Book Log 2011 - January to August

January

1. "Radiant Shadows" by Melissa Marr 340 pages
2. "Wintergirls" by Laurie Halse Anderson 278 pages
3. "Tempted" by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast 319 pages
4. "Vampire Academy" by Richelle Mead 332
5. "Once Dead Twice Shy" by Kim Harrison 232 pages
6. "Grave Secret" by Charlaine Harris 306 pages
7. "Dead in the Family" by Charlaine Harris 311 pages
8. "Dreamfever" by Karen Marie Moning 388 pages
9. "Fear Nothing" by Dean Koontz 391 pages
10. "Paranormalcy" by Kiersten White 335 pages
11. "Dark Song" by Gail Giles 292 pages
12. "A Bone to Pick" by Charlaine Harris 222 pages LP

February
13. "The Hunter's Moon" by O.R. Melling 283 pages
14. "The Night Bookmobile" by Audrey Niffenegger 40 pages
15. "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls 288 pages
16. "The Reckoning" by Kelley Armstrong 391 pages
17. "The Final Warning" by James Patterson 256 pages

March
18. "The Haunted" by Jessica Verday 467 pages
19. "Real Murders" by Charlaine Harris 230 pages LP
20. "The Dark Divine" by Bree Despain 372 pages
21. "Beautiful Darkness" by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl 503 pages
22. "Spider Bones" by Kathy Reichs 302 pages

April
23. "Somewhere Inside" by Laura Ling and Lisa Ling 470 pages LP
24. "Sisters Red" by Jackson Pearce 324 pages
25. "Glass Houses" by Rachel Caine 256 pages
26. "Dead Girls Dance" by Rachel Caine 256 pages

May
27. "Shadowfever" by Karen Marie Moning 608 pages
28. "I'm Looking Through You: Growing Up Haunted" by Jennifer Finney Boylan 267 pages
29. "Seize the Night" by Dean Koontz 443 pages
30. "The Eyes of Darkness" by Dean Koontz, 384 pages
31. "Grave Sight" by Charlaine Harris 293 pages
32. "Dare to Surrender" by Lilli Fiesty 342 pages
33. "An Ice Cold Grave" by Charlaine Harris 280 pages
34. "The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening" by L.J. Smith 272 pages
35. "The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle" by L.J. smith 256 pages
36. "The Vampire Diaries: The Fury" by L.J. Smith 309 pages
37. "The Vampire Diaries: Dark Reunion" by L.J. Smith 312 pages
38. "Dark Visions: The Strange Powers" by L.J. Smith 230 pages
39. "Dark Visions: The Possessed" by L.J. Smith 224 pages
40. "Dark Visions: The Passion" by L.J. Smith 224 pages
41. "Daughters of the Moon: Goddess of the Night" by Lynne Ewing 294 pages
42. "The 8th Confession" by James Patterson 342 pages

June
43. "Just Kids" by Patti Smith 320 pages
44. "City of Bones" by Cassandra Clare 485 pages
45. "City of Ashes" by Cassandra Clare 496 pages
46. "Midnight Alley" by Rachel Caine 256 pages
47. "Feast of Fools" by Rachel Caine 242 pages
48. "Smashed: Story of a Drunken Girlhood" by Koren Zailckas 342 pages
49. "Lord of Misrule" by Rachel Caine 244 pages
50. "Carpe Corpus" by Rachel Caine 241 pages
51. "Fade Out" by Rachel Caine 237 pages
52. "Kiss of Death" by Rachel Caine 241 pages
53. "Prom Nights From Hell" by Meg Cabot, Kim Harrison, Michele Jaffe, Stephenie Meyer, Lauren Myracle 184 pages
54. "The Frenzy" by Francesca Lia Block 122 pages
55. "Secret Circle: The Initiation" by L.J. Smith 320 pages

