Audio Book Review: Bossypants

Bossypants 
By Tina Fey
Narration by Tina Fey
Book: ****
Narration: *************

“To say I’m an overrated troll, when you have never even seen me guard a bridge, is patently unfair.” 
― Tina Fey, Bossypants

From Goodreads:
Before Liz Lemon, before "Weekend Update," before "Sarah Palin," Tina Fey was just a young girl with a dream: a recurring stress dream that she was being chased through a local airport by her middle-school gym teacher. She also had a dream that one day she would be a comedian on TV.

She has seen both these dreams come true.

At last, Tina Fey's story can be told. From her youthful days as a vicious nerd to her tour of duty on Saturday Night Live; from her passionately halfhearted pursuit of physical beauty to her life as a mother eating things off the floor; from her one-sided college romance to her nearly fatal honeymoon—from the beginning of this paragraph to this final sentence.

Tina Fey reveals all, and proves what we've all suspected: you're no one until someone calls you bossy.

(Includes Special, Never-Before-Solicited Opinions on Breastfeeding, Princesses, Photoshop, the Electoral Process, and Italian Rum Cake!)

An unabridged recording on 5 CDs (5.5 Hours).


From Me:
Tina Fey reads the audio book. LISTEN TO THE AUDIO BOOK. You know how a bad narrator can make a good book awful? A kick-ass narrator like Tina Fey READING HER OWN BOOK makes a good book magic. 

Tina Fey is magic.

Book Review: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) 
By Mindy Kaling
*****

“This book will take you two days to read. Did you even see the cover? It’s mostly pink. If you’re reading this book every night for months, something is not right.” 
― Mindy Kaling, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?

This book was such a joy to read. If Mindy Kaling is as charming and lovely in real life as she appears to be in this book, then I totally want her to be my celebrity BFF (along with Cat Deeley). I actually LOL'd several times in my office whilst reading over my lunch break (and I don't LOL). Now, I'm not going to say that I relate to this book - she writes and acts in some seriously funny television shows; there are very few people who can relate to this. But Mindy (and I feel like I can call her Mindy after finishing the book) feels very real and unpretentious, despite her success, and I think we'd have a great time rummaging through Anthro while I listen to all her gossip about her costars.

Audio Book Review: Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer

Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer 
By Katie Alender
**** (for book and narration)

“Ce n'est seulement le cou — elle veut briser le coeur.”                 

Translation: "She doesn't only want your neck -- she wants to break your heart." 

Marie Antoinette comes back from beyond to take revenge on the families who betrayed her to the guillotine. Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer was eerie without being creepy, with a dark current running beneath the Parisian setting. I do so love a book that takes place in foreign territory.

Our heroine, Colette, finds herself in the middle of a rash of serial killings where young, posh, self-centered Parisians are mysteriously beheaded. Colette feels oddly connected to the murders, though she doesn't understand why. And then she keeps seeing a woman in 18th century garb drifting through her surroundings, while her reflection is not always her own. Colette has to solve the mystery of these visions if she wants to keep her own neck.

There are mean girls (I hate Hannah, and I'm completely fine with that), and nice girls who are clearly the better choice in friends; there's a super-hot guy who's full of himself and his plans, and an endearingly sweet guy who is clearly the better choice in a love interest. There were characters I loved and characters I hated (though not really characters I loved to hate; I really think I'm going to lump Hannah in with Professor Umbridge), and the setting of the story was DIVINE. Note to self: go to Versailles.

A great book, and a great narrator (I listened to the audio format of this book). Highly recommended.

Read alikes: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins if you're jonesing for the Parisian setting. The Name of the Stars by Maureen Johnson if you're looking for a paranormal murder mystery (this one is set in London).

Audio Book Review: Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library
By Chris Grabenstein
Narration by Jesse Bernstein
***** (book)
**** (narration)

"Mrs. G? This is Dr. Z. What is our white Bengal tiger doing in the children's department?"

From Goodreads:
Kyle Keeley is the class clown, popular with most kids, (if not the teachers), and an ardent fan of all games: board games, word games, and particularly video games. His hero, Luigi Lemoncello, the most notorious and creative gamemaker in the world, just so happens to be the genius behind the building of the new town library.

