The 2011 Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge requires reading books from a list of 400+ recommended by book bloggers - which I find to be the best sources. I chose to read 10 books (Level 2).
The 2011 Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge {Finished}
The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins. The entire series is amazing, well written, intriguing & suspenseful - The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.
Paranormalcy, Kiersten White. Loved this book - it was light reading, just what I was looking for. The characters were well developed, although I felt the explanation of "what" the main character is, was a bit lacking - Evie's always thought of herself as normal. Sure, her best friend is a mermaid, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she's falling for a shape-shifter, and she's the only person who can see through paranormals' glamours, but still. Normal.
City of Bones, Cassandra Clare. So good! The plot, twists & characters are deftly developed, intriguing and the book is simply too good to put down for too long. Books 2 & 3 are also just as good - When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder - much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air.
Clockwork Angel, Cassandra Clare. After reading City of Bones, City of Ashes & City of Glass - this felt like more of the same, even though it's supposed to be a different series - When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets.
Bitten, Kelley Armstrong. This wasn't over the top on werewolf action, but the author took the time to really develop the personalities of the characters and drew me into the story with them. Looking forward to reading another book in the series - Elena Michaels seems like the typically strong and sexy modern woman, She lives with her architect boyfriend, writes for a popular newspaper, and works out at the gym. She's also a werewolf.
Vampire Academy, Richelle Mead. It was hard to put down this book for any reason - not to cook, eat or shower (but I had to) - St. Vladimir's Academy isn't just any boarding school--it's a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them.
Shiver and Linger, Maggie Stiefvater (books 1 & 2 in The Wolves of Mercy Falls series). A cute love story. Never-mind that it's between werewolf & human, they make it work - Grace and Sam share a kinship so close they could be lovers or siblings. But they also share a problem. When the temperature slips towards freezing, Sam reverts to his wolf identity and must retreat into the woods to protect his pack.
Graceling, Kristin Cashore. The book delivered an exciting read, just as good as the synopsis promised - Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight - she's a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king's thug.
Poison Study, Maria V. Snyder. Lovely, well written and interesting from beginning to end - About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She'll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace, and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia, as she becomes his food taster.
