Waiting on Wednesday: Forgiven by Janet Fox

Forgiven by Janet Fox (Published by Speak, June 26, 2011)

Kula Baker never expected to find herself on the streets of San Francisco, alone but for a letter of introduction. Though she has come to the city to save her father from a cruel fate, Kula soon finds herself swept up in a world of art and elegance—a world she hardly dared dream of back in Montana, where she was no more than the daughter of an outlaw. And then there is the handsome David Wong, whose smiling eyes and soft-spoken manner have an uncanny way of breaking through Kula's carefully crafted reserve. Yet when disaster strikes and the wreckage threatens all she holds dear, Kula realizes that only by unlocking her heart can she begin to carve a new future for herself.


I really enjoyed Janet Fox's first novel, Faithful. Forgiven continues the story of one of the characters from the first book so I am really looking forward to reading it. And this post reminds me that I should write a review for Faithful - I got it on my own rather than being sent the book for review, but I should still write a review, since I enjoyed it!

My top 10 upcoming books in 2011

There are lots of great books I am looking forward to in the upcoming year, so I thought I'd make a list of the ten I want to read the most, to go along with my list of my ten favorite books I read in 2010. These are in no particular order, since I couldn't decide how to rank them - it was hard enough to pick just ten!


Cannons at Dawn by Kristiana Gregory

Abigail Jane Stewart returns in this brand-new sequel to THE WINTER OF RED SNOW. The Revolutionary War toils on, but the Stewart family can no longer avoid getting involved. Abby's father joins the Continental Army, while Abby, her mother, and her siblings become camp followers. They face daily hardships alongside the troops and continue to spend time helping the Washingtons. Filled with romance and adventure, Abby's frontline view of the war captures the heartache and bravery of the soldiers, as well as the steep cost of freedom.


The Eternal Sea by Angie Frazier

The sequel to Everlasting. After the thrilling journey that led Camille through the dangerous discovery of love, secrets, and a magical stone that grants immortality, Camille has everything she wants. She's escaped the men who wanted her dead, and now she is ready to build a new life with Oscar, her one true love. But things are not to be so simple. Oscar is acting strangely, and before they can even board a ship from Australia back home, to San Francisco, Camille learns that the journey is not over. If she does not follow the magic of the curse of Umandu, her life and Ocar's could be in grave danger.


In the Shadow of the Lamp by Susanne Dunlap

It's 1854 and sixteen-year-old Molly would give anything to change her circumstances as a lowly servant in a posh London house. So when she hears of an opportunity to join the nurses who will be traveling with Florence Nightingale to the Crimea, she jumps at the chance. The work is grueling, the hospital conditions deplorable, and Miss Nightingale a demanding teacher. Before long, the plight of British soldiers becomes more than just a mission of mercy as Molly finds that she's falling in love with both a dashing young doctor and a soldier who has joined the army to be near her. But with the battle raging ever nearer, can Molly keep the two men she cares for from harm? A love story to savor, and a fascinating behind-the-scenes imagining of the woman who became known as "the lady with the lamp."


Circle of Fire by Michelle Zink

With time dwindling but her will to end the Prophecy stronger than ever, Lia sets out on a journey to find the remaining keys, locate the missing pages of the Prophecy, and convince her sister Alice to help--or risk her life trying. Lia has her beloved Dimitri by her side, but Alice has James, the man who once loved her sister--and maybe still does. James doesn't know the truth about either sister, or the prophecy that divides them. And Alice intends to keep it that way. The conclusion to the Prophecy of the Sisters trilogy.


Cleopatra's Moon by Vicky Alvear Shecter

PRINCESS OF EGYPT
Cleopatra Selene is the only daughter of the brilliant Queen Cleopatra of Egypt and general Marcus Antonius of Rome. She's grown up with jewels on her arms, servants at her feet, and all the pleasures of a palace at her command. She wants only to follow in her mother's footsteps and become a great and powerful queen.
PRISONER OF ROME
Then the Roman ruler Octavianus, who has always wanted Egypt's wealth, launches a war that destroys all Selene has ever known. Taken to live in Octavianus's compound in Rome, she vows to defeat him and reclaim her kingdom at all costs. Yet even as she gathers support for her return, Selene finds herself torn between two young men and two different paths to power. Will love distract her from her goal--or help her achieve her true destiny?


Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey

Violet Willoughby doesn't believe in ghosts. But they believe in her. After spending years participating in her mother's elaborate ruse as a fraudulent medium, Violet is about as skeptical as they come in all matters supernatural. Now that she is being visited by a very persistent ghost, one who suffered a violent death, Violet can no longer ignore her unique ability. She must figure out what this ghost is trying to communicate, and quickly because the killer is still on the loose.
Afraid of ruining her chance to escape her mother's scheming through an advantageous marriage, Violet must keep her ability secret. The only person who can help her is Colin, a friend she's known since childhood, and whom she has grown to love. He understands the true Violet, but helping her on this path means they might never be together. Can Violet find a way to help this ghost without ruining her own chance at a future free of lies?


The Queen's Lady by Eve Edwards

1584 – Surrey, England When Lady Jane Rievaulx begins service to the Queen at Richmond Palace, she is thrilled at the court’s newest arrival . . . Master James Lacey. Despite her previous courtship with his older brother, James is the man she truly loves. And for his part, he cannot deny his fascination with her. However, James is setting sail on a treacherous journey to the Americas, seeking absolution for what he sees as past sins. But when Lady Jane is forced into a terrible situation by her own family, there is only one man to save her. Will Master James return to his lady ­- before it’s too late?