Lucky Kyle wins a coveted spot to be one of the first 12 kids in the library for an overnight of fun, food, and lots and lots of games. But when morning comes, the doors remain locked. Kyle and the other winners must solve every clue and every secret puzzle to find the hidden escape route. And the stakes are very high.

In this cross between Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and A Night in the Museum, Agatha Award winner Chris Grabenstein uses rib-tickling humor to create the perfect tale for his quirky characters. Old fans and new readers will become enthralled with the crafty twists and turns of this ultimate library experience.


From Me:
Charming and utterly delightful. Who wouldn't want to go on a massive scavenger hunt in a library built by the ultimate maker of board and video games. This book was a lot of fun and one of the best depictions of a library (even one as impossible as Lemoncello's) I've ever read. 

I want to work in Mr. Lemoncello's library.

Book Review: Midnight Crossroad

Midnight Crossroad (Midnight, Texas #1) 
By Charlaine Harris
****

"And then Manfred realizes that all morning, throughout the camaraderie of unloading the van, neither of his companions asked the obvious questions. Why are you moving to such a godforsaken place? What brings you here? What do you do? Where did you live before? And Manfred Bernardo realizes he's moved to the right place. In fact, it's just like he belongs here."  

Midnight Crossroad reads like many of Harris's novels - there's a mystery, a quirky cast of characters, and the setting often feels like another character in the story. It was less bloody than the more recent of the Sookie Stackhouse books, though there was still a body count, and like the Sookie Stackhouse books, there was a paranormal element. One thing that was different, though, was that it didn't seem like there was one main protagonist. The focus shifted often between several characters. Manfred Bernardo (from the Harper Connelly series) was maybe slightly more front and center, but Fiji and Bobo also took up a lot of focus, particularly Fiji. And that's another thing - Harris again get's very creative with her characters' names, possibly more in this book than in any other, and that's saying something.

Harris also tied a lot of her series together within this book. There was a reference to the Lily Bard series and the Harper Connelly series, and I even caught one reference to the Aurora Teagarden series. And since Midnight Crossroad has a vampire character that no one seemed particularly surprised about (though he seems a bit different from Eric or Pam), I assume that the story is set in the same universe as Sookie's. I wouldn't be shocked to see a character from that world show up in this new series, though maybe one already has. I caught a lot of references, but it does make me wonder what I missed, since the older books aren't fresh in my memory.

All in all, I really enjoyed Harris's latest. If you enjoy her writing style and world building, this one fits that profile.

Book Review: For Darkness Shows the Stars

For Darkness Shows the Stars (For Darkness Shows the Stars #1)
By Diana Peterfreund
****

“In every letter, in every line, she saw him. He hadn't changed - he'd only grown into the man he'd meant to be.” 
― Diana Peterfreund, For Darkness Shows the Stars

For Darkness Shows the Stars is a futuristic dystopian/post-apocalyptic retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion. It kind of blows me away that I just typed that sentence. (In a good way!)

Here's the deal: some time ago (in the future - her past, our future) humanity got a little out of control with the DNA engineering and splicing and whatnot sciencey stuff, and while trying to make a better human, ended up making a "reduced" human. Pretty much any baby born at this point was severely mentally handicapped. According to the lore, the folks realized that the world was going down the crapper, so they decided to just destroy everything. Enter the Luddites, who were anti-technology/anti-screwing-around-with-natural-stuff. Because they were au naturale, they weren't affected by the genetic engineering gone wrong, and survived the destruction by hiding away until it was over.

Fast forward to present day. The Luddites are in charge of things, including the care and maintenance of both the Reduced and the land. It's been a while since they came out of their hidey-holes and things are running again, though according to the Luddite traditions, which are basically don't screw around with nature and don't do anything that hasn't been done before. Another change is that the Reduced have started having babies that weren't mentally challenged. These folks are called Posts, or Post-Reduced. They're not so happy with the status quo, because they're mostly treated like property.

Enter Elliot North and Kai (aka Captain Malakai Wentforth). This is a YA novel, so the Anne Elliot and Frederick Wentworth love affair timeline has been moved up. Elliot was born a Luddite, the daughter of the Baron, and the only member of the family working to keep the farm and its workers thriving. Kai was born a Post to another Post on the North estate, and grew up as an apprentice to his mechanic father. Kai and Elliot grew up together and were best friends. They also fell in love when they were only 14 years old. Things got bad after Elliot's mother died and there was no one to curb Baron North's bad and negligent habits. Kai cut and run; Elliot was supposed to go with him, but she realized she couldn't leave the people under her care alone under the thumb of her father.

