The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Release date: September 27, 2011

Published by: Simon and Schuster

Received from the wonderful Brooke @ Brooke Reports

Sisters Say: Steamy, Snarkie, and Stirring

Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.

She's wrong. (summary from goodreads)

First off, let me start off by saying, "how unbelievably beautiful is this cover?!?!" From moment I saw this art work, I knew that I would read this book regardless of the summary! However, with a cover like this, one might wonder if the words can live up to the art? I would have to give you a resounding "Heck yes!" Before this book, I had been in a reading slump and Mara or maybe I should say Noah snapped me right out of it. The novel has it all, endearing characters, a hot boy, a great mystery, and creepy bad guys!

I honestly loved all of Michelle's characters! Each character in this novel actually correlates with real people in my life! When an author can pull that off it adds a believability and a familiar comfort to their story! Mara's little brother, Joseph has a love of the news, stock reports, and is all around, basically a 35 year-old businessman in a child's body! That is pretty much my youngest sister, Brittany! Those of you who read our blog regularly, know her as Baby Sister Brittany. When she was a little girl (early elementary), her favorite book was the biography of Nelson Mandela! Not kidding folks! We were also frequently corrected on our use of affect/effect, further/farther, who/whom etc. Being 7 years older than her, as you can guess this did not go off well. I do look back on those times fondly and with a smile though! So, when Joseph was doing his quirky little things, I found him so endearing!

And, Noah......What can I say about Noah? All of you know how much I love Jace, well, let me tell you, if you have thing for Jace, then Noah is going to make those butterflies in your stomach do a flash mob! He has the witty, aloof, snarkiness of Jace only a tad more bad boyish!  Oh yeah, and did I mention he's British?!?!  He's completely irresistable! I was seriously sporting the goofy grin every time Noah appeared on the page. I have a feeling Noah is going to be a huge contender in the Crush Tourney next year!

Now, for the boy next door, Jamie! He had me at Ebola!!! That's a little inside joke, but Jamie is wonderful! He's everything a best friend should be! Plus, all of his Harry Potter references caused me some serious squeeing!  I want Jamie as my best friend!

Lastly for characters, I can't not mention Mara! (dang double negative) I love characters that use sarcasm to deal with life. My sisters and I tend to do the same thing, maybe that's why we are constantly raving about how much we love snarkie female heroines! Life is too hard to take everything so seriously and be a Debbie Downer. Sarcasm makes light of situations that on most days would break us. I love that Mara has suffered a horrible tragedy but hasn't lost the sense of who she is.  She's still funny and relatable even though most of us haven't experienced the kind of tragedy she has endured.

Okay, this is getting a tad long, so I will try to wrap this up quickly!  Not only does Mara Dyer have amazing characters, it has a great mystery that will keep you guessing until the end!  Several times I wondered if I was reading a paranormal or contemporary only to have what I thought I knew turned completely upside down and inside out with the shocking ending!  There are several villains through the entire story that will send tingles up your spine from bullies in the school room to the courtroom, and some you never even see coming!  All I can say, is the ending will leave you speechless.  I think I have more questions at the end than I had at the beginning, but its the fun questions.  The ones you spend hours trying to sort out and predict where the story is headed.  Pre-order this book, read it as soon as you get, and you won't regret it!!! 

Waiting on Wednesday: A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. It spotlights books that have not yet been released, but ones that you should pre-order today! This weeks book that we are anxiously awaiting is:

A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies

Release Date: September 27th, 2011

On the night of Skye’s seventeenth birthday, she meets two enigmatic strangers. Complete opposites—like fire and ice—Asher is dark and wild, while Devin is fair and aloof. Their sudden appearance sends Skye’s life into a tailspin. She has no idea what they want, or why they seem to follow her every move—only that their presence coincides with a flurry of strange events. Soon she begins to doubt not just the identity of the two boys, but also the truth about her own past.
In the dead of a bitingly cold Colorado winter, Skye finds herself coming to terms with the impossible secret that threatens to shatter her world. Torn between Asher, who she can’t help falling for, and Devin, who she can’t stay away from, the consequences of Skye’s choice will reach further than the three of them could ever imagine.

A Beautiful Dark is the first book in a captivating trilogy by debut author Jocelyn Davies.

