The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

This may seem weird, but then again, when don’t I seem weird? Maggie Steifvater’s “The Scorpio Races” reminded me off an old movie set in Europe...something like “The Quiet Man”, but more serious. It’s kind of slow moving and it’s very subtle, but I enjoyed it. I found myself content throughout reading it and Maggie’s descriptions of the setting are gorgeous.

Sean Kendrick has nothing of his own. Puck Connoly has been content with her life, but after startling news, she finds she may lose everything she holds dear. Puck rides to save her family from ruin and Sean rides because he has to...because he’d lose the only creature on earth that means something to him if he doesn’t. However, riding in the Scorpio Races is a dangerous thing. You don’t ride normal horses. You ride water horses or capall uisce. They are carnivorous, aggressive beasts that will be happy to eat you or lure you into the ocean and drown you if given the opportunity. Sean lost his father in the races when he was just a boy. Puck also lost her parents to the dangerous horses that lurk in the waters around her island. And yet, here they are - racing for freedom and finding in their struggle a bond that will give them the strength they need to make it through.

As I mentioned in my review of “Forever”, I love the way Maggie writes, I’ve just never been a big fan of her plots or pacing. I think in “The Scorpio Races”, we see Maggie taking things to another level. In this book, she has to create her own lore, instead of modifying lore that is readily available (werewolves and faeries). I have some plot/pacing issues, but I was satisfied from beginning to end. I wouldn’t recommend it to readers who like action-packed fantastical romance. You won’t find that here. Instead, this is a slice of life portrayal about a small island where there are strange horses that come out of the water to eat animals and people. Okay, yes, there is a shroud of mystery and danger, but it’s still very much a part of the regular lives of the island’s residents.

Think of it as a historical (the style of life they lead on the island is very old fashioned and simple) with paranormal elements. If you look at it that way, you may be in for a unique treat.

"The Scorpio Races" is published by Scholastic. I received an ARC from the publisher for review. It was released in October.

Sorry.

Sorry for the lack of updates. My father passed away. Thank you guys for all the support via Twitter over the past week. It's been a hard one, but I'm home now.

Thank you again. I'll get back to my regular review schedule soon.

The Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon

From Goodreads.com:
Their love was meant to be.

When Megan Rosenberg moves to Ireland, everything in her life seems to fall into place. After growing up in America, she's surprised to find herself feeling at home in her new school. She connects with a group of friends, and she is instantly drawn to darkly handsome Adam DeRÍs.

But Megan is about to discover that her feelings for Adam are tied to a fate that was sealed long ago—and that the passion and power that brought them together could be their ultimate destruction.

Let me preface this review by saying I think Ms. Fallon has a lot of potential. I wanted to love this book. I have always been fascinated by Irish lore. This book though didn’t do it for me. It just felt unpolished and far too much like “Twilight”. I know a lot of people fall back on “Twilight”. It’s like a YA reviewing cheap shot, but seriously - this book IS like “Twilight”, just with a twist. Misty of The Book Rat posted a review on her blog that included a chart that breaks down the similarities.

Yeaaaaah. See? I’m not being lame. It’s TRUE. So if you like Twilight and don’t mind instant love, convenient coincidences, and the possibility of freakish monster babies, check this out. If not? Well, skip it... duh. ;)

“The Carrier of the Mark” was published by HarperTeen in early October. I received an ARC for review.

I'm a T.Rex! by Dennis Shealy, Illustrated by Brian Biggs

As you know from my post last week, my dad has been in the hospital. On Sunday when they called us, the prognosis was very very bad. Miraculously, he's still here and doing very well. His life will never be the same. He'll need dialysis and his time is still limited, but he has time. After what we were told by doctors that day, that's more than we could have ever asked for.

Anyways, my point to this is to a) update you all and thank you so much for your prayers/healing energy/warm thoughts and to b) tell you about this awesome Little Golden Book, "I'm a T. Rex!" by Dennis Shealy, illustrated by Brian Biggs. The Barnes & Noble was a sanity saver for my husband Jacob who was on full time Dad duty while I spent my days in the ICU with my father. Thank you thank you B&N for having a kid's play area. It was raining almost the entire time we were there and E was going stir crazy in the ICU waiting room. We picked up a few new goodies, including this darling book about E's favorite dinosaur, the T.Rex. It doesn't jazz up a T.Rex and make him all sweet like some kid books do. E loves the part towards the beginning where the T.Rex talks about all the different noises he makes (snarls, growls, and roars - oh my!).

