Giveaway: Furnace: Solitary by Alexander Gordon Smith

As always with a sequel, read the following review at your own risk of spoilers!!

After putting down Furnace: Lockdown - which effectively ended right on a monumentally massive cliff-hanger ending - wondering if Alex Sawyer actually, really and truly escaped from the underground prison Furnace, I simply took a deep breath, cracked open Solitary and plowed on ahead. You see, Alex has witnessed horror upon horror during his stay in Furnace and just when the possibility of escape is dangled right in front of him, he's brought back to grim reality by the evil Warden and his soulless blacksuit minions. That's right, Alex and Zee are caught and placed in solitary confinement - underneath the main prison - leaving the boys wishing for the relative comforts of their old shared cells.

Solitary confinement leaves Alex questioning his own sanity and he quickly begins to once again dream of that elusive hope of escape. When a monstrous creature who used to be a boy just like Alex opens up his cell filling his head with horrible tales of experimentation and savagery, Alex is once again determined to get out of Furnace - no matter what. He just has to figure out a way past the blacksuits, the killer dogs, the wheezers, the panic-inducing Warden, and miles of solid rock.

It's safe to say after having already read Lockdown, I was ready for the horror that can be categorized as Alex's time in prison. Like it's predecessor, Solitary follows Alex and his friends as they face death and agony time and again only to be pushed deeper into the nightmare of Furnace. Alexander Gordon Smith's intense writing effectively grabs you immediately; dragging you along in the wake of Alex's desperate flight through the depths of that horrible prison. I barely had time to catch my breath between each new harrowing discovery - but that's what makes Alex's story just so compelling. Heck, if I were a teenage boy I'd be eating this stuff up with a fork. And asking for seconds.

And once again, we are back with that same clip-art obsessed cringe-worthy cover artist. But wait you say! It's different! They used blue! And there are targets! Ohhhh... that changes everything. Sadly there is no alternate cover to soften the blow to my eyes.

Read the first two chapters of Solitary here.

series reading order:
~ Lockdown - my review

~ Solitary

~ Death Sentence

Because Everyone Likes a Second Opinion:
The Book Bag review

book source: The Book Smugglers giveaway

******************

Since I haven't hosted a giveaway in quite a while (bad bloggy!) I'm going to be giving away a signed copy of both Furnace: Lockdown (my review) and Furnace: Solitary to one lucky commenter who tells me what scares you the most. That's right two signed books to one lucky commenter!

Giveaway Guidelines:

• Open to US residents only
• Must be a follower
  
• Leave a comment answering the question: what scares you the most?
  
• Include your email
• Entries must be received by midnight on January 31st
  

Really? Really?!?

The hubby regularly checks in at My Life is Average and occasionally will pass along one of the funnier posts. Today however he shared one that could only be described as cringe-worthy.

The other day I was in the car with my mom when I randomly ask "If there's a place to rent movies, why isn't there one to rent books?" She then went into a 15 minute description of something called a library. MLIA.

::jawdrops::

Seriously people?

Glass Houses by Rachel Caine

Freakishly smart Claire Danvers has always lived on the outside. Never exactly the popular girl, Claire has been fine with her low social status until she started her freshmen year of college in Morganville, Texas at sixteen years of age and took the role of social outcast to a whole new level. After innocently making a bad impression with the reigning Queen Bee of Cruel, overnight Claire turned from simply unpopular to walking punching bag. Claire decides to ditch her on-campus lodgings in favor of an off-campus abode hoping the old 'out of sight, out of mind' adage will do the trick. Even though she isn't exactly crossing her fingers. As luck will have it, Claire manages to stumble across a listing for the Glass House: occupied by Michael Glass (owner and local man of mystery), Eve (bubbly goth girl), and Shane (slacker hottie who likes x-box) - all of whom have secrets galore. In the Glass House, Claire discovers her sleepy college town is actually controlled by vampires and that none of her roommates (Claire included) are currently under the protection of a vampire - effectively branding them all as fair game. Suddenly Claire's got a lot more to worry about than just midterms.

One of the main reasons I was looking forward to reading Rachel Caine's Morganville Vampires series is because her vampires are just that. Evil bloodsuckers who basically want humans controlled and docile. Or dead. None of this sexy, misunderstood souls business - Morganville vampires can be easily labeled as villains. And can I just say that for once, it's nice to be on sure footing where the bad guys are concerned. Vampires = bad. Humans = good. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. Well, that equation normally holds true, but like any good story it isn't always so black and white; but more on that in the next book, The Dead Girls' Dance.

Claire's story was decent, but it wasn't until she meets up with her three roommates in the Glass House that the pages really started turning. Not that I don't like Claire - I do, to an extent - but Michael, Eve, and Shane just happened to up the entertainment ante much faster than our bookish heroine has previously accomplished. It also helps that Claire develops a backbone while living in the Glass House, making her infinitely more likable. Her three roommates have a nice, comfortable banter with each filling a specific role which helped me relax and fall into the story more than anything else.