If you need more convincing to pre-order this one, other than just this blurb and the beautiful cover, go check out our review of A Beautiful Dark here!

Teaser Tuesday: Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB over at Should Be Reading!

To participate all you have to do is:

•Grab your current read

•Open to a random page

•Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page

•BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!) 

 Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon

Release date:  October 4, 2011

Published by Harper Teen

Here's my teasers:

           "I  looked up at him then froze....His eyes had darkened into huge blackened pupils surrounded by a swirling vivid blue." (ARC p. 222)

           "Aine came into sight and she looked at us in disgust. "Guys, Fionn says dinner is ready, but it looks like you two have already eaten."" (ARC p. 194)

Juliet Immortal

Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay
Release Date: Been on the shelves since August 9, 2011
Reviewed by: Honorary Sister Marylee
This sister says: Original, Action-packed, Captivating

Summary from Goodreads.com: The most tragic love story in history . . . Juliet Capulet didn't take her own life. She was murdered by the person she trusted most, her new husband, Romeo Montague, a sacrifice made to ensure his own immortality. But what Romeo didn't anticipate was that Juliet would be granted eternity, as well, and would become an agent for the Ambassadors of Light. For 700 years, she's fought Romeo for the souls of true lovers, struggling to preserve romantic love and the lives of the innocent. Until the day she meets someone she's forbidden to love, and Romeo, oh Romeo, will do everything in his power to destroy that love.

This premise grabbed me from the get-go! As a theatre major I’m obligated to love the Bard and all of his works, and believe me I do. I mean, his stories have survived for centuries for a reason people! Romeo and Juliet is arguably his most famous/most performed work, and I thought for Ms. Jay to take a risk by twisting Shakespeare’s story in the way she did was a big one. But it totally paid off!

See, Shakespeare had it all wrong. Juliet loved Romeo, but Romeo loved the idea of immortality more than her. He sacrificed her in order to gain perpetuity. What he didn’t reckon was that through the centuries of his immortal life there would still be a Capulet vs. Montague war, only this time he and Juliet would be at the center of it, fighting each other, her fighting for love and him fighting for evil.

This enthralling read drops you right into the middle of the action, and the pace just doesn’t slow down. Juliet inhabits the body of an emotionally and physically damaged girl named Ariel as an agent for the Ambassadors of Light. She is sent to make sure two soul mates commit to each other. Romeo, as an agent of the Mercenaries of the Apocalypse is sent to make sure one of the soul mates makes the same decision that he did, to sacrifice the other for eternal life. R & J have been doing this for centuries, but this time things are different, and Romeo thinks he has the way to end their never-ending cycle of war. But when Juliet meets a boy named Ben it messes up his plans, and confuses her heart!

There is so much to love about this book! I literally could not put it down and flew through it in one evening. Juliet is a great, complex character who is easy to relate to and love even when she is being difficult, and I found Romeo as a villain deliciously dark and exciting. As easy as it is to hate Romeo for what he did to Juliet, he gives some pretty legit reasons for why he did it, and I found myself caring for him in spite of myself. I did however have problems with the characters of Gemma and Ben. I tire easily of bratty poor-little-rich-girl types like Gemma, and I had little sympathy for her. I found her treatment of Ariel really unforgivable no matter how starved Ariel is for friends. Ben, I just found too perfect. I need my men to have some flaws! I forgave that because I wanted Juliet to find happiness with a nice guy, but Ben started off so wonderful that there was really no room for him to grow as a character. As there will be a sequel to Juliet Immortal, I was ok with the fact that the entire mythology of the book wasn’t explained thoroughly and am looking forward to more of the mythology/world-building in Romeo Redeemed.

My hope is that teens who maybe feel that Shakespeare isn’t really the same language as ours read this story and maybe give the source material it’s based on a chance. Ms. Jay incorporated some of the source material into her novel and inspired me to reread it, and I hope others will give it a chance as well.

The captivating story, the twists, the realistic and very well dealt with themes, Juliet’s realization (which really spoke to me personally), Ariel’s relationship with her mother, and the ending are more than enough to keep me saying, “Out damn sequel! Out I say!”… Ok, so that reference is from another Shakespeare play, it still fits!

Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey

Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey

Reviewed by: Baby Sister Brittany

Received from: ARC provided by Jen Bigheart at I Read Banned Books

The Sisters say: Historical, Humorous, and well… Haunting.

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?

I really, really, REALLY loved this book. Like… really. I don’t read historical fiction that often, but this one was refreshing! It still has a paranormal twist for those of you, like me, who gravitate toward the supernatural.

One of my favorite things about this book is the fact that Violet’s mom is a fake medium. From a young age, Violet helps her mother swindle rich people out of their money by pretending she can speak to the dead. It was fascinating to see Violet and Colin setting up all the little tricks that they use to make the act seem real.

Violet’s mom is such an intriguing character. You hate her because she’s a terrible mother, but she just has this charisma that is fascinating. She’s a star, plain and simple. People are so drawn in by her that they don’t even really look for her to fool them.

When Violet starts seeing ghosts—the visions are downright creepy. I’ve read a lot of ghost books, and too often the ghosts seem friendly or non-threatening, and I’m like “What’s the point in writing a ghost book if it’s not to be a little scary???” This is not one of those books. Dark, sinister, and again… haunting. :)

All of the relationships in the book are clearly defined and very three dimensional. Violet’s relationship with her Mother (who uses her to make money), her best friend Elizabeth (who is rich and anything but proper), and Colin (a love interest who used to sneak worms into her food when they were little).

There are several dreamy boys in this book—from the rich and wholesome and proper to the poor and confident and rakish.

This book is also FUNNY. I never expect historical books to be funny, but this one was. Early on in the book, Violet is trying to loosen Elizabeth’s corset, and she’s crawled up underneath her skirt, when Elizabeth’s crush walks in the room and catches them. I died laughing, and the humor didn’t stop through the rest of the book.

I seriously loved this book. It’s pretty similar to a book that came out a while ago called THE VESPERTINE by Saundra Mitchell. I liked the Vespertine (check out my review), but it has nothing on this book. Haunting Violet blows it out of the water!

This book is already on the shelves. Definitely go buy it! It’s worth the money! 

Tempus by Tyra Lynn

Tempus by Tyra Lynn
Reviewed by: Honorary sister Beth
Sister says: Swoon-worthy, Sweet, and Secretive

Summary from goodreads.com

According to Albert Einstein, the distinction between past, present and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion. He might have been right.

Seventeen-year-old Jessie McLeod is used to getting glimpses of the past when she touches objects in her dads antique shop, but she's not used to the past looking back. Especially when the past is a gorgeous guy and she is dressed like a slob.

Shocked and intrigued, Jessie becomes obsessed with trying to catch another glimpse of that perfect face. When thoughts of him invade her sleep, the dreams seem so real that she wakes with the feel of his lips lingering on her skin. Soon after, however, the one guy she thought she’d never date suddenly asks her out. Either something strange is going on, or all those years of using furniture cleaner finally caused brain damage.

Brain damage is easy enough to believe—until the day she turns around and looks straight into the face from her dreams. Completely unaware, Jessie is now in a race against time to remember something important, something life-changing, and the one person who can tell her the truth doesn’t dare to—she must remember on her own.

With only a week before senior year, the once self-assured Jessie is now sure of nothing. Well, maybe one thing. Everything’s been turned upside down, and it's all because of that stupid mirror she found in the shop on Monday and the glimpse that changed her future—maybe even her past.

Wow! What a great book! There are so many things that I liked about this book that it is difficult to know where to begin. Let me just say that Tempus had me from page one. The quote in the preface says it all:
"Succumb tempor adiuvat." He said quietly, almost to himself.
"What does that Mean?"
"Who yields to time finds time on his side - loosely translated."
"You'll come back? I asked
"Pro te, milies aeterno." He place my hand on his heart.
"And that means?"
"For you, a thousand times eternity."
I think I just passed out!

I loved Tyra Lynn's idea of uses "glimpses" for Jessie, the main character, to view people and situations from the past. Although she knows she is different, she does not seem bothered by this ability. Working in a antique store her father own makes convenient for Jessie to explore this phenomenon whenever she wants. This is a new a refreshing way to read about time travel and get "glimpses" of the way people lived. I wish that we were able to see more of her "glimpses" throughout the book and examine her ability more closely, but there was so much going on it would have been difficult to accomplish.

