Silver Phoenix and Fury of the Phoenix by Cindy Pon

Want to read a fantasy set in a world similar to ancient China, with delicious descriptions of food, awesome action, and heart wrenching romance? Then check out Cindy Pon’s “Silver Phoenix” and “Fury of the Phoenix”.

To steal from Goodreads.com so I don’t reveal too much by my raving, here is the summary for “Silver Phoenix”.

No one wanted Ai Ling. And deep down she is relieved—despite the dishonor she has brought upon her family—to be unbetrothed and free, not some stranger's subservient bride banished to the inner quarters.

But now, something is after her. Something terrifying—a force she cannot comprehend. And as pieces of the puzzle start to fit together, Ai Ling begins to understand that her journey to the Palace of Fragrant Dreams isn't only a quest to find her beloved father but a venture with stakes larger than she could have imagined.

Bravery, intelligence, the will to fight and fight hard . . . she will need all of these things. Just as she will need the new and mysterious power growing within her. She will also need help.

It is Chen Yong who finds her partly submerged and barely breathing at the edge of a deep lake. There is something of unspeakable evil trying to drag her under. On a quest of his own, Chen Yong offers that help . . . and perhaps more.

I devoured these books! They are so refreshingly different from other fantasies out there. I especially loved the second book, “Fury of the Phoenix”. Ms. Pon really found her flow in Fury. The book moves back and forth between past and present so gracefully. It is also much more romantic than the first, so of course I loved that too. I’m going to kick it old school and do a bullet point list to make sure I don’t miss all the aspects I enjoyed in Cindy Pon’s series.

• Setting - Ancient China-esque fantasy world - exotic and beautiful. It was so refreshing to have a true fantasy world be so different. So many fantasy worlds are boring and basically medieval/renaissance Europe, but with different names. This was really refreshing!
• Ai Ling - our heroine. I really connected to her. She’s smart, vivacious and independent, despite the confines her society places on women. She feels things deeply which makes her so easy to connect with. I felt her pain, her fear, along with her. I love it when an author writes so well that I actually get frightened too!
• Hotties - What YA fantasy is complete without hotties? Um, the sparring scene where they take their shirts off? My imagination thanks you, Cindy.
• Food - Recently, we interviewed Cindy for the Authors are ROCKSTARS! podcast and asked her about her use of food in her books. She believes food is essential to world building and I really agree. I really felt like a part of the world as I got hungrier and hungrier while reading her delicious food descriptions. YUM!

Well that’s enough raving from me. Obviously, I recommend these books highly, especially to people who are interested in Asian culture or shows like Avatar the Last Airbender. You’ll love this series. It’s good ol’ fantasy with a twist and some fantabulous writing.

I purchased these books at Vroman's Bookstore at the "YA in Bloom" event. You can hear Cindy discuss her books "Silver Phoenix" and "Fury of the Phoenix" as well as her career on the August Special Edition of Authors are ROCKSTARS!

A very quick IMM vlog - 8-28-11

Excuse my lack of makeup... E has been sick all weekend, so I'm exhausted. Poor kiddo. I kept blocking his face with the book.

In My Mailbox was created by The Story Siren. I'm just happy to participate! Also, I vlog regularly over at Michelle Writes!? Check it out.

The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore

I really enjoyed this book. Action packed science fiction with a touch of sexual/romantic tension? Um, yeah, that’s a “must read” for me. “The Power of Six” does not disappoint. It pulled me in immediately and kept me reading as fast as I possibly could. Just to give you a series summary, here is the official description of the first book, “I Am Number Four”.

Nine of us came here. We look like you. We talk like you. We live among you. But we are not you. We can do things you dream of doing. We have powers you dream of having. We are stronger and faster than anything you have ever seen. We are the superheroes you worship in movies and comic books—but we are real.
Our plan was to grow, and train, and become strong, and become one, and fight them. But they found us and started hunting us first. Now all of us are running. Spending our lives in shadows, in places where no one would look, blending in. we have lived among you without you knowing. But they know.
They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
They killed them all.
I am Number Four. I am next.

This book is from the perspectives of Number Four, John Smith, who we got to know in the first book and Number Seven, Marina, who is currently cooped up in a convent/orphanage in Spain. The change in voice is indicated by a subtle change in font, which I thought was a really nice touch. Marina is sassy and strong, but hasn’t lived her life on the run like John and Six. Once she and her cepan (or guardian) found this convent, her cepan embraced the life as a nun and forgot about their mission. Marina has had to deal with most of her legacies on her own. She has some cool ones too, but I don’t want to spoil ya. Number Four, Six and Sam’s plot line is super fun and I absolutely love Six. She is totally kick butt, but has some real emotional depth. I’m really looking to forward to seeing even more of her in the next installment.

