Barkings From A Beagle

Barkings From A Beagle is a weekly feature to recommend/spotlight a book, new or old. Since I already spotlight Toby in my IMM posts, I figured I could incorporate him into this as well. Basically, Toby and I just tell you guys about a book and why I loved it, as well as provide links to buy it from the main booksellers.

This week, Toby Barks: Read The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness!

Since I don't have the actual book with me right now- I loaned it to a friend- you can just see a picture of baby Toby... ie, this is what my little guy looked like not long after we get him when he was 13 weeks old... rather than 11 years and a few months that he is now.

Summary: Readers are in for a white-knuckle journey in this series that follows a boy and girl on the run from a town where all thoughts can be heard--and the passage into manhood embodies a horrible secret.

My Thoughts: This novel is utter brilliance. It's the first in a trilogy and I am dying for that final book. The entire world set up is very unique, the dialect outstanding, and Manchee is pretty much the world's coolest dog. I definitely recommend this to anyone who likes the scifi/fantasy kind of thing. Todd is a character you can definitely get into for a lot of reasons, from how dumb he is because of where he comes from to how smart he also is for those same reasons.

Details (These are Hardback details but it is available in PB):

Hardcover, 496 pages

Candlewick Press
September 09, 2008

ISBN13: 9780763639310

ISBN: 0763639311

BINC: 9527870

Edition: Illustrated, Edition #Bk. 1

Series: Chaos Walking Ser.

Series #: Bk. 1

Age: 14 and up

Beautiful Creatures: Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

SUMMARY (From borders.com):

There were no surprises in Gatlin County. We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere. At least, that's what I thought. Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong. There was a curse. There was a girl. And in the end, there was a grave. Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever. Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them. In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.


REVIEW: 4 STARS

This book was pretty much brilliant. The plot is incredibly unique, has countless twists and turns thrown in- many of which were absolutely unexpected, and is almost the epitome of mystery intrigue. The only place this book fell short for me was in speed- there were many times I felt the story was dragging, constantly reminding the reader there was some big mystery, things weren’t as they seemed, and Lena had a million secrets. At times, I kind of thought it was being shoved down my throat and when I wouldn’t swallow, they just shoved harder. That is the main reason this book is only earning 4 stars from me because everything else was fantastic.

Let’s talk characters. This book is in Ethan’s POV which is unique since it’s from the guy’s perspective although standard because he isn’t the one that’s all special and what not. Still, it was nice for it to be in his mindset. He’s a loveable little guy even if a bit on the dumb side at times. He starts out on the basketball team, a popular kid at school because of it, but ends up being shunned because he associates himself with Lena. I admire him for sticking with her, appreciate their bond- but the fact that it just happened and other than feeling kind of sad, it didn’t even seem to phase him definitely bothered me. Yes, he’s a good guy and there was an instant connection to Lena, but he’s still a teenage boy. On that note as well... sex never even crossed this kid's mind until it was thrust at him towards the end and even then, it was distantly. I admire the authors for not making him a total horndog but I find it highly doubtful that he could spend an entire day making out Lena, feeling constant electricity between them, and feel no down south effect or want more. In some ways, he was almost a little bit too perfect for me because even though he made mistakes, it seemed like he always had the best intentions so ultimately it was alright.

On to Lena- she worms her way into this story in a very interesting way, giving the reader a great look at her even if it’s not set in her POV. I came to know her as much as Ethan and that made the entire story even stronger. Her battle between her family and her fate along with wanting to be a ‘normal’ teenage girl came up often, situating itself at just the right times for the reader to remember she really is just a teenage girl.

The minor characters- Amma, Macon, Ridley- are all well defined, each with their personalities that are strongly written and each of them was memorable. Despite having a relatively large cast, none of the characters were forgettable, nameless faces that blended. Link was even more loveable than Ethan but a bit more of a teenage boy with sex very obviously on his mind, which only made Ethan's apparent lack of a sex drive more obvious. Link is the best friend, the side kick, and anything else that falls under that category who never gets a girl but makes every female reader swoon in her own way because he's just that sweet. Or they pity him.

The setting just might be my favorite thing about this novel, apart from the incredibly well thought out plot. Taking place in a small Southern town that would still fly the Rebel flag if it could, there were several events in the book that became absolutely unique simply because of the setting. The Southern drawl and grammar stayed true in the book, complete with words like fixin’ and turnings I’s into E’s. Gatlin was not just a place for this book to happen- it was a feature all its own that came up throughout the entire book and made it stand out in a sea of fantasies.

