Recommend Me is a weekly event hosted by Kate at The Neverending Shelf. All you have to do to participate is share a book that you loved reading for whatever reason. It can be something you read yesterday or years ago. If you have a second try it and let me know! I’d love to hear what books you have to recommend.

My choice for this week:

The House of Night Series by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Published by St. Martin’s Griffin (A division of Macmillan)

Publishers Summary for Marked: The House of Night series is set in a world very much like our own, except in 16-year-old Zoey Redbird’s world, vampyres have always existed.  In this first book in the series, Zoey enters the House of Night, a school where, after having undergone the Change, she will train to become an adult vampire–that is, if she makes it through the Change.  Not all of those who are chosen do.  It’s tough to begin a new life, away from her parents and friends, and on top of that, Zoey finds she is no average fledgling.  She has been Marked as special by the vampyre Goddess, Nyx.  But she is not the only fledgling at the House of Night with special powers.  When she discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school’s most elite club, is misusing her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look deep within herself for the courage to embrace her destiny–with a little help from her new vampyre friends.

“This series was one that I actually started based on the recommendation of a friend, so I thought it fitting that I also recommend the series to my readers/friends here at There’s A Book.

“The House of Night Series is a completely new take on vampire mythology. There are no ‘making’ vampires, in the traditional sense most of us have become accustomed to, it’s all about being ‘marked’ or ‘chosen’ if you will, and it all happens at a young age. The cast of characters are primarily made up of your typical high school students with insecurities and struggles similar to what the rest of us go through, but with one exception…they’re now vampires. The main character, Zoey Redbird, is a strong female lead, but not perfect in any sense. She struggles to fit in and find her place amongst a new set of friends and make peace with her nearly non-existent family life.

“These books have quickly become a series I truly look forward to reading when the next comes out. They are quick, entertaining and well written. My only qualm would have to do with an overly sexual theme in the first couple of books, so I wouldn’t recommend them to readers that are too young. Still though, a great series and one I’m happy to have on my shelves.”

The1stdaughter Recommends: Ages 16 and up. Due to brief sexual encounters and mild language.

Other Upcoming Titles in the Series you may want to check out (Look for reviews of these two books over the next week!):

Book Trailer for Burned (Released April 27, 2010):

Also, check out the House of Night website for tons of great extras:

These books were purchased for our home library.
Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our affiliate relationship with Amazon.com.

Recommend Me is a weekly event hosted by Kate at The Neverending Shelf. All you have to do to participate is share a book that you loved reading for whatever reason. It can be something you read yesterday or years ago. If you have a second try it and let me know! I’d love to hear what books you have to recommend.

My choice for this week:

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Published by Vintage Books

Publishers Summary: As a child, Kathy–now thirty-one years old–lived at Hailsham, a private school in the scenic English countryside where the children were sheltered from the outside world, brought up to believe that they were special and that their well-being was crucial not only for themselves but for the society they would eventually enter. Kathy had long ago put this idyllic past behind her, but when two of her Hailsham friends come back into her life, she stops resisting the pull of memory.
And so, as her friendship with Ruth is rekindled, and as the feelings that long ago fueled her adolescent crush on Tommy begin to deepen into love, Kathy recalls their years at Hailsham. She describes happy scenes of boys and girls growing up together, unperturbed–even comforted–by their isolation. But she describes other scenes as well: of discord and misunderstanding that hint at a dark secret behind Hailsham’s nurturing facade. With the dawning clarity of hindsight, the three friends are compelled to face the truth about their childhood–and about their lives now.

“On my top ten books for writing brilliance. Ishiguro crafts a beautiful story that unfolds layer by layer as you turn each page. In his novel Never Let Me Go Ishiguro examines not only the complexities behind modern advancements in science, but also deep and often times manipulative relationships. It’s hard to find it’s equal, I believe. Ishiguro’s story is touching and one that left me thinking about the things I value most in my life, namely my family and my freedom.

“For fans of dystopian fiction this is a book not to be missed. It’s a book that will have you thinking throughout every page and for days after you put it down. Just brilliant.”

The1stdaughter Recommends: Ages 16 and up. Due to mature scenes.

Other Titles You  may want to check out:

The Giver by Lois Lowry (Read my Review Here)
A Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

These books were purchased for our home library.
Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our affiliate relationship with Amazon.com.

Recommend Me is a weekly event hosted by Kate at The Neverending Shelf. All you have to do to participate is share a book that you loved reading for whatever reason. It can be something you read yesterday or years ago. If you have a second try it and let me know! I’d love to hear what books you have to recommend.

