There are a couple really good release this month, my favorite of which being the new Robin Hobb book. Sadly, most of these are next books for series still in my TBR pile. Just more good books to read, I guess… can’t complain at that. :)
Tag Archives: young adult books
Top Ten Tuesday! (3/26/2013)
Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature that helps book lovers like myself connect with other bloggers as we list the books we love. This week’s topic:
Top Ten Books I Recommend The Most!
This is a great topic for me, as I spend most of my day recommending books both online and at the bookstore (I usually end up catering my suggestions to each person’s needs, often giving them a book I think they’ll like the most, not necessarily the one that I liked most). The books I’ve chosen for the list are my personal favorites spanning multiple genres and starting points for every conversation beginning with “So, what’s a good book?” to which I reply “Have you read this yet?”
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- Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
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- Partials by Dan Wells
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- Survival by Julie E. Czerneda
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- Graceling by Kristin Cashore
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- Moon Called by Patricia Briggs
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- Magician Apprentice by Raymond E. Feist
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- Joust by Mercedes Lackey
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- Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead
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- The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
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- Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb
#1 Fablehaven: Let’s face it, everybody who was going to read Harry Potter has already done so at this point, so recommending that is redundant. I’ve discovered that not everybody has read the Fablehaven series, however. I always start with this one in the children’s department because it’s my favorite. If the person has read it and liked it, I know we’re going to get along.
#2 Partials: This is a fun one to recommend because it hasn’t had a chance to catch on quite like Divergent or Matched yet. As this was my favorite book published last year, I can always sell it with confidence (but only to people who respond “yes” to “did you like the hunger games?). Read full review
#3 Survival: This author is by far my favorite science fiction writer. Her books are witty and creative, and I always come away feeling like I want to reread them right away. The only reason I picked them up initially is because my favorite artist painted the covers (Luis Royo). I figured any writer who was good enough to convince the publisher to splurge for Royo cover art was worth my time!
#4 Graceling: My favorite teen love story, I just adore this book. It’s a sweet read and not too much for people new to the fantasy genre to handle. If the customer doesn’t like dystopian or paranormal novels (thereby limiting my recommending power in half these days), I hand them this book. Read full review
#5 Moon Called: One of the best urban fantasies out there, Briggs is not quite my favorite, but she’s close. She does happen to be the author that I think a lot of people will like, which is why she passed up Keri Arthur and Kim Harrison in my recommending repertoire. She has great characters, great adventure/paranormal encounters, and an excellent love story without being too gushy.
#6 Magician Apprentice: I’ve mentioned before that when I take someone to the fantasy section, I always ask the question: “have you read Feist?” He’s been my go-to for so many years, but I’m starting to find that most people have already read him. For those who haven’t I find it a hard sell. Not because of story, or anything related to the content. Nope, the reason I have a hard time with this one now is the colossally boring cover. The one featured here is actually the first edition cover, and I dont’ know about you, but it made ME want to pick it up. Covers are a lot more important than people think when selecting a book, so I sincerely hope the next edition is more compelling. Read full review
#7 Joust: One of my favorite dragon books, and one that I throw in with any recommendation spiel to see if it sticks. My all-time favorite dragon book is Dragon Weather by Lawrence Watt-Evans, but I recommend these first because they are my second favorites and more accessible to the average reader. They’re a lot like Eragon but I enjoyed them so much more.
#8 Succubus Blues: I geek out whenever I find a customer open to the more, say, risky side of urban fantasy. These are by no means clean books, so I have to be careful to preface that when talking to customers. They are, however, some of the best books I’ve read, and part of the reason why Mead is my favorite author. The story, the humor, the romance – they have everything I expect out of a good book.
