Completed Challenge: 2009 Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge

J. Kaye's Book Blog hosted the 2009 Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge.  It is so sad to me that it has really taken me this long to read just 12 books from my library this year.  When I worked at the library, it was so easy to grab books because I was always there anyway.  Now it is a bit more of an effort to get there, especially fitting it in between feeding and nap times.  I haven't had nearly as much time to read this year either which means I've needed fewer books from the library.  I am happy to say that I at least did complete the challenge, even it if was at the lowest possible level.  Here is my final list of books from the library:

2009 Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge List

1. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
2. The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong (Darkest Powers book 1)
3. Timeline by Michael Crichton (audio CD)
4. Ill Wind by Rachel Caine (Weather Warden book 1)
5. Heat Stroke by Rachel Caine (Weather Warden book 2)
6. Chill Factor by Rachel Caine (Weather Warden book 3)
7. Undone by Brooke Taylor
8. The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong (Darkest Powers book 2)
9. The Mask of Ra by P. C. Doherty (Egyptian Mysteries book 1)
10. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (The Mortal Instruments book 1)
11. Dhampir by Barb & J. C. Hendee (Noble Dead book 1)
12. The Ultimate Smoothie Book by Cherie Calbom

Note: All opinions provided on this blog are my own. If a product was given to me for review, the source of that product is noted in the post. Links to Amazon.com are affiliate links and I do earn a small percentage for each item purchased through those links. Any other referral or associate links will be noted within the post.

The Ultimate Smoothie Book by Cherie Calbom

Title:  The Ultimate Smoothie Book
Author:  Cherie Calbom
Publisher:  Warner Wellness
Publication Date:  June 2006
Format:  Paperback, 384 pages
Age Group:  Adult, non-fiction

In an effort to add more fruits and vegetables into our diet, I've been looking at smoothie recipes.  My chiropractors really recommend them as an energizing breakfast, packed with nutrition.  I think this can be true if the smoothie recipe focuses on healthy ingredients without added sweeteners.

The Ultimate Smoothie Book contains a lot of great information regarding the best ingredients to use in smoothies and what nutritional benefits each food adds.  It is well-organized with informational sections before you actually get to the smoothie recipes.  The smoothie recipes are also organized into categories which makes it easy to find the type of smoothie you are looking for.  I love that each smoothie recipe also has a nutritional breakdown per serving.

I was a bit thrown off by the book beginning with a section on juicing.  I wasn't looking for a book on juicing - I was looking for smoothies!  Calbom puts a great emphasis on using fresh fruit and vegetable juices in her recipes, which would unfortunately necessitate another piece of kitchen equipment which I am not interested in purchasing at this time.  Calbom also uses ice frequently in her smoothie recipes and claims that a regular blender will be able to handle this.  Maybe some blenders can handle ice well enough to make a truly smooth smoothie but I know mine cannot.

The majority of the recipes included in The Ultimate Smoothie Book look really tasty.  Unfortunately, I've decided that I'm going to need to wait until I have a better blender and warmer weather to actually try them out.  Smoothies in the middle of winter just don't sound very appealing!

2009 Reading Challenges

2009 Support Your Local Library Challenge

Note: All opinions provided on this blog are my own. If a product was given to me for review, the source of that product is noted in the post. Links to Amazon.com are affiliate links and I do earn a small percentage for each item purchased through those links. Any other referral or associate links will be noted within the post.

Dhampir by Barb & J. C. Hendee

Title:  Dhampir (Noble Dead)

Authors:  Barb & J. C. Hendee
Publisher:  Roc
Publication Date:  January 2003
Format:  Mass Market Paperback, 276 pages
Age Group:  Adult
Series:  Noble Dead (Book 1)

Magiere travels from village to village, going where ever she is needed to hunt the dark creatures of the night.  However, she longs to settle in one place and give up the game.  She and her partner, Leesil, along with their dog, believe they have finally found such a home but peace is not to be found there.  Now Magiere and Leesil must learn more about each others' pasts and face the destiny of Magiere's heritage.

Dhampir is a very dark book.  Even when Magiere and Leesil play at destroying vampires, the fear of the villagers is so real that the act of destroying the creature must be done in the expected manner.  I was instantly caught up in the secrets kept by the characters and how their pasts influenced their current actions.  One of the things that I loved about this story was that the reader not only gets to know Magiere and Leesil but the trio of vampires as well.  The vampires have such strong personalities and histories, making them much more sympathetic than generic monsters would have been.

Dhampir took me much longer to read than it should have but that is no fault of the book.  For some reason, over the last few weeks I have simply been unable to concentrate on reading, even when enjoying the story.  I really wanted to be able to sit and enjoy Dhampir for long stretches at a time because the story did intrigue me and normally I believe it would have held my attention.  Luckily for me, the book was written in such a way that I was able to read short sections and then take breaks without losing the flow of the story.

I am very much looking forward to finding out what happens with Magiere and Leesil as their adventures continue.

2009 Reading Challenges

1st in a Series Challenge
2009 Support Your Local Library Challenge

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Title: City of Bones (Mortal Instruments)
Author: Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication Date: March 27, 2007
Format: Hardcover, 485 pages
Age Group: Young Adult
Series: Mortal Instruments (Book 1)

What would you do if you witnessed a murder committed by kids no one else could see and the body simply vanishes? Clary Fray has just discovered a world within our own that she didn't know existed. Now she must learn all she can about this world and her place in it, especially since her mother is now missing.

I started out really enjoying City of Bones. Unfortunately, when I was about halfway through I realized how similar the storyline and characters are to some of the Harry Potter books. Once I noticed this similarity I could not help but compare the two series and that resulted in my picking apart City of Bones much more than I normally would have.

Here are just a few of the similarities I noticed:

Main character Clary Fray knows nothing of demons, Shadowhunters, werewolves, vampires or any other fairy creature, although they apparently live alongside us hidden by a glamor. Harry Potter knows nothing of the magical, wizarding world of Hogwarts even though it exists alongside us hidden by a glamor. Both characters also have difficult family histories that they do not fully understand and learning about their family is central to the story lines of the books.

In City of Bones the bad guy, Valentine, has loyal followers, the Circle, and is presumed dead. In the Harry Potter books, Voldemort has loyal followers, the Deatheaters, and is presumed dead.

Even some of the character names in City of Bones reminded me of names in the Harry Potter books. Of course, both series also revolve around children facing dangers and truths that the adults are not willing to face.

I think that I would have enjoyed City of Bones much more if I'd not read the Harry Potter books because then I wouldn't have been constantly comparing them after I first started picking out the similarities. However, I also feel that Cassandra Clare tried to pack a bit too much information into this first book in the series. There were too many subplots and it was easy to get distracted by them.

With all of that said, I do plan to read the next book in the series to see if Clare can take the series in its own direction and tighten up her writing.

2009 Reading Challenges

1st in a Series Challenge
2009 Support Your Local Library Challenge

The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong

Title: The Awakening
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publication Date: April 28, 2009
Format: Hardcover, 368 pages
Age Group: Young Adult
Series: Darkest Powers (Book 2)

Spoiler Alert: The Awakening is the second book in the Darkest Powers trilogy and events follow immediately after the ending of The Summoning. If you have not read The Summoning, please do not read this review as it would reveal significant events in that book and it probably won't even make sense. I posted a review of The Summoning in February.

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Chloe Saunders and three other teens are on the run. They escaped from Lyle House only to be brought back to a different building and kept under lock down by the Edison Group. There Chloe learns that they are all genetically modified supernaturals and are part of an experiment which was supposed to help young supernaturals transition into their powers while remaining integrated into normal society. As 'failed' experiments, it is very possible that Chloe and the others will be terminated, meeting the same fate as their friend Liz. Now the teens are on the run again, trying to determine who they can trust, and trying not to turn on each other in an effort to survive. Not to mention learning how to deal with their growing powers that at least Chloe and Derek are having difficulty learning to control.

