Anxiously Awaiting...

Bite Club
by Rachel Caine
The Morganville Vampires, book 10

Publication Date: May 3, 2011

Absolutely love this series!! Cannot wait for the new book.

Cover Craving(s)...

Unearthly (US/UK Covers)
by Cynthia Hand

Publication Date: Currently Available

Rot and Ruin/Dust and Decay

by Jonathan Maberry

Publication Date: Currently Available/Aug. 30,2011

HEXBOUND Blog Tour - Review

Welcome to the January 10, 2011 stop on the Hexbound Blog Tour 2010 (2011)!!!

Thank you so much for visiting, I Read to Relax. First, I have a Hexbound review for you and then if you check back in a few days, I'm actually going to have an interview with Lily's new BFF, Scout, posted. I hope you'll check it out!!

Hexbound
by Chloe Neill
The Dark Elite, book two

Lily Parker is new to St. Sophia's School for Girls, but she's already learned that magic can be your best friend-or your worst enemy. That's why Lily has to learn how to control her newly discovered paranormal abilities while fighting the good fight with her best friend Scout as they take on Chicago's nastiest nightlife-including the tainted magic users known as Reapers... (description taken from Amazon.com)

I love the fact that the books in this series are, well, fun reads! They are quick, easy, adventurous, and well...all around...fun! Lily and her friends are all easily relatable characters and the plot consistently draws me in quickly.

I found it so intriguing to delve deeper into Chicago's underworld and get to meet some monsters, both human and not, that inhabit the dank tunnels. (It's really funny when you compare the vampires in this book to the vampires in Chloe Neill's other series, The Chicagoland Vampires!! They are so radically opposite in temprament and circumstance! :P) The "rat creatures" were just gross enough without being so repulsive I didn't want to read about them...and the humans that Lily, Scout, Jason, and Michael must battle were definitely just the right type of evil.

Speaking of...I really loved how Neill delved into good, evil, and the shades between in this book. So many questions were brought up about what Lily's parents might be hiding, if Jason might be considered a monster, and if well, the Reapers might not be...in the long run. It definitely gave Lily some things to think about!

I can tell you - without spoilers - that I cannot wait for book three. I need to see what's really going on with the Reapers...and of course, Lily's love life, too!!

An excellent (really fun) book. I recommend you read Firespell first of course, and then check out Chloe's other series, The Chicagoland Vampires, which I also adore, but you MUST read this book.

Don't forget to check out the other stops on the HEXBOUND Blog Tour .

In My Mailbox - January 9, 2011

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme, hosted by Kristi at the Story Siren, inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. Every week bloggers can share what they received in the mail or at the bookstore or at the library. The goal is that everyone can be exposed to more books this way!

Okay, this is a little long this time, but it's three weeks worth~ Between the holidays and then my lack of internet, I haven't been able to get an IMM in!!

For Review:

Priscilla the Great by Sybil Nelson

Scarlet Fever by Maureen Johnson

From the Library:

Factotum by D.M. Cornish

Wings of Fire ed by Jonathan Strahan

Awakened by P.C. and Kristin Cast

Bloody Valentine by Melissa De La Cruz

On My Nook:

River Secrets by Shannon Hale

Camille by Tess Oliver

Hexbound by Chloe Neill

Wish Alexandra Bullen

Reaper by Rachel Vincent

Remedial Magic by Jenna Black

Need by Carrie Jones

From Authors:

Across the Universe by Beth Revis (signed ARC)

Betraying Season by Marissa Doyle (signed paperback)

Whew! That was a great three weeks~I hope the next three are as good to me...ummm...and that I get some good reading time in!

Zombies Reading Challenge 2011

Okay, seeing how many zombie books I read last year (and how much I secretly...oh wait, not so secretly enjoyed them!) I decided to sign up for a "Zombie Reading Challenge" this year.