#9 The Name of the Wind: This book is another one I read last year that I’m raving about. It has everything I hope to find in a book adventure, humor, characters development, education (I love it when characters learn things) and a love story. To top it all off, it’s written beautifully. I will be rereading this for years to come! Read full review
#10 Assassin’s Apprentice: Hobb is my go-to author for when I just need a guaranteed good read. I can devour 50 pages in a sitting, then not pick it up again for weeks but can still get right back into the story as if no time elapsed. The’s aren’t the quickest of reads, but they are powerful. The end of Fool’s Fate (which is book 9, chronologically) is partially responsible for inspiring this blog. It was amazing. Read full review
Book Reviews: Animorphs – The Invasion #1 / The Visitor #2
Title: The Invasion
Author: K. A. Applegate
Series: Animorphs #1
Genre: Young Reader
Rating: 5/5 stars
The Overview: Sometimes weird things happen to people. Ask Jake. He may tell you about the night he and his friends saw the strange light in the sky. He may even tell you about what happened when they realized the “light” was only a plane — from another planet. Here’s where Jake’s story gets a little weird. He and his friends are told the human race is under attack, but they’re given the chance to fight back. Now Jake, Rachel, Cassie, Tobias and Marco have the power to morph into any animal they choose. And they must use that power to outsmart an evil that is greater than anything the world has ever seen…
The Review:
I am so passionate about these books, I feel it would be a shame to run a book blog without paying homage to the series that sparked my love of reading. I read the first twenty so many times as a kid that I talked my mom into buying replacement copies because I was afraid I’d wear them out (as eventually I did). Anyway, I’m 27 now and finally ready to read through them all again. Every couple of weeks, you’ll get an update of my progress, and humor me as I reminisce about how each of these books affected me.
As the first book in the series, The Invasion offers adventure, humor, and creativity, making it a perfect read for ages 8 – 12 (and your geeky older students like me). I originally picked it up because I love animals, and the idea of kids being able to turn into them sealed the deal. While shapeshifting plays a critical role in the story, it was only a side benefit to all the great things Animorphs has to offer. I laughed, I cried, I fricken loved these books.
Title: The Visitor
Author: K.A. Applegate
Series: Animorphs #2
Genre: Young Reader
Rating: 5/5 stars
The Overview: Rachel is still reeling from the news that the Earth is secretly under attack by parasitic aliens known as the Yeerks. And that she and her friends — five kids who, purely by chance, stumbled onto a downed spacecraft and were given the power to morph into any animal they touch — are the planet’s only defense. But Rachel’s always been something of a daredevil. So when it’s suggested that they infiltrate the home of their assistant principal, Mr. Chapman, who also happens to be a human host of the Yeerks, she volunteers. But what she finds inside may be more than even she can handle.
The Review:
This happens to be the first Animorphs book I ever read (when you live three hours from the nearest bookstore, you sort of take what you can get). It has all the things that made the first book amazing, but focuses more on character and story development than grand adventure.
Side story: when I was 11 years old, I typed up this entire book while trying to learn how to use a keyboard. Odd as it sounds, it actually worked. I showed up two years later to my 8th grade typing class an expert (as far as one can be) and spent the semester reading, you guessed it, Animorphs. While I felt pretty full of myself back then, my 27 year old self would like to go back and slap that child for that early induction of carpel-tunnel.
Anyway, I it’s safe to say I know this story well, and have probably read through it the most times of any of them (we’re talking 20+). Although Rachel is not my favorite Animorph, the books from her perspective are great (my fav. in the entire series was with her in book #12: The Reaction).
Your Pick for Nik! – April’s Nominations!
To cast your vote, just leave a comment indicating your chosen titles (up to 3) – and may the best book win!
It’s that time again for us to pick our next book!
Voting starts today (March 18, 2013) and you’ll have all the way until Sunday the 24th to choose your favorites (Remember: YOU CAN VOTE FOR MORE THAN 1).
For those of you new to the book club, Your Pick for Nik! is a monthly feature where I turn over control of my reading list to you!
Here’s how it works: I will nominate titles from my TBR list and YOU will choose which one gets featured. It can be one you’ve already read and want to discuss, one you want to read but wish to see my feedback on first, or – and this is my favorite part – you can read it along with me!
Depicted below are my 10 nominees for March. Simply vote for your favorite, and let the best book win! At 10:00 am (MST) on Monday the 25th I will announce the winner. Come the end of April, I will post a thorough review of the chosen title – and hopefully find out what you thought of it as well!
This month, I included a few popular selections from last month as well as two titles that I want to reread.
