Nimona by Noelle Stevenson

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Boy did I enjoy this delightfully evil strong female protagonist, Nimona! While her boss is supposedly an evil villain, Nimona jumps right into fights as a shapeshifter. Ballister Blackheart easily believes Nimona has come to help him as an intern and she quickly shows him her shape shifting, her ability to heal VERY quickly, and we see how he begins to care for her while also trying to work against the Institute using rules and fair play as excuses to stop Nimona from wreaking havoc and death. One moment, Nimona is beguiling to Ballister, the next she is cunning, willful and willing to do whatever it takes to take down the enemy-even if others (innocent) get in the way. As the stakes continue to rise from the mystery of jade root deaths, the clash of science/technology, who will be the last standing? Appearances are definitely deceiving in this winner of a graphic novel--Nimona is awesomely wicked, sure of herself, and a survivor. Highly recommended!

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Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I listened to and LOVED this amazing audiobook; narrator Khristine Hvam did a stellar job with each and every character; her voices did not disappoint especially Zuzana- Karou's bestie. The world building, storytelling, characterization, and drama clearly made this a book I could not stop listening to; I already have the following 2 books FROM aUDIBLE on my Ipad for my listening pleasure, can't wait! Readers will love the character of Karou with her blue hair, art books filled with characters resembling chimaerae (monstrous half human/animalS)and her weird relationship as Brimstone's teeth messenger (how does she get from Prague to Marrakesh???). I am enthralled with finding out much more about Karou, her world of humans, her world of chimaerae, Brimstone & who is this scary, beautiful angel, Akiva? It seems Karou knows nothing about herself as she is asked countless times in this audiobook, "who are you?" which she really can't answer; a sweeping mystery, powerful and filled with worlds of magic, evil, and the lore of much more. Highly recommended.

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The Nest by Kenneth Oppel

The Nest by Kenneth Oppel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow, I do not really care for horror books- but I do read them and this psychological thriller was so scary I could not stop turning the pages! Steve is very concerned about his newborn baby brother, Theo and his mounting health concerns plaguing his parents and Steve. In a dream, he is visited by a very calming being who assures Steve a new "healthy" baby can replace Theo. What begins as a dream in a dark place quickly morphs into the horror of wasps with their nest hanging outside the baby's window. The horror elements of darkness, wasps, phone calls with no one on the other end and a hideous knife sharpener bring many overwhelming scary moments to Steve as he tries to find a way to help his baby brother, his parents and himself. The young age of Steve, his own insecurities, and his haunting dreams (are they reality) will keep kids turning those pages, because who doesn't like a scary story. Klass' illustrations are delicious, dark, gray and further embed the horror of Steve's world. A great ending and a must read!

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Winter by Marissa Meyer

Winter by Marissa Meyer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

OMG, I LOVED Winter and Meyer's whole Lunar Chronicle series!!! I am so sad it is over BUT I have so many great memories to continue to replay over and over again about the awesome cast of characters! This final 4th book features characters we have come to know and love-Cinder, Kai, Scarlet, Wolf, Cress, Thorne, Winter, Jacin, and Iko. There was also a cast of characters to abhor and wish very bad ends to as well- Levana, Aimory, and those nasty thermatauges controlling and contorting people to Levana's evil wiles. Cinder's fight to be Queen was a valiant one with many new characters helping her attain her goal of helping all of those down trodden subjects on Luna, the shells, the wolves (bioengineered to fight)and the diseased people on Earth battling a deathly. I read this in a week- I could have sat and read it in one sitting but can you believe it? Life got in the way, so I snatched as much time as I could and savored/devoured this fairytale mix of rebellion, rising up against evil and falling in love. I highly recommend this series and this 4th book was satisfying in so many ways- you just have to read it!!!

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Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

OMG!!! Loved this first book by Sarah J. Maas! I was rooted to my kindle and the drama that ensued as assassin Celaena Sardothien fights to win her freedom as the King's Champion Assassin is gripping. I hated the King, loved Chaol, Prince Dorian, and the visiting Princess Nehemia. There is magic, supernatural beings, evil, lying, romance---all the elements put together PERFECTLY by Sarah J. Maas. Celaena is a strong female protagonist who is confident of her assassin abilities but she also must hide her true identity from all but a few in the castle. Her few meetings with the king were torture for me because Celaena is truly terrified of the King and when she is around him, she is not the hero we know she is. The king has evil intentions and I can't wait to see his demise...hopefully in Book 2! I would definitely call this a crossover book/series- adults will love the action, suspense and adventure, just like teens.

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Drowned City by Don Brown

Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans by Don Brown
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

With beautiful, haunting comic book images (somber, brownish illustrations) Brown's Drowned City depicts the natural disaster that was Hurricane Katrina and the death, despair and havoc wreaked upon New Orleans. With spare prose, each page & image covers the many elements that continued to unfold as the world looked on in horror at the suffering and death of the residents of Buras, Louisiana are wiped out. There are tales of valor , tales of looting, people drowning, police fleeing, the Superdome debacle, the water grows stagnant, and the total mismanagement by the government to aid New Orleans (pets included) is all to real and deadly. This graphic novel should be read by adults and kids alike...the words and pictures work together to deliver a MUST READ nonfiction graphic novel.