The Lost Crown by Sarah Miller

Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia. Like the fingers on a hand--first headstrong Olga; then Tatiana, the tallest; Maria the most hopeful for a ring; and Anastasia, the smallest. These are the daughters of Tsar Nicholas II, grand dutchesses living a life steeped in tradition and priviledge. They are each on the brink of starting their own lives, at the mercy of royal matchmakers. The summer of 1914 is that precious last wink of time when they can still be sisters together--sisters that link arms and laugh, sisters that share their dreams and worries, and flirt with the officers of their imperial yacht.
But in a gunshot the future changes — for these sisters and for Russia.
As World War I ignites across Europe, political unrest sweeps Russia. First dissent, then disorder, mutiny — and revolution. For Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia, the end of their girlhood together is colliding with the end of more than they ever imagined.
At the same time hopeful and hopeless, naive and wise, the voices of these sisters become a chorus singing the final song of Imperial Russia. Impeccably researched and utterly fascinating, this novel by acclaimed author Sarah Miller recounts the final days of Imperial Russia with lyricism, criticism and true compassion.


Wrapped by Jennifer Bradbury

This is Agnes Wilkins’ debut season and already she’s attracting the attention of one of England’s most eligible and desirable men: Lord Showalter. He’s been quite forward about his intentions and Agnes finds this at once thrilling and terrifying. He is handsome and wealthy and has this quirky interest in helping England amass the world’s finest collection of Egyptian artifacts. It could be a good match—but everything Agnes knows about courtship and high society romance comes from A. Lady novels, and it seems to be a rule that men who are too good to be true are usually hiding something.
But, what Showalter is hiding is not crumbling finances or boarish behavior. He is deceiving the whole British Empire. He is spy working for Napoleon, his orders smuggled into London in Egyptian artifacts—like the one Agnes pockets while at a mummy unwrapping party at Showalter’s home. Her innocent interest in this trinket (and childish need to keep it) jump starts a chain of events that bring out dangerous characters, dangerous circumstances, and the biggest danger of all—true


Exile by Anne Osterlund

Exiled. From the weight of others' expectations, the responsibilities of being crown princess, and the pressure to marry, Aurelia is finally free to travel the kingdom and meet the people of Tyralt. If only Robert, her expedition guide, would stop pestering her about her safety and just kiss her.
But then their journey erupts in a fiery conflagration, and with both of their lives and the fate of the kingdom at stake, she and Robert must determine whether they have the strength, and the will, to complete their mission. And face the darker side of exile.

My top 10 books of 2010

I had a hard time choosing my ten favorite books this year because I read a lot of really good books! But I was finally able to make a list. These aren't in any particular order because I had a hard time choosing!

Cate of the Lost Colony by Lisa Klein

The story of a young woman who is banished from Queen Elizabeth I's court for falling in love with her favorite young nobleman and who travels to the New World as one of the settlers of Roanoke, the lost colony. I loved this book for the adventure, romance, and historical setting, as I have always been fascinated by the mystery of the Roanoke colonists. (reviewed here)


The Fences Between Us by Kirby Larson

The Dear America series is one of my favorite series ever so I was so excited when, after several years, there was finally a new book in the series this year. And I am happy to say I was not at all disappointed! The Fences Between Us is the diary of Piper, a young teenage girl who must leave her home in Seattle during World War II when her father, a pastor, follows his Japanese congregation to an internment camp. (reviewed here)


The Other Countess by Eve Edwards

A romantic, historical love story, set in Elizabethan England. Ellie, the daughter of a poor alchemist, and Will, a young earl who must marry a wealthy heiress to restore his family's fortunes, fall in love, but can they find a way to be together, before Will has to marry a young woman he doesn't love? (reviewed here)



Everlasting by Angie Frazier

In 1855, seventeen-year-old Camille sets off on her last sea voyage with her sea captain father before she must return to San Francisco to marry a man she doesn't love. But when the ship sinks in a terrible storm, Camille must travel across the Australian wilderness in search of her long-lost mother and a magical map that may hold the key to bringing her father back to life. (reviewed here)


Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken

Sydelle has always wanted to leave her small village and see the world out there. Her wish comes true when a traveling wizard, after fixing the village's drought, forces her to travel with him on a dangerous mission. During the journey she finds adventure, romance, and learns the truth about her own magical powers. (reviewed here)


Shadow by Jenny Moss

Shadow is a teenage girl with no family, who knows nothing about her past, and who has spent her life being the young queen's "shadow," charged with protecting her life. When the queen dies, Shadow must flee the castle with Sir Kenway, a handsome young knight she is attracted to, but whom she believes was in love with the queen. During their journey to save the kingdom, they find adventure, romance, and Shadow finally learns the truth about her origins. (reviewed here)

Anastasia's Secret by Susanne Dunlap

Anastasia Romanov, youngest daughter of the last tsar of Russia, had a sheltered and happy childhood, but that all changes forever as her family loses everything and are exiled to Siberia. In those dark days, Anastasia finds hope and comfort from her romance with Sasha, a young soldier she has known since childhood. (reviewed here)


The Bad Queen by Carolyn Meyer

Another excellent novel from the Young Royals series by Carolyn Meyer, this one retelling the story of Marie Antionette's life from her childhood in Austria until the tragic end during the French Revolution, told from her point of view as well as that of her daughter, Marie-Therese. (reviewed here)


The Queen's Daughter by Susan Coventry

A fictionalized biography of Princess Joan, youngest daughter of King Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine. From a very young age Joan must grow up fast, as she feels torn between her parents, whose marriage is troubled, and then while she is still young she is married off to an older man, the King of Sicily. (reviewed here)


The Healer's Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson

A romantic and sweet love story set in Medieval Germany, loosely based on Sleeping Beauty. Rose, a woodcutter's daughter who is the healer's apprentice, must care for Wilhelm, the future ruler of their region, when he is injured. The two fall in love, but Wilhelm is betrothed to a mysterious young noblewoman whom he has never met because she has grown up in hiding. (reviewed here)

Waiting on Wednesday: Cleopatra's Moon by Vicky Alvear Shecter

Cleopatra's Moon by Vicky Alvear Shecter (Published by Scholastic, August 1, 2011)

Selene has grown up in a palace on the Nile with her parents, Cleopatra & Mark Antony--the most brilliant, powerful rulers on earth. But the jealous Roman Emperor Octavianus wants Egypt for himself, & when war finally comes, Selene faces the loss of all she's ever loved. Forced to build a new life in Octavianus's household in Rome, she finds herself torn between two young men and two possible destinies--until she reaches out to claim her own.