There isn’t much I can say about the plot without giving away any of the major points other than it is pretty much brilliant. Things are clearly not just put in to be there- it all has a reason and a purpose. It is intricate and meditated, right down to the small details, and these two authors have most definitely proved themselves as skilled in the craft.

As I said, my only real downfall with this book was the parts where it really seemed to lag, reiterating all the mystery without really telling much except that hey, there’s still a mystery and in case you weren’t sure, let’s go a few more pages to remind you that yes, there is a huge mystery going on. Those lags did show more of Ethan and Lena as characters but I have to admit, in a book that is almost 600 pages, I did need more than some cute characters and a mystery to keep me going. I don’t require action at all times, even when a character is sleeping, but I did need a little more in a book this big.

The ending, however, was amazing. My mind is already trying to figure out where things are going from here, what certain things mean, and how it will all play out. The very fact that things aren’t over after this book is also amazing because so much happened and yet, there is still more to come and if it is as thought as this book, there is nothing but great things in store.

Details:

Source: Christmas present from my brother, probably bought at Hastings

Hardcover, 576 pages
Little Brown & Company

December 01, 2009

ISBN13: 9780316042673

ISBN: 0316042676
BINC: 9873634
Age: 12 and up

Beautiful Creatures Website

Kami Garcia's Website

Margaret Stohl's Website

What Other's Are Saying:

Persnickety Snark

Library Ninja

Bibliophilic Book Blog

YA Reads

Getting To Know The Little Guys (7)

Getting To Know The Little Guys is a feature I do weekly to spotlight small blogs with less than 100 followers. There is a huge crop of new blogs out there- mine being one of them but I have been lucky enough to gain a pretty quick following- but small doesn't mean bad. My goal is for my readers to read these weekly posts, get to know the bloggers a little more, and start finding some awesome new blogs that they might not have otherwise known about. And face it- there is a huge competitive edge to book blogging these days, especially for ARCs. Yes, the ARCs are nice when they come but I think a lot of us really are here to just express our views on books and book related things- this feature also is intended to bring that focus back.

Today's guest blogger is Amber Skye from Reading Addict. She's another of those great, devoted teens out there with a passion for reading and I have to admit, it's fantastic seeing so many of them showing their love for it.


Hey you guys! I'm thrilled to be here on Getting to Know the Little Guys at A Good Addiction. Now, where to being.... I've never been a very good public speaker. *remembers that speech in the third grade and shivers* Kari has over 300 followers, which is definitely a lot more than I'm used to. :) I guess I'll start with how I began my blog.

Ever since the third grade when my mom introduced me to the world of Nancy Drew, I've been the girl who walks around with her nose stuck in a book. People would always ask me what book I was reading, but most of them didn't really care. When I discovered blogging, I was able to connect with people who did love books and who actually want to hear what I have to say. How awesome is it that people want to read what I write? Me!? I never thought that one person would visit my blog, but I'm slowly but surely attaining faithful followers. *does happy dance* Even if I only have 35 right now, it's more than I ever expected to have.

Summer + boredom = computer time. At least, that's how it was for me this past summer. That's when I discovered a couple of book blogs. And some more. And even more. How could I NOT start my own when I wanted to connect with these awesome bloggers?

My name is Amber Skye and I am ADDICTED to reading. Science fiction, teen lit, mystery, romance, you name it, I'll read it. I also play the piano and dance. I used to do ballet for hours each week, but my school schedule began to conflict with the dance class. I eventually quit, but just this year I started back up again. After last week's boot camp Friday, my legs are in PAIN. Whoops. I'm rambling, huh? But isn't that kind of the point of a blog? :)

I really try to write honest reviews. They might not be the prettiest things, but at least they are my true opinion. If your interested in checking out my blog, visit Reading Addict at http://addicted2reading4evr.blogspot.com/. I also host weekly memes such as In My Mailbox, Sunday Sequels (my own new meme), Teaser Tuesdays, etc. I have had three interviews with different authors and I am working on a fourth. I've recently become addicted to book trailers, so I post those too. Feel free to come by and see!

Thanks SO much to Kari for letting me be here! You are awesome! *air kisses* And thank you guys for reading!


You are definitely welcome and I hope everyone checks out Amber's blog! =)

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine.

This week's WoW is Guardian of the Gate by Michelle Zink- the second book in the Prophecy of the Sisters trilogy. I found this cover over at Bookalicious Ramblings. I'm not sure if it's the final cover, at least for the US, but it definitely looks amazing, especially put next to the first book.

I really enjoyed the first book in this set and am eager for the next one and more of Zink's amazing writing that often made me feel like I was in the same time period as Lea and Alice which is a hard thing to do.

