Moonstruck Vol. 1

Title: Moonstruck Vol. 1: Magic to Brew

Author: Grace Ellis, She Beagle, Kate Leth

Publisher: Image 2018

Genre: Comics

Pages: 120

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Graphic Novel

Werewolf barista Julie and her new girlfriend go on a date to a close-up magic show, but all heck breaks loose when the magician casts a horrible spell on their friend Chet. Now it's up to the team of mythical pals to stop the illicit illusionist before it's too late.

The first chapter of the brand new, all-ages magical coffee-laden adventure from Lumberjanes creator GRACE ELLIS and talented newcomer SHAE BEAGLE.

Such a cute little comic I randomly found at the library. I love the fun art style and the characters are too cute. I could give this to any teen and I think they would love it. Definitely recommend this series.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Across a Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund

Title: Across a Star-Swept Sea (For Darkness Shows the Stars #2)

Author: Diana Peterfreund

Publisher: Balzer + Bray 2013

Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction

Pages: 469

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - YA Retellings; I Love Libraries; Seasonal Series - Duology

Centuries after wars nearly destroyed civilization, the two islands of New Pacifica stand alone, a terraformed paradise where even the Reduction--the devastating brain disorder that sparked the wars--is a distant memory. Yet on the isle of Galatea, an uprising against the ruling aristocrats has turned deadly. The revolutionaries' weapon is a drug that damages their enemies' brains, and the only hope is rescue by a mysterious spy known as the Wild Poppy.

On the neighboring island of Albion, no one suspects that the Wild Poppy is actually famously frivolous aristocrat Persis Blake. The teenager uses her shallow, socialite trappings to hide her true purpose: her gossipy flutternotes are encrypted plans, her pampered sea mink is genetically engineered for spying, and her well-publicized new romance with handsome Galatean medic Justen Helo... is her most dangerous mission ever.

Hmmm.... so I loved the first book in this duology (For Darkness Shows the Stars), but this retelling of The Scarlet Pimpernel just didn't wow me. I couldn't quite connect to any of the main characters. I was not completely on board with the terminology used throughout. The first book felt like a logical adaptation of a classic work redone into a post-apocalyptic world. This one felt a little too fantasy/candy-colored future for me. My mind wandered throughout attempting to get through the pages. Just really not my cup of tea.

Paper Girls Vol. 3

Title: Paper Girls Vol. 3

Author: Brian K. Vaughan, Cliff Chiang, Matt Wilson

Publisher: Image 2017

Genre: Graphic Novel

Pages: 125

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Graphic Novel

The multiple Eisner and Harvey Award-winning series from BRIAN K. VAUGHAN and CLIFF CHIANG continues, as newspaper deliverers Erin, Mac, and Tiffany finally reunite with their long-lost friend KJ in an unexpected new era, where the girls must uncover the secret origins of time travel…or risk never returning home to 1988. Collects PAPER GIRLS #11-15

Oh what twists! I'm really enjoying this series to much. I have no idea where the storyline is going and I love it. I love not being able to predict every action. The paper girls are amazing and fun. Can't wait to see what happens next.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Paper Girls Vol. 2

Title: Paper Girls Vol. 2

Author: Brian K. Vaughan, Cliff Chiang, Matt Wilson

Publisher: Image 2016

Genre: Graphic Novel

Pages: 125

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Graphic Novel

The smash-hit series from BRIAN K. VAUGHAN and CLIFF CHIANG continues with a bold new direction, as intrepid young newspaper deliverers Erin, Mac, and Tiffany find themselves launched from 1988 to a distant and terrifying future...the year 2016. Collects PAPER GIRLS #6-10

What an interesting twist?!!?!?!?! I really loved where this series is going. And the four paper girls are just great characters. I loved how we get a few more glimpses into the real situation and I'm starting topic up the language of the old-timers. Very interesting indeed.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Paper Girls Vol. 1

Title: Paper Girls Vol. 1

Author: Brian K. Vaughan, Cliff Chiang, Matt Wilson

Publisher: Image 2016

Genre: Graphic Novel

Pages: 144

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Graphic Novel

From BRIAN K. VAUGHAN, #1 New York Times bestselling writer of SAGA and THE PRIVATE EYE, and CLIFF CHIANG, legendary artist of Wonder Woman, comes the first volume of an all-new ongoing adventure. In the early hours after Halloween of 1988, four 12-year-old newspaper delivery girls uncover the most important story of all time. Suburban drama and otherworldly mysteries collide in this smash-hit series about nostalgia, first jobs, and the last days of childhood. Collects PAPER GIRLS #1-5.