Hosted by the ladies over at Book Soulmates, the challenge runs from Jan. 1st to Dec. 31st of 2011. Here's the blurb from their website:

Satisfy your undying hunger - for books! The new year is beginning and we know the majority of our close friends and family are going on a diet, I know I am {Vanessa}, so we need to find an outlet for our hunger. What better substitute than books! Let's devour ZOMBIE books! I only read one Zombie book this past year and I think it's time start piling up the bodies, er, I mean books! So start devouring!

I plan to devour at least 10 more zombie books this year! Wish me luck!!
If you want to join, scoot on over to their site to check out the rules and sign up!

Blameless

Blameless
by Gail Carriger
The Parasol Protectorate, book three

Quitting her husband's house and moving back in with her horrible family, Lady Maccon becomes the scandal of the London season.

Queen Victoria dismisses her from the Shadow Council, and the only person who can explain anything, Lord Akeldama, unexpectedly leaves town. To top it all off, Alexia is attacked by homicidal mechanical ladybugs, indicating, as only ladybugs can, the fact that all of London's vampires are now very much interested in seeing Alexia quite thoroughly dead.

While Lord Maccon elects to get progressively more inebriated and Professor Lyall desperately tries to hold the Woolsey werewolf pack together, Alexia flees England for Italy in search of the mysterious Templars. Only they know enough about the preternatural to explain her increasingly inconvenient condition, but they may be worse than the vampires -- and they're armed with pesto. (description taken from Amazon.com)

Another fantastic addition to the series! Alexia is such an amazing character...witty, adventurous, courageous...and generally full of vigor. I felt so bad for her when she became estranged from her furry husband. What develops when Alexia strikes out on her own, though, is the building of her own "parasol protectorate." Her friends and loyal allies rally around her...it was great!

I love Carriger's little additions, like how pesto was developed to combat both vampires and werewolves in Italy. These details really just make the story come alive. The storyline about the Templars was really intriguing, too. I can't wait to see if that is further developed. All in all, I can't wait to see what Alexia and her husband do about their little'un in the next book, Heartless.

Kiss Me Deadly

Kiss Me Deadly: 13 Tales of Paranormal Love
ed. by Trisha Telep

If you can possibly thirst for more mysterious metaphysical accounts of love, Trisha Telep has organized some of the greatest and most thrilling tales of paranormal paramours since The Eternal Kiss. She presents the acclaimed literary talent of thirteen unique authors, creating a collection of stories that will undoubtedly capture the imagination of every soul who dares to read them. Werewolves, ghosts, zombies, vampires, and fallen angels drive the plot of these riveting romances. (description taken from Amazon.com)

I liked this anthology. It was full of some interesting stories by great YA authors. I really loved, too, that authors like Michelle Zink got to write something outside of the series they are now famous for...it was a real chance to show off their diverse abilities. Then, there were also stories like "Errant" by Diana Peterfreund and "Hare Moon" by Carrie Ryan that just delved even deeper into the fantastic worlds they've already created. For paranormal fans, this anthology is a must!

Harriet the Spy: Blog Wars

Harriet the Spy: Blog Wars
Starring Jennifer Stone

Young spy, Harriet Welsch, crosses paths with popular student Marion Hawthorne as the two girls vie to become the official blogger of their high school class. (description taken from imdb.com)

Okay, I was officially obsessed with Harriet the Spy when I was a kid. I even carried around my own observation notebook for awhile and went to see the professional play with my Grandmother!!

Thus, I loved the fact that they made an updated movie. It's still Harriet, but she wants to be class blogger!! How awesome. There were lots of nods to the original...can we say red shoes, anyone?... but a whole new generation can also enjoy. :)

My only qualm was that the boy she spends the whole movie stalking, I mean spying on, of course, has a meltdown then just suddenly forgives her at the end. It made for a cute ending, but was totally unrealistic. Oh well. Overall, I really enjoyed it!