Details:
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (August 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316034479
ISBN-13: 978-0316034470

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading.

I'm working on Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl right now, which is also going to be featured on my book forum starting this coming Sunday, February 7 around noon CST. I'm super excited for that because I'm only about 115 pages in but already I'm hooked and intrigued- there will be a lot to talk about on this one I bet.

""Look. There's something going on here. The dreams, the song, the smell, and now the locket. It's like we're supposed to be friends."

Did you just say, the smell?" She looked horrified. "In the same sentence as friends?"

"Technically, I think it was a different sentence."" -- page 77

There's your teaser, showing what subtle humor is incorporated in this book. Stay tuned later this week for my review and come back Sunday for forum related stuff with both this book and Firespell. =)

January Books Read and Wrap Up

January ended up being a decent month for me- very productive despite a few major road blocks in my personal life. Gained some friends and lost some friends this month but I'm dealing with it. The ones I gained are awesome and the ones I lost- well, part of me thinks it's really their loss so eh. =) Here's the books I read this month, in order of how they were finished and linked to their reviews:

1. Crossing The Bridge: Michael Baron (Received for review from The Story Plant)
   
2. Going Too Far: Jennifer Echols
3. Break: Hannah Moskowitz (Featured on my book forum)
   
4. Leftovers: Laura Wiess
5. Leaving Paradise: Simone Elkeles
6. Perfect Chemistry: Simone Elkeles
7. Wanderlust: Lucy Silag
8. Of All The Stupid Things: Alexandra Diaz
9. Breathless: Jessica Warman (Also featured on my book forum)
10. Cracked Up To Be: Courtney Summers
11. Some Girls Are: Courtney Summers
12. In A Heartbeat: Loretta Ellsworth (Received for review from Bloomsbury)
13. His Eyes: Renee Carter
14. Diary of a Witness: Catherine Ryan Hyde
15. The Maze Runner: James Dashner
16. Firespell: Chloe Neill

Not a bad month for me. I think 16 might be a new record for me on books and I think it's even better because I also spent so much time working on my novel in addition to this. I got 2 chapters finished on the first original work I started back in September... but finished Chapter 15 this weekend of my newest one, the idea for which just sparked at the beginning of the month. The total page count, thus far, is 179 but I already know of stuff at the beginning I am going to cut. I don't tend to do much planning, especially at the beginning- I just write and let things develop on their own. It took me to about Chapter 4 to really find addict boy's voice so I need to redo my first few chapters to fit it, but I already know how I can cut alot of that first stuff out anyhow. Total word count so far: 64,388 which is also a really, really great feeling. This kid is still going strong in me (yes, I actually talk to him sometimes because he's that persistent and zone out, totally lost in thought about his story) and I really hope I can keep this same fire going.

At this rate, I really hope to have at least my first draft finished by the end of February and start headlong on revising/rewriting/redrafting/basically overhauling. While I thought about trying to really push myself to having it done by Feb 7 to enter Amazon/Penguin's contest, I just don't think it would be great quality if I did that. There will be other contests at better times, so I'm just taking it as it comes now.

That is about it for significant updates. I've started looking for some people to beta read once I get my second draft done. My best friend, who is my main critique person for my other book, originally said she didn't want to read this one until it was redrafted but she knew I was going crazy needing to talk to someone about it so she caved. She's the only one who I've been showing it to, and my other review friend will get the full draft once it's done but I am thinking of finding 1-2 other readers as well which is probably where Facebook comes in so I can plead for help from old friends who I don't talk to much anymore but who are teachers, etc with that critical eye. Never thought I would need Facebook but there you have it.

I also finally got a Twitter this month for my blog. Unfortunately, AGoodAddiction was taken as a name (Who gives themself that name on Twitter if not for their blog? Sigh.) So I used my standard online persona of flamingo1325. So, check me out. Follow me. Love me. Updates for my blog, my forum and the random things in my head will show up on there.

Oh, and I hit 300 followers this month too which made me do a happy dance (and made Toby look at me like maybe I really have gone insane). I'm at 317 now but that's still amazing! Thank you to all of you who follow me and actually want to read my opinions and stuff. That's just... well, awesome. If you haven't yet, check out my contest to give away the first 3 books in the Percy Jackson series, in honor of the movie coming out soon. I loved that series and I bet most of you bibliophiles will too. Check back in February for another contest that I am planning as well.

I hope everyone else had a good, productive month as well and I really hope I can stay this driven in February. But now I must return to addict boy who has yet to receive some attention today and he's getting antsy. Typical male....