Oh my goodness, this volume is so good! I didn't quite know what to expect, but I do enjoy Brian K. Vaughan's other works. I immediately fell in with the four paper girls and their adventure. I went into this comic blind in terms of the storyline and I'm so glad I did. This was such a treat. I sped through it in just a few minutes needing to see where the story led. Must pick up the next volume!

Next up on the TBR pile:

The One by Kiera Cass

**Reading Challenge Note: When I set my reading challenges in December, I didn't realize that I would be reading just so much so quickly. As the last few months have progressed, I have realized that I need to up some of my challenges. So, I've decided to max out the I Love Libraries challenge and up my goal to 60 books!

Title: The One (The Selection #3)

Author: Kiera Cass

Publisher: HarperTeen 2014

Genre: Young Adult

Pages: 338

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: I Love Libraries

America Singer searches for her happily ever after in this swoon-worthy YA dystopian romance, perfect for readers who loved Veronica Roth’s Divergent, Lauren Oliver’s Delirium, or Renée Ahdieh’s The Wrath & the Dawn.

Entering the Selection changed America Singer's life in ways she never could have imagined. Since she arrived at the palace, America has struggled with her feelings for her first love, Aspen—and her growing attraction to Prince Maxon. Now she's made her choice . . . and she's prepared to fight for the future she wants.

Such a great ending to this trilogy (even though I know there are two more books, I came to think of this as a trilogy). The first two books were pretty fluffy with a big focus on the romance. I was so glad to see this volume branch out and get into the larger issues within the society. I loved finally meeting the Northern Rebels and hearing their point of view. I loved how all the secrets just started coming out in this volume. And while I thought that the ending was a bit rushed, I did enjoy the storyline. I will have to pick up the next two books and the remaining short stories.

The Selection:

#0.5 The Prince
#1 The Selection
#2 The Elite
#2.5 The Guard
#3 The One
#3.5 The Queen
#4 The Heir
#4.5 The Favorite
#5 The Crown
#5.5 Happily Ever After

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Selection Stories by Kiera Cass

Title: The Prince (The Selection #0.5) and The Guard (The Selection #2.5)

Author: Kiera Cass

Publisher: HarperTeen 2014

Genre: Young Adult

Pages: 240

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: I Love Libraries

Before America arrived at the palace to compete in the Selection, there was another girl in Prince Maxon’s life. In The Prince, follow Maxon from the week before the Selection begins through the first day of the competition.

Loved this story from Maxon's perspective. We get to see his actions and hear his thoughts as the Selection begins. And we get to see the first interaction with America.

Raised as a Six, Aspen Leger never dreamed that he would find himself living in the palace. In The Guard, get an inside look at Aspen’s life as a palace guard—and the truth about his world that America will never know.

Not quite as enamored with this story. Try as I might, I never really came to like Aspen as a character. Hearing his story did not change anything...

The Selection:

#0.5 The Prince
#1 The Selection
#2 The Elite
#2.5 The Guard
#3 The One
#3.5 The Queen
#4 The Heir
#4.5 The Favorite
#5 The Crown
#5.5 Happily Ever After

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Elite by Kiera Cass

Title: The Elite (The Selection #2)

Author: Kiera Cass

Publisher: HarperTeen 2013

Genre: Young Adult

Pages: 337

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Popsugar - Halloween; I Love Libraries

Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection, and to win Prince Maxon’s heart. Now six girls remain, and the competition is fiercer than ever—but America Singer is still struggling to decide where her heart truly lies. Is it Prince Maxon—and life as the queen—that she wants? Or is it still Aspen, her first love?

I couldn't help myself and blew right through this volume in one day. I enjoyed it very much, although America's behavior occasionally grates on me. I just want her to make a choice! (Although I imagine that the choice is coming in the third book.) I did enjoy getting to know Maxon more and the various side characters. You know I'll be picking up the next volume soon, but first, I am going to read the next short story.

