Awesome YA Book Series

There is nothing I love more than a great book series. I am a huge fan of recurring characters and lengthy, complicated plots. I rarely read stand alone books because I like to get to know my characters throughout multiple adventures, not just one! 

SOOO, because I fancy myself a great judge of books, I made a list of some of my most favorite book series of all time! 

House of Night- P.C Cast & Kristen Cast

The series centers around a powerful teenage vampyre named Zoey Redbird, her friends, and the school they attend. It's a great mix of romance and adventure. Series order:

1. Marked 2. Betrayed 3. Chosen 4. Untamed 5. Hunted 6. Tempted 7. Burned 8. Awakened 9. Destined

The Caster Chronicles- Kami Garcia

The main character of this series is a   boy named Ethan Wate, a mysterious new girl named Lena, and the secrets that the little southern town of Gatlin hold. Series order: 

1. Beautiful Creatures 2. Beautiful Darkness 3. Beautiful Chaos

Gemma Doyle Trilogy- Libba Bray

A historical fiction series set in the late 1800s about a special girl named Gemma and a very mysterious boarding school. Series order: 

1. A Great and Terrible Beauty 2. Rebel Angels 3. The Sweet Far Thing

Firelight Series- Sophie Jordan

Jacinda belongs to a pride of dragons that can take human form-need I say more? Series order:

1. Firelight 2. Vanish (the 3rd in the series will be released later this year)

Inheritance Cycle- Christopher Paolini

This series is perfect for a LOTR fans- magic, elves, dragons, dwarves...it's awesome! Series order:

1. Eragon 2. Eldest 3. Brisingr 4. Inheritance

Pendragon Series- DJ MacHale

Bobby Pendragon is a normal teen until his whole family disappears and he gains the ability to travel to alternate dimensions. 

Series order: 

1. The Merchant of Death 2. The Lost City of Faar 3. The Never War 4. The Reality Bug 5. Black Water 6. The Rivers of Zadaa 7. The Quillan Games 8. The Pilgrims of Rayne 9. Raven Rise 10. The Soldier's of Halla

Peaches (series name) Jodi Lynn Anderson

Three very different girls, summertime, and a peach orchard. A wonderful "coming of age" series. Series order:

1. Peaches 2. Secrets of Peaches 3. Love and Peaches

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants- Ann Brashares

The series is about four lifelong friends and a fantastic, magical pair of pants. Series order:

1. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2. Second Summer of the Sisterhood 3. Girls in Pants 4. The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood

Recently there was a 5th book added to the series, but it is an adult novel, so it might not be YA appropriate. The title of it is:

5. Sisterhood Everlasting

All of these series come highly recommended by me, and are GREAT reads. Enjoy! 

Hunger Games Readalikes

My task at work today was to compile a list of THG readalikes, since we have like, 150 people on our waiting list to read the book. I mean, every time we order more the holds just keep coming-some of the requests might not even be filled for months. I don't know about you, but I am way too impatient for that (and for those of you that haven't read it, you can get the kindle edition on Amazon for 5 bucks. Totally worth it).

SO, for those of you who haven't gotten a chance to read THG, or loved it so much that you compulsively need to read similar YA dystopian novels, here is a list of 13 titles. I have only read 3 on this list, so don't hold me accountable if they're terrible please! Honestly though, I researched pretty thoroughly, and these are the most common ones to pop up on compiled lists througout the country.

Now, once again I am going to remind you that I have only read three of these books- Delirium, Divergent, and The Maze Runner, all of which were just fantastic. If you're cheap, poor, or skeptical and want to read some of the books on this list, remember you can always visit your local library. I'm going to let you in on a secret- they will let you check them out for FREE.

Happy reading!

Picking Favorites

Picking a favorite book seems to be a lot like picking your favorite child. You don't love any book more than others, you just love different things about them. I more or less judge the books in my collection by how often they are read- signs of which are evident by the lovingly dog eared corners, and the slight curl of the cover at the edges.

I am constantly surrounded by books, which is a blessing, and sometimes a curse. I frequently leave work with an armful of books, or a list of things I want to read.  My poor husband is often neglected while I immerse myself in the lives of other people. I go with them on their adventures, cry with them in their heartbreak, and rejoice in their victories.

With that said, I am going to list a few of my most favorite books of all time, but I won't (more like can't) number them. Each of the books I am going to list means something to me, and they deserve to be enjoyed in their own respects.

Beauty- Robin McKinley
Ella Enchanted- Gail Carson Levine
Gone With the Wind- Margaret Mitchell
A Great and Terrible Beauty- Libba Bray
Summer of the Monkeys- Wilson Rawls
Maniac Magee- Jerry Spinelli

Picking that many books was hard. Like really hard. I just racked my brain for like, 20 minutes trying to list my favorite books. It was a lot harder than I initially anticipated. The list I came up with are books that have stuck with me- books that I can remember reading on countless occasions. Are all my favorites there-nope, not even close. Knowing me, I will think of more to add at a ridiculously random time.

 In the meantime, share your favorite books with me!

Hunger Games fans looking for your next great read, look no further!

Lately I have been asked by patrons of my library and my friends for a book that will grab their attention like THG. The dystopian genre of YA fiction has REALLY taken off since the success of Suzanne Collins' trilogy, so there are lots of choices out there right now.

HOWEVER, all dystopian novels are not created equal, and after reading a few, I found that none satisfied me in the same way that THG did. When I stumbled across Divergent by Veronica Roth, I set my expectations pretty low- I mean, who could be as kick-ass as Katniss? What boy could capture my heart like the bread baking, cake decorating hunk of sweetness Peeta? Lucky for me, I found my answer.

Divergent is set in a dystopian Chicago, where all inhabitants are divided into 5 factions- Candor (honesty), Amity (Peace), Dauntless (Bravery), Abnegation (Selflessness), and Erudite (Intelligence). In this world, people are  born into their factions, but when they turn 16 they are evaluated. Based on the evaluations, they  may choose to stay within their factions with their families, or transfer to a faction that suits them better and leave their families behind to start a new life. The heroine of this story is Beatrice Prior, a girl born to abnegation, but wants something more. After completing her evaluations, she finds out that she is in fact, Divergent, meaning that she would fit into multiple factions, something that is both rare, and dangerous..

Now, I would love to tell you what she chooses at the choosing ceremony, what happens to her, and how it ends-but I strongly dislike it when people spoil books and movies for me, so I refuse to do that to whoever cares enough about what I think to read my blog. Lets just suffice it to say that Tris (Beatrice shortened her name, I feel okay telling you that much) has quite an adventure, and also develops a love interest. Those looking for a book with a sense of urgency, make sure you pick this one up when you have nothing else to do, because it will consume you.

Well Hello

I have decided to write a book review blog for my friends that want me to recommend books, and for the librarians that peer pressure me into reading books that they recommend- hence the blog title.

Now, while I am flattered by the fact that people actually care what I say about books, they may not like all the books that I review. I am primarily a reader of young adult titles, and I aspire to be a children's librarian someday, so that's what the majority of this blog will consist of. Because I am so awesome and accomodating, I will take suggestions into consideration, and from time to time, I may review a book movie. If you don't like my style, feel free to ignore everything I say.

With that said, let the blog begin!