Four years later, Kai returns with money and some other Posts to stay at Elliot's grandfather's estate to build a ship that will allow them to explore what's left of the world beyond their island (which I believe is supposed to be New Zealand, or at least New Zealand-esque, I'm not entirely sure). Romantic tension ensues.

The twists from the original story are really interesting. Peterfreund created an interesting world, one that balanced a futuristic dystopian society, but also blended with events in Persuasion in a way that made them plausible in this setting. She captured the romantic angst that so engaged me in Persuasion, but in a way that seemed (mostly) realistic to two 18-year-olds. The moral questions of genetic testing and experimentation in people, animals, and food sources should have felt heavy handed for all the attention it received, but it felt mostly part of the crisis in the plot rather than moralizing.

I loved Persuasion. It's hands-down my favorite Austen novel, and this book really made me want to pick it back up for another read. Anne and Frederick's love story...just...unngg! I love it! I felt a lot of that same gut-clenching emotion over Elliot and Kai's love story. I'm normally not a big fan of post-apocalyptic/dystopian stories, but this story takes place when the world is rebuilding itself and change is underway, and without the hero and heroine being the major catalyst for that change, though they were a part of it. I liked that a lot. Things I didn't like included Baron North, though not the way Peterfreund wrote him, but the way a reader dislikes the villain. Seriously, Baron North takes on Professor Delores Umbridge style loathing.

All in all, I really enjoyed this novel. While there is a sequel, I think Peterfreund has been rather ingenious with the way she's going about the series: For Darkness is a stand-alone novel. The sequel has new characters who live in the same world, and this one based on The Scarlet Pimpernel. I kinda love that. I'm also loving that she's retelling classics that haven't been retold a gazillion times. And while this novel doesn't get the same level of love that I reserve for Persuasion, it still gets rather a lot from me. Highly recommended.

Audio Book Review: Dangerous Women

Dangerous Women
Short Story Collection edited by George R. R. Martin
Read by various narrators
****

“A woman could be strong without having the emotions of a brick.” 
― Brandon Sanderson, Dangerous Women

From Goodreads:
All new and original to this volume, the 21 stories in Dangerous Women include work by twelve New York Times bestsellers, and seven stories set in the authors’ bestselling continuities—including a new “Outlander” story by Diana Gabaldon, a  tale of Harry Dresden’s world by Jim Butcher, a story from Lev Grossman set in the world of The Magicians, and a 35,000-word novella by George R. R. Martin about the Dance of the Dragons, the vast civil war that tore Westeros apart nearly two centuries before the events of A Game of Thrones.

From Me:
Fantastic collection of short stories with kick ass women taking the lead. I listened to the audio book and the narrators were amazing, particularly Claudia Black (who should read All The Things). So many great authors and great stories packed into a beast of a book! Most of the short stories aren't stand-alones, so if you're a reader of any of the original series, these additions will be very exciting; if you are not, most of the stories will work well without knowing the world behind them; that being said, if you DO read the original series, but you're NOT caught up, you may run across the occasional spoiler. Highly recommended.

More from Goodreads: 
Stories and Narrators (in order of appearance):“Some Desperado” by Joe Abercrombie; Read by Stana Katic
“My Heart Is Either Broken” by Megan Abbott; Read by Jake Weber
“Nora’s Song” by Cecelia Holland; Read by Harriet Walter
“The Hands That Are Not There” by Melinda Snodgrass; Read by Jonathan Frakes
“Bombshells” by Jim Butcher; Read by Emily Rankin
“Raisa Stepanova” by Carrie Vaughn; Read by Inna Korobkina            
“Wrestling Jesus” by Joe R. Lansdale; Read by Scott Brick
“Neighbors” by Megan Lindholm; Read by Lee Meriwether
“I Know How to Pick ’Em” by Lawrence Block; Read by Jake Weber
“Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell” by Brandon Sanderson; Read by Claudia Black
“A Queen in Exile” by Sharon Kay Penman; Read by Harriet Walter
“The Girl in the Mirror” by Lev Grossman; Read by Sophie Turner
“Second Arabesque, Very Slowly” by Nancy Kress; Read by Janis Ian
“City Lazarus” by Diana Rowland; Read by Scott Brick
“Virgins” by Diana Gabaldon; Read by Allan Scott-Douglas
“Pronouncing Doom” by S.M. Stirling; Read by Stana Katic
“Name the Beast” by Sam Sykes; Read by Claudia Black
“Caregivers” by Pat Cadigan; Read by Janis Ian
“Lies My Mother Told Me” by Caroline Spector; Read by Maggi-Meg Reed
“Hell Hath No Fury” by Sherilynn Kenyon; Read by Jenna Lamia
“The Princess and the Queen” by George R. R. Martin; Read by Iain Glen