The Selection:

#0.5 The Prince
#1 The Selection
#2 The Elite
#2.5 The Guard
#3 The One
#3.5 The Queen
#4 The Heir
#4.5 The Favorite
#5 The Crown
#5.5 Happily Ever After

Next up on the TBR pile:

March Volume 1

Title: March Volume 1

Author: John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell

Publisher: Top Shelf 2013

Genre: Graphic Novel

Pages: 128

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Graphic Novel

Before he became a respected Congressman, John Lewis was clubbed, gassed, arrested over 40 times, and nearly killed by angry mobs and state police, all while nonviolently protesting racial discrimination. He marched side-by-side with Martin Luther King as the youngest leader of the Civil Rights Movement that would change a nation forever.

Now, experience John Lewis' incredible story first-hand, brought to life in a stunning graphic novel trilogy. With co-writer Andrew Aydin and Eisner Award-winning artist Nate Powell, John Lewis' MARCH tells the story of how a poor sharecropper's son helped transform America, from a segregated schoolhouse to the 1963 March on Washington and beyond.

I've been wanting to pick up this one up for awhile now and lucky me, the library just had it sitting there last week. This volume is such. powerful depiction of John Lewis's early life through the lunch counter sit-ins. We get to meet some of the big names of the Civil Rights Movement. I really enjoyed the stark black and white panels that accompanied the text. Such a great slim volume.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Haunted Mansion

Title: The Haunted Mansion

Author: Joshua Williamson, Jorge Coelho, E.M. Gist

Publisher: Marvel 2016

Genre: Graphic Novel

Pages: 128

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Graphic Novel

Welcome, foolish mortals, to the Haunted Mansion — enter if you dare! You might think no one lives in this elegant house on the hill — but then where’s that creepy organ music coming from? Are its iron gates meant to keep people out — or keep something in? Get ready to meet the 999 spooks of the Haunted Mansion. But be warned, they’re looking for the thousandth! Legendary ghouls like Madame Leota, the Hatbox Ghost, Constance the Bride and the Hitchhiking Ghosts lie in wait and could appear at any moment. But poor Danny is trapped inside and just wants to escape the foreboding abode. Is there anyone he can trust to help him? Marvel brings the chilling fan-favorite Haunted Mansion attraction to (after)life in the latest spine-tingling Disney Kingdoms adventure!

The Haunted Mansion is my favorite ride at Disney World and Disneyland and I was excited to pull this from the library shelf. It was a fun comic featuring all of the fun ghosts that live in the mansion. I liked the connection to our real world.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Creatures of the Night

Title: Creatures of the Night

Author: Neil Gaiman, Michael Zulli

Publisher: Dark Horse 2016

Genre: Comics

Pages: 48

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Graphic Novel

Two of literary comics modern masters present a pair of magical and disturbing stories of strange creatures who are not quite what they seem! In The Price, a mysterious feline engages in a nightly conflict with an unseen, vicious foe. The Daughter of Owls recounts an eerie tale of a beautiful orphan girl who was found clutching an owl pellet--and how those who would do her wrong would face bizarre, unforeseen consequences.

Two great stories illustrated for the fans. I loved "The Price" when I read it in strictly text form, but it's even better with pictures. I loved the adaptation. "The Daughter of Owls" wasn't quite as excited for me, but it was still enjoyable. I wasn't the biggest fan of the illustration style, but it was nice few minutes reading.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Selection by Kiera Cass

Title: The Selection (The Selection #1)

Author: Kiera Cass

Publisher: HarperTeen 2012

Genre: Young Adult

Pages: 338

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - 365 Days of YA; I Love Libraries; Seasonal Series - Parents Still Alive

Prepare to be swept into a world of breathless fairy-tale romance, swoonworthy characters, glittering gowns, and fierce intrigue perfect for readers who loved Divergent, Delirium, or The Wrath & the Dawn.

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape a rigid caste system, live in a palace, and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon. But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her, and competing for a crown she doesn’t want.

Then America meets Prince Maxon—and realizes that the life she’s always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

This book is so incredibly light and fluffy. It's the young adult romantic comedy. And it was just what I needed to read this week. I sped through this volume and enjoyed every minute of it. Definitely a lot of fun. And that cliffhanger just killed me. I must grab the next book in the series soon. In the meantime, I can at least read the short story prequel "The Prince."

