: Dearly, Departed

Author: Lia Habel

Publisher: Del Rey 2011

Genre: YA - Horror

Pages: 470

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR; Read Your Book Shelf; New Author

The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the mores of an antique era. Sixteen-year-old Nora Dearly is far more interested in her country’s political unrest than in silly debutante balls. But the death of her beloved parents leaves Nora at the mercy of a social-climbing aunt who plans to marry off her niece for money. To Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses. Now she’s suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting a fatal virus that raises the dead. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble . . . and thoroughly deceased. But like the rest of his special undead unit, Bram has been enabled by luck and modern science 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.

One of those books that's been on my shelf for way too long! I finally picked it up and was glad I did. I love a good zombie book and this one had some good twists on the mythos. We get good zombies and bad zombies. We get a future dystopian world (at least for the New Victorians). We get a good adventure story. I will admit that it took me about 100 pages to really get into it, but once I did, I sped through it.  There's a companion novel that I had to put a hold on at the library. 

Gone with the Respiration:

• #1 Dearly, Departed
• #2 Dearly, Beloved

Next up on the TBR pile:

Every Day by David Levithan

Title: Every Day

Author: David Levithan

Publisher: Knopf 2012

Genre: YA Fiction

Pages: 324

Rating:  4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: New Author; Eclectic - LGBT; Blogger Recs; Book Bingo - 3 from everyone but me

How I Got It: Library Loan

Every Day is technically for young adults, but the premise of this unusual book goes much deeper. It asks a question that will resonate with the young and old alike: Can you truly love someone regardless of what they look like on the outside? The main character, A, wakes up every morning in a different body. Day to day, A can be male or female, any ethnicity, any size, and in any type of household. The only constant is that he (we'll go with that pronoun for convenience) is 16. A has been body jumping for as long as he can remember, and he has learned to not leave behind any trace of his presence--until he meets Rhiannon. For the first time in his life, A feels a true connection with another person. But can she love him back? Levithan handles their romance with great aplomb, building to a poignant and beautiful ending that took my breath away. --Caley Anderson

I'll admit that reading the summary for this book, I wasn't hooked at all.  I thought it would be some whiny teen romance book with a gimmick.  I am not afraid to say that I was wrong.  This was a very interesting insightful young adult aimed novel.  While the romance with Rhiannon kept the novel moving forward, I really zeroed in on the passages about what A has learned from being in so many different bodies.  I especially like the chapter where A discusses gender or the feelings of being genderless while body hopping.  It's an interesting take on identity and sexuality.  And I thoroughly enjoyed it!

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

Title: A Game of Thrones (Song of Fire and Ice #1)

Author: George R.R. Martin

Publisher: Bantam 1996

Genre: Epic Fantasy

Pages: 835

Rating:  5 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: T4MC -- Fantasy/Scifi/Steampunk; Genre -- Epic Fantasy; Mount TBR; New Authors; Page to Screen

How I Got It: I own it

Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom’s protective Wall. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens.

Here an enigmatic band of warriors bear swords of no human metal; a tribe of fierce wildlings carry men off into madness; a cruel young dragon prince barters his sister to win back his throne; and a determined woman undertakes the most treacherous of journeys. Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of the Starks, their allies, and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance, as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones.

I've been meaning to get around to reading this for awhile, but somehow I kept putting it off.  Well, I finally starting reading while traveling home to California.  And I'm so glad I did.  It was unbelievably amazing.  Martin has created such an intricate world with a variety of peoples and histories.  I wept with Daenerys and raged against the Lannisters (except for Tyrion).  I feared with Jon Snow and the Night's Watch and delighted in Arya's swordplay.  I speed through all 835 pages in a few days.  I couldn't wait to see what happened next.  Even the changing points of view didn't bother me like they usually do.  I have no idea how Martin will wrap any of this up, but I'm definitely reading them all.

Television Series:

I watched the series before reading the book, but no matter.  The creators changed little things here and there, but mostly kept right to the storyline.  I love the actors, but Peter Dinklage is my absolutely favorite.  He is amazing as Tyrion Lannister.  And Kit Harrington has an amazing strength as Jon Snow.  And Emilia Clarke as Daenerys is just gorgeous.  I can't wait to see what happens in season 2.

A Song of Fire and Ice:

1. A Game of Thrones
2. A Clash of Kings
3. A Storm of Swords
4. A Feast for Crows
5. A Dance with Dragons
6. The Winds of Winter

2013 New Authors Reading Challenge

From Literary Escapism:

Here are the guidelines:

• The challenge will run from January 1, 2013 through December 31, 2013.
• Since this is an author challenge, there is no restriction on choosing your novels. They can definitely be from other challenges. However, the authors must be new to you and, preferably from novels. Anthologies are a great way to try someone new, but only a third of your new authors can be from anthologies.
• I want this to be an easy challenge, so you can pick to do either 15, 25 or 50 new authors. It all depends on how fast you read and how adventurous you want to be.  If you reach your goal halfway through the year, don’t stop. Any new author you try can be added to Mr. Linky. We all want to know about your new experience.
• After reading your new author, write your review and then come back here and add your link to Mr. Linky. Make sure you include your name and the author, but adding the title is completely up to you.
• Bloggers or Non-Bloggers alike are welcome. You don’t have to have a site to participate. You can link up via Facebook, GoodReads or even Amazon if you’d like.