The introduction by Gardner Dozois is read by Fred Sanders and the interstitial author biographies are read by Karen Dotrice.

Book Review: Discount Armageddon

Discount Armageddon (InCryptid #1) 
By Seanan McGuire
*****

“A proper lady should be able to smile pretty, wear sequins like she means it, and kick a man's ass nine ways from Sunday while wearing stiletto heels. If she can't do that much, she's not trying hard enough.” 
― Seanan McGuire, Discount Armageddon

This book was so FUN! Verity, our unconventional but completely awesome hero, is a ballroom dancing, free running, strip club waitress/cryptozoologist who is trying to save the local NYC cryptids from the visiting Covenant man and pursue her ballroom dancing career. Verity is sassy, a complete BAMF, and has talking mice as roommates (and I seriously LURVE the talking mice).

Full of quick comebacks, quirky characters, and lots of action, I got incredibly annoyed any time I had to put the book down for inconsequential things like work and sleep.

Bonus content:

1) Dancing! Verity is pursuing the "family business," "but all she want's to do is dance dance dance." She's a professional ballroom dancer trying to make it in NYC after a stint on Dance or Die, a reality competition along the lines of So You Think You Can Dance (Which is a major obsession of mine. I can't dance, but I certainly wish I could.). She uses her powers of dance against the forces of *things that want to eat you.*

2) A romantic interest that doesn't pull focus from the story. There's chemistry and making out, but more importantly there's character development and fight scenes.

3) Did I mention the talking mice? They've very religious and say "hail!" a lot. I kinda want a colony of Aeslin mice in my closet, but I'm sure my dog would disagree.

In conclusion: Love Love Love, Gush Gush Gush, Read it! Read it! Read it!

Blind Date with a Book - Updated from the Savvy Reader Blog

Originally posted 1/28/13 to The Savvy Reader (my former MPL Teen Blog); Updates include titles and authors to previously posted mystery book list and "dating profiles":

For Valentine's Day, we're celebrating with a very special display: Blind Date with a Book. Putting this display together was significantly more ambitious than what I did last year, which was a little sign and zombie books (they'll eat your heart out).

So here's how it works: I selected just shy of 50 books from various genres (all of them awesome). For each title, I wrote a dating profile, complete with a headline and a 2-3 sentence blurb. Each of the books were wrapped by my wonderful League of Extraordinary Teens: Teen Council members. The profiles were printed and added to the front of each wrapped book.

Blind Date with a Book: Take a chance and you may just find your perfect book.

(For my fellow librarians, we are fortunate to have a scanning system that doesn't require a bar code reader, but I also added a number to the dating profile that referenced the wrapped title in a spreadsheet. This way, if there was a request for a specific book, we could find it.)

I pulled so many books that I thought would be awesome for this little project that I needed an overflow space. A BIG overflow space.

I'm also trying to promote the love with my programming board. Hmm...looks like my handwriting began to tilt a bit - sorry Sarah!

So, what books did I use? Sorry - not gonna tell. At least not in this blog entry. However, I'll share the dating profiles, and if you find one of interest leave me a comment on the blog and I'll let you know the title. (Fellow YA librarians - if you'd like the full list of profiles and titles, email me at rachelm@mooresville.lib.in.us [The list is now posted below!]. You are welcome to use the profiles, but if you blog about it, please reference me and link back to this blog post!!!)