This stunning novel brings to life the personalities & passions of one of the greatest dramas in history, & offers a wonderful new heroine in Selene.


This sounds like such a great topic for a YA historical. I have read several books on Cleopatra and enjoyed them, so I am looking forward to reading for the first time a novel about her daughter, who sounds like she had a very interesting life!

In My Mailbox - 12/18/10

Credit goes to The Story Siren for creating and hosting the In My Mailbox feature.

I haven't done an IMM post in a few weeks because I hadn't bought or received any books and then when I did get some new books I forgot to make a post! So this is like 2 or 3 weeks of books.

For review:

Nightspell by Leah Cypess

A stand-alone companion novel to the much-acclaimed MISTWOOD. When Darri rides into Ghostland, a country where the living walk with the dead, she has only one goal: to rescue her younger sister Callie, who was sent to Ghostland as a hostage four years ago. But Callie has changed in those four years, and now has secrets of her own. In her quest to save her sister from herself, Darri will be forced to outmaneuver a handsome ghost prince, an ancient sorcerer, and a manipulative tribal warrior (who happens to be her brother). When Darri discovers the source of the spell that has kept the dead in Ghostland chained to this earth, she faces a decision that will force her to reexamine beliefs she has never before questioned - and lead her into the heart of a conspiracy that threatens the very balance of power between the living and the dead.


Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

Set on the island of Nantucket, STARCROSSED tells the tale of Helen Hamilton, a young woman whose destiny is forever altered when she meets Lucas Delos and tries to kill him in front of her entire high school. Which is terribly inconvenient, not only because Lucas is the most beautiful boy on the island, but also because Helen is so achingly shy she suffers physical pain whenever she is given too much attention.
Making matters worse, Helen is beginning to suspect she’s going crazy. Whenever she’s near Lucas or any member of his family she sees the ghostly apparitions of three women weeping bloody tears, and suffers the burden of an intense and irrational hate. She soon learns that she and Lucas are destined to play the leading roles in a Greek tragedy that the Three Fates insist on repeating over and over again throughout history. Like her namesake, Helen of Troy, she’s destined to start a war by falling in love. But even though Lucas and Helen can see their own star-crossed destiny, they’re still powerfully attracted to each other. Will they give up their personal happiness for the greater good, or risk it all to be together?


Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.
When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home.
But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limted time she has left.


The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell

It’s the summer of 1889, and Amelia van den Broek is new to Baltimore and eager to take in all the pleasures the city has to offer. But her gaiety is interrupted by disturbing, dreamlike visions she has only at sunset—visions that offer glimpses of the future. Soon, friends and strangers alike call on Amelia to hear her prophecies. However, a forbidden romance with Nathaniel, an artist, threatens the new life Amelia is building in Baltimore. This enigmatic young man is keeping secrets of his own—still, Amelia finds herself irrepressibly drawn to him.
When one of her darkest visions comes to pass, Amelia’s world is thrown into chaos. And those around her begin to wonder if she’s not the seer of dark portents, but the cause.


The Year We Were Famous by Carole Estby Dagg

With their farm in Mica Creek, Washington facing foreclosure, seventeen-year-old Clara Estby and her mother, Helga, need to find a way to raise a lot of money in a short time--no easy feat for two women in 1896. Helga wants to tackle the problem with her usual loud and flashy style, while Clara, the oldest of the eight Estby children, favors a less showy approach. Though very different in personality, mother and daughter share a determination to save their family's home, so they come up with a plan to walk the 4,600 miles from Mica Creek to New York City--and if they can do it in only eight months, a New York City publisher has agreed to give them $10,000. They set out with little more than ten dollars, two ponchos, and a gun. Along the way they go through sixteen pairs of shoes each, fend off snakes and highwaymen, and narrowly escape a flash flood. But they also meet the governor of every state they pass through and the wife of presidential-candidate, William Jennings Bryan, as well as shake hands with the new president himself, William McKinley. And with each new challenge they face, Clara and Helga come to rely on and respect one another for the very traits that make them so different.


Death Cloud by Andrew Lane

It is the summer of 1868, and Sherlock Holmes is fourteen. On break from boarding school, he is staying with eccentric strangers—his uncle and aunt—in their vast house in Hampshire. When two local people die from symptoms that resemble the plague, Holmes begins to investigate what really killed them, helped by his new tutor, an American named Amyus Crowe. So begins Sherlock’s true education in detection, as he discovers the dastardly crimes of a brilliantly sinister villain of exquisitely malign intent.


Bought:

A Waltz for Matilda by Jackie French

In 1894, twelve-year-old Matilda flees the city slums to find her unknown father and his farm. But drought grips the land, and the shearers are on strike. Her father has turned swaggie and he′s wanted by the troopers. In front of his terrified daughter, he makes a stand against them, defiant to the last. ′You′ll never catch me alive, said he...′
Set against a backdrop of bushfire, flood, war and jubilation, this is the story of one girl′s journey towards independence. It is also the story of others who had no vote and very little but their dreams.
Drawing on the well-known poem by A.B. Paterson and from events rooted in actual history, this is the untold story behind Australia′s early years as an emerging nation.