DNF - Extraordinary

Extraordinary
by Nancy Werlin

Phoebe finds herself drawn to Mallory, the strange and secretive new kid in school, and the two girls become as close as sisters . . . until Mallory's magnetic older brother, Ryland, shows up during their junior year. Ryland has an immediate, exciting hold on Phoebe - but a dangerous hold, for she begins to question her feelings about her best friend and, worse, about herself.

Soon she'll discover the shocking truth about Ryland and Mallory: that these two are visitors from the faerie realm who have come to collect on an age-old debt. Generations ago, the faerie queen promised Pheobe's ancestor five extraordinary sons in exchange for the sacrifice of one ordinary female heir. But in hundreds of years there hasn't been a single ordinary girl in the family, and now the faeries are dying. Could Phoebe be the first ordinary one? Could she save the faeries, or is she special enough to save herself?(description taken from Amazon.com)

It saddens me to admit that I did not finish (DNF) this book. I LOVED Werlin's previous book, Impossible, and was stoked to finally read this one...

The premise sounded very good. I still like the idea of a generations old debt that must be collected. I love faerie tales. I love that folk tale feeling in books...

I just couldn't connect to either Phoebe, who is supposed to be the main character, or her BFF, Mallory, who sort of steals the spotlight early on... I just couldn't get that invested feeling and so was pushing myself to keep reading. Finally, I gave up. :(

I hate doing that!

In the future, I might try to pick this one up again. It may be I just wasn't in the mood with the holidays, New Year's, etc., but for now...I've moved on to books that keep hollering at me..."Pick me, Pick me!!"

Letter from Susan Elizabeth Phillips to herself...

This is too funny and my friend Sharon coerced me into watching it and now I'm twisting your arm to make you watch it, too. You will not be sorry! I promise. *giggles*

The Replacement

The Replacement
by Brenna Yovanoff

Mackie Doyle is a replacement - a fairy child left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago, to replace the baby when it was stolen away by the fey. So though he lives in the small town of Gentry, Mackie's real home is the fey world of tunnels and black, murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a little tattooed princess. Now, because his fey blood gives him fatal allergies to iron, blood and consecrated ground, Mackie is slowly dying in the human world. Mackie would give anything just to be normal, to live quietly amongst humans, practice his bass guitar and spend time with his crush, Tate. But when Tate's baby sister goes missing, Mackie is drawn irrevocably back home to the fey underworld of Gentry, known as Mayhem, where he must face down the dark creatures, rescue the child, and find his rightful place - in our world, or theirs. (description taken from Amazon.com)

Oooh. I was salivating over this book for months, and months, and months...ever since I first glimpsed this awesomely creepy cover. (Not a huge fan of the new paperback cover, btw...) I was only slightly disappointed when I finally finished it.

The premise of this book is not wholly original, but the execution is almost flawless. Mackie's hometown of Gentry is a deliciously dark place full of secrets and people more than willing to keep them...

I love dark, creepy faerie stories and this one is amazing. I love the idea that the main character is actually a changeling and the obstacles that Mackie has to face as he gets older and cannot survive in the human world gave this book a clever twist. My only (and I mean only) problem with this book was that I just couldn't really connect with Mackie.

I've read tons of reviews...and almost everyone loves Mackie. He is a very interesting character. His progression from sickly "freak" to reluctant hero is believable and fun to read...but he just didn't...reach out and grab me.

Whereas...many of the other characters practically leapt off the pages at me. For one, Mackie's love interest, Tate. She is one of my new favorite heroines. This is a girl that doesn't buy the local bull...this is a girl that faces down ridicule, stands up to the mean girl, fights (literally) for what she knows is true...she will do ANYTHING to save her sister. She is in a word, awesome!

I also really loved Mackie's best friend, Roswell. His loyalty knows no bounds. He and the twins were awesome comic relief and back up when needed. Not to mention Mackie's sister...

