May Reads 2016 #amreading

May 30, 2016October 27, 2016 / Eve Messenger / 17 Comments

May Reads 2016 Final

Hello, fellow book junkies! I can’t recall the last time I read eleven books in a single month, so May might just be a new record.This month also rang in my first exposure to Netgalley ARCs, which included The Graces, a book I really enjoyed, and The 52nd, a book I really didn’t.

Is there a word that encompasses comics, manga, and graphic novels? “Graphic narrative,” perhaps? Whatever the term, I read three of them this month, a personal trend kicked off this year by my fabulous blogger friend Carolyn @ A Hundred Thousand Stories recommending the 2015 female version of Captain Marvel, which I adored. Carolyn is funny and so, so smart when it comes to books, so I hope you get a chance to check out her blog.

Here are the books I read in May:

YA DYSTOPIAN

Legend by Marie Lu
How has Legend not been made into a movie or TV series yes?! I read it, loved it, and can’t wait to get my hands on the other books in the trilogy. “Day” is everything. 5 stars

YA FANTASY-PARANORMAL

The Graces by Laure Eve Netgalley ARC
Well written, atmospheric, and dark, this is the tale of a new girl in town who longs to be accepted by the Graces, three witch siblings who are the most popular kids in high school. Bonus points for the English seaside setting. Expected publication date: September 2016. Goodreads review. 5 stars.

The White Cat (Curse Workers #1) by Holly Black Audio book
Cassel is the only non-magical son of a family of con-artist magic workers. Entertaining, with excellent world-building. The audio book was narrated by Jesse Eisenberg, whose reading style isn’t my favorite. I’ll read the next book in the series, The Red Glove, the old-fashioned way. 4 stars.

The 52^nd Netgalley ARC
Immortal Aztec demigods attempt to save a mortal girl from an ancient curse. Oh, what potential this story had, but the silly, rambling tale just didn’t work. Goodreads review. 2 (generous) stars.

YA CONTEMPORARY

The Art of Being Normal by Elizabeth Williamson Netgalley ARC
“Two boys. Two secrets.” In The Art of Being Normal, we get a taste of what life might be like in a London low-rent district similar to the NYC projects. More importantly, we get to view the world through the eyes of two sympathetic, believable high school students trying to be true to themselves. Yes, there are heartbreaking moments, but ultimately this is an uplifting story about what people can accomplish when they believe in one another and themselves. Goodreads review. 5 stars.

The Haters by Jesse Andrews Audiobook
There are a ridiculous number of F bombs and explicit sexual descriptions littered throughout this book. That being said, the adventure this band of jazz camp dropouts goes on is totally entertaining. Writer Jesse Andrews is genuinely funny and totally gets what it’s like to be in a band. Narrated by excellent, fast (!) reader Michael Crouch, whose impressive narrating credits also include The Serpent King, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, Salt to the Sea, and Magonia. 4 stars.

ADULT FANTASY/SCIENCE FICTION/PARANORMAL

Vicious by V.E. Schwab
Good guys? Bad guys? Who cares? Enjoy Schwab’s morally conflicted ride, with characters unlike any you’ve read before. 5 stars.

YA HISTORICAL

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
This moving story sure did make me cry at the end. The plot is so smart. And, oh, what a great character Queenie is. If only I hadn’t had to drag myself through minefields of overly technical details about engines and piloting airplanes. In the end, Queenie was worth it. 3.5 stars.

COMIC/MANGA/GRAPHIC NOVEL

Ms. Marvel, vol. 1: No Normal by Wilson, Alphana, Herring
Ms. Marvel is a girl from a loving, immigrant Pakistani family who has to navigate her way through becoming a superhero. A smart, relatable, girl of color does the rescuing–fun read. 4.5 stars.

Manga Classics: The Scarlet Letter by Crystal Chan-NetGalley ARC
In addition to the lovely artwork, this manga version did a good job preserving key plot elements and best lines from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s original–the ultimate forbidden love story. Goodreads review. 3.75 stars

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
I have a new crush, and his name is Ballister Blackheart. Talk about morally ambiguous characters! Nimona is quite a character, and the story takes a surprising turn. 4 stars.