Wolfborn by Sue Bursztynski

Etienne, son of a lord in the kingdom of Armorique, goes to train as a knight with Geraint of Lucanne. Geraint is brave and kind, a good teacher and master - but he has a secret that he has kept from his family. He is bisclavret, a born werewolf. When Geraint is betrayed, Etienne must ally with the local wise-woman and her daughter, themselves bisclavret, to save his lord. But time is running out. If Geraint's enemies have their way, Geraint will soon be trapped in his wolf form.
And Etienne has his own secret. The decisions he makes will change his life forever . . .
Inspired by a medieval romance, this engaging novel forces us to question everything we thought we knew about werewolves.

Book review: Dear America: Like the Willow Tree by Lois Lowry

Dear America: Like the Willow Tree by Lois Lowry (Published by Scholastic, January 1, 2011)

Eleven-year-old Lydia Pierce lives a carefree life in Portland, Main, in 1918, until the terrible flu epidemic that is spreading worldwide takes the lives of her parents and baby sister. Lydia and her older brother Daniel are now orphans, and their aunt and uncle have no room for them on the crowded family farm. With no other options available, their uncle takes them to live in Sabbathday Lake with the Shakers, who care for orphaned children.

Life with the Shakers is very different from Lydia’s old life in Portland. The Shakers have many rules that must be strictly followed. Males and females must stay separate and not socialize, which means Lydia can rarely speak to her brother. In her diary Lydia describes her first few months living with the Shakers and how she eventually adjusts and finds some happiness in her new life.

I was really looking forward to this new Dear America book as the historical setting looked really interesting and unique. However, the main character, Lydia, seemed to adjust far too quickly to her new life. Her parents and little sister died, she and her brother were separated, she had to start a totally new life in a place with very different rules and a new religion, where she could not even keep the few mementos she had of her family and old life - and less than a month later, she didn’t seem too sad or concerned and her only worry was that she thought her brother might be unhappy. It seemed more than a bit unrealistic for an eleven-year-old girl to adjust so quickly to so many losses and I would have enjoyed the story more and found it more realistic if these changes in Lydia had taken place over a longer period of time. While the historical information was interesting - I hadn’t read any books before about Shaker life during this time period - ultimately, I just found the main character to be totally unrealistic. Possibly still worth a read if you are a dedicated fan of the series, for the historical details and interesting setting.

Waiting on Wednesday: Cleopatra Confesses by Carolyn Meyer

Cleopatra Confesses by Carolyn Meyer (Published by Simon & Schuster, June 7, 2011)

Some day I shall become a great ruler of Egypt, better than my sisters can dream of being, but Imust take care not to let them know this. They are jealous, but they do not fear me—not yet.


In the first century B.C., Cleopatra, the third of the pharaoh’s six children, learns that her father has chosen her to be the next queen of Egypt. But when King Ptolemy is forced into exile, Cleopatra is left to fend for herself in a palace rife with intrigue and murder. Smart, courageous, ambitious, and sensuously beautiful, she possesses the charm to cause two of history’s most famous leaders to fall in love with her. But as her cruel sisters plot to steal the throne, Cleopatra realizes there is only one person on whom she can rely—herself.


I have read Carolyn Meyer's other novels about famous historical queens and really enjoyed them, she is one of my favorite young adult historical fiction writers. This book is a bit different as it is the first one she has written that is not set in Europe, but Cleopatra had a very interesting life and I can't wait to read her version of it.

YA historical fiction challenge

Since I love young adult and middle grade historical fiction, I was super excited to see that Sab H. at YA Bliss is hosting a 2011 YA Historical Fiction Challenge. For the challenge, you can read young adult or middle grade historical fiction. My goal was level 3, which was to read at least 15 YA or MG historical fiction books, however as you can see I already passed my goal! You can read more about the challenge and sign up for it at this link.

Here are the books I finished for this challenge in 2011, along with my reviews. I guess I did really well, since I ended up reading way more than 15 books.

1. In the Shadow of the Lamp by Susanne Dunlap
2. Dear America: Cannons at Dawn by Kristiana Gregory
3. The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell
4. My Story: Factory Girl by Pamela Oldfield
5. Fallen Grace by Mary Hooper
6. Daughters of the Sea: May by Kathryn Lasky
7. Small Acts of Amazing Courage by Gloria Whelan
8. The Midnight Tunnel by Angie Frazier
9. No Moon by Irene N. Watts
10. The Queen's Lady by Eve Edwards
11. Father of Lies by Ann Turner
12. Our Australian Girl: Meet Grace by Sofie Laguna
13. Sigrun's Secret by Marie-Louise Jensen
14. Our Australian Girl: Meet Letty by Alison Lloyd
15. Our Australian Girl: Meet Poppy by Gabrielle Wang
16. Belle's Song by K.M. Grant
17. Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey
18. Titanic, Book 1: Unsinkable by Gordon Korman
19. My Royal Story: Henry VIII's Wives by Alison Prince
20. The Revenant by Sonia Gensler
21. Titanic, Book 2: Collision Course by Gordon Korman
22. Forgiven by Janet Fox
23. Fateful by Claudia Gray
24. The Princess Curse by Merrie Haskell
25. Dear America: With the Might of Angels by Andrea Davis Pinkney
26. Our Australian Girl: A Friend for Grace by Sofia Laguna
27. Our Australian Girl: Poppy at Summerhill by Gabrielle Wang
28. Meet Marie-Grace by Sarah Masters Buckey
29. Meet Cécile by Denise Lewis Patrick
30. Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber
31. Our Australian Girl: Letty and the Stranger's Lace by Alison Llyod
31. Cross My Heart by Sasha Gould
32. Our Australian Girl: Grace and Glory by Sofie Laguna
33. Our Australian Girl: Letty on the Land by Alison Lloyd
34. Titanic, Book 3: S.O.S. by Gordon Korman
35. Marie-Grace and the Orphans by Sarah Masters Buckey
36. Our Australian Girl: Poppy and the Thief by Gabrielle Wang
37. I Am Canada: Blood and Iron by Paul Yee
38. Troubles for Cécile by Denise Lewis Patrick
39.. Dear Canada: That Fatal Night by Sarah Ellis
40. Dark of the Moon by Tracey Barrett
41. I Am Canada: Deadly Voyage by Hugh Brewster
42. Our Australian Girl: A Home For Grace by Sofie Laguna
43. The Merchant's Daughter by Melanie Dickerson
44. May B. by Caroline Starr Rose
45. Dear America: Behind the Masks by Susan Patron