I'm going to shoot for 25 new authors.  I think that's a nice attainable number.  My tentative author list:

1. Ally Condie
2. Matthew Flaming
3. Justin Cronin
4. Sarah Addison Allen
5. Jared Diamond
6. Craig Nelson
7. Mary Gentle
8. Alison Weir
9. Amanda Hocking
10. Adriana Trigiani
11. Caro Peacock
12. Regan Walsh
13. Brunonia Barry
14. Colleen Gleason
15. Jeff Long
16. David Nicholls
17. Maria Snyder
18. Cecelia Ahern
19. Karen Marie Moning
20. Deanna Raybourn
21. George R.R. Martin
22. Bernhard Schlink
23. Jen Turano
24. Elin Hilderbrand
25. Jennifer Donnelly

Locke and Key Vol. 1: Welcome to Lovecraft by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez

Title: Locke and Key Vol. 1: Welcome to Lovecraft

Author: Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez

Publisher: IDW 2009

Genre: Graphic Novel

Pages: 168

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Graphic Novel; New Authors; Mount TBR; Seriously Series; Book Bingo -- 3 from TBR

Locke & Key tells of Keyhouse, an unlikely New England mansion, with fantastic doors that transform all who dare to walk through them, and home to a hate-filled and relentless creature that will not rest until it forces open the most terrible door of them all! Acclaimed suspense novelist and New York Times best-selling author Joe Hill (Heart-Shaped Box) creates an all-new story of dark fantasy and wonder, with astounding artwork from Gabriel Rodriguez.

I grabbed this volume because it has appeared on many other book bloggers' lists.  And I was definitely not disappointed.  This story starts off with a bang and doesn't stop.  We follow a damaged family through their pain and eventual opening of new horrors.  I loved the style of writing.  Hill conveys such emotion through short dialogue bubbles.  The story itself is intense and horrifying.  I sped through the volume on pins and needles.  And was left wanting more... Thank goodness I have Volumes 2-4 just waiting to be read.

Locke and Key:

1. Welcome to Lovecraft
2. Head Games
3. Crown of Shadows
4. Keys to the Kingdom
5. Clockworks
6. Alpha and Omega

Change of Fortune by Jen Turano

Title: Change of Fortune (Ladies of Distinction #1)

Author: Jen Turano

Publisher: Bethany House 2012

Genre: Historical Romance

Pages: 202

Rating:  4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Sub Genre -- Mystery, Romance; New Authors; Mount TBR; Book Bingo -- 1 from TBR Pile; T4MC -- J Author (5 points)

How I Got It: I won it!  An ARC

Lady Eliza Sumner is on a mission. Her fortune was the last thing she had left after losing her father, her fiance, and her faith. Now, masquerading as Miss Eliza Sumner governess-at-large, she's determined to find the man who ran off with her fortune, reclaim the money, and head straight back to London.

Mr. Hamilton Beckett, much to his chagrin, is the catch of the season, and all the eyes of New York society--all the female ones, at least--are on him. He has no plans to marry again, especially since his hands are full keeping his business afloat while raising his two children alone.

Eliza's hapless attempts to regain her fortune unexpectedly put her right in Hamilton's path. The discovery of a common nemesis causes them to join forces and, before she knows it, Eliza has a whole retinue of people helping her. Eliza's determination not to trust anyone weakens when everyone's antics and bumbling efforts to assist her make her wonder if there might be more important things than her fortune and independence.

When all of Hamilton's and Eliza's best-laid plans fall by the wayside, it will take a riot of complications for them to realize that God just might have had a better plan in mind all along.

A good choice to help kick off my new's reads.  I won this ARC a few weeks back and decided to throw it in my suitcase for reading on the plane.  I didn't read it on the plane but devoured it in just two days before my trip back.  The romane, the adventure, and the mystery were all great elements.  I loved Eliza's spunk and Hamilton's devotion.  The rest of the characters were fun and useful.  Zayne and Agatha were by far my favorites.  Piper and Ben were the cutest children ever.  I really enjoyed read this book.  However, I have one issue: the Christian angle.  Suddenly about half way through the book more and more characters are bringing up their faith.  It felt a bit after the fact to me.  I didn't see it as an apparent main theme.  In that way, it seemed just a bit disingenuous.  If that's the angle taken, I would like to see it incorporated at the start of the book.  But even that little issue didn't keep me from enjoying the book.  Plus, I started my year off right with a good read.

Ladies of Distinction

• #0.5 Gentleman of Her Dreams
• #1 A Change of Fortune
• #2 A Most Peculiar Circumstance
• #3 A Talent for Trouble
• #4 A Match of Wits