Blind Date with a Book Book List

1. If the house is rocking…run far, far away.  I'm normal on the outside, but I'm dark and creepy (in a good way) on the inside. I'm looking for someone who likes a good scare. Do you think you can handle me?

2. Everything I learned, I learned from the movies. I'm an amateur film maker who hopes to make a difference in the lives of others. I'm looking for someone who will support my efforts and isn't afraid of a good cry. Will you buy my ticket?

3. Dig that funky wavelength. I live in the past, but the technological future has reached me sooner than it should have. What would you do if you heard your voice from the future? Would you friend me?

4. I thought I knew what the future held…  I hear voices, but I swear I'm not crazy. They tell me to do things (still not crazy). I'm looking for someone to help me sort things out. Will you help me solve this puzzle?

5. Love is a (magic) battlefield. I'm fighting a war and discovering my hidden potential. The world is a dangerous place and I'm looking for someone to watch my back. Will you stand beside me?

6. Eat your heart out. Life is waging war everyday just to survive, but it's a lot easier with someone by your side. I'm looking for a trace of humanity in this world - do you have the heart to stick with me?

7. They say lightening never strikes twice… but does it need to? My life is full of excitement and danger, but I'm still looking for that certain spark, that electricity. Do you think we'll sizzle?

8. Looking for the cat's pajamas, not a flat tire. I'm a dame who's new to the big city and I'm looking for a live wire to show me the ropes, and maybe solve a caper or two. Are you the Real McCoy?

9. More than a pretty face. I used to think that looks were the most important thing, until a plane crash changed my pageant plans. Now I'm a warrior who can wrestle snakes and survive in the wild. Will you take me au naturel?

10. Text Me Maybe? I should warn you, me and my iPhone are one. I use it for everything from checking my email to fighting crime and righting wrongs. There's nothing we can't do. Do you think we'll sync?

11. Forget Romeo, I think I'm looking for my Juliet. I'm a drama club girl trying to figure things out. My life is like a screenplay, and we're all just characters upon the page. Will you read me?

12. Looking for a fantasy. They say you can't change the past, but I don't believe it. It defines who we are, but so do the secrets that surround us. Do you think we have a future together?

13. You've stolen my heart. I used to lead a life of crime, but I got out of the game. But you dragged me back in when you stole my heart. Will you be my partner in crime?

14. They say love is the greatest experiment. I grew up hearing the stories of secrets and experiments, but never believed they were true. Until now. Will our love be Top Secret or an Open Book?

15. Life is a mystery, and I plan to solve it. Around each corner is a new question to be answered and a new puzzle to be solved. Sometimes it can get messy or even dangerous. Are you my missing piece?

16. Looking for love against the odds. Everyone around me is sick - but I want to be sick with love. Is it survival of the fittest or does love make the heart stronger? Are you the cure to what ails me?

17. You've hacked my heart. It's you and me against the man and we've got to destroy the system. You've hacked your way into my heart, now will you conquer the world (or at least the city) with me?

18. Looking for a real live wire. I've got an electric personality and I'm looking for someone who can really light up a room. Do you think we've got a spark?

19. I'm on the hunt for my perfect partner. These are dangerous times and anymore it seems like I'm the prey surrounded by predators. Will you stand with me against the enemy?

20. It'd be a crime to pass me by. My life may seem stranger than fiction, but I promise it's based on a true story. It may seem like too difficult of a puzzle, but will you help me unravel the truth?

21. You've sent me outta this world! You've made me feel like I've won the lottery. But will our love shine as bright as the sun or will we find danger on the dark side of the moon?

22. Can't we all just get along? We're supposed to be enemies, but we could save the world if we could just be friends. Will you take the leap with me?

23. It's like déjà vu all over again. I'm an American Girl in London, looking for an adventure. But the new attacks RIPPED from old headlines have left me reeling. Can you help me figure out what's going on?

24. It's the age of the geek, baby. I've turned my gaming into a career of sorts, if you can call trying to win WWIII a career. I'm a super-human war machine…of love. Do you think you have what it takes?

25. Super Villains are people, too. Just because I was kidnapped and trained by super villains doesn't mean I don't have feelings. Maybe we've just been looking for love in all the wrong places. Would you be my hero?