Waiting on Wednesday: Dear America: Cannons at Dawn by Kristiana Gregory

Dear America: Cannons at Dawn by Kristiana Gregory (Published by Scholastic, May 1, 2011)

Abigail Jane Stewart returns in this brand-new sequel to THE WINTER OF RED SNOW. The Revolutionary War toils on, but the Stewart family can no longer avoid getting involved. Abby's father joins the Continental Army, while Abby, her mother, and her sister become camp followers. They face daily hardships alongside the troops and continue to spend time helping the Washingtons. Filled with romance and adventure, Abby's frontline view of the war captures the heartache and bravery of the soldiers, as well as the steep cost of freedom.


The Winter of Red Snow was one of the first Dear America books I read years ago, and is still one of my favorites from the series. So I am really excited to read the sequel.

Book review: Dear America: A Picture of Freedom by Patricia C. McKissack

Dear America: A Picture of Freedom by Patricia McKissack (New edition published by Scholastic, January 1, 2011; originally published in 1997)

The year is 1859. Clotee has lived all twelve years of her life as a slave on the Belmont Plantation in Virginia. Although she has known no life other than that of a slave, she has secretly learned how to read and write, and that ability gives her a glimpse of the world out there. To practice, she keeps a secret diary that she hides in a hollowed-out tree.

An orphan for most of her life, Clotee has managed to make the best of her circumstances, and writing is one of the few things that brings her any joy. When a tutor comes to the plantation to teach the master's young son, Clotee assumes that he'll just be another prejudiced southerner. But he's an abolitionist who further expands Clotee's horizons, and he may be able to give her the one thing she longs for: freedom.

I first read A Picture of Freedom in 1997 when it was originally published as one of the first few books in the Dear America series. Each book in the series is the fictional diary of a preteen or young teenage girl living during an important time in American history. This particular book brings to life the hardships of life as a slave in the pre-Civil War South from the point of view of a young girl. The Dear America series truly brings history to life and helped me develop a love for historical fiction, and I am glad to see the series is being brought back into print for a new generation of readers. Highly recommended.

In My Mailbox - 11/20/10

Credit goes to The Story Siren for creating and hosting the In My Mailbox feature.

Once again I got only one book, but at least I am not feeling so sick anymore, so I should be able to read more this week. However the book was one I was really wanting to read, I've started reading it already since I borrowed it from another blogger.

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.
When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home.
But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant she trusts, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limted time she has left.

2011 debut author challenge

I participated in the 2011 Debut Author Challenge hosted by The Story Siren. To learn more about the challenge and to sign up visit this link.

It's the end of the year, and I didn't do so well in this challenge. Here's what I managed to read, along with my reviews:

1. Entwined by Heather Dixon
2. Breath of Angel by Karyn Henley
3. The Revenant by Sonia Gensler
4. The Princess Curse by Merrie Haskell

And here are the books I read that didn't count for the challenge. The first four did not count because I read ARCs or foreign editions in 2010. The last book did not count because I read it in 2011, but the release date got delayed until January 2012. So I can't really use it for either the 2011 or 2012 challenge now.

1. Across the Universe by Beth Revis
2. Wither by Lauren DeStefano (for some reason I never reviewed this)
3. Kat, Incorrigible by Stephanie Burgis (for some reason I never reviewed this either, I feel terrible!)
4. The Coven's Daughter by Lucy Jago (read the UK edition, titled Montacute House, in 2010)
5. May B. by Caroline Starr Rose

Waiting on Wednesday: Titanic, Book One: Unsinkable by Gordon Korman

Titanic: Unsinkable by Gordon Korman (Published by Scholastic, May 1, 2011)

The ultimate action/adventure trilogy begins, with #1 bestselling author Gordon Korman plunging readers into the heart of the Titanic.

The Titanic is meant to be unsinkable, but as it begins its maiden voyage, there's plenty of danger waiting for four of its young passengers. Paddy is a stowaway, escaping a deadly past. Sophie's mother is delivered to the ship by police - after she and Sophie have been arrested. Juliana's father is an eccentric whose riches can barely hide his madness. And Alfie is hiding a secret that could get him kicked off the ship immediately.

The lives of these four passengers will be forever linked with the fate of Titanic. And the farther they get from shore, the more the danger looms. . . .


Many years ago, back when I read a lot more middle grade books, I really enjoyed the Everest, Island, and Dive trilogies that Gordon Korman wrote. So I was interested to see on Amazon that he has a new trilogy coming out and it is historical fiction, which is my favorite genre. And, I used to be obsessed with the Titanic.