Lastly one cannot ignore the "Old Ones." The Morrigan was unlike I'd ever seen her before and I truly adored the way that Yovanoff wrote her... Her blue girls and Janice and the others from the House of Mayhem struck that perfect balance between dark and dangerous and good. The Lady and her Cutter were the ultimate nemeses and I was creeped out in ways I can't even describe.

Other than feeling a slight disconnect from Mackie, which I actually felt was an advantage...since he's supposed to be "other" and I wouldn't want to be able to wholly relate to him...the writing was amazing...the characters were deep, twisted, and compelling...the setting was phenomenal....

This is definitely going to the top of my personal list for the dark fae/horror genre!

It's Not Summer Without You

It's Not Summer Without You
by Jenny Han
Summer Novels, book two

Can summer be truly summer without Cousins Beach?

It used to be that Belly counted the days until summer, until she was back at Cousins Beach with Conrad and Jeremiah. But not this year. Not after Susannah got sick again and Conrad stopped caring. Everything that was right and good has fallen apart, leaving Belly wishing summer would never come.

But when Jeremiah calls saying Conrad has disappeared, Belly knows what she must do to make things right again. And it can only happen back at the beach house, the three of them together, the way things used to be. If this summer really and truly is the last summer, it should end the way it started--at Cousins Beach. (description taken from Amazon.com)

The first book in this series, The Summer I Turned Pretty, was achingly beautiful and left me hoping beyond hope for a sequel. I was soooooo excited when I knew It's Not Summer Without You was coming out...and now that I've read it, I CANNOT wait for this coming summer and the final book, We'll Always Have Summer.

These are the best realistic fiction books! Belly is a great protagonist. Unsure of herself, yet true to her instincts. Her life is enriched by her two longest friends...brothers, Jeremiah and Conrad. Her life is also...well, complicated...by her relationship with each brother.

What I loved about this second book was getting to see portions from Jeremiah's perspective. I have to be honest and say that I LOVE Jeremiah...have from the start. That being said, I totally understood what happened at the end of the first book, but I also understood why things went the way they did in this book...cryptic, no? :P

This book made me laugh, it made me cry...it broke my heart and sewed it up again. Well worth reading...again and again and again...

Sent

Sent
by Margaret Peterson Haddix
The Missing, book two

Jonah, Katherine, Chip, and another boy, Alex, have no preparation before they are sent back to 1483 at the Tower of London, with the promise that they can return to the present if they can repair history. They quickly discover that Chip and Alex’s true identities are the 13-year-old King Edward V and his 10-year-old brother, Richard, Duke of York. But before Chip can enjoy being the king of England, they discover that they are virtually prisoners—and that their uncle wants them dead. How can the kids repair time and return home when according to history, Chip and Alex were murdered? (description taken from Amazon.com)

Haddix does another great job melding historical fact with fantasy in this time-travel mystery thriller. Full of danger, confusion, and interesting revelations, this will be a sure hit with middle grade readers.

I was a history major in college, but even I learned some new theories about the disappearances of King Edward V and his younger brother, Prince Richard, from the Tower of London. Haddix also sprinkles in information about life in the fifteenth century into the plotline seamlessly.

More information is revealed about JB and the time travelers trying to save history, but plenty of secrets are still unresolved. I am very curious to see what time period Jonah and his sister Katherine will travel to next!

Rage - Blog Tour

Rage
by Jackie Morse Kessler
Publication date: April 4, 2011

Missy didn’t mean to cut so deep. But after the party where she was humiliated in front of practically everyone in school, who could blame her for wanting some comfort? Sure, most people don’t find comfort in the touch of a razor blade, but Missy always was . . . different.

That’s why she was chosen to become one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: War. Now Missy wields a new kind of blade—a big, brutal sword that can cut down anyone and anything in her path. But it’s with this weapon in her hand that Missy learns something that could help her triumph over her own pain: control.

