New Author Challenge Wrap Up 2010

My goal for the New Author Challenge was to read 25 new authors for 2010.  I am happy to say that I completed that goal with a few extras.  I read 33 new authors in 2010.  Please note that these are new authors to me, not necessarily new authors to the industry.   The links are attached to the reviews here on my blog.

1. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
2.  Lauren Kate
3. Jeffrey Stepakoff
4. Suzanne Collins
5. Aprilynne Pike
6. Kieran Scott
7. Rick Riordan
8. Christina Skye
9. Kathi Appelt
10. Kathryn Stockett
11. Beth Ciotta
12. Jane Yolen
13. Sarah Dessen
14. Markus Zusak
15. Anna Quindlen
16. Robin Benway
17. Shannon Hale
18. Rebecca Maizel
19. Barbara Freethy
20. David Nicholls
21. Cathie Beck
22. Dona Van Liere
23. Maureen Johnson
24. Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez
25. Lucy Dawson
26. Carrie Ryan
27. Linda Urban
28. Margaret Peterson Haddix
29. Lauren Oliver
30. James Manos Jr. 
31 Eva Ibbotson
32. James Cronin
33. Joanne Fluke

The Passage by Justin Cronin

Have you ever picked up a book, started reading, enjoyed it, but still didn't know if you could finish it?  The Passage, by Justin Cronin, was like that for me.  So, if you are considering reading this really great book, just plug through.  You'll be glad you did.

The focus of the story is Amy, a young child who is just a little different and very brilliant.  When her desperate mother leaves her at an orphanage, the government swoops in.  The government is creating super weapons - vampire like creatures - to combat terrorism.  Of course, nothing quite works out the way they planned and after a mass escape, the creatures invade and infect at least the United States.  It's never clear how far it spreads. 

The next part of the book is about a pocket of survivors who are living on borrowed time and old batteries, with a system of walls and bright lights to protect them from the "virals".  When Amy arrives at their village, they discover a secret and a few set out to bring Amy back to where it all started.

Mr. Cronin crafted a very well detailed story with many surprises.  It is long and epic, spanning many, many years, but it's gripping and disturbing.  While it may be a vampire story, these are not your typical vampires.  They are not charming, that's for sure.  They are scary and not terribly human at all.  If I have any minor complaint it's the transitions between "sections" of the book.  I felt like so much was left hanging and all of a sudden I was one hundred years in the future trying to get to know a new group of characters.  Once I figured things out, the story began to flow again.  That's minor and it might not bother other people - I have a very linear mind, time-lines are very important to me in the books I read.  I do highly recommend this novel.  Just set aside a good chunk of time.

Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson

I picked up Journey to the River Sea, by Eva Ibbotson, strictly because I needed a book written by an "I" author.  Fortunately I chose wisely and thanks to the A to Z Challenge, I found a wonderful book that I probably would never have looked at otherwise.

Maia is an orphan who is leaving the security of her boarding school in England to travel to the Amazon to live with distant relatives.  She has images of her twin cousins becoming fast friends, and having adventures in the jungle.  Once she arrives, she realizes that nothing is as it seems.  Her aunt is paranoid, her uncle unaware, and her cousins are downright creepy.  It is Miss Minton, Maia's nanny and teacher, who protects Maia from her awful family.

Maia does find her adventure in the jungle, and with a great cast of characters, we the readers go along for the ride.  Journey to the River Sea is one of those special books that is going to stay with me.  I plan to share this book with many people and I really highly recommend it.  If any of you are teachers, it's an excellent book to read aloud, with all the twists and turns.

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

I had no concept of what to expect with Before I Fall, by Lauren Oliver.  I bought it for my Kindle and by the time I read it, I had completely forgotten the summary and didn't bother to look it up online again!  All that to say that I was surprised by what I was reading.  The basic concept -and I don't think I'm giving anything away here - is that a teenager, Sam,  must re-live one day of her life, over and over and over again until she figures things out. 