March’s Nominations:
Title: Dualed
Author: Elsie Chapman
Genre: Teen Fantasy
Overview: The Hunger Games meets Matched in this thrilling high-concept YA where citizens must prove their worth by defeating the other version of themselves—their twin.
Two of you exist. Only one will survive. The city of Kersh is a safe haven, but the price of safety is high. Everyone has a genetic Alternate—a twin raised by another family—and citizens must prove their worth by eliminating their Alts before their twentieth birthday. Survival means advanced schooling, a good job, marriage—life.
Fifteen-year-old West Grayer has trained as a fighter, preparing for the day when her assignment arrives and she will have one month to hunt down and kill her Alt. But then a tragic misstep shakes West’s confidence. Stricken with grief and guilt, she’s no longer certain that she’s the best version of herself, the version worthy of a future. If she is to have any chance of winning, she must stop running not only from her Alt, but also from love . . . though both have the power to destroy her.
Title: You Suck
Author: Christopher Moore
Genre: Fiction
Overview: Being undead sucks. Literally.
Just ask C. Thomas Flood. Waking up after a fantastic night unlike anything he’s ever experienced, he discovers that his girlfriend, Jody, is a vampire. And surprise! Now he’s one, too. For some couples, the whole biting-and-blood thing would have been a deal breaker. But Tommy and Jody are in love, and they vow to work through their issues.
But word has it that the vampire who initially nibbled on Jody wasn’t supposed to be recruiting. Even worse, Tommy’s erstwhile turkey-bowling pals are out to get him, at the urging of a blue-dyed Las Vegas call girl named (duh) Blue.
And that really sucks.
Title: The Dragon’s Path
Author: Daniel Abraham
Series: The Dagger and the Coin #1
Genre: Fantasy
Overview: All paths lead to war…
Marcus’ hero days are behind him. He knows too well that even the smallest war still means somebody’s death. When his men are impressed into a doomed army, staying out of a battle he wants no part of requires some unorthodox steps.
Cithrin is an orphan, ward of a banking house. Her job is to smuggle a nation’s wealth across a war zone, hiding the gold from both sides. She knows the secret life of commerce like a second language, but the strategies of trade will not defend her from swords.
Geder, sole scion of a noble house, has more interest in philosophy than in swordplay. A poor excuse for a soldier, he is a pawn in these games. No one can predict what he will become.
Falling pebbles can start a landslide. A spat between the Free Cities and the Severed Throne is spiraling out of control. A new player rises from the depths of history, fanning the flames that will sweep the entire region onto The Dragon’s Path-the path to war.
Title: Beyonders: A World Without Heroes
Author: Brandon Mull
Series: Beyonders #1
Genre: Young Reader
Overview: Jason Walker has often wished his life could be a bit less predictable—until a routine day at the zoo ends with Jason suddenly transporting from the hippo tank to a place unlike anything he’s ever seen. In the past, the people of Lyrian welcomed visitors from the Beyond, but attitudes have changed since the wizard emperor Maldor rose to power. The brave resistors who opposed the emperor have been bought off or broken, leaving a realm where fear and suspicion prevail.
In his search for a way home, Jason meets Rachel, who was also mysteriously drawn to Lyrian from our world. With the help of a few scattered rebels, Jason and Rachel become entangled in a quest to piece together the word of power that can destroy the emperor and learn that their best hope to find a way home will be to save this world without heroes.
Title: The Darkest Minds
Author: Alexandra Bracken
Series: Darkest Minds #1
Genre: Teen Fantasy
Overview: When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that’s killed most of America’s children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.
Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.
When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she’s on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents.
Title: Geist
Author: Philippa Ballantine
Series: Book of the Order #1
Genre: Fantasy
Overview: Sorcha, powerful protector of the Empire against malevolent hauntings, is called to a small settlement. But more is occurring there than “geist” activity. It’s a conspiracy of evil that reaches back to her own Abbey. Even if she survives, what hell would she be returning to?
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Title: Mila 2.0
Author: Debra Driza
Series: Mila #1
Genre: Teen Fantasy
Overview: Mila was living with her mother in a small Minnesota town when she discovered she was also living a lie.
She was never meant to learn the truth about her identity. She was never supposed to remember the past—that she was built in a computer science lab and programmed to do things real people would never do.