For those of you who haven’t read the first book, I wouldn’t recommend jumping right in unless you read it or watch the movie. (I know I know, some people say the movie isn’t that great, but I loved it.) The movie will give you enough background to move forward if you just can’t wait. I know I couldn’t if I were you! This book is fabulous and it is just came out this week. Go, buy yourself a copy. Any fan of action, adventure or aliens will absolutely love this book. It’s the classic battle of good versus evil. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book!

I was provided with an ARC of “The Power of Six” by the publisher, HarperCollins. It was released this week (August 23rd).

Baby Animals (Green Start book)

Recently, I picked up a bunch of the Green Start books at Vroman's Bookstore. E quickly fell in love with all of them and this week, his favorite is "Baby Animals". It's a "find the animal" book that teaches kids about endangered species. The book is printed eco-friendly inks on 98% post consumer recycled content. The illustrations are adorable. It's a fun light read to enjoy any time of day. E loves all of these books and I'm sure your little one will too!

The Green Start board book series is published by Innovative Kids and is available online or at a bookstore near you!

Fury by Elizabeth Miles

I’m going to keep this review rather short. I really could not get into this book. It’s a story of characters doing bad things with three beautiful furies dishing out severe consequences. I didn’t like any of the characters and actually felt more attached to the furies who were punishing these kids. The leads are the people in high school who do whatever they want to do and do not worry about the consequences. Some of the missteps are kissing her best friend’s boyfriend and abandoning a friend because you became popular and she became a dork (who then commits suicide). I’m supposed to feel sorry for these people and care that they’re being tortured? I don’t think so.

Plus I just had issues with the furies CARING about these sorts of trivial problems when there are so many other terrible things happening in the world. I know I know. It’s a book. I’m supposed to let go and just embrace the story for what it is, but I couldn’t. Elizabeth Miles is a good writer, but the plot - so not for me. Sorry folks. If you can let your guard down though and dive into it, you may find a really unique story here waiting for you. I could definitely see this appealing to teen readers who feel these problems ARE major, but as an adult who reads YA, I just couldn’t relate.

Fury is scheduled to be released on August 30th by Simon Pulse. I was provided with an ARC by the publisher for review.

In My Mailbox - August 20th

Books this week:
- Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
- Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan
- The Shattering by Karen Healey
- How Fiction Works by Oakley Hall
- Hourglass by Myra McEntire (review, podcast interview)
- The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab
- Guardian of the Dead by Karen Healey (didn't get this, but did a little mini review in the vlog)

In My Mailbox was created by The Story Siren. I'm just happy to participate! Also, I vlog regularly over at Michelle Writes!? Check it out.

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

LOVE.

Okay. That’s an understatement. Let me start again. I literally hugged this ARC with tears in my eyes when I finished.

LOVE

LOVELOVE
LOVELOVELOVE

LOVELOVELOVELOVE

LOVELOVELOVELOVELOVE

LOVELOVELOVELOVELOVELOVE

LOVELOVELOVELOVELOVELOVELOVE

What? You want more info than that? Okay, fine. Lola is a crazy awesome teenage girl who is a budding fashion designer. Her life is pretty great. She lives in a nice neighborhood in San Francisco with two loving fathers (even if they are really strict) and has a rockin’ hottie for a boyfriend. Everything is going pretty great until figure skating star Calliope Bell and her twin brother Cricket move back in to the house next door. Cricket crushed Lola’s heart two years ago. She thought she had gotten over it, but all those feelings come rushing back, along with Cricket’s tender smiles and warm heart as they get reacquainted. Can they simply be just friends or were they destined for something more?

If you are unfamiliar with Stephanie Perkins, then shame on you. Do yourself a favor and go get her book Anna and the French Kiss right now (my review, podcast interview). I seriously cannot rave enough about her writing. It’s charming, intelligent, and oh so romantic. I don’t usually like contemporary fiction, but I adore her writing. You really connect with the characters and fall in love with the cute boys they love. It just can’t be helped! Ms. Perkins is the master of writing about cute boys. Cricket is my favorite one so far. (Sorry Etienne fans, but I love Cricket’s sweet and slightly nerdy personality!)

If you’re looking for a witty, well written romance, then this one should definitely be on your “must read” list. Warning: Your heart may turn into a puddle of warm goo and you may find you want to re-read this book over and over again. In fact, you might just want to save yourself some trouble and pre-order 2 or 3 copies right away. :D

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins is published by Dutton (Penguin). I received an ARC from the publisher for review. It is scheduled to be released on September 29th of this year.