I don't want to re-cap the story but I do want to hit some key points.  Sam is popular at school and can be a bit of a mean girl.  That struck me a bit because I can't relate.   Fortunately, Sam is a good person at heart and gets better as the story progresses.  The novel deals with drunk driving, bullying, and many other real teen issues.  I loved that it was real in that sense.  Sam had plans to lose her virginity to her boyfriend and as she relives that day over and over again, she realizes that he's probably not the one for her. She also tries to help the girl who is constantly picked on and finds that while her parents might not be cool, they are still fun to be with.

I really loved the story and the concept.  It was gripping and while it could have been boring to relive a day with the main character so many times, there were enough differences that I wanted to see what would happen next.  While I didn't love the ending - I was hoping for something different - I see where it was supposed to go and it all fits.  This book is appropriate for older teens because of the subject matter - and of course all you adults who love young adult books.  Enjoy!

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

With little knowledge of the book but based on good recommendations, I decided to give The Forest of Hands and Teeth, by Carrie Ryan, a try.  Wow.  I am really glad I did.  Although I don't have a love for all thing Zombies, like some of my friends, I definitely loved this book.  I loved it so much I bought the sequel when I was only fifty pages in.

The story is about Mary, a young woman who is looking forward to her future.  She lives in a small village that happens to be surrounded by fences.  The fences are to protect the villagers from the "unconsecrated", we know them better as zombies.  When Mary loses her mother to the unconsecrated, she is forced to live with the Sisters, who run the town.  She begins to learn more about the unconsecrated and some of the town's secrets.  When the village is breached, she and some of her friends are forced into the forest on a series of protected paths.

Mary's goal is to get to the ocean.  She'd heard stories of it's existence but she had been so secluded in her village that she isn't sure it is still there.  The book moves quickly, with a great deal of action and adventure.  It's heartbreaking and terrifying.  I was so wrapped up in the story that I found myself dreaming about it!  That's the first time in a long time I can say that.  For fans of The Hunger Games, you'll see a similar quest for survival.  I highly recommend this book and can't say enough good things about it.

What My Best Friend Did by Lucy Dawson

What My Best Friend Did, by Lucy Dawson, is a story of a young woman dealing with a friend who is suffering from a mental illness.  It's fairly depressing as a whole and I had a hard time relating to it.  That's probably a good thing.

Alice is a young woman, living with her longtime boyfriend when she meets Gretchen.  She and Gretchen become fast friends and Alice finds herself pulling away from Tom, her boyfriend.  When she begins a flirtation with Bailey, Gretchen's brother, things start to fall apart.

Alice soon learns that Gretchen is suffering from bi-polar disorder and is not always rational, especially when off her medication.  Alice feels guilty and responsible for helping to care for Gretchen even though she is dealing with her own problems.

I didn't really care for any of the characters in this story, except for Tom.  Alice was whiny, Gretchen was manic, and Bailey was selfish.  Tom was the only one who seemed to be relate-able.  Maybe it's because I have not had personal experience with mental illness, but I found the story to be boring and annoying.  I wish I enjoyed it more.  The big reveal at the end was even a let down.  This is one of those books that I will forget quickly.

The Three Kings by Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez

 

The Three Kings by Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez was really an interesting read.  By the description I thought it was going to be a light and fluffy romance novel but it was actually pretty light on the romance.  My overall thoughts on the book were quite positive but I have a few minor issues which I’ll get to in a moment.  

Christy is a very successful interior designer.  She makes a lot of money and has been able to “escape” the barrio and live a very different life than her Mexican American family.  I grew up -and still live- in an area with a huge Mexican population.  I recognized many of the stereotypes laughed about in the book because I do see them on a daily basis.  Christy makes sure that nobody thinks she is Mexican.  She is Mexican American.  I never thought about the difference before.  