The Selection:

#0.5 The Prince
#1 The Selection
#2 The Elite
#2.5 The Guard
#3 The One
#3.5 The Queen
#4 The Heir
#4.5 The Favorite
#5 The Crown
#5.5 Happily Ever After

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Mad Zombie Party by Gena Showalter

Title: A Mad Zombie Party (White Rabbit Chronicles #4)

Author: Gena Showalter

Publisher: Harlequin Teen 2015

Genre: YA - Fantasy

Pages: 424

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: I Love Libraries; Seasonal Series - Audiobook

Ali Bell and Cole Holland's crew of zombie slayers thought they'd won the war against Anima Industries, the evil company responsible for capturing and experimenting on zombies in an effort to discover the secret to immortality. In the last epic clash, the slayers lost many of their crew and closest friends. But Frosty, the ice man himself, has not recovered from one casualty in particular—the love of his life, Kat Parker.

On the path to self-annihilation, Frosty receives a message from beyond—Kat's spirit returns, insisting he partner with rogue slayer Camilla Marks. Frosty will do anything for Kat. Except that. Camilla is the one who betrayed them all, leading to Kat's death.

But when Anima rises from the grave to become a force the slayers may not have the strength to overcome, Frosty, Camilla and all the slayers will have to work together to survive. And one broken slayer will learn that sometimes, the line between hate and attraction is blurred…and the road to redemption isn't through revenge, but in letting go of the past and grabbing hold of the future.

I have loved this series, but the last book just didn't grab me. It boils down to the change in narration. I was all for Ali's voice and her perspective. Changing it to a split narration between Frosty and Milla just threw me and I never really connected to them. I definitely wanted to finish this series, but didn't love the storyline and characters in this one.

White Rabbit Chronicles:

#1 Alice in Zombieland
#1.5 Cole... Meet Ali
#2 Through the Zombie Glass
#3 The Queen of Zombie Hearts
#4 A Mad Zombie Party
#4.1 Kat in Zombieland

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Conspiracy in Belgravia by Sherry Thomas

Title: A Conspiracy in Belgravia (Lady Sherlock #2)

Author: Sherry Thomas

Publisher: Berkley 2017

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 332

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Share-a-Tea; I Love Libraries; Seasonal Series - Read a series with a new book coming out in 2018

Being shunned by Society gives Charlotte Holmes the time and freedom to put her extraordinary powers of deduction to good use. As “Sherlock Holmes, consulting detective,” aided by the capable Mrs. Watson, she’s had great success helping with all manner of inquiries, but she’s not prepared for the new client who arrives at her Upper Baker Street office.

Lady Ingram, wife of Charlotte’s dear friend and benefactor, wants Sherlock Holmes to find her first love, who failed to show up at their annual rendezvous. Matters of loyalty and discretion aside, the case becomes even more personal for Charlotte as the missing man is none other than Myron Finch, her illegitimate half brother.

In the meanwhile, Charlotte wrestles with a surprising proposal of marriage, a mysterious stranger woos her sister Livia, and an unidentified body surfaces where least expected. Charlotte’s investigative prowess is challenged as never before: Can she find her brother in time—or will he, too, end up as a nameless corpse somewhere in the belly of London?

Picked this one up at the library and devoured it in just three days. I love the twists on the original Arthur Conan Doyle stories. I love the updates in language and subject matter. But most of all, I love Charlotte Holmes. She is just a great character full of interesting quirks. The best part of the book is how she interacts with the rest of the characters. I can't wait for the next book to be published in October.

Lady Sherlock

#1 A Study in Scarlet Women
#2 A Conspiracy in Belgravia
#3 The Hollow of Fear

Next up on the TBR pile:

Murder on the House by Juliet Blackwell

Title: Murder on the House (Haunted Home Renovation #3)

Author: Juliet Blackwell

Publisher: Berkley 2012

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Pages: 338

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR; Seasonal Series - Animal

Word has spread that contractor Mel Turner can communicate with the spirits of the dead, and she’s having a hard time maintaining a low profile. She decides to embrace her reputation for the chance to restore a historic house that calls to her. The new owners, who hope to run a haunted bed-and-breakfast, want Mel to encourage the ghosts that supposedly roam the halls to enhance the house’s paranormal charm.