A unique approach to the topic of self-mutilation, Rage is the story of a young woman who discovers her own power and refuses to be defeated by the world.(description from back of book)


Wow. I had been blown away by the first book in this series, Hunger, and I am even more impressed with this addition. This book was not easy to read by any means...cutting is a very hard topic to address...but Kessler is a master. Truly.

This book was raw, gripping...I'm having trouble describing exactly how it made me feel. I have always had issues dealing with blood, gore, that type of thing...so books like this, about cutting, have always kind of been a pass for me. The melding of self-mutilation with the fantasy aspect of becoming War, one of the four Horsemen of th Apocalypse...not passable!

Don't get me wrong. There are descriptive passages in this book that I basically had to skim - and not always just because it was graphic. Sometimes the emotions behind the cutting urge were so dominant and...heartwrending...that I needed to take a step back.

Then, as Missy begins to take control. I became more and more emotionally vested in her success and her triumphs became mine as a reader! When I closed this book, there were tears in my eyes, my throat felt tight...but I was satisfied. As tough as this was to read, I would do it again, and again. I cannot wait to see how Kessler tackles Pestilence in book three!

Definitely a must read for 2011.

Full disclosure: ARC received as part of Book It Forward ARC Tours for review

Lauren Conrad Style

Lauren Conrad Style
by Lauren Conrad

You've seen Lauren Conrad on TV and red carpets, looking fabulous whether she's going casual for a day with friends or dressed for a night out. Now Lauren reveals how you can adapt her classic, understated style for yourself.

In her first-ever style guide, Lauren offers tips on how to create your own unique look, shares her favorite sources of inspiration, and identifies the absolute must-haves for any fashionista's wardrobe. Along the way, she examines her fashion evolution, from California-casual teen to camera-ready style icon and clothing designer.

From beauty advice and hair secrets to how to shop vintage or find the perfect T-shirt, Lauren Conrad Style unlocks the mysteries of being effortlessly chic. With Lauren's guidance, you'll look and feel stylish every day. (description taken from Amazon.com)

As much as Lauren Conrad gets on my nerves and I don't really care about her personal style...I did think there were a LOT of good tips in this book. I'm not much of a non-fiction reader, but I find myself consistently drawn to fashion type books (not that it's reflected that much in my wardrobe... :P).

This one has a nice layout. There are different sections for clothing, makeup, care, etc. and they are all easy to read and full of helpful tips. There are some nice shots of things like how to wear one LBD eight different ways and things like that...

If you like fashion, this one's worth at least a quick flip-through.

Selkie Girl

Selkie Girl
by Laurie Brooks

Elin Jean has always known she was different from the others on their remote island home. She is a gentle soul, and can’t stand the annual tradition of killing seal babies to thin the population. Even Tam McCodron, the gypsy boy to whom she is strangely drawn, seems to belong more than she does.

It’s just a matter of time until Elin Jean discovers the secret of her past: her mother, Margaret, is a selkie, held captive by her smitten father, who has kept Margaret’s precious seal pelt hostage for 16 years. Soon Elin Jean faces a choice about whether to free her mother from her island prison. And, as the child of this unusual union, she must make another decision. Part land, part sea, she must explore both worlds and dig deep inside herself to figure out where she belongs, and where her future lies. (description taken from Amazon.com)

This a well-written, haunting folk tale based book. I loved the imagery of the selkies shedding their skins, their underwater culture, stories told through song...I was so sad at the descriptions of the culling, a brutal practice.

What struck me the most every time I picked this book up, though, was how awful this cover choice was for this particular story. The art team that created this cover obviously had no inkling of what the story was about... it literally made me cringe every time I looked at it. A. There are NO mermaids in this story. B. The coloring, wavy lines, etc. makes it look like a frothy fantasy...ummm. No.

Thankfully, they redid the cover for the paperback and now, though still not fantastic it is a much, MUCH better fit! The darker tones are much more fitting to the somberness of the story (it really reminds me of the moody feel that I always got from "The Secret of Roan Inish") and the girl suspended in the water perfectly matches a description of Elin Jean in the book.