Book review: Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Across the Universe by Beth Revis (Published by Razorbill, January 11, 2011)

Seventeen-year-old Amy gives up her life on Earth to join her parents, who are being cryogenically frozen to travel on a spaceship called Godspeed as part of a mission to colonize a new planet. The journey will take 300 years. But then, fifty years before the ship was due to land, Amy is woken up early - and it does not appear to be a computer malfunction. Rather, it seems she is the victim of an attempted murder. And since Amy cannot be refrozen without risking her life, she must spend the next fifty years on the ship, without her parents, who cannot be woken up to join her because they are essential to the mission of colonizing the new planet. To make matters worse, it seems that she was not the only victim, and now other frozen people are dying, too. Amy is terrified that her parents will be next.

Life on board the Godspeed is very different from the life Amy left behind on Earth, and it is a struggle for her to adapt. Almost everyone on the ship behaves completely abnormally. The only people who act human at all are the “mental” patients at the hospital. The ship is ruled over by Eldest, a tyrant who hates anything that could disrupt the order and conformity on the ship. There is also Elder, the teenager he is training to be the future leader of the ship. Although he will be the next leader, Elder often feels Eldest is hiding many things from him. And from the start he is fascinated by Amy, and very attracted to her, and doesn’t believe she is bad like Eldest does. Together Amy and Elder, as they grow closer to each other, must solve the mystery of who wants to kill the frozen people and discover the terrible hidden secrets of Godspeed.

This book is told from the alternating points of view of Elder and Amy, which I think worked really well for the story. Amy is a pretty typical teenager from Earth. Elder, meanwhile, was born and raised on the ship and it isn’t until he meets Amy that he begins to question many things about his world and whether things there are really as “normal” as he always believed. There’s a little bit of romance but it doesn’t overwhelm the plot, which was a nice change, it’s mostly a science fiction/mystery story set aboard a very dystopian spaceship, with lots of twists and turns in the plot that I didn't see coming. The story is truly very different from anything I’ve read recently from the young adult fiction genre, so if you like dystopian fiction and are looking to read something different, I would highly recommend this book.

In My Mailbox - 11/13/10

Credit goes to The Story Siren for creating and hosting the In My Mailbox feature.

I only got one new book this week, and I haven't been reading much because I'm sick with a cold again. Ugh. :(

For review:

Sigrun's Secret by Marie-Louise Jensen

Their garments are black as night. They carry torches in their hands, darkness and anger in their hearts. They are coming.
When a dark family secret is exposed, Sigrun's peaceful life is shattered. Forced to pay for her parents' misdeeds, she finds herself exiled from all she knows - and from the boy she loves - for three long years. Yet more secrets lie ahead; not least the power Sigrun finds awakening in herself, seemingly passed to her from a mysterious amulet. Can she use her new-found gift to save herself and those around her from the dangers they face? And will true love wait until her return?

Waiting on Wednesday: Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Wither by Lauren DeStefano (Published by Simon & Schuster, March 22, 2011)

Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.
When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home.
But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant she trusts, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limted time she has left.


I mostly post about young adult historical fiction for Waiting on Wednesday, to bring attention to new titles in the genre, but I do read other genres as well and this book just looks so good and I am dying to read it so I decided to feature something different this week.

In My Mailbox - 11/6/10

Credit goes to The Story Siren for creating and hosting the In My Mailbox feature.

I only got one book this week, a surprise review copy that just showed up.

For review:

Afterlife by Claudia Gray

The fourth book in this electrifying vampire series has all the romance, suspense, and page-turning drama that have made Claudia Gray’s Evernight books runaway successes.
Having become what they feared most, Bianca and Lucas face a terrifying new reality. They must return to Evernight Academy, Lucas as a vampire and Bianca as a wraith. But Lucas is haunted by demons, both personal and supernatural. Bianca must help him fight the evil inside him, combat the forces determined to drive them apart—and find the power to claim her destiny at last.
Readers have fallen in love with Bianca and Lucas, and they will be thrilled to read this exciting conclusion to their romantic adventure.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Revenant by Sonia Gensler

The Revenant by Sonia Gensler (Published by Knopf Books, June 14, 2011)

When Willie arrives in Indian Territory, she knows only one thing: no one can find out who she really is. To escape a home she doesn't belong in anymore, she assumes the name of a former classmate and accepts a teaching job at the Cherokee Female Seminary.
Nothing prepares her for what she finds there. Her pupils are the daughters of the Cherokee elite—educated and more wealthy than she, and the school is cloaked in mystery. A student drowned in the river last year, and the girls whisper that she was killed by a jealous lover. Willie's room is the very room the dead girl slept in. The students say her spirit haunts it.
Willie doesn't believe in ghosts, but when strange things start happening at the school, she isn't sure anymore. She's also not sure what to make of a boy from the nearby boys' school who has taken an interest in her—his past is cloaked in secrets. Soon, even she has to admit that the revenant may be trying to tell her something. . . .


Another historical paranormal that looks really good. And I like that it is set in the Old West rather than another book set in England!

Book review: Everlasting by Angie Frazier

Everlasting by Angie Frazier (Published by Scholastic, June 1, 2010)

Seventeen-year-old Camille Rowen's mother died giving birth to her, or so she was always told. So she was raised by her father, a sea captain, who would take her along on his ship once she was old enough. But now that she is a young woman, she must do what all proper young women in 1855 San Francisco do - marry a suitable man. And the man who asked her to marry him, Randall Jackson, is kind and handsome, and marrying him will help her father's business. But no matter how hard she tries, Camille is unable to love Randall. As she sets off on her last sea voyage before her wedding, she hopes that by the time she returns she will be ready to marry Randall. But the sea voyage, and the separation from Randall, does the exact opposite, as it reawakens her feelings for Oscar Kildare, a sailor on her father's ship whom Camille has always liked.