Now she has no choice but to run—from the dangerous operatives who want her terminated because she knows too much, and from a mysterious group that wants to capture her alive and unlock her advanced technology.
Evading her enemies won’t help Mila escape the cruel reality of what she is and cope with everything she has had to leave behind. However, what she’s becoming is beyond anyone’s imagination, including her own, and that just might save her life.
Title: Fragments
Author: Dan Wells
Series: Partials #2
Genre: Teen Fantasy
Overview: Kira Walker has found the cure for RM, but the battle for the survival of humans and Partials is just beginning. Kira has left East Meadow in a desperate search for clues to who she is. That the Partials themselves hold the cure for RM in their blood cannot be a coincidence—it must be part of a larger plan, a plan that involves Kira, a plan that could save both races. Her companions are Afa Demoux, an unhinged drifter and former employee of ParaGen, and Samm and Heron, the Partials who betrayed her and saved her life, the only ones who know her secret. But can she trust them?
Meanwhile, back on Long Island, what’s left of humanity is gearing up for war with the Partials, and Marcus knows his only hope is to delay them until Kira returns. But Kira’s journey will take her deep into the overgrown wasteland of postapocalyptic America, and Kira and Marcus both will discover that their greatest enemy may be one they didn’t even know existed.
The second installment in the pulse-pounding Partials saga is the story of the eleventh hour of humanity’s time on Earth, a journey deep into places unknown to discover the means—and even more important, a reason—for our survival.
Title: Matched
Author: Ally Condie
Series: Matched #1
Genre: Teen Fantasy
Overview: Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander’s face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham’s face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. The Society tells her it’s a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she’s destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can’t stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society’s infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.
Title: The Last Dragonlord
Author: Joanne Bertin
Series: Dragonlords #1
Genre: Fantasy
Overview: Dragonlord Linden Rathan, last-born of a race of immortal weredragons, has spent six hundred years alone, searching for his soultwin while his fellow Dragonlords watch over humanity’s Five Kingdoms. When the Queen of Cassori dies mysteriously, Linden and the other Dragonlords are called upon to prevent civil war as two human claimants vie for the regency.
As the battle for Cassori rule escalates, Linden becomes the target of the Fellowship, a secret society of true-humans who could actually destroy his immortal life. Then he meets a beautiful young ship captain named Maurynna who may be the only one who can help Linden bring Cassori back from the brink of chaos.
Your Pick for Nik! – February’s Nominations!
It’s that time again for us to pick our next book! This month I’m making a few changes to the voting process: instead of my usual two-day window for voting, I decided to leave it open for the entire week. Why, you ask? Well, it finally occurred to me that most of you aren’t glued to your computers 24/7 and might actually need more than a day or two to check out the nominations and make a selection. In any case, the voting starts today (January 21, 2013) and you’ll have all the way until Sunday the 27th to choose your favorite.
For those of you new to this feature, Your Pick for Nik! is a monthly book club where I turn over control of my reading list to you!
Here’s how it works: I will nominate titles from my TBR list and YOU will choose which one gets featured. It can be one you’ve already read and want to discuss, one you want to read but wish to see my feedback on first, or – and this is my favorite part – you can read it along with me!
Depicted below are my 10 nominees* for February. Simply vote for your favorite, and let the best book win! At 10:00 am (MST) on Monday the 28th I will announce the winner. Come the end of February, I will post a thorough review of the chosen title – and hopefully find out what you thought of it as well!
To cast your vote, just leave a comment indicating your chosen title – and may the best book win!
February’s Nominations:
Title: The Drowning City
Author: Amanda Downum
Genre: Fantasy
Overview: Symir — the Drowning City. home to exiles and expatriates, pirates and smugglers. And violent revolutionaries who will stop at nothing to overthrow the corrupt Imperial government. For Isyllt Iskaldur, necromancer and spy, the brewing revolution is a chance to prove herself to her crown. All she has to do is find and finance the revolutionaries, and help topple the palaces of Symir. But she is torn between her new friends and her duties, and the longer she stays in this monsoon-drenched city, the more intrigue she uncovers — even the dead are plotting. As the waters rise and the dams crack, Isyllt must choose between her mission and the city she came to save.