–Eve Messenger

Hope & Heartbreak: The Art of Being Normal

May 29, 2016 / Eve Messenger / 3 Comments

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Genre: YA contemporary

Goodreads rating: 4.26

“Two boys. Two secrets.”

If you’re looking for excellent writing and an uplifting read, I highly recommend The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson. Williamson writes in an eloquent style that I could read all day long—and did! Her compassion for her characters shines through every word of this tale of two high school age people striving to express their true nature in a world that does not always welcome them. At its heart, The Art of Being Normal is about friendship and what good people are capable of when they support one another and don’t give up. Every character and setting is believable. There are surprising plot twists, too. Yes, there is heartbreak but, above all, there is hope. 5 stars.

Quotes:

Clever: “When she’s not being sappy, she’s as hard as nails.”

Brilliant (when you know the context): “I watch as he breaks into a jog toward the bus stop, his blazer flying out behind him like a cape.”

Heart-wrenching: “Sometimes, if I can’t sleep at night or I’m bored on the bus or in classes, I imagine this parallel universe where Dad is still around. In it he takes me to soccer games, helps me with my homework, and calls me “son,” like he’s really proud of me. He makes Mam nicer too: younger, prettier, happier. Parallel-universe Mam always remembers to buy toilet paper, cooks roast dinners on Sunday, and laughs a lot.”

— Eve Messenger

What Makes a Character Noble?

May 24, 2016May 25, 2016 / Eve Messenger / 25 Comments

Noble Characters in YA Fiction

Few things are as gratifying as reading about a truly noble character. So who are some of the most noble characters in modern YA fiction? Before we take a look at the list, let’s define “noble.”

A noble character is someone who:

Sacrifices desires and emotional or physical safety for the greater good.
Doesn’t pretend to be anyone other than who she is. (Probably my favorite quality of a noble character.)
Doesn’t (necessarily) seek recognition for doing the right thing, in fact, prefers anonymity.
May, in fact, lead a generally ignoble life, but when the time comes to stand up for what’s right, she does.
Has a strong moral compass and sticks to it, even when ridiculed, pressured to conform, or ostracized.
Can take the easy way out but doesn’t.
Never abandons her friends.

Top 9 Noble Characters in YA

Inej Ghafa, the Wraith – Six of Crows
An expert assassin, Inej can kill a person in seconds with her bare hands, but she never veers from her personal code of ethics. She would die before letting down her friends.
23437156 Todd Hewitt – The Knife of Never Letting Go
Sure, Todd could have kept running when all hell broke loose in Prentisstown, but he had to stop and help Viola because that is how a noble character rolls.
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Celia Bowen – The Night Circus
Celia Bowen could well be the most powerful magician in the world, but because of her strong moral compass she treats people with dignity and does what she thinks is right.
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Brimstone- Daughter of Smoke & Bone
Without giving away spoilers, let’s just say Brimstone meets the qualifications of being a noble character. Fellow readers of Daughter of Smoke & Bone, would you agree?
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Queenie – Code Name Verity
I finished reading Code Name Verity several days ago and am still in a daze over what a noble character Queenie is.

Thea – The Diviners
Thea is one of those enticing characters who never pretends to be anyone other than who she is. She follows her passions and is kind toward those who deserve it.

Kell – Shades of Magic series Kell could practically run the world with all the powers he has as a Traveler and, though he is treated as a second-rate son by the Maresh family, he remains loyal to crown, especially to his brother, Prince Rhy.
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Katniss Everdeen – Hunger Games
It would have been so easy for Katniss to leave District 12 behind and live the good life at the Capitol but, no, she has to fight for what is right.
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Day – Legend Day’s defining characteristic is his unwavering loyalty toward family, close friends, and his oppressed community.
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What do you think? Are there other characters who deserve to be on this list?

–Eve Messenger

Book Tag Inspired by “The Gilmore Girls” #amreading

May 13, 2016May 15, 2016 / Eve Messenger / 17 Comments

GG Tag

I didn’t see The Gilmore Girls when it first aired, but I had a blast binge-watching Lorelei and Rory on Netflix and now have kindred book-loving spirit Beth @ Betwixt the Pages to thank for this fun Gilmore Girls Book Tag. If you’d like to do it too, please consider yourself tagged!