Not long into the voyage, however, Camille discovers a terrible secret. Her mother is alive, and abandoned her husband and child years ago, when Camille was a baby. All these years, her father has kept that secret from her. Her mother fled to Australia, carrying with her a mysterious map. Now she is dying, and has asked to see her husband and Camille one last time. But before Camille can come to terms with this information, their ship sinks in a storm and Camille, Oscar, and one other sailor are the only survivors. They are rescued and travel on to Australia, but then Camille learns that the map her mother had leads to a legendary magical stone said to grant the power to bring someone back from the dead. Camille believes she can bring her father back to life with this stone. But her father's business rival is also looking for the stone, with a much more sinister purpose in mind. And as they travel through the Australian wilderness, racing him to the stone, Camille grows closer to Oscar and begins to doubt her impending marriage to Randall even more.

Everlasting is one of my favorite books so far this year. It is full of history, adventure, magic, and romance, with a unique setting for a young adult novel. There are many twists and turns to the plot that I did not expect. My one complaint was that I wish Camille and Oscar had just admitted their feelings for each other earlier, since it was so obvious, but that's just a minor complaint, and their romance was really sweet. This book stands alone well on its own, but there will be a sequel published June 2011 that I can't wait to read. If you enjoy young adult historical fiction, fantasy, or romance, I highly recommend this book.

Disclosure: Review copy provided by publisher.

In My Mailbox - 10/30/10

Credit goes to The Story Siren for creating and hosting the In My Mailbox feature.

Here are my new books for this week:

For review:

The Secret Journeys of Jack London, Book One: The Wild by Christopher Golden

The world knows Jack London as a writer who lived his own thrilling, real-life adventures. But there are parts of his life that have remained hidden for many years, things so horrifying even he couldn’t set them down in writing. These are the Secret Journeys of Jack London.
We meet Jack at age seventeen, following thousands of men and women into the Yukon Territory in search of gold. For Jack, the journey holds the promise of another kind of fortune: challenge and adventure. But what he finds in the wild north is something far more sinister than he could ever have imagined: kidnapping and slavery, the murderous nature of desperate men, and, amidst it all, supernatural beasts of the wilderness that prey upon the weakness in men’s hearts.
Acclaimed writers Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon, along with illustrator Greg Ruth, have crafted a masterful tale both classic and contemporary, a gripping original story of the paranormal in the tradition of the great Jack London. (this was a surprise review copy that just showed up and I can't find a finished cover picture)


Swapped/traded:

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Septys

Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they've known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her young brother slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under Stalin's orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions.
Lina finds solace in her art, meticulously - and at great risk - documenting events by drawing, hoping these messages will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive. It is a long and harrowing journey, spanning years and covering 6,500 miles, but it is through incredible strength, love, and hope that Lina ultimately survives. Between Shades of Gray is a novel that will steal your breath and capture your heart.

Book review: Mary Ann and Miss Mozart by Ann Turnbull

Mary Ann and Miss Mozart by Ann Turnbull (Published by Usborne Publishing, April 27, 2007)

Mary Ann is a twelve-year-old girl living in a wealthy merchant family in London in 1764. She loves music and hopes to someday become an opera singer, but her parents do not think that is a respectable profession for a young woman. However, her parents do encourage her musical talents, as they believe an accomplished young lady is more likely to find a wealthy husband.

At the beginning of the story, Mary Ann is sent to a boarding school where she will be educated to become a proper young lady, and also receive singing and music lessons. Mary Ann loves the school and becomes good friends with the other students her age. She is even able to see the two Mozart siblings, famous child prodigies, perform. But then her father loses money from a risky investment and Mary Ann is told her parents will no longer be able to afford to pay for her schooling. Can Mary Ann find a way to stay at the school?

Mary Ann and Miss Mozart is a short and sweet story that should appeal to young girls who enjoy middle grade historical fiction. It’s a bit shorter than most middle grade books and I think the characters could have been more developed but it was a cute story with some interesting historical details. I also really liked that it mentioned Mozart’s sister since she was a very talented musician herself who did not receive the recognition she deserved during her lifetime.

Book review: Montacute House by Lucy Jago

Montacute House by Lucy Jago (Published by Bloomsbury UK, May 3, 2010)

Cecily Perryn, called Cess, is an outcast in her village of Montacute during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. She was born out of wedlock and her mother has never revealed the identity of her father. After her grandparents died, she and her mother were forced to leave the family home and live in poverty. Their only income is Cess's wages working as a poultry girl at the grand Montacute House. Being poor and illegitimate makes Cess an easy target of the villagers' scorn. The only person who accepts her is her good friend, William, who is Cess's age and also seen as "different" by the villagers because he has a deformed foot.

On the morning of her thirteenth birthday, while gathering the eggs, Cess finds a necklace hidden in the coop, with an elegant portrait of a woman. Cess wonders who left it there and why. Then she learns several boys from nearby villages have gone missing, and one has been found dead. Soon after, he friend William goes missing as well. Cess is determined to solve the mystery, while learning about her own newly discovered magical powers, but in doing so, she discovers a plot more terrible than anything she could have imagined.