Title: Beyonders: A World Without Heroes
Author: Brandon Mull
Genre: Young Reader
Overview: Jason Walker has often wished his life could be a bit less predictable—until a routine day at the zoo ends with Jason suddenly transporting from the hippo tank to a place unlike anything he’s ever seen. In the past, the people of Lyrian welcomed visitors from the Beyond, but attitudes have changed since the wizard emperor Maldor rose to power. The brave resistors who opposed the emperor have been bought off or broken, leaving a realm where fear and suspicion prevail. In his search for a way home, Jason meets Rachel, who was also mysteriously drawn to Lyrian from our world. With the help of a few scattered rebels, Jason and Rachel become entangled in a quest to piece together the word of power that can destroy the emperor and learn that their best hope to find a way home will be to save this world without heroes.
Title: Dragon Keeper
Author: Robin Hobb
Genre: Fantasy
Overview: Too much time has passed since the powerful dragon Tintaglia helped the people of the Trader cities stave off an invasion of their enemies. The Traders have forgotten their promises, weary of the labor and expense of tending earthbound dragons who were hatched weak and deformed. If neglected, the creatures will rampage—or die—so it is decreed that they must move farther upriver toward Kelsingra, the mythical homeland whose location is locked deep within the dragons’ uncertain ancestral memories. Thymara, an unschooled forest girl, and Alise, wife of an unloving and wealthy Trader, are among the disparate group entrusted with escorting the dragons to their new home. And on an extraordinary odyssey with no promise of return, many lessons will be learned—as dragons and tenders alike experience hardships, betrayals… and joys beyond their wildest imaginings.
Title: Wither
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Genre: Teen Paranormal Romance
Overview: Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion, but they’re still in danger. Outside, they find a world even more disquieting than the one they ran away from. Determined to get to Manhattan and find Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan, the two press forward, amid threats of being captured again…or worse. The road they are on is long and perilous—and in a world where young women only live to age twenty and men die at age twenty-five, time is precious. In this sequel to Lauren DeStefano’s harrowing Wither, Rhine must decide if freedom is worth the price—now that she has more to lose than ever.
Title: Blood Ties
Author: Pamela Freeman
Genre: Fantasy
Overview: A thousand years ago, the Eleven Domains were invaded and the original inhabitants forced on the road as Travelers, belonging nowhere, welcomed by no-one. Now the Domains are governed with an iron fist by the Warlords, but there are wilder elements to the landscape which cannot be controlled and which may prove their undoing. Some are spirits of place, of water and air and fire and earth. Some are greater than these. And some are human. Bramble: a village girl, whom no-one living can tame … forced to flee from her home for a crime she did not commit. Ash: apprentice to a safeguarder, forced to kill for an employer he cannot escape. Saker: an enchanter, who will not rest until the land is returned to his people. As their three stories unfold, along with the stories of those whose lives they touch, it becomes clear that they are bound together in ways that not even a stonecaster could foresee – bound by their past, their future, and their blood.
Title: Spider’s Bite
Author: Jennifer Estep
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Overview: After Gin’s family was murdered by a Fire elemental when she was thirteen, she lived on the streets and eventually became an assassin to survive. Now, Gin is given an assignment by her handler to rub out an Ashland businessman, but it turns out to be a trap. After Gin’s handler is brutally murdered, she teams up with the sexy detective investigating the case to figure out who double-crossed her and why. Only one thing is for sure —Gin has no qualms about killing her way to the top of the conspiracy.
Title: Embrace
Author: Jessica Shirvington
Genre: Teen Fantasy
Overview: It starts with a whisper: “It’s time for you to know who you are…” On her 17th birthday, everything will change for Violet Eden. The boy she loves will betray her. Her enemy will save her. She will have to decide just how much she’s willing to sacrifice. Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, EMBRACE is a compelling novel of good and evil, seductive desires and impossible choices. A centuries old war between fallen angels and the protectors of humanity chooses a new fighter. It’s a battle Violet doesn’t want, but she lives her life by two rules: don’t run and don’t quit. If angels seek vengeance and humans are the warriors, you could do a lot worse than betting on Violet Eden.