Jessie is a transforms throughout the book. As a reader, you really connect with her and feel her "grow up". She has lived through tragedy and is trying her best to help her dad who is a major hoarder. Speaking of, I really wanted to sign him up for the "Hoarders" show on TLC after hearing what his house looked like.....it seriously creeped me out!!!! But, I really liked her dad and felt so much love and compassion for him through Jessie.

When one of the "glimpses" Jessie sees interacts with her, it puts a new spin on her ability. The book easily transitioned into time travel. I really find the concept of time interesting and love to read books that involve time travel and people interacting from different time periods. So this book was perfect for me!

Then, there are the boys.....oh, the boys!!! Let me just say there are two HOT guys in this book! There is Steve, the all-American boy next door who is every girls' dream. Translation: a total Hunk!

And, then there is Gabriel who Jessie says looks like an angel. Everything about him is old-fashion....his speech, his manners, and even his clothes. He is the Mr. Darcy of 2011, ladies! I am serious! I was totally smitten by him from the minute Jessie saw him. Gabriel is mysterious, gorgeous, sexy, and just the total package....oh, I almost forgot, and he cooks!!!! Sign me up for one of him!

I don't want to be too spoilery, but I will say there are some twists and turns that I did not see coming (I guess that's why they are twists and turns, huh?). This book made me smile and feel good about love and life and at the same time kept me guessing and even made me shed some tears. All in all, it is one of my favorite books I've read this year.

Let me just say one more thing.....I can't wait until the next book comes out!!! This was such a fun, endearing, sweet book that is definitely worth reading!

Buy it......Read it.....Love it!!!! (especially Gabriel, but he's all mine!)

Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
Published by: Harper Collins
Release date: September 20, 2011
Received from: Netgalley
Reviewed by: Sis-in-law Sarah

Summary from goodreads.com

Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.

Elisa is the chosen one.

But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can’t see how she ever will.

Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.

And he’s not the only one who needs her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people’s savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.

Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.

Most of the chosen do.

It's been awhile since I've read anything more high fantasy and let me tell you, I was not disappointed with this one! It was exciting and different from the very beginning.

Carson has created such a dynamic and interesting heroine in this book.  Elisa is a princess who bears what is called the Godstone...a stone implanted by God in the navel of one person every 100 years or so.  Having this emblem signifies that that person is designated to do something significant to serve God and mankind.  Yet, Elisa is not your ordinary heroine. She is lazy, insignificant, and fat.  She struggles with her destiny and cannot imagine how she could ever fulfill what she has been destined to do.  Throughout the book you see Elisa develop into a woman...an extraordinary queen who is more than capable to fulfill her God-given task.  I loved the character development of Elisa. At the beginning I was semi-disgusted with her, but as time went by she became one of the most exceptional heroines I've read about in YA literature.

The world Carson creates makes an exciting backdrop for this tale.  Deserts, jungles, beautiful hill country, seas, and huge medieval fortresses are just a few of the awesome places you visit in this story as you encounter fierce natives, fire-throwing animagi, and child warriors.

There's not a moment of boredom in this one. And believe me, there are some shocking twists that will have you laughing, crying, and sitting on the edge of your seat!

Waiting of Wednesday: Tempest by Julie Cross

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine.  It spotlights books that have not yet been released that we are DYING to read!  This weeks books that we are anxiously awaiting is:

Tempest by Julie Cross

Release date: January 3, 2012

Published by: St. Martin's Griffin 

 The year is 2009. Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, has a girlfriend… and he can travel back through time. But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there’s no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun.
That is… until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he’s stuck in 2007 and can’t get back to the future.
Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities.
But it’s not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these “Enemies of Time” will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler. Recruit… or kill him.
Piecing together the clues about his father, the Enemies of Time, and himself, Jackson must decide how far he’s willing to go to save Holly… and possibly the entire world. -goodreads

Also, the first four chapters of the book were released today!!!  Go check them out here and go get addicted already!!!  Plus, how drop dead gorgeous is that cover!!!!

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should be Reading. Anyone can play along. Here's what you do:
Pick up your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) teaser sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others) Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teaser!

Heist Society by Ally Carter

"She almost believed him. She wondered if he believed it himself. But Kat had learned at a very young age that thieves live and die based on perception-her whole life was a lesson in sleight of hand. If someone thought her father had the paintings, then the truth wasn't going to save him." (page 28)

"'Great,' Gabrielle said from the couch. 'I ruined my nails for nothing.' 'Not for nothing,' Kat said. 'Thanks to you, Gabs, we just figured out a half dozen ways not to rob the Henley.' 'Mary Poppins?' Hale suggested four hours later. 'Do you know a way to make it rain between now and Tuesday?' Gabrielle replied. 'Five O'clock Shadows?' Hamish asked. 'Backup generators only give us fifteen second,' Simon said with a shake of his head.
They'd been through every con they'd ever heard of, and a few Kat guessed the Bagshaw brothers had made up on the spot, but she didn't notice the hour until she saw Gabrielle stiffle a yawn. Kat was too consumed by a ticking clock in the back of her mind. A deadline. A plan.
'Princess Bride?' Hamish offered, but his brother turned to him. 'Do you know where we can find a six-fingered man on such short notice'?" (pages 158-159)

Ripple by Mandy Hubbard

Ripple by Mandy Hubbard

Reviewed by: Baby Sister Brittany

The Sisters say: Seductive, Sweet, and Sinister—SIRENS!

Lexi is cursed with a dark secret. Each day she goes to school like a normal teenager, and each night she must swim, or the pain will be unbearable. She is a siren - a deadly mermaid destined to lure men to their watery deaths. After a terrible tragedy, Lexi shut herself off from the world, vowing to protect the ones she loves. But she soon finds herself caught between a boy at school who may have the power to melt her icy exterior, and a handsome water spirit who says he can break Lexi's curse if she gives up everything else. Lexi is faced with the hardest decision she's ever had to make: the life she's always longed for - or the love she can't live without?

I’ve been on a contemporary kick lately because I needed a break from all things paranormal. Ripple was the perfect book to jump right back into the genre.  Lexi is a siren, and this book was just enchanting and addicting as a siren’s song. I didn’t even feel like there was an option to put the book down. I was just so completely sucked in! This book is dark and seductive and completely worth your time!

Every night, Lexi feels called to the water. She must swim, or she’ll be weak and in pain the entire next day. But when she swims, she sings. And when she sings, any male nearby is drawn to the water, and drowns. To keep everyone safe, she drives far into the wilderness to swim in a pond that no one else can find. Except some one else does find it—Cole, the best friend of her former boyfriend, who she accidentally killed on her birthday.

Lexi is an interesting narrator. She’s not shallow or self-absorbed. In fact, when the book starts she’s sort of a punching bag for the other students in school, and she takes it because she thinks she deserves it. It can be a little depressing, but her attitude does feel realistic.

But then Cole starts to pull her out of that world, out of the guilt. Their relationship is downright addicting. But then another love interest appears, offering a solution to Lexi’s problem—a cure for her siren abilities. It’s possibly one of the most realistic love triangles I’ve read, because it’s a battle between Lexi’s mind and her heart.

A few moments in the book were predictable, but that didn’t change my enjoyment of it.

This story is as dark, beautiful, haunting, and seductive as the ocean that plays such a pivotal role in the book. I encourage you to dive in head first!

And I completely forgot to mention-- how beautiful is that book cover! A perfect fit for the book!

Thanks to Brooke Reports for the recommendation!  

Blogger Spotlight: Lindsay's Desert Island Books

Welcome to our blogger spotlight week!!! We have some new bloggers that have joined us recently and are wanting all of you to get to know them better! Plus, we've been asked several times for recommendations on what people should be reading! Therefore, new bloggers + recommendation requests = Blogger Spotlight: Desert Island! (dun, dun, dun)

If you want to join in on the fun-- blog your top 5 YA books (and feel free to add 5 adult if you want). Then comment with your link or just list your DIB in the comments!