Christy is recently divorced so of course her family wants her to get married again.  Her wonderful cousin, Maggie, invites three men to one of her family dinners.  The three Reyes cousins, Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar all agree to take Christy on a series of dates at the end of which she’ll decide which she wants to continue to see.  They all open her eyes to who she has become and where she came from.  She learns important lessons from all three men and ultimately is a better person by the end.  

I learned some of the lessons along with Christy and I love that part of the book.  I love her realizations about her family and her background.  My only complaint is that I felt some parts were missing.  Somehow I missed her third date with Melchior which I assume didn’t happen but there was no mention of her cancelling.  I felt that parts of the story was disjointed.  Overall, I do recommend the story.  It’s really quite sweet.

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

13 Little Blue Envelopes, by Maureen Johnson, is a story about discovering the world, and oneself.  When Ginny’s aunt passes away, she is surprised to receive an envelope with instructions for a trip to Europe.  She can only bring a backpack, no guides, no language books, no electronics - including cell phones, and no extra money.  

For someone like me, that sounds completely terrifying.  Ginny embraced it as well as she could considering she was seventeen years old.  That was the biggest hurdle for me to get over.  She was only seventeen and her parents let her go to Europe completely on her own with now way to contact her?  My parents never would have considered that.  

Ultimately, the tasks that Ginny must complete - all told in a set of thirteen blue envelopes, allow her to grow as a person, discover who her aunt really was, and learn about the world.  She faces challenges that would defeat a normal person but she did what she had to do and was better for it.  She survived.  

I highly recommend this to anyone who likes to travel -regardless of age.  It’s an adventure for Ginny and the reader as we wait to find out what her aunt has in store for her next. 

The Angels of Morgan Hill by Donna Van Liere

The Angels of Morgan Hill, by Donna Van Liere is an extremely sweet book that kept me turning the pages.  The narrator shifts between a few characters but the principle narrator is Jane, a nine-year-old girl who has just lost her father.   The story is set in the late 1940’s in a small town in Tennessee.  The times are hard, the jobs are scarce, and life isn’t easy for the Gable family.  

After Jane and John’s father dies, their mother, Fran, struggles to raise her kids while dealing with the news that there is another baby on the way.  When a black family moves to town, the Gable family’s life is turned upside down.  Fran forms a friendship with Addy, despite what people think.  

I don’t want to give anything away but when the worst happens, the people of Morgan Hill come together to make things right.  They are the Angels of Morgan Hill.  The core group of characters are so wonderful to each other that it makes me long for a tight knit community like that.

While the ending was a little too neat and tidy, the story moved along at such a rapid pace, with so much happening in the span of a year, it was a relief to have a tidy ending!  I didn’t know what to expect from Donna Van Liere but I can say that this is a beautiful story with some good lessons.  It isn’t perfect but it’s worth a read. 

Cheap Cabernet: A Friendship by Cathie Beck

I'll be honest with you. . . I wasn't in the mood to read a memoir and I really didn't want to read a sappy story of friendship.  I was dealing with my own friend drama at the time I picked this book up and my mind was soured to the thought of reading it.  I'm so glad I did though.  It's certainly not sappy.  Thank goodness.

Cheap Cabernet: A Friendship is written by Cathie Beck, who had a friend named Denise.  This book is their story.  Cathie was in desperate need of friends and decided to start a women's group in order to find those friends.  While the group met for about a year and a half, the purpose of the group was fulfilled the first night with one person.  Cathie and Denise clicked in that rare, special way.  Denise was also suffering from MS.

Through their few years of friendship, they had extreme highs and lows where they wouldn't talk for weeks.  They argued, they disapproved, they laughed, and they celebrated.  I encourage you to read, enjoy, and grieve a friendship that ended too soon.  While I didn't love everything about it, I can respect the emotion behind it.

One Day by David Nicholls

I had high hopes for One Day, by David Nicholls, and most of them were met.  The story is about a man and a woman who meet on July 15, 1988.  Every chapter takes place on July 15, year by year, for twenty years.  Emma wants to be a writer who changes the world.  She's a bit of an idealist at times.  Dexter just wants to have fun.  He wants to travel and do things that are exciting.

