The Queen's Library (28)

RISE by Anna Carey (hardcover, unsolicited)
BLOODLINES by Richelle Mead (Kindle, gifted)
WOOL by Hugh Howey (paperback, birthday gift)
HOPELESS by Colleen Hoover (Kindle, purchased)
TORCHED by Andrea Lynn Colt (Kindle, purchased)
REQUIEM by Lauren Oliver (hardcover, birthday gift)
ELLA ENCHANTED by Gail Carson Levine (Kindle, gifted)

UNBREAK MY HEART by Melissa Walker (Kindle, purchased)

Thanks to my family for the gifts and HarperTeen for the surprise review copy of RISE! I'm definitely curious to see how that trilogy ends.

The feature is inspired by Pop Culture Junkie's This Week In Books and The Story Siren's In My Mailbox. The Queen's Library is a way for me to feature books that I add to my bookshelves and a place to post my weekly recommendations. This is not a new meme, but merely an adjusted feature that is better suited to my blog and needs.

Let's Talk: Underrated Books

Let's Talk is a discussion feature at I Swim For Oceans

What ONE underrated book do you want to share with the blogosphere - new or old? 

There are quite a few, but I think I'll pick:

Molly Fyde and the Parsona Rescue by Hugh Howey.

Growing up an orphan in the Milky Way hasn't been easy, especially as a teenage girl in the Naval Academy. Unfortunately for Molly Fyde, things are about to get worse. Just as she's finding her place amongst the boys, her unfair expulsion from the Academy takes away the only two things that truly matter: flying in space and her training partner, Cole. Sent off to a normal school, she feels destined for a dull, unspectacular future.

Then, a marvelous discovery changes everything: Her father's old starship, missing for a decade, turns up halfway across the galaxy. Its retrieval launches Molly and Cole on the adventure of a lifetime, one that will have lasting consequences for themselves and billions of others. What starts off as a simple quest to reconnect with her past, ends up forging a new future. And the forgotten family she hoped to uncover is replaced by a new one she never foresaw: a band of alien misfits and runaways... The crew of the starship Parsona.

I'll admit it - I initially judged this book by its cover. But, fortunately, the story inside truly surprised me in a good way. It's the first book in a quartet, and a truly great sci-fi adventure that has a wonderful protagonist and cast of equally memorable characters. Once you get a few chapters in, Howey's writing becomes addictive and difficult to set aside. The different worlds presented are easily visualized because of detailed descriptions. Action, adventure, twists (this series has great shocking twists), and even a little romance - this book deserves some more readers. I would definitely recommend this book for any sci-fi / adventure / mystery fan. 

Go to I Swim for Oceans to join in with your own choice!

"Let's Talk" image from I Swim For OceansCover + Summary from Goodreads

Top Ten Tuesday (8)

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Top Ten Books I'd Save if My House Was About to be Abducted by (Mean) Aliens (Who Want My House/Bookshelf)

1.  The Harry Potter series by JK Rowling - I can count this as one book, right? Right??? And if not, then I'll begrudgingly choose book 4. 
2.  Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver - Love, love, love this book. Plus, it's autographed by Lauren and personalized to me. So, naturally, I wouldn't leave this baby behind. 
3.  Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor - Why? Because it's freaking awesome. That's why.
4.  Molly Fyde and the Parsona Rescue by Hugh Howey - Action, adventure, aliens, and it's autographed. How could I not save it?

5.  The Host by Stephenie Meyer - I may mock Twilight, but The Host is actually a pretty good and fascinating story. I'm hoping SM will write another Host book!
6.  A Million Suns by Beth Revis - Autographed and personalized, plus it's amazing. And it's set on a SPACESHIP, which is beyond cool. 
7.  The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen - It's a comfort read, and I could also never leave Wes behind to be abducted by aliens. He's just too swoonworthy. *swoons*
8.  The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater - Too awesome of a book to let it be abducted by aliens. 

9.  The Mediator series by Meg Cabot - Tough heroine + hot Spanish guy + ghosts. It's a winning combination. I adore these books!
10.  My Kindle - Yes, that's probably cheating, but whatever. At least it's small and easy to transport! 
So, what books would you save?

Best of 2010

My 10 Best Books of 2010 (in no particular order):

1. Matched by Ally Condie
2. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver 
3. Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
4. Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready
5. Siren by Tricia Rayburn
6. Split by Swati Avasthi
7. When I Was Joe by Keren David
8. Stork by Wendy Delsol
9. Past Midnight by Mara Purnhagen*
10. Molly Fyde and the Blood of Billions by Hugh Howey*

Realistic Main Character

Brie from Losing Faith* (by Denise Jaden)

Funniest Main Character

Katla from Stork (by Wendy Delsol)

Best Male Main Character

Jace from Split (by Swati Avasthi)

Ty from When I Was Joe (by Keren David)

Best Overall Main Character

Sam from Before I Fall (by Lauren Oliver)

Best BFF

St. Clair from Anna and the French Kiss* (By Stephanie Perkins)

Best Villain 

(I'm going to keep the villain names unknown, or else I'll ruin the books for people who haven't read them!)