Glass Houses is fast-paced and quite short and I quite enjoyed Claire's story but every so often little details would pop up that would end up completely pulling me out of the story. Like when this scary old vampire lady calls Claire 'winsome' and Claire has no idea what she means. Really? A girl who reads anything and graduated from high school at 16 doesn't know what winsome means? Huh. I guess those SATs aren't as tough as they used to be. I mean, I know Claire is mainly math and science smart, but it happened a couple of different times and just didn't fit.

series reading order:
~ Glass Houses
~ The Dead Girls' Dance
~ Midnight Alley
~ Feast of Fools
~ Lord of Misrule
~ Carpe Corpus
~ Fade Out
~ Kiss of Death (April 2010)

Because Everyone Likes a Second Opinion:
The Book Bag review
The Bookette review
Confessions of a Bibliophile review
Just Listen Book Reviews
ya Reads review

book source: my local library

Book Blogger Holiday Swap

For the first time, I participated in the Book Blogger Holiday Swap this year. I know this post is a bit later than everyone else's but since I moved right before the holidays to the Middle of Nowhere, my package took a little longer than average to arrive. But it came today (Yipee!!) and I couldn't be happier with what my sweet secret santa Melissa of Book Nut sent:
To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis
Cotillion by Georgette Heyer
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
chocolate(!!)

Melissa must have done her homework, becuase I've been meaning to pick up both a Georgette Heyer and To Say Nothing of the Dog for a long time. So now there's no excuse. And of course, who doesn't love Westerfeld and chocolate?

Thank you again Melissa!!

Heart's Blood by Juliet Marillier

Juliet Marillier is one author I have come to know and love over the past year. Her writing is always lush and evocative and she never fails to take a story places that I truly never expected it to go. So as I settled into her latest, Heart's Blood, I was delighted to find myself in a suitably misty and atmospheric Celtic retelling of Beauty and the Beast that could only be described as vintage Marillier.

Running from an abusive situation, the young scribe Caitrin doesn't know where she is going, she just knows she has to go now. After traveling for days she stumbles upon the strange village of Whistling Tor whose occupants fill her head with strange tales of their young Lord Anluan - a cripple who never leaves his hilltop castle. But Caitrin is desperate and when Anluan's servant comes to the village looking for a scribe, Caitrin jumps at the chance, even though she is strongly warned against journeying to the crumbling castle with its strange and remote inhabitants. Upon her arrival Caitrin is confronted with a monumental task that will require all her wits and strength and a Lord who is struggling to simply keep his estate intact - and who doesn't exactly even want her around. Slowly, Caitrin and Anluan begin to work together, unearthing chilling family secrets long buried while they quickly discover they must depend on each other in order to turn the tide of misfortune for all of Whistling Tor.

Perhaps what makes Caitrin and Anluan's love story so poetic is how they both truly only want to make the other happy - through whatever means, even if it means letting go. It's not easy or even destiny for these two (more than one large obstacle stands between them and HEA) but they simply work together in a mature and selfless way that just makes them both better people in their own time. ::sigh::

It never fails to surprise me how good Juliet Marillier is at taking a very well known and beloved fairy tale (read: Beauty and the Beast or the Seven Swans) and subtly twisting or manipulating it until the story itself is something totally new and unique. Small and subtle details are left along the way (a magic mirror, a man deformed) to remind the reader that you are still in a particular tale; just not like you've ever heard it. Marillier has such a gift for making every single story her very own, which only makes everything she writes simply a pleasure to read.

**By the way, this is actually the UK cover which I adore as opposed to the US cover which is sorta meh.

Because Everyone Likes a Second Opinion:
The Book Muncher review

The Book Smugglers review

The Neverending Shelf review

Specusphere review

Tempting Persephone review

book source: my local library

Free Books, Movies, Oh my!

After wandering around the blogsphere while stuffing my face with leftover pumpkin pie (who doesn't love the holidays and time off?), I'm stumbled across some very fun things I want to pass along.

Books become Movies:

One of my favorite British series has to be the Confessions of Georgia Nicholson by Louise Rennison. Girl is a Riot. If you haven't experienced the hilarity of Georgia yet: imagine if Bridget Jones had started her diary when she was still a teenage walking disaster. Love the books and thanks to the GreenBeanTeenQueen I just spotted the trailer for the movie Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging which will air on Nickelodeon on January 1st. I've got my fingers crossed that it'll be good - I might be more than a little excited to watch this one.

PBS Masterpiece just gets better every year. I adored the Jane Austen remakes last year - which totally changed my opinion of Northanger Abbey, thank-you-very-much. For their 2009 season they are premiering such favorites as Emma and Return to Cranford. But if you haven't yet seen the first part of Cranford (which aired last year starring the luscious Judi Dench), they are rebroadcasting it on Sunday or you can watch each episode online for a few more weeks.

Free Reads:

Lisa McMann is offering her readers a chance to download a free copy of Wake. You have until 12/31/09 to download it and 30 days to read, so hop over to her blog for all the details.

Maureen Johnson - Queen of Cheer - (also author extraordinaire) is giving everyone a free ebook of Suite Scarlett. You can only download this marvy book until 1/15/09, so hurry over.

Happy New Years Everybody!!

