Waiting on Wednesday: Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman (Published by Random House, July 10, 2012)

Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.
Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.
In her exquisitely written fantasy debut, Rachel Hartman creates a rich, complex, and utterly original world. Seraphina's tortuous journey to self-acceptance is one readers will remember long after they've turned the final page.


I can't wait to read this book! I wish there were more YA high fantasy books. And this one has dragons! It sounds so awesome.

In My Mailbox - 12/24/11

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

I just got one book this week. I won it from a contest and I am super excited to read it.

Gilt by Katherine Longshore

In the Tudor age, ambition, power and charismatic allure are essential and Catherine Howard has plenty of all three. Not to mention her loyal best friend, Kitty Tylney, to help cover her tracks. Kitty, the abandoned youngest daughter of minor aristocracy, owes everything to Cat – where she is, what she is, even who she is. Friend, flirt, and self-proclaimed Queen of Misrule, Cat reigns supreme in a loyal court of girls under the none-too-watchful eye of the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk.
When Cat worms her way into the heart of Henry VIII and becomes Queen of England, Kitty is thrown into the intoxicating Tudor Court. It’s a world of glittering jewels and elegant costumes, of gossip and deception. As the Queen’s right-hand-woman, Kitty goes from the girl nobody noticed to being caught between two men – the object of her affection and the object of her desire.
But the atmosphere of the court turns from dazzling to deadly, and Kitty is forced to learn the difference between trust and loyalty, love and lust, secrets and treason. And to accept the consequences when some lessons are learned too late.

My post for the 2012 YA/MG Fantasy Challenge

I wasn't really planning to join anymore 2012 reading challenges, but I came across the YA/MG Fantasy Challenge hosted by The Book Cellar. And I decided to give it a try, because I'd love to read more fantasy. The goal is to read 10 YA or MG fantasy novels published in 2012.

Books I have read so far:
1. Dragonswood by Janet Lee Carey
2. Princess of the Wild Swans by Diane Zahler
3. A Temptation of Angels by Michelle Zink
4. Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
5. Eye of the Sword by Karen Henley
6. Spell Sisters: Sophia the Flame Sister by Amber Castle
7. Spell Sisters: Lily the Forest Sister by Amber Castle

Here is the list of books I will possibly read for the challenge. Books in italics I already have an ARC or other copy of:

Wings of the Wicked by Courtney Allison Moulton
Of Poseidon by Anna Banks
Enchanted by Alethea Kontis
Daughter of the Centaurs by Kate Klimo
When the Sea is Rising Red by Cat Hellisen
Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
Queen of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
Crown of Embers by Rae Carson (need to read book 1 before book 2 is published)
Above by Lea Bobet
Shadowell by Juliet Marrillier
Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes
Shadows Cast By Stars by Cathering Knutsson
The Princess of Trelian by Michelle Knudsos
Defiance by C.J. Redwine
Allegience by Cayla Kluver
Daughters of the Sea: Lucy by Kathryn Lasky
Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen
Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey
The Grave Robber's Apprentice by Allan Stratton
Warrior Princess: Caradoc of the North Wind by Frewin Jones

End of year wrap-up post for 2011 reading challenges

For the first time, I decided to do a post for the end of the year to write about how I did on my 2011 reading challenges. I tried for three different reading challenges. One was my general reading challenge on Goodreads. I also participated in the Young Adult Historical Fiction Challenge and the Debut Author Challenge.

For the Goodreads challenge, I started with a goal of 75 books, which I later downsized to 55 books. As of today, December 23, I have read 56 books. I'll probably read a couple more and end at 57-59. So I didn't make my original goal, but read slightly more than my revised goal.

The second challenge I participated in was the Young Adult Historical Fiction Challenge. My goal was 15 books (the highest level) and I ended up reading 45. So most of what I read this year was either historical fiction or historical fantasy.

The third and final challenge was the Debut Author Challenge. I'm not sure how many books I was supposed to read, but I read four 2011 debuts in 2011. I also read 4 in 2010 (ARCs or foreign editions) that I couldn't count, and I read an ARC of one book that got delayed to a 2012 release date, so I can't use that for either the 2011 or 2012 challenge now. So I don't think I did that well. I am trying again and hope to do better with this challenge next year.

How did everyone else do on their 2011 reading challenges?

Book review: Dear America: Behind the Masks by Susan Patron

Dear America: Behind the Masks by Susan Patron (Published by Scholastic, January 1, 2012)

Fourteen-year-old Angeline Reddy lives in the wild mining town of Bodie, California, in 1880. Her father is a famous criminal defense lawyer who is known for having never lost a case. But when he is presumed murdered, Angie doesn't believe it, and neither does her mother. Many people could have wanted her father dead, but Angie is sure he is alive and in hiding.

Angie is determined to solve the mystery of what happened to her father, but it will be difficult. Bodie is wild and dangerous, and a gang of vigilantes is causing trouble in town. On top of everything else, her mother is ill, and there seems to be a ghost haunting their house. Can Angie, with the help of her friends, solve the mystery in time?

Behind the Masks is a bit different than other books in the Dear America series. It's still written in the usual diary format, but instead of being about just the daily life of a young girl from an important place or time in American history, this particular book has a strong central plot, which is Angie solving the mystery of what happened to her father. As a result, it didn't seem as much like a "real" diary, since the diary entries are really long (since it's a 300 page book set over about four weeks). I still really enjoyed the book, and recommend it to readers who love historical fiction set in the Old West, but at times it didn't seem much like a Dear America book.

