Wyrd Girl by Jon Jacks

Twice can see the dead and she helps them on occasion, so when she joins an agency that acts as liaisons to the dead things get weird, even for her.

This is one of those books I had to put down. The writing was choppy and hard to follow. The premise was good but not followed through. I got so irritated with this book I had to put it down and I doubt I'll ever pick it up again.

The Light Keepers by Mande Mathews

This is an extremely short but we'll written prequel which does it's job very effectively which is to get you interested and curious about the coming series.

A mute girl who is somehow supposed to save the world with her song?  Now this is a series that has promise.

Ender's Shadow by Orson Scott Card

This book has been recommended by both my boyfriend and most of my male friends have suggested I read since I finished Ender's Game. Ender's Shadow is a parallel novel to Enders Game not a sequel. Meaning although it's in the same universe and has some of the same characters it does follow Ender's game it happens at the same time, and instead of following Ender it follows Bean. 

Bean grew up very differently then Ender, he grew up on the streets where starvation was a daily fear. He was unusually small and bright for his age, before being admitted to battle school he changes the way the streets are run, bullies taking care of the little kids where before they would pick on them. He also changes things up in the battle school where he refuses to play the fantasy(mind) game that all of the other kids love, and analyzing the teachers as much as they attempt to analyze him.

I personally enjoyed Ender's Shadow more because I like the character Bean more, his mind set is very different yet very similar to my own. How he processes information, how deliberate all of his actions are. It also shows all of the cracks in Ender's armor how very close he was to breaking and why some of the things that happened in Ender's Game did. 

For everyone who enjoyed Ender's Game this is a great story for those of you who haven't it's still great and as they are parallels you don't need to read one to understand the other.

Christmas stories!

Every year once we take out the decorations, put up all of mom's Santas, and decorate the tree. We also bring out all of the Christmas books. Stories that we've had as long as I can remember and some that we've gotten more recently.
Some of my favorites that I remember are Snowbeary's search for Santa Claus, and The Polar Express. I loved reading them with my parents and now I love reading them to Austin, when he stops squirming long enough to read to. And someday I'll read them to my children.
What are some of your favorite Christmas stories? Are they childrens books or new adult favorites?

Update!

Hey guys I'm sorry I've been to lazy, I mean busy to update. With Victorian Stroll, decorating of gingerbread, shopping  and various other Christmas related things I've been so distracted from writing but I promise I'll do a real update later today. Until then enjoy these pictures.


Gingerbread decorating committee of Austin (my nephew) boyfriend James and myself

Austin and I chilling in Santa's sleigh

Melody by V.C. Andrews

A young girl has lived her entire life in a small coal mining town with her parents. Having never met her dads family she's in for a rude awakening when her fathers dies in a mining accident. Her mother decides she is going to become an actress and dumps Melody with her fathers family in Cape Cod, where lies and secrets about her family willl be exposed.

This book follows true V.C. Andrews style covering topics that are normally considered taboo. Such as rape, incest, and zelots. She is an incredibly talented writer that can cover these kinds of topics extremely well and have them add value to the story.

This isn't a story for the faint of heart, but it is an extremely good story for those who can handle it.

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Braken

In a time where children are dying from a mysterious illness the adults aren't afraid of their child dying. No they're afraid of the ones who are left.

Ruby was ten when she was taken from her parents an placed in a camp. There she realized that the kids who survived had powers some more dangerous than others. Hers are dangerous but she kept it hidden for six years now it's out.

I got this book for my kindle because I found the sequel while I was out Christmas shopping and it looked so good. The first was just as good as I'm hoping the second will be.

It's set in a dystopian univers where the new generation are born with psychic abilities ( x-men but less diverse) that's if they don't die before they turn ten. The adults frearing what they can't understand they send the children to camps where they can be contained or possibly "cured".

This a book anyone who liked the Hunger Games or Divergence will love.