1. I JUST GOT HIT BY A DEER –
character having the worst day ever

“Day” from the book Legend has all the soldiers of a dystopian society against him. And they are not kind.

He is a legend... She is a prodigy... Who will be champion?:

2. STARS HOLLOW –
wildly eccentric cast

The Night Circus features such a unique assortment of characters.

3. COFFEE –
a book you’re addicted to/a character with an addiction

I think Miles (AKA “Pudge”) was pretty addicted to Alaska and her wild ways.

4. SOMEONE DEVIL EGGED MY CAR?! –
great act of revenge

Victor from Vicious owns this category.

5. MR. MEDINA –
an illicit affair

Nathanial Hawthorne penned the ultimate illicit affair story in The Scarlet Letter. I was recently impressed by the Manga Classics version of The Scarlet Letter, which did a great job capturing key plot details and most memorable lines–all in manga style.

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6. KIM’S ANTIQUES –
a world you’d be afraid to enter

The strange world and undercurrent of evil in The Knife of Never Letting Go was genuinely unsettling.

7. HARVARD VS. YALE –
character who needs to make a life-changing decision

Alexandra in Consider by Kristy Acevedo had to decide whether or not to take the ultimate leap of faith.

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8. LUKE’S DINER –
a comfort read

Captain Marvel Further, Faster (vol. 1-6) by DeConnick & Lopez. Talk about a comfort read. This graphic novel was pure Friday night joy.

Captain Marvel, Vol. 1: Higher, Further, Faster, More

9. AM I CRYING OR LAUGHING? –
a book that messed with your emotions

The First Time She Drowned by Kerry Kletter devastated me. In fact, I’m pretty sure I read #8 to decompress from this beautifully written but heartbreaking book.

10. EMILY –
the HBIC (Head Bitch in Charge)

Predatory, coldly beautiful Dr. Cable from Uglies.

11. LORELAI AND RORY –
favorite family dynamic

I choose the Shadowhunters family from Cassandra Clare’s Infernal Devices. They may not be related to one another, but they live together and have each other’s backs.

12. I PUSHED HIM IN THE LAKE! –
a book you’d throw in a lake

While reading Phillip K. Dick’s The Man in the High Castle there were times I wanted to throw it into a lake because the derogatory Asian references were so offensive.

13. 1000 YELLOW DAISIES –
favorite romance

In Magonia, Jason literally travels to the far corners of the world to find Aza.

14. JESS –
an unpopular opinion

Cinder. Sorry!!

15. FIRST SNOW –
snowy or holiday read

Pretty much any book by Jane Austen feels like a snowy or holiday read. Something about reading stories set in Regency era England makes me want to curl up by a crackling fire.

16. HEP ALIEN –
book centered around music

In addition to being clever and funny, The Haters had so many musical references which, as a musician and music teacher, I enjoyed immensely–Jesse Andrews authentically captures what it’s like to jam with bandmates. But be warned: this YA book is undeniably an R-rated read.

17. HE’D BETTER HAVE A MOTORCYCLE! –
your book crush

Day from Legend.

18. IT’S REPETITIVE AND REDUNDANT –
a book that could have been shorter

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. (Should I also put this in category #14??)

19. KIRK –
the weirdest book you’ve ever read

Hahaha, Kirk is weird. Okay, so I’m gonna have to go with Magonia again on this one.

20. IT’S A LIFESTYLE. IT’S A RELIGION –
that one book that means more to you than any other

Impossible to answer.

Happy & Confused April Reading #amreading

April 27, 2016May 5, 2016 / Eve Messenger / 19 Comments

April 2016 Reads

This month I got to go all over the place in books. Just looking at the graphic of the ten books I read in April makes happy and maybe just a bit confused. While there was definitely a YA fantasy slant to my reading selections (no big surprise there), I think this month each book ended up being from a different genre.

Consider by Kristy Acevedo-I kicked off April with a bit of YA sci-fi. Intriguing concept, shocker ending.

What We Need to Survive by Elena Johansen – My writer-blogger friend Elena published an adult post-apocalyptic romance that I just had to read. Her writing is flawless.

