Monday, December 31, 2012

2012 Reading Challenges

This year I challenged myself to read 125 books. And by books, I mean novels, novellas, graphic novels, mangas, and short stories. Over 100 of these 125 books were actual novels, which was the goal! I've been keeping track of smaller goals on the sidebar, but since they're about to be deleted for my 2013 lists, here they are!

12 New Releases)
1. A Perfect Blood by Kim Harrison
2. Before I Wake by Rachel Vincent
3. Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
4. Black Heart by Holly Black
5. The Calling by Kelley Armstrong
6. Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr
7. City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare
8. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
9. Shine by Jeri Smith-Ready
10. Storm by Brigid Kemmerer
11. Feyland: The Twilight Kingdom by Anthea Sharp
12. Thirteen by Kelley Armstrong

12 Books That Have Been on my Shelf Too Long (YA)
1. Birthmarked by Caragh O'Brien
2. The DUFF by Kody Keplinger
3. The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
4. Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler
5. Keeping You a Secret by Julie Anne Peters
6. Little (Grrl) Lost by Charles de Lint
7. Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore
8. Matched by Ally Condie
9. Rampant by Diana Peterfreund
10. The Secret Year by Jennifer Hubbard
11. The Dark Wife by Sarah Diemer
12. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

12 Middle Grade
1. A Puff of Pink by Miranda Jones
2. Aidan of Oren: The Journey Begins by Alan St. Jean
3. Castle Magic by Miranda Jones
4. Double Trouble by Miranda Jones
5. The Fairy-Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley
6. Forsaken by Katherine Langrish
7. Holly and the Winter Queen by Sarah Diemer
8. Make a Wish by Miranda Jones
9. Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy
10. Splendors and Glooms by Laura Amy Schlitz
11. The Eternity Code by Eoin Colfer
12. Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

Graphic Novels
1. Kuroshitsuji 8 by Yana Toboso
2. Polly and the Pirates 2 by Ted Naifeh
3. Cinderella: Fables Are Forever by Chris Roberson
4. Jack of Fables 8 by Bill Willingham
5. X-Men: Worlds Apart by Christopher Yost
6. Black Panther: Civil War by Reginald Hudlin
7. Black Panther: The Deadliest of the Species by Reginald Hudlin
8. Black Panther: Little Green Men by Reginald Hudlin
9. X-Men/Black Panther: Wild Kingdom by Peter Milligan
10. Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Promise 1 by Gene Luen Yang
11. Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Promise 2 by Gene Luen Yang
12. Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Promise 3 by Gene Luen Yang

6 Classics (15 years or older)
1. Adventures of a Brownie by Dinah Mulock Craik
2. Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden
3. The Last Battle by CS Lewis
4. The Secret Circle: The Power by LJ Smith
5. The Silver Chair by CS Lewis
6. Winnie the Pooh by AA Milne

Adult
1. Amityville Horrible by Kelley Armstrong
2. Bound by Sophie Oak
3. Forbidden by Kelley Armstrong
4. GunShy by Seleste deLaney
5. Kiss of Death by Seleste deLaney
6. One Solstice Night by Elora Bishop

2012 Reading List

Here is my list for 2012: start Jan 1 and end Dec 31.

N = Novel
Na = Novella
M = Manga
GN = Graphic Novel
A = Anthology

Short Stories are listed at the bottom

January

1. Never to Sleep by Rachel Vincent (Na)
2. The Secret Circle 3: The Power by L Smith (N)
3. Static by Tawny Stokes (N)
4. GunShy by Seleste deLaney (Na)
5. Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare (N)
6. Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick (GN)
7. Nightshade by Andrea Cremer (N)
8. Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer (N)
9. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher (N)
10. Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer (N)
11. Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan (N)

February

12. Dragons Don't Dance (beta-read) by Julie Particka Kulmb (N)
13. The Calling by Kelley Armstrong (N)
14. Everblue by Brenda Pandos (N)
15. Feyland: The Dark Realm by Anthea Sharp (N)
16. The Strange Case of Finley Jayne by Kady Cross (Na)
17. Black Butler volume 8 by Yana Toboso (M)