A much better choice!

I highly recommend this book. It's very similar to Donna Jo Napoli's Hush: An Irish Princess' Tale in tone. It has excellent themes (self-acceptance, love, belonging, morality) and is well told.

Winner - Hollywood Ending Giveaway

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

The official winner of the Hollywood Ending giveaway was determined to be...

Rebecca!!

Congrats again! I have emailed you directly, so as soon as you get back to me with an address I will have the book mailed out directly to you!!

Thank you again to Lucie Simone 's Hollywood Ending Blog Tour for letting me have this great giveaway!

Radiance

Radiance
by Alyson Noel

Riley has crossed the bridge into the afterlife—a place called Here, where time is always Now. She has picked up life where she left off when she was alive, living with her parents and dog in a nice house in a nice neighborhood. When she’s summoned before The Council, she learns that the afterlife isn’t just an eternity of leisure. She’s been assigned a job, Soul Catcher, and a teacher, Bodhi, a possibly cute, seemingly nerdy boy who’s definitely hiding something. They return to earth together for Riley’s first assignment, a Radiant Boy who’s been haunting a castle in England for centuries. Many Soul Catchers have tried to get him to cross the bridge and failed. But all of that was before he met Riley . . .

Can I just say that I loved reading Riley's scenes in the Immortals series and I was super excited to find out that Ever's "bratty" ghost sister would be getting her own series?! Riley is a little spit-fire and I love her. Her stubbornness no longer gets her into to trouble, but in fact helps her in her new job as "Soul Catcher" in the Here and Now. :)

Speaking of the Here and Now...Noel has created a really interesting and multi-layered version of Heaven that I can't wait to explore further. As Riley learns more about what she'll be doing in the afterlife, so do readers. It is absolutely captivating. I had such fun imagining the scenes in Radiance!

Though this new spin off series is geared to a middle grade audience instead of YA, I actually think that I like this new series better than the Immortals...sorry Ever!! It drew me right in from the opening lines:

Most people think that death is the end.
The end of life - of good times - the end of, well, pretty much everything.
But those people are wrong.
Dead wrong.
And I should know. I died almost a year ago.


How much better can a series opener be??

Definitely a must read for those who enjoy the Immortals series or books like Everlost by Neal Shusterman and Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin.


Full disclosure: Copy received from publisher for review

Ramona and Beezus

Ramona and Beezus
Movie Review

I saw this several weeks ago and I just have to pass on how cute it was! I honestly cannot remember reading the Ramona Quimby books, so I have no idea how different the movie is from the books.

I thought it was very well done. I loved the casting. I haven't seen the girl who played Ramona before, but I loved Selena Gomez' performance as Beezus, John Corbett as their father, and Gennifer Goodwin as the kooky aunt. They were all perfect.

I also really loved how the movie makers blended the fantasy elements into the real Quimby daily lives. What they can do with movies now...it blows my mind. The way that they could play out what Ramona daydreamed...awesome!

For a feel good movie that will make you tear up a little, but then end with happy smiles, definitely check out Ramona and Beezus!! :)

The Body at the Tower

The Body at the Tower
by Y.S. Lee
The Agency, book two

Mary Quinn is back, now a trusted member of the Agency, the all-female detective unit operating out of Miss Scrimshaw’s Academy for Girls. Her new assignment sends her into the grimy underbelly of Victorian London dressed as a poor boy, evoking her own childhood memories of fear, hunger, and constant want. As she insinuates herself into the confidence of several persons of interest, she encounters others in desperate situations and struggles to make a difference without exposing —or losing —her identity. (description taken from Amazon.com)

A second great undercover adventure! Lee peppers this series with such wonderful detail that readers can't help but be drawn into the possible world of a secret women's spy agency. Mary's foray into the "man's world" in construction not only yeilds fabulous detail about gender identity in this period, but also gives readers info on how the Houses of Parlaiment and Big Ben were constructed and became the icons we know today.