The First Time She Drowned by Kerry Kletter – This YA contemporary blew me away with its beautiful writing and All. Of. The. Feels. I posted a review of it here.

Captain Marvel Further, Faster, More vol. 1-6 Higher by DeConnick & Lopez-Another recommendation from Carolyn @ A Hundred Thousand Stories that I adored, this (graphic novel? comic book?) series predominantly features females in the lead roles, including of course Carol Danvers as Captain Marvel. Excellent writing by DeConnick and beautiful artwork by David Lopez. Now I’m off to read Ms. Marvel. . .

The Complete Collected Poems of Maya Angelou-At last I sat down and read a collection of poetry by the modern goddess of poetry herself, Maya Angelou. She wrote deep, musical, personal poetry that does what poetry should–makes us see the world as very big and very small all at the same time and makes us think.

Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor-An outstanding YA urban fantasy. I liked the dark, imaginative story and the atmospheric Prague setting. From all the things I’d heard about it, I expected the writing to be transcendent, which finally started happening on page 174. This story went to a place that, well–no spoilers–but what an ending.

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld – I finally got around to reading this hugely famous book and had a fun time. Mixing things up with a bit of YA dystopia every once in a while is a good thing.

The Uninvited by Cat Winters – YA paranormal. I’m always up for a story about ghosts, and I liked the historical setting of WW-I , flu-epidemic era small-town America, but this turned into a romance right away, which is not my favorite genre.

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman – Adult urban fantasy. I read this as an audio book and, as someone who swore long ago never, ever to commute to work again, listening to it during my short ride to work and during errands took an excruciatingly long time. Five weeks, to be exact. I finally broke down, found a PDF of Neverwhere online, read the last 30 pages (with my eyes, not my ears), and enjoyed the book so much more. Also, an interesting thing happens when I read Neil Gaiman’s writing–it almost instantly makes me a better writer. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? But it’s really true!

The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi- Yay, this highly anticipated YA Indian fantasy finally arrived! Thanks to Amazon, I received it on the release date, April 26, and read it in two days.Gorgeous imagery, poetic prose.

Happy reading! Did you have a crazy, mixed-up genre of a reading month, too?

–Eve Messenger

Top Three “Author Uniforms” Big-Name Y.A. Male Writers Wear #amwriting #amreading

March 20, 2016March 20, 2016 / Eve Messenger / 14 Comments

I am a writer. I daydream. Sometimes I daydream about what it would be like to attend my own book signing or to speak at a conference. (My introvert palms are sweating about that one already.) The obvious question, “What would I wear?” got me browsing through photos of my favorite female Y.A. authors, whose outfits apparently run the gamut from T-shirts and jeans to designer dresses. No help there. Then I noticed something interesting. Big-name male YA authors sport a kind of “author’s uniform.” If you’re a male (or female) author searching for a good public look, here are three options you might want to consider.

The Rock Star

I challenge anyone to find a photo of Neil Gaiman not dressed in black. (Costumes don’t count.) Gaiman’s “author uniform” (which he totally rocks) consists of a black shirt, black blazer, and black pants. Occasionally, Gaiman mixes things up with a black sweater, black trench coat, or black bomber jacket. Are you detecting a theme here? Gaiman prefers clothing that’s dark like his stories, one of my favorites being The Graveyard Book.

The Boy Next Door

Imaginative and prolific author Patrick Ness’s go-to author uniform is a polo shirt with zip-up hoodie and jeans. Hey, whatever works, as long as he keeps writing books like The Knife of Never Letting Go.

It is worth noting that for gala events, Ness cleans up very nicely. Guys are so lucky to be able to slip on a gorgeous tuxedo and call it a day.

The Friendly Professor

Yep, that would be John Green, who meets with the public wearing a tieless dress shirt, blazer and jeans.

Which author uniform is your favorite? If you were to attend an event as an author, what would you wear?

–Eve Messenger

What is Bloglovin? I’d Really Like to Know.

March 15, 2016March 15, 2016 / Eve Messenger / 35 Comments

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Okay, so I follow a lot of blogs, and I’ve heard that Bloglovin can simplify the experience by. . . wait, how does it work?