26. Warrior looking for revenge against the shogun and maybe love, if there's time. Significant other must be willing join me in battle and occasionally clean up after the griffin. What's your weapon of choice?

27. Have we met? No, seriously, I can't remember - I've lost my memory. Please excuse that weird energy blast; I don't know how I did that…it's weird, right? Anyway, I'm on the run; would you like to come along?

28. Vampire Ninja seeks love. Don't be surprised if you can't see me; it'd be hard enough if I was just an ordinary ninja. But I'm hardly ordinary. Life with me can be both dangerous and a bit scary - do you think you can handle it?

29. Baby on board. Being a pregnant teen is hard enough, but try dealing with that AND aliens trying to kidnap your baby! I have a lot of hard decisions to make and would like to find someone supportive, responsible, and willing to fight aliens to stand by my side. Are you that special someone?

30. A picture's worth a thousand words. I think someone's messing with my head. Strange photos keep me up at night. What does it mean? Will you help me make sense of it all?

31. Can't watch Dexter? Then check me out. Being raised in the family business has left it's mark on me, but it turns out that I have a rare insight into the investigation of a new serial killer. Can we solve the crime together?

32. There's no place like home. I'm looking to reclaim the land and break the curse, but I can't do it alone. Will you come with me on this quest?

33. Sometimes a fight to the death is the only chance at living. This world is not kind to those without power, but I'll fight for my chance at a better life. Will you fight with me?

34. What's a girl to do when the pickings are slim? All I want is a little romance and a little fun, but I'm having a hard time finding it. Can friendship become romance?

35. Be careful what you wish for… because you might just get it. I've learned this lesson the hard way. If you could change something with the flip of a coin, would you do it?

36. I'm an old story in a new world. The future looks bleak, but we're trying to make it better. But can a lost love be returned? Is there any hope for us?

37. It's all fun and games…until… I'm a gamer, or at least I was. But the game is starting to affect my real life and it knows things about me that it couldn't know. Will you help me solve the mystery?

38. World traveler seeks friend for an adventure. A valuable piece of art has been stolen, and it's up to me to find it. My travels will take me far and wide…would you care to join me?

39. Trying to figure myself out. I'm not really sure who I am anymore. These feelings I have are confusing and unexpected. Do I like him? Do I like her? Will you help me figure it out?

40. One crazy night. One Crazy Girl. Prom night wasn't supposed to end in blood. If you're going to join me, you'd better be prepared for anything, including violence and mayhem. So, are you game?

41. I can see another world in your eyes. Unfortunately, it's a dark and dangerous world. I'm starting to wonder if I'm losing my mind. Can you help me see things clearly?

42. What are the chances of love at first sight? What are the chances you'll fall in love within 24 hours? What are the chances you can find someone again once you've lost them? Will you help me do the math?

43. Trapped with no escape. Chaos reigns and violence is our new way of life. Death surrounds us and there's no one left to help. Mine is not an easy story, and not one for the faint of heart. Will you take a shot with me?

44. Kon'nichiwa. I have many stories to tell. Stories of real life, stories in print and picture, stories of a different culture. Will you read me?

45. This is 19th century London as you've never seen it before. It's unnatural, the things happening these days. Families are being taken, and only an unlikely pair can hope to help them. Are you intrigued?

46. Sticks and stones… Words really can hurt. Reputations can change by the casual words of a stranger. So what do you have to say?

47. It's in the most difficult of circumstances that we find out what we're truly capable of. In the wastelands of this world, I fight to end the corruption that's infested this society. When the time comes, what will you find out about yourself?

48. Trying to live up to my potential… ...but freshman year keeps getting in the way. I'm looking for someone with a good sense of humor (cuz I have one, and you should think I'm funny) and who can see me for what I am: Awesome. Are we meant to be?

49. Looking for an adventure. Whether you're on the hunt for the Lost City of Atlantis or just the keys to my heart, we're on our way to an excellent adventure. Will you dive in with me?

UPDATE! I've had sooo many requests for the full book list, it's completely blown me away! I'm even getting requests THIS year! So here are the book titles and authors with the corresponding number from above. There are no current books on this list, but I hope it inspires your own displays!