Hello, dear Sisterhood! I'm Lindsay, a honorary sister and fellow YA enthusiast. I have a BFA in Theatre Performance from Baylor University (SIC EM BEARS!!!), which is where I met Brittany, Marylee, and Bethany -we were brought together by a love of theatre, but our friendship was strengthened and continues to grow thanks to our love of reading. I currently live in Houston where I hold down a couple of retail jobs and act whenever I can. When I'm not reading, you can probably find me drinking coffee, pretending I'm a velociraptor, watching bad reality TV (I see you, Dance Moms), or Facebook stalking people to whom I haven't spoken in years. I love performing, making people laugh, eating (a lot), dancing, driving my car Kenneth, and sleeping in. If I were to be stranded on a desert island, I would bring my laptop, a pony, bottled water, an endless supply of peanut butter, and the following books. 

YA PICKS (in no particular order)

1. The Harry Potter series by our queen J.K. Rowling

Seriously (or siriusly), how could you NOT bring this series to your des ert island? These are the books that define my generation. Harry Potter broadened my imagination and nurtured my obsession with fantasy, and these books are responsible for some of the greatest friendships I have ever had. Asking me to pick a favorite Harry Potter book is like asking a mother to pick her favorite child (probably harder, let's be honest), but I do have a special place in my heart for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

2. The Book Thief by Markus Zuzak
I like to tell the story about how I recommended this book to Baby Sister Brittany and she put off reading it for over a year - OVER A YEAR - and now it has ended up on her Desert Island Books list. You're welcome, Brittany. All I can say is that this book is hauntingly beautiful and truly changed my life.

3. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
For me, this book feels like home - I can return to it time after time and feel warm, safe, and comfortable. With each reading of Little Women, I find something new to love, and the characters greet me like old friends. I still cry when (spoiler alert) Beth dies, and Jo and Laurie were my OTP before I knew what an OTP was (although I do love Professor Bhaer.)

4. The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins
It's that classic "kickass heroine battles her oppressive government in a dystopian United States/has to choose between her childhood best friend and a hunky baker/kills her peers with a bow and arrow in order to stay alive" story that we all know and love, but with a twist - REALITY TV!!! These books both thrill and terrify me.

5. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle
I wish I had adequate words to describe how this book and its sequels (A Wind in the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, and Many Waters) helped to shape me as a reader and a person, but I don't. Wrinkle is a classic for a reason, folks.

HONORABLE MENTIONS: The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin , The Giver by Lois Lowry, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series by Ann Brashares, The Baby-sitters Club series by Ann M. Martin (DON'T HATE. Y'all know the BSC was your jam back in the day!)


NON-YA PICKS (in no particular order):


1. Bossypants by Tina Fey
Tina Fey is a goddess among women. This is probably the funniest book I have ever read. I'm just saying.

2. The Clean House and Other Plays by Sarah Ruhl
This is a collection of four plays by my very favorite playwright. My favorite is Melancholy Play, but you should read all four and choose which one you like best.

3. Arcadia by Tom Stoppard
Another play - sorry I'm not sorry! Stoppard is a master of dialogue, and the way his story jumps between the 1800s and the present day is fascinating.

4. The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis
I read this book in high school and have been wanting to revisit it for several years. It's deep and difficult, but also beautiful and convicting.

5. The Lottery by Shirley Jackson
It's only the greatest short story in American literature. No big.

Honorable Mentions: The complete works of William Shakespeare. That Bard knew what was up.

That's all from me (for now)! Keep blogging, keep fangirling, and by all means, KEEP READING!! <3

Blogger Spotlight: Bethany's Desert Island Books

Welcome to our blogger spotlight week!!! We have some new bloggers that have joined us recently and are wanting all of you to get to know them better! Plus, we've been asked several times for recommendations on what people should be reading! Therefore, new bloggers + recommendation requests = Blogger Spotlight: Desert Island! (dun, dun, dun)

If you want to join in on the fun-- blog your top 5 YA books (and feel free to add 5 adult if you want). Then comment with your link or just list your DIB in the comments!

Howdy, all! I’m Bethany, an honorary sister here! I went to college at Baylor University in Texas (with my fabulous co-bloggers Brittany and Marylee) where I studied Theatre and Professional Writing. Now, I live in New York City and work in publishing, which gives me an excuse to read all the time! When I’m not reading, I like to go to the theatre, guzzle coffee, heckle tourists and look for cheap adventures around the city. I also like thunderstorms, wildlife, Frasier and being crafty (as in making crafts…not scheming. Although I do that sometimes, too). But enough about me! On to the important stuff!