My choice for this week:

The Blue Bloods Series by Melissa de la Cruz

Published by Hyperion Books for Children

Publishers Summary for Blue Bloods: When the Mayflower set sail in 1620, it carried on board the men and women who would shape America: Miles Standish; John Alden; Constance Hopkins. But some among the Pilgrims were not pure of heart; they were not escaping religious persecution. Indeed, they were not even human. They were vampires.
The vampires assimilated quickly into the New World. Rising to levels of enormous power, wealth, and influence, they were the celebrated “blue bloods” of American society. The Blue Bloods vowed that their immortal status would remain a closely guarded secret. And they kept that secret for centuries.
But now, in New York City, the secret is seeping out. Schuyler Van Alen is a sophomore at a prestigious private school. Suddenly, when she turns fifteen, there is a visible mosaic of blue veins on her arm. She starts to crave raw food — and she is having flashbacks to ancient times. Then a girl from her school is found dead . . . drained of all her blood. Schuyler doesn’t know what to think. Could those vampire legends really be true?

“These books have been some of the most enjoyable vampire books I have read recently. They’re full of mystery, have a little bit of romance, a new take on the vampire legend and they are an incredibly quick read. The main character Schuyler Van Alen is one of my favorites. She’s tough, strong willed, has an amazing best guy friend and even goes after the wrong guy. There are so many reasons to love this series and I could go on forever, but I’ll just say…you should definitely read this series!”

The1stdaughter Recommends: Age 14 and up. Anyone who loved Twilight, Mortal Instruments, Vampire Academy or The House of Night series will love these books!

Other/Upcoming Titles in the Series You (meaning I’m dying for) may want to check out:

The Van Alen Legacy (currently out…and sitting in my TBR pile)

Misguided Angel (Due out October 5, 2010)

and…

Keys to the Repository: A Collection of Short Stories (Due out June 29, 2010)

For the Comments: Is there another vampire/paranormal series out there you’d recommend? I’d love to hear about it!

These books were purchased for our home library.
Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our affiliate relationship with Amazon.com.

Recommend Me is a weekly event hosted by Kate at The Neverending Shelf. All you have to do to participate is share a book that you loved reading for whatever reason. It can be something you read yesterday or years ago. I haven’t been able to participate for a few weeks, but I’m so glad I can do it again this week. If you have a second try it and let me know! I’d love to hear what books you have to recommend.

My choice for this week:

City of Bones, City of Ashes and City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

Published by Margaret K. McElderry Books (A Division of Simon & Schuster)

Publishers Summary for City of Bones: When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder — much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Clary knows she should call the police, but it’s hard to explain a murder when the body disappears into thin air and the murderers are invisible to everyone but Clary.

Equally startled by her ability to see them, the murderers explain themselves as Shadowhunters: a secret tribe of warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. Within twenty-four hours, Clary’s mother disappears and Clary herself is almost killed by a grotesque demon.

But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know….

“Have you ever read a book that you just couldn’t put down? And I don’t mean, you thought it was pretty good and really were interested. I mean, you stay up until 3am because you absolutely HAVE to know what’s going to happen! Because these were those books for me. Not only do they have a great story with loads of suspense from book to book, but they are also amazingly funny. Some of the conversations between two of the main characters, Simon and Jace, had me laughing out loud and my husband asking me what was going on. It even intrigued him enough to pick up the books themselves and as a guy in his late 20′s he actually really liked them.

“These books are packed with action, humor, suspense and even a bit of romance (of course). The characters are fantastic and beautifully written. Cassandra Clare quickly became one of my favorite authors just by writing this series and I can’t wait for the next book in the series, City of Fallen Angels. As well as her new novel The Clockwork Angel coming in September this year! Please, do yourself the favor and pick up these ‘chunksters’! You won’t regret a single page in the almost 1600 page series, I promise!”

“As a bit of trivia/info I’ll even mention that though our dear Turkeybird was born before I ever read this series, he coincidentally bares the name of a certain character from these books. Who? Well, you’ll just have to read them and take a guess!”

The Preview for The Mortal Instruments Series:

Upcoming Titles You (meaning I’m dying for) may want to check out:

The Clockwork Angel coming September 7, 2010
City of Fallen Angles coming March of 2011

For the Comments: Is there a book like this for you? One you would stay up all night to finish?

These books were purchased for our home library.
Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our affiliate relationship with Amazon.com.

Recommend Me is a weekly event hosted by Kate at The Neverending Shelf. All you have to do to participate is share a book that you loved reading for whatever reason. It can be something you read yesterday or years ago.

My choice for this week:

Wake and Fade by Lisa McMann

Published by Simon Pulse

Publishers Summary for Wake:

Other books you may be interested in:

Gone by Lisa McMann (The 3rd and final book in the series.)

For the comments: If you could walk in and out of other people’s dreams would you and why?

These books were purchased for our home library.
Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our affiliate relationship with Amazon.com.

Recommend Me is a weekly event hosted by Kate at The Neverending Shelf. All you have to do to participate is share a book that you loved reading for whatever reason. It can be something you read yesterday or years ago.

