Holiday reading

As you can see, I've taken a break from blogging (most due to the fact that I was at the cabin - with no access to the internet) but that doesn't mean that I wasn't keeping up with my holiday reading. Here's some the the titles that I read over the break.

Six days by Philip Webb - Futuristic steampunk adventure of four kids, two from London who's lives exist savenging and demolishing the city and two strangers from a far away place looking for a treasure that will fulfill the prophecy. Not my favourite, I didn't feel really connected with any of the characters, the slang dialect used in the dialog was distracting but I did like the premise of this futuristic London being dismantle in order to find the hidden "artifacts".

Mistwood by Leah Cypess - This book had lots packed into it, mystery, intrigue, loyalty and betrayal. Here's the write up from the back cover:
Isabel remembers nothing before the prince rode into her forest to take her back to the castle. Nothing about who she is supposed to be, or the powers she is supposed to have. Prince Rokan needs Isabel to be his Shifter. He needs her ability to shift to animal form, her lethal speed, and her superhuman strength. And he needs her loyalty - because without it, she may be his greatest threat. Isabel knows that her prince is lying to her, but she can't help wanting to protect him from the dangers and intrigues of the court... until a deadly truth shatters the bond between them. Now Isabel faces a choice that threatens her loyalty, her heart... and everything she thought she knew.

Extrarodinary by Nancy Werlin

I had high expectations for this book - I fell in love with Impossible and was anxious for this to have the same sort of appeal. Unfortunately maybe I had set the bar too high, because although I read it through it never really grabbed me in that same way. I have to admit that for three quarters of the book I kept confusing the protagonist and antagonist. Were their names too similar or their characters too similar - I don't know, I just couldn't seem to differentiate the two of them. -- Here's the summary: Phoebe finds herself drawn to Mallory, the strange new girl at school. The two become close as sisters... until Mallory's magnetic older brother, Ryland, appears. Pyland has an immediate exciting hold on Phoebe. But it's a dangerous hold, for it makes her question her feelings about her best friend and, worse, about herself. Then Phoebe discovers the shocking, fantastical truth about Ryland and Mallory, and about an age-old debt they expect Phoebe to pay. Will she be strong enough to resist? Will she be special enough to save herself?

Dirt Road Home by Watt Key   -- This is a companion book to Alabama Moon which I am a fan of. I definately think we'll have readers for this book - fan of the first of course but also fans of The Outsiders and Rumblefish, or Touching Spiritbear might find this a book of interest. Three months after escaping from Pinson Boy's Home, Hal Mitchell is captured and taken to Hellenweler Boys' Home. Pinson was a vacation spot next to this place. Hellenweiler may be called a "Boys' Home," but it's as bad as any prison, just with younger prisoners. Hall plans to behave and get out early, so he refuses to join a gang. But  the more he tries to stay out of everyone's way, the harder the other inmates try to make him fail. and the people in charge don't care what happens to him....

Beat the Band by Don Calame -- sequel to Swim the Fly if you loved the first book you won't be disappointed. Once again I laughed out loud, was grossed out and had moments when I said to myself "guys!!!**#@!!*" in exasperation. This time we have Cooper as our narrator and I didn't really like him at first - he's loud, obnoxious and full of himself, but eventually he wears you down and you start to see glimpses of his other side and suddenly his is redeemed. And of course how do you win girls over? By winning Battle of the Bands, of course.

We will be skyping with author Don Calame and I can't wait to be meeting him as well as reading more of what he will be writing in the future.

Here's the book trailer for Beat the Band.