What I've Been Reading: Annie

So I've been catching up on a lot of new books. There are so many great new and future titles out there, I thought I'd share a little summary of my reading with you.

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer(****four stars)
Bella is learning the hard way what life is like when you are in love with a vampire. After all the life-threatening, vampire-escaping, blood-hunting, bone-shivering craziness that has happened to Bella since she met Edward, you would think she would want to distance herself to save her life. Yet Bella knows life with Edward is nothing compared to life without him. Together they learn just how much they are willing to sacrifice for their love.
This book continues the saga of Edward and Bella as well as introduces some new, very interesting characters.
Fans of the very popular book Twilight will be happy this August when the second installment of this series hits libraries and bookstores everywhere.
Up next: Twilight the movie?

The Prophet of Yonwood by Jeanne Duprau (***three stars)
Nicky temporarily moves to the town of Yonwood with her aunt to help clear out and sell her great-grandfather's big old house. It's a time of turmoil in Yonwood, where the townspeople are relying on a woman they call the "Prophet" to give them clues on how to survive the end of the world that she saw in a vision. But do the Prophet's garbled messages really mean doom and destruction for the people? Or are they just crazy talk?
This is the prequel to the books The City of Ember and The People of Sparks. Learn why the city of Ember was created and who created the mysterious document that Lina finds years later.

The Night My Sister Went Missing by Carol Plum-Ucci (***three)
I have read all of Carol Plum-Ucci's books and was lucky enough to meet her when she came to Paramus two summers ago. Like her others, this one is based in New Jersey, near the shore in a small town where big secrets run deep. This time Kurt Carmody's sister Casey is missing after a gunshot went off on the old burnt out pier they were hanging out on with their friends. A very long night at the police station helps to explain whose gun it was, if Casey is dead or alive, and why it happened in the first place.
Prepare to be surprised- but you will have to wait- this book won't be out until November!


Reading right now:
Specials by Scott Westerfeld
Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City by Kirsten Miller (check out Kirsten's awesome website here.)
Tokyopop's new Pop Fiction titles, Magic Moon and Scrapped Princess.

Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz

Written by the author of the Au Pair series, Blue Bloods is a bit of a departure for de la Cruz. Think Gossip Girls with some horror and history thrown in. Sounds odd, I know, but de la Cruz somehow makes it work.

This is the story of vampires in New York City who are the crème de la crème of society, the elite, the rich and famous. The story specifically follows a group of teenagers who have just discovered they are vampires, but they are being hunted by an evil force who is trying to kill them all. In an interesting historical twist, all these vampires are actually the reincarnated spirits of the Mayflower settlers.

I know this sounds a bit complicated, but the author does a good job of clearly explaining the history and the “rules” of the vampires. This is a fun, fluff sort of read – it doesn’t require the same emotional investment as Twilight or other vampire stories. While I actually prefer a “deeper” story, Blue Bloods was still sufficiently entertaining. De la Cruz made up a lot of rules for her characters and the society she created – it’ll be interesting to see if she can continue to follow her own guidelines as the series progresses (which is one of the cardinal rules of fantasy writing: an author must always adhere to the laws of the world they’ve created!). And there will most definitely be a sequel, as the ending is left wide open.

I recommend this for teens 14+ who have worked their way through the Gossip Girls series and are looking for something new.

***3 stars out of 5

CURRENTLY READING: I Was a Non-Blonde Cheerleader by Kieran Scott