Tithe, Valiant and Ironside by Holly Black

Published by McElderry a division of Simon and Schuster Children’s Books

Publishers Summary for Tithe: Sixteen-year-old Kaye is a modern nomad. Fierce and independent, she travels from city to city with her mother’s rock band until an ominous attack forces Kaye back to her childhood home. There, amid the industrial, blue-collar New Jersey backdrop, Kaye soon finds herself an unwilling pawn in an ancient power struggle between two rival faerie kingdoms — a struggle that could very well mean her death.

“So, part of the reason I included all three of this series together for my ‘Recommend Me‘ today is because you really have to read the entire series together. As a huge fan of Holly Black’s I reveled in each of the books individually, but after numerous recommendations to friends & family I’ve come to realize I may be alone in my feelings. Most of the friends/family that have read them after I had said the books didn’t really come together until they read the last one, Ironside. Which I agree, to a point, because in the last book the previous two stories collide and you have the whole picture there for the reading.

“However you go about it I would highly recommend any or all of these books. I devoured them and they still hold a special place on my bookshelf. I hope you enjoy them as well!”

Other titles by Holly Black that you may be interested in:

White Cat (Curse Workers, Book One) (This one is at the top of my wish list!)

My Review for: The Spiderwick Chronicles: The Field Guide; The Seeing Stone; Lucinda’s Secret; The Ironwood Tree; The Wrath of Mulgrath
Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles: The Nixies Song; A Giant Problem; The Wyrm King

These books were purchased for our home library.
Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our affiliate relationship with Amazon.com.

Recommend Me is a weekly event hosted by Kate at The Neverending Shelf. All you have to do to participate is share a book that you loved reading for whatever reason. It can be something you read yesterday or years ago.

Fidgety Fish by Ruth Galloway

Published by Tiger Tales

Pages: 16

Ages: 2-5

Summary: “A little fish is brimming with curiosity and so wriggly and giggly that his mom sends him out of their sea cave to swim…. With its vivid language, many rhyming and onomatopoetic words, brisk pace, and exclamatory style, the book is perfect for reading aloud.” -School Library Journal

Smiley Shark by Ruth Galloway

Published by Tiger Tales

Pages: 18

Ages: 2-5

Summary: Smiley Shark loves to smile, but everyone is afraid of his big, sharp, toothy grin. Catfish, Starfish, and Octopus all swim away from Smiley Shark as fast as they can. His teeth are too scary! When all the fish are caught in a net, though, they need Smiley Shark’s help. A big smile is just what is needed to save the day!

“The Turkeybird here! I’m recovering well and happy to say I’m back to my good old laughing self. To be honest, the dentist was fabulous! But I’ll save that for another day. Today, my mom is letting me take over and recommend some books I think are just perfect for that guy or girl in your life who love to laugh and read. My choices had to be Ruth Galloway’s Smiley Shark and Fidgety Fish!

“Both of these books are great! Fidgety Fish is great because not only does Tiddler, the main character, squirm and wiggle as much as I do he also loves to explore. I love seeing new things and trying out fun new activities and Tiddler does too! Tiddler also finds out that in the end, being at home with mom can sometimes be the best place in the world. In Smiley Shark the shark longs to have a friend to play with, but because his smile is just a bit too big he scares people away. Sometimes I can be a little to excited to meet new friends too, but in the end both Smiley Shark and myself end up with great friends.

“Both of these books are fabulous! I would highly recommend them to your nearest 3 or 4 year old, they will love all the wiggling, squirming, and teeth grinning.”

Other reviews:

Through The Looking Glass Children’s Reviews

5 Minutes for Books

Reading to Know

This book was purchased for our home library.
Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our affiliate relationship with Amazon.com.

Recommend Me is a weekly event hosted by Kate at The Neverending Shelf. All you have to do to participate is share a book that you loved reading for whatever reason. It can be something you read yesterday or years ago.

So, because I generally share Young Adult or Children’s fiction I thought for this I’d change things up a bit. Here’s my recommendation for the week:

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

“I’m a huge fan of Charlaine Harris! I’ve read most everything she’s written, but this is the book that started it all. There are a few things that draw me to her writing, one of which is that she always keeps me guessing. Unfortunately, when I read I’m constantly trying to figure out is going to happen and by the end of most books I’m pretty disappointed because there’s no surprise. With Harris’ books I’m usually so busy with the characters that I don’t have time to focus on what’s coming next. Everything is so fascinating. I just love it.

“Now, part of the reason I mentioned that I don’t usually share these books is because my site is typically for younger audiences and these are definitely for more mature readers. That being said, they are fabulous books and ones I would definitely recommend to just about anyone I know.”

If you like this book you may also want to try one of these:

Also, check out these reviews here:

Today’s Adventure

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Avidbookreader

This book was purchased for our home library.
Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our affiliate relationship with Amazon.com.