March

18. A Perfect Blood by Kim Harrison (N)
19. Trees by Harry Behn
20. Huntress by Malinda Lo (N)
21. Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore (N)

April

22. Black Heart by Holly Black (N)
23. Across the Universe by Beth Revis (N)
24. Magic Night by Isobelle Carmody
25. Polly and the Pirates volume 2 by Ted Naifeh (GN)
26. Cinderella: Fables are Forever by Chris Roberson (GN)
27. Jack of Fables volume 8 by Bill Willingham (GN)
28. X-Men: Worlds Apart by Christopher Yost (GN)

May

29. Black Panther: Civil War by Reginald Hudlin (GN)
30. Black Panther: The Deadliest of the Species by Reginald Hudlin (GN)
31. The Unnaturalists by Tiffany Trent (N)
32. Black Panther: Little Green Men by Reginald Hudlin (GN)
33. X-Men/Black Panther: Wild Kingdom by Peter Milligan (GN)
34. Shift by Jeri Smith-Ready (N)
35. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson (N)
36. Darkest Powers: Dangerous, Divided, and Disenchanted by Kelley Armstrong (A)

June

37. Purity by Jackson Pearce (N)
38. Sirenz by Charlotte Bennardo and Natalie Zaman (N)
39. Keeping You a Secret by Julie Anne Peters (N)
40. Grl2grl 2 by Julie Anne Peters (Na)
41. Elemental by Brigid Kemmerer (Na)
42. City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare (N)
43. Forsaken by Katherine Langrish (Na)
44. Codename: Sailor V, vol 1 by Naoko Takeuchi (M)
45. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater (N)

July

46. Sugar Moon by Sarah Diemer (Na)
47. Sirenz Back in Fashion by Charlotte Bennardo and Natalie Zaman (N)
48. Evergreen by Brenda Pandos (N)
49. The Dark Wife by Sarah Diemer (N)
50. Thirteen by Kelley Armstrong (N)
51. Before I Wake by Rachel Vincent (N)

August

52. Shine by Jeri Smith-Ready (N)
53. Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore (N)
54. Storm by Brigid Kemmerer (N)
55. The Big Green Book by Robert Graves (illus by Maurice Sendak)
56. The Secret Year by Jennifer Hubbard (N)
57. The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce
58. Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler (N)
59. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
60. Frankenstein by Rick Walton
61. Rampant by Diana Peterfreudn (N)

September

62. Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Promise, vol 1 by Gene Luen Yang (GN)
63. Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Promise, vol 2 by Gene Luen Yang (GN)
64. Sorcerers & Secretaries, vol 1 by Amy Kim Ganter (M)
65. Mangaman by Barry Lyga (GN)
66. The DUFF by Kody Keplinger (N)
67. Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy (N)
68. Little (Grrl) Lost by Charles de Lint (N)
69. The Fairy-Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley (N)
70. Sorcerers & Secretaries, vol 2 by Amy Kim Ganter (M)
71. Kiss of Death by Seleste deLaney (N)
72. The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale (N)

October

73. Ice by Sarah Beth Durst (N)
74. Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden (N)
75. Feyland: The Bright Court by Anthea Sharp (N)
76. Bound by Sophie Oak (N)
77. The Silver Chair by CS Lewis (N)
78. Make a Wish! by Miranda Jones (N)
79. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (N)
80. It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown by Charles Shulz
81. Salt Water Taffy: The Legend of Old Salty by Matthew Loux (GN)

November
82. Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Promise, vol 2 by Gene Luen Yang (GN)
83. The Adventures of a Brownie by Dinah Mulock Craik (N)
84. Aidan of Oren: The Journey Begins by Alan St. Jean (N)
85. The Last Battle by CS Lewis (N)
86. My Faith in Frankie by Mike Carey (GN)
87. Matched by Ally Condie (N)