The catch: Mel has to spend one night in the house to win the project. During the spine-chilling sleepover, the estate gains another supernatural occupant when someone doesn’t survive the night. As Mel tries to coax the resident spirits into revealing the identity of the killer, she risks becoming the next casualty of this dangerous renovation.

I sped through this great cozy mystery in one afternoon. I've really fallen for Mel Turner and her band of misfits. I love her continuing storyline with her ghost-reaching abilities and the storyline involving her various men. The one was a great story involving a little girl ghost, a dead old woman, and a potential bed-and-breakfast. I loved following Mel as she uncovered the history of the house and its inhabitants. I really appreciate that fact that Blackwell includes so much great San Francisco history into each book. Definitely be back for the next one.

Haunted Home Renovation

#1 If Walls Could Talk
#2 Dead Bolt
#3 Murder on the House
#4 Home for the Haunting
#5 Keeper of the Castle
#5.5 A Haunting is Brewing
#6 Give Up the Ghost
#7 A Ghostly Light

Next up on the TBR pile:

Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery

Title: Anne of Avolnea (Anne Shirley #2)

Author: L.M. Montgomery

Publisher: 1909

Genre: Classics

Pages: 276

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Reading Assignment; Popsugar - Childhood Classic I've Never Read; Seasonal Series - Green on Cover

Following Anne of Green Gables (1908), the book covers the second chapter in the life of Anne Shirley. This book follows Anne from the age of 16 to 18, during the two years that she teaches at Avonlea school. It includes many of the characters from Anne of Green Gables, as well as new ones like Mr Harrison, Miss Lavendar Lewis, Paul Irving, and the twins Dora and Davy.

I liked this volume more than the first in the series. Anne at 16 is a much more interesting character than Anne at 11. And I loved the introduction of some new characters and residents of Avonlea. Overall it was a very fun read for the day.

Anne Shirley:

#1 Anne of Green Gables
#2 Anne of Avonlea
#3 Anne of the Island
#4 Anne of Windy Poplars
#5 Anne's House of Dreams
#6 Anne of Ingleside
#7 Rainbow Valley
#8 Rilla of Ingleside

Next up on the TBR pile:

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

Title: Anne of Green Gables (Anne Shirley #1)

Author: L.M. Montgomery

Publisher: 1908

Genre: Classics

Pages: 198

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR; Popsguar - Mentioned in Another Book; Seasonal Series - Set in Spring

When a scrawny, freckled girl with bright red hair arrives on Prince Edward Island, Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert are taken by surprise; they'd asked for a quiet boy to help with the farm work at Green Gables. But how can you return a friendless child to a grim orphanage when she tells you her life so far has been a 'perfect graveyard of buried hopes'? And so, the beguiling chatterbox stays. Full of dreams, warmth and spirit, it is not long before Anne Shirley wins their hearts.

Somehow I have lived for 36 years having never read this book. As a child I was a huge fan of The Secret Garden and Little Women, but never picked this one up. Strange. Having read it, I understand the appeal to young children. Anne is a precocious and entertaining character. It wasn't the best book I've ever read, but I chalk that up to being a grown woman.

Anne Shirley:

#1 Anne of Green Gables
#2 Anne of Avonlea
#3 Anne of the Island
#4 Anne of Windy Poplars
#5 Anne's House of Dreams
#6 Anne of Ingleside
#7 Rainbow Valley
#8 Rilla of Ingleside

Next up on the TBR pile:

For Darkness... Short Stories by Diana Peterfreund

Title: Among the Nameless Stars (For Darkness Shows the Stars #0.5)

Author: Diana Peterfreund

Publisher: 2013

Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction

Pages: 54

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR

Four years before the events of FOR DARKNESS SHOWS THE STARS, the servant Kai left the North Estate, the only home he’d ever known, and Elliot North, the only girl he ever loved, in search of a better life. But the journey was not an easy one.

Loved this little short story focusing on Kai's adventures directly after he left the North estate. I loved meeting some interesting characters and the overall progression of the story.