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Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I listened to the awesome narration of Cruel Beauty on Audible by Elizabeth Knowleton. There were times as I listened that took too long to get to the story. The Beauty and the Beast aspect kept me listening as Nyx has been promised since birth to the Gentle Lord (who is really a demon) as his bride by her father. There was so much mythology that weighed down the story for me. I liked the Ignifex and Shade story lines but Nyx's feelings did not always ring true and strong. Wish I could say more about this fantasy and love triangle...

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Whippoorwill by Josph Monninger

Whippoorwill by Joseph Monninger
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am a dog lover and I love to read any kind of book about dogs and as much as I loved this book, this book just really makes me sad. Clair lives next door to a very dysfunctional family (now only father and son) whom she characterizes as whippoorwills- they have lots of junk in their yard. But far more harsh is Wally, a black lab tied to a pole, left outside, and mistreated. As Clair tries to ignore his circumstances and pitiful whining, she becomes Wally's hero and with the help of Danny Stewart next door, begins to train Wally according to a book written by a dog whisperer, Father Jasper. But life gets in the way with Danny's sadistic father (who made his wife go crazy)and Clair is also confused about her feelings for Danny. I rooted for Clair, Danny and Wally. Their happy moments in training Wally were so important in defining the kind of caring pet owners they were but things will not be so easy in life for Danny and Wally. The harsh realities in this book reminded me of Gary D. Schmidt's Orbiting Jupiter - life can be so darned hard, you ache for Clair, Danny and Wally and hope against hope for a redemptive ending. Once again, I have to call this book a crossover book - all adults should read this too. Highly recommended.

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Me. Earl & the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A tug at your heart sad and humorous book (because Greg has a very funny way of looking at things and talking to people)about friendship and life. Greg Gaines is a comedian who loves to think he hasn't let anyone become his friend and he is okay with that...but he does have a sort of friend, Earl who is just as hysterical as Greg with his outlook on life and his comments (some of them nasty) and they both enjoy making sub par films. Rachel is a girl who used to like Greg in middle school and now has cancer and it is her mom and Greg's mom who "force" him to hang out with her (he hasn't really talked to her in years). I loved Greg's family, his teachers and his constant comments to the reader about putting this poorly written book down and he wouldn't hold it against you. There are lots of funny lists, bad jokes but this book will make you laugh, laugh, laugh but you will also cry for Greg and Earl as they lose one of their friends.

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A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jennifer Ikeda did a magnificent job of narrating this amazing audiobook! When I say I could not rip myself away from this 16 hour saga; I kept finding ways to keep listening because I just had to know what was happening to Feyre (human) wisked to a faerie court by the very scary wolf (Tamlin) who "imprisons" her in his world because she killed one of his huntsmen, Andris and "The Treaty" gave him the right to take her away from her human world to live in Prythia with the immortal faeries and fae. But this story is so so much more! There are lies, secrets, death, romance, magic, gore (and so much more) and it became so gripping to me to find out why Feyre who is a skilled huntress is constantly called a "stupid" human by Tamlin & those who live with him. It becomes very evident as the story progresses that the reader and Feyre must really listen and not believe everything said because all is as it seems. This definitely was a beauty and the beast type story for me but this is just a back drop to the violent world of the courts and the wicked female leader who is brutal, intent on killing and maiming faeries and fae. Sometimes I had to stop listening- what was happening to Feyre, Lucian, and Tamlin (and others) was pure hell so I would take a break - but then I couldn't stand it any more and I had to know!!! I definitely see this as a crossover book- adults will LOVE this as well as YA. All I can say is, I can't wait for the second book and I will listen to that as well. Just a little aside- this is my FIRST Sarah J. Maas book. Now I am going to begin the Throne of Glass series!

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The Truth Commission by Susan Juby

The Truth Commission by Susan Juby
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Normandy, Dusk & Neil are nonconformist art students who form the Truth Commission. In a wacky literary nonfiction paper Normandy tells the story of her friends and family and how the truth commission works.I found the book a little unnerving to follow with all the footnotes, etc. But what I did like was the friendship of these 3 students and how each of them approaches those in their school about getting to their truth. I found the mystery surrounding Normandy's family pretty heinous and was happy with the believable resolution of Normandy's truth with her family and sister.

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The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved listening to this amazing audiobook! Mare Barrow is a Red who lives in a crushing world of poverty serving the ruling class known as the Silvers. When she makes a mistake as a thief, she is catapulted into the world of the Silvers and "imprisoned" as the Silver Princess hiding her red blood lineage (she is jeeringly called The Little Lightning Girl because she can create fire and electricity within her body and hands). I loved the romance, the worlds, the plot, and the truly evil characters Aveyard weaves into this drop dead action novel complete with magical powers, rebellion, and surprising duplicity. I am rooting for Mare in the sequel and I have to admit it is driving me nuts waiting. Come join in the twitter chat with #2jennsbookclub on 11/12 at 8pm EST!

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Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I want everyone I know to read this book! I am not going to share too much because I want YOU to read it but I will say a few things:) Nicola Yoon's debut novel is WOW! I loved the cover and the words at the top "The greatest risk is not taking one" and this defines Maddy, Olly & Carla. They took risks, and what happened??? Well, you have to read this 310 page book of awesomeness and you will fall in love with the story, characters, themes and ESPECIALLY her husband, David Yoon's spectacular illustrations- they are key to who Maddy is and this book is BETTER for David Yoons's participation. Join #yabookchat and @bookfin Sunday 11/1 at 9pm EST for a twitter chat, you will be hooked on books.

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