Despite their differences, their friendship thrives.  They have years where they don't talk at all.  They have years where they lean heavily on each other.  There are some chapters when I hated Dexter.  I hated that he drank too much, partied too much, and didn't realize that Emma was there for him.  There were chapters where I hated Emma.  She was too complacent and accepting of her dull life.  I, being the hopeless romantic, wanted them to fall in love from the start.

As frustrating as the story was at times, I couldn't help but want to know what was going to happen next.  A year in their lives would go by as I moved to a new chapter, but talented writing filled in the gaps.  Ultimately, the book left me heartbroken - but in a good way.  I miss Dex and Em.  Em and Dex.  I look forward to meeting them again in the upcoming movie.

One Day is a very high concept novel that really works.  It's just right.

On Shadow Beach by Barbara Freethy

My mother is very picky about books, movies, etc.  When she likes something, I take notice.  She enjoyed On Shadow Beach, by Barbara Freethy, and I did too.  It's always nice to read a romance novel with some substance.  Solving a murder that took place thirteen years prior, is good substance, especially when you care about the characters and don't figure out who "did it" until the end of the book.  I didn't even read ahead!  That's an accomplishment for me.

Lauren returns to Angel's Bay thirteen years after her sister was violently murdered.  Lauren had turned her back on the town and the people in it, including her father and her ex-boyfriend, Shane.   When Lauren and Shane meet again, their old attraction remains, despite the rift between them, and the lingering suspicion that he had something to do with Abby's death.  They join forces to finally solve Abby's murder and clear Shane's name.

The book was a quick and very satisfying read.  I found out later that it is the second in a series which upsets me because I'm very linear in my thinking.  I don't like reading books out of order!  That being said, I will definitely be looking for the first book and will continue the series.  I'm excited to find a new author that I enjoy!

Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel

Finally!  I've been on a hunt for a young adult novel that was satisfying, and I finally read one!  Infinite Days, by Rebecca Maizel, is yet another vampire story.  The good thing is that it's new and different - at least to me.  The story is about Lenah, a 500 year old vampire who becomes human again - as a sixteen year old high school student.  She tries to find her place at the exclusive boarding school she's attending, while getting used to being mortal. There is danger lurking as her coven eagerly awaits for her awakening, unaware that she is human.

One thing that I appreciated about this novel is that Lenah wasn't terribly sorry for her life of murder and viciousness.  She accepted it.  She wasn't tortured by her past -at least at first.  I appreciate that she wasn't a tortured soul.  Lenah's romance with Justin was a bit rushed and didn't quite feel genuine to me.  I'm hoping that in the future books in the series, he will become more defined, and that we will learn what he's truly about.  I found myself quite suspicious of him but at this point there is no reason for that.

I definitely recommend this book to fans of the supernatural.  As I prove, you don't have to be a teen to appreciate a good young adult book.  I do recommend this for older teens as there is a bit of violence and a fairly casual attitude toward sex.

The Actor and the Housewife by Shannon Hale

 
The Actor and the Housewife, by Shannon Hale, is a charmer.  It took me a long time to read and not because I disliked the book but because it was deceivingly long!  While the paperback looked completely normal,  the paper was thin and the font was small.  That's my theory anyway. 

The story is about a housewife, Becky, who loves her husband and children fiercely.  She loves being a wife and mother.  You can feel how much while reading.  She's so satisfied and happy.  It was nearly unrealistic, but Becky is such a real character that it was hard to find fault.  Felix, the actor, is Becky's best friend.  They meet while Becky is in Los Angeles selling a screenplay.  They become enamored of each other in a strictly platonic way - at least on Becky's part.  Felix is British, charming, successful, and terribly witty.  I fell in love with him.  I confess.