Title: The First Star to Fall (For Darkness Shows the Stars #1.5)

Author: Diana Peterfreund

Publisher: 2013

Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction

Pages: 34

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

New Pacifica was designed to be a tropical paradise, a refuge for humanity filled with natural wonders and technological marvels. A place of perfect peace where "war" was only a world out of history... or so the privileged teen Persis Blake was always taught.

But then comes the revolution and the death of a queen, and suddenly it's no longer enough for Persis to trust the words of her parents, the lessons of her teachers, and the decrees of the men in power.

One terrible night, Persis witnesses the truth: there are those who will stop at nothing to destroy her world... but is there anyone who can save it?

So this was definitely a departure from the pervious story. I'm intrigued by where this is going... Guess it's time to pick up the companion book.

For Darkness Shows the Stars

#0.5 Among the Nameless Stars
#1 For Darkness Shows the Stars
#1.5 The First Star to Fall
#2 Across a Star-Swept Sea

Next up on the TBR pile:

For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund

Title: For Darkness Shows the Stars (For Darkness Shows the Stars #1)

Author: Diana Peterfreund

Publisher: Balzer + Bray 2012

Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction

Pages: 407

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - 365 Young Adult, YA Retellings; A to Z - F; Seasonal Series - Free Space

It's been several generations since a genetic experiment gone wrong caused the Reduction, decimating humanity and giving rise to a Luddite nobility who outlawed most technology.

Elliot North has always known her place in this world. Four years ago Elliot refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family's estate over love. Since then the world has changed: a new class of Post-Reductionists is jumpstarting the wheel of progress, and Elliot's estate is foundering, forcing her to rent land to the mysterious Cloud Fleet, a group of shipbuilders that includes renowned explorer Captain Malakai Wentforth—an almost unrecognizable Kai. And while Elliot wonders if this could be their second chance, Kai seems determined to show Elliot exactly what she gave up when she let him go.

But Elliot soon discovers her old friend carries a secret—one that could change their society . . . or bring it to its knees. And again, she's faced with a choice: cling to what she's been raised to believe, or cast her lot with the only boy she's ever loved, even if she's lost him forever.

I remember hearing about this adaptation of Jane Austen's Persuasion when it was published, but promptly forgot about it. Thank goodness I saw it on my perpetual lists and finally got it from the library. This is such.a treat! Peterfreund has taken the amazing story of Anne Elliott and Captain Wentworth and set it in another time and place. We still get the social commentary on social classes, but now it's in a post-apocalyptic society. We get an interesting society to explore and fun side characters to liven up the party. We get a bit of mystery concerning the Fleet Posts. And we get the amazing spirit and courage of this books Anne, Elliott North. I sped through this volume just waiting for the letter from Wentworth, Wentforth, to Anne, Elliott. And I wasn't disappointed. I'm very interested to see what Peterfreund does in the sequel, but first, I think I'll read the two short stories.

For Darkness Shows the Stars

#0.5 Among the Nameless Stars
#1 For Darkness Shows the Stars
#1.5 The First Star to Fall
#2 Across a Star-Swept Sea

Next up on the TBR pile:

Birthmarked by Caragh O'Brien

Title: Birthmarked

Author: Caragh O'Brien

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press 2010

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pages: 361

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: TBR Pile; Popsugar - Ugly Cover; Seasonal Series - On My Shelf For Years

Sixteen-year-old Gaia Stone and her mother faithfully deliver their quota of three infants every month. But when Gaia's mother is brutally taken away by the very people she serves, Gaia must question whether the Enclave deserves such loyalty. A stunning adventure brought to life by a memorable heroine, this dystopian debut will have readers racing all the way to the dramatic finish.

Overall a real disappointment for me. I usually like post-apocalyptic fantasies, but this one was just way too familiar. A world ravaged by climate change? Check. Society divided for the "good fo the people"? Check. Clothes colored for position in society and fertility issues a la The Handmaid's Tale? Check. The future of the society hinging on one young girl? Check. The result was fairly boring. I just didn't connect to any of the characters. I wasn't on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what happens next. I just didn't really care. I'm sure there are people out there that loved this one. I just found it very boring and won't be continuing the series. At least, I got one more book off my unread shelves.

Birthmarked

#1 Birthmarked
#1.5 Tortured
#2 Prized
#2.5 Ruled
#3 Promised

Next up on the TBR pile: