Top Ten Books That I Really Want to Read!

But of course, they're all new books, so the surrounding libraries don't have them. And unfortunately, I don't have a budget that I can buy all of them. And how do I do know which ones are worth buying? Sigh.
Some of these books are written by authors whom I love and trust, while others are fairly unknown to me, besides what I've heard about them from other people. Have you read any of these books on the list? If so, what did you think of them? They're all supposed to be YA fiction, but if you've read them and there was some questionable material in them, please let me know!

#1- Dragonwitch
 Anne Elisabeth Stengl

 This book offically releases July 1st, and I cannot wait to read it! It is the fifth installment in The Tales of Goldstone Wood, my favorite books ever!
Check out Dragonwitch's page on Amazon.com

 
#2- Aire
Lina Goldfinch

 I just discovered this book over on the blog of a young Christian lady, and the cover, title, and summary absolutely intrigued me. It has a person who shape-shifts into a falcon! And I just came up with that a couple of weeks ago! Augh!  It's a love story, and I'm not keen on plain romance, but this novel sounds like it has an epic quality that begs not to be missed.
Learn more about Aire on Amazon.com
  
#3- The Ryn
Serena Chase

This is a fairytale retelling of Snow White and Rose Red that has been championed over on a blog I follow, and the summary has caught my attention. Furthermore, it's the beginning of a series. I'm always on the lookout for epic fantasies.
Learn more about The Ryn on Amazon.com

 
#4- A Cast of Stones
Patrick W. Carr
  
Mr. Carr is one of the newest voices in speculative Christain fantasy, and I've heard nothing but great things about his writing and his characters. Will this story have a Byzantine flavor (judging from the cover), I wonder? I fell in love with that setting in Megan Whalen Turner's novels. Learn more about A Cast of Stones on Amazon.com

 #5- Cinder
Marissa Meyer

This is the most original retelling of Cinderella I've ever heard about. The setting is the future in New Bejjing. And there's a lunar queen trying to take over Prince Kai's kingdom. And Cinderella? Oh yeah, she's a cyborg. A what? When I read this I just thought "robot", but then I remebered cyborgs are real people with mechanical parts, usually because of an accident. So I'm intrigued.
Learn more about Cinder on her Amazon.com page

 #6- Prophet
R.J. Lawson

This is a very interesting sounding start to a Christian Fantasy series loosely based off the the time period and events of the Old Testment during the prophets and the kings. Doesn't that sound awesome?
Find out more about Prophet on Amazon.com


#7- The Errant King
Wayne Thomas Batson

I really enjoy the writing of Mr. Batson, and one of his newest series has caught my eye. This book is the second installment in The Dark Sea Annuals so I'll defintely be reading the first, but the summary of this one has the most promise.
Check it out on Amazon.com

#8- Replication: The Jason Experiment
Jill Williamson

I haven't read any of Ms. Williamson's works yet, but the plot of this one is fascinating. A young woman discovers her father is involved at a cloning facility when she meets a young clone escapee.
Learn more on Amazon.com


 #9- The Unraveling of Wentwater
C.S. Lakin

I've been seeing several of these books unveil in The Gates of Heaven Series, but this one has really grabbed my attention with its boggling premise in an unexpected twist of Sleeping Beauty.
Discover more on Amazon.com



# 10- Corus the Champion
 D. Barkley Briggs

Yes, I know, it's Book 2 in The Legends of Karac Tor. I wasn't sure if I would like the series or not when the first book came out, because I don't always enjoy it when modern kids clash with an ancient world. That, and I got a bit tired of all the spinoffs of the legend of King Arthur. But this summary intrigued me, and I want to give the series a shot.
 Find out more on its page on Amazon.com

Favorite Book #2--The Lost Conspiracy

"You have been wronged beyond endurance by powerful foes, Hathin. Pity them for not knowing what that means."  -page 242

Image taken from Amazon.com

On the lush Gullstruck Island, tensions strain between the dominating invaders and the original natives. Most outcast of all the tribes are the Lace, who have never been forgiven for a by-gone crime. But at last the Lace have the chance to re-enter society, for a Lost has been born amongst them.

Lost are rare--people born with the ability to send their senses out free of their bodies. They are vital to life on the island, and serve the role of news-bearer, law enforcement, and spying, making their importence rival to the goverment.

But Airlou is not like other Lost. She is nearing fourteen, and she has never shown any indication of having control over her mind. A fear is developing amongst the Lace that she is not a Lost at all, but disabled. This secret is protected carefully by Airlou's younger sister, Hathin.