December

88. Amityville Horrible by Kelley Armstrong (Na)
89. The Pearl Wars by Nick James (N)
90. Double Trouble by Miranda Jones
91. Birthmarked by Caragh O'Brien (N)
92. The Walking Dead, vol 1 by Robert Kirkman (GN)
93. Forbidden by Kelley Armstrong (Na)
94. One Solstice Night by Elora Bishop (Na)
95. The Dark Woods by Sarah and Jennifer Diemer (A)
96. A Puff of Pink by Miranda Jones
97. The Eternity Code by Eoin Colfer (N)
98. Winnie-the-Pooh by AA Milne (N)
99. Castle Magic by Miranda Jones
100. Splendors and Glooms by Laura Amy Schlitz (N)
101. Feyland: The Twilight Kingdom by Anthea Sharp (N)

Short Stories

1. "Yes Alana, There is a Santa Claus" by Seleste deLaney
2. "Christmas in Chains" by Seleste deLaney
3. "Devil's Bargain" by Seleste deLaney
4. "What Have I Done" by Seleste deLaney
5. "The Cost of Love" by Seleste deLaney
6. "Just a Man" by Seleste deLaney
7. "Shift River Scene" by Jeri Smith-Ready
8. "Forever" by Jeri Smith-Ready
9. "Dangerous" by Kelley Armstrong
10. "Divided" by Kelley Armstrong
11. "Disenchanted" by Kelley Armstrong
12. "V-Plates" by Kelley Armstrong
13. "The New Guy" by Kelley Armstrong 14. "Off-Duty Angel" by Kelley Armstrong
15. "A Question of Power" by Cassandra Clare
16. "The Act of Falling" by Cassandra Clare
17. “Far” by Sarah Diemer
18. “The Witch Sea” by Sarah Diemer
19. "From Russia with Love" by Kelley Armstrong
20. “Crow Roads” by Charles de Lint
21. “Seek” by Sarah Diemer
22. “Our Lady of Wolves” by Sarah Diemer
23. “We Grow Accustomed to the Dark” by Sarah Diemer
24. "The Forever Star" by Sarah Diemer
25. "Belonging" by Kelley Armstrong
26. "Hallow's Eve" by Sarah Diemer
27. "Once Upon a Hallow's Eve" by Sarah Diemer
28. "Click-Clack the Rattlebag" by Neil Gaiman
29. "Trouble on the Reserve" by Kim Harrison
30. "Holly and the Winter Queen" by Sarah Diemer

Book Review: The Fairy-Tale Detectives

For Sabrina and Daphne Grimm, life has not been a fairy tale. After the mysterious disappearance of their parents, the sisters are sent to live with their grandmother--a woman they believed was dead! Granny Relda reveals that the girls have two famous ancestors, the Brothers Grimm, whose classic book of fairy tales is actually a collection of case files of magical mischief. Now the girls must take on the family responsibility of being fairy tale detectives.

I think The Fairy-Tale Detectives may be my favorite middle grade book I've read this year. The world Michael Buckley created is so much fun and filled with so many of my favorite fairy tale characters. Sabrina, and her little sister, Daphne, are sent to live with their Granny Relda, after their parents' disappear. Daphne is thrilled to finally get to meet her grandmother, but Sabrina is not to be fooled. The girls were told that their grandmother had passed on. Sabrina wants nothing more than to escape.

After much convincing, she realizes that Granny Relda is indeed their grandmother, and they are descended from the Brothers Grimm. Sabrina and Daphne must save Granny Relda and a whole host of fairy tale characters from the giants that have been unleashed on their town. But who planted the beans and allowed the giants down on earth? There are so many twists and turns, and the mystery is really well developed, that it's hard to see the end coming. And, to be honest, I read this so fast, I didn't have time to think about what was going to come next.

Growing up, I loved fairy tales. And not just the Disney versions. And this series brings all the characters together. Whether you're a kid like Sabrina or the same age as Granny Relda (or somewhere in between) this is a fabulous, fun book that the entire family can enjoy. Read it. Trust me; you won't be disappointed.

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Book Review: Skulduggery Pleasant

Meet Skulduggery Pleasant

Ace Detective
Snappy Dresser
Razor-tongued Wit
Crackerjack Sorcerer
and
Walking, Talking,
Fire-throwing Skeleton

--as well as ally, protector, and mentor of Stephanie Edgley, a very unusual and darkly talented twelve-year-old.

These two alone must defeat an all-consuming ancient evil.

The end of the world?

Over his dead body.

I scored a set of Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy at a used book store a few years ago. As so many books do, they sat on my shelf, unread. I finally read the first book and quite enjoyed it. I often find myself having difficulty getting into Middle Grade books. I have trouble relating to the characters. I'm thirty, so I'm old enough to be a mother of these 10-12 year old kids. It's a paranormal, action adventure. So every time poor Stephanie gets within sight of danger, I'm going "Why isn't her mother with her?" or "Go home where it's safe!" And that wouldn't be an exciting story.

I think it's the age difference that causes the difficulty relating to these kids, and that causes the difficulty with getting into the book. But once the story picks up, I stop having these troubles.

Stephanie meets Skulduggery Pleasant, an acquaintance of her late uncle, shortly after his death. Skulduggery is a walking, talking skeleton. Yep, that's him on the covers. He's also a sorcerer, capable of great magic. He's also quite funny, with a rather dry sense of humor. While he wants to keep Stephanie out of harm's way, danger comes knocking and two are thrust into a non-stop adventure.

Once I got into this book, it didn't want me to put it down. I rarely find myself laughing out loud as much as I did while reading this. I enjoyed both Skulduggery and Stephanie's characters and relationship. Stephanie's parents are rather remover, and Skulduggery makes a good mentor for her. Stephanie grows up a lot, being put in dangerous situations and having to make adult choices. And I can't wait to see where she goes next.

If you're in the mood for something light-hearted and fun, I definitely suggest this series. One thing that draws me to middle grade fiction is that even when danger is surrounding our beloved characters, it doesn't have such a dark and heavy feel as most YA and adult books. And while I like the darkness that is found in such books, it's really nice to break it up with a few middle grades.

Unfortunately, if you're in the US, only the first three books are available. Book seven was published this year, but as the author is from Ireland, these books have not made it over here... yet.

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Author Interview: Morgan Keyes

Today on the blog I have Morgan Keyes, author of Darkbeast, a middle grade fantasy, answering a few questions about her inspiration for her new novel. But first, check out the synopsis.

A girl’s love for her raven may put her life in jeopardy in this gripping tale.

In Keara’s world, every child has a darkbeast—a creature that takes dark emotions like anger, pride, and rebellion. Keara’s darkbeast is Caw, a raven, and Keara can be free of her worst feelings by transferring them to Caw. He is her constant companion, and they are magically bound to each other until Keara’s twelfth birthday. For on that day Keara must kill her darkbeast—that is the law. Refusing to kill a darkbeast is an offense to the gods, and such heresy is harshly punished by the feared Inquisitors.

But Keara cannot imagine life without Caw. And she finds herself drawn to the Travelers, actors who tour the country performing revels. Keara is fascinated by their hints of a grand life beyond her tiny village. As her birthday approaches, Keara readies herself to leave childhood—and Caw—behind forever. But when the time comes for the sacrifice, will she be able to kill the creature that is so close to her? And if she cannot, where will she turn, and how can she escape the Inquisitors?

1. Where did the idea for Darkbeast originate?

Darkbeast, the novel, grew out of a short story that I wrote for a Canadian anthology for "reluctant readers" – all of the works in that volume were fantasy stories about children and animals. At the time I wrote the story, I'd been thinking a lot about "cost" – about what we're willing to do for the people we love. I decided to test Keara's devotion to Caw in the most direct way I could think of – challenging her to sacrifice her beloved friend so that she could achieve everything her society expects of her.

2. Why a raven?

I had originally hoped to write a short story about a griffin, but that animal was already chosen for the anthology! Ultimately, I settled on a raven because of their "split personality" in traditional literature. Ravens can be wise, and they can be witty, but they are also often harbingers of doom. I liked playing with those images as Caw developed.

3. I love the name Keara. (It was actually one of the top names my mom had picked out for me when I was born.) Where did you come up with the name? Was she inspired by someone specific?