July
56. "Hot Six" by Janet Evanovich 350 pages
57. "Nightshade" by Andrea Cremer 289 pages
58. "Vacations from Hell" by Libba Bray 156 pages
59. "Nightfall" by L.J. Smith 359 pages
60. "Fallen" by Lauren Kate 452 pages
61. "Plum Lovin" by Janet Evanovich 164 pages (AUDIO)
62. "Ghost Town" by Rachel Caine 353 pages
63. "My Horizontal Life" by Chelsea Handler 214 pages
64. "Hush, Hush" by Becca Fitzpatrick 391 pages
65. "Early to Death, Early to Rise" by Kim Harrison 247 pages

August
66. "Angelfire" by Courtney Allison Moulton 297 pages
67. "Plum Lucky" by Janet Evanovich 166 pages (AUDIO)
68. "Captivate" by Carrie Jones 273 pages (AUDIO)
69. "Plum Spooky" by Janet Evanovich 345 pages (AUDIO)
70. "The Secret Circle: The Captive" by L.J. Smith 320 pages
71. "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" by Mitch Albom 196 pages (AUDIO)
72. "The Secret Circle: the Power" by L.J. Smith 310 pages
73. "Entice" by Carrie Jones 264 pages (AUDIO)
74. "Cloaked" by Alex Flinn 341 pages (AUDIO)
75. "Finger Lickin' Fifteen" by Janet Evanovich 308 pages
76. "Twelve Sharp" by Janet Evanovich 320 pages (AUDIO)
77. "Jez and Morgead's Night Out" by L.J. Smith 59 pages
78. "Bonnie and Damon - After Hours" by L.J. Smith 32 pages
79. "City of Ashes - Kissed" by Cassandra Clare 5 pages
80. "City of Ashes - Because it is Bitter" by Cassandra Clare 5 pages
81. "City of Ashes - Deleted Scene" by Cassandra Clare 3 pages
82. "City of Glass - Deleted First Chapter" by Cassandra Clare 20 pages
83. "Lean Mean Thirteen" by Janet Evanovich 310 pages (AUDIO)
84. "Delerium" by Lauren Oliver 441 pages
85. "Bite Club" by Rachel Caine 340 pages
86. "Beastly" by Alex Flinn 304 pages
87 "Dream Dark" by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl 76 pages
88. "First Frost" by Jennifer Estep Kindle ebook
89. "Nevermore" by Kelly Creagh 543 pages
90. "Visions of Sugar Plums" by Janet Evanovich 240 pages
91. "Goddess Boot Camp" by Tera Lynn Childs 224 pages

Books I'm Most Anticipating the Release Of

  Enshadowed by Kelly Creagh - the follow up to Nevemore set to come out maybe next August.  I recently read Nevermore and I absolutely loved it.

 Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl the wrap up to the Caster series.  Already Pre-ordered it - ships out October 18th.  I can't wait for the conclusion.

 Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick - the next installment in the Hush Hush series due out October 4th.

 Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer, the next in the Nightshade series due out Januaury 24th.

 Last Breath by Rachel Caine the next installment in the Morganville Vampire series, which I've also pre-ordered ready to ship out November 1st.


What are some of the books everyone else is waiting on?

Back to the Books Giveaway - WINNER!

The winner of my giveaway is entrant 41 Bekka Follow @engelsigh on Twitter


Option: Follow @engelsigh on Twitter

Extra Info: PrttyDdlyRvwsTime: Fri Sep 2 00:00:00 MST 2011.

I have emailed her, and she has 48 hours to accept her prize before a back up winner is chosen!

Thank you to everyone that entered! 

Metaphysics in YA Fiction by Guest Blogger Rhiannon Paille

Metaphysics in YA Fiction

We all read books with metaphysical, supernatural or paranormal elements these days. It’s really hard not to unless you’re a contemporary or dystopian exclusive fan. Most stories have some element to the characters that falls under the umbrella of metaphysics.


And I think that’s really cool, except when it goes too far.

There’s a big difference between making the metaphysics believable, and making them satirical and making them unbearable.

I’ve read books in all three of those categories and as a Metaphysical Therapist, I have to tell you, most of the YA Authors out there are doing an awesome job. Most notable is one of my favorites, Cassie Clare.