This book is a must have for any toddler and preschooler who loves dinosaurs. It's fun, catchy and the illustrations are adorable.

"I'm a T.Rex!" by Dennis Shealy is available as a Little Golden Book. Go purchase it at your local bookstore today!

A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies

“A Beautiful Dark” is a stereotypical, albeit well-written, paranormal romance. I don’t mean that as an insult though. I *like* the stereotypical paranormal romance formula. It works for me and I take comfort in its familiar feeling. It’s my old cozy shirt for reading - I know it has some holes in it, but I’m okay with that. This book was definitely a wonderful addition to that genre. Plus.. it was an angel oriented paranormal book that I liked. These are so few and far between.

The story revolves around Skye, who meets two mysterious handsome gentlemen on the night of her seventeenth birthday where they bust into her birthday party fighting. The next day, she discovers they are new students at her school and it seems they’ve taken a keen interest in her. They say they’re cousins, but something is just not right. They’re polar opposites, having only their good looks (although very different features) in common. She soon learns that they’ve come for her and that the life she knew isn’t as normal as she thought. She discovers two sides within herself, both in regards to the boys she can’t help but be attracted to and a war she now has become a key player in. What side and with that, what boy, will she chose? The world hangs in balance, waiting to find out.

Like my little dramatic summary? Why thank you! In all seriousness though, it’s well-written, good ol’ paranormal fun. Love Triangles with Hotties + Interesting Mythology + Action/World Deciding Decisions = crazy fun in my book. If that isn’t your cup of tea, skip this one. I personally cannot wait to find out what happens next. The cliffhanger is a doozie!

A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies was published by HarperTeen in September. I received a digital copy to review via Netgalley.com.

No updates

I am sorry, but I will not be updating this week. My father is in the ICU so I'm spending my time at the hospital. It is a grave situation. Pray, send positive energy, whatever you can.

Thank you,
Michelle

Between the Sea and Sky by Jaclyn Dolomore

I was telling my dear friend and podcast co-host Allison that I was in desperate need of some light, romantic fun after reading so many intense and dark books lately. She suggested that I read “Between the Sea & Sky” earlier than I had planned and I am SO glad she did! It was just what the doctor ordered. Cute, sweet, and full of magical fun!

Esmerine is a beautiful mermaid, who at the start of the book, is being inducted as a siren.
Sirens, in Dolamore’s mermaid society, are protectors of the mer people and a great honor. On the night of her induction ceremony, Dosia mentions that she has interacted with some human men and asks Esmerine to go meet them. Esmerine refuses and the next day, Dosia disappears. Fearing that her sister was kidnapped and forced to remain on land forever as a merwife, Esmerine goes on land in search of her, reconnecting with her childhood friend, Alandare, who is part of a winged species of people. They journey together to find her sister and by doing so, find something even more precious in each other.

This book is such a nice, light read! I love the world Ms. Dolamore has created with her mermaids. It adds an interesting element to the friendship of Alandare and Esmerine. Not only is one winged and one finned, but they also have to deal with prejudices at home. Alandare’s species, the Fandarsee, are a very intellectual people who look down on humans and mer people as less intelligent, silly creatures. The mer people tell tales of the dangers of the surface world and fear that which is different. They do not understand Esmerine’s love of reading and writing, which she learned for Alandare as a child. They see her as being different and she’s been ridiculed for it throughout her teenage years. I also really enjoyed that the three tiers of this world (sea, land, and sky) all connected and interacted. It added a really interested complexity to this simple romantic fairy tale.

This book is full of fun, light adventure and tender romance. It’s a whimsical story that I think any fairy tale or mermaid fan will enjoy.

Between the Sea and Sky is published by Bloomsbury and is scheduled to be released on October 25th. My friend Allison was gracious enough to loan me her ARC since I was too impatient to wait for it to arrive via the Good Choice Reading blog tour. We will be interviewing Ms. Dolamore soon for Authors are ROCKSTARS! Be sure to visit the website or subscribe via iTunes so you won’t miss it!