I don’t know about everyone else, but I think picking desert island books is HARD! I’m constantly changing my mind, so my list is more like what I’d bring to the island THIS week!

YA picks:
Harry Potter Series. Obviously. (In order: 6, 7, 3, 4, 1, 2, 5)

The Hunger Games Series. Come on. You can’t go to a DESERT ISLAND without these books. Survival tips, ahoy!
The Book Thief.
Ella Enchanted. Pay no attention to that abomination of a movie. This book started my obsession with YA Lit when I was 9 years old. I was seriously annoyed when Prince Char didn’t make it into the Crush Tourney.


Anne of Green Gables. I’m not sure if this list is supposed to have classic YA lit, but Anne takes the cake!


Runners Up: Hourglass by Myra McEntire, Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Other Current Picks:
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Persuasion by Jane Austen The Awakening by Kate Chopin A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams The Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon

Runners Up: A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness, Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss

If you want more where this came from, please go check out the Goddesses of Rhyme's DIB post over at Fictitious Delicious.

Blogger Spotlight: Desert Island Books

Welcome to our blogger spotlight week!!! We have some new bloggers that have joined us recently and are wanting all of you to get to know them better! Plus, we've been asked several times for recommendations on what people should be reading! Therefore, new bloggers + recommendation requests = Blogger Spotlight: Desert Island! (dun, dun, dun)

If you want to join in on the fun-- blog your top 5 YA books (and feel free to add 5 adult if you want). Then comment with your link or just list your DIB in the comments!

Hello fellow readers!!! My name is Sarah...I'm also one of the newbies here at YA Sisterhood...something of which I am so excited and proud to be a part!!!  If you're wondering how I became a part of this crew, well, AmyG's husband is my husband's brother.  And seeing as how AmyG and I are like...the coolest in the family, I'd say we're pretty tight.  I live in good ol' Oklahoma (though I am a proud Texan by birth) with my incredible husband (incredible because he's a legitimate rockstar AND he likes YA books too) and my 5 1/2 month old baby boy, Jaxon Bailey.  These two boys keep me on my toes...I'm pretty sure there will never be another boring day the rest of my life.  I get to stay at home and take care of my little one, which is an awesome privilege that I LOVE.  Before having my son, I was a Starbucks barista and I did musicals all over the Dallas metroplex.  I've been an avid reader all my life.  In fact, when I started to learn to drive, my sisters made fun of me because I didn't know where anything was...I'd spent all my time in the car reading book after book.  I got hooked on YA literature in college when I started reading Harry Potter.  This love became more of an obsession when one of the coolest English professors ever decided to offer a Harry Potter class.  As I'm sure many of you know, putting more than one Harry Potter obsessive fan together can create a lot of fun and craziness!  Since then, my sis-in-law has been handing me one book after another for me to devour, which I do pretty much every time (she has really awesome taste)!

Now for my Desert Island Books (This was super hard for me...I'm one of those people that has the hardest time picking favorites!!!):

1. Harry Potter. Duh.

2.  The Hunger Games.  (Seriously a fav!!!)

3.  The Mortal Instruments. (Crazy fantastic characters!)

4.  Starcrossed. (This is pretty much the first time I went kinda crazy stalker on an author.  LOVE this book!!!!)

5. Divergent.  (Because something's gotta make you feel dauntless if you're trapped on an island, right?!)

Other books I love:

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (Pretty much my favorite book of all time!)

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis (This is really the beginning of YA fantasy, right?!)

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin (The love story of all love stories!)

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers (What a romance!)

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (Most perfect book ever!)

If you want more Desert Island books, go check out our BBFF (Blogger Best Friend Forever), Jena's post on her blog!