#	Title	Author
1	Bad Girls Don’t Die	Alender, Katie
2	Me and Earl and the Dying Girl	Andrews, Jesse
3	The Future of Us	Asher, Jay
4	Touched	Balog, Cyn
5	Shadow and Bone	Bardugo, Leigh
6	Ashes	Bick, Ilsa
7	Struck	Bosworth, Jennifer
8	The Diviners	Bray, Libba
9	Beauty Queens	Bray, Libba
10	iBOY	Brooks, Kevin
11	Between You & Me	Calin, Marisa
12	Pathfinder	Card, Orson Scott
13	Heist Society	Carter, Ally
14	So Close to You	Carter, Rachel
15	Shelter	Coben, Harlan
16	The Way We Fall	Crewe, Megan
17	Little Brother	Doctorow, Cory
18	The Prisoner of Cell 25: Michael Vey	Evans, Richard Paul
19	The Hunt	Fukuda, Andrew
20	Mister Death's Blue Eyed Girls	Hahn, Mary Downing
21	172 Hours on the Moon	Harstad, Johan
22	Skyship Academy: The Pearl Wars	James, Nick
23	The Name of the Star	Johnson, Maureen
24	Insignia	Kincaid, S.J.
25	The Vindico	King, Wesley
26	Stormdancer	Kristoff, Jay
27	False Memory	Krokos, Dan
28	Blood Ninja	Lake, Nick
29	Mothership	Leicht, Martin
30	Every You, Every Me	Levithan, David
31	I Hunt Killers	Lyga, Barry
32	Finnikin on the Rock	Marchetta, Melina
33	Carnival of Souls	Marr, Melissa
34	The Boy Recession	Meaney, Flynn
35	Fair Coin	Myer, E.C.
36	The Darkness Shows the Stars	Peterfreund, Diana
37	Erebos	Poznanski, Ursula
38	Tokyo Heist	Renn, Diana
39	Boyfriends With Girlfriends	Sanchez, Alex
40	Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick	Schreiber, Joh
41	The Marbury Lens	Smith, Andrew
42	Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight	Smith, Jennifer
43	Quaranteen: The Loners	Thomas, Lex
44	TOMO: An Anthology of Japan Teen Stories	Thompson, Holly ed.
45	The Unnaturalsits	Trent, Tiffany
46	The List	Vivian, Siobhan
47	Blood Red Road	Young, Moira
48	Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters	Zeitlin, Meredith
49	Lost Code	Emerson, Kevin

Audio Book Review: Unbreakable

Unbreakable (The Legion #1) 
By Kami Garcia
Story: ***
Narration: **

“You guys showed up in my bedroom out of nowhere, shot my cat with a gun that looked like something from a video game, and told me that a demon’s trying to kill me. Want to explain how you could possibly know that?” 

Jared looked over at me. “Because our family has been fighting his army for over two hundred years.” --Kami Garcia, Unbreakable 

 

Oh the melodrama! How the mere sight of a bit of skin or the breath of a touch can send young Kennedy's heart into palpitations! She's in the middle of a fight against a demon, but she's consumed with thoughts of boys (Twins! One dark and broody, one kind and sensitive!). She's being dragged along with a group of teens who make her feel welcome and part of the family, and yet she feels like she doesn't belong! Our hero and our heroine shoulder the blame for everything, even things they had no control over! It really didn't help that I was listening to the audio version of the book and holy-angst-Batman! it was read with that breathy woe-is-me voice throughout and I just couldn't take it.

Pros: Cool sort of treasure hunt to find the pieces of a mysterious artifact that's supposed to help them in the fight against evil. Puzzles to solve and a quest!

Awesome 15-year-old inventor kid nicknamed Priest.

Ghost busting.

Cons: See first paragraph ;)

Too much angst and melodrama.

Love triangle, particularly one where the participants have known each other less than a week.

This book had a lot of potential. I think if there had been more focus on the quest and ghost busting and less on the luurrve triangle, and that the icky-love-stuff had time to believably develop, this book would have been much better.

Bonus(?) factor: Wincesters! I love me some Supernatural, and Unbreakable seems influenced by that world. Jared resembles the Dean character and Lucas resembles Sam, more so in the beginning at least. Luckily for the characters in this book, they don't have to salt and burn the bodies to get rid of the ghosts! Unfortunately for them, Sam and Dean never fought over the same woman, and these poor saps do.