This book wasn't quite what I was expecting. I thought it would mostly be a historical mystery, but the fantasy suplot was stronger than I expected, and I'm not sure it was really necessary or important to the main story, which was Cess discovering a terrible plot while searching for her missing friend. At times I thought it distracted from that. The ending was also somewhat too good to be true and there was a little bit of romance that seemed to come out of nowhere and didn't make much sense. But it wasn't a bad read overall, I did enjoy the story, and I think other readers who enjoy historical fantasy will as well. The historical setting is really well done, I'm just not really sure what the fantasy sublot added to the story.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Lost Crown by Sarah Miller

The Lost Crown by Sarah Miller (Published by Atheneum, June 14, 2011)

Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia. Like the fingers on a hand - first headstrong Olga, then Tatiana the tallest, Anastasia the smallest, and Maria most hopeful for a ring. These are the daughters of Tsar Nicholas II, Russian grand duchesses living a life steeped in tradition and privilege. For these young women each on the brink of beginning their own lives at the mercy of royal matchmakers, summer 1914 promises to be a precious last wink of time to be sisters together - sisters that still link arms and laugh, sisters that share their dreams and worries, and flirt with the officers of their imperial yacht.
But in a gunshot the future changes - for them, and for Russia.
As World War I ignites across Europe, political unrest sweeps Russia. First dissent, then disorder, mutiny - and revolution. For Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia, the end of their girlhood together is colliding with the end of more than they ever imagined.
At the same time hopeful and hopeless, naive and wise, the voices of these sisters become a chorus singing the final song of Imperial Russia. Impeccably researched and utterly fascinating, acclaimed author Sarah Miller recounts the final days of Imperial Russia with lyricism, criticism and true compassion.


This book won't be published for quite a while (not until the summer) but it sounds really good and I love the cover so I decided to feature it early.

In My Mailbox - 10/23/10

Credit goes to The Story Siren for creating and hosting the In My Mailbox feature.

Here are my new books for this week:

For review:

Deadly by Julie Chibbaro

If Prudence Galewski is ever going to get out of Mrs. Browning's esteemed School for Girls, she must demonstrate her refinement and charm by securing a job appropriate for a young lady. But Prudence isn't like the other girls. She is fascinated by how the human body works and why it fails.
With a stroke of luck, she lands a position in a laboratory, where she is swept into an investigation of the fever bound to change medical history. Prudence quickly learns that an inquiry of this proportion is not confined to the lab. From ritzy mansions to shady bars and rundown tenements, she explores every potential cause of the disease. But there's no answer in sight—until the volatile Mary Mallon emerges. Dubbed "Typhoid Mary" by the press, Mary is an Irish immigrant who has worked as a cook in every home the fever has ravaged. Strangely, though, she hasn't been sick a day in her life. Is the accusation against her an act of discrimination? Or is she the first clue in a new scientific discovery?
Prudence is determined to find out. In a time when science is for men, she'll have to prove to the city, and to herself, that she can help solve one of the greatest medical mysteries of the twentieth century.


The Flappers: Vixen by Jillian Larkin

Every girl wants what she can’t have. Seventeen-year-old Gloria Carmody wants the flapper lifestyle—and the bobbed hair, cigarettes, and music-filled nights that go with it. Now that she’s engaged to Sebastian Grey, scion of one of Chicago’s most powerful families, Gloria’s party days are over before they’ve even begun . . . or are they?
Clara Knowles, Gloria’s goody-two-shoes cousin, has arrived to make sure the high-society wedding comes off without a hitch—but Clara isn’t as lily-white as she appears. Seems she has some dirty little secrets of her own that she’ll do anything to keep hidden. . . .
Lorraine Dyer, Gloria’s social-climbing best friend, is tired of living in Gloria’s shadow. When Lorraine’s envy spills over into desperate spite, no one is safe. And someone’s going to be very sorry. . . .
From debut author Jillian Larkin, VIXEN is the first novel in the sexy, dangerous, and ridiculously romantic new series set in the Roaring Twenties... when anything goes. (This is actually for the B&N First Look online book club)


Bought:

The Traitor's Smile by Patricia Elliott

Eugenie de Boncoeur has fled the violence of the French Revolution to find sanctuary in England at the home of her cousin, Hetta. At first, the two girls find themselves at loggerheads: Hetta can't understand Eugenie's preoccupation with clothes and appearance, and scorns her politics. Soon, however, they are drawn together by a shared sense of danger, for across the Channel waits the vengeful Pale Assassin, determined to claim Eugenie for himself. With her brother's life at stake, how can she refuse his dreadful bargain? But it will mean sacrificing her chance of love and returning to Paris in the grip of the Terror. Eugenie must now decide her destiny - with or without Hetta's help.


Daughter of Winter by Pat Lowery Collins

It’s 1849, and twelve-year-old Addie lives in the shipbuilding town of Essex, Massachusetts. Her father has left the family to seek gold on the West Coast, and now the flux has taken the lives of her mother and baby brother, leaving Addie all alone. Her fear of living as a servant in some other home drives her into the snowy woods, where she survives on her own for several weeks before a nomadic, silver-haired Wampanoag woman takes her in. Slowly, the startling truth of Addie’s past unfolds. Through an intense ancient ceremony, and by force of her own wits and will, Addie unravels the mystery of her identity — and finds the courage to build a future unlike any she could ever have imagined.


Firestorm! by Joan Hiatt Harlow

Twelve-year-old Poppy is an orphan living in a bad neighborhood in Chicago, pick pocketing so that she has a place to sleep at night. Justin's world couldn't be more different—his father owns a jewelry store—but when he and Poppy meet, they become fast friends, thanks in part to Justin's sweet pet goat. Through their friendship, Poppy realizes that she doesn't want to be a thief anymore and she begins to feel like she may have a place with Justin's family. But when Justin makes an expensive mistake at his father's store, Poppy is immediately blamed. In response, she flees . . . right into the Great Chicago Fire.
Poppy and Justin must rely on their instincts if they are going to survive the catastrophe. Will anything be left when the fire finally burns out?