This was a great read, full of adventure and mystery. I am curious to see how this trilogy is going to be wrapped up in the final book. I'm honestly not quite sure what the final story arc is supposed to be...other than finding out if James and Mary can finally be together, that is!!!

Oddly Enough

Oddly Enough
by Bruce Coville

Welcome to the weird world of Bruce Coville, a world populated by aliens and unicorns, willing werewolves and tender vampires, monsters and… more. A world where nothing is every quite what it seems—nor quite what you expect.

Come on in and take a walk on the odd side.

A fun romp into the odd parts of Bruce Coville's imagination. Nine stories take readers on a wild ride. My favorite was "The Language of Blood" - a really interesting asian-flavored take on vampires. I also really enjoyed a dystopian tale called "Old Glory" about a future where Americans vote to lose all their freedoms...very subtly creepy.

Full disclosure: Audio book received to review for AudioFile

Book Trailer - Tempestuous

OMG. *squee!!* Haven't quite gotten my hands on this one yet, but I soon will. I LOVE this series.

Tempestuous by Lesley Livingston (in stores now)

Cover Craving(s)...

City of Fallen Angels
by Cassandra Clare
The Mortal Instruments, book four


Publication date: April 5, 2011



Shadowspell
by Jenna Black
Faeriewalker, book two



Publication date: Jan. 4, 2011

Circle of Fire

by Michelle Zink

Prophecy of the Sisters, book three

Publication date: Aug. 3, 2011

*Michelle Zink has stated that this is not the final cover for the book, but I do like this one, so I'll be interested to see what the final one looks like...

The Hidden

by Jessica Verday

The Hollow, book three

Publication date: Sept. 6, 2011

The End of Time - Book Trailer

The End of Time
by P. W. Catanese
Books of Umber, book three

I am SO excited for this book. This is the final book in one of the BEST middle grade fantasy series I've read in a long time. Check out my review for book two, Dragon Games.

2010 Wrap Up

Total Books Read in 2010: 234

Favorite Book Covers in 2010: (in no particular order)

Best Books of 2010: (again, in no particular order)

Museum of Thieves by Lian Tanner

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Ascendant by Diana Peterfreund

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Firelight by Sophie Jordan

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan

This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

Mistwood by Leah Cypess

Favorite Non-Fiction Books of 2010:
Zombie Felties by Nicola Tedman
Zombies Vs. Unicorns ed. by Justine Larbaleister and Holly Black

Most Disappointing Books of 2010: (I hate to list these...)
Halo by Alexandra Adornetto
The Gardener by S.A. Bodeen

Melting Stones by Tamora Pierce

Most Surprising (In A Good Way!) Books of 2010:
The Duff by Kody Keplinger

Library Wars: Love and War: Vol. 1

Going Bovine by Libba Bray

Most Recommended-to-Others Books of 2010:

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
The Virgin Queen's Daughter by Ella March Chase

Best Series You Discovered in 2010:
The Books of Bayern by Shannon Hale
The Giver by Lois Lowry

The Confessions of Georgia Nicolson by Louise Rennison

Favorite New Authors Discovered in 2010:
Lauren Oliver

Kiersten White

Jenny Han

Gail Carriger

Most Hilarious Reads of 2010:
Wicked Appetite by Janet Evanovich (adult)

Most Anticipated Book of 2010:
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Books That I Could Not Stop Thinking About in 2010:

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

The DUFF by Kody Keplinger

Slant by Laura E. Williams

Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler

Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connor

Books I Can't Believe I Waited Until 2010 to Read:

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
The Giver by Lois Lowry

Book Challenges I Participated In:
2010 Debut Author Challenge, 2010 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge, 2010 Audio Book Challenge, 2010 Royals Fantasy Reading Challenge, and the 2010 Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge