Everything I Can Remember Acquiring Over the Last Month Plus

(hosted by Marg of Adventures of an Intrepid Reader and Claire of The Captive Reader)

Note to self: don't go this long without some kind of library loot/acquisitions post.  Seriously.  

This will probably leave out some of the books that I got in the mail over the last month or so, but it's the best I can do:

Library:
The Magnificent Twelve: The Call by Michael Grant*
The Shadows by Jacqueline West*
Dragonbreath by Ursula Vernon
Dragonbreath: Attack of the Ninja Frogs by Ursula Vernon*
Fever Crumb by Philip Reeve*
Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes*
Reckless by Cornelia Funke*
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (book club!)
A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz
Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi 
*=for Cybils!

For review:
Across the Universe by Beth Revis
Death Cloud by Andrew Lane
Drought by Pam Bachorz
Wither by Lauren DeStefano
The False Princess by Eilis O'Neal
No Passengers Beyond This Point by Gennifer Choldenko
The Enchanted Quest by Frewin Jones
The Charmed Return by Frewin Jones

For kicks and giggles (ie purchased):
The Sea of Trolls by Nancy Farmer
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi
Brisingr by Christopher Paolini
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
I also won the Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Behind Little Women DVD from Amused by Books

What did you get?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication date: January 2011
ISBN: 9780061996160
Source: e-copy of ARC from NetGalley

Clara is an angel-blood - one quarter angel - which definitely sets her apart from other teenagers.  When her family moves from sunny California to freezing Wyoming in order for her to fulfill her purpose, she fits in even less.  Having to dye your hair a wretched color to keep people from noticing your glow definitely puts a damper on your social life.  But, she does manage to meet the gorgeous Christian, who is intimately bound up in her purpose.  But, when the time comes to fulfill her purpose, will she make the right choice or follow her heart?

Things I Liked:
I actually came into this one with low expectations, having just finished and not been pleased with Halo.  However, I was pleasantly surprised.  There was no instantaneous and eternal love.  I thought there would be at first, but I really liked how the romance developed - it was slower, sweeter, and definitely more believable.  It was also not what I expected it to be.  Not only was that a relief, but the other relationships Clara develops are interesting and make it so the whole book is not about teenage romance.  It almost felt at times more like magical realism than true fantasy.  I especially love how Clara is smart and realistic and so human despite her angel-blood.  Definitely looking forward to more from this author.

Things I Didn't Like:
I have to admit, the ending was a bit of a let-down.  There was a lot of build-up (and even the beginning was a bit slow), but I felt like Hand was ensuring people would read the next book so we could figure things out.  I thought we should have been given a little more information at least.  There was so much vagueness and mystery that I almost felt frustrated.  But, I suppose that evil plan worked and I will definitely be reading the next one.

Read-alikes:
Halo by Alexandra Adornetto
Hush, Hush and Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick
Fallen by Lauren Kate

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
a few here and there

mrg-factor: none
but some excellent kissing parts :)

v-factor: ->
a very little

Overall rating: ****

Is there too much paranormal romance out there or should there be more published, if it's good (this is a newer book and pretty good)?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

For the Medal

I was surprised by pretty much everything that won a Youth Media Award.  And ashamed at how few I'd read.  But, here are some of the winners (holy cow are there a LOT of ALA Awards) and my own regrettable record of what I've read (*read, **on my TBR pile).  For the full list of awards and winners, check this out.  

John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature
 
Moon over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool 
Honors:
Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm
Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus
Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night by Joyce Sidman
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia*

Um, I read one honor book...definitely this award surprised me - I hadn't heard of most of them, including the winner!  I've put myself on the hold list for Moon over Manifest and Turtle in Paradise already.

Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults
 
Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi** 
Honors:
Stolen by Lucy Christopher
Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King
Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick
Nothing by Janne Teller 

Hey, at least I had the winner already checked out of the library, right?  Some of these I had decided not to read, because they didn't interest me at all.  But, I have put Nothing on hold (oh the possibilities for puns).

Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award recognizing an African American author of outstanding books for children and young adults
 
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia*
Honors:
Lockdown by Walter Dean Myers*
Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes* (for Cybils)
Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty by G. Neri 

This is the best one for me - I've read the winner and two honor books.  I'll have to work on getting that last one so I can have at least one award category all read...

Alex Awards for the 10 best adult books that appeal to teen audiences
The Reapers Are the Angels: A Novel by Alden Bell
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake: A Novel by Aimee Bender
The House of Tomorrow by Peter Bognanni
Room: A Novel by Emma Donoghue
The Vanishing of Katharina Linden: A Novel by Helen Grant
The Radleys: A Novel by Matt Haig
The Lock Artist: A Novel by Steve Hamilton
Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok
Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey from Homeless to Harvard by Liz Murray
The Boy Who Couldn’t Sleep and Never Had To by DC Pierson

Best I can say?  I've heard of a few.  It is very apparent to me I don't read many adult books.  Especially newer titles.  I'm kind of thinking about finding these... [Oh, and why do so many of them feel to need to add "A Novel" to the title - do they think we'll assume their non-fiction otherwise?]

Margaret A. Edwards Award honors an author, as well as a specific body of his or her work, for significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature.
Sir Terry Pratchett won this one, and is well-deserving I think.  I'm a fairly new Pratchett reader, and haven't read too many.  

What I've read: 
The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents (pre-blogging days)
The Wee Free Men (pre-blogging days)
Nation
What I Haven't Read (or some of them anyway):
A Hat Full of Sky
I Shall Wear Midnight**
The Color of Magic
Guards! Guards!
Equal Rites
Going Postal
Small Gods
Mort

William C. Morris Award for a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens
 
The Freak Observer by Blythe Woolston
Honors:
Hush by Eishes Chayil
Guardian of the Dead by Karen Healey
Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride
Crossing the Tracks by Barbara Stuber 

Another giant fail.  I've heard of one or two, and I really thought I'd read a lot of debuts last year!  Guess not.

[addendum: lots and lots more books on the YALSA 2011 Best Fiction for Young Adults list - something for everyone!]

And so, I've learned - I don't read many winners before hand, but I can sure get to them now!

How was your reading of the winners this year?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage