Books of November

Let's see... 12 books for November. Not bad, not bad. Actually it was quite impressive considering that I also got a HUGE deal of writing done. What? You didn't hear that? I got a HUGE amount of writing done. Well, not enough to qualify me as a Nano winner, but maybe a baby NaNo. Do they have those awards? I think I need to make myself a button. Before I get to my books of the month, I want to remind you of two contests I have going on.

1. My 100 book contest where I celebrate having read 100 + books - there will be 2 winners, 1 book each, many to choose from.

2. My Larkstorm contest - win a free copy of Larkstorm by Dawn Rae Miller and of course, a review.

Both contests end 12/9, so go enter!

And now, my books of November. Enjoy!

117. The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter* Pleasantly surprised by this one. I really liked Hades as a good guy and the actual "test" and characters surprised me in the end. Looking forward to the sequel.
118. Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay Mixed bag of feelings on it. I liked the premise a lot, but the delivery was off a bit. Also Romeo was just sooo creepy, and I can hear a lot of people shouting, "Don't mess with my Romeo!" :)
119. Miss Peregrin's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs** Loved this! Loved, loved, loved. The pictures throughout were so unique and then to find that they were real, un-doctored. Well, the story line was fresh and well-written too. But those pictures! Whispers: in case  you didn't notice, that girl is levitating. Also, this book is really quite tame and fun. It would work well for a MG reader.
120. Hushed by Kelley York* My first YA thriller. I'm still thinking about it. Review here on TYAC.
121. Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake* Buffy gets a new stake, or um... athame, and a few new sidekicks - none who are gay/lesbian though and unfortunately none named Xander. I know, boo, right? Seriously this book was great. It was about a ghost hunter/slayer and was told from a male POV. Great voice, great set up and delivery, great prose. The only thing keeping it from a 5 star was that I just didn't feel emotionally moved by the story. Overall, very entertaining.
122. Ripple by Mandy Hubbard My first experience with sirens. It was a little hard to get through but had an interesting twist at the end.

123. Audition by Stasia Ward Kehoe* This was my first novel in verse and I really enjoyed it. The plot was a bit predictable, but very sexy in a...poetic way.
124. Bumped by Megan McCafferty I usually tend to like satire a lot better MONTHS after I read it. I'll let you know about this one in...say February then?
125. The Summer I Learned to Fly by Dana Reinhardt* Lovely MG book about friendship and coming out of one's shell. I enjoyed the secondary characters and the little cheese shop. :)
126. Zero by Tom Leveen** I got this one from Netgalley based on a recommendation by Karla, I think? Thank you Karla, or whoever recommended it!!! I really loved the combination of art and music. All the Dali quotes were inspiring and I felt the NEED to look up all the paintings that were mentioned. Doing so really enhanced the experience of the book. Obviously this is a 5 star for me. I really enjoyed how Zero confronts her issues with self-confidence, and the LI was kind of swoony. :) Review in a couple months.
127. Frostbite by Richelle Mead* Second in the VA series. Rose continues to make TONS of mistakes, but in the end I forgave her cuz she kind of rocks too. Will get around to #3 at some point.
128. Ten Things We Did (and probably shouldn't have) by Sarah Mlynowski* This book was so deliciously fresh and teenager-y. The voice was spot on, dialogue was memorable, and the wacky things the girls did just had me laughing and my eyes popping. There was a more serious plot going throughout  though and a lot of character growth. Recommended!