Siren by Tricia Rayburn

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Best Mean Girl

Lindsay and Sam from Before I Fall (by Lauren Oliver)

Best Mystery

All Unquiet Things by Anna Jarzab

Best Suspense

The Evil Within by Nancy Holder

Best Fantasy

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Best Sci-fi

Molly Fyde and the Blood of Billions by Hugh Howey*

Best Dystopian

Matched by Ally Condie

Best Contemporary

Exit Strategy by Ryan Potter

Split by Swati Avasthi

Best Romance

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins*

Best Historical

Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen

Best Sequel

The Golden Spiral by Lisa Mangum*

Best Writing

Matched by Ally Condie

Best Memoir

Rae by Chelsea Rae Swiggett

Best Modern Retelling

Jane by April Lindner*

Best Overall Series and Best Ending to a Series

The Vampire Academy novels by Richelle Mead

Last Sacrifice (#6)

Most Unique

Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves

Best Cover

Matched by Ally Condie

Most Amusing

Stork by Wendy Delsol

The Must-Read Book of 2010

The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney*

What was one of the best books you read in 2010?

*Reviews have vanished from my Drafts, so I'll be re-reviewing them. 

In My Mailbox 42

IMM is hosted by The Story Siren, inspired by Pop Culture Junkie

(Books from last few weeks)

For Review:

Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen

The Lost Saint by Bree Despain (!!!)

Drought by Pam Bachorz (!!!)

The False Princess by Eilis O'Neal (!!!)

Bought with Buzz Bucks:

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

From "A" (aka, the fabulous people at ABC Family):

Digital Picture Frame

Bookish Christmas Presents:

Kindle 3G + Wifi

Black Lighted Leather Cover

Kindle ebooks:

Zombies vs. Unicorns

Jane by April Lindner

The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

Enchanted Ivy by Sarah Beth Durst

Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves (my review)

The Book of Spells by Kate Brian

Vanished by Kate Brian

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers

Need by Carrie Jones

Pretty Little Liars #6: Killer by Sara Shepard

Pretty Little Liars #7: Heartless by Sara Shepard

Pretty Little Liars #8: Wanted by Sara Shepard

Molly Fyde and the Fight for Peace (book 4) by Hugh Howey

Printed Book:

City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

I was a bit nervous about the whole Kindle thing, because I'm a hard-core real printed book kind of person, but I do have to admit that it's nice and lightweight (plus, it holds a lot of books).

Thanks to The Teen Book Scene, Harper Collins, Random Buzzers/Random House, ABC Family,  Jennifer from Goodman Media, and everyone in my family. 

What did you get this week?


Happy Holidays!!! =)

Half Way Home by Hugh Howey Review

Book: Half Way Home

Author: Hugh Howey

Release date: May 1st, 2010

Source: Author

My Summary: 

When Porter awakens to flames, he knows something has gone horribly wrong. Out of the original five hundred colonists that were being raised in vats, less than sixty made it out, if even that many. To make it even worse, the colonists only have half their training, and at fifteen years of age, they are not ready to start a life on this new planet. Yet, the Colony, a robotic being behind all the plans for the colonists, gives them hope that they can make a life here.

At least, until the Colony's choices start to make even the most hopeful fill with despair. Colonists start running, escaping the madness that lies within the walls that are meant to protect them. Porter, along with his two friends Tarsi and Kelvin, need to decide if staying is worth it...and just what secrets is the Colony keeping about their new home planet?

Review: Half Way Home is a unique story that is sure to surprise readers.

Porter, our narrator, is smart, and a bit confused about things. His profession (though his training is only half finished) is a psychologist. It's his job to help everyone else, but he definitely could use a helping hand sometimes as well. Tarsi and Kelvin were interesting side characters, especially with the very complex love triangle they created. 

The plot is easy to follow, keeps you curious, and it's a quick but thoughtful novel to read. Howey creates a world with intriguing creatures and environments that come alive, and it's difficult to stop reading without curiosity getting the better of you. The tension builds with every page, and the final chapters do not disappoint.  

Highlights: I loved the inclusion of Porter's character struggling with his sexuality, because that's something I wasn't expecting to see in the novel. Porter's journey in his discovery of who he is became a definite highlight. Howey doesn't fail to surprise as well, with an ending that is every bit as smart and shocking that I've come to expect from him. 

Lowlights: Porter's narrative got a bit tedious to read at some points. Because he is, essentially, a half-trained psychologist in a fifteen-year-old body, his voice can be a bit confusing in that his personality almost seemed half-trained. The characters weren't quite as memorable as I would have liked. At times, I just felt like something was missing from the story; a "wow" factor that Howey's other novels have.

I enjoyed Half Way Home, although not as much as Howey's Bern Saga novels, but I liked it and it's uniqueness. 

Rating:   

Other books by this author:

Molly Fyde and the Parsona Rescue (review) (Kindle version priced at $2.99!!)

Molly Fyde and the Land of Light (review)

Molly Fyde and the Blood of Billions (review to come)