My top ten new releases I am looking forward to in 2012

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 2011. These are in no particular order, since I couldn't decide how to rank them - it was hard enough to pick just ten! All links go to Goodreads, if you would like to find out more about each book.

For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diane Peterfreund

Why I can't wait to read it: It's a dystopian retelling of a Jane Austen novel. And it's a standalone. I am so tired of everything being a series. YA needs more standalones!

Courtship and Curses by Marissa Doyle

Why I can't wait to read it: I loved Marissa Doyle's first two books, Bewitching Season and Betraying Season, so I can't wait to read her third book. I think this one is a prequel to the other two books.

Magic Under Stone by Jaclyn Dolamore

Why I can't wait to read it: I loved book one, Magic Under Glass, as well as the author's standalone novel, Between the Sea and Sky. So I can't wait to find out what happens to the characters!

The Academie by Susanne Dunlap

Why I can't wait to read it: I love Susanne Dunlap's YA historical fiction. The characters, settings, and stories are always great!

The Girl in the Mask by Marie-Louise Jensen

Why I can't wait to read it: Marie-Louise Jensen is another one of my favorite YA historical fiction authors. She always picks wonderful historical settings for her stories, and I love the characters and romance.

Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

Why I can't wait to read it: It's about a girl thief designed as a boy who joins up with Robin Hood and his band. Sounds awesome!

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

It's a YA high fantasy. With dragons. And magic and castles and royalty. And did I mention dragons? Enough said.

Wentworth Hall by Abby Grahame

Why I can't wait to read it: It sounds a lot like the Luxe series by Anna Godbersen, which I loved. Plus it's set in England in 1912, which makes it even better!

Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard

Why I can't wait to read it: Because it's a YA historical with zombies. Am I totally geeky for thinking that sounds completely awesome?

The Legacy of Trill: Soulbound by Heather Brewer

Why I can't wait to read it: It's a YA fantasy that actually sounds original and is set in a fantasy world instead of the usual urban fantasy with werewolves or vampires.






So those are the ten new books I'm most looking forward to reading in 2012. What upcoming releases are you eager to read?

My top ten favorite books of 2011

Just like last year, I read a lot of great books in 2011, so I had a hard time choosing my ten favorites, but here they are. They are in a random order, it was hard enough picking ten, so I decided not to rank them.

Fateful by Claudia Gray

I love books set on the Titanic, but I wasn't sure what to think about the premise of werewolves on the Titanic. But I ending up loving Fateful - it's probably my favorite paranormal romance *ever.* The romance between Tess and Alec, the two main characters, was adorable and I loved the setting on the Titanic. (reviewed here)

Dear America: Cannons at Dawn by Kristiana Gregory

The Winter of Red Snow was one of the first books I read in the Dear America series, and one of my favorites from the entire series. So I was very excited to read the sequel, and I was not disappointed. Cannons at Dawn has now joined the first book about Abigail on my list of favorites from the Dear America series. (reviewed here)

The Merchant's Daughter by Melanie Dickerson

A retelling of Beauty and the Beast, set in Medieval England. I enjoyed this book even more than the author's first book, The Healer's Apprentice, which was on my top ten favorites list last year. (reviewed here)

Between the Sea and Sky by Jaclyn Dolamore

This very original YA fantasy tells the story of the romance between a mermaid and a winged boy, who must find a way to be together despite their very different worlds. (reviewed here)

Darker Still by Leanna Renee Heiber

Another very original YA fantasy, this book is set in 19th century New York City and is about a young woman named Natalie, who has been mute since her mother's death when she was a little girl. She falls in love with a mysterious young man who is trapped in a painting. (reviewed here)

The Princess Curse by Merrie Haskell

This book is one of my favorite fairy tale retellings ever. It is a retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses story, set in Medieval Romania. Reveka, the main character, is a delightful and entertaining narrator, and I loved the unique historical setting. (reviewed here)

Forgiven by Janet Fox

Kula has had a hard life and dreams of something more. So she travels to San Francisco in 1906, wanting a better life. She finds adventure, romance, and mystery, but also learns some hard truths about life. (reviewed here)

In the Shadow of the Lamp by Susanne Dunlap

After she loses her job as a servant, sixteen-year-old Molly stows away to become a nurse with Florence Nightingale in the Crimean War. She must confront the harsh reality of war as she struggles with her feelings for two very different men. (reviewed here)

Sigrun's Secret by Marie-Louise Jensen

Marie-Louise Jensen is one of my favorite authors of YA historical fiction, and her most recent book is no exception. Her books always have great characters and interesting historical settings. Sigrun's Secret is set in Iceland and Jorvik (now York, England) in the 9th century. (reviewed here)

Small Acts of Amazing Courage by Gloria Whelan

I started reading Gloria Whelan's historical fiction when I was a child, and many years later I still enjoy her new books. This book is the story of fifteen-year-old Rosalind, a girl who has grown up in Indian with her British parents during the time of World War I. She longs to make a difference in the world, but her parents don't understand and force her to visit England to live for a while with her aunts. (reviewed here)

So that's my top ten favorite books of 2011! If you also posted about your favorite books from this year, feel free to share a link in a comment - I'd love to take a look!