Admitting defeat...until 2013.

My deepest apologies to any of you who have attempted to find information about new books on my blog lately.  I have a list a mile long of books that I need to blog.  Graduate school seems to keep taking all of my time.  As a result, today, I am admitting defeat...until 2013.  Once graduate school is over, then I can go back to having time to blog about what I'm reading.  Until then, you'll have to ask me directly. :) 

Hunger Games Names

Now that school is out, I have a moment to update the blog.  More will be coming about the books I've been reading.  Today, a friend found this interesting article about the names in The Hunger Games.  I'm not one who usually thinks much about names that authors use, but this article is very interesting.  She put more thought into the names than I ever imagined. 

http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2012/03/21/the_hunger_games_names_explained.html

The Future of Us

As soon as I heard the premise of the book, I knew I wanted to read it.  It certainly didn't disappoint!
Imagine it's 1996.  The Internet is just getting started, and Emma got her first computer from her father.  Her neighbor brings over an America Online disc, and she's able to get on the Internet for 100 free hours.  Somehow, Emma finds her Facebook page from 15 years in the future.  In that future, it appears that Emma's married to a man who isn't faithful to her.  Emma and Josh start experimenting and realize that actions, no matter how small they seem each day, have huge consequences to their future selves.  Follow Emma and Josh as they try to change the future by living each day to the fullest. 

Destined

This is the latest installment in the House of Night Series.  Zoey and her friends continue their battle against their evil headmisstress, Neferet and Darkness.  Zoey has a hard time dealing with the loss of her mother.  Rephiam has a hard time being accepted for the human he's become.  Kolona struggles with missing his son, and Stark's dreams are invaded by a lurker with evil intent.  All in all, the "nerd herd" must do everything they can to stand up for what's good and honorable.  I was disappointed that the book left at yet another cliffhanger.

Clockwork Prince

Those of you who have been in my class know what a fan I am of the City of Bones series. In this prequel, Cassandra Clare takes the story to new and different places.  I literally only had three words toward the end of this installment, "Oh my gosh!!!!"  I listened to the last disc 5 times, in hopes that things could turn out differently.
Follow the adventures of London's Shadowhunters are they continue looking for Mortmain.  Charlotte's ability to lead the London Institute is called into question, and her friends must do everything in their power to help her.  Along the way, there are fighting classes, tricky spells, wedding proposals, fake weddings, disguises, clockwork devices whose sole purpose is attaching, an aging old man whose mind is leaving, a masquerade ball, and not everybody makes it out of the book alive.  By far, this is my favorite Cassandra Clare book so far!

What Happened to Goodbye

I love that if I'm looking for a good realistic fiction with a bit of romance, I can go to a Sarah Dessen book, and I'm always happy.
Have you ever wanted to reinvent yourself?  Follow the adventures of McLean (or Liz or Eliza) depending on her reincarnation.  After her parents' divorce, she moves with her father, who takes over restaurants, rehabilitates them, and moves forward.  In each new town, McLean becomes someone else--a cheerleader, a student council leader, a goth girl.  When she moves to the latest town, she doesn't have time to invent another persona before she starts meeting people and ends up finally becoming herself.  With a cast of quirky characters (and a character who made his debut in another Dessen novel), this was another enjoyable read.  I'm happy to spend my Sunday afternoons engrossed in a Sarah Dessen novel!