Kelly Armstrong ended The Summoning with a major cliff-hanger, leaving me wanting more immediately. Unfortunately, even when The Awakening was released I was placed on a wait list at my library and was unable to read it until now. Armstrong definitely did not disappoint with the second book in the Darkest Powers trilogy. The Awakening has a great blend of action and information discovery. The emotions of the characters run high throughout the book and I think Armstrong did a great job capturing the voices of the teens as they face fear, confusion, and loss. While there is a slight bit of relief or a glimmer of hope at the end of this book, Armstrong still leaves many unanswered questions and leads in to the possibility of a great confrontation in the third and final book. I can barely wait to read The Reckoning which is expected to be released in May 2010.

2009 Reading Challenges

2009 Support Your Local Library Challenge

Undone by Brooke Taylor

Title: Undone
Author: Brooke Taylor
Publisher: Walker & Company
Publication Date: July 22, 2008
Format: Hardcover, 320 pages
Age Group: Young Adult

Recently I have been in a bit of a reading slump. I was reading books that I thought I would really enjoy and ending up a little disappointed in them. For the most part, they were good books but they just didn't grab me the way that I thought they would. Undone by Brooke Taylor certainly broke out of that slump.

Something happened to Kori during the summer before eighth grade and she changes from perky cheerleader to dark daredevil. So when she tells Serena that they are more alike than Serena realizes, Serena doesn't know what she means. The unlikely friendship between the girls turns into an unbreakable bond. Unbreakable until Kori is killed in a car accident and Serena must find a way to go on living without her best friend. A school assignment leaves Serena with a list of things that Kori wanted to do and Serena vows to complete this list even though she doesn't understand what is on it.

Although I have read some reviews that felt Undone was a bit predictable, I was completely taken in by the story. I wanted to know what happened to Kori that caused her to change so dramatically and understand why Serena went along with her friend's crazy ideas. Kori and Serena were both highly emotional characters and Taylor did a great job bringing those emotions off the page. I could feel the depth of Serena's loss and how utterly lost she was in her own life without Kori to ground her. All of the secrets which are revealed in the book are highly emotional as well and reveal a lot about the characters' interactions with each other and their own behaviors.

I think this is a great book for older teens as there are many references to sex and drug use, as well as some foul language. Normally these are things that would turn me off to a book but they all fit into this story of rebellious (and hurting) teens. I don't think the book would have the same impact without these elements.

2009 Reading Challenges

2009 Support Your Local Library Challenge

Chill Factor by Rachel Caine

Title: Chill Factor
Author: Rachel Caine
Publisher: Roc
Publication Date: January 4, 2005
Format: Paperback, 352 pages
Age Group: Adult
Series: Weather Warden (Book 3)

Spoiler Alert: Please do not read this review unless you have read the first two books in this series, Ill Wind and Heat Stroke. Each book in this series (so far) picks up where the last book leaves off and I would hate to give away the ending to a previous book. I posted a review of Ill Wind in July and a review of Heat Stroke in August. These are not books that can be read out of order as they are so heavily dependent on previous books.

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Chill Factor follows Joanne Baldwin, Weather Warden, as she attempt to fix the mess created at the end of Heat Stroke. Kevin, an angry teenager with a lot of power, has control of the most powerful Djinn and is keeping all the Wardens out of Las Vegas. The Djinn have been disappearing and the Wardens cannot combat the unusual weather changes without them. Joanne, who is now human again, has been sent in to try to get Jonathan away from Kevin and restore order before the world is destroyed.

As in the previous books, Joanne doesn't fully understand the situation she is placed in. She is being used by others who either have more power than she does or at least think they do. Although Lewis is weakened because Kevin stole his powers, he still feels that he has the moral high ground and can use Joanne to his own ends. The Wardens also feel that they know how the world should be and that their control over the elements is saving humans from nature instead of destroying a delicate balance.

The events of this book also tie into events from Joanne's past. This leads to sections of the book featuring her memories. The majority of the time, I was able to keep straight what was in the past and what was currently happening, although there were a couple of times when I did get confused. The addition of past events solidifies Joanne's connection to current events and gives a reason why Joanne must be the one to diffuse this situation rather than one of the other Wardens.

Joanne is feisty, impulsive, stubborn, and determined. Despite the risks to her own life, she knows she cannot walk away from the situation and leave the world in peril.

I continue to enjoy this series, although I would not say it is one of my favorites. I am certainly understanding more of Joanne's character as the books progress and am beginning to like her a bit more than I did in the first book.

2009 Reading Challenges

2009 Support Your Local Library Challenge

Heat Stroke by Rachel Caine

Title: Heat Stroke
Author: Rachel Caine
Publisher: Roc
Publication Date: August 3, 2004
Format: Mass Market Paperback, 352 pages
Age Group: Adult
Series: Weather Warden (Book 2)

Spoiler Alert: Please do not read this review unless you have already read the first book in this series, Ill Wind. The events of this book are strongly based on the ending of the last and I would hate to give anything away. I do have a review of Ill Wind that I posted in July.

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Heat Stroke essentially picks up right where Ill Wind left off. Joanne Baldwin was transformed from a human Weather Warden to a Djinn in order to preserve her life. Now she must learn to use her new abilities while navigating in social circles where she does not understand the rules. There is also a new, unknown rift threatening to tear the world apart.

Heat Stroke is another fast-paced book. Joanne barely has time to cope with one crisis when another strikes. She is again unable to gain her footing and often acts impulsively on whatever little information she has to go on at the time. Joanne is definitely not a big-picture girl and fails to see how all the pieces fit together until it is nearly too late. In this, she is a very flawed heroine. However, without this impulsive nature most of the action in these books would not take place.

I am enjoying the Weather Warden series as quick, entertaining reads. I am not strongly invested in the characters, although I am hoping to see some growth from Joanne in future books. Although both books in the series so far have focused on disasters of large scale significance. the books have enough light moments to keep from becoming too heavy.

2009 Reading Challenges

2009 Support Your Local Library Challenge

Ill Wind by Rachel Caine

Title: Ill Wind
Author: Rachel Caine
Publisher: Roc
Publication Date: December 2, 2003
Format: Mass Market Paperback, 352 pages
Age Group: Adult
Series: Weather Warden (Book 1)

Joanne is running for her life. She stands accused of using her powers as a Weather Warden to commit murder but no one knows the full story or how much trouble she is truly in. As she runs away from those who would judge her toward the one man she believes can save her, Joanne discovers that even she does not fully understand the powers that are currently in play.

Ill Wind is fast paced and chaotic. The story zooms from present to past and back again as Joanne attempts to put all the pieces of the puzzle together. The writing mirrors Joanne's frantic emotional state and I could strongly feel the sense of urgency that she was facing. At the same time, Joanne seems to take time out of her flight for survival to indulge her sexual nature by fantasizing about the man she picked up by the side of the road or remembering past encounters with various men. These fantasies seem trivial considering the gravity of her current situation.

Although Joanne has some control over the weather, she believes that a storm is following her with malicious intent. Until some very specific evens occur, she is unsure if this is a natural storm or one created by another Weather Warden to end her life. I think I was expecting Joanne to have much more control over the weather than she seemed to at times based on her title of Weather Warden.

Without giving anything away, I will say that the ending confused me a bit because I am unclear how it is going to lead the story into a series.

Overall, I found Ill Wind to be an enjoyable read, although not one of my favorites. I am interested in continuing the series to see where it is going.

2009 Reading Challenges

1st in a Series Challenge
2009 Support Your Local Library Challenge

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

Title: The Summoning
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publication Date: July 2008
Format: Hardcover, 390 pages
Age Group: Young Adult
Series: Darkest Powers (Book 1)

Chloe Saunders sees dead people. After a terrifying encounter with a dead janitor at her school, Cloe is sent to a group home for troubled teens. She soon finds out that things at the home aren't exactly what they seem. As she learns more about the other residents, Chloe realizes that they each have unique abilities and begins to believe that it is no coincidence that they all were sent to the same place.

Many of my favorite authors of adult novels are trying their hand at writing young adult novels lately. I was very interested in seeing how The Summoning compared to Kelley Armstrong's adult fiction. Overall, I think Armstrong did a fantastic job transitioning into the world of young adult fiction. The voice used in this book is very different from the voice used in her adult novels and is extremely well-suited to her young adult audience. This is also noteworthy because Chloe's universe is the same one that Armstrong uses in her Otherworld novels.

Chloe feels alone and scared as she tries to understand what is happening to her and why. While there are times when Chloe wants to pretend that none of what is happening is real, she chooses to investigate her circumstances and to take action based on her findings. Unfortunately, Chloe doesn't know who she can really trust. Armstrong writes Chloe with strong emotions that the reader can relate to.

I was excited to find that I liked Armstrong's young adult novel as much, if not more than, her adult novels. I can't wait for the second book in the series, The Awakening, to come out in May. For more info on Chloe Saunders and the Darkest Powers trilogy check out http://www.chloesaunders.com/

2009 Reading Challenges

1st in a Series Challenge
2009 Support Your Local Library Challenge

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Title: Vampire Academy
Author: Richelle Mead
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: August 2007
Format: Paperback, 332 pages
Age Group: Young Adult
Series: Vampire Academy (Book 1)

Lissa is Moroi, vampire royalty. Her best friend and Guardian, Rose, is Dhampir, a human and vampire mix. Together they ran away from St. Vladimir's Academy two years ago but now they have been found and taken back. Now they must navigate the treacherous social scene, protect Lissa from danger coming from an unknown source, and try to figure out what is going on with Lissa's growing powers.

Vampire Academy begins with a lot of action. The reader doesn't know why Lissa and Rose are on the run or who is after them but can sense their fear of being caught and taken back. This sets the tone for the entire book. Mead does a great job of giving the reader bits of information about the past as it relates to the current events of the book. The reader is then able to put those bits of information together with the current information to understand the situation in the same way that the characters are beginning to understand it.

For the most part, dialogue, description, and action are all well-written. The only confusion that I had was with the first use of the terms Moroi and Strigoi as I did not find them to be clearly defined. The same was initially true of the term Dhampir, although I did know that term from other vampire stories. Of the three terms Dhampir was the one eventually given the most thorough explanation. My understanding of Moroi was that it was a term for vampire royalty, although it may encompass more than that. Strigoi seemed to mean a vampire who was truly undead. The unfamiliar terms did not hinder my understanding of the main events in the book.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to continuing the series.

2009 Reading Challenges

1st in a Series Challenge
2009 Support Your Local Library Challenge

2009 Support Your Local Library Challenge

J. Kaye is hosting several reading challenges for 2009 on her blog. I have never participated in a reading challenge before but I am excited to do so this year. For the Support Your Library Reading Challenge, J. Kaye is allowing participants to choose their challenge level. The options are to read 12, 25, or 50 books checked out from your local library this year. To sign up for this challenge check out J. Kaye's sign up post here.

Although I have a huge list of books that I want to read this year and many of them are available through either my local library or the new expanded library system, I am only committing myself to 12 books this year due to limited reading time. If I do manage to check out and finish more than 12 books I will list them here as well.

2009 Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge List

1. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
2. The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong (Darkest Powers book 1)
3. Timeline by Michael Crichton (audio CD)
4. Ill Wind by Rachel Caine (Weather Warden book 1)
5. Heat Stroke by Rachel Caine (Weather Warden book 2)
6. Chill Factor by Rachel Caine (Weather Warden book 3)
7. Undone by Brooke Taylor
8. The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong (Darkest Powers book 2)
9. The Mask of Ra by P. C. Doherty (Egyptian Mysteries book 1)
10. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (The Mortal Instruments book 1)
11. Dhampir by Barb & J. C. Hendee (Noble Dead book 1)
12. The Ultimate Smoothie Book by Cherie Calbom