The reason I loved The Mortal Instruments so much is because I treated it more like contemporary fiction than urban fantasy or paranormal romance. Reason being? I know people who can teleport stuff from grocery stores too. (Magnus Bane and the coffee) While there are no blue sparks when they do it, I have been happy to benefit from the few small things that have appeared out of nowhere. (And this is about the most I can tell you about the top secret world of me, sorry!)

Other authors have gone part of the way, halfway or all the way and I love them for it. Only a few have gone to cheesy places or completely inaccurate places and I still love them too.

I think what everyone has failed to realize is that LOTS of teenagers and young adults are actually experimenting with their own psychic abilities, or metaphysical nature. Some of them are waking up to past life memories where they were an elven or a therianthrope (shapeshifter) or a faery or mermaid or some other creature. Others are learning how to see auras, sense energies, and use their natural healing abilities. Other still are on forums talking about their empathic nature, or their clairvoyance, or astral projection capabilities.

I’m definitely not the only one out there reading YA and thinking that these books are more like reality than they’re intended to be.

And that’s why I put a contemporary spin on my metaphysics. You heard me, CONTEMPORARY SPIN. Contemporary books don’t have metaphysical elements right?

Well that’s where I’m going with this.

In The Ferryman and The Flame I combined metaphysics, the supernatural, the paranormal, and even some magic. I went with what I know, so for the most part my characters have abilities they can’t control. When I was a teen I had abilities I couldn’t control. My characters are lucky to have mentors where I didn’t, and they’re lucky to have natural abilities. They’re also lucky to live on a hidden mystical island that has magic of its own.

I stayed away from the impossible as much as possible, and I made the characters struggle with their abilities. I made sure that they didn’t just get cool abilities, but that they gained wisdom from having those abilities. I also made sure that the story could still exist WITHOUT the metaphysical, paranormal or supernatural elements.

You’re right, I could have wrote this as a contemporary story and stripped it of everything that made it enchanting, alluring, intriguing, and mystical. You think it would have nothing if I did that, but it would still have passion, drama, and tragedy. I’ve always thought of the metaphysics as an additive, not as the main focus of the story.

And I hope you like what I did with it, because while it’s normal to go over the top with the metaphysics in fiction, it’s not normal for me to go there. I like to keep it real with the metaphysics, the supernatural, the paranormal and the magic. I like to write about things that can actually happen in reality . . .

It makes the thought of me writing an urban fantasy kind of scary because readers would never know which scenes came from real life experiences of mine, or just from my creative mind.

Then again, who says The Ferryman and The Flame isn’t a true story?

Author Bio:  Rhi was never a normal girl. She tried, but she couldn’t get rid of the visions, the voices in her head, and the hallucinations. When she was on the edge of crazy someone pulled her back and explained it all. She wasn’t insane. She was psychic, really psychic, too psychic. Her life was an urban fantasy wrapped in a paranormal romance and served with a side of horror. To escape her everyday weirdness she began writing fantasy. She frequents twitter and facebook, but if you really want to get to know her you should visit her site: http://www.rhiannonpaille.com/


Her book FLAME OF SURRENDER (The Ferryman and The Flame #1) Comes out November 1st, 2011. Check it out here: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11841693-flame-of-surrender

Author Contact Info:
Rhiannon Paille

http://www.rhiannonpaille.com/
http://rhiannonpaille.blogspot.com/
www.liveperson.com/rhiannon-paille
Twitter: @RhiannonPaille
Facebook: Rhiannon Paille
*Rhiannon is my pen name*

August RAK Wrap Up

I once again participated in Random Acts of Kindness hosted by Book Soulmates.  If you love giving and receiving surprise books, sign-ups are taking place now. 

I went a little crazy in August...I'll start with the books that I sent out:

1.   to Vanessa at Book Soulmates.  (Mailed this the 31st so she probably doesn't have it yet).

2.       to Cat the Librarian

3.    to Crystal at Elegantly Bound Books

4.   to Andra at Unabridged Andra

5.  to Grace at Words like Silver


This month I received:

  from Ashley at Into the Hall of Books as a return RAK for the book I sent her last month.  Thanks again Ashley! 

Happy RAKing in September everyone!