In the original short story, all of the names were based on Middle French names. When I shifted to a novel, though, I decided to shift the "palette" of names. Gods and goddesses were drawn from Latin (much as the original concept of my pantheon was taken from Olympus.) Human names were drawn from Celtic tradition. I wanted names that were somewhat familiar to my readers, ideally ones that people identify with strongly (and I succeeded with you – yay!)

Keara is not based on one person; she's an amalgamation of all of my friends from when I was twelve (one person's rebellious streak, another person's willingness to stand up for what she thought was right…) In the end, Keara is a unique character, not directly tied to any one real person.

4. How was writing Darkbeast different from your adult novels? Was it easier? Harder?

I didn't focus on the specific age of my readers as I wrote Darkbeast. A lot of authors will say that they created their middle grade books with those particular readers in mind, adding in a lot of fart jokes and other favorites of tween kids, but that's not the way I work.

Instead, I thought back to the books I loved to read at that age – A Wrinkle in Time, the Narnia series, The Hobbit. Those books had great ideas, strong characters, and superior writing, but I never felt like they were written by adults who were specifically targeting kids. My favorite authors didn't dumb down their ideas or their vocabulary – and neither did I.

Therefore, it wasn't easier or harder to write Darkbeast, compared to my other novels. (There were a few authorial choices I made based on the age group – I didn't include any love scenes, for example. And I didn't add swear words. But my story didn't require either of those, so there was no sacrifice involved!)

5. Are there plans for a Darkbeast 2? Any ideas for other middle grade books?

Darkbeast Rebellion will be published in 2013; it's a sequel that picks up shortly after Darkbeast ends. I have several ideas for stories that continue in Keara's world (but no set plans to write them yet.) I also have ideas for other middle grade books – including one about a boy who lives in a giant library. That one includes dragons. And magic. And … well, I don't have all the details worked out yet!

6. Without giving spoilers, is there anything you'd like to go back and change in Darkbeast?

I love the novel, and I really would not change any part of it. I also love the cover – I am constantly told by readers that they identify with the picture of Keara and Caw. My one concern is that some boys won't read Darkbeast because it has a girl on the cover, but I'd be hard-pressed to give up the beautiful artwork I have.

7. Do you read reviews of your books? Have you ever commented on a review that you disagree with?

I read some reviews of my books, most often the ones that are published in the first couple of months after a book hits the market. It can be exhilarating to discover where I've truly connected with readers (although it's also disappointing to see where I fail to build bonds…)

I never comment on reviews, positive or negative. Reviewers are entitled to their opinions, and I feel as if I'm invading reviewers' "space" if I write a response.

8. Where is your favorite place to write? Do you write the first draft by hand or do you type it?

I write in my home office, on the ground floor of my townhouse, sitting at a computer desk, in front of my iMac desktop computer. I use a software program, Scrivener, that helps me to organize chapters and keep track of research.

One of my major challenges as a writer is tuning out distractions, focusing on the chapter at hand and completing my word count for the day. For that reason, I don't write in coffee shops, libraries, or other public spaces.

9. What are some of your favorite middle grade books?

The most entertaining middle grade book that I've read in the past couple of months was Jonathan Auxier's Peter Nimble and his Fantastic Eyes. It is a very imaginative novel that balances the macabre with traditional quest fantasy. (One of the earliest images in the book is an infant boy whose eyes were pecked out by ravens! He grows up to become the finest thief in the world…)

10. What were some of your favorite children's books while growing up?

I read voraciously when I was in school. In addition to the fantasy novels mentioned above, I was always a big fan of animal stories – Albert Payson Terhune's Lad books, Jim Kjelgaard's Big Red books, and Rascal by Sterling North. As I grew older, I read a lot of traditional fantasy series – Katherine Kurtz's Deryni books, anything by Patricia McKillip, early David Eddings… I also read a lot of biographies; I enjoyed learning details about people who lived in different times and places.

Thank you very much for the opportunity to answer such interesting questions!

Thank you, Morgan!

Visit Morgan Keyes at her site and follow her on Twitter. And don't forget to add Darkbeast to your Goodreads.