Then suddenly, disaster strikes, and all eyes turn to the Lace, famed for their ancient treachery. Hathin is forced to run for her life, dragging her helpless sister with her across the range of volcanoes that simmer in their sleep, as she tries to outwit a ruthless bounty hunter. An unknown enemy seeds lies and fears, giving Hathin nowhere to turn--nowhere but to a forbidden band of avengers known as the Reckoning.

With the perilous Reckoning on her side, and with Airlou showing talent, Hathin might be able to give flesh to the lies her enemy spreads and make their worst nightmares come true. But as Hathin pursues her chosen path, she uncovers a terrible truth, and now not only the fate of her people, but the entire island, rests on her small shoulders. But in saving her people will she destroy herself?

~

This incredible novel was recommended to me by a friend, and while I don't usually start books I know nothing about, I decided to give this one a shot. I admit, one-third of the way through, I almost stopped because of a very sad event that put me in a really bad mood. The first third is certainly the hardest part to get through with the strange, pagan culture, and sense of hopelessness.

But I went on to complete it and am so glad I did. 

British Title and Edition taken from Amazon.com

Do you think there isn't an original book out there in the big, wide world? I beg to differ. Frances Hardinge writes some of the most original, complex novels I have ever discovered. Her main characters, twelve-year old girls, often paired with undesirable companions, face huge challenges undermined by twisted political dealings and deceit. Yet, against enormous odds, they prevail. And you believe it. You don't say, "Yeah, like that will ever happen." You just saw it happen! It feels so real, its incredible. The cultures are in-depth, the settings are explored, everything is so well done it leaves me breathless.

This book is my favorite out of the three Frances Hardinge's novels I've read. Her novel, Fly By Night and its sequel Fly Trap were also brilliant, although I did disagree with a few points in Fly By Night. 

The Lost Conspiracy is a tale of cruel prejudice and unfathomable mercy. Its totally clean in sexual content; as a matter of fact, it barely skims romance. It didn't need to. Mild language occurs rarely. There is some strange cultist beliefs among the people that cause some serious trouble that has to be resolved. The Lost are gifted with strange abilities, but that's the only certain fantastical element. There are other supposed beliefs and supposed gods, but whether its real in the book or not must be speculated. Whatever the case, they think its real. I wouldn't even call this book a fantasy, more like an alternate world.  It is a Young Adult book, because of the serious issues it deals with that younger children could find disturbing. For everyone else out there, go look up this stunning book! It is amazing.

Dragonwitch Sneak Peak!!!

WOO HOO! So the sneak peak for Dragonwitch, book 6 in the Tales of Goldstone Wood (for which I can barely wait) was just released on Anne Elisabeth Stengl's site today! It is a very mysterious scene. Go over and take a look HERE. Who do you think this Scrubber is? Is there anything you cannot wait to discover in Dragonwitch? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Book Review--Auralia's Colors by Jeffery Overstreet

When thieves find an abandoned child lying in a monster’s footprint, they have no idea that their wilderness discovery will change the course of history. 

Cloaked in mystery, Auralia grows up among criminals outside the walls of House Abascar, where vicious beastmen lurk in shadow. There, she discovers an unsettling–and forbidden–talent for crafting colors that enchant all who behold them, including Abascar’s hard-hearted king, an exiled wizard, and a prince who keeps dangerous secrets.

Auralia’s gift opens doors from the palace to the dungeons, setting the stage for violent and miraculous change in the great houses of the Expanse.

Auralia’s Colors weaves literary fantasy together with poetic prose, a suspenseful plot, adrenaline-rush action, and unpredictable characters sure to enthrall ambitious imaginations.

-Cover and Book Summary Taken from Amazon.com-

Through My Window

Auralia's Colors is the first book in the series by Jeffery Overstreet. It is called the Red Thread and it begins the tapestry beautifully. Overstreet's voice is unique and lovely, shrouded with a mysterious air that weaves throughout the entire novel. The engimatic quality keeps you a cetain distance from all the characters as you try to guess their motives and what they have done or will do. 

No one is more mysterious than Auralia herself. She is found by the thieves called the Gatherers and raised among them, but no one knows where she came from. Auralia does--but she's forgotten. She can't remember a lot of things, but she does know her name. With a sweet heart and a free spirit she watches over her chosen people with love, little caring that the rest of the kingdom despises them. When one person asks if she feels safe among such liars and thieves, she replies, "Never met nobody who wasn't a thief or a liar once in a while. The Gatherers are just the folks who got caught." But there is more to Auralia then just her uncanny personality--she has a gift, a beautiful one, a dangerous one.