The dialogue between the two main characters made me smile.  It was fun, quirky and you could feel the chemistry.  I wanted this story to be a romance so badly!  But maybe at heart it really was.  If this story has a weakness, it's that Becky and Felix weren't together enough.  The two were magical together.  When they were apart, when Becky was going on and on about how happy she was with her family, it got a little long.  That's minor though.

Becky is a Mormon so there are several mentions of her faith and her relationship with God.   This doesn't bother me in the slightest but let that serve as a warning for those who would be bothered.  This is a great story of friendship that I highly recommend.

Briar Rose by Jane Yolen

When I picked up Briar Rose, I really anticipated reading a version of Sleeping Beauty.  I had no idea I'd be reading a book about the Holocaust.  That said, it took nearly 150 pages to get to the portion of the book about the Holocaust.

First the good . . .  The last fifty pages or so were quite gripping.  Gemma's story was horrifying and tragic.  I was completely engrossed.  

Then the bad . . . The first one hundred and fifty-ish pages were boring.  I didn't like the style of writing.  It seemed very amateurish and way too detailed.  Details can be lovely but not when the author describes the main character bending over to get a magazine.  That's not important.

The book got rave reviews for the most part.  I'm afraid I can't contribute to those.  While I feel the story of the Holocaust is important to tell, I don't think this book was good enough to really do that.  It is listed as a novel for young adults and yet the subject matter was quite adult and there are scenes of homosexuality that may not be appropriate for younger readers.

Out of Eden by Beth Ciotta

Out of Eden, by Beth Ciotta, is a typical romantic novel.  We’ve got instant attraction, misunderstandings, shoes, nosy neighbors, the long suffering best friend, and the Mafia.  Maybe the Mafia isn’t typical but the point is, there wasn’t anything surprising about this novel.  I was anxious to read a funny romance but instead I found myself just wanting to get through it. 

It’s well-written, there isn’t a problem with that.  The novel has a plot that moves along fairly quickly, but it just wasn’t interesting.  I found the main character to be rather annoying.  She ran her family’s shoe store and let her family walk all over her because she never expressed what she wanted.  She wanted adventure.  She wanted to travel throughout Asia.  She wanted to paint the shoe store!  I wanted to shake her and tell her to just do it!  I understand putting dreams on hold but the constant whining about it was annoying. 

And then there was Jack.  He’s not a very well defined character.  I know he was good looking -as all romantic leads must be - and was a police officer.  Other than his loyalty to friends and family, and his endearing affection for the dog that adopted him, he was pretty boring. 

I guess my thoughts are that I’ve read similar plots that were much more interesting.  When you really don’t care if the romantic leads get together, it’s a problem.  I was disappointed.  It’s not horrible, but it just didn’t get to the point where I’d call it good. 

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

I'd been wanting to read The Help, by Kathryn Stockett for a while.  I was fortunate to have a co-worker loan me a copy and that gave me a good excuse to jump right on it!  I wasn't disappointed.  I was hooked from the beginning.

Abilene is the narrator of the first chapter and she sets the tone with absolute love for the child she is raising and frustration -maybe even disgust- for the little girl's mother.  Abilene is a black woman, a maid, living in Jackson Mississippi in the 1960's.  The Civil Rights movement is just beginning to take form but in Jackson people are stubborn and don't want change, let along integration.

Another narrator is Minny, a mother of four.  She is a maid with a fast tongue who gets herself in trouble with the ladies she works for.  When she gets a job working for the odd Celia Foote, she is secure in her paycheck but terrified that what she did to a former employer's daughter will come back to haunt her. 

The third narrator is Miss Skeeter, a white woman.  She was raised by a black maid and was extremely close to her.  When Miss Skeeter returns from college to find that Constantine has moved away without a goodbye, she starts to think of the stories of these women, who wait on her and her friends.  She is motivated to write their stories.  It's a risk for her and for the women who share their lives with her.