I just signed up for a Bloglovin account and apparently had to paste the above link into this post in order to claim my WordPress blog. That’s all I know so far.

If you use Bloglovin, I’d love to hear from you with any tips or insights. Thanks!

–Eve Messenger

Would You Rather See the Movie Before or After Reading the Book? @amreading

March 6, 2016March 7, 2016 / Eve Messenger / 36 Comments

covering eyes

Hello, fellow book junkies! Just a quick question. . . Do you prefer seeing a movie before or after reading the book?

I am freakishly averse to knowing too much about a story before reading it. I enjoy being tantalized by a vague notion of the plot and characters but am the first to cover my eyes at even a hint of a spoiler. Why? Because if I know too much about the plot, I won’t read the book! I can’t. Because, for me, the most enjoyable aspect of reading a book is the thrill of discovery. Without it, reading a novel feels like going through the motions, as in: Oh, that was nicely written, but I know the girl is going to wind up with guy #2 by the end. You get the idea.

As you may have guessed, my answer to the question of whether I’d like to see a movie before or after reading the book is a resounding AFTER. Reading the book beforehand also gives me a more complete picture of the characters and subplots, which makes watching the movie adaptation feel like a more complete experience.

What do you prefer? Are there good reasons for reading a book after watching the movie?

Totally Should’ve Book Tag #amreading #YA

March 4, 2016March 5, 2016 / Eve Messenger / 25 Comments

Totally Should've Book tag

Thank you to Brittany @ Grisha Lieutenant for tagging me to do this fun “Totally Should’ve” book tag (created by lively video blogger Katytastic.)

1. A book that TOTALLY SHOULD’VE had a sequel.

It’s no secret that I adore Lauren Oliver’s novel, Before I Fall. The lovely writing and compelling story make me want to read more, plus there’s a certain male character I’d love to see get another chance–sorry if that’s vague, but we’re spoiler-free here at Eve Messenger’s OtherWORDly Endeavors. 🙂

2. A book/series that TOTALLY SHOULD’VE had a Spin-Off series.

Fangirl already has a spin-off with Simon and Baz in Carry On, but one-of-a-kind, adorable Levi is the character I’d most like to read a spin-off about: growing up with his big, blond brothers, working in the coffee shop, overcoming his unique challenge.

https://writingonavintagetypewriter.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/446083520_640.jpg

Artist: Noelle Stevenson (I think!?)

3. An author who TOTALLY SHOULD write more books.

V.E. Schwab, V.E. Schwab!

schwab books

4. A character who TOTALLY SHOULD’VE ended up with someone else.

What randomly popped into my head just now is that Cinderella should end up, not in a cliched relationship with Prince Charming, but in a loving relationship with his dark, lovely, girl-knight sister. That would be cool.

5. A book/series that TOTALLY SHOULD’VE ended differently.

Not that I’d like a different ending, just a more complete one. In Sarah Dessen’s book, The Truth About Forever, a major plot question is raised at the beginning, which is never answered. That was kind of frustrating.

6. A book/series that TOTALLY SHOULD’VE had a movie franchise.

If it’s done right, Patrick Ness’ Chaos Walking would be amazing.

ChaosWalkingTrilogy_zps9f8951ee

7. A book/series that TOTALLY SHOULD’VE had a TV show.

Off the top of my head, I can’t think of any novels I’d want adapted into a TV series.

8. A book/series that TOTALLY SHOULD’VE only had one point of view

The Future of Us. Emma and Jay’s POV voices were confusingly similar, and the story was really about Emma anyway. One POV would’ve worked great.

9. A book/series that TOTALLY SHOULD’VE had a cover change.

I wholeheartedly agree with Brittany @ Grisha Lieutenant on this one. I love the story Ella Enchanted, but nothing about this cover works.

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10. A book/series that TOTALLY SHOULD’VE kept the original covers.

I appreciate beautiful covers but am not adept at keeping track of originals vs. new edition covers, etc., so I abstain from answering this question.

11. A series that TOTALLY SHOULD’VE stopped at book #1.

I must have issues with attention span or something because I rarely stick with a series past books one or two–with some notable exceptions, including Throne of Glass and A Darker Shade of Magic. . . . SQUIRREL.