Desert Island Books

Welcome to our blogger spotlight week!!! We have some new bloggers that have joined us recently and are wanting all of you to get to know them better! Plus, we've been asked several times for recommendations on what people should be reading! Therefore, new bloggers + recommendation requests = Blogger Spotlight: Desert Island! (dun, dun, dun



Hello blogisphere! My name is Marylee. I’m an honorary sister who was lucky enough to meet and become dear friends with Baby Sister Brittany during college. We’ve shared a lot of joy, laughter, and obsessions through the years and I’m lucky enough to get to share a few (I stress few because I could go on forever… and ever and ever and… you get the idea) of my absolute favorites with you today. More on me, I'm an aunt to the most precious niece and nephew in existence, I don't get up in the morning unless the alarm clock number ends in 0 or 5, and I love seafood and chocolate-covered strawberries more than I love breathing. Books I cannot live without and would have to have with me were I deserted on a desert island are… drumroll please:

THE HARRY POTTER SERIES by J.K. Rowling–
This series is a staple in my life. It is the greatest example of YA literature that there is and I will read it to my children and my children’s children, for it is brilliant, and moving, and just plain extraordinary. Rowling is my queen.




THE HUNGER GAMES SERIES by Suzanne Collins– To me this series is the epitome of greatness. Fantastic writing, strong heroine, a world that is far in the future, but not too far removed from our present that you can’t draw the parallels Collins makes about our society, and one of the most realistic, frustrating, exhilarating, and sweetest romances in all of YA. I <3 the Hunger Games.



HOURGLASS by Myra McEntire– This standout debut novel is one of the most riveting novels I’ve ever read. The steamy romance, time travel, and fascinating characters drew me in and left me wanting more. Luckily a sequel will be coming soon and I cannot wait to read what Emerson and the gang encounter next.




REVOLUTION by Jennifer Donnelly– Once in a while a book comes along that has everything you could ever want a book to have. Whatever you like to read, it’s in this book. It is one of the most intelligent, well-written, heart-breaking, fascinating reads I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. You will not want to put it down and after you turn the last page you will want to turn back to page one and start all over again. I will read this book many many more times in my life.





THE REAPING by M. Leighton – My first review here on the blog was of this book, and my opinion on it is still the same! Sexy, scary, wonderfully written, and wholly original! I love it and am inspired by this author who found a way to share her stories with the world even when she was kept from doing so in the "conventional" way!




(So close it breaks my heart runners-up are Divergent by Veronica Roth, The Mortal Instrument Series by Cassandra Clare, Delirium by Lauren Oliver, Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves and Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver.)


Now as much as I LOVE YA, and believe me I do, I read a lot of other books as well, and some of these books I just could not live without either, so they comprise the second part of my list.

THE THIRTEENTH TALE by Diane Setterfield – GAH this book. I just love it. Richly drawn characters, beautiful writing, inspiring quotes, intrigue, and mystery, this book has it all, despite being a little low on romance. BUT I love it mainly because it is a book for people who love books, and that is definitely me.










THE BOOK THIEF by Markus Zusak– This book will change your life. It changed mine by changing my perception of a people and a time that I thought I knew all about. It transcends the YA category for me which is why I included it down here, I believe it should be read by people of every age, race, and religion. It is a heart-breaking, life-shattering, enlightening book that will have you crying and laughing, sometimes both on the same page.


THE LOVELY BONES by Alice Sebold– Messages of hope, faith, and love in spite of overwhelming
evidence of cruelty and despair are what my favorite stories are made of. This gut-wrenching, heart-aching, shocking story can be hard to get through, especially if you have a young girl in your life, but the ending is so wonderful and inspiring that it is worth the sadness it compels at times.


THE AWAKENING by Kate Chopin - I love the classics, and Edna is one of the strongest heroines I've ever read. Her story, though sad, is enlightening of the period in which the author lived and is just a beautifully written novel from first to last page.

JUDE THE OBSCURE by Thomas Hardy - Thomas Hardy is my favorite classic author, and Jude is one of my absolute favorite characters of all time. This story is rich with detail, romance, intellect, betrayal, and tragedy and is my favorite classic novel to date.




(The closecloseclose runners-up to my other favorite books are The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, The Reader by Bernard Schlink, The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, The Help by Kathryn Stockett, and The Illiad by Homer.)




Thank you so much for taking the time to read my Desert Island book list! (If you made it all the way through, you're a trooper, I'm clearly the over-writer of the group) I truly love these books and I don't know that I would survive for very long without them! If you haven't read some of them what are you still doing reading this?! Pick 'em up and read them today! You won't be sorry!

If you want to see more Desert Island Books, go check out our lovies at Two Chicks on Books!

*Feel free to participate with us!  You can leave your DIB list in the comments section or post one on your own blog and link it up here!*