Title: The Demon Awakens
Author: R.A. Salvatore
Genre: Fantasy
Overview: A great evil has awakened in the land of Corona, a terrible demon determined to spread death and misery. His goblin armies and fearsome giants ravage the settlements of the frontier, and in the small village of Dundallis their merciless attack leaves behind two shattered orphans: Pony and her lifelong friend, the youth Elbryan. Taken in by elves, Elbryan is raised to become a formidable ranger–a fateful role that will lead him into harrowing confrontation. Meanwhile, on a far-off island, a shower of gemstones will fall onto the black sand shores. These heaven-sent stones carry within them an incredible power–the key to all that is good in the world and all that is evil, and it is up to one young monk to liberate them from the corrupt monastery that harvests them. Pray that they don’t fall into the wrong, clawed hands . . . As the demon dactyl awakens and unleashes a plague of violence as gruesome as it is far-reaching, orphaned friends Pony and Elbryan are compelled by fate to take up a struggle against a sinister force that will tip the balance of good and evil one way or the other….
Title: The Last Dragonlord
Author: Joanne Bertin
Genre: Fantasy
Overview: Dragonlord Linden Rathan, last-born of a race of immortal weredragons, has spent six hundred years alone, searching for his soultwin while his fellow Dragonlords watch over humanity’s Five Kingdoms. When the Queen of Cassori dies mysteriously, Linden and the other Dragonlords are called upon to prevent civil war as two human claimants vie for the regency. As the battle for Cassori rule escalates, Linden becomes the target of the Fellowship, a secret society of true-humans who could actually destroy his immortal life. Then he meets a beautiful young ship captain named Maurynna who may be the only one who can help Linden bring Cassori back from the brink of chaos.
Title: Sabriel
Author: Garth Nix
Genre: Teen Fantasy
Overview: Sabriel, daughter of the necromancer Abhorsen, must journey into the mysterious and magical Old Kingdom to rescue her father from the Land of the Dead.
*Overviews taken from bn.com
Coming Soon – Beyonders: Chasing the Prophecy
Title: Chasing the Prophecy
Author: Brandon Mull
Series: Beyonders #3
Genre: Young Reader
Release Date: March 12, 2013
I’d have to say that Brandon Mull is officially my favorite YA author. Fablehaven captured my imagination like no book as done since Harry Potter, and his other works are just as entertaining. As the third book in his Beyonders series, it’s guaranteed to be a good read!
Working in the book business has some perks. I had the privilege to meet Brandon Mull several months ago. He told me Chasing the Prophecy is his favorite book that he’s ever written. He was so excited for its release and I couldn’t help but pick up on his enthusiasm!
Here’s some information about some of this author’s other works:
Title: Fablehaven
Series: Fablehaven #1
Overview: Danger lurks everywhere at Fablehaven, where someone has released a plague that transforms beings of light into creatures of darkness. In dire need of help, the Sorensons question where to turn, now that long trusted allies have been revealed as potential foes. Kendra embarks on a special mission that only she can attempt because of her new abilities as fairykind, while Seth stays behind and discovers an incredible new talent of his own. The siblings are put to the test as the threat grows both abroad and home at the Fablehaven preserve, and Brandon Mull spins his richest and most thrilling fantasy tale yet in this third title of the popular fantasy series
Title: The Candy Shop War
Series: Candy Shop War #1
Overview: Welcome to the Sweet Tooth Ice Cream and Candy Shoppe, where the confections are bit on the . . . unusual side. Rock candy that makes you weightless. Jawbreakers that make you unbreakable. Chocolate balls that make you a master of disguise. Four young friends—Nate, Summer, Trevor, and Pigeon—meet the grandmotherly Mrs. White, owner of the Sweet Tooth, and soon learn about the magical side effects of her candies. Then the ice cream truck driver, Mr. Stott, arrives with a few enchanted sweets of his own. The danger unfolds as the four youngsters discover that the magical strangers have all come to town in search of a legendary treasure—one that could be used for great evil if it fell into the wrong hands. The kids, now in over their heads, must try to retrieve the treasure first. And so, the war begins . . . Read full review
*Overviews taken from bn.com
The Obsessive Bookseller 