In the land she lives, color has been outlawed for common folk through the selfish act of a queen. But Auralia can make color. But as she says, " I don't make them....I didn't make nothin' that's new...nobody owns colors. Can't you see? They're free. They're what the trees do. They're what water and sky do. Fields. Hills. Mountains. No matter how much you give them away, there'll always be more." It's a beautiful reminder that our own gifts--writing, drawing, singing--are not our own. They are what they are called--gifts.
 Surprisingly enough, the story is not really about Auralia. Rather it is the story of the people she affects, the corrupted House of Abascar and all its dark secrets. Auralia has come to remind them who they came from, what they have done, and how they might return again. But if they reject her colors, they will have to pay the consequences.

Violence Content--A few battle scenes, and a brief visit, history, and example in a torture chamber.

Sexual Content--Some flirtion and obvious suggestion of immoral interaction between two minor characters, but it obviously a sin...with retribution.

Language Content--None that I remember.

Spiritual Content--A Christian worldview with beautiful symbolism that portrays the truth of another world, a greater purpose, without scaring the non-believer away. The only thing I had a problem with, was while I loved the symbolic nature of the representation of God in this story, his physical manifestation was so bizarre, I was a bit turned off.

~ 4/5  Stars ~

I liked this book. I did not love it, but I liked it. The enigmatic style made me feel like the entire novel was a prologue, and that, coupled with the sorrowful, thought-provoking, but hopeful conclusion, bids me to go on in the series and learn more about the surviving characters. If you are a writer, the writing style of this story itself makes it a worthy read to learn from.

April Antagonists - Characters in Costume Reveal

So this fun challenge is hosted every month by Gillian Adams on her "Battles, Dragons, and Swords of Adamant" blog. I thought it looked like a lot of fun, so I asked her if I could participate with a drawing since my costume supply is low. Well, I was never able to find the comment with my question so I assumed I hadn't published it. This morning on Gillian's blog, I saw that my blog was on the list of participants!!! So where that comment I asked went, I have no idea!

But without further ado, here is my entry in the "Characters in Costume Challenge - April Antagonists"

Lady Mordel

Lady Mordel is descended of a line of ancient kings and queens who once ruled over the alith land of Dormis. But long ago humans invaded the country engaging in savage battle with the aliths, resulting in the humans taking the throne.
That was hundreds of years ago, and aliths and humans now live in harmony. But Mordel has been raised in a family that has never forgotten their stolen throne...and never forgiven.
In a devious bid, Mordel enters the Dormis court and begins to charm everyone to her side. She marrys her greatest threat to keep him blind to her plots. Everything is going smoothly for Mordel--not even the birth of a daughter gets her off track.
And yet suddenly, Mordel's plans are discovered and she is banished from the kingdom. Or is she? Mordel waits in hiding for her revenge, and this time there will be no one to deny her the crown. 


So there's your sneak-peak of one my works-in-progresses. This character is not in Moonscript, but her story does feature in the next project I will probably start after Moonscript!

Be sure to go over to Gillian's blog and check out her villain! Maybe next month, I'll be able to abide by the rules and dress up in a costume!

A Hobbit Birthday

Gillian Adams, the creator of the blog of "Battles, Dragons, and Swords of Adamant" just had a birthday.

Happy Birthday, Gillian!!!

And in hobbit theme, Gillian is hosting an extremely generous giveaway! She will be giving away a book from a list of excellent novels to three lucky winners! Go over to her blog HERE to enter the giveaway!

Writing the Uplifting Villain

The what? Can there be such a thing as an uplifting villain? Well, that's a tricky question.

In my mind, villains in a story should be clearly bad. Sure, they may have a tragic back-story or a conflicted heart, but in the end the villain should be the person you do not want to be. Obviously then, writing an evil villain is important to a epic story. But those villains are nasty things, and they have a way of not only causing trouble for the hero in the story, but also the writer and reader.

Maybe it's just me, but have you have discovered how easy ( and even a little fun) it is to write a villain? Sometimes, its frightening to see just how fiendish our minds can be. And as you're caught up in writing this antagonist, it can be all too tempting to go overboard in your descriptions of their evil doings.

I'm a follower of Christ, and it is my goal to write works that will not dishonor him and will give him glory. In that case, I wonder in dismay, should I even be writing about such evil people? But then I have to remember--villains can be in the story we're writing, because they're in our story. Evil is everywhere, and we have to deal with it. Some of the most terrible examples of evil I've found are in the Bible.

But one must be careful that the villain does not stumble the reader. I try not to write a villain with the idea of him or her being "cool." I don't want my readers to think being bad is "cool." Nor do I want to write a villain that is sooo bad, that I leave readers blinking and thinking "Why did I just read that?"

You can write a villain without being explicit in their insidious doings. In my opinion, it falls into the category "Less Is More."  Your reader can pick up the fact that this guy or girl is really bad stuff and is huge trouble for the protagonist without going into big descriptions.

Remember, as a writer, we are responsible for what we put into the imaginative windows of others. So be careful and thoughtful of what you write. It's a challenge. But don't let those nasty little villains get the worst of you! Send them to their literary doom!!! Mwahahaha! (Wait, was that an evil laugh? Ack, I think they're affecting me!)

By the way, if you're having trouble writing that dreadful antagonist, there is a blog called "Of Battles, Dragons, and Swords of Adamant"  by Gillian Adams, in which Ms. Adams has provided us with classes taking directly from the Academy of Ultimate Villainy! This link goes directly to  Gillian's posts on villainy .  If you have time, please read some of them. They are hilarious!

A Poster

Yesterday, I drew this picture and I thought you all would enjoy it. It is a collage of my works-in-progress. If you have any questions, let me know!

Click on picture to enlarge

Favorite Book #3--The Lord of the Rings

If you are a fantasy writer, The Lord of the Rings is on your Favorite Books list.

Okay, okay, this rule doesn't apply to everyone, but it does apply to me. I was introduced to this books series through the wonderful movie versions of them. I was a little girl at that point, the faithful follower of my big brother, and our family was one of the few in our church who actually had not watched The Lord of the Rings. My brother was a Star Wars fan, so of course so was I. But then Mom and Dad watched the movies, and then they let my brother watch the movies, and then I got so see the part with the Shire.

Taken from Amazon.com

And then I was hooked. I finally got to watch the movies, closing my eyes at every battle scene or whenever an orc appeared. I had that movie memorized and I knew where to close my eyes, sure enough! Now, I watch the entire movie, minus a few unsavory parts.

But about now you're going, "I thought this post was about the books, not your movie-watching experience!" Well, yes, it is. The movies is what led me to the books. I think I've read them through twice, and I've waited long enough to start a third. I fell in love.

I do not believe any book can compare to Tolkien's masterpiece. There might be similar story-lines, but I haven't read anything like Tolkien's writing. For one, most don't write like the classics anymore. Not all, but most. A popular rule for writing a best-selling book now  is "Throw your character into action from the very first sentence and keep him there till the end of the book." The epic The Lord of the Rings starts with an everyday event of selling a house. Yep. And the action isn't always electrifying. At points it feels that the story will never move on. But there is a charm, a beauty, to Tolkien's work that none can copy. He blends humor into grim situations, and fills his extensive world with varying cultures, unforgettable characters, dark history, and brilliant messages.

This is an amazing, beautiful, epic that deserves to be read and read again. For a fantasy writer, this is a classic series that one can learn so much from. If you haven't yet read it, I strongly encourage you to
open the pages and immerse yourself into the world of Middle-Earth.

For those of you LOTR fans out there, which book is your favorite? Any favorite characters or scenes? Quotes? Or is it just too hard to pick?

Favorite Book #4--The Hobbit

"In a hole, in the ground, there lived a hobbit."

And thus begins one of the most beloved fantasy classics of all time. It is a famous line, one that sticks with you forever, but I love the next sentence just as much.

"Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit hole, and that means comfort."

Image taken from Amazon.com

The book then goes on to describe how wonderful a hobbit hole is; it is a place you would never want to leave. But of course, Bilbo Baggins, the respectable owner of the said hobbit hole, is scooted out the door by a wizard named Gandalf, and is sent forth on a most uncomfortable adventure. Although it is most discomfiting, he will become very proud of it, especially of the battle at the end which he was "most fond of recalling long afterwards, although he was quite unimportant in it."


Bilbo is completely loveable. All he wants to be is quiet and respectable, and then he is facing trolls, escaping goblins, outwitting a slimy creature, quite a few elves, and a terrible dragon.

Above all, though it is a seemingly random event in the story, he finds a magic gold ring.

And of course, this sets the stage for the greatest fantasy epic of our time, The Lord of the Rings. 

The Hobbit, the prequel to LOTR, is far more whimsical then its successor, and in some ways I like it better. Mostly because it is so funny! There are very few books more charming then this one. I've heard many people say they can't get through the first chapter, but I find the first chapter delightful!
J.R.R. Tolkien was a incredible author, and he went on to publish many stunning, brilliant, but often dark stories and histories.

For me, The Hobbit, will be the one of the most beloved of his works. However, The Lord of the Rings, had a more profound effect on me, so it is one place ahead of the Hobbit in my listings, as you will see.

By the way, readers, what did you think of the movie The Hobbit: There and Back Again? I was  pleased with it, overall. I have a few qualms, but nothing serious. I cannot wait for the second installment! Because, well, I'm crazy over elves, over one in particular, and there are a lot of elves coming up!