Furnace: Lockdown by Alexander Gordon Smith

When Lockdown came for me in the mail I might have experienced a slight panic attack. You see, ever since the ninth grade when my friend lent me her copy of Stephen King's Misery and I ended up alternating between wide-eyed panic and downright terror anytime I got near a car or was left alone, I vowed to steer clear of the horror genre henceforth. I've remained steadfast in my resolve for many years now, only to be tempted to crumble in the face of Alexander Gordon Smith's horrific view of a teenage prison, Furnace. I reasoned with myself that one, Furnace is actually labeled YA fiction, so really it can't be that bad and two, seeing as I am an adult, I could probably get through this one just fine.

Riiiiight.

There's probably a good reason why I haven't stepped foot near a haunted house in over six years.*

Alex Sawyer has been condemned to life behind bars for a crime he didn't commit. Although he's not looking forward to time spent in a sparse juvy institution - no, after murderous teenagers killed innocent victims on the streets of England, Alex has been sent to the imposing prison Furnace. A prison constructed to hold any and all dangerous youth and the only sentence at Furnace is a life-sentence, basically a death-sentence. As Alex tries to navigate his way through the harsh reality of his new life - fear, hide, fear, work, fear - he begins to dream of the unthinkable: escape.

When asked about his inspiration for the horrific conditions of Furnace in an interview with The Discriminating Fangirl, Smith explained:

I was thinking less about the news and more about my own worst fears. The thought of being convicted of a crime you didn't commit, and spending your life in jail, is absolutely terrifying.

And terrifying it is. From the heartless jailers to the complete lack of parental control or contact with the inmates on the inside, Furnace is a place directly out of anyone's nightmares (including this reviewer). That said, I was surprised to find Alex's story was full of heart. I know, cliche right? But I have to admit Alex's buff and gruff cell-mate Donovan and his fellow newbie Zee were bright spots in an otherwise red haze.

And for all of you who are scratching their heads with me over the cover? Please, please someone help that clip-art happy cover artist. Dogs! Barb-wire! Guns! Red strobe lights! I feel like I'm looking at some 10th grader's collage on nightmares and frankly it just gives me a headache. The UK cover is much better.

Let's just say after diving deep into the terrifying underbelly of Furnace, I think I'm going back to my original policy of no horror. Although it didn't exactly leave me with nightmares, I'll be the first to admit that I at least like the possibility of rainbows and a happy ever after. Which will never feature in a Furnace book. Never. Smith does a good job of dangling the possibility just out of reach, but it doesn't happen. That's not to say I'm not totally rooting for Alex to figure his way out of Furnace. I am. I'm just not crossing my fingers that it'll happen any time soon.

* You guessed it: It's because I'm a wuss.

series reading order:

~ Lockdown

~ Solitary

~ Death Sentence

Because Everyone Likes a Second Opinion:

The Book Smugglers review

The Discriminating Fangirl review

Fantasy Book Critic review

Squeaky Books review

book source: The Book Smugglers giveaway

See Michelle Read in 2009

2009 was a pretty busy year for me and full of firsts. I quit my dream job as a librarian to be a full-time mom, I moved 3 times (to 3 different states), and started this here bloggy in order to keep my sanity while I stay at home with a toddler. Of course, I also read a monstrous pile of books (over 180) and thought I'd pick out some of my favs to share.

****drumroll****

Best YA...Period: Fire by Kristin Cashore

Some of the most beautiful and original writing I've come across in a while, surrounded by characters who will just about break your heart with their loyalty, love, and courage. Love, love.

Best YA Fantasy: The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan

Just knock me over and tie me up, cause Nick takes the cake in this book. At one point I alternately either loved or despised each and every character and could not have been more caught off guard by the ending. Can. Not. Wait. For. The. Sequel.

Best Urban Fantasy: Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews

What began as a promising kickbutt heroine UF set in a magic-ravaged Atlanta has turned into one of my favorite UF series to date. Kate and Curran keep circling each other and even though they aggravate each other to no end, I have a feeling things are just going to get more interesting in the much anticipated sequel, Magic Bleeds.

Best Sequel: Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater

James' tragic love story with a rockin' soul-sucking faery was nothing short of drool-inducing, heart rate-spiking, grade-A Book Crack.

Best Throwback to 2008: Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Frickin' brilliant writing that I am still trying to wrap my brain around. I think Marchetta should also get an award for creating one deliciously flawed cast of characters - every one is a ringer.

Best Classic Novel: Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson

I picked this one up after loving Amy Adams in the movie remake and promptly got lost in the clever dialogue and gorgeous vintage illustrations. A laugh out loud feel-gooder that will remain a keeper.

Funniest Non-Fiction: The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible by A.J. Jacobs

One New York man trying to live every single law in the Bible for an entire year? Hilarity will ensue.

Best Author Discovery: Ellen Emerson White

Hands down this goes to Ellen Emerson White along with a big thank-you to Angie at Angieville for bringing her to my attention. After devouring The Road Home, I quickly moved on to her Echo Company series and then straight into the President's Daughter books. Seriously, anything that woman writes is solid gold and if you haven't had a chance to dive into her books yet, please DO!