I was born in the 1970's, raised in California, and I'm white.  I can not relate in the slightest to what it must have felt like to be told to use a separate bathroom because of skin color.  Despite not living any part of this story, I was still moved by the book.  I was struck by the fear.  The women who told their stories to Miss Skeeter were terrified of getting caught.  They were afraid for themselves, and their families.  It was shocking and horrible.

The book is wonderful.  It opened my eyes.  I highly recommend it.

Big Stone Gap by Adriana Trigiani

Big Stone Gap, by Adriana Trigiani, is a charming novel with a wonderful cast of characters.  The main character is Ave Maria, a thirty-five year old pharmacist who considers herself the town spinster.  After her mother passes away, she learns the truth about who she really is and that the man who raised her was not her biological father.  As her world tilts beyond what she has always known, she finds herself letting go of her past and looking toward the future for the first time in her life.

The characters that make up the town add so much to the charm of the novel.  It wouldn't be the same without Iva Lou, Pearl, or Theodore.  There is even a cameo by Elizabeth Taylor!  If I have any complaint, it's that it took a while to get to the romance.  Ave was just way too stubborn!

This is the first novel I've read by Adriana Trigiani and I enjoyed it.  It is a sweet story and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys smiling!

Quick Reviews!

I get distracted easily.  I get very excited about something - like this blog - and am pretty faithful for a while but then something shiny passes by and I'm distracted.  Sooooo, to make a really long story short, I missed a few reviews and I'm not terribly motivated to go back in time for a few reviews.  I've decided to write a few quickies so that I don't feel the guilt and can move on to bigger and better things.  And more recent reads that are more fresh in my memory!  My mind ain't what it used to be. 

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan is a fun, action packed children's novel.  I enjoyed it enough to buy the next few books in the series but not enough that I've already read them!  I wanted Percy Jackson to be more like Harry Potter but he isn't.  The books were very informational with regard to the Greek legends of Gods and Titans.  I found myself googling a few things just to get them straight in my head.  The premise is good and I do look forward to reading more.  Just not yet.

Hot Six by Janet Evanovich is the sixth book in the Stephanie Plum series.  I enjoyed this one a lot.  The characters are so wonderful and it's like an old friend when I pick up a book.  I admit that the plots get a little jumbled in my memory but each is unique.  This is definitely a series I will continue to read and enjoy!

 

Going Overboard, by Christina Skye is a fun romance.  There isn't anything wonderful about it, it's pretty standard boy meets girl fare.  I read it fairly quickly and even though the timeline was a little wacky for me, it was still worth finishing.  The end read like bad fan-fiction (triplets?  Really?) and that soured it a bit.  Not bad, not good, just okay for a beach read.

Keeper by Kathi Appelt

Keeper, by Kathi Appelt, is a children's novel that probably will mean more to adults.  I don't think I would have understood the meaning behind the story as a ten-year-old.  As a thirty -something adult, I "got it".  Or at least I understood my version of the story.  I wonder if my thoughts line up with the intention of the author? 

Keeper is a ten-year-old girl who lives on a little stretch of land on the Gulf of Mexico.  It is the World Unto Itself according to her neighbor Mr. Beauchamp.  Keeper lives with Signe, who is like her mother but isn't.  She works for Dogie, who is like her father but isn't.  Next door is Mr. Beauchamp who whittles her figurines and tells her stories.  He is like her grandfather but isn't.  Along with the adults who watch over her, she has BD (Best Dog), Captain the seagull, Too (another dog), and Sinbad the one-eyed cat.

Keeper believes that her mother was a mermaid who left her with Signe when she was a toddler.  When the perfect day goes completely wrong, she sets out in a boat to try to find her mother.  She truly believes that Meggie Marie, her mermaid mother will make things right.

I thought this story was beautiful.  It's all about figuring out that you have exactly what you need, even when you don't realize it.  It is perfectly appropriate for the audience it was meant for although there are hints of homosexuality between two characters.  That's only a small caution in a lovely story.  Like I mentioned above, children may not understand the deeper meanings so it's a great book to read and discuss with your kids.