Skyship Academy

I listed Skyship Academy with my Debut novels that I hope to read and now it has a new cover!  Doesn't it look fantastic?  

Debuts Sept. 8!

A devasted Earth's last hope is found in Pearls: small, mysteriious orbs that fall from space, and are capable of supplying enough energy to power entire cities. Battling to control the Pearls are the Skyship dwellers--political dissidents who live in massive ships in the Earth's statosphere--and the corrupt Surface government.

Jesse Fisher, a Skyship slacker, and Cassius Stevenson, a young Surface operative, cross paths when they both venture into forbidden territory in pursuit of Pearls. Their chance encounter triggers and unexpected reaction, endowing each boy with remarkable--and dangerous--abilities that their respective governments would stop at nothing to possess. Enemies thrust together with a common goal, Jesse and Cassius make their way to the ruin of Seattle to uncover the truth about their new powers, the past they didn't know they shared, and a shocking secret about the Pearls.

Blog Hiatus

From Flickr: London, England by TJ Morris

This time next week I will be in London!!  I'm participating in a fantastic study abroad opportunity through Florida State University.  During my trip, I will not have time to post on the blog so there will be a hiatus from now until August.

I will, however, be keeping a travel blog. Please feel free to follow if you're interested. If not, I'll see you August! Have a wonderful summer!

Dust City

Dust City by Robert Paul Weston 

New York: Razorbill, 2010

299 pages (digital edition)
4 out of 5

Who's afraid of the big bad wolf?

His son, that's who.

Ever since his father's arrest for the murder of Little Red Riding Hood, teen wolf Henry Whelp has kept a low profile in a Home for Wayward Wolves...until a murder at the Home leads Henry to believe his father may have been framed.

Now, with the help of his kleptomaniac roommate, Jack, and a daring she-wolf named Fiona, Henry will have to venture deep into the heart of Dust City: a rundown, gritty metropolis where fairydust is craved by everyone-and controlled by a dangerous mob of Water Nixies and their crime boss leader, Skinner.

Can Henry solve the mystery of his family's sinister past? Or, like his father before him, is he destined for life as a big bad wolf? (Description from Amazon).

Henry brings a whole new meaning to the phrase "teen wolf."  He actually is a teenaged wolf, typically thought to be of the big and bad variety.  Residents of Dust City tend to recoil in fear when a wolf is nearby because they have terrible reputations.  It's worse for Henry because his dad is THE big bad wolf.

This is an interesting and entertaining tale with elements of mystery and suspense. Other fairy tale characters are also involved including, Cinderella, Snow White, Jack of Jack and the Beanstalk fame, and others. The world presented here is one possibility of what it might be like if fairy tale characters were part of a real world.

But it also makes you think.  Though framed as a fractured fairy tale, I felt there was also a bit of social commentary.  The species were judged based on looks and the behaviors of earlier generations since the animal species had only evolved more recently to take on the characteristics of humanoids.  This specifically includes wolves, foxes, and ravens.  Also, the reason the city is called Dust city is based on the fairy dust trade. It can be purchased legally in refined forms meant for specific ailments, or in a purer form on the street.  These are just two elements of the novel that I felt parallel aspects of reality.

I enjoyed this book and was often disappointed to put it down.

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Disclosure: I borrowed this ebook title from my local library.

Challenge Update

This year I've chosen to participate in three challenges, and now seems like a good time to evaluate how I'm doing.

The Catherine Ryan Hyde Challenge
The challenge is to read one, yes, just one book by Catherine Ryan Hyde. So far, I have not read that book. Looks like I need to make a trip to the bookstore.

The 2011 Debut Author Challenge
I thought I was doing pretty well with this one.  I feel like I type the word "debut" and tag posts 2011 DAC an awful lot.  And I do, but it's for IMM, not my reviews...oops. So far, I've read three debut novels. That just leaves nine to go. Luckily, I have ten debuts in my possession. I just need to get reading!

100+ Book Reading Challange
To do this one right, I should be around the halfway mark of fifty books. My last count has me with thirty-seven.  Hopefully catching up on the challenges above (and making good use of my over-abundance of travel time coming up) I'll get a bit closer to the halfway point. Even better, Shelfari might stop telling me that I'm behind my pace...whatever that means.

Tween Tuesday: Gossip from the Girls' Room

Tween Tuesday is a meme hosted over at GreenBeanTeenQueen.  This meme highlights great books for tweens.

Gossip from the Girls' Room: A Blogtastic Novel 

by Rose Cooper 

New York, NY: Delacourt Press

199 pages
4 out of 5

Gossip from the Girls' Room fills readers in on all there is to learn about middle school life at Middlebrooke, where Sofia has her very own blog and discusses all the juicy gossip that comes out of the Girls' room; read along to find out just what happens when class is not in session.

In Sofia's words...

Mia St. Claire is only the most popular girl in all of Middlebrooke Middle School.  For three very obvious reasons:

1. She's very rich.

2. She has ton of money.

3. She can buy anything and everything she wants. And she does.

I'm sure people like her for other reasons too, but none of those reasons are obvious enough for me to really know. Or care about, for that matter.

If books could mate, this book would be the love child of Diary of a Wimpy Kid and The Popularity Papers. It is formatted as Sofia Becker's pre-blogging notebook, where she keeps track of gossip she overhearss, her thoughts on that gossip, as well as updates on other happenings in her life and around the school. It also has cute little doodles that, much like DoWK, often finish a sentence.

I like the blogging element of this story, because you get to see what Sofia considers blogging about and what she actually ends up blogging. Choosing to reveal gossip can lead to trouble so it's interesting to see the decisions she makes in terms of letting something slip or keeping it to herself. Also, a book like this would not be complete without some kind of parental embarrassment. This element adds humor, and makes me glad that I am no longer in middle school.

To sum up, this is an enjoyable story that is a perfect read-a-like to other series listed above.

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Disclosure: I borrowed this title from my local library.

In My Mailbox (20)

IMM is hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren.  The idea is to share books bought, borrowed, scavenged, traded and won.  For more information click here.


Scavenged:

The Mostly True Story of Jack by Kelly Barnhill

That's all for this week.  A little